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Colorado Mountain #2
Sweet Dreams
an alternate cover edition can be found here
She's ready for the ride of her life . . .
Lauren Grahame is looking to reinvent herself. After leaving her cheating husband, Lauren moves to Carnal, Colorado, and gets a job as a waitress in a biker bar called Bubba's. It's a nothing job in a nowhere joint . . . until Tatum Jackson walks in. Lauren has never seen a man with such good looks, muscles, and attitude. But when he insults her, Lauren doesn't want anything to do with him. Too bad for Lauren he's also the bar's part owner and bartender.
When the rough-around-the-edges Tate meets the high-class Lauren, he thinks she won't fit in at Bubba's. Yet there's more to Lauren than meets the eye, and Tate soon sets his mind on claiming her as his own. Before long, the desire burning between them is heating up the cold mountain air. But when violence strikes the town, Tate must reveal a dark secret to Lauren-one that may put an end to their sweet dreams.
205,764 words
She's ready for the ride of her life . . .
Lauren Grahame is looking to reinvent herself. After leaving her cheating husband, Lauren moves to Carnal, Colorado, and gets a job as a waitress in a biker bar called Bubba's. It's a nothing job in a nowhere joint . . . until Tatum Jackson walks in. Lauren has never seen a man with such good looks, muscles, and attitude. But when he insults her, Lauren doesn't want anything to do with him. Too bad for Lauren he's also the bar's part owner and bartender.
When the rough-around-the-edges Tate meets the high-class Lauren, he thinks she won't fit in at Bubba's. Yet there's more to Lauren than meets the eye, and Tate soon sets his mind on claiming her as his own. Before long, the desire burning between them is heating up the cold mountain air. But when violence strikes the town, Tate must reveal a dark secret to Lauren-one that may put an end to their sweet dreams.
205,764 words
656 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 23, 2011
About the author
Kristen Ashley
126 books38.9k followersKristen 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,337 reviews
September 10, 2016
Sigh, DNF
This was my first -- and last -- book by this author. Her stories may be interesting and heartfelt (according to many of her fans), but her writing is NOT great. I found this book to be nothing more than an unedited rough draft not ready for prime time. More so, she doesn't have a polished writing voice, nor does she have a solid grip of basic writing rules. So if you care about well written stories, be sure to read the free chapters online before you buy. Many readers have been able to look past the writing issues, so maybe you can too.
In full disclosure I only made it 10% (60 pages or so) into it before I couldn't take anymore, so this review is not about the story itself. In truth, she may have told a great story in this book but I will never know.
So what is wrong with the writing? The major issues I found were:
Problem 1: It felt as if HALF the sentences started with the word "I", which to me showed a lack of creative story telling. "I went into...", "I noticed that...", "I couldn't get...". Wow, this got old fast! (Read the first few pages of the Sweet Dreams sneak preview and you'll see what I mean. I skimmed the rest of the book and sadly the writing voice issue never stopped.)
Problem 2: The loooooong run on sentences are a constant problem, not an occasional one. It is difficult to follow her meandering train of thought through these poorly written sentences.
Example:
"But it hit me just then that since not only did he feel free to shout those things about me when he barely knew me but also he knew I heard it and he didn’t apologize but told me to shake it off and let it go because I should somehow accept he was in a shit mood and just deal with it, that he obviously wasn’t a very nice person and maybe, even though I was a nice person, there were some people who deserved to get back what they got."
Problem 3: Poor punctuation, or should I say the lack of it.
Problem 4: Parentheses over-kill. She uses A LOT of parentheses to help clarify her meandering thought process. Because of this, the story unfolds in such a choppy manner.
Problem 5: Editing. Words like "past" instead of "passed"..etc. Argh.
Problem 6: Lack of brevity. A common rule of writing is to omit useless words and repetitive statements. If this book was edited for brevity alone, I bet it would reduce the overall page count by several dozen or more -- at least.
Problem 7: The story often meandered making it hard to follow her train of thought.
Examples:
Tonia ignored this totally and I soon noticed she was good at ignoring a lot of things, including me, who she didn’t say so much as “boo” to, and her customers, unless they were good-looking.
or
Her legs had a hint of tan I guessed because she was often out watering her flowers or cleaning the pool or sweeping the walkways or cleaning the cool deck around the pool with a blast from the hose and I noticed she was always in a sundress.
Argh.
On a positive note I will say she does a pretty good job of keeping it in an active-voice (show me) instead of a passive-voice (tell me). I mean no offense to those of you who love her books, but she is not an author I'd personally recommend to anyone based on her rough, unedited writing style.
This book is a classic example of what Indie authors should not do. There is no excuse to skim over the proofreading and editing steps when publishing a book. Indie authors have a huge uphill battle to prove themselves as worthy as the big name published authors, but as long as such unprofessional manuscripts are being pushed out by Indies that battle will only continue. I honestly couldn't imagine any professional publishing house releasing a manuscript with so many writing errors as this one had.
March 4, 2020
Tate, the "hero" of the book, is a total dick. After he first meets our girl, he calls her a "sorry-ass, old, fat, suburban bitch."
Then, when he realizes that she overheard him say that, he tells her to "shake it off" because he was in a bad mood.
Poor Lauren!
If I had a dollar for every time his words in his voice popped into my head and made me flinch the last two days, I could move to the Riviera. They even woke me up in the middle of the night.
Well, later he decides he likes her and kisses her. He then leaves town for a month without contacting her at all during that time. So, she moves on with her life. She starts working out, gets her hair done, loses weight, and even finds a NICE man that she starts dating. But, then Tate comes back. And, he's pissed (as usual - Tate spends his life angry).
"You looked better before, Ace. Now you just look like all the rest."
Oh, really?? So, when you called her "old, fat, and sorry-assed", you meant that you were attracted to her? Well, it's a wonder that a sweet-talker like you isn't married!! Who wouldn't want a catch like Mr. Charm?
Well, I guess the answer to that is Lauren. She wants him. The biker who treats her like a doormat half the time and a scapegoat for his anger the other half. I may be a pessimist, but Lauren is a masochist. She let her first husband make her feel bad about herself and now she picks this gem. Have fun letting a guy make you feel like dirt for the rest of your life, girl!
Then, when he realizes that she overheard him say that, he tells her to "shake it off" because he was in a bad mood.
Poor Lauren!
If I had a dollar for every time his words in his voice popped into my head and made me flinch the last two days, I could move to the Riviera. They even woke me up in the middle of the night.
Well, later he decides he likes her and kisses her. He then leaves town for a month without contacting her at all during that time. So, she moves on with her life. She starts working out, gets her hair done, loses weight, and even finds a NICE man that she starts dating. But, then Tate comes back. And, he's pissed (as usual - Tate spends his life angry).
"You looked better before, Ace. Now you just look like all the rest."
Oh, really?? So, when you called her "old, fat, and sorry-assed", you meant that you were attracted to her? Well, it's a wonder that a sweet-talker like you isn't married!! Who wouldn't want a catch like Mr. Charm?
Well, I guess the answer to that is Lauren. She wants him. The biker who treats her like a doormat half the time and a scapegoat for his anger the other half. I may be a pessimist, but Lauren is a masochist. She let her first husband make her feel bad about herself and now she picks this gem. Have fun letting a guy make you feel like dirt for the rest of your life, girl!
April 20, 2015
TATE IS ON AUDIBLE!!!! Listening to Sweet Dreams.... I love this book <3
It took me about a week to get through all 25 hours of this audible book, but it was awesome! Just as good as the first time around!!! xoxo
5 Dreamy Stars!!!
I LOVED THIS ONE! Tate Jackson... where have you been all my life? Friends, I am a certified KA addict. I love all her stuff, but this one just went to one of my top KA favorites!
Lauren has spent the last few months of her life in her car, looking for a place to settle. After suffering the ultimate betrayal, her husband cheating on her and leaving her for her best friend, she lost her something special. She had to get away from her old life. Lauren eventually stumbles into a small Colorado town where she makes friends with the owners of the local motel, and gets a job as a waitress in a biker bar. This is the perfect place for her. Small, unknown, nothing going on. That is the life she wants. Then she sees him, Tate Jackson.
Tate is part owner of the bar she works at. He is tall, dark, handsome and makes Lauren melt. He is also a bounty hunter, ex cop, and most of the time, an asshole. The two get off to a rough start. Tate comes into the bar mad, says some things he doesn’t mean that Lauren over hears. As time goes on, he apologizes over and over again, eventually, she gets over it.
The more time Tate spends with Laurie, the more he likes her, the more he wants her. They have a lot of obstacles to jump through. Family issues, evil ex’s (on both ends) and a serial killer on the loose to boot. Despite it all, Lauren has never been happier than when she is with Tate. He’s the only person that can give her Sweet Dreams.
I love it when a book is long, but it doesn’t feel long. This book took a while to read, but I loved every page. I didn’t want it to end. Everything about this book was great, but the best part, hands down was TATE JACKSON <3
He could be such a jerk, seriously! But I loved this man! He was sexy, sweet, protective, alpha male and just amazing! His debating with Laurie about the blinds was too funny...
I also love his bluntness-
And one of my favorite things was Jonas, and Tate’s relationship with him.
Tate and Laurie don’t seem like they would work together, but they have chemistry. They compliment each other. She is under Tate’s skin and he doesn’t want to work her out.
I know I’ve spent most of my review gushing about Tate, but I really liked Laurie, too. This was a story of her self discovery, finding that special thing in her life she had been missing. In the end, her life had turned out nothing like she ever would have imagined, but thats okay. It was a million times better than she ever thought was possible.
Tate and Laurie’s journey was a long one, but it was beautiful. In typical KA fashion, their story not only had romance and steam, but action, suspense, and humor. Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. It just gave me the best feeling. Not only were the two main characters amazing, but there was a multitude of secondary characters that made the book with their humor, wit, and love. Another fantastic read that will keep a smile on your face and your heart happy!
It took me about a week to get through all 25 hours of this audible book, but it was awesome! Just as good as the first time around!!! xoxo
5 Dreamy Stars!!!
I LOVED THIS ONE! Tate Jackson... where have you been all my life? Friends, I am a certified KA addict. I love all her stuff, but this one just went to one of my top KA favorites!
Lauren has spent the last few months of her life in her car, looking for a place to settle. After suffering the ultimate betrayal, her husband cheating on her and leaving her for her best friend, she lost her something special. She had to get away from her old life. Lauren eventually stumbles into a small Colorado town where she makes friends with the owners of the local motel, and gets a job as a waitress in a biker bar. This is the perfect place for her. Small, unknown, nothing going on. That is the life she wants. Then she sees him, Tate Jackson.
Tate is part owner of the bar she works at. He is tall, dark, handsome and makes Lauren melt. He is also a bounty hunter, ex cop, and most of the time, an asshole. The two get off to a rough start. Tate comes into the bar mad, says some things he doesn’t mean that Lauren over hears. As time goes on, he apologizes over and over again, eventually, she gets over it.
The more time Tate spends with Laurie, the more he likes her, the more he wants her. They have a lot of obstacles to jump through. Family issues, evil ex’s (on both ends) and a serial killer on the loose to boot. Despite it all, Lauren has never been happier than when she is with Tate. He’s the only person that can give her Sweet Dreams.
I love it when a book is long, but it doesn’t feel long. This book took a while to read, but I loved every page. I didn’t want it to end. Everything about this book was great, but the best part, hands down was TATE JACKSON <3
“Which one are you?" I whispered.
"What?" he asked.
"Are you the good guy, the sweet guy who takes care of me or are you this guy who's kind of a jerk?"
His answer was instantaneous. "I'm both those guys, babe. Your job is to get used to it."
He could be such a jerk, seriously! But I loved this man! He was sexy, sweet, protective, alpha male and just amazing! His debating with Laurie about the blinds was too funny...
“It isn't that it's too soon, you're on the back of my bike, it ain't too soon. You can buy sheets. You cannot install blinds."
"um..." I mumbled. "Can you explain the difference?"
"Sheets are chick territory," he said without delay. "You gotta use tools, that's dick territory."
"Oh," I whispered.
"Don't tread on dick territory," he advised.”
I also love his bluntness-
“You just told him-”
“I fucked you,” Tate cut me off. “Yeah, I did.”
And one of my favorite things was Jonas, and Tate’s relationship with him.
Tate and Laurie don’t seem like they would work together, but they have chemistry. They compliment each other. She is under Tate’s skin and he doesn’t want to work her out.
“Two kinds of women get under your skin. The ones who do damage, they don't feel good there but once you're fuckin' stupid enough to let them in you got no choice but to take the time it takes to work them out. Then there are the ones who don't do damage, who feel good there, feed the muscle, the bone, the soul, not rip it or break it or burn it. The ones you don't wanna work out.”
I know I’ve spent most of my review gushing about Tate, but I really liked Laurie, too. This was a story of her self discovery, finding that special thing in her life she had been missing. In the end, her life had turned out nothing like she ever would have imagined, but thats okay. It was a million times better than she ever thought was possible.
Tate and Laurie’s journey was a long one, but it was beautiful. In typical KA fashion, their story not only had romance and steam, but action, suspense, and humor. Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. It just gave me the best feeling. Not only were the two main characters amazing, but there was a multitude of secondary characters that made the book with their humor, wit, and love. Another fantastic read that will keep a smile on your face and your heart happy!
March 19, 2019
Okay, THIS is my very last Kristen Ashley. I know I said that the last time I tried her, but this time it's for realsies.
Kristen Ashley is super popular with all my friends, and I've met her in person (she is very sweet), but I'm just accepting the fact that I hate her books.
I bought this one to try in paperback (I've tried her books in every format, attempting to see if I could like them), but I ended up rage highlighting passages instead of enjoying the story. I think Kristen Ashley and I fundamentally have different tastes on most topics.
Now I'm going to get REAL critical up in here, so if you are tempted to fight on KA's behalf, please don't read on.
I thought, buying the paperback, that the editing would be improved. Spoiler alert: it wasn't. I'm talking run on sentences, grammatical errors, lack of punctuation... it was hard to read at times.
My next issue is sort of bitchy, but I couldn't stand the endless wardrobe descriptions. I mean, every single item of clothes the MC wore, we got a detailed description. I'm talking head to toe (I'm surprised her bra wasn't described with each outfit). And (and here is the real catty part), but the outfits were all hideous 90s-style strange clothes. I actually went to check the date of publication because the wardrobe felt 25 years out of date (the book was written in 2011).
Finally, I think Kristen Ashley and I just don't see eye-to-eye on what's healthy and attractive male-female interaction. I found Tate to be impossibly rude, pushy, and smug. I wanted to punch him in the face. My type is more nerdy, intellectual guys (preferably with facial hair and glasses), and Tate was the muscle-obnoxious guy of my nightmares. I don't care that KA makes Tate "right" most of the time and Lauren bashfully wrong- I couldn't stand him.
I DNF-ed the paperback at ~350 pages (too long!!), and I won't look back. I'm out.
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Kristen Ashley is super popular with all my friends, and I've met her in person (she is very sweet), but I'm just accepting the fact that I hate her books.
I bought this one to try in paperback (I've tried her books in every format, attempting to see if I could like them), but I ended up rage highlighting passages instead of enjoying the story. I think Kristen Ashley and I fundamentally have different tastes on most topics.
Now I'm going to get REAL critical up in here, so if you are tempted to fight on KA's behalf, please don't read on.
I thought, buying the paperback, that the editing would be improved. Spoiler alert: it wasn't. I'm talking run on sentences, grammatical errors, lack of punctuation... it was hard to read at times.
My next issue is sort of bitchy, but I couldn't stand the endless wardrobe descriptions. I mean, every single item of clothes the MC wore, we got a detailed description. I'm talking head to toe (I'm surprised her bra wasn't described with each outfit). And (and here is the real catty part), but the outfits were all hideous 90s-style strange clothes. I actually went to check the date of publication because the wardrobe felt 25 years out of date (the book was written in 2011).
Finally, I think Kristen Ashley and I just don't see eye-to-eye on what's healthy and attractive male-female interaction. I found Tate to be impossibly rude, pushy, and smug. I wanted to punch him in the face. My type is more nerdy, intellectual guys (preferably with facial hair and glasses), and Tate was the muscle-obnoxious guy of my nightmares. I don't care that KA makes Tate "right" most of the time and Lauren bashfully wrong- I couldn't stand him.
