Hard Ride: Parts 1-3

Ready to Ride #4

by Opal Carew

In his arms, she's about to take the ride of her life...

Liv never expected to find herself trapped in a dark alley facing a band of rough bikers. And she certainly never expected to see him again. Back in college when they dated, he was heir to his family's business empire—and their fortune. She expected him to become a billionaire. Instead, he's a heavily muscled, tattooed member of a rough biker gang...and just as sinfully sexy as ever.

When Shock sees Liv again, he's ready to pay any price to have her in his bed and on his bike. Shock has his own scars to deal with, but he soon learns that Liv is in desperate need of financial help...though she won't tell him why. So he offers her a sensual deal: his help for her complete submission. Can Liv entrust Shock with her secret? And how can she stop herself from falling for the hard rider?

Genres: Erotica, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, BDSM, Menage, Friends To Lovers

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2015

About the author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Opal Carew loves cats, Zentangle, and wild nail polish!

http://www.opalcarew.com/
http://us.macmillan.com/author/opalcarew

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story Rating ~ 3.5 Stars
Hero Rating ~ 5 I'm in love with him stars!
Heroine Rating ~ 5 Stars
Romance Rating ~ 4 Stars
Heat Level ~ 5 SCORCHING stars!
Ending ~ 5 I'm so happy they worked everything out stars!
Overall Rating~ for all 3 parts ~ 4 Stars!

Part One

OH YEAH! I REALLY enjoyed the first part of this story. It kept me interested and turning the pages.

My favorite character so far is the hero Devin, AKA Shock. Ladies I’m claiming him as MINE! He’s so dam sexy and SO MUCH MORE! I'd love to take a ride with him in more ways than one.

The heroine Olivia, AKA Liv, is a well written character too. She is a very caring type of person and I really like that.

Although they have not had sex yet, the heat level and sexual tension is very high. That is one thing that Opal Carew never disappoints me with.

Part Two

WOW! Part two of Hard Ride was FANTASTIC! The story line took off big time plus I was also emotional engaged in this part of the book.

Shock and Liv get so much closer and the heat turns into a blazing inferno between them. Shock also shows his romantic side and I swear I have totally fallen in love with this man. YEP ladies, I claimed him in part one and I'm claiming him again in part two, Shock is all MINE! I'd also like to add that Liv has stepped a notch, I'm really starting to like her character and I feel for her.

Liv finds out more about Shock from a woman named Amy. What she finds out has her very upset and I completely understand where she is coming from. Also there is a bit of a misunderstanding between Shock and Liv, I'm hoping in part three that these issues are all ironed out.

Part two ends with something that just might be a tragic event for Liv. For me this is a huge cliffhanger so I'm going to jump right into part three.

Part Three

I was eager to continue and moved right onto part three of Hard Ride. I’m sad to say that this part of the story was resolved to fast and easily for my liking. For me I felt if it would have gone on a bit longer, It could have grabbed my emotions a whole lot more.

Once again Shock was there for Liv, I loved that he was and I fell even deeper in love with him at this point.

Liv surprised me with some of the things she did during this part. Some of you readers out there may not like the things that she did. She has her reasons why and even if I would not have done the same things she did, I have to admit I have fantasized about it a time or two.

The heat REALLY turns up by this time in the book. I’m very stingy with 5 Star heat ratings because I love my romances SCORCHING! Well ladies, this one deserves the highest of ratings where the heat level is concerned. THIS IS HARD CORE EROTICA I’M TALKING ABOUT HERE! So if you have a problem with the heroine having wild crazy sex with multiple men then this is not a book for you. There are also many scenes were some of Shocks motorcycle buddies have a sex feast. We are talking W/M/M/M scenes and more. These scenes are very erotic in nature so be prepared, you're panties will end up soaking wet.

The ending was very good, Shock finally found out what had been bothering Liv. It was explained well and the book ended on a very good note for me.

I definitely plan on reading more of Opal Carew’s books in the future.

Special Note; this is not a motorcycle gang type of book, it’s more of a few biker friends that hang out, party and have lots of sex. No violence, drug or gun deals type of stuff here.

*I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

[Cristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to start by telling you that this was an arc and despite the fact that this is a single novel I got a three instalment book. That wouldn't be such a big problem but the name of the main female character in this novel doesn't match the name in the blurb. I was confused but the name and the author matches so this must be it.



I oscillated between giving this book 3 or 2 stars. I went with the later after the last part of the last instalment.

Why?

Because this whole story felt like one big soup (or like we call it in my country: "o ciorba"). The author just threw some ingredients in a pot and started mixing until she got a book.



