Review: The Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley

 

The Golden Dynasty

(Fantasyland #2)

by Kristen Ashley

Okay...wow...just wow.

*takes deep breath*

I need a moment to process this book. It had me on an emotional roller coaster! One minute I was happy and awwing my way through the book, the next I wanted to find a large piece of wood and practice my golf swing on a certain sexy King's head! Crazy.

The Golden Dynasty is the second book in the Fantasyland series and although set in the first world as the first book, it can be read as a standalone without any difficulties. Circe wakes up in a pen filled with other women, something she definitely did NOT expect to happen when she went to bed in Seattle last night. But as the day continues her it are gets worse and worse, she realises she is not in her world anymore but has some how ended up in this savage world, a world where she is now part of the Wife Hunt, a hunt where warriors will chase her down in the woods and once they have her, rape her and claim her for his wife. However, Circe has caught the eye of the king, Lahn, the biggest and strongest of the warriors and escape seems unlikely.

Is anyone here a Game of Thrones fan? I am, and this book reminded me of all the Khal Drogo and Daenerys parts. Circe has come to what seems to her a savage tribe of warriors and has been claimed as wife by their king, they don't speak the same language and their cultures vastly differ. Circe does not have it easy, and sometimes this book isn't easy to read, and Lahn isn't an easy character to like.

There is rape in this book. It doesn't go in to detail, it is a fade to black scene, it isn't even a "forced seduction" although that does make a few brief appearances as well, there is out and out rape in this book perpetrated by the hero. In fact the hero does a few despicable things and the fact that by the end of the book I really liked him either makes KA a great story teller or me a little bit crazy, I am going for the former. Because Lahn did have his moments, moments where he was the perfect man, said and meant all the right things, but with a culture that is so different in brutal and violent ways he did things that sometimes I found hard to tolerate. Circe has got to be one of the few heroines that despite how it all turned out in the end, that I never thought to myself, "I wish I was her".

But, that makes I sound like I didn't like this book, which is so very very wrong, this is one of my favourite books I have read this year. I liked that it wasn't your straight love story and it made me feel a little uncomfortable, I will remember and be thinking about this book now, even though I have read the last page.

Savage, beautiful, brutal, heart warming all these adjectives describe this book, and it is definitely one of my favourite Kristen Ashley reads.

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Dangerous Alpha Heroes Giveaway Hop

Under the Covers is happy to be participating in the DANGEROUS ALPHA HEROES GIVEAWAY HOP hosted by Full Moon Bites, going on from September 17 thru September 24.

So we thought long and hard about what hero we wanted to feature because when you have so many to choose from, it can get complicated.  Ultimately, if you've been reading our blog for a bit you might know that Suzanne has a huge Kristen Ashley obsession, and the second book in her Unfinished Heroes just came out this weekend.  That being said, we will be giving away the ebook for KNIGHT by Kristen Ashley, the first book in her Unfinished Heroes series and this is why...

Dangerous Hero

When thinking of a dangerous hero, I think powerful, charismatic and deadly then my mind immediately zooms to Knight Sebring. Not only is his name completely bad ass, but he is all cool, calm and ruthless with his own set of morals that don't necessarily coincide with the law. A powerful and sexy figure of over six foot of male perfection, he likes to dominate, and not only his businesses...

Anya Gage has learned that to get anything good in life, you have to work for it. She has no expectations, no dreams.

Then she finds herself at a party where she doesn’t want to be and she meets Knight.

Knight Sebring knows who he is, what he wants and what he likes. And he gets it. But he never expected something as sweet as Anya Gage to wander into his bedroom during a party he did not expect to be having to borrow his phone.

Knight tries to leave Anya to the life she deserves of white picket fences and a man who watches football on Sundays – good, normal and clean. But when Anya comes to his nightclub and finds herself in a situation, he knows someone has to look after her, he can’t fight it anymore and he decides that man will be him.

Knight teaches Anya that, just as with the bad, in life you should also expect the good. And he teaches her this by giving it to her.

But Knight has a dark past and just as he desires Anya for exactly who she is, he fears when she finds out exactly the man he has become and always intends to be, she’ll leave him for good, normal and clean.
 

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Review: Creed by Kristen Ashley

Creed

by Kristen Ashley

(Unfinished Heroes # 2)

After surviving childhood together with no one but each other Sylvie and Creed had planned on running away on Sylvie's eighteenth birthday and never looking back. But Creed doesn't show, he disappears leaving Sylvie  to suffer six years of hell before she could escape. But sixteen years after his betrayal she wakes up and he is back...