I DNF-ed the paperback at ~350 pages (too long!!), and I won't look back. I'm out.
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May 25, 2017
4 Special Stars
Since I've been sick for days now. I don't really feel like doing a huge review. This one will be shorter and to the point. Kinda... I really enjoyed this book. It was angsty, dramatic, and suspenseful without being over the top or driving me crazy. I loved Tate although not as much as Max from book one. I loved Lauren more than Nina from book one. I thought Tate and Lauren had a great relationship full of passion. I will say this book had a lot of similarities with book one. Both heroes said Babe as a response to almost every question asked them by the heroine like every 6 or 7 sentences. Both heroines say ummm uhh and sorry at least 10 times a page. And they all talk in half sentences. For example here is what it was like (I made this sentences up not a quote from the book)
"You doin'?" "Sorry?" " You doing?" "Tate!" "Babe!" "Tate?" "Sick of telling you babe." "Ummm..." "Shut it and kiss me."
At times I would have to reread things to try to figure out A) where the hell the first part of all the sentences went? and B)I had to try and decode what each Babe.. Tate and Laurie meant. I am guessing this is going to be one of those author's quirks that KA does a lot. I just hope it doesn't get annoying. Right now I kinda just laugh and shake my head at it but I have a feeling it will get old fast. Now here are a few real quotes from the book showing you what I mean making the one I made up pointless but what the hell...
“Um…” I started. He cut me off. “You curl into me.” “Sorry?” I asked. “My back,” he replied. “Um…” I paused then repeated, “Sorry?” “You curl into my goddamned back, Lauren,” he ground out and his arm around my waist gave me a rough squeeze. “I was… uh…”-Lauren and Tate
“Tate!” I snapped. His knee came up, parting my legs. “Bet, way you catch fire, make up sex’ll be hot,” he muttered. “We are not making up and we are not having sex.” His head came up, I saw he was grinning and through his grin he said, “Babe.” “Babe yourself!” I spat.-Lauren and Tate
“Not fun sleepin’ alone,” he muttered into my ear as I pulled against his hold but he was stronger than me and he switched our direction so we were heading to the bed. “Let me go, Tate,” I demanded, my hands shoving at his arm. “Gotta learn to get over it, Ace,” he told me.-Tate and Lauren
Even with the above mentioned KA quirks I still loved this book. I loved all the secondary characters. The bar gang was great. Tate and Lauren made a great couple. I really thought Tate's son Jonas was too cute and there are some really fun moments between Jonas, Lauren and Tate. Tate's Ex was a crazy bitch and I wanted to reach through the kindle and beat the crap outta her. But she was a well developed crazy bitch ex written in a way that made her feel real too. I liked their HEA but not as much as Max and Nina's. I kinda wish they would have had a baby. I know they aren't in their 20s but she was only 42 she could still have a baby. Bottom line I loved this book but I loved the first one better.
Since I've been sick for days now. I don't really feel like doing a huge review. This one will be shorter and to the point. Kinda... I really enjoyed this book. It was angsty, dramatic, and suspenseful without being over the top or driving me crazy. I loved Tate although not as much as Max from book one. I loved Lauren more than Nina from book one. I thought Tate and Lauren had a great relationship full of passion. I will say this book had a lot of similarities with book one. Both heroes said Babe as a response to almost every question asked them by the heroine like every 6 or 7 sentences. Both heroines say ummm uhh and sorry at least 10 times a page. And they all talk in half sentences. For example here is what it was like (I made this sentences up not a quote from the book)
"You doin'?" "Sorry?" " You doing?" "Tate!" "Babe!" "Tate?" "Sick of telling you babe." "Ummm..." "Shut it and kiss me."
At times I would have to reread things to try to figure out A) where the hell the first part of all the sentences went? and B)I had to try and decode what each Babe.. Tate and Laurie meant. I am guessing this is going to be one of those author's quirks that KA does a lot. I just hope it doesn't get annoying. Right now I kinda just laugh and shake my head at it but I have a feeling it will get old fast. Now here are a few real quotes from the book showing you what I mean making the one I made up pointless but what the hell...
“Um…” I started. He cut me off. “You curl into me.” “Sorry?” I asked. “My back,” he replied. “Um…” I paused then repeated, “Sorry?” “You curl into my goddamned back, Lauren,” he ground out and his arm around my waist gave me a rough squeeze. “I was… uh…”-Lauren and Tate
“Tate!” I snapped. His knee came up, parting my legs. “Bet, way you catch fire, make up sex’ll be hot,” he muttered. “We are not making up and we are not having sex.” His head came up, I saw he was grinning and through his grin he said, “Babe.” “Babe yourself!” I spat.-Lauren and Tate
“Not fun sleepin’ alone,” he muttered into my ear as I pulled against his hold but he was stronger than me and he switched our direction so we were heading to the bed. “Let me go, Tate,” I demanded, my hands shoving at his arm. “Gotta learn to get over it, Ace,” he told me.-Tate and Lauren
Even with the above mentioned KA quirks I still loved this book. I loved all the secondary characters. The bar gang was great. Tate and Lauren made a great couple. I really thought Tate's son Jonas was too cute and there are some really fun moments between Jonas, Lauren and Tate. Tate's Ex was a crazy bitch and I wanted to reach through the kindle and beat the crap outta her. But she was a well developed crazy bitch ex written in a way that made her feel real too. I liked their HEA but not as much as Max and Nina's. I kinda wish they would have had a baby. I know they aren't in their 20s but she was only 42 she could still have a baby. Bottom line I loved this book but I loved the first one better.
December 5, 2020
4.5 Stars
HELPPP I’M FALLING DOWN THE KA RABBIT HOLE..........
..........Actually, please ignore me cause I’m feeling rather comfortable and content here.
My 4th KA book, and each time I finished one, I was astonished by how she managed to make me fall for her story hook line and sinker.
There are a few valid concerns when it comes to KA books—the writing a mess, the push and pull irritating, the length too long, the filler scenes too many, the drama too much, etc. However, to me those are irrelevant cause I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
↠ Loved Tate.
↠ Loved Lauren.
↠ Loved the romance.
↠ Loved the small town setting.
↠ Loved the family dynamics.
↠ Loved the humor/domestic vibes.
↠ Loved the crazy ex drama.
↠ Loved the cry-me-a-river angst.
↠ Loved the effing SUSPENSE.
↠ Loved Jonas.
↠ Loved all the side characters.
Nothing I wanted to change, except maybe me wanting to get MORE Jonas content. Tate and Lauren made me wish I had my own sweet dreams. The suspense was pretty intense and brutal. This time, we were dealing with a serial killer. I thought for sure I knew who it was, but I was wrong.
And the drama!!! KA wrote it so exceptionally (in all the books I’ve read so far) that instead of it turning you off, you actually CRAVED it. Seriously, it wasn’t annoying at all but hilarious and entertaining while also still made me a little bit sympathetic towards the antagonists.
I think this might be my favorite KA book. It had a combination of everything without making it feel contrived and made me feel all the feels. I just loved it. Do yourself a favor, and get the AUDIOBOOK if you can cause . . . *exclaims in true KA fashion* . . . IT’S THE SH*T!!!
(Read as an Audiobook)
HELPPP I’M FALLING DOWN THE KA RABBIT HOLE..........
..........Actually, please ignore me cause I’m feeling rather comfortable and content here.
My 4th KA book, and each time I finished one, I was astonished by how she managed to make me fall for her story hook line and sinker.
There are a few valid concerns when it comes to KA books—the writing a mess, the push and pull irritating, the length too long, the filler scenes too many, the drama too much, etc. However, to me those are irrelevant cause I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
↠ Loved Tate.
“Two kinds of women get under your skin. The ones who do damage, they don’t feel good there but once you’re fuckin’ stupid enough to let them in you got no choice but to take the time it takes to work them out. Then there are the ones who don’t do damage, who feel good there, feed the muscle, the bone, the soul, not rip it or break it or burn it. The ones you don’t wanna work out.”
↠ Loved Lauren.
“God, if he wasn’t so handsome, strong, sometimes sweet, didn’t have a Harley, that beard, a tendency to play with my hair, didn’t look so good in jeans and wasn’t so danged good in bed, he would seriously not be worth it.”
↠ Loved the romance.
“I’m gonna piss you off ‘cause I can be a dick. That’s who I am. And you’re gonna piss me off ‘cause, babe, you got attitude. That’s who you are. And that’s who we’re comin’ out to be together. And I’m all right with that because, with what I had before, even when you’re a bitch, I like it. But when you’re not, it’s a sweetness the like I’ve never tasted.”
↠ Loved the small town setting.
“After years of searching, years of longing, years of hoping and then giving up, I’d found special in Carnal and in Tate. Special wasn’t exactly perfect but, even so, it was pretty fucking spectacular and it was finally, finally mine.”
↠ Loved the family dynamics.
“I spent years tryin’ to shield her from her choices, didn’t work. I’m not gonna let you do it and I’m not gonna teach you that someone’s gonna shield you from shit. You gotta learn too. You make choices, they’re yours and you gotta take responsibility for them.”
↠ Loved the humor/domestic vibes.
“We’re buying curtains, babe, that activity hardly requires a cart,” he noted.
“We’re in a home store, Tate,” I replied, thinking my answer said all.
“And?” he returned, stating plainly my answer did not say all.
"A mega home store,” I added.
“And?”
“And, I came here a few days ago to buy you sheets. I ended up buying you two sets of sheets, six new pillows, a down comforter, a comforter cover and shams. That happens in a home store,” I educated him. “You come in needing a spatula and you go out with a spatula, new kitchen towels, candles, candle holders, cool things to seal open chip bags, a variety of frames, a soap dispenser and a new vacuum cleaner.”
↠ Loved the crazy ex drama.
“Then you shouldn’t have thrown her away when she was your wife. Now she ain’t. Now she’s somethin’ to me and I don’t let men I don’t like get close to her and I gotta tell you, man, I do not like you.”
↠ Loved the cry-me-a-river angst.
“You said you were waitin’ for something special and he took away your chance to figure out that you were carryin’ it with you all this time. You are special, Laurie.”
↠ Loved the effing SUSPENSE.
“There’s bad guys out there, Ace. Bad. Do things to you that’ll make you glad you end up dead. You don’t open a goddamned door not knowin’ who’s behind it.”
↠ Loved Jonas.
“An accountant would not make his girlfriend worry he while he was away at work”
“Yeah,” Jonas shot back with a smile, “but he also wouldn’t have a milf girlfriend either.”
I felt my eyes round as Tate said in a father’s warning tone but still I could tell from his voice he was smiling huge, “Bub.”
“Dad, seriously, she’s milf,” Jonas returned.
“Think it, boy, don’t say it.” Tate replied.
“Right,” Jonas muttered but he was still smiling at me and his smile was unrepentant. Jonas had called me a milf. I knew what that meant and I didn’t know what to do with it. Seriously, Tate from head to toe.”
↠ Loved all the side characters.
“You give out free bites of your banana bread for a couple of days, you’ll be beating them back with a stick,” I told him. “Hey!” he yelled, his head snapping back to look at me. “Great idea!” Sunny turned to Shambles. “Why didn’t we think of that?” “Because half the time we’re stoned?” Shambles asked back.
Nothing I wanted to change, except maybe me wanting to get MORE Jonas content. Tate and Lauren made me wish I had my own sweet dreams. The suspense was pretty intense and brutal. This time, we were dealing with a serial killer. I thought for sure I knew who it was, but I was wrong.
And the drama!!! KA wrote it so exceptionally (in all the books I’ve read so far) that instead of it turning you off, you actually CRAVED it. Seriously, it wasn’t annoying at all but hilarious and entertaining while also still made me a little bit sympathetic towards the antagonists.
I think this might be my favorite KA book. It had a combination of everything without making it feel contrived and made me feel all the feels. I just loved it. Do yourself a favor, and get the AUDIOBOOK if you can cause . . . *exclaims in true KA fashion* . . . IT’S THE SH*T!!!
(Read as an Audiobook)
September 9, 2024
4 Stars (Originally Read 1/11/2014)
4.5 Stars (Review Re-Read 6/8/2017)
4.5 Stars (Re-Read 9/10/2018) - Still one of my faves and a good re-read 🤗
4.5 Stars (Re-Read 6/3/2019) - Ths remains my reliable re-read when I'm having troubles connecting in other books
Overall Opinion: This has to be my favorite KA book and my favorite book to re-read period, and I can't believe I've never written a review for it! Is it the best book I've read? No. But it never fails in making me feel good -- and that's why we read books, right?! Kristen Ashley is always my go-to when I'm in need for some good closure and a HEA. This book is not the best ending she's written, but it still gives me that smile on my face when I get to the end. AND...I just love Tate so darn much! I am incredibly happy to report that he is everything I love in KA heroes even after a re-read! I was truly worried he wouldn't hold up...especially after being so disappointed in myself after re-reading Motorcycle Man and Tack not being the man I had in my head the second go-round. It's no secret that I am not a huge fan of suspense in romance, but this book has just the right balance between romance/suspense/other stuff to keep me interested and eating up the super long book in no time!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Lauren and Tate's story. Lauren is on the road trying to find herself a new home after a devistating divorce, and she lands herself in a small town in the Colorado mountains. She gets a waitressing job at the local bar, and she starts to plant her roots by making new friends and finally being herself. She meets Tate, who is a part owner of the bar, and they bump heads right away. When a serial killed hits too close to home, things between them change drastically. There is a good bit of ex drama (on both ends), some big secrets revealed, some friend and family drama, some sexy times, AND a serial killer on the loose...but they do eventually get a HEA ending.
POV: This was told primarily in Lauren's POV with a few sections in other character's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. This is another long one! On Amazon it is listed at 678 pages. I never have issues getting through it though, because SO many things happen! I never skimmed, and it flows well throughout.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H rating: 4.75 😜 stars. Tate. My #1 all time favorite KA hero. That's not so say he doesn't get OTT in his alpha jerkish ways at times, but I just can't help falling for him every time I read this.
h rating: 4 stars. Lauren. I like her. Yes -- she is a little clueless at times, but I loved how she took care of her boys.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I teared up a few times, but never needed any tissues. I have re-read this several times, and I think I remember tearing up more with those first reads.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: No
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Not IMO
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This has great closure with a jump ahead epilogue and a HEA. KA does endings the way I like!!
How I got it: I paid $3.98 for it on Amazon back in 2014.
Safety: This one is probably Safe with exception for most safety gang readers
4.5 Stars (Review Re-Read 6/8/2017)
4.5 Stars (Re-Read 9/10/2018) - Still one of my faves and a good re-read 🤗
4.5 Stars (Re-Read 6/3/2019) - Ths remains my reliable re-read when I'm having troubles connecting in other books
Overall Opinion: This has to be my favorite KA book and my favorite book to re-read period, and I can't believe I've never written a review for it! Is it the best book I've read? No. But it never fails in making me feel good -- and that's why we read books, right?! Kristen Ashley is always my go-to when I'm in need for some good closure and a HEA. This book is not the best ending she's written, but it still gives me that smile on my face when I get to the end. AND...I just love Tate so darn much! I am incredibly happy to report that he is everything I love in KA heroes even after a re-read! I was truly worried he wouldn't hold up...especially after being so disappointed in myself after re-reading Motorcycle Man and Tack not being the man I had in my head the second go-round. It's no secret that I am not a huge fan of suspense in romance, but this book has just the right balance between romance/suspense/other stuff to keep me interested and eating up the super long book in no time!
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Lauren and Tate's story. Lauren is on the road trying to find herself a new home after a devistating divorce, and she lands herself in a small town in the Colorado mountains. She gets a waitressing job at the local bar, and she starts to plant her roots by making new friends and finally being herself. She meets Tate, who is a part owner of the bar, and they bump heads right away. When a serial killed hits too close to home, things between them change drastically. There is a good bit of ex drama (on both ends), some big secrets revealed, some friend and family drama, some sexy times, AND a serial killer on the loose...but they do eventually get a HEA ending.
