Synopsis:
No one rides like Chase Austin.
Bad boy. Player. Adrenaline junkie. Snowboarder Chase Austin has a reputation—and not just for being the world’s best extreme athlete. He’s as cold as the mountains he rides, loyal only to his crew . . . and panties drop wherever he goes.
Photographer Brooke Larson knows better than to let him get through her emotional Kevlar. So what if she used to have his poster on her bedroom wall? She’s not a teenager with a crush anymore. Chase Austin is her key to the big time, and she’s getting his photo no matter what.
Too bad the only place Chase wants her is in his bed.
Men leave. Success is forever. Brooke knows the drill, and she’s not letting anyone get in the way of her career—or into her heart.
But whether it’s on the slopes or between the sheets, riding with the best means risking it all.
My Review:
4.5 – 5 STARS!!
I love the feeling of picking up a book and feeling heart-pounding excitement from the very first page. That’s how I felt while reading ‘Ride’. I had heard great things about this book from word-of-mouth and I’m so glad I found it!! A story of passion, fame and love, this book was so well-written that I can’t believe it is the author’s debut novel!
Chase Austin is a world-famous snowboarder. He is one of the elite and he is at the top of his game. Brooke Larson is a struggling sports photographer who needs to get that one perfect shot for a chance to enter an ultra-competitive sports photography contest. But how can get close to THE Chase Austin? Chase knows the peril of fame and is well-acquainted with the “snow bunnies” and hangers-on who try to surround him.
“There are so many things I expect of professional boarders. The parties, the women, the competition between athletes doused in testosterone. Chase embodies all the things a pro adrenaline junkie is meant to be. I’ve seen it on his Instagram, in interviews, in his film parts. But I’ve seen something else, too. Something I can’t quite fit with the rest of him. It was there in the silence and stillness today. It was there the first time we rode together, when he said that it cleared his head to be alone on the powder. Beyond the thrills and the fame, Chase looks at the mountains the way I do.”
Chase used to laugh and trust others but now he is emotionally closed off. He only lets a chosen few into his inner circle. He lives for the thrill of the ride and is strictly a one-night man. Brooke is smart and talented and can board right alongside Chase and his mates. Theirs is a slow-burn romance, but one without the usual cliches. The dialogue in ‘Ride’ is crisp, the settings exotic and the characters all perfectly developed. I could almost feel the chill of the mountain air and hear the swoosh of the snow as the author described the extreme snowboarding.
The sound of his board making impact again is enough to remind me of how big these stakes are. Riders die on superpipes. They break their spines, they crack their skulls, they pulverize bones and rip tendons. They get injuries that mean they can never walk again. Chase rides like fear is for other people.
Brooke wants a chance to photograph Chase and his crew and refuses to let her personal feelings get in her way. She becomes a member of his ‘False Kings’ team and she is utterly fearless in her ability to get that perfect shot. The action scenes in this book are simply outstanding. And the scenes between Chase and Brooke? Unforgettable! Even though Chase continues to warn Brooke that he has nothing to offer beyond just a physical relationship, Brooke loses her heart to him.
All that strength, so tightly controlled. As he dips his head to look for his beer, Chase’s eyes turn to mine. Just one touch, and I’m frozen. Work. I’m here for work. I need to keep my eyes on the goal. I force myself to think of the French girl whose boobs he signed, and that woman’s name tattooed at his wrist. It doesn’t have an immediate effect on the thud-thud-thud of my heart.
This was one fantastic book! I loved how strong and passionate Brooke was. And I fell in love with Chase, his coldness and emotional distance hiding a tragic past. These two shared a passion for boarding but I was honestly on the edge of my seat wondering if they were actually going to get a HEA. The author drew me in immediately and I also absolutely loved the supporting characters. I highlighted so many parts of this book and have been recommending this romance to everyone! I loved this book and cannot wait for the next one, which will tell JJ’s story. YES!! If you are in any kind of reading slump, and you love romance, do not miss ‘Ride’!! It gave me the kind of pulse-pounding excitement that reminds me why I love indie authors. Thank you, Ms. Dallas!!
FAVORITE QUOTES:
“When his gaze rises to mine, the world disappears. Chase looks at me as if he’s never seen me before. It’s not lust that blows his pupils to hungry darkness. There’s something else in the way his eyes tick between mine. As if he’s reaching for me without moving at all.”
“I feel safe here, with him, as we weave down from the mountains. It’s like when we ride on the snow together. Wordless, we fit perfectly. A silent understanding. It is what it is, and that’s great.”
“The mountains don’t frighten me. Death doesn’t frighten me. But you fucking terrify me, Brooke Larson. I am so fucking afraid.”
“Sometimes love hurts us,” Pop-pop says, his eyes fixed to mine as if he hands over something precious. “Sometimes we make a hash of it. But you have to be brave, Bumble. Because if you think it’s real …” He tweaks my nose like he has since I was a little girl. “Taking risks is what your heart is for.”