Review of Ride With Me by Ruthie Knox
There are a lot of reasons I don't love contemporary romance. Too much reality. Recycled plot ideas. Lack of excitement. The ones that resonate with me usually have a real sweetness to them. Very romantic moments. I don't care about the sex as much as the love connection, baby.
Unfortunately, when I first read the blurb for this book, I thought to myself.....I'm never gonna read it. It just wasn't appealing to me. But because a lot of folks were chatting about how much they enjoyed this novel, I decided to read it for maybe 15 minutes? If I didn't like it by then, I would bag it.
It didn't take fifteen minutes.
Right from the start, the characters were engaging, the storyline was solid. There was a nice, slow simmer to this love story that was both believable and romantic. I don't care about biking. But I did relish the idea of a cross-country journey. I loved how Tom taught Lexie to loosen up and be more spontaneous. And I also liked the fact that Lexie was likable from the very beginning. Even as an uptight, by-the-book biker, she was a good person....someone who thought about others but also looked out for herself. A very modern heroine. I think it's pretty difficult to make a strong and determined contemporary heroine non-bitchy and appealing. Knox does a great job with Lexie. And Tom is utterly delicious. A tortured soul (my fav!) who gets all hot and bothered by his new riding partner.
The parallels between the bicycle trek and the romantic journey in this story worked out well. The sex was an integral part of their relationship. It made sense. It wasn't just thrown in for kicks. And it helped to solidify the growing bonds between these two unlikely partners.
Ruthie Knox is a talented writer. The story was addictive. The characters were wonderful. I was feeling pretty nervous about the end. But in spite of gigantic obstacles, Tom figures out a freakin' fabulous HEA for them. (Go, Tom! Go, Tom!) Which was just perfect. He finally admits his love for Lexie. I turned the digital page, ready for the next chapter.
And there wasn't one.
At first I thought Amazon had flubbed up and cut off the end of the book.
And then I realized that I had finished the story.
NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If this book hadn't been so damned good, I guess I wouldn't have felt so cheated at the end. But it was damned good. Really damned good. And so the abrupt ending really sucked. I sat with a super-sad look on my face for a couple of minutes.
Prior to the non-ending, this book was heading for a solid 5-star review. But getting gypped at the end was a big downer. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend this book. Especially for folks who enjoy contemporary romance. There are some very sweet and touching moments in this story. And Knox has a gift for bringing her characters to life.
Grade: B/B+
I'm really looking forward to reading her next book. And hoping that she gives the HEA the attention and time it deserves. If you are going to write romance, you can't skimp on the HEA.
Wondering what my hubby would look like in bicycle shorts,
Penelope
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