Jagged (Colorado Mountain)

This is another nice addition to the Colorado Mountain series. I liked the depth we get to Zara and Ham's characters, which were just hinted at in previous books. For awhile I wanted to knock Zara in the head for giving in to the guy who had left her behind so many times, but I guess she had better sense than I do. It's a satisfying read - but it!

A slow burner this book was.
Starts slowly, with a lot of background given on Reece and Zara.
Revs up, gets sexy and busy with external (read nasty family drama) and internal (emotional insecurities) - and that's when the reader (me) has to force themselves to put iPad down to go and cook dinner!!! Hehe

Really enjoyed this one

Oh. My. Goodness. She slays me! Every Time! Such a great book! As ALWAYS I belly laughed, I giggled, I melted, I fanned myself cause it was hot, I cried touched tears, I cried heart rending tears and I simply FELT everything! If you have not experienced a Kristen Ashley book then get to clicking! I love books, all kinds, but no one is better at a great Alpha male story, AND gives you so much more in it than just a big strong hunk of a man. The wisdom spoken through the characters about love and life in general is always so fresh and beautiful. If she wrote it - read it.

I honestly wasn't sure about this Hero. That did not stop me from immediately per-ordering this book though. I did that because I trusted the author. As far as the main character, I didn't actually dislike him when his character was introduced in For You, but I was not a fan of his rambling man thing. I should have known I would be head over heels in love with him after she told his story. Loved him and loved Zara! Beautiful!

Thank you Kristen Ashley! You never disappoint! I've never been a fan girl for anyone, but you could write a story about a trip to the bathroom and I would buy it and love it!

I'd read a book written by her for a third time before reading anyone else's a first time. I have literally done that. Have you clicked buy it now yet? What are you waiting for?

Kristen is my favorite writer of all time! I always mark my calendar with her release dates, and impatiently anticipate a return to familiar territories. Everyone of her stories captures me and I can't put it down until it is done. I love her alpha males and Ham, oh Ham, you don't disappoint! Please keep writing Kristen, as fast as you can!

Although up to now I really liked KA books, found her funny, angsty, sweet, her characters well developed and story lines interesting, I was disappointed with this one. There was no drama. There was no angst. Reese was not an alpha, as all her other male heroes. The first 50% was dragging and did not give an insight of Zara. The end was rushed. 3 stars.

Are there seriously men like this in Colorado, if so I'm moving ASAP!! The Colorado series I a by far my favorite series from KA. Reece and Zara love it but I seriously loved seeing more of max and Nina. I can't express into words how much I loved this book!! If was effing AMAZEBALLS.

Yes it was that good. Seriously this is KA people I don't think she could do bad....I've read almost everything she has written (the three is the only series I haven't finished) this past week I read the fantasy series just to get myself ready for JAGGED...sad my KA binge is over :(

Not one of my favorite stories from Ms.Ashley. Just a lot of talk about nothing! For some reason I could not get into the characters. I have not had that problem with any of the "Rock Chick" books & other series of books. I normally love her writing! So this is probably a one time thing!

I am a BIG fan of Kristen Ashley and have read most of her books. This one is one of her weaker stories. The characters are just not interesting enough to be part of the Colorado Mountain Series. Ham is certainly not a Tate Jackson nor a Tyrell Walker. He is likable enough, but is just not that "interesting". I thought that the first of the series THE GAMBLE was the weakest of the books until this one. Zara is also one of the weaker female characters in the series. Don't get me wrong, the story is OK, the characters are OK, they just are not up to the standard that we expect after the other novels in this series. I'm not sorry that I bought this book; however, it was not really worth the anticipation that I always have for a new Kristen Ashley character. I hope that the next book will not leave me disappointed. Come on, Ms. Kristen, you can (and have) done much better.

I have never read a book that I've given a 3! This has a great story but told with the most graphic language and sexual content. It seemed very choppy the way the characters spoke. I have loved the rest of the Colorado series but this one was a real push. I couldn't wait to finish.

Another great book by Kristen, this was an emotional one I found myself cheering so hard for Zara. The connection between Zara and Ham is a once in a lifetime love and I am so glad he realized it. I love these series. I can't wait to see what happens next in Colorado.

WHYYYY ? Oh why ? I love Kristen Ashley books ...But after reading so many and the men STILL talk this way ...Now it's just goofy not sexy anymore...and now the women also talk like this ,did not like this book because of that alone ,it was just too silly and distracting !!

Another great book by KA. These books don't get published fast enough for me. This story was great. Not sure why some people did not like the hero (Ham). He was hurt too many times not to be careful. I really enjoyed this story.

Never have I written a bad word about a KA book, and I certainly won't be starting now!! This couple's story is just as beautiful as all of Kit's others- as it's truly a talent that the woman has. I cannot imagine loving another author's work as much. She's just amazing. Highly recommend!!

Never have I read Kristen Ashley book and been disappointed. I could re-read this book fifty times and still discover new nuances and delights each time; which is saying something for someone who can only usually read a book once and memorize that story. I just love KA and I'm glad I'm not the only one.
Ham & Zara, what beauty and perfection in all of its imperfection in the complex world of human vulnerability. I love this series and would love to become a part of the Carnal or Gnaw Bone community, visit the library, talk to Faye, get my car checked by Wood, and have a drink at Bubbas!

ugh ugh ugh. Again, with Kristen Ashley I either hit or miss. I tried to return this for a refund but the length of time had passed. I am not going to finish it. My past reviews said of Ashley when she is on, she is great. This really missed the mark for me.
It started out great. I liked the dynamic between Ham and Zara, but it fell apart for me when they decided to go after the nine year old boy that was her nephew. I decided at that point, I didn't care whether they got him or not.
I just couldn't buy the fact that Ham" the rolling stone" all of a sudden was going to go balls to the walls to adopt this boy that they really knew nothing about. I thought the scene at the restaurant was just silly.
Xenia (really, are we talking princess warrior here?) died after years and years in a coma and Zara throws things and goes nuts. I don't know, it just fell flat for me.
When Ashley described Zara as having a "great job" as a waitress at a bar, I wanted to vomit. Zara threw it all away because she was bored and found herself right back where she was five years ago in a nowhere town slinging drinks at the local watering hole. That just spells loser to me.
Ashley seems to have a formula and I am finding I don't like it. Third book in a row I read with the kid angle. I liked Lawman but the other one with the librarian was another dnf for me.
I think I am going to be off Ashley from now on. I am waiting for another Madeline Sheehan. Anyone have any other suggestions let me know. I love the alpha male but it has got to be well written. There is just too much trash out there.

KA is the queen of the Alpha Male and this book is no exception. Ham and Zara's story is a tale of love and struggle, with a perfect HEA. Loved meeting Nina and Max again, seeing their relationship together. Another perfect book!

Ham and Zara had history but Ham was always leaving until Zara found someone else ... and kind of left. But that didn't work out for her... so Ham is back and their story is HOT and loving and sad and happy and so worth reading!!!!

Kristen Ashley is amazing as always! Her writing style is superb and unique. I've read a lot of her series and have loved them all so far. Colorado Mountain series being one of my favorites... her alphas are delicious!

I have already read this book four times. At first I wasn't sure if u was going to like it. I was actually in tears at one point. However, I read on and fell in love with their story. Kristen Ashley does it again ,

KA's books are awesome, but her epilogues totally ROCK! Jagged was good, however I kept hearing Tate and Laurie's voices as Ham and Zara. Buy this, read this and then start the whole series over and read it again!

Every book I've read by Kristen Ashley has been outstanding and this one is no exception. My only complaint is how sad I feel when I'm finished, and I have to wait for the next book. Hurry up, Kristen.

I was really looking forward to this book being a huge kristen Ashley fan but it wasn't as good as her previous books. The characters didn't stand out I don't feel much happened. I felt cheated at the end

I have read all of KA's books, and this is the only one I have been unable to finish. The plot just seemed watered down and like a formula guy+girl+drama= automatic HEA. None of the depth, richness, or personality of her other books.

I dont think I could ever say anything bad about A Kristen Ashley book, this one is just as good as the others. It may have had less action than usual but it still came out wonderful. Her books never get old to me.

KA never fails, love her writing! Loved the story. I realize some readers had problems with his explanation of his relationship with Feb, I thought it was perfect! You just have to know February to get it! Thanks Kristen and keep writing!

Adore is too small of a word for how I feel about Kristen Ashley. Her books never fail to make me smile, laugh out loud, tear up and make me love men who talk rarely about their feelings but can express everything through the word Babe. Or any nickname they have given their woman. Thank you Kristen Ashley for doing it again!!!!

I liked these characters. They were good. What I loved was visiting with Duchess and Max, finding out what happened to Mindy. (Even though the Mindy part was a footnote)

Much of the story was predictable and it seemed shorter than most KA books.

I thought Zara and Ham were a good couple, but if you have read all of the KA books, there tends to be a theme and this one reminded a lot of others. Still very enjoyable, but for me it was for the cast of characters more than he main.

Overall I liked the book because I tend to like the style KA writes in, but this was not a standout to me. This was more of a filler. My standout books are Mystery Man (Dream Man Series),Breathe (Colorado Mountain Series),Raid (Unfinished Heroes)Heaven and Hell and At Peace (The 'Burg Series). At peace and Joe being my absolute favorite. This book to me felt like a re done one of several books, but like I said, still enjoyed it.

I was really looking forward to this release, but other than getting to revisit Max and Nina's story, I didn't find much to love. The plot didn't hang together like some of her other books-it was almost like she was trying too hard to come up with obstacles (I mean really-it is a small town. Secrets are basically impossible to keep, and it isn't just one secret it is several). And, the death knell for me were the speeches. I enjoy some of the "laying it out" but this book reflects Ashley's trend of doing it way too much. I actually found myself starting to glaze over and skip pages! I'm now re-reading The Gamble just to remind myself of how Ashley became a favorite author. This book just didn't cut it for me. I really hope the next round rejuvenates the writing.

This was another great book by Kristen Ashley. She always has interesting characters and plot lines. l like how she ties in characters from her previous novels. This one doesn't disappoint. Keep them coming, Kristen!

*Sigh* loved it!!!!! Katie Ashley is a one click author for me. I don't have to even know what the book is about before buying it; she NEVER disappoints. Tate was my first Colorado love and now Ham is my definite second. Swoon!!!! Perfect story, the pace it was told, the steam (whoa baby), and the angst. All wrapped up to perfection. 5++++ stars!!!!!

I have never written a review before, and I am not going to start now. At least not a "real" review. I just want to say how much pleasure I have received from reading all of the works created by this author.

I love how this author brings out genuine emotion from me, whether it be tears, laughter or empathy. That is my idea of a perfect read.

And she does it again!!!
Have been waiting for this book forever!!! Was not disappointed!
Oh these mountain men....Swoon...Swoon...Swoon..me want more...

This one had me laughing the most, it was totally awesome...er!

I could not like the main male character Ham. I could not adjust to his change in heart. I never really liked him as a partner for Zara. But, I did like the theme of the storyline- child abuse and what that entails without getting too bogged down in the uglyness. Not one of my favourite books by Kristen that I would happily re-read. Plus Ham speaking "jagged" is not a reason to name a book.

OMG!!! ANYTHING BY KRISTEN ASHLEY IS AMAZING!!! EVERYTIME I READ HER BOOKS.. I FALL DEEPLY INLOVE WITH HER CHARACTERS... SHE MAKES YOU FEEL THE EMOTIONS... LIKE YOUR REALLY THERE.. AND WISH IT WOULD NEVER END... CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!!!! HAM HAM HAM!! MY MAN!! I'VE CRIED... LAUGHED AND LOVED IN THIS BOOK... MS. KRISTEN ASHLEY.. YOU DID IT AGAIN!!!

Once again kristen Ashley has written a winner. Jagged was sexy,sweet, and has characters you can't help but love. What I like most about jagged and all of k.a. books is that it's a complete story with a ending that leaves you not guessing how the characters lives end up.

I'm a huge KA fan. I read all her books but lately I'm starting to feel a little cheated. I realize that KA has a certain writing style, the problem is she keeps writing the same book with different names. I almost didn't even buy this book after reading the sample because it was already like reading one of many other books by her. I know there are many die hard KA fans out there but even they would have to admit that it's beginning to get a little old. I can only hope the next book is a little different or I may stop buying her books altogether. I can only spend so much money on the same thing before I finally start to wise up.

>Book review – Jagged
>I am an independent reviewer. This book is the 5th in the Colorado Mountain series and ends in an HEA. Ham is a rolling stone. He loves women, but being burned previously has left him not even wanting to consider settling down. A close call in his life causes Ham to re-evaluate his priorities and what he wants out of life. He decides he wants a future with Zara, a prior friend with benefits, that he walked away from years ago.
>Zara came from an abusive family. She fell in love with Ham enough to not try and change him, so she let him go when he needed to leave. She tried marriage to someone else as a way to try and settle, but she never got over Ham. When circumstances have these 2 characters back together, sparks really fly. They fight hard and love harder. Previous characters appear, which is always fun to see.
>There is a story line regarding Zara’s nephew. At first she is fighting for custody, but nothing ever comes of it, so that particular plot point seemed odd. If there was a discussion about leaving the boy in his current situation, but just being in his life more, then the questions would have been answered, but there weren’t any discussions. Ham is super alpha, as are all the men in this series. His desire for children really up the sexiness factor.
>This book is appropriate for an adult audience. I am giving this story 4 stars.

How is this labeled a romance book when the hero, Ham is a major dirtbag
and the heroine Zara, a.k.a. Cookie is a doormat? I just don't get it.
Ham treats the heroine like dog waste and she lets him.

He uses her as a booty call for years. Years. However, when he is having
sex with her, he is having sex with other woman too.
When the met they only had dated and had sex with each. However,
after a few months Ham he started having sex with others, only being with Cookie
when it was convenient for him. And doormat accepted it because that was the only
way that she could have him. Really pathetic. The woman has no self pride.
After years of letting him use her as a semen dumping ground or depository,
she finally has reached her limit and breaks up with him. And he is ok with that.
What a shocker there.

Besides having sex with other women that are other things that he says and does
that show how little Cookie means to him. When back together he tells her that
how much February meant to him and that he regretted walking
away from her. He never felt that way about walking away from the heroine.
Charming and yet Cookie still says with him.
I never believed Ham's change of heart and never believed that he loved anyone
but himself.

Their names were fitting. Ham is truly a pig and all Cookie does is crumble,
giving in to him. It made me feel physically sick to read about their supposed romance
and near the end I just stopped reading.

I am a KA fan and I was looking forward to this book but I found it only okay and in the end, unsatisfying. I found the storyline unrealistic and the characters hard to invest in. For a so called strong capable woman, Zara was an easy pushover happy to be used as a convenience by Ham. She had absolutely no pride when it came to ignoring the fact Ham rarely actually wanted to be with her, that he wanted to sleep with other women and did not care enough about her to even care if she slept with other men. His refusal to give her any reassurance regarding Feb Owen, who i actually found to be unappealing in her own story, verged on cruel and controlling, still basically insisting she put up with how he wanted things rather than giving any consideration for Zara's feelings He made it clear that Zara was second choice - it seemed doubtful that he would have coped if Zara had had feelings for her ex still. I kept wishing Zara would give him the flick or that Ham would get a personality transplant. when she said she had been a bad girlfriend because she was upset he kept telling her he had feelings for another woman and didn't just accept he was with her now, I wanted to smack her across the head and tell her to wake up - that a guy who is your meant to be doesn't use you as occassional convenience for 5 years while he sleeps with lots of other women and then come back unless you are just the easiest option. The whole scenario took the belief of Ham being at all in love with Zara completely away. The situation with Zara's father was too meodramatic to ring true and did not illicit genuine sympathy and the same can be said for Ham's history with Rachel. His situation with Rachel seemed incredibly unlikely for the type of man he was supposed to be . I kept on waiting for Ham to make some romantic declaration that would apologise for how he treated her but it never really came.
The secondary characters mad little impact and scenes like the restaurant and at the bar lacked any sense of realism. The romance and investment in the outcome for the characters were just missing. Despite that,it was readable , just not really anything special and disappointing considering I had been waiting for Ham's story and was really looking forward to it.

Jagged is the shortest of this series or it felt like it for me as I did not want to leave Ham and Zara. It also was a change of pace at there was no dramas and mystery or serial killers like in the first four books.

I actually really enjoyed this couple and how it was all about them reconnecting and moving forward.

This of all the books was the one where I could not understand Ham’s reluctance to say those three words. When the author finally reveals his story it was a moment where my heart broke for that man.

Zara had a sad past and I loved Zander and his introduction to the story. So much of Zara and her sister had me in tears and Zara was such a headstrong and stubborn women.

Nina again returns to the series in all her lawyer awesomeness which I loved. I also admit I have not read February’s story which explains why I was unsure of who Ham was in the beginning. Lots of returning characters from Gnaw Bone like Arlene, Cotton, and Max provided humour and meddling moments.

Again, some may not love this as much as the first four books but it is a beautiful second chance romance. Jagged was two past lovers reuniting and moving forward and being easy.

