Showing posts with label Rake Forge University. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rake Forge University. Show all posts

Friday, January 28, 2022

The Joker by Ashley Munoz {a review}

 

The Joker by Ashley Munoz is now available! This is the third, and final, book in the Rake Forge University series and it will demand your attention. You do not want to miss out on this frenemies to lovers mafia romance.

Ooh, what a story!

If you've read the previous two books in the series, then you know that Kyle has been working with his Uncle Scotty for a while now. You also know that it felt a bit suspicious, and you just had this feeling that he was up to no good. Well, The Joker fills us in on what exactly Kyle has done, and what the plan for the future is.

As the story starts, Kyle and Rylie are finishing up their senior year of high school. They are having fun, doing all the usual things, and have created a plan for the summer. Yet in the back of Rylie's mind, she knows that Kyle is hiding something, and it isn't sitting right with her. Still though she continues on, and they move forward with their original plan. One thing to note is that Rylie has been in love with Kyle for as long as she can remember. Deep down she knows he is her person, but she assumes he doesn't feel the same. Flash forward to shortly before college starts. Kyle appears at Rylie's house one night, and they spend a steamy night together. When Rylie's parents arrive home the next morning, Kyle leaves. But he doesn't just leave her house, he leaves the country! We see Rylie continue on with her college plans. We see her grieve the relationship. We see her grieve a loss. We see her working at an establishment that is known for having the local mafia families in attendance. Then we also see her visiting her dad. So basically she's moving on with her life to the best of her ability. Then one day, Kyle's back. Except she doesn't fully realize it's him at first. Yet she feels the connection, the draw. As for Kyle, he immediately knows that it's Rylie. He'd know her anywhere. From here on out, things pick up speed, and it is a wild ride.

I honestly wasn't sure how invested I was going to be in Rylie and Kyle's story. We had only seen small glimpses of them in the previous two stories, so I didn't "know" them. Yet here I am having recently finished the story, and I absolutely loved their story!

From their pact for the summer before college, to the heartache, to the reunion, to all the drama, it was just fantastic.

The storyline with Rylie's dad? OH MY WORD. Dang. I mean I kind of saw that coming, but at the same time I didn't see it at that level. So that was something.

If you've read the previous two books in the Rake Forge University series, then you need to read Kyle and Rylie's story to see how everything plays out.

I gave The Joker 4.5 stars on Goodreads. Seriously so dang good, and the amount of action was amazing. Ashley Munoz did a fabulous job with this book, and really the entire series. Kudos.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on The Joker. Please go read this book! Then come talk to me about it.

Laura

Cover Design: Amanda Simpson @ Pixel Mischief Designs

Kyle James cashed in my V card and then disappeared like I was the finishing act in a magic show.

I vowed to hate my best friend, turn the longing and secret obsession with him into toxic hate and maybe a poorly chosen tattoo.

But as the years passed, I let go of any notions I'd ever see him again...until he sauntered on campus my senior year as a new transfer student.

All of Rake Forge was obsessed with his inked skin and that darkness that seemed to seep out of every methodical step he took.

I wasn't. I knew the boy underneath, and while I wanted to know where he'd been...I would never ask.

Until my dad needed a favor. His team required a way in with my ex-best friend and his contacts.

I knew Kyle would see through it...but I went anyway.

Suddenly, my world, made of black and white was bleeding color...and he was at the center, daring me to trust him.

My heart, blind and foolish chose to not only trust but to love him too.

I really should have known better.

I was merely a way in for my father, and for the man, I loved...I was just a way out.



Add to your Goodreads TBR!



New to Rake Forge University? Start from the beginning:






Meet Ashley Munoz

Ashley was born in Nebraska, but raised in Oregon where she lives with her four children and husband. If she's not helping her husband with DIY projects around the house, she's writing or sneaking off to a corner to read.

Connect with Ashley






Hosted by:


Thank you to Ashley Munoz, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advanced copy of The Joker.

Friday, December 17, 2021

The Joker by Ashley Munoz {cover reveal}

🖤🖤 𝗛𝗢𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗔𝗟 🖤🖤

The Joker is the third, and final, book in the Rake Forge trilogy from Ashley Munoz!

You will not want to miss this friends to lovers to enemies romance.

Save the date for January 28!



Kyle James cashed in my V card and then disappeared like I was the finishing act in a magic show.

I vowed to hate my best friend, turn the longing and secret obsession with him into toxic hate and maybe a poorly chosen tattoo.

But as the years passed, I let go of any notions I'd ever see him again...until he sauntered on campus my senior year as a new transfer student.

All of Rake Forge was obsessed with his inked skin and that darkness that seemed to seep out of every methodical step he took.

I wasn't.

I knew the boy underneath, and while I wanted to know where he'd been...I would never ask.

Until my dad needed a favor.

