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Ricky
On the surface, Ricky Thompson’s life is one long party. His razor sharp wit and unwavering sexual confidence masks his true pain and suffering, and that’s how he wants to keep things. Ten years after the death of his fiancé, Ricky has completely given up on the illusion of love. Wild nights in the bar and even wilder casual sex have become his coping mechanism, and he wants to keep the party going at whatever cost. When he is attacked in a dark alley and left for dead, Ricky’s life takes an unexpected turn and the party suddenly comes to an end. Chase Brody doesn’t know where life is taking him. Between running his gym and raising his son, Dylan, the only time he puts himself first is his once a week trip to the gay bars. His family has convinced him he needs to find a mother for Dylan, so he keeps his sexual desires secret. He always believed women were for love and men were for sex, but he is forced to reevaluate everything he thought he knew when he stumbles across a helpless man in need of his help. After Chase takes Ricky to the hospital, he offers him free self-defence classes, but it soon grows into something more complicated and both men are forced to listen to their hearts once again. Chase doesn’t know how Ricky will fit into his difficult life, and Ricky can’t seem to let go of his past heartache. With so much at stake, will these men admit they were wrong about love and surrender their hearts to each other, or is the risk too great?
374 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2016
57 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Ashley John
24 books801 followersAshley John is a gay author of gay/mm romance novels. Living in the north of England with his fiance and two cats, Ashley John spends his days writing down the voices he hears in his head. His books are primarily romance dramas with sprinklings of erotica and he has a knack for making you feel like you're living right beside the characters he creates. Ashley John is also a keen artist and he puts his artistic side to designing all of his own covers.
Find ashley john at ashleyjohn.co.uk
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Find ashley john at ashleyjohn.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
October 26, 2016
DNF at 12%
I normally don’t rate books I DNF at 12%, but this was so so bad, I have to give it a rating.
When I read the blurb I got al giddy. This looked like such a great hurt/comfort book! But boy, this really really sucked.
For me it was hate at first sight with MC Ricky. He calls everyone sweetheart in a condescending tone, and have everyone treat him like the queen he is. He also just leaves his best friend at a flea market they’re both at, to go screw some guy he just picked up there. And when he is still tying off the condom, he literally kicks that guy to the curb, naked. A real gem this guy.
And let me tell you about the other MC, Chase.
Chase is a single father of a 6 year old. But this poor man has ‘only’ 1 night a week to go clubbing. So he arranges a babysitter every Friday night to pick up guys. Yes, he has a hard life.
And oh, even though he fucks a different guy every week, he’s not sure he is gay. He could be just curious….
And let me tell you some more about Chase. This guy does not have a cock, he has a MANHOOD. Such a sexy word don’t you think. Oh yes, come here with your manhood.
And also this monster is 10 INCHES LONG. That is a lot of manhood dude! Does he have to roll it up to get it in his pants?
I stopped reading after Chase’s anaconda came out to play with some random guy he picked up at the bar.
I normally don’t rate books I DNF at 12%, but this was so so bad, I have to give it a rating.
When I read the blurb I got al giddy. This looked like such a great hurt/comfort book! But boy, this really really sucked.
For me it was hate at first sight with MC Ricky. He calls everyone sweetheart in a condescending tone, and have everyone treat him like the queen he is. He also just leaves his best friend at a flea market they’re both at, to go screw some guy he just picked up there. And when he is still tying off the condom, he literally kicks that guy to the curb, naked. A real gem this guy.
And let me tell you about the other MC, Chase.
Chase is a single father of a 6 year old. But this poor man has ‘only’ 1 night a week to go clubbing. So he arranges a babysitter every Friday night to pick up guys. Yes, he has a hard life.
And oh, even though he fucks a different guy every week, he’s not sure he is gay. He could be just curious….
And let me tell you some more about Chase. This guy does not have a cock, he has a MANHOOD. Such a sexy word don’t you think. Oh yes, come here with your manhood.
And also this monster is 10 INCHES LONG. That is a lot of manhood dude! Does he have to roll it up to get it in his pants?
I stopped reading after Chase’s anaconda came out to play with some random guy he picked up at the bar.
October 31, 2016
2.5 Stars
Hmmm…. I'm not sure what to say, here. I've been wanting to read this author for a while, but I think I should have gone for one of his shorter stories to get a taste of his story telling and writing style before tackling a full length novel.
Ricky Thompson, 38, has sworn off dating of any kind. Since his fiancé died about a decade ago, Ricky just cannot let himself get close to another. So he hides behind his snark and behind the mask his drag queen persona, Miss Kitty Litter, allows him and insists that all he wants out of life is an endless string of one night stands (well, more like an hour or two). He doesn't want to know their names or anything about them. Just fuck and be gone. If he never allows himself to actually be happy, then he doesn't ever have to feel miserable, either, right? Sure, that makes sense.
Chase Brody, 32, is the single father of a 6 year old son, Dylan, from a one night stand he had. Dylan's mother was a party party girl and way too into drugs to raise a kid. So she left Dylan with Chase and then went her merry party way until it killed her. Chase's homophobic family is always around and telling him he needs to find a woman to settle down with because Dylan needs a feminine influence and every child should have a mother and a father, and all kinds of other traditional family and gender role BS that made me twitch. Insistence on more traditional gender and family roles does have a tendency to piss me off. And that Chase was buying into it, regardless of the fact that he rarely found women sexually attractive, just did not sit right with me.
I don't want to say it was all bad, though, because it wasn't. I liked that Chase was so dedicated to his son and that when he saw Ricky in the alley after his attack, he insisted on staying to help. Chase is really a good guy. And Ricky, though he certainly has more issues than National Geographic, is a man who is hurting, but who doesn't want anyone to know it. But he's not a bad guy, either. He's caring and funny and, when he allows himself, very loving. Plus, there seemed to be a reference to Heidi Cullinan's book, Let it Snow that I totally approved of. The overall theme of self-acceptance and second chances at love, I thoroughly loved. And the cover is rather delicious. Ricky's a beautiful man. And thank goodness for Chase's 80-something year old neighbor. She was one of the only adults in the story with some sense when it came to what really makes a family.
But there was so much tedium wrapped into all that, that I had trouble enjoying the story.
Ricky seemed so determined to never ever take a another chance on love, and I just don't get that. Yeah, life can sure be shitty sometimes, but it also goes on whether you like it or not. And Ricky constantly runs away. I'm sure there are people out there, like Ricky, who are determined to hide from life instead of actually living it, and I pity them as much as I pitied Ricky in this story.
It also bothered me that Chase seemed to be so freaking scared of the words "bisexual" and "gay". He was obviously attracted to men, considering he was a gay bar every weekend to find one to fuck. And, though he did also seem to at least be somewhat attracted to women, or so he claimed, anyway, he was most definitely attracted to men. He presented, to me, like a 4 or 5 on the Kinsey scale. Probably a 5. As far as I can tell, the only woman Chase has slept with was his son's mother, and that was only once. He mentioned that she was the first woman to show him interest.
But he has avoided dating women ever since that one night stand, because I don't think he has the attraction for most women. So why insist for so long, that you're straight-ish? Especially to the guy you can't keep your hands off of? I get that everyone needs to come out in their own time and in their own way, but this bit got just as annoying as Chase's family drama and Ricky's overuse of the word "sweetheart". In spite of the fact that Chase knew several married same sex couples, he clinged to the 'men are for sex, women are for marriage' attitude so long, I wondered if it weren't among his many tattoos. He's either a deeply closeted gay man, or he is bisexual. But he is nowhere near straight-ish.
I honestly think I would have enjoyed Ricky more if it were edited to about half its length. As it was, the story line got too tedious and repetitive and family drama just dragged me down. Between Chase's super homophobic father and brother, his family's insistence that children need a mother and a father, Chase's insistence that he is really straight-ish (almost to the end!), and Ricky constantly running away, I just wanted it all to end. I wanted to enjoy the book. Hell, I want to enjoy every story I read. That's why I read. Sadly, though, I didn't, all that much.
---------------
Review copy of Ricky was generously provided, by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Hmmm…. I'm not sure what to say, here. I've been wanting to read this author for a while, but I think I should have gone for one of his shorter stories to get a taste of his story telling and writing style before tackling a full length novel.
