Circe Quinn goes to sleep at home and wakes up in a corral filled with women wearing sacrificial virgin attire - and she is one of them. She soon finds out that she’s not having a wild dream, she’s living a frightening nightmare where she’s been transported to a barren land populated by a primitive people and in short order, she’s installed very unwillingly on her white throne of horns as their Queen.

Dax Lahn is the king of Suh Tunak, The Horde of the nation of Korwahk and with one look at Circe, he knows she will be his bride and together they will start The Golden Dynasty of legend. Circe and Lahn are separated by language, culture and the small fact she’s from a parallel universe and has no idea how she got there or how to get home. But facing challenge after challenge, Circe finds her footing as Queen of the brutal Korwahk Horde and wife to its King, then she makes friends then she finds herself falling in love with this primitive land, its people and especially their savage leader. Available ebook formats: epub mobi pdf rtf lrf pdb txt html. Kristen Ashley grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England.

Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Gripping and seductive, The Deep End is the first book in a sensational new series from bestselling author Kristen Ashley. Kristen Ashley - Fantasyland 01 - Wildest Dreams.epub. As a teen, Dusty had gone off the rails but when she was a kid, she was sweet, she was funny and she had a special bond with Mike. Za: Sitemap 9. The Woods, Harlan Coben, Carol Monda, David Chandler. A Summer Flight (1. Frederick Adelbert Bisbee.

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up. And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better. Review by: on March 21, 2013: It took a bit of a while for me to get into this book but when I did.wow!!! (reviewed the day of purchase) Review by: on Dec. 27, 2012: After reading a lot of other KA books, I wasn't sure that would like this book, glad I took the chance, it was a great story! (reviewed 22 days after purchase) Review by: on Nov.

18, 2012: This was the 2nd KA book I read. I bought 20 others before I even finished reading this one. (reviewed 8 months after purchase) Review by: on Oct. 20, 2012: I was not going to read this book, but OMG!! I am glad that I did!

Shoot, I want to wake up in a strange place, with a super hot, alpha male as my husband.yes, yes, yes! This book was amazing, characters hot, hot, hot! Great 'dirty' scenes, and lots of action. Would recommend!

(I agree with the other reviewer that there are elements of 2 characters from Game of Thrones in this book, Daenarys and Drogo. But the story of how they come together is different. And besides who doesn't like the fantasy of a beautiful woman, taken captive by a hot, warlord, savage:) (reviewed 15 days after purchase) Review by: on Oct. 13, 2012: I enjoyed this book but as others have already commented here (and goodreads) there are facets which I found disturbing/annoying but afterawhile I got over it and got into the story. TIP I don't really watch Game of Thrones but (I think) from what I have seen (parts involving Daenarys and Drogo) helped paint the scene and setting for this book - so if you are unsure if you want to read it youtube GOT and get an idea. (reviewed 4 days after purchase) Review by: on Aug.

17, 2012: I loved it but there are elements that will offend some readers. If you are a fan of the old bodice rippers of the 70s and 80s, you might like this. (reviewed 21 days after purchase) Review by: on June 06, 2012: (no rating) I loved this book, no less than what I expected from KA. Kept true to her sweet, hot Mega-Alpha male heroes, and Lahn was above and beyond, probably due to the savage aspect. Circe was a good lead, she was a little foolish, but I loved her spirit and the whole Tigress thing. There was a good amount of laughter considering the possible dark tone of the book.

I also loved the beginning when she started to get to know Lahn, it was really sweet, he was sweet, with the seduction and not understanding and repeating her phrases, I especially loved the 'I don't understand you baby', really sweet(Ps I'm going to be saying that a lot:D). I always love the beginnings of romances, watching, waiting for, seeing and feeling the characters fall in love is amazing. It was especially nice here, with how it started, the fact that it changed for the better, and how, with his attentiveness, his words. I loved the piggyback scene, again sweet, romantic. I think you get the gist:D I LOVED scene with the 'Nahna' and 'Kahna's you just melt, nothing else for it, or to say totally swoon and every good description you can think of, romantic, sweet, possessive, love. And need I mention the river bank scene, again nothing else to say, their first admission of love, it was everything it should be, I wanted, needed and expected.

Totally made up for what I felt was a lacking first kiss cause she gave in so easily and was half asleep, not as romantic as a fight, or in the midst of passion and having her CONSCIOUS. I wanted her to choose it but oh well. But his first kiss to her was really sweet, another favorite part. The magic was cool too. Oh and the Fauna thing, immediate, constant and apparently rare among all other warriors, so Sweet! (I even counted: 9 'My Faunas' and 13 'My Doe' from, Lahn to Circe) This is why we fall in love with these, hard jerk mega-alpha males, and savage in this case(but also always hot too). Some complained there was too much setting and clothes descriptions, but for me I loved, wanted and needed it.

It all helped with the imagining and also fantasizing the kickass outfits I REALLY want to try;) Now I can understand the issues this book touched being sensitive topics for some people and therefore not a good choice to read. However, these parts were generally either in the beginning, glossed over and/or only lasted a few pages. I also realize this was a hated phrase but it 'was their culture!' We had the exact same one 700+ years ago.

We still have it in many areas today, so despite our change in many cultures, we can't be completely high and mighty that we've never done this. Yes, it has changed and I do not condone any of the things touched on either, but this was also part of the point of the book and its characters. It was a modern day woman falling in love with a savage nation and equally savage man, and you know that upon starting to read it.

We can't expect Circe to enter the country and be able to change much of anything, not just because she said so and didn't like it. I find it amazing she changed it in Lahn or at least made him listen and abide by her wishes, good for her, she stood up for herself and her beliefs when she could, when it really mattered, and mattered to her, and when she could change things. The rest, you either need to accept, or bury your head in the sand, skip or gloss over. Get to the heart of the story. I am also proud of her for holding her grudge, however the last time almost annoyed she gave in or annoyed when I knew she would and the incident was happening because, she was so broken and I was upset and breaking with her.

However it was Crazy and for a barbarian, yeah, no, he's not gonna get it. But he realized he loved her anyway right away so that is redeeming.

So I do totally and fully agree with the outcome, and the fact that he won, but I wanted more at the end. I find this often with with KA books and probably part of the reason I've been devouring them feverishly. They always leave me satisfied but not, wanting more, more of the all is calm, love forever, everything is perfect romance and love once all the issues have been resolved. I want to revel in it, but can't so I reread and/or buy the next to start over with the watching, waiting for, seeing and feeling the characters fall in love. Waiting for the scenes I want. The declarations of love, the revelations and determination, before all hell breaks loose and is then resolved, sometimes promptly, sometimes not, and then the book ends. A vicious cycle and it's good KA shows no sign of stopping and pumps them out so fast, it's needed.

Smart ploy for publishers, but still, and just shows how much I love these books. Also, addressing the repetitive issues, I just got over, ignored, or just plain didn't notice them. Specifically for this book, there are only so many things and phrases they could say with a language barrier. I read this book because of one phrase. On a review for her new book Knight, which I've also read and reviewed, similarly I might add, a reader commented it was missing the absolute and apparent love characteristic of KA's books, and I agree, but how she said it stuck with me and burned in my brain for a week before I broke down and bought this book.

She said ----- 'I just didn't feel the WHY Knight loved Anya or how her love impacted his life. In KA language. 'Sweet Dreams'. Remember when Tate realized that 'this was enough' for Lauren.

Or when he was walking the house after she'd been kidnapped and KA showed us how Laurie was everywhere, in every corner and crevice of Tate's house and his heart? Or how Joe told Vi.

'I'm full to bursting.' Or when Circe gets swept back to her time and Lahn's heart practically falls out of his chest?' Now unfortunately for me, that scene wasn't described in such detail, or with those words that would and almost did make me swoon, but the idea is there, the love is evident and you can definitely read between the lines. What can I say, with it being described afterwards and the Dax not being much of a sharer or chatterer, well I'm not exactly suprised. I loved this book, savage and all, it was sweet, romantic and just like KA. It's a perfect addition to my shelf for her, now up to 10! Wow, (I love her books, can't get enough.

If you are really sensitive, be warned, watchful, I don't recommend it unknowingly, but definitely recommend it. However, if you are just hesitant, worried about details or graphics, BUY THE BOOK! It is worth it, I found the issues able to be handled and pushed aside pretty easily, just focus on your swooning and I was good. It was never THAT detailed, not much worse than some of her other scenes, or many others in many other books popular and widely read with drugs, kidnapping, torture, more and worse rape, at least this rape was clean for most and hell PG 13 movies are more graphic, also horror and thrillers, action movies, books, there is a lot we put up with, deal with and accept because it's FICTION. The same goes here, and it's KA she's not known for all butterflies, flowers and simple petty issues being the main drama. They almost all have at least one sick crazy in it and violence and explosions of the literal and figurative variety. Even the leads are hard-edged and some downright scary.

So, I actually found this book to be sweeter, in words and actions than any of her others so far, whatever made Lahn Lahn in their Cham. They had a lot of scenes there where he was allowed to be sweet instead of always being a Macho Biker or something similar, I guess he let her in right away, was sweet and in love right away, and that was amazingly different. So, read the book, if you liked her others, I'm sure, and hope, you'll love this one. I'm sorry this is one heinously, long review but I hope it helps and inspires. (reviewed 49 days after purchase) Review by: on April 20, 2012: Dear Kristen, WOW.

I don't know what to say. I've been skeptical of self published authors for certain reasons but you certainly came charging and f-ing blew my brains and reasons out the window. I don't care about the sentence structure, vocabs, grammar or punctuation stuff or even the 'get an editor' crap reviewers like to comment concerning self publish authors. This is because I was so taken in and fell immediately in love with your beautiful and gorgeous writing where the characters come to life and are so real. You are truly a gem.

Yes, the content is brutal but it is a fact of life and a culture. It happens in history and you just gotta deal.

But Circe and Lahn were so sweet. I could practically melt from all the sweetness pouring out of the savage brute, Lahn. I even came to love and care deeply about the secondary characters like Diandra, Zahnin, Sabine and so many others - even Circe's girls. It was a brutal, cruel, slap-in-the-face world but oh, so alive and sweet. The Golden Dynasty deeply affected and excited me to the very core and I thank you for sharing this exhilarating tale with us readers. Yeah, you got it. I am a fan of Khal Drogo and Khaleesi from GoT.

I'm on to Wildest Dreams. (reviewed 2 days after purchase) Review by: on April 20, 2012: Dear Kristen, WOW. I don't know what to say.

I've been skeptical of self published authors for certain reasons but you certainly came charging and f-ing blew my brains and reasons out the window. I don't care about the sentence structure, vocabs, grammar or punctuation stuff or even the 'get an editor' crap reviewers like to comment concerning self publish authors. This is because I was so taken in and fell immediately in love with your beautiful and gorgeous writing where the characters come to life and are so real.

You are truly a gem. Yes, the content is brutal but it is a fact of life and a culture. It happens in history and you just gotta deal. But Circe and Lahn were so sweet.

