Raid

Unfinished Hero #3

by Kristen Ashley

Hanna Boudreaux has lived in the small town of Willow all her life. She’s sweet, cute and quiet.

Hanna has a moment of epiphany when she realizes her crush for forever, Raiden Ulysses Miller, is not ever going to be hers. She sees her life as narrow and decides to do something about it.

Raiden Miller is the town’s local hero. A former Marine with the medal to prove his hero status, he comes home, shrouded in mystery. It takes a while, but eventually Hanna catches his eye.

After all these years of Raid and Hanna living in the same town, the question is why? Is Raid interested in Hanna because she’s sweet and cute? Or does Raid have something else going on?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Erotica, Military Fiction, Adult, BDSM

282 pages, ebook

First published February 25, 2013

About the author

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

(My casting for Raid ^^)

4.5 stars

‘Cause all you gotta know is, it’s gonna be you and only you until the day I die… You’re not just enough for me. You’re everything I want.”

The Queen of Alpha Males strikes again!

Ohhhhh the ANTICIPATION of starting a Kristen Ashley book!! Its like Christmas and birthday all rolled into one. I saw there for a good several minutes with my heart pounding just starting at the first page. Starting a KA book gives me the same feeling as jumping off a diving board – its exciting, thrilling, and you just KNOW that once you jump, there’s no turning back…

And I jumped.

I loved Raid, loved Hanna, loved their dynamic together, love the writing style (but of COURSE). But I will say this – and its not a complaint, just an observation – this book felt a little “muted” compared to some of KA’s other reads (and I’ve read all but 5 of them). Again, this isn’t a bad thing, but it just seemed be muted in every respect – like a photo that has been slightly desaturated. There were all the elements that we all LOVE and adore and live for in a KA book, but at the same time, they were just a little… muted.

Raiden “RAID” Miller is a man’s man – tall, muscular, gorrrrrrgeous – and Hanna has been in love with him ever since she first met him. He was nine. Unfortunately, he never seemed to notice her and despite being utterly gone for him by the time they were in high school, they lived in their separate worlds and still, he didn’t notice her. After high school, he went straight off to become a badass Marine and no one had really seen him since. Until he came back.

Fifteen years later, after most of his squad was tragically killed, Raid returnes to the town of Willow — a hero responsible for saving the lives of everyone from his squad who survived… and this time, Hanna catches his eye.

A few dates, much flirting and some misunderstandings later and the sparks begin to flyyyyy!!

First of all, I seriously can’t even TELL you how much KA’s writing affects me. All she has to do is write the word “badass” and my heart flutters. Make that “badass Marine” and I’m pretty much just reduced to a hyperventilating pile of goo. Add chin lifts to the equation and seriously, my heart just melts. A badass Marine doing a chin life to his girl = **MAJOR HEART FLUTTERS**

Raiden — what can I say, I’m in love with him. Here’s your visual: think tall, muscular, cargo pants, tight tee, aviators pushed back into his thick dark hair, gorgeous green eyes and a deep sexy voice. Add that to his uber Alpha male protectiveness and a seriously BOSSY and self assured attitude and … **MELT**

“Whether you got that in your bed before you go or hope to find it when you get back, that’s why you do it. You do it for her. You do it to keep her safe…. You get home in one piece, she’s your reward.”

His body pressed into mine…

“You’re my reward, Hanna.”

I loved Hanna too! She had a wonderful voice – the beginning of the story was told in her POV and her voice was fun, sassy and totally relatable in many ways. She was an open book – cute and goofy and lovable.

It was a shorter KA book than most of them – maybe even the shortest one that I have (judging by those little dots on my Kindle). At first I have to say that it didn’t really feel like it fit in with the Unfinished Hero “feel” of the series, but there is more to the story than meets the eye. You get little hints of it here and there. Its a subtle feeling. And when it all comes out, coinciding with a switch to Raid’s POV, that’s when you start seeing more of the Unfinished Hero feel begin.

When the secrets come out, Hanna is thrown right into his world. Raid doesn’t hold back and doesn’t keep secrets from her. He is upfront and honest – expecting her trust, but also giving it.

This book was smoking HOT! Like I said, Raid was bossy. Demanding. Controlling in the bedroom. But… he never pushed her. He was ALL about equal enjoyment. He tried out a few things that were beyond her (and my) comfort zone but the moment he sensed her uncertainty, it was off the menu. I loved that about him. But yeah… bossy!

“Right now, its just you and me.”
“Okay, Raiden.”
“And you’re not leaving.”
My belly flipped.
“Okay,” I breathed.

“I need you to trust it all to me.”
I was again confused. “Trust all what to you?”
“This,” his hands slid up my ribs and tightened. “You. All of you. I want you to trust it all to me.”

Seriously – KA just “gets” interactions. Dynamics. To the core. There is something just so RIGHT about them. Her words – everything – has WEIGHT. Depth. Just hits you right in the heart ♥

I loved that Raid did have a few epic screw ups but he also had epic apologies (I love a man who can say sorry!!). The thing about KA guys is that they always have some weird logic to their crazy actions… lol, its Alpha male logic. But I loved that he wouldn’t let anything get between them. He screwed up once but after that he wasn’t going to let anything get in their way.

“I give you shit, you do not eat it. Like today, you give it back to me. We’ll work it out, Hanna.”

This book had me squeeing out loud, grinning and fanning myself! There’s this huge feeling of being torn between wanting to read every world as slowly as you can to make it last and reading as fast as you can to just get more more more. It was very character focused. There’s less action in this story that most KA books and no actual bad guy. I’m really going with the term “slightly muted” on it though. I found it a little slow in certain parts and I didn’t connect “quite” as strongly to it as I did to some of the other KA books but I did still love it. I loved being in the KA world, I loved revisiting some of the characters (yes, Knight and Creed have cameos!) and I loved meeting yet another gorgeous, swoony Alpha to add to my book boyfriends list.

Overall I give it 4.5 stars.

*** I'm adding in a note here regarding reading order because a LOT of you have been asking about it. Hmmm I'm a HUGE stickler for reading books in order, especially KA books. But, technically you *can* read this one alone... however, both Knight and Creed have cameos in this book and it would actually be better if you could read them all in order. Plus there's the fact that CREED was actually my favorite one of the series and if you're going to read Creed, then you really should read Knight first cuz stuff from Knight plays into Creed... so yeah... just read them in order if you can :)

See above for my Casting photo for RAID :)

For more of my reviews, come visit my book blog at: http://aestasbookblog.com/
Or come join my group http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aestas-...

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 FEEL–GOOD Stars

Let's face it–Kristen Ashley writes romance like no other!

What a great book! In this story, Kristen Ashley gives us a solid, admirable hero and two amazing 5 star characters in Hanna, the heroine, and her great-grandmother, Miss Mildred. How I loved this amazing great-grandmother. She's the shining star of the story. Hanna is now my all-time favorite Kristen Ashley heroine. She's everything I love in a strong female lead. She's simply divine! As for the epilogue...well...it's one of Kristen Ashley's best, and that's saying something.

There's always a scene or two in each of Kristen Ashley's books that seems to sum up the couple for me. In Raid, this was the scene. I just loved it! I read it again and again.

She stared into his eyes and announce, “A good-bye kiss.” It was at that Raid stopped dead. “What?”

“Raiden, the gig is up,” she declared and Raid closed his eyes.

Jesus, how could the woman be so infuriating and so fucking cute all at once?

He opened his eyes and asked, “The gig is up?”

She leaned into him and hissed, “Yes.”

Fuck, he wanted to kiss her.

He also wanted to shake her.

“Baby, it’s the jig,” he corrected and her head jerked which made the mess of hair on her head jerk, which reminded him he wanted his hands in that hair.

Then elsewhere.

He needed to speed this shit up.

“Sorry?” she asked, sounding confused and he looked from her hair to her eyes and saw she was, in fact, confused.

Yeah. Infuriating. And fucking cute.

“The jig is up, not the gig,” he told her.

Her eyes narrowed. “Seriously? You’re correcting my street lingo?

“Think that street lingo was the street lingo about eight decades ago, Hanna. So now it’s just lingo.”

Hanna threw up her hands. “Now you’re giving me a street lingo history lesson?”

ARC kindly provided to Swept Away By Romance by Kristen Ashley and Chas in exchange for an honest review

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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!

[Vishous · Rating 2 out of 5]

buddy read with Jamie and girls on 28th!!!!!

ok this is my first KA review! I never wrote them because they would all be the same pretty much but my fingers are hovering over my keyboard and I just have to.
Don't get me wrong now, I love KA books, my first was SWEET DREAMS with TATE and I will always love that book! But my favorite one would be AT PEACE with CAL! I re-read those books dozens of times and those two I will never get tired of. I never really liked Knight and the one with the vampire guy (I am sorry I am writing over my mobile and can't remember the name correctly but I think it was Lucien). I don't know why but I always thought she writes better about "normal" guys then "BDSM" or paranormal (but those I read only 2).

So the reasons I am giving this one 2 stars are this:

I accepted that all the characters will always be the same but I guess I got tired of it.

I am especially tired of reading that all the female characters are always wearing strappy spiked high-heeled sandals.

I think if I would now go and make a comparison with every KA male character they would pretty much say always the same thing and think and do always the same thing.

The first sex is always around 30% and the female character is always beaten or abducted around 90%.

I am tired of reading why they (men) love their women pussies (actually I am tired of that word).

