Wrong For Me (Motor City Royals #2) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

WRONG FOR ME (Motor City Royals #2) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

Wrong For Me

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About the book: Release Date November 29, 2016

After eight years in prison, Levi Rush is finally out and back on the gritty streets of Detroit to claim the future he was owed. A future that includes the one woman he’s wanted for years—his former best friend Rachel. She’s the reason he went inside and if getting her to do what he wants means buying the building that houses her tattoo studio and using it as leverage, then that’s what he’ll do. Because if there’s one thing he’s learned inside it’s that if you want to win, you have to play dirty.

Rachel Hamilton is a tattoo artist and one hell of a tough girl. Detroit is her home, and she’s determined to make it a better place. But her plans are threatened when her old friend Levi reappears and gives her an ultimatum: she gives herself to him body and soul, or else she and her business are out on the street. Levi’s got no room in his heart for anything but anger and the lust he’s been carrying around for so long. But the only thing stronger than the secrets of their shared past is their fiery attraction to each other.

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REVIEW: WRONG FOR ME is the second installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult MOTOR CITY ROYALS erotic, romance series focusing on a tight knit group of friends from Detroit. This is former inmate Levi Rush, and tattoo artist Rachel Hamilton’s story line. WRONG FOR ME can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Rachel and Levi) WRONG FOR ME is a friends to lovers/second chance storyline that follows the rekindling friendship between Rachel Hamilton and Levi Rush. Eight years earlier Levi was sent to prison for killing a man who had attacked his best friend Rachel. Fast forward to present day and Levi is an angry ex-con, h*ll bent on reclaiming all that he lost, and what he had lost were the eight years he could have been spending with the woman that he loves. Determined to renew his relationship with Rachel, Levi ‘blackmails’ Rachel for all of the wrong reasons ensuring Rachel remains by his side-one way or another. What ensues is an emotional battle between Levi and Rachel, and Levi’s dogged determination to prove he is worthy.

WRONG FOR ME is a story of family and friendship; heartbreak and love; moving forward and letting go of the past. Levi and Rachel, along with Gideon and Zoe come from the mean streets of Detroit, and it is their backstory and earlier years together that make up the emotional and protective relationships that encompass the series premise. Years of suffering and feeling unworthy find Levi Rush trying to prove he is deserving of the life that has passed him by.

The relationship between Rachel and Levi is one of emotional blackmail. Levi struggles with the loss of the previous eight years but more so with Rachel’s rejection and apparent lack of concern as it pertained to Levi and what happened years before.

All of the previous story line characters including Zee and Tamara (Dirty For Me #1), as well as Zoe James and Gideon Black play secondary and supporting roles. Rachel’s co-worker and fellow tattooist Xavier is ever protective of his friend and colleague. Zoe and Gideon’s story is next in Sin For Me (March 2017).

The world building continues to focus on five friends (Gideon, Zoe, Zee, Levi & Rachel) and the difficulties of growing up poor on the mean streets of Detroit. We are witness to the plans for redevelopment that may or may not have approval from the people who live and struggle to survive.

WRONG FOR ME is a dark and gritty look at endurance; at existing one day at a time; at struggling to succeed in a world that is continually pushing you down. The premise is startling ; the characters are passionate but tragic; the romance is emotional and disconcerting. At times, Levi’s treatment of Rachel and his need to recover years of lost time is misguided, vengeful and questionable. I also a couple of issues with questions that were never addressed and left unresolved.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one-DIRTY FOR ME

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Dirty For Me by Jackie Ashenden-a review

DIRTY FOR ME (Motor City Royals #1) by Jackie Ashenden-a review

Dirty For Me

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / BAM /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 26, 2016

Ezekiel “Zee” Chase has a complicated past. Born into a family whose wealth grew from the seedy world of big-time crime, he ran away as a teenager and made a home for himself on the streets of Detroit. By day, the mechanic works at a local garage. But by night, he throws down with the best of them in Detroit’s gritty underground fighting scene. With all those muscles, he’s never had trouble with women–until he meets one who challenges him to the greatest fight of his life. . .

Tamara Lennox is a hardworking corporate high-flyer who appreciates the finer things in life, from her expensive perfume to her designer handbags. More than anything, though, she likes to be in control–and when Zee explodes into her life, she feels anything but. He’s the definition of a bad boy: brash, fiery, and of course, irresistibly hot. And there’s a darkness about him that keeps her coming back for more. As Zee takes Tamara deeper into a world she never knew existed, she just might prove to be the one opponent he won’t be able to dominate–at least not without some pleasurable convincing….

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REVIEW: DIRTY FOR ME is the first installment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult MOTOR CITY ROYALS erotic, romance series. This is bad boy mechanic/MMA fighter Ezekiel ‘Zee’ Chase, and corporate intern Tamara Lennox’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Zee and Tamara) DIRTY FOR ME focuses on the building relationship between two broken souls-Ezekiel ‘Zee’ Chase born into a Detroit crime family where his father rules with an iron fist; and Tamara Lennox- a privileged young woman whose own past is riddled with a dark family secret. When Tamara accompanies her best friend to a late night, self-defense class for woman, in one of the seediest neighborhoods of Detroit, our heroine finds herself immediately attracted to the instructor-a tattooed, bad boy named Zee Chase whose attraction to Tamara is equally as strong and palpable. What ensues is a relationship based solely on $ex that looks deeper into the past of both of our story line characters. Tamara is about accept a marriage proposal from a man she does not love to pay a debt she owes her family; and Zee’s past comes back physically demanding a return to the family fold.

The relationship between Tamara and Zee is initially based only on $ex. Tamara wants to forget about her past and her potential future; and Zee is an MMA fighter who has his pick of any woman but Tamara has locked onto his heart and soul. The $ex scenes are graphic, aggressive and intense but I did not feel the emotional connection between the couple-they both wanted $ex and Tamara continued to return night after night in the hopes of more from Zee Chase. Zee struggles with his emotions and is reluctant to show even a softer version of himself fearing to let go would mean dropping his defenses against the outside world.

There are a number of secondary and supporting characters including all of Zee’s coworkers at the local garage: garage owner Gideon, tattoo artist Zoe, and mechanic Rachel-all former street kids who have banded together as a family. A fifth member of their rag-tag family -Levi -is currently in prison awaiting early release-Levi and Rachel’s story will be told next in Wrong For Me. We are introduced to Tamara’s best friend Rose and our heroine’s soon to be fiancé/ex-fiance Robert, as well as Tamara’s boss Scott who is trying to make Tamara’s life as miserable as possible. Tamara’s parents claim to want the best for their daughter but Tamara is being forced into an impossible situation. Zee’s corrupt father Joshua forces his son to make a choice- a choice between friendship or blood.

The world building focuses on dysfunctional family dynamics, dark secrets, betrayal and revenge. The conflict between Zee and his father ended rather abruptly and without too much angst or aggression which under the circumstance would have ended differently in the real world. I would like to see more of Zee and Tamara in a future story line as our heroine has rejected her previous life for a man whose own life is dangerous and dark. The premise is entertaining; the characters are colorful and animated; the romance is sexually graphic and, at times, almost needy in emotion and temperament. Some readers may take exception to the heroine’s ‘cheating’ on a man she does not love.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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