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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Thrill ride has all the ingredients (handsome, alpha hero, beautiful heroine, and an intriguing plot) for an awesome read. However, the author lost out on her opportunity to capitalize on all of the things that could have pushed this book from average to excellent. It was just an okay read for me. There was nothing about it that pulled me into the story or compelled me to read it in one sitting. It simply didn't grab me to that extent. The storyline kept me mildly interested, and I was easily able to finish it and just as easily able to forget it.
Rock Babineaux is our hunky former CIA agent on the run because he is accused of murders that he didn't commit. Vanessa Cordera is the agent that believes in his innocence and is determined to find him. They outrun CIA agents with orders to shoot to kill on site, fake a murder, and redeem Rock's name. Sounds exciting right...well that's what I thought until I began reading.
Vanessa is introduced into the story immediately. Her character doesn't have anything special that makes you identify with her or root for her to win her man throughout the book. The author was very repetitive in describing her dark, Latin beauty but did a poor job of conveying other characteristics. You see some vulnerability and emotion but the frustrating part is that you want to slap her and tell her to get over it and get moving. Rock rebuffs her advances several times while on the rune and each time she meekly tucks her tail and retreats because he says he doesn't and will never love her. I kept waiting for the moment when she took the lead and seized the fact that his body was showing all the signs of him wanting her and use that to her advantage. It never really happened. She was just so timid in terms of intimacy.
Rock was described as being a French Cajun and used french terms throughout the book to utter comments. I last studied French in high school and I eventually stopped caring enough to look up what he was saying so I could decipher the meaning. It took away from the plot and dialogue in a major way for me because the author defined the French terms in some areas and in others they weren't. It was also farfetched considering I don't live far from Cajun country in Louisiana and very few people use any French language at all. So it was pointless and detrimental to this reader's enjoyment because it felt like she was going for perceived stereotype versus identifiable reality.
The first time Rock and Vanessa make out is on the back of an old, rusty motorbike. I mentally tried to envision the acts the author was describing and literally there was no way the scenes could have happened. There was another motorcycle scene towards the end and finally they made it to a bed. There was very little romance or sex and really no chemistry between the two. The author did a great job of building up the intrigue, mystery, and suspense surrounding Rock and his fight to clear his name. The romance part just sort of felt like it was an add-on.
Reviewed by Michelle for Cocktails and Books
Rock Babineaux is our hunky former CIA agent on the run because he is accused of murders that he didn't commit. Vanessa Cordera is the agent that believes in his innocence and is determined to find him. They outrun CIA agents with orders to shoot to kill on site, fake a murder, and redeem Rock's name. Sounds exciting right...well that's what I thought until I began reading.
Vanessa is introduced into the story immediately. Her character doesn't have anything special that makes you identify with her or root for her to win her man throughout the book. The author was very repetitive in describing her dark, Latin beauty but did a poor job of conveying other characteristics. You see some vulnerability and emotion but the frustrating part is that you want to slap her and tell her to get over it and get moving. Rock rebuffs her advances several times while on the rune and each time she meekly tucks her tail and retreats because he says he doesn't and will never love her. I kept waiting for the moment when she took the lead and seized the fact that his body was showing all the signs of him wanting her and use that to her advantage. It never really happened. She was just so timid in terms of intimacy.
Rock was described as being a French Cajun and used french terms throughout the book to utter comments. I last studied French in high school and I eventually stopped caring enough to look up what he was saying so I could decipher the meaning. It took away from the plot and dialogue in a major way for me because the author defined the French terms in some areas and in others they weren't. It was also farfetched considering I don't live far from Cajun country in Louisiana and very few people use any French language at all. So it was pointless and detrimental to this reader's enjoyment because it felt like she was going for perceived stereotype versus identifiable reality.
The first time Rock and Vanessa make out is on the back of an old, rusty motorbike. I mentally tried to envision the acts the author was describing and literally there was no way the scenes could have happened. There was another motorcycle scene towards the end and finally they made it to a bed. There was very little romance or sex and really no chemistry between the two. The author did a great job of building up the intrigue, mystery, and suspense surrounding Rock and his fight to clear his name. The romance part just sort of felt like it was an add-on.
Reviewed by Michelle for Cocktails and Books
I was hoping for something similar to the black dagger brotherhood, but this is just bad.