I am tired of reading how the female character always has to have some friend to tell her how to handle things and to "open her eyes" because why and I mean oh why do they never think with their own head?!

I am tired of lots of things but I am also tired of naming them.

In the end I was really struggling to finish this because I found it quite boring :(

So I will tell just one more thing:

I am giving KA 2 more chances with CHAOS (because I already pre-ordered the book) and with GOLDEN DYNASTY (because I heard he is a savage that doesn't speak english therefore I am really excited to read how will he tell her why does he love her pussy the most).

I know everybody loves KA and I am really sorry I am writing this and I might be wrong but that is only my opinion (just because I am Racht's minion doesn't mean I am evil like my queen :))

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 hot, exciting, romantic stars!

Raid is the third book in Kristen Ashley’s Unfinished Hero series and right from the start, grabbed hold and never let go. It’s sweet, it’s funny, it’s sexy... yep! It’s all kinds of awesome!

Description...

Hanna Boudreaux has lived in the small town of Willow, Colorado all her life. The great-granddaughter of the town matriarch, she's sweet, cute and quiet.

Too quiet.

Hanna has a moment of epiphany when she realizes her crush for forever, Raiden Ulysses Miller, is not ever going to be hers. She sees her life as narrow and decides to do something about it.

Raiden Miller is the town of Willow's local hero. An ex-marine with the medal to prove his hero status, he comes home, shrouded in mystery. It takes a while but, eventually, Hanna catches his eye.

But after all these years of Raid and Hanna living in the same town, the question is, why? Is Raid interested in Hanna because she's sweet and cute? Or does Raid have something else going on?

My review...

If you’ve read the previous books in this series, Knight and Creed, you know that these “unfinished heroes” are men who don’t just walk the edge of honor, they spit on it, cross it, and never look back. They’re men who live and love by their own code, make no excuses for what they do, and Raiden Ulysses Miller is no different. And thank God for that!

Hanna. She is such a doll! She’s cute, she’s funny, she’s clever and talented… she’s absolutely awesome. With her girlie girl bike, and girlie girl basket and cutsie handlebar streamers, she’s a woman who knows what she likes and isn’t embarrassed to flaunt it. She loves life and does everything she can to make sure the people around her love life, too. She’s the kind of person who is so amazing, so awesome, that if I can’t be her, I’d want to be part of her world. And that’d be true even if she wasn’t getting a happily ever after with one incredibly sexy man.

Speaking of which…

Raid. Intense. Solid. Honorable. Sexy. Devoted. Confident. He’s a man who knows that there’s a big gray area between what’s right and what’s wrong, and I love how he works that area to his advantage. In truth, the world needs more men like Raiden Ulysses Miller. I think of all KA’s unfinished heroes - not just those in the series - he’s the most grounded, and the most okay with what he does, which is something else I love about him.

There’s something extra special about this story, and it's Hanna's great grandmother, Miss Mildred, who is an absolute hoot! I don't think I've ever enjoyed a 'secondary' character as much as I enjoyed her, and truth be told, there's nothing 'secondary' about her. Everything about this woman shines, and I absolutely adore her! Between Raid, Hanna and Miss Mildred, the first several chapters of this story put such a huge smile on my face that my cheeks hurt, seriously! And then as the story continues, the people and places of Willow, Colorado kept that smile there, and, had me laughing, sighing, fanning myself and sobbing so hard I couldn’t see to keep reading… and I loved each and every minute of it.

The bottom line...

What can I say? Raid’s a typical Kristen Ashley hero, but there’s something… more… about him... something that makes him stand out from the others. He’s truly incredible and I love how he gives Hanna the happily ever after she's always dreamed of. And Hanna, with her rose colored glasses and beautiful spirit – I love how she gave Raid the happily ever after that he not only needs, but one he's more than deserving of.

They are, each to the other, their reward.

My thanks to Kristen Ashley and Chas for providing Blithely Bookish Reviews with a copy of Raid in exchange for an honest review! What a HUGE treat this has been!

Follow Kristen Ashley on Facebook and Twitter

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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!

[~ Becs ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

For an awesome Kristen Ashley Giveaway, pop over to Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews!



It’s been a while since I’ve been in the loving arms of a Kristen Ashley alpha hero and it’s so nice to be back – it kind of feels like coming home. When I first discovered Kristen Ashely, I read her books slavishly but, now, I have to wait for new releases and I was so excited and honoured to received an ARC of Raid and I’m delighted to report that it’s another classic Kristen Ashley – compelling, romantic and sexy as hell!


Raiden Ulysses Miller, from now on known as Raid is our Unfinished Hero. He’s absolutely typical Kristen Ashley hero material – he’s bossy, he knows what he wants, he’s protective, he’s gorgeous and he’s burning white-hot for Hanna, our dorktastic heroine. Raid has had it tough it has to be said. After growing up with a violent, bullying father he joined the marines and lost most of his crew when an op went totally FUBAR in Afghanistan and has returned home and now works in the shady underworld headed up by Knight Sebring. When he looks at Hanna – he sees something that’s full of goodness, a complete contrast to his life so far and he sees her as his reward for a life lived hard.


Hanna, his reward, is our totally dorky, cute, sweet and very lovable heroine – think Meg Ryan or Sandra Bullock as gorgeous, loveable kooks in a chick flick and you have the measure of Hanna. She’s been crushing on Raid her whole life and he’s never once noticed her. Now he’s back from the Marines she’s hanging out at his sister’s cafe in the hope that he will see her until she sees me him making out with a woman who couldn’t be more different than her. Losing hope, she gives up and decides this is a turning point and that she must go live her life to the full as Raid is never going to be hers. She hardly ever saw Raid but, unknown to her, he had started to notice her.


So, Raid pursues Hanna and she can’t believe her luck but questions his motives and we start along the tortuous angsty path that you’ll be familiar with if you’re a Kristen Ashley fan. Raid is just a little bit kinky and likes to play and Hanna finds that she’s really not as vanilla as she thought as they practically set fire to my Kindle with their steamy sex scenes. Oh yes, I enjoyed these!! Raid, of course, is fiercely protective of Hanna – she’s like a ray of sunshine brightening up his dark, troubled world and the Raid that came back from Afghanistan is not the same man that went but, slowly, Hanna is putting that smile back on his face and helping him heal and face up to his nightmares. Raid, right from the beginning, knows that Hanna is the one that he wants but can he keep her protected and hidden from the shady world he inhabits?


A big shout out must go to the scene stealing pair of Miss Mildred, Hanna’s great-grandmother and Spot, her very ornery cat. Miss Mildred may now be sitting in her porch chair in the sunset of her life but she’s a fiercely protective old matriarch and sees straight away that Raid is perfect for Hanna but also sees the fire burning inside and warns Hanna to be prepared. She’s not a woman used to holding back her opinions and I laughed frequently at her antics and also at Spot, ankle slasher extra-ordinaire! Hanna also has a best friend that you will recognise if you’re a die-hard Kristen Ashley fan.


I did think Raiden was a pretty unusual name and had to giggle at the following scene……..

“Raiden is a silly-ass romance novel hero’s name my Mom came up with to torture me,” he
replied.
I stifled a giggle and remarked, “And Raid isn’t silly?”
He smiled. “Raid’s a badass’s name.”

OK Raid – you sure are a badass so we’ll let you get away with that one but that made me laugh!!


This is a great continuation of the Unfinished Hero series and we get to catch up with Knight, Anya, Creed, Sylvie and Deacon – I sure hope Deacon gets his story some time very soon. I loved every second I was with this book – it’s funny, its very sexy, it’s sweet and romantic and there were a few gasp out loud moments and I even cried a little too and it’s pretty much all kinds of awesome! It’s just about perfect contemporary erotic romance. Kristen Ashley, really at her finest.


4.5 stars erotic romance

ARC courtesy of Kristen Ashley & Chas with thanks

For more reviews, please visit Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews or visit us on Facebook.

[Georgia ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALL HAIL KRISTEN ASHLEY, QUEEN OF ALPHA MALES!



Kristen, you are killing me... Every damn time! I've reached a point that I measure all the men in my life using your "scale". I want a boyfriend/man that will back me up against a wall, call me a loveable and ridiculous nickname, knock my socks off in and out of bed and order me around while I'm replying: "Alright, honey" and do whatever the hell I want...

You are ABSOFUCKINGMAZING and you have us hooked.

4 Stars

“My reward.”



This book is no exception in the general Kristen Ashley rule of awesomeness. Love, emotion, dynamics and interactions are fiercely realistic, you live with these heroes. And when you reach the end you feel like you lost your best friend...

Hanna Boudreaux has lived in Willow her whole life. The great-granddaughter of the town's matriarch she is respected and beloved. She is kind and generous and she is nursing the biggest crush EVER!

“I fell in love with you when I was six and I didn’t know who you were.”

It's adorable and hilarious watching her trying to act cool and unaffected and you can't help but root for her..



She is easily one of the most relatable female leads. You respect her and you get her. She speaks her mind, doesn't take bullshit and deals with matters head on. Okay, her job creating afghans seems a little unbelievable but adds to her character making her more quirky and sassy.

But when her crush finally notices her, will she be able to tame the storm and survive the flames?

“Raiden Ulysses Miller.”

An amazing name for an amazing man. Following the tradition of all KA males, he is obsessed, protective and possessive. But he hides some deep scars..