My favourite moment was on the dance floor at the end, what a way to finished a love story – perfection – so happy for Ham

I like KA books because her heroes are uncompromisingly alpha, and her heroines are spunky and sassy. That being said, I am not entirely comfortable with how much they have to follow the dictates of their gender, but I have always pushed past that by reminding myself that this is fiction and dominant men can be kryptonite. Therefore when I opened the book, I had expectations of sassy, silly women who tend to be stupid about managing money, and dominant men who take care of their little ladies...and yet, it would be a satisfying read.

I was wrong. This book goes beyond sassy into rude, and the regular clichés that KA often falls back on are so much worse in this book. Ham and Zara supposedly work in a bar together and yet they are horrible to waitstaff at the restaurant. This does not make sense. Has KA ever worked in the service industry? People who have had to work in service are sensitive about how awful their jobs can be and usually make sure to be a pleasure to those who wait on them. I couldn't get over how horrible they were. Just awful. The restaurants were just backdrops for the drama, but I couldn't get over the interaction. Ham may be a man of few words, but there is a difference between reticent and just plain rude. Know the difference. Also, their family drama led to a big fight in the restaurant and somehow they thought that the manager should compensate them because he didn't jump into the fray. Puh-lease! Everyone knows not to interrupt families fighting because they will most likely turn on you. That's because families fighting in the restaurant does not show alpha-ness or sass. It shows poor breeding to force others to deal with your crap, and even worse breeding to act like you should be compensated because the manager didn't babysit you. Surprising that Zara and Ham demanded freebies when they are supposed to be so proud of being self reliant.

At this point in the book, my irritation by the continued rudeness made every grammatical mistake that much more glaring, and every nonsensical action that much more annoying. This meant that once the ultimate evil woman cliché of "horrible shrew that aborted my baby" arrived, I'd had enough. if they aren't trapping you with babies, they are aborting them. In this case, the ex was so horrible that she aborted twice.

KA, I am beyond disappointed in you.

I will admit - I almost didn't read this one cause so many reviews were not as good for this one as her others. Happy to report that none of the things that bothered other readers bothered me on the least. This one didn't have a mystery or killer to get caught but it was still suspense to be had to see how everything would turn out. Sara and Reece were also old flames which I didn't like at first. They had some jacked up history but this whole story was about them growing up, realizing what they wanted and needed. Reece went after Sara and it was a beautiful thing to watch - off the charts romantic in an alpha male kind of way. Well worth the read.

First reviewed at Red Hot Books [...]

I believe I have mentioned before that I am a Kristen Ashley fangirl. I happily overlook issues that might get under my skin with other authors because Ms. Ashley writes such compelling stories. However, the reverse is also true in that I expect certain things from her books. Unfortunately, Jagged, the fifth book in her Colorado Mountain series, reads more like a “very special episode of Kristen Ashley’s characters” than a complete story and series continuation.

The main romance is between Graham “Ham” Reece, who was a minor character in For You, and Zara Cinders, owner of the Karma boutique. After being friends with benefits with Ham for the last five years understanding that he was never going to be tied down to anyone anywhere, Zara makes the decision to cut Ham loose and settle down with another guy. Even though he cared for Zara as much as Zara cared for him, Ham lets her go.

Fast forward three years and life has not been kind to Zara. She’s lost her business, lost her house and called quits on her marriage. She now works at a crappy retail job and lives in a small studio apartment in a crappy neighborhood. Enter Ham on his white steed to save the day. Ham has been keeping tabs on Zara all these years, so when he learns she’s in a bad way, he decides he’s ready to settle down and hightails it back to town. Ham basically kicks down her door and makes her move in with him because “it’s safer”.

With just a little a little push, Zara moves in with Ham and they end up rekindling their romance. Ham explains to Zara why he’s been a travelin’ man and Zara owns up to why she dissolved her marriage. They understand each other, forgive and move on. There is no drama. There is barely any conflict, hence my disappointment. I kept waiting for her to be kidnapped or some major secret to blow up or some kind of wacky over the top drama that Ashley’s books follow, but the suspense is a mild family drama that is quickly rectified. Even the epilogue felt like it was just a dashed off two page dealio.

The book took so much time re-introducing characters from other books that barely any time was focused on the romance. Ham and Zara weren’t a bad couple. It was just all very ho-hum and, for a fangirl, that’s disappointing. All the trademarks that make up a KA book were missing. I can only hope that this is only a mid-season blip and not a trend to come.

Grade: C

*ARC provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

a definite 4.5 star read for me. this was my first book in this series and I adored it. not once did I feel lost or left behind since its #5 in the series. KA writes her series so well that each is a standalone. she gives us the back story on other characters but its not too much, its done perfectly. it doesn't intrude on or over shine the current storyline in any way.

okay first. cookie. for reals. cookie. bruiser. I FLOVED these nicknames. there was something about them that felt so natural. and I swear each time he said it, I smiled just a little. I don't know what it was about it but I absolutely loved it.

I loved the history between Zara and Ham. I love his alpha tendencies. I admit it. I did. sometimes I had trouble following what he was saying, but I still loved it. with Zara, I felt like sometimes she let others influence her emotions just a tad bit. then she would get all stuck in her own head space until Ham sorted her out. and boy does he sort well.

I related to Zara a little. going through a divorce myself and having that guilt hanging over your head. making all these decisions cause you just feel so bad for hurting them, it made me relate to her really really well. now, as for the other drama with her parents and his exes, can't so much relate to that but I loved how KA delivered those storylines. she definitely pulls the hate out of you. if you don't hate his ex and her parents by the end, you just might be a robot.

Honestly, this wasn't my favorite at all. I would say 3.5 stars but I always round up. Ham and Zara have an on again, off again relationship. It's been mostly off again due to his inability to commit. He steps aside to let her marry a man he's sure she's settling for, which she is. After that relationship fails and he makes the news because he was attacked by an axe murderer, they reconnect.

Zara has had an incredibly hard life due to an abusive father, a useless mother, a sister to whom she was close who lapsed into a coma while pregnant and a nephew who she believes was put up for adoption. It does seem like Ham showed up to help during a crisis but immediately found reason to take off again. That's not a terribly attractive quality. When he finally decides he's going to commit he does step up in a big way, but I never found myself caring too much for him.
In addition to the lack of interest in the hero, there wasn't a whole lot else that happened in this book, so the action that we're accustomed to from Ashley is just....missing. Still she's a very talented writer so I know there are many who will see things in this book that I didn't.

This was so wonderful. Truly. Amazing writing, a beautiful, detailed story with rich characters. It was full of emotion, drama, heart, and so much love!

Zara and Ham were really great characters. They had such an interesting dynamic to their relationship and I loved their history. There were so many ups and downs but they were so there for each other. Graham Reece (Ham) was so awesome, strong, sweet and protective and Zara, wow. I loved her. What she endured and how she stood on her own and got stronger every day, it was empowering. The two had this crazy intense relationship but it was so heartfelt and sometimes filled with heartbreak, it was awesome. I loved their story!

I really loved the character connections from this series and others. I seriously felt jealous because of another character… I was so caught up with everything. The secondary characters were well written and I thought they enhanced the overall storyline. The struggles of Zara's past felt so real and I felt for her but I love how she persevered. The storyline that is related to her past, as well as the people that were involved in it, were terrific and I love how it all played out and how Ham was there making her stronger during all of it.

I'm not sure what else I can say, this was an exceptionally well written story with great characters and a fantastic build. Emotion, drama, intensity, and most of all love, this story has it all!

I’ve been on a major Kristen Ashley binge lately, always reading one on my Kindle and listening to another on audio. I’ve just needed her. She’s the chicken soup for my soul.

So while I’ve had some KA hero in my life in one way or another for the last several weeks, it’s been a long time since I read a book from her <i>Colorado Mountain</i> series. Until now. And boy, did it feel like coming home.

<i>Jagged</i> was a great second chance romance starring two very lovable characters (though their nicknames, Cookie and Ham, were not so lovable – eek!). I loved their spark, their passion, and even loved their intensity when they fought. Zara is feisty and I love that she stands up for herself and what she believes in.

This book felt significantly shorter than what I’m used to getting from a KA novel. The major dramatic plotline, other than their love story, was wrapped up pretty quickly and I was sort of surprised by that. There’s usually quite a bit that goes into her stories, with tons of detail and twists and turns, so I almost felt like it was lacking a little bit.

Overall, this was another fantastic installment in one of my all-time favorite series by one of my very favorite authors and I soaked every bit of it up. I try to spread these books out but I just can’t seem to stop reading them! Thankfully she’s written dozens. Now, to decide which to read next…

5 Awesome Sizzling Stars

5/5 Sizzling Hearts for Heat!!
Everyone that knows me knows that Kristen Ashley is my favorite author. I've loved every book I've read of hers. Some more than others. But the main factor that has kept them close to my heart is the Hero. Her hero's put the A in Alpha, the S in Sex , the H in Hot and the L in loyalty. I could go down the freaking alphabet and I could come up with a swoon worthy word for every single letter but I'll save some time and just say Kristen Ashley HERO's Freaking ROCK..

Then I met Graham "Ham" Reece. My mind felt like it was splitting in two. I wanted to scream! He was so freaking different from any guy she's ever written before.
First of all this is a Second Chances type love story. These two characters were part of each others lives for years in but it wasn't always a steady thing. He was a travelin man..leaving when he felt like it. So for me I was so torn from the get go because Kristen Ashely's guys stayed..they always stayed once they fell. But well this love story took a different road.
Having said that..I got to do something I never had to do in a KA book before. I had to watch her Hero completely grow and change and redeem himself. Oh my gosh ..she never lets me down. Graham did redeem himself and actually made me love him as much as my top KA alphas and that is very hard to believe after the feelings I had for him in the beginning.
When he fell. Or rather when he landed ....well ..I landed with him. I had to see in his past and in his heart that he just had a huge wall built ...all to protect himself. Zara ripped it down and when he gave his all..he gave it in spades.

Kristen you really had me going for a while there. My mind was in tatters along with my heart. I really thought for sure that I was going to finally have to rate a KA book low. But then my heart started mending right along with the characters. This story takes you on journey for sure and you come out realizing a story based on forgiveness and unconditional love is the greatest romance there is.

Still my favorite hands down!!!

http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/
I was given a copy of this book to write an honest review for Cocktails and Books.
I’m always excited when Kristen Ashley writes a new book and I have to admit, I’m a big fan of hers. JAGGED is her fifth installment in the Colorado Mountain series. From the first page, I was transported to Gnaw Bone, a small town in Colorado.
This story is about Zara, a woman who has lived her entire life in Gnaw Bone, Colorado. Zara’s life has never been easy. Even though Zara comes from a dysfunctional family, she has always remained sweet and optimistic. Through everything, one constant in Zara’s life has been her girlfriends, who always rally around her.
Graham Reece or Ham, is a hot, big bear of a man who always speaks his mind and is honest. Ham works in bars. He stays at one for awhile and when he gets the urge, he moves on to another town.
The story begins when Ham and Zara are in the fifth year of their relationship. Ham has never been interested in putting down roots anywhere and expects Zara to accept him for who he is. With Ham there are no promises and no expectations. They have a friend’s with benefits kind of relationship. Ham is a travelin’ man, who can’t stay in one place and their relationship consists of sporadic phone conversations and hook ups whenever he visits Gnaw Bone. Zara loves Ham and wants a commitment from him. She wants to get married and have a family, but she knows Ham has no interest. They are both good people, who have gone through some tough times, through no fault of the own. They care about each other, but are in different places in their lives.
Kristen Ashley is a wonderful storyteller. Her characters come alive on the page. When Zara and Ham are together, the air crackles with sexual tension. Some of the characters from other books in this series make an appearance. Is it possible for a travlin’man to settle down?

Kristen Ashley reviews always seem to be some of the hardest for me to write. Not because of her stories, they are always superb, it’s because I don’t know what more can possible be said about her or her books that hasn’t already been said. Ms. Ashley is a literary God. She masters writing humor, heartache, emotion, drama, mystery, intrigue and wraps a heartwarming, sexy hot love story around it all.

Jagged is absolutely one of my favorite stories of the year. I adored Graham and Zara together. I appreciated their rocky, nontraditional past and gut wrenching relationship storm they traveled through to claim their HEA. Their story was very original and very refreshing.

I love that Graham is the very forward, bossy, hot alpha bad-ass we expect to find in a KA story, but he still is man enough to admit and recognize his mistakes and apologize when needed. I think Zara is an amazing and very strong character who proves to be exactly what Graham needs. Together these two complete each other. They have a great deal of turmoil and many trials to push through to make a go at a future, but ultimately it strengthens what they have in the end.

The emotion and the honest, straight forward dialog Ms. Ashley uses truly makes her characters become more alive with each new page turned. It adds a different element to the books that allows her characters to become very life like. I also really admire the way she crosses her characters over from one series to the next. The way their stories entwine around each other just adds an additional layer of completeness.

If you are new to Kristen Ashley and her writing, you are seriously missing out. If you have read her books, then it’s a no brainer that you will grab this book and hopefully love it as much as I did.

Review copy provided for an honest review

Honestly, I fall in love with every KA book I read. I fall in love with every alpha hero and fall in complete friend love with each female lead. I took a break from this series to read For You from The 'Burg series since the lead in Jagged - Reece - was introduced there.
This is a bit of a second chance love story, since Reece and Zara have history. There's an age gap too (which I loved). There were times when I felt like Reece was so harsh and mean, but it definitely added to the story. Their story wasn't easy and filled with rainbows and sunshine. Another fab KA book!

3.5 stars

So this was definitely a bit different from the other books in the series so far. We still get a complicated guy and a somewhat sassy girl, but no more real mystery and intrigue, which was a bit of a shame to me. Ham is a wanderer and in the past he and Zare had a good thing going on. They even really dated for a while, but other than that it was more of a hook up whenever he was in town. Being sick and tired of that arrangement, Zara breaks things off with Ham. She feels more for him, but also knows he won't ever change and she deserves real love. I honestly couldn't agree more with her and loved the fact that she made this big decision, instead of waiting for Ham to change his mind.

Couple of years later and things haven't worked out that well for Zara. She lost her shop, had to leave her house and she has only just recovered from a divorce, when Ham sweeps into town. Apparently after all these years he has come to his senses, and realized that Zara is the only woman for him. I'm inclined to say too little too late, but he's a stubborn man not wanting to give up. Convincing Zara of his intentions and feelings won't be that easy, he will have to work for it. Though it's not like the woman has a lot of choice, as Ham has a tendency to give orders and people follow them.

Slowly though Zara's heart warms again and Ham finds a way to sneak in behind her defenses. He's there every step of the way to help her get her life back on track the way she wants to. When things from Zara's past rise up again, she can definitely rely on him to be there by her side.

While I very much enjoyed this story, I didn't feel quite as invested in the story. I liked Zara best from the two main characters. She had a very interesting, hard past, add all the things she's been through in the past year and now Ham showing up again. You know there will be drama. The thing was that I wasn't completely convinced by Ham. I really liked that he was always there for Zara throughout the years. This showed he did really care about her, but the whole part of letting her go because she deserves happiness and then later realizing you were an idiot, just seemed even a bit arrogant to me. He shows back up and he didn't expect that much resistance from Zara (which she is very much entitled to). I can take a guy who likes to take control, but Ham just takes it to another level and that was too much for me.

My Thoughts:

I LOVE the Colorado Mountain Series by Kristen Ashley! Every time I receive one of these books, I get absolutely giddy with excitement. If you are going through a reading slump, please do yourself a favor and read this series. There isn't one bad book in the bunch. Each of these stories have completely pulled me in and hooked me! Amazing characters, fascinating plots, steamy and sexy love scenes, are all part of what make this series exceptional!

In Jagged, we return to the small Colorado Mountain Town of Gnaw Bone. Zara has been madly in love with Graham "Ham" Reese for five years. He's a tall, muscular, bear of a man, who is many years older than her. Unfortunately, Zara is ready to settle down, get married, and create a family, and Ham isn't one for staying in one place, and laying down roots with one woman. Zara ends her relationship with Ham and ends up getting married to Greg, a really sweet man, but he isn't the love of her life.

Three years later, Zara divorces Greg, and is in financial straits, When she see's on the news that Ham nearly got killed by an axe murderer, she calls him. When he finds out that Zara's divorced, he moves to Gnaw Bone, and is determined to win Zara over, and never let her go again. He gets a job as a manager at the local bar, moves in to a nice apartment, and inserts himself back in to Zara's life. He learned from the first time, that letting Zara go was a huge mistake, and he's not about to let her walk away from him again. However, he needs to earn her trust again, because how can she be sure, he won't up and leave town, like he use to?

Zara was a great character. She was very strong, independent, and courageous. She had been abused by her father, and not protected by her mother. Yet, she built a life for herself, and learned to stand up and not let others bully her. Ham was a great character as well. He had been thoroughly messed over by a woman, to the point where he lost hope and trust in the possibility of finding real love. Zara made him believe again, and when he realized what he had, he became the most loyal, caring, doting, and loving partner towards her.

I enjoyed being reunited with many of the secondary characters that I have gotten to know from previous books, such as Max, Nina, Cotton, Becca, Mindy, Arlene, and I'm sure I'm missing a few. I also loved getting to know Maybelline, Wanda, Nona, and Zander.

Another thing I must mention is that I love the way Kristen Ashley ends her books! She always write's a happily ever after, ending with a lot of details. She always gives us a glimpse or more in to the couple's future, and how life is for them down the road! I wish more authors did that!!!