Read for Fun/Listened for Review (Library/Physical Book Owned/Tantor)
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 3.75
Narration Rating: 2.50 (not part of the overall rating)
Quick Thoughts: This is another reread for me and I love Rock/Van! Vanessa had gumption and even though she was frustrating for a bit--I think it was true to character. Rock was every bit the stubborn Cajun he is supposed to be. I would have been disappointed had this played out any other way. I think the back stories on both of these characters really played into their romance (and stumbles) but in the end it was Vanessa's sheer willpower that made me believe she would be there when he got his stuff together. Their chemistry was off the charts so it was only a matter of time.
Audio Thoughts:
I knew this one might not work on audio for me. Rock is a gruff Cajun with that slow Louisiana way of speaking. Honestly, I don't think a female narrator was the right choice for this particular one. She nailed Vanessa and all the other Black Knights. This just wasn't a hit for me. However, the first 3 she did really really well!
Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 3.75
Narration Rating: 2.50 (not part of the overall rating)
Quick Thoughts: This is another reread for me and I love Rock/Van! Vanessa had gumption and even though she was frustrating for a bit--I think it was true to character. Rock was every bit the stubborn Cajun he is supposed to be. I would have been disappointed had this played out any other way. I think the back stories on both of these characters really played into their romance (and stumbles) but in the end it was Vanessa's sheer willpower that made me believe she would be there when he got his stuff together. Their chemistry was off the charts so it was only a matter of time.
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Abby Craden / Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
I knew this one might not work on audio for me. Rock is a gruff Cajun with that slow Louisiana way of speaking. Honestly, I don't think a female narrator was the right choice for this particular one. She nailed Vanessa and all the other Black Knights. This just wasn't a hit for me. However, the first 3 she did really really well!
Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews
3 stars - I liked it
Rock Babineaux’s life gets turned upside down when he is framed for murder and is hunted by the government. He is determined to stay off the radar and protect his friends. What he doesn’t expect is for his team's beautiful communications specialist to track him down and fight for him.
Like all the previous books, Walker does an amazing job at pulling on your emotions and keeping you hooked to the story. Rock and Vanessa have a very dangerous and intense relationship that is filled with a lot of frustration, fear, and love. Vanessa was a great character. She was smart, capable, and determined to help Rock. I loved that she never backed down, even when she knew she was going to get hurt in the process. She stayed true to her feelings and fought for the man she loved.
Rock is an extremely protective soldier who tries to keep everyone safe by going solo. While it works for a while he quickly realizes that he needs his team if he is ever going to find out the truth and set things right. Rock was a character who I liked but wanted to smack a few times for his determination to protect everyone at the cost of his life.
Walker continues to create a wonderful group of people who will do everything they can to protect their teammates and see justice served. This series has just been a wonderful blend of romance and suspense that I don’t want to stop reading. Also I am really loving all the Knights and how badass all the female characters have been. I can’t wait to see who falls in love next.
CW: death of parents mentioned; panic attacks triggered by phobia; grief; death of fiancé mentioned; murder suicide mentioned;
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Thrill Ride, Black Knights, Inc. #4, by Julie Ann Walker
Grade: B+
“One touch, one look, and she was ready to toss off her panties and ride him like an amusement park roller coaster.”
Vanessa Cordova knew from the first moment she heard his voice that Rock Babineaux was the man for her but unfortunately she has a rule about dating co-workers. The more time she spends working for the Black Knights Inc., a secret covert government agency hidden under the disguise of a motorcycle shop, and with Rock the more she falls for him. With one hot kiss in their past and Rock’s promise of no future Vanessa gives up hope until Rock finds himself wanted for murder by the government. Vanessa knows Rock is innocent and she will do everything in her power to save him even if she gets hurt in the process.
Richard “Rock’ Babineaux is an ex-Navy SEAL and one of the founding members of the Black Knights, Inc. but Rock has a secret job that none of his friends or coworkers know about. Rock has always been a master at interrogation and has been hired by the government to help break criminals and when Rock starts asking question he finds himself hunted by the same people he was helping. When Vanessa, the sexy latina he can’t have but wants with every ounce of his being, finds him and tries to help the sparks fly. Rock soon finds himself torn between protecting Vanessa and running again or hoping for a miracle which could be the most dangerous thing for them both.
I love this series so much and with each new book I love it even more. I was so excited for Vanessa and Rock’s story after the shared those steamy kisses on a steak out together. I love Rock and his cool cajun swagger and add in the fact that he wears alligator cowboy boots and I swoon every time he is mentioned. I have also been a really big fan of Vanessa ever since she picked a fight with a hooker while pretending to be a hooker. The girl is one sassy Latina and I love it!