Ricky Thompson, 38, has sworn off dating of any kind. Since his fiancé died about a decade ago, Ricky just cannot let himself get close to another. So he hides behind his snark and behind the mask his drag queen persona, Miss Kitty Litter, allows him and insists that all he wants out of life is an endless string of one night stands (well, more like an hour or two). He doesn't want to know their names or anything about them. Just fuck and be gone. If he never allows himself to actually be happy, then he doesn't ever have to feel miserable, either, right? Sure, that makes sense.
Chase Brody, 32, is the single father of a 6 year old son, Dylan, from a one night stand he had. Dylan's mother was a party party girl and way too into drugs to raise a kid. So she left Dylan with Chase and then went her merry party way until it killed her. Chase's homophobic family is always around and telling him he needs to find a woman to settle down with because Dylan needs a feminine influence and every child should have a mother and a father, and all kinds of other traditional family and gender role BS that made me twitch. Insistence on more traditional gender and family roles does have a tendency to piss me off. And that Chase was buying into it, regardless of the fact that he rarely found women sexually attractive, just did not sit right with me.
I don't want to say it was all bad, though, because it wasn't. I liked that Chase was so dedicated to his son and that when he saw Ricky in the alley after his attack, he insisted on staying to help. Chase is really a good guy. And Ricky, though he certainly has more issues than National Geographic, is a man who is hurting, but who doesn't want anyone to know it. But he's not a bad guy, either. He's caring and funny and, when he allows himself, very loving. Plus, there seemed to be a reference to Heidi Cullinan's book, Let it Snow that I totally approved of. The overall theme of self-acceptance and second chances at love, I thoroughly loved. And the cover is rather delicious. Ricky's a beautiful man. And thank goodness for Chase's 80-something year old neighbor. She was one of the only adults in the story with some sense when it came to what really makes a family.
But there was so much tedium wrapped into all that, that I had trouble enjoying the story.
Ricky seemed so determined to never ever take a another chance on love, and I just don't get that. Yeah, life can sure be shitty sometimes, but it also goes on whether you like it or not. And Ricky constantly runs away. I'm sure there are people out there, like Ricky, who are determined to hide from life instead of actually living it, and I pity them as much as I pitied Ricky in this story.
It also bothered me that Chase seemed to be so freaking scared of the words "bisexual" and "gay". He was obviously attracted to men, considering he was a gay bar every weekend to find one to fuck. And, though he did also seem to at least be somewhat attracted to women, or so he claimed, anyway, he was most definitely attracted to men. He presented, to me, like a 4 or 5 on the Kinsey scale. Probably a 5. As far as I can tell, the only woman Chase has slept with was his son's mother, and that was only once. He mentioned that she was the first woman to show him interest.
But he has avoided dating women ever since that one night stand, because I don't think he has the attraction for most women. So why insist for so long, that you're straight-ish? Especially to the guy you can't keep your hands off of? I get that everyone needs to come out in their own time and in their own way, but this bit got just as annoying as Chase's family drama and Ricky's overuse of the word "sweetheart". In spite of the fact that Chase knew several married same sex couples, he clinged to the 'men are for sex, women are for marriage' attitude so long, I wondered if it weren't among his many tattoos. He's either a deeply closeted gay man, or he is bisexual. But he is nowhere near straight-ish.
I honestly think I would have enjoyed Ricky more if it were edited to about half its length. As it was, the story line got too tedious and repetitive and family drama just dragged me down. Between Chase's super homophobic father and brother, his family's insistence that children need a mother and a father, Chase's insistence that he is really straight-ish (almost to the end!), and Ricky constantly running away, I just wanted it all to end. I wanted to enjoy the book. Hell, I want to enjoy every story I read. That's why I read. Sadly, though, I didn't, all that much.
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Review copy of Ricky was generously provided, by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
October 30, 2016Ricky is OUT NOW!
Grab your copy on Amazon (FREE on Kindle Unlimited) http://mybook.to/rickyashleyjohn
Grab your copy on Amazon (FREE on Kindle Unlimited) http://mybook.to/rickyashleyjohn
January 30, 2017
This got better as it went along. Review soon.
*Note- now it's been too long since I've read this. Forgot all the details... :(*
*Note- now it's been too long since I've read this. Forgot all the details... :(*
December 3, 2016
I hate to do this because I have enjoyed this author's work in previous reads but I felt absolutely nothing here.
Ricky is a party boy and has sworn off love because his fiancé died 10 years ago. So now his life is an endless party filled with hookups. Chase owns a gym with his brother and is a single father, he has a homophobic father who is a police chief, he seems to be surrounded by people who are dumbasses the only good in his life besides his son seems to be his elderly neighbor
that helps with his son sometimes. Chase keeps his desire for men a secret.
Ricky is attacked one night leaving the club in which he is a drag DJ and is left for dead when Chase on his way to a hookup finds him and helps.
There is good here. The concept is good and the story ultimately is about a second chance and self acceptance however, we took a long time to get there and there were a lot of issues sprinkled in that annoyed me to no end.
1. I never could like Ricky. He has his moments where his true persona comes through all the bullshit he puts up, but in all honesty he is super annoying and uses the word sweetheart constantly.
2. Chase could never seem to accept himself fully it's like he was scared to say he is gay or bisexual, I'm not saying labels are important but come on you are banging a guy you are a little more than just straight-ish.
3. Ricky is not that nice to his best friend, someone who obviously cares about him deeply.
4. Ricky seems adamant to not let anyone in ever again to an alarming degree. I mean he goes to great lengths to destroy his relationship.
5. No burn, I didn't feel the burn. There are sexy times but no pining for each other I wanted more of a connection.
There is a good HEA, and even though Chase's son is the most important part of his life, the child doesn't over saturate the story like sometimes children in books seem to do.
It's not all bad might be a better read for someone else. I think my inability to warm up to Ricky kind of threw me off right from the get go.
Ricky is a party boy and has sworn off love because his fiancé died 10 years ago. So now his life is an endless party filled with hookups. Chase owns a gym with his brother and is a single father, he has a homophobic father who is a police chief, he seems to be surrounded by people who are dumbasses the only good in his life besides his son seems to be his elderly neighbor
that helps with his son sometimes. Chase keeps his desire for men a secret.
Ricky is attacked one night leaving the club in which he is a drag DJ and is left for dead when Chase on his way to a hookup finds him and helps.
There is good here. The concept is good and the story ultimately is about a second chance and self acceptance however, we took a long time to get there and there were a lot of issues sprinkled in that annoyed me to no end.
1. I never could like Ricky. He has his moments where his true persona comes through all the bullshit he puts up, but in all honesty he is super annoying and uses the word sweetheart constantly.
2. Chase could never seem to accept himself fully it's like he was scared to say he is gay or bisexual, I'm not saying labels are important but come on you are banging a guy you are a little more than just straight-ish.
3. Ricky is not that nice to his best friend, someone who obviously cares about him deeply.
4. Ricky seems adamant to not let anyone in ever again to an alarming degree. I mean he goes to great lengths to destroy his relationship.
5. No burn, I didn't feel the burn. There are sexy times but no pining for each other I wanted more of a connection.
There is a good HEA, and even though Chase's son is the most important part of his life, the child doesn't over saturate the story like sometimes children in books seem to do.
It's not all bad might be a better read for someone else. I think my inability to warm up to Ricky kind of threw me off right from the get go.
February 20, 2018
What an incredibly beautiful sequel to Ashley John’s book Timing, Ricky finally has his HEA ❤️💋❤️. I miss Ashley and his male romance voice ;-)
October 27, 2016
Review by The Blogger Girls.
This is not normally my kind of story, but having enjoyed Mr. John in the past, I decided to give it a go. It is always a pleasant surprise to end up really enjoying things that would normally send me running. I love when an author has the ability to do that for me, and this one was a success.
Ricky is a bit of a hot mess. After suffering the loss of his fiance quite a few years ago, he has adhered to a set of rules that have enabled him to live happily, or so he believes. Or, that prevent him from even remotely getting an opportunity to put him in that heartbreaking place again. Whenever anything starts getting to him, he puts it all away as he takes on the persona of Miss Kitty Litter, the drag queen DJ. But things change a bit after he is attacked and left for dead on the sidewalk.