And here are the key ingredients for this story:

- 1 damsel in distress
- a biker club
- 1 handsome biker billionaire
- rape
- someone sick and dying
- instalove
- a jealous ex.
- a secret spouse
- fist time experience
- a sex contract
- group sex
- sharing of women
- unprotected sex with multiple men
- BDSM related play
- Master - Slave play
- Gang bang

...and all sprinkled with a lot of misunderstanding and love...



Doesn't that sound yummy?



Long story short...Liv (not Maggie) needs money and after a chance reencounter with Shock he offers to help in exchange for one month of being with him on the road and doing whatever he wants. The story would have been doable if not for the instalove crap and seeing one big bad biker dress up in suit, get in a limo and present a bedroom full of candles and rose pedals for her "first time".

Do I recommend this book?




*ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

**arc by netgalley**

2 isn't this supposed to be about a badass biker? stars

First off, NEVER in all of the biker books i have read has there been a BIKER that does a limo, fancy restaurant, champagne, and roses for a first date (and first time) with a girl. Especially a biker that legit makes her sign a contract to be his fuck-buddy. Yep. This totally defeats the purpose of me reading about bikers! I wasn't aware that they were all romance, and no bite! Where is my dirty alpha male?! Because with the name HARD RIDE...you'd assume that it'd be more action and adventure, and less romance and fucking candles!



Sorry, this book just didn't do it for me. Aside from the 'romance' part of the book, it played along with many of the other biker books. (Girl is in trouble, girl has bad past, biker saves her, sex ensues...) There really isn't much that sets it apart, and what does set it apart does not belong in a biker romance book. The following gif perfectly reflected my feelings while reading this book...



ps; according to the blurb on goodreads there is a girl named Maggie...who the fuck is Maggie? Is there some alternate universe where Liv is a nickname for Maggie? im just confused...

sorry if this review sounded mean, I am just being honest. I might be in the minority here and everyone has different tastes in books...just saying...

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, I picked this up via NetGallery and it was split into 3 books – all of which don’t exist here on GoodReads, so after going through the author’s titles, I found this one. Part four in a series. The blurb, is outdated, though as the heroine’s name doesn’t match.

The gist. Liv needs money and all of her problems are solved when she runs into Shock, who she knew in college – but the biker she sees in front of her isn’t the same co-ed she remembered. He’ll help her, but she’ll have to give herself to him for a month, doing whatever he wants her to do.

So these two agree to the terms, but little problem. Liv is inexperienced, and although not a virgin exactly, Shock has to change some of his demands when he realizes that the girl he cared for all those years ago, pushed him away – not because she didn’t care for him – but because she couldn’t let anyone get close.

So a story breaks out at a pretty fast pace. Shock, who is into all this sexual group behavior suddenly becomes Mr. Romance and Liv, who couldn’t let a man touch her before is now willing to do pretty much anything... including the rest of the biker gang.

This one just did not work for me. The actions of the characters didn’t match the background we were given. It felt like a back story was created, then tossed aside and the rest of the story was written. There are certain times when you just can’t toss a very insecure, damaged girl to the wolves. Liv is one of these cases. In one moment it unraveled everything about the character that we were shown.

In the end, I just couldn’t get into this one. I was so thrown off by the change of pace that I wasn’t even able to see anything as overly sexy – I was just left sort of shaking my head wondering what the heck was going on.

[Reanell Tisdale]

So.....I'm the type of reader where I have no limits when reading. And I especially love the biker books. But this just fell flat for me. It changes POV between Liv and Shock every other paragraph which was frustrating. And then, the plot....oh boy the plot. It could have been a very good one had she not thrown in so much. We have the biker aspect, who share woman within the group, then you have the damaged girl who was raped, and then she sells herself to save her sick sister. And....I only made it to 30%!!!

I just couldn't get a connection to the story at all. I found myself rolling my eyes at the actions of these 2 characters. So why keep reading if at 30% I still have no connection and the plot is just all over the place?

And there is no star rating because I didn't finish.

** I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley**

[Tina "IRead2Escape" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall Hotness Rating 5 out of 5

Hard Ride is the fourth book of the Ready to Ride series by Opal Carew. It is also broken up in 3 different parts, so I will be reviewing each individual installment and giving my thoughts of the overall story, as well.

The Goodreads blurb is a bit misleading considering it has the Liv's name as Maggie, but in the book it's definitely Liv.

