TBR Challenge: ‘NICE GIRLS DON'T RIDE’, by Roni Loren

The topic of this month is We Love Short Shorts! (shorter reads)

Published: 2015

Genre: NA

My Rating: 4 stars

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more

Yes, I am doing this TBR Challenge in 2019, again. January is usually dedicated to short stories. Therefore, I looked for the shortest thing in the latest additions to my kindle. So, there it was, Nice Girls Don’t Ride, less than 100 pages written by Roni Loren.

There was something than happened to me in 2018. I discovered wonderful contemporary authors than were new-to-me. First, Cara McKenna, then Talia Hibbert, followed by J.T. Gessinger, and last but not least, Roni Loren.

I know they have been there for years, but I had never read anything by them. I loved books from these four writers, and in my OC way of reading, I glommed as much of their backlist I could. Hence –‘Nice Girls Don’t Ride’ was in my kindle.

I did not even know that it won the RITA® Award for Best Romance Novella.

Natalie Bourne is going to have dinner with her boyfriend in a fancy restaurant. She has dressed to kill and with sexy underwear. However, there are a couple of problems. First, her car breaks down and then, her boyfriend does not answer the phone.

Enters Monroe Hawkins. Sexy stranger that gives her a ride towards an auto repair shop. Of course, he is tall, all muscle and tattoos and, in addition, his real secret power is how to cook.

In a magical night, she discovers many things about her life and about herself. Theirs is one of those lust-at-first-sight stories with two people that look very different on the outside but that connect immediately. Sex, when it comes, is quite steamy.

This story is told in alternate first person narrative, mainly from Natalie’s point of view, but Monroe tells some chapters and I really like how the author did his voice. This kind of narrative is a little bit tricky. I do not usually like it. Nevertheless, when the characters are interesting, I can enjoy them. And this was the case, as both Natalie and Monroe were sexy and funny.

It’s kind of difficult to create a character as Monroe, because he has to be sexy, show his interest in Natalie’s body and mind without being an asshole, cocky but not aggressive, sure of himself and not a douchebag. Moreover, you have to accomplish that in less than 100 pages. A beta hero with muscles and tattoos. Roni Loren does this with flying colours.

And it was told in such a way that I just could not put down my kindle until it was over. You could say that everything was a little rushed, because in the same night Natalie leaves her boyfriend and is attached to someone else. This time? I really did not care.

It could be a nice three-star novella. I have added an extra star in its grading for two reasons. First, that ‘unputdonwable’ quality and, secondly, because of the setting. I could not say that Austin, Texas, is an exotic place, and I guess it is not as full of History and art like for instance Rome or Tokyo or Cairo BUT the thing about setting is not that you chose an exceptionally interesting place and show it to the world.

No. The thing about setting is that you create a vivid and real image of a place in a book, so you really feel that you are walking in those streets –here, it is more like riding on a bike, but you understand what I mean, don’t you? You eat the food of that place, you hear and smell and live some hours there.

Roni Loren does that with Austin. I have never been to this place. Therefore, I do not know if it is accurate or not. Anyway, you have this feeling that Austin could be that way.

Furthermore, I think the author does the trick because she knows what she is talking about. There is a benefit when you set your story in a place familiar to you. Without effort, reality enters into your work.

To sum it up –I really liked this Loren’s novella and I will keep on reading more of her books in this 2019.