POV: This was told primarily in Lauren's POV with a few sections in other character's POV.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. This is another long one! On Amazon it is listed at 678 pages. I never have issues getting through it though, because SO many things happen! I never skimmed, and it flows well throughout.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H rating: 4.75 😜 stars. Tate. My #1 all time favorite KA hero. That's not so say he doesn't get OTT in his alpha jerkish ways at times, but I just can't help falling for him every time I read this.
h rating: 4 stars. Lauren. I like her. Yes -- she is a little clueless at times, but I loved how she took care of her boys.
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I teared up a few times, but never needed any tissues. I have re-read this several times, and I think I remember tearing up more with those first reads.
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: No
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Not IMO
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This has great closure with a jump ahead epilogue and a HEA. KA does endings the way I like!!
How I got it: I paid $3.98 for it on Amazon back in 2014.
Safety: This one is probably Safe with exception for most safety gang readers
September 18, 2012
EDITED December 15, 2011 and January 1, 2012
On the one hand, I agree that the story needed better editing. On the other hand, Tate would say "Who gives a flying f*ck?" I wholeheartedly agree, Tate! I didn't mind at all. I LOVE this story and I could easily forget those minor issues.
************************************************************************
Tate with beard:
Tate without beard:
"How blessed are some people, whose lives have no fears, no dreads; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes nightly, and brings nothing but sweet dreams."
- by Bram Stoker -
"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
- by Ralph Waldo Emerson -
H.U.G.E. 5 stars!
EXCELLENT. TERRIFIC. FABULOUS. GREAT. WONDERFUL. BEAUTIFUL. REALISTIC. EMOTIONAL. Wow, did I miss anything? I absolutely LOVED, LOVED Sweet Dreams! Jeez, what's not to love about this story? It was an enlightening reading experience. Irrevocably. Sweet Dreams is my favorite book to date. Ever. Tate, you uber-hot, badass (badass with a capital B), sexilicious specimen of a man…awwww, you are definitely the epitome of Mr. Hotness in high perfection! You are such a bossy, demanding, and annoying jerk at times, yet you are so caring, protective, sweet, and tender…my stomach just flipped. Again. YUM! *dreamy sigh* Speaking about attitude…Seriously, Tate, you're talking about Laurie having attitude? Yeah, man, what about you, huh??? You've got a serious case of attitude. Tsk-tsk…
The hero is the personification of a badass biker bounty hunter, and therefore he 'likes' to use the f-word regularly. Please, don't let it put you off. Basically, I don't like that either, however in this case it suited the hero, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Tate stayed true to his character and everything he said and did helped to show the reader what a wonderful man he is. I'd like to alert you. Don't jump to conclusions too fast in the beginning of the story. It's what Lauren did…Tate said something nasty, but I forgave him, since he had some serious s*it going down in his life. As the story unfolds you'll get to know him better and even Lauren will have to admit that she made a 'mistake'. Don't judge too fast. Just sayin'…
Admittedly, I am always so focused on the hero, yet Sweet Dreams features a superb heroine. Wow, Lauren kicks ass! Even when she is kind of 'lost' in the beginning of the plot, she can hold her own. She is sassy and a real smart-mouth. I adored this woman! And Tate will help her find herself again - she has to get rid of her being 'lost'.
Sweet Dreams lives and breathes dialogs - lots and lots of wonderful and hilarious dialogs! This story put a smile on my face, and there were many laughing-out-loud moments too. I was glued to the pages and I truly regretted the fact that it had to end eventually. Boy, I can't get enough of these two! On top of that, the author did a very fine job in developing many secondary characters as well. They're complex, yet so endearing. BTW, the story is told in first person POV and my advice to those who don't like that…read it nevertheless! It was truly perfect. And after awhile I didn't even notice it anymore. I was so focused what would happen next that I didn't mind at all.
I loved the author's detailed, very engaging, and colorful writing. It never felt contrived; it was real and emotional. She writes like she'd paint a picture - a very vivid and colorful picture, that is. There's certainly nothing black and white about her story. Do you remember how it feels to look at a wonderful picture? You think you've seen everything and then suddenly in a corner you'll discover something new. With that said, reading Sweet Dreams felt like discovering a good picture, a very interesting and enticing picture. Frankly, it was a very long read (about twice as long as a usual novel), and Ms. Ashley was always able to keep me on my toes. She did it with such ease and lightness…wow, I was in awe! Honestly, there was never a dull moment throughout the storyline. The pace was very good, it never dragged but there was no need to rush things either.
The character and plot development were exemplary; the sex/love scenes were well written. They are not very long but they showed desire, passion, sensuality, hotness, and love! Sheesh, they had such terrific chemistry and they really needed each other and they showed it. And Tate got hands and a mouth…mmmm…I was salivating. Actually, there was a lot of touching and it felt so real - I was right there and every word and every touch just leaped off the page. And their necking was so sweet! *dreamy sigh - again* Additionally, it was rewarding to read about their everyday business - for instance when they went shopping. I felt like I was there and I was silently laughing when Tate had to push the cart (actually, he was half-lying on the cart) and Mr. Hotness was not at all amused. Ehm, Tate, do you remember…chick territory! LOL Furthermore, it was so endearing to read about their family dynamics (Lauren's family is wonderful). Sweet Dreams just grabbed me and I couldn't let go anymore. The characters will stay close to me. Tate, I promise you a very special place in my heart and I love you to pieces! Always.
Ms. Ashley came up with some funny names:
La-La Land (coffee shop), Sunray Goddess (Sunny, a hippie woman), Shambala (Shambles, a hippie guy), Bubba (a guy and the name of the biker bar), Chantelle - that's a town (BTW, Chantelle is also a French brand for lingerie), Gnaw Bone (another town), Wood (another guy, hmmm…sorry, but my mind is wandering elsewhere).
Brief synopsis:
Lauren Grahame is sitting in her parked car outside Bubba's biker bar in Carnal, Colorado. She looks at the window of the bar. In it there's a sign that says "Help Wanted". In the little white space at the bottom of the sign is written, "Waitress". Lauren enters the bar and applies for the waitress position. As long as Lauren can remember she thought something special was going to happen to her. She felt that it had to be something special, something huge…But it didn't. She waited and it didn't happen. Even when she tried to make it happen, it still didn't happen. Eventually Lauren gives up, since there isn't anything special out there to happen. Boy, was she ever wrong!
Lauren had a husband, a home, a job, and friends. Lauren's husband cheated on her for five years (with her best friend); he divorced her. They had to sell their house and after ten years of being with someone, she was alone. She quits her job and drives around and arrives in Carnal. Lauren gets the job. And she finds something…special and huge in Carnal. Tate Jackson enters her life. He is 44 years old and one of the bar owners. Tate works as a bartender and bounty hunter. Their first 'official' meeting sucks, because she overhears Tate saying:
Behind closed doors…
"Jesus, Krys, maybe you wanna talk to me before you hire some sorry-ass, old, fat, suburban bitch to drag around our goddamned bar?"
Admittedly, I was so not pleased to hear that, but as I mentioned before something bad happened to Tate, and he will apologize for being such a jerk. Just cut him some slack.
It seems that Lauren went from a pansy-assed dickhead (her ex) to a badass bounty hunter in the space of a year… :D
***********************************
Aw, there is so much to LOVE about this story, and there are so many, many memorable dialogs between Tate and Lauren. I put my memorable "quotes"/lines in a spoiler. You may read them though, since I didn't include any spoilers. Enjoy!
I'm going to plow right through Ms. Ashley's backlist. Today I had to download six books at once, and I assume that I'll be busy for the next few days/weeks. Sweet Dreams is such an engaging, outstanding, and wonderful story with great characters. It is not only a love story. It's about life, about people, and about finding yourself and what you want out of life. I'd like to give you exactly one advice: READ IT!!!
On the one hand, I agree that the story needed better editing. On the other hand, Tate would say "Who gives a flying f*ck?" I wholeheartedly agree, Tate! I didn't mind at all. I LOVE this story and I could easily forget those minor issues.
************************************************************************
Tate with beard:
Tate without beard:
"How blessed are some people, whose lives have no fears, no dreads; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes nightly, and brings nothing but sweet dreams."
- by Bram Stoker -
"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
- by Ralph Waldo Emerson -
H.U.G.E. 5 stars!
EXCELLENT. TERRIFIC. FABULOUS. GREAT. WONDERFUL. BEAUTIFUL. REALISTIC. EMOTIONAL. Wow, did I miss anything? I absolutely LOVED, LOVED Sweet Dreams! Jeez, what's not to love about this story? It was an enlightening reading experience. Irrevocably. Sweet Dreams is my favorite book to date. Ever. Tate, you uber-hot, badass (badass with a capital B), sexilicious specimen of a man…awwww, you are definitely the epitome of Mr. Hotness in high perfection! You are such a bossy, demanding, and annoying jerk at times, yet you are so caring, protective, sweet, and tender…my stomach just flipped. Again. YUM! *dreamy sigh* Speaking about attitude…Seriously, Tate, you're talking about Laurie having attitude? Yeah, man, what about you, huh??? You've got a serious case of attitude. Tsk-tsk…
The hero is the personification of a badass biker bounty hunter, and therefore he 'likes' to use the f-word regularly. Please, don't let it put you off. Basically, I don't like that either, however in this case it suited the hero, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Tate stayed true to his character and everything he said and did helped to show the reader what a wonderful man he is. I'd like to alert you. Don't jump to conclusions too fast in the beginning of the story. It's what Lauren did…Tate said something nasty, but I forgave him, since he had some serious s*it going down in his life. As the story unfolds you'll get to know him better and even Lauren will have to admit that she made a 'mistake'. Don't judge too fast. Just sayin'…
Admittedly, I am always so focused on the hero, yet Sweet Dreams features a superb heroine. Wow, Lauren kicks ass! Even when she is kind of 'lost' in the beginning of the plot, she can hold her own. She is sassy and a real smart-mouth. I adored this woman! And Tate will help her find herself again - she has to get rid of her being 'lost'.
Sweet Dreams lives and breathes dialogs - lots and lots of wonderful and hilarious dialogs! This story put a smile on my face, and there were many laughing-out-loud moments too. I was glued to the pages and I truly regretted the fact that it had to end eventually. Boy, I can't get enough of these two! On top of that, the author did a very fine job in developing many secondary characters as well. They're complex, yet so endearing. BTW, the story is told in first person POV and my advice to those who don't like that…read it nevertheless! It was truly perfect. And after awhile I didn't even notice it anymore. I was so focused what would happen next that I didn't mind at all.
I loved the author's detailed, very engaging, and colorful writing. It never felt contrived; it was real and emotional. She writes like she'd paint a picture - a very vivid and colorful picture, that is. There's certainly nothing black and white about her story. Do you remember how it feels to look at a wonderful picture? You think you've seen everything and then suddenly in a corner you'll discover something new. With that said, reading Sweet Dreams felt like discovering a good picture, a very interesting and enticing picture. Frankly, it was a very long read (about twice as long as a usual novel), and Ms. Ashley was always able to keep me on my toes. She did it with such ease and lightness…wow, I was in awe! Honestly, there was never a dull moment throughout the storyline. The pace was very good, it never dragged but there was no need to rush things either.
The character and plot development were exemplary; the sex/love scenes were well written. They are not very long but they showed desire, passion, sensuality, hotness, and love! Sheesh, they had such terrific chemistry and they really needed each other and they showed it. And Tate got hands and a mouth…mmmm…I was salivating. Actually, there was a lot of touching and it felt so real - I was right there and every word and every touch just leaped off the page. And their necking was so sweet! *dreamy sigh - again* Additionally, it was rewarding to read about their everyday business - for instance when they went shopping. I felt like I was there and I was silently laughing when Tate had to push the cart (actually, he was half-lying on the cart) and Mr. Hotness was not at all amused. Ehm, Tate, do you remember…chick territory! LOL Furthermore, it was so endearing to read about their family dynamics (Lauren's family is wonderful). Sweet Dreams just grabbed me and I couldn't let go anymore. The characters will stay close to me. Tate, I promise you a very special place in my heart and I love you to pieces! Always.
Ms. Ashley came up with some funny names:
La-La Land (coffee shop), Sunray Goddess (Sunny, a hippie woman), Shambala (Shambles, a hippie guy), Bubba (a guy and the name of the biker bar), Chantelle - that's a town (BTW, Chantelle is also a French brand for lingerie), Gnaw Bone (another town), Wood (another guy, hmmm…sorry, but my mind is wandering elsewhere).
Brief synopsis:
Lauren Grahame is sitting in her parked car outside Bubba's biker bar in Carnal, Colorado. She looks at the window of the bar. In it there's a sign that says "Help Wanted". In the little white space at the bottom of the sign is written, "Waitress". Lauren enters the bar and applies for the waitress position. As long as Lauren can remember she thought something special was going to happen to her. She felt that it had to be something special, something huge…But it didn't. She waited and it didn't happen. Even when she tried to make it happen, it still didn't happen. Eventually Lauren gives up, since there isn't anything special out there to happen. Boy, was she ever wrong!
Lauren had a husband, a home, a job, and friends. Lauren's husband cheated on her for five years (with her best friend); he divorced her. They had to sell their house and after ten years of being with someone, she was alone. She quits her job and drives around and arrives in Carnal. Lauren gets the job. And she finds something…special and huge in Carnal. Tate Jackson enters her life. He is 44 years old and one of the bar owners. Tate works as a bartender and bounty hunter. Their first 'official' meeting sucks, because she overhears Tate saying:
Behind closed doors…
"Jesus, Krys, maybe you wanna talk to me before you hire some sorry-ass, old, fat, suburban bitch to drag around our goddamned bar?"
Admittedly, I was so not pleased to hear that, but as I mentioned before something bad happened to Tate, and he will apologize for being such a jerk. Just cut him some slack.
It seems that Lauren went from a pansy-assed dickhead (her ex) to a badass bounty hunter in the space of a year… :D
***********************************
Aw, there is so much to LOVE about this story, and there are so many, many memorable dialogs between Tate and Lauren. I put my memorable "quotes"/lines in a spoiler. You may read them though, since I didn't include any spoilers. Enjoy!
I'm going to plow right through Ms. Ashley's backlist. Today I had to download six books at once, and I assume that I'll be busy for the next few days/weeks. Sweet Dreams is such an engaging, outstanding, and wonderful story with great characters. It is not only a love story. It's about life, about people, and about finding yourself and what you want out of life. I'd like to give you exactly one advice: READ IT!!!
February 14, 2012
HUGE 5+ stars
To say I love Sweet Dreams is an understatement! This is one of those books that not only captures your heart and imagination, but brands itself on you personally and will always, in someway, be a part of you.
Sweet Dreams encompasses everything I love in a romance novel. It's chock-full of richly developed and unique characters, excellent and witty dialogue, steamy but tasteful eroticism, and captivating and exceptional storytelling.
This book is a self published work and there is no arguing it needs a major editing overhaul. The prose is verbose, ambiguous, and even jarring at times. It's full of typos, run on sentences, punctuation and spelling errors. It's a big ol' mess. BUT, I'm afraid a good editor would inadvertently change what I love so much about this book—It's rawness and personal tone, as well as the author's intimate connection with the reader.
The cast of motley characters in this book are multi-dimensional, fascinating, and simply spectacular. The two main protagonist, Tate (Oh My!) and Lauren, complement each other perfectly and their steamy chemistry radiates off the pages. I found myself eagerly looking forward to their passionate, heart-warming, erotic, and witty interactions. They definitely earned a spot as one of my all time favorite couples. The secondary characters were just as enchanting as the protagonists and made this story even better.
I honestly can't rave about this book enough. These characters will alway have a special place in my heart. I can't think of a better gift an author can give to her reader. I most definitely recommend this book.
If you're already a Kristen Ashley addict, or interested in checking out her books, be sure to stop by our Kristen Ashley Addict's Support Group here on Goodreads!
To say I love Sweet Dreams is an understatement! This is one of those books that not only captures your heart and imagination, but brands itself on you personally and will always, in someway, be a part of you.