Enter Chase, the totally tattooed up hottie who, with his brother, co-owns the local gym in town. Chase is a bit on the fence about his sexuality, due mostly to his family’s intrusion and bigotry. He believes he needs to end up with a woman to be a mother to his child but isn’t able to deny himself completely of his male encounters. On his way with one of those encounters, they come across Ricky and Chase can’t just leave him alone in that state. They begin a friendship after Chase offers to train Ricky in self defense, but their attraction is quickly apparent.
It doesn’t take long before Chase has managed to get Ricky to break his rules, without either really realizing it. It isn’t easy for these guys though. They both keep secrets from each other and neither really believes they can have anything long-term, even if they want it. Chase has his family to deal with and is worried about doing what’s right for his son while Ricky is still set on not caring for someone enough for him to get hurt again. But neither can deny their feelings for very long. It is more a matter of them believing they could be more and actually making that happen. There is a lot more to all of these aspects giving the characters much more depth than it seems here.
I loved these guys! Ricky, even though he was a mess at times, broke my heart every time he took what people threw at him. He was unapologetic about who he was – if you don’t like the Ricky he’s showing you, move on down the road, sweetheart. :) But it was easy to see the real him behind his walls and makeup and how everything affected his feelings and actions. And Chase was just a big ole hunk of caring and compassion rolled up in a sexy tatted package. He didn’t care what others thought, as was clear by his full-body tattoos, unless it affected his son – then everything mattered. I loved that he decided he had to listen to his heart and not his homophobic father and brother while doing what was best for Dylan at the same time.
Ricky was angsty, but never felt overly deeply. There was plenty of it, but it never really gave me the gut wrenching feels that might have made it too much. There was just the right amount, in my opinion, and enough of the good parts and rest of the story that kept me interested in seeing these guys succeed and turning pages until it happened. I’m glad I gave this story a chance, because Mr. John came through, solidifying my feelings about his writing which is just as good as I remembered. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more.
December 28, 2016
If you're looking for a sweet, funny and light romance, this book is for you.
This book was really good, but would have been better with a couple more sex scenes.
Ricky and Chase is so complete opposites, but oh so right for each other <3
Ricky
Chase
OMG, I felt so sorry for Chase, with a family like his who needs enemies!!!!
Seriously the abuse of the word sweetheart, will piss you off BIG TIME!
This book was really good, but would have been better with a couple more sex scenes.
Ricky and Chase is so complete opposites, but oh so right for each other <3
Ricky
Chase
OMG, I felt so sorry for Chase, with a family like his who needs enemies!!!!
Seriously the abuse of the word sweetheart, will piss you off BIG TIME!
Read
November 18, 2016Review originally posted at Sinfully.
3.5 stars
Although this book is a standalone, if you’ve read TimingTiming you’ll remember Ricky as Tom’s friend and also remember his alter-ego, Miss Kitty Litter the drag DJ. I really liked Ricky in that book and was glad to see more of him here, though it may be harder for you to warm up the brashness that is Ricky if you haven’t already seen his sweet, caring side.
Ricky equates love with heartbreak. He has spent last 10 years having meaningless sex, following rules that keep feelings out of the picture. He’s basically a “one and done” kind of guy. He says he’s happy the way he is, but his friends Tom and Cole aren’t convinced. Soon even Miss Kitty Litter isn’t enough to keep Ricky from cracking.
Tattoo covered, muscular gym owner Chase lives for his six year old son. He works and goes home except for the occasional nights where he finds a hook up at one of the gay bars. He tolerates the father that walked out on him and his family when he was a kid for the sake of his son. His brother seems to be a lot like his father and his bitchy sister-in-law harps on him non-stop about his parenting skills and finding Dylan a mother. The only one who seemed tolerable in the family was Barbara, the woman his father left the family for, but she really didn’t have a lot of page time. He allows his awful family to shape the way he thinks, and is convinced he needs to find a mother for his son, so he hides his attraction to men.
When Chase is on his way back to a hook-up’s apartment one night, he finds Ricky badly beaten in an alley and calls for help, staying with Ricky in the hospital until he wakes up. When Ricky takes him up on his offer of some self-defense classes, they strike up an unlikely friendship that soon turns physical. Chase’s brother makes it clear that he doesn’t know why Chase is wasting his time hanging around Ricky and Chase’s bigoted father turns out to be the officer who is investigating Ricky’s case. Chase tries to keep the nature of his relationship with Ricky secret from his family and Ricky tries to keep Chase at arm’s length.
These two have plenty of secrets that slowly come out and some hurt more than others. The real crux of the problem however is can Ricky let go of the past and risk his heart again on Chase and, does he even want to? For Chase the problem is bigger. Even as he starts to admit that he’s not completely straight, and starts to accept himself, he still allows the family that thinks so little of him to have a lot of sway over his life choices, and they’ve convinced him he needs a mother for his son. He is afraid to come out to this horrible family for some reason and goes to great lengths to hide Ricky from his family and his family from Ricky.
I was a bit hot and cold on Chase. I understood he was trying to figure out his sexuality and trying to do what was best for his son, but one moment he’s being a doormat and the next saying he didn’t care what anyone thinks, it was pretty frustrating at times. Ricky was pretty consistent throughout although he does take some drastic steps when all the feelings between him and Chase got too strong. I would have liked to see Ricky interact more with Chase’s son Dylan as the little time we did see them together was pretty awkward and adorable.
The two had great chemistry and I did enjoy much of their time together. They are both trying so hard to fight the best thing to have happened to either of them in a long time though and it did, at times, become a bit repetitive. I think a bit of editing would have definitely helped the flow of the book.
There was a lovely bit of support in Chase’s elderly neighbor Annie and of course, Cole and Tom are back and have plenty of interaction with the guys too. The book definitely had its highs and lows for me, but I think if you liked Ricky in Timing you’re going to want to read this. There was a lot of back and forth, but not a lot of angst. If hurt-comfort is your thing and you don’t mind occasionally wanting to knock some sense into your MCs as they really fight against getting to their HEA Ricky will probably work well for you.
3.5 stars
Although this book is a standalone, if you’ve read TimingTiming you’ll remember Ricky as Tom’s friend and also remember his alter-ego, Miss Kitty Litter the drag DJ. I really liked Ricky in that book and was glad to see more of him here, though it may be harder for you to warm up the brashness that is Ricky if you haven’t already seen his sweet, caring side.
Ricky equates love with heartbreak. He has spent last 10 years having meaningless sex, following rules that keep feelings out of the picture. He’s basically a “one and done” kind of guy. He says he’s happy the way he is, but his friends Tom and Cole aren’t convinced. Soon even Miss Kitty Litter isn’t enough to keep Ricky from cracking.
Tattoo covered, muscular gym owner Chase lives for his six year old son. He works and goes home except for the occasional nights where he finds a hook up at one of the gay bars. He tolerates the father that walked out on him and his family when he was a kid for the sake of his son. His brother seems to be a lot like his father and his bitchy sister-in-law harps on him non-stop about his parenting skills and finding Dylan a mother. The only one who seemed tolerable in the family was Barbara, the woman his father left the family for, but she really didn’t have a lot of page time. He allows his awful family to shape the way he thinks, and is convinced he needs to find a mother for his son, so he hides his attraction to men.
When Chase is on his way back to a hook-up’s apartment one night, he finds Ricky badly beaten in an alley and calls for help, staying with Ricky in the hospital until he wakes up. When Ricky takes him up on his offer of some self-defense classes, they strike up an unlikely friendship that soon turns physical. Chase’s brother makes it clear that he doesn’t know why Chase is wasting his time hanging around Ricky and Chase’s bigoted father turns out to be the officer who is investigating Ricky’s case. Chase tries to keep the nature of his relationship with Ricky secret from his family and Ricky tries to keep Chase at arm’s length.
These two have plenty of secrets that slowly come out and some hurt more than others. The real crux of the problem however is can Ricky let go of the past and risk his heart again on Chase and, does he even want to? For Chase the problem is bigger. Even as he starts to admit that he’s not completely straight, and starts to accept himself, he still allows the family that thinks so little of him to have a lot of sway over his life choices, and they’ve convinced him he needs a mother for his son. He is afraid to come out to this horrible family for some reason and goes to great lengths to hide Ricky from his family and his family from Ricky.
I was a bit hot and cold on Chase. I understood he was trying to figure out his sexuality and trying to do what was best for his son, but one moment he’s being a doormat and the next saying he didn’t care what anyone thinks, it was pretty frustrating at times. Ricky was pretty consistent throughout although he does take some drastic steps when all the feelings between him and Chase got too strong. I would have liked to see Ricky interact more with Chase’s son Dylan as the little time we did see them together was pretty awkward and adorable.