Hard Ride #1

Hotness Rating 4 out of 5

Hard Ride part #1 is the beginning of a great adventure by Opal Carew. If you've not read a book by Opal Carew be prepared for hot, spicy sex that pushes the boundaries for most anyone.

Shock had a life before the life of freedom that he leads now with his MC. And that life just happened to include the pretty young thing in skin tight pants playing with fire right before his very eyes. The girl that left him behind. The girl that he's never been able to forget.

Liv has gotten herself in quite the predicament. She's alone in a dark alley and about to be attacked by a less than desirable man. Thank God someone has come along to rescue her. Imagine her surprise when she learns it's the only guy she had ever given her heart to. Only he's very different now. So much has changed. For the both of them.

Eventually, the couple get down to a conversation that reveals so much, yet brings about more questions. Liv confides in Shock that she needs money desperately. A lot of money. She doesn't tell him why, but he offers to give it to her for a price. Shock doesn't want paid back he wants Liv to sign a contract. He wants Liv at his beck and call for a month. In any way that he wants her. She's willing to do anything for the money that essentially can help save her sister's life.

They set out to agree on a contract that is agreeable for both parties. Which turns out to be pretty entertaining. At least I enjoyed it. Finally, with the contract hammered out and signed they begin their time together. Shock takes Liv to meet his gang and to begin the 30 days they have together.

The heat this couple generates is sizzling. Their sexual chemistry just leaps off of the page. But, it's not just sex. You can feel their connection. The care that Shock has for Liv. When Liv gets around to telling Shock what happened in college to make her run the other way he wants to release her from the contract and take her back to the life that she has.

Hard Ride #2

Hotness Rating 5 out of 5

Hard Ride part #2 begins right where we left off in the first part. Shock learns of what happened to Liv in college and wants to release her of her contract with him. After all, it's not your typical contract. This contract pretty much ensures that Liv is his sex slave and he has a really strong sexual appetite. After knowing that she was assaulted and has never gotten over that assault he just can't subject her to his desires and the desires of his brothers in the MC.

Liv will stop at nothing to get the money that her very sick sister needs to save her life. Not that Shock knows any of this, but Liv knows about it and persuades Shock to change his mind about ending the contract. Yes, her past has haunted her and yes she is very innocent, but she feels safe with Shock and needs to see this to the end.

In true Opal Carew fashion be prepared for wild, hot, crazy sex with lots of sharing. These guys do not believe in keeping their women to themselves.

Shock and Liv explore each other and her boundaries. He wants to move forward with her. Liv has never left his mind and to him this is his second chance. Although, he can feel that she's still holding herself back from him. This couldn't be more obvious when they get an emergency phone call from the hospital about her sister and he learns the reason she needed the money.

Hard Ride #3

Hotness Rating 5 out of 5

Hard Ride is the second book of the Ready to Ride series by Opal Carew. It is also broken up in 3 different parts, so I will be reviewing each individual installment and giving my thoughts of the overall story, as well.

Hard Ride part #3 is the emotional finish to this amazing ride. It begins with Liv and Shock racing to the hospital to be at her sister's side. Shock asks Liv why she didn't tell him that she needed the money for her sister and Liv basically says "I didn't want to feel like I was begging for my sister's life". Heartbreaking! But, Shock is a great guy and stays by her side through it all. Finally things start to look up for Julia, so Liv and Shock go back to their world.

Shock and Liv continue to explore and expand the boundaries that she has. Shock doesn't consider himself a true Dom he just goes with what feels good and what satisfies him and Liv the most. This book seriously sizzles! Shock wants more than just the contract, though and he has to find a way to convince Liv that she belongs in his life. In his MC.

My thoughts overall

This is my favorite of the series. The emotional connection this couple shares is palpable and the heat is staggering. You can feel it as you read. Shock is such a kind and good man that was dealt a bad hand. Lucky for him that hand took him to people that truly care about him. People that share his personal philosophies and share the same needs and desires if only with some minor differences.

You can find this review and others at www.riverinaromantics.com

[Jonel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carew has created a story that you simply just can’t forget. She takes erotic romance to a whole new level, combining a raw, real look at life with some rather wild moments. The intricate plot that is the backdrop for this very hot story was fantastic. It really made me stop and think. All the while, Carew took me on the ride of a lifetime.

Unforgettable characters with explosive chemistry. That’s the best way to describe the cast of this novel. We’ve come to know most of them in previous instalments of the series, but the characters really come into their own here. Carew’s character development left me feeling as if I truly knew these individuals personally. This group is the type of individuals you instinctively want to know better, while at the same time giving off the full alpha biker aura. The chemistry among the group as a whole, and especially between the two main characters of this novel, is palpable. I loved the real caring and emotion that underlies it is well.

