Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley Also in this series: The Gamble, Jagged, Kaleidoscope
Series: Colorado Mountain #2
Published by Forever on June 24, 2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 688
Format: eBook
Source: Library
ISBN: 1455599085
Welcome to New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Ashley's Colorado Mountain Series, where friends become family and everyone deserves a second chance.She's ready for the ride of her life . . . Lauren Grahame is looking for her bit of peace. After leaving her cheating husband, Lauren moves to Carnal, Colorado, and gets a job as a waitress in a biker bar called Bubba's. It's a nothing job in a nowhere joint . . . until Tatum Jackson walks in. Lauren has never seen a man with such looks and attitude. But Tate does something Lauren doesn't much like and she doesn't want anything to do with him. Too bad for Lauren he's also the bar's part-owner and bartender.When the rough-around-the-edges Tate meets the high-class Lauren, he thinks she won't fit in at Bubba's. Yet there's more to Lauren than meets the eye, and Tate soon sets his mind on claiming her as his own. Before long, they can't deny the attraction that's pulling them together. But when violence strikes the town, threatening the women in it, their sweet dreams may come to an end.
Sweet Dreams is book two which takes place in a different town from book one Canal, Colorado which is a town of bikers. Lauren, has left her ex husband after finding him cheating on her with her best friend. So she breaks ties and heads out west and finds herself in Canal, Colorado where she feels is the right place for her and finds herself getting a job as a waitress at the local bar Bubba’s. But there is one person that especially doesn’t want her there TateJackson. who makes it clear what he thinks of her on his first day of coming into the bar. Things are very tense between Lauren and Tate, because Tate knows that he hurt Lauren when he was angry and lashed out. Tate is a man who has been on and off with his ex since high school, and he has a son to protect and trying to gain custody of with a mother who is unhinged. But Lauren is a woman that is gorgeous and kind and he and Lauren fall fast for each other.
Two kinds of women get under your skin. The ones who do damage, they don’t feel good there but once you’re fuckin’ stupid enough to let them in you got no choice but to take the time it takes to work them out. Then there are the ones who don’t do damage, who feel good there, feed the muscle, the bone, the soul, not rip it or break it or burn it. The ones you don’t wanna work out.
Sweet Dreams was a lovely book and I swept through this story very quickly. I am always impressed with how Kristen Ashley writes these books and I am really loving the setting of the small town in Colorado. Its told in the heroines 1st POV for the most part only a couple times do we see Tate’s side. I really loved seeing this story unravel and I especially like that the hero and heroine are older, both in their early forties. I really love it when I see more mature characters find love too. And these two are done very well and I really liked seeing the hero grovel, because yeah he is a jerk in the beginning but he does make up for it in the end. I really adored seeing Tate and Lauren come together and seeing them find a happy ending with Tate’s little boy (who is darling and hilarious and just as mischievous as his father).
Lady Luck by Kristen Ashley Also in this series: The Gamble, Jagged, Kaleidoscope
Series: Colorado Mountain #3
Published by Forever on October 22, 2011
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 535
Format: eBook
Source: Self Purchased
Ty Walker was wrongly imprisoned and for the five years he was inside, he honed his plan so when he gets out, he has nothing but vengeance on his mind.
But then he walks straight to stylish, leggy, beautiful, goofy Lexie Berry and he suddenly has something else to think about. He knows within seconds he wants her and within days he can love her but with the filth that was flung at him clinging; he also knows he can’t have her.
Since birth, Lexie Berry has been Lady Luck’s favorite toy and because of that, Lexie is cautious. But within a day, she senses Ty is something special. With her luck, however, she can’t trust it. Then she finds out what was done to Ty and she’s willing to do anything to make it right.
Even what Ty will never forgive her for doing.
Ty clings to vengeance and Lexie goes all out to give him back the time he lost. But Ty is battling demons within and they’re up against dirty cops and criminals who will stop at nothing to sway Lady Luck against them. All Ty and Lexie have is hope Lady Luck will finally swing their way.
Lady Luck is a story that features Lexxie and Ty. Lexxie has been living in Texas, and hasn’t had the easiest of lives, she has had constant bad luck. But with a man she cared about having died, she is under the thumb of a gang leader and even though she has a boundary on what is acceptable she never sees herself finding an escape from him. But when he tells her to pick up a man he owes a favor to, Ty Walker who spent five years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Ty gives her a deal, marry him and act as his wife and he will give her enough money when he gets his vengeance to start a new life anywhere she likes. But what starts out as a practical arrangement turns into a match of love.