Sweet Dreams encompasses everything I love in a romance novel. It's chock-full of richly developed and unique characters, excellent and witty dialogue, steamy but tasteful eroticism, and captivating and exceptional storytelling.
This book is a self published work and there is no arguing it needs a major editing overhaul. The prose is verbose, ambiguous, and even jarring at times. It's full of typos, run on sentences, punctuation and spelling errors. It's a big ol' mess. BUT, I'm afraid a good editor would inadvertently change what I love so much about this book—It's rawness and personal tone, as well as the author's intimate connection with the reader.
The cast of motley characters in this book are multi-dimensional, fascinating, and simply spectacular. The two main protagonist, Tate (Oh My!) and Lauren, complement each other perfectly and their steamy chemistry radiates off the pages. I found myself eagerly looking forward to their passionate, heart-warming, erotic, and witty interactions. They definitely earned a spot as one of my all time favorite couples. The secondary characters were just as enchanting as the protagonists and made this story even better.
I honestly can't rave about this book enough. These characters will alway have a special place in my heart. I can't think of a better gift an author can give to her reader. I most definitely recommend this book.
If you're already a Kristen Ashley addict, or interested in checking out her books, be sure to stop by our Kristen Ashley Addict's Support Group here on Goodreads!
February 5, 2015
5+ stars – Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense
There are a lot of reviews for this already, so here are some of my random thoughts.
The Bad and The Ugly:
•Yes, it’s an editing nightmare that at times made me want to whip out my red pen and go crazy with correcting remarks.
•There is way too much (and occurring too often) inane detail, especially about the heroine’s wardrobe, outfits, hair, makeup, getting ready, routine, etc. I understand that her self-esteem and makeover were a significant component to the story, but I still think an easy 50+ pages of random “stuff” could have been trimmed.
•It was annoying to me how the heroine constantly answered the hero with “Sorry?”, and also how she repeated Tate’s name over and over again like Kate Winslet’s Rose continually said “Jack”, “Jack”, “Jack”, “Jack” all throughout Titanic.
BUT, despite those annoyances, here’s why I still rated it 5 stars.
The Good:
•The story has a frenetic hodgepodge of themes: chick lit self-discovery, steamy contemporary romance, small town drama, family angst, crazy exes, serial killer suspense...you name it. But amazingly enough, it works. I was sucked in and thoroughly entertained.
•The hero is an ex-football star, ex-cop, bounty hunting, bar-owning, tattooed badass, uber alpha biker. He’s growly, sometimes mean, often pissed off, possessive, and fond of saying (or perhaps I should say grunting) “Babe” and “Ace” to communicate a wealth of things, rather than expressing or explaining himself. There were times I wanted Lauren to smack him and send his ass packing to the curb. But DAYUM! Tate is f’n HOT!
•The heroine is insecure, funny, flawed, sweet, sometimes cranky and bitchy, caring, and most of all, genuine and endearing. Laurie is easy to identify with because she’s so real. I could see myself laughing over manis and martinis with her.
•Cute scenes with Buster the cat, aka, Princess Fancy Pants.
•Tender, heartbreaking moments with Tate’s son, Jonas. *sigh*
•An unforgettable, quirky cast of secondary characters.
•Great dialogue, snappy banter, humor, and emotion. It made me laugh out loud at times and tear up in others.
•And oh yeah, the steamy romance between Tate and Laurie is truly addictive.
So it’s not perfect, but I still loved it and will definitely read more by this author!
I had a hard time casting my perfect Tate, mainly because he’s so impossibly gruff, badass, and smokin’ hot. But I think Hugh Jackman could portray him fairly convincingly, especially if he acted all Wolverine broody, growly, alpha badass and got some sexy tats. He particularly looks the part in these pictures. YUMMY!
Addendum after further Internet exploration for the perfect Tate:
This is Tate in all his beautiful, badass, bounty hunter glory. *sigh*
There are a lot of reviews for this already, so here are some of my random thoughts.
The Bad and The Ugly:
•Yes, it’s an editing nightmare that at times made me want to whip out my red pen and go crazy with correcting remarks.
•There is way too much (and occurring too often) inane detail, especially about the heroine’s wardrobe, outfits, hair, makeup, getting ready, routine, etc. I understand that her self-esteem and makeover were a significant component to the story, but I still think an easy 50+ pages of random “stuff” could have been trimmed.
•It was annoying to me how the heroine constantly answered the hero with “Sorry?”, and also how she repeated Tate’s name over and over again like Kate Winslet’s Rose continually said “Jack”, “Jack”, “Jack”, “Jack” all throughout Titanic.
BUT, despite those annoyances, here’s why I still rated it 5 stars.
The Good:
•The story has a frenetic hodgepodge of themes: chick lit self-discovery, steamy contemporary romance, small town drama, family angst, crazy exes, serial killer suspense...you name it. But amazingly enough, it works. I was sucked in and thoroughly entertained.
•The hero is an ex-football star, ex-cop, bounty hunting, bar-owning, tattooed badass, uber alpha biker. He’s growly, sometimes mean, often pissed off, possessive, and fond of saying (or perhaps I should say grunting) “Babe” and “Ace” to communicate a wealth of things, rather than expressing or explaining himself. There were times I wanted Lauren to smack him and send his ass packing to the curb. But DAYUM! Tate is f’n HOT!
•The heroine is insecure, funny, flawed, sweet, sometimes cranky and bitchy, caring, and most of all, genuine and endearing. Laurie is easy to identify with because she’s so real. I could see myself laughing over manis and martinis with her.
•Cute scenes with Buster the cat, aka, Princess Fancy Pants.
•Tender, heartbreaking moments with Tate’s son, Jonas. *sigh*
•An unforgettable, quirky cast of secondary characters.
•Great dialogue, snappy banter, humor, and emotion. It made me laugh out loud at times and tear up in others.
•And oh yeah, the steamy romance between Tate and Laurie is truly addictive.
So it’s not perfect, but I still loved it and will definitely read more by this author!
I had a hard time casting my perfect Tate, mainly because he’s so impossibly gruff, badass, and smokin’ hot. But I think Hugh Jackman could portray him fairly convincingly, especially if he acted all Wolverine broody, growly, alpha badass and got some sexy tats. He particularly looks the part in these pictures. YUMMY!
Addendum after further Internet exploration for the perfect Tate:
This is Tate in all his beautiful, badass, bounty hunter glory. *sigh*
January 18, 2021
I don't think I'll ever stop re-reading/listening to this series...
Tate - "Do you love me?"
Laurie - "Yes"
Tate - "That's it"
Yes, Tate, that is it. Geez, I love this audio. No change with my rating, I just wish I could add bonus stars for the re-reads.
Moving on to a re-read/listen of Lady Luck, of course. :-)
****
Baking day became something to look forward to...
I have read Sweet Dreams a few times...any real KA fan has. When the audio version became available I snapped it up and couldn't wait to get started.
Tate, as KA heroes go, is up there with the best. A strong, virile and attractive man who knows what he wants, goes after it and takes no prisoners until he gets it. He doesn't show himself off in the most flattering way when he meets Laurie for the first time, and TBH I was devastated the first time I read it. I couldn't see how he'd redeem himself after the hurtful things he said. Luckily, my faith in this author was strong, so I settled in to see how and what he does to make things better.
Laurie is getting over divorcing her douchewaffle ex when she hits Carnal and decides to settle for a while. She approaches the local bar and meets Crys the part-owner/manager who eventually gives her a chance. Laurie settles in well and makes lots of friends.
Tate and Laurie together are smoking hot. We see their feelings grow for each other which helps them deal with the storms heading their way. Both Laurie and Tate have ex's that don't want to let go. Laurie has to deal with a family member getting sick. Tate has work and family commitments and there's a serial killer on the loose.
I really enjoyed the audio version. The narrator does a wonderful job of changing her voice to suit each character and it was clear when each change happened. I sometimes feel the story more with audio. In this case, I definitely did. I was sniggering, sniffling and snorting out loud enough to draw my family's attention. I had to remind myself numerous times that my nine and twelve-year-old sons couldn't hear the foul language or the sex scenes that were making me squirm.
Most of my listening was done while I baked. This gives me double the pleasure. I love to bake for my family and I love to read/listen to Kristen Ashley. I don't think I will ever tire of Sweet Dreams. Tate and Laurie together in Carnal, always leaves me with a smile on my face.
Tate - "Do you love me?"
Laurie - "Yes"
Tate - "That's it"
Yes, Tate, that is it. Geez, I love this audio. No change with my rating, I just wish I could add bonus stars for the re-reads.
Moving on to a re-read/listen of Lady Luck, of course. :-)
****
Baking day became something to look forward to...
I have read Sweet Dreams a few times...any real KA fan has. When the audio version became available I snapped it up and couldn't wait to get started.
Tate, as KA heroes go, is up there with the best. A strong, virile and attractive man who knows what he wants, goes after it and takes no prisoners until he gets it. He doesn't show himself off in the most flattering way when he meets Laurie for the first time, and TBH I was devastated the first time I read it. I couldn't see how he'd redeem himself after the hurtful things he said. Luckily, my faith in this author was strong, so I settled in to see how and what he does to make things better.
Laurie is getting over divorcing her douchewaffle ex when she hits Carnal and decides to settle for a while. She approaches the local bar and meets Crys the part-owner/manager who eventually gives her a chance. Laurie settles in well and makes lots of friends.
Tate and Laurie together are smoking hot. We see their feelings grow for each other which helps them deal with the storms heading their way. Both Laurie and Tate have ex's that don't want to let go. Laurie has to deal with a family member getting sick. Tate has work and family commitments and there's a serial killer on the loose.
I really enjoyed the audio version. The narrator does a wonderful job of changing her voice to suit each character and it was clear when each change happened. I sometimes feel the story more with audio. In this case, I definitely did. I was sniggering, sniffling and snorting out loud enough to draw my family's attention. I had to remind myself numerous times that my nine and twelve-year-old sons couldn't hear the foul language or the sex scenes that were making me squirm.
Most of my listening was done while I baked. This gives me double the pleasure. I love to bake for my family and I love to read/listen to Kristen Ashley. I don't think I will ever tire of Sweet Dreams. Tate and Laurie together in Carnal, always leaves me with a smile on my face.
November 20, 2015
Sweet Dreams is the second book in the Colorado Mountain series and another fantastic read. As is the case with the first book, The Gamble, there are already dozens of awesome reviews, so I’ll keep mine short, and still try to list my favorite things about this story.
1. Tate is an asshat. He’s got a foul mouth, short fuse, and he’s over the top alpha. He’s honorable, hard working and completely devoted to his friends, family, and those who don’t piss him off. He is, in a word, perfect.So there ya have it, a few of the reason I love this story and didn’t want it to end. I hope you’ll give these books a try so you can discover for yourself what an amazing series it is.
2. The writing, however, is not perfect, but the story is. I love the people of Carnal Colorado with all their quirky kinks and kinky quirks. Hippies, stalkers, alchies, and killers, adorable kids, annoying exes and bikers out the ying-yang... Sweet Dreams has it all. It’s about 15 million pages long - give or take - but it’s still too short.
3. It’s hot, it’s sexy, it’s dirty, but it’s such a great love story, in a biker kinda way. One of my favorite lines in the book is when Tate tells Lauren, “I get back, Lauren, you’re on the back of my bike.”*sigh* So romantic!
-----
If you're a Kristen Ashley addict, or just interested in checking her books, be sure to stop by our Kristen Ashley Addict's Support Group here on Goodreads!
April 3, 2016
It's still FIVE+ STARS. Re-read!
TATE was hot the first time around. TATE was hot the second time around. To be honest, I am not sure how many times I have read this book, at least 4, maybe 5! TATE is still hot. Fucking Hell, he is one of the hottest Alpha Males I have ever read.
It never gets old. Even though I know the story. I know the other characters. I know the bad guy.
It's Tate and Laurie - how can it get old?
Love the house descriptions, love the clothes descriptions, love the Home Store visits, the jewellery, the belts, the shoes, the hair!!!
Is he an ass? Of course he is. He is Tatum Jackson. Did I care? No, I did not. I love him.
Anyway, what to read next! That is the question!
![]()
ORIGINAL REVIEW
Just read it for the 3rd time - was it as good the third time around? It was even better - I took my time this time with it - first time, I rushed through it cos I just had to get to the HEA. Tate - what can I say. From the first moment he appeared in the book, I loved him - OK, he was an Ass but he can be my Ass any day. This was the first KA book I read last year and have devoured most of her stuff since. Still have not read most of the Rock Chick series so wonder why I did not just go ahead and read them instead of re-reading this = not sure but being a member of the KA Addicts group here, I reckon I just needed a FIX of Tate who is the Man for me. Hope her new publishing deal doesn't change her form of writing or her descriptive narratives ... Highly recommend this whole series.
Now that I have conquered my ability to post pictures on reviews I might go back and post some on some of my most favourite books....
Tate and Lauren
Love them
TATE was hot the first time around. TATE was hot the second time around. To be honest, I am not sure how many times I have read this book, at least 4, maybe 5! TATE is still hot. Fucking Hell, he is one of the hottest Alpha Males I have ever read.
It never gets old. Even though I know the story. I know the other characters. I know the bad guy.
It's Tate and Laurie - how can it get old?
Love the house descriptions, love the clothes descriptions, love the Home Store visits, the jewellery, the belts, the shoes, the hair!!!
Is he an ass? Of course he is. He is Tatum Jackson. Did I care? No, I did not. I love him.
"Fuckin' you normal is hot.
Make up sex is un-fuckin'-believable.
Drunk sex might just kill me."
Anyway, what to read next! That is the question!
ORIGINAL REVIEW
Just read it for the 3rd time - was it as good the third time around? It was even better - I took my time this time with it - first time, I rushed through it cos I just had to get to the HEA. Tate - what can I say. From the first moment he appeared in the book, I loved him - OK, he was an Ass but he can be my Ass any day. This was the first KA book I read last year and have devoured most of her stuff since. Still have not read most of the Rock Chick series so wonder why I did not just go ahead and read them instead of re-reading this = not sure but being a member of the KA Addicts group here, I reckon I just needed a FIX of Tate who is the Man for me. Hope her new publishing deal doesn't change her form of writing or her descriptive narratives ... Highly recommend this whole series.
Now that I have conquered my ability to post pictures on reviews I might go back and post some on some of my most favourite books....
Tate and Lauren
Love them
March 28, 2016
5 stars even after a re read, although if I could it would be 6!
Not going to say much. But I love Tate, any man that can bond with a pretty cat has to be awesome!
Love Lauren, it is amazing to watch her grow and "find" herself with the help of Tate, and she was funny, loved when she re named Tate's cat
"Wow" Carrie exclaimed and my body got tense again as I looked at my sister. "That is a pretty Kitty"
"Her name's Princess Fancy Pants," I blurted, Tate's arm gave me a warning squeeze, I ignored it and finished. "She's Tate's"
Carrie's eyes flew to Tate and she giggled. "You named your cat Princes Fancy Pants?"
"Her name is Buster," Tate declared.
"I like Princess Fancy Pants better," Carrie decided.
"Tell your sister, she calls my cat that, she's ejected," Tate said to me.
Slightly more suspenseful and chilling plot than book 1 in the series. Literally had me biting my nails, even on a re read and I knew what was coming!
Great cast of secondary characters.
And back to Lovely man Tate "Baby, I think you don't get this but you're safe here......you're safe Lauren.....You weren't safe with him but, honey, swear to God, you're safe with me"
Not going to say much. But I love Tate, any man that can bond with a pretty cat has to be awesome!
Love Lauren, it is amazing to watch her grow and "find" herself with the help of Tate, and she was funny, loved when she re named Tate's cat
"Wow" Carrie exclaimed and my body got tense again as I looked at my sister. "That is a pretty Kitty"
"Her name's Princess Fancy Pants," I blurted, Tate's arm gave me a warning squeeze, I ignored it and finished. "She's Tate's"
Carrie's eyes flew to Tate and she giggled. "You named your cat Princes Fancy Pants?"
"Her name is Buster," Tate declared.
"I like Princess Fancy Pants better," Carrie decided.
"Tell your sister, she calls my cat that, she's ejected," Tate said to me.