Carew combines emotional turmoil with hotter than Hades sex in this one of a kind erotic romance. It was an unforgettable novel in and of itself, while also taking this series from great to fantastic with one fell swoop.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.

[Sheryl C. Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC courtesy of Netgalley and St Martin's Press*

[Sandy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 30, 2015



Olivia never expected to find herself trapped in an alley facing a band of rough bikers. And she certainly didn't expected to see him again…

Shock is a biker with a mysterious past. The son of a wealthy billionaire, he inherited it all at a young age. But for Shock, wealth was a shackle, and all he wants is to break free on the open road. With no worries, no responsibilities, just him, his gang, and his bike. What more could a man want?

That is until he encounters an old flame in a dark alley. Seeing Olivia again sends him spiraling. Still as beautiful as ever, he's enraged that sweet, funny Olivia is alone and penniless with on one to protect her. But more than that, he's concerned about the risks she seems to take. In order to keep her safe and finally have her for himself, he makes a sensual deal: his help for her body. But will Olivia be able to let her inhibitions go and fall for the hard rider?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: 3.5 stars--HARD RIDE is the fourth full length installment in Opal Carew’s adult, contemporary Ready to Ride erotic romance series focusing on a small group of motorcycle riders. This is Devin ‘Shock’ Ancaster, and Olivia ‘Liv’s’ storyline. HARD RIDE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

NOTE: HARD RIDE contains graphic sexual imagery with multiple partners and variations there of. Opal Carew’s crew of bikers shares everything including the woman that they love.

Told from dual third person perspectives HARD RIDE focuses on the rebuilding of a friendship and relationship between Shock and Liv, and the lengths Shock would go to keep Olivia in his life. Liv is in desperate need of money but all of her avenues have dried up or closed. Enter Shock Ancaster-Liv’s college friend and the man from whom she walked away so many years before. Shock’s offer of money comes with stipulations and a contract that Olivia isn’t sure she is capable of completing.


The relationship between Shock and Liv is a second chance storyline but Liv’s past places Shock in a precarious position when he learns the truth about the reasons Liv walked away during their college years together. Shock’s demands of Olivia finds our heroine stepping out of her comfort zone into a sexual area she knows nothing about. Shock and his fellow bikers share their women and their pleasure, and Olivia is about to learn –first hand- about the sexual lifestyle of this particular biker crew. But Shock has a hidden past, one that affects his present, and Olivia finds herself loving a man she knows nothing about.

But there is also a softer side to Shock-he is a man willing to woo and seduce Olivia-allowing our heroine to take comfort in the arms of the man with whom she is falling in love.


The secondary and supporting characters include Shock’s fellow bikers –Steele, Dom, Rip, Wild Card and Magic, as well as two biker chicks Raven and Tempest. The world building focuses on the sex contract between Olivia and Shock, and to what extent Olivia is willing to go to pay back the debt to the man she loves.

I had some issues with the storyline content as it pertained to the Olivia’s willingness to accept Shock’s contract conditions. The entire scenario felt like Olivia prostituted herself for the money. Shock’s demands placed an inexperienced, insecure and broken woman into vulnerable sexual situations ….but….I will add that our heroine willingly accepted the terms of the contract including all of the potential sexual scenarios and the possibility of multiple partners and role play. Did Olivia feel forced or obligated? Perhaps. Olivia was desperate for the money and was willing to do anything as a means to pay back the debt. It was an all or nothing proposition. At times, our hero found it difficult to understand how Olivia acquiesced to his demands under the circumstances and her personal history. Shock will begin to reassess his list of demands but Olivia is unwilling to go back on the terms of the contract.


HARD RIDE is an erotic storyline with multiple sexual situations where nothing is off limits between consenting adults. Ready to Ride is NOT an MC (Motorcycle Club) story but a story about alpha males who like to ride; have lots of $ex; and are willing to share the women that they love.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

[Juletta Gilge · Rating 2 out of 5]

**ARC Copy provided by author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

SO......Let's have a little chat to start things off. I'd like to entitle it LIFESTYLE CHOICES. Because some of the choices made by Liv were extremely questionable ( such as what I can only describe as a gang bang with all members of this biker gang who to my knowledge and double checking did not use condoms, not one of them...and after only knowing them for a very short while??!!).



Ok, done with the rant. Good talk everyone.