His team required a way in with my ex-best friend and his contacts.

I knew Kyle would see through it...but I went anyway.

Suddenly, my world, made of black and white was bleeding color...and he was at the center, daring me to trust him.

My heart, blind and foolish chose to not only trust but to love him too.

I really should have known better.

I was merely a way in for my father, and for the man, I loved...I was just a way out.



Add to your Goodreads TBR!



Meet Ashley Munoz
Ashley was born in Nebraska, but raised in Oregon where she lives with her four children and husband. If she's not helping her husband with DIY projects around the house, she's writing or sneaking off to a corner to read.

Author Links

Friday, November 5, 2021

King of Hearts by Ashley Munoz {a review}


King of Hearts, book 2 in the Rake Forge University series by Ashley Munoz is LIVE! Do not miss this arranged marriage romance! Just a heads up, it is recommended that you read Wild Card before reading King of Hearts. So please keep that in mind.

We originally met Taylor and Juan in Wild Card. Taylor is Mallory's sister, and Juan just happens to be Mallory's best friend. They all attended college together at Rake Forge University. Since Mallory, Decker, and Juan all graduated, things have changed. Taylor has changed, and her life is about to change in a major way on her 21st birthday. She needs to find a way to stop what is supposed to happen, while also protecting her baby. Because yes, she's pregnant. And alone. Then there is Juan. He graduated from Rake Forge, signed a contract with a local team, and when his connections were figured out, that contract was gone. So what now? Can he pursue his dreams, or is he destined to be pulled into the family business? What's going on with Taylor? Can he save her?

I went into King of Hearts thinking, oh this will be a cute little college, opposites attract, best friends sibling, sports romance. HAHAHAHAHAHA. NO. NO that is not what this is. What this book is though, is amazing. Yes, it is opposites attract. Yes it is falling for your best friend's sibling. It is also an arranged marriage (not between Taylor and Juan). It is also a mafia romance. And our main characters? Their family businesses are not what you'd expect. Turns out they both have a little darkness in their past. One thing I want to say before I gush about the book. I did not like the Juan the asshole aspect of the storyline. Yes, it helped fill the hate to love trope, but that just didn't seem to fit the Juan we had met in Wild Card. Honestly though, that was the only thing I didn't like. I loved how protective Juan was. I loved how he jumped back into the thing he didn't want in order to change what was planned. I loved how strong Taylor was. How determined she was. She too was protective. Then with how these two finally came together? Fabulous. Oh, and that big showdown? WHAT?!? FANTASTIC.  There is so much more that I want to say, but I don't want to ruin anything either.

I obviously loved the characters.

I also enjoyed the setting. Then there was that storyline that took me completely by surprise. I'm head over heels for that. I am now eagerly anticipating The Joker, because I need more of these characters. It will be interesting to see Mal, Decker, Taylor, and Juan as the side characters in that book, and to find out how they are involved in it all.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on King of Hearts. You need to read this book. You just need to. I can't say any more than that. Read King of Hearts, and then find me so we can talk.

Laura


Failing out of college wasn’t on my dream board.

Neither was getting knocked up.

Just the same, here I am, ready to start another year at Rake Forge University, pregnant and currently homeless.

And it looks like I’m not the only one who’s returned.

Juan Hernandez, my sister’s best friend, saunters through campus with that granite jaw and those raven strands of hair kissing his brow, his whiskey eyes searing everyone to ash.

I’ve avoided him for months, but the second he sees me, the jig is up.

The first thing he does is steal my lips in a ravishing kiss.

A punishment.

The second thing he does is rescue me from sleeping in my car.

A lesson.

Living with him will never work, not with how brash his words are, how hot his constant stare, or how he touches me.

His fingers brand my skin as if he owns me, and on some level, I know he wants to.

What he doesn’t know is that I belong to another man…and come my twenty-first birthday, I’ll return to him whether I want to or not.



Add King of Hearts to your Goodreads TBR!






Grab Wild Card, Book 1 in the Rake Forge University series today!


Coming January 2022


Meet Ashley Munoz

Ashley was born in Nebraska, but raised in Oregon where she lives with her four children and husband. If she's not helping her husband with DIY projects around the house, she's writing or sneaking off to a corner to read.

Connect with Ashley





Hosted by:


Thank you to Ashley Munoz, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advanced copy of King of Hearts.

Monday, October 4, 2021

King of Hearts COVER REVEAL!!

 

🖤🖤 𝗛𝗢𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗔𝗟 🖤🖤

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝗼𝘇 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝟮 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀! 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲!


Failing out of college wasn’t on my dream board.

Neither was getting knocked up.

Just the same, here I am, ready to start another year at Rake Forge University, pregnant and currently homeless.

And it looks like I’m not the only one who’s returned.

