Review: Deacon by Kit Rocha

Book #2 in explosive new series from bestselling author Kit Rocha...

Ana has trained most of her life to achieve one goal: to prove that anything men can do, she can do better. Now she’s Sector One’s first female Rider, and being the best is the only way to ensure she won’t be its last. Distractions aren’t allowed--especially not her painful attraction to the reserved but demanding leader whose stern, grumpy demeanor has already gotten into her head.

Deacon has spent the last twenty years trying to atone for his past, but the blood he spilled as a mercenary and assassin will never wash away entirely. If his riders knew the extent of his sins, he’d lose their trust and respect. It’s easier to keep them all at arm’s length, especially Ana. But his newest recruit’s stubbornness is starting to crack his defenses.

And their sparring matches are driving him wild.

The passion sparking between them can’t be denied, but neither can the vengeance barreling toward Deacon. When his old squad comes back to punish him for his betrayal, Ana and the Riders are squarely in the line of fire. The only way to save his people may be to make the ultimate sacrifice. 

But first, he has to convince Ana not to follow him straight into hell.

Buy Links:

Amazon - iBooks - Kobo - B&N

Read Chapter One here.

Review:

I'm just coming off of being awake for 24 hours and simultaneously fighting jet lag so my apologies if this review is short but oh my god I loved this book! We know Deacon as stoic and totally focused on his role as a Rider and we know Ana as the first female Rider and intent to prove herself worthy.

It's so interesting to me that although Gideon's Riders is set in the same world as the Beyond series, the feel of these two series is super different. And I'm here for it.

"It was just a normal card, the kind you'd find at any poker game or blackjack table. The king of hearts, staring blankly, one arm thrusting a sword through his head.

The suicide king."

The Suicide Kings are introduced and we find out that Deacon has a long, not so pretty history with them. And Deacon eventually tells his fellow Riders how he came to be one of them, what his final mission as a Suicide King was, to kill Gideon. Naturally they aren't too impressed with him and Ana wants answers. 

"For the first time, maybe, he understood how Gideon must feel. Being worshipped wasn't a compliment. It went straight past flattery or admiration into something almost sinister. You'd have to shoulder an inhuman weight just to try to live up to those kinds of expectations.

And you would always, always fail."

This story is also about Ana and Deacon, and what it means for two Riders to be in love when forming attachments to someone isn't always the smartest thing for someone who doesn't know how long their life will last.

"Losing him would be tough for the Riders. But Ana was a different story entirely. He could see it in her eyes, feel it in her touch as she folded her hand in his and followed him to his room.

The other Riders would grieve, but Ana would be heartbroken."

If you love Kit Rocha then this book is a must read. We get a few side POVs (which I loved) and now we have Ivan's book to look forward to!

*I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mini ARC Review: The Red by Tiffany Reisz

Never make a promise you don’t intend to keep… 

Mona Lisa St. James made a deathbed promise that she would do anything to save her mother's art gallery. Unfortunately, not only is The Red painted red, but it's in the red. She soon realizes she has no choice but to sell it.

Just as she realizes she has no choice but to sell it, a mysterious man comes in after closing time and makes her an offer: He will save The Red if she agrees to submit to him for the period of one year.

The man is handsome, English, and terribly tempting...but surely her mother didn't mean for Mona to sell herself to a stranger. Then again, she did promise to do anything to save The Red...

The Red is a standalone novel of erotic fantasy from Tiffany Reisz, international bestselling author of The Bourbon Thief and the Original Sinners series.

Originally published as a limited edition hardcover under the pen name Nora Sutherlin (of Original Sinners fame). First mentioned in The Angel, The Red will be available worldwide this July.

On Sale July 11, 2017

Pre-Order Links

Amazon - B&N - iBooks - Kobo

NOTE: Paperback not available for pre-order, but will be for sale on release day 

Audiobook release date TBD

"Art should be dangerous, you know. It should say something to society that society doesn’t want to hear."

The Red is unlike anything I've ever read before. Tiffany Reisz has once again completely captivated me in her story and left me begging for more. 

Mona Lisa St. James is about to lose her art gallery and has to make a deal with Malcolm, the devil, to save it. For a period of one year Mona is at Malcolm's mercy, she's his to do whatever he wants—his entertainment—and he leaves her with payment to help save the gallery. His little whore. 

