Release Day Reviews: Love in the Fast Lane: Rie Warren
Love In the Fast Lane (Carolina Bad Boys #2)Add to Goodreads
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Expected December 11, 2014
Release day Dec. 11 is last day to grab for only 99 cents!
New York Times bestselling paranormal author, Nicky—Nick—Love is anything but successful in love. For years he’s lost himself in his writing career, but now he’s ready to get back to his rebel-boy roots. While restoring a motorcycle at Stone’s Auto Service, he meets the Wildcat of his dreams. She’s a shock to the system for the romance writer who doesn’t remember a damn thing about wooing a woman.
Cool-as-ice, Catarina “Wildcat” Steele is utterly untouchable until Nicky ignites a spark she can’t control. Their electric attraction explodes as Nicky pursues her, but he comes bearing the baggage of a family tragedy he’s hidden from everyone. He knows love has no guarantees.
Their passionate romance falls apart when Nicky discovers Cat’s secret rivals his own. The truth about her past reopens Nicky’s raw wounds and awakens a ghost he never laid to rest. He doesn’t know how to have Cat, and now he can’t trust her. Will they be torn apart . . . or tamed by love?
Suddenly, the soles of my boots
vibrated from the roar of an iron horse throttling into the parking lot. The
growling sound was sheer animal velocity gunning from wide-open pipes. It sent
shivers down my spine to my balls.
The reverb from that engine was a
magnet to my soul. I pushed through the crowd until I hit the forecourt. My feet
stopped, my heart sped, my blood settled way down low in my groin.
Holy
motherfuckin’ hell.
Make that a chrome horse, with
Wildcat Steele astride it.
A beauty, her Harley was sleek
lines, shining pipes, and sick angel-wing emblems on either side of the gas
tank. But what took my breath away was the babe-badass-boss of that machine.
Cat. Fucking. Steele. Dressed in goddamn black leather.
Walking to her, I held out my hand. Her palm, covered in a fingerless
leather glove, hit mine. She slid one lean leg over the seat, then the other.
After working off her helmet, she shook her hair free and almost shook my balls
loose. On this night of the jack-o’-lantern, Josh’s jackasses were not to be
outshone. They whooped and hollered around us, and I knew just how Josh felt
when he wanted to blind each and every one of them.
Wildcat unzipped her padded leather jacket, revealing a thin black tank
beneath, baring cleavage that made it apparent she’d gone for the braless look.
It could’ve looked tacky but on the lady who always dressed to the nines, it
just looked yes and more. The bonfire behind her highlighted
her hair in coal-black-blue. Thigh-suctioning leather pants lay low on her
hips, and the scuffed, silver buckled low-heeled boots on her feet were ten
thousand times more about riding it hard than any other woman’s stilettoes.
I took her helmet and hooked it over the handlebar of her chopper. I
trailed a finger down the jagged teeth of her jacket zipper, my knuckles
brushing warmth beneath. “What are you dressed up as, darl’?”
Her sapphire blue eyes snapped to mine. “Just me. Wildcat for one night
only.”
“Are your claws out tonight?”
She inched toward me and whispered, “I should apologize. I shouldn’t have
gone off on you like that at your house.”
“Are gonna go off on me tonight?”
“Maybe. But only in a way I think you’ll like.”
I had to kiss her. I’d die if I didn’t touch her. In front of her
brothers, the boneheads, and everybody else, I cradled her face and dipped down
to her waiting lips. All was not forgiven so much as forgotten with the warm
slide of her lips against mine and the wet press of her tongue into my mouth. I
gripped her waist, hauling her to me. Her moan collided with my groan, and her
hands twisted through my hair. When her tongue circled mine in a sleek hot
dance, I grabbed her ass and ground against her.
“About damn time!” Some fool shouted.
“Get a room.”
“Get a porn set!”
I’d settle for a bed.
