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Review
4.5 stars!
KA is back, baby! With a throwback to old-school writing, Kristen Ashley revisits both the Rock Chick and the Dream Man series to bring us the first book in her new spin-off series, Dream Team, pairing an alpha commando and a nerdy stripper in a fun, intense, and gorgeously romantic story that sucked me in from start to finish!
This series follows on from the novella Quiet Man, where stripper Lottie vowed to pair off her fellow strippers from Smithie’s Bar (from the Rock Chick series) and pair them with Hawk’s Commandos (from Mystery Man). As a mad fangirl of classic KA, I was in heaven as two of my favourite series came together to bring us a story that was reminiscent of those early adventures.
Evie is a quiet genius, and a bit of a nerd. She has spent her life looking after her useless family at the expense of her own dreams, and wound up working for Smithie as a way to make money to help her family out of trouble. She still has dreams of a college education, but as her family’s drama becomes messier and messier, her goals seem further and further out of reach.
Daniel ‘Mag’ Magnusson is an ex-soldier now working as a commando for Hawk in his super-secret company of badasses. His past has left him emotionally scarred, but he’s willing to take a chance on Lottie’s match for him, Evie, and this book begins with them getting together for their first date.
From the very beginning, I was in love with this book. Mag has that mega-alphaness that KA writes so well, which blends perfectly with Evie’s shy awkwardness. It’s not the easiest start for them, but when Evie’s family land her in serious hot water, Mag throws down to protect her, and from that moment, it’s all on. There’s nothing I love more than a protective KA alpha, and Mag absolutely shines as the guy who steps in to be there for the woman he very quickly declares as ‘his’ – and not just with his enormous, muscly body, but also protecting her heart and supporting her to live the life she wants so badly. And in return, Evie is there for Mag, accepting him for who he is and helping him heal the pain of his past. *dreamy sigh*
It has that slightly over-the-top feel that is common to the Rock Chick books, but KA can make it work, and I thought it was loads of fun. Kidnappings, shootings, smoke bombs and exciting rescues are all a part of the action that unfold as Mag and Evie are thrown together and fall hard for each other in the midst of all the drama. It’s fun, sweet, super sexy and fantastically functional, and I was right on board for it all!
“Babe,” he leaned into a hand on the counter toward me, “it’s you.”
“What’s me?” I whispered.
“For me.”
Pretty much all of the Rock Chick crew make an appearance, which I loved, and we get glimpses of some of the Dream Man guys, and we also get the chance to meet the new characters who will have their stories told in this series. They are all fully aware of Lottie’s match-ups, and are at completely different places when it comes to accepting and acting on that, but they are great characters with some really interesting stories to play out, and I can’t wait to continue on!
“I don’t know whether to be terrified of the chick Lottie has lined up for me, or jump the gun and just walk into the dressing room and ask her to marry me.”
The audiobook is narrated by Susannah Jones, who does a wonderful job. She brings so much heart to the characters, and her ‘Mag-voice’ is seriously hot! I’ve listened to her narrate a few KA books now, and she reads them well, bringing just the right inflection to wordy sentences, alpha speeches, and the ever-present “Babe.” I always enjoy listening to her.
KA is a unique writer with a style that is all her own, and there will be those who can’t get on board with this one. Basically, if you have issues with the kind of alpha hero that tells his girl that she is “the shit”, this probably isn’t the book for you. But Mag completely stole my heart, and I loved this one, embracing the slightly ridiculous and enjoying it for the fun escapism that it is.
4.5 stars!
Dream Team
Dream Maker (#1) (Mag & Evie)
Review
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Dream Chaser (#2) (Boone & Ryn)
Review
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Dream Spinner (#3) (Axl & Hattie)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
Dream Keeper (#4) (Auggie & Pepper)
Review
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
Check out our Kristen Ashley Author Spotlight for more great reads!