As Annie, Fran and Ang can tell you I have spent the last couple of days on messenger doing a manic countdown to when this came out, searching Amazon every five minutes to see if it was in yet, I was that excited. I imagine that they are quite relieved that that experience is over now (until the next Kristen Ashley release anyways!) instead they are getting messages about how awesome Creed was and how I am now going to find a real life version and have loads of sex and babies with him (if you know anyone, you know where I am!), because I LOVED this book!

Reason number one why I love this book:

CREED- I adored him, not only was he sexy, rugged and totally badass (with a hot ass) all he needed was a piercing and I would have been a puddle on he floor, he was also kinda sweet as well. That, and he knew all the best uses for massage oil *fans self* I have to say, I may have preferred Knight a tiny bit more (maybe it was the daddy thing!) but Creed still pushed all my buttons.

Reason number two why I love this book:

SYLVIE- She wasn't your typical Kristen Ashley heroine, she was almost as bad ass as Creed! But I liked that KA has mixed it up a little and created Sylvie, she was funny and kick ass and definitely one of my favourite heroines.

Reason number three why I love this book:

THE FLASHBACKS- I loved the flashbacks, showing Creed and Sylvie growing up together and how close their bond grew and changed as they got older, it was really beautiful. The emotions in the flashbacks I thought were even more poignant the what they were going through in the present, but maybe that is because you know that tragedy isn't far away. Either way I think the flashbacks add an extra dimension to the book and really give an emotional depth to Sylvie and Creed's relationship.

Reason number four why I love this book:

SEX SEX SEX!- Although this for me isn't erotica, more like just bordering erotic romance, there is no doubt that the sex in this knicker dampingly hawt. It is rough, raw and filled with sixteen years of emotion. A warning though this book has ass play in it, I thought that was one of the hottest scenes in the book, but readers sometimes like a warning first!

My final reason why I love this book:

SYLVIE & CREED- I have said them separately, but this book is all about them coming together and as a couple I think they are fracking fantastic. They belong together; they have off the charts chemistry and are so damn sweet together it makes my teeth ache.

So there a five perfectly good reasons to read this book, do what are you still doing here?

P.S. Annie, Creed (and Knight) have been claimed by me, I have got my eyes on you and your harem pinching ways!

Review: Rock Chick Regret by Kristen Ashley

Rock Chick Regret

by Kristen Ashley

Rock Chick #7

Sadie Townsend is know as The Ice Princess, cold and efficient she never lets any of her feelings show, even though she longs to get out from under her father and lead her own life. She seizes the oppotunity Hector Chavez presents and starts feeding him information whilst he is undercover. Months later and her father is behind bars, but now she has a new problem with some crazy rivals of her father decides that she belongs to them, the only place she can think to turn to for protection in Nightingale Investigations and Hector, only they turn her down with dire consequences...

This is by far my favourite in the Rock Chick series. Although I loved the others this one really stands out as the best, when I thought about it, the two main reasons I believe it stands out are:

1: Hector & Sadie: There is always a certain amount of resistance from the Rock Chick and although this can be funny it does sometimes leave me wondering what the frick they are thinking. But with Rock Chick Regret Sadie had such heartbreaking and understandable reasons for pushing Hector away, and although you know in the words of the Borg that "Resistance is Futile" you can't help but empathise with her. But, beyond that, they are just a fantastic couple, they fit really well together, both in an emotional and physical way.

2: The Tone: I think the tone of this book was a lot more serious then then others due to the seriously bad shit that had happened to Sadie. The action wasn't as wacky and although I love a little but of wacky action, it was nice to see it toned down a little bit and I think the romance bloomed really nicely because of it.

This book is one of my favourite reads this year, it still had all teh characters I loved from the previous books bit for me it had a little extra that took it from really liking it, to loving it.

Ally's book is next and it is the last book in the series! I really hope it is as good as this one!

Sorry Hank you have been knocked off the top spot and Hector is now my number one Hot Bunch guy!

Hot Bunch "Hotness"

1. Hector- Wild & Wicked
2. Hank- Guy Next Door with an Edge
3. Luke- Silent & Sexy
3. Mace- Intense & Broody
4. Vance- Knicker Meltingly Sexy
5. Eddie- Smouldering Mexican Bad Boy
6. Lee- Dashing & Dangerous 

Review: Rock Chick Reckoning by Kristen Ashley

Rock Chick Reckoning

by Kristen Ashley

Rock Chick #6

After seeing his ex-girlfriend Stella lead singer in a popular local band getting shot at, Mace decides it is time to take the EX out of ex-girlfriend and make her his. Mace broke Stella's heart a year ago and she has no intention of letting him back in...and that's when the bullets start flying and Mace bursts back in to her life intent on getting underneath her skin and into her heart. But after a lifetime of rejection from her family, then a year ago by Mace, Stella isn't going to make it easy...