Slightly more suspenseful and chilling plot than book 1 in the series. Literally had me biting my nails, even on a re read and I knew what was coming!
Great cast of secondary characters.
And back to Lovely man Tate "Baby, I think you don't get this but you're safe here......you're safe Lauren.....You weren't safe with him but, honey, swear to God, you're safe with me"
April 2, 2024
YOU ALL ARE SOOOO LUCKY-SAY WHAT? NOW KINDLE UNLIMITED!!!
2023
Needing some space to regroup, I took a ride back to re-discover books and authors that touched me and wouldn't let go. Kristen Ashley has always been my calming go to. She has this way of writing that once you get her mindset and understand how she weaves a tale, it can be addicting, especially with her "Vintage OG series. These books are always something I come back to.
UPDATE-1/23/21- On KA Website, The Colorado Mountain series will have at least one more in the series. A Character From This Book, Coal “Wood” Blackwood, Will Be Getting HIS STORY!!! Don't Know When Exactly, But She Has It Planned.
Spoiler Free-2018/2014 Re-Read
Re-Read for the Umpteenth Time. Recently started the series again and am working my way through. Since I first read the books in 2013, some do not have reviews. This one does.
**************************************
2013
5 Tate Induced Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free
One of the main reasons I figured out how to get the Amazon App for PC was to read Kristen Ashley. I was new to romance and discovered many authors I loved. I found their books at Goodwill and dollar bookstores at reduced prices once I discovered them from my shopping at the brick and mortar Barnes and Noble. You see libraries didn't work for me. I finally came to that conclusion after admitting to myself I had issues with returning on time...
After joining Goodreads and seeing all the comments about KA's books, I figured out how to acquire them.... and her books were the first ebooks I bought.
Sweet Dreams.... really is just that. KA takes real-life issues we confront and wraps them in emotionally triggered dreams of what things could be if we meet people who foster them for us.
All of us can feel less than, not worthy of a partner...all of us can feel we are never going to accomplish a goal or have what we hoped for. We may have worked towards something and then either because of circumstances beyond our control lose it, or maybe we give up not due to fear of failure but due to deep-rooted fear of success which reflects back to us not thinking we are worth it.
These are only some of the issues addressed in this book. What was so interesting as I re-read this was how very deep the level of interpersonal relationships went... how KA presented such serious things wrapped in a way which almost could be considered throw away...
She would have her characters bicker or banter... and then cut to the underlining meaning of it all... self-discovery aided by eyes of another. The person would figure things out for themselves... but through their development of the relationship with their love interest; each needing each other to achieve a goal never really intended... but clear to us as readers...
Although KA's style of writing takes some getting used to... once you do... it becomes like that old sweatshirt you wear when you want comfort; that thing that just grounds you. There is no specific reason except... you feel safe and good.
In this book, Tate, the GUY.... is a GUY. No metro-sexual; just a testosterone god who reeks Man... and we love him.
We love his asshole ways because even though they are annoying... he will say he was... own up to it and want to move on. He has no room for grudges. He will do what he says he is going to do and lives up to his promises. He cares about those around him. But the best... the real best... he has no problem with showing affection. Nope... he doesn't give a shit... if he wants to kiss his woman, he does... and often. He likes to make sure others are aware she is his... with arms wrapped around her... but mostly not for show... it is because in the moments he feels the need to do it. It is a wonder... and that can be a sweet dream.
Her other main character is Lauren and she has reached a point in her life... she thinks is to just live... exist and not expect anything "special". She thought it was out there... had betrayal, lies, and disappointment instead. She is lost but doesn't know it.
These two connect and it is a perfect catalyst for KA to present everything she has on her mind.
This is a terrific story of people coming together... learning about themselves while learning about each other. The characters are complex; the community is full and has depth. You become involved and want to know what will happen from the start.
KA knew what she wanted to say; she had issues she wanted to present with real feelings of how to work them out. She figured out a plan; made it happen and got the results. I love how she did it and actually am thrilled she did. Her concepts and ways of taking these issues to those who experience them worked. Plus.... we got Tate and that is always a good thing.
Sweet Dreams is the second in the Colorado Series. I personally feel some of her best writing is in this series and the Burg series. They are meaty... with people living everyday lives...
(well sort of- Tate is a Bounty Hunter) and are in the throws of learning to love again. They belong to communities, surrounded by those who either have loved them well or have caused great pain. They are us and sometimes watching and learning how these people grow can make us feel we can too.
So, I will continue to throw on that worn sweatshirt I love... the one that makes me feel safe and good... and look for my next KA story.
The Gamble (Colorado Mountain, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain, #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Lady Luck (Colorado Mountain, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Breathe (Colorado Mountain, #4)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Jagged (Colorado Mountain, #5)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain, #6)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bounty (Colorado Mountain, #7)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
2023
Needing some space to regroup, I took a ride back to re-discover books and authors that touched me and wouldn't let go. Kristen Ashley has always been my calming go to. She has this way of writing that once you get her mindset and understand how she weaves a tale, it can be addicting, especially with her "Vintage OG series. These books are always something I come back to.
UPDATE-1/23/21- On KA Website, The Colorado Mountain series will have at least one more in the series. A Character From This Book, Coal “Wood” Blackwood, Will Be Getting HIS STORY!!! Don't Know When Exactly, But She Has It Planned.
Spoiler Free-2018/2014 Re-Read
Re-Read for the Umpteenth Time. Recently started the series again and am working my way through. Since I first read the books in 2013, some do not have reviews. This one does.
**************************************
2013
5 Tate Induced Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free
One of the main reasons I figured out how to get the Amazon App for PC was to read Kristen Ashley. I was new to romance and discovered many authors I loved. I found their books at Goodwill and dollar bookstores at reduced prices once I discovered them from my shopping at the brick and mortar Barnes and Noble. You see libraries didn't work for me. I finally came to that conclusion after admitting to myself I had issues with returning on time...
After joining Goodreads and seeing all the comments about KA's books, I figured out how to acquire them.... and her books were the first ebooks I bought.
Sweet Dreams.... really is just that. KA takes real-life issues we confront and wraps them in emotionally triggered dreams of what things could be if we meet people who foster them for us.
All of us can feel less than, not worthy of a partner...all of us can feel we are never going to accomplish a goal or have what we hoped for. We may have worked towards something and then either because of circumstances beyond our control lose it, or maybe we give up not due to fear of failure but due to deep-rooted fear of success which reflects back to us not thinking we are worth it.
These are only some of the issues addressed in this book. What was so interesting as I re-read this was how very deep the level of interpersonal relationships went... how KA presented such serious things wrapped in a way which almost could be considered throw away...
She would have her characters bicker or banter... and then cut to the underlining meaning of it all... self-discovery aided by eyes of another. The person would figure things out for themselves... but through their development of the relationship with their love interest; each needing each other to achieve a goal never really intended... but clear to us as readers...
Although KA's style of writing takes some getting used to... once you do... it becomes like that old sweatshirt you wear when you want comfort; that thing that just grounds you. There is no specific reason except... you feel safe and good.
In this book, Tate, the GUY.... is a GUY. No metro-sexual; just a testosterone god who reeks Man... and we love him.
We love his asshole ways because even though they are annoying... he will say he was... own up to it and want to move on. He has no room for grudges. He will do what he says he is going to do and lives up to his promises. He cares about those around him. But the best... the real best... he has no problem with showing affection. Nope... he doesn't give a shit... if he wants to kiss his woman, he does... and often. He likes to make sure others are aware she is his... with arms wrapped around her... but mostly not for show... it is because in the moments he feels the need to do it. It is a wonder... and that can be a sweet dream.
Her other main character is Lauren and she has reached a point in her life... she thinks is to just live... exist and not expect anything "special". She thought it was out there... had betrayal, lies, and disappointment instead. She is lost but doesn't know it.
These two connect and it is a perfect catalyst for KA to present everything she has on her mind.
This is a terrific story of people coming together... learning about themselves while learning about each other. The characters are complex; the community is full and has depth. You become involved and want to know what will happen from the start.
KA knew what she wanted to say; she had issues she wanted to present with real feelings of how to work them out. She figured out a plan; made it happen and got the results. I love how she did it and actually am thrilled she did. Her concepts and ways of taking these issues to those who experience them worked. Plus.... we got Tate and that is always a good thing.
Sweet Dreams is the second in the Colorado Series. I personally feel some of her best writing is in this series and the Burg series. They are meaty... with people living everyday lives...
(well sort of- Tate is a Bounty Hunter) and are in the throws of learning to love again. They belong to communities, surrounded by those who either have loved them well or have caused great pain. They are us and sometimes watching and learning how these people grow can make us feel we can too.
So, I will continue to throw on that worn sweatshirt I love... the one that makes me feel safe and good... and look for my next KA story.
The Gamble (Colorado Mountain, #1)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain, #2)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Lady Luck (Colorado Mountain, #3)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Breathe (Colorado Mountain, #4)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Jagged (Colorado Mountain, #5)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain, #6)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bounty (Colorado Mountain, #7)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
October 26, 2020
–
4.25 stars
KA's books just work for me. I love the heroine, I love the Hero, I love their romance, I love the kids, I love the friendships, I love the family moments ... they are comfort. I love reading about the characters cooking, doing BBQs, buying curtains and being all domestic with e/o. That gives me so much pleasure LOL.
All of her books (maybe besides The Golden Dynasty) follow the same pattern and have very similar tropes, so I can understand why it can get boring for some, but I love it.
KA's books just work for me. I love the heroine, I love the Hero, I love their romance, I love the kids, I love the friendships, I love the family moments ... they are comfort. I love reading about the characters cooking, doing BBQs, buying curtains and being all domestic with e/o. That gives me so much pleasure LOL.
All of her books (maybe besides The Golden Dynasty) follow the same pattern and have very similar tropes, so I can understand why it can get boring for some, but I love it.
"You said you were waiting' for something special and he took away your chance to figure out that you were carrying' it with you all this time. You are special Laurie."
January 29, 2012
(Edited to add more sexy Tate pics)
4 Stars - Also reviewed at: Lady Jayne's Reading Den
Sweet Dreams didn’t just have “Moist Factor Five Hundred”, for me, it had the “Turn Around Factor”.
In fact, it even made me feel like I was doing the Twister!
Why do I say this? Weeelll…. I was initially quite drawn into this story DESPITE its editing issues.
Yes, this book has overly long/run-on sentences; under-use of commas and full stops; over-use of parentheses; and some non-linear time lines. If you are a reader who can’t get passed this, then this book is not for you. This is a self-published book.
Despite noticing all these issues, though, it really didn’t bother me because, as I said, I was drawn into the story. It’s been said before, but I concur: Kristen Ashley is a great storyteller and has great characterisations. Her characters seemed so real. In fact, that is really where my main issue arose (which I’ll explain more later).
The story is written in first person POV of Lauren Grahame, a newly divorced 42-year old woman from middle class suburbia in search of “Nowheresville”. Lauren used to believe in “something special” but her cheating husband changed all that. She no longer expected “special” and wanted to escape into a nothing place, never thinking that Carnal, Colorado, a small biker town, would ever be home or where she would indeed find “special”.
Lauren was an extremely likable and relatable character. She is sweet, caring, gets along with almost anyone, a hard worker, classy, but she's also insecure, and well, can be quite impulsive and reckless.
I want to say THANK YOU to all my Goodreads friends who first encouraged me to read it and also to “Hang in There” with this book! The story was well worth my time despite pushing some very personal buttons.
Now, on to the hard part… What were my personal buttons? Hmm…Well, it was Tate Jackson who pushed them. It is something that upsets me to talk/write/think about, but to fully explain my issue with Tate, I feel I need to share.
I wasn’t just annoyed with Tate. I was MAD at him. The introduction to Tate isn’t the best. Though, that wasn’t even my main issue.
Tate is bossy and controlling. Yes, he’s an alpha male, and maybe at a different point in my life I might have been less upset by this. Recent events, though, made me really angry seeing this behaviour in Tate. My dad has always been the “boss” of the family. But in the last few years he has developed a brain condition that is causing his motor abilities to degenerate, such that a man of only 65 can’t walk without the aid of a walker, and it will just get worse. What really breaks my heart, though, is what I would have formerly seen as just protective behaviour by my dad, has become over-possessive and controlling behaviour. This behaviour has always been there. It is just so much worse now. It is such that my mum can’t even speak to me on the phone without him needing to be present, because he is paranoid she is planning to run away with a young lover. This is not the case. My mum is faithful and does everything for him. He is constantly bossing her around and she isn’t even allowed to sleep with her back to him because then her “body language” is all wrong. I love both my mum and dad and it really breaks my heart. I feel all teary now just thinking about it.
Also, Lauren’s nickname for Tate was “Captain” and my dad was a ship’s captain and everyone calls him that, even mum when she’s talking about him to others.
Anyway, these feelings about my dad is something that’s very difficult for me to deal with, and seeing Tate’s controlling and bossy behaviour (as well as some annoying repetitions in text)…well…I needed to step away from this book, for a bit. I was almost considering "DNF"-ing it.
I decided to re-read an emotional favourite of mine, The Bronze Horseman , because I needed to hurt. I needed to cry, without necessarily thinking about my mum and dad.
After I released some of these emotions, I decided to go back and continue Sweet Dreams and I was completely sucked into the story. I can completely understand now how my GRs friends couldn’t put this one down.
Only several pages in from where I stepped away, I was met with this scene below. It made a big dent in melting my heart.
Although, Buster looks more like this:
I LOVED Buster! She was a real present character. Being owned by a cat, myself, her behaviours were just soooo adorably cat, to me. ^_^
Back to Tate...In the end, in spite of Tate still being such a jerk, at times – especially, when he’s pissed off or because he is just being his “bossy” self – I ended up loving him. Tate does some very thoughtful and sweet things, in his very Tate way. He doesn’t make my Top heroes list, but as my friend Jill said, he is an “unforgettable hero”.
I like how Lauren argues with him. She doesn’t take it lying down…well, sometimes she does, if you know what I mean . ^_~ *snickers*.
I know that Tate will still do things to frustrate and annoy me – we all have people like that in our lives, and yet we still love them – but he’s a good man and he and Lauren really do bring out the best in each other. I love how he spoiled her, how he made her see what “special” is, and taught her to see herself through his eyes –YOWZA! If only I’d had “treatment” like that for my anorexia and insomnia! *fans self* LOL
See, I’m writing about him like he’s REAL! Kudos to Ms Ashley on characterisation!
Also, there was an amazing and interesting cast of "secondary" characters! Loved Shambles and Sunny, Betty and Ned, Jim-Billy, Wendy, Krystal, Wood, Jonas, and Laurie's family!
I was kept on the edge of my seat with the suspense elements.
I even enjoyed reading about what Lauren was wearing almost every day; but then again, I like clothes, as does, it seems, Ms Ashley, from what I read in the “About the Author” portion of the book
So, for the “Turn Around Factor”, I’m giving this one 4 Stars.
Tate…He can be such a jerk, but he has his oh-so-sweet moments, and, man, he’s gorgeous!
Tate looks HOT in a Henley...
...And without one.
He's a badass biker and bounty hunter...
...And he's a yummy playmate in the pool.
DISCLAIMER: I do not hold the copyright to any of the images used in this review. They are posted to add visuals to the review and for fun. If any of these images are yours and you would like me to remove them, please let me know, and I will do so as soon as possible. If I can identify the copyright, I will do so.
4 Stars - Also reviewed at: Lady Jayne's Reading Den
Sweet Dreams didn’t just have “Moist Factor Five Hundred”, for me, it had the “Turn Around Factor”.
In fact, it even made me feel like I was doing the Twister!
Why do I say this? Weeelll…. I was initially quite drawn into this story DESPITE its editing issues.
Yes, this book has overly long/run-on sentences; under-use of commas and full stops; over-use of parentheses; and some non-linear time lines. If you are a reader who can’t get passed this, then this book is not for you. This is a self-published book.
Despite noticing all these issues, though, it really didn’t bother me because, as I said, I was drawn into the story. It’s been said before, but I concur: Kristen Ashley is a great storyteller and has great characterisations. Her characters seemed so real. In fact, that is really where my main issue arose (which I’ll explain more later).
