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Review and Excerpt Tour: Rough Ride: Kristen Ashley

by - Wednesday, February 14, 2018


Rough Ride (Chaos #4.5)
Kristen Ashley
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Release Date February 13, 2018


From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Ashley comes a new story in her Chaos series...

Rosalie Holloway put it all on the line for the Chaos Motorcycle Club.

Informing to Chaos on their rival club—her man’s club, Bounty—Rosalie knows the stakes. And she pays them when her man, who she was hoping to scare straight, finds out she’s betrayed him and he delivers her to his brothers to mete out their form of justice.

But really, Rosie has long been denying that, as she drifted away from her Bounty, she’s been falling in love with Everett “Snapper” Kavanagh, a Chaos brother. Snap is the biker-boy-next door with the snowy blue eyes, quiet confidence and sweet disposition who was supposed to keep her safe…and fell down on that job.

For Snapper, it’s always been Rosalie, from the first time he saw her at the Chaos Compound. He’s just been waiting for a clear shot. But he didn’t want to get it after his Rosie was left bleeding, beat down and broken by Bounty on a cement warehouse floor. 

With Rosalie a casualty of an ongoing war, Snapper has to guide her to trust him, take a shot with him, build a them…

And fold his woman firmly in the family that is Chaos.

Note: Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.




“For years, you’ve had a rough ride, what’s happened recently just the most recent. You’ve been jacked around since your daddy died and I don’t think either man meant to do you wrong but in the end they did. And I’m the man who’s gonna do your right, Rosalie. With me, that rough ride is gonna end, baby.” 

Rosalie has been looking for a man like her dad, a good guy who liked motorcycles and cared for his family. The first Chaos man she set her sights on dumped her, then she moved onto a man from Bounty, but that turned out even worse. Recently she tried to do the right thing, but got caught in between the two clubs and was lucky to make it out alive.

But now Chaos is claiming her, and specifically one member wants her to be his. Everett "Snapper" Kavanaugh has had his eyes on Rosalie for awhile, and now he finally sees a clear path to claiming her as his own. Unfortunately, recent events have left her hurt, fearful, and untrusting,  and him feeling guilty and angry.

Snapper is the kind of alpha hero who is bossy, possessive, and likes things his way, but he is also loyal, protective, loving, and thoughtful. He is ready to do what it takes to make her feel safe and cared for, even if she is resistant or scared of losing again. He is smart, motivated, actually reads books, and  holds meaningful conversations too! I adored him. Rosalie made me want to shake her at times, but it was also understandable with what she had been through. But she is sweet, funny, and caring too. This is about her wanting to stand up and find her own way, but also about being part of a bigger family and being accepted, loved, and protected. It is also about trust, being willing to take a risk, and finding inner strength.

It is so easy to sink back into this Chaos MC world with all of our favorite alpha men and feisty females. I love their sense of club and family loyalty. They are fun, social, supportive, and such big personalities. And some other KA cameos were just icing on the cake. This  installment is funny, emotional, sexy, and suspenseful. And even though it is a novella, it is actually longer than typical ones.

I appreciated that it was not too full of relationship angst. I liked that these characters actually talked and acted maturely. But they are dealing with danger and threats causing tension, suspense, and anxiety.  This can technically be read as a stand alone to get introduced to Chaos, and it may attract new readers. But this also ties in previous books in the series and even hints at some things farther back in the club's history, while also becoming a bridge to move the series forward again with some other characters. Fans of the series will recognize an ongoing nemesis. And the ending definitely leaves you wanting more. I have been looking forward to Tack's son, Rush, having a book for so long, and it seems like Hound is another brother who has some things to figure out.

