ARC Review: Ride Steady

Ride Steady (Chaos #3)

by Kristen Ashley

Blurb:

 The ride of her life . . .

Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. Money, marriage, motherhood: everything came easy---until she woke up to the ugly truth about her Prince Charming. Now a struggling, single mom and stranded by a flat tire, Carissa's pondering her mistakes when a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower.

Climb on and hold tight . . .

In high school, Carson Steele was a bad boy loner who put Carissa on a pedestal where she stayed far beyond his reach. Today, he's the hard-bodied biker known only as Joker, and from the way Carissa's acting, it's clear she's falling fast. While catching her is irresistible, knowing what to do with her is a different story. A good girl like Carissa is the least likely fit with the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Too bad holding back is so damned hard. Now, as Joker's secrets are revealed and an outside threat endangers the club, Joker must decide whether to ride steady with Carissa---or ride away forever . . .

Themes: Motorcycle Club, contemporary

Rating: 4.75  stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Holy shit, the heat this couple produces every second they are on the page together is beyond anything I have ever seen, and that's after reading Shy and Tack's stories, which let's face it were beyond anything before them either.  If you are a long time reader of Ms. Ashley's you will know just what I mean, but if you have missed out on these previous stories... WTH is wrong with you!?! But really this series is wonderful as are the predecessors, but if you have missed the other stories you are missing a lot.  I have been a fan since I first picked up one of Kristen’s novels, but I definitely have my favorites and Joker is one of those guys, so getting to read his story was beyond amazing.  I am not usually a fan of stories written in first person, but these are so well written, with just enough third person used from the hero's POV that I find myself unable to resist the stories. I love Joker and Carissa story even though there were times I just wanted to cry, but the true greatness comes from the way these couples come together while merging into the odd and sometimes scary family that is the Chaos MC.  I cannot wait for the next story in the series, Walk through Fire, and see where this sexy and awesome group of people will venture next in the maze of love.

Carson "Joker" Steele has had a hard life to this point, but he never forgot the woman that stole his heart as a youth and he finds his way back into her life, rescuing her when she's in desperate need.  Carissa's life has NOT turned out the way she imagine it would, and when she finds herself stranded on she never imagined how much that moment would truly change her life.  The sexy biker that came to her aid draws her into his sphere with his devastating good looks and gruff sweetness and Carissa is more than willing to explore the passion he brings out in her, even if her life is currently crazy.   Carson never imagined he'd have a second chance at love, but can he truly show Carissa who he is and still have a chance, or will she turn from the man she sees under the mask of his biker badassness? And in the end they must overcome their vastly different lifestyles and experiences to be able to become a family they can both appreciate and have wanted their entire lives.

Carson was the type of character that tugs on your heart while heating you from the inside out until you’re fevered and ready for anything.  He has distanced himself emotionally, if not physically, from the life he lived when he first knew Carissa, but he never forgot how sweet she was and that he wanted her even then.   It was great to see him find his way in her life, truly improving every moment of it, without stifling her and making her a better woman.   I found myself crying as we learned more about Joker's childhood, but seeing him blossom with Carissa's love showed that even the most damaged of men, as long as they truly have character and inner strength, nothing can break them down.  Carissa too has had a tough couple of years, but she has come out the other side stronger and braver than ever.  She is a single mother, still dealing with the fallout of the end of her marriage, the actions of  the dickhead that left her, and the need to care for her baby above all else.  When she meets Joker, the sexy badass biker with the heart of gold, she never would have imagined the heat and passion he stirs in her heart.  I enjoyed seeing her gather her courage and stride right into Ride to force Joker to meet with her.  Seeing how she grows and changes into a woman to be reckoned with as she confronts the drama that Joker brings into her life makes her truly the type of woman I admire and want to be someday.

Overall Carson and Carissa are really the perfect couple of the real world, dealing with drama, mistakes, passion, and fights all while finding love in the world that could certainly not have imagined two such different people coming together.  Carson is sweet, gruff, deadly, gentle, and loving,  bringing so much very needed love and protection into Carissa's world and making her into the woman she was always meant to be,  the light to Carson's darkness and she brings so much happiness to his life, though she brings the drama any woman would to it as well.  When they are together, or thinking about each other, the sparks jump out at the readers, singeing and burning, but leaving them begging for more.  This series just gets more intense and enjoyable with each story that comes out and each biker that falls in love.    I am dying to see what story comes next and which biker will find his perfect match, but I can say for sure that Carson will hold a special place in my heart forever, right next to Tack and Shy.  If you haven't read this sexy series about the Chaos MC, a motorcycle club full of badasses that are truly good men, then I recommend you go back to the very beginning, and enjoy every second of this series.  Please create more Chaos Ms. Ashley so I can get my fix more often!

*eARC provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.