From the Bookshelf of Turning Pages At Midnight…

Smoke and Steel (Wild West MC, #2)

Kristen Ashley

Start date: December 6, 2022

Finish date: December 10, 2022

Discussion: Buddy Reads

Find A Copy At

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 44 topics — 2,061 comments total

Buddy Reads

* October 2025 Buddy Reads
By Diana · 18 posts · 25 views

last updated Oct 19, 2025 02:06PM

* November 2025 Buddy Reads
By Diana · 13 posts · 16 views

last updated Oct 31, 2025 02:56PM

showing 3 of 3 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jan 09, 2023 Jennifer☠Pher☠ rated it liked it

I don’t even know where to start with this review. I finished this almost too long ago to actually now post a review but it’s still on my mind.

I’m so freaking conflicted.

I knew what I was getting with this one. I mean, the books MC is from Resurrection MC. There can’t be a story about Resurrection without Rosalie so yeah. I knew I was getting that. Unfortunately that isn’t the worst of my conflict and yeah, Rosalie is about the worst.

I’ll start with what seems to be KA’s new way of storytelling. I don’t even know where to start with this review. I finished this almost too long ago to actually now post a review but it’s still on my mind.

I’m so freaking conflicted.

I knew what I was getting with this one. I mean, the books MC is from Resurrection MC. There can’t be a story about Resurrection without Rosalie so yeah. I knew I was getting that. Unfortunately that isn’t the worst of my conflict and yeah, Rosalie is about the worst.

I’ll start with what seems to be KA’s new way of storytelling. She’s preaching to me. She’s getting all her rights and wrongs out there and I get it, these are her stories, but man, some of it is KILLING me. I’ve mostly been able to kind of give a side eye to some of this but it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and if anything it seems to be more. I’d say I’m not exactly sure how I feel about it but that wouldn’t be the truth.

Next, something that seems kind of the opposite of being politically correct, fashion and designers. I never minded KA’s crazy descriptions of clothes or homes or whatever but she’s crossed into a world I just don’t get. It’s all high end designers. Brand names. Wealth. It all screams money, money, money and it’s funny, funny, funny how this seems the opposite of her preaching the rights and wrongs. I don’t understand $1500 handbags when you are living in an apartment. I don’t understand $1500 handbags when you are living in a mansion actually. It’s just getting so over the top. It fits when she’s writing about the super wealthy celebrities but here, it was just in my face. THIS IS A MC STORY!

And that will lead to my biggest issue with the story, just not the last one. Hellen. She’s twenty three. TWENTY THREE. She didn’t act twenty three (all the time) and it was absolutely to me, the way she acted, what she has, unbelievable. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are probably a few twenty three year old people out there that act like Hellen but I bet just a few. If she had just been written, I don’t know, twenty six, twenty seven or let’s just say THIRTY, I’d have found her more believable. I hated this part of the story and it was there for me THE ENTIRE READ. It just didn’t jive.

And last but not least, where was the real drama? How come no one was kidnapped? How come nothing happened? Where was the grittiness I expect from an MC book. The first book ended with a new bad guy but there was no forward movement on that here. Nails was the setup for this story and her behavior seemed so contrived. Insert evil cousin here. Who comes to someone’s office and acts like that? What was her endgame? Why did she even feel like she had to come see a cousin she has no relationship with to stir the pot? It just didn’t make any sense. The whole thing that went down with the best friend was drama but this too seemed odd. Why do this at all? How did this person change their personality like this? Add to that that the entire “mission” was because of her and could have added some real danger to the story but that too just happened. More it seemed KA wanted everyone to know she loved some show she watched.

I have so many other thoughts. Why did we never see Core on a motorcycle? How is possible that this MC book has no motorcycles in it? There was one mention that Hellen actually had been for a ride but it was just a mention. This was odd. I actually liked Core, his talk, his look but Hardcore? I don’t know. He seemed just so nice and so domestic. Hellen’s Mom. Why would she continue to try to get her girls to have a relationship with their Father when he was part Devil? Why would you ever want to put your children through that over and over and over again? I’m from divorce. My Mom never said a bad word about my Dad, she didn’t say anything at all. But I bet if he treated me like shit she would have. Hellen's behavior once she moved in with Core was also fucked. Didn't she just break up with a long term boyfriend for his messes? Gah! I'm just going to quit here.

I don’t know. It had a lot of what I do love about KA’s books but there was so much that I just didn’t like.

And now, the third book is going back to Chaos. Who? What? Why? I don’t know if I even want her to go back to Chaos. I don’t what the greatness of that series to be all about red soled shoes and preaching to me what is right and what is wrong.

So, this is a huge disappointment to me. I didn’t want to dislike this story. I didn’t want to be so bothered by things that I couldn’t look past them. I didn’t want to be part of the group who talks about how she used to write but this was a struggle and now that I’ve typed all this up I’m thinking I won’t round up.
...more

22 likes · Like · see review

Dec 23, 2022 Ivy Deluca rated it liked it

Shelves: bikers, ka-books, redemption-arc

Welp. Here we are again, with me 'splaining why I keep reading KA's MC series lol.
description

This may be a long one so
description

Up front, I was NOT a fan of the first book (a 1 star for me), so I wasn't sure I would read this but I couldn't help myself. I'm so addicted to KA when she's good. And when she's bad...well, it's a hellscape but I find myself reading anyway. This is a mixed bag that's a bit of in-between. Let's suss out why I feel this way, shall we?

The Good: What brings me back to KA, over and over again ...more

7 likes · Like · see review