Raid, is also one of Willow's beloved children. He grew up in town taking care of his mother and sister, compensating for his deadbeat father. He joined the Marines and fought in Afghanistan but hasn't returned the same.. He left pieces of his soul behind and nightmares are haunting his nights. And what he chose for a living? It will take a strong woman to deal with all of these. Raid needs love...



These two are finally on the same page and things are explosive.

Yes, hot and imaginative and heartwarming and sweet and amazing!

Hanna and Raid found the other half of their souls and will do anything to keep it. Fight demons, enemies and their own instincts...



A special mention for Hanna's great-grandmother, Mildred... Her calmness, wisdom and acceptance ruled this book. Hilarious and outspoken as only a really old person can be, a reminder that grandparents deserve respect and unconditional love.
And that reminds me: Gran Virginia, my parents didn't name me after you as you wished, but that hasn't stopped you from adoring me... The feelings are mutual! ❤ Promise me you will live forever! ❤ (and now I hear your voice:"Don't be silly, child... Death is a whole new challenge and you know your grandfather is helpless up there without me..")❤ *sniff*

My only wish/regret is that this book wasn't longer... I really wanted more interaction, more back-story, especially what happened to Raid, more EVERYTHING!

And a final warning... the epilogue destroyed me.



If you haven't read a Kristen Ashley book yet, you are really missing out...

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ‘Absofuckingmazing’ Stars!!!!!

Let me introduce you to my new favorite KA couple...

Raiden Ulysses Miller


Hanna Boudreaux


Hanna Boudreaux has had a crush on Raiden Miller since she has been six years old. She is now in her late twenties. She lives in the house she grew up in, is the town sweetheart, and helps take care of her ninety eight year old great grams. She owns her own business, and spends most of her free time reading, watching movies etc. Not the most exciting life.
Raiden has been in the marines, after going to war, he is now home. Hanna spends months trying to catch Raid’s eye, but it never happens. She decides she needs a change. She wants to live a little. Have some fun, make some changes. She does all this, and Raid starts to notice.

Hanna was a near perfect heroine for me. She was funny, sweet, lovable and a bit of a dork.
I was a klutz and a dork. I was a dorky klutz!
I just loved her to pieces.
Raiden... oh Raid. In the words of Miss. Mildred...
 “He’s the cat’s pajamas.”
Raid is hot! He is an alpha male, of corse, sexy and protective. He has some issues, as do most who have been in war and seen the things he has seen, but he tries to work through them.

Raid goes after Hanna. He wants her to be his woman. She is flabbergasted. The man she has wanted for over twenty years finally wants her. It takes her a little time to get used to this.
“You might want to try to stop being so sexy and hot and cool or you’ll give me a heart attack and then your plans for later will be completely derailed.”

Their relationship is not obstacle free. Raid’s job is complicated and seems a little sketchy at times. But Hanna has been in love with Raid forever, and he is starting to fall for her too.
“Christ, no joke, it hurts to even look at you and believe you’re real. So fuckin’ sweet, I remembered there’s a God and He actually likes me.”

Hanna and Raid have chemistry. Kristen Ashley can write a sex scene like no other... I was not disappointed with Raid!

“You’re gonna let me play with that body. You’re gonna let me work you ‘til you’re so fuckin’ wet you’re drenched for me. And when I let you come I’m gonna make it feel like you’re coming apart at the seams.”

Hanna and Raid are great together, but Raid has demons he is dealing with from his past, Hanna tries to help him, to fix him, but will she get burned?
A handsome man.
A damaged man.
A man I intended to fix.

I love everything I’ve read by Kristen Ashley, but her Unfinished Hero’s series is my favorite by far. Although Knight is still my favorite KA alpha man, Raid was a close second. And he and Hanna are most definitely my favorite KA couple. Raid is an awesome badass alpha and Hanna was great, someone you could see your self being best friends with. And I just loved her Gran. It was also great to see Sylvie, Creed, Anya, and Knight(swoooon). A fantastic story with a lot of love, sex, humor, smiles, drama and even a few tears. No KA book would be complete without a perfect ending/epilogue! A really great read I couldn’t put it down!

Some of my favorite lines:

“Honey, you look straight out of a chick flick. Cute outfit. Glass of wine. Sexy, messy hair. Cute house that looks out of a magazine. Not a lick of makeup and you look prettier than any woman I’ve seen in over a year. Gabbin’ on the phone like you look this good, in a place that looks this good every day when that shit’s impossible. Chick flick.”

“How the fuck can you make something that makes no sense make sense?”



“You, just like that, any man would fight and die for the privilege of comin’ home to that every day.”

“Now, are you gonna fuck me or spend the next hour talkin’ to me?” he asked.
“I suppose I’ll fuck you.” I muttered

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Raid - 5 Stars

Listening to Raid - 1 Star...and I may never recover from that horrible experience.

****

So I persevered until the very end and I have to say that the audio pretty much ruined my Raid experience. My rating will stay at 5 stars for the read...but I'm tempted to read it again just to cleanse me from that nightmare.

That bloody audio, the narrator butchered poor Raid's voice. Hannah's wasn't much better, but at least it was appropriate. There is nothing worse than listening to a sex scene when it all sounds the same. When the moaning and the dirty talk sounds like the same person...it's kind of like...talking dirty to yourself?? I'm probably not explaining it well, but it kind of sounded like I was listening to a lesbian couple. No offence, but it's just not my cup of tea. His sexy demands really sounded bad in a woman's voice. I'm still pulling funny faces from the memory, even as I'm typing this review.

Do yourself a favour, if you're thinking of trying out Raid - DO NOT EXPERIMENT WITH THE AUDIO. It has the potential to scar you for life (shudders).

GUESS WHAT?? Wildest Dreams is downloading as I type!!! YAY!!!!

*************************************
Oh my Lordy, I have loved every KA audio I've listened to so far, but this one is not going so well. The narrator can't change her voice to a male to save herself. I'm seriously struggling to differentiate between Hannah and Raid...and that's bad. I always pictured Raid with a deep and gravely voice, not the high pitched one I'm getting (shudders).

I will persevere...

After all, this is only to tide me over until WILDEST DREAMS comes out :-)

[Vika aka ♔ of GIF & Grumpy Smut-ateer *P/T Freebie Fairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHY KIT? WHY????????? Why that ending? No, you didn't spoil us with all your wonderful HEA... Can we go back to that? Please???



As you can see I am not a happy camper and I was the self appointed mayor of all that is KA shoving it down into everyone's throat to read (in a nice way of course)... but this... this! I did not expect. That ending alone almost erased all the hotness that was before.


So to deal with this I am developing an amnesia... and the story OFFICIALLY ended Pre-Prologue... THERE! so much better... now on to the review.


MEET MY RAID!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hanna is a typical mousey homebody girl who has had a crush on Raiden since she was 6. Now all grown up she sits in his sister's cafe waiting to catch a glimpse of him... but he never does... until she transforms.



And honestly she doesn't even pop up on his radar because of her attitude and clothes transformation... oh no! she gets on pop-up on his WORK RADAR first.

So obviously in his macho ways he goes about getting a date with her by being pushy and well all macho till her brain melts 'till she's just barely coherent enough to nod her response. H-O-T!

But he more than noticed her then... she becomes his REWARD.
As an ex-marine he has his demons. Demons that Hanna sets up to battle. Helping him through his nightmares with some "bumps" in the road but she accomplishes does it with love and care and long legs and Betty Sue look and shitload of patience.

“I waited for you for almost a lifetime. I’m not going to get you and have any of the good parts torn away, like you sleeping somewhere else. I like sleeping with you. I feel safe with you beside me. I wake up happy. They don’t get to take that from me, and further, they don’t get it from you.”
He gave me a light shake.
“Babe, tonight, no clue what I was doin’, I threw you across the room.” “Throw me out the window, I don’t care. Just don’t make me sleep without you.”

Other than that ending... this is classic KA... feel good romance, hot sex, crazy town & it's inhabitants, wacky family, HOT SEX, bitchy ex, ornary animal, danger, oh and have I mentioned HOT SEX?

“You good?”
“Um… they haven’t measured this level of good, thus it has as yet gone undefined, so the answer is yes, but the word is wrong.”
His arms tightened and his body started shaking. Idiotically, I kept talking.
“I’ll be contacting Webster tomorrow. My suggestion will be absofuckingmazing.”

KA certainly exploring different kinky sexual life-styles in this one and I applaud her. Might not be my thing but she is a strong advocate to "If it doesn't work for you, speak up! Both parties should enjoy it"

Suddenly, he asked, “Trust me?”
“Yes,” I answered immediately.
“Then on all fours, baby, crawl to me and do it slowly.”

Personally I should have listened to everyone else and NOT read the Epilogue and this book would have been a solid 5 for me. But alas...



Special Thank you to all my buddy Reads on this Book: Jamie, Sultan, Jamie, Jillian, Allison, Sharon, Vishous, AnnMarie, Carla, Cheryl, Heather, Tammy and I hope I didn't forget anyone else... you made the thread so entertaining and hilarious. We have to do it AGAIN... soon!



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Holy KA Gods!!!!! IT'S OUT!!!!!!!

http://amzn.com/B00BLN4BVE





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[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Knight https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... , Creed https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... , so-so.
Raid is the 3rd book in Kristen Ashley’s Unfinished Heroes Series and I enjoyed it immensely….one of the reasons being the heroine’s grandmother. She was such a fabulous and unforgettable character……

“Don’t get ideas. That boy’s behind won’t mount a bike, precious. He might blow one up in a military exercise, but he’s not gonna ride alongside you while you mosey into town and pick up salad fixin’s for dinner.”

