Review: Dirty for Me by Jackie Ashenden

Title: Dirty for Me (Motor City Royals #1)
Author: Jackie Ashenden
Date of publication: 26 July 2016
Genre / Themes: Contemporary romance 

Author's links: Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads
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My rating: 4 Stars

Blurb

Ezekiel "Zee" Chase has a complicated past. Born into a family whose wealth grew from the seedy world of big-time crime, he ran away as a teenager and made a home for himself on the streets of Detroit. By day, the mechanic works at a local garage. But by night, he throws down with the best of them in Detroit's gritty underground fighting scene. With all those muscles, he's never had trouble with women--until he meets one who challenges him to the greatest fight of his life. . .

Tamara Eliot is a hardworking corporate high-flyer who appreciates the finer things in life, from her expensive perfume to her designer handbags. More than anything, though, she likes to be in control--and when Zee explodes into her life, she feels anything but. He's the definition of a bad boy: brash, fiery, and of course, irresistibly hot. And there's a darkness about him that keeps her coming back for more. As Zee takes Tamara deeper into a world she never knew existed, she just might prove to be the one opponent he won't be able to dominate--at least not without some pleasurable convincing . . .

Review 

The first book by Ms Ashenden which I tried, Take Me Deeper, did not work for me but I wanted to give this one a chance as well because I was curious what the author could do with the familiar (and not particularly favourite trope of mine) bad boy meets good girl and wins her over.

I really enjoyed this story. It's nothing ground-breaking or new but rather a familiar trope done well. It's a sexy, emotionally charged romance between Zee, the rough and tough street fighter from the wrong side of the tracks and the little miss perfect, daddy's good girl Tamara.

They start with unrestrained lust and acting out their fantasies and gradually move to opening up to emotionally and sharing secrets and dreams. They both change throughout the story and neither is what they initially appeared to be.

I really liked Zee, I won't say much more about him in order to avoid spoilers and keep the suspense but he turns out to be a pretty descent guy - loyal to his friends, involved in his community, trying to run away from a past that can only lead to a future of crime. He is wonderful with Tamara, helping her figure out herself without pressuring her.

I admit I didn't like Tamara as much as Zee but still, she did make the right choice in the end. It took her longer than I would have liked, some of her actions came off as childish and immature and she made some mistakes along the road, but I feel they are understandable, part of her journey to be a better person, to make up her own mind and follow her heart rather than just blindly do what is expected of her.

The supporting cast of Zee's friends are well-developed characters who fit the story perfectly. There is also a strong element of suspense that kept the plot going forward and a secondary conflict between Zee and his father which I also found rather fitting overall.

It's a fast paced, action-packed romance that draws the reader in and keeps them captivated till the very last page. Interesting characters, strong chemistry and sexual tension, unexpected plot twists make one irresistible package.

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