New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Laura Kaye brings you the third novel in her Raven Riders Series, RIDE WILD. A sexy contemporary romance series, and a spin-off from Laura’s Hard Ink world, about a different kind of motorcycle club with a protective mission.
The Raven Riders Series takes you on an adventure and kicks it into overdrive! RIDE WILD is the hot and emotional story of a sexy single father wild with grief over the death of his wife several years before and the strong survivor he hires to be his nanny.
Order your copy of RIDE WILD today!
Author: Laura Kaye
Publication Date: 31 October, 2017
Publisher: Avon
Series: Raven Riders, book 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance, MC based
Age Recommendation: 17 and Up
Rating: 5 Stars
~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~
Book Description:
Brotherhood. Club. Family.
They live and ride by their own rules.
These are the Raven Riders...
Wild with grief over the death of his wife, Sam “Slider” Evans merely lives for his two sons. Nothing holds his interest anymore—not even riding his bike or his membership in the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club. But that all changes when he hires a new babysitter.
Recently freed from a bad situation by the Ravens, Cora Campbell is determined to bury the past. When Slider offers her a nanny position, she accepts, needing the security and time to figure out what she wants from life. Cora adores his sweet boys, but never expected the red-hot attraction to their brooding, sexy father. If only he would notice her...
Slider does see the beautiful, fun-loving woman he invited into his home. She makes him feel too much, and he both hates it and yearns for it. But when Cora witnesses something she shouldn’t have, the new lives they’ve only just discovered are threatened. Now Slider must claim—and protect—what’s his before it’s too late.
My Review:
It can sometimes be hard for me to write a review for a Laura Kaye book just because I like to think we're friends after having met a few times at signings (you know how it is book nerds, haha) and I never want to disappoint a friend. Lucky for me Laura always gives me a book that I thoughrly enjoy and in this case one that I LOVED.
I have been waiting on Slider's book basically since the fist time I met the Raven Riders in Hard as Steel (
click here for my review) and fell in love with Slider's sad countenance and his beautiful boys. It is hard not to have them tug at your heart every time they cross the pages of Slider's 'Brothers' stories. If they hadn't tugged at your heart before now (who are you even, heart of steel!) they most definitely will in Ride Wild.
Ride Wild is the story of Slider and Cora. Slider has spent years separating himself from his brotherhood at Raven Riders. The death of his wife sending him in to a depression, (one he doesn't even fully realize he is in) he's spent years walking through each day but not truly living. Then a spunky, beautiful, but broken woman comes into his and his sons world. Cora is life, she is full of spirit and love. She is joy and peace, but underneath it all she is broken and she is scared. Her past haunts her though she would never let anyone see that, not when she has so many people that she needs to be strong for. Cora and Haven found themselves being rescued by the Raven Riders months back after running away to save Haven (and little known to anyone else, Cora) from a terrible situation. In those months Haven has found herself and fallen in love but Cora, Cora is still just hanging around. She's living at the Raven Riders compound and she occasionally baby sits for Slider when he has to work, but Cora has dreams and they are starting to poke at her heart telling her it may be time to move on. Time to find her own path and future, but during her time with the Raven Riders and the time she's been helping out Slider she's started to fall in love with his little men and the thought of leaving them (and Slider) behind is an ache in her heart. Luckily Slider has two perceptive, loving, and 'slick' boys who convince him that what they need in their life is a full time nanny, what they need is Cora.
I loved the pace of Ride Wild, this isn't a fast paced insta-love. This is a love that develops over time and through the interactions of the couple with each other and with Slider's boys. This is the way you think of love happening to 'real people'. It's thoughtful and sedate while being passionate and consuming. There is a maturity to Slider and Cora's relationship that I truly appreciated, it makes for a nice change of pace in the romance genre which is often fast paced loves, with all sorts of drama and often times carelessness until the couple suddenly grows up. That isn't what we get here and I loved this book even more for it.
I loved that Cora is and always will be her own heroine. She doesn't need Slider to make her dreams reality, she will make them happen on her own, but having his support is integral to her happiness. One thing I loved about Slider is his ability to understand that she doesn't need him, that she wants him, (just as he is) I love that he can give her what she needs and simply be there to support her. This line right here made my heart melt into a puddle of goo because isn't this the kind of relationship every person wants?
"Look at this face. Look into these eyes. And never, ever doubt that you're looking at your biggest fan, your staunchest defender, and the man who will always hold you up and have your back."
He will give her everything he can but he won't do anything for her that she doesn't want him to but he will always be there standing at her back...how does one not swoon after that?
Seriously if all that doesn't get you right in the heart what else would...oh how about rescued dogs, and rescued fighting dogs? Oh my gosh, this is something very close to my heart as I have a rescued fighting dog who is one of my loves but will never be the dog she could have been because of where she came from. It was so hard to imagine myself in Cora's shoes as she took on a volunteer role at an animal rescue. My heart broke with hers and the tears fell with out abandon the first day she assists with one of the abandoned fighting dogs. It's so hard to believe that there are people in this world who abuse animals in this way, but I have a big girl at home that is proof of it and I know exactly how Cora felt that day and the many days after as she finds herself embroiled in the nastiness of the dog fighting world. I adored that Laura gives her readers an opportunity to see, even if it is just on the surface, what dog fighting is like. What it does to the dogs that survive it and to the people that help bring them back from such a horrible life.
