From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Laura Kaye comes a new story in her Raven Riders series… Caine McKannon is all about rules. As the Raven Riders Sergeant-at-Arms, he prizes loyalty to his brothers and protection of his club. As a man, he takes pleasure wherever he can get it but allows no one close—because distance is the only way to ensure people can’t hurt you. And he’s had … And he’s had enough pain for a lifetime.
But then he rescues a beautiful woman from an attack.
Kids and school are kindergarten teacher Emma Kerry’s whole life, so she’s stunned to realize she has an enemy—and even more surprised to find a protector in the intimidating man who saved her. Tall, dark, and tattooed, Caine is unlike any man Emma’s ever known, and she’s as uncertain of him as she is attracted. As the danger escalates, Caine is in her house more and more – until one night of passion lands him in her bed.
But breaking the rules comes at a price, forcing Caine to fight dirty to earn a chance at love.
Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.
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Caine McKannon would never use ‘hero’ as a word to describe the type of man he is, not with his past, not with his self-perception, and not with how other people, besides his fellow MC brothers, react to his anti-social attitude and broody demeanor. Caine feels unworthy and insignificant because when it really mattered, he couldn’t save someone he should have and he wears those scars like armor…as a means to keep people at a distance to protect himself from being unwanted or deemed not enough to care.
But Caine can’t control how other people view him, so when he saves Emma Kerry from a scary situation and then gives her his time and his company, she goes out of her way to thank him…to express her gratitude because what he’s done for her is above and beyond the call of duty, especially for someone who feels alone since she lost the person who raised her, her grandmother, three years ago.
The instant attraction and strong connection Caine feels towards Emma scares the hell out of him, so much so, that he keeps his walls up and does everything in his power to stick to the rules he’s established for himself, but he didn’t count on Emma being so much more than the sweet and innocent Kindergarten teacher that she depicts herself to be, so when Emma takes a chance and shows Caine just how not innocent she can be, Caine has to decide if he’s willing to dirty up his life and go against his entire way of living in order to be with the woman who truly sees him for him and more than enjoys his company and their time together.
I wasn’t too sure what to make of Caine based on his interaction with his Rough Rider brothers in the previous books in the series. What was clear was that he enforced the rules of the club, kept everyone safe, and punished those who crossed the Rough Riders. But beyond that, I really couldn’t get a handle on his personality or why he was the kind of man who stayed at a distance, preferring to keep himself isolated than be a part of a big group.
With Ride Dirty, I was able to understand Caine more and his reasons for standing apart from everyone else. His unhealed wounds from his past make him feel abnormal…make him feel insignificant, which is not true at all, but no one has been able to get Caine to understand and accept that until Emma.
I loved how Emma treated Caine right from the start even though she was a bit scared of him due to the way he portrayed himself, but she quickly saw through the wall he had built and did her best to tear it down piece-by-piece as she accepted him for who he was and went out of her way to show him that she cared for him and desperately wanted him in her life.
Emma and Caine may be opposites when it comes to their personalities, but as the saying goes, opposites definitely do attract, and Laura Kaye makes it known at the beginning of their story that there is something different about how Caine feels about Emma, and while that scares him, he would be crazy not to see what’s there between them and even though he has to be talked into a bit, he finds himself desperate for Emma and the light she provides his darkened life.
I do have to say that I didn’t really understand the antagonist and his role in Caine and Emma’s story; don’t get me wrong, I know that each book in the Rough Riders series comes with danger and even angst, but this time around, I didn’t find it necessary, and it didn’t make sense to me because it didn’t feel flushed out even once it was seemingly resolved.
But regardless of my disinterest of the added conflict, I liked Caine and Emma’s story and I felt like Laura Kaye allowed readers to get to know one of the members of the MC that we wouldn’t ordinarily have, which made his and Emma’s book unique and enjoyable.
4 Poison Apples
Caine McKannon may seem rough around the edges but he still goes out of his way to help people. Emma Kerry has someone to watch over her. You may think that these two characters just don’t have anything in common. But you don’t know this author very well if you don’t think she can make it work.