Juan Hernandez, my sister’s best friend, saunters through campus with that granite jaw and those raven strands of hair kissing his brow, his whiskey eyes searing everyone to ash.

I’ve avoided him for months, but the second he sees me, the jig is up.

The first thing he does is steal my lips in a ravishing kiss.

A punishment.

The second thing he does is rescue me from sleeping in my car.

A lesson.

Living with him will never work, not with how brash his words are, how hot his constant stare is, or how he touches me.

His fingers brand my skin as if he owns me, and on some level, I know he wants to.

What he doesn’t know is that I belong to another man…and come my twenty-first birthday, I’ll return to him whether I want to or not.


Pre-order now on AMAZON UNIVERSAL!

Add to your Goodreads TBR!

 

Meet Ashley Munoz

Ashley was born in Nebraska, but raised in Oregon where she lives with her four children and husband. If she's not helping her husband with DIY projects around the house, she's writing or sneaking off to a corner to read.

Connect with Ashley

Thursday, August 12, 2021

Wild Card {a review}

Wild Card by Ashley Munoz is now available! This new adult sports romance will capture your attention. You'll find yourself wondering what is happening, how all this can occur without any questions, and you'll also witness two people fall in love.

In Wild Card we meet Mallory Shaw. She is a journalist at the college, and is working on a major story. Until her advisor scraps it last minute. Now she needs to find a new topic. And this new topic all but falls in her hand. When out with her friends, she overhears a conversation, which sparks curiosity. Then when she gets home, Mallory discovers that her stepsister has a card for this game. Mallory manages to attend the party, in place of her sister who has become ill, and it is at this party that she meets "Ethan". Except it isn't truly Ethan, it is Decker James filling in for him. Only Mallory doesn't know that. After all she's pretending to be her sister, so there's that. Things happen, Mallory begins to work this story, and she also sets up an arrangement with Decker. Can Mallory bring this game to light? Or will she be shut down before anything can happen? Also, can she ignore her attraction to Decker? Especially since his goal is to get close to her sister. Then there is the rivalry between Decker and Ethan. What's going on there? I could go on and on.

This book had my attention from the beginning. When Mallory's initial story was scrapped, it made me wonder what her advisor had against her. That character came across as an ass who was on a power trip. Then when Mallory heard what she did at the restaurant, that piqued my interest as well. What was the baseball team planning with this card game? And why were they discussing it in a public setting vs at their house? I was definitely drawn to Mallory and Decker. The connection they had was impressive, even with them trying to deny it. Should you read Wild Card, be prepared for slow burn. Although I will say it is worth it. Loved when Decker brought Mallory back to his home town, and introduced her to the family. That was revealing a part of himself that I don't think Decker had planned on showing. It was him being vulnerable, and hoping that Mallory would accept him through it all. As the story progressed, I found myself becoming curious about what was happening with Mallory's dad. What was his roll in all this? And when things were revealed? OH MY WORD. Did not see that coming. I absolutely loved Wild Card from start to finish. Yes there were times that I wanted to knock some sense into Mallory and Decker. These two just needed to talk openly, and without holding back, yet they couldn't. That was a bit frustrating. I will say that Decker's grand gesture made me oh so happy. He didn't need to do what he did, but I am so glad that he did. Then it was Mallory's turn, and oh my heart, yes. Just yes.

Loved the book. Loved the characters. Fantastic setting. Definitely want to go back and revisit it all. I am looking forward to reading King of Hearts when it releases in November.

If you enjoy romantic suspense, sports romance, slow burn, and the college setting, then I highly recommend picking up Wild Card. I think you'll enjoy it.

Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts,
Laura



 


This was it…I could see it in my editor’s eyes.

This was the last straw. One more misstep and I was going to lose my coveted internship.

I decided right there in my room, lime-flavored tortilla chips in hand, that I would do whatever it took to write the story of the century.

And I had my target in sight—the undefeated Devil’s baseball team. They were RFU royalty, and completely untouchable.

Their parties were impossible to get into unless you were handpicked, and I was not.

Even still, I had a solid plan.

I would not get caught, definitely not seduced, and absolutely wouldn’t die. That is until I was stopped and rendered totally speechless by a pair of mossy eyes.

He lured me in, close enough to feel the press of his mouth against my skin and the heat of his hands on my body. Undoubtedly, I was a sheep headed straight for the slaughter, which only proved true when he called my bluff.

With him holding all the cards for my future success, and in order to salvage what remained of my dream, I did the only thing I could.

I made a deal with a devil.



Add to your Goodreads TBR!
One Click now on Amazon!

 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ashley was born in Nebraska, but raised in Oregon where she lives with her four children and husband. If she's not helping her husband with DIY projects around the house, she's writing or sneaking off to a corner to read.

AUTHOR LINKS


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Thank you to Ashley Munoz, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advanced copy of Wild Card.