I loved how Tiffany intertwined the story of Mona and Malcolm with the pieces of artwork and brought them to life—however wild they were. The Red just confirmed that I'll read anything Tiffany Reisz and end up loving it! If you're a fan of Tiffany Reisz, this book is a must-read.

"She could never go back to the way it was before."

* I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley for an honest review.

Read an Excerpt here.

Published by 8th Circle Press • 248 Pages

Retail Price: $5.99 (US/eBook) • $14.99 (US/trade paperback) • $TBD (US/audiobook)*

ISBN (trade paperback): 978-1537217765 • ISBN (audiobook): TBD

About Tiffany

Tiffany Reisz is the author of the internationally bestselling and award-winning Original Sinners series for Mira Books (Harlequin/Mills & Boon). Tiffany's books inhabit a sexy shadowy world where romance, erotica and literature meet and do immoral and possibly illegal things to each other. She describes her genre as "literary friction," a term she stole from her main character, who gets in trouble almost as often as the author herself. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her husband, author Andrew Shaffer, and two cats. If she couldn't write, she would die.

Review & Excerpt: Ashwin by Kit Rocha

Blurb:

Lieutenant Ashwin Malhotra is a Makhai soldier—genetically engineered to be cold, ruthless. Unfeeling. His commanding officers consider him the perfect operative, and they’re right. Now, he has a simple mission: to infiltrate Gideon’s Riders, the infamous sect of holy warriors that protects the people of Sector One.

He’s never failed to execute an objective, but there’s one thing he didn’t anticipate—running into Dr. Kora Bellamy, the only woman to ever break through his icy exterior.

When Kora fled her life as a military doctor for the Makhai Project, all she wanted was peace—a quiet life where she could heal the sick and injured. The royal Rios family welcomed her like a sister, but she could never forget Ashwin. His sudden reappearance is a second chance—if she can manage to touch his heart.

When the simmering tension between them finally ignites, Kora doesn’t realize she’s playing with fire. Because she’s not just falling in love with a man who may not be able to love her back. Ashwin has too many secrets—and one of them could destroy her.

Buy Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

B&N

iBooks

Kobo

 

“The line between monster and hero was so, so thin. And it pivoted around loyalty.”

I LOVED THIS BOOK.

I was nervous? after finishing the Beyond Series because it's possibly my favorite series of all time. And how the heck do you live up to that? But I should have known that Kit Rocha would pull through.

“He let his gaze drift over the crowd. The Riders were dancing and laughing, as if their arms weren’t full of ravens marking the deaths they’d dealt. As if the religion they fought for didn’t curse them for taking those lives. They were walking dead men, martyrs who had embraced damnation.”

Ashwin is set in Sector One, home of the Rios family and Gideon's Riders. It was pretty interesting to go from Sector Four—where Dallas ruled with brute force—to Sector One—where the Rios family rules and there is kind of a religious cult feel to it. I loved reading about the temples and rituals, but my favorite part was reading about the Riders! Zeke and Gideon and Deacon all really caught my attention and I can't freaking wait for their stories!

“For a soldier meant to be free of emotion, he was drowning in impossible feeling.”

It's safe to say that since we met Ashwin back in the beginning of the Beyond Series we've been dying for his book. And we knew the leading lady was going to be Kora—his obsession. The romance between Kora and Ashwin starts off rocky. Kora thought Ashwin was dead after the final battle in eden and 6 months later he shows up. Also Ashwin wasn't "programmed" to feel emotions so he has a hard time dealing with what he feels for Kora. He ended up being soooo sweet and that last chapter? Unf.

“Will you teach me how to do this right?” His expression was so serious. So earnest. “How to love you?”

All in all—I loved the heck out of Ashwin. Bring on Deacon's story!

Excerpt from Ashwin:

Del circled Kora and trailed her fingers down her back. “Do you know the story of the Two Princesses, Kora?”

“Which two?” She grinned at Maricela to break the tension. “This sector is overrun with them.”

“The first two.” Del picked up her sketchpad and a charcoal pencil. “Maricela’s mother, Juana. And her aunt, Adriana.”

“Only what I picked up from the murals at the palace.”

