Drive It Deep (Desert Dogs #2.5) by Cara McKenna

This is one of the rare times I really curse myself for being a non-blurb reader. Often that leads to fun surprises. But, unfortunately, with Drive It Deep that wasn't the case and it's definitely one I would have avoided had I peeked at the blurb. First though. I freaking love Cara McKenna's books. I rave about them often and they consistently get 4-5 stars from me but for the first time that wasn't the case and I'm not recommending one of her books. Which just guts me.

Drive It Deep takes place two years prior to the previous book in the series despite being book 2.5. It's the story of the heroine from book two--Raina, who got a hea with another man in that book-- and Miah--one of her best friends-- having a failed romance all those years ago. Hooking up and then her breaking his heart. While the writing was impeccable, as always, and the sex scenes blisteringly hot a very nice man was hurt badly when he just didn't deserve it. If you read the series that's implied in the other books that they had a failed go at things but actually seeing it happen on page was a very different thing and not in a good way.

Had it been the 0.5 release and what kicked the series off it might have worked. But at this point in the series it just didn't make sense and left me feeling sad and disappointed and a bit less in love with both the series and a heroine who I had adored in her own book. It actually has me not wanting to read anything else right now I'm feeling so bummed from it. There's obviously no HEA since Miah and Raina broke up (so she could eventually get together with her forever hero), things end badly and really while I'm perfectly fine with a heroine having a past of the sexual nature once she has her happily ever after and a hero of her own I don't want to hear or read about past hook ups. Same would apply to a hero.

So this was a big miss for me. And not one I would recommend. I WOULD recommend McKenna's other books. She's an amazing writer and her characters are always unique and interesting and the sex incredible. Both book one and two of this series were fantastic. I'd add After Hours (5 stars) and Willing Victim to the list of ones to try out as well. Both were amazing and have stuck with me for quite some time.

Jeremiah Church and Raina Harper have been close since they were kids, back when life was all about hot Nevada summers spent running wild on the backs of their motorcycles with their friends. Now in their thirties, their lives are changing, and so is the way Miah looks at Raina—a sizzling tension has begun to smolder, impossible to ignore.

Miah is a man of simple pleasures—after a long day overseeing his family’s cattle ranch, a cool drink in his hand and a barstool under his backside are all he needs. Except lately, Miah’s begun looking at his bartender differently. Raina is Miah’s polar opposite—she’s as hot-headed as he is self-possessed, as wild as he is steady. And though they’re a recipe for disaster, the mutual attraction brewing between them is too tempting to deny.

But when bottled-up desires hit this hard, this fast, after so long, the results are positively explosive. And while the affair is hot enough set the badlands on fire, when the flames burn out, will their lifelong friendship survive, or go up in smoke?

Amazon | All Romance | Goodreads

Have you read McKenna? Do you have a favorite?Once a character has gotten their HEA do you want to see flash back stories of them with other people they were with before they got their HEA?

  

*covers link to Amazon