Romance Witch's Reviews: Review: No Holding Back (McKenzies of Ridge Trail #1)

No Holding Back (McKenzies of Ridge Trail #1)

by Lori Foster

Blurb:

Introducing The McKenzies of Ridge Trail, an all-new sexy contemporary romance series from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster.

Not needing him won’t stop her from wanting him…

Trucker Sterling (Star) Parson is no stranger to the challenges a woman faces, both in her industry and in life. But she can take care of herself. She’s never needed—or wanted—a man around...until she meets Cade McKenzie. The take-charge bar owner sets off all kinds of alarm bells for Sterling, but he also sets her heart racing.

Cade’s lived in Ridge Trail long enough to know trouble when he sees it, and the moment Sterling—Star—walks into his bar, he knows trouble’s come to call. Secrets run deep in the small town and Cade can tell Star’s got as many as he does, leaving him itching to uncover every last one. But finding common ground will mean trusting one another, further feeding an intense attraction that’s growing impossible to resist.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

Lori Foster’s new series about a family of fascinating individuals on a mission of protest the innocent and bring justice to those that have evaded it for far to long is one that will grab you by the heart and remind you that there really are good people left in the world. I was a tiny bit skeptical when I read this blurb because it seemed a little bit odd to me, but being that I am the daughter of a truck driver, and huge Lori Foster fan, I decide I would give her the benefit of the doubt and boy was I not disappointed. This story is one that revolves around a woman that has her own personal mission for justice who runs into the immovable force of the McKenzies and their missions cross in the most outstanding and explosive of ways. Sterling, aka Star, Parson has made it her personal goal to save as many women from predators as she can and uses her professional as a trucker to aid them the best way she knows how. She never lets her guard down, but she has found a measure of peace and lowers the walls a that smallest bit when she settles however briefly in the bar owned by Cade McKenzie. Cade has been watching Star from the first moment she entered his bar and each time she comes back he becomes more and more enamored, and suspicious of her true profession. He and his family are in the middle of another big mission and he can’t let anything get in the way, but his draw to Star is also undeniable. With Star and Cade working together with his family they are determined to bring justice to a seriously bad guy, but at the same time they are falling deeper into their feelings for one another if they will both just lower the walls they have erected to keep others out. I really loved getting to know Star and see her finding her way out of her shell. She has been through some really terrifying experiences in her life but instead of letting them break her, she has made them into the fuel that drives her and allows her to help others. She is hilarious in her interactions with Cade family and there I no doubt she is way out of her comfort zone there, but the more she gets to know them the more she likes this crazy bunch of people. She is strong, but sweet at moments when she lets her underbelly show for Cade, and she is determined to do whatever it takes for those she thinks are weaker than her. She really was the perfect match for Cade as he was a protector to the core and from the moment her saw her he knew that she would be his even they could find a way. He was a smartass but at the same time so dedicated and sweet that I couldn’t help falling in love with him, there was no doubt he was going to win in his mission and they were going to kick the asses of the criminal that they were after. I liked getting to know him and his family for sure, though I would have loved even more time where we saw him and Start get to focus on their relationship. His sweetness and determination to protect Star when she keeps throwing herself into danger made him frustrated several times, but he never lost his temper with her and that passion only fueled his feeling for her even more. The affection and lust between Cade and Star was there from minute one and led to some more than exciting moments that I can see making their lives interesting until the very end and there was no way to deny the passion. I loved every moment of this story and for sure am dying to find out what comes next in the series and to see the rest of the McKenzies find love as well as they continue to fight against the evils of the world. Lori Foster continues to amaze me with her imagination and ability to bring her characters and stories to life and to make her readers fall in love with them again and again. Another hit for sure!