Del’s hand moved quickly, the soft scratch of her pencil as hypnotic as the way her voice sank into an easy rhythm. “Adriana was a warrior. She fought for her people, killed for them if necessary. She fell in love with her bodyguard and challenged the Prophet himself for the right to marry him. In the paintings, she holds the heart of her people in her hands…but if the occasion called for it, Adriana could tear the heart out of an enemy’s chest. Her spine was pure steel.”

The scratching paused as Del glanced at Maricela, a smile curving her full lips. “But Juana was different. She married Adriana’s brother, the Prophet’s only son and heir. She and Adriana became sisters and friends. Juana had no gift for death, but there was nothing she touched that wouldn’t grow. No person she touched who wasn’t moved.” Del nudged Maricela with her foot. “No child she loved who didn’t thrive.”

Maricela nodded, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

Del went back to sketching. “Adriana’s spine was steel, but Juana’s was made of roses. And because men can be fools who only recognize one kind of strength, they underestimated her. When the wars came, Juana bent with the wind. She grew stronger and fiercer as she wrapped herself tight around the people she loved. She became a wall of thorns, and no one could touch the people she called hers without bleeding for their trouble.”

After a moment of silence, Del turned the sketchpad around. The bold design filled the page in a long vertical line—two sets of vines weaving in and around one another, with blooming flowers and tightly furled buds nestled between sharp thorns.

“I think you’re like Juana,” Del said, her voice still a husky murmur. “Your gift is life. There’s power in that.”

Kora’s fingers trembled as she reached out and touched the paper. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Del tore the paper free and handed it to her before moving to the table that held her tattooing equipment. “I don’t give the spine of roses often. Not many have a heart big enough to carry the burden.”

“Are you sure that I do?” The question slipped out, unbidden. There were few things in life that Kora had never second-guessed, and her care for others was the biggest. The most important. It had been more than a job, or even her life’s work. It had been a calling.

But now, she questioned everything.

“Of course I’m sure.” Del returned with a marker in her hand and tilted Kora’s chin up. “But that’s not enough for you, because you’re not a believer.”

Kora had tried to study Sector One’s concept of God. But he was nebulous, his message and character changing depending on the situation, on interpretation, even on the person writing or speaking about him. As a scientist, Kora couldn’t reconcile the wild variances, the seemingly human failings in a being who was supposed to be infallible.

But there were some things she understood without hesitation. “I believe in the Rios family, and in your abilities. If you say I deserve to wear Juana’s roses, I’ll wear them.”

Del didn’t release her chin. “You’ve looked into Ashwin’s eyes. Did you see nothingness staring back at you?”

She’d seen confusion, puzzlement. Anger. Terror. And, just once, a need so sharp that she ached to remember it. “No.”

“It takes a big heart to see past the death. I’ve always wondered what Juana would have seen in the eyes of the last Makhai soldier who came to One. Perhaps the same thing you see in Ashwin’s.” Del crouched down so they were on eye level. “And remember, Kora. There was nothing she touched that didn’t grow.”

The words played over and over in Kora’s mind as she settled into the seat Del indicated. She considered them as Del prepared her skin, as the dull buzz of the tattoo machine filled the room, even through the first angry pricks of the needle.

At one time, she would have believed Del without hesitation. If she was talking about healing, about work, then Kora would have had no doubts at all. But emotion was trickier. People were hard to predict.

A Makhai soldier? That was impossible.

You can find out more about the series here, but for now, here are the covers for the first three books in Gideon’s Riders!

About the Authors:

Kit Rocha is the pseudonym for co-writing team Donna Herren and Bree Bridges. After penning dozens of paranormal novels, novellas and stories as Moira Rogers, they branched out into gritty, sexy dystopian romance. 

The series has appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, and was honored with a 2013 RT Reviewer’s Choice award. Find out more at kitrocha.com, or sign up to be notified of their next release at bit.ly/kit-rocha-updates

Author Links:

Website - Facebook - Facebook Group - Twitter

Review: Beyond Surrender by Kit Rocha

She’s the heart of O’Kane liquor.

For years, Nessa has been focused on work. She keeps the whiskey—and the money—flowing, and life is sweet. Sure, she’s tired of being everyone’s baby sister, and she longs for a man who can stand up to her overprotective O’Kane brothers. But she never thought she’d meet him in the middle of a war.

