Ruthie Gregg was the independent woman who had everything together. A homeowner with a successful job in advertising, and a busy social life, she never wanted to get serious with a man. Things with Kings of Chaos member, Skull, were meant to be fun and light. Then she made the mistake of catching feelings without discussing their relationship status. Misunderstandings and indiscretions lead her to call things off. But life is a cruel mistress who wasn't done uprooting her perfectly managed existence. To get the life she’s dreamed of, she must put her past behind her, and fight for her future with a man who just may be the love of her life. Tritt “Skull” Matthews was a man who wanted nothing to do with love. After watching the four letter word and mental illness destroy his family, he opted to take the path of a permanent bachelor. His brothers in the Kings of Chaos MC were all the family he needed until he took up with Ruthie. The mouthy red head with her vintage style and a strong back bone derailed his plans. When denial, drinking, and self-sabotage doesn’t shake her from his soul, he starts a new mission, to get her back at any cost. Happiness is within their reach if they're willing to lay the resurrected ghosts in their lives to rest. The things they fear the most holds them captive in invisible chains. Breaking free is imperative, lest they are doomed to repeat the past.
Shyla Colt is the sassy USA Today Bestselling author of the popular series Kings of Chaos and Dueling Devils M.C. This genre-hoppers stories feature three of her favorite things: strong females, pop culture, and alternate routes to happy ever after. Listening to her Romani soul, she pens from the heart, allowing the dynamic characters, eccentric interests, and travels as a former flight attendant to take her down untraveled roads. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, this mid-west girl is proud of her roots. She used her hometown and the surrounding areas as a backdrop for a number of books. So, if you're a Buckeye, keep an eye out for familiar places.
As a full-time writer, stay at home mother, and wife, there's never a dull moment in her household. She weaves her tales in spare moments and the evenings with a cup of coffee or tea at her side and the characters in her head for company.
I received a copy of this book directly from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I just could not get into Resurrecting Ghosts by Shyla Colt, and I tried—I really did.
Technically speaking, the book was well edited. There were only a handful of typos, grammatical issues or punctuation problems to speak of. Unfortunately, I went into this series having not read the first three books, and this was one of those books that started mid-relationship, so by the time the story began, I already felt as if I’d missed part of the story that probably would have gone a long way towards endearing the characters to me. Instead, the pacing often felt rushed, and so I found it hard to connect to them. Their relationship seemed, well, terrible to be honest. Skull seemed to pay little consideration to Ruthie, often steamrolling over her decisions and doing things that decent men normally wouldn’t even consider under those circumstances. Other than the chemistry they insisted they had, I didn’t see much that endeared me to either character or their romance.
To be frank, I didn’t like the characters—any of them. They were foul-mouthed and a bit dim-witted, often prone to making rash, even dangerous decisions. They were often crass with their language and actions. Couple that with the raunchy sex scenes, and I was just turned off by the book in general. This isn't the first biker romance I’ve read, but it was the first I felt the need to back away from. It just wasn’t for me, and not something I’d actively look for as a romance.
Overall, I just didn’t like the book. I think if you enjoy raunchy biker erotica full of foul language and gun waving, you may enjoy this book more than I did, but it isn’t going to be for everyone—it certainly wasn’t for me.
Um.. just no. He cheats, then treats her like shit when the story of her dad’s investigative work comes out... not cool. I can understand trying to make it work the first time around after he cheated but letting him treat her like a club girl despite the fact that what happened with her dad wasn’t even her fault, AFTER she gave him a 2nd chance? She should have left and not looked back.
Ghosts of childhood haunt both Ruthie and Skull. If they are unable to face and deal with their pasts honestly and then share with one another their promising relationship will be lost.
At the beginning of the book Ruthie has not heard from Skull for some time and figures they have broken up. Skull does not agree and is willing to do what it takes to get Ruthie back. Flowers, gifts, a huge surprise and finally communication have them working on their relationship even though Ruthie’s family is totally against her being with Skull.
