Sunday, June 7, 2015

~ARC Review~ Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley

Title: Ride Steady
Series: The Chaos Series
Author: Kristen Ashley
Publisher: Forever
Published Date: June 30, 2015
Genre: Suspense/Contemporary Romance/MC
Page Count: 640




Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. Money, marriage, motherhood: everything came easy–until she woke up to the ugly truth about her Prince Charming. Now a struggling single mom stranded by flat tire, Carissa’s pondering her mistake when a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower.
In high school, Carson Steele was a bad boy loner who put Carissa on a pedestal where she stayed far beyond his reach. Today, he’s the hard-bodied biker known only as Joker, and from the way Carissa’s acting, it’s clear she’s falling fast. While catching her is irresistible, knowing what to do with her is a different story. A good girl like Carissa is the least likely fit with the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Too bad holding back is so damned hard. Now, as Joker’s secrets are revealed and an outside threat endangers the club, Joker must decide whether to ride steady with Carissa–or ride away forever…


Ride Steady is the third installment in the Chaos series. I didn’t read the first two but this book is so well written, you don’t feel lost by not reading them. I probably will go back and read the others because once you read a Kristen Ashley book, you become addicted and have to read them all. From start to finish, this book keeps the reader’s attention. With dynamic characters and a setting that fits the storyline.
Carissa’s character is one that has seen heartache at a young age. She’s felt the pain of losing not one but two people in her life. She’s also insecure due to her relationship with her ex-husband. I would be insecure too if my husband left me, while pregnant, for some skinny model. She has a lot of dimensions though. Carissa is not a one sided character. She loves hard, cares for everyone, and has a feisty side. That feisty side comes out when she is trying to defend someone she cares about. Her relationship with Joker is one that builds. The author doesn’t do insta-love in this book. As you get to know the characters, they fall in love on the pages. It’s refreshing, I like that.
With Joker, he is broken. After a hellish childhood, he walks away with the battle scars of his war. He doesn’t want to be hurt again, so he keeps everyone at arm’s length. Carissa is the one who opens his heart. Shows him that love doesn’t mean hurt. Joker has to be one of my favorite characters, probably because of his relationship with Mrs. Heely. I loved reading about those two together. They are a hoot.
Many authors have attempted the MC genre, but only a few have mastered it. Ashley is one of those who have mastered it. Her writing is top notch and her story is engaging. If you haven’t read her books before, dig yourself out from under that rock and buy her books. It is worth it. 




5 out of 5 Stars!!!







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