Hold On (The 'Burg #6) by Kristen Ashley @KristenAshley68

Amazingly beautiful and poignant finale to one of my favorite series.   5 brilliant stars Once again, Kristen Ashley owned my heart and soul as her unique writing style and storytelling magic caused a whirlwind of emotions, I had no choice but to hold on tight, never wanting to let go of Merry, Cher and all my loves in The ‘Burgs. Reading Hold On took me to an entirely different level as the journey flooded my heart with a riotous amount of emotions. I’ve become tethered to these characters, feeling their passions, pains, heartaches and joys. This friendship turned true love story was touching, but what made this an absolute literary masterpiece was its brilliant epilogue…the best I’ve ever read. So, break out the Kleenex, you’ll need them. Jumping into this read had me feeling both melancholy and anxious.  I was a bundle of nerves and couldn’t wait to crawl inside of Merry’s head. He fascinated me since Golden Trail (Rocky and Layne’s book).  Throughout most of this series, he was pining over his ex-wife Mia, his supposed ‘soul mate’. I thought he wanted to fight and win Mia back. Next thing I knew, Cher’s really into Merry, but there were some unanswered questions. How and why did Merry push Mia away? When did a relationship with Cher become a possibility? Can Merry shake off his man-whorish ways and convince me he wants to win Cher’s heart? In addition, Merry’s story marks the end of one of my most beloved series, I had to get myself ready to say goodbye. With all of this in mind, I savored the hell out of this read. Taking my time to absorb every heart stopping drama filled moment, each plot twist, the hilarious banter between the main characters and every steamy love scene (Merry’s all Alpha-Dominant ass-smacking sizzling hot), while discovering the beauty of their relationship.  I should never doubt the course KA lays out. Merry and Cher were perfect for each other, feeding their desires while soothing their insecurities and working through a shit ton of baggage.   In a word, Cher “Cherie” Rivers is a survivor. Former stripper turned bartender, Cher is a hard working single mom to the adorably witty Ethan.  At first glance, she definitely gave me the tough chick, hard-as-nails vibe, which I adore (I tend to favor strong female leads). However, there’s so much more to her persona.  She’s thick skinned, stubborn and overly cautious since dealing with so many disappointments in her life. She’s a woman whose experiences taught her the rough lesson that dreams do not come true.   Poor Cher, she had my sympathies as well as my respect. I loved her realistic views towards life. She’s not a woman who wallows in life’s misfortunes, but one who perseveres and makes the most out of her circumstances.  I admired her protective motherly ways – she sacrifices greatly for her son – and when digging deep, I saw her soft, ‘gooey’ side.  Cher may be unrefined, but she is true to her family and friends. It’s her loyalty to Merry, when he was at his lowest, which led to a night of unbridled passion. After years of loving him from afar, her dream actually came true. Now she’s panicked that their one night tryst would either ruin the friendship or it could (hopefully) lead to something more…that means taking a chance on Merry. I so wanted Cher to finally find happiness and her dream man. The extremely sexy, outrageously dominant Lieutenant Garrett “Merry” Merrick is the perfectly flawed, self-sabotaging hero.  The horrific way he lost his mom scarred him so greatly; deep-seeded fears from the trauma led to a failed marriage and crippled future relationships.  When finding out his ex-bitch-wife Mia (oh yeah, she’s a major bitch-face) was moving on, Merry decided to have himself a pity party. The only person to have his back was Cher, which led to not only one night of hot sex and multiple orgasms, but also the possibility of more. It took a tiny bit of time for me to warm up to Merry. He had a hard, uneasy side in the beginning of the story that had me on edge.  There were times he pissed me off and I wanted to smack some sense into him, snapping him out of his funk. Although, it didn’t take Merry long to open up and show me all his beauty. I couldn’t help but fall in love with his gentle, protective side. I adored how hard he worked to break down Cher’s impenetrable walls, while trying his best to move past his fears. Merry also had me feeling all gushy the way he took Ethan under his wing and effortlessly became part of their small family. Merry is a controlling and dominating force in the bedroom. Their fierce sexual chemistry ignited my kindle as Merry proved repeatedly that he is one hell of a dirty-mouthed badass who likes it when his good girl’s being bad.Totally scrumptious.  I loved them together – both Cherie and Merry were powerful, dynamic characters that sometimes collided and were frequently sarcastic. They were as funny as they were passionate, and the things that came out of their mouths were hysterical. “You grabbin’ my hand practically before I could get in your door and draggin’ me to your bedroom so you could shove me on your bed and get your mouth on my dick?” His hold on me tightened slightly. “Awesome.” “You have a great cock,” I shared. His hips shifted and his smile didn’t get any less cocky. “It likes you too.” Now there’s always that one person in each KA series that I refer to as ‘The Sage’. That one special character that puts everything into perspective by imparting their wisdom, which usually leaves me a blubbering mess. For me, it was Dave Merrick, Merry’s dad. Father and son shared an enormously tender moment that was forever seared into my soul. Dave, a man burdened with his own pain and regrets, lovingly takes his son’s hand and guides him into the light. Dave lays it all out for his son, telling him to grab hold and fight against these fears with the help and love of a strong woman… that woman being Cherie. It was one of the most touching moments in this read. As I reached the 95% mark on my kindle, heart palpitations and panic set in when reading the one word that made me realize this is it…the end of an era…EPILOGUE.  Holding my breath, I pushed forward and became fully engrossed in the best ending I have ever read, bar none. Told from various points of view and spanning over a decade, Kristen Ashley gifted a phenomenal insight into the lives and loves of all The ‘Burgs characters. Weaving each saga within this series together, tying all loose ends into one spool of thread, KA magnificently spun all of the happily ever afters I craved.  It was a beautiful pain seeing all these characters one last time. I laughed, I swooned, I cried happy tears (Joe Callahan made me sob…again), and I was overjoyed with the journey this author paved.