This story deals with family, psychological illness, caring, sharing and what is required to overcome the past while building a future. I found many typos in the copy of the ARC that I was given and hope they will be cleaned up in the final copy that is sold online. In spite of the editing mistakes the story was strong and an enjoyable read that was a standalone story not requiring the reading of the first three books in the series.
Thank you to NK Author Services for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I loved this book, Skull could be rough around the edges and Ruthie gave him sass, but one thing was to sure he didn't step on his woman's toes when things were getting set up for a party, “looks like they have it under control. I pretty much stay out of her way when we have **** over here. She has a way she likes to do things.” I shrug." I love this series, the characters are lovable, relatable, and are always interesting
I feel like a parrot. These stories are interesting, but EDIT, EDIT, EDIT, and please FLESH OUT THE CONFLICT. Why does the real conflict start at 90% of the story and then the resolution and epilogue start at 94%?!
When I read this book to review it, I was not aware this is the fourth book in a series and some words like MC were a mystery to me as I had never seen them before and they were not explained. Also because I had not read the first three books, the story was confusing to me. By their actions and dialogues, I missed the gist of their meaning. I never understood just what the backgrounds of these people were. Were they very poor? Uneducated? There was some reference to mental illness in both Ruthie’s and Skull’s families, but if this was the purpose of the book, it was so weak it rather missed its mark. Ruthie Gregg was a successful independent woman with a job in advertising. She had everything together and did not want to get serious with a man or dependent upon one. She was known for her sassy mouth. Then she met Skull, a Kings of Chaos member, who never wanted to get serious. He just wanted everything to be fun and light. She never realized she should discuss their relationship status after dating Skull. They had difficulty understanding each other. She accidently got pregnant by Skull and this was something he had never considered ever wanting in his life. But he felt mental illness had destroyed his family and he wanted to be a good father and take care of Ruthie and the coming baby. From the start, they seemed like the odd couple. She was sexy, educated, and independent. Skull was a badass biker who liked to fight, had a troubled past and was extra protective of Ruthie. What they did have together was a successful sex life. Throughout the story are explicit sex scenes that eventually becoming boring as it seemed that was how this couple dealt with everything. This is an unusual story for anyone who hasn’t read the first three, but it will appeal to readers who enjoy this type of genre I was given a complimentary copy for an honest review.
What I liked: I liked Ruthie(h) and Blue friendship. I also liked how she stood up to her mom and dad.
What I didn’t like: I didn’t like how Skull(H) handled the situation when he found out who her dad was. He kept saying they didn’t discuss what their relationship was (hence why he got a blow job from a chick) so why would she tell him details about her dad.
How hot was it: 3 out 5
Triggers: H gets a blow job from a chick while kind of dating h. Some drug use. Also, h’s mother was raped and beaten (off page) and h’s father is killed by another MC.
Final thoughts: This book was an ok read for me. I was looking for a cheating/or ow drama read and someone recommended this. Unfortunately, it didn’t have enough of what I was looking for (maybe if we got to read the whole story of him doing what he did with the other chick I would have enjoyed it more). Maybe it is played out in the book before which I didn’t read. This author is new to me and I will definitely check out some of her other ones.
KU
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is part of the Kings of Chaos series by Shyla Black. Each book can be read as a stand alone and as such this (book #4) is the first one I have read in the series. I can tell you that reading all the rest is in my very near future. It was a well written story. I don’t want to give any spoilers but there are some seriously sexy scenes. I enjoyed reading this book. It was an interesting look inside the life of an MC and what it means to become an “Old Lady”. Even better….I would still have loved reading this book without all the super, sexy, erotic scenes. There is a recurring theme of mental illness and the effects and misinformation regarding it. It is a love story but it touches on the way a relationship between these two might actually play out in the real world and sometimes that can be ugly and hurtful. This is a must read for just about anyone (especially fans of SOA). *I was given this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Loved this story! Skull and Ruthie tackled some pretty tough topics! Their story was jam packed with suspenseful moments, badasses and sweet swoon worthy alpha males! Highly recommend reading the series
This is the fourth book in the Kings of Chaos series.. This is Skull and Ruthie's story and comes with a lot of twists and turns that results in an enjoyable story.