He’s the brains of the revolution.

War is all Ryder knows. He was raised with one goal: to ensure the sectors’ successful rebellion against Eden. His father and his mentor both died for freedom, and nothing will stop him from securing their legacies with victory. He doesn’t have time for distractions—especially beautiful, impulsive ones like Nessa.

Opposites don’t just attract, they combust. Together, Nessa and Ryder have a chance for something more than the lives they’ve always known. But this is war—deadly, bloody war—and the only way to happily-ever-after is straight through Eden.

Buy Links

Amazon - B&N - iBooks - Kobo - All Romance Ebooks

*This review will have spoilers for the previous books in the series, but not so much for Beyond Surrender.

“War was war, after all. The same story, repeated for tens of thousands of years. Some who fought lived and others died, and you never knew which you were destined to be.”

I've been sitting here trying to come up with the words to describe how much I loved this book. And I can't. I read Beyond Shame 5 months after it was released. I've been stalking the heck out of these authors ever since. I couldn't wait for Beyond Control. Then I couldn't wait for Beyond Pain, so on and so on.There are very few authors that as soon as their books are released (or if I can get an early copy) I have to read straight away. Kit Rocha is most definitely one of them. We've gone through Jasper & Noelle and Lex & Dallas and Bren & Six etc. Every book, every novella, every extra scene I got to read I gobbled up the first chance I got. But not this one. I waited about a week to start it because I wasn't ready to say goodbye. But once I started, I couldn't stop.

“She was going to die. Just fucking implode. Here lies Nessa, perished from sexual frustration-induced cardiac arrest.”

Nessa has been a constant in the Beyond series, everybody's favorite little sister who loves to paint her nails and get all the dirty details on everybody's sex life. She's been burned once before and is determined not to make that mistake again, so instead of getting close to anyone she soaks up, maybe a little jealously, the passion going on around her. We also have Ryder. Sexy, sexy Ryder. The new leader of Sector Five and Jim Jernigan's successor. His whole life has been leading up to this war that he's been preparing for most of his life.

“He was just standing there, smiling, cradling her like a princess—but that wasn't why she kissed him. Nessa had been pampered and petted like a princess her whole damn life.

No one had ever invited her to build bombs with them before. That was why she kissed him.”

This book was freaking wild. Wild. We didn't get as much sexy-times as say Beyond Shame BUT that in no way means this book wasn't as good. I mean the war is finally here, shit is going down, people are dying and as much as people cling to each other in times of despair, life isn't as fun as it used to be. We get a ton of alternate POVs *YAY* and a lot of insight into characters we haven't met yet—and some that we're dying to read their stories (I'm looking at you Ashwin). I don't know if I'll ever forgive these authors for what happened in Chapter 17 but I get why it had to happen. Even if I didn't like it. Damn it I'm crying again.

“They'd fight and they'd win or they'd fight and they'd die, but one way or another, there was a time in the near future where none of them would have to worry about Eden anymore.”

Anyways, I loved this book. It made me want to go back and re-read the whole entire series again. Which I probably will do before Ashwin comes out. This book definitely isn't rainbows and butterflies—people on both sides die all because Eden couldn't contain their greed.

“That's their real mistake, you know. I'd pretty much reached a point where I liked my life just like it was. Fighting and fucking and not worrying about what happened beyond my sector. I was content, and they could have let me be content.”

But they hadn't, and now it was too late.” 

—Dallas

Thank God Kit Rocha is continuing writing in this world, moving over to Sector One. I want to thank Kit Rocha for writing this series, which is one of, if not my most favorite series of all time. I fell in love with their writing. I fell in love with the characters they created. I can't wait to see what the hell they come up with next. 

O'Kane for life!

*An advanced copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

If you want a little tease—you can read the first two chapters on the authors website here!

Series Links

 

 

  

 

About the Authors

Kit Rocha is the pseudonym for co-writing team Donna Herren and Bree Bridges. After penning dozens of paranormal novels, novellas and stories as Moira Rogers, they branched out into gritty, sexy dystopian romance. 