I could practically melt from all the sweetness pouring out of the savage brute, Lahn. I even came to love and care deeply about the secondary characters like Diandra, Zahnin, Sabine and so many others - even Circe's girls. It was a brutal, cruel, slap-in-the-face world but oh, so alive and sweet. The Golden Dynasty deeply affected and excited me to the very core and I thank you for sharing this exhilarating tale with us readers. Yeah, you got it. I am a fan of Khal Drogo and Khaleesi from GoT. I'm on to Wildest Dreams (reviewed 2 days after purchase) Review by: on March 19, 2012: Golden Dynasy is a great addition to my Kristen Ashley library.

Anticipate every Kristen Ashley book. (reviewed 23 days after purchase) Review by: on Feb. 22, 2012: This is an independent sequel to Wildest Dreams and was just as good and fun to read. (reviewed 29 days after purchase) Review by: on Jan. 14, 2012: I loved this book. Kristen Ashley is one of my favorite authors. (reviewed 10 days after purchase).

She's ready for the ride of her life... Lauren Grahame is looking to reinvent herself. After leaving her cheating husband, Lauren moves to Carnal, Colorado, and gets a job as a waitress in a biker bar called Bubba's. It's a nothing job in a nowhere joint... Until Tatum Jackson walks in.

Lauren has never seen a man with such good looks, muscles, and attitude. But when She's ready for the ride of her life... Lauren Grahame is looking to reinvent herself. After leaving her cheating husband, Lauren moves to Carnal, Colorado, and gets a job as a waitress in a biker bar called Bubba's. It's a nothing job in a nowhere joint... Until Tatum Jackson walks in. Lauren has never seen a man with such good looks, muscles, and attitude.

But when he insults her, Lauren doesn't want anything to do with him. Too bad for Lauren he's also the bar's part owner and bartender. When the rough-around-the-edges Tate meets the high-class Lauren, he thinks she won't fit in at Bubba's.

Yet there's more to Lauren than meets the eye, and Tate soon sets his mind on claiming her as his own. Before long, the desire burning between them is heating up the cold mountain air. But when violence strikes the town, Tate must reveal a dark secret to Lauren-one that may put an end to their sweet dreams. Sweet Dreams is book 2 of the Colorado Mountain series, but each book within the series can be read as a stand-alone book as there is no Yes and no. Sweet Dreams is book 2 of the Colorado Mountain series, but each book within the series can be read as a stand-alone book as there is no plot arc between the books. All the books within the ‘series’ are set in the same general, fictional location within Colorado.

Characters from the different books may make an appearance, but their story/book is not integral to the plot of the book you are reading. It helps in later books to have read the previous books in the series, but again it’s not enough to confuse you and you won’t get lost. KA does a decent job of explaining any back story you might need to know. Sigh, DNF This was my first -- and last -- book by this author.

Her stories may be interesting and heartfelt (according to many of her fans), but her writing is NOT great. I found this book to be nothing more than an unedited rough draft not ready for prime time. More so, she doesn't have a polished writing voice, nor does she have a solid grip of basic writing rules. So if you care about well written stories, be sure to read the free chapters online before you buy. Many readers have been able to Sigh, DNF This was my first -- and last -- book by this author. Her stories may be interesting and heartfelt (according to many of her fans), but her writing is NOT great. I found this book to be nothing more than an unedited rough draft not ready for prime time.

More so, she doesn't have a polished writing voice, nor does she have a solid grip of basic writing rules. So if you care about well written stories, be sure to read the free chapters online before you buy.

Many readers have been able to look past the writing issues, so maybe you can too. In full disclosure I only made it 10% (60 pages or so) into it before I couldn't take anymore, so this review is not about the story itself. In truth, she may have told a great story in this book but I will never know.

So what is wrong with the writing? The major issues I found were: Problem 1: It felt as if HALF the sentences started with the word 'I', which to me showed a lack of creative story telling. 'I went into.' , 'I noticed that.' , 'I couldn't get.'

Wow, this got old fast! (Read the first few pages of the and you'll see what I mean. I skimmed the rest of the book and sadly the writing voice issue never stopped.) Problem 2: The loooooong run on sentences are a constant problem, not an occasional one. It is difficult to follow her meandering train of thought through these poorly written sentences. Example: 'But it hit me just then that since not only did he feel free to shout those things about me when he barely knew me but also he knew I heard it and he didn’t apologize but told me to shake it off and let it go because I should somehow accept he was in a shit mood and just deal with it, that he obviously wasn’t a very nice person and maybe, even though I was a nice person, there were some people who deserved to get back what they got.' Problem 3: Poor punctuation, or should I say the lack of it. Problem 4: Parentheses over-kill.

She uses A LOT of parentheses to help clarify her meandering thought process. Because of this, the story unfolds in such a choppy manner. Problem 5: Editing. Words like 'past' instead of 'passed'.etc. Problem 6: Lack of brevity. A common rule of writing is to omit useless words and repetitive statements.

If this book was edited for brevity alone, I bet it would reduce the overall page count by several dozen or more -- at least. Problem 7: The story often meandered making it hard to follow her train of thought. Examples: Tonia ignored this totally and I soon noticed she was good at ignoring a lot of things, including me, who she didn’t say so much as “boo” to, and her customers, unless they were good-looking. Or Her legs had a hint of tan I guessed because she was often out watering her flowers or cleaning the pool or sweeping the walkways or cleaning the cool deck around the pool with a blast from the hose and I noticed she was always in a sundress. On a positive note I will say she does a pretty good job of keeping it in an active-voice (show me) instead of a passive-voice (tell me).

I mean no offense to those of you who love her books, but she is not an author I'd personally recommend to anyone based on her rough, unedited writing style. This book is a classic example of what Indie authors should not do.

There is no excuse to skim over the proofreading and editing steps when publishing a book. Indie authors have a huge uphill battle to prove themselves as worthy as the big name published authors, but as long as such unprofessional manuscripts are being pushed out by Indies that battle will only continue. I honestly couldn't imagine any professional publishing house releasing a manuscript with so many writing errors as this one had. TATE IS ON AUDIBLE!!!!

Listening to Sweet Dreams. I love this book.

4 Special Stars Since I've been sick for days now. I don't really feel like doing a huge review. This one will be shorter and to the point. I really enjoyed this book. It was angsty, dramatic, and suspenseful without being over the top or driving me crazy. I loved Tate although not as much as Max from book one. I loved Lauren more than Nina from book one.

I thought Tate and Lauren had a great relationship full of passion. I will say this book had a lot of similarities with book one. Bot 4 Special Stars Since I've been sick for days now. I don't really feel like doing a huge review.

This one will be shorter and to the point. I really enjoyed this book. It was angsty, dramatic, and suspenseful without being over the top or driving me crazy. I loved Tate although not as much as Max from book one. I loved Lauren more than Nina from book one. I thought Tate and Lauren had a great relationship full of passion.

I will say this book had a lot of similarities with book one. Both heroes said Babe as a response to almost every question asked them by the heroine like every 6 or 7 sentences.

Both heroines say ummm uhh and sorry at least 10 times a page. And they all talk in half sentences. For example here is what it was like (I made this sentences up not a quote from the book) 'You doin'?'

' You doing?' 'Sick of telling you babe.' 'Shut it and kiss me.' At times I would have to reread things to try to figure out A) where the hell the first part of all the sentences went?

And B)I had to try and decode what each Babe. Tate and Laurie meant. I am guessing this is going to be one of those author's quirks that KA does a lot. I just hope it doesn't get annoying. Right now I kinda just laugh and shake my head at it but I have a feeling it will get old fast. Now here are a few real quotes from the book showing you what I mean making the one I made up pointless but what the hell. “Um” I started.

He cut me off. “You curl into me.” “Sorry?” I asked. “My back,” he replied.

“Um” I paused then repeated, “Sorry?” “You curl into my goddamned back, Lauren,” he ground out and his arm around my waist gave me a rough squeeze. “I was uh”-Lauren and Tate “Tate!” I snapped.

His knee came up, parting my legs. “Bet, way you catch fire, make up sex’ll be hot,” he muttered. “We are not making up and we are not having sex.” His head came up, I saw he was grinning and through his grin he said, “Babe.” “Babe yourself!” I spat.-Lauren and Tate “Not fun sleepin’ alone,” he muttered into my ear as I pulled against his hold but he was stronger than me and he switched our direction so we were heading to the bed. “Let me go, Tate,” I demanded, my hands shoving at his arm.

“Gotta learn to get over it, Ace,” he told me.-Tate and Lauren Even with the above mentioned KA quirks I still loved this book. I loved all the secondary characters.

The bar gang was great. Tate and Lauren made a great couple. I really thought Tate's son Jonas was too cute and there are some really fun moments between Jonas, Lauren and Tate. Tate's Ex was a crazy bitch and I wanted to reach through the kindle and beat the crap outta her. But she was a well developed crazy bitch ex written in a way that made her feel real too. I liked their HEA but not as much as Max and Nina's. I kinda wish they would have had a baby.

I know they aren't in their 20s but she was only 42 she could still have a baby. Bottom line I loved this book but I loved the first one better. EDITED December 15, 2011 and January 1, 2012 On the one hand, I agree that the story needed better editing.

On the other hand, Tate would say 'Who gives a flying f*ck?' I wholeheartedly agree, Tate! I didn't mind at all. I LOVE this story and I could easily forget those minor issues.

************************************************************************ Tate with beard: Tate without beard: 'How blessed are some people, whose lives have no fears, no dreads; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes EDITED December 15, 2011 and January 1, 2012 On the one hand, I agree that the story needed better editing. On the other hand, Tate would say 'Who gives a flying f*ck?' I wholeheartedly agree, Tate!

I didn't mind at all. I LOVE this story and I could easily forget those minor issues. ************************************************************************ Tate with beard: Tate without beard: 'How blessed are some people, whose lives have no fears, no dreads; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes nightly, and brings nothing but sweet dreams.' - by Bram Stoker - 'What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.' - by Ralph Waldo Emerson - H.U.G.E. Wow, did I miss anything? I absolutely LOVED, LOVED Sweet Dreams!

Jeez, what's not to love about this story? It was an enlightening reading experience. Sweet Dreams is my favorite book to date. Tate, you uber-hot, badass (badass with a capital B), sexilicious specimen of a manawwww, you are definitely the epitome of Mr. Hotness in high perfection! You are such a bossy, demanding, and annoying jerk at times, yet you are so caring, protective, sweet, and tendermy stomach just flipped.

*dreamy sigh* Speaking about attitudeSeriously, Tate, you're talking about Laurie having attitude? Yeah, man, what about you, huh??? You've got a serious case of attitude. Tsk-tsk The hero is the personification of a badass biker bounty hunter, and therefore he 'likes' to use the f-word regularly. Please, don't let it put you off. Basically, I don't like that either, however in this case it suited the hero, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Tate stayed true to his character and everything he said and did helped to show the reader what a wonderful man he is. I'd like to alert you. Don't jump to conclusions too fast in the beginning of the story. It's what Lauren didTate said something nasty, but I forgave him, since he had some serious s*it going down in his life. As the story unfolds you'll get to know him better and even Lauren will have to admit that she made a 'mistake'.

Don't judge too fast. Just sayin' Admittedly, I am always so focused on the hero, yet Sweet Dreams features a superb heroine. Wow, Lauren kicks ass!