I was gifted a copy by the author.
Rosalie put everything on the line to report about her boyfriend’s club to their rival, Chaos, but she felt like she had no choice because of the choices he was making. But though she knew the price if she was caught, what Rosalie failed to take into account was that she was growing further away from her boyfriend and Bounty, and closer to Chaos and Emmett “Snapper” Kavanagh. But when her deception is discovered and she pays the price, Rosalie’s trust in the biker world is thoroughly shaken even though it’s also the only world she’s ever known. Snapper is ready to claim Rosalie as his. He saw what happened when she was with Shy and wants to be the man she is looking for.

I was glad Rosalie had a chance to shine on her own. She got a bit of a bad rap in Own the Wind by being the one Shy tried things out with before he admitted his feelings for Tabby. Readers wanted Shy and Tabby together, and Rosalie was just in the way. All she wanted was a man like her father, and thought she had found it in Shy. I love that Snapper saw her, even then, and wanted to be that man for her. Timing wasn’t right though, and when he finally gets his chance he isn’t willing to take it slow, except to prove to her that he is serious.

This was a great mix of drama and heat. The battle between Chaos, Bounty, and other forces kept things moving in one direction while the chemistry between Rosalie and Snapper kept it moving in another. There was always something going on, but not so much that the story got bogged down. It is a novella that packs as much into it’s pages as possible without moving into KA novel length territory.

I was surprised how quickly I was immersed back into the Chaos world. It has been some time since I was in the thick of this series, but the characters and situations came right back. As a 1001 Dark Nights story, Rough Ride stands alone nicely. As a piece of the Chaos series, it fits in nicely. Whether a reader is new to Chaos or a long time fan, Rough Ride is a fantastic ride to find protection, family, and love.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.


He spit on me.
I felt it land on the side of my chin and slide down.
I didn’t move to wipe it away.
I couldn’t.
Lying on my side, curled into a ball, the pain screamed through me. All of it—and there was a lot of it—demanding attention, I couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t think, couldn’t move in case it got worse. I couldn’t do anything but lie there and pray that it was over.
It wasn’t.
He bent over me, grabbed my hair, yanked it back, and I felt his hot breath hit my face. 
“See if he wants you now, you stupid bitch,” he hissed.
He let my hair go and I felt him retreat, but he still wasn’t done.
He kicked me so hard with his foot in its heavy motorcycle boot, my body slid across the cement.
I was too far gone even to grunt.
I felt something bounce off my hip, clatter to the floor, and then his voice came back, this time from further away.
“There you go, baby,” he drawled. “Your line to Chaos. We’re done with you. I’m done with you. Now they can have you.”
I heard boots on cement, more than just his, his Bounty brothers in the club. I sustained a couple more kicks as they passed. One of them grabbed the underside of my jaw and shoved my head back into the cement, also spitting, his hitting my neck.
And then they were gone.
I lay there, my focus on breathing and continuing to do it even though each breath was not only an effort but an agony. The fear I’d felt early when he took me, how he’d taken me, the way he’d handled me and I knew he’d figured it out, had dissipated as pain took its place. Now, the fear was returning that they’d come back and dish out more.
He’d come back.
Throttle.
Own The Wind (Chaos #1)

Fire Inside (Chaos #2):
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Our reviews


Ride Steady (Chaos #3):
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N Our reviews



Walk Through Fire (Chaos #4)
Goodreads |  Amazon | B&N | Our reviews





Mystery Man(book1) 
Wild Man (book 2)
Law Man (book 3)
Motorcycle Man (book 4)
KRISTEN ASHLEY
WEBSITE * FACEBOOK * TWITTER * NEWSLETTER * GOODREADS * PINTEREST * INSTAGRAM

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA and 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 accessorize and she hadn't taken her first breath!). Her mother said they took Kristen away, put her Mom back in her room, her mother looked out the window, and Gary was on fire (Dr. King had been assassinated four days before). Kristen's Mom remembered thinking it was the end of the world. Quite the dramatic beginning. 

Nothing's changed.

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana and has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus, she's blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her family was (is) loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. They all lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the heartland. She grew up with 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, it keeps getting better.

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