Review – Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley

Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: June 30th
How we got this book: NetGalley
Reviewer: MinnChica

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 . . .
*Blurb from Goodreads*

I’ve been a fan of both Ashley and MC books for awhile now. However, I have to admit that Ashley’s writing style was starting to grate on me a bit. I was a little nervous picking this book up, but I am SOOOO happy to report that I absolutely loved it. The issues I’ve had with Ashley in the past seem to have been either fixed, or the story was just so good that the issues didn’t bother me this round. I really did adore this book so much! Might be my favorite in the series!

I loved both Carson and Carissa. They were both amazing characters. Carissa had a hard life. Her childhood wasn’t easy, and yet at every turn she put a smile on her face and did her best to push through and find the good in every situation or person she came across. She was sweet and caring and the type of woman I just want to hug and protect from the world. But as she and Carson got closer and their relationship got deeper, she really came into her own. She gained confidence and took her life and made it what she wanted. I loved that about her. Likewise, Carson had it rough growing up too. I loved that although Carson put up with years of abuse, he totally turned his life around. He was an integral part of the MC, and yet he was probably one of the most sensitive Ashley heros to date. He wasn’t a HUGE alphahole, and was so attentive to Carissa’s needs. I seriously adored that about him!

The relationship between Carissa and Carson was also so well done! I liked that Carson took the time to get to know Carissa as “Joker” before telling her who he really was. I think it added to the depth of their relationship. Of course, I also liked the way Carissa gave him hell when she found out the truth. I also really, REALLY, loved the way Ashley incorporated Carissa’s son into the book. Often time children take a back seat, but that was not the case here. Travis was an integral part of the book, and often times stole scenes, despite being unable to talk or even walk. Then again, I’m partial to babies right now! 🙂

One of my biggest problems with Ashley books in the past is that they get so repetitive. The dialogue is the same for each and every character, regardless of their background or profession. That bugged me. However, it seems that Ashley really was cognizant of that in this book, and the characters really felt unique to me when they each spoke. I was grateful for that!

All in all, I really loved this book, I think it’s Ashley’s best MC book to date, maybe even in my top 5 of all her books! Carson and Carissa were so sweet together, and I just loved the way their relationship wasn’t complicated or super angsty. Once they decided to make a go of it, they were pretty good at communication and acting like adults. I loved that about them. Plus, watching Carson give Carissa the confidence to stand up to her ex just warmed my heart!
I give Ride Steady an A-

Amazon Kindle iTunes Barnes & Noble Nook Sony Book Depository Kobo