Still Standing (Wild West MC #1) by Kristen Ashley-Review & Excerpt tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 2, 2021

When Clara Delany walks into the Aces High Motorcycle Club’s hangout, she’s hit rock bottom. She’s hiding her car from the repo man, she has less than two dollars in her bank account and the only employment she can get is delivering messages for a criminal.

All because of a man. Therefore, she’s sworn off them.

And then she meets West “Buck” Hardy, president of the Aces High MC.

Buck also meets her, and the minute he does, he makes it clear (to everyone but Clara) that they’re starting something. Since Clara doesn’t get that message, she decides to leave Buck and sort out her life in order to come back to him clean.

She’s not gone but hours before life hits Clara with another blow. Which means Buck and his boys have to ride in and save the day. After that, Buck makes no bones about where they stand.

But does he?

Welcome to the first novel in the Wild West MC series which will tell the stories of the brothers of the Aces High MC, the Resurrection MC, and the Chaos MC…and the women who love them.

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REVIEW:STILL STANDING is the first instalment in Kristen Ashley’s contemporary, adult WILD WEST MC erotic, romance series. This is thirty-two year old, former librarian Clara Delany, and thirty-nine year old Aces High MC president West ‘Buck’ Hardy’s story line. The WILD WEST MC is a companion series to the author’s CHAOS MC, and there is a slight cross-over with the mention of, and connection to some of the other series’ characters.

Told from first person perspective (Clara Delany) with one final chapter in third person, following several paths STILL STANDING focuses on thirty-two year old, former librarian Clara Delany as she becomes the messenger for drug kingpin Enrique Esposito, in an effort to protect her best friend and fellow foster care child Tia, Enrique’s much abused wife. Clara’s latest target is West ‘Buck’ Hardy, the president of the Aces High MC, and the man with whom Clara will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between Clara and Buck, and the potential fall-out as Clara finds herself

West ‘Buck’ Hardy knows quite a bit of history about our story line heroine including the break down of her marriage, and her current predicament with a notorious drug kingpin but Buck, for all his resources had no idea about Clara’s earlier life, of the fall-out of her ex-husband’s illegal dealings and how they have affected our story line heroine. Buck Hardy and the Ace High MC refuse to get involved in the drug running business, and with it comes the pressure to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love. Keeping Clara out of the direct line of fire becomes difficult as our heroine refuses to give up her independence in the face of trouble, and potential death.

Meanwhile, Buck’s teenaged son and daughter from his first marriage have differing views of their father’s relationship with our story line heroine, and in this, Clara must tread carefully as it pertains the children Buck so dearly loves.

The relationship between Buck and Clara begins when Clara is forced to deliver a message to the Aces High MC. Seeing the potential for Clara to become collateral damage, Buck offers, or forces, Clara the protection of the High Aces MC but when Clara’s friend Tia goes missing, Clara refuses to sit back and wait for more news. Within a few hours of meeting, Clara and Buck’s relationship becomes sexual, and not without some questions of concern from fellow members and old ladies of the High Aces MC. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense; the sexual tension is palpable and high.

We are introduced to a large colorful and entertaining group of secondary and supporting characters including several members of the Aces High MC, and some of the old ladies, women and club wh*res: Ink, Driver, Gash, Cruise, Dr. Lefty Lefkowitz, Lorie, Minnie, Pinky, and club who*re Nails; Buck’s ex wife Kristy, and their children-seventeen year old Gear, and sixteen year old Tatiana; Detective Rayne Scott; Clara’s former neighbor Mrs. Jimenez; Enrique and Tia Esposito: Clara’s ex-husband Rogan Kirk, his attorney Nolan Armitage; Bosnian criminal Imran Babic.

STILL STANDING is a story of betrayal and revenge; power and control; family and friendships; ill-fated relationships, romance and love. The premise is exciting and engaging; the romance is provocative and steamy; the characters are lively, fascinating and spirited.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.