My Rating:

I give, Jagged, by Kristen Ashley 4.5 Sexy Bear of a man, showing versus telling, New Beginning, "Happily Ever After" filled Stars! Jagged was a wonderful addition to an already amazing series!!! I highly recommend Jagged, as well as the rest of this series!

Jagged. Kristen Ashley
Review from Jeannie Zelos Book Reviews.

My first KA novel was the wonderful Knight, got it free in the days I first had my kindle – and that's still my favourite. I've bought several since then with mixed feelings. I love some of them, they have for me the perfect balance of storyline, emotion with highs and lows, and yet a couple of them I just haven't really gelled with. This is one such :( It's as always well written, but the characters and story just didn't cut it somehow for me.
I liked Zara, hard-working and able to stand up for herself those are KA ladies I like best, not the twee man-dependent ones that sometimes creep in. Zara had suffered such a lot I really felt for her but yet it was almost too much. You know the way its bad luck after bad luck after bad luck? With such good friends she'd managed to cope but it still felt a little too much for me. Then there's Ham, KA heroes all seem to come from the same mould, strong, tall and built, hairy, ( I can't think of any I’ve read that weren't almost gorilla sounding!) and they seem to have the same abbreviated language, along with a perception that they are right. Always. No questions asked – OK so they are always right, but this time the way all these people just fall in with Hams suggestions got a bit irritating. Zara's friends gave him the “I’m watching you “ speech, but in reality just went with the flow most of the time. Once Zara's family got involved the plot and people seemed to get very convoluted at times, and I think that’s where it began to fall apart for me. I did like the way Ham explained his feelings, and the way we were in Zara's head to see how she felt about issues. That's so real, that way one person means one thing, and the other takes it differently....and leads to many misunderstandings.
Anyway, a decent romance, a slightly too convoluted plot for me, it felt a bit too contrived somehow, working too hard, overcomplicated. Good lead characters and the supporting cast of locals were OK, but overall this isn't going to be one of my favourites. I did feel emotion, but not the deep downs and highs that I've enjoyed from other KA books. That bit for instance in Mystery Man where Hawk has a change of heart, and breaks up with Gwen. I could have cried at the emotion there.... Its felt very smooth paced, rather than the ups and downs emotionally that I need. As always lots of hot sex scenes, but again no real surprises, nothing different and I began to skip them towards the end as not really adding anything to the story. Still, KA has legions of fans and I'm sure for many this will be another five star read. Just not me :(
Stars: three
NB: ARC supplied via Netgalley

So I have been having a marathon of KA and the Colorado Mountain series of late. The series continues with Jagged and that is the story of Graham “Ham” Reece and Zara Cinders. I thought it was strange that these characters were dropped in mid-series. I even went through the other books searching for their names. I don’t know if they are from another KA series and have landed up in Gnaw Bone but having no background on them in the other CM books, I wasn’t attached to them to begin their story. But, that didn’t deter me and I wanted to read on.

Zara hasn’t had the best life, with family loss and estranged relationships, not to mention a failed marriage and business, Zara finds herself trying to make ends meet. When Zara is minding her own business, in sweeps the man who broke her heart, Graham. Ham has been traveling for the last few years, after dealing with some personal pain, he couldn’t commit to Zara and used work as an excuse to leave.

“I’d walked away from the love of my life. And he let me.”

Zara is determined to keep Ham at arm’s length, she can’t be sucked in by him again. But of course, like every man written by Kristen Ashley, he doesn’t take no for an answer. Ham knows he has a lot of making up to do. He’s determined to make Zara’s life better and when she discovers a shocking secret, Ham is determined to give Zara everything she desires.

“Said it before, more than once, you matter. You beddin’ down in a bedroom I don’t use is no skin off my nose. Stop worryin’ about sh** you don’t need to worry about and just breathe easy for a while.” For me, it was him. It had always been him. And this was one of the myriad reasons why.”

“You’re going to give me that?” His hand came up to cup my cheek and he whispered, “Cookie, pay attention. I’m going to give you everything.”

I felt the main conflict in the story was quite weak, not as strong and gut punching as the other books. Yes, the storyline with Zander was sweet and Zara was finally getting what she wanted out of life. But I’ve come to expect certain drama with KA’s books, so I couldn’t help but think this book felt a little out of place in the series and in the content department too.

Jagged surprised me, being the shortest book in the series so far. KA is known for her 500+ page books. Jagged was almost half of that and I felt the story did suffer, the community presence wasn’t as strong and the storyline wasn’t as intricate. And no one got kidnapped to my surprise!

What we did get was a heroine fighting for her family and Ham, finally setting down roots to give Zara the stability she craved and deserved.

If you are looking for a quick KA read (that doesn’t happen often) then Jagged is the one for you. It can be read as a standalone as there are no links to previous characters in this series, but it was great as always to see them pop up.

Although Jagged isn’t my favourite book in the series, it was still an easy read and I’m looking forward to Deke’s story to complete the series. ~Ava

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.*

There is just something about coming back to one of Kristen Ashley’s books that just feels like home, and Jagged is no exception. While it doesn’t have that really dramatic and dangerous feel of the previous Colorado Mountain books, it is still that emotional journey – moments that make you laugh, smile, get pissed and just a little crazy – on the way to the HEA that we’ve come to expect and enjoy. I’d forgotten how much this book just made me feel happy and content.

For me, a good book’s way to my heart always begins with the strength of its characters, and there is never any doubt that when you pick up a KA book that you connect with the individuals in those pages. As is typical for her books, I both loved and hated Ham. Familiar from the start, the description of Ham, his character, his lifestyle, instantly established that connection/draw to this more than brash alpha male. He certainly had his grumpy, brooding, in your face moments where you questioned his sanity just a bit until you discovery the hurt behind them. But even when his words and actions seemed harsh and out of place, his love for Zara was never in question. I loved Zara. She was incredibly normal and relatable, despite the trauma and drama of her upbringing and struggles through the recession and her divorce. She clicked with me on an emotional level as well. Her freak outs, I felt and understood them. Her fears and doubts with Ham – I agreed with her wholeheartedly, even when completely irrational (but totally female). Her elation as life started to hand her the good things – I experienced that too. And I loved watching those good things happen.

Jagged was another delicious and emotional treat. Because the journey we experienced with Zara and Ham was so engaging, I did not miss the usual drama. Well, that and watching the big, bad Ham finally admit to what he should have known all along. This was a sweet and totally fulfilling read that has you fighting for that special love it takes years to acknowledge, second (and third and fourth) chances, and finding all the special ways to show love, to that special person, friends, and family, without ever speaking a word. I finished in such a happy place. Why not read a book that takes you there?

Kristen Ashley is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, and Jagged does not disappoint. Ms. Ashley scores another 5-star read from me with this steamy, humorous, suspenseful second-chance romance.

It is worth noting for those of you who are new to this series, that Jagged, like the other books in the Colorado Mountain series, can be read as a standalone as each book centers around the love life of a different couple.

What do you do when the love of your life will not commit? You move on to someone who will. Zara Cinders did just that. Unfortunately for her, three years later, she found herself divorced, and in financial trouble when her business goes under.

In typical Kristen Ashley alpha hero style, the minute that Graham "Ham" Reece, Zara's ex, hears about her woes, he makes it his mission to help her. As Zara knows that Ham is not the type to stick around for long, however, she is reluctant to give in to the temptation to take him up on all that he is offering. Even if Ham has seen the error of his ways, will he be able to convince Zara to give him a second chance?

One of the best parts about this story was Zara. I loved that she was strong, witty and sassy. Not willing to settle for anything less than what she wants. Additionally, as always, I can't help but love Kristen Ashley's breed of alpha hero. You can always count on a KA hero to sweep in to save a damsel in distress and to be one hell of a sexy man doing it too!

I will no doubt be reading Kristen Ashley titles for as long as she is willing to write them! They always seem to hit just the right spot!

Source: First Reads Goodreads Giveaway!

The focus of this book centered on Graham (Ham) Reece and Zara Cinders. Secondary characters did not detract from them but were appropriately supportive. Ham's showed Zara through his actions that she was loved by him. Words had no meaning to him (slowly his back story was revealed). Zara's backstory was haunting/hard but not revealed until later in the book. Both of them had to work through a lot "stuff" to reach a happy-ever-after. The climatic scenes at the end of the book were great. I enjoyed the journey.

In Jagged we head back to Gnaw Bone and meet Zara and Graham “Ham” Reece. Zara and Ham have been playing this game for years. And although she knows that she loves him, she also knows Ham is not the kind of guy that settles down. But Zara wants more. She wants a family one day. So when Zara finds herself with the option a go-nowhere-romance with Ham or moving on with Greg, she walks away… and Ham lets her. But three years later Ham is back. Zara’s marriage is over and Ham is ready to step back in and help her get back on her feet – whether she wants his help or not.

Something shifts within Ham’s world. He has Zara in his life for nearly a decade and after letting her walk away he is not going to let that happen again. But now he just has to get her to realize it. Zara never stopped loving Ham or wishing he was the type to settle but since she is so certain of that she fails to see the signs that something has changed for Ham. And he just has to be sure to show Zara what he can’t seem to find the words for.

In typical KA fashion we get a strong-tell-it-like-it-is alpha male, but we also get that tender side that makes you instantly melt. There was something missing a bit in the typical drama side to the story in this one for me though. We did get drama, but not the same type we usually see. I kept waiting for the other shoe to fall and it just never really did. But what I absolutely loved about this was purely about Ham. He was so tender when it counted.

I had to prepare for this book by reading the first four in the series and although other ones in the series stood out more for me, I was happy to get the return trip to Gnaw Bone to get updates on the locals. Although Nina and Holden weren't forgotten in the other books, we get a lot more of them in Jagged along with the rest of the characters of The Gamble.

There is just something about the way Kristen Ashley writes, not just in the characters she creates – but the way she is able to create such strong heroes. The ability to balance the alpha male and the tender side of the same tough as nails guy when he falls in love.

There is a reason why when we all read a romance that has as alpha male in it, we all relate it to KA. She sets the bar when it comes to bada's. Heck, KA could be its very own genre among romance novels.

Another great addition to the Colorado Mountain series! Kristen Ashley's males are always so bossy, so hot, so alpha, so MALE and Graham Reese/Ham is certainly no exception. But he's not the settling down kind, and Zara wants it all. She tells Ham that she's waiting for someone who will marry her & he walks out of her life. Five years later, she's divorced and Ham & Zara reconnect. Ham is now ready for forever - if he can just convince Zara that he's the man for the job. As always, there are tears, laughter, tension, issues to overcome, and always, lots of hot sex! Loved seeing some of the characters from other books in this one - Max, Mindy, Nina & more. I always feel such a sense of family in KA's books as stories are often entwined. And as always, the epilogue is Perfecto! A Must Read!

I read this as a stand alone because I haven't had a chance to read the earlier books in this particular KA series... but they are on my list! I had no trouble reading this as a stand alone but at the same time I wish I had started with the earlier books because maybe I would have loved this one instead of just liked. It felt like something was missing...
I did not like the pet name "Ham" for the lead man. It just seemed like a strange choice for a pet name. I personally had a lot of trouble understanding his slang talk... I had to go back and re-read several times to try to decipher what he was saying. This is obviously a language I'm not familiar with... LOL.
The story itself is pretty good... it did feel very familiar, however, to the motorcycle characters I've read in prior books so I didn't feel like I was getting something different or unique, just more of the same. But more of the same from KA is not a bad thing... we always get a good story from her even if it does seem to follow the same formula.
KA is a very talented author and I have decided that I need to sit down and have a KA marathon and pull out some of her earlier books. She has a way of injecting her personality into her books that is very entertaining and pleasing to us ladies who are "ahem" older! But, I do feel like we are losing some of that KA creativity from her earlier books. I would love to see her move away from the motorcycle persona.
This book will either highly please or slightly disappoint depending on what you are expecting...

I reviewed this at MustReadBooksOrDie with my friend Shelley:

Shel: So just when I think I have some things figured out about Kristen Ashley she tweaks things and surprises me. Jagged was a nice surprise in the Colorado Mountain series. It still had the components we all love: Colorado, a very strong and hot male, and a strong woman, and a dual POV ..but the THING they have to overcome is less angst producing. I guess I felt like Zara and Ham find common ground early and stay fairly even-keeled throughout.

Court: Sort of. I agree with you with their dynamic being different, but for the first time in a long time or at least that I can remember their start wasn't easy at all. They let each other go, because that wasn't who Ham was. And Zara moved on. That was a surprise. Their long time friendship/relationship is a new one for this series, and I was frustrating greatly by Ham and even Zara at times. But their huge implosion at one point is very genuine, and also another direction. Ah, it is just so good, I don't even know what to say!

Shel: It helps that in the few times we hear from Ham, we get a ton of information that helps us know his intentions and a lot of the Zara backstory. He never really made me mad because I knew so much and I knew that he wasn't screwing around. He's just such a steady and protective force for Zara which is not only what she needed, it's what she wanted. Court: That is true. Thank God for his point of view, because without it I would not have liked him as well, as early I don't think. And I have to say that I am sure some people will be meh about the Ham nickname, but when I was almost done I came to the realization his first name is Graham...so I was much more ok with it. (Hey, nicknames are important in KA-land)

Shel: Zara is one of the more reasonable Kristen Ashley heroines. Yes, she definitely has a backbone and some fight to her but she also tends to balance her desire to pick a fight with her desire to be reasonable. She's also good at admitting when she's wrong and apologizing...actually they both are. Zara has several battles to fight but with Ham and her friends and the community at her back she handles these with grace.

Court: I loved Zara, a lot. And I really loved Ham. We get appearances from Max and Nina (a la The Gamble) so I enjoyed very much getting to see some characters we haven't seen in a while. Jagged is a really cool title, as they always are...and totally fit this book. And even though these books are always a whack (as in a lot of pages, I just love using "a whack" in a sentence) I finished it in mere hours because I was seriously hooked!

Shel: While this return to Gnaw Bone, Colorado (that name slays me every time!) was more mellow and less ticking me off, I loved every second of my re-emergence into Kristen Ashley land (aka KA Land) and look forward to coming back soon. Court: Always. Always. Always!

Shelley: 5 Stars Courtney: 5 Stars

This is a very engaging, emotionally charged romance. It is a little raw in language but rich in love and happy ending! Rating 4.25

I think any woman who has ever loved a ‘rolling stone’, non-committing man can relate to the emotional heart wrench of Zara’s experience of letting Ham go. It is kind of nice to suspect while reading that this is likely to have a Happy Ending even though real life doesn’t always work that way.

After five years of their relationship Zara was hungry for stability and a family. Knowing he was a wanderer, Zara let Ham go and married Greg who adored her. Zara lost her marriage to guilt, her business to recession and her house to foreclosure.

Zara is struggling day to day when Ham returns. He has taken the job as manager at a local bar and he gets her to waitress there where she will earn three times what she was making at a regular day job. Ham, at forty-three, knows now that he wants Zara but he realizes that she has to get on her feet a bit and he will have to show that he is ready to settle and stay this time...with only her.

At this point the story was a third in and I wondered how the author was going to stretch the rest of this without just dragging along the relationship. Fortunately there was more story to come! Zara and Ham learn that her sister has just died and the nephew born nine years earlier wasn’t given away for adoption but is being raised in a nearby town by an Aunt. This begins a whole new angle in an already engaging story.

"Jagged" is a perfect title for the emotional levels in this story. It applies at different times and under different circumstances to both Ham and Zara, although the author presents it more with the less verbal male expressions. I was completely pulled in by the depth of the emotions and a plot that could be real life. The characters might be stereotyped by their jobs and their loose language but to do so makes me feel I am being snobbish. Even though I might not be able to relate totally to the characters I could relate to the confusion, insecurities and courage it takes to risk in loving that are wonderfully portrayed through this relationship.

There is much more foul language and more detail in the sex area than I like. However the sexual scenes, in their passion, fun and intensity, reflect a strong, healthy, loving relationship. By the time the language began to bother me a bit I was too far engaged to want to stop. I can understand why many romance readers would enjoy Ms. Ashley’s stories if they don't mind the rough language and they like strong, life-like characters and true-grit emotions struggling to a happy ending.

Jagged is only the second book of Kristen Ashley's (and I've read lots) that I've given 4 rather than 5 stars. It's not because I didn't like it, because I did like Jagged ... a lot however it's not what I've come to expect when I sit down with a Kristen Ashley novel. Graham and Zara worked their way into my hearts just all the other characters of the Colorado Mountain series. Their story is uniquely endearing as the persons themselves. Graham, a typical Kristen Ashley alpha, could not get any more sweet. I find it fascinating that KA can make you love her men even when their being not so nice. Graham was definitely not so nice at times but this was during the heat of the moment. He totally made up for it. I really feel for Graham. His back story is gut wrenching and when he's feeling that he made a decade-long mistake I felt him for him too. This is testament to Kristen Ashley's writing; it absorbs you. You're sucked into the lives of these characters so much that you feel what they feel every step of the way. Zara is a typical Kristen Ashley female lead. She's funny, confident, beautiful, and a total spitfire even when her past dictates that she could be beyond repair. Zara proves she has risen and she amazes Graham with her strength. The secondary cast of Gnaw Bone is back in a big way. It was great catching up with Nina, Max, Mindy, Cotton, and Arlene. The sense of family KA created in Gnaw Bone makes you feel peaceful. I imagine just the way Graham felt when he decided to settle there. So why wasn't it 5 stars you ask? Two reasons. One, Jagged was not nearly as long as a normal Kristen Ashley book. The length and provided detail in her books is one of the reasons I enjoy reading them so much. Jagged goes to quick, I was not ready for it to end. And secondly, the epilogue. I was totally disappointed in the epilogue. It was a good epilogue but again too short and not enough detail. We always, always get an awesome eye witness show into the future of our favorite couples. I didn't get that with Graham and Zara. KA has set the bar too high of what I come to expect. However, if you like Kristen Ashley you'll like Jagged. Their story doesn't have a huge climatic chapter, more a small climatic episode at the end which is unusual for KA book but I didn't find it unwelcome. It's a nice change and seemed to fit the story, since it was shorter. All the usual elements of her stories are here, as well. Jagged is a great story with two amazing characters who will make you hurt, laugh, and smile.