The series has appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, and was honored with a 2013 RT Reviewer’s Choice award. Find out more at kitrocha.com, or sign up to be notified of their next release at bit.ly/kit-rocha-updates

Author Links

Website - Facebook - Facebook Group - Twitter - Twitter (Bree) - Twitter (Donna)

Review: Beyond Ecstasy by Kit Rocha

The next-to-last book in the bestselling BEYOND series... 

The O’Kanes have a reputation for working hard and playing harder—except for Hawk. He joined the gang with one goal: to ensure his family’s survival through the impending war with Eden. It’s been years since he had the luxury of wanting anything for himself. Now, he wants Jeni. From the first moment he saw her, he’s been obsessed with making her his. Not for a night—forever. 

Jeni’s been lusting after the former smuggler for months, but he keeps shutting her down. She’s almost given up on getting him in her bed when he offers her the last thing she ever expected—a collar. Accepting it means belonging to him, body and soul. It’s a reckless gamble, but Jeni can’t resist the chance to slip under Hawk’s armor. 

The only thing more shocking than the dark, dangerous pleasure they discover is how right it feels. But falling in love is even more reckless when forever is far from guaranteed. Because they aren’t just at war, they’re out of time—and every breath could be their last.

Buy Links

Amazon US: http://krocha.link/be-amz

Amazon UK: http://krocha.link/be-amzuk

Amazon Canada: http://krocha.link/be-amzca...

Kobo: http://krocha.link/be-kobo

iBookstore: http://krocha.link/be-ibooks

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beyond-ecstasy-kit-rocha/1123838597?ean=2940158131950

Google: http://krocha.link/be-google

My Review

“Hawk couldn't decide which would drive him crazy first—the shadows or the light.”

Holy. Crap. If I had to sum up this book in one word it would be intense. Shit is getting real in the sectors and the war is coming.

Hawk could also be summed up as intense. We met Hawk in Beyond Addiction and I knew he needed his story to be told. He grew up in Sector Six where he farmed and fixed up cars. He is used to putting others first, but then he sees Jeni and he knows what he wants—her. She was with Dallas and Lex at the time so he sat back, watched and waited for his chance.

“They were the key to the puzzle that was Jeni, everything he needed to learn her. To understand her.

To master her”

And we have Jeni. Jeni has been a quiet presence in this series for quite a few books. She helped Cruz and Ace get together, she was with Dallas and Lex for a while, and she danced at The Broken Circle. We knew a lot of her but not a lot about her. We find out that she grew up in Eden (for a time, I don't remember if we learned how old she was when she left). There was so much going on in this book but I so would have loved to know more about Jeni's past and mother etc. 

“He'd have scars from this, marks no one could ever see and he'd never stop feeling. Because with Jeni trembling beneath him and his head swimming with relief, with satisfaction so deep it reached places he'd never even known were there—

There was no going back.”

Their relationship is complicated. It happens during a war so is it desperation or true feelings that brings them together? Hawk quickly offers Jeni a collar and she turns it down at first. Jeni doesn't think she's ready and she doesn't think Hawk understands (which he doesn't). He sees her wearing his collar as letting the world know she's his, but thats not all it means and it's hard for him to see that.

“He liked it, too. Not just the laughter, but the trust. Nothing left you more vulnerable in the sectors, more utterly exposed, than joy. All your weaknesses on display, your heart naked and begging to be shattered.”

Most of my favorite parts of this book were the POVs we got of Nessa and Ashwin(!!!). Nessa's book is one that I feel like I've been waiting to read for years (which I guess I have). She's checking on *the good stuff* and runs in to Ryder. We also got an Ashwin POV, and OH BOY. His book is going to be a doozy. “He'd spent three solid weeks researching knock-knock jokes after she'd tried to tell him one, just in case she did it again.” (Ashwin POV)

While this series is coming to an end *cries* We will be getting a whole new series set in Sector 1. And the first book looks amazing. But lets not get ahead of ourselves. The war is coming to a head and I have no idea what to expect but I can't freaking wait. 

“But all those stares couldn't raise the hair on the back of his neck the way glancing over his shoulder toward the city did.

The darkness was awful, but the light posed the real danger.”

* I was provided with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

“Shut them down. Start with the power grid. Let’s see how these motherfuckers like the dark.”