Toxic by Kim Karr @authorkimkarr

ARC Received in exchange for an honest review 4.5 Intoxicating Stars Once again Kim Karr delivers another intense romance filled with plot twists and laced with all I’ve come to love from this author…Intrigue, drama, angst and intoxicatingly sizzling passion. Toxic tells the second chance love story of Phoebe St. Claire and Jeremy McQueen. They were once secret lovers, sharing an all-consuming blazing desire, then bitterly torn apart by falsehoods and misconceptions. Now, they are destined to reunite as Phoebe battles for her family’s legacy and Jeremy battles misunderstandings in order to conquer her heart. Their passion is addictive, heady and toxic. Their hurt as much as they love. Things were NOT what they seemed and the more mysteries unraveled, the more tangled their web. Karr cleverly hinted and left breadcrumbs to follow, (some I found predictable, some blew me away), all the while keeping me on my toes and constantly guessing, holding my breathe waiting to see what comes next. Phoebe – I was torn with her character. On one hand, I felt bad that she had the weight of the world on her shoulders while stuck in a loveless relationship after experiencing a great heartache. On the other, she greatly frustrated me with her flightiness. She had severe trust issues when it came to Jeremy, which caused her to make foolish, self-destructing decisions. Her rash assumptions, in both the past and present, caused their heartache, which vexed me. I liked that she was a tough gal and business savvy, but overly dramatic and insecure at times. The sexually provocative and always charismatic Jeremy McQueen – even his name is sexy! He was HAWT, mysterious, broody and one hell of an intense character. He was the ultimate rebel bad-boy, with a ‘screw everyone’ attitude. He had my sympathies throughout this read. Yes, he had secrets and faults, which made their relationship even more complicated, but he was sincere in his feelings for Phoebe. He was undeserving of her distrust in my opinion. I really liked his character, then again, I have a weakness for moody, sexy Alphas with a hint of mystery and Jeremy was off the charts sensual. As a couple, their passion ignited big time. As young lovers, they had chemistry. Once reunited, their love exploded. Jeremy oozed a raw sexuality and his appetite was unbelievably scorching – always controlling, always demanding with a constant erotic hunger. Toxic took me on a mysterious journey trying to decipher all the clues Karr sprinkled throughout this read. This author’s stories have a way of grabbing hold of my attention, spinning my mind with her plot twists, keeping me on the edge and intrigued. She’s a great storyteller who weaves the perfect combination of lust, love, melodramatics and angst. This standalone had my emotions whirling between it’s many ‘hold my breath” moments, to ‘screaming at my kindle’ frustration, then back to Jeremy and Phoebe’s ‘holy crap’ fiery passion. Kim Karr is known for stories filled with steam and intrigue and Toxic did not disappoint. TRIPLES with EMMA

