Ross: Riding Hard

Jennifer Ashley

Aug 2018 · Riding Hard Book 5 · Jennifer Ashley

About this ebook

Ross Campbell always had a thing for Callie Jones when they were growing up, but she was one of the “Jones girls,” from the richest family in the county, far above him, untouchable. Now Ross, deputy for a corrupt county sheriff, finds Callie stranded in the pouring rain on the side of the road–on her wedding day.

Ross gallantly gives her a ride, but when the wedding is a disaster, Ross is the rock that keeps Callie standing. Her high-school crush has grown up to be a gorgeous, hard-bodied man, as considerate and charming as he is attractive.

Callie has always been warned to stay away from the Campbells, the wild cowboys nice girls like her shouldn't want to want. But can they keep things casual when something far deeper is pulling at them, encouraging both Ross and Callie to surrender...

Book 5 of Riding Hard.

Ratings and reviews

Three and a half stars. Not sure why it's taken me nearly a year to read this, started it, put it down and I've only just picked it up again. This fifth book in the Riding Hard series features Ross Campbell, the brother who has become a deputy sheriff. On patrol one day, Ross comes across a car with a flat tire at the side of the road, complete with bride who turns out to be Callie Jones. The Jones family are wealthy and influential, way above the boisterous Campbell boys, Ross always had a soft spot for Callie when they were at school but he was too nervous ever to ask her out. Ross takes Callie to the church for her wedding, only to discover that the groom didn't bother to wait! Can Callie and Ross overcome the prejudices of their small town and have a romance? Set against danger in a small town from gangs and an unscrupulous sheriff, this was a fun romance with just a dash of suspense. Once I got reading I really enjoyed the romance between these two unlikely characters and the young boy/man Manny who they try to pull onto the straight and narrow.

This was a wonderfully sweet story, and Ross and Callie were perfect together! A little bit of suspense, but a whole lot of them getting to know each other. And falling for each other. And finally realizing that the other is who you have always wanted, and why nothing else has worked out for you. Ross and Callie were an absolute joy to watch as they fell in love!

FINAL DECISION: Sweet and gentle, I loved this story. After a bunch of angst and drama filled installments, I loved that this is just two people getting to know one another. Yes, there is a dramatic closing set regarding the drug dealers in town, but the heart of of the story is two people discovering one another apart from their town reputations. THE STORY: Ross Campbell is the "rebel" in the family, turning away from the family stunt business to work in law enforcement. He rescues a damsel in distress when her car goes off the road during a rainstorm. She's on the way to her wedding and she happens to be Callie Jones, the girl Ross had a crush on in high school. When the wedding doesn't happen, Callie turns to Ross as a calm in her crazy day. OPINION: I loved this story. Ross is such a sweetheart. There is a bunch of external drama, but Ross and Callie are pretty stable people. These two are perfect for one another from the start and there isn't a lot keeping them apart except for them getting to know one another and understand what each wants from the relationship. The story felt like a sweet spring breeze -- refreshing and cleansing with a joy. I loved these characters and how normal most of their relationship is. Yes, there is some external drama, but the two of them are centered and have such normal problems. In fact, my only disappointment was that I would have liked to see how these two worked out some of their issues that were raised (Ross' career, Callie's horse rehab project) since those were important parts of the story. This was a character centered story where the relationship was far more developed than the plot and I prefer a book with these tendencies. Of all the Campbell brothers, Ross is my favorite. WORTH MENTIONING: Next up are the Malorys and we get a little preview in this book. CONNECTED BOOKS: ROSS is the fifth book in the Riding Hard series. The romance here is a standalone although the series deals with characters in a small town so there is a lot of overlap of characters. Readers also get an update on the prior couples in the series. STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars. NOTE: I received an ARC from the author. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

About the author

Jennifer Ashley is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 novels and novellas in romance, mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction.