Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Rough Ride (Chaos #5) by Kristen Ashley ~ Review

Rough Ride (Chaos #5)Source: Purchased.

Rough Ride (Chaos #5) by Kristen Ashley 


From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Ashley comes a new story in her Chaos series...

Rosalie Holloway put it all on the line for the Chaos Motorcycle Club.

Informing to Chaos on their rival club—her man’s club, Bounty—Rosalie knows the stakes. And she pays them when her man, who she was hoping to scare straight, finds out she’s betrayed him and he delivers her to his brothers to mete out their form of justice.

But really, Rosie has long been denying that, as she drifted away from her Bounty, she’s been falling in love with Everett “Snapper” Kavanagh, a Chaos brother. Snap is the biker-boy-next door with the snowy blue eyes, quiet confidence and sweet disposition who was supposed to keep her safe... and fell down on that job.

For Snapper, it’s always been Rosalie, from the first time he saw her at the Chaos Compound. He’s just been waiting for a clear shot. But he didn’t want to get it after his Rosie was left bleeding, beat down and broken by Bounty on a cement warehouse floor.

With Rosalie a casualty of an ongoing war, Snapper has to guide her to trust him, take a shot with him, build a them...

And fold his woman firmly in the family that is Chaos.

Note: Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.




Even though I've been head over heels for the Chaos series for a while--as I am with most everything KA writes--it took me a while to pick Rough Ride up. For a couple of reasons, really. Partly because I didn't want to have to wait for the next book once I'd finished this one. And partly because I am so conflicted about Rosalie. But I sucked it up this past month and read it anyway because I wanted to be prepared for Wild Like the Wind's release. I'm glad I did because I enjoyed this little dose of Chaos.

Since this is a novella, I don't have loads of things to discuss, so I figured I'd just break it down into two lists of things I liked and the small thing I didn't.

Things I liked:
- Snapper. Not surprising. These Chaos men are all worthy of swoons in their own right, and Snapper is no different. He's quieter, keeps to himself more, but he also won't back down from defending who he cares about. I loved him.
- Getting to be in the Chaos world again, even just for a little bit. It's a short book, but we get to see all our favorite characters. And they were so kind and caring and it all made my heart so warm. I adore the Chaos family.
- Snapper and Rosalie. They fit so perfectly as a couple. Both very solitary--while also letting the other encapsulate their entire world. They're sweet together. And I was a fan of their friends to lover relationship.
- How quick this was to read. I read the whole thing in just a few hours. It's short, so that helped, but Kristen Ashley's books in general tend to be quick reads even when their length doesn't seem like it. Rough Ride is like that--I didn't want to put it down. I wanted more of the characters and their story, and I had a good time reading it all.

What I did not like:
- Rosalie. I had such mixed feelings about her going in, and I was hoping reading her story would help with that. Turns out, it didn't help even a little bit. Here's why: there was a big deal made in Own the Wind about how Rosalie was "cut deep" by Shy breaking up with her. And it's mentioned again in the beginning of Rough Ride, how Shy was never giving her all of him the way Snapper was, etc. But Rosalie was doing the same thing to Beck. She was falling for Snapper while still with him. Sure, the Beck situation was bigger but it kind of gets on my nerves that it was hurtful when Shy did it, but when Rosalie did the same thing it got kind of brushed off. Like, Shy and Tabby STILL felt like they had to apologize to her about it in this novella, while Rosalie had moved on from Beck so quick. As she should have, since he did what he did, but it irritates me that Shy and Tabby were held to higher standards. Sigh. Okay. Rant over.
- Oh, and one other small thing: I didn't really like how Tabby was portrayed in this one. I know she's opinionated and whatnot, but the only times she was in this novella, she was being over the top annoying with it. (First when they confronted Bounty, then about the tiles.)
- Both of those things said, Rosalie was never going to be my favorite Chaos heroine. I knew it from the start. And, honestly, Tabby isn't my fav either. So while those were worth mentioning (clearly, since I ranted a little, ha), I'm not super upset about them. I had a good time reading the novella regardless. So I guess take all that with a grain of salt, yeah?

Overall, while Rosalie isn't my favorite Chaos heroine, I did love her & Snapper as a couple. They fit together so well. And I truly enjoyed this little dose of Chaos. And now I'm excited for book 6!


4 stars - An enjoyable small dose of Chaos!


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