Rock Chick Renegade - Rock Chick #4 - Kristen Ashley
Sum up: (Goodreads)
Jules has got a score to settle against the drug dealers of Denver. Vance has made it his mission that Jules won’t get dead while dishing out vigilante justice. Jules doesn’t have time for romance, she’s too busy saving the world and she enlists Zip (the gunstore owner), Heavy (an ex-PI) and Frank (a mysterious recluse) to help.
The Rock Chicks of Fortnum’s Bookstore get involved to provide romantic advice and guidance, none of which Jules accepts at first. The Hot Bunch of Nightingale Investigations adopt Jules as one of their own. Even though Jules tries to hang on to her inner Head Crackin’ Mamma Jamma, the Rock Chicks; Hot Bunch; Jules’s long-suffering Uncle Nick; Jules’s friend the rotund, African-American, Jackie-O wannabe, May; and especially Vance will stop at nothing to wear her down.
But Jules makes some bad guys pretty angry and one is dedicated to taking her out. Vance and the Hot Bunch have to pull out all the stops to keep her alive. At the same time, Jules and Vance learn the true meaning of home but once they find this precious entity they’ve been searching for all their lives, will Jules’s enemies tear it away?
Some scenes contain violent and sexual contents that may offend sensibilities of readers.
Plot:
Juliet Lawler - also known as Jules - is a twenty-six year-old woman who lost her whole family in a car crash when she was six. Despite being in the car crash, she's been the only survivor. She is now a social worker and she is always on the streets to save "her children". She has three favorites under her watch: Roam, Sniff and Park. But one night Park disappeared only to be found dead by overdose. Since then Jules lives for only one thing: revenge. She buys a gun from Zip, practices shooting, practices knives throwing with Heavy and Frank, learns how to fight... Jules earns herself the name of Law on the streets. She seeks revenge to all the drug dealers or suppliers who sell drugs to kids by slashing their tires, interrupting their sales...
She gained more and more confidence - maybe too much, which caused her to commit her first mistake: revealing who she was to Sal Cordova, a drug supplier and dealer. Instead of wanting her gone, Cordova tried several times to get Jules to go out with him, which she did not appreciate and showed it by a gun drawn face off right in front of Fortnum's, which brings us to the end of Rock Chick Redemption.
After this little altercation with Cordova, Jules tries to flee but Vance Crowe (whom we met in the previous books) follows her and he has a little talk with her. And let me tell you that when they crossed paths, IT. WAS HOT. They have such a great attraction. Vance decides to his protection while she is going on the streets. But she would not be a Rock Chick if she agreed so easily.
Here is a little excerpt of Zip and Jules call when Zip heard about her encounter with Vance.
"Crowe's got a way with the ladies. You look like you do, which you do, you get in his sights, he'll nail you faster'n snot."
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling.
Pu-lease.
"I hardly think so," I said.
"Girl, you're loco. Pure loco. What'd Crowe say during this talk?""Not much," I lied.I was already freaked out and Zip was pissed off. I didn't want to get Zip more pissed off which would serve only to heighten my freak out."He get a good look at you?" Zip asked.I would guess the answer to that was "yes" considering his face was an inch from mine and his body was pressed against me.My belly fluttered just thinking about it.I ignored the belly flutter (again)."Yeah. Zip, don't worry about it.""These boys got a way about 'em, Jules. They don't fuck around. They see something' they want, they get it. They're fucking famous for it. A woman don't stand a chance. He seem interested?"[...]"Listen, Zip, honestly, there's nothing to worry about. We went our separate ways. I'll be smarter, I'll be more quiet. I'll be -""Laid, good and simple. Crowe got a good look at you, you're his. You're gonna be fucked and I mean that literally."
During her nocturnal hanging out, she will meet several times Vance and Luke. But she is wary to let Vance into her life. Having lost her whole family, she does not want to get attached to anyone else apart from her uncle, Nick. But how can you say 'no' to a guy who breaks in so easily and slides in your bed? Especially when this man is called Vance and he knows how to speak to a woman.
“No matter what,” he said, his voice fierce and strong and rumbling through me. “You told me I was home to you and I get it. You’re home to me. I’ve never had a home. I like the one I found and I’m not losin’ it. No matter what.”
When Sniff calls Jules in the middle of a mission to tell her that Roam is in a bad situation, she does not even think and she goes after him to try to save him. But the situate aggravates when Jules fights with Shard - a dealer. He is not a guy who appreciates being disturbed and unfortunately, Jules is on his path.