Sexy, alpha males. It's what Kristen Ashley in known for. Ham ranks right up there as a take no bull and pull no punches type of guy. So after his near miss with a serial killer he re-evaluates his life and realizes there is one that has almost got away. He puts a plan in motion and sets his sights on getting back his Cookie, Zara Cinders. She was one of his stops along the nomad life he had lived for years. A new look on life has Ham deciding to set things right between them.

Zara is smart, headstrong, and freshly divorced. Takes in the barely there appearance of a home she had saved and planned for. Her business has failed due to the economy and the last thing she expected to see when she turned on the television was the man she had once and still loved plastered all over the news as a near victim of a serial killer.

Reaching out to him probably wasn't a good idea but she has to know he is okay. What happens next is true Ashley magic. It's a story of real people with real problems and issues to overcome. Plain spoken guys with her trade mark..."Ya feel me?" thrown in. It's the story of their journey to reclaim themselves and each other.

Jagged is book five of the Colorado Mountain Man series but it can totally be read as a standalone.

4 Stars
T~

When I picked up Jagged, I knew nothing about Kristen Ashley or this series. I saw a bunch of my fellow book enthusiasts freaking out over this being released so I figured, what the heck! I’m glad I did! Jagged is the 5th book in the Colorado Mountain series but lucky for me, this is the type of series where you don’t have to read them in order and it won’t spoil the rest of the books. I’ve lived in Colorado for the past 14+ years and I love our mountain towns. I thought Kristen Ashley did a great job of creating a little town called Gnaw Bone, Colorado, with some very entertaining characters filling it. The secondary characters had me cracking up with their slang! Since I haven’t read anything from Kristen Ashley before, I went into this book not knowing the author’s writing style. After having read Jagged, I’m sure I could recognize a K.A. book without seeing the title or author page. She has a very distinct way of writing dialogue, a lot of it in clipped sentences. I’ll be honest, this took me some getting used to, but once I was able to sink myself into the story, it was just part of the characters traits and seemed natural for them to talk like that.

Jagged follows the story of Zara (LOVE this name!) and Ham (short for Graham – this name threw me for a loop! Ham? I don’t quite know what to make of it.) who start off as friends with benefits and years later, come back together again. Throughout their long and complicated relationship, whether living in the same town or not, Ham and Zara have maintained a friendship and always have been there for each other. When Zara decides that it’s time to move on.. be an adult… marriage and children… she has to cut Ham loose. You can feel how much this torments her as she’s doing it but where I really saw the denial and hurt, was in Ham. You could tell he didn’t want to let go. His words said it all, even though his actions may have allowed her to walk away.

Ham (despite his crazy nickname which made me picture Hamm from Toy Story) came across as this rough and tough mountain man. He’s the kind of guy that women throw their panties at and would give their left arm to get a piece of. He looks big and mean on the outside but once we get to see what his heart is made of, well, he won me over.

Fast forward 3 years and a whole lot of stuff has happened to Zara. Life didn’t turn out the way she thought it would when she let Ham go. Now she has to start over, try to pick up her pieces, and make a new life for herself. And you know who… ahem, Ham, comes back to town at just the right time. The guy is smart about trying to get his Zara back. Even though some of his tactics seemed a bit farfetched, he does whatever he has to try and make sure Zara is safe, and with him.

I almost felt like Jagged was two stories meshed together. We have the falling out of Ham and Zara and their reconnection, which felt emotional and passionate. I was hooked in the first part of the story – the fighting, the emotions, and their passion kept me enthralled. At one point, I thought the book was over, only to discover I was only halfway through. Then we segue into a whole new set of problems for Zara and Ham which were equally compelling. Even though the characters were all still present in the second half of the book I still felt like I was reading an extension. I’m not sure why the transition felt this way for me but it did. It didn’t stop me from reading it, because there’s a whole storyline with Zara’s family that’s pretty jacked up and made me want to punch some jerks, namely her father. I felt like the ending was a bit too perfectly wrapped up but after everything Zara had been through, she definitely deserved a happily ever after!

Zara and Ham fight hard. They love hard. It's a long road to love, a hard, full out battle to a happily ever after. I'm not usually a big fan of reunited lovers story but from the very first page Kristen Ashley immersed me in the history, passion and pain between Zara and Ham. I couldn't put Jagged down until I knew how Zara and Ham's story ended. There's hot sex, ex drama, a lot of rehashing the past, family drama, an ex murderer and a fierce love story.

Ham is a total alpha male. He's controlling yes, but it comes from a place of love, a desire for Zara to be safe, secure, protected and happy. He messes up but he loves fiercely and completely. But Ham? Zara's a sassy girl and that's the best nickname she could come up with? Definitely not sexy.

Zara has been through hell, the hows and whys of it are slowly revealed, but she never gives up. She keeps fighting as life kicks her knees out from her over and over again. She's always loved Ham, knew he was her forever, but he didn't feel the same way. Years passed and things changed and now Ham's back and she's still in love with him.

Disclosure: ebook provided in exchange for an honest review

Leary says...

If you've been following us for awhile and have read some of my reviews and seen some of my FB posts then you know that I am a HUGE Kristen Ashley fan. She is my GO TO author when I'm in a book slump and I seriously love all of her books!! As I'm sure I don't need to go on and on about why I love Kristen Ashley and want to have her babies... I should just tell you how much I love Graham Reece and Zara Cinders.

Zara is a tough cookie, let me tell you!! She's been through some pretty horrific events in her life that had me hurting for her and her sister. In true KA fashion, we are greeted with an strong, beautiful, witty, and hilarious heroine. I loved Zara and truly respected how hard she has worked throughout her life to try to find happiness that she seemed destined to never find. Zara met Graham Reece years ago and knew early on that he was THE one for her but knew that Ham was not a man to be tied down so she spent years watching him walk away to only come back every couple of months. When Zara finally sees a tunnel to happiness she has to break her own heart and end things with Ham.

Is a lifetime of happiness possible without Reece?

Ham...we briefly met Graham Reece in the first book in The 'Burg series For You. If you've read For You then you can probably recall who Graham was in the book..if not then you'll be reminded or you'll get a bit of a spoiler in Jagged. Ham has some major demons that have made him in to the traveling man that he is. Not only does he to battle back demons from what happened in For You but he has MAJOR demons from before the events in For You. Ham does not trust women. He does not let women in but all the women know the score, they have fun but nothing serious and he doesn't stick around in town for long. Never does he double back to the same woman...except for Zara. For years Ham has found himself traveling the country but always taking the time to make it back to Carnal to spend time with Zara.

After years of Zara watching Ham walk away..he finally gets a taste of his own medicine. Three years later, Zara finds herself at an extremely low point. Just like all those years ago..when Zara needs help, Graham is there to support her. Is he finally ready to battle his demons and lay down roots?!

I really did love their story. I was extremely excited when I got an advanced copy..seriously..I squealed!! Jagged is the fifth book in the Colorado Mountain series and it did not disappoint!! As usual, there are great back stories in Jagged for both Zara and Ham that had my heart hurting for both of them. I couldn't believe some of the things that they have both been through.

The chemistry between Zarah and Graham is OFF THE CHARTS!! Absolutely loved them together and thoroughly enjoyed their scenes..you know what I'm talking about!! KA can't bring us back to Carnal without giving us some action from old characters! I think that is one of my favorite parts about reading a KA book..we always get to meet up with previous characters!!

I did feel like Jagged was missing the usual action we are used to...where were the kidnappings, bombings, murders, etc?! Although we missed out on the normal action we get in a KA book I really felt like it was made up with an AMAZING back story and some really heart breaking moments. I could not get enough of Zara and Ham..I've already re-read the book a few times!!

You don't want to miss out on the Colorado Mountain series. See below for the series reading order! FYI, you can read Jagged without reading For You...just beware you will get some spoilers for For You.

4.5 bookies!!

(Quote)Life has certain things planned. I find, for some people, it takes you places you don't want to go but the path leads to where you need to be.

Zara and Graham "Ham" Reece had a special connection. They were on again, off again long distance for years. They broke it of and came back together just to fight. But now Ham is back in Gnaw Bone determined to keep her safe. Zara tried to get over Ham before, but her whole life just ended up in tatters. She is alone and has lost everything, so she really does not have a choice to accept Ham's help.

As long as they have known each other, Ham has always been a rolling stone with no roots. He moves around working at bars. But he never really wanted to lose the connection to Zara but was willing to do it for her. Ham makes no apologies for who he is. He is bossy, outspoken, protective and he has reasons for the way he is. But being almost killed apparently can make your priorities change. Ham moves back to Gnaw Bone and takes Zara back under his protective wing. Slowly we see them starting over with a new beginning.

(Quote)He'd been her one. It took him years to realize she was his.

I admit that book was a slow build up for me. I had a hard time connecting with them at first. Not sure if it was the nature of their long distance on/off again thing or the nicknames Ham, Cookie, Darlin'. But maybe a third of the way in, I really started to like them together. Ham grew on me. I enjoyed seeing Ham step up and them finding their way back. Ham was a typical KA possessive, bossy, no-nonsense alpha. he had a past that shaped his decisions. He had regrets. But he knew what he wanted and was not backing down again.

"Cookie, pay attention, I'm gonna give you everything."

Zara had her past issues bleeding into her present, but Ham was there to help her pick up the pieces. But she was likable, sweet, loving, and the whole town loved her. She was not a wimpy, sniveling heroine. She had been through so much and was just trying to keep it all together. And it was hard for her to believe that she might actually get her happiness after being beat down so long.

"...love is a show, it's not a tell. "

There was drama. Mostly family drama, some tension, and some relationship growing pains. They did face challenges. But not as much nail biting, heart stopping, life or death drama as others in this series or other KA books. It was actually kind of funny to me as she recounted the dangerous stories of some of the previous characters to remind us, and how over the top they almost sounded when written down that way. This one got kidnapped, that one was buried alive, that man was murdered, that one went to jail, etc.

I liked seeing the cameos of other characters from Gnaw Bone especially Max and Nina. But also Maybelline, Wanda, Cotton, Arlene, Kami, among others. It was like returning to visit old friends. But I admit it took me a bit to warm up to Zara and Ham. We did not really know much about Graham Reece before this, just what we got in For You from the Burg Series where he was involved with February Owens and ended up a target for an ax murderer. Zara's history was slowly revealed throughout the book so we developed more of an understanding of what she had been through as the book went on.

"We got a shift to get through, baby, moving us to somethin' we've never had. You promise to hold on to me, I'll promise to hold on to you and we'll make it through."

They did have chemistry and that usual "KA tough man, tough chick finding their way together vibe." It was a sweet, second chance love story. But it just did not have all of the intense drama and emotional impact as some others. But I still liked it. The plot was interesting. I enjoyed the stories going on within it. I was satisfied. But it is not my fave of the series. It is hard to top Tate and Ty. I have read Sweet Dreams and Lady Luck several times. This one will leave me with a fond memory of the characters and story, but it might be awhile until I feel the need to reread it. But it was still a good book. I just think sometimes that I place high expectations on every Kristen Ashley book since some of hers are my favorite comfy reads that I can reread, so it is hard to settle for good when I am used to loving them. The next in this series will be Kaleidoscope about Jacob Decker.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW AT [...] !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What I Love About This Book: Well first, this is a Kristen Ashley book and I because of that reason I love it right off the bat. Also I think as a woman we can all put ourselves in Zara’s position where the man you really want is unattainable and just how heartbreaking that can be when you’re forced to walk away. We all have that “one who got away” in our lives, and that makes Zara a very lovable and relatable character from page one.

I liked Graham Reece from the ‘Burg series, and I fell in love with him in this book. He’s a freaking awesome character and it was great to see him get his happily ever after. A lot of scenes in this book are heartwarming, and while reading the epilogue I almost shed a couple of tears. I also like that Nina and Max are in this book a lot, it was great to get back to Gnaw Bone and to the original couple in this series. The other books in this series took place in the town over called Carnal, so it’s been awhile since a book took place in Gnaw Bone. This book is what makes me love Kristen Ashley and everything she writes, her books can you make you laugh and cry within seconds of each other, making you lose faith in the human race then five minutes later make you believe in the power of love. Jagged is a great story, with a freaking kick ass ending with not only great main characters but awesome secondary characters as well.

Cons: There wasn't a ton of drama in this book; the climax of this one was a little bit less dramatic than what is typical in a Kristen Ashley story. I love Kristen Ashley books I really do, but sometimes I kind of wish they varied a little bit more. The characters are all kind of the same, the flow of the books are all the same as well so after reading tons of her books the surprises are less and less. Also there were some lulls in the book that I felt like “alright let’s move this along please” and there were a couple times while reading this book I got a little bored.

~Reviewed by SUZANNE & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

Zara Cinders has been in love with Graham “Ham” Reece for a long time, but his lifestyle rolling from place to place, woman to woman doesn’t seem likely to change. So she settles, doing the hardest thing she has ever done and cutting Ham out of her life for good. When ZaAra’s life she settled for crumbles, Ham comes back determined never to let her walk away from him again.

It gets harder and harder to review Kristen Ashley books, I feel I am repeating myself over and over again; boring everyone with my raving fan girl verbal drool. But I can’t help it. Every time I open up one of her books, and Jagged is no exception, I am transported to my happy place where the guys are all hot ‘n alpha and the gals are funny ‘n feisty.

There is something though that I need to get this out of my system; the one thing that bugged me about this book. Ham. What kind of nick name is Ham? Ham just isn’t sexy, I kept just wanting to watch Babe whilst eating a sandwich, a ham sandwich. So in the end in my head I nicknamed him Gray. But name niggle aside, I really liked him he was sexy, he was alpha and although he wasn’t my favourite KA hero, he rocked my world whilst I was reading this. As did Zara, she was another great heroine, funny and smart I really liked her. I liked that she had the strength to walk away from Graham when she knew he wouldn’t give her what she wanted.

Together Graham and Zara were a great couple, but I also liked seeing characters from other books in Jagged. One of the best things, apart from the fabulous romance, about a KA book is the array of warm and funny secondary characters, or previous characters that appear in the book. Reading her books is like being invited back into a close family as you reacquaint yourself with all the eccentric characters that populate the KA universe.

Again I am repeating myself, but this was another great book from Kristen Ashley, it had a sweet and steamy romance; heart warming moments and laughs and she has left me on tenterhooks waiting for her next book.

*ARC provided by publisher

RATING: Four stars!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Zara Cinders always knew Ham Reece was the one, but he wasn't interested in settling down. When she found someone who was, Ham walked out of her life. Three years later, Zara's lost her business, her marriage, and she's barely getting by in a tiny apartment on the wrong side of the tracks. As soon as Ham hears about Zara's plight, he's on her doorstep offering her a lifeline. Now, it will take every ounce of will power she possesses to resist all that he offers.

Ham was always a traveling man, never one to settle down in one town, with one woman, for more time than absolutely necessary. But Ham's faced his own demons, and he's learned a lot. About himself, and about the life he knows he's meant to live. So when he hears that Zara's having a rough time, he wants to be the one to help. In fact, he wants to do more than that for Zara. A lot more. But first, he must prove to Zara that he's a changed man.

MY REVIEW:

Oh my, what a great, touching story. I’ve recently discovered Kristen Ashley, and I tell you, I cannot get enough of her books. She has a way about drawing in the reader until they know nothing else other than her characters.

This book was full of heartbreaking revelations and a lot of touching words. These two characters (Zara and Ham—love the names by the way) were truly and without a doubt, made for one another. They had to stand against test after test, but Kristen managed to pull them—and us—through.

If you are looking for a book that will grip you from page one to the end, this is it. If you’re looking for a book that shows true life and the strength needed to get through each day, then this is it. If you’re looking for happy faces, red roses, and puffy clouds, look away. This book will make you—as the reader—really dig inside to discover just who you are and how you’d react in the same situation.

What a lovely love story attached, though! Four out of five stars!