The two had great chemistry and I did enjoy much of their time together. They are both trying so hard to fight the best thing to have happened to either of them in a long time though and it did, at times, become a bit repetitive. I think a bit of editing would have definitely helped the flow of the book.
There was a lovely bit of support in Chase’s elderly neighbor Annie and of course, Cole and Tom are back and have plenty of interaction with the guys too. The book definitely had its highs and lows for me, but I think if you liked Ricky in Timing you’re going to want to read this. There was a lot of back and forth, but not a lot of angst. If hurt-comfort is your thing and you don’t mind occasionally wanting to knock some sense into your MCs as they really fight against getting to their HEA Ricky will probably work well for you.
November 7, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
2.5 stars
I hate to say it, but I just didn’t like Ricky. I wanted to, and the blurb caught my attention right away because I love hurt/comfort stories. I also tend to like stories where men get past traditional opinions of raising children and who they should raise them with.
Well, I felt a bit misled. There was no mention of Ricky being a drag queen. Honestly, I don’t have anything against them. I’ve actually met some lovely drag queens, and I’m a HUGE fan of Chi Chi LaRue, RuPaul, and God, I love Dame Edna. However, I just don’t find them to be particularly…sexy. Please don’t think I’m being prejudiced. It’s just a personal thing. I figured, though, since I had committed, I’d give it a go, rather than trying to DNF it or ask someone else to do it.
Let’s start with Ricky himself. There were a lot of times when I actually cringed. His overuse of the word sweetheart started to drive me insane. If I was to do a shot every time it was said, I’d have passed out before the middle of the story. Then there was the meaningless, anonymous sex. I’ve read so many books where one of the MCs is a very promiscuous, but Ricky, with his rules and his behavior, started to be more than just a trope. I was angry with him from the start, to tell you the truth. He was out with his friend when he saw a handsome man. Ricky sends his poor friend out to get some coffee for him and his potential conquest, and when he seals the deal, he leaves with the man, literally walking past his friend and leaving him holding the coffee. So, by 3% I despised a character I’m supposed to fall in love with and become invested in his happily ever after. Not cool.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.
2.5 stars
I hate to say it, but I just didn’t like Ricky. I wanted to, and the blurb caught my attention right away because I love hurt/comfort stories. I also tend to like stories where men get past traditional opinions of raising children and who they should raise them with.
Well, I felt a bit misled. There was no mention of Ricky being a drag queen. Honestly, I don’t have anything against them. I’ve actually met some lovely drag queens, and I’m a HUGE fan of Chi Chi LaRue, RuPaul, and God, I love Dame Edna. However, I just don’t find them to be particularly…sexy. Please don’t think I’m being prejudiced. It’s just a personal thing. I figured, though, since I had committed, I’d give it a go, rather than trying to DNF it or ask someone else to do it.
Let’s start with Ricky himself. There were a lot of times when I actually cringed. His overuse of the word sweetheart started to drive me insane. If I was to do a shot every time it was said, I’d have passed out before the middle of the story. Then there was the meaningless, anonymous sex. I’ve read so many books where one of the MCs is a very promiscuous, but Ricky, with his rules and his behavior, started to be more than just a trope. I was angry with him from the start, to tell you the truth. He was out with his friend when he saw a handsome man. Ricky sends his poor friend out to get some coffee for him and his potential conquest, and when he seals the deal, he leaves with the man, literally walking past his friend and leaving him holding the coffee. So, by 3% I despised a character I’m supposed to fall in love with and become invested in his happily ever after. Not cool.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.
October 21, 2016
Ashley did it again!!!! I so wanted Ricky to be happy and not be a bitter lonely guy. So happy he has friends like Tom & Cole (Timing) to help him. When Chase helps Ricky out in an emergency, things feel different. Chase has a little boy to think about and Ricky is far from any commitment. But neither can move away from each other. This book has so much packed into it, a slow burn, fun, emotionally filled story. Sometimes moving forward is hard but with the right person saying goodbye to your past is easier. Ricky is scared to love again, Chase is scared of his family finding out. With everything happening, love may still conquer all!!!
November 9, 2016
I regret buying this book. It was boring and the overuse of the word sweetheart was ridiculous. I don t understand how you could write the word practically in every sentance. Ok, maybe not in every one but it sure felt that way. Also, Ricky was an idiot and Chase a doormat. After treating Chase like crap he should have groveled so much more, in stead Chase is the one who runs after poor little Ricky, and forgives him in 2 sentances and 6 sweethearts.
Waste of money and time for me!
Waste of money and time for me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2017
2.5-3*
All the way through this I kept thinking that these characters were familiar. It was only long after I was done that I realised that I had started, but failed to finish, the first book (Timing) months ago.
This time we are following Tom's friend Ricky as he overcomes a few traumatic experiences. one old and one new. To help him with this is Chase. Ricky and Chase are on opposite sides of what I think of as my grandfathers gay dividing line. Those he can see because you can always spot a gay man (Ricky) and those he can't see because sorry Grandpa but "they" don't all look the same (Chase). I quite liked character of Ricky. Mostly because in the M/M books I have read most fall into the Chase category. Not many are as stereo-typically over the top gay as Ricky. I wasn't thrilled with his self analysis at the end of the book but what can you do.
Chase on the other hand annoyed me a bit. How can he not know he is more than bi-curious when he is getting his jollies with a different man almost every Friday night. I mean I suppose someone could be in that much denial but then perhaps he is the one in need of some analysis instead of Ricky.
Still overall I enjoyed it and might read more by this author in the future.
All the way through this I kept thinking that these characters were familiar. It was only long after I was done that I realised that I had started, but failed to finish, the first book (Timing) months ago.
This time we are following Tom's friend Ricky as he overcomes a few traumatic experiences. one old and one new. To help him with this is Chase. Ricky and Chase are on opposite sides of what I think of as my grandfathers gay dividing line. Those he can see because you can always spot a gay man (Ricky) and those he can't see because sorry Grandpa but "they" don't all look the same (Chase). I quite liked character of Ricky. Mostly because in the M/M books I have read most fall into the Chase category. Not many are as stereo-typically over the top gay as Ricky. I wasn't thrilled with his self analysis at the end of the book but what can you do.
Chase on the other hand annoyed me a bit. How can he not know he is more than bi-curious when he is getting his jollies with a different man almost every Friday night. I mean I suppose someone could be in that much denial but then perhaps he is the one in need of some analysis instead of Ricky.
Still overall I enjoyed it and might read more by this author in the future.
November 30, 2016
This is a long book, over 300 pages. It takes a long while for our boys to go from acquaintances and friends to something more. Chase is determined that while men might be for sex, women are for love and his son Dylan needs a woman’s influence in his life.
Chase isn’t looking for entanglements either. He’s been hurt in the past by love and recent events only make him more paranoid not to trust, not the reverse.
I thought the writing was very good in this and the characters were really well developed. For the most part I enjoyed this and found it very satisfying.
What prevented this from being a five star read for me was three things. 1) the length. I think it was too long. While there was a lot for these guys to overcome, I found myself sort of flat-lining between the 30% mark and the 75% mark. There was a lot of waffling going on (for both guys) that got a bit tedious. 2) Chase’s unwillingness to identify as gay. Even toward the end he was unwilling to own his sexuality and it bothered me that he was so stuck on this. 3) Ricky ran from everything and was set to run again then – on a dime- turned around to stay and I wasn’t sure we were given a really good reason for that.
Those things, when added together, took this to a 3.5 star read for me. It was still really good, just not great.
If you’re looking for a story with a lot of character and angst – this is for you!
3.5 of 5 stars
Chase isn’t looking for entanglements either. He’s been hurt in the past by love and recent events only make him more paranoid not to trust, not the reverse.
I thought the writing was very good in this and the characters were really well developed. For the most part I enjoyed this and found it very satisfying.
What prevented this from being a five star read for me was three things. 1) the length. I think it was too long. While there was a lot for these guys to overcome, I found myself sort of flat-lining between the 30% mark and the 75% mark. There was a lot of waffling going on (for both guys) that got a bit tedious. 2) Chase’s unwillingness to identify as gay. Even toward the end he was unwilling to own his sexuality and it bothered me that he was so stuck on this. 3) Ricky ran from everything and was set to run again then – on a dime- turned around to stay and I wasn’t sure we were given a really good reason for that.