Raiden Ulysses Miller,ex Marine hero comes back home, trying to deal with PTSD and the darkness of his time in service meets Hanna Boudreaux,the sweet and lovely local girl, who has had a crush on Raid since she was 6 years old….he of course, has never noticed her.
Hanna decides she needs to change her life….new look, sporty new car, soon gets her noticed……
There are some dark moments and some really hilarious ones…..the dialogue had me rolling on the floor a few times.

Loved seeing these two finding and healing each other…… a true HEA…..

“Cause all you gotta know is, it’s gonna be you and only you until the day I die… You’re not just enough for me. You’re everything I want.”

Next one…Deacon, the bounty hunter!!!!!

[❤️ Dorsey aka Wrath Lover Reviews ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another FanFreakinTastic 5 Star KA Read!!!!

This is best and my favorite (so far...) in KA's "Unfinished Hero" series. Raiden Ulysses Miller is delicious . Hanna is sweet, real, and very likable. The big surprise was Hanna's scene stealing adorable and worldly Great Gram & her cat Spot!! Nobody does swoon worthy hot uber alpha males like Kristen Ashley and Raid is no exception.



Hanna fell in love with Raid when she played tug of war on his team when she was 6 yrs old. Twenty plus years later, when Raid returns home after leaving the Marine's Hanna does what she can to catch his eye. When she spots him with a skanky skank she gives up hope figuring since she's not a skank, she doesn't stand a chance at him noticing her.




Eventually he does notice her and in wonderfully epic KA fashion Raid goes after his woman, his reward!!

“If you’re the kind of woman who can withstand the blaze of hellfire he’s got burning inside, he battles that and wins, you will know nothing for the rest of your life, no taste, no experience, not even the birth of your children that will be sweeter than the love he’ll have for you.”- Mrs. Mildred, (Gram)

“You’re my reward, Hanna.” - Raid

❤️ *Sigh*....I love Raid!!!" ❤️



"That girl in the porch swing, knittin' a goddamned afghan and drinking wine, carefree because you sweat and bleed so that's what she can be".




"My bike isn't silly"
"Babe, it is."
"It's cutesie and girlie"
"It's that too. Absolutely" he agreed.

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written April 27, 2015

4.2 Stars - A very sweet sharing / giving / growling / mumbling / etc... tender hot KA

Raid is a Kristen Ashley book that has been waiting in my e-reader more than two years now. When I saw there was a newly published audiobook I cheered and downloaded it at onc. ~ Just three more bucks and hope of 9:30 hours well invested listening time.

“Babe, tell me right now you aren’t fuckin’ with me.”
“I’m kind of fucking with you in the hopes that you’ll return the favour,” I replied.’

Wisely invested coins, well spent listening-time
In my opinion a steamy romantic KA treat as done for a girl like me right now. Not too kinky (as book #1 - Knight partly was) for my "delicate" taste neither.

*********************************************************

Willow — a small town somewhere in Colorado

Hanna Boudreaux is a sweet and nice small town girl at her twenty seven year. When she realizes her crush for forever, Raiden Ulysses Miller, is not ever going to be hers she start to change her life and her style. ...A tiny little bit.

Raid, a former Marine, is the town’s local war hero with the medal to prove his status. He came home, is quite mysterious, seems dangerous and first after a while catches the funny, blond and beautiful Hanna his eye.

...A touching but also sizzling hot romance story starts. Not "bang on" but maybe insta.

“Downstairs, you made a decision,” he stated quietly, and my breath started to quicken.
He was very right. I did. I nodded.
“I know it freaked you, baby, but I hope you come to understand what I gave you downstairs was a gift that, in giving, means a fuckuva lot to me.”

*********************************************************

There are a lot of 'sharing' and 'giving' just as a sweet KA romance should be. The hero is a growling alpha male dream, the heroine is cute and easy to like and these two are hot together. Add a very old witty grandma, a fat lazy cat and a short meeting with some favorite characters from other books.

“You think I’m a man who’s got a thing that good, he’ll let it go?”
“No,” I whispered.
“That would be fuck no,” he corrected.’



“Did I just get surrounded by a pack of hot guys and a petite woman who is clearly badass who are all off to hunt my man, who’s off hunting the man that had three of his goons beat the dickens out of me?”

The audiobook edition and narrator
Simply wonderful and pleasantly narrated by Dara Rosenberg at its best. This shorter format is also kind of great if you don't have time for an ordinary much longer KA audiobook (usually 16 - 24 hours).

*********************************************************

Raid felt really quick, light and easy —not much actually happens— but the lovestory, steam and grunting h@rny hero were there so it was in all ways pretty okay.
Highly recommended in this new audiobook shape as well.

I LIKE - yummy heart touching stories from Ms Ashley

[Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sitting down with a KA novel you know what you are going to get, it’s agreed.
For loyal fans everywhere KA books are a blanket of love, hope, optimism and (let’s be honest) wishful thinking. These books are for the girl in all of us who want to be wrapped up in the arms of a big strong handsome hunky hero (anti or not), finding, conquering and fixing the man, who is your soul mate who will love and adore YOU above all others no matter how fat your arse is.

This is the perfect formula for romance novels, and it works. Ms Ashley is the queen of the alpha man romance, giving her readers the confidence to believe in themselves as real woman and not feel the need to be skinny -minny plastic fantastic. Her message is we are woman, we work it and we rock what we got!

In this I applaud you Kristen Ashley always and forever.

So it is with a heavy heart that I fail to find the love for this book. As a loyal fan and consummate devourer of her books I can honestly say that her stories are beginning to fall flat.

I have ignored all editorial issues, long running sentences, first person POV (a personal pet hate) monosyllabic dialogs, the over use of “and then… “ and “I know this because…” in the past purely because Ms Ashley can tell a tale so riveting and compelling with fabulous characters, action packed plots, heartfelt romance, steamy sex, humour and drop dead gorgeous alpha hero’s. I simply don’t care when the story is that great! But this is not that great, not at all.

Raid offers only a sniff of what her other books have to offer. The relationship building is non-existent; it’s rushed and lacks any tension in anticipation.
The plot is vague in its direction and then the culmination is glossed over with a, it’s done comment which gives the reader no real insight as to what happened at all. I was bored, it has to be said.

It is hard not to compare Raid to her previous books At Peace, Sweet Dreams, Motorcycle Man, Mystery Man (I could go on) where her plots are filled with anticipation and suspense, they are well rounded, fleshed out and provocative, sexy, fast paced and totally enthralling. Raid is none of these things. Nope, not even the sexy part.

I feel it’s come to a point where her alpha males are all meshed into one. Raid could quite easily be Tack, Ty, Creed or any of the others in fact. Their dialog is the exactly same in every book, the way they think, the way they move, their rambling alpha speeches have the same tone and message, their seductions with words like “eyes on me”, “give me your mouth”
I have read it all before, they all say it, again and again. It’s all becoming just a little bit too familiar, which is okay (I guess, kind of… no not really) if the plot was something I could sink my teeth into and just get on with it.

I really do hope to see a return of the KA magic in her next books with a bit more originality, the same recipe of course but just more glimmer, and shine with some angst and suspense and a plot that has me guessing all the way through. This is easy stuff for her, she’s done it before;)

They say great books ruin us for mediocre books. This is true.

PS: The stars are for Grammy and Spot.

[Auntee · Rating 5 out of 5]

No synopsis here, just thoughts...

Well I give up. I finished this book over a week ago and still haven't written a review? And do you know why? Because I've run out of superlatives for this author. Every KA book that I've read has been a winner, but this one...Raid...and Hanna? I've just loved them so much...words escape me. I'm not even going to try anymore. Everything about this one worked for me--muscular, former Marine drop-dead-gorgeous alpha tough guy (but not over-the-top alpha like so many of KA's heroes) was the perfect alpha hero. He had issues, but they weren't insurmountable (at least nothing that a cute, nerdy, crushing-on-him-forever, afghan-making, lovable, relateable heroine can't fix), and he worked a little outside the law but "who cares?" I loved this gentleman Alpha! And I loved good girl Hanna and that spitfire great- grandma of hers! Oh yeah, and "Spot" the cat!:) 'Nuff said. Fans of KA (and fans of a good old erotic contemporary) do yourself a favor and read this book--you won't be sorry. It has everything--good story, awesome characters and character development, hot sex, fabulous epilogue...and just the right book length. This book grabbed me so much, I haven't picked up another one since (and I should really get it out of my system by now). This ranks right up there with At Peace, and Raiden Miller is my favorite Kristen Ashley hero.. 5 big stars!

Hanna...


Raid...

[Flo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 porch swings and sweet rewards STARS

“If you’re the kind of woman who can withstand the blaze of hellfire he’s got burning inside, he battles that and wins, you will know nothing for the rest of your life, no taste, no experience, not even the birth of your children that will be sweeter than the love he’ll have for you.”

Oh man, that was all kinds of sweet and adorable and naughty and heartbreaking and a little cheesy...but in a good way...I think. ;D

Book number three in the Unfinished Hero series and this time around we meet Raid and Hanna. A hard ass alpha-male, *duh* and a sweet country girl who couldn't be more different if they tried.

