Oh how I loved this book. I had such high hopes for it when I read the blurb last year, and those hopes only climbed higher as time wore on and my anticipation for this book grew. And let me tell you, Kristen Ashley did not disappoint me. I’ll start by saying that her Chaos series is one of my all-time top favorite MC romance series, and I reread it often. She definitely brought that vibe into this series, but it is most definitely not a knock-off. It’s new and exciting, and it’s packed full of feels, some difficult, some easy, some heart-racing and some heart-breaking. High on the heat with a bossy, alpha biker hero, Ashley commanded her readers onto the back of West “Buck” Hardy’s bike and took them on unforgettable ride.

Clara Delany hasn’t had the easiest of lives, and the day she walked into Buck’s life wasn’t exactly one of her good days. I liked Clara’s dust-herself-off and keep-on-keeping-on personality, but she has been let down so consistently by the people in her life, that she just doesn’t have any expectations of anyone any more. What really broke my heart about her was her willingness to accept what she thought was good-enough just because it was better than anything she’d had. Without spoiling anything for anyone, I’m going to say that some readers may struggle with parts of Buck’s personality and a serious misunderstanding on Clara’s part, in particular, that colors most of the relationship buildup. I’m telling other readers to push through that, to keep reading, to reserve your judgment until that plot thread plays out fully.

Buck, a single father and president of his MC, clapped eyes on Clara and just knew she was meant for him, so he set about making that so. I really loved Buck—he was the quintessential KA biker. He was wise, he had lessons to impart on Clara, and he was sexy. The chemistry between Clara and Buck was explosive, much like this man’s personality. I loved watching Clara grow as a character and come into her own within this big family of bikers. For someone who had never had this kind of camaraderie in her life before, she may have struggled a little to find her footing and her place, but she definitely got there.

I really loved Still Standing. It’s no secret that I’m a huge KA fan, and there was never a question as to whether or not I’d read this book. I was counting down the days for it! I had such high hopes for this story going in to it, and having now finished it, I’m even more excited about this series! KA ushers in this new club of bikers with a nostalgic feel to her storytelling, and the results were a story I practically inhaled. Full wit, wisdom and wild adventure, KA’s first in an all-new MC series brings everything that longtime readers love about her storytelling to its pages and then some. It was sexy and suspenseful and so darn addictive—I couldn’t put it down, I didn’t want it to end, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. Five smooches from me for Still Standing by Kristen Ashley!

~Danielle Palumbo