I guess about all I liked about the book was the plot. I liked the whole making-a-deal thing. I liked that Liv really cared for her sister so much that she was willing to do anything to help her, consequences be damned. I liked that Shock was so willing to help an old friend at a moments notice, even though they had been out of contact for a few years. I liked that Shock went slow after finding out what happened to Liv and went at whatever pace she wanted to set.

Shock was an interesting character. I read this as a standalone, and it still made sense. I didn't really get the impression that I was missing key plot points about the gang. He might have had more back story in the previous books, but we only got a glimpse in this one.

Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of the book, I feel that if I had received it as one whole book that I would have been bored. Usually I love the smutty, dirty books, but this one was just too over the top for me. Best of luck to the rest of you.

Check out the full review at Bookaholic Raves

[Ishabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm undecided what to rate this book. I love MC romance novels. I like the gritty, messy stories and the complicated characters. With this book, I couldn't really find any fault with the characters. But I also couldn't find anything amazing in them. The way that the story unfolded left room for a lot of dissatisfaction.

As a menage, the scenes were hot. It was more of a gangbang than a menage, but I don't really care about the difference. With the hero and the heroine, their steamy scenes were good, so in the steam aspect, I have no complaints. What I couldn't fall in love with were the characters.

Individually, I think they were okay. I just couldn't get myself to really feel their connection. Wait, there's this whole thing where the heroine fails at communication. The hero isn't all that great because I don't remember it crossing his mind to tell the heroine that he was married.

I mean, in the last scene where the heroine confronted the hero about that fact, the way that the hero handled it sounded like he was blaming the other woman who told the heroine that he had a wife. Hello? Wasn't that tidbit supposed to have been addressed like earlier in the book? Then, it was just too convenient that all of a sudden, he already had the divorce proceedings started and asked the heroine to marry him someday. Wow. I could just swoon. Not.

I was really thinking I'd be giving this a 3, but after remembering those things that put me off of this book, I am now settling on rating it a two. Overall story was okay, but too much was injected into it, and I just didn't enjoy how those things were played out.

[AlligatorSmith loves to read · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you want to read pure erotica by an author who can write well, Opal Carew is the author for you. The Ride series is about a MC filled with tall dark and handsome ALPHA guys. They like their women a lot and they like to share their women with the other guys in the group. LOTS of sex! Not really a story about the MC though.

I gave this one a 3.5 for how well Carew does what she does best: write hot and heavy erotica.

[Joy Boutwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard Ride by Opal Carew is a must read. This series is outstanding.

[Danielle Mintz]

Hard Ride more like Hard read

Liv didn't think she'd find herself in a dark alley with rough bikers. She never expected to see him again the guy she dated in college.

Shock makes a deal with the girl he always wanted he will help with her financial problems for a price.

First off Hard Ride was a great name but for me this was one and half days of Hard to Read Let's start with Liv she was a weak , doormat who just did what someone told her no fight nothing. Then we have Shock I really just wanted to punch him in the throat he was a pig and jerk who didn't show any real love for Liv the girl he wanted and never got over. No real chemistry with these characters nothing the big thing was this book fell flat the plot was bad it could have been a good one had she not thrown in so much.
Biker aspect,who shares woman within the group then we have the damage girl who was raped, then she sells herself to save her sister. When I say it was really hard to finish this book when I just wanted to toss it across the room. Can't give it one Star.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book contained an interesting romance packed with plenty of hot sex. I really enjoyed Shock and Liv's romance, but I'm not sure how I feel about the concept of the women being shared among the men of the MC. The majority of the book features one-on-one sex between Shock and Liv, but there are several scenes that do involve group sex. This book does feature a HEA ending with no cliffhanger and can be read as a stand alone. Overall, I did enjoy the book, but there were some parts that put me off a just a little (purely due to personal preference). If you like steamy reads and don't mind some group sex and sharing of women, this is definitely a book for you.

[Nita Costello · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, I flew thru this book on vacation as it seemed to be going somewhere, but it never does. Here's the book's formula: Bar scene, riding motorcycle scene, bar scene, riding motorcycle scene, sex scene, sex scene, sex scene, sex scene, sex scene, the end. The story seems to be hyperbole. If you loved someone, the things in the book would not happen. In short, this book is pornograpgy in a book. And, hey, I get it, sex sells.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to Ride is an exhilarating steamy sexy read filled with emotion that makes your heart beat faster and toes curl it's intense from the start you won't want to put this book down

[Mary Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to go back to the beginning of this series to catch up. Need to get to know the rest of them.