Kristen Ashley rocks my socks. Yep. I said it. I love almost every word she’s ever written and Jagged wasn’t any different for me. Taking me right back into one of my favorite series and straight into the Colorado Mountains, Ham Reece and Zara Cinders may be two of my favorite Ashley characters to date. Confident Ham (crazy character name, I know right) and insecure but strong Zara have a rocky start but quite the adventure when they finally find love with one another.
Ham and Zara have been together before, years ago and before Zara was married. Not ready to commit, Ham leaves Zara and moves away not able to see her be with someone who isn’t him. After the events involving a serial killer in the previous book, Breathe, Ham returns to Zara ready to do what it takes to reunite.
In the time Ham was gone, Zara forced herself to move on. Marrying, then her subsequent divorce, a great business run into the ground and finally reluctantly returning to her old job of waitressing, life hasn't’ been easy nor fair to Zara in the passing years. The attraction to Ham is still there but can she trust him to stick and stay when she needs him or will he just leave again?
Ham was an amazing hero and most definitely swoonworthy. He knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to do what he has to. He understands Zara has been hurt in the past and slowly tries to find his way back to her, in a way that is forever. I know I’m waxing poetic, but I loved it so stinkin’ much! Zara drove me crazy sometimes, she seemed indecisive or insecure, but it completely fits within the character. She’s had a rough past and wouldn’t move on with a skip and a wink, even if it was super hot Ham that she was skipping with.
All in all, Jagged is yet another fantastic story from Kristen. A lovely story about two people finding one another after heartbreak and healing hurts. Super sexy, fast paced, and great characters come together to create an instant classic for Ashley fans. I will warn you though, if you haven’t read the rest of the series, certain aspects of the story may be a bit confusing.

I'm still in two minds about this book as I'm not sure if I really liked it that much. I have heard such good things about this author and her reviews are always good and yet this my first read by her was just passable. I have to admit to feeling disappointed.
This story is about Zara Cinders and her on off and on again relationship with Graham Reece ( Ham) . Ham s a guy who doesn't want to be tied down and happily admits to being a bit of a drifter. Zara has always known that Ham is the one for her and in order to have some kind of life with him in it accepted their times apart but gets to a point when she has to let him go. She wants a home and family and just doesn't see that in a shared future with Ham.
Things don't quite work out the way Zara hopes and she finds herself single again. It's then that she finds out about Hams near death at the hands of a maniac and she can't help but reach out to him . Problem is Ham decides to pay her a visit and he realises that her life is at a low point and she needs help. Zara's a tough sort and doesn't want charity
but more importantly she doesn't want Ham to realise just how hung up on him she still is. Hams not the sort to take no for an answer though and pretty soon Zara has to believe that he could just be back for good! Life gets complicated though as Zara's past catches up and she's not sure if this time she will cope with losing Ham.
This isn't a bad book but I did feel that the plot dragged at times. The two leads have a passionate relationship but it just took too long for any real action to happen. Zara's family just didn't feel realistic to me and have to admit that Hams way of speaking just didn't work for me as at times he sounded almost childish.
I will try another book by this author but can't help but hope that it's more riveting then this. Well written-apart from Hams part! and I would give this a 3 and a half

"Jagged" What can I say except I was crying before page 10. This novel by Kristen Ashley ripped me up and left me jagged as I read it, consumed it, practically inhaled it all the while hoping and praying that Zara and Ham would find their way to each other.
God, I loved Ham, that big, bold, beautiful man! But, for someone so smart, he could also be a great big dummy. And Zara...she was one tough cookie. She needed to be to overcome the problems that seemed to plague her. I did have a problem sorting out some of the characters. Their stories were obviously from previous books in the series and not enough back story was included for me to incorporate them fully into this story. So, I "took them at face value" and skimmed their parts. I want to go back and read the series from the beginning and them reread "Jagged" Yes, it was that good for me!
"...love is a show, it's not a tell."
Wise words, Ms. Ashley. You told us a great love story but showed us how great that love could be through the actions of Ham and Zara.

Received through a Goodreads/ Firstreads giveaway

"Love is show, it's not tell."

And Kristen Ashley reminds us that hate is an influential emotion, but love is even more powerful and strong and that people who give it, usually end up receiving more of it.

I had my doubts about this book or rather the hero in it. He wasn't a jerk, not at all. But for all his awesomer-ness, I still felt like the rest of my Gnaw Bone townsmen (note on this later), that Graham Reece just wasn't good enough for Zara with a "fast smile, quick wit, and easy disposition." Especially because I prefer my book boyfriends without baggage of the female variety. And Ham had been dragging it around for a really long time.

But Kristen did what Kristen does. There were no people being held at gun point, no serial killers on the loose, no people being buried alive, there was an ax murderer but that happened at the beginning and was almost a side story, however, she delivered an moving story in which Ham having lived, learned and realizing he had what he needed and wanted in Zara, he lost no more time and did what was necessary to get her, and that included standing by her side being there when she needed him them most. He did it beautifully, and while doing so, he got the entire town's approval, including mine.

"Cookie, pay attention. I'm gonna give you everything."

So now is later, and one thing that can't be overlooked are the supporting characters. They make the story richer with their quirky personalities and personal accounts. In Jagged, I love how one such individual is surmised: "How can you be scary, nose, irritating, and lovable all at the same time?"

I absolutely love Kristen Ashley's books, but this is a new series for me cause I just recently found her. I know...I must've been living under a rock or something! I've read the Rock Chicks, Dream Men, Chaos series and started the Unfinished Heroes and loved every steamy adrenalin soaked minute of them and had heard of the Colorado series, but hadn't dived into them yet so when this book came up on Netgalley I figured it be the perfect chance to try it. I'm glad I did! Though, I must admit to taking a couple extra days to read it because the first 1/3 is completely emotionally exhausting....well, the whole book is emotional, but the beginning was rough. I admit to shedding a few tears. Zara was such a strong woman to grow up the way she did and to be able to deal with Ham the way she did. I honesty don't think I could've walked away. And Ham....what can you say about Ham? He's completely an alpha man that's for sure, but he's also kind, affectionate, protective, sexy, gruff, sometimes a little dickish, but you always know where you stand with him. Loved the entire book. Every bit of sadness, happiness, the incredible sex, the vishious fighting, just everything. So, why did I take half a star away? Well, he sounds like every guy in the above series I mentioned. The way they talk with clipped short sentences and certain mannerisms. As Ham is talking I can picture Tack or Mitch or Lee saying the exact same thing the exact same way. It's not bad, just the same. Would and will still recommend this book to every single reader I know.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

4.5 Stars

Zara Cinders and Graham "Ham" Reece have a casual friends with benefits arrangement and while this works for a time, Zara begins to feel more, want more and she decides it's time to cut their ties and grab her slice of happiness with another man. She marries but the relationship doesn't work because she's never loved him as much as she loves Ham.

Ham is almost murdered and she makes contact with him again. He arrives in Gnaw Bone and is furious at the conditions he finds her living in. He moves her into his apartment and offers her a job.

As usual Ms Ashley's characters sparkle. She uses the recipe of alpha male and quirky heroine, and this really works. The dialogue is witty, it can be long and convoluted, but by the end of the book we know the hero and heroine are meant for each other.

The first part of the plot centered on their on again, off again relationship and then and element from Zara's past is front and center. The plot worked well and I enjoyed the snippets of the future at the end of the book. There were a few bits of backstory repetition that I didn't get, mainly because I hadn't read previous books, but this was a tiny niggle.

This book is part of a series, although it does stand alone. I'd suggest for maximum enjoyment you start at the beginning, but if this book blurb grabs you, starting here will work too. I enjoyed this book and the romantic dance between hero and heroine was fun. I was riveted. Recommended.

Received from NetGalley

I loved Ham and Zara’s book! They get a second chance at love and what every person deserves but it isn’t easy. The author did an amazing job with giving us some of our favorite characters from The Gamble and new characters. The suspense wasn’t as severe as the other books in this series but it was full of heart. The love these characters shared was so beautiful. There’s not a lot I can say about it with out spoiler but it’s really good. 4 Stars #2OCCJD

I really just love all of Kirsten Ashley's books! She has a way of writing that just puts you right in the story and your heart and soul become invested in the characters and their story. I really just connected with Zara in this book. To be knock down so many times and still get up and continue to fight was just amazing. All that she has been through and still found way to keep going.
She was a real woman, with real issues we all face. There were times in this book that her stubbornness was just over the top. It just wanted to make me scream. That same frustrating trait is what got her through some of the most dark and difficult times. I love her and want to be her.

You will fall for Ham.Make no mistakes, there is just something so wonderfully dominating and arrogant about him that makes it hard not to want to drop your panties for this wonderful man. He has just a wonderful heart and spirit that makes you want him all the more!

This was such a great book. I got lost in the journey that Kirsten takes us on. It is filled with love, tears. heartwrenching moments, laughter and it is worth every second. I find myself rereading this book when I need to find a little hope and little courage. This book gives me that in spades. It was a true joy to read and gift from the author to all of us who read it. Thank you Ms. Ashley!

GAH! I don't even know where to start. This is Kristen Ashley. I love her books. I feel like I am constantly pushing her books down everyone's throats. I think it is safe to say that everyone who I forced her on has loved the books so maybe it is okay that I do this?

Kristen Ashley has a few book series and she manages to link them all together and I love that. It is great starting a new series and seeing people who you already know and love. Graham Reece was first introduced in book one of her `Burg Series For You. I read For You fairly recently but I didn't write a review because it was written a while ago and I don't want people to roll their eyes and say, "UGH she is writing another KA review?!"

This is happening. I am writing another KA review because I love her.

I love Zara and Ham together. KA always makes her characters feel real. People make mistakes and those mistakes can cause regrets. Zara and Ham have to work through their past decisions and work on what life throws them in their present.

Ham is so protective of Zara and I love that. She is his and he makes sure people know this. He also isn't irrational about it. He lets Zara know how he feels with his actions.

Another thing I love about this book is the friendships. Nobody takes friendship lightly in this book. I love that they support Zara and give her strength she needs to deal with things and stand up for herself.

I feel like I am letting you down with this review but I don't want to spoil anything.

I am sure if you read the others in the Colorado Mountain series you will want to read this too. If you haven't read the others then what are you waiting for? You're gonna want to get on that.

Kristen Ashley is a phenomenon in the writing industry with her multitude of books, often with overlapping characters and story lines. She is the best writer of alpha males (strong men who know how to take care of their women) and strong women (women who overcome adversity and are able to care for themselves and their men). Many reviewers seem to be tired of Kristen's books, saying they are all the same. I suppose for me though, that is what I like. When I buy a KA book, I know exactly what I am getting. I actually liked that this one did not have a homicidal maniac running around! KA is the master of taking a story, giving it interesting secondary characters and then writing more stories about those characters. With each series I have read of hers, I feel as though I know the town, know the people, know what to expect. And with each new book, I find myself wanting to go back and re-read old stories of hers just to remember all of the characters.
If you are a fan of KA, then this book will not disappoint - it is her typical alpha male, strong woman, rallying friends, familiar town.
If you are new to KA, then jump in and read all of her books. Her characters will become old story friends of your that you can revisit time to time.

Ms. Ashley decided to go a different route this time with her Colorado Mountain Man series. The characters, Zara and Ham, were not introduced to us in prior books but completely new. Zara came off a little weak to me and Ham was kind of a not nice guy. The story does come around nicely but not one of my favorites by Ms Ashley. All the old gang put in appearances but were not really part of the story. I think she over used the word "Jagged" to the point that once or twice I thought "I get it!" but over all it was a good book, thus the 5 stars. It kinda comes out of no where and just runs along in the series. Not really sure how she thought this would fit in the long run, I think it could have been a good stand alone. I have not read all of her other series so perhaps she was trying to bring CMM into another, by referencing characters unknown to CMM, but she didn't really tie it in to the point that I would go looking for those unknown characters.

Jagged.......by Kristen Ashley

What can possibly be said for a Kristen Ashley book, that hasn't already been said a thousand times. But Jagged, in the Colorado Series just wasn't up to my usual five star review for one of Ms. Ashley's books. Graham Reece, known as Ham, is a man who wanders for a living. Zara Cinders met him eight years before this story begins. He's handsome, sexy, drinks, has sex and leaves. That is his way of life. Zara enjoys being his friend with benefits, but needed more. She married a nice quiet guy, the polar opposite of Ham. A few years later, she's divorced, lost her business, penniless and heartbroken.
Ham returns, and takes her life in his hands.

I enjoyed these characters, but I have enjoyed similar characters with different names in her other books. I read every page, love her style of language and banter, but just couldn't connect with Ham and Zara. This will not prevent me from grabbing the next book she writes, but Jagged will not be a re-read for me.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
Pat Fordyce

A Solid 10 STARS!!
Okay let me start of saying that this is the fifth book in Kristen Ashley's Colorado Mountain series. They are all stand alones but you do run in to characters from the other books. Now on to the review. Every time I finish a Kristen Ashley book I'm like this is the best one. Every time without fail lol this time was no exception. I LOVE LOVE LOVED this book!!! Kristen Ashley you are the woman. No other woman can pull off an alpha male quite like she can. If you've read any of her books you know what i mean. Not only is she awesome with alpha males she has never wrote about a whiny pathetic woman. Her female characters are always awesome and i absolutely loved Zara she got knocked down she got right back up. Ham was amazing i think he is my new favorite alpha at least until her next book comes out lol. There's really nothing bad i could or want to say about this book or Kristen Ashley. Every story, every character, every page, and every line are beyond amazing. Thanks Kristen Ashley for being an awesome writer and sharing your stories with us.

Arc via netgalley this book I wanted to love. It was a good story, however the characters dialect threw me off. I could not stand they way they spoke. It was hard to follow, and really who speaks like this? I just couldn't get through the story with this ....Kristen Ashely is a fav of mine really wanted to love this

First of all, I am big KA fan. But I'm going to put it out here: the formula is getting tiring. I never made a connection with Ham (hate that nick) or Zara. I just had no investment in them. I didn't find myself being drawn to them; their nicknames bugged me; the storyline bugged me. It just all...bugged me.

I know that KA has her formula but I would like to see some coloring outside the lines in her publications. Here's the formula:
Hot Alpha man, lost/insecure/needy woman; cute nicknames, lots of over the top intimacy; girl needs saving; guy saves her; they live HEA

I love KA but I am slowly going to wean myself unless I see some stronger plot/themes. You might enjoy this one; but it was just okay for me.

I'm a big KA fan, having read 24 of her novels. The Colorado Mtn Series was fantastic! It doesn't get any better than Max and Tate, YUM! Jagged didn't even hold a candle to the other books in the series. Honestly her latest products, Knight, Creed and Fire Inside were disappointments. So now we can add Jagged to this lackluster list. There was nothing special or unique with the hero or heroine. In fact, Reese was a virtual carbon copy of her other alpha male characters: same personality, mannerisms and vocabulary, but he lacked depth. The plot was mildly dramatic, certainly not the level of her earlier stories. And the ending was short and boring, with no real epilogue. It seems to me her books are becoming redundant and expected. The incredibly dramatic, high suspense, emotionally exhausting books seem to be a thing of the past. Maybe we are asking too much of the author, demanding 3 and 4 books per year. Whatever is happening in the KA house, I hope she has a creative break-through, SOON! I'm looking for originality, high octane drama and hot erotic sex. Is that too much to ask?

3.5 star read for me

It was a pleasant read but the plot just sort of fizzled out as it progressed for me. Even with that though it was still a decent book that I'm glad I took the time to read.

The pros:
* It was fairly priced at .99 at my time of purchase
* Kristen Ashley is the master storyteller
* I loved how Feb from the Burg series was part of Ham's past and mentioned in this read

Cons:
* I never got a solid feel for Ham and Zaras relationship - I didn’t really feel their bond/connection
* The plot was a tad unrealistic for my preference
* The sex scenes seemed tamer then the typical KA reads - I was left wanting a bit more details/passion
* I really hate the nickname Ham. It even caused me to cringe at times
* "Honey, sweetheart, darling" used repeatedly
* The epilogue left me wanting more

There's nothing like a Kristen Ashley novel that gets your heart pumping and stomach in knots. Her heroines are smart, not perfect but beautiful, her heroes don't always treat the heroines right, but still creeps into your heart. This novel isn't different. Zara has always waited for Ham until she couldn't wait anymore. Then comes a time when what she settled for wasn't enough. That's when Ham realizes he should've been ready to settle down because he let go the best thing he had in Zara. It's Ashley's trademark push/pull between the hero and heroine that gets the reader rooting for their relationship. I loved Ham showing Zara how he was always there for Zara even when he didn't know it himself. It's classic Kristen Ashley but diluted. While I love all of her books, the past couple of been missing a little something that her earlier books had. I still love her books though and will keep reading, hoping that what ever that extra umph she had before will come back.

I am almost done with Gamble. I think this is my third reading. I am enthralled with the entire series. Lady Luck is my favorite. I'm not too fond of Kaleidoscope. I think Breathe is a tad weak compared to the others, but still good. Finished Bounty for the second time two days ago. Too much pondering so I skipped pages. I liked the story line and the people in the story. I own two, Gamble and Lady Luck. Gonna have to purchase the others so I can have them with me wherever I go.

Thank you.

I enjoyed this KA book but it was not terrific. It seemed to me there were a lot more KA-isms in this one and they annoyed me a bit. She did write the book it is true, but what I mean is the convoluted sentence structure that is her signature. Saying something happened like "I smiled", then "Ham smiled" and then "I turned into the pillow and smiled" and on and on. It was a bit much this time. I love KA's world though and although not a complete fan of Ham da Man, I still enjoyed reading this relatively drama free book. I was hoping Zara would bring a lot more conflict because Ham was not exactly committed to her and would never have been if not for the axed-by-an-ax-murderer wake-up call, hmmmpphhh but that was fine, at least there was no kidnapping-rescue-fair-maiden-forced-confession ending here. All in all, a pleasant read.