Even when she is kind of 'lost' in the beginning of the plot, she can hold her own. She is sassy and a real smart-mouth. I adored this woman! And Tate will help her find herself again - she has to get rid of her being 'lost'. Sweet Dreams lives and breathes dialogs - lots and lots of wonderful and hilarious dialogs!

This story put a smile on my face, and there were many laughing-out-loud moments too. I was glued to the pages and I truly regretted the fact that it had to end eventually. Boy, I can't get enough of these two! On top of that, the author did a very fine job in developing many secondary characters as well. They're complex, yet so endearing. BTW, the story is told in first person POV and my advice to those who don't like thatread it nevertheless! It was truly perfect.

And after awhile I didn't even notice it anymore. I was so focused what would happen next that I didn't mind at all. I loved the author's detailed, very engaging, and colorful writing. It never felt contrived; it was real and emotional. She writes like she'd paint a picture - a very vivid and colorful picture, that is. There's certainly nothing black and white about her story.

Do you remember how it feels to look at a wonderful picture? You think you've seen everything and then suddenly in a corner you'll discover something new. With that said, reading Sweet Dreams felt like discovering a good picture, a very interesting and enticing picture. Frankly, it was a very long read (about twice as long as a usual novel), and Ms. Ashley was always able to keep me on my toes. She did it with such ease and lightnesswow, I was in awe!

Honestly, there was never a dull moment throughout the storyline. The pace was very good, it never dragged but there was no need to rush things either. The character and plot development were exemplary; the sex/love scenes were well written. They are not very long but they showed desire, passion, sensuality, hotness, and love! Sheesh, they had such terrific chemistry and they really needed each other and they showed it. And Tate got hands and a mouthmmmmI was salivating. Actually, there was a lot of touching and it felt so real - I was right there and every word and every touch just leaped off the page.

And their necking was so sweet! *dreamy sigh - again* Additionally, it was rewarding to read about their everyday business - for instance when they went shopping. I felt like I was there and I was silently laughing when Tate had to push the cart (actually, he was half-lying on the cart) and Mr. Hotness was not at all amused.

Ehm, Tate, do you rememberchick territory! LOL Furthermore, it was so endearing to read about their family dynamics (Lauren's family is wonderful).

Sweet Dreams just grabbed me and I couldn't let go anymore. The characters will stay close to me. Tate, I promise you a very special place in my heart and I love you to pieces! Ashley came up with some funny names: La-La Land (coffee shop), Sunray Goddess (Sunny, a hippie woman), Shambala (Shambles, a hippie guy), Bubba (a guy and the name of the biker bar), Chantelle - that's a town (BTW, Chantelle is also a French brand for lingerie), Gnaw Bone (another town), Wood (another guy, hmmmsorry, but my mind is wandering elsewhere).

Brief synopsis: Lauren Grahame is sitting in her parked car outside Bubba's biker bar in Carnal, Colorado. She looks at the window of the bar. In it there's a sign that says 'Help Wanted'. In the little white space at the bottom of the sign is written, 'Waitress'. Lauren enters the bar and applies for the waitress position. As long as Lauren can remember she thought something special was going to happen to her. She felt that it had to be something special, something hugeBut it didn't.

She waited and it didn't happen. Even when she tried to make it happen, it still didn't happen. Eventually Lauren gives up, since there isn't anything special out there to happen.

Boy, was she ever wrong! Lauren had a husband, a home, a job, and friends.

Lauren's husband cheated on her for five years (with her best friend); he divorced her. They had to sell their house and after ten years of being with someone, she was alone. She quits her job and drives around and arrives in Carnal. Lauren gets the job.

And she finds somethingspecial and huge in Carnal. Tate Jackson enters her life. He is 44 years old and one of the bar owners. Tate works as a bartender and bounty hunter. Their first 'official' meeting sucks, because she overhears Tate saying: Behind closed doors 'Jesus, Krys, maybe you wanna talk to me before you hire some sorry-ass, old, fat, suburban bitch to drag around our goddamned bar?' Admittedly, I was so not pleased to hear that, but as I mentioned before something bad happened to Tate, and he will apologize for being such a jerk.

Just cut him some slack. It seems that Lauren went from a pansy-assed dickhead (her ex) to a badass bounty hunter in the space of a year:D *********************************** Aw, there is so much to LOVE about this story, and there are so many, many memorable dialogs between Tate and Lauren. I put my memorable 'quotes'/lines in a spoiler. You may read them though, since I didn't include any spoilers. [Tate said: 'You want sweet dreams, lose the attitude and you might find I'll give you reason to have them.' 'Like I said, when I get pissed I say a lotta shit I don't mean and what I said about you I didn't mean,' he repeated, beginning to look as impatient as he sounded. 'And like I said, you're old enough to learn you shouldn't do that,' I repeated too, probably also looking impatient.

'That isn't me,' he replied. 'Well, then, this obviously is eating you and that's your consequence because I have feelings and you walked all over them and you can't order me to shake it off so you can feel better. It's there, burned in my brain and I can't just forget it because you tell me to. So you have to live with that.

You can't and want me gone, say it now because I'm beginning to like Betty and I met Shambles and Sunny and I'm having dinner with them tomorrow night and I'd rather not make ties when I'm going to need to hit the road because my boss is going to get rid of me.' 'Shambles and Sunny?' 'Shambles and Sunny,' I answered but didn't share more. 'Now, can we just move on and do our best to work together and all other times avoid each other or do you want me to go?' He moved forward an inch and I again fought the urge to retreat. 'Forgiveness is divine,' he said softly and I'd never heard him talk soft. He had a very nice voice but when it went soft, it was beautiful.

This also sucked. (BTW, in the beginning a lot of things sucked!:D) I mean Lauren uses this word 'sucks'. 'I'm not divine,' I returned. 'I'm also not Ace and I'm not Babe. You don't like my name, don't call me anything at all. Now can I clean the danged table?'

I had my head tipped back to look him in the eye but I could tell he was expending effort to hold his whole body still. Then he said in that soft voice, 'I'm sorry, Ace.' 'Me too,' I replied instantly being clear I didn't accept his apology. Tate shouted, both Wendy and I jumped and twisted our necks to look his way. 'You cashed out or what?' Tate asked still in a shout. 'I'm cashed out,' I shouted back.

'You wanna socialize for the next hour or are we gonna go?' He was still shouting and I was acutely aware, due to the fact that the noise level declined significantly, that the entire bar was listening. 'Keep your pants on!' The noise level disappeared. 'Babe, get your ass over here,' Tate ordered.

'Patience, Captain, I'm talking to Wendy,' I shot back. Tate commanded. I looked at Wendy and snapped loudly, 'He's so darned bossy!' Two men and a woman sitting at the bar close to us burst out laughing. 'You better get your ass over there,' Wendy advised, I rolled my eyes and stomped across the bar. His smile got even bigger.

'Yeah, Ace, a day of you cryin' in my arms, sleepin' in my arms, kissin' you, feelin' your body, smellin' your hair, your perfume, only so much a man can take. I ran for an hour, hard, didn't even fuckin' warm up, it didn't touch it. Come back, deal with that fuckwad, (that's her ex) and you're standin' there, all legs and hair, wearin' my shirt. Only so much a man can take.' 'Two of us in this room, Ace, two keycards,' he said and my eyes went to him.

When they did, he jerked his hand, finger extended to the door. 'Know what this is?' I asked stupidly. 'A peephole,' he bit back then moved his hand to flick the security latch closed. 'Know what that is?'

'Captain -' He advanced and the aggressive way he did it made me retreat. It was dawning on me he was pissed and he wasn't pissed at Brad (that's her ex).

He was pissed at me. I stopped when my legs hit the chair to the desk. He stopped when he was in my space. I tilted my head way back to look at him.

'You got great hair, babe.' 'Tate -' 'Thick.' 'Tate -' 'Soft.'

'Tate,' I whispered. 'Shame it gets hacked off with a knife after some guy rapes you with that knife!'

He finished on a roar. My body jolted. 'There's bad guys out there, Ace. Do things to you that'll make you glad you end up dead. You don't open a goddamned door not knowin' who's behind it.' 'I thought it was you.' 'Well it wasn't.'

'Tate -' 'Which one are you?' 'Are you the good guy, the sweet guy who takes care of me or are you this guy who's kind of a jerk?' His answer was instantaneous. 'I'm both those guys, babe. Your job is to get used to it.' There it was, another order. Not even an ultimatum.

Just, 'get used to it'. I loved this bathroom scene - this is only a little part of it: 'Jesus, Laurie, baby, look at you.' My eyes followed his, mainly because I wanted him to keep at me and I'd do just about anything he told me to do to get it.

But what I saw made my heart skip and my legs fail. Tate, dark, tall, behind me, his hands on me; me, blonde, my face flushed, my eyes hooded, tucked tight against him. A perfect fit, made to be there. A perfect match, made to be together. Made to be there. Made to be together. We looked great.

We looked hot. We looked beautiful. My eyes went to his in the mirror. And she said too bad you'll have to read it - awwww, I know, I know I am such a tease! LOL Tate to Lauren's ex: 'Then you shouldn't have thrown her away when she was your wife. Now she ain't. Now she's somethin' to me and I don't let men I don't like get close to her and I gotta tell you man, I do not like you.'

'It isn't that it's too soon, you're on the back of my bike, it ain't too soon. You can buy sheets. You cannot install blinds.' 'Can you explain the difference?' 'Sheets are chick territory,' he said without delay. 'You gotta use tools, that's dick territory.'

'Oh,' I whispered. 'Don't tread on dick territory,' he advised. Is a paintbrush a tool?' I asked cautiously. 'If you're paintin' the side of the house, yeah.

If you're painting mud colored paint in a room, no.' 'It's terracotta,' I said softly.

'Whatever,' he muttered, his mouth twitching. 'Or, the paint chip called it Mexican horizon. The blue is dawn sky.' 'Definitely chick territory,' Tate replied, losing the fight with his grin.

'What about.pictures for the walls?' 'Chick,' he answered instantly. 'Um.could I ask that, instead of you getting angry and being a jerk, maybe you give me a head's up when I'm doing something stupid?' 'I wanted to play ball,' he stated in a way that my body got very still and my eyes, already locked to his, became glued there. 'It wasn't the money. It wasn't the fame. It was the game.

The goddamned game. I didn't feel like I was breathin' right if I wasn't playin' or practicin'. Felt like life was still, someone hit pause, then I'd put on my pads and jersey and walk on the field and then everything would come alive. Dad and I were Eagles fans since I could remember. Puttin' that fuckin' jersey on, Christ, Laurie.Christ.' 'Three weeks, after fuckin' you, knowin' what you taste like, what you feel like, the sounds you make when you come, three weeks I'm on the road and all I got is a couple minutes of your voice on the phone every night.

Fuckin' you, that's all I can think about, like a teenager, at night in the dark, it's the only thing in my goddamned head. So I jack off, hopin' to cut through it, but nothin' compares to you.

Then I know you can't sleep so I can't fuckin' sleep wonderin' if you're sleepin'. That shit's whacked and I come home, fuckin' beside myself it's over.'