[Debbie Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yummy

[Sharon Wiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh!!! Super 🥵 and smutty😵😵

[Kayla Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this was a great book!!! Part 3 is my favorite!!! Omg the spice!!!!

[Jodi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved all her books, up until this biker series.

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

**ARC provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for an honest review**

I read this story a couple of months ago as part of a promotional installment release and absolutely loved it. It is by far, the BEST in the series!

The story goes like this ...........

Liv has a problem. She needs money and she needs it fast. Her sister is sick and she's already drained every penny she has into her care. But she needs a lot more. Her sister Julia has a husband who walked out on her. He doesn't know she's sick and Julia made Liv promise she would not tell him. But she needs money. So she tries to meet with him in a bar after he finishes his shift as a bouncer. The bar is NOT in the best part of town and to be clear, to call Liv innocent would be an understatement. LOL Cue ... our hero and knight and shinning armor, Shock :) Shock and his buddies happen to be at the same bar. He comes to Liv's rescue and so begins the story of Olivia Hughes (Liv) and Devon (Shock). So as I said, Liv needs money and Shock has money. Lots and lots of money. AND she also knows him from college. They were close in college, REALLY close, but something happened to Liv and they basically lost touch. They have a HUGE unresolved past. Liv has a secret from the past she'd rather never come to light, but what choice does she have now? You see, Shock put a few conditions into lending the money and in order for Liv to meet those conditions, she has to FINALLY share her past with him
SO, Liv's secret is out and its a HUGE problem for Shock. So much so, that's he's decided that there is no way he can have her meet the terms of the contract. You see, the contract is not your typical repayment plan contract. Oh no, it's a sex contract. Where Liv basically has to do whatever Shock desires, sexually. And to be clear, that DOES include multiple partners AND sharing with the rest of his biker buddies. As I mentioned before, Liv is BEYOND innocent, but she agrees anyways because Julia needs her.

Anywhooooo, so begins what I like to call, The Love Story. Shock is an amazing man. He's understanding and tolerant and pliable and all around seriously sweet! And Liv is SO strong and selfless and open-minded and also, all around sweet! They are perfectly matched! As you read the story, you can see them BOTH falling for each other. Throughout this part of the story, Liv broadens her sexual mentality at the same time as Shock broadens his view of women and sex and where he sees his future. I found their bonding exceptionally touching.
But sweet and touching only gets you so far in a sexy, hard-core, dominant story, so the other shoe HAS to fall. And fall it does...
Liv's sister is not doing well at all and Liv wants to race back to the hospital to be sure she is there in case she doesn't make it. I personally was just stunned as I was reading the pages. The sacrifices that Liv has made to make sure her sister got better were SO high, it hurt just to think of the possibility that she would not be ok. AND, at the same time, the big reveal happens (to Shock) on why she needed to borrow money in the first place!

"Liv, that's why you needed the money? To help your sister?"
She bit her lip and nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me your sister was sick and that's what the money was for?"
She looked blankly at her hands folded in her lap, and her eyes were wet, "I don't know. I guess I ... didn't want to beg for my sister's life."

THAT, that right there is how emotional this story was for me. All of it. From page one. It wasn't like the other stories in the series. This one was about friendship and growth and trust and second chances and soooo much more .... But of course, the book has its share of drama. I could tell you what it is, but why ruin the surprise! LOL But the drama fades. It gets sorted out. And the two people meant to be together from so many years ago .... get to be. THE END :)

[bookedrightmeow · Rating 2 out of 5]

A+ for that cover. That's an awesome cover.

I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately there are several things that didn't work for me. I read and enjoyed the previous book in the series, Riding Steele, but Hard Ride seemed disjointed to me.

The basic plot is that Liv needs money to help her sick sister, so she enters into a contract with Shock that she'll be his sex slave for a month.

Okay, what? Let me back up.

Liv knew Shock in college (back when he was called Devin) and they had a close relationship, but it didn't go beyond friendship even though they both wanted it to. But Liv pushed him away, for reasons that become clear later. When Liv and Devin (who now goes by Shock, his ride name) meet again, she asks him for money and he agrees to help her out--on the sex slave condition. Seriously, he has his lawyers draw up a contract and everything.

At this point, I feel like I'm reading a surprise billionaire Dom book, rather than a biker book. In general, I don't like billionaire Doms. So you can see why I had trouble there. But really, what kind of friend is he? She's clearly desperate for money, but she doesn't tell him that it's for her sister. He agrees to help her, but uses it for his own sexual gain. That's...not a good friend.

