First up: I got to say, this is my favourite KA book so far.
Let’s face it there are mostly two kind of people in this world: The ones who adore KA and the ones who don’t. There are very few -like me who are on the fence...
My fist encounter with Ashley’s books was due to my reading buddies. They -well, most of them at least- were raving about how awesome all her books were…. this was before I actually had read any romance novels round 3years ago. Back then I mostly read fantasy and some YA. Due to some bet or challenge I lost I had to read a specific KA book. And though I didn’t hate it totally, I thought it was ok, much to the dismay of said reading buddies. They kept telling me I really should read the dream men series, kept inviting me to KA buddy reads, so long story short I finally gave in and read Rock Chicks with them.
I had to admit, I enjoyed Rock Chicks. It was cute and fun. But I was still on the fence. My biggest issue being the writing style. Well particularly the one word dialogues that seem to dominate all of KA novels.
Then a long while later I decided to give the Dream Men series a go- but as an audio…. Which honestly I still think is the best way to enjoy that series. It’s superbly narrated! Seriously fantastic.
Chaos being a spin-off from Dream Men, I got into reading it and am lucky enough to have gotten the ARCs for them.
I think looking at Ashley’s work retrospectively there are two things that become apparent. Ashley has a very clear MO.
And second, her writing is in my opinion vastly improving, which Ride Steady is the poster child for.

Now having a clear MO is probably the reason for the very clear divide between readers… So if you don’t like the quite, brooding, uberhot alpha dudes that just sort move in, settle down when before they were only up for casual; a sweet, baking, caring, pretty, normal heroine, with no hidden agenda and a huge heart and lots of back and forth (mostly one worded) dialogues - then you probably won’t enjoy this one either.
If you are a KA fan- grab this one it’s a good one!
And most importantly if you are like me sorta on the fence, if you like contemporary romance with a cool caring alpha, give this a try.
I loved this one. As I said my favourite KA so far. And the reason for it, is plain and simple the character building.
It was nice to revisit the Chaos gang. I feel like I know Chaos more and more. And also I really like the motorcycle club background - Ashley really brings the lifestyle (or at least what I imagine it to be like) through. I found myself appreciating the casts values and lifestyle -even if they not my own.
Carissa is probably one of my favourite characters Ashley has written so far. Even if she does fit the usual mould. Somehow she felt more realistic and I could totally connect with her. I love that she was always upfront and honest with everyone.
Joker/ Carson is the perfect hottie, in so many ways. And while he has issue to work through- just like Carissa- it’s done with no angst and no drama. Just simply done.
I love the relationship Joker has with the guys, especially Tack. But I also adore how he rekindles his relationship with the neighbours and his teacher.
Somehow it felt like this is more personal to KA - and it ended up more personal to me.
Which is exactly why I like Ride Steady so much.

A beautiful story about friendship, overcoming the odds and most importantly about standing with your friends. A cute romance with a good dose of smut- naturally it’s KA after all.

Hello, 

I finally got around for the June round-up. I read more books but like I said before I lost it all when the hard-drive on my computer gave out . Here are the one that I already had a review for. The rest I just rated and you can find in my Goodreads and Booklikes shelves.

For July I just plan on catching up on review books, but also Jennifer L. Armentrout's Every Last Breath the third and final book in The Dark Elements series.

Acutally the next few months I have a few books I been looking forward to.

July, like I said Every Last Breath  by JLA.

August: Magic Shifts, the 8th book in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews

September: The Drafter the first book in Kim Harrison's new The Peri Reed series.

October: The Immortal's Redemption by Kelli Ireland 

Of course there are many more but those are the main ones I can think of right now, I also plan on picking up The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey soon, since the book everywhere and hear good things about it. 

Now to my June reads, as always you can find the buy links in the review that I will link.

I hope you all enjoying your summer and the warm weather :) 

Happy Reading :) 

Can’t Resist a Cowboy by Elizabeth Otto

Synopsis:

He’s always been her weakness…

Injured and discharged, Marine Levi Haywood has returned to his family’s ranch to heal and start a new life. After all, once a cowboy, always a cowboy. The only problem? Life at the ranch has moved on since he joined the service, and suddenly his role in the family business is much less clear. And things get a lot more confusing when the woman he left behind returns home.