'So we find out about each other and who we are together. I'm gonna piss you off 'cause I can be a dick. That's who I am. And you're gonna piss me off 'cause, babe, you got attitude. That's who you are. And that's who we're comin' out to be together. And I'm all right with that because, with what I had before, even when you're a bitch, I like it.

But when you're not, it's a sweetness the like I've never tasted.' 'You said you were waitin' for something special and he took away your chance to figure out that you were carryin' it with you all this time. You are special, Laurie.'

'Two kinds of women get under your skin. The ones who do damage, they don't feel good there but once you're fuckin' stupid enough to let them in you got no choice but to take the time it takes to work them out. Then there are the ones who don't do damage, who feel good there, feed the muscle, the bone, the soul, not rip it or break it or burn it. The ones you don't wanna work out.'

Wow, this was so hilarious: Brad (Lauren's ex) ignored Hayley (she's Brad's ex girlfriend) and looked at me, he did a top to toe and back again then his gaze moved to Tate. 'I'm here to tell you I'm suing you,' he announced. Jim-Billy, Nadine, Steg, Wing and my eyes moved to Tate.

Tate stared at Brad then he said, 'Come again?' 'I'm suing you,' Brad repeated. 'Alienation of affection,' Brad answered. Without hesitation, Tate threw his head back and burst out laughing. Then he looked at me and remarked, 'You're right, babe, this is fun.' Ignoring Tate's comment, Brad declared, 'You stole my wife.' Tate looked back at Brad.

'Yeah, bud, I did.' Brad pointed at Tate and his voice was raised when he proclaimed, 'See? You admit it.' He threw his arm out.

'I have witnesses.' 'Not that any judge'll hear your case, seein' as Lauren divorced your ass before I alienated her affection, but you manage it, I'll pay the fine. In the meantime, I'll keep alienating her affection. You should know, and feel free to share it with your lawyers,' Tate continued magnanimously, 'schedule's comin' out mornin' and night. Usually, in the mornin', she sucks me off or I make her come in the shower. Night, manshit, that's even better.

Definitely worth the fine.' Sorry, it's just too long; I have to cut it off. But it continueslike that: 'This is the good life?'

(Brad) 'Part of it,' Tate replied instantly, taking his fists from the bar, leaning into his forearms and asking softly, in a tone meant both to challenge and provoke, 'She ever ignite, lose so much control she'd attack you? Climb on top and fuck you so hard she can't breathe?' I watched Brad suffer that blow because I hadn't, not even close.

We'd had good sex but not that good and Brad was extremely proud of his sexual prowess. He was convinced he was the best. And he knew, with Tate's words, he was wrong. 'Jesus, you're disgusting,' Brad muttered, calling up revulsion to save face. 'She does that to me,' Tate continued. 'Fuck off,' Brad snapped. 'All the fuckin' time,' Tate pushed.

'Fuck off,' Brad repeated. 'It's fuckin' magnificent,' Tate declared. 'Thanks, honey,' I whispered and grinned at him when his eyes came to me. I was actually expressing gratitude, although embarrassed by his conversation, but I was also kind of joking to get in Brad's face.

His expression was serious when he said, 'You are, Ace. Fuckin' magnificent.' ] I'm going to plow right through Ms.

Ashley's backlist. Today I had to download six books at once, and I assume that I'll be busy for the next few days/weeks. Sweet Dreams is such an engaging, outstanding, and wonderful story with great characters. It is not only a love story. It's about life, about people, and about finding yourself and what you want out of life. I'd like to give you exactly one advice: READ IT!!! 5+ stars – Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense There are a lot of reviews for this already, so here are some of my random thoughts.

The Bad and The Ugly: •Yes, it’s an editing nightmare that at times made me want to whip out my red pen and go crazy with correcting remarks. •There is way too much (and occurring too often) inane detail, especially about the heroine’s wardrobe, outfits, hair, makeup, getting ready, routine, etc.

I understand that her self-esteem and makeover were a significant comp 5+ stars – Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense There are a lot of reviews for this already, so here are some of my random thoughts. The Bad and The Ugly: •Yes, it’s an editing nightmare that at times made me want to whip out my red pen and go crazy with correcting remarks. •There is way too much (and occurring too often) inane detail, especially about the heroine’s wardrobe, outfits, hair, makeup, getting ready, routine, etc. I understand that her self-esteem and makeover were a significant component to the story, but I still think an easy 50+ pages of random “stuff” could have been trimmed. •It was annoying to me how the heroine constantly answered the hero with “Sorry?”, and also how she repeated Tate’s name over and over again like Kate Winslet’s Rose continually said “Jack”, “Jack”, “Jack”, “Jack” all throughout Titanic. BUT, despite those annoyances, here’s why I still rated it 5 stars. The Good: •The story has a frenetic hodgepodge of themes: chick lit self-discovery, steamy contemporary romance, small town drama, family angst, crazy exes, serial killer suspense.you name it.

But amazingly enough, it works. I was sucked in and thoroughly entertained. •The hero is an ex-football star, ex-cop, bounty hunting, bar-owning, tattooed badass, uber alpha biker. Bs En 12390 8 Pdf To Word. He’s growly, sometimes mean, often pissed off, possessive, and fond of saying (or perhaps I should say grunting) “Babe” and “Ace” to communicate a wealth of things, rather than expressing or explaining himself. There were times I wanted Lauren to smack him and send his ass packing to the curb.

Tate is f’n HOT! •The heroine is insecure, funny, flawed, sweet, sometimes cranky and bitchy, caring, and most of all, genuine and endearing. Laurie is easy to identify with because she’s so real. I could see myself laughing over manis and martinis with her. •Cute scenes with Buster the cat, aka, Princess Fancy Pants. •Tender, heartbreaking moments with Tate’s son, Jonas. *sigh* •An unforgettable, quirky cast of secondary characters.

•Great dialogue, snappy banter, humor, and emotion. It made me laugh out loud at times and tear up in others. •And oh yeah, the steamy romance between Tate and Laurie is truly addictive. So it’s not perfect, but I still loved it and will definitely read more by this author! I had a hard time casting my perfect Tate, mainly because he’s so impossibly gruff, badass, and smokin’ hot. But I think Hugh Jackman could portray him fairly convincingly, especially if he acted all Wolverine broody, growly, alpha badass and got some sexy tats. He particularly looks the part in these pictures.

Addendum after further Internet exploration for the perfect Tate: This is Tate in all his beautiful, badass, bounty hunter glory. HUGE 5+ stars To say I love Sweet Dreams is an understatement! This is one of those books that not only captures your heart and imagination, but brands itself on you personally and will always, in someway, be a part of you. Sweet Dreams encompasses everything I love in a romance novel. It's chock-full of richly developed and unique characters, excellent and witty dialogue, steamy but tasteful eroticism, and captivating and exceptional storytelling.

This book is a self published work and there is HUGE 5+ stars To say I love Sweet Dreams is an understatement! This is one of those books that not only captures your heart and imagination, but brands itself on you personally and will always, in someway, be a part of you. Sweet Dreams encompasses everything I love in a romance novel. It's chock-full of richly developed and unique characters, excellent and witty dialogue, steamy but tasteful eroticism, and captivating and exceptional storytelling. This book is a self published work and there is no arguing it needs a major editing overhaul.

The prose is verbose, ambiguous, and even jarring at times. It's full of typos, run on sentences, punctuation and spelling errors. It's a big ol' mess. BUT, I'm afraid a good editor would inadvertently change what I love so much about this book—It's rawness and personal tone, as well as the author's intimate connection with the reader. The cast of motley characters in this book are multi-dimensional, fascinating, and simply spectacular. The two main protagonist, Tate (Oh My!) and Lauren, complement each other perfectly and their steamy chemistry radiates off the pages. I found myself eagerly looking forward to their passionate, heart-warming, erotic, and witty interactions.

They definitely earned a spot as one of my all time favorite couples. The secondary characters were just as enchanting as the protagonists and made this story even better. I honestly can't rave about this book enough. These characters will alway have a special place in my heart. I can't think of a better gift an author can give to her reader.

I most definitely recommend this book. If you're already a Kristen Ashley addict, or interested in checking out her books, be sure to stop by our here on Goodreads! Sweet Dreams is the second book in the Colorado Mountain series and another fantastic read.

As is the case with the first book, The Gamble, there are already dozens of awesome reviews, so I’ll keep mine short, and still try to list my favorite things about this story. Tate is an asshat. He’s got a foul mouth, short fuse, and he’s over the top alpha.

He’s honorable, hard working and completely devoted to his friends, family, and those who don’t piss him off. He is, in a word, perfect. The wri Sweet Dreams is the second book in the Colorado Mountain series and another fantastic read. As is the case with the first book, The Gamble, there are already dozens of awesome reviews, so I’ll keep mine short, and still try to list my favorite things about this story. 1.Tate is an asshat. He’s got a foul mouth, short fuse, and he’s over the top alpha. He’s honorable, hard working and completely devoted to his friends, family, and those who don’t piss him off.

He is, in a word, perfect. 2.The writing, however, is not perfect, but the story is. I love the people of Carnal Colorado with all their quirky kinks and kinky quirks.

Hippies, stalkers, alchies, and killers, adorable kids, annoying exes and bikers out the ying-yang. Sweet Dreams has it all. It’s about 15 million pages long - give or take - but it’s still too short.

It’s hot, it’s sexy, it’s dirty, but it’s such a great love story, in a biker kinda way. One of my favorite lines in the book is when Tate tells Lauren, “I get back, Lauren, you’re on the back of my bike.”*sigh* So romantic!So there ya have it, a few of the reason I love this story and didn’t want it to end. I hope you’ll give these books a try so you can discover for yourself what an amazing series it is. ----- If you're a Kristen Ashley addict, or just interested in checking her books, be sure to stop by our here on Goodreads! It's still FIVE+ STARS. TATE was hot the first time around. TATE was hot the second time around.

To be honest, I am not sure how many times I have read this book, at least 4, maybe 5! TATE is still hot. Fucking Hell, he is one of the hottest Alpha Males I have ever read. It never gets old. Even though I know the story.

I know the other characters. I know the bad guy. It's Tate and Laurie - how can it get old? Love the house descriptions, love the clothes descriptions, love the Home Store v It's still FIVE+ STARS. TATE was hot the first time around.

TATE was hot the second time around. To be honest, I am not sure how many times I have read this book, at least 4, maybe 5! TATE is still hot. Fucking Hell, he is one of the hottest Alpha Males I have ever read. It never gets old.

Even though I know the story. I know the other characters. I know the bad guy.

It's Tate and Laurie - how can it get old? Love the house descriptions, love the clothes descriptions, love the Home Store visits, the jewellery, the belts, the shoes, the hair!!! Is he an ass? Of course he is. He is Tatum Jackson. No, I did not.

'Fuckin' you normal is hot. Make up sex is un-fuckin'-believable. Drunk sex might just kill me.' Anyway, what to read next! That is the question! [image error] ORIGINAL REVIEW Just read it for the 3rd time - was it as good the third time around? It was even better - I took my time this time with it - first time, I rushed through it cos I just had to get to the HEA.

