Bounty

*This review may contain spoilers, so be aware before reading the review* I am not sure why I hadn't realized how I hadn't read this one yet here but I haven't so once I realized I knew I had to pick it up even though there are quite a few mixed reviews on this story. I found Bounty to be a beautiful story overall and it had a such typical KA writing style that I always look forward to upon picking up on of her books. Now is it her best work or the best of the series, I don't think it is, BUT its a powerful addition and I wonder when we will get book 8. Bounty is a story that begins with Justice, who is at a local bar, writing lyrics and drinking on her own until she meets the man she will give her heart to...Deke Hightower. They flirt in that one night and create a solid connection and when he stands her up for a date they set up, it makes her realize how much she fell for this man so quickly. And now its been years, her singing career has skyrocketed but now her father has died, her brother is contesting the will, a band member died in a drug overdose and she needs to find her peace and so she settles in a small town and purchases a home that needs some work on in Colorado and then she meets the man she once fell so hard for and even had her first famous song to...Deke but he doesn't remember her for quite a while. Deke hasn't had it easy, he has been hurt by women, lost his mother who was the only woman that meant anything to him and now doesn't trust the female gender and trusts Jussy even less because of the wealth she obviously has. But when he realizes who she really is and when her life is put in danger, his reservations go out the window and will fight for the woman he has grown to love despite him attempting to put distance between them. Bounty is a story that I fell so hard for, the beginning of the story just captivates the reader so much. Their first meeting, a true meet cute was adorable, sexy and gravitating. And then my heart broke for Justice when Deke doesn't even remember her. And yeah I was struggling with his character and just knew that there had to be a good reason why he hadn't remembered her and yes there definitely is a reason for it. And his backstory really broke my heart. Deke is such a solid character, although a bit of a "lone wolf" in some respects, but I appreciated seeing how Justice is somewhat the same way as well. As a musician, and as music is in her family, she and Deke actually "personality" wise are just perfect for each other because of how they don't need to settle in one place to be happy. I found that this book really set off once these two really connect and man once they are "together" I just couldn't put it down, it does get a bit slow in the first half at times until we see them get to their point, but once they truly get there, its truly powerful. I got such a kick out of seeing them go about their lives and live a sense of normalcy and just go day to day together. I love how relatable to 'normal life" KA life writes. Overall I found Bounty to be a powerful story of redemption, healing, and fighting for the one you love.

Check out this and my other reviews at My Blog, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest ★Book Basics★ Genre : - Cont. Romance Series : - 7th in the series Love triangle? - (view spoiler)[No (hide spoiler)] Cheating? - (view spoiler)[No (hide spoiler)] HEA? - (view spoiler)[Yes (hide spoiler)] Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes Rating - 2 stars ★Review★ Update 22/4/16 Downgraded this to a 2, as really as I said in discussions about this, for Bounty alone, the story of Deke and Justice, and Justice as a character, I probably would not have finished it, but I liked seeing all the Carnal gang - which makes me wonder if that is why they are in so much, to deflect away from all that is dire! They are the "shiny" put there to take our attention. Original review: Arrggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! And again, just in case you missed it. Arrgghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I kind of do not know what to think. You know, this is a book for die hard KA fans, of which I used to think I was one. In saying that however, this book, I can't see drawing in new fans (although who would start a series at book 7 but still) It felt a lot like we have been here before. A bit of conflict to start, a couple of random dramas, something happens that wakes the hero up, then the hero and heroine are TOGETHER and in luurvve, a fair few chapters of this, and them settling, everyday routine, something happens, then an obligatory scene in a hospital with the entire cast of secondary characters hanging around with the situation strongly hinting at being dire. But ofc it is not. I really liked Deke, he was calm and almost zen like at times (although as with KA hero's can get riled up rather quick if the heroine is threatened.) The heroine, I am still not sure about. She writes a song about someone she meets for 10 mins, then bloody releases the song. Put this down to her "poets soul" You know since she is not just normal like the rest of us. Just felt like she went on about being a "Lonesome" or having a "poets soul" a touch too much. She feels like she can see people for who they really were (Chace being "broken" or Deacon "destroyed"), while the rest of the common folk were unable to do so. But no, you see she is just oh so special. I think she might actually be my second most disliked KA heroine after the horror of whats her name in Wild and Free. But ofc all our old favourites from the series instantly enveloped her into the group and had her back, she could even break through the high walls that Krys built up around herself in mere minutes since Krys recognises the "bounty" in Jus/Jussy. urgh. Hey....Jussy I loved the bits with previous couples in, Max/Nina, Tate/Laurie etc. But that is just it that is what this book is for. A revisit to Carnal for those of us who have loved the series. It could not stand up on its own as a story without that history. And yes I love to see couples from previous books, it just felt like here, it was relied upon too heavily to the detriment of an original story or main characters. I feel like KA in recent books has done these little cameos or mentions of other characters from other series too much. We all get excited and squee "oh it is Tate" "Oh Lee has been mentioned" etc........but the bare bones of the story and main characters, it is nothing new. It is just you know - boring in the end. 3 stars because I did enjoy those appearances (see, I got dragged in) and liked Deke but the story itself - I am left a bit deflated and in all honesty sad that I got bored and felt like it was just a rehashed story. Oh, and this is my perfect Deke!