Carrie Lynn Waite has never known a time when she didn’t love Levi. They were childhood sweethearts, but because of her health, she was forced to move to the city, away from the ranching life. Now Carrie’s come home only to learn her family’s ranch is in trouble and Levi is back, along with an undeniable attraction she can’t resist. But some things never change, forcing Carrie to choose the future laid out before her…or the cowboy she could never resist.

3 ½ ★

My Review 

Zero Day by Bobby Adair

Synopsis:

A new flu strain has been spreading across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Disturbing news footage is flooding the cable news channels. People are worried. People are frightened. But Zed Zane is oblivious.

Zed needs to borrow rent money from his parents. He gets up Sunday morning, drinks enough tequila to stifle his pride and heads to his mom’s house for a lunch of begging, again.

But something is wrong. There’s blood in the foyer. His mother’s corpse is on the living room floor. Zed’s stepdad, Dan is wild with crazy-eyed violence and attacks Zed when he comes into the house. They struggle into the kitchen. Dan’s yellow teeth tear at Zed’s arm but Zed grabs a knife and stabs Dan, thirty-seven times, or so the police later say.

With infection burning in his blood, Zed is arrested for murder but the world is falling apart and he soon finds himself back on the street, fighting for his life among the infected who would kill him and the normal people, who fear him.

3 ½★

My Review

Blood of the Demon by Rosalie Lario

Synopsis:

Keegan lives to exact revenge on the evil demon who sired and abused him. When his father devises a plan to bring on the apocalypse, he and his three half-brothers, interdimensional bounty hunters for the Elden Council, are charged with capturing and delivering their father for punishment.

Art gallery owner Brynn Meyers has no idea that her ability to read memories embedded in objects and drain people of their life force means she has demon ancestry. Unfortunately for Brynn, she’s also the key to raising an ancient zombie army, which puts her on every demon’s Most Wanted List.And no one wants her more than Keegan’s father.Keegan must protect Brynn from his father by any means necessary, but he’ll have to learn to harness the other half of his genetics-the far deadlier, uncontrollable half-when he starts to fall for the one woman standing between him and the vengeance he so desperately seeks. The one woman he’ll never be able to resist.

1 ½ ★

My Review

Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis:

Most days, Andrea doesn’t know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he’s a major player, and they can’t get along for more than a handful of minutes. Until now.

Tanner knows he and Andrea have had an epic love/hate relationship for as long as he can remember, but he wants more love than hate from her. He wants her. Now. Tomorrow. But the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious that Andrea has a problem. She’s teetering on the edge and every time he tries to catch her, she slips through his fingers.

Andrea’s life is spiraling out of control, and it doesn’t matter that Tanner wants to save her, because when everything falls apart and she’s speeding toward rock bottom, only she can save herself.

Sometimes life makes you work for that happily ever after…

4 ½★

My Review 

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Synopsis:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself–and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

4 ★

My Review

The Elite by Kiera Cass

Synopsis:

The Selection began with thirty-five girls.

Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon’s heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America’s chance to choose is about to slip away.

3 ★

My Review 

The One by Kiera Cass

Synopsis:

The time has come for one winner to be crowned.

When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon’s heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she’ll have to fight for the future she wants.

4 ★

My Review 

Quick word about the religious aspect: it is pretty superficial, so about a 1 on a scale of 1-5.

This book turned out surprisingly well once I hit the halfway mark (pg. 140). That is when the lies unravel and the truth gets some page space. There are a number of liars in this book:

1. The heroine (Marguerite Westing) - lies so much in this book, it is pathological. Seriously, little fibs, big whoopers, almost any answer to a question is answered in a lie. She sees lying as a way to circumvent society's ideals about womanhood (the story takes place in 1895 and she is upper middle class/high enough in the social standings of the town) and get her fun. Doesn't matter who she hurts (such as the hero or even herself). Until she discovers the truth about the lies others told her, then lying is a big deal to her. In the end, she is tired of the lies all around and decides to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and ends up saving her family from poverty and blackmail.