About the Authors

Kit Rocha is the pseudonym for co-writing team Donna Herren and Bree Bridges. After penning dozens of paranormal novels, novellas and stories as Moira Rogers, they branched out into gritty, sexy dystopian romance. 

The series has appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, and was honored with a 2013 RT Reviewer’s Choice award. Find out more at kitrocha.com, or sign up to be notified of their next release at bit.ly/kit-rocha-updates

Author Links

Website - Facebook - Facebook Group - Twitter - Twitter (Bree) - Twitter (Donna)

Blog Tour: Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: Bounty by Kristen Ashley

Blurb

Justice Lonesome has enjoyed a life of bounty. 

Even so, she’s inherited the curse of the Lonesome. A poet’s soul. Which means she’s still searching for something. Searching for peace. Searching for the less…that’s more. 

And when the foundation of her life is pulled out from under her, grieving, she goes to the mountains to find her oasis. She hits Carnal, Colorado and decides to stay. 

Deke Hightower lost everything at the age of two. He lost it again at fifteen. His life has not been about bounty. It’s been about learning to live with less, because there’s no way to get more. 

Deke’s also watched all his friends go down to the women who gave them what they needed. He wants that for himself. But he knows that search isn’t going to be easy because he’s a rider. His home is the road. That’s the only place he can breathe. And the woman who takes her place at his side has to do it sitting on the back of his bike. 

When Deke meets Justice, he knows she’s not that woman. She’s cute. She’s sweet. And she’s into him, but she’s got it all and Deke knows he won’t fit into that. So he holds her at arm’s length. Establishes boundaries. And Justice will take it because she wants Deke any way he’ll let her have him.

But when Justice finds herself a pawn in a dangerous game, Deke makes a decision. 

When he does, he has no idea he’s just opened himself up to bounty.

Pre-Order Links

Amazon - B&N - iBooks - Kobo - Google Play - Audible

My Review

"Close your eyes, gypsy, and I swear to God, you'll be safe in your dreams"

There's almost nothing better than sitting down to read a brand-spanking-new Kristen Ashley book. Seriously. It's like I'm a drug addict and reading Kristen Ashley get me high. I'm obsessed. And I shamelessly begged for an early copy of this book because after reading the teaser chapters on Kristen's website I was hooked.

The Colorado Mountain Series is a favorite of mine. A lot of her books are set in Colorado and the way she describes the landscapes in this series—I get serious wanderlust. 

Some might think that after 6 books set in the same general area that the story would get stale. Well, they would be wrong. KA may write a lot of books in the same setting but the thing that sets them apart is the characters she writes. Every single one is so unique and while the men are all alpha they are all so different. Like Deke. We first met him way back in Sweet Dreams where he watched over Lauren while she worked at Bubba's and he was so mysterious! In the following books we still didn't learn much about him so I was so excited he was finally getting his story told.

"Mostly because, with one look, I knew he was that nut a girl itched to crack. Just watching him laugh, he made you be the girl who wanted to make him laugh like that. Who wanted to pull out the teddy bear cuddler within from the rough exterior that was without. Who wanted to live her life knowing no one would harm her because he’d sweat and bleed to make that so. Who wanted to strip that, “take me as I am, I don’t give a shit, my life is mine and I’m gonna live it,” clean away—not in everything, only in the sense you wanted him as he was, but he did give a shit about what you thought, and more importantly, his life was yours."

The story starts out where Deke and Justice aka Jussy meet at a bar and he asks her out on a date to which he doesn't show up. Justice moves to Carnal 7 years later and runs into Deke at Bubba's and he doesn't recognize her even though her style has changed from biker bitch to hippy gypsy). He's someone she's never forgotten so the fact that he doesn't recognize her—cuts—and totally broke my heart! Justice buys a fixer-upper and calls Max (from The Gamble!) to do the re-model but he's booked and Deke, who is back for a few months, steps in.

Justice Lonesome (seriously amazing name) comes from a family of musicians, and is one herself. After a death in the family she needs to step out of the spotlight and find a place to relax, to just breathe. She's loaded and because of some shit that went down in his past, is completely opposite of the kind of woman Deke goes for. Deke tries to keep Justice at arms length—and it seems to be working if you don't count the meals she insists on bringing him—until something horrible happens and Deke realizes that Justice is someone he doesn't want to live without.