“Fell in love with you when I opened my eyes in Vegas, turned in bed and saw you put my bouquet in a vase.”Fuck him.
Fuck…him.
“Shut it, mama.” He was still whispering.
“At the pool, when you showed, my day started.”
His arms now gave her a warning squeeze.
“Shut it,” he growled.
“Sitting at the breakfast table, seeing your wedding ring, being able to really look at it on your finger up close for the first time, I had to touch it so I could remind myself I was the one who tot to put it there.”
Fuck.
Him.
“Shut it.” This time, it was a rumble.
“The next morning, when you didn’t show at the pool, I had to find you so I could start my day.”
He rolled and shifted until he was top of her and he repeated, “Shut it.”
“Six weeks without you, I’d wake up and hours later go to sleep and not once did my day dawn.”
“Baby, shut…it.”
“You took the shadow off my world.”
I adored Lady Luck, and even though the first part of the book takes a little while to get into, it does pick up pretty quickly and then you can’t put it down. I really loved that the hero is a ex con though especially when he is trying to prove his innocence. This story is pretty packed with lots of intrigue and suspense as Ty and Lexie work together to find proof against the Canal Police Department, who are pretty corrupt and framed Ty for a murder he didn’t commit because he is half black. I really liked that Ashley brought up the issue of racism and handled it very well and we see what a great man Ty is and I loved seeing these two characters shine in only the way that Kristen Ashley can write. Simple adored this book and definitely going to be a keeper on the shelf.
Breathe by Kristen Ashley Also in this series: The Gamble, Jagged, Kaleidoscope
Series: Colorado Mountain #4
Published by Forever on January 1, 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Pages: 649
Format: eBook
Source: Self Purchased
There's nothing like the first time . . .
In Carnal, Colorado, Faye Goodknight is the town's quiet, shy librarian. She may also be Carnal's last remaining virgin. For years, Faye has had a crush on Chace Keaton, but the gorgeous cop has always been unattainable. She's resigned to live contentedly with only her books for company-until Faye suddenly meets Chace alone in the woods . . .
Chace doesn't think he's the good guy everyone believes him to be. He's made a lot of choices he regrets, including denying his feelings for Faye. Through his choices, he's come to believe the pretty librarian is too good for him, but after their time in the woods, Chace realizes that she may be his last chance for redemption. Soon, their long simmering desires grow to a burning passion. Yet always casting a shadow over their happiness is Chace's dark past . . ...
Breathe is book four in the series and I have been wanting this story ever since we saw glimpses of this couple in Lady Luck. This features the town cop hero Chace and the local librarian Faye. Faye is quiet and loves to read, she carries a book with her everywhere that she goes. And she has been in love with Chace for years. Chace is widowed, having just cleaned up the police department of crooked cops, and has his own inner demons. But after meeting with Faye in the woods one night, his attention shifts to her and he is captivated by this strong yet quiet woman who is lovely and smart. But he still has enemies, and as Faye and Chace connect and try to save a little boy who is on his own, fearful and being abused, they find the murderer of the town and find a love worth fighting for.
I’ll let you in on a secret, honey. The knight who has serious chinks in his armor but never falls is the true hero. That means he’s won battles and doesn’t waste time polishing his armor so he can look good while he rides in parades that are tributes to his glory. He just drags himself back on his steed and keeps right on battling. And if he’s the right kind of knight, he never rides alone. The best heroes inspire loyalty. The best heroes keep fighting the good fight, tirelessly, quietly. The best heroes always have scars. If they didn’t, the heroine would have nothing to do. It’s her job to help the hero let all that stuff go in order that her man can be strong enough to fight on but when he’s with her he’s free to just ‘breathe’.
Breathe is one of my favorites of the series so far, it was just a endearing read and I really love librarian characters, especially bookish heroines because I relate with them so well and I liked seeing Faye and Chace get their story told. I was also hooked on the story of the little boy they are trying to rescue. His story is pretty sad but we see the good in Faye and Chace as they try to build trust with this scared little boy who is all alone it seems. I was hoping for a different outcome in how he ends up, but it was still a happy ending so it was still good. The romance that develops between Chace and Faye is sweet, poignant and heartfelt. Its a story that was the perfect way to end Valentine’s Week for sure.
About Kristen Ashley
Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She 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 accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of 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 up, it keeps getting better.
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