2. Captain Andrews (father of the hero) - lied to his son about something so important, then tells the truth after the Captain suffers a second heart attack and almost dies. Seriously, his reasoning is a bit selfish, but also not too selfish - I get why he lied, but I don't condone the lying in the first place and definitely not keeping the lie going for as long as he did. The truth seemed to ease the son's feelings and make way for him to forgive heroine for the hundredth lie she told. Son doesn't hold a grudge against the dad, so that relationship is saved/renewed by the truth.

3. Edwin & Camille Westing - and now we know where the heroine gets her lying gene from. Once everything is discovered, their lies pretty much make the heroine a sacrificial lamb to atone for their mistakes. It isn't until Marguerite stands up for herself against the blackmailer that these two decide to confront the lies they told and work to restore their own honesty.

4. Roger Gordon & Clyde Stone - the villains in this story. You kind of expect it from them; however, by the time the reader gets to their lies, it is over kill.

Seriously, the only people in this story that didn't lie at all was Mark Westing (younger brother of heroine and not just a plot moppet - he actually had a point in the story), Trip Andrews (the hero - and in every sense of the word! great character), and Trips' friends/co-workers (Harry, Lloyd, Mel, & Max). So why the good rating?

Those last 50ish pages....exciting, so much truthiness you expect Stephen Colbert to make an appearance, and a believable HEA that was worth the work to get there. I loved that the heroine saved herself and her family, rather than the hero coming to the rescue. This ending helps me feel better about starting book two in the series tomorrow. 3.5 stars.

Looks like it was a YA month for me.  I read five of them, but these three were the best -- all of them are coming of age tales, each of them done brilliantly. (Four stars and more, for me.)  Click the links below to see my reviews:

http://redthaws.booklikes.com/post/1179688/this-is-how-i-pictured-nader-at-seven 

http://redthaws.booklikes.com/post/1182824/his-publisher-his-editor-his-wife-and-his-agent 

Add in these two: 

   With four-and-a-half stars, and

 Mort(e), by Robert Repino, (yes there are talking cats (and the second book of the month featuring ants -- weird)) with four stars and I guess I had a pretty good month even though i was able to spend time reading only in the first two weeks because I've been doing this instead, followed by traveling to a niece's wedding, followed by brother in car accident just prior to the wedding.  It was a beautiful wedding, one of the best I ever remember, and my brother's okay now so no worries.

I didn't finish even one Kindle Unlimited, so money wasted there, but now that I'm home again I can finish   which was a book that really wanted me to stay awake and read it -- now I can; and

  , the audible book we chose for the trip from SA to KC, but it's Stephen King, so much too long for a mere twelve hour drive; and this one

  which I will finally get to return to its seven-day shelf at the library (only a little bit overdue).

year's half over.  How'd that happen?

5.0 stars

Unclaimed (Turner series #2) by Courtney Milan 

4.5 stars

 Unveiled (Turner series #1) by Courtney Milan

4.0 stars

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 

Call The Midwife: Volume 2/Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer worth

Sheikh's Desert Duty (THE CHATSFIELD) by Maisey Yates

3.5 stars

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

2.5 stars

 Unraveled (Turner series #4) by Courtney Milan

2.0 stars

Dads are the original Hipsters by Brad Getty

1.5 stars

Once Upon A Summer (Seasons of the Heart #1) by Janette Oke

Seriously, I can't believe June is already over and 2015 is halfway done - where did time go! June was a busy month for me, as British summers invited me to get outside the house. The kids and I spent a (soaking wet) day out with Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (Colne Valley Railroad), saw the Minions movie in theaters (the kids' first time seeing a movie in a theater - mommy's opinion is to wait until the movie comes out on DVD, as it was cute, but not worth movie theater prices), Dragon Fest at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village, a fun Color Me Krazy 5k (the kids' first 5k), the kick off to the DoD's annual Summer Reading Program, and the normal playdates and running errands.

Best of all, the end of the month brought us one month closer to having my husband/their daddy home (we are now past the half-way mark on this deployment!!!). Reading wise, it was a very extreme month; I read some really great stuff and some not so great stuff, nothing too average. 10 books a month is still a good amount, but I need to up my reading game if I am to get my TBR down to a more manageable level before autumn comes and the big books release for the holiday season.

July is going to be even crazier and busier, but I hope to get in plenty of reading, as my reading reality is not keeping up with my planned reading (as you can see from my growing list of currently reading books).