| BOOK DESCRIPTION |
Rock Chick Series #5
Ava hates men, she has reason and she’s vowed not only never to get involved with another one again but also to exact vengeance on her best friend’s, lying, cheating husband. Since Luke, Ava’s childhood crush, is now a private investigator, she thinks to enlist him but changes her mind at the last second.
Too late, Luke knows she’s up to something and he’s already seen many a Rock Chick try to fight her own battles without the Hot Bunch stepping in. He’s having none of it. She’s having none of him. The clash of the Rock Chick and Hot Guy begins but Luke’s got the advantage.
He has handcuffs and he’s not afraid to use them.
REVIEW
I own an e-book copy
Rock Chick Revenge was by far the busiest book! There's so much going on at any given time, it was exhausting but in a good way, of course.
When I started to read this book (5th in the RC series), I found myself becoming highly pissed off with Luke the more I read for some reason. Well, there are reasons, which I know carried over from previous books. Although I liked him, he rubbed me up the wrong way, and I honest to goodness thought I was going to hate this book simply because of him. But, true to KA style, she had me reversing my early judgement in no time at all. Super.
I've made no secret of the fact over how irritated I used to be with the choppy writing/editing and so forth with Kristen Ashley's books, and I didn't really want to bring it up here again, but I will as I need to explain how this eventually makes no flipping difference. One thing's for sure, they've gotten better as I've read along. This is how Kristen Ashley writes, and to be brutally honest, I just don't give a stuff anymore, because I've fallen in love with how she writes. I have. This is what she does to everyone who reads her books, well, almost everyone. When KA has something to say (hence, her characters), she puts her heart and soul into her words. Every single book, so far, is riddled with quotable passages, so much so, I promise that if you were told to quote just three of them, you'd be hard pressed to choose. You'd drive yourself crazy over this. It's how meaningful they are. But the best part, her alpha males (and they are tough as heck, sometimes so rough around the edges they resemble sand paper) although ho-hum, it's my way (never the highway though) and what I say goes, deep down, they have hearts the size of our planet! Even though they give their, I like to call them better halves *smirk*, women hell in the stubborn department, they would do anything, anything to protect them and keep them safe. They are also very, very, deep. They may not say much on a day to day basis but boy, when they open their mouths to say something meaningful, you just melt, in an unsightly puddle. Okay, now that I've waxed lyrical about why I love KA and her books so much, let me get on with things.
I liked Ava, and I thought it quite hilarious that she had a good Ava sitting on one shoulder and a bad Ava on the other. This was extremely fun to read, and quite entertaining when these two had a go at each other. Ava, like any character, had and has issues. The major one being that she was overweight, was called fatty-fatty four eyes, had two horrible sisters, and a mother who never stood up for her, except towards the end of the book when she became the mom she should have been all along. These three actually reminded me of Cinderella. She tends to bottle up a lot of important stuff about herself and her feelings, but who at some point doesn't? She's also not always truthful with Luke, and I believe this to be her 'protective' mode, but what it really boils down to is the fact that they are really little fibs. Everyone fibs (little white lies) at certain points in their lives, and let no one say they don't, because it's akin to saying, "I never pick my nose." Gross analogy, I know, but it's the most stupid one I could come up with right now.
She's been in love with Luke since she was eight-years old. He was the only one who ever looked at and treated her without judgement. Still, the day of his father's funeral, she overhead her sisters making fun of how Luke managed to hug all that fat. She vowed then and there that the next time Luke saw her, she'd be different. She worked out, highlighted her hair, changed glasses (although she still wears them on occasion) for contacts, and a new Ava was born. On the outside at least. Same Ava, insecurities and all, still resided on the inside, although a little stronger in some instances. She's taken under Shirleen's wing, as is the way of the rock chicks. She's also made a good friend in her trainer only that he has more than 'friendly' feelings towards her. Something that doesn't bode well with Luke.
When her best friend's cheating husband pissed Ava off beyond sanity, she decided she'd hire Luke, whom she hadn't seen in years, to do the job. He worked for Lee's PI agency. Once there, she has a change of heart, but too late. Luke is interested in seeing Ava, after all, it's been years and she never returned his call. He'd like to know why. This is what followed and I loved it.
"Luke's eyes moved away from me and scanned the room. Obviously looking for something then not finding it, his gaze sliced back to Shirleen.
"Where's Ava? he asked, his eyes narrowed, the arms around me tightened and both my captor and I straightened.
"What do you mean, where's Ava? Boy, you looked right at her," Shirleen answered.
I heard a door open but since it was behind my back and there was a big, solid guy there, I couldn't look. Not that I would have. Luke's eyes had cut to me and pinned me to the spot. I went still and he stared at me.
"Hey Luke," I said feeling and sounding stupid.
His brows came together. "Ava?" he asked.
"In the flesh," I tried for a jaunty smile even though Mace still hadn't let me go and I felt like a big dork. Luke did a body scan then his eyes came back to mine.
"What the fuck happened to you?"
It was fab, and the book continued in this fabulous manner right to the end. We're talking mafia, kidnappings, chases - the usual hectic and wonderful stuff KA conjures from within the confines of her wonderful mind. We meet Ava's best friend, the usual Hot Bunch is strutting their stuff, the rock chicks are rocking on, Tex, Shirleen and Daisy continue to make me laugh - mind you - they all do, and I'm still firmly living in Denver, Colorado. I wonder if KA needs another secretary? Coffee maker? Dog walker? Heck, I'd dust her desk, just for the chance to pick her brain over her amazing stories.
As per usual, a love story to die for, characters you can't help but consume with every word you read. Yeah, they, this series, is just awesome. I've started book #6. Just as awesome. I'm just taking longer as I'm busy with other commitments, but I'll get there.
Read this series, get them, devour them. Laugh with them, and cry with them. KA will keep you on your toes, sporting (when not sobbing as I do) a huge smile and snorting out loud!
SANDRA'S RATING : 4 STARS