I'm sorry, it took me a while to write this review, just because in the meantime I read two other Kristen Ashley books and there is no end in sight. Suffice to say, I love Ms. Ashley and I love her domineering bad boys even more. Almost like a drug I can't quit. Freaking unbelievable. My sleeping time has gone down to 3-4 hours a night.



Yup, that's how I feel about KA! No regrets.

But let's get to the good part. What's it all about and why you need to read this freaking series and most importantly why we all need to invest in a house with a swing on the porch.

“I fell in love with you when I was six and I didn't know who you were.”

It all started years ago in a small town called Willow, Colorado. Little Miss Sunshine, also known as Hanna Boudreaux, develops a crush on Raid, the boy every girl in town loves and who indecently never even noticed our heroine. Doesn't stop her from daydreaming about him, but... Yup, life is hard and then you die...or something like that. ;P

Years later, Hanna lives her life looking after her ninety-seven year old great-grandmother and in her free time stalking the town’s favourite son, who -after serving in the Marines- went off the grid, just to reappear in Willow six months earlier.

I have to confess, I had a few problems with the first chapter. It basically was all about Hanna obsessing/borderline stalking Raid, it was annoying as hell and it got me worried for a sec. But there is a silver lining...it's just KA's way to set up the story and it's just one chapter. No need to panic.

Luckily after a little eye opener Hanna decides to pull it together and change her life. Oh boy, she does that. From one day to the other she expands her business, gets a make-over, buys a new car and oh, that new ridiculous bike she drives around town. Finally, as it turns out Hanna is actually a really nice heroine. She is sweet, caring, independent and whole lot of dorky and cute.

Funny thing is, the moment Hanna changes her life and focuses on actually living it the tables turn. Would you believe that Raid suddenly notices her? Well, there might be a twist, but I can tell you he is looking, and what he sees doesn't disappoint. Question is...WHY?

“Honey, you look straight out of a chick flick. Cute outfit. Glass of wine. Sexy, messy hair. Cute house that looks out of a magazine. Not a lick of makeup and you look prettier than any woman I’ve seen in over a year. Gabbin’ on the phone like you look this good, in a place that looks this good every day when that shit’s impossible. Chick flick.”

Raiden Ulysses Miller, just like all the other unfinished heroes is a marvellous book-boyfriend. He is all kinds of sexy, incredibly good looking, territorial, bad-ass and so sweet with Hanna...*sigh* its heaven, right out of the KA hand-book.

But what is a perfect hero without the dark back-story and a little drama? Not much, right? So yeah, Raid has demons mostly pertaining to his past in the military, but he is working on it and it is possible that Hanna can help a little.

The thing I liked most about Raid is his determination, he knows what he wants and he is here to collect...beg, borrow or steel. No questions asked. He wants his 'reward' and he is out to get it. ;D

“You,that dress, those shoes, that hair, beverages and furniture you can get horizontal on would not be a good combination.”

Contrary to the last book, this one wasn't as drawn out and littered with unnecessary plot repeats. Yes, in true KA fashion the book is a slow burner and highly detailed, but I didn't lose interest or felt the need to skip anything.

Raid and Hanna's story was sweet and very cheesy at times...but in a good way. In fact, I think within the Unfinished Heroes series this one is the most mellow and harmless book. But I still loved reading it. There is no point in writing 5 books which are all the same, so a change was quite welcome.

That is not to say that Raid is a soft character, quite the opposite. He is an anti-hero through and through. He has very little if any regard for the law and of course he works with Creed and Knight. That just tells you everything you need to know.

I really loved the side characters...especially Hanna's great-grandma, who has this almost clairvoyant look on things, but I guess that comes with age and having lived it all before. Also, honorary mentions for Raid's mum and sister.



Just one last thing and I'll be done...promise. Why are there 63 people who labelled this book with BDSM? Who are these vanilla people? Yes, they play a little, but seriously...that's just playing with my hopes. For those of you who read the kinky stuff a lot please don't expect anything too explicit.

The sex scenes are pretty HAWT and Raid sure is a on the alpha-male side of the spectrum, but honestly...it's all very tame.

“I couldn’t stop myself from being the woman who tried to withstand hellfire. No. I knew the reason. It was because I wanted to know nothing for the rest of my life sweeter than the love Raiden could have for me. It was also more. I wanted him to know nothing for the rest of his sweeter than what I could give him.”

Turns out I didn't have an answer to the porch question after all...oh well, read the book and find out. ;D

[Ash Wednesday · Rating 2 out of 5]

God, the agony of writing this review.

I devoured Kristen Ashley's backlist one book after the other (nearly all of them) in a month's time and since reading my first book of hers The Gamble I haven't looked back. She's like chicken soup, you go to your KA favorite when you've been having a bad book slump to make all things right again. And she does a pretty good job doing it. I never underestimate the healing power of Alex and Feb or Max and Nina.

So understandably, any KA release for me is something to get palpitations over.

"Am I gonna traumatize the fat cat if he sees me fuckin' you?"

Sadly, that and the conversation between Hanna and KC (about the tacos), was as good as it got for me for this book.

Honestly, among her work, I am not a fan of this series. The alpha heroes are too much to be believably real. And if you know the other heroes in the KA universe that's saying something. They callout sex positions WHILE having sex ('Spread!' 'Give me your eyes.'), they suddenly speak to the heroine in the third person, they find the strangest things attractive in their heroines… it's crazy. The non-good kind.

This one, I feel, got more shortchanged because Raid and Hanna felt like an amalgam of all the other heroes and heroines in KA's books that I can't give them any of my love at all because they sound like they're poor imitations of the original characters (who gets my original recipe love). Hanna had a conversation with Anya (from Knight) somewhere in the end of the book and she said how Hanna will get used to how things are and I'm thinking, well that conversation will probably turn up in the next book with Hanna giving the same pep talk to the new chick on the block. Raid wasn't even given a deep enough character profile for me to overlook his flaws. What happened with his unit was so vague, my brain couldn't latch on and empathize.

Even the proverbial skanks that get thrown out midway through sound a rehash of previous skanks ("hey isn't that the girl from *insert KA book here*"). Speaking of the skanks, I read the Author's Note at the end of this book and I totally respect and admire her stand and efforts to cut this message across her readers… but skinny people are people too, you know? Every woman deserve to have their own happy ever afters, regardless of their body type, yes, but that should go both ways (curvy and skinny). With how the skinny-minnie women get repeatedly typecasted in a majority of these books, it's starting to sound like a witch hunt.

I'm beginning to worry if I'm starting to outgrow KA's bag of tricks, I hope for the sake of Ren and Ally, I have not. But I'm getting warier and more critical of her recent releases. Maybe it's me who have recalibrated my expectations based on the other books that I've read instead of the quality of the work taking a dip.

I really hope so… it's hard to find a good bowl of chicken soup these days.

[Arini · Rating 3 out of 5]

KA steamy romances are my jam, but I’m not sure I fancy her erotic ones.

⋆♡⋆ The Unrequited

I have to admit that I read this book because of this trope. However, in the end I wasn’t satisfied because:

(1) It’s the h whose love is unrequited. And yes, I like it better when it’s the guy who pines.
(2) The H notices only because (in a way) it is required of him in order to do his job. I’m being vague, I know.
(3) When they’re finally together (at probably 20%), they’re together together.

There was no development—in a way that while you may still enjoy the story, you’re not 100% down for it. The h didn’t make the H work for her love. I guess it’s kind of like he was winning the lottery. (??)

⋆♡⋆ The H

I love KA’s brand of alpha male heroes because I feel like they know how to balance masculine and feminine energies well, but the ones in this series are not the same because . . .

The heroes of these books (the Unfinished Hero series) are anti-heroes. They are good men who do bad things. They have their reasons. They have their own codes. They may seek (and find) redemption. Or they may not. They simply are who they are, do what they do and find love along the way. — Kristen Ashley

In Raiden’s case in particular, I feel like he embodied the alpha male qualities and implemented them more forcefully. He was more “This is it. You’ll get used to it, and you’ll accept it. No compromise.” type of H.

Don’t get me started on how he acted when he was mad with the h who was just trying to help him! Like a petulant child, he called her a bitch and stormed out of the room. (Yes, he apologized.)

⋆♡⋆ The Nasty Bangin’

The sex in this book was raunchy-er than in her other books. It also had a nuance of light BDSM in it, the H being controlling and rough with the h and them using a safe word. As KA explained when she talked about this series,

They (the Unfinished Hero series) are also not my usual steamy romances, they are erotic romances. Not erotica, as such, but the sex in these books, starting with Knight is quite explicit and explores the intricacies of love and trust in a relationship including sexually. [...] That said, these are love stories. It isn’t about sex, it is about happily ever after. As always. — Kristen Ashley

I’m not sure how I feel about this because with the H and h of this book, it was a little weird. Like, Idk if I wanted them to just go all the way and fuck like rabbits or slow it down like slow dance and be more mellow.

“Hard to guard your heart from a man like that who’ll do nothing and everything to win it in a way you’ll want him to own it forever.”

In short, Idk where my stance is with this book and you’re probably confused too reading my thoughts. But that was my two cents. Dunno if I’ll read the other books in the series.

