ARC Review: Damaged Locke by Victoria Ashley and Jenika Snow

I have no idea what I just read. I'm really struggling to even tell you what just happened. So the Locke brothers are some kind of super violent vigilantes and Aston Locke is the baby brother (he's 21). Everyone in town is terrified of the brothers but it seems the terror is based on reputation and not reality. In real life, the brothers are a threat only to "bad guys." And even then, they somehow get hired by people to take care of those bad guys.

Aston Locke is constantly referring to himself as a sick sadistic SOB in his head. Only that doesn't seem entirely accurate based on the actions he takes. Aston doesn't seem sick or sadistic, he seems...well, damaged. He had something really bad happen to him as a teenager and he has absolutely no coping abilities or no context for PTSD so he just thinks he's sick.  Then one night, while on one of his missions with his brothers he sees Kadence.

I have no clue really what the deal is with Kadence. I know she's really young and falls instantly in crazy love with Aston. Aston barely even says anything to her and she isn't just declaring her attraction but her unending devotion to him. And then the author throws in this really confusing scene where Kadence goes running in the woods. After dark. By herself. Predictably, she is nearly assaulted but saved by Aston. I was reading this going what? what? nooo! Between Kadence never having seen any of the rape awareness videos in college and apparently none of the safe consensual sex videos either, I was just done with her as a character.

I don't read YA romance or NA romance because I find the characters can be frustratingly stupid. Even though I don't think this book is technically in one of those categories, these characters definitely were. I didn't really see a romance in this book or the development of any deep bond between these characters. I kind of just didn't get it. I see a lot of other really positive reviews for this book so I leave room for the possibility that the whole thing just went over my head. But from my perspective, this just wasn't my favorite book.

**ARC provided by Ardent PRose**

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ARC Review: Cale by Victoria Ashley

Cale is the third and final book in the Walk of Shame series by Victoria Ashley. While it is a standalone story, the characters are interconnected. I hadn't read the previous books and I didn't have any problems understanding anything, but I think I did miss out on getting to know these characters a little bit since this is a short novella. So while I liked some things about this book, I think I might have enjoyed the story more had I read the previous installments. 

Cale and Riley have been best friends for years. Both had feelings for one another beyond friendship, but they never said anything to each other. When Riley leaves town to be with her grandmother, they promise to keep in touch. Cale vows that he will save himself for when Riley returns. Now years later, they haven't spoken to each other since a few years after Riley left but Cale has never gone back on his promise to Riley. Though Cale is a stripper, he is also a virgin. With Riley finally headed back to town, Cale is determined to finally make her his. But Riley has been dating someone for years and though it might be over, he isn't willing to let Riley go either. Who will Riley choose, the man she has always wanted or the man that she has a history with? 

I liked Riley and Cale, but I don't really feel like I got to know either of them that well. I think the length and not having read the previous books is to blame here, because there really wasn't that much of these characters here. Cale and Riley had a great friendship and a clear connection, but I don't feel like we really got to see it develop or strengthen. These two pretty much just jumped right in, and there wasn't any build up. They started having sex almost immediately, and from that point it was pretty much all they did besides Riley trying to make up her mind on who she wanted to be with. For all the longing and sexual tension that these two had because of their years as friends only, I felt like it was unrealistic for them to change their whole relationship that quickly. I felt like I had missed a huge portion of the story, and I had to go back and check to make sure I hadn't actually missed it. 

Overall, this one was sexy and I liked the characters together but I just felt like the execution here could have used some work. I would have liked to have seen these two settle into their friendship again after so many years apart and watch it build to where things finally were able to make that transition to more. I feel like we missed a huge portion of the story, and it was one that I very much wanted to see. If you are a fan of the series, you will enjoy seeing familiar faces and might have a better connection with these characters than I felt by just jumping in with this book. I wouldn't recommend reading this book as a standalone because of that, but I really couldn't help myself with that blurb and cover.

**ARC Provided by BS&BS Promotions**

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Feature and Giveaway: Cale by Victoria Ashley

My name is Cale Kinley and I’m a fucking Virgin…

Well, with the exception of my tongue. The countless things I can do with my tongue are bound to leave you breathless and begging for more, but more… is something that I can’t give. It’s a choice. My choice.

There’s a reason for that. A very good reason, and that reason is her.

Riley.

She’s the only woman that I want to bury myself deep in. The one woman I have wanted since I was old enough to fuck.

I never got my chance though, because she left. She had no choice and it stung like hell. But I couldn’t let her leave without telling her how I felt. I wanted her to be my first and I didn’t give a shit how long I’d have to wait.

It’s been six years and now she’s back and sexier than all hell. Just the sight of her stops my damn heart from beating. I want her and for more than just having her as my first.

I’m determined to have her in every way possible. She thinks this is still a game; that I’ve already given myself to countless women. What she doesn’t know is that I have a lot of willpower.

When I want something as badly as I want her, I don’t let shit stand in my way. I’m going to prove that to her. There’s just one little problem I need to take care of…

Him.

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