Cat pulled away. “Is that your sword poking me? Or are you just happy to
see me?”
“Not you, too,” I groaned. I moved her into the shadows and away from all
the shit-stirrers. I rubbed my lips against hers. A shiver rippled up her body
as I tugged her earlobe between my teeth. And it was so damn tempting to go for
her tits, her nipples, the amazing chandelier jewelry apparent beneath her thin
top and only one piece of fabric away.
“I like your ride.”
“I bet you do, hon.” Her glorious smile gave life to that deep dimple in
her cheek. Sexy vixen with an impish side.
Out of nowhere, two bulky masses closed ranks around her, too close for
my comfort. All that muscle—Brodie and Boomer—like Cat needed protecting from
anyone.
As if.
“Knock it off, guys.” Her lips flattened.
“Maybe we should knock his block off, sis.”
She pivoted around. “Really? How old am I?”
Brodie tugged on his hair and muttered to the ground. “Twenty-six.”
“But that doesn’t mean you know what’s good for—” Boomer was cut off with
an oh no you din’t glare from Cat.
She threaded her fingers through mine and swept past the surly Steele
bros. “Stay out of my way tonight. I’m not gonna do anything stupid.”
We met Nick Loveland aka paranormal romance writer Nicky Love in Stone, At Your Service when he convinced his best friend Josh to pose as his boyfriend at a romance writer's convention to keep the female fans away. But that was all blown to hell when Josh fell in love with LeeLee and ruined their impersonation of the perfect gay couple. But seeing his best friend find love makes Nicky realize he might be ready to find his own perfect match. But the only woman that that excites him is Catarina Steele. The woman who acts like she loathes them and slapped him at their last meeting.Maybe that's why Wildcat called to me. She was untouchable, unreachable. There was little chance she'd let me close enough to steal her heart, let alone make a dent in mine. Safe. I laughed to myself. No matter how unattainable the woman was, she'd never be safe, not for me. Not from me.
Nicky is a good guy that takes care of his Mimi and is a great friend. He has been a player in the past and does a better job of writing about wooing women than actually doing it. He was taken in by his Mimi and unofficially adopted by Josh's family as a teen, but there is a lot in his past that he has not even shared with his best friend. And even though he has tried to avoid his past, it will not stay buried forever.
Cat has big, huge walls up and a hidden traumatic past as well. She strives for control in her life and does not let people in. She is buttoned up, prickly, and stand-offish. She has a fear of intimacy and trust issues. Her two bulky MC club brothers also add an extra layer of protection.
For some reason, Cat mesmerized me. It wasn't just her looks. It wasn't just her 'tude. There was something hidden inside of her--locked away--that called to me. Against my better judgment, which was bad at best. I needed to find out what made her tick, instead of the fact that I just plain ticked her off.
Nicky is so infatuated with the Ice Princess that he can make melt that he will not be deterred. Their interactions are confusing, volatile, and inconsistent, but they make each other feel alive. They have serious sexual tension and chemistry, but there is a lot of back and forth. And even once they can't fight the pull anymore, it does not mean they are done fighting.
"You get to me and I don't want to be got at."
"I like getting under your skin."
Both of these strong-willed individuals have demons that haunt them. They are dealing with loss, guilt, self loathing, and fear of getting too close. They both not only have to face their pasts, but trust enough to open up and share them. And then be strong enough to handle the fall out. But both of their back stories have some similar elements that make dealing with them more challenging. There was a lot of fight or flight situations. But these characters personalities were so intense that it made sense that they reacted strongly and often had to take time to regroup and realize what they had to lose. But all along they are sharing pieces of themselves with each other, but not all at once.
But when secrets hit too close to home, will they bring them together or rip them apart for good?