Those things, when added together, took this to a 3.5 star read for me. It was still really good, just not great.
If you’re looking for a story with a lot of character and angst – this is for you!
3.5 of 5 stars
November 8, 2016
How many times can you use a word...
Well apparently in the case of Ricky you can use one word a lot and I do mean A LOT!!! Ricky's favorite word is 'sweetheart' that's right, it's his tagline if you will. He calls everyone 'sweetheart'. He actually uses the word somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 times give or take a 'sweetheart', that's right I counted. I have to admit overusing a term of endearment is one easy way to haul me out of a story, but ironically in the case of this book it didn't seem to bother me that way. I suppose it was because Ricky used the term the most of us would use 'he' or 'she' or 'hey you', it really didn't hold any personal intimacy.
I found Ricky to be an interesting character. He was flamboyant, totally over the top, he ran a bookstore by day and was a Drag Queen DJ by night. He was also brave and outspoken and fearless when he needed to be. Except when it came to his personal life than Ricky was a runner whether he was actually running as in packing his bags and getting the hell out of Dodge or running figuratively by making rules that kept people at arms length, rules like...1. No names, 2. No second dates 3. No breakfast and 4. No falling in love. He'd loved once and he'd lost, making emotional detachment his coping mechanism.
Ricky lost the love of his life 10 years ago and he wasn't going through that again if he could avoid it. I can empathize with that, I understand not wanting to feel that kind of heartache again but seriously I'm of the 'better to have loved and lost' school of philosophy myself. So on this level I just couldn't quite connect with Ricky, other than to say it made me sad that someone who was so vital and vibrant and had so much to share with the world was hiding...such a waste of life.
This brings us to Chase. Chase is handsome, covered in tats and mouth-watering muscle. He runs a gym with his brother, he lives for his son, Dylan, the happy result of a one night stand that ended with Chase becoming a single father nine months later when there was a knock on his door and a baby delivered into his arms.
Chase's commitment to Dylan was 100% except on that one night a week when he went out. The one night that resulted in him crossing paths with Ricky...a beaten and badly injured version of Ricky but still one that Chase felt compelled to help and found himself drawn to.
'Ricky' ended up just being ok for me. It was a bit on the longish side and I felt like it could have been a bit shorter and probably delivered a better paced story. The other thing that took away from this story for me was the number of secondary characters that just were not likable and ironically this was also one of the things that impressed me about this book, so let me explain...
Probably the only secondary character that I really liked was Chase's neighbour Annie. She was a sweet and kind grandmotherly type and I loved the lack of judgement that she had and her quiet but solid acceptance of Chase. As for Chase's family...holy crap!!! I have to admit, that a family like this produced a nice, sweet guy like Chase is astounding. His father was simply a jerk from the word go, his brother was following in daddy's footsteps and the sister-in-law had a bitch level all her own. The step-mom didn't do much more than blip my radar but I think she might have been ok. And last but not least we have Chase's son, Dylan.
While I by no means disliked Dylan, I didn't really like him either. I don't actually recall the last time I encountered a child real or fictitious who left me feeling so ambivalent. For me Dylan just had no personality and given the emotional response that this author drew from me in regards to secondary characters I'm a little surprised and disappointed at the lack of personality displayed by Dylan. For me it just didn't feel right.
Also I just need to quickly mention Ricky's friend Tom. I'm not even really sure why but I just didn't like this character. I didn't think he was bad or evil in any way. He just struck me as whiny and not someone I'd care to know.
The fact that the author created secondary characters that long after I've finished the book can still bring out a bit of a visceral reaction in me...case in point the sister-in-law, Natalie, she was definitely my least favorite person in the whole book. Natalie was the personification of a pretentious, self-centered, self-absorbed bitch (sorry, I just don't have another word for her). That the author was able to draw such strong feelings from me about a secondary character, for me, speaks to the author's skill as a writer and his ability to create vivid images.
Unfortunately when my emotional responses are stronger to secondary characters than they are to the MCs than there's just something not working quite right for me. So while I am impressed with the authors ability to create these strong visual and emotional responses within me, as a reader I needed to make more of an emotional connection with the MCs than I was making in order for the story to really work.
********************
A copy of 'Ricky' was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Well apparently in the case of Ricky you can use one word a lot and I do mean A LOT!!! Ricky's favorite word is 'sweetheart' that's right, it's his tagline if you will. He calls everyone 'sweetheart'. He actually uses the word somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 times give or take a 'sweetheart', that's right I counted. I have to admit overusing a term of endearment is one easy way to haul me out of a story, but ironically in the case of this book it didn't seem to bother me that way. I suppose it was because Ricky used the term the most of us would use 'he' or 'she' or 'hey you', it really didn't hold any personal intimacy.
I found Ricky to be an interesting character. He was flamboyant, totally over the top, he ran a bookstore by day and was a Drag Queen DJ by night. He was also brave and outspoken and fearless when he needed to be. Except when it came to his personal life than Ricky was a runner whether he was actually running as in packing his bags and getting the hell out of Dodge or running figuratively by making rules that kept people at arms length, rules like...1. No names, 2. No second dates 3. No breakfast and 4. No falling in love. He'd loved once and he'd lost, making emotional detachment his coping mechanism.
Ricky lost the love of his life 10 years ago and he wasn't going through that again if he could avoid it. I can empathize with that, I understand not wanting to feel that kind of heartache again but seriously I'm of the 'better to have loved and lost' school of philosophy myself. So on this level I just couldn't quite connect with Ricky, other than to say it made me sad that someone who was so vital and vibrant and had so much to share with the world was hiding...such a waste of life.
This brings us to Chase. Chase is handsome, covered in tats and mouth-watering muscle. He runs a gym with his brother, he lives for his son, Dylan, the happy result of a one night stand that ended with Chase becoming a single father nine months later when there was a knock on his door and a baby delivered into his arms.
Chase's commitment to Dylan was 100% except on that one night a week when he went out. The one night that resulted in him crossing paths with Ricky...a beaten and badly injured version of Ricky but still one that Chase felt compelled to help and found himself drawn to.
'Ricky' ended up just being ok for me. It was a bit on the longish side and I felt like it could have been a bit shorter and probably delivered a better paced story. The other thing that took away from this story for me was the number of secondary characters that just were not likable and ironically this was also one of the things that impressed me about this book, so let me explain...
Probably the only secondary character that I really liked was Chase's neighbour Annie. She was a sweet and kind grandmotherly type and I loved the lack of judgement that she had and her quiet but solid acceptance of Chase. As for Chase's family...holy crap!!! I have to admit, that a family like this produced a nice, sweet guy like Chase is astounding. His father was simply a jerk from the word go, his brother was following in daddy's footsteps and the sister-in-law had a bitch level all her own. The step-mom didn't do much more than blip my radar but I think she might have been ok. And last but not least we have Chase's son, Dylan.
While I by no means disliked Dylan, I didn't really like him either. I don't actually recall the last time I encountered a child real or fictitious who left me feeling so ambivalent. For me Dylan just had no personality and given the emotional response that this author drew from me in regards to secondary characters I'm a little surprised and disappointed at the lack of personality displayed by Dylan. For me it just didn't feel right.
Also I just need to quickly mention Ricky's friend Tom. I'm not even really sure why but I just didn't like this character. I didn't think he was bad or evil in any way. He just struck me as whiny and not someone I'd care to know.
The fact that the author created secondary characters that long after I've finished the book can still bring out a bit of a visceral reaction in me...case in point the sister-in-law, Natalie, she was definitely my least favorite person in the whole book. Natalie was the personification of a pretentious, self-centered, self-absorbed bitch (sorry, I just don't have another word for her). That the author was able to draw such strong feelings from me about a secondary character, for me, speaks to the author's skill as a writer and his ability to create vivid images.
Unfortunately when my emotional responses are stronger to secondary characters than they are to the MCs than there's just something not working quite right for me. So while I am impressed with the authors ability to create these strong visual and emotional responses within me, as a reader I needed to make more of an emotional connection with the MCs than I was making in order for the story to really work.
********************
A copy of 'Ricky' was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 27, 2016
I loved Ricky in the book Timing. I was so excited to read his story.