Ride Steady (Chaos #3) by Kristen Ashley @KristenAshley68

Advance copy received in exchange for an honest review Euphoric feelings consumed me as I queued Ride Steady on my kindle, knowing I’m about to visit a world I dearly missed…On a forecourt off Broadway sits RIDE and the brothers of the Chaos Motorcycle Club. It’s home to my FAVORITE bikers. This time, it’s Joker’s story. He, as well as Carissa, took my hand and led me on a profound journey chock-full of everything I cherish from a Kristen Ashley novel. Heart-racing drama. Hardship and despair. Love of family, brother-hood and sister-hood. Hope and healing. And most importantly…undying desire and passion. No one pens a story like this author. She has the power to bring me to an entirely different level. Ride Steady was one of those reads I could not put down, grabbing me from the first word, then rocking my world with an overwhelmingly emotional epilogue. It was an absolutely remarkable experience. Carson Steele… In the prologue we see a young Carson and let me tell you, his suffering made my heart bleed. Treated terribly by an abusive bastard of a father, very little joy cut through the darkness that suffocated his life. The only gentleness that touched his world were a handful of friends, a concerned teacher, observing a lovingly playful father and son in the shadows of a mechanic’s garage and a lovely young girl - who fueled Carson with hope and whose light served as a means of escape from his horrors. For years, Carson worshiped Carissa from afar and believing he was unworthy of her beauty completely destroyed me. When deciding to free himself from his father’s tyranny, Carson sees Carissa one last time, and she foretold the unimaginable – a future filled with hope. How I desperately hoped Carson would find exactly what he deserved – he made my heart ache. His childhood left him emotionally scarred and feeling worthless and me a blubbering, tearful mess.  Joker… Working hard to turn his life around, Chaos eventually became his family. With Tack as their leader, they took Joker on as one of their own, offering brotherhood, freedom and the beginnings of a ‘beautiful life’. However, Joker held his cards close and remained mysterious. I freaking love a damaged, broken hot guy and Joker was seriously emotionally wrecked. He’s a fighter, a survivor, but the demons of his past still haunt his gorgeous steel gray eyes.  And on a chance encounter, on Interstate 25, this badass biker finds himself facing beauty from his past…Carissa. Butterfly… The once cheerleader and homecoming queen, now recently divorced (from a major dirt bag son-of-a-bitch ass that I freaking loathed) and new mom to the super adorable Travis, finds herself in a bind. Life has not been kind to Carissa and she too pulled on my heartstrings. Stranded, all alone and overcome with insecurities, I just wanted to embrace her and make all her woes disappear. Her life takes a turn when she encounters the uber-sexy bad boy biker who saves the day…Joker.  I simply loved Carissa. She was beyond sweet and her character radiated an aura of gentleness, compassion and kindness. She loves to a fault and is funny in a cute, quirky kinda way. I adored her courage and optimism despite the constant blows she’s endured.  Her character, for me, possessed a hint of innocence – especially when entering the world of Chaos MC, where she is lovingly welcomed. I adored her tenacity. Carissa wanted Joker and was determined to insert herself into his life, not allowing him to freeze her out. Their scorching romance was amazingly moving and their back and forth chit-chat was hysterical. Joker is a supreme bad ass with an icy cold exterior freezing out all from seeing his inner turmoil. But once Carrie and baby Travis broke down his walls, I fell in love with his tenderness. How he loved her and their off the charts passion, had me swooning and melting. I fell deep for all things Joker – his grittiness, his passion, and his torments – he was the perfectly shattered hero I wanted to see healed. As with all of KA Alpha’s – Joker’s edgy side remained raw, unbelievably sexual, dominant and demanding. And that’s exactly what I crave from her men. They never loose their sense of command and control. What touched me the most was the blossoming relationship between Joker and Travis. It was so endearing witnessing an insanely sexy man take-on such a sweet, loving little boy. Their moments together swelled my heart with joy. I’m completed hooked on Kristen Ashley’s writing style and the way she tells a love story, it’s become an obsession. Ride Steady was THE PERFECT fix for my addiction. And HOLY SHIT! KA kicked my Alpha fix up a notch with an EPIC, all-out badass fest. One thing I look forward to (aside from her hot sex scenes, gorgeous macho men, and HOT sex scenes) is seeing some of my old loves pop into a new story. I was elated…they were crawling all over this read and it was scrumptious. Needless to say, my man Tack was heavily involved in this story (YIPPIE)!! No spoilers as to what other dudes made cameo appearances, but I will say that a certain character, that I’ve hungered to see join forces with the Chaos crew, finally came into play. I was in total Alpha-heaven and bubbling with delight. Ride Steady was a brilliant 5-star read for me. Page after page, I fell hopelessly in love with this story as Joker, Carissa and Travis burrowed their way deep with in my heart. I never wanted the ride to end. It could be read as a standalone, but honestly, it would be a disservice not to read the series in its entirety. With great sadness, I had to say goodbye to my Chaos loves, but not for long! The Chaos saga continues with High’s story – Walk Through Fire.

When We Collide by A.L. Jackson

4 heart-breaking stars 

ARC received courtesy of InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review

Holy WOW. I was not prepared, at all, for William and Maggie’s love story. I've read and enjoyed melancholy romances before, but this was by far the most somber read…EVER. I had no clue jumping in that it involved a victim of abuse – and was absolutely taken aback by the severity of it. My poor, sweet Maggie. Her woes brought me to cry ugly tears.

Her circumstances caused my blood to boil. I was so consumed with RAGE and ANGER; I wanted nothing more than to strangle her abuser. This was by no means a lighthearted read, but one that twisted and turned my feelings.