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life AUDIOBOOK REVIEW Every time I start one of Kristen Ashley’s audiobooks, I know it’ll be worth the listen. All of them have great narrators and even better stories. I love audiobooks that are LONG too, so these are pretty much perfect for me. 20+ hours of listening is a little daunting, but the length is totally worth it when it’s KA. Bounty, the latest standalone in her Colorado Mountain series, is another winner – it’s got KA’s classic, endearing characters, a sweeping romance, and overall, just a feel-good mood that lifted my spirits as I listened. It’s a heartwarming story that takes you on a gradual journey of falling in love – if you love audiobooks, this series, or this author, Bounty is a must-listen! Seven years ago, Deke and Justice met and connected instantly – but after a failed date where Deke never showed up, Justice moved on and went on to become a well-known singer, whose hit song was inspired by the very man who stood her up. Now, their lives cross paths again – this time, Justice is ready to settle down from her rock star life and build a life for herself… and Deke is the man hired to renovate her house. While Justice remembers everything about Deke, he doesn’t recognize her at all, but the attraction between them is still very much present and palpable. Deke is known to be a nomad, never wanting to settle down in any place, while Justice wants to build a home for herself. Will these two be able to turn their newfound friendship into something meaningful and bountiful, or will they always be fated to cross paths but never come together? Bounty is a slow-building kind of story – from Justice and Deke’s slowly growing friendship, to their blossoming feelings for each other, to their relationship developing in an organic, steady pace, all of this takes time and patience to build. KA takes you along for the sweet ride, step by step besides these two wonderful characters as they discover a forever kind of love they never expected to find. I was surprised by how light-hearted and optimistic Bounty was, which is most likely thanks to Justice’s characters. She’s a sweetheart of a heroine, always looking at the bright side of things and persevering to have the kind of life that’s full of love she’s always dreamed of. And Deke, while normally stoic and gruff, finds a lightness within himself whenever he’s with Jussie. These two characters are just perfect together! There’s always a magical feel in KA’s romances, and I definitely felt that as I listened to Bounty. If you’re a romance lover, I highly encourage you to give her audiobooks a try. Emma Taylor, while a little monotonous at times, did a great job with the little subtleties in accents between different characters. She really brought all the Colorado Mountain characters to life. So definitely use that credit to get Bounty – it’s totally worth the listen! Audible: http://amzn.to/1RywXuT Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1PCanjV Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1RywWXQ Liked this review? Subscribe to Booklovers For Life for more!