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The finale to a beloved
series makes me melancholy, but one from this author totally devastates me. I
have a hard enough time letting go of Ms. Ashley’s characters and the
excitement that overcomes me the first time I step into their literary worlds.
Saying goodbye is excruciating, since I’m always anxious for the next
installment. Through the power of KA’s flawless descriptive writings, I’ve
emotionally attached myself to Knight, Creed, Raid and Deacon…feeling as if they
somehow magically became real. As much as I wanted my hands on Nick’s romance,
it broke me knowing that the story line was coming to an end.
Stepping into Sebring, I faced a great challenge with
getting to know and hopefully liking Nick, the ‘dark horse’, introduced in Knight.
Bracing myself, the struggle was real because, lets face it…
Nick was a douche.
Nevertheless, I liked the challenge of an edgy bad-boy reinventing himself in a
way that leaves me no choice but to fall for him. By the end of the prologue,
Nick had my heart wrapped tight around his little pinky finger. Olivia (Livvie)
and Nick’s erotic romance superbly capped this series and once again, Kristen Ashley
overwhelmed me with yet another deeply passionate, highly emotional, poignant tale.
If you have not read the
series in its entirety, I highly recommend jumping on that pronto to understand
Nick’s mindset. His character started off (in prior installments) as someone I
loathed. Jealous, spoiled, sabotaging – he took full advantage of his brother,
Knight. After reading Sebring, I hate reflecting back on the
asshole he used to be. But, it’s crucial to remember his beginnings to
appreciate his character’s transformation. When a hero/heroine is at their
worst, Ashley is at her best as she triumphantly scripts their path towards
redemption. I absolutely savored seeing Nick struggle from his lowest point, work
hard to piece his life back together, while winning my affection along the way.
I loved the man he
became. Loved how he earned the respect of his brother, friends and family. Adored
how Nick forced himself through the cracks of Livvie’s armor, drawing her from
the darkness of fear into dawn’s light. He had my nerves twisted in knots with
his elaborate plan of using Livvie to avenge the murder of his late girlfriend/partner,
Hettie (his target being Vincent Shade). But without a doubt, his feelings for
Livvie were sincere practically from the start. His heart and soul belonged to
Olivia Shade as he placed her needs above all else. It may have taken Nick a while,
but in his struggle, he found strength for the sake of his love. That’s the
true beauty of this tale. The man Nick Sebring became is compassionate, understanding,
selfless and fiercely protective of Livvie. Even though Nick’s an anti-hero (overly
dark, edgy and living by his own set of rules), to me he’s also a true
Alpha-hero in every sense of the word. He was the perfectly flawed, dynamic
protagonist.
Seeing Livvie’s life was achingly
painful. Trapped under her father’s (a nefarious, heartless bastard) control,
she played the role of his dutiful daughter, while helping to run the crumbling
‘family business’. She survived by maintaining a stone-cold facade. Her somber
character made my heart bleed when seeing into her dark and lonely life. What I
admired the most was, hidden beneath the shroud of sorrow, stood a woman of
great strength who dared to hope. I desperately wanted Livvie to find
happiness, and it shattered me knowing she was the pawn in Nick’s plan. My anxiety level soared knowing that the realization would send her
reeling. Fortunately for her (and my nerves), what began under false pretenses
became very real rather quickly for Nick, when realizing Olivia Shade is not
what she appeared to be. She was desolate. She was vulnerable. She was trapped
in a prison created by her family and Nick made it his mission to unravel the
layers and free her from darkness. He found exquisite beauty in his Livvie and a
second chance to love again. In the end, Nick was amazingly romantic as he
moved heaven and earth in hopes of bringing Livvie much deserved love and joy.
From the onset, these two
ignited in a frenzied fury of erotic explosions. Their sexual chemistry was unrivaled
and wild. It was combustible. I was constantly fanning myself down as they frantically
battled for domination during each passionate encounter. Nick was incredible and beyond sexy. As Livvie
desperately needed affection, Nick consistently gave her everything, and I ate all
the intensity up with a spoon. And I loved seeing their tumultuous affair become
more than just a romp. Profound feelings of love developed, consuming both,
which made me swoon.
I'm always giddy when
seeing past loves pop up within the story-line. Knight, of course, comes into
play and manages to make me fall even deeper in love with him. He openly welcomes
Nick back into the fold and forgives. It was a truly remarkable moment of
tenderness and healing between two brothers that struck a chord within my
heart. There’s so much more substance to Kristen Ashley’s prose than just a
beautifully scripted romance. There are inspirational messages conveyed through
her character’s experiences, which brings to light the significance of forgiveness,
redemption and family. Whether we are journeying through a motorcycle club, parallel
universes, the burgs of Indy, the mountainous towns of Colorado, or in the city
of Denver where men live by their own codes – these fundamentals are ever-present
in her tales. It’s brothers and sisters lending an abundance of guidance, love
and support in a time of need. With each
read, I walk away uplifted and tremendously moved as she feeds my soul.
Like all good things, this series came to an end and Sebring was phenomenal. It was one hell
of a gripping erotic romance filled with nerve-wracking moments of angst as anti-heroes
faced off against their vile foes. GAH! My anxieties climbed sky-high as Nair
and Benito added even more drama and twists to the plot. I hated to let these
sexy men go…but when one door closes, the promise of what’s to come
opens. A secondary character from the
Rock Chick Series, who teamed up with Nick, was heavily involved in this story
line. I’m keeping my fingers crossed hoping to see more of him in the future.
ARC received from Author in exchange for an honest review.
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GREAT review!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks :)
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