Author: Laura Kaye

Review: Ride Hard by Laura Kaye

Posted November 10, 2017 by Casee in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Ride Hard by Laura KayeReviewer: Casee
Ride Hard by Laura Kaye
Series: Raven Riders #1
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: April 26th 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 320
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Brotherhood. Club. Family.

They live and ride by their own rules.

These are the Raven Riders . . .

Raven Riders Motorcycle Club President Dare Kenyon rides hard and values loyalty above all else. He’ll do anything to protect the brotherhood of bikers—the only family he’s got—as well as those who can’t defend themselves. So when mistrustful Haven Randall lands on the club’s doorstep scared that she’s being hunted, Dare takes her in, swears to keep her safe, and pushes to learn the secrets overshadowing her pretty smile.

Haven fled from years of abuse at the hands of her criminal father and is suspicious of any man’s promises, including those of the darkly sexy and overwhelmingly intense Ravens’ leader. But as the powerful attraction between them flares to life, Dare pushes her boundaries and tempts her to want things she never thought she could.

The past never dies without a fight, but Dare Kenyon’s never backed down before . . .

I’m on a roll. I read this book in two days. I haven’t been reading regularly since the end of May, so that’s a record for me. I’m thrilled and excited. After reading Hello Again by Brenda Novak, I decided to try Laura Kaye who is a new-to-me author. I actually read the summary for Ride Wild which is the third book in the Raven Riders series and was intrigued so I picked up Ride Hard.

Dare Kenyon is the President of the Raven Riders MC. Aside from their racing business, the Ravens have a side business of taking in anyone that is in trouble or needs help. Haven Randall and her friend Cora Campbell fit that description perfectly. At twenty three years old, Haven has fled her tyrant father who believes that Haven is nothing more than a possession. Haven thought that when she turned eighteen things would change. When they didn’t, she held out hope that things would change when she turned twenty one. When twenty one came and went, Haven and Cora started planning their escape. Their plan was forced into action when she learned that her father was going to force her to marry one of his criminal business associates. On their way through Baltimore, Haven and Cora get caught up in a gang war. The gang that captures them learn about a $50,000 reward that Haven’s father has put out for her. It’s the Raven Riders that rescue the two women and give them a haven (lame pun, huh??) at their clubhouse.

Dare is deep in club business and doesn’t meet the women until a week or so after they arrive. He’s instantly and intensely attracted to Haven. He immediately realizes that she is a victim of abuse, though instead of keeping his distance, he pushes her to take back her power. At the beginning the fifteen year age difference bothers him, but he realizes that what Haven lacks in years she makes up in experience. As much as he tries to stay away from her, he can’t. Especially when he sees her bucket list. Knowing that she’s keeping something from him about the situation about her father, Dare goes snooping. That’s when he finds the list. He’s determined to help as many of her wishes come true as he can. While Haven opens up to him more and more, Dare realizes that he has to reciprocate, something he’s not sure he can do. He has felt responsible for the murder of his mother and brother since he was fifteen and not even Haven can change his mind.

When the situation with her father intensifies, Dare knows that he has to send Haven and Cora away. Getting the women started with a new life with new identities in a new city is the last thing Dare wants. After being a boneheaded idiot, he realizes that he loves Haven deeply. However Haven and Cora’s safety along with the safety of his club and its members come first. There is nothing that Dare takes more seriously than the safety of his club. After the death of two of its members, Dare and the top members have been even more vigilant. Now all they can do is wait for the new identities to put their plan in place and hope that they’ve done enough. While they’re waiting, Dare and Haven decide that they have no time to waste. Haven doesn’t want to waste a single moment with the man she’s fallen in love with even though it’s going to tear her in two to leave him. Dare feels the same way, he just doesn’t know how he’s going to let her go.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast, easy read. It introduced a lot of characters that will eventually have their own books and Kaye built a fascinating world of this MC that rides a fine line between the legal and illegal. They are also fiercely loyal to each other. I have to say that I wasn’t crazy about Haven being twenty three. I didn’t care about Dare’s age. I’ve not been into heroes or heroines in their early twenties for sometime. I often wonder how they have enough experience to go through what they do throughout the book. I got over it rather quickly in this book because Haven was an old soul. Not a lot of people go what she went through with her father and survive. And the way she protects Dare towards the end of the book? Those were the actions of someone young.

I would definitely recommend trying this series!

Rating: 3.75 out of 5.

three-half-stars


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Review: Hard as You Can by Laura Kaye

Posted March 31, 2014 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Hard as You Can by Laura KayeReviewer: Holly
Hard As You Can by Laura Kaye
Series: Hard Ink #2

Publication Date: February 25th 2014
Genres: Fiction, Suspense
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Five dishonored soldiers.Former Special Forces.One last mission.These are the men of Hard Ink.

Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he's shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister's sake, Crystal can't get too close. Until her job and Shane's mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed.

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He's exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can—and never let go.

I really need to start paying more attention to these books blurbs. I thought this book was going to be about a former military man who is now a tattoo artist. Uh, no. This is actually a romantic suspense featuring mobs, government conspiracies and dishonored soldiers who have gone rogue in order to clear their names. It wasn’t a bad read, but it sure wasn’t what I was expecting.

Crystal is stuck working as a waitress in a strip club until the debts her father wracked up with the motorcycle gang who own it are paid up. She would run far and fast if it weren’t for her little sister. As it is, she needs the help and support of her boyfriend, Bruno, just to get by. Until Shane McCallan walks through the door, Crystal is just biding her time, waiting until her sister graduates college so she can get away. But seeing Shane changes everything. He makes her want things she can’t have. When he asks for her help in getting information about her employers, she’s terrified – but knows she can’t say no.

The last thing Shane expected to find when they pulled a rescue mission at the strip club was a woman who had courage and fire – with damaged eyes and a wounded soul. He needs Crystal’s help to uncover secrets about his former commander, but more, he needs to help Crystal get out of her bad situation. It’s an impossible place to be in, but he’s dealt with worse.

This isn’t the type of book I would normally have chosen to read. If I had paid more attention to the blurb I probably would have skipped right past it. It was interesting. I do feel like I missed quite a bit by skipping book one. This book takes place almost immediately after that one ends (I believe it picks up the same day the first book ends).

Crystal comes off as a victim at first,  but as her reasons for being where she is become clear, it’s easy to sympathize with her. I wanted to see her kick ass and take names, but her quiet defiance worked on me as well. She was in an impossible situation and trying to do her best with what she was given. I like that her sister was more important to her than anything else.

Shane had a hero complex due to events from his past. He wanted to help Crystal because he knew she needed it, but also because he needed to cleanse his soul. I know someone like this in real life and that made it easy for me to understand where he was coming from.

Shane and the team’s search for answers about how and why they were betrayed was interesting. I really wanted to know what happened and how that played out. That part ends on a cliffhanger, but I can see how it can’t be resolved in one book. I’m interested in seeing where things go next.

What bothered me about the book is how fast everything happens. It’s only a matter of days before Shane and Crystal feel a deep attachment to each other. I can’t recall the exact time frame now, but I believe the entire book takes place in less than a week’s time. I don’t think a week is enough time to meet someone and decide you like them, much less fall in love and decide you want to be together forever. Especially during a high-stress situation like the one presented here. I got the impression the first book took place over a short time frame as well.

Though I liked Shane and Crystal separately, I didn’t really buy into their romance. It happened much fast to be believable. I did find the story interesting and look forward to the finding out more about their situation.

3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

three-half-stars


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