The gang from Stone, At Your Service is back. Josh and LeeLee are preparing for their wedding. JJ, the Moms and Grandmas, The Hens, the wild, nosy guys at the garage, and even the crazy stalker Pandora are all accounted for. They are still feeling the repercussions of Josh and Nicky's gay charade at the convention. We also got more with Cat's biker brothers, Brodie and Boomer Steele and meet the female cop Ashe Kingston who is entangled with them. We will see more of them in Steele Into Your Heart.
This installment was told in Nicky's unfiltered, country bad boy point of view. Like the first book, it is raw, funny, and a bit outrageous at times. But I felt like this one had more emotional baggage and turmoil and it kept you guessing as to what they were hiding. The guys in this series are alpha, dirty talking, foul mouthed, and unapologetic. The women are sassy, feisty, and don't back down easily either. I have enjoyed the small town atmosphere camaraderie of the characters as they act like an extended family.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Nick Love has more secrets and pain in his past than his public face shows. From his attempt at passing himself off as a gay author, to his easy hook-ups, Nick generally seems like the life of the party, a happy guy. But behind what he shows those around him, he is hiding some pretty dark secrets, even from his best friend Stone.
Catarina Steele is buttoned up, closed off, but only when she’s dealing with Nick. Every once in a while she shows Nick a glimpse of a wildcat behind her prim and proper persona, and those tiny glimpses are enough to have him intrigued (and the rest of the guys at Stone’s garage razzing him big-time).
The pain that follows both characters threatens the light easy connection they find and I was quickly hooked into these characters: finding out what they were hiding, what they would do when the secrets came out, and how they would recover from the truth.
I loved both the early parts of the book where Nick is doing his best to get Cat to notice him, and later when they both started showing vulnerability. Their hang ups and secrets drove a lot of the drama throughout the book, but I was continually rooting for them, that they would be able to sort out the darkness and move beyond their pasts.
The Hens and Widows, Nick’s writing friends and their spouses, were present during parts of the story and brought with them humor and an over the top aspect that was a nice break from the darker issues of the book.
Love in the Fast Lane was both surprising and exactly what I was looking for from this second book in the Carolina Bad Boys series from Rie Warren. It was exactly what I was hoping for in that it was a quickly paced story with characters that drew me in and made me want to root for them. It was also surprising because where Stone was funny and leaned towards slapstick, Love is darker and filled with the pain of the characters’ pasts.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Grab Stone and Ride for 99 cents each for a limited time!
Stone, At Your Service (Carolina Bad Boys #1)Add to Goodreads
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Hell on wheels meets hell in high heels.
Bad boy mechanic Josh Stone likes to get his hands dirty any way he can—the filthier, the better. Ever since his wife walked out on him and their young son, he’s only had room in his heart for two loves: the kid and cars.
Roped into playing his best buddy’s gay boyfriend during a romance writers convention, the player meets the girl who’s gonna rock his world. Leelee Songchild. Shy, bashful, beautiful Leelee who blushes at the drop of a hat yet writes hardcore smut to rival Josh’s backlist of Penthouse Forum.
The only problem is his hands are tied. Josh can’t stab his old friend/fake lover in the back even though all he wants to do is take luscious Leelee to bed, and maybe, love her. When the truth comes out, all hell breaks loose.
Too bad romance is just for books.
Ride (novella)
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Pre-order Amazon
Expected January 8, 2014
The full, sexy, New Adult version of RIDE, the novella featured in Stone, At Your Service, Carolina Bad Boys series.
College man Jase Everly has bad boy written all over him. Rides a motorcycle? Check. Has tats? You bet. Couldn't give a shit about rules? He's all over that.
When he's cut off from the oil baron family funds, he finds a new way to support his education, his bike habit, his bad habits. And his business venture is nothing he's proud of.
Top-notch student Avery Greene is a good girl. Deans List, never missed a class, straitlaced material. She's on the college fast track until one night and one jock destroy her life. She hides inside her sweaters. She buries her nose in her books.
She ignores the pain inside her, and she's sure she hates Jase from the moment she lays eyes on him.
