Blooming Love Spring Giveaway Blog Hop: Own The Wind: Kristen Ashley
Welcome to our post for The Blooming Love Spring Hop. Kristen Ashley is one of our very fave romance authors and since she has a brand new release, we decided to feature Own The Wind on our post.
This is the first book in her new Chaos series that is a spin off of Motorcycle Man from her Dream Man Series.
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Expected release date April 2, 2013
Tabitha Allen has a not-so-secret crush on Parker "Shy" Cage. Shy thinks he knows the path Tabby's on and it isn't a good one. So he decides to teach her a lesson to lead her to the right path.
Unfortunately, he was wrong and his actions wound Tabby, breaking her heart. It's Tabby who then teaches Shy a lesson about casting judgment and Shy Cage learns what it feels like to be invisible. But when tragedy strikes and Tabby's heart is broken again, Shy does what he can in the background to help. Trying to forget her heartbreak, Tabby finds herself in danger. To keep it secret from her biker family, the Chaos Motorcycle Club, she calls Shy to rescue her. But when she lets him back in, she gets much more than she bargained for.
Recommended reading before this book (although not required):
The Dream Man Series:
Mystery Man(book1)
Wild Man (book 2)
Law Man (book 3)
Motorcycle Man (book 4)
I have to say it was comfy moving back into the world that is Chaos. Motorcycle Man is one of my all time fave books, so I was eager to see how Shy and Tabby's story would play out and visit with familiar biker friends and their ladies. No one creates bad ass alpha males like Kristen Ashley. They are rough, foul mouthed, can drive you crazy, and make you swoon. And they are always so full of charisma and holy hotness. They are stubborn, arrogant, but loving and devoted to their women. Parker "Shy" Cage is no exception. He fits the Chaos mold perfectly.
This is Kristen Ashley's first book with Hachette Grand Central Publishing and I wondered if it would change her style. But really you still get all of the greatness that is KA. The wonderful rich characters, the emotion, the tension, the action and the passion. But it is just more streamlined with less attention on minor details or descriptions.
This book was a little different in the beginning since it had time jumps. It was told over a span of 3 years so interactions with Shy and Tabby were sporadic and could be months in between. So it would get me excited when they saw each other and play with my emotions when they were separated so long.
We know from Motorcycle Man that Tabby has had a crush on Shy since she was sixteen. She is the daughter of the Chaos President Kane "Tack" Allen and Shy is five years older than she is. This book starts when she is nineteen and there is an incident between Tabby and Shy that sets the stage for their future interactions and has repercussions for years. During this time there are hurt feelings, avoidance, miscommunications, and tragedy. But you could still feel the underlying hurt in both of them during this period even when they did not interact very much. Especially with Shy who feels responsible for their issues and is not quite sure what his feelings are regarding Tabby. And Tabby is facing a sad, dramatic event in her own life. But finally one night things change and they finally move past their issues and onto friendlier terms.
"I dreamed a dream, Shy."
"You'll dream more dreams, baby."
"I'll never dream," she she whispered, her voice tragic.
"We'll get you to a dream, honey," he promised...
Free. Right. I didn't let my mind go to how free and right I felt or why. I just let myself feel it, let the wind whip away my worries, let the pipes drown out anything in my head. I held on and enjoyed the ride.
They can be so sweet and good for each other. But they are both stubborn, volatile, Chaos type people so they also have fights, differences in opinion, and some situations that threaten to ruin their new found comraderie. But eventually they hit a crossroads and have to come clean about their true feelings. FINALLY! And all of those years of frustration just explode! Kaboom! How the man can convey so much intensity is just four little words. sigh...
"You...in my bed."
He was just that good. So good, when he kissed me, the world melted away.
Of course, their drama was not over. They had a lot to deal with from their past and situations in the present. And they are both strong willed so things are not going to be sunshine and roses. And in any KA book there is always going to be some kind of action with some seriously mean bad dudes that have them calling in all of Chaos and their bad ass brigade of friends. I can never get enough of the adventures of the bikers, commandos, and cops when they work together. I also loved getting a glimpse of the gang at Fortnums. We meet a few new characters like Shy's brother Landon, new recruit Carson "Joker" Steele, and a cop named Malik that fit right in with the crew. And Tabby's Dad Tack, Step-mother Tyra, and brother Rush are all back. I look forward to future books with some of the new characters.
Overall, I loved Shy and Tabby together. He acts like a younger version of Tack and she is a Biker Princess who grew up in the life. They are both headstrong, passionate and loving. They have a mutual respect for each other even when they do not agree. The fact that their relationship developed over a long period of time just made it more special. And seeing them grow as individuals over that time was also important. Tabby is strong, sassy, independent, tough, and a bad ass in her own right. Shy is bossy, crude, commanding, passionate, but can be sweet and loving too. Together they are a force to be reckoned with.
