I’m going to tell you something a little crazy… this is my first time reading something by Kristen Ashley. I’m not sure why I waited so long, because I really enjoyed her writing style – it’s filled with playful banter, plenty of dialogue, and a warm, lovable hero who is admittedly kinda over the top but still a great guy. There’s an element of suspense to the story that took things up a notch, and though the romance is very much instalove, I stayed connected to the characters throughout.
The story follows Evie, a woman who comes from a hot mess of a family. She strips to pay not only her own bills, but also to care for her family. When she’s set up on a blind date with Danny/Mag, she doesn’t have much faith in the match. He is SO not her type – a demanding, serious alpha male who turned into a bit of a player after getting his heart broken. But there’s instant attraction there, and when Danny proves to be a caring, protective guy with a good heart… he becomes impossible to resist.
I really didn’t know what to expect going into this – I’ve heard that Ashley’s writing is great (and it was), but beyond that I didn’t know much about the story. I found it highly entertaining; every time I thought the book was starting to drag a little, the chemistry between Evie and Danny pulled me back in. It is very much an instalove/over the top kind of romance – Danny does it in a sweet way, but he calls Evie “Baby” from their first meeting and things move at lightning speed. There are appearances from MANY characters from past books, which leads me to believe that this is a common theme in Ashley’s work, and, honestly, it was executed well so that wasn’t really a problem for me. Ultimately, I loved the writing style and will definitely be back for more from the author – while I don’t want to read about total alpha males on a daily basis, it makes for a fun read from time to time. I received an ARC via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review of this suspenseful read.
Releases May 26th
Kindle Edition: https://amzn.to/2zrdZup
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2LQjPIs
Audiobook: https://amzn.to/3c0gzVs
BLURB:
Two broken hearts find love and healing in each other in this sexy contemporary romance spin-off from the New York Times bestselling author of the Rock Chick and Dream Man series.
Evan “Evie” Gardiner has spent her whole life being the responsible one in her family, but enough is enough. It’s time to pursue her own dreams. Evie’s finally going to finish that engineering degree she’s been working toward. But first she needs to come up with the money to pay for tuition. Working as a dancer at Smithie’s club seems like the perfect solution to her problems . . . until her family lands in yet another scrape and comes to Evie for help. Only, this time, her family’s recklessness is risking more than her dreams-it’s endangering her life.
Daniel “Mag” Magnusson knows a thing or two about desperation and disappointment, but no one notices that his good looks and quick wit hide the painful memories that haunt him. When Evie’s family puts her in danger, Mag insists on offering Evie his protection. He has the skills to guard Evie’s life, but as they grow closer, Mag realizes he’ll need to come face-to-face with his demons to prove himself as the man who will protect her heart.
Jeeves Reads Romance 