The problem is—Avery needs someplace to stay, and Jase wants a roommate. They’re enemies at first sight. Now they’re going to live together.
Roomies? Maybe.
Romance? Never.
That’s what she said.
Steele into your Heart (book #3)
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Expected April 2015
Brodie Steele is a badass biker dude. Ashe Kingston is a sexy police officer with an attitude. Their bad blood runs deep. But after they hook up at a wild biker week, can they keep their pact? What happens at Bike Week stays at Bike Week. Yeah, right.
Rie is the badass, sassafras author of Sugar Daddy and the Don’t Tell series–a breakthrough trilogy that crosses traditional publishing boundaries beginning with In His Command. Her latest endeavor, the Carolina Bad Boys series, is fun, hot, and southern-sexy.
A Yankee transplant who has traveled the world, Rie started out a writer—causing her college professor to blush over her erotic poetry without one ounce of shame. Not much has changed. She swapped pen for paintbrushes and followed her other love during her twenties. From art school to marriage to children and many a wild and wonderful journey in between, Rie has come home to her calling. Her work has been called edgy, daring, and some of the sexiest smut around.
You can connect with Rie via the social media hangouts listed on her website . She is represented by Saritza Hernandez, Corvisiero Literary Agency.
Ride (novella)Add to Goodreads
Pre-order Amazon
Expected January 8, 2014
The full, sexy, New Adult version of RIDE, the novella featured in Stone, At Your Service, Carolina Bad Boys series.
College man Jase Everly has bad boy written all over him. Rides a motorcycle? Check. Has tats? You bet. Couldn't give a shit about rules? He's all over that.
When he's cut off from the oil baron family funds, he finds a new way to support his education, his bike habit, his bad habits. And his business venture is nothing he's proud of.
Top-notch student Avery Greene is a good girl. Deans List, never missed a class, straitlaced material. She's on the college fast track until one night and one jock destroy her life. She hides inside her sweaters. She buries her nose in her books.
She ignores the pain inside her, and she's sure she hates Jase from the moment she lays eyes on him.
The problem is—Avery needs someplace to stay, and Jase wants a roommate. They’re enemies at first sight. Now they’re going to live together.
Roomies? Maybe.
Romance? Never.
That’s what she said.
Add to Goodreads
Expected April 2015
Brodie Steele is a badass biker dude. Ashe Kingston is a sexy police officer with an attitude. Their bad blood runs deep. But after they hook up at a wild biker week, can they keep their pact? What happens at Bike Week stays at Bike Week. Yeah, right.
A Yankee transplant who has traveled the world, Rie started out a writer—causing her college professor to blush over her erotic poetry without one ounce of shame. Not much has changed. She swapped pen for paintbrushes and followed her other love during her twenties. From art school to marriage to children and many a wild and wonderful journey in between, Rie has come home to her calling. Her work has been called edgy, daring, and some of the sexiest smut around.
You can connect with Rie via the social media hangouts listed on her website . She is represented by Saritza Hernandez, Corvisiero Literary Agency.
1 comments
Really nice article. So glad you liked the book because I loved it too! I've been taken by Rie Warren in a way I'd only ever experienced with JR WARD. Can't get enough of her alpha characters - her fresh writing approach - the sense of humor - the sizzle between the sheets uh err pages - when they find their love interest. Rie & her characters own me! I'm helpless to do anything but read the minute she gives us a new story. AND SO DAMN FAST! With other best sellers, we wait year(s) for sequels to stories we love, But not with Rie! She pounds em out and demands they get into our hands faster than ..the the hens would blow Stone if given the chance! Which reminds me! Wasn't Stone a hoot in this round!? I loved all the glimpses of him & LeeLee - Stone the Barbarian, at times - Stone I don't give a f**k - Rhett Butler - and ahhhh Daddy Stone *sighs*
ReplyDeleteGreat coverage for a really great new series. Thanks!