Ricky Thompson's life is a constant party. His bedroom is a revolving door of different men. He is extremely confident and his wit is unmatched. It has been ten years since Ricky lost his fiance. He has implemented rules to prevent himself from ever falling in love and feeling that kind of pain again. He uses sex as his coping mechanism to hide his pain and suffering.
One night everything changes when Ricky is attacked in a dark alley and left for dead.
Chase Brody doesn't get much time to himself. Between raising his son and running the gym he owns with his brother, the only time Chase gets to himself is when he treks to the gay bars on the weekend looking for casual hookups. His family is constantly on his case to find a mother for his son and aren't exactly very accepting of homosexuals. Chase keeps his desires a secret. All this changes when he stumbles across a man in an alley who is badly beaten and left for dead.
After Chase takes Ricky to the hospital, he isn't ready to say goodbye to him and tries to find a way to be around Ricky again, so he offers Ricky self defense classes. An attraction quickly grows between the two of them. They are very comfortable with each other from the start, as if they had known each other for years.
There is so much against Chase and Ricky. Between Chase keeping secrets from his family about his sexual desires and Ricky not being able to move on from his past pain, it is a constant battle.
I loved, loved, loved this book. When I read Timing, I knew I wanted to know more about Ricky. Ricky is the kind of character that you wish was your best friend. You can't help but want to be around him all the time. Despite his pain, he always makes everyone else feel like they are important and special. With his easy banter and inappropriate sense of humor, you can't help but smile. Chase was Ricky's perfect match. He knew how to break down Ricky's walls and make him realize how lonely he had been.
Ashley John has once again put a big smile on my face while at the same time making me feel like I've left a best friend behind. I adore every single one of his books and I just can't wait to see what he comes up with next. This book, as well as all of his others (and yes I have read them ALL) are just amazing.
Ricky Thompson's life is a constant party. His bedroom is a revolving door of different men. He is extremely confident and his wit is unmatched. It has been ten years since Ricky lost his fiance. He has implemented rules to prevent himself from ever falling in love and feeling that kind of pain again. He uses sex as his coping mechanism to hide his pain and suffering.
One night everything changes when Ricky is attacked in a dark alley and left for dead.
Chase Brody doesn't get much time to himself. Between raising his son and running the gym he owns with his brother, the only time Chase gets to himself is when he treks to the gay bars on the weekend looking for casual hookups. His family is constantly on his case to find a mother for his son and aren't exactly very accepting of homosexuals. Chase keeps his desires a secret. All this changes when he stumbles across a man in an alley who is badly beaten and left for dead.
After Chase takes Ricky to the hospital, he isn't ready to say goodbye to him and tries to find a way to be around Ricky again, so he offers Ricky self defense classes. An attraction quickly grows between the two of them. They are very comfortable with each other from the start, as if they had known each other for years.
There is so much against Chase and Ricky. Between Chase keeping secrets from his family about his sexual desires and Ricky not being able to move on from his past pain, it is a constant battle.
I loved, loved, loved this book. When I read Timing, I knew I wanted to know more about Ricky. Ricky is the kind of character that you wish was your best friend. You can't help but want to be around him all the time. Despite his pain, he always makes everyone else feel like they are important and special. With his easy banter and inappropriate sense of humor, you can't help but smile. Chase was Ricky's perfect match. He knew how to break down Ricky's walls and make him realize how lonely he had been.
Ashley John has once again put a big smile on my face while at the same time making me feel like I've left a best friend behind. I adore every single one of his books and I just can't wait to see what he comes up with next. This book, as well as all of his others (and yes I have read them ALL) are just amazing.
November 1, 2016
Yes, this has characters from the book Timing. Yes, it can be read as a standalone.
After finishing Timing I was really, really curious about Ricky. I'm so glad this book came out.
Ricky, you're a bit sluttay! but that's ok, we still love you. I loved that his character was a bit older. It just made him as being a cynic even more believable.
He's a pretty deep character underneath all the shallow sex, and that's the part you can't wait to dive into.
Chance happens upon Ricky after a night out, and finds him not in a good way. Mind you, Chance is a new character (if I remember correctly), he co-owns the local gym with his brother. After finding Ricky, and making sure everything is good, he offers him up some help to protect himself. That's when things get pretty steamy for them. The relationship progresses, whether Ricky wants it to or not, but there are a lot of secrets they both hide. Pretty big secrets too, ones that could potentially make or break them. For awhile, they do break them.
This (as well as Timing) seem like stories about fighting. Fighting for yourself, fighting for what you want, and fighting for the ones you love and for happiness. I like that they all have to work for it.
This was a happy read, a sad read, an anger read, but most of all, it was about falling in love and fighting for it. For Ricky he had to fight against himself and his past, and literally against people that want to hurt him. Chase he had to fight his family and fight Ricky himself. I still don't know what to think about Chance's sister in law and I'm still kind of curious if he found a summer babysitter! I can't remember that being resolved lol!
Anyways, beautiful story, beautiful writing, and a beautiful ending.
4+*
After finishing Timing I was really, really curious about Ricky. I'm so glad this book came out.
Ricky, you're a bit sluttay! but that's ok, we still love you. I loved that his character was a bit older. It just made him as being a cynic even more believable.
He's a pretty deep character underneath all the shallow sex, and that's the part you can't wait to dive into.
Chance happens upon Ricky after a night out, and finds him not in a good way. Mind you, Chance is a new character (if I remember correctly), he co-owns the local gym with his brother. After finding Ricky, and making sure everything is good, he offers him up some help to protect himself. That's when things get pretty steamy for them. The relationship progresses, whether Ricky wants it to or not, but there are a lot of secrets they both hide. Pretty big secrets too, ones that could potentially make or break them. For awhile, they do break them.
This (as well as Timing) seem like stories about fighting. Fighting for yourself, fighting for what you want, and fighting for the ones you love and for happiness. I like that they all have to work for it.
This was a happy read, a sad read, an anger read, but most of all, it was about falling in love and fighting for it. For Ricky he had to fight against himself and his past, and literally against people that want to hurt him. Chase he had to fight his family and fight Ricky himself. I still don't know what to think about Chance's sister in law and I'm still kind of curious if he found a summer babysitter! I can't remember that being resolved lol!
Anyways, beautiful story, beautiful writing, and a beautiful ending.
4+*
October 24, 2016
When I found out one of my most beloved characters was getting their own book, I was beyond happy!! Ricky "aka Miss Kitty Litter" leads a seemingly happy life on the outside. On the inside he is tormented by a painful past. Using sex, his drag persona "Miss Kitty Litter," alcohol and his books store as a cover, he glides through the days masking his pain. Only his very best friend Tom, and Tom's husband Cole know the truth behind the facade. Chase is a single dad, doing his very best to raise his son. Co owning a gym with his brother, at first glance Chase is the typical "tough guy." But Chase has secrets too. Secrets he keeps from his family for fear of rejection and argument. One fateful night will change Ricky and Chase's lives forever. This book is truly something special. Love is love, no matter what. No matter how different you are, two souls who are meant to be together find each other, it's the most magical, beautiful and most treasured gift one can receive. Thank you Ashley for you this treasure! ❤️❤️
October 25, 2016
Do you believe you can love more than once and repair a broken soul? Do you always know who you will fall in love with? The story of these two is heart warming and soul filling. Ricky and Chase thought they knew the answers.
Miss Kitty Litter is a mask for Ricky to hide his internal pain, but Chase meets him first without Miss Kitty Litter in sight and immediately feels overprotective of Ricky. Ricky has an odd feeling of safety when he is with Chase and starts to let is armor unravel around his heart. What started as a close call to death leads to a friendship with strong emotional and physical attraction. This causes Ricky to break all of his "rules" that he had in place to protect his heart; and Chase starts to see how Ricky fits in his life with his own son, Dylan.
They both realize stars can't shine without darkness, so they confront their own secrets and let everything lay bare with no masks, armor, guilt, or shame and their relationship becomes bright and beautiful.
Miss Kitty Litter is a mask for Ricky to hide his internal pain, but Chase meets him first without Miss Kitty Litter in sight and immediately feels overprotective of Ricky. Ricky has an odd feeling of safety when he is with Chase and starts to let is armor unravel around his heart. What started as a close call to death leads to a friendship with strong emotional and physical attraction. This causes Ricky to break all of his "rules" that he had in place to protect his heart; and Chase starts to see how Ricky fits in his life with his own son, Dylan.