Thrill Ride picks up about six months after Rev it Up ends with Rock on the run and Vanessa, the Black Knights and tons of government agencies after him. There is a lot of action in this book that kept me on the edge of my seat while reading. At one point I got so nervous I dropped my kindle which shows how great this story is. My only gripes with the entire book are that Vanessa cries. A LOT. There are certain times when I would expect her to cry but it got to be excessive and annoying after awhile. My second gripe is that once again so many POVs! I get that this is how the books are written but I felt that we spent half of the book with other people than Vanessa and Rock.
Besides those two very tiny things Thrill Ride is amazing and will keep you on the edge of your seat guessing what will happen next. I can not wait for Bill and Eve’s book and with all the buildup for it I just know it’s going to blow all the other books out of the water. I do recommend reading these books in order or you might get confused this late in the game. I love the Black Knights series and it is by far the best military romance series out right now.
Grade: B+
“One touch, one look, and she was ready to toss off her panties and ride him like an amusement park roller coaster.”
Vanessa Cordova knew from the first moment she heard his voice that Rock Babineaux was the man for her but unfortunately she has a rule about dating co-workers. The more time she spends working for the Black Knights Inc., a secret covert government agency hidden under the disguise of a motorcycle shop, and with Rock the more she falls for him. With one hot kiss in their past and Rock’s promise of no future Vanessa gives up hope until Rock finds himself wanted for murder by the government. Vanessa knows Rock is innocent and she will do everything in her power to save him even if she gets hurt in the process.
Richard “Rock’ Babineaux is an ex-Navy SEAL and one of the founding members of the Black Knights, Inc. but Rock has a secret job that none of his friends or coworkers know about. Rock has always been a master at interrogation and has been hired by the government to help break criminals and when Rock starts asking question he finds himself hunted by the same people he was helping. When Vanessa, the sexy latina he can’t have but wants with every ounce of his being, finds him and tries to help the sparks fly. Rock soon finds himself torn between protecting Vanessa and running again or hoping for a miracle which could be the most dangerous thing for them both.
I love this series so much and with each new book I love it even more. I was so excited for Vanessa and Rock’s story after the shared those steamy kisses on a steak out together. I love Rock and his cool cajun swagger and add in the fact that he wears alligator cowboy boots and I swoon every time he is mentioned. I have also been a really big fan of Vanessa ever since she picked a fight with a hooker while pretending to be a hooker. The girl is one sassy Latina and I love it!
Thrill Ride picks up about six months after Rev it Up ends with Rock on the run and Vanessa, the Black Knights and tons of government agencies after him. There is a lot of action in this book that kept me on the edge of my seat while reading. At one point I got so nervous I dropped my kindle which shows how great this story is. My only gripes with the entire book are that Vanessa cries. A LOT. There are certain times when I would expect her to cry but it got to be excessive and annoying after awhile. My second gripe is that once again so many POVs! I get that this is how the books are written but I felt that we spent half of the book with other people than Vanessa and Rock.
Besides those two very tiny things Thrill Ride is amazing and will keep you on the edge of your seat guessing what will happen next. I can not wait for Bill and Eve’s book and with all the buildup for it I just know it’s going to blow all the other books out of the water. I do recommend reading these books in order or you might get confused this late in the game. I love the Black Knights series and it is by far the best military romance series out right now.
This was another good book in the BKI series. Rock is accused of being a rogue operative and murder and th Black Knights come to the rescue. Vanessa finds Rock and promptly falls in love with him. This is both funny, sad and romantic. A great read
This 4th book in the Black Knight’s Inc. series tells the story of Rock, former Navy SEAL, expert interrogator, and all around badass, as well as Vanessa, the teams newest member and communication specialist. As Rock is suddenly black listed with a burn order issued, he is gone without a trace leaving the BKI team to hunt down clues about what really happened and what his other secret job was causing this kind of damage to his name. After 6 months of looking, they think they’ve finally found him and Vanessa is bound and determined to bring him back into the fold of BKI so that they could help him figure out what had happened.
The crazy adventures, dodging the CIA, faking Rock’s death, and the search for clues as to who the mysterious Rawanda Don is that has been pulling the strings behind the voice distortion device for years & using Rock to interrogate some of the most despicable men on the planet who find themselves dead within a year becomes the focus of the entire covert spec-ops group.
The crazy adventures, dodging the CIA, faking Rock’s death, and the search for clues as to who the mysterious Rawanda Don is that has been pulling the strings behind the voice distortion device for years & using Rock to interrogate some of the most despicable men on the planet who find themselves dead within a year becomes the focus of the entire covert spec-ops group.