Even though he's living as a biker, Shock is very wealthy. His family lost their wealth after a scandal, but after that, he went off and made his own fortune. Even still, he chose to walk away from the business world in order to join the other bikers. (He still owns his company, but obviously doesn't run the daily operations since he's always on the road.)

Meanwhile, Liv has an extremely painful past that she explains to Shock and which also reveals why she pulled away from him emotionally back in college. When Shock learns this, he's incredibly sweet and supportive. He even offers to tear up the contract. But Liv has this duty-bound thing where she insists on fulfilling the contract.

So, they go forward with the sexual relationship, but it just didn't feel natural to me, considering Liv's past. Additionally, I found it really tough to like her as a character because she withholds communication from Shock throughout the book. He asks her why she's upset, but she'll lie to save face and say she's fine. That drives me crazy. I wish characters would talk to each other! You can have conflict in other ways, but let the characters be honest with each other.

There's also the matter of how the bikers share their women. Even though Liv has a traumatic past, she basically is open to being shared amongst all the men in the group. I had a really hard time believing that she would be so willing, certainly not this soon.

Lastly, there's this other odd subplot where Liv finds out that Shock may or may not actually be married. It's explained away and dismissed so quickly that I didn't understand why it was included in the story to begin with.

I was disappointed with this book because I liked the previous one, but I will probably read the next in the series anyway. I like the ensemble of characters and would like to see how the rest of their stories turn out, but this is one that I wouldn't recommend.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I'm almost positive I'm posting this review to the correct Goodreads edition. It can't be a coincidence the author has multiple characters named Shock. The synopsis on NetGalley names the heroine as Liv (which matches the book I read), but the Goodreads synopsis is Maggie.]

I received a copy of this story through NetGalley from the publisher/author for an honest review (thank you!). The story was divided into 3 parts (making up this 1 edition). I've seen Opal Carew's name around and didn't realize this is my first time reading her writing. Although this is a few books already into the Ready to Ride series and characters do carry forward, I didn't feel like I missed anything by starting with this one. The story is told through alternating points of view and comes to a HEA at the end of part 3 - or the end of this edition.

Since I haven't read the other books in the series, and I suspect anything by Carew will be similar, I should send up a warning flare for those sensitive to a certain type of book. These guys share - in fact they're a MC with 6 guys and 2 girls (both from previous books in the series) until our heroine comes along and everyone is kept happy (wink wink). I'm fine with reading this up to a certain point, but I do squirm a little as I would be a raving jealous harpy who would have to cut a b!t*h. I felt like the heroine had some confidence issues and I was surprised this was never an issue when it was discussed around her. Maybe that's why it didn't bother me because it wasn't made into an angsty or overly dramatic part of the book. Since the H/h had such a connection and the h was very innocent, I kind of thought she might steer clear of the group participation and stay on the fringes. Nope. It's all very hot and written extremely well and they all seem to be happy, but not my thing. One might say I was "shocked" when Shock was casually hanging out on the grass with Raven mid-way through part 1.

There is one bugaboo that always takes me out of a story... CONDOM??!! In this day and age, I feel strongly that writers have a responsibility to incorporate safe sex. In this case, that was 6 guys at the end of part 3. In succession. Busy day for our girl. #purell

All that to say... I did enjoy the overall story. I especially liked the connection between Liv and Shock. In addition having a mutual friendship going back to college, they remained physically attracted to each other. The heroine had an endearing blend of vulnerability, curiosity, and determination to make her likable. Shock was an enigmatic hero who clearly loved her.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
An oath to help her sick sister leads Liv to a seedy bar in the wrong part of town. When her planned meeting doesn't work out, she finds herself in danger in an alley looking into the eyes of her past. Liv never expected to see Devon again and she never expected to see him as a member of a motorcycle club going by the name of Shock now.

Desperate to save her sister, Liv agrees to Shocks demands and opens herself up to things she never imagined. When Liv agrees to Shocks proposition, she never imagined that he would try and send her away when he learns the truth about why she held back from him all those years ago. But now that the truth is out, Liv is determined to see what she missed out on having with him.

Liv and Shock rush back home to see Liv's dying sister and while there must start to confront their feelings for each other. But Shock has secrets and when the big one comes out, can they really have a happily ever after?

When I started this book, I had high hopes. I have read several other of this authors books and knew I would be getting a lot of heat but this one lacks the story that usually accompanies it. It feels like no time was spent to develop the characters just boom…they are back together and having sex. There are a lot of things introduced and then quickly dismissed and I was left with a lot of questions in the end.