Ka has always been an auto buy for me. I have seen a change in the writing depth and feeling and cannot understand. I too have trouble with ham. I can't love him as a book boyfriend cause I don't like him. He isn't all about Zara. Who cares if he had feelings for Feb. Should have come out that he never really loved Feb, only Zara. Please come back to your unique style, Kristen, please. I have every book of yours. Bring back the old style. We miss you.........

Loved this story & all the characters. Kristen does an outstanding job of intertwining some recurring folks in this small town (along with the main characters of course) Enjoying the whole mountain series. These people really linger, long after the story ends. Makes me want to not only read more but invite them over for dinner!!!

I have to start by saying that this is the first book I've read in this series. I have no back ground knowledge of these characters.
I had serious issues with Ham. He was too bossy, controlling, possessive, "Ugg me Man you woman", for me. I just cringed every time he was thrilled by her passive, easy personality. He doesn't get it but it really rubbed me wrong the whole concept.
Zara, She was the doormat for this guy to wipe his shoes on and come and go as he pleased. She was not important enough to herself to change this. I know, she was a victim of abuse and had serious issues. I don't like to read about people who are down and accept it, even for a while. She does get up and stand but it was too late for my comfort as a reader.
I love this author's Rock Chick series and I do love her writing. This book's characters and story just did not work for me in anyway. I will continue to follow her work but not this series.

This story had no suspense. It lacked the great drama and the major threat that is usually present. Her father was abusive...and what else? Lots of other characters had horrible home lives, but also faced a major crisis..like sombody tryin to kill them! I was at the wedding dance scene and thinking at 91% this can't be it! Oh, yeah, those nicknames were annoying too. If I started screaming "Ham" during sex, I can only imagine what my lover would do. Probably think I was unstable...or hungry! Come on KA, don't let us down now after years of the best mystery romance out there...

I have read and listened to the whole series and this is my hands-down favorite couple so far (I love both Zeke and Wood so I'm looking forward to their stories). I think what throws people about this book and also struck me at first was that their characters weren't as tightly integrated with the ones from the previous stories except in a couple of places. There were some cameos but mostly Nina was their lawyer and that was the most integrated character. I love that the couples in this series are older and hoping for a chance at real love. When you're young you are too closely invested and it's harder to look at relationships without thinking 'love will make it ok.' These two have had a 5 year relationship of seeing each other whenever Ham blows into town. Zara knows he has other women in other towns and has finally convinced herself that she is willing to give up Ham for a chance at a family of her own and a place for them to grow. Ham is not happy about the fact that Zara won't let him keep in touch but he lets her go. Events pick up three years later when the lives both had planned had not gone the way they were meant to. A newscast, a telephone call and a truck ride later, Ham and Zara see each other again and have their first fight ever. Zara tells Ham not to get in touch again and Ham agrees but finds he can't stay away. It is a story with great characters, great side stories and sooo much heart. I really think it's the most satisfying story of the series and the ending is PERFECT. It's more perfect if you have heard the song they dance to in the book. It's like their story set to music. I really love the audio edition of this so if you're an audiobooks fan, check out your local library or the Audible store here on the store. It's a keeper!

Rating: 2 Star - Ok

Spoil Free review

I am torn as I am a huge Kristen Ashley fan but Jagged was a disappointment. Right from the start I could not connect with the characters. Jagged is full of telling and no showing that leads to no chemistry between the characters and the sex scenes flat. Had to put Jagged down many times and was very hard to pick back up. Scenes felt like they were thrown in, some scenes were just nonsense rambling and lots of scenes felt pushed.

Jagged is shorter than Kristen Ashley older novels and love that it is like this, but it missed it mark having the novel fleshed out nicely. Where did all the sexy alpha males go that are so well fleshed out through her novels? I love her unique writing style and absolutely love her alpha male heroes and the twist and turns that come with them. She is also known for her corky sidekicks with woman friends and for me they usually work and think they work for me because I am already in love with the alpha male hero by then and so engrossed in the story. In Jagged I would of rather of have less of them and more of a fleshed out alpha male hero.

She is known for sometimes having silly nicknames but Cookie and Ham to date are the worse. Graham Reece is a very sexy name for a hero and I would of rather have his nickname be Reece than Ham.

In Jagged and her Chaos series I notice each Chapter starts off with 5 months later, 3 weeks later, 2 days later etc. I am not liking the time line with each chapter.

Kristen Ashley is the Queen of best epilogues and yes some are more my favorite than others but readers do not get this in Jagged. How it continues with Graham and Zara HEA is sweet but felt a little coded and would of loved to have a real epilogue that I have come to love when finishing a Kristen Ashley novel.

I love the idea of the plot but the execution was not happening. Jagged was very close to becoming a DNF for me but I held on hoping something would wow me and a few times Reece became sexy and would say something smart mouth like her older heroes would do and then that would be it. So for the 2 stars-ok rating Jagged had so much potential to be a good intense read with a sometimes sexy alpha male hero just itching to come out.

I still have many books to read in Colorado Mountain and Burg series and look forward to reading them. Even though Jagged was an Ok read for me I still get excited when Kristen Ashley has a new book release. I look forward to reading Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain #6)

ARC provided by Publisher, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) at NetGalley for an honest review.

Other books in series with my ratings:
The Gamble (#1)
Sweet Dreams (#2) - 5
Lady Luck (#3)
Breathe (#4)

Originally posted at Wickedly Delicious Book Blog

Oooooh. how I love Graham Reece!!! He's amazing...
I didn't care for him in the beginning, cuz he let Zara walk away when she so clearly loved him!
At first you think he's just a player, and don't wanna settle for one woman, which I guess is kinda true, but you don't realize his reason and you realize when he starts explaining it, that he has a valid reason...

Zara's dad needs to be put down... I wish he got more than he got, but.. I guess he got what hurt him the most....even if it wasn't enough... I wish her mom would have gotten more than she got, because she let everything happen when a mother is the one who should shield the child from the bad of the world...

She had such great friend and I understood the pride that wouldn't let them help, but I do wish she would have made Ham grovel more in the beginning, and maybe alittle throughout.... I feel like she gave in too easy... and she was justified to be mad and angry and hurt....
But I can't go against Kristen Ashley.... she's amazing and I love her more than any author ever!

I'm glad with the way it turned out and I can't wait to read more stories from more series!!!! I'm looking forward to it!

Don't pass this up... Kristen Ashley is a genius!!!

Jagged, book #5 in Kristen Ashley's Colorado Mountain series, was simply put....amazing! Whenever I pick up a book by Kristen Ashley I know that I'm going to get 3 things - extremely well written characters who I fall in love with almost immediately, exceptional writing that grabs me from the first page and doesn't let go and finally, a well thought out and executed plot that progresses not only the book but the series as well. Jagged delivered all three fabulously!

After several books, we are finally returning to Gnaw Bone, the town where it all started with the first book in the series, The Gamble. I love the atmosphere, the town and all of the people within it. I was really excited to get the chance to "catch-up" with previously introduced characters like Arlene, Cotton, Max and Nina - and Jagged did not disappoint in delivering a fabulous secondary cast.

Zara has lived her whole life in Gnaw Bone and that life hasn't always been easy. Even through all the dysfunction and heart breaks that she has suffered through, she remains positive, upbeat, optimistic and continues to move forward with the help of her close knit circle of friends. Graham `Ham' Reece is a nomad, moving from place to place never settling down. He is honest, hard-working and a man who says what he means and means what he says. He doesn't play games or sugarcoat his words, but he also gives with all of his heart.

Zara and Ham met years ago when he settled in Gnaw Bone for a short while. They worked together at a local bar and a relationship started from there. Zara knew that Ham wasn't in it for the long term, but she hoped. After Ham left town several months later, they continued to see each other off and on for over 5 years albeit not exclusively. Zara always wanted more, but Ham wasn't ready to commit. So after Zara meets someone else, they lose contact with each other. Move forward several years, add a divorce and ax attack, and they meet again with sparks flying the entire time. I love a good second chance romance and, even though Zara & Ham's story has a slightly different spin, Jagged is a perfect addition to that trope.

Zara and Ham's relationship is real, honest, raw, sexy as hell and breathtaking. Kristen Ashley writes some of the most amazing couples that I have ever had the pleasure to read. Her words, through these magnificent characters, just slay you as the reader. Your hearts bleeds, melts and fills up all at the same time. Ham's fight for Zara's love is just beyond beautiful. I loved every length that he was willing to go to, and every word that he uttered, in order win her back. Their story, and this series, continues to prove why Ms. Ashley is one of my favorite authors.

Kristen Ashley is a master storyteller and it is my opinion that every book of hers should be devoured. Jagged is no exception. While this title can be read as a standalone, I do suggest reading this series in order. Previous characters play large secondary roles to Zara & Ham's story, and it helps to understand and know their backstory. Ending with a fabulous Epilogue, Jagged is a must read for any fan of Kristen Ashley or the contemporary romance genre. You will not be disappointed with this installment!

Jagged starts off with Zara facing the love of her life who can't commit and telling him that she can't see him anymore. She's met someone else and wants to give it a real shot and in order to do that she can't see Ham anymore. Flash forward 3 years and Zara is now divorced and seeing on the news that Ham was brutally attacked by a serial killer. Her next phone call changes everything for her.

Ham was always the one for Zara. She had loved him since she first met him but knew that he was a wanderer, and never stayed in one place too long. Ham would always end up coming back to Zara though and every time he left it took a small piece of her. Now Ham is back and he's putting down roots and wants Zara to be in his future. She's had a run of bad luck and when Ham shows up again she doesn't want to believe that this could be a good thing and that he may have changed. When things start finally looking up for these two Zara's past shows up and threaten to derail their happy ending. Secrets are discovered that threaten to break Zara and Ham must rise up and take care of business and Zara or risk loosing her.

I really enjoyed this book. I have always really liked Kristen Ashley's book. She writes hot alpha males and women who won't take anyone's crap. This story is no different. Ham knows what he wants and refuses to accept anything less. Zara had such a trouble background that she could have been a completely different person, but she grew strong and became a caring women who built a family based on love and friendship. She was a great female lead and I really enjoyed being inside her head throughout this book.

As always I will definitely read more of Kristen Ashely's books and I would recommend this to anyone who likes second chance love stories with hot alpha males.

Well, I missed this series. But now that I have read the 5th book, the Cold Mountain series has been placed on my to be read list. Kristen Ashley has given readers a treat in this latest romance. The lead characters are infinitely complex and beautifully drawn. The reveal of their characters happens slowly and their growth both individually and as a couple is what drew me to their story. The setting is exquisite, Ms. Ashley has created a secondary character in Colorado Mountain, and her other characters are just as strong. Fast pacing, great dialogue, passion and a strong storyline made this a great read.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

So while I still Love Kristen Ashley this was not my favorite book.. DO NOT THROW THINGS AT ME I STILL LOVED IT!

I liked Zara - Cookie and I loved me some Ham (You know like the ham with some honey on it type of ham)

I love the "friends with benefits" relationship and everything about this book the only thing that I had a problem with is Cookie.. She never really got to show herself and I did not connect with her the way that I usually connect with KA's characters. So honestly I have nothing really bad to say about this book. It was amazing and I really love this series. Cannot wait to read Kaleidoscope next!

So I have read almost every book of KA, except for the rock chicks that I could simply not stand because of the female leaders. I have to say that this book is just OK, plain and simple. It was a nice read, not the usual KA that keeps you captivated until the last moment. The characters were a lot like all of KA's other characters. The female leader (who was also a bit of a stupid stubborn head at some point), the alpha male, the girlfriends who support the heroine, the bunch of sidekick guys who are unable to make a whole sentence with good grammar. None of this is actually a negative point, but this is not a book that I would read again. There is definitely something missing in this book. I can't really put my finger on it, but the book ends leaving you unsatisfied, there should have been more to it. There are some issues that are left not completely resolved, then all in all you feel that the book ended unbruptly....

Conclusion: Not a bad book, but also not a very good one...

Loved Zara and Ham's story! Their history together was long and very complicated, but it was sweet and loving. Graham Reece may be a big, bad biker dude with a mountain of women issues, but he would drop anything to get to Zara, if she needed him. Zara Cinders had a very troubled childhood, and she has a lot of issues with her family. But, she is a fighter and a survivor. I really enjoyed getting to see the Gnaw Bone characters again. They always provide lots of laughs and support. This is such a great series by an incredible writer.

I’ve had an intense love affair with Kristen Ashley’s series and characters over the past year and a half. I love how she was able to write a breathtaking love story, and still have a solid plot. Yes, this usually meant that her books were incredible long, and yes sometimes she overwrites certain things (I really don’t need to know every detail to every outfit worn) but they were solid books and I couldn’t wait to read the next one. Then something happened, and that something was being published. I work for a publishing company, I know how they work and generally an editor is an amazing thing for self-published authors, but I don’t think that’s the case for KA. I think whoever is editing KA’s books now are taking away from the overall story.

Jagged is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. Because the book has been shortened from KA’s normal length it’s lost it’s luster. Now we don’t have time to fall in love with Ham and Zara as a couple. Half-way through the book they are fine and solid; we know nothing is going to break those two up. What I miss is the courting and fights; I want to see the couple fall in love. I want to experience every moment with the characters like we used to, but that hasn’t been the case in the last few books.

Something else that bothers me is that all of KA’s characters are kinda the same. They’re all badass men and women who know how to put them in their place. I wouldn’t really have a probably with this if they didn’t all talk the same way! In every book I can expect the woman to be “My man this. My man that.” and I can expect the dude to constantly interrupt his lady love. I just want some diversity, and I definitely think KA is talented enough to give us that!

I gave Jagged three stars. It was fine, not my favorite but not my least favorite either. I just want more from my Kristen Ashley books, and lately they haven’t been delivering. Of course I will keep reading them, because I love me some Kristen Ashley, but I’m really hoping she finds a way to be a published author and still keep her style.

This book was dropped into my lap a while back and I took my time getting to it because it was from a well established series that I hadn't touched yet. I like the writer and heard the series was good, but waited thinking I would start at the beginning. That didn't happen so... I finally said heck with it and plunged in. My plunge worked out fine. Turns out the connections in the series are loose enough that I didn't have trouble.

Just over 10% into this book, I was ready to shut the cover and set it aside. I did not like either main character. They both came across as horridly selfish and looked like poison when they were together. Something made me keep reading and not give up and I'm glad I heeded the gut feeling. I won't say that this is the best romance ever or that it is the best by this author, but it was good. Fair warning, there are going to be some pretty selfish moves made and some ugly stuff said, particularly near the beginning. It won't set right with most people and may turn them off these two for good, but I'm putting this out there- be patient and the next part of the book might make up for that stuff and even soothe it so that it falls within a broader sense of understanding of the characters. Both of them shoot their mouths off and have some pretty messed up thinking at times, but they do learn and grow. So...yes, this is a be patient until it gets real type book.

And if you need proof that these two will get to some good loving and can be a fun couple? I give you a few quotes:
<i>"You're unpredictable, lately," I shared.
That got me another glance, this one surprised, before he asked, "How's that?"
"Committed. Possessive. Forthcoming. You were always awesome but you're exponentially awesome...er," I explained.
I caught his grin before he asked, "I'm awesome...er?"
"Exponentially awesomer," I corrected.
That was when I got a chuckle and Ham's hand snaked out to grab mine and take firm hold. </i>Loc.2773 Zara and Graham from Jagged

Ham's take on love that leaves Zara a puddle of goo after she got the wrong end of the stick about his past.
<i>"The point I'm makin' is, I do not feel that way about anyone, Zara. I'm a good man and I'll take a friend's back but no one gets that s*** (his I love yous) from me. Not ever. Not since Rachel. Not Feb. Not anyone. But you. Now, are you finally gettin' how you need to start payin' attention?"
"Yes," I whispered because, finally, I was.
Ham still wasn't done.
"Then pay close attention to this. A man is not what he says, babe. He's what he does." </i> Loc. 3083 Graham and Zara from Jagged

Ham explaining why he never says the actual words.
<i>"And after the third (woman), I really learned. After the third, I knew those words were empty. You can say anything but it's what you do that says it all...Never said those words again, cookie," he told me. "Women said them to me, didn't believe it. Those words had lost their meaning."
Yes, I now knew where this was going.
"Darling'," I murmured.
"Then you said it."
I closed my eyes as beauty scored through me.
Because when he said those four words, his voice was jagged.
"Baby, come back to me," Ham urged.
I opened my eyes and his fingers still drifting over my face stopped as he cupped my cheek.
"Suddenly, those words again had meaning," he said. </i> Loc 4577 Graham and Zara from Jagged

This story starts out when Zara must tell her on again off again guy that they have to call it quits because she is finally wised up that he's not going to change and she's trying to get over him and has a solid steady relationship now. The trouble is that only Zara seems to realize that Graham 'Ham' Reece is THE ONE. She loves him, but he doesn't have it in him to give 'permanent' or 'love' to any woman including her. He drifts across the country taking bartending jobs and when he is passing through, they spend some time together before he moves on. It guts her, but she pulls the plug on them. It is particularly painful because as far as she can tell, he doesn't seem to be bothered by ending things and goes on his merry way.