The story is written in first person POV of Lauren Grahame, a newly divorced 42-year old woman from middle class suburbia in search of “Nowheresville”. Lauren used to believe in “something special” but her cheating husband changed all that. She no longer expected “special” and wanted to escape into a nothing place, never thinking that Carnal, Colorado, a small biker town, would ever be home or where she would indeed find “special”.
Lauren was an extremely likable and relatable character. She is sweet, caring, gets along with almost anyone, a hard worker, classy, but she's also insecure, and well, can be quite impulsive and reckless.
I want to say THANK YOU to all my Goodreads friends who first encouraged me to read it and also to “Hang in There” with this book! The story was well worth my time despite pushing some very personal buttons.
Now, on to the hard part… What were my personal buttons? Hmm…Well, it was Tate Jackson who pushed them. It is something that upsets me to talk/write/think about, but to fully explain my issue with Tate, I feel I need to share.
I wasn’t just annoyed with Tate. I was MAD at him. The introduction to Tate isn’t the best. Though, that wasn’t even my main issue.
Tate is bossy and controlling. Yes, he’s an alpha male, and maybe at a different point in my life I might have been less upset by this. Recent events, though, made me really angry seeing this behaviour in Tate. My dad has always been the “boss” of the family. But in the last few years he has developed a brain condition that is causing his motor abilities to degenerate, such that a man of only 65 can’t walk without the aid of a walker, and it will just get worse. What really breaks my heart, though, is what I would have formerly seen as just protective behaviour by my dad, has become over-possessive and controlling behaviour. This behaviour has always been there. It is just so much worse now. It is such that my mum can’t even speak to me on the phone without him needing to be present, because he is paranoid she is planning to run away with a young lover. This is not the case. My mum is faithful and does everything for him. He is constantly bossing her around and she isn’t even allowed to sleep with her back to him because then her “body language” is all wrong. I love both my mum and dad and it really breaks my heart. I feel all teary now just thinking about it.
Also, Lauren’s nickname for Tate was “Captain” and my dad was a ship’s captain and everyone calls him that, even mum when she’s talking about him to others.
Anyway, these feelings about my dad is something that’s very difficult for me to deal with, and seeing Tate’s controlling and bossy behaviour (as well as some annoying repetitions in text)…well…I needed to step away from this book, for a bit. I was almost considering "DNF"-ing it.
I decided to re-read an emotional favourite of mine, The Bronze Horseman , because I needed to hurt. I needed to cry, without necessarily thinking about my mum and dad.
After I released some of these emotions, I decided to go back and continue Sweet Dreams and I was completely sucked into the story. I can completely understand now how my GRs friends couldn’t put this one down.
Only several pages in from where I stepped away, I was met with this scene below. It made a big dent in melting my heart.
“And he cradled it, the cat’s lower body resting on his forearm, the cat’s tail gliding across his bicep, the cat’s front paws straddling Tate’s wrist and the cat’s head resting in Tate’s big hand.”Tell me that an image something like this doesn’t melt your heart, too? Aawwwww..…
Although, Buster looks more like this:
I LOVED Buster! She was a real present character. Being owned by a cat, myself, her behaviours were just soooo adorably cat, to me. ^_^
Back to Tate...In the end, in spite of Tate still being such a jerk, at times – especially, when he’s pissed off or because he is just being his “bossy” self – I ended up loving him. Tate does some very thoughtful and sweet things, in his very Tate way. He doesn’t make my Top heroes list, but as my friend Jill said, he is an “unforgettable hero”.
I like how Lauren argues with him. She doesn’t take it lying down…well, sometimes she does, if you know what I mean . ^_~ *snickers*.
I know that Tate will still do things to frustrate and annoy me – we all have people like that in our lives, and yet we still love them – but he’s a good man and he and Lauren really do bring out the best in each other. I love how he spoiled her, how he made her see what “special” is, and taught her to see herself through his eyes –YOWZA! If only I’d had “treatment” like that for my anorexia and insomnia! *fans self* LOL
See, I’m writing about him like he’s REAL! Kudos to Ms Ashley on characterisation!
Also, there was an amazing and interesting cast of "secondary" characters! Loved Shambles and Sunny, Betty and Ned, Jim-Billy, Wendy, Krystal, Wood, Jonas, and Laurie's family!
I was kept on the edge of my seat with the suspense elements.
I even enjoyed reading about what Lauren was wearing almost every day; but then again, I like clothes, as does, it seems, Ms Ashley, from what I read in the “About the Author” portion of the book
So, for the “Turn Around Factor”, I’m giving this one 4 Stars.
Tate…He can be such a jerk, but he has his oh-so-sweet moments, and, man, he’s gorgeous!
“He was tall, maybe taller than he seemed in the parking lot or maybe he just seemed bigger in the bar since his shoulders were so broad. But his hips were lean and his legs were long, his thighs obviously powerfully muscled and I could tell that through his jeans. His dark brown hair gleamed even in the dull light of the bar. It was thick and it was clear he washed it and let it fall where it lay for the part was natural and not straight, it was swept back but some fell around his temples and curled a bit around his ears and at the back of his neck. His eyes looked dark. I couldn’t tell the color but there were sun lines emanating from the sides that were attractive. His brow was heavy; his nose wasn’t perfect but it was straight with a slight bump at the top of the bridge that made it interesting; his cheekbones were cut and his jaw was strong. His skin was tanned in a way where I knew he didn’t get that color lounging by the pool and he was wearing faded jeans, black motorcycle boots and a heathered-gray-blue, long-sleeved, skintight, thermal Henley.
He was beautiful.”
Tate looks HOT in a Henley...
...And without one.
He's a badass biker and bounty hunter...
...And he's a yummy playmate in the pool.
DISCLAIMER: I do not hold the copyright to any of the images used in this review. They are posted to add visuals to the review and for fun. If any of these images are yours and you would like me to remove them, please let me know, and I will do so as soon as possible. If I can identify the copyright, I will do so.
May 25, 2017
Reread May 2017-Upgraded from 4 to 5 stars because omg this book. One of Ashley's best, and to think the first time I picked it up I didn't want to read it because the main characters were "old" bahaha.
Tate is everything, when is Wood gonna get his own book????
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Tate is everything, when is Wood gonna get his own book????
Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥
August 4, 2017
✮✮✮ ALL THE STARS ✮✮✮
Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books
Re-read - July 2017
Fat.
Old.
Sorry-ass.
Choice words her new boss Tate Jackson has for Lauren. After months on the road looking for a place she'd want to stay she arrives in Carnal, Colorado. A former exec, she starts working as a waitress at Bubba's, a biker bar. When she overhears Tate insulting her she is hurt. She is done letting people like her ex-husband walk over her, she's done adapting to other people's whims and moods. She throws attitude in Tate's beautiful face and holds on to her mammoth grudge.
Tate, bounty hunter/bar keeper and owner/ex-cop/ex-pro-football player, was sure that Lauren Grahame wouldn't fit into his bar. Too high-class, too pretty, too much of everything. But still, her hair, her legs, her attitude and pretty face, it all draws him to her. She has the attention of the local bikers and is popular with the bar's crowd. He knows when he comes back from chasing a skip he wants her on the back of his bike. When a serial killer makes a re-appearance in Carnal Tate's need to protect Laurie becomes his focus.
Nobody in the book world, NOBODY writes alpha males better than Kristen Ashley. Tate is my guy, he is and has always been my favorite KA-hero. That being said, I am not through with her back list, yet so who knows!
Tate is a bossy, over-protective and possessive guy and many times you just want to kick him because he has a temper that turns him into an asshole. But the good outweighs that by far. He has a sweet that is irresistible, is resolute and strong-willed.
He sets his sight on something, he goes after it, no holds barred. I loved that you never had to guess his feelings, they were always out there even though the story was mostly written from Laurie's POV.
Yeah, that Tate Jackson is so amazing because he is flawed. Also, his relationship with his son is so sweet, the way a man treats his son? When it's that sweet it you can bid farewell to your ovaries.
Laurie is a wonderful character. She has that vibe that whatever bothers you, whatever you need you can count on her. She has that open personality that draws people in and makes them do things for her to please her. But she is also stubborn and that is where she locks horns with Tate, because that guy has invented stubborn. Laurie can also hold a grudge like no other and spends a lot of time in her head when she does. I loved how she paid attention to the people she loved.
Sweet Dreams has everything, humor, suspense, romance in tons and lovable main and side characters. And Jesus, Tate's dirty mouth...*fans herself*
This is - so far - my favorite Kristen Ashley book and I've read a lot by this author. Every single one of her stories has a special place in my heart but this one is on a pedestal. I have it on good authority that At Peace from Ms Ashley's The Burg series might contest that spot! We'll see.
Sweet Dreams is the second installment of the Colorado Mountain series and can be read as a standalone.
Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books
Re-read - July 2017
Fat.
Old.
Sorry-ass.
Choice words her new boss Tate Jackson has for Lauren. After months on the road looking for a place she'd want to stay she arrives in Carnal, Colorado. A former exec, she starts working as a waitress at Bubba's, a biker bar. When she overhears Tate insulting her she is hurt. She is done letting people like her ex-husband walk over her, she's done adapting to other people's whims and moods. She throws attitude in Tate's beautiful face and holds on to her mammoth grudge.
Tate, bounty hunter/bar keeper and owner/ex-cop/ex-pro-football player, was sure that Lauren Grahame wouldn't fit into his bar. Too high-class, too pretty, too much of everything. But still, her hair, her legs, her attitude and pretty face, it all draws him to her. She has the attention of the local bikers and is popular with the bar's crowd. He knows when he comes back from chasing a skip he wants her on the back of his bike. When a serial killer makes a re-appearance in Carnal Tate's need to protect Laurie becomes his focus.
“It isn't that it's too soon, you're on the back of my bike, it ain't too soon. You can buy sheets. You cannot install blinds."
"um..." I mumbled. "Can you explain the difference?"
"Sheets are chick territory," he said without delay. "You gotta use tools, that's dick territory."
"Oh," I whispered.
"Don't tread on dick territory," he advised.”
Nobody in the book world, NOBODY writes alpha males better than Kristen Ashley. Tate is my guy, he is and has always been my favorite KA-hero. That being said, I am not through with her back list, yet so who knows!
Tate is a bossy, over-protective and possessive guy and many times you just want to kick him because he has a temper that turns him into an asshole. But the good outweighs that by far. He has a sweet that is irresistible, is resolute and strong-willed.
“His forehead dropped to touch mine. “I’m gonna piss you off ‘cause I can be a dick. That’s who I am. And you’re gonna piss me off ‘cause, babe, you got attitude. That’s who you are. And that’s who we’re comin’ out to be together. And I’m all right with that because, with what I had before, even when you’re a bitch, I like it. But when you’re not, it’s a sweetness the like I’ve never tasted.”
He sets his sight on something, he goes after it, no holds barred. I loved that you never had to guess his feelings, they were always out there even though the story was mostly written from Laurie's POV.
“Two kinds of women get under your skin. The ones who do damage, they don't feel good there but once you're fuckin' stupid enough to let them in you got no choice but to take the time it takes to work them out. Then there are the ones who don't do damage, who feel good there, feed the muscle, the bone, the soul, not rip it or break it or burn it. The ones you don't wanna work out.” - Tate
Yeah, that Tate Jackson is so amazing because he is flawed. Also, his relationship with his son is so sweet, the way a man treats his son? When it's that sweet it you can bid farewell to your ovaries.
Laurie is a wonderful character. She has that vibe that whatever bothers you, whatever you need you can count on her. She has that open personality that draws people in and makes them do things for her to please her. But she is also stubborn and that is where she locks horns with Tate, because that guy has invented stubborn. Laurie can also hold a grudge like no other and spends a lot of time in her head when she does. I loved how she paid attention to the people she loved.
Sweet Dreams has everything, humor, suspense, romance in tons and lovable main and side characters. And Jesus, Tate's dirty mouth...*fans herself*
“You buy me sheets. You paint my room. What's next? You gonna wash my balls?" -Tate
This is - so far - my favorite Kristen Ashley book and I've read a lot by this author. Every single one of her stories has a special place in my heart but this one is on a pedestal. I have it on good authority that At Peace from Ms Ashley's The Burg series might contest that spot! We'll see.
Sweet Dreams is the second installment of the Colorado Mountain series and can be read as a standalone.
January 8, 2023
Have I been living under a rock?? Why have I only just discovered Kristen Ashley books now? They are like a drug, a sweet intoxicating makes-you-want-to-spend-the-whole-weekend-in-bed-reading elixir that gets you from the get go and makes everything else - eating, drinking, sleeping - optional. Well, I just came out of a two day Kristen Ashley binge and I feel like I should be on the next plane to Colorado. Stat.
The first Colorado Mountain book was one of my favourite books ever and this one did not disappoint. I think one can comfortably get used to and expect a certain standard from Ms Ashley’s writing - it is a superbly written, entertaining, original, addictive emotion-fest that puts equal emphasis on character development and plot. Nothing is hurried or fudged in these books, they are well-rounded little gems and they are a pure joy to read.
This is the story of a forty-something divorcée - Lauren - who leaves her fancy suburban lifestyle after her marriage painfully dissolves and takes off, driving aimlessly throughout the country, searching for a place where she would find a peaceful and drama-free existence. She comes across Carnal, Colorado, a waitressing job vacancy in a local biker bar and she takes it. Lauren is a broken woman. Her ten-year-old marriage to an egocentric man made her question herself and her worth. She spent a decade changing who she really was in order to please a man who needed to put her down to feel good about himself. He fed her insecurities by making her believe that she had to change if she wanted to keep him. Eventually, he left her anyway.
Carnal is exactly what she has been searching for - a small town where people actually care about each other, know each other, where she can live a quiet uneventful life and heal her broken heart. She expects nothing more from life, she believes that life doesn’t have “anything special in store for her” and she is OK with it. She just wants a job, a home, and a peaceful and predictable everyday life.
Well, life has something quite different in store for her - Tatum Jackson. Tate. A macho mountain biker man, co-owner of the bar she is now working at, a man with a nasty temper and an equally ugly past behind him. Theirs is a love-hate relationship from the beginning. Their attraction is undeniable but Tate’s baggage pulls them apart every single time. Until it doesn’t. What Lauren eventually finds in Tate is a safe harbour, a place where she is appreciated and loved for the person that she really is, narky attitude included. Tate is a man who has been dealt so many bad cards in his life and he never once gave in. His only fault (that I can see) is his temper and vicious tongue when he gets mad. But he is a dog that barks but never bites. The women that “got under his skin” up to that point have all been dysfunctional individuals who only took and never gave anything back. He is at a crossroad in his life when he meets Lauren and choosing to pursue her proves to be the best decision he has ever made.
Theirs is an attraction of opposites - Tate being the possessive domineering bossy alpha male who loves with all his being and protects whom he loves at all costs; Lauren being a spirited and loving woman who only wants to take care of the ones she loves, a woman whose goodness and mere presence make people want to open up to her and make her one of their own, someone who was never outspoken during her marriage but who has a lot to say. Their personalities end up perfectly fitting each other like missing pieces of a puzzle, and what they build together is exactly the kind of “special” that Lauren always hoped to find.
As in all Colorado Mountain books, the plot of the book is so much more intense and intricate that just the romance between the main characters. None of the secondary characters are neglected, neither in character development nor in their contribution to the overall storyline. There is always a heart-stopping event at the end and a heart-warming HEA. Just what the doctor prescribed. Reading one of these books means immersing yourself up to the tip of your head into another reality, one that takes over yours and makes you a (willing) participant. Like a good junkie, I am immediately throwing myself into another KA book, real life be damned!
[4.5 STARS]
~ N ♥
See this review on my blog!
The first Colorado Mountain book was one of my favourite books ever and this one did not disappoint. I think one can comfortably get used to and expect a certain standard from Ms Ashley’s writing - it is a superbly written, entertaining, original, addictive emotion-fest that puts equal emphasis on character development and plot. Nothing is hurried or fudged in these books, they are well-rounded little gems and they are a pure joy to read.
