Fire Inside by Kristen Ashley

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Chaos #2
Publication Date: 4th June 2013
Book Source: Forever & NetGalley

Synopsis: Lanie Heron isn’t looking for love—no surprise, considering her last serious relationship nearly got her killed. So when Lanie propositions Hop Kincaid, all she wants is one wild night with the hot-as-hell biker who patrols with the Chaos Motorcycle Club...

For Hop, Lanie has always been untouchable. She’s too polished and too classy for his tastes. But when she gives Hop the once-over with her bedroom eyes and offers him a night in paradise, he can’t say no. And he doesn’t regret it when he finds that Lanie is the best thing that’s ever happened to him—in or out of bed. Now the trick will be to convince her of that.

Karen's Thoughts:

Kristen Ashley’s men are certainly rough around the edges so if you are looking for a nice, clean, polished romance then Ashley’s stories might not be your style. If you are willing to read outside your ‘comfort’ zone then Kristen Ashley is well worth taking that risk with ...  biker lifestyle and rough language but the Chaos boys are loving, protective and loyal to ‘family’.

In the KA books I’ve read to date the men are motorcycle gang members, bounty hunters, private investigators, cops and the like. Most of them don’t live a pretty, well-ordered life.  If I was reading Hop’s profile on a dating website I’d probably give him a wide berth, he’s definitely alpha, demanding, possessive and dominant … but he's also loyal, respectful, protective and a loving father to two young kids. He’s certainly the kind of man you’d want to have your back.  

Lanie hasn’t had an easy time of things in the romance department. The fiancé she loved and planned to spend the rest of her life with ended up getting himself killed, her shot and her best friend kidnapped and nearly killed, trying to make some fast money to give her the wedding flowers she desired and in the process getting tangled up with the Russian Mob (Motorcycle Man). Lanie comes from money and a privileged lifestyle.  Hop does not.  Two very different people from very different worlds but together they nearly set fire to the pages. 

Hop can say things a little tenderly…

Her hands made it to his ass so he decided their conversation was over, and to communicate that to Lanie, he asked, “Are we gonna keep talkin’ or do you want wow?”

Or a little less tender and a bit more hmm ... direct

“Wanna fuck real quick before you go?”

The latest from KA lacks the usual drama and adventure, it focuses more on Hop and Lanie’s relationship which I felt was a refreshing change. We also didn't see much of the other Chaos brothers and their families. This story runs parallel to the story in book one, Own The Wind, Shy and Tabby’s story. Fire Inside could be read as a stand alone, but you will definitely get more from the story if you’ve read Own The Wind, but more importantly Motorcycle Man, as you will get a real insight into Lanie and her troubles. 

One thing I think Kristen Ashley does better than any other author is the way she intertwines characters from other series, they pop up in the most unexpected places.

I love discovering a new author has a huge backlist, so whilst I am waiting for her next instalment I'll be gobbling up that extensive backlist.

Guest Review by Karen Barr

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