Wow! Feisty Banter & Crazy Chemistry!

Wow! Wonderfully Written, Judge & Chloe’s Story Is Full Of Feisty Banter & All The Crazy Chemistry Of An Enemies-To-Lovers Romance. It Is A Story Of Opposites Attracting. Raw & Real, The Characters Are So Vibrant They Nearly Walk Of The Page. This Story Is About Family, Loyalty, & New Beginnings. This Couple’s Story Sucks You In From The Start.


THE RIVER RAIN SERIES:

The series includes (to date):
1. After the Climb – a River Rain prequel (Bowie Holloway & Genny Swan’s second chance romance )
2. Chasing Serenity – a River Rain novel (Judge Oakley & Chloe Pierce’s enemies to lovers romance)
3. Taking the Leap – a River Rain novel (John “Rix” Hendrix & Alexandra Sharp’s fake workplace romance)

After the Climb provides a sneak peek at the couple from Chasing Serenity. Judge and Chloe get into a big spat when she shows up at the Prescott River Rain store for some supplies. The outdoorsman has Ryan Reynolds good looks and has women throwing themselves at him. Duncan claims Chloe is not Judge’s usual type – not to say that Judge won’t fall head over heels for her – but later his sons say Chloe is exactly his type, so it is a bit confusing. The pair is a case of opposites attracting.

John and Alex of Taking the Leap are introduced in Chasing Serenity.

ABOUT RIVER RAIN:

River Rain is a successful chain of seventy-five outdoor stores in fifty cities – and growing. Founder and CEO Duncan Holloway is the face of the company. The stores have an amusement park vibe with an outdoor twist, making them hugely popular. Climbing walls, mini ski slopes, and dirt tracks allow customers to get a feel for their products.

Harvey Evans is COO. He is a large but very friendly and down-to-earth man. He and his wife Beth have three daughters (one named Mandy). Duncan has been instrumental in Harv’s successful career; the pair have been great friends for twenty years.

FROM AFTER THE CLIMB:

This story is broad and complex, with a large cast of colorful characters, some of which are sure to factor into future River Rain novels. As a reference and to help with some of the mental math, some of the names, connections, and timelines are laid out below. This book opens in Autumn in Arizona. The story spans over four decades, but the present tense mostly occurs in either Prescott or Phoenix from the fall through the holidays. While not the story of River Rain per se, it includes the story of River Rain’s founder, Duncan Holloway.

The story centers around three childhood friends from small-town Winston, Illinois. Duncan and Corey met when they were age six and they remained best friends throughout their youth. Dun was always handsome and things came easy for him. Corey, a nerd, was too thin and too pretty, so he often suffered from ridicule. Though Dun might have been athletic, he was a closet nerd, too. The pair had a lot in common, including their horrible fathers. But Dun at least had a mother that loved him, even if she didn’t know how to speak out against his father. Corey didn’t even have that. When the boys were ten, they met Genny. She might have been two years younger than them, but she fit right in. She was comfortable going along with them, whether playing games or going on one of Dun’s nature hikes. Things shifted when Dun was seventeen and finally acted on his feelings for Genny, but a year later he graduated and left her behind, broken-hearted. He moved on to Chicago where he worked as a mover. Corey went to college and was already on his way to building his empire before his college graduation. Genny went to college and double majored in education and drama. At twenty-four, Corey married Samantha, bringing Dun and Genny face to face again. Dun had hoped to avoid that day until he had made something of himself, but once he saw Gen there was no avoiding how they still felt about one another. But at twenty-six, Dun left Genny behind yet again, breaking her heart a second time. He disappeared to Utah. Afterward, Gen pursued her dreams, which took her to Hollywood. Twenty-eight years have passed.

When tech mogul Corey Szabo commits suicide, the world is taken by surprise. But it wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision to end his life. He meticulously planned everything. He left a box behind with instructions for his old friends Duncan and Genny to open it together, alone. Since Duncan hadn’t attended the funeral, it was incumbent upon Gen to go to him in order to honor Corey’s last wishes. It has been twenty-eight years since they had seen one another, and it was a lifetime ago. Neither knows what to expect of the contents, and what follows rips their worlds apart.

Duncan and Genny’s emotional journey begins with Corey’s box, which opens up a world of pain for them both. They struggle to understand, though the betrayal cuts too deep to excuse. Amidst the turmoil, though, some meddling matchmakers set about trying to create a happy ending. When the media catches wind about the famous actress and the iconic outdoorsman being spotted together, however, things begin to spin out of control. Duncan and Genny aren’t the same people they were twenty-eight years ago, and their families only add to the chaos that ensues. With concerns over managing the speculation, issues such as Team Tom and Team Duncan have to be dealt with, not to mention their kids. A few questions remain, though. What did Corey want from all this, and did he get his wish? But Corey’s efforts haven’t all come to light yet. Some of his story remains. The couple eventually earns a hard-fought and long-awaited happy ending.