Tate - what can I say. From the first moment he appeared in the book, I loved him - OK, he was an Ass but he can be my Ass any day. This was the first KA book I read last year and have devoured most of her stuff since. Still have not read most of the Rock Chick series so wonder why I did not just go ahead and read them instead of re-reading this = not sure but being a member of the KA Addicts group here, I reckon I just needed a FIX of Tate who is the Man for me. Hope her new publishing deal doesn't change her form of writing or her descriptive narratives. Highly recommend this whole series.

Now that I have conquered my ability to post pictures on reviews I might go back and post some on some of my most favourite books. Tate and Lauren Love them. 5 stars even after a re read, although if I could it would be 6! Not going to say much.

But I love Tate, any man that can bond with a pretty cat has to be awesome! Love Lauren, it is amazing to watch her grow and 'find' herself with the help of Tate, and she was funny, loved when she re named Tate's cat 'Wow' Carrie exclaimed and my body got tense again as I looked at my sister. 'That is a pretty Kitty' 'Her name's Princess Fancy Pants,' I blurted, Tate's arm gave me a warning squeeze, I ignored it 5 stars even after a re read, although if I could it would be 6!

Not going to say much. But I love Tate, any man that can bond with a pretty cat has to be awesome! Love Lauren, it is amazing to watch her grow and 'find' herself with the help of Tate, and she was funny, loved when she re named Tate's cat 'Wow' Carrie exclaimed and my body got tense again as I looked at my sister.

'That is a pretty Kitty' 'Her name's Princess Fancy Pants,' I blurted, Tate's arm gave me a warning squeeze, I ignored it and finished. 'She's Tate's' Carrie's eyes flew to Tate and she giggled. 'You named your cat Princes Fancy Pants?'

'Her name is Buster,' Tate declared. 'I like Princess Fancy Pants better,' Carrie decided.

'Tell your sister, she calls my cat that, she's ejected,' Tate said to me. Slightly more suspenseful and chilling plot than book 1 in the series. Literally had me biting my nails, even on a re read and I knew what was coming! Great cast of secondary characters. And back to Lovely man Tate 'Baby, I think you don't get this but you're safe here.you're safe Lauren.You weren't safe with him but, honey, swear to God, you're safe with me'.

Re-read July 7, 2017 That re-read never gets old. Tate is still one of my FAVOURITE macho alpha male heroes who is far from perfect but still manages to make my heart swoon. What's a girl to do? Move on to a re-read of Lady Luck, of course.:-) **** Baking day became something to look forward to. I have read Sweet Dreams a few times.any real KA fan has. When the audio version became available I snapped it up and couldn't wait to get started. Tate, as KA heroes go, is up there with the best.

A stro Re-read July 7, 2017 That re-read never gets old. Tate is still one of my FAVOURITE macho alpha male heroes who is far from perfect but still manages to make my heart swoon. What's a girl to do? Move on to a re-read of Lady Luck, of course.:-) **** Baking day became something to look forward to. I have read Sweet Dreams a few times.any real KA fan has. When the audio version became available I snapped it up and couldn't wait to get started.

Tate, as KA heroes go, is up there with the best. A strong, virile and attractive man who knows what he wants, goes after it and takes no prisoners until he gets it.

He doesn't show himself off in the most flattering way when he meets Laurie for the first time, and TBH I was devastated the first time I read it. I couldn't see how he'd redeem himself after the hurtful things he said. Luckily, my faith in this author was strong, so I settled in to see how and what he does to make things better. Laurie is getting over divorcing her douchewaffle ex when she hits Carnal and decides to settle for a while. She approaches the local bar and meets Crys the part owner/manager who eventually gives her a chance. Laurie settles in well and makes lots of friends. Tate and Laurie together are smoking hot.

We see their feelings grow for each other which helps them deal with the storms heading their way. Both Laurie and Tate have ex's that don't want to let go. Laurie has to deal with a family member getting sick. Tate has work and family commitments and there's a serial killer on the loose. I really enjoyed the audio version. The narrator does a wonderful job of changing her voice to suit each character and it was clear when each change happened.

I sometimes feel the story more with audio. In this case I definitely did.

I was sniggering, sniffling and snorting out loud enough to draw my family's attention. I had to remind myself numerous times that my nine and twelve year old sons couldn't hear the foul language or the sex scenes that were making me squirm. Most of my listening was done while I baked. This gives me double the pleasure. I love to bake for my family and I love to read/listen to Kristen Ashley. I don't think I will ever tire of Sweet Dreams.

Tate and Laurie together in Carnal, always leaves me with a smile on my face. This review and more can be found. (Edited to add more sexy Tate pics) 4 Stars - Also reviewed at: Sweet Dreams didn’t just have “Moist Factor Five Hundred”, for me, it had the “Turn Around Factor”. In fact, it even made me feel like I was doing the Twister! Why do I say this? I was initially quite drawn into this story DESPITE its editing issues.

Yes, this book has overly long/run-on sentences; under-use of commas and full stops; over-use of parentheses; and some non-linear time lines. If you a (Edited to add more sexy Tate pics) 4 Stars - Also reviewed at: Sweet Dreams didn’t just have “Moist Factor Five Hundred”, for me, it had the “Turn Around Factor”. In fact, it even made me feel like I was doing the Twister! Why do I say this? I was initially quite drawn into this story DESPITE its editing issues.

Yes, this book has overly long/run-on sentences; under-use of commas and full stops; over-use of parentheses; and some non-linear time lines. If you are a reader who can’t get passed this, then this book is not for you. This is a self-published book. Despite noticing all these issues, though, it really didn’t bother me because, as I said, I was drawn into the story.

It’s been said before, but I concur: Kristen Ashley is a great storyteller and has great characterisations. Her characters seemed so real.

In fact, that is really where my main issue arose (which I’ll explain more later). The story is written in first person POV of Lauren Grahame, a newly divorced 42-year old woman from middle class suburbia in search of “Nowheresville”. Lauren used to believe in “something special” but her cheating husband changed all that.

She no longer expected “special” and wanted to escape into a nothing place, never thinking that Carnal, Colorado, a small biker town, would ever be home or where she would indeed find “special”. Lauren was an extremely likable and relatable character. She is sweet, caring, gets along with almost anyone, a hard worker, classy, but she's also insecure, and well, can be quite impulsive and reckless. I want to say THANK YOU to all my Goodreads friends who first encouraged me to read it and also to “Hang in There” with this book! The story was well worth my time despite pushing some very personal buttons.

Now, on to the hard part What were my personal buttons? HmmWell, it was Tate Jackson who pushed them.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 Keygen No Survey there. It is something that upsets me to talk/write/think about, but to fully explain my issue with Tate, I feel I need to share. I wasn’t just annoyed with Tate. I was MAD at him. The introduction to Tate isn’t the best.

Though, that wasn’t even my main issue. Tate is bossy and controlling. Yes, he’s an alpha male, and maybe at a different point in my life I might have been less upset by this. Recent events, though, made me really angry seeing this behaviour in Tate. My dad has always been the “boss” of the family. But in the last few years he has developed a brain condition that is causing his motor abilities to degenerate, such that a man of only 65 can’t walk without the aid of a walker, and it will just get worse. What really breaks my heart, though, is what I would have formerly seen as just protective behaviour by my dad, has become over-possessive and controlling behaviour.

This behaviour has always been there. It is just so much worse now. It is such that my mum can’t even speak to me on the phone without him needing to be present, because he is paranoid she is planning to run away with a young lover.

This is not the case. My mum is faithful and does everything for him. He is constantly bossing her around and she isn’t even allowed to sleep with her back to him because then her “body language” is all wrong. I love both my mum and dad and it really breaks my heart.

I feel all teary now just thinking about it. Also, Lauren’s nickname for Tate was “Captain” and my dad was a ship’s captain and everyone calls him that, even mum when she’s talking about him to others. Anyway, these feelings about my dad is something that’s very difficult for me to deal with, and seeing Tate’s controlling and bossy behaviour (as well as some annoying repetitions in text)wellI needed to step away from this book, for a bit. I was almost considering 'DNF'-ing it. I decided to re-read an emotional favourite of mine, The Bronze Horseman, because I needed to hurt. I needed to cry, without necessarily thinking about my mum and dad.

After I released some of these emotions, I decided to go back and continue Sweet Dreams and I was completely sucked into the story. I can completely understand now how my GRs friends couldn’t put this one down.

Only several pages in from where I stepped away, I was met with this scene below. It made a big dent in melting my heart. “And he cradled it, the cat’s lower body resting on his forearm, the cat’s tail gliding across his bicep, the cat’s front paws straddling Tate’s wrist and the cat’s head resting in Tate’s big hand.”Tell me that an image something like this doesn’t melt your heart, too? Although, Buster looks more like this: I LOVED Buster! She was a real present character. Being owned by a cat, myself, her behaviours were just soooo adorably cat, to me. ^_^ Back to Tate.In the end, in spite of Tate still being such a jerk, at times – especially, when he’s pissed off or because he is just being his “bossy” self – I ended up loving him.

Tate does some very thoughtful and sweet things, in his very Tate way. He doesn’t make my Top heroes list, but as my friend Jill said, he is an “unforgettable hero”. I like how Lauren argues with him. She doesn’t take it lying downwell, sometimes she does, if you know what I mean. ^_~ *snickers*.

I know that Tate will still do things to frustrate and annoy me – we all have people like that in our lives, and yet we still love them – but he’s a good man and he and Lauren really do bring out the best in each other. I love how he spoiled her, how he made her see what “special” is, and taught her to see herself through his eyes –YOWZA! If only I’d had “treatment” like that for my anorexia and insomnia! *fans self* LOL See, I’m writing about him like he’s REAL! Kudos to Ms Ashley on characterisation!

Also, there was an amazing and interesting cast of 'secondary' characters! Loved Shambles and Sunny, Betty and Ned, Jim-Billy, Wendy, Krystal, Wood, Jonas, and Laurie's family! I was kept on the edge of my seat with the suspense elements.

I even enjoyed reading about what Lauren was wearing almost every day; but then again, I like clothes, as does, it seems, Ms Ashley, from what I read in the “About the Author” portion of the book So, for the “Turn Around Factor”, I’m giving this one 4 Stars. TateHe can be such a jerk, but he has his oh-so-sweet moments, and, man, he’s gorgeous! “He was tall, maybe taller than he seemed in the parking lot or maybe he just seemed bigger in the bar since his shoulders were so broad.

But his hips were lean and his legs were long, his thighs obviously powerfully muscled and I could tell that through his jeans. His dark brown hair gleamed even in the dull light of the bar. It was thick and it was clear he washed it and let it fall where it lay for the part was natural and not straight, it was swept back but some fell around his temples and curled a bit around his ears and at the back of his neck. His eyes looked dark.

I couldn’t tell the color but there were sun lines emanating from the sides that were attractive. His brow was heavy; his nose wasn’t perfect but it was straight with a slight bump at the top of the bridge that made it interesting; his cheekbones were cut and his jaw was strong. His skin was tanned in a way where I knew he didn’t get that color lounging by the pool and he was wearing faded jeans, black motorcycle boots and a heathered-gray-blue, long-sleeved, skintight, thermal Henley. He was beautiful.” Tate looks HOT in a Henley.And without one. He's a badass biker and bounty hunter.And he's a yummy playmate in the pool. DISCLAIMER: I do not hold the copyright to any of the images used in this review. They are posted to add visuals to the review and for fun.