Opinion:
Be prepared for a very intense, emotional read! I felt like this book was way more into action than the other ones probably because Jules is often on the streets and exposed to danger. And it was also one hell of a hot book. I felt like there was even more alchemy than in the other books. Lots of sex scenes and lots of sensuality between Vance and Jules.
I liked that we found out more about Vance. He was constantly present in the previous bool but very mysterious. We learn here that he was an alcoholic and he went to prison for two years. He hasn't seen his family since he turned 10. He was very intense. He also screwed up a bit but HE. WAS. SO. SEXY!
"He as cute as they say?" May asked, eyes still dancing with excitement.
Crowe? Cute?
I couldn't help myself; I threw back my head and laughed.
"What's funny?" May talked over my laughter.
"Vance Crowe is not cute," I said when I got myself under control.May's nose scrunched. "That's damned disappointing. I heard he was a little hottie.""Oh, he's hot all right, but he isn't cute. You don't describe a man like that as cute," I told May.
He knows how to be persistent without being unrespectful. She was on the streets fighting crimes and he completely trusted her. He let her do her things even if he did not like it.
I loved Jules. She is a real badass. She can kick ass and she does not need a man to defend herself. She is funny, especially when she talks to her cat. She loved her kids (even though they are not hers) and she would do everything to help them out. She was soooo a Lee's team member! Finally a woman who can defend herself.
This book is one of my favorite. Kristen Ashley really knew how to renew the story for this book. We also saw our first love triangle that actually moved. I am not going to say more but the read is up for some surprises.
I love this sense of family that we have in this series. The Rock Chicks are just one big family. As soon as a guy hooks up with a girl, she is friends with the whole group. Jules was even respected by Lee's team, even though she had some tough beginning with Hank and Eddie who wanted her off the streets.
It just gets on my nerves that all the girls want to try to break up with the guys at some point. I mean "Girls, you have hot guys coming at you, you don't say no!" I am still waiting for my hot guy!
We also had our very first introduction oh Hector Chavez, Eddie's brother. I am very curious about him. We just know that he is an undercover agent and he had no contact with anyone for almost a year. He became just trouble in this book but I am still very interested to know what happened to him.
I loved the ending. First we have different POV from all the characters. I won't tell you why because that would be spoiling everything but you just catch your breath. This one moment is described differently by each character until the very end.
And this very much end... OMG! I loved it! We have seen so much of Lucas Stark that now I cannot wait to know what will happen to him.
Excerpts:
His hands fisted in my wet hair, held my head steady and he kissed me.
Oh crap.
This was not good.
I resisted and it worked for a few beats then this mouth opened over mine, mine automatically opened to let in his tongue and the minute it slide inside my mouth I melted into him and kissed him back.
Almost as quickly as it began, it ended and I felt a surge of disappointment.His head came up and he looked down at me. "I'm gonna have you Jules," he promised and at his promise, tingles rushed across my skin in a very pleasant way.
"Sugar, I just love this sweater! Where'd you get it?"
I turned to look at the front door and Indy, Jet, Roxie, Daisy and a beautiful woman who looked like a female version of Lee Nightingale were standing there.
Daisy was addressing Clarice who was wearing a big, fluffy pink sweater.
"Stole it," Clarice declared boldly to Daisy.
Daisy didn't even blink. "Okay then, where did you steal it?"Then she turned to Indy. "Gotta get me one of those. It'd go perfect with my new pink cowboy boots."She turned back to Clarice."You steal another one, darlin', my size is medium."
"I don't know what shit you're working' through but I know it's there. I know you'd rather not even acknowledge it and definitely don't want me to be a part of the process. I don't care. Princess, this is happening between you and me."
"What, exactly, do you mean by 'this'? You fucking me?" I snapped, being nasty. It wasn't me and I didn't like it but I couldn't stop myself either.
"Yeah. Me fucking you. In your bed, on your couch, in my bed and anywhere else I can think of. I'm gonna do you on your back, on your knees and you're gonna ride me. And when I've exhausted you and you don't have those fucking shields up, I'm gonna make you talk to me and tell me what this shit is about and then, maybe, I can help you with it."
What he said stunned me, shocked me and made me feel funny but not exactly in a bad way, in kind of a good-but-scary way.
"Jules, I'll tell you know what I would have told you at dinner if you'd been speaking' to me. This," he said, one hand dropping to my bottom and pulling my hips into his, one going up my back to press my torso to his chest, "is the sweetest thing I've had in my life and I haven't even fucked you yet. I never expected to get a chance at anything so sweet and now that I got it, I'm not gonna let it go. If you think you can act like a bitch and make me back off, you're wrong."
"A few days for these boys is a few months for normal men. He's in deep, you're in deep and you damn well know it," Daisy snapped.
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