(Read as an Audiobook)

[NMmomof4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Overall Opinion: I was underwhelmed with this read. I always struggle with books that have the "I've loved you forever" theme, so that could be the reason. I love experiencing the development of feelings in these relationships, and because there was already those strong feelings for the h (who is our main POV) -- I missed all of that. It just made it so I didn't personally connect with the characters or their connection to each other (I hope that makes sense). I didn't hate it and I didn't love it either...it was just ok.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Hanna and Raid's story. Hanna has been in love with Raid since she was 6 years old, but older Raid never even knew who she was. After she finally decides to move on from her unrequited crush, she starts to expand her simple life with making new friends and experiencing new things. Raid all of a sudden starts taking notice of her, and goes full on pursuit of her. They date and fall in love. There is some past baggage in their way, but after some work and sexy times ;)...they get a HEA ending.

POV: This alternated between Hanna (mostly) and Raid's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Ok. I found it too slow at times, and the ending was abrupt in the sense that I asked myself "that was it?". I never skimmed though.

Instalove: Kind of. They start with the h already having strong feelings for the H, and the H says that he fell in love with her at first sight (he says this later on, and didn't confess until later either).

H rating: 3 stars. Raid. He was ok. He was alpha hot, but he could also be a jerk.

h rating: 3 stars. Hanna. She was ok. I wanted her to be tougher at times, but I also enjoyed her quirkiness.

Sadness level: Moderate. I teared up a few times, but never needed any tissues.

Push/Pull: Yes The H pushes away at one point because he is upset about the h bring up his past. The H is the main pursuer in the relationship.

Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Mild D/s play.

Descriptive sex: Yes

Safe sex: Yes and no Condoms are used until the h gets on birth control. I don't remember any mention of previous practices or std statuses.

OW/OM drama: Yes A ex f-buddy of the H's shows up and causes some drama for the h and H.

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No

Separation: Not really

Possible Triggers: Yes Drug dealing (side character on page), criminal activity (H off page), and loss of a loved one (on page)

Closure: This had a kind-of abrupt ending, but a good epilogue with a HEA.

How I got it: It was part of my scribed subscription.

Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers.

- Does Not have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have the H pushing the h away
- Does Not have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse
- Does Not have OTT sad parts
- Does have a HEA ending

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

MINI ORGASM ALERT~~MINI ORGASM ALERT~~ MINI ORGASM ALERT



Right, sorry about that....on with the review.....

So before I begin I think it's only fair that I be totally honest with you. I am a HUGE KA fan, I've read everything she's every written and it never grows old for me. In fact I'd even go as far as saying she could probably recite the alphabet and throw in a few badass alphas and a feisty chick and I'd lap it up, that's how big a fan I am.

In fact this is pretty much me, reading a KA book;



Reading is an escape for me. Its a time where i get to sit back and immerse myself in someone else's story. I love nothing more than a bad ass, bad boy with a heart of gold, one that has a deep, dark past and a potty mouth to go with it.

"Baby, you stare at my dick any longer, Miss Mildred’s gonna have to send out a search party.”… “I was staring at your hip muscles,” I corrected. “Whatever,” he muttered, his lips now smiling too, then louder, “just sayin’, anything in that vicinity, your eyes on it, it’ll get thoughts on its own.”

One who needs to beat back the demons within, in order to win the girl. Better still, an anti hero who is overly confident, infuriating, arrogant and bossy, yet can make me melt by the amazing words that come out of his mouth.

"You ignite for me, but more, you make me ignite for you. And no woman, not in my whole goddamned life, has made me ignite the way you do.”

Enter Raid.....a former marine, the towns local hero, and the man whom Hanna Boudreaux has been in love with since she was six years old. Only trouble is, Raid doesn't seem to even notice Hanna, well until one day she catches his eye. But like any great contemporary romance Raid has a deep dark past and its up to Hanna to decide whether she is able or willing to take on the fire that burns within him.

“If you’re the kind of woman who can withstand the blaze of hellfire he’s got burning inside, he battles that and wins, you will know nothing for the rest of your life, no taste, no experience, not even the birth of your children that will be sweeter than the love he’ll have for you.”

Kristen Ashley, for me, is an author who has this unique ability to get me to open a book, and suddenly I'm in a semi dream state......I'm totally hooked (and believe me when i say it takes a lot to engage and hold my attention!), I'm hooked on the characters and the story line, I can't seem to stop reading, and I do it with a shit eating grin on my face.

Raid is a signature Kristen Ashley hero, and as such, every time I thought of him I think I had a mini preliminary orgasm. I loved this story and as usual, after reading a KA story, I walk away with a happy heart, a huge smile on my face, and a huge desire to chase my husband straight to the bedroom......or in this case to a porch swing!!




*oh and just in case you wondered, it's 4 stars and not 5, just because I wanted to read a little more kinky stuff......but then again I'm a perv so I always want to read more kink!

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You’re my reward, Hanna.”

At 6 years old Hanna Boudreaux fell in love with 9 year old Raiden Miller. But he didn't notice her, for years. So even though they grew up in the same small town, they never really interacted. As the years pass, Hanna continues to crush on Raiden. Now, years later, he has returned home a hero, but he still doesn't notice Hanna. So, Hanna decides to let go of her dream, and makes some changes. And guess what...He notices her. This was a fun read, and pretty short compared to most KA books. Was it typical KA? Yes. Did I enjoy it?



Raid is the sexy, alpha male - dangerous, protective, and 'playful'. He's moody and scary at times but he is dealing with a traumatic past and some PTSD.

"All you gotta know is it's gonna be you--and only you--until the day I die, because life did not lead me down the wrong path when I fell in love with a girl who had the sun shinning in her hair who would eventually not do it for me. You're not just enough for me. You're everything I want."

Hanna is sweet, shy, and a bit naive. I loved her relationship with her grandmother - these relationships pull at my heartstrings, making me miss my grandmother terribly. There is nothing in the world like a grandmother...Back to Hanna, she's a bit insecure, but she also stands up for herself. I really enjoyed her character.

“I know, child. What do you think's keeping me on this earth? Not easy to let go that kind of love. That kind of love's got the power to hold you tethered to a world you should have left a long time ago.”

Overall another entertaining KA book. I really enjoyed this one, but would have loved to have more of Raid's POV.

[Ravioli Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5 stars

Full Review below...

HAPPY DANCE!!!



The day of reckoning has arrived, a whole day early!!!

So, I feel a bit like a selfish spoiled child, but I find myself a bit disappointed with the Unfinished Hero Series because they are so much shorter than other K.A. novels. Sometimes personally, I just feel like I need more. Maybe this is because it's what I've grown used to with K.A.'s other novels but... ugh I can't help but feel like the stories lack just a bit of depth that we've grown so used to with her other novels.

Otherwise, I loved Raid. Lovely story. I enjoyed Hannah's quirkiness and of course Raid was a typical alpha-male K.A. character.

More than likely, I'll like it more once I read it again for a second time. This is what happened with Creed, I read it the first time, felt the story was a bit lacking, but then the second time around I loved it.

Bottom Line, I don't think K.A. can ever write a novel that I dislike :)

P.S. Can I say that I love this cover, because I totally do!!!

Blog Review

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 Stars!! RAID RULES!!! Kristen Ashley works her magic once again!!

Review to follow...



**ARC kindly provided to Swept Away By Romance by Kristen Ashley and Chas in exchange for an honest review**

[XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once Raiden finally notices Hannah, all the bad he's gone through makes sense. Hannah is his reward. Because he took his sweet time seeing her, Hannah finds it hard to believe he really does see her. Raiden is hailed as town hero but there's much more to him. A lot of it, in pieces that need to be put together. Hannah is a sweetheart. Innocence in pink but with this awesome sexy wildcat side in bed that just drives Raid wild. The biting? Sexy af. Lol needless to say, I enjoyed this. Deacon is next. I didn't think my Monnday was gonna be all Kristen Ashley all day but I can't put them down lol

[Rain Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

“I told you I didn’t dream as a kid of bein’ a cop or an astronaut, but I gave a lot of thought to the woman I’d want in my bed. I grew older and gave more thought to that woman, but it was also about the woman I wanted in my life. And she was you. Then I met you. And now, every day I wake up I cannot believe my luck because you’re here.”

Hanna Boudreaux's had a crush on Raiden Ulysses Miller since she was six years old. He was nine at the time, and came to her great-grandmother's annual picnic. He was also beautiful. Twenty two years later, he's even more beautiful - and Hanna's still waiting for him to notice her. But, a lot of things happened in the meantime. The boy Hanna fell in love with is now a man. Ex-marine, with a lot of baggage, and a lot of mystery surrounding him. What she doesn't know is Raiden noticed her just when she accepted the fact she'll never have him, and decided to turn her narrow life upside down.

Months later, GI Joe, and the girl that looks straight out of a chick flick, finally have a date. And, yes, this is one of those 'expect trouble immediately' kind of things. And, yes, this is also one of the reasons I absolutely adore Raid. He's gonna come out and say it - whatever it is he wants to say. Hell, he'll even pick a lock, so he can come in and say it. But, he will definitely not allow anything to stop him from finally claiming his reward. Because that's the most important thing of all. That's the reason to fight. That's the reason to survive it all. His reward. Hanna.

“Now, I can share what came before you, and I had fun, Hanna. I make no apologies. But I think it’s best we leave it where it lies. ‘Cause all you gotta know is it’s gonna be you—and only you—until the day I die, because life did not lead me down the wrong path when I fell in love with a girl who had the sun shining in her hair who would eventually not do it for me. You’re not just enough for me. You’re everything I want. So that works for me.”