They both realize stars can't shine without darkness, so they confront their own secrets and let everything lay bare with no masks, armor, guilt, or shame and their relationship becomes bright and beautiful.
November 17, 2016
Wonderful follow up to Timing
I loved Ricky in the associated novel Timing and here we find out more about the flamboyant drag queen and what made him the way he is.
It takes a special person to break through the veneer of brutal sarcasm Ricky presents to the world and Chase is just the man for the job.
There's a hardness to Ricky which comes from pushing away any chance of happiness and I'm glad this book didn't have that all brushed away easily with magic penis syndrome. It took a lot of patience and quite a bit of pain for Chase to finally get through and it was worth it.
I really enjoy Ashley John's writing and, being a Yorkshire girl, having these books set in and around Hebden Bridge makes me smile, it's a wonderfully quirky little town like nowhere else in this county.
I loved Ricky in the associated novel Timing and here we find out more about the flamboyant drag queen and what made him the way he is.
It takes a special person to break through the veneer of brutal sarcasm Ricky presents to the world and Chase is just the man for the job.
There's a hardness to Ricky which comes from pushing away any chance of happiness and I'm glad this book didn't have that all brushed away easily with magic penis syndrome. It took a lot of patience and quite a bit of pain for Chase to finally get through and it was worth it.
I really enjoy Ashley John's writing and, being a Yorkshire girl, having these books set in and around Hebden Bridge makes me smile, it's a wonderfully quirky little town like nowhere else in this county.
October 31, 2016
Just ok...
I'm a sucker for a good hurt/comfort story and this drew me in like a moth to a flame. Unfortunately it fell flat. I think the elements of a good story are likeable characters and a plot that flows smoothly. We can expect up's and downs and drama but you shouldn't feel like it's a struggle to get to the next point. Ricky, to me, was not a likeable character at all. The constant use of "sweetheart" was obnoxious. I get why it was used and that it was a part of his persona but it's grating and made him seem less sincere when it mattered. Overall, the story was disappointing to me. Ricky didn't allow anything to happen that could make this story strong.
I'm a sucker for a good hurt/comfort story and this drew me in like a moth to a flame. Unfortunately it fell flat. I think the elements of a good story are likeable characters and a plot that flows smoothly. We can expect up's and downs and drama but you shouldn't feel like it's a struggle to get to the next point. Ricky, to me, was not a likeable character at all. The constant use of "sweetheart" was obnoxious. I get why it was used and that it was a part of his persona but it's grating and made him seem less sincere when it mattered. Overall, the story was disappointing to me. Ricky didn't allow anything to happen that could make this story strong.
October 28, 2016
So good!!
I have had a hard time coming up with a review to say how great this story is. So I say please take time to read this book and any others written by him! You will NOT be disappointed! Loved Ricky & Chase!!!!
I have had a hard time coming up with a review to say how great this story is. So I say please take time to read this book and any others written by him! You will NOT be disappointed! Loved Ricky & Chase!!!!
October 26, 2016
Definitely my new favorite Book of 2016. Just can recommend it
October 29, 2016
I was so excited to hear Ricky was getting his own book...and it did not disappoint. Ricky is so beautifully broken. So happy he and Chase got their HEA!!!
October 31, 2016
Awful!
There is not one part of this book I liked. Too trashy for me. No redeeming qualities of any of the characters.
There is not one part of this book I liked. Too trashy for me. No redeeming qualities of any of the characters.
October 26, 2016
What a breathtakingly, beautiful story of two people, each at a crossroads in their own lives, who are struggling on a day to day basis with no clue for which direction to continue. This is perfect example that there are no coincidences in life, and how fate has already entered their 'end destination' when one of them becomes a victim of a hate crime and ... boom—they're thrown into each other's lives.
Ricky is Tom's (and now Cole's) flamboyant, snarky, over-drinking, over-smoking, and mostly lovable friend who we met in Timing. His character left such a huge impression on all of us that, thank god, Ashley John gifted us with more of his story.
For Ricky, when reality and self-loathing get to be too much, or his painful past rears its ugly head and haunts him, Ricky becomes his alter ego, Miss Kitty Litter, who is void of pain, immune to relationships, and filled to the brim with vodka.
Chase is an amazing single dad to six-year-old Dylan, who works hard to make sure his son is cared for. He's a diligent co-owner of a gym with his brother, Danny. Unfortunately, he comes from an old-school household—one where his father is an ignorant cop who has zero tolerance for the 'gays and the immigrants.' His family hounds him to find a proper woman, who they feel—no, insist—needs to be in his son's life.
When his reality gets to be too much, or the skeletons in his closet are banging to break down his door, he heads to Canal Street where he tries to find his true self: gay-ish (I did say 'tries to find'), void of responsibilities, immune to hurtful words, and filled to the brim with acceptance.
I think that Ricky's accident really wasn't an accident at all. Chase's act of kindness, which brought these two unlikely souls together, may have saved Ricky's life in more ways than he knew. Throughout their journey, they navigated their way through some rough territory in order to find strength in themselves, put loss in its proper place, believe in love, and accept the gifts that fate has handed them. That's some pretty powerful stuff, right there. And that, sweetheart, is everything that Ricky and Chase deserve.
I have to say that Ashley John continues to floor me with his brilliant words. He has so much natural talent with countless years ahead of him that I truly feel he is 'the writer' of our times. I always look forward to each one of his new releases as if I'm opening a gift.
In all, Ricky's storyline was just incredible—the painstaking attention to detail, along with the editing spot-on, made this a five-star plus read for me. One last word to Ashley—if ever these guys get themselves another book, PLEASE make sure they're wearing a nicotine patch—that habit's gotta stop!
Ricky is Tom's (and now Cole's) flamboyant, snarky, over-drinking, over-smoking, and mostly lovable friend who we met in Timing. His character left such a huge impression on all of us that, thank god, Ashley John gifted us with more of his story.
For Ricky, when reality and self-loathing get to be too much, or his painful past rears its ugly head and haunts him, Ricky becomes his alter ego, Miss Kitty Litter, who is void of pain, immune to relationships, and filled to the brim with vodka.
Chase is an amazing single dad to six-year-old Dylan, who works hard to make sure his son is cared for. He's a diligent co-owner of a gym with his brother, Danny. Unfortunately, he comes from an old-school household—one where his father is an ignorant cop who has zero tolerance for the 'gays and the immigrants.' His family hounds him to find a proper woman, who they feel—no, insist—needs to be in his son's life.
When his reality gets to be too much, or the skeletons in his closet are banging to break down his door, he heads to Canal Street where he tries to find his true self: gay-ish (I did say 'tries to find'), void of responsibilities, immune to hurtful words, and filled to the brim with acceptance.
I think that Ricky's accident really wasn't an accident at all. Chase's act of kindness, which brought these two unlikely souls together, may have saved Ricky's life in more ways than he knew. Throughout their journey, they navigated their way through some rough territory in order to find strength in themselves, put loss in its proper place, believe in love, and accept the gifts that fate has handed them. That's some pretty powerful stuff, right there. And that, sweetheart, is everything that Ricky and Chase deserve.
I have to say that Ashley John continues to floor me with his brilliant words. He has so much natural talent with countless years ahead of him that I truly feel he is 'the writer' of our times. I always look forward to each one of his new releases as if I'm opening a gift.
In all, Ricky's storyline was just incredible—the painstaking attention to detail, along with the editing spot-on, made this a five-star plus read for me. One last word to Ashley—if ever these guys get themselves another book, PLEASE make sure they're wearing a nicotine patch—that habit's gotta stop!
November 7, 2016
I have loved everything I’ve read by Ashley John and I can definitely now add Ricky to my loved list! There was something so special and touching about this story and I just loved every minute, even when he had me in tears!
Ricky, oh I feel like I need to enter a sigh after I say his name, he is such a powerful character, not an instantly loveable one, he’s definitely got some attitude, but he’s a strong one indeed. He doesn’t believe in love anymore or for that matter seeing anyone more than once. After the death of his fiancé years earlier, he believes love only leads to pain. He has his friends, his work and Miss Kitty Litter, his drag persona to keep him happy. Until one night in a dark alley he is beaten and left for dead.