If any of these images are yours and you would like me to remove them, please let me know, and I will do so as soon as possible. If I can identify the copyright, I will do so. ✮✮✮ ALL THE STARS ✮✮✮ Re-read - July 2017 Fat.

Choice words her new boss Tate Jackson has for Lauren. After months on the road looking for a place she'd want to stay she arrives in Carnal, Colorado. A former exec, she starts working as a waitress at Bubba's, a biker bar. When she overhears Tate insulting her she is hurt.

She is done letting people like her ex-husband walk over her, she's done adapting to other people's whims and moods. She throws atti ✮✮✮ ALL THE STARS ✮✮✮ Re-read - July 2017 Fat. Choice words her new boss Tate Jackson has for Lauren. After months on the road looking for a place she'd want to stay she arrives in Carnal, Colorado.

A former exec, she starts working as a waitress at Bubba's, a biker bar. When she overhears Tate insulting her she is hurt. She is done letting people like her ex-husband walk over her, she's done adapting to other people's whims and moods. She throws attitude in Tate's beautiful face and holds on to her mammoth grudge. Tate, bounty hunter/bar keeper and owner/ex-cop/ex-pro-football player, was sure that Lauren Grahame wouldn't fit into his bar. Too high-class, too pretty, too much of everything.

But still, her hair, her legs, her attitude and pretty face, it all draws him to her. She has the attention of the local bikers and is popular with the bar's crowd. He knows when he comes back from chasing a skip he wants her on the back of his bike. When a serial killer makes a re-appearance in Carnal Tate's need to protect Laurie becomes his focus. “It isn't that it's too soon, you're on the back of my bike, it ain't too soon. You can buy sheets.

You cannot install blinds.' 'Can you explain the difference?' 'Sheets are chick territory,' he said without delay. 'You gotta use tools, that's dick territory.'

'Oh,' I whispered. 'Don't tread on dick territory,' he advised.” Nobody in the book world, NOBODY writes alpha males better than Kristen Ashley. Tate is my guy, he is and has always been my favorite KA-hero. That being said, I am not through with her back list, yet so who knows! Tate is a bossy, over-protective and possessive guy and many times you just want to kick him because he has a temper that turns him into an asshole. But the good outweighs that by far.

He has a sweet that is irresistible, is resolute and strong-willed. “His forehead dropped to touch mine.

“I’m gonna piss you off ‘cause I can be a dick. That’s who I am. And you’re gonna piss me off ‘cause, babe, you got attitude. That’s who you are. And that’s who we’re comin’ out to be together. And I’m all right with that because, with what I had before, even when you’re a bitch, I like it.

But when you’re not, it’s a sweetness the like I’ve never tasted.” He sets his sight on something, he goes after it, no holds barred. I loved that you never had to guess his feelings, they were always out there even though the story was mostly written from Laurie's POV. “Two kinds of women get under your skin.

The ones who do damage, they don't feel good there but once you're fuckin' stupid enough to let them in you got no choice but to take the time it takes to work them out. Then there are the ones who don't do damage, who feel good there, feed the muscle, the bone, the soul, not rip it or break it or burn it. The ones you don't wanna work out.” - Tate Yeah, that Tate Jackson is so amazing because he is flawed. Also, his relationship with his son is so sweet, the way a man treats his son?

When it's that sweet it you can bid farewell to your ovaries. Laurie is a wonderful character. She has that vibe that whatever bothers you, whatever you need you can count on her.

She has that open personality that draws people in and makes them do things for her to please her. But she is also stubborn and that is where she locks horns with Tate, because that guy has invented stubborn.

Laurie can also hold a grudge like no other and spends a lot of time in her head when she does. I loved how she paid attention to the people she loved. Sweet Dreams has everything, humor, suspense, romance in tons and lovable main and side characters. And Jesus, Tate's dirty mouth.*fans herself* “You buy me sheets. You paint my room.

You gonna wash my balls?' -Tate This is - so far - my favorite Kristen Ashley book and I've read a lot by this author. Every single one of her stories has a special place in my heart but this one is on a pedestal.

I have it on good authority that At Peace from Ms Ashley's The Burg series might contest that spot! Sweet Dreams is the second installment of the Colorado Mountain series and can be read as a standalone.

This is a typical KA-land book where the alpha males shift from super sweet to semi-jerky at the drop of a hatbut all in an I’m a man and I’m going to provide and protect you kind of way. This is a place where normal rules don’t apply really.

Things to Expect in KA-Land ❣ - Ex’s are 5 shades of cray-cray and I mean CrAzY ❣ - The Hot guy will say something life shattering sweet one minute and then act like he is from another time the next and you’ll want to first kiss him and then kick him in the This is a typical KA-land book where the alpha males shift from super sweet to semi-jerky at the drop of a hatbut all in an I’m a man and I’m going to provide and protect you kind of way. This is a place where normal rules don’t apply really. Things to Expect in KA-Land ❣ - Ex’s are 5 shades of cray-cray and I mean CrAzY ❣ - The Hot guy will say something life shattering sweet one minute and then act like he is from another time the next and you’ll want to first kiss him and then kick him in the balls. That feeling goes a little back and forth but most of the stuff that is memorable is sweet. “Two kinds of women get under your skin.

The ones who do damage, they don't feel good there but once you're fuckin' stupid enough to let them in you got no choice but to take the time it takes to work them out. Then there are the ones who don't do damage, who feel good there, feed the muscle, the bone, the soul, not rip it or break it or burn it. The ones you don't wanna work out.” ❣ - The underappreciated girl with a past will resist the initial allure of said hot guy because she has something tragic in her past or is slightly broken. But at least she is not 20 something. One of the best things about KAs MCs is that most of the time they are in their 30s and 40s. “All my life, or as long as I can remember, I thought something special was going to happen to me. I just had this feeling, deep in my bones.

I didn’t know what it was but it was going to be beautiful, spectacular, huge.” I leaned in further. “All my life.” I shook my head again and put my hand on the bar.

I waited and it didn’t happen. I waited more and it didn’t happen. I waited more and it still didn’t happen. I tried to make it happen and it still didn’t happen. Now I know it isn’t going to. It’s never going to happen because there isn’t anything special out there to happen.” ❣ - The KA heroine will freak out at some point and time and ramble on in a cute or over informative way.

❣ - There will be sexlots of hot sexeven some in the shower and that is when I know this isn’t real life. Because have you ever tried to have sex in the showerit is slippery and I think you are more likely to get a concussion than an orgasm ❣ - At some point there will be some crass talkI personally look forward to this. It is usually dirty and mostly thrown in the face of someone who has wronged the MC so I totally look forward to the verbal smack down. There were a few of them in Sweet Dreams and they were all awesome.

❣ - You can usually count on a kidnapping, girl fight, alpha dominance fight or a tasering. If you are lucky you get a combo of them. Sweet Dreams worked for me for a few reasons. I liked Laurie most of the time. She had a bad marriage and is a bit gun shy but she stands up for herself doesn’t let anyone walk all over her and is good to her friends.

There is also Tate who made me happy just a little more than he made me angry but overall he just did it for me. It was probably all the crass talking. The murder mystery while interesting totally plays second fiddle to the love story. This IS love story first and foremost with a mystery. Still I always love learning about the pasts of the characters to see why they are both a little broken and each one helps to fix the other. Tate’s history was just as tragic as Laurie’s was but in a different way. KA did fortunately reign in all of the descriptions in this one.

There are still a lot and I always know what a character is wearing, or the general vibe of a room but she didn’t go nearly as overboard as she did in The Gamble. The side characters and the small town always add a lot to the story and this is no exception. I love that I feel like these are real places and you could go and visit Carnal and have a drink at Bubba’s and run in to Jim-Billy there and maybe watch Twyla throw down some attitude at bad tipping customers. All and all this is one of my favorite KA books to date. REREAD (April 10, 2015) In a time where I've grown less patient w/ overly long books, less-than-tight editing, and generic romances. I'm kinda shocked to find that I STILL LOVE THIS BOOK as much as I did the first and second times reading it! For some reason, Tate and Laurie stand the test of time for me.

Their love story is EVERYTHING! And I ended it, again, in pure bliss. Three years later, almost to the day, since I finsihed it the first time.and still my favorite KA book. REREAD (May 15, REREAD (April 10, 2015) In a time where I've grown less patient w/ overly long books, less-than-tight editing, and generic romances.

I'm kinda shocked to find that I STILL LOVE THIS BOOK as much as I did the first and second times reading it! For some reason, Tate and Laurie stand the test of time for me. Their love story is EVERYTHING! And I ended it, again, in pure bliss. Three years later, almost to the day, since I finsihed it the first time.and still my favorite KA book. REREAD (May 15, 2013) This was my first KA book I'd ever read and I loved it the first time. After reading 20+ more of her books, along with 100's more other books since then, this remains one of my FAVORITE romance books.EVER.

Rereading it was a TREAT. I savored it. I normally power read through books. But with this, I read chapters, allowed myself to smile, fantasized a little bit about Tate, hugged my kindle, and then went back to reading. It was a joy. New Observation: I loved Tate the first time.

I LOVED TATE the second time. Man, that guy is.just.just.THE BEST. His first words still stung, maybe even more this time around.

But, sheesh, if a man can make up for hurt feelings like he does.whooooo wheeeee. God he redeems himself SO HARD.

Original rating: 5 stars Reread rating: 5 stars *********************************** ORIGINAL REVIEW (April 12, 2012) I kinda loved this book. Lauren is the BEST heroine in any chick-lit/romance book I've ever read! (yes, even I'd want her on the back of my bike.if I rode a bike.and had such inclinations). AND, I want her to be my best friend. The scene w/ Wanda at the home goods store when Lauren & Wendy are buying sheets is PRICELESS. Secret's out: Jim-Billy is the true leading man in this book.:) Reading this book made me want to savor every page and I literally laughed, cried, worried, and celebrated w/ the characters.

Question: why do all of these books seem to have angry, hard, oftentimes-mean leading men? Is that what every author really thinks women want? (and secretly do they?) I know we all want the Jerry McGuire 'You complete me' fairy tale and to save a man from himself.but to put up with some of the anger issues.I don't know if it's worth it. That being said, I'm not trying to hate on Tate. I actually heart him.

I just think the angry alpha-male could get old real-quick. (luckily the book ended before it got old). There's already 159(!) reviews of this book, so I doubt that I have anything to add that hasn't already been said.

So I'll give just a few impressions. Kristen Ashley, you're a fabulous writer.

Great storyteller. You create sigh-worthy heroes and spunky heroines. I love your dialogue. Your love scenes are smokin' hot, passionate, and convincing. I'm a detail junkie and I love details, and you provide in spades.

However.there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Sweet Dreams is loaded There's already 159(!) reviews of this book, so I doubt that I have anything to add that hasn't already been said. So I'll give just a few impressions.

Kristen Ashley, you're a fabulous writer. Great storyteller.