Enjoyable book even though I couldn't stand skull for half the book
Ruthin again was a bit of a contradiction- started off as a strong woman then became thiscweak arsed woman who was so into skull she too easily forgave his shit.
Why dudnt she ask him why he needed to take a pic of the woman giving him a blow jib n keep it on his phone? He said he didn't realise he couldn't do that? What a load of shit n she easily forgave him anyway. It was sickening.
I also didn't like how he got physical with, there was an incident where he had her up against the wall with his hand around her throat when they were arguing- not sexy time and she was pregnant too.
Plus I didnt like how he spoke to her.
She was supposed to be assertive miss independent etc n turned out to be the wimpiest out the lot.
So no I didn't really like either character
Stiryline was good though.
Few spelling errors and the word 'out' instead of 'our' several times which was annoying.
I loved this book because I loved Ruthie and Skull. They have an unbelievable amount of high energy (good and bad). They can't stand each other, but can't live without each other. Ruthie is sassy and one of a kind. Skull is a wounded soul, but an Alpha biker. What more could you want? Did you say "drama"? Well, you're going to get plenty of that in this story. I've re-read this several times now. I still love this book and the rest of the KoC MC series. Shyla Colt knows how to write MC books and characters. Hope she writes more in the future. I'd buy them all!
Ruthie and skull have a lot to learn about themselves, both are jaded people that decided to take a chance on each other, a chance to be happy but we all know life doesn't work that way. Certain things rises from their past, makes them question everything they knew about but that love knows how right they are for each other, it wouldn't let go, they're perfect.
This was a new author for me that was brought to my attention. I love MC stories. Skull and Ruthie start off f@&k buddies but trouble starts when feelings get in the way. There's plenty of club drama with steamy scenes too. There were several editing errors and basic grammatical issues as well.
Starts out good, but character wide sizzles out. Minor editing issues that stop the flow of the story. Also sometimes reactions from characters are out of proportion to the circumstances and don't feel in line with the characters
I didn't know how Skull was going to redeem himself with Ruthie and in a way he did and didn't. Both had secrets, both were not forthcoming with each other. Trust was holding them both back. I love Ruthie and Skull! And I am on to the next!!
Ruthie and Skull are perfect for beach other even if they don't see it. Ruthie has a huge surprise in store for Skull that'll change their lives forever.
2,5 Stars...Short Book as I skipped the sex scenes after reading 2 or 3 of them.... sex is sex and it won’t be different after scene 3,4,5....or 7 or 8.... 2,5 stars for the rest of the story
This was awesome loved the characters created. Loved how she touched on mental illness and how getting help does not make you weak. Great story loved it.
This book was slower them the previous book and I thought that we would see more angst for this couple so I was a little disappointed in it but it was okay
Muito ruim. Parecia que era sobre traição e odio às clubwhores mas então entrou o pai vilão da h e doença mental na família do H. Muito assunto sério tratado de forma apressada e superficial.
Mental issues is a topic not many authors write about. Schizophrenic was the illness this author thought to touch on in Skull & Ruthie's story. I think mental issue is something everyone can try to educate themselves about and to get to research your family history.
This book caught my interest from the very beginning. The story is well-written and I loved the characters. The author has a great writing style as well, that kept me engaged in the story. I didn't learn a whole lot about the Kings of Chaos MC in this book because the main focus was on Ruthie and Skull's somewhat complicated relationship and not the politics, business, or activities of the club. However, it did really spur my interest in reading the first three books of the series. This is the first book I read by Shyla Colt and I enjoyed it very much.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
** Addendum: After I submitted this review, I happened to see a review by another reader that mentioned the part where Skull discovered Ruthie's secret and his over the top, outrageous reaction to it. I guess the rest of the book was so good that it slipped my mind when I was writing my review. Yes, I thought that scene was harsh and I kind of hated him for a time. If things had continued in that vein, my rating would have dropped severely. I changed my rating for this book to 4 stars instead of 5 mostly due to that particular scene. It really gave me pause to ask how a man that supposedly cares about a woman could say such things, especially since she herself didn't do anything to deserve it. Aside from that, I thought the story was great.