"There's only one kind of biker, Shy. but there are three kinds old ladies. One lets her man walk all over her. One turns into a bitch like Mom or Mitzi. And one is like Tyra, who gives but also expects to get her take. I'm like Tyra. I'm not Tyra, but you should know, I've considered the options and chosen that biker-babe life plan.
"I never dreamed any fuckin' dream," he whispered...
"Didn't dream it, saw it, waited my time, and then you gave it to me."
"I dreamed a dream when I was sixteen and here I am, standing with my dream, feeling it come real."
I was not sure initially when I heard the next book was slated to be about Tyra's friend Lanie and biker Hop. We have already heard about their pasts in Motorcycle Man. But I have to say what I read about them in this book and the prologue already has me intrigued and ready to read it. They have great chemistry and rapport. I am interested to see how their story plays out. Own the Wind set their story up FIRE INSIDE perfectly. It is expected this June 4, 2013.
This was another fantastic read by Kristen Ashley. She did not disappoint. I was so excited to be able to read it early and am now sad that it is over. I cannot wait for books in this series...
Thanks to Netgalley and Kristen Ashley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Have you met Parker “Shy” Cage yet? If not than I suggest you pick up the book and start reading. Thank you, Kristen, for giving us Shy’s story. Loved what I saw of him in Motorcycle Man, and I adored the living daylights out of him in Own the Wind (well when I did not want to string him up by his toes and shake him!). Kristen delivered, giving me my absolute favorite addiction in the world of books, her alpha males. While I have lots of favorite heroes who end up becoming an addiction, no one seems to do it the same way KA does it for me. Very rarely am I disappointed with one of her books, and each time I see a new title I get that tingly feeling of excitement. Shy (damn he was wicked hot and sweet), did exactly that. I had this book pre-ordered the minute I could click the button and anxiously awaited its release. Let me just say this was the second book this week that kept me wide-awake until morning.
“Know this, Tabby, I lose you, it would be sixty years of goin' through the motions. I know that in my dick. I know it in my gut. I know it in my heart. I know it deep down in my goddamned soul”
Shy was a mini Tack (who I absolutely freaking adore, just an fyi), except he was a tad bit sweeter and less crass, however, he was no less possessive. Now that doesn’t mean he didn’t have his jerk moments because there was a section of the book I just wanted to shake my head and walk away. Then again, there were also many moments that made me tingle due to the way he talked and treated Tabby. I truly adored our lost Chaos brother in this story, he had so many facets and I didn't find him to be as crass with the way he treated his woman. Under all that bad boy exterior was a protective, possessive, and sweet as all get out male. Parker's goal was protecting Tabby's vulnerability and showing her there was something in life worth dreaming about. May I please have one exactly like him?
“I never dreamed any fuckin' dream," he whispered, and the smile faded from her face as tears filled her eyes. She understood him.
"Shy-"
"Didn't dream it, saw it, waited my time, and then you gave it to me.”
Shy and Tab just might be one of my favorite KA couples. I think she gave Parker a run for his money. Tabby may have gone through a tragedy coming out a bit damaged, but she never lost that tough biker princess feel to her. They were just so much fun. I found there were some moments I think she may have been just as stubborn as he was if not more. Tabby did NOT lack backbone, nor did she repeat every sentence sounding like a air head. Oh and I absolutely loved her possessive side, she was so damn loyal and protective towards Parker. I felt the intensity and chemistry between them throughout the book. I totally adored them and their interactions. There were some well-placed roadblocks in the growth of their relationship, and for me they needed these obstacles to help them grow up and mature a bit more. Both Tab and Shy fought against personal issues in their lives that shaped their beginning middle and end, leading them on an emotional ride. The story focuses on their need to sort these as they work on becoming an “us” before they decide to reveal their relationship to the rest of the world, mainly their Chaos family. I loved watching Shy and Tabby progress as individuals and as a couple while they tried hard to navigate their journey, and once they finally got it right it just worked for them in that perfect sort of way.
I know I sound gushy and all so I will admit I did have a few issues with Shy's story and that is why I could not give it a 5 star rating. It just didn't bother me enough to ruin the book for me. However, I worried the most about the vibe of Chaos transferring over properly into this series, because seriously how could anyone compete with Tack, even if it is one of his brothers. In addition, I was also nervous that without the focus being front and center on Tack that the feel of the book would change for me. Not sure why I even gave it a passing thought, this is Kristen Ashley after all. She gave us “Chaos”, and more. We got to visit with some new characters please Kristen give Landon a book, pretty please with cherries on top) and a few of our old faves. I felt a mix of excitement and comfort while reading.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Own the Wind for an honest review.
Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up. And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
We are giving away an ecopy of OWN THE WIND!
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2 comments
Awesome Giveaway T & K! Happy Spring :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts and giveaway! No one does storytelling and alph men like KA! I am very excited for this book!
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