This is the story of a forty-something divorcée - Lauren - who leaves her fancy suburban lifestyle after her marriage painfully dissolves and takes off, driving aimlessly throughout the country, searching for a place where she would find a peaceful and drama-free existence. She comes across Carnal, Colorado, a waitressing job vacancy in a local biker bar and she takes it. Lauren is a broken woman. Her ten-year-old marriage to an egocentric man made her question herself and her worth. She spent a decade changing who she really was in order to please a man who needed to put her down to feel good about himself. He fed her insecurities by making her believe that she had to change if she wanted to keep him. Eventually, he left her anyway.
“All my life, or a s long as I can remember, I thought something special was going to happen to me. I just had this feeling, deep in my bones. I didn’t know what it was but it was going to be beautiful, spectacular, huge. All ... my … life. It didn’t. I waited and it didn’t happen. I waited more and it didn’t happen. I waited more and it still didn’t happen. I tried to make it happen and it still didn’t happen. Now I know it isn’t going to. It’s never going to happen because there isn’t anything special out there to happen.”
Carnal is exactly what she has been searching for - a small town where people actually care about each other, know each other, where she can live a quiet uneventful life and heal her broken heart. She expects nothing more from life, she believes that life doesn’t have “anything special in store for her” and she is OK with it. She just wants a job, a home, and a peaceful and predictable everyday life.
Well, life has something quite different in store for her - Tatum Jackson. Tate. A macho mountain biker man, co-owner of the bar she is now working at, a man with a nasty temper and an equally ugly past behind him. Theirs is a love-hate relationship from the beginning. Their attraction is undeniable but Tate’s baggage pulls them apart every single time. Until it doesn’t. What Lauren eventually finds in Tate is a safe harbour, a place where she is appreciated and loved for the person that she really is, narky attitude included. Tate is a man who has been dealt so many bad cards in his life and he never once gave in. His only fault (that I can see) is his temper and vicious tongue when he gets mad. But he is a dog that barks but never bites. The women that “got under his skin” up to that point have all been dysfunctional individuals who only took and never gave anything back. He is at a crossroad in his life when he meets Lauren and choosing to pursue her proves to be the best decision he has ever made.
“Two kinds of women get under your skin. The ones who do damage, they don’t feel good there but once your f*cking stupid enough to let them in you got no choice but to take the time to work them out. Then there are the ones who don’t do damage, who feel good there, feed the muscle, the bone, the soul, not rip it or break it or burn it. The ones you don’t wanna work out.”
Theirs is an attraction of opposites - Tate being the possessive domineering bossy alpha male who loves with all his being and protects whom he loves at all costs; Lauren being a spirited and loving woman who only wants to take care of the ones she loves, a woman whose goodness and mere presence make people want to open up to her and make her one of their own, someone who was never outspoken during her marriage but who has a lot to say. Their personalities end up perfectly fitting each other like missing pieces of a puzzle, and what they build together is exactly the kind of “special” that Lauren always hoped to find.
“God, if he wasn’t so handsome, strong, sometimes sweet, didn’t have a Harley, that beard, a tendency to play with my hair, didn’t look so good in jeans and wasn’t so danged good in bed, he would seriously not be worth it.”
As in all Colorado Mountain books, the plot of the book is so much more intense and intricate that just the romance between the main characters. None of the secondary characters are neglected, neither in character development nor in their contribution to the overall storyline. There is always a heart-stopping event at the end and a heart-warming HEA. Just what the doctor prescribed. Reading one of these books means immersing yourself up to the tip of your head into another reality, one that takes over yours and makes you a (willing) participant. Like a good junkie, I am immediately throwing myself into another KA book, real life be damned!
[4.5 STARS]
~ N ♥
See this review on my blog!
December 21, 2011
Sweet dreams, baby.
How I love those words. Those are Tate's words to Laurie, before she goes to sleep. *sigh*
Wow, this book was just fantastic! It's raw, real and it's life. It's not sugar coated or polished in anyway. The characters are also real and you can relate to them in everyway. Tate you are the epitome of the alpha male and you deserve a growl from me so here it is RAAWWWWR!
This book is wonderful and I highly recommend it.
My Tate.
How I love those words. Those are Tate's words to Laurie, before she goes to sleep. *sigh*
Wow, this book was just fantastic! It's raw, real and it's life. It's not sugar coated or polished in anyway. The characters are also real and you can relate to them in everyway. Tate you are the epitome of the alpha male and you deserve a growl from me so here it is RAAWWWWR!
This book is wonderful and I highly recommend it.
My Tate.
July 29, 2024
First read: February 10-14, 2012
" And when he spoke, his voice was near to a growl.
"A woman gets under your skin, the kind of woman that feeds the muscle, the bone, the soul, no replacing that.....but once you have that, there's no replacing it."
I stared at him and he stared back.
Then I whispered, "Tate-"
but stopped speaking when his hand moved and his thumb tweaked the diamond he'd slid on my finger six weeks before.
"No replacing it," he repeated on his own whisper."
- favourite quote in the book and I love how the author refers to being 'under your skin', and 'feeding the muscle, bone, and soul' .... life sustenance.
Loved this book. Loved Lauren and Tate.
I loved that the author didn't ever change Tate's wickedly, TOTALLY BAD-ASS, Biker-dude, Alpha-Male attitude... and that Lauren had to 'learn' the lingo, learn how to be a 'biker-babe' without changing who she was...and that her light never got extinguished, but that she 'lit up'...sometimes literally.
....*sigh*... basically A LOT of LOVE for this book.
Re-read: September 1, 2013 Still 5 stars
Okay, so I just finished re-reading The Gamble(AND LOVED IT!) I started my re-read of this book on my way back from Ottawa yesterday, and finished it at 4:30 am this morning.
LOVED Tate and Lauren!
The only thing that kinda bothered me about this story (and I remember feeling the same way the first time I read this book) was why did it seem impossible for Lauren to have a child with Tate at 42-43 years old.
She said she wanted children (and nothing against Jonas). I know the risk is higher and all, but it was not impossible (and they never seemed to use protection right from the start).
... just a thought
Third re-read: August 1, 2014
This is the picture Dorsey posted on 'twitter' that inspired me to re-read Sweet Dreams
Thank you, Dorsey! I really enjoyed this story..again!
Fourth re-read September 1-2, 2017
It's been a couple of years since I read this book and it was refreshing to discover that I had no recall of the story (so it was like I was reading it for the first time).
What an amazing treat to re-read this story!
Once again I was brought to the small town of Carnal, Colorado where the town is filled with unique characters.
A town filled with uber-alpha, domineering, possessive male bikers/bar owners/bounty hunters and strong, smart, sassy, funny awesome female leads.
This is one of the first books I read by Kristen Ashley, and it's the reason I became such a huge fan of her storytelling and amazing voice.
Loved this re-read!
Fifth re-read: December 11-13, 2018
I friggn LOVE Tate and Lauren!
I forgot how much I love visiting the "Colorada Mountain Men"!
Once again, an amazing re-read.
" And when he spoke, his voice was near to a growl.
"A woman gets under your skin, the kind of woman that feeds the muscle, the bone, the soul, no replacing that.....but once you have that, there's no replacing it."
I stared at him and he stared back.
Then I whispered, "Tate-"
but stopped speaking when his hand moved and his thumb tweaked the diamond he'd slid on my finger six weeks before.
"No replacing it," he repeated on his own whisper."
- favourite quote in the book and I love how the author refers to being 'under your skin', and 'feeding the muscle, bone, and soul' .... life sustenance.
Loved this book. Loved Lauren and Tate.
I loved that the author didn't ever change Tate's wickedly, TOTALLY BAD-ASS, Biker-dude, Alpha-Male attitude... and that Lauren had to 'learn' the lingo, learn how to be a 'biker-babe' without changing who she was...and that her light never got extinguished, but that she 'lit up'...sometimes literally.
....*sigh*... basically A LOT of LOVE for this book.
Re-read: September 1, 2013 Still 5 stars
Okay, so I just finished re-reading The Gamble(AND LOVED IT!) I started my re-read of this book on my way back from Ottawa yesterday, and finished it at 4:30 am this morning.
LOVED Tate and Lauren!
The only thing that kinda bothered me about this story (and I remember feeling the same way the first time I read this book) was why did it seem impossible for Lauren to have a child with Tate at 42-43 years old.
She said she wanted children (and nothing against Jonas). I know the risk is higher and all, but it was not impossible (and they never seemed to use protection right from the start).
... just a thought
Third re-read: August 1, 2014
This is the picture Dorsey posted on 'twitter' that inspired me to re-read Sweet Dreams
Thank you, Dorsey! I really enjoyed this story..again!
Fourth re-read September 1-2, 2017
It's been a couple of years since I read this book and it was refreshing to discover that I had no recall of the story (so it was like I was reading it for the first time).
What an amazing treat to re-read this story!
Once again I was brought to the small town of Carnal, Colorado where the town is filled with unique characters.
A town filled with uber-alpha, domineering, possessive male bikers/bar owners/bounty hunters and strong, smart, sassy, funny awesome female leads.
This is one of the first books I read by Kristen Ashley, and it's the reason I became such a huge fan of her storytelling and amazing voice.
Loved this re-read!
Fifth re-read: December 11-13, 2018
I friggn LOVE Tate and Lauren!
I forgot how much I love visiting the "Colorada Mountain Men"!
Once again, an amazing re-read.
August 5, 2021
(3 - 3.5)
on and on the conversation goes. the h being kinda slow (w/ almost everyone else too, not only w/ the H, which annoyed tf outta me) and the H not letting her talk
so yea thats one of my biggest problem, the repetitive writing style and long pointless dialogues. i guess in a way theyre realistic but i got sleepy ngl. i got an example (this is from book 3. although, Lauren, the heroine here was way more slow @ responding in a conversation than Lexie, the heroine in book 3, whom i adored, but im taking this example from her book, on how Lauren talks. like this, but more annoying) :
then another big problem (connected to problem #1) is the length. people that have read KA, y’all know. gotta admit some were enjoyable but mostly they just got boring. essentially w/ KA books ive read, had some (quite a few) scenes were cut off, they woulda belong on my high rating shelves, coz they had many great scenes too.
though tbh w/ this one even if they did cut some repetitive stuff im not sure i’d rate it that much higher. but still, higher.
now, a little spoiler, maybe
cute. overall u could say i really enjoyed this. the angst, the drama (there were many but imo there werent enough coz thats just who i am as a person) worked and got me glued on the page. though also imo the at-best-mediocre-sex-scenes shoulda be the first thing to get cut off. like, they arent bad, but i prefer drama / a shorter book
bored scale : 48/100 methink (pretty good)
so ofc i skimmed some (its what i do w/ almost every book, really. dunno why i gotta mention it every time. u could say its almost mandatory lol), but this was much better than the first book. sure, Tate-Lauren’s character felt pretty fucking similar to Max-Nina for me but i finished this one! (whereas i dnfed book 1. and i dont even know what differentiate the two & made me enjoy this more)
H : (say something)
h : huh?
H : (blablabla)
h: what?
H : (repeats)
h : (repeats with question mark)
H : (explains)
h : ???
H : (explains w/ different words)
h : im sorry?
H : (explains some more)
h : ??!!!
H : (cuts her off)
h : bla-
H : (cuts her off some more)
on and on the conversation goes. the h being kinda slow (w/ almost everyone else too, not only w/ the H, which annoyed tf outta me) and the H not letting her talk
h : (asks smth)
a : no
h : what
a : no
h : u werent?
so yea thats one of my biggest problem, the repetitive writing style and long pointless dialogues. i guess in a way theyre realistic but i got sleepy ngl. i got an example (this is from book 3. although, Lauren, the heroine here was way more slow @ responding in a conversation than Lexie, the heroine in book 3, whom i adored, but im taking this example from her book, on how Lauren talks. like this, but more annoying) :
”I’ll also give you the address.”
Her head tipped to the side. “The address?”
“To my house.”
“Your house?”
“My house.”
“What house?”
“My house in Carnal.”
“You have a house in Carnal?”
then another big problem (connected to problem #1) is the length. people that have read KA, y’all know. gotta admit some were enjoyable but mostly they just got boring. essentially w/ KA books ive read, had some (quite a few) scenes were cut off, they woulda belong on my high rating shelves, coz they had many great scenes too.
though tbh w/ this one even if they did cut some repetitive stuff im not sure i’d rate it that much higher. but still, higher.
now, a little spoiler, maybe
’I was in a pool in a Nowheresville town with a man who preferred to watch me doing handstands with his son than check out twenty-something girls. A man who called his son Bub and held him in the curve of his arm as he shook off sleep. A man who called me Ace and talked to me or made love to me when I woke up in the middle of the night, even if he was sleepy. A man who flew home with me to make sure I got to my sick Dad. A man who noticed new sheets, spoke his mind, put me on the back of his bike, was nothing but himself and was great in the shower.
After years of searching, years of longing, years of hoping and then giving up, I’d found special in Carnal and in Tate. Special wasn’t exactly perfect but, even so, it was pretty fucking spectacular and it was finally, finally mine.
cute. overall u could say i really enjoyed this. the angst, the drama (there were many but imo there werent enough coz thats just who i am as a person) worked and got me glued on the page. though also imo the at-best-mediocre-sex-scenes shoulda be the first thing to get cut off. like, they arent bad, but i prefer drama / a shorter book
bored scale : 48/100 methink (pretty good)
so ofc i skimmed some (its what i do w/ almost every book, really. dunno why i gotta mention it every time. u could say its almost mandatory lol), but this was much better than the first book. sure, Tate-Lauren’s character felt pretty fucking similar to Max-Nina for me but i finished this one! (whereas i dnfed book 1. and i dont even know what differentiate the two & made me enjoy this more)
Read
August 20, 2024Welcome to Kristen Ashley’s world, where men are grunting, abusive Neanderthals and women are simpering doormats and as long as a guy is hot and good in bed, he can treat you like absolute garbage and you’ll giggle and whisper OK and forget you used to be a baddie.
Domestic abuse is glorified and sluts are punished with rape and murder.
I can’t stomach this anymore. I guess that means I’ve grown as a person.
DNF on the reread at 45% and removing my initial 4 star rating.
Domestic abuse is glorified and sluts are punished with rape and murder.
I can’t stomach this anymore. I guess that means I’ve grown as a person.
DNF on the reread at 45% and removing my initial 4 star rating.
March 4, 2016
This is a typical KA-land book where the alpha males shift from super sweet to semi-jerky at the drop of a hat…but all in an I’m a man and I’m going to provide and protect you kind of way. This is a place where normal rules don’t apply really.
Things to Expect in KA-Land
❣ - Ex’s are 5 shades of cray-cray and I mean CrAzY
❣ - The Hot guy will say something life shattering sweet one minute and then act like he is from another time the next and you’ll want to first kiss him and then kick him in the balls. That feeling goes a little back and forth but most of the stuff that is memorable is sweet.
❣ - The underappreciated girl with a past will resist the initial allure of said hot guy because she has something tragic in her past or is slightly broken. But at least she is not 20 something….One of the best things about KAs MCs is that most of the time they are in their 30s and 40s.
❣ - The KA heroine will freak out at some point and time and ramble on in a cute or over informative way.
❣ - There will be sex…lots of hot sex…even some in the shower and that is when I know this isn’t real life. Because have you ever tried to have sex in the shower…it is slippery and I think you are more likely to get a concussion than an orgasm
❣ - At some point there will be some crass talk…I personally look forward to this. It is usually dirty and mostly thrown in the face of someone who has wronged the MC so I totally look forward to the verbal smack down. There were a few of them in Sweet Dreams and they were all awesome.
❣ - You can usually count on a kidnapping, girl fight, alpha dominance fight or a tasering. If you are lucky you get a combo of them.
Sweet Dreams worked for me for a few reasons. I liked Laurie most of the time. She had a bad marriage and is a bit gun shy but she stands up for herself doesn’t let anyone walk all over her and is good to her friends. There is also Tate who made me happy just a little more than he made me angry but overall he just did it for me. It was probably all the crass talking.