Three years later, Ham has blown back into town with a new mission. Unfortunately, a lot has happened and Zara's life tanked even worse than it had before. She is living rough and just trying to get her life back together. Ham went through something that unsettled him and now he wants to put down roots for the first time. He's not taking no when it comes to helping Zara out of her troubles either. Zara knows the score with Ham and doesn't want to get hurt so she tries to protect her heart, but something's different about this go around with Ham. Plus several things from her past that pour out on her all at once. Everyone is counseling caution about Ham and yet, he's the only part of her life that feels even close to good at the moment. But, Ham doesn't do permanent so where does that leave her?

The plot on this one is a slow mover at first. These two people do some stuff and say some stuff that has to be repaired before things can move on. The story isn't a big action or thriller, but it does stay pretty interesting between the heated exchanges and passion of the turbulent romance and the situation coming to a boil with Zara's family. The pace was fine and worked for me. I will toss out there for those who are unfamiliar that the author's writing style takes an adjustment period. The dialogue can seem herky-jerky at first and the heroine's inner monologue can go on in a distracting manner. But once the adjustment is made, I barely notice it.

The characters, like I said, took some patience for me to go from dislike to acceptance to appreciation. Most of the story is narrated by Zara, but a few times I got Ham's thoughts. I liked having them both so I could get a feel for what they were thinking. Zara tends to get caught in her head, reads stuff wrong due to the issues of trust she has in the relationship and then she spews over making for high drama. Ham tends to be somewhat close-lipped about feelings and doesn't get that she's so insecure that she needs the words. Like many of the author's heroes, he is alpha though not as severe as some. He can be a big teddy bear with Zara and it was so adorable when there were scenes with nine year old, Zander. The additional friends and town characters were a definite plus. I loved the small mountain town feel of this one.

Another adorable part of this book is the solid closure that the epilogue brings. I was left with soft sighs of happiness to see where things went after the Happily Ever After. Love that! This author gets that need and gives her readers a nice glimpse into the future.

So in the end, this one turned around from almost a DNF to an engaging, heartwarming read. Fans of the author and series should definitely pick this one up, but other contemporary romance fans should give this author a go. But remember, all, be patient for this one to get rolling and be prepared for some alpha-ness from the hero, drama from the heroine and some steamy make-up loving, every day loving, special occasion loving...well, you get the idea.

My thanks to Penguin Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review thoughts.

This book starts intense. Heartache from page 1 and I am hooked.

GraHam (Ham) Reece is not into commitment. He is a free spirit and wont commit to one place or one woman. He is an easy man but set in his ways and he looks for women who are also easy, laid back and good but (and it’s a BIG BUT) Ham has lots of issues. He calls a spade a shovel when he makes his point and at times I scratched my head wondering where the hell he was going with his long winded convoluted conversations.

Zara Cinders and Graham Reece have history - intense history. They have been on and off for years and were only an “item“ when he was in town. Ham understood the word exclusive but he didn’t endorse it. He respected it but he always found ways to work around it. No promises or expectations from him. He had other women and didn’t hide it and he didn’t question if Zara had other men. No questions asked and that’s the way he wanted it. Zara accepted that and was always there waiting - always missing him, loving him and hoping. So Ham had no hold on Zara and Zara had no hold on Ham. She didn’t want that but didn’t say anything for fear of losing him.

But then he lost Zara.

She wanted a family, wanted to be settled, come home at night knowing what her evening would bring, wake up to someone knowing what the day would bring. So after being friends with benefits with Graham Reece for 5 years she knew that wasn’t going to happen with him but good, decent Greg could give her all that………………..even though he wasn’t the “one”.

So she lied to Ham - they weren’t that serious right? - so she let him go and he walked away.

Three years later Zara is single again, destitute and alone…………..until Ham comes back.

I just love Kristen Ashley’s heroes and heroines. They are “real, ”you can feel them and can connect with them. Her alpha’s are intense and over the top, her heroines are insecure full of doubt and boy do they fall hard when they meet one of KA’s alpha’s.

This author will always be a 5 star read for me. She gives me what I want from a romantic, angsty read and delivers her story in her own special way.

If I could I would have given this more than 5 stars for the Prologue and the Epilogue. It was writing at its best. 5,644 pages of magic .

I discovered Kristen Ashley a couple of months ago, and have been devouring her books ever since. I LOVED the Rock Chick series, then read the Dream Man series (loved it), following it up with Chaos(liked it), then began the Colorado Mountain series(loved it). I have loved every single book that I have read of hers, but definitely have my favorites (the Rock Chick series will always be my favorite). First, I think many people who begin reading her books don't do any research into the correct reading order of her series. I visited her website and went by her suggested reading order. That being said, I also made sure to read For You in the 'Burg series prior to reading this book. Graham Reece was introduced in that book and I feel that helped to give you some insight into him prior to reading this book. I almost skipped Jagged because of all of the negative reviews. I am so glad that I didn't. It was not my favorite book of KA's, but it is so far ahead of most of the other books available out there that I do not regret it, at all! Pros: 1. as always, KA writes awesome alpha males who are protective, possessive, and loving of their women. 2. lots of funny, crazy banter and secondary characters, 3. love that we get more of Nina and Max from The Gamble. 4. the epilogue. KA almost always does epilogues, which I LOVE. I get attached to characters and want to know what happens after the HEA. Cons: 1. it is much shorter than most KA novels, at less than 400 pages. I like a long, descriptive novel and feel that this one did not get quite as detailed as I'm used to with KA. 2. I prefer to get the story from the beginning of the relationship. This is my preference, not anything wrong with what the author chose to do. I love all of her books, but my favorites are the ones where the H and h meet for the first time and you get to witness that initial meeting. This book started after the H and h had known each other for almost a decade. 3. A few more editing mishaps than usual for KA. I caught several editing errors, misplaced words, repeated words, etc. It didn't really distract me from the story, but since I was listing cons, I felt like I should mention them.

I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you have read the other books from the Colorado mountain series. If you haven't read KA, visit her website at [...] and go by her suggested reading order. Her books are stand alone and do not end on cliffhangers, but the characters appear in other books and it is much more enjoyable if you read them in the correct order. I'm glad I decided to ignore the bad reviews for this book and give Jagged a shot. I am waiting patiently for Kaleidoscope and Deck's (who was introduced in Breathe) story.

Kristen Ashley has done it again. I just love a tough, brooding sexy as sin alpha like Ham Reece. Here is a man who knows what he wants, who he wants and what he has to do to make Zara see they belong to one another. This was one hot book packed with action, suspense and passion that burns through each chapter between these two. Kristen Ashley definitely has an automatic reader with this reviewer. All her books lately have touched this reviewer from her imaginative mind to her handsome as sin men to kick ass heroines. Loved it.

I'm a huge KA fan and I'd been intrigued by Reese. I loved Zara, the heroine, she was strong and sassy. I liked Reese, although he wasn't (to me), your typical KA alpha. This was a familiar KA novel and some really great characters like Jimmy Cotton. Enjoyed it.

It makes me so sad to give this author two stars but I feel like since the last few times, I have just been reading the same story but with different characters. I get that all her men talk the same way in her books but now her women speak like that too? Kristen Ashley needs to go back to her Rock chick series and understand what the appeal was and why it was such a big hit. Each Rock Chick series felt like it had a well thought out story line with excellent characterization. The main characters were completely opposites and that's what made their love story so appealing. They certainly did not speak the same way making the dialogues sound so cheesy! This book had nothing I haven't read before; even her Burg series had such memorable characters and was so well written. Kristen Ashley has set a high bar for herself with her previous books, and I really hope she can at least meet if not exceed it in the future.

Jagged is the newest in the Colorado Mountain series and I was not at all disappointed in the story. I have been counting down the release of Jagged by reading and reviewing every book in the Colorado Mountain series for the last 4 weeks and I am so glad that I did. As I have said before, I so enjoy the fact that all of Ashley's characters are real adults and the stories are engrossing. In Jagged, Graham "Ham" Reece a.k.a Bruiser Ham, is a 42 year bartender extraordinaire who doesn't like to stay in one place too long before moving on to a new job and city. However, there is one place and person who draws Ham back. Gnaw Bone and Zara Cinders, a.k.a. "Cookie". Zara is a 32 year old woman who is in love with Ham, but knows that trying to change him would only make their relationship unworkable. Deciding that Ham simply isn't capable of giving her what she wants in life; namely a home and children of her own, Zara decided to let Ham go and marry a safe and stable man. The book begins with Zara meeting with Ham and letting him know of her decision and Ham telling her that he will let her go, but to not sever ties with him which she doesn't. The story then picks up again three years later after Zara has divorced her husband and her life is in complete upheaval. Ashley has created in the characters of Ham and Zara a study in accepting people for who and what they are. Although I may not have agreed with the way Ham decided to live his life and his approach to relationships, when you find out his story you can completely understand why he is the way he is and that if Zara had handled him in any other way things would not have been able to work between them. I admit that I am now a total fan girl when it comes to Kristen Ashley and reading the other books in the series only built my admiration for her ability to weave these totally believable tales with characters that I can relate to. I will admit that this is not my favorite in the series, but I did not regret reading it, I just like a different type of alpha male. However, I do like Ham's approach to showing what he feels through his actions not through words that may not be meant.

It was a faster read for me then normal. I enjoyed the book, but I was not 100% sure until about 80% through. I knew I was going to enjoy the read of this book but I wasn't sure I would truly enjoy it. Once you get near the end the rest of the story gets better and makes it all worth the read.

I have yet to read a Kristen Ashley book that I didn’t love, and Jagged is no exception.

First let me tell you some reasons I love Kristen Ashley‘s books in general, because if you haven’t read any of them yet you’re really missing out. I love the sense of community and family that Kristen writes in her series. The focus is on the main characters as it should be, but the secondary characters are always vital and add to the storyline in wonderful ways. Her characters are always very multidimensional and undergo personal growth during the story. Her heroines are kick ass even when they don’t start out that way, and by that I mean solid women who I’d love to be friends with in real life. The men are always hot and Alpha, but they love deeply and would do just about anything for their ladies…including dancing ;)

Jagged is the fifth book in the Colorado series, but Ham makes his first appearance in another KA series, For You from The ‘Burg series, and I’m tempted to tell you to read that first. It isn’t necessary in order to read Jagged, but you’ll have some insights to certain things.

Ham and Zara have been involved for a rather long time but managed to keep it from becoming something permanent for a variety of reasons. During a 3 year time span when Zara is married…Ham isn’t present. Then Zara’s life seems to spin out of control. She ends her marriage, loses her business, and her home. Guess who shows up? Yup…Ham’s back in town. During their time apart Ham has had some major things happen…most notably he was almost killed…that has him rethinking his life choices.

Do they instantly hook up and go live happily ever after? C’mon now…what would be the fun in that? No, we’re taken along the journey that Ham and Zara take. At times hilarious, or heart wrenching, but always with passion. Can Ham really commit to Zara? Can Zara really trust that Ham will stay? These are the central questions, and I was hoping the answer to both was YES!

Kristen Ashley uses a particular language and rhythm in her writing that I always look forward to. She’s one of my go to authors because I know I’ll always get the following… A great story, fabulous characters that I fall in love with, a totally hot Alpha male and a kick ass heroine, romance, passion, character growth, and just enough angst to keep me wondering what will happen next. All that is what I got in Jagged…which is why I loved it.

I highly recommend this book, and this author. There’s a reason I’ve read 28 of her books so far…she’s just that good!

My rating for Jagged by Kristen Ashley:

5 absolutely loved it hearts

**I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, and I honestly want you to read it**

Tamie Xo

Among the books in this Colorado Mountain Series, Jagged is an unexpected favorite. Graham "Ham" Reece is a character you won't soon forget. He lives by the creed: " a man is not what he says, he's what he does." When the words are slow in coming, Zara Cinders pays attention and receives his message loud and clear. Read the whole series and fall in love.

Kristen Ashley became my favorite author (not an easy feat) and I would countdown until the next story came out. She had this way of describing her characters and scenes so well that you could so easily get lost in the book.

No she's writing about white trash people who think its "sexy" to call each other horribly offensive pet names like mein herr. REALLY?! I didn't even finish this crap. I felt my brain cells popping. Anyone who can find a guy sexy for being demanding, so much so that you compare him to hitler, is a moron.

What the hell happened to KA? I'm not sticking around to find out. Didn't think it was possible for one book to change my mind.....but it definitely did.

It took me a while to get into this book. It wasn't my favorite in the Colorado Mountain series. Once Zara and Ham started accepting the fact they were meant to be together things got more interesting. Bring in drama of Zara's horrible family and now we are getting to a great climax (and not just the ones between Zara and Ham). I am still a very loyal Kristen Ashely fan and cannot wait until the next book in series.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for an ARC.

I love every series Kristen writes. These books are intense and beautiful and wear me out. But I can't wait to read more. Love the descriptive beautiful words woven into this story set in Colorado in a made up town. LOVE

If you like pronouns, this isn't the book, or author for that matter, for you.

Typical Kristen Ashley. At this point it's like reading the same book with different names.

She has found a formula, it works for her, so she is working it into the ground.

I did not like either character until the 70% mark. I found myself periodically rooting for them to fail as a couple.

Then, finally, the story took a turn for the better. LOGIC and RATIONAL THINKING came in to play.

Alas, still no pronouns. I get that these characters are supposed to be simple, salt of the earth people, but in trying to portray this, KA has them sounding like cavemen-toddlers. I am from the South, we set the standard for simple speech. However, in all my years of drawlin' and simplifying, the only people I have encountered who speak like the characters in KA's novels are either mentally deficient or, as I said before, toddlers.

The same phrases were thrown around, the characters made dumb choices, said dumb things... etc...

That said, I can't stop reading KA 's novels. Or as [insert male character's name- they are all the same] would say, "Can't stop readin' KA's novels, darlin'. Gonna buy the next. Need to quit wastin' cash. Get an the store account, gonna get hooked, too. I think you get me. Yeah, you get me." Ad nauseum.

So read, or don't. But you have been thoroughly warned. You get me? Yeah, you get me. Gonna leave it at that.

Review: Jagged (Colorado Mountain) by Kristen Ashley
Publication Date: November 5, 2013
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 4.5 Stars
Blog post: [...]

REVIEW:
I loved Jagged! Everyone has heard me talk about how obsessed I am with all of Kristen Ashley's books and this one was no exception. Jagged is Zara and Ham Reece's story. Reece has always been the one for Zara and when they were together the first time he wasn't ready to settle down in one place with one woman. Zara ends things and settles for a man that isn't the one and when that ends she reconnects with Ham after seeing him on the news. She's never forgotten him and he has regretted walking away. Now he has to prove to her that he's changed, ready to stay in one place and make a life with her. I loved the characters and the story. I highly recommend any of Kristen Ashley's books! She writes great emotional romances with hot alpha heroes.

This book made me smile.
But that's the thing. It made me smile.
It didn't make me LOL.. it didn't make me Pant and squirm... or cry...

It was hot at times don't get me wrong..
Sometimes honestly I skimmed a bit of it to get to the good parts.

I wasn't a fan of Zoe. - she kinda bored me

and I <b>HATED</B> "HAM" the name not the guy.
I refused to read it as Ham... it was Graham.
Fullstop. End of story.

I missed the 90% bombshell.

It should have been in the Burg not the Colorado Mountain Men series.

I missed all the appearances. I know I know Max was in this one. Not for long and we all I'm a Tate and Ty kinda girl.
I will continue the series though!

I really hope now that KA is published they won't suck all the awesomeness out of her books!

Zara and Graham “Ham” both have things in their past that have made them very cautious in relationships. This is their journey to loving each other. The characters are wonderfully written and in depth. Zara has been through a lot emotionally with her family and is just hoping to have someone love her for her, cherish her and have her back. Graham is running and worried he has lost what he really wants. Zara knows what she wants, but makes other choices. Zara’s courage, determination and positive humor are endearing. Graham’s rough exterior is a cover for the loving, protective and loyal inner gooey! There was no real drama or predicament, just really day-to-day stuff everyone has going on. This is the first book by Ms Ashley that I have read.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love Kristen's books so when this showed up on Netgalley you bet your butt I was gonna request it! Ham he's just a sweetheart at times, "also not the man who wants to walk away from this table not knowin' his girl is gonna be happy." He's blunt, "bulls***, babe. Somewhere along the line, you made a deal with him. No woman who gives head the way you do hasn't sold her soul for that ability." He has some temperament issues, "yea. And advice. Take a good look, baby, 'cause this is the last time you'll see my a** and you like my a**. You want it. I know 'cause I still got the scars from your teeth the last time you took a bit outta me." He can harsh, and crude at times, "that was effin' awesome. Mood strikes you, you know where I am." He stopped at the bathroom door and turned to me. "But I sleep alone, baby, and we're done tonight so do me a favor and find your bed." Then at times he's very sweet, "now kiss your man and climb off. I got to see to things then we can get some shut-eye." He knows how to turn a girl on, " Ham, no fair. Whenever you say that, my nipples get hard. I gotta work. I don't need chafing." His gaze shot to my breasts, then to my eyes, and he smiled." He's protective as hell and would/will do anything for Zara, "bury him. You can land his a** in jail, do it. I want him effed up, Nina. I want effin -" he leaned in again, barely controlling the fury boiling through his frame - "blood." He puts Zara before anything else and that's why I loved Ham like hardcore, "his cookie, living like that. His woman, unsafe. His girl, nearly broken." Another great book from Kristen.