“Deke Hightower liked me.He so totally liked me.”

Something else that KA does so well is writing her secondary characters. Because Bounty is set in Carnal we get to see some of our favorites from previous books in this series. I loved Justice's mom Joss and even her husband Rod. I loved that we got to go to The Rooster with Max and Nina once again. I was shocked (but probably shouldn't have been) about how much I loved Krystal and Justice's relationship. I also got the urge to sell everything I own, go buy and Airstream and travel the country.

Bounty is an amazing addition to the Colorado Mountain series. It will make you laugh, it will most definitely make you cry, and it will remind you why you love reading books by Kristen Ashley. Wood and Maggie are up next (and I think last) in this series and I can't wait to see what kind of story they get!

*I received an ARC of this book from the author (thank you, thank you, thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. 

Excerpt

Once I had it in, the air of his trailer, the air Deke breathed, I let it out saying, “You know how you told me I was one of the best women you’ve ever met?”
He again didn’t answer immediately, then his deep voice sounded.
“Don’t, Jussy.”
I did.
“You’re one of the best men I’ve ever met.”
“Jussy.”
“That’s it, Deke. I’m a lucky girl. Blessed. Given so much bounty, it’s almost embarrassing how much God likes me. But He really must like me because I have all I have and He also gave me you.”
“You’re gonna be shutting up now,” Deke declared, I could hear the gruff in his voice, the buried emotion.
That was beautiful too.
I grinned down the hall.
“You’re also gonna be shuttin’ your eyes and goin’ to sleep,” he commanded.
“You and Mr. T might have had a taking-care-of-Justice-meeting-of-the-minds but this is plain bossing me, Deke.”
“Yeah, it is. And you keep talkin’, you’ll be talkin’ to nothin’ ’cause I’ll be putting my earphones in.”
It was my turn to boss.
“You listen to Dad, I want to hear it.”
“You’re talking,” Deke noted.
“No, seriously. I want to hear it.”
“Don’t got one of those speaker things. And sound is shit through the phone.”
“First chance, mall for Deke Hightower. Coffeemaker and speaker dock.”
“You buy me that shit, I’ll tan your hide.”
Shit.
Deke spanking me.
A quiver slithered down my spine, the small of my back, through the crease of my ass to settle in between my legs.
I rolled to my back and stared at the ceiling, knowing I should shut up.
Even knowing that, I still wasn’t going to let it go.
“You’ll have to catch me first. Though, that might happen as you’ll be caffeinated by decent coffee.”
I rolled back to my side as I heard and felt the movement of Deke making his way down the hall. I watched his big body hit the small space I was in, filling it up. I also watched as his phone illuminated that space and in a couple of seconds, I heard Dad singing.
He set the phone on the built-in nightstand next to his bed.
Then I watched as he bent deep and after that, all I could do was feel.
Feel his hand cupping the back of my head. Feel his lips touch my temple. Feel the rumble in his voice as he whispered in my ear.
“You’re safe here, Jussy. Got me lookin’ after you. Got Twyla outside lookin’ out for both of us. Got your dad watchin’ over you. So stop yammerin’ to keep sleep away. Close your eyes, gypsy, and I swear to God, you’ll be safe in your dreams.”
God, he could also talk sexy, sweet and protective, like a verbal cuddle.
God.
“Okay, Deke,” I whispered back.
I felt his fingers press into my scalp before I again felt his lips brush my temple.
“Night, Jussy. Catch you in the morning.”
Yeah.
One thing I’d learned that day in a way I knew it was for certain.
And it was something that would forever feed my poet’s soul having it in the way I did, which I treasured, and in the way I never would, which I longed for.
That being knowing without a doubt that no matter what…
Deke would catch me.

Giveaway

Grand Prize winner will receive a $100 Gift Card to the winner’s favorite bookseller.

First prize winner will receive all the books in The Colorado Mountain series signed by Kristen plus tons of KA swag.

Second prize winner will receive a signed copy of BOUNTY plus tons of KA swag.

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Review: Beyond Ruin by Kit Rocha

Adrian Maddox fled his royal life—and tragic past—in Sector One, choosing instead to join up with the O’Kanes. For years, he’s lived by one rule: love fast, love hard, and always be willing to walk away. He’s managed to guard his heart, keep it whole and untouched—until now.