The murder mystery while interesting totally plays second fiddle to the love story. This IS love story first and foremost with a mystery. Still I always love learning about the pasts of the characters to see why they are both a little broken and each one helps to fix the other. Tate’s history was just as tragic as Laurie’s was but in a different way.
KA did fortunately reign in all of the descriptions in this one. There are still a lot and I always know what a character is wearing, or the general vibe of a room but she didn’t go nearly as overboard as she did in The Gamble.
The side characters and the small town always add a lot to the story and this is no exception. I love that I feel like these are real places and you could go and visit Carnal and have a drink at Bubba’s and run in to Jim-Billy there and maybe watch Twyla throw down some attitude at bad tipping customers.
All and all this is one of my favorite KA books to date.
Things to Expect in KA-Land
❣ - Ex’s are 5 shades of cray-cray and I mean CrAzY
❣ - The Hot guy will say something life shattering sweet one minute and then act like he is from another time the next and you’ll want to first kiss him and then kick him in the balls. That feeling goes a little back and forth but most of the stuff that is memorable is sweet.
“Two kinds of women get under your skin. The ones who do damage, they don't feel good there but once you're fuckin' stupid enough to let them in you got no choice but to take the time it takes to work them out. Then there are the ones who don't do damage, who feel good there, feed the muscle, the bone, the soul, not rip it or break it or burn it. The ones you don't wanna work out.”
❣ - The underappreciated girl with a past will resist the initial allure of said hot guy because she has something tragic in her past or is slightly broken. But at least she is not 20 something….One of the best things about KAs MCs is that most of the time they are in their 30s and 40s.
“All my life, or as long as I can remember, I thought something special was going to happen to me. I just had this feeling, deep in my bones. I didn’t know what it was but it was going to be beautiful, spectacular, huge.” I leaned in further. “All… my… life.” I shook my head again and put my hand on the bar. “It didn’t. I waited and it didn’t happen. I waited more and it didn’t happen. I waited more and it still didn’t happen. I tried to make it happen and it still didn’t happen. Now I know it isn’t going to. It’s never going to happen because there isn’t anything special out there to happen.”
❣ - The KA heroine will freak out at some point and time and ramble on in a cute or over informative way.
❣ - There will be sex…lots of hot sex…even some in the shower and that is when I know this isn’t real life. Because have you ever tried to have sex in the shower…it is slippery and I think you are more likely to get a concussion than an orgasm
❣ - At some point there will be some crass talk…I personally look forward to this. It is usually dirty and mostly thrown in the face of someone who has wronged the MC so I totally look forward to the verbal smack down. There were a few of them in Sweet Dreams and they were all awesome.
❣ - You can usually count on a kidnapping, girl fight, alpha dominance fight or a tasering. If you are lucky you get a combo of them.
Sweet Dreams worked for me for a few reasons. I liked Laurie most of the time. She had a bad marriage and is a bit gun shy but she stands up for herself doesn’t let anyone walk all over her and is good to her friends. There is also Tate who made me happy just a little more than he made me angry but overall he just did it for me. It was probably all the crass talking.
The murder mystery while interesting totally plays second fiddle to the love story. This IS love story first and foremost with a mystery. Still I always love learning about the pasts of the characters to see why they are both a little broken and each one helps to fix the other. Tate’s history was just as tragic as Laurie’s was but in a different way.
KA did fortunately reign in all of the descriptions in this one. There are still a lot and I always know what a character is wearing, or the general vibe of a room but she didn’t go nearly as overboard as she did in The Gamble.
The side characters and the small town always add a lot to the story and this is no exception. I love that I feel like these are real places and you could go and visit Carnal and have a drink at Bubba’s and run in to Jim-Billy there and maybe watch Twyla throw down some attitude at bad tipping customers.
All and all this is one of my favorite KA books to date.
June 6, 2018
Re-read June 4, 2018
Re-read May 31, 2017.
This was my first Kristen Ashley book and it was just as good if not better the second time around. Since then I've read several of her books, but Sweet Dreams continues to be one of my all-time KA favorites. I've changed my 4 star rating to a 5 star, because I only rated down because of all the typos in her original self-published edition. Since then those have been corrected, and I love her signature rambling, run-on sentences, so I'm glad that wasn't changed.
Original review from 2012:
Forty-two year-old, Lauren's "picture perfect" marriage, of ten years, has fallen apart. She found out her husband, Brad, has been having an affair with her best friend for the last five years. Ouch! Lauren wants to escape the privileged life and her so-called friends (they all knew of the affair). So she's been on a road trip for four months but wants to finally settle somewhere. So she's decided to find a nowhere town and find a nowhere job, not to find anything "special" but to find peace. She ends up in Carnal, Colorado at a biker bar called Bubba's, and snags a job as a waitress. Lauren takes residence in the local motel and starts making friends. This is where she spots beautiful biker-man, Tate, pull up on his Harley and meet up with a larger than life woman, Neeta. Little does she know that this beyond hot man is one of her bosses at Bubba's bar. She shows up for work the next day and Tate walks in. Let's just put it this way. These two do NOT hit it off at first. Tate says something, almost unforgivable, about Lauren, and she overhears. Needless to say, these two lock heads for a while but there is obvious chemistry. Things begin to change when there's a murder and everyone is on alert. For some reason, beyond the understanding of Lauren, Tate makes Lauren's safety his priority.
I loved this book! Tate was alpha-male at its finest! He was possessive and protective. He could be rude and gruff, but his underlying loyalty and sweetness completely won me over! Plus, tattooed, hot biker guy, who can resist? I loved Lauren's character as well. To see her transformation from insecure and lost, to strong and confident was enjoyable. I was rooting for her at every step. She was such a sweetie, and her personal interest in everyone in the town, won them over to the point of everyone loving her. Everyone that is, except for Neeta, the woman we first see Tate with. Thankfully, Tate won't allow her to cause too many problems, but boy that woman was a hot mess!
You may have seen reviews on this book with people complaining of the typos, punctuation and run-on-sentence issues. This is true. This author is self-published and unfortunately, the editing is not what it could be. If this sort of thing annoys you to the point of ruining a story, you'd be better off passing on this one. But if you can overlook these issues, I highly recommend this book. The story was addictive and touching. The mystery surrounding the killings was good too, I was guessing up to the very end. I will be reading the rest of the books in the Colorado Mountain series. Kristen Ashley has found a fan in me!
April 12, 2015
REREAD (April 10, 2015)
In a time where I've grown less patient w/ overly long books, less-than-tight editing, and generic romances...
I'm kinda shocked to find that I STILL LOVE THIS BOOK as much as I did the first and second times reading it! For some reason, Tate and Laurie stand the test of time for me. Their love story is EVERYTHING! And I ended it, again, in pure bliss.
Three years later, almost to the day, since I finsihed it the first time...and still my favorite KA book...
REREAD (May 15, 2013)
This was my first KA book I'd ever read and I loved it the first time. After reading 20+ more of her books, along with 100's more other books since then, this remains one of my FAVORITE romance books...EVER.
Rereading it was a TREAT. I savored it. I normally power read through books. But with this, I read chapters, allowed myself to smile, fantasized a little bit about Tate, hugged my kindle, and then went back to reading. It was a joy.
New Observation:
I loved Tate the first time. I LOVED TATE the second time. Man, that guy is...just...just...THE BEST. His first words still stung, maybe even more this time around. But, sheesh, if a man can make up for hurt feelings like he does...whooooo wheeeee. God he redeems himself SO HARD. LOVE HIM!
Original rating: 5 stars
Reread rating: 5 stars
***********************************
ORIGINAL REVIEW (April 12, 2012)
I kinda loved this book.
1. Lauren is the BEST heroine in any chick-lit/romance book I've ever read! (yes, even I'd want her on the back of my bike...if I rode a bike...and had such inclinations). AND, I want her to be my best friend.
2. The scene w/ Wanda at the home goods store when Lauren & Wendy are buying sheets is PRICELESS. Pure comedy.
3. Secret's out: Jim-Billy is the true leading man in this book. :)
Reading this book made me want to savor every page and I literally laughed, cried, worried, and celebrated w/ the characters.
Question: why do all of these books seem to have angry, hard, oftentimes-mean leading men? Is that what every author really thinks women want? (and secretly do they?) I know we all want the Jerry McGuire "You complete me" fairy tale and to save a man from himself...but to put up with some of the anger issues...I don't know if it's worth it.
That being said, I'm not trying to hate on Tate. I actually heart him. I just think the angry alpha-male could get old real-quick. (luckily the book ended before it got old)
October 19, 2023
*4.5* Re-reading for the millionth time.
I always say KA heroes are an acquired taste, they are obnoxious, know-it-all men who take what they want. Somehow it works and I end up liking them…even though in real life they’d irritate the crap out of me.
What happens to Laurie at the end was completely the fault of Tate’s big ass bragging mouth.
*******
I love the strength in Lauren and the loving yet-alphahole in Tate.
I always say KA heroes are an acquired taste, they are obnoxious, know-it-all men who take what they want. Somehow it works and I end up liking them…even though in real life they’d irritate the crap out of me.
What happens to Laurie at the end was completely the fault of Tate’s big ass bragging mouth.
*******
I love the strength in Lauren and the loving yet-alphahole in Tate.
“Are you the good guy, the sweet guy who takes care of me or are you this guy who’s kind of a jerk?”Tatum Jackson might be one of my favorite KA H.
His answer was instantaneous. “I’m both those guys, babe.”
"You can trust me, Laurie.” His voice got deeper, that grown vibrating through it. “Swear to God, baby, there will never be a time when you can’t. Yeah?”
August 12, 2019
Second re-read: 12.08.2019:
Am I the only one who gets annoyed by all the use of ‘baby’, ‘darlin/darling’, ‘honey’, ‘babe’, and so forth that KA uses in EVERY book? Also, this book takes forever to read, so I don't get why I even started it. I skimmed a little, but not much, surprisingly, considering it's damned long and barely anything happens. And the constant cutting a sentence in order to make it more ‘alpha’ is also quite annoying. Overall, I don't understand myself at all. Tate's hot though. But KA's women are too boring.
Re-read: 05.03.2017:
I really don't get why I started re-reading this book. Nor do I get why I actually finished re-reading it. As you all know, I don't really get alone with KA's female characters, though Lauren ‘Laurie’ ‘Ace’ Grahame (42) ain't all that bad (but not the greatest either, but we get along), however I do love her male characters (mostly) and Tatum ‘Tate’ ‘Captain’ ‘Buck’ Jackson (44) is a character worth loving. He's hot, sexy, sweet, yet full of temper and has a mean mouth but honest and bold, commanding, and typical KA alpha male. As far as the story goes, it is alright. It's nothing special, but still alright. I specially adore Tate with Jonas ‘Bub’ Jackson (10). And I have to be honest - I was brought to (tears) teary eyes at some point in the book, even though I've read it before.
First read review:
Back at it again with my mixed feelings...
Now, I only have like two-three problems with this book:
→ 1) The ages of the characters = too close to my parents and it just feels a bit wrong for me.
→ 2) The book is way too long, considering not much happened.
→ 3) The book was dragged out, not much happened and did I mention it was long?
The story was dragged out, nothing exciting was happening, and it was pretty much the same old, same old: all the men wanting the woman who thought she was nothing special. I get it, it fun, and cute but it got me bored. I don't like being bored, specially when reading a long book. I like not wanting to stop reading, I like when my heart skips a beat and I find myself glued to every sentence. Did that happen here? No, for the most part I was wondering how long I had left of the book. I'm not saying it was bad, quite the opposite, it was just too long for me to actually enjoy it. I loose interest. Anyway, at least KA is really, and I mean really good at writing sexy, macho, alpha males ;) Oh! And is it just me, or do KA really love the words honey, babe, baby, and sweetheart? Perhaps a little too much?
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance
Series: - (Standalone?) Series, Book Two
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Tatum Jackson
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Sure.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2.5/3 stars.
Am I the only one who gets annoyed by all the use of ‘baby’, ‘darlin/darling’, ‘honey’, ‘babe’, and so forth that KA uses in EVERY book? Also, this book takes forever to read, so I don't get why I even started it. I skimmed a little, but not much, surprisingly, considering it's damned long and barely anything happens. And the constant cutting a sentence in order to make it more ‘alpha’ is also quite annoying. Overall, I don't understand myself at all. Tate's hot though. But KA's women are too boring.
Re-read: 05.03.2017:
I really don't get why I started re-reading this book. Nor do I get why I actually finished re-reading it. As you all know, I don't really get alone with KA's female characters, though Lauren ‘Laurie’ ‘Ace’ Grahame (42) ain't all that bad (but not the greatest either, but we get along), however I do love her male characters (mostly) and Tatum ‘Tate’ ‘Captain’ ‘Buck’ Jackson (44) is a character worth loving. He's hot, sexy, sweet, yet full of temper and has a mean mouth but honest and bold, commanding, and typical KA alpha male. As far as the story goes, it is alright. It's nothing special, but still alright. I specially adore Tate with Jonas ‘Bub’ Jackson (10). And I have to be honest - I was brought to (tears) teary eyes at some point in the book, even though I've read it before.
First read review:
Back at it again with my mixed feelings...
Now, I only have like two-three problems with this book:
→ 1) The ages of the characters = too close to my parents and it just feels a bit wrong for me.
→ 2) The book is way too long, considering not much happened.
→ 3) The book was dragged out, not much happened and did I mention it was long?
“You’re safe, Lauren,” he murmured and my eyes came back to his.
“You weren’t safe with him but, honey, swear to God, you’re safe with me.”
The story was dragged out, nothing exciting was happening, and it was pretty much the same old, same old: all the men wanting the woman who thought she was nothing special. I get it, it fun, and cute but it got me bored. I don't like being bored, specially when reading a long book. I like not wanting to stop reading, I like when my heart skips a beat and I find myself glued to every sentence. Did that happen here? No, for the most part I was wondering how long I had left of the book. I'm not saying it was bad, quite the opposite, it was just too long for me to actually enjoy it. I loose interest. Anyway, at least KA is really, and I mean really good at writing sexy, macho, alpha males ;) Oh! And is it just me, or do KA really love the words honey, babe, baby, and sweetheart? Perhaps a little too much?
“You want sweet dreams, lose the attitude and you might find I'll give you reason to have them.”
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance
Series: - (Standalone?) Series, Book Two
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Tatum Jackson
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Sure.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2.5/3 stars.
January 28, 2015
Amazon US ONLY: 'Sweet Dreams' by Kristen Ashley is ONLY .99 for a limited time <-- click the link to purchase (check price before one-clicking).
December 31, 2013
Wanted to reread one of the old favorites [for the 4th time] to end the year on a high only a few authors can provide, KA being one of them. I might re-review this baby in a new year but everyone should really read this if only for one reason & that reason being:
Tatum Jackson
July, 2013
Just read this again for the third (?) time I think and it only gets better and better with each re-read!
While reading this, I realized that Kristen's characters remind me so much of John Hughes and his characters because none of them are perfect and they all have flaws most of us can relate to. I feel like I grew out of John's films (although, one can never really grow out of those, can they??) and graduated into Kristen's books in terms of age relatability (is that a word??).
Without sounding like a parrot, I want to say [again] that the main reason I adore Kristen's books is because she writes about people that are much closer to my age and happen to deal with the same shit I deal with daily (as in teengers with attitudes, etc.) yet she somehow manages to make real life exciting! So, as I read those, I keep thinking "maybe there is hope for me after all" ... LOL!
OK, back to the book ...
How effin sexy is Tate???? Hello!!! Talk about "Moist Factor 500" and I am not even talking about baked goods in this case ;)
So, to make it short and sweet:
Tate is the guy you want to be with;
Laurie is the chick you want to be (Tate would be the reason why + her family is "the shit" as Tate would put it);
Jonas is the kid you don't mind adopting;
Betty and Ned you don't mind adopting as your second set of parents;
Sunny and Shambles would make the grooviest budies because not only do they have the goods, they are also able to provide you with wicked baked goods when you get the munchies;
Krystal would be nice to have around if and when you need somebody to have your back (same with Twyla!);
Wood would make a great back up plan if things don't work out with Tate ... just sayin'
This was easy 5 stars for me! 1st, 2nd and 3rd time around :)
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