IN CHASING SERENITY:

Chloe “Coco” Pierce, twenty-four, is a diva with a huge heart. She went to France at nineteen and fell for an artist, amongst other dramas. It took her grandmother’s funeral three years later to get her to return home; it was her parents’ crumbling marriage that kept her in Phoenix, though. Her caretaker tendencies had taken over, and she was determined to keep her family happy. Once home, she used her trust fund to open a boutique in Phoenix. Open one year now, it is already turning a profit. She is now her mother’s stylist. She tells her brother Matt everything, and she tells her little sister Sasha nearly as much. She worries about her mom and all the difficulties she faced this past year – Cory’s suicide and Chloe’s father’s infidelity. Although things seem to be changing for her as an old love reenters her life, Chloe doesn’t stop worrying about her mom. Despite the hand, he played in it all, she cannot help but to wish for her father’s happiness as well. She hopes that he might one day move on. Meanwhile, her work keeps her busy, and working with her best friend and store manager Wi-Young is a joy. But Chloe’s real passion is Triple F, or Fabulous Foot Forward. The organization she started helps women transition into the workforce. Triple F helps with wardrobes, makeup, and self-confidence.

Judge Oakley, twenty-nine, runs the Kids and Trails program, a nationwide outreach program sponsored by River Rain and run out of their Prescott office. They bring mostly inner-city and low-income kids on field trips to national parks. He is great with kids and loves his job. He has twice hiked Machu Pichu. Judge isn’t pretentious – he is quite comfortable in his own skin and has nothing to prove. Women adore him, and he has had three long-term girlfriends. He has a type. He cannot resist a woman who makes the extra effort to take good care of herself. Well-groomed and impeccably dressed is what fires him up, but unfortunately, it never seems to pan out in the long run. Kimberly, Jess, and most recently his relationship with Meg had fallen apart. She had wanted to turn him into something he wasn’t. She claimed he lacked ambition, but that wasn’t true. He just didn’t share the same vision as she did. And Judge wants kids – sooner rather than later. He wants to share his love of the outdoors with his family while he is still young and nimble. Meg, it seemed, had gone off course. She wanted to pursue her own career while expecting Judge to make sacrifices in his.

When Judge and Chloe cross paths at the River Rain store in Prescott in September, they quickly become enemies. But underneath the surface, they both sense something much more – a bond that is unshakeable. Chloe scores off the charts in Judge’s book, but starting something new isn’t on the table for him. He knows he ought to walk away. Chloe is absolutely infuriated by Judge’s poor manners, and she isn’t afraid to give him a piece of her mind even after he apologizes. The two bicker like there is no tomorrow, gathering a crowd of curious onlookers. What the folks at River Rain didn’t witness was their run-in at the coffee shop a few days later. The anger had already begun to make way for flirting and innuendo by that time, and Chloe soon found herself spilling some of her deepest secrets to the handsome man. He seems to really listen to her, but she has other concerns weighing on her mind. Four months pass before they see one another again at Duncan’s annual New Year’s Eve party for his employees, and when they finally come face to face again, their passions explode. The judge seems ready to stop resisting his attraction, but Chloe still stubbornly holds back. As her mother’s newfound happiness with Duncan increases, she sees her father struggling to keep up appearances. Chloe doesn’t have room for a one-night stand and all the awkwardness that would follow, and she has learned that men will eventually leave. She doesn’t need more drama in her life. The couple faces challenges along the way, but they eventually find a happy ending.

Wow! Judge and Chloe’s story is full of feisty banter and all the crazy chemistry of an enemies-to-lovers romance. Interestingly, this is also an insta-love story. Both Judge and Chloe want nothing to do with one another, but subconsciously they are into one another from the moment they first see one another from across the store. Judge purposely picks fights with Chloe who is an easy target, falling easily for his trap and giving the reaction that he wanted – her attention. It didn’t matter if she is angry or not, Judge just wants Chloe’s attention. Cory’s story continues to be told, shedding light on his complicated life. His relationship with Chloe is highlighted here. He adored her, and they were close. In some ways, they were alike, as if she could have been his own child. Cory left behind a twisted plan for redemption. This is also his story and his legacy.

Raw and real, the characters are so vibrant they nearly walk off the page. The story is about family, loyalty, and new beginnings. Judge and Chloe’s enemies-to-lovers romance sucks you in from the start. It is a story of opposites attracting. The story is well-written. It is plot-driven. It is complex in breadth and depth. There are many storylines, and some promising stories yet to be told. It will have you racing through the book to see how it all finally unfolds and have you waiting for your favorite characters’ stories to be released. The characters are carefully crafted and three-dimensional. It really feels like a real modern family abounding with vivid personalities. The story is written from several points of view, as there are so many angles to the story. It is written in first person in Chloe’s POV and in third person in Judge’s and Corey’s POVs. I rate this book five stars.

ABOUT COREY SZABO:

Shortly after they married, Corey divorced Sam and followed Genny to L.A., where he remained her good friend and Uncle Corey to her children. Sam had been pregnant at the time they divorced and gave birth to their son, Hale.