I should also note that I originally read this book in three parts but reading it all in one didn’t really help unfortunately. Also, Goodreads lists the heroine as “Maggie” when her name is Liv so I thought I was getting a different book but it was the same one just all in one.

My thoughts:

POV: switches between Liv and Shock
Quick hook or slow starter? 4 (I was pretty much intrigued right from the start)
Character development: 3
Level of Romance between characters: 3
Passion/Heat level: 3 (there is a lot of sex in this one including m/f/m scenes, and it is hot but the group scene at the end is just awkward and didn't really need to be in the story in my opinion.)
Angst/Heartbreak: 2 (a little bit of drama but it is not angsty.)
Cliffhanger?:Nope, in the end you get the assumption of a HEA.

Overall, I was disappointed. This one could have been great but it left a lot to be desired for me.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[H.L. Nighbor · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I was provided an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation for providing my opinion.**

Hard Ride by Opal Carew is a very steamy, fantastic read. I had to fan myself multiple times while reading this book. This is my first book in this series but not my first book by Opal Carew. I have always been a fan of Carew’s writing and this book did not disappoint. I think I am going to go back and read the read of this series now.

Hard Ride is about Liv, a young women who gives up everything to save her sister’s life and whose own life is dictated by events from college, and Shock, a sexy biker who isn’t quite what he seems and has been carrying a torch for Liv since college. When these two meet again, the attraction is obvious. When Liv asks Shock for a loan to pay for her sister’s surgery, he makes her a deal that makes her uncomfortable but she cannot refuse due to love of her sister. Shock realizes really quickly that he may have bitten off a little more than he can chew.

This book is about letting go of the past, embracing the future, taking chances and self discovery. The story is well written and keeps the reader engaged from page one. The chemistry between Liv and Shock is hot and the sex scenes are sure to set some fires. The secondary characters in this book are great as well. This is another home run from Opal Carew!

For more reviews, visit my blog at http://heathersbookreviews.com/

Purchase this book on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1MY64jN

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard Ride is listed in Goodreads as part four in the Ready to Ride series, but was given to me for review as a three part serial. It is an adequately written and professionally edited motorcycle club romance novella.

This is the romance between Shock and Olivia (in Goodreads listed as Maggie); college sweethearts that never had a chance at love, until they accidentally meet later in life. Liv is desperate for money to pay her sister's hospital bills, so she enters into a sexual contract with Shock.

In this plot the main relationship tension is caused by lack of communication which I personally find to be a frustrating plot device. I find myself wanting to yell at the characters, "Just talk to each other"! Also, having Shock pledging his love to Liv while he was married to another woman was just wrong.

It's hard to have indepth character development in a novella, but I felt that I understood the main characters and the cause of their actions.

The sex scenes were well written, but then there was a group sex scene that felt strangely clinical and, well, icky.

Hard Ride ends with a HFN. If you want to read a simple and sex filled romantic romp, and can overlook the negative points I have listed, then I can recommend this series.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

[Arys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard Ride by Opal Carew is a sexy erotic romance novel that has a hero who just melts the pages. Shock is hot, dominant, and romantic. Once he has Liv again he won't let her go.

The story is about Liv who suffered a traumatic experience in college and now needs help for her sister who is ill. She runs into Shock, old college friend, in an alleyway and from their they strike up a contract: he'll help her in exchange for her complete submission.

This novel is definitely character driven and some of the obstacles/road blocks that stop the characters from admitting their feelings to each other are mostly from themselves like insecurities. Nevertheless, despite misunderstandings, I liked Shock and Liv as characters. They're passionate and I loved their scenes together.

Shock's motorcycle club does share and there are multiple sex partners. It even goes so far to include the main characters, but don't let that stop you from reading (even if not your thing) because this is overall a good erotic romance novel from Ms. Carew that you don't want to miss out on.

(Thanks to Opal Carew, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a chance to read an ARC of Hard Ride for an honest review.)

[Arshia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I really appreciate the review copies sent to me by the publishers. Opal Carew's books are really hot! Be prepared to read some steamy romances. I really liked this story most of the time. There were times when I thought Shock went a little overboard with his machismo but most of the time the chemistry between Shock and Liv was electric.

The second part of the story was my favorite. The relationship between Shock and Liv really took off and they began to trust each other. The intimacies between them grew and Liv became stronger. However, they both kept the most important secrets to themselves.

In the third part, Liv finally got over her hang ups but the biggest problem between her and Shock was miscommunication. Neither one of them was willing to take a risk and really talk their issues out. Naturally, that made me angry but when the issues were finally resolved I was very happy for their HEA.