Review: Rough Ride by Kristen Ashley

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.

 

Ebook.

Novella.

Alternating, first-person.

Rosalie is beaten pretty badly by an ex-lover and others. Those that have been physically abused may find it difficult.

Technically no. 

No.

Yes.

No.

No.

Some.

Why, why, WHY did you do this, Kristen Ashley? Why? Why make Snapper and Rosalie a novella? How could you do this to them? The deserved a novel! A proper freaking novel where you could have worked your magic and made something beautiful! Instead, they get this. This... Barely satisfying TEASE! After, what, two years(!) of having no Chaos, this was just not cricket! 

Now, don't get me wrong, despite my pissed off ranting, this isn't a bad novella. It's just bad when you compare it to the other books in this series. The story is rushed, the characters don't get their moment to shine or much development, and it was needed! Serious shit is rushed through, moments that would have been amazing to read - for example, Shy and Tab settling things with Rosalie - where thrown in as a FYI having happened 'off-screen', so to speak, or completely glossed over, and the random freaking ending was the icing on the 'WTF' cake.

Do NOT start me on the ending. 

I read it about four times and I'm still trying to work out if I understood what happened correctly... 

Gah! 

I haven't been so pissed off and let down by a book in a long time. 

I swear, I could freakin' cry! 

I LOVE Chaos. 

Love them! 

I've been so excitedly anxious to read Snapper and Rosalie's story since Walk through Fire and this just gutted me with its mediocrity. 

Harsh? Maybe. But so so true. 

However! 

There is a teaser chapter for Hound's book, releasing in the summer, at the end and it was so good. I bet that that book is going to be the business. Kristen Ashley seems to work best at the long and deliciously wordy books... Not novellas. 

Pretty typical for the 1001 Dark Night novellas which is pretty nice.