Another great book by Kristen Ashley, this series is full of laughs and some crazy action and Rock Chick Reckoning is no different. Stella and all the Rock Chicks are under fire and the Hot Bunch take the threat very seriously! What I loved about this book was that we got to see from all the Rock Chicks POVs at some point, it was fantastic, you not only got to catch up with previous couples but you also got to see Mace and Stella from other peoples POV.

There aren't many of the Hot Bunch and the Rock Chicks left now, just Hector, Ally and Darius (although Darius isn't getting a book in this series *sad face*), and I can't wait to see what happens next and what kooky situations they manage to get themselves in!

Hot Bunch "Hotness" Scale

1. Hank- Guy Next Door with an Edge
2. Luke- Silent & Sexy
3. Hector- Wild & Wicked
3. Mace- Intense & Broody
4. Vance- Knicker Meltingly Sexy
5. Eddie- Smouldering Mexican Bad Boy
6. Lee- Dashing & Dangerous 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Breathe by Kristen Ashley

Breathe

by Kristen Ashley

(Colorado Mountain # 4)

Chace is now the town hero after helping expose the Carnal PDs corruption, but he doesn't feel like a hero and he can't get over the guilt of his wife's murder. When Faye, a woman he has wanted for years, keeps popping into his life he pushes her away, he doesn't deserve her after all the things he has done. But after her sweet unpractised kiss and seeing her upset he can no longer resist innocent allure.

I have been waiting for Chace Keaton and Faye Goodknight's book for what seems forever! But it was well worth the wait. From reading the previous books in this series I wanted to know more about Chace, after spending so long pretending to be a dirty cop and trapped in to a sham marriage to a woman he hated I finally wanted to see him getting what he deserved. Faye, the town librarian, shy, quiet, beautiful and has been in love with Chace since she was 16 was not only perfect for him but is one of my favourite heroines. Another reason I love Faye, she CLEARLY has amazing taste, anyone who loves Firefly and Battlestar Gallactica the best programmes EVER is automatically AWESOME.

This book is mainly sweet romance, watching Chace and Faye getting closer and closer, but there is also an ever present threat from the people who had Chace's wife killed which adds a tiny bit of suspense to the story. And I also have to mention Malachi, the homeless boy they are trying to help, it pulls at all the heart strings and helps bring Chace and Faye together whilst also adds something extra to the story.

I loved this book, it is one of my favourites this year, it has everything I love in a book, a romance I can connect with, some steamy sex and a bit of suspense. 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Rock Chick Revenge by Kristen Ashley

Rock Chick Revenge

by Kristen Ashley

(Rock Chick # 5)

Ava walks into Nighingale Investigation for two reasons, (1) looking for help in nailing her best friends dirty cheating husband (2) to see Lucas Stark again, the man she has been in love with since she was a child but hasn't seen in six years, and in those six years she has made a massive ugly duckling transformation. But Ava hates men, after a lifetime of men treating her like crap she wants nothing to do with them, even Luke. But as the danger escalates and Ava gets shot at and kidnapped Luke is having none of it, Ava belongs to him and everyone seems to know it but her.

I cannot beeeeelieve it (yes I can channeling Victor Meldrew) my Luke has been taken from me! I need a minutes silence to help me digest this *holds silence*.....nope still upset. Good job I still have Hector.

I love an Ugly Duckling story, and although we didn't see the transformation, we just saw her six years later all hot and sexy I still felt she was in her old mind set thinking of herself as "Fatty Fatty Four Eyes" and it was sweet to watch Luke make her feel beautiful. What I love about the Hot Bunch is their persistance in the face of the Rock Chicks resistance and Luke was no different and I loved his way of getting to Ava, handcuffs and punishment are apparently very effective tools, the other men left in the Hot Bunch should make note of this.

Another great book in the series, like the others it was funny, zany and just a little bit crazy packed full of characters you won't forget.

Hot Bunch "Hotness" Scale

1. Hank- Guy Next Door with an Edge
2. Luke- Silent & Sexy
3. Hector- Wild & Wicked
3. Vance- Knicker Meltingly Sexy
4. Mace- Intense & Broody
5. Eddie- Smouldering Mexican Bad Boy
6. Lee- Dashing & Dangerous 

Purchase Links: Amazon