Corey Szabo, a self-made billionaire and the brains behind Corza Computers, could have any woman he wanted. He had been briefly married just once and dated throughout the years, but he never seemed to find that elusive happiness he so desperately sought. He had overcome so much with his success – he hadn’t let his horrible upbringing stop him from proving himself to the world. He wasted years searching for something he finally accepted he would never have, and had done a lot of damage along the way. He always second-guessed himself, and when reality finally hit, he decided to do something about it.

Hale Szabo, about twenty-seven now, spent time with both his parents growing up. When visiting his father in L.A., however, it was Tom and Genny who were his parent figures. They welcomed him into their family with open arms and supported his dreams; his father never really connected with him. Hale eventually followed his heart and became a camp counselor. His father never approved of what he chose to do with his life.

Hale reminded Corey too much of his old friend Duncan.

As for the Audio: it is well-performed and consistent with the book.

10 people found this helpful

WOW.. THIS BOOK WAS GREAT

What a very entertaining listen this was as the slow-burn, angsty flirty banter, family drama, chemistry, denied attraction and the push n pull clashes and tentative steps created a beautifully balanced love story. The sex was eventual and hot, the secondary characters were many and their stories wrapped in and around Judge and Chloe’s lives and the feels were fun, touching, tender, heartbreaking and plentiful as their rollercoaster deliciously meandered through the months to their happily ever after.

Worth a credit? Yes, I was ‘all in’ with this relationship and the meeting, matching, merging and mating.. and branching out to include the family sagas on both sides, were all done by a truly skilful author at the very top of her game. Both Jude and Chloe were strong, giving and loving people.. and Jude had a sexy alpha bossy side in the bedroom.. the kitchen.. the lounge.. the car.. well you get the drift😉. Great dual POV narration.. with occasional insightful chapters from Chloe’s loving and protective Uncle Corey too.

4 people found this helpful

Skip it!

Didn’t like any of the narrators. I will not listen to anymore KA books with Stella B. Story line was blah. Coloradan Mountains, Magdalene & the Burg series were great!!! I’m always waiting for a new KA book but have wasted my credits & money on some of the others.

3 people found this helpful

Liking this something old meets something new series

Great story but if you are not a Kristen Ashley follower you will need a visual character list with timelines from other stories. I have read them all and I got list several times. There are so many names its hard to keep up. I had to rewind several times. If you can past that and I certainly did, you will enjoy this book and the multi layered characters she is known for developing. I enjoyed Judge from the start. It took me a minute to like Chloe and I still dont feel like her unlayering was done very well but I still grew to like her. Gotta say i am more interested in some of the supporting characters like Reese, her dad, his dad and the brothers.

2 people found this helpful

Chloe and Judge!

I find myself not posting many reviews to my blog for Kristen Ashley books because there is honestly no way to not be biased. KA is my absolute favorite author, and I can go on a long spill about all of her awesomess but I’ll try to stay on topic here 😂

Chloe!!!! I was so excited for her book after meeting her in After the climb. We got to see her from an outsider’s point of view, and it was sad to see how little she was understood once I started this book. Judge was so good for her. He was also good for my ears with his sweetness coming through loud and clear. The scene we are given in After the climb about these two “meeting” for the first time was hilarious but witnessing it play out was even better. They start off with so much attraction and chemistry there was no way they could fight it.

KA is a very detailed writer; she paints the ENTIRE scene from the characters clothes to the curtains on the windows and I love that about her I also think it was needed in this book because of the flash backs and the multiple narrators. I’m late posting this review so many have finished the book and have the same sour face towards a few characters so I can’t wait to get to their story. Kristen Ashley is the Queen of redemption but after what I experienced in this book; I’m not feeling hopeful.

Until the next book I’ll keep an open mind!! As with all things KA we are given, love, pain, explosive sex, excellent dialogue, and beautiful connections. If you need a love story filled with many emotions give this book a try you need to meet Chloe and Judge.

1 person found this helpful

Too many characters

The book was ok. Not my favorite. There were so many characters that at times I was confused. A bit too long, also.?

1 person found this helpful

The female narrator’s voice is irritating

I love KA’s books including this series. I do not like the way Stella Bloom narrates the books. I find her voice irritating. I quit buying the Rock Chick audiobooks because of that. I will continue to buy this series but I don’t know if I will get the audios again.

1 person found this helpful

horid narrator

The male narrator is awful. Sounds like a computer generated voice. Couldnt get into the story because if him.

1 person found this helpful

Good listen

I like this book a lot. The only issue I, which I have with all of Ms. Ashley's books, is the lengthy descriptions of clothing and rooms. My impatience with her could be that her taste and mine in such things are very different. I believe she could say more with less
er words. That being said, I will be listening to this book again because I enjoyed the storyline and characters.

Nice story

Well written and engaging story. The family is interesting and I like the emotional connections