REVIEW: Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley

In Ride Steady (Chaos #3) by Kristen Ashley, Carson Steele has come a helluva long way since the days he put up with an abusive father, with no one to look out for him but himself. Now he’s known as Joker, a member of Chaos Motorcycle Club in Denver. One thing he’s never forgotten in the eight years since he last saw Carissa Teodoro was how she treated him with kindness and respect. So when Joker helps her with a flat on the side of the road, his life suddenly becomes tangled up with hers. And he’s going to do anything in his power to win her heart while protecting Carissa from her selfish ex-husband.

“I’ve wanted her since high school.”

…”You read somethin’ in this woman that she’s the one for you. You saw it in her all the way back then. She might make it tough on you, but if she’s that girl and you’re it for her like she is for you, this will be a bump in the road, but then you’ll ride steady.”

The only thing Carissa has ever wanted was to be a wife and mother. Marrying her high school sweetheart meant she was halfway there. But things changed when she became pregnant with her son Travis and she soon found herself divorced, struggling to make ends meet. When Carissa ends up stranded on the side of the highway with a flat tire and a tall, dark, handsome biker helps out, she’s thankful. And attracted to him. The fact that it’s someone she knew and liked years ago seems like a sign. Finally having an honest man like Joker in her and Travis’s life, treating them nothing but wonderful, leaves Carissa feels content for the first time in her life.

“I think I might be falling in love with you,” I blurted and watched his face change to an expression I would have rushed to my phone to capture if I wasn’t captivated by it, not wanting to miss an instant.

“Then quit thinkin’, Carrie, because I know I’m fallin’ for you.”

EPIC. There really isn’t any other word that can sum up all that is Ride Steady. Kristen Ashley continues to amaze me with each new installment in the Chaos series. At this point, I can’t even begin to imagine what she’ll give us next time with High’s story!

Let me start off by saying that this book is a rather big undertaking considering it is 600+ pages long. That’s a lot of reading. However, I thought it was worth every single minute spent devouring the pages and I can happily say there wasn’t a thing I would cut from the story to shorten it. I loved it all. From learning about the tragedy in both Joker and Carissa’s childhood, to seeing them fall in love eight years after they last saw each other, I can honestly say that this story pulled on my heartstrings and had me feeling every emotion you could possibly think up.

Interestingly, the bulk of this novel happened outside of the Chaos compound doors this time around. Don’t worry, though. The brothers and their old ladies were an integral part of the storyline. However, Joker and Carissa were mostly dealing with her (evil) ex-husband, and trying to improve her living situation while they were falling in love. I truly loved how Joker treated Carissa with the utmost respect. Which is the polar opposite of how her ex treated her. And the scenes with Joker and Carissa’s son Travis? Mind-meltingly wonderful. I could just picture a big, tough, scary-looking biker dude with an eight-month old baby in his arms and loving every second of it. *swoon*

My heart went out to Carissa, given her tough situation and the fact that she was such a caring, giving person. She was a terrific mom who ended up having quite an open mind when it came to Joker and his band of brothers. It made my heart warm with the way Chaos looked out for her and took her and Travis under their wing. I liked that there was actually quite a bit of humor thrown in amongst the raw emotional moments, especially in Carissa’s conversations with Joker and the Chaos guys. I had to giggle when she called him ‘Sweetie’ in front of them. You can imagine the guys wouldn’t forget that too soon. 😉

Oh, MC fans. I think Joker and Carissa’s romance is one that you will latch onto and won’t want to let go. Whether you read this as a standalone or as part of the series, I think Ride Steady will become a favorite you’ll want to come back to again and again.

Book Info:

Published June 30th 2015 | by Forever | Chaos #3

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 . . .