I probably don't even have to mention the fact there were times when Raid managed to make me so mad I could scream - in many ways, he's a typical KA macho, alpha, bossy, badass guy. He's gonna say (and do) some seriously shitty things. But, when the good times come - when he's talking, sharing, and rocking your world over and over again - honestly, there's nothing sweeter than that.
Raid is quite straightforward. He reminds me of Knight - he even has that kinky/slightly dominant side. Nothing OTT, just enough to make a girl (me) happy. He's also got that anti-hero quality, that I've come to appreciate. What I'm trying to say is - strictly speaking, he's a criminal. Not that I'd care...

“You good?”
“Um… they haven’t measured this level of good thus it has as yet gone undefined so the answer is yes but the word is wrong.”
His arms tightened and his body started shaking.
Idiotically, I kept talking. “I’ll be contacting Webster tomorrow. My suggestion will be absofuckingmazing.”

Hanna is such a sweet, lovely, goofy girl. In a way, she's perfect for Raid. Actually, they are perfect for each other. After all those years of crushing on him, she got her guy because she was brave enough to play with fire, and risk her heart along the way. She reminds me of Lexie, and that can never, ever be a bad thing. All the goofy/sweet things aside, Hanna is smart, and extremely devoted to her loved ones - Spot (the fat cat) included.
Which brings me to another favorite character of mine here - Miss Mildred, Hanna's great-grandmother. I wish I had someone just like her by my side, to push me when needed, to tell the stories of her life, and to show me how to enjoy every single day. We all need Miss Mildred. We should at least try to be like her. This world would definitely be a better place that way.

So, Raid is (yet another) awesome KA story. It's got it all - alpha, badass hero, lovely heroine, amazing side characters, hot scenes, great dialogues, and a wonderful HEA. Everything you could possibly need is right there. And, after months of not having a new KA book to lose myself in, I've missed it a lot, and hoped Raid will be enough to keep me going (though re-reading does help a bit). I only wish it were (much, much) longer, as it seems way too short for my taste. Still, it packs quite a punch, and I'm glad I got to enjoy this story, meet another awesome guy, see some of my favorite characters once again, and laugh/sigh/giggle/drool for hours.

If you've somehow managed to miss Unfinished Hero series, be sure to give it a try. Knight was my very first KA read, and he's one of my all time favorite guys. And, there's no way you'll be able to resist Raid. Trust me on that one!

*** ARC kindly provided to Reading Infection by Kristen Ashley & Chas, in exchange for an honest review ***

[Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

barely 3 stars...

It doesnt look like it, concerning the actual number of pages, BUT for me, this was a loooooong fucking book...

it wore me the fuck out!

I might get into some ranting later...but now i m wasted and off to bed...

Ok, i have a love/hate relationship with KA book, and this one happened to end up on a lower scale of my mood swing...

Apart from the remark above...this book felt like a neverending story...and the push/pull or run/chase/catch game they play was maybe interesting the first two times but after that i kept rolling my eyes...

The characters...well, i usually dislike/hate the cavemanish alphas in her books but some heroes i actually do like *shrugs*
Anyway Raiden, the main character here...i dunno...he felt off...at times i liked him kinda but then he was more like a demanding egomaniac and "know-it-all" patronizing alpha/prick

Example: the heroine Hanna (who was smth between a doormat and i dont know what, but they say she's sweet, cute, lovely with a big heart, lets leave it at that) wants to address Raid's past in the Marines, he snaps at her in utter rage, calls her a cunt and demands from her to leave (which she does) and they are already in a relationship!!! Than he "cools off" and comes to her house with a demanding presence saying "hey, sorry i reacted badly, lets fuck" (i'm emphasizing here) and when she asks him to leave cause he had no right to speak or treat her in such way, he just presses forward, waving it off and he does not leave, cause he knows she really doesnt want him to..and she succumbs to him again, again, again...

The fuck was that?

Now, that was annoying...and where's the respect in that? Huh? Up your ass...that s where...

Ok, next on my list is a writing style!!!
It's a combination of intertwined descriptional sentences and short dialogues (especially when the hero is in a caveman mode, cause you know, in between the grunts and growls there are also syllables and short term words like "come here", "now"...etc.) but what actually "killed" me were sentences like this one...

She doesn’t do it for me, Hanna, because I didn’t fall in love with her when I saw her across a street, hair shining in the sun, laughing. You do it for me because you were that girl across the street, your hair shining in the sun, laughing, making me fall in love with you, and I didn’t even goddamned fucking know you.

See, this sausage like sentence made me cringe...with a huge WTF? question...and since i read mostly at night...this tends to either put me to sleep since i have no fuckin clue what i have just read...as i got lost somewhere in the middle of the sentence forgeting what i have read at the beginning...or DNF the book

well, since i didnt DNF, i ended up annoyed and not on one occasion.

See, how i also used a sausage like sentence to present my issue?! Did you get lost? I know what i m talking about...and i still get lost lol

BUT since i DID like some parts of the book i decided not to diminish it with the parts i disliked, so therefore barely 3 stars.

*ranting over*

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

PURE ROMANTIC BLISS!!! ANOTHER ABSOFUCKINGAMAZING BOOK FROM KRISTEN ASHLEY!!!!



When he just stood there, his eyes moving over me, I asked softly, “Sweetheart, are you okay?” His eyes came to mine. His body slanted to the side so his shoulder was resting against the post and he replied, “You, just like that, any man would fight and die for the privilege of comin’ home to that every day.”

Raiden Miller and Hanna Boudreaux both grew up in Willow, Colorado. A town so small, that most everyone there knew everyone else...and that was true of these two as well...at least halfway true. Hanna saw and fell in love with Raiden Ulysses Miller when she was six years old. He was nine at the time and didn't know she existed. And that was how it remained...for years. They may have grown up side by side, but Hanna might as well have been invisible, and she knew it.

Raid was the town hunk, and would later become the town hero after returning from serving in the Marines. He had been gone for years and now he was back, and her feelings for him were still just as strong, if not more so. But he still didn't see her. He didn't recognize her. He didn't even know she existed. But this didn't deter Hanna from going into his sister's cafe, day after day, just hoping for a glimpse of him. But seeing him one day in the arms of another woman, a woman who she saw as her complete opposite, Hanna's hopes and dreams of Raiden Ulysses Miller were crushed.

But she was one of those skanky skanks who looked cool. Who worked her skankedness. Who made skankdom something you’d consider aspiring to. Not to mention, her skankedness got her in a clinch with Raiden Ulysses Miller.

So she gave up. Moved on. Decided to start making some changes, and started living her life, taking advantage of all the things she was missing out on before.

It wasn't long after this time that Raid noticed. No. He NOTICED! And this is where their story begins. But Hanna soon finds that he may not have noticed her for the reason she thinks. But it's too late, she's already laid her heart out in the open, ready for certain destruction.

"My reward."

This was an addicting story to read. I found myself glued to the book. It was a relatively short story, for a Kristen Ashley book. But it packed no less of her usual punch!!!! It was a heart-warming romance that I think I could read over and over. The characters were all fantastic!!!! Raid was just gorgeous. Not only was he incredibly hot, he was completely badass, sexy as hell, and the perfect alpha. He was also loving and very protective of his girl. Oh... and he likes to play...SO DAMN HOT!!!!! He did have his share of imperfections though few. He was occasionally moody and dangerous. He was dealing with a horrific past. He suffered as a soldier and was dealing with more than his share of PTSD.

If you’re the kind of woman who can withstand the blaze of hellfire he’s got burning inside, he battles that and wins, you will know nothing for the rest of your life, no taste, no experience, not even the birth of your children that will be sweeter than the love he’ll have for you.”

Hanna was sweet and shy and a bit of a goof. I really loved her character. She was insecure in her appearance, even though she was pretty, but she also wasn't afraid to stand up for herself when she was wronged. She wasn't afraid to be herself, and instead of wallowing in self-pity, she picked herself up and made her life better!!! She was a refreshing leading lady, and it was a joy to be in her head.



I also just loved Miss Mildred, Hanna's great grandmother. I loved Hanna and Raid's devotion to her. I loved her spunky style and her fabulous in your face advice! I also loved Hanna's best friend KC, and her no nonsense view of love and romance, as well as her attitude toward her own jackass husband!!

And then there was Spot...what an awesome addition to the story...that funny fat cat!!!!


...need I say more.

The quotes in this book were just fabulous...and let me tell you, that Raid is a talker! He had so much to say at times I couldn't even keep up with him. He may not have shared his mind with many people, but he sure shared it with Hanna...which I LOVED!!! He was never afraid to say what he was thinking. And he also wasn't afraid to let her know how he felt about her. WOW...HOW REFRESHING!!!! Finally a hot badass alpha that actually knows how to communicate!!!! I'm definitely in LOVE!!!!!

week. You think I’m a man who’s got a thing that good, he’ll let it go?” “No,” I whispered. “That would be fuck no,” he corrected. Holy Moses.

I highly recommend this book... as I do ALL Kristen Ashley books. She is truly a romantic genius!!! The only thing I think I could say bad about this book, was that it was too short. Other than that...PERFECTION!!!

5 HEART-MELTING STARS

Raiden Ulysses Miller (as cast by Aestas!)


Hanna Boudreaux

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

”You get home in one piece, she’s your reward.” His body pressed into mine and his face, partly shadowed, came to within an inch of mine. “You’re my reward, Hanna.”
My reward.
Oh.
My.
God.