This is not a romance I will soon forget. It was not an “enjoyable” read for me per se, but an extreme heart wrenching experience that caused my emotions to collide. The way in which A.L. Jackson penned this story, I really felt each of the main character’s anguish. William and Maggie’s love and life experiences were difficult to take.  Envisioning Maggie’s horrific life and the extreme cruelty towards her, broke my heart into pieces and infuriated me beyond reason. Her character was so gentle and kind, for most of the read, I was wishing for her to finally find the peace and happiness she so deserved.

William…I liked his character, but his wallowing in self-pity and the way his six-year absence negatively affected so many lives, exasperated me. Yeah, I felt bad that Maggie crushed his heart, but it ticked me off that he gave up on her so easily and took his sweet time to fight and win her back.

 And Troy, the sick bastard…

I don’t think I’ve EVER despised a character more than him. He was despicable. His reign of terror and abuse towards Maggie shredded me.

All in all, When We Collide was a good read, but also very dark, intense and emotionally draining. That being said, I would have liked more insight into William and Maggie’s relationship beginnings. The flashbacks gave me an “insta-romance” feel, and for them to share such a great and powerful love, I wanted more time spent diving deeper into their love affair.  This is not for the faint of heart, but a good recommendation for readers who enjoy tales filled with turmoil and angst.

Let it Be Me ~ By Barbara Speak

  3.5 ~ 4 Stars

ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review 

Barbara Speak gives us a heartwarming story of two people, both victims of circumstance, whose paths have joined them together. Arianna Dubray, a likeable yet overly dramatic young girl, finds herself in a new town and a new life – none of it is welcomed or of her choosing. Her character had my sympathies as she greatly suffers from the secrets she carries, an abusive stepfather, a neglectful mother and the forced changes in her world. Arianna’s saving grace is a sexy and sweet cowboy I’ve come to adore…Canyon Michaels.

He’s hot, charismatic, patient and amazingly kind. Canyon offers a friendship to Ari when she is at the lowest point in her life. Both main characters struggle with emotional pain and the only comfort they find is within each other’s arms. I enjoyed seeing their friendship grow and blossom into love.

Let it Be Me was a slow moving read at first, but the storyline picks up during the second half as secrets begin to unravel and the bonds of their relationship deepens. I found myself constantly guessing as to what troubles were buried in Ari’s past. There’s lots of drama in this read and a cast of characters I’ve come to adore, especially Shelby (Ari’s cute little sister), and some I totally despised, that added the element of angst to the story. Some laughable moments and times I found myself frustrated – mainly with Ari’s melodramatic persona. But all in all, the heavy dose of heartache and heart mending, laced throughout the story, was emotionally touching. Happy there’s no cliffhanger, and looking forward to Canyon and Ari’s continuing saga in Let it Be Us.

Kane's Hell by Elizabeth Finn

 4 Stars

ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review

Kane’s Hell was an emotionally gripping tale that absolutely gutted me. Elizabeth Finn has the ability to weave incredibly beautiful love stories with such intensity, angst, heartache and drama.

I have to confess, found myself stepping away from this read a few times, because it was difficult to absorb all the tragedies the main characters, Kane and Helene, endured as teenagers. It sent me reeling. Terror befell this couple and it saddened me greatly to see how it destroyed their lives and drove them apart. One night changed the course of their lives and their relationship, as they experienced a taste of hell at the hands of a madman. And be warned, some flashback scenes were disturbingly graphic, yet necessary to connect with each character’s pain.

My heart ached for both, when seeing their jovial spirit and friendship destroyed, especially Helene. Seeing her pain touched me. Although she is a strong heroine, it was tough witnessing her struggles, dealing with the aftermath and her solitude. Barely surviving, her only coping mechanism was to throw herself into her studies and her job. Kane’s abandonment left her with no other option, until he returned and fell back into her life.

Kane is a beautifully broken hero. At first, his man-whorish ways ticked me off and it took some time for me to look beyond his gritty and sometimes brutish character. I was angered that he left Helene alone to suffer silently for over eleven years. But that all changed when I dove deeper into his persona to see how guilt utterly consumed him. My adoration for Kane grew as I saw the extent of his pain and his journey towards healing. In a way, he suffered alone just as much as Helene. Above all, I wanted to reach in, grab hold and make all of Kane’s guilt, shame and troubles disappear.

Kane’s Hell is a deep, powerful love story of suffering devastation, forgiveness, hope and the healing power of love. There were moments of sadness, and moments of off the charts passion. The main character’s horrific tragedy brought me to the brink of tears and emotionally devastated me…only to be slowly pieced back together through Finn’s story telling magic.  As always with this author’s tales, be prepared for an intense ride.