Kristie J’s review of Drive Me Wild (Riggs Brothers, Book 1) by Julie Kriss
Contemporary Romance published by Five Doors Creative 19 Jan 18
I am most pleased to announce that Julie Kriss is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Not only that, she’s also an author whose books I want to read over and over. And this book, Drive Me Wild, only reinforces this love for her books. I finished it only the day before yesterday, but already I want to read it again, savouring it, but I have the next book in the series that I’ve just started reading. It was a tough call, rereading this one or moving on and then going back. I went with Option #2.
Luke Riggs and Emily Parker were teenage lovers. Her mother is a decorated cop and his father is a no-good scoundrel and the Riggs family is from the wrong side of the tracks and looked down on by the town as losers and troublemakers. But there was something about Luke that had Emily wanting him and she went after him. He obliged. Both knew because of their position it would be short lived. Emily was headed to college and Luke is on his way out of town to get away from the prejudice he lives with.
The book opens eight years later. Emily has bombed in her efforts to establish a career, and when her twin sister asks for help, she comes back to town. Luke is also newly back. His father is in jail, and of the four brothers, Luke is the only one in a position to take over at the family auto shop. He doesn’t want to, he hates his father, but obligation wins out. They run into each other again after all these years when Emily’s car breaks down almost in front of Luke and he offers to fix it for her. The attraction is just as wild and strong as it was when they were teenagers, and it’s not long before Emily goes sniffing after Luke again.
I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure if I’d like Emily or not. The first go around, she treated Luke like he was her dirty little secret, good enough to hook up with but heaven forbid anyone find out that she’s involved with him. And when they connect again, she has the same kind of attitude. And since the book is told in first person, from both Luke and Emily’s POV, we know that Luke is a real decent guy with feelings. A guy who doesn’t want to be judged because of his family but because of who he is. And I felt quite protective of Luke and didn’t want Emily using him.
While he was away all those years, he discovers his dear old dad has gotten involved in car-jacking and Luke is horrified and determined to end it. He calls his brothers and between them they make plans to put an end to their father’s exploits. And it’s during this time that Emily realizes she has treated Luke bad in the past and is starting off on the wrong foot this time around, and now she’s willing to risk the talk that they should have. And since she does, she’s totally redeemed in my eyes.
I love everything about this book. Luke is a simply amazing hero. He’s very honourable and treats Emily with a great deal of respect. While he doesn’t like the way she’s treated him, he totally gets why she does and doesn’t really expect anything else and I found that kind of sad – thus my protectiveness over a fictional character in a romance novel. And once Emily ‘saw the light,’ I really enjoyed her too. I put her earlier attitude down to immaturity. She’s a bit of a prickly kind of gal, but Luke really likes that about her.
And I love the relationship between the four brothers. They were raised by an abusive father and there was no closeness between any of them, but now as adults they are tentatively reaching out to each other. I can see this growing as the books go on.
I give this book a high five and a coveted A rating. As I said, I’ve started the next book and so far it’s just as good as this one.
And as a bonus, Julie Kriss writes some smokin’ hot love scenes. Yes, indeed, she does.
Grade: A
Summary:
A bad boy. A good girl. A second chance that could send them both up in flames.
Emily was a cop’s daughter, and I was the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. At eighteen, our affair was wild and completely secret. Until she left town for college and a better life, and I hit the road to nowhere.
Eight years later, we’re both back in town. My father is in prison; Emily is selflessly helping her sister. We should be farther apart than we’ve ever been. But I’ve never been able to resist temptation, especially when that temptation is Emily.
I shouldn’t go near her. But I do.
She shouldn’t say yes. But she does.
Our chemistry is hotter than ever, but she’s hiding something from me. Just like I’m hiding something from her. It’s hard to tell whose secrets are more dangerous, until it all goes to hell.
I can save her – and she can save me. But we’ll have to break the rules.
We’re from different worlds. We don’t belong together.
But in the end, Emily and I are going to have to get dirty.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