I loved Raiden Miller and Hanna Boudreaux, they were a great couple KA style!!

From the very first chapter where we find Hanna stalking Raiden at the coffee shop, I was hooked and totally on board for this hot, sweet and sexy tale!

Hanna Boudreaux is our Peggy Sue type character and well Raiden is hot, alpha, tortured and totally stalking worthy. She has been crushing Raiden since she was six years old. Sadly he doesn’t notice her until years later but when he does...Raiden holds nothing back with his feelings or in the bedroom.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as well as the cameos from our past heroes. The business mixed with Hanna and Raiden’s love story made for a great read.

I loved that porch swing, that fat cat and of course Gramma!!

”Proud of you, son. You do things others can’t do and you stay standing. Now get upstairs and reap your rewards.”~Gramma

I had an idea for the next book in the Unfinished Hero Series:

Nick Sebring gets caught up in some crazy stuff. He falls for an undercover heroine who is FBI or some sort of law. I think Nick actually falling for someone would make for a great read and he is a bit of an ass so a fun read.

Forever a KA fan!!

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 3.49 ***

A buddy read with my best buds at BB&B!!! Yes, we are still addicted to KA, it is an addiction - we cannot help it!

"... “Raiden is a silly-@ss romance novel hero’s name my Mom came up with to torture me,” he replied.

I stifled a giggle and remarked, “And Raid isn’t silly?”

He smiled. “Raid’s a bad@ss’s name.”..."

Another KA book, another super-alpha male!!! This one is a GI Joe with PTSD and a tendency not to notice plain looking good girls. So, this ex GI, Raiden Miller, has been back home from a tour "over there" for several months and spends several evenings a week at the office of his sisters' diner. This is the main reason Hanna Boudreaux, a long-legged but otherwise unremarkable nice girl, has been frequenting the establishment exactly those evenings, drinking coffee and having some good food, but mostly hoping that one day Raiden will notice her. She has been mooning over him since she was 8 years old and her crush has been classified more like a crush on a celebrity or a movie actor - completely unrealistic and unreachable. But one evening, before going into the office, he had given her a chin-lift for hello, and Hanna has been drinking coffee with a small spark of hope ever since. Until she saw him making out with a flashy, trashy, big-haired and large-breasted, definitely noticeable chick in the parking-lot, and Hanna comes to some difficult decisions.

I have to admit, I hated that she had to change her appearance, her stile of dress and life, get some designer shoes and clothes, a fast car and a pink bike, mostly in order to be noticed. Yes, she claimed it is so she would stop living in the pages of a book and have some actual living done, but it sucks that she made those choices only when she saw that she might be too plain and boring for Raiden. Lucky for her, the ruse worked and the hot ex-soldier noticed, looked her over, and decided to move in on the chick who looked like she could star in a rom-com. After bumping into her in a pat food store, he shows up at her granny's house and he proceeds with a siege on her person.

" ... “Coulda knocked me over with a feather, the front bell went and I opened the door to that tall drink of cool water. Woke up and I knew it was a good day. Felt it in my bones. Opened the door to him, glad I was right.” ..."

As always, KA gives us a ton of wonderful secondary characters and the grandma and the cat were my favorite. The sexy times were hot, the flirting adorable. The plot was still less than substantial, but as long as you accept that this is a romance novel and it is all about the two lovebirds, you can cope with the barely existing mystery. KA is great with characterization and relationships, but her plots are usually as thin as the paper they are written on. At least, this time the alpha male had more than 50 word vocabulary and was kind of adorable in combination with the good girl gone naughty love interest. There is also the usual angst and drama typical for her romances, but no explosions, kidnappings or shootouts, which was a bit of a letdown... With all of its flaws, this book was still very pleasant to read and gives me hope that KA has more in her magic pen for the future:)

"... “Am I gonna traumatize the fat cat if he sees me fuckin' you?"
"As you know, his name is Spot, and he's immune to trauma. You can't feel it if your life is devoted to dishing it out.”..."

This book can be read as a stand-alone, as could all the books in this series. They are all romances with a bit of a dark thread to them, usually a consequence of some trauma in the past they have not truly dealt with. The language is pure KA - pedestrian and a bit crass at times, but somehow OK the way she does it. KA fans would mostly enjoy it, I would think:)

I wish all of you Happy Reading and may your favorite authors never disappoint you!!!

[Allison ❤️Will Never Conquer Her TBR❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS!
Bravo Kristen Ashley! You never fail me! I loved this book!

Sweet, goofy, dorky, honest, loyal, innocent.....all describe Hanna Boudreaux. She lives alone in an old farmhouse in Willow, Co, knits afghans and cans fruit for a living. She also takes care of her wise, sweet 98 year old great grandmother Mildred. She has a car, two actually, but prefers her shiny pink bike with the cute basket and streamers on the handlebars. Most importantly, Hanna has crushed on the town's local war hero Raiden Ulysses Miller since she was 6 years old. She sits in Raid's sister's diner daily just to get a glimpse of him but he pays her no attention..... So eventually she gives up, focuses on her career, getting a new hairstyle, new clothing and just being happy. What she doesn't notice is Raid now notices HER..... With her ridiculous pink bike, matching outfit and goofy, captivating innocence. Her awesome hair and long legs don't hurt....




All badass, emotionally scarred war hero. He returns to Willow, leaving the Marines to assist Knight Sebring in some undercover "business." A huge chunk of him died when his comrades were killed and he will never heal from that. He's just going about life....until he sets eyes on this cute little brunette with the goofy ass bike talking across the street to the local pothead bike store owner. He's got to meet her....he can't take his eyes off her.

My Raid...


I loved loved loved Hanna. She was so innocent and funny...KA pulled her character off flawlessly. Enter badass, foul-mouthed Raid and it's just comical. He's as tough and worldly as she is soft and clueless, I loved the qualities in Hanna that drew such a guy to her but also her ability to not judge him and to do what she could to help Raid battle the demons that haunt him.

My Hannah.....



Grandma Mildred.....oh, we'd all love a spunky, wise one like her. She loved her granddaughter but also knew a man like Raiden Miller would love and protect her to his dying day. Her cat- Spot! I loved that crotchety obese feline!

Meet Spot...


The book flowed well, the chemistry awesome, the plot well developed. My only issue is probably the length being a bit short for Kristen Ashley. The story of the drug dealers could've been drawn out in more detail (as would've typically been done in most of her other books). I'm used to a kind of (sometimes crime) mystery with most KA books and this was present but took a huge minor backseat in the story- kind of skimmed over it, I guess.

Anyways, I loved it. Loved Hanna, loved Raid, loved GGM Mildred, Spot...... Bravo!

[KatLynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raiden Ulysses Miller



“If you’re the kind of woman who can withstand the blaze of hellfire he’s got burning inside, he battles that and wins, you will know nothing for the rest of your life, no taste, no experience, not even the birth of your children that will be sweeter than the love he’ll have for you.”

Kristen Ashley feeds my addiction for possessive, protective, gorgeous alpha males. With Ex-Marine Raiden Ulysses Miller she does it very well! He’s intense, confident, arrogant, bossy and I loved all six feet four inches of his broad, muscular self!

Raid’s life hasn’t been easy. Beginning early in childhood, he had to deal with a sleazebag dad. At eighteen he joined the Marines thinking to make this a career. His last deployment changed all that. It was a horror story unfolding that left unimaginable grief in its wake. Now he’s fighting demons and white knuckling the effects of PTSD. He’s back in his hometown of Willow, Colorado, a war hero doing a job many would classify as criminal activity. While his alpha-ness may never let him admit it, this tough fighter is also in need of some TLC.

And who better to surround him in all that he deserves than the lovely, sweet Hanna Boudreaux. She’s smart, kind, with just enough quirkiness to make her adorable and real. She’s lived her whole life in this small town surrounded by friends and family. She’s had a crush on Raid since she was six years old. Now that he’s back, she’s hoping he’ll finally ‘see’ her. And when she finally comes under his radar, she’s left with the big question, why? Why now, after all these years, is Raiden Ulysses Miller interested in the quiet, somewhat shy Hanna?

KA has given another winning installment in her Unfinished Hero series. She drew me in and not only did I want Hanna to get the man of her dreams, but I needed Raid to find a resting place for his heart. It’s smokin’ hot and includes one of the most loveable secondary characters I’ve read. Hanna’s ninety-eight year old g-grandmother, Miss Mildred, easily steals the limelight in many scenes. I was quite taken by her and the memories she evoked of my own precious grandmother was heartwarming.

There were a few things I missed in this book. One was the conflict/drama between the H/h that I look to KA for. It usually packs a punch and keeps me anxiously turning the pages. It did present itself early on, but was quickly resolved. I wished for more. I also felt the character development wasn’t as deeply fleshed as in her previous books. Saying that, I still devoured this one. But, when comparing to her previous books, I felt something missing.

What wasn’t missing was the unique and awesome Epilogue this author gives. It’s one of the very best ever and I will be forever spoiled by her exceptional endings.

Raid is the third installment in Kristen Ashley’s Unfinished Hero series. This has surprisingly turned into one of my favorite series and I’m drawn to each of the men who live by their own codes. They’re tough, bossy, OTT protective and oozing sex appeal. And yet, underneath all this dangerous testosterone are men who love deeply, protect fiercely and each have a hidden desire to be surrounded in the nurturing comforts of home and the love of their family.