There is plenty of romance, suspense, and swoon worthiness in Ride Wild, you will not be disappointed. I loved the way that Laura wraps it all up and giving us a glimpse into the future. I loved that we get a bit of a look at the Raven Riders being a bit more ruthless than what we are used to seeing. They will never be that hard core or what I would consider a 1% club but that isn't who they are. They are a club of men who will do what it takes to get things done yes, but will try and do it through legal channels first. Their role in the world is not to fight against the world and authority but to protect those that need it, to be taken seriously in that role they have to try and work with in the system but there should never be a doubt that if they have to step outside the bounds of propriety they will do it and I appreciated the reminder of that in this book.
I of course always suggest reading the series in order, you will be a tad lost on one storyline if you don't but you can read this as a standalone so if this is your first time picking up a Raven Riders book don't hesitate to start but get ready to head back to your book seller for the rest of them because you will be buying them before you are even done with Ride Wild, haha.
~ HAPPY READING ~
And don’t miss all the books in the Raven Riders Series!
Excerpt:
Cora had such an easy way with Ben. With both of his kids, really. God, Slider admired that about her. Especially when nothing about him was easy, and hadn’t been in years.
Ben yawned and peered up at Slider. “You’re gonna stay with me, aren’t you? “
“You better believe it, Benji. And remember what we talked about. Nurses are going to come in a couple of times throughout the night. Just to check on you. I’ll be here the whole time,” Slider said, leaning over the boy so he could look him in the eyes. There was nothing like the unconditional love and admiration of a kid. But that didn’t mean Slider shouldn’t have to earn it. And he hadn’t done nearly enough these past few years, had he? He pressed a kiss to his son’s cheek. “Now shut those peepers.”
Ben giggled. “Your whiskers tickle Dad.” Slider ran his hand over the facial hair on his jaw. One more piece of evidence of the mess he’d become. But at least it made Ben laugh. The boy looked up at Cora next, his hand snaking into hers and tugging her closer. “You’re staying too, right?”
“Wild horses couldn’t tear me away,” she said, squeezing his hand.
Ben made a face. “There are wild horses here?”
Cora chuckled and Slider shook his head. “Peepers. Closed. Now,” he said.
The boy was asleep in an instant.
After not sleeping much today himself, Slider probably wasn’t far behind him. Still, he nodded at the small sleeper sofa and quietly said to Cora, “You can take that. Nurse said there are pillows and blankets in the closet.”
She shook her head. “No way. You haven’t slept. And I’m kinda attached here,” she said, glancing at where Ben still clutched her hand. “Seriously, Slider. Get some sleep while you can.”
Frowning, he pulled out the sleeper, which was only a little wider than a twin-sided bed, found the bedding, and lowered the lights. “How ‘bout this. We’ll take shifts.”
She smiled. “Sure.”
On a bone-deep sigh, Slider sat on the bed’s edge and kicked off his boots, and then he went horizontal still wearing his jeans and T-shirt. Cora laid her cheek against her arm, her face turned away from Slider toward Ben, her blond waves a soft cascade against the white hospital blankets.
And damnit all to hell, but it played with uncomfortable things inside his chest to see her like that. Things he didn’t want played with. Not ever again.
So he closed his eyes. And woke up two and a half hours later when the nurse came into the room to check Ben’s vitals. The kid hardly stirred, but Cora was still awake and making small talk with the woman about how her night was going.
“Your turn to get some sleep,” Slider said when they were alone again.
“Don’t worry about it. Go back to sleep.”
“We had a deal,” he said, his voice like gravel. Years of exhaustion did that to a man.
“Later,” she said, her expression soft with sleepiness. He forced himself into a sitting position, his stiff movements making him feel ancient. “You need it more than I do.”
He shook his head and pushed to his feet. “I’m not hogging the bed all night while you sit up in that hard chair.”
“Don’t be stubborn,” she said. “Sleep.”
He arched a brow. As much as he wanted to lie back down, he wasn’t doing it at her expense. “It’s your turn.”
“Slider—”
“Cora—”
She sighed. “I’m trying to take care of you, too.”
Raven Riders Series Trailer:
PREORDER RIDE WILD & HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Animal rescue is a big part of the storyline of Ride Wild, and that’s something that's close to Laura’s heart, so Laura’s giving to the cause by donating a portion of all preorders and sales through 11/5 to Noah's Arks Rescue, a fantastic organization that serves as a source of inspiration for the book. When you grab your copy of RIDE WILD, you're helping a great cause AND you'll get a bonus story when you submit your order info, too!
Submit Your Preorder Info to Get A Bonus Story:
Learn More about Noah's Arks:
GiveAway:
(Signed copies of RIDE HARD, RIDE ROUGH, and RIDE WILD for 2 winners!)
About Laura Kaye:
Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense, including the Hard Ink and upcoming Raven Riders series. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
Laura Kaye’s RIDE WILD – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
October 23rd
October 24th
October 25th
October 26th
October 27th
October 28th
October 29th
October 30th
October 31st
November 1st
November 2nd
November 3rd
About Joanna Wylde:
Joanna Wylde started her writing career in journalism, working in two daily newspapers as both a reporter and editor. Her career has included many different jobs, from managing a homeless shelter to running her own freelance writing business, where she took on projects ranging from fundraising to ghostwriting for academics. During 2012 she got her first Kindle reader as a gift and discovered the indie writing revolution taking place online. Not long afterward she started cutting back her client list to work on Reaper’s Property, her breakout book. It was published in January 2013, marking the beginning of a new career writing fiction.
Joanna lives in the mountains of northern Idaho with her family.