This novella is a great addition to the Raven Riders as well as to the 1001 Dark Knights. It’s alright if you haven’t read the previous books from Raven Riders but there are characters that make appearances that may have you wanting to explore what you may have missed. There’s a bakery involved here so you may find yourself getting hungry or wanting to bake something. It had me wishing that I had a bakery closer to where I live so that I could find a place to sit in a corner to people watch and imagine some of them as part of this story.
Our author is good at building her story. The tension and the question of what is going on builds from the beginning to just before the ending. It’s set around the holidays but could be read at any time because it’s not really heavy on the holiday theme. My only disappoint was that I wanted the story to continue. I knew it would have to end but I was enjoying the story so much that when the ending came out came my frown. She includes the idea of charity giving as part of your holiday tradition. It was interesting to see, when I read her note, that it touched the author as well – a little food for thought.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
I received a copy of this book from the author.
If you’ve not read the Raven’s Riders series you can still read this book. The focus of Ride Dirty is on the Sgt. at Arms, Cain and a Kindergarten teacher, Emma.
They meet under not so pleasant circumstances when Cain comes to Emma’s rescue. This starts a spiral of events tha will bring these two together quite often. It seems as though Emma is a sweet and innocent while Cain is very rough around the edges. Opposites attract for sure.
I enjoyed reading this story. It was quick to read. I did say you can read this w/o reading any of the others in this series, which I haven’t. I think, though, that I would like to see Cain in his element with the MC as this particular book doesn’t go into detail on how he is for club business.
Caine and Emma.
This book is just so much more. More intense. More desolate. More passionate. More hopeful. More dangerous. More lost. More love. More than I anticipated. Just MORE.
Caine is this rugged, intense, withdrawn man. Who knew the body and mind of this man was stuck in the memories of a child and his own perceptions of failure and guilt? Heartbreaking.
And Emma. Vivacious and sexy and patient and kind. She’s got him all twisted up and making decisions that utterly confound him. But somewhere in his “protective” duty capacity, she took him to his knees and tore down the walls erected so many years ago.
Vulnerable and lost and angry. He lashed out at the one person who truly sees him, owns him. Another failed promise.
But danger is hanging in the background, interrupting their little bubble and could destroy everything he holds dear.
I absolutely loved Ride Dirty! I’ve already re-read the book before posting my review.
Oh my gosh. Laura has done it again. If you have read the entire Raven Riders series then you know how amazing it is. In this book we meet Caine, who keeps to himself outside of his club. That is until he saves Emma and questions everything about himself. Will Emma and Caine be able forge a relationship or will Emma’s stalker destroy everything? Everyone must read this book it is amazing!!!
4.5 stars–RIDE DIRTY by Laura Kaye is instalment 3.5 in the author’s contemporary adult RAVEN RIDERS erotic, MC, romance series, and the latest entry in the multi-authored 1001 Dark Nights. This is Raven Riders’ Sergeant-At-Arms Caine McKannon, and kindergarten teacher Emma Kerry’s story line. RIDE DIRTY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Caine and Emma) RIDE DIRTY follows the building relationship between kindergarten teacher Emma Kerry, and Raven Riders MC Sergeant-At-Arms Caine McKannon. While out on patrol for the Raven Riders MC Caine McKannon came face to face with his future when the woman with whom he would fall in love fell victim to a mugging. Unable to take down the thief Caine’s guilt found our hero settling into protector mode each evening in the hopes of catching the person responsible. A break in at the school, and a series of threatening cards finds our heroine accepting all that Caine has to offer including the man himself. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Caine and Emma, and the potential fall-out when Emma is targeted by a sick and twisted mind.
The relationship between Emma and Caine is one of immediate attraction. Caine believes he is not good enough for a woman like Emma but Emma continues to pull Caine into the light-a light he struggles to accept into his life. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. There is some light spanking and anal play.
We are re-introduced to Raven Rider’s Club president Dare and his fiancee Haven, and Race Captain Jagger Locke, and Phoenix Creed; bakery owner Dutch; Emma’s friends and fellow teachers Alison Bard and Catalin Mendoza, as well as office manager Connie, Principal Mackey, school custodian Mr. Wilkerson, and Sheriff Martin.
RIDE DIRTY is a quick read; a sexy, sassy and heart breaking story about one man struggling to move on from his past, and the woman who is willing to accept all that he is. The premise is emotional and impassioned; the romance is seductive and hot; the characters are charismatic, tender, broken and real.