coffee addict books: Blog Tour {ARC Review + Excerpt + Giveaway}: Sebring by Kristen Ashley

Title: Sebring
Author: Kristen Ashley
Series: Unfinsihed Hero #5
Genre: contemporary romance, erotica

Nick Sebring has issues. Born feeling like an outsider in his own family, growing up under the shadow of a brother who could do anything, Nick isn’t that great of a guy. But when this culminates with Nick lashing out to hurt his brother through the woman he loves, Nick turns inward and makes some decisions about the man he intends to be.

And as he does this, he falls in love and truly learns the man that he’s grown to be.

When his love is murdered right before Nick’s eyes, Nick knows he has to avenge her. He knows how he’s going to avenge her. And he has no qualms using Olivia Shade to exact that vengeance.

Olivia Shade has grown up on the outside of her family too. Her problem is that they don’t want her outside. They want her all the way in, right under their thumbs. She pays the price for seeking escape and learns her lesson—she’ll never see a dawn where she wakes up free.

Then she meets Nick Sebring, and even as she fights it, the hope that died years ago starts to blossom. She can find love. She can have a man of her own. She can be happy. She can be free.

Olivia hopes while Nick schemes.

However, as Nick peels back the layers of all that is Olivia Shade, he finds something surprising. He understands its fragility. He falls in love with its beauty. He seeks to protect it.

But he forgets to protect his Livvie from one thing: Nick Sebring.

Amazon US | Amazon UK

FLO'S REVIEW

Sebring by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 **believe** STARS

“Just so you don’t forget. You mean more to me today than you did yesterday. And yesterday, you meant a fuckuva lot to me.”

Is it just me, or did it feel like forever for this book to come out? Well, it's finally here and just between the two of us...it didn't disappoint. I'm surely not alone in my curiosity about Nick Sebring, Knights nefarious and slightly unhinged brother. With Knight actually being my very first Kristen Ashley book I ever read, I can honestly say I have nostalgic feelings about the ending of the series and getting to read Nick's story.

From the first moment we met him, Nick was an up to no good spoiled asshole, who tried to fuck with his brother's life every which way he could. Well, things have changed. He is all grown up, had a change of heart, saw the flaws in his behaviour and went through some tough things that shaped him into a quite fascinating and admirable character. Always a good way to start a story.

”He made me laugh. He made me feel. He made me believe there was something to me.”

Over the course of the Unfinished Hero series and the span of quite a few years Nick Sebring has become a different man. Five years ago his love and truly the person who helped him become a better person was murdered right in front of his eyes. Ever since he has had revenge on his mind. And his way in is none other than the daughter of the man responsible for his misery.

“Beauty bound.
She was not a ghost who could be seen.
She was a hostage in a lavage cage.”

Olivia Shade is the daughter of Vincent Shade, a crime boss in Denver. She works in the family business and runs people for him. Her whole life is very controlled by her family. There really is no escape for her, a reality she had to face early on and to this day dreads on a daily basis. She is stuck and only when she meets Nick Sebring she starts to believe in a future outside her cage.

Their first meeting sets the tone for the whole book. Explosive, sexually charged and unapologetic. An interesting pair and relationship, built on secrets, revenge and fear? What could possibly go wrong?

“Life is short and it mostly sucks so who cares what the nutritionist thinks?”

For me reading a Kristen Ashley book is the perfect escape from reality. I know her style, her writing is consistently detailed and rich. Her stories have some kind of formula to them that just works for me. Alpha male hero who saves the day and the perfect female character who likes to bake and creates a home. There is almost always some mystery or danger, which in the grand scheme of things doesn't really hurt the hero or the heroine, but creates enough tension to keep the story flowing.

Now, Sebring has some of those elements, but others fly right out of the window. Of course Nick is an alpha male with a certain danger surrounding him. Determined and in charge. But Olivia is no cute damsel in distress. She has a criminal background and there really is not much thought about the moral right or wrongness of her actions. It's her family business and despite being trapped in the world she doesn't much question their way of making money. Olivia is no doormat, she is equally as domineering as her male counterpart and the battle of wills alone makes this a fascinating and fun read. Really Nick has his work cut out to break down her walls. But good news, she does make high-calorie desserts. ;)

Now as for the conflict in this story. Other than my usual KA reads I had this constant fear of impending doom in my gut. Given both Nick and Olivia's background there is just no other way. The other shoe will drop eventually. Just a question of when and how much is it going to hurt. Which in return makes this the most gritty KA read for me so far.

Sebring is a nice addition to the Unfinished Hero series and an excellent way to finish it. It was wonderful to catch up with all the previous heroes and just getting lost in this world again was the best way to start of my reading year.

**ARC very kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

EXCERPT

In the hotel room, Nick heard the knock at the door.

He moved to it, looked out the peephole and felt the corners of his mouth hitch up when he saw her.