You create sigh-worthy heroes and spunky heroines. I love your dialogue. Your love scenes are smokin' hot, passionate, and convincing. I'm a detail junkie and I love details, and you provide in spades. However.there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Sweet Dreams is loaded with details, and for the first 250 pages or so, that was fine with me.

But (*gasp*) there was a time where I was tempted to skim! Around the time that Laurie and Tate were getting along just fine and you knew they were on the road to everlasting love, the story got a little bogged down in the details (what Laurie was wearing, baking, or buying) and I just wanted the story to move forward. I wanted them to find out who the serial killer was already! But I didn't skim, and that was because I didn't want to miss anything about Tate.

What a studtastic hero! Laurie was one lucky woman. So other than the excess length of this book, I thought it was wonderful. The plotting, the characters, the nicknames ('Ace' and 'Captain'), the love scenes (plenty HAWT, but not so much to bog down the book), even the suspense plot.all first rate. And badass biker, bar owner, bounty hunter, ex-police detective and ex-NFL linebacker Tate, even though he put the 'M' in macho, had a temper, sometimes said wildly inappropriate things.I thought he was totally swoonworthy, and I believed 100% in his devotion to Laurie. Oh yes.speaking of the characters. [Tate's 10 year old son Jonas.

A mostly sweet kid, but a bit too precocious for my tastes ( did not like him--a 10 year-old- referring to Laurie as a 'milf'! Should he even know what that means at 10? Maybe it's me, but I like 10 year-olds to act like they're 10, and not 16. ] But a minor annoyance and not enough to ruin the book for me. Laurie and Tate. To sum up, my third Kristen Ashley book was another winner and Tate and Laurie have to be my favorite characters so far.

If you like a long, juicy story with plenty of heat and details, like badass heroes with a tender side, and love your heroines to get the HEA they deserve, then this is the book for you. So it was a little long.who cares?

KA still kept me reading and hanging on her every word. 4 1/2 stars *Thanks to Shawna for the perfect (for me) image of Tate. Why do I keep reading Kristen Ashley books when I hate her over-bearing jerks of alpha male heroes in her books? Well, I'm a pessimist. Seriously, if someone gave me a full glass of water I'd be pissed that it's not half empty.

I like my pessimism. It's my most endearing quality. Oh, it's totally piss But, if my glass is half-empty because of my cruel dead heart, I'm unwilling to give up the delicious liquid that is there, which is the group of girls I buddy-read these with in the BBB group. I'm w Why do I keep reading Kristen Ashley books when I hate her over-bearing jerks of alpha male heroes in her books? Well, I'm a pessimist. Seriously, if someone gave me a full glass of water I'd be pissed that it's not half empty.

I like my pessimism. It's my most endearing quality. Oh, it's totally piss But, if my glass is half-empty because of my cruel dead heart, I'm unwilling to give up the delicious liquid that is there, which is the group of girls I buddy-read these with in the BBB group. I'm willing to put up with a lot of jerky alphas in order to go and complain about them to my girls. They are too much fun to give up on a bunch of books that I somewhat hate. Okay, and I admit there are some good things about these books. First, we have some very good side characters in all of KA's books.

She knows how to write fun, quirky, and lovable supporting characters. In this book, my favorites were named Sunny and Shambles, a couple of hippies who opened a coffee shop in a biker town. Nobody understood them, but frankly, I relate better to hippies than bikers any day.

Bikers, to me, are dirty, hairy, and scary. Hippies are fun, nice, and hilariously unusual. I worked at a vegetarian health food store in California for years and I LOVE me some hippies. You will never meet nicer people. No, it's a very good thing Also, KA knows how to write very funny banter and situations.

I will read almost anything if it makes me laugh. 'You named your girl cat Buster? She doesn't look like a Buster, ' I declared, 'more like a Princess Fancy Pants.' His head tipped back and his eyes locked on mine.

'You call my cat Princess Fancy Pants, Ace, we got problems.' Some people have the naming-gift. Now, time for the half-empty part of the review. Tate, the 'hero' of the book, is a total dick. After he first meets our girl, he calls her a 'sorry-ass, old, fat, suburban bitch.' Then, when he realizes that she overheard him say that, he tells her to 'shake it off' because he was in a bad mood.

If I had a dollar for every time his words in his voice popped into my head and made me flinch the last two days, I could move to the Riviera. They even woke me up in the middle of the night. Well, later he decides he likes her and kisses her. He then leaves town for a month without contacting her at all during that time. So, she moves on with her life.

She starts working out, gets her hair done, loses weight, and even finds a NICE man that she starts dating. But, then Tate comes back. And, he's pissed (as usual - Tate spends his life angry). 'You looked better before, Ace.

Now you just look like all the rest.' So, when you called her 'old, fat, and sorry-assed', you meant that you were attracted to her? Well, it's a wonder that a sweet-talker like you isn't married!! Who wouldn't want a catch like Mr. Well, I guess the answer to that is Lauren. She wants him.

The biker who treats her like a doormat half the time and a scapegoat for his anger the other half. I may be a pessimist, but Lauren is a masochist. She let her first husband make her feel bad about herself and now she picks this gem. Have fun letting a guy make you feel like dirt for the rest of your life, girl!

Amazon US ONLY. This was something special! So much has been said and I don’t really know what to add, given most of the reviews express exactly what I’m feeling.

As fictional as the book was, it read like it was real. What I mean by that is that you live in the moment with the characters. The writing is such that you feel their emotions, pain, sorrow, fear, happiness, passion, as the story unfolds.

Okay, so it wasn’t all grammatically correct and it might bother some readers, but I was able to put Oh. This was something special! So much has been said and I don’t really know what to add, given most of the reviews express exactly what I’m feeling. As fictional as the book was, it read like it was real. What I mean by that is that you live in the moment with the characters. The writing is such that you feel their emotions, pain, sorrow, fear, happiness, passion, as the story unfolds.

Okay, so it wasn’t all grammatically correct and it might bother some readers, but I was able to put blinders on and forge ahead. The story was raw, and as it is sometimes in life, we don’t always do things perfect. I’d rather be drawn into a story and so absorbed that I can overlook these things, rather than read a book that is grammatically perfect, yet has no substance. So for being self-published author, I can ignore Kristen Ashley’s misplaced punctuation and run on words, because the story and the characters ARE THAT GOOD! Tate is a fantasy personified. Who wouldn’t want someone that loves you with everything they are, even if he does it in an unconventional way. No chocolate and roses here, but undeniable possession and passion when it comes to Tate’s feelings and love for Lauren.

He is big, he is bad, burns your ears when he swears, but when he gets down and dirty, he makes your heart burn with desire. When Tate worked his magic on Lauren, and he was a damn good magician, my mouth hung open in the shape of an O. My dustbowl started to stir, yes that barren wasteland in my lower half, and HOLY CRAP, I almost had an “O”! I nearly read myself to orgasmthere it is, I said it! I had some “sweet dreams” of my own and sleeping was never better.

There were so many wonderful characters in this book, and I would not deem any of them as secondary, because they were ALL essential to make the plot work. If only a place like Carnal existed, I would pack my bags and run there! I would have Moist Factor 500 baked goods at Sunny and Shambles. Lunch and a brew at Bubba's, chat with Jim-Billy while gawking at Tate and Wood too. Play some Harry Potter Clue with Ned and Betty, as we watch Jonas swimming in the pool. Then go back to Bubba’s, have a night cap with my girls, Lauren, Wendy, and Krystal, and gawk at Tate some more.

Sounds good, right?! Read the book, and the fantasy can be yours too! This book was AMAZING.

I LOVED every minute of it. Tate, Laurie, Jim Billy, Wood, Jonas, Krys, Bubba, Sunny, Shambles, ALL of them. I cannot get enough. She creates so many different types of characters and all are so unique and breathtaking.

What I think really gets me about KA'S books is that when I'm done reading I feel like I KNOW her characters inside and out. She makes them come to life, she gives them a body and a soul with her words.

There is no detail left out, no thought, or This book was AMAZING. I LOVED every minute of it. Tate, Laurie, Jim Billy, Wood, Jonas, Krys, Bubba, Sunny, Shambles, ALL of them. I cannot get enough. She creates so many different types of characters and all are so unique and breathtaking. What I think really gets me about KA'S books is that when I'm done reading I feel like I KNOW her characters inside and out. She makes them come to life, she gives them a body and a soul with her words.

There is no detail left out, no thought, or emotion not felt. She touches on EVERYTHING. She gives it to you. It really is. With all the so-so reads out there, this is a REAL book, written by an author who gives her readers a FULL BODY experience.

I swear, I always know, even if the book or the characters aren't my thing, my taste, that Kristen Ashley is going to give me a SOLID novel. Nothing half-assed. It will be PURE GOLD. And another things that KA does best is even in the most painful moments, the moments with so much angst, she manages to find a way to soothe you, to give you a laugh, or a tummy dip, or a smile, just something. I felt that in this book.

Tate was a jerk, yet even in his most douchey moments, he made me laugh and feeelllllll! What can I say?! She was sweet but feisty. This was another perfect KA read. Overall, I'm on cloud nine. I'm going into Lady Luck because all I wanna do is read KA.

She's a go to, auto click author, who I trust to deliver a well written, emotional and sexy read time and time again. MORE than 5 stars here. Tate + Laurie = Perfection! Re-read May 31, 2017. This was my first Kristen Ashley book and it was just as good if not better the second time around. Since then I've read several of her books, but Sweet Dreams continues to be one of my all-time KA favorites. I've changed my 4 star rating to a 5 star, because I only rated down because of all the typos in her original self-published edition.

Since then those have been corrected, and I love her signature rambling, run-on sentences, so I'm glad that wasn't changed. Original re Re-read May 31, 2017.

This was my first Kristen Ashley book and it was just as good if not better the second time around. Since then I've read several of her books, but Sweet Dreams continues to be one of my all-time KA favorites. I've changed my 4 star rating to a 5 star, because I only rated down because of all the typos in her original self-published edition. Since then those have been corrected, and I love her signature rambling, run-on sentences, so I'm glad that wasn't changed. Original review from 2012: Forty-two year-old, Lauren's 'picture perfect' marriage, of ten years, has fallen apart. She found out her husband, Brad, has been having an affair with her best friend for the last five years. Lauren wants to escape the privileged life and her so-called friends (they all knew of the affair).

So she's been on a road trip for four months but wants to finally settle somewhere. So she's decided to find a nowhere town and find a nowhere job, not to find anything 'special' but to find peace. She ends up in Carnal, Colorado at a biker bar called Bubba's, and snags a job as a waitress. Lauren takes residence in the local motel and starts making friends. This is where she spots beautiful biker-man, Tate, pull up on his Harley and meet up with a larger than life woman, Neeta. Little does she know that this beyond hot man is one of her bosses at Bubba's bar. She shows up for work the next day and Tate walks in.

Let's just put it this way. These two do NOT hit it off at first. Tate says something, almost unforgivable, about Lauren, and she overhears. Needless to say, these two lock heads for a while but there is obvious chemistry. Things begin to change when there's a murder and everyone is on alert. For some reason, beyond the understanding of Lauren, Tate makes Lauren's safety his priority. I loved this book!

