Mandy
I’ll admit that the last few KA books have not worked out all that well for me. I was a bit concerned that Ride Steady was going to be one of those too. Luckily, I LOVED Ride Steady! I loved Joker and Carissa so very much. Everything I love about a KA book was there- the alpha men, the strong women, the whole Chaos crew was in effect. Tack and Tyra played an important role in Ride Steady and it was so nice to have Tack and his protective and somewhat meddling (?) ways back. Getting Carissa and Carson (Joker) together definitely took a village. They needed a push towards each and Carissa truly needed some support on her side. Enter Tack. Good Lord, I love that man.
Joker reminded me of Tack. He had a hard out shell, that no one could crack open until Carissa came along. Once she was in, Joker was protective, caring in the same way Tack was with Tyra. Which, let’s face it, that is hard to resist. While a tad on the long side, I still enjoyed the whole dang thing.
After reading Ride Steady, I cannot wait for more from this series. I’m so glad that the KA mojo was working for me with this one. 4.5 stars
Maria
I have certain expectations when I read a Kristen Ashley book. There should be interesting and likable characters, sexual tension and hot love scenes, and a plot that engages me from beginning to end. Lucky for me, this story has it all, in spades. When you place two characters who’ve had their share of adversity and give them a chance to make things right for themselves by being together, you get a pretty special story, and that’s definitely the case with these two people who knew each other in high school and reconnect again later in life. Carson” Joker” Steele is the classic alpha male, with a bit of a twist. He’s come from an abusive household, but this hasn’t stopped him from making something of himself. He’s a talented artist and has used his skills to become a real player in the world of car rebuilding. Not only that, but he’s found himself a place with the Chaos Motorcycle club, a place where he finally belongs. Yet, now that things are moving in the right direction for him, he still remembers the people in his childhood who gave him what they could to make his life bearable, people he now reconnects within some of the really heartwarming and honest moments in the story. When Carissa enters his life again, the teenage girl he had a crush on is now a single mother with a child who’s going through a rough patch financially and emotionally. The fact that he can do something about this, to make her life better, is something he doesn’t hesitate to do. I loved everything about Joker – his honesty, his determination, and his methods of securing a good future for Carissa, including his presence in it. He’s the sweetest guy when it comes to caring for her and her child Travis, and the teddy bear hidden inside the rough biker shell comes out repeatedly when they are together. I also really admired Carissa for her dedication to doing whatever she needed to do to give her son and herself what she could to make their lives better. It’s hard for her at first to accept help from Joker and his friends, but she soon realizes that if there is ever a chance to return the favor, she will do it. Their love affair is slow to build at first as Joker is firm about establishing a presence in Carissa’s life before planting himself in her bed, but once they get together their love scenes are steamy and emotional.
One of the more interesting aspects to me about this story was the way it was told. It’s a dual point of view story (with the occasional chapter thrown in from other characters). Carissa’s viewpoint is told from the first person so we get all her thoughts and feelings direct from her. As the story progresses she really blossoms as a woman who finally is getting the man she deserves and the love she has craved for so long. Joker’s part on the other hand, is told from the third person so we get intimacy from him as well, but in a different form. He also undergoes a real revolution in thinking from when he meets Carissa as an adult through to the end of the story, realizing that he wants the family and love that he’s seen some of his brothers have. You get a real sense of the specialness of those relationships in this story, and the strong friendships he’s developed in the club. It was great to see some of the characters from the dream men and rock chick series make special appearances as the plot progressed. There’s a real white knight rescue kind of vibe to the story as Carissa is taken in by Joker and Chaos and becomes someone they all look out for, giving her justice for the way her ex-husband has treated her and making her one of the family. It was an excellent read, and it’s definitely going to be on my list of favorites by Kristen Ashley. 5 stars
Tonya
I will read anything Kristen Ashley writes, but it’s been no secret that I haven’t enjoyed her last couple of novels as much as I have all of her others. So I was more than a little nervous when I picked this one up. Right from the prologue I could tell that this one was going to be much better.
I loved Carissa and Joker’s story. It was great and it was told well. Joker and Carissa knew each other in high school but always just circled around each other. They were both secretly intrigued by the other but neither ever acted on it. Joker had a rough childhood and finally took off to find his place leaving Carissa to find her beautiful life. Meanwhile, Carissa was the golden girl but fell on rough times later on. She meets Joker again by chance and he steps up like Chaos does to give her a hand. They are great characters and Joker was a terrific hero. I loved all the scenes with him and baby Travis. There were also a lot of great lines and a lot of good moments. Not to mention the chemistry between them was off the charts and the sexy times were scorching! Chaos always delivers and there were some fun cameos from many of my favorite characters including Tack and Tyra.
My only complaint is that this seemed just a smidge too long. I feel like a lot of the plot points could have been wrapped up a little sooner. There was also some things that were built up to create some tension but then just fizzled because the drama never came. I know some people appreciate no nonsense and I do in real life, but sometimes I want a little of that drama in my books. As frustrating as it can sometimes be, it is entertaining. We always think we want the main characters to “just talk to each other please and avoid all this crap!” but honestly when it happens that way it’s kind of anti-climatic. Other than that this was exactly what I normally expect from a Kristen Ashley novel. I was glad to see some of the action that developed that will carry the Chaos drama through the series. That was really well done. I know that the next book is High’s book and while I was intrigued by him and his situation that was described in this novel, I’m much more interested right now in Snapper. I really really hope that he gets a book soon! The one thing that Kristen Ashley does really well is build families in many different shapes and forms and that was definitely displayed in this installment of the Chaos series. 4 Stars
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