Fuck, those big green eyes, perfectly arched dark brows, the olive tint to her skin, the expert way she shaded under her cheekbones…

She was a coldhearted criminal but she was one that was very easy to look at.

And even easier to fuck.

He opened the door.

He was going to say something but he didn’t get the chance when her hand darted out and she caught him under his jaw, using it to push him in and around until his back hit wall.

She stared up at him, her hand wrapped around his jaw, her expression holding an emptiness that was so extreme it was almost like a void he could fall into and get lost forever.

He heard the door swish closed and latch.

Then she was up on her toes, her head moving toward his, those green eyes dropping to his mouth.

She didn’t get her lips to his before his tongue was out, as was hers, both of them colliding and tangling before her mouth slammed to his just as her body pushed in, pressing hard, forcing him tighter to the wall.

He shoved out. Gripping her wrist at his jaw, he yanked it down, twisting and slamming her against the wall, slanting his head to deepen an already deep kiss. Their tongues again clashing before he actually took her mouth.

But he took her mouth.

And like she’d done to his, he consumed it.

His fingers still around her wrist, he yanked it around his back, using his body to shove her tight to the wall, pressing his hardening cock against her stomach.

She arched, and moving quickly, whipped him around so his back was to the wall and she took over the kiss. Tearing her wrist from his hold, she curled her fingers around his throat just as she cupped his hardening crotch with her other hand.

Fucking hell, this woman was hot.

But he was done playing.

And he was done kissing.

Her mouth, that was.

He pushed her away. She struggled to regain control.

She lost this struggle when he caught her hand and dragged her down the short hall into the room.

She lost her footing when he gave her hand a strong tug and she fell into him with a soft gasp.

He let her hand go, caught her hips and threw her four feet onto the bed.

That got him another soft gasp which took his cock from hardening to rock-solid and throbbing.

He bent over her, holding her now intense green gaze, spanning her hips with his hands. Shoving backwards, he found the hook of her skirt, released it and pulled down the zipper.

He moved his fingers to curl them into the sides of her skirt’s waistband. With a vicious tug that took her hips and panties with it, he yanked off the skirt.

Chest to the bed, eyes to her cunt, the black curls neatly groomed with a precision that meant her wax technician was a master with possible OCD issues, they were also glistening with wet.

Having the tussle at the door, seeing the utter perfection of her pussy, smelling her, watching her legs part in invitation, her knees shifting up, Nick couldn’t have gone gentle if he’d wanted to.

Luckily he didn’t want to.

He bent his neck and devoured her.

Fuck, she tasted just as perfect as she looked.

As he fed, he felt her excitement ramp. Tasted it. Ate it. Gave her more. Consumed the result. Drove her to the edge.

And when he had her there, he stopped and moved over her.

Not surprisingly, she used both the pump she already had planted into the bed and the calf she had wrapped around him to flip him and then she was straddling him, pushing up, her hands already to his fly.

Normally, he would not allow this.

Her face flushed with need, her manner urgent, even desperate, all that surged through his blood, his gut, straight to his cock.

So he allowed this.

She tugged his pants down, grabbed his dick, guided it to her and took him home.

At the beauty of her sheathing him, he gritted his teeth against the urge to let go and release way too fucking early. Bucking his hips, he watched how much she liked taking him, her head thrown back, her shining, straight mass of silken black hair swaying.

Then she dropped forward into a hand in the bed by his side, locked eyes with him and rode him violently as he watched until she gave it to herself and she kept doing it until she forced it from him.

Fucking spectacular.

He came down buried inside her, his eyes opening to see her still resting in her hand in the bed, her body moving gently with her still-labored-but-evening breathing, her dark hair framing her oval face, her straight bangs brushing her lashes, her green eyes locked to his trying to brand him, make him hers.

No way in fuck that was happening.

But he’d take more of this.

A lot more.

That said, the woman was going to learn how to give up control.

Not surprisingly, without a word, she swung off his cock, moving immediately toward the side of the mattress.

Nick focused on pulling up his trousers, doing the fly and angling off the bed. By the time he was up and had turned his attention back to her, she was on her feet, facing him, arms twisted behind her to do up the skirt she’d put on.

He held her gaze.

“We got all night, Olivia,” he informed her.

Not even a hint of a response to him calling her the name she hadn’t given him.

Then again, he knew she knew him; she’d make it her business.

She also knew he’d do the same with her, even before he sat next to her the night before.

Her expression might not have changed but his words spurred her to action, this being walking his way.

She stopped. Her eyes still on his, she lifted a hand and touched his chest lightly with just the pad of her middle finger.

It lasted half a second.

Then she dropped her hand, turned and walked away.

He heard the door close behind her and he couldn’t stop his smile.

Fuck yes, a seriously cool customer.

And the hottest fuck he’d had in his life.