Tate was alpha-male at its finest! He was possessive and protective. He could be rude and gruff, but his underlying loyalty and sweetness completely won me over! Plus, tattooed, hot biker guy, who can resist?

I loved Lauren's character as well. To see her transformation from insecure and lost, to strong and confident was enjoyable. I was rooting for her at every step.

She was such a sweetie, and her personal interest in everyone in the town, won them over to the point of everyone loving her. Everyone that is, except for Neeta, the woman we first see Tate with.

Thankfully, Tate won't allow her to cause too many problems, but boy that woman was a hot mess! You may have seen reviews on this book with people complaining of the typos, punctuation and run-on-sentence issues. This is true.

This author is self-published and unfortunately, the editing is not what it could be. If this sort of thing annoys you to the point of ruining a story, you'd be better off passing on this one. But if you can overlook these issues, I highly recommend this book. The story was addictive and touching. The mystery surrounding the killings was good too, I was guessing up to the very end. I will be reading the rest of the books in the Colorado Mountain series.

Kristen Ashley has found a fan in me! *** 3.85 *** A buddy read with my girl pose at BB&B Another emotional and intriguing read by Kristen Ashley! And it contains the staples - a woman with low self-esteem looking for something special, but not really hoping to find it; an ultra sexy bossy and pushy alpha male with pessimistic outlook on life, straight talking, bad tempered but good hearted,; a bad guy on the loose; a variety of colorful secondary characters; at least one kidnapping and a plot so implausible and over the top that *** 3.85 *** A buddy read with my girl pose at BB&B Another emotional and intriguing read by Kristen Ashley! And it contains the staples - a woman with low self-esteem looking for something special, but not really hoping to find it; an ultra sexy bossy and pushy alpha male with pessimistic outlook on life, straight talking, bad tempered but good hearted,; a bad guy on the loose; a variety of colorful secondary characters; at least one kidnapping and a plot so implausible and over the top that only KA can pull it off!!! With all of that, why only 4 stars? Because despite Tate being a swoon worthy hunk of a macho man, he processed a mantra which I have heard and hated myriad of times from men around me - 'this how I do things, take it or leave it, I am not changing for anybody!' Now, that may sound as if the person saying it is sticking to a principal and it should be respected.

Yes, but only if it is a positive, good for the person trade. If it is self destructive, not conducive to healthy relationships and lifestyle, and if is detrimental to those who love them and they proclaim to love, then it is time to look into changing old patterns and behaviors. I don't know, maybe it is just me, but I find it to be an excuse for laziness! The other issue, once again, the editing machete could have come in handy and this book could have used about 100 pages taken off the top. Despite this, KA is still magical, because I keep getting back together with the ladies at BB&B every week and every week we engulf another one of her books! And we still enjoy the heck out of our buddy reads!

So, we will not stop until we have read every sentence this OTT author with the magic touch has ever written and try to get as many of you out there to join in the madness!!! Happy reading to you all! Another fabulous story by Kristen Ashley:) And yet another underliner why this is my favorite KA series:) And I just LOVED the fact that they are both older and mature (don't know why but I just like them that way. 5 Dreaming Stars. Lauren ended a ten year’s bad marriage with an asshole and all she wants is let her fake and uptight perfect life behind and start new somewhere else. She finds herself applying for a waitress job in middle of nowhere, where she meets the part owner / part biker/ part bounty hunter sexy boss and that’s when her life really starts to change. Tate made some bad decisions in his life but when he meets Lauren, despite they start on bad terms, he knows that she’s his first good dec 5 Dreaming Stars.

Lauren ended a ten year’s bad marriage with an asshole and all she wants is let her fake and uptight perfect life behind and start new somewhere else. She finds herself applying for a waitress job in middle of nowhere, where she meets the part owner / part biker/ part bounty hunter sexy boss and that’s when her life really starts to change. Tate made some bad decisions in his life but when he meets Lauren, despite they start on bad terms, he knows that she’s his first good decision. They only want to find happiness together for the first time in a long time, but with unwanted drama, crazy exes and a psychotic serial killer on the loose, if only was that simple. Rating: 5 Stars. Storyline: There has to be some kind of literary law that states you can never go wrong with a Kristen Ashley book.

I’m pretty sure it’s scientifically proved that all her books are great and all of them have an amazing story. This was just a perfect example of it. Writing Style: First person. Sexy, gritty and addictive. Character Development: I loved Tate (yeah, I know, who didn’t). I loved how he was an alpha male that wasn’t afraid of admitting he made some bad decisions trough life but still fought for what he want. Damn, this sexy bikers!

Lauren was good, and despite a huge thing at the beginning that I really didn’t like, she was a great biker-babe-in-training. Steam: Some hot scenes. 5 Tate Induced Stars One of the main reasons I figured out how to get the Amazon App for PC was to read Kristen Ashley. I was new to romance and discovered many authors I loved. I found their books at Goodwill and dollar bookstores at reduced prices once I discovered them from my shopping at the brick and mortar Barnes and Noble.

You see libraries didn't work for me. I finally came to that conclusion after admitting to myself I had issues with returning on time. After joining Goodreads and seei 5 Tate Induced Stars One of the main reasons I figured out how to get the Amazon App for PC was to read Kristen Ashley. I was new to romance and discovered many authors I loved. I found their books at Goodwill and dollar bookstores at reduced prices once I discovered them from my shopping at the brick and mortar Barnes and Noble. You see libraries didn't work for me. I finally came to that conclusion after admitting to myself I had issues with returning on time.

After joining Goodreads and seeing all the comments about KA's books, I figured out how to acquire them. And her books were the first ebooks I bought. Sweet Dreams. Really is just that. KA takes real life issues, we in our lives, confront and wraps them in emotionally triggered dreams of what things could be if we meet people who foster them for us. All of us can feel less than, not worthy of a partner.all of us can feel we are never going to accomplish a goal or have what we hoped for.

We may have worked towards something and then either because of circumstances beyond our control lose it; or maybe we give up not due to fear of failure but due to deep rooted fear of success which reflects back to us not thinking we are worth it. These are only some of the issues addressed in this book. What was so interesting as I re-read this was how very deep the level of interpersonal relationships went. How KA presented such serious things wrapped in a way which almost could be considered throw away. She would have her characters bicker or banter.

And then cut to the underlining meaning of it all. Self discovery aided by another's eyes.

The person would figure things out for themselves. But through their development of the relationship with their love interest; each needing each other to achieve a goal never really intended. But clear to us as readers.

Although KA's style of writing takes some getting use to. It becomes like that old sweatshirt you wear when you want comfort; that thing which just grounds you.

There is no specific reason except. You feel safe and good. In this book, Tate, the GUY. No metro-sexual; just a testosterone god who reeks Man. And we love him. We love his asshole ways because even though they are annoying. He will say he was.

Own up to it and want to move on. He has no room for grudges. He will do what he says he is going to do and lives up to his promises. He cares about those around him. But the best. The real best.

He has no problem with showing affection. He doesn't give a shit. If he wants to kiss his woman, he does. He likes to make sure others are aware she is his.

With arms wrapped around her. But mostly not for show. It is because in the moments he feels the need to do it. It is a wonder. And that can be a sweet dream.

Her other main character is Lauren and she has reached a point in her life. She thinks is to just live. Exist and not expect anything 'special'. She thought it was out there. Had betrayal, lies and disappointment instead. She is lost but doesn't know it. These two connect and it is a perfect catalyst for KA to present everything she has on her mind.

This is a terrific story of people coming together. Learning about themselves while learning about each other.

The characters are complex; the community is full and has depth. You become involved and want to know what will happen from the start. KA knew what she wanted to say; had issues she wanted to present with real feelings of how to work them out. She figured out a plan; made it happen and we got the results.

I love how she did it and actually am thrilled she did. Her concepts and ways of taking these issues to those who experience them, worked. We got Tate and that is always a good thing. Sweet Dreams is the second in the Colorado Series. I personally feel some of her best writing is in this series and the Burg series. They are meaty.

With people living everyday lives. (well sort of- Tate is a Bounty Hunter) and are in the throws of learning to love again. They belong to communities, surrounded by those who either have loved them well or have caused great pain.

They are us and sometimes watching and learning how these people grow can make us feel we can too. So, I will continue to throw on that worn sweatshirt I love. The one that makes me feel safe and good. And look for my next KA story. For more reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways. Tate Jackson should come with a warning sign readers! Where is Loretta's web fan page for Tate?

I have been looking for it for hours!! Tate is a bossy alpha, biker, bar owner, badass bounty hunter, former football star who sports a bad temper.

He curses more that any KA male character but when he is sweet it’s all sorts SPECIAL. Did I mention that he is hot as hell? That he can be a jerk sometimes?

That he likes it dirty? That he gives the best presents? That a girl would do anything to have this Tate Jackson should come with a warning sign readers!

Where is Loretta's web fan page for Tate? I have been looking for it for hours!! Tate is a bossy alpha, biker, bar owner, badass bounty hunter, former football star who sports a bad temper. He curses more that any KA male character but when he is sweet it’s all sorts SPECIAL. Did I mention that he is hot as hell?

That he can be a jerk sometimes? That he likes it dirty? That he gives the best presents? That a girl would do anything to have this man wish her Sweet Dreams each night? Lauren Grahame gives up looking for that something special in her life after her divorce and finds herself in Carnal, Colorado applying for a waitress job at a biker bar.

She is the furthest thing from a biker. Lauren is from the gated communities of AZ and learns real quick that the people and this town are exactly what she has been searching for. The story has a serial murderer, lots of family drama with former exs that make both Tate and Lauren’s lives miserable. It seems to a reader that both Tate and Lauren have given up on the idea of something special. They find in each other and themselves and I enjoyed the journey. Their relationship is HOT and it develops perfectly!

”After years of searching, years of longing, years of hoping and then giving up, I’d found special in Carnal and in Tate. Special wasn’t exactly perfect but, even so, it was pretty fucking spectacular and it was finally, finally mine.” P.S. Once again, I didn’t guess who the killer was! Carnal, Colorado has been added to my future Colorado trip itinerary! KA delivers yet another kick ass town with a TON of kick ass lovable characters.

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends a Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!). Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England.

Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family.

They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched). Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up. And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better. “It isn't that it's too soon, you're on the back of my bike, it ain't too soon. You can buy sheets. You cannot install blinds.' 'Can you explain the difference?'

'Sheets are chick territory,' he said without delay. 'You gotta use tools, that's dick territory.' 'Oh,' I whispered. 'Don't tread on dick territory,' he advised. Is a paintbrush a tool?'

I asked cautiously. 'If you're paintin' the side of the house, yeah. If you're painting mud colored paint in a room, no.' 'It's terracotta,' I said softly. 'Whatever,' he muttered, his mouth twitching. 'Or, the paint chip called it Mexican horizon. The blue is dawn sky.'

'Definitely chick territory,' Tate replied, losing the fight with his grin. 'What about.pictures for the walls?'

'Chick,' he answered instantly. 'Um.could I ask that, instead of you getting angry and being a jerk, maybe you give me a head's up when I'm doing something stupid?” —.