Chase is a single father, he co-owns a gym with his brother and isn’t quite sure where he falls when it comes to his sexuality. He enjoys being with men but pictures himself settling down with a woman, mostly for his son’s sake. It doesn’t help that his homophobic dad, his brother and his crazy wife are all trying to push him into finding a woman. He does go out to the gay bars when he can, usually for a quick hook up, until one night in an alley he discovers someone who’s been badly beaten. He calls for help and stays with this person in the hospital, trying to help Ricky recover.
There is so much emotion in this story and I really felt it all. Ricky is not an easy character to just love, he’s snarky and bitter and always puts himself first. But, as I started to see the softer side of him, the side that is still in pain, I was rooting for him and wanting him to let other in and be loved again. Chase completely stole my heart right from the start! He’s a very sweet guy who loves his adorable son and just wants to give him the best life he can provide! These two start off forming a friendship as Chase tries to help Ricky and it quickly becomes more. They definitely seem like an unlikely pair but my heart was totally invested in these two, they just worked for me.
There really is a lot to this story, a lot of emotion that both Ricky and Chase have to sort through and experiences that will shape their relationship. I loved watching them open up to each other and then yes wanted to throw things at Ricky when his stubbornness took over! Ricky has a good amount of angst, but not too much, I never did want to give up on these two. I absolutely adored the way this story came together in the end and was proud of both Chase and Ricky for standing up and loving themselves and each other.
Ricky is another beautiful and heart stealing book from Ashley John that will definitely stay with me! I cannot recommend this book enough and am truly looking forward to whatever comes next!
Ricky, oh I feel like I need to enter a sigh after I say his name, he is such a powerful character, not an instantly loveable one, he’s definitely got some attitude, but he’s a strong one indeed. He doesn’t believe in love anymore or for that matter seeing anyone more than once. After the death of his fiancé years earlier, he believes love only leads to pain. He has his friends, his work and Miss Kitty Litter, his drag persona to keep him happy. Until one night in a dark alley he is beaten and left for dead.
Chase is a single father, he co-owns a gym with his brother and isn’t quite sure where he falls when it comes to his sexuality. He enjoys being with men but pictures himself settling down with a woman, mostly for his son’s sake. It doesn’t help that his homophobic dad, his brother and his crazy wife are all trying to push him into finding a woman. He does go out to the gay bars when he can, usually for a quick hook up, until one night in an alley he discovers someone who’s been badly beaten. He calls for help and stays with this person in the hospital, trying to help Ricky recover.
There is so much emotion in this story and I really felt it all. Ricky is not an easy character to just love, he’s snarky and bitter and always puts himself first. But, as I started to see the softer side of him, the side that is still in pain, I was rooting for him and wanting him to let other in and be loved again. Chase completely stole my heart right from the start! He’s a very sweet guy who loves his adorable son and just wants to give him the best life he can provide! These two start off forming a friendship as Chase tries to help Ricky and it quickly becomes more. They definitely seem like an unlikely pair but my heart was totally invested in these two, they just worked for me.
There really is a lot to this story, a lot of emotion that both Ricky and Chase have to sort through and experiences that will shape their relationship. I loved watching them open up to each other and then yes wanted to throw things at Ricky when his stubbornness took over! Ricky has a good amount of angst, but not too much, I never did want to give up on these two. I absolutely adored the way this story came together in the end and was proud of both Chase and Ricky for standing up and loving themselves and each other.
Ricky is another beautiful and heart stealing book from Ashley John that will definitely stay with me! I cannot recommend this book enough and am truly looking forward to whatever comes next!
December 3, 2016
*** Oh my, I'm so glad I read this one. *** It can stand alone, but it is the next book after TIMING, by Ashley John.
Ricky is the DJ/Drag Queen, tall, toned,
dark hair and hazel eyes, who also works in a book shop. He's wild and loose on the outside, and sad and lonely inside. As he lays in the street, barely alive after a gay bashing beating,
Chase finds him, and won't leave his side.
He calls the ambulance, holds his hand, and stays with him at the hospital. Chase owns a gym with his brother, and offers Ricky self defense classes. After reporting the crime, and his memory only coming back in bits and pieces, he shows up for a class to learn some moves. Chase has always had to sneak for his hook-ups at gay bars, he's careful, he is raising his son, Dylan, 6. With Ricky he feels different. Ricky and Chase connect big time, more deeply and more meaningfully than anyone he's ever been with. It's the same for Ricky, but he's afraid. His past has hurt him and he's vowed to never love again. These amazing men are wonderfully written, very emotion filled, so real and riveting.
The tale is spun beautifully, and we're happy to be on this journey with them, as the pages fly by.
Their sex is super hot and sizzles. Tender moments are detailed, feelings exposed, likes and dislikes shown, while bigots and gays clash. This story shows no matter who you are, you deserve someone to love, and to be loved in return.
Absolutely magnificent and deeply engaging.
We get to see the relationship unfold, the insecurities, problems and fears worked on, plus the progress they make. There are revelations, confrontations, and solutions.
This is an exceptionally well written story. I loved it !
Highly recommended. ENJOY !
========================
no cheating, M/M, violence.
Ricky is the DJ/Drag Queen, tall, toned,
dark hair and hazel eyes, who also works in a book shop. He's wild and loose on the outside, and sad and lonely inside. As he lays in the street, barely alive after a gay bashing beating,
Chase finds him, and won't leave his side.
He calls the ambulance, holds his hand, and stays with him at the hospital. Chase owns a gym with his brother, and offers Ricky self defense classes. After reporting the crime, and his memory only coming back in bits and pieces, he shows up for a class to learn some moves. Chase has always had to sneak for his hook-ups at gay bars, he's careful, he is raising his son, Dylan, 6. With Ricky he feels different. Ricky and Chase connect big time, more deeply and more meaningfully than anyone he's ever been with. It's the same for Ricky, but he's afraid. His past has hurt him and he's vowed to never love again. These amazing men are wonderfully written, very emotion filled, so real and riveting.
The tale is spun beautifully, and we're happy to be on this journey with them, as the pages fly by.
Their sex is super hot and sizzles. Tender moments are detailed, feelings exposed, likes and dislikes shown, while bigots and gays clash. This story shows no matter who you are, you deserve someone to love, and to be loved in return.
Absolutely magnificent and deeply engaging.
We get to see the relationship unfold, the insecurities, problems and fears worked on, plus the progress they make. There are revelations, confrontations, and solutions.
This is an exceptionally well written story. I loved it !
Highly recommended. ENJOY !
========================
no cheating, M/M, violence.
October 22, 2016
BETA reader review:
I have eagerly awaited Ricky's book. I loved his flamboyant nature in Timing and he didn't disappoint in this book.
Ricky is attacked in Manchester's Gay Village, a place he has always felt safe and is luckily found by Chase, who gives up a guaranteed one night stand to stay with Ricky as they wait for an ambulance.
Chase isn't straight and he isn't gay.... he doesn't like to label himself but his interest in Ricky is something he can't ignore.
Ricky's set rules that have kept his heart guarded for the last 10years crumble as Chase's friendship becomes something he craves.
I love how this book showed me the many 'faces' of Ricky and how when he least expected it his rules were all broken 1 by 1 until he had no choice but to see Chase for who he was but mainly to see himself.... his true self.
Chase has his own troubles to deal with. A homophobe for a father and a brother who is starting to be the same and an impressionable 6 year old son.
When I finished this book I was both elated and suddenly wondering what I could read next that would hold my attention as well and Ricky did.
wish I could have given this more than 5 ⛧
I have eagerly awaited Ricky's book. I loved his flamboyant nature in Timing and he didn't disappoint in this book.
Ricky is attacked in Manchester's Gay Village, a place he has always felt safe and is luckily found by Chase, who gives up a guaranteed one night stand to stay with Ricky as they wait for an ambulance.
Chase isn't straight and he isn't gay.... he doesn't like to label himself but his interest in Ricky is something he can't ignore.
Ricky's set rules that have kept his heart guarded for the last 10years crumble as Chase's friendship becomes something he craves.
I love how this book showed me the many 'faces' of Ricky and how when he least expected it his rules were all broken 1 by 1 until he had no choice but to see Chase for who he was but mainly to see himself.... his true self.
Chase has his own troubles to deal with. A homophobe for a father and a brother who is starting to be the same and an impressionable 6 year old son.
When I finished this book I was both elated and suddenly wondering what I could read next that would hold my attention as well and Ricky did.
wish I could have given this more than 5 ⛧
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