They couldn’t be more different—Dylan, the brilliant, burned-out doctor from Eden who drowns his pain with drugs and self-destruction. Scarlet, the sensuous, sexy rocker from Three, a woman unafraid to embrace the world. And Jade, the whore turned spy from Sector Two, who battled addiction and came out stronger than anyone he’s ever met.

Separately, they make Mad long to open his heart, to tumble head-first into a sea of possibilities and wild love. Together, they make him burn, inside and out, with lust and unbearable, unimaginable pleasure.

Then one fateful moment shakes their world to its foundations—and leaves the sectors on the verge of all-out war with Eden. It’s the biggest fight the O’Kanes have ever faced, and Mad and his lovers are at the dead center of it. They could end up with everything they never knew they wanted—or lose it all. Including their lives.

Buy Links

Amazon - iBooks - B&N - Kobo

My Review

“Alright, you crazy motherfuckers." Dallas broke into a wide, feral grin. "Let's tear down the walls of heaven and let a little sin in.”

So, I'm not a huge highlighter when I read. Every now and then I find a book that I just connect with the way the author writes. But every time I read a Kit Rocha book I highlight like a motherfucker. In Beyond Ruin I had 32 separate highlights. THIRTY-TWO. I'm pretty sure it's the most I've ever highlighted, and I'm pretty sure this is my favorite book in this series to date.

In Beyond Ruin we get the story of Mad, Dylan, Scarlett and Jade. We've gotten hints in previous books that these four were going to come together—and boy did they ever. 

“The four of them had managed to come together, and they fit now, jagged edge against jagged edge. But it felt like one wrong move could break them apart again, and this time their pieces might not fit together the same way anymore. Or at all.”

This story was so complex. We get 4 backstories. 4 sets of baggage. 4 people trying to figure out their relationship in the midst of Sector War. 

We get our hero Mad—the prince who left Sector 1, and we finally find out why he turned left. We get Dylan—the emotionally scarred doctor from Eden who is constantly taking pills to help him forget. We have Scarlett—the street-rat turned singer from Sector 3 who feels so much and wears her heart on her sleeve. And we get Jade—the rose from Sector 2 who overcame so much and wants people to finally realize not every time she bends will she break. Each person has their own role, no one is just that spare part that can be left behind. Watching these 4 navigate through the ups and downs of their relationship was amazing and heartbreaking all in one. And damn you Scarlett for making me cry. Twice.

“It was a whole language, one only the four of them could ever comprehend, their new native tongue. The thing that would hold them together in tough times and bring them back when they'd fought with one another. It would shelter them, give them strength, show the world what they meant to each other.

Love.”

While the relationship was most definitely what drew me to this book, I was so surprised that even though I loved it—I loved the plot even more! So much happened in the Sectors vs. Eden. Ashwin calls in his favor (eek) We got to see a lot more of 1 and 2 which was awesome.

“Lex stared at the polished surface of the table. "Not to freak anyone out," she said faintly, "but did we just sit here and plot a fucking revolution?”

We're coming to the end of this amazing series (but thankfully we will be getting another series in this world—hello Sector 1!), and shit is going down. Sector leaders die. New ones take their place. War is declared. Who will come out on top? 

"And grief was dangerous, because people fought hard and smart to protect the living.

People got themselves—and everyone around them—killed trying to avenge the dead.”

 Kit Rocha has released 3 short stories called Beyond Happily Ever After. I would also recommend reading Blank Canvas before Beyond Ruin because you get a little surprise from Rachel/Cruz/Ace. You can read it here.

*I was provided an ARC of this book by the authors in exchange for an honest review

About the Authors

Kit Rocha is the pseudonym for co-writing team Donna Herren and Bree Bridges. After penning dozens of paranormal novels, novellas and stories as Moira Rogers, they branched out into gritty, sexy dystopian romance. 

The series has appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, and was honored with a 2013 RT Reviewer’s Choice award. Find out more at kitrocha.com, or sign up to be notified of their next release at bit.ly/kit-rocha-updates

Author Links

Website - Facebook - Facebook Group - Twitter - Twitter (Bree) - Twitter (Donna)