I didn't feel the KA love at first, but I did a bit more into the book. I have to agree with other reviews saying this wasn't her best. It seemed a lot more edited down. I love the long KA stories! That said, still freaking great story.

When Colder Weather by The Zac Brown Band was said I listened to it while reading the scene. It...was...AWESOME!

Epilogue...KA still does it the BEST!

I love KA's books and this series. This book was my least favorite so far. It seemed random and did not fit with the others. I had a hard time connecting with the characters. That said, KA can still weave a story better than anyone.

Zara and Ham are cute. After a brush with death.Ham has seen the error of his ways but it may be too late for Zara. I love that Ham finally gets that he is Zara's one, Zara needs to know she can be his one. The journey is wrought with drama and angst but when they finally come together watch out. great story..

This was the usual Kristen Ashley, it was good most of what she writes is a good read. But, with that said it wasn't fantastic and kind of the same as usual. I think this was a great comfort read. If you are familiar with this author and the way that she writes it's an enjoyable read and a good continuation of the series.

I'm a fan of Kristen Ashley so I looked forward to reading this, but I never quite got lost in the story. Some of the suspenseful parts seems a bit forced, and as much as I loved the hero and heroine, for some reason I wasn't heartbroken to have the story close. The overall story was satisfactory, but not overwhelmingly so.

*Arc provided by Netgalley for an honest review*

***I received this book for free from Netgalley for an honest, unbiased review***

This was the first book that I read of Kristen Ashley's so I was not sure what to expect. At first it seemed like it was going to be an interesting book that kept my attention. However, I felt there was too much swearing in it for my liking. It personally distracted me and I found that I couldn't continue reading. I am going to try and read the next book in the series Kaleidoscope to see if I might like it better. I would still recommend readers to try the book as it might be okay for them it just personally didn't interest me.

[...]
[...]

My rating: 5 of 5 ⭐️

For five years Zara Cinders had rebuilt her life and started up her business, before coming to the realization that her occasional lover, Ham Reece, would not be the one to go that one step further and create the family with her she always wanted. He had been her rock through the years, helping her through the most difficult of times, but part of her had always known he would not stay around for long. Unfortunately Zara was very much in love with Ham.

Graham Reece had sworn off serious relationships. He was content travelling from place to place, getting work wherever he decided to stop for a while, usually tending bar somewhere. No longer a young man, he dragged his share of baggage along and never really considered settling down. So when Zara informed him she was seeing someone and was ready to settle down, he let her go. But he never completely could let her go. She had always been special to him and through a friend in town he was able to keep tabs on her.

Three years later, when he crossed the path of a deranged madman, Ham took the opportunity to take a good long look at his life. There was one woman he regretted walking away from, and from the information he has received, she is not doing so great right now. Zara lost her business, her home and her marriage went up in smoke. She now is living in a seedy apartment and works for minimum wage barely making ends meet. Ham won't stand for that.

Not trusting the changed man Ham claims he is, Zara is hesitant putting herself in a vulnerable position again. He has walked away before, why would she trust him to stick around now. But as some unfinished business from Zara's past rears its ugly head, Ham moves heaven and earth to resolve it and keep Zara as clear as possible from the fallout. Until his own nightmare comes knocking at the door.......

********

Almost every Kristen Ashley book I read, I get so emotionally drawn in, I actually FEEL the emotions. I feel physically ill when Zara thinks Ham is with another woman....I FEEL a lump in my throught when he says "easy", or strokes his finger along her ear and jaw. I really live these books, and I can't think of another writer who has that ability. I'm a big fan......

I love stories like these, of men that seem to be stuck in their unattached ways. Good men, just for some reason unable to give 100% of themselves........until they meet that someone. Then suddenly it's like a switch is flipped and they have a determination like no other to get the deal done. Graham at least shows a little restraint, that is, until he feels his woman is threatened or in danger of being hurt. Then it it's full steam ahead and in complete Alpha protective mode. For a big burly bear of few words, Ham is surprisingly insightfully and sensitive to Zara's needs.... Delicious!!

Having survived a messed up childhood, Zara is not a push over by any stretch of the word. She built her own life, her own business after turning her back on her family, sure it didn't work out the way she wanted, but she wasn't sitting down or letting others pick up the pieces. She was scratching and clawing and doing whatever she had to to survive once again. Had it been anyone but Ham, basically forcing help on her, she would have resolutely refused. But Ham knows she won't take handouts, so he allows her to barter and bargain in order to at least maintain her pride.

As always the writing is a breath of fresh air. So tight and to the point, with few wasted words or endless dialogues. When you read the book, it is like watching a movie in writing. It is that captivating, that constantly entertaining. There is a pace and a flow that is almost impossible to interrupt, even for a bathroom break. (That's why I love my Kindle!!)

The language used is real, the emotions portrayed are not overdone, but feel honest. The sex is not drawn out, but concise and scalding hot, and I love that we often just 'walk in' on a scene, she loves doing that!!!

Let's face it, if I could, I'd have Kristen Ashley design me a man!!! I have no doubt he would be absolutely perfect!!

✨Spicy, colourful and kick-ass trip to Gnaw Bone!✨

**ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Forever in return for an honest review.**

This was very different from your typical KA novel.

The story revolves around a character from one of KA's earlier Berg books For You which (gasp) I've never read! I realize that many people have been waiting for Ham to get his own story and have preconceived ideas of his personality and his background but I had nothing to go by. Saying that, I found Ham to be one of the better written male characters in a KA book.

Ham is a traveling man who has an on-again off-again relationship with Zara from Carnal Colorado. Zara, despite loving Ham, sees their relationship going no where and decides to marry someone else. They're not in a committed relationship so it's assumed that they both see other people. Ham, against everything I've ever known about a KA alpha male, accepts this and wishes her well.
When I first read this, I have to admit, it bugged me, a LOT. I'm so used to KA's alpha male/caveman characteristics and know that she would never write a man who would let a woman go. Yet, here I am reading about Ham leaving Zara having his last lunch date with her. When I mulled it over I had to give KA a pat on the back. She should be broadening her horizons and writing characters that are so uniquely different from her typical hot-bunch. I don't read KA books to see the same characters with different names and different towns. I read KA books to get lost in a great story.

I won't repost the plot line but will say that what brought the story down from a perfect 5 stars to 4 stars is Zara. Her personality was less than stellar and too 'whoa is me' for my tastes. Her insecurities were grating and I found myself reluctant to route for her at all. The reader was too much in Zara's head and too little in Ham's. I'm used to KA books having little to zero insight in the male characters but this could have used a bit more illumination into Ham's motivations and emotions.

If I ever get KA burn out I'll return to this book. It's unique in it's characters but still delivered on brilliant storytelling.

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Zara/Ham’s story was a bit slow to get started due to several misunderstandings on Zara’s part. I did like Reece/Ham… a true KA alpha. Sure he’s bossy, possessive and sometimes just darn sweet but his protective traits are a stand out and made him a keeper. Although Ham’s intentions aren’t clear to Zara that he’s in this relationship for the long haul early on, the rest of us had that one figured out a lot quicker. So much so that I’d like to have given Zara a serious nudge to get with it and go for it. Once settled in though, they were a solid loveable couple, just made for each other.

Zara’s past isn’t revealed until later in the bk. She’s a survivor from a traumatic, abusive childhood. As details get revealed I was drowning in sympathy for this girl. For me this bk picked up steam about half way through as Zara’s family issues rear up front and center. There are some surprises (no spoilers) that come about as the drama of the story unfolds. That’s when it hooked me.

I wasn’t crazy about Zara’s nickname for Reece – “Ham”. I was glad when more of the side characters showed up and called him Reece as that’s who we read about in “For You”. Zara referring to him as “Ham” made him, at least in my mind, seem to be a completely separate character.

Speaking of side characters, some of the loveable ones from The Gamble are featured. Some I didn’t recall with as much detail as I would’ve liked. Also Reece/Feb’s brief relationship in “For You” had some focus. My bad for not going back to give those bks a re-read first. Also have to give a shout out to KA for giving us Tate fans a grin by mentioning him, if only briefly. Sigh…thanks KA!

Overall this was a nice addition to the Colorado Mountain series, but I’ll always hope the next one appeals as much as Sweet Dreams and Breathe. Just sayin’.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kristen Ashley is my favorite romance writer and I love her alpha males, the love stories, and the sex scenes. I like that she tells stories about regular people with regular jobs but of course they're super hot/beautiful. So easy to read. Like others have written, I didn't like the nicknames this time and because the books are shorter you don't get all of the detail and scene setting which I miss.

I thought the breakup scene was epic and I also thought the epilogue was beautiful. I don't remember Graham from the For You book but actually I disliked that book (probably the only one of her books other then Creed and The witch one that I skimmed) So, I don't remember his relationship with Feb. But, unlike some of the other reviewers, I liked that KA brought a realistic and real life problem into a relationship. Who hasn't wondered if they measured up to other girlfriends. Especially if your boyfriend was a "rambling man". It seems real to me that she would think she was a consolation prize. Especially when he wanted to "show" her rather then "tell" her.

I loved the description of him "vaulting" over the bar. I loved the "trophy" discussion. And the scenes with Zander were heart warming. I think I actually cried in a few of the scenes when Zara was getting to know Zander.

I have literally read every one of her books and will actually re-read For You just to get the Feb backstory. I also pre-order every one of her books and I only do that for a few authors. Thanks for another great read and keep them coming!

Whenever Ham was in town or in the mood Zara was available. She decides that is not enough for her even though she is madly in love with Ham. When she tells him that she met someone and that they would no longer be able to continue their unique friendship and he lets her walk away my heart broke! Fast Forward 3 years Zara is Divorced and near Destitute. She has hit rock bottom and blames no one but herself. Ham has a near death experience and re thinks his entire life plan. When Zara calls after seeing him on the evening news, Ham decides she is what he wants forever and ever.
This story had so many twists and turns you really should expect anything to happen.

I REALLY liked the story and that is why I'm giving this book 2 stars. Having lived in a small western town, I could relate to the tight-knit community where people look out for and support one another. What I can't understand is how NO ONE used personal pronouns!!! While I can suspend belief enough to allow for the hero to be all caveman in his speech or simply too lazy to tack an "I" onto "don't wanna let you go" or "need to know you're okay" I cannot imagine one of my British friends using the same poor grammar (like one of the British secondary characters). Seriously this is the entire dialogue is like this with only a handful of exceptions.

So while I was looking forward to reading other books in this series, it's simply too frustrating for me. I think the author writes a good story line I wish she wasn't so lazy when it comes to putting it to paper.

I am a huge fan of this author but I do have to agree with others who have stated that the novels seem to go in the same direction. The girl always finds herself in some type of beyond belief trouble. Kidnapping, attacks, etc. The plot in this novel was not the beyond belief variety, it was very realistic.

I cannot wait for further novels from Kristen Ashley.

Jagged begins with Zara telling "Ham" that she can't see him any more. They've been having a relationship for a while now, but it was one of those don't ask don't tell type of things. But Zara knows she's in love with him, and that he's never going to give her more. So she decides to try to move on with someone else.

However, three years later. Everything has changed. Zara just divorced a man, now she calls Ham to make sure he's okay after hearing some disturbing news, but things seem to go bad after that.

Ham, he's led his life the way he has to keep from being hurt by a woman. What he didn't realize was how much he screwed up by letting Zara go, and walking away from her. Now after some things happened to him, he's decided to set up home in her town. Because he wants her back, now and forever he wants her. But with all of the things going on in Zara's life not to mention all the drama that is going to come from her family things get hard while they are trying to figure out their relationship.

Wow, okay I liked the book. I will start off with that, I did like it. But I just couldn't connect with the characters, mainly "Ham." I really couldn't stand him at all. I thought he was a selfish, womanizing jerk. There was just something about him that rubbed me the wrong way. And that is horrible considering when I read about him in The Burg series I actually liked him. Now I felt like he was a major disappointment. He said so many hurtful things to Zara, and I felt like he never really redeemed himself for it. Some of those things he said cut even me deeply, and I'm not even a part of it. But I admired how strong Zara was. She let everything go once she had it out. I loved that about her. And the fact that she could deal with Ham leaving so much, and still love him.

Also the book didn't seem to have a major drama point. I mean like yeah it had drama, but no one got kidnapped, shot at, stabbed, or buried alive so I was sort of disappointed. Especially with this series, someone always seems to get hurt. This kills me to have such a mediocre response to a KA book. I mean seriously, I feel like I've let my favorite author down some how. But I just couldn't bring myself to more than just like the book. The writing was as good as any other KA book, and of course it was awesome to see more of Nina, and Max. And I'm super excited to read more in this series as well.

If you are a Kristen Ashley fan, the this book will feel very familiar. However, this book is a little too familiar.
Zara is a lot like many of her other heroines and Ham is a lot like many of her other heroes. They connect very, very quickly. They have a lot of external family drama. She has a posse of great girlfriends. There is a long and extended epilogue. So a lot of very familiar KA elements.

That said, I actually did enjoy this. The comfort of a good contemporary novel is that it allows you to fall in love right along with the two main characters without a lot of hyper reality drama (no mobsters, kidnappings, commandos) being played out. And that is what happens here. Although I do appreciate how KA has pokes a little fun at how many of her heroines have been kidnapped. A little meta commentary stuck in there that works.

I have to say I connected with Ham more than I did with Zara. She didn't leap off the page like he did. I actually was rooting for him in the first book he appeared in, 'For You' the first book in the 'Burg series. He was just a very minor character in that book, not even a secondary really. But I was happy he didn't die.

This is a comfortable, easy, and familiar read for regular Kristen Ashley readers. New readers will find a new alpha hero to love.

Wow this was a great read I loved it Ham Reece was a alpha male with a heart and Zara was one women who lived, loved and lost...this book gave me goosebumps never had that happen in all the books I read! Great Job

Kristen Ashley is amazing. I love her books and I am addicted to her writing. This book just broke my heart but put it back together in the end. You identify with the characters and cheer for their HEA and you are not disappointed. As with her other books you don't want to put it down until your finished.

**** EROTICA BOOK CLUB REVIEW ****

JAGGED (Colorado mountain #5)

By Kristen Ashley

Release date 5th November 2013

This is book 5 in the Colorado mountain series, I haven't read any of the other books in this series but I didn't feel confused and in my opinion it can be read as a stand alone.

Graham "Ham" Reece and Zara Cinders have been friends with benefits for years so when Zara calls Ham out of the blue and tells him that she is marrying Greg he just accepts it and walks away.
3 years later Zara's marriage has fallen apart and she has lost her shop and house, Ham comes back into her life determined to win her back.

I really liked this from the begining and by the end I was completely hooked. I must say I loved it and I will be making a point of going back and reading the first 4 books in the series.
It is a lovely romantic read with good sex scenes, they were not as graphic as most of the books I have read but it all fitted in great.

The more I got to know the characters the more I liked them and am totally smitten by Ham but also have a soft spot for Max.

A well written fantastic read!

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

5 stars for the store & 4 for Goodreads

~Jane~

This book was HORRIBLE to me. The H is not a hero, he treats the h
really horrible throughout the book. His treatment borderlines on emotional
abuse in my opinion. Another thing I hated was the fact that KA made the h
a weak and stupid woman. The H is constantly doing or saying things that are
incredibly hurtful and she always goes back to him.

MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE STORY TO BE RUINED FOR YOU...

After they have sex the H makes a comment to the h of how she needs to go
back to her bed because they are done. If she ever has the urge to have sex then
she knows what door to knock. Then she thinks that maybe he was angry
and she thinks about apologizing to him. Another comment that really bothered me was
when he told the h that in his life he had walked away from two women, (Feb. and the h)
and out of those two women he only regretted one (implying it was Feb.). I was super
angry when he said this and the girl continued to stay with him. There is also another
scene in which she is threatening to leave and after an altercation with someone else
the H decides to go for a run and he tells the h that if she is gone when he comes back then,
oh well. I was so furious while reading this book because KA made the girl very spineless and boring.

What happened to you KA you used to write amazing heroes that were
forceful at times but never emotionally abusive. This guy is HORRIBLE it
almost feels like KA dropped the ball on this book. I sincerely hope that
Decker's book is not like this because I was really looking forward to reading
that one. Now I am not really sure that I want to continue reading her books. Lately
her books have been very lacking for me.

Price - Fair
Story - Horrible
Recommend - Probably not (but everyone is entitled to create their own opinion)
Would I read again - Never (can't say that I found parts that I would like to reread)
Length - the book feels too long for me even though it is fairly short compared to her other books
(this makes the emotional abuse even worse)

Sara and Graham couldn't have been a better story line. Loved it! Kristen Ashley out does her self again with this series. The sex, love, jealously and the hatered leaves u wanting to know couldn't put it down.

Let me preface my review by stating that I love Kristen Ashley. She has lodged herself permanently in my must read authors. Motorcycle Man, Sweet Dreams, and Three Wishes are some of my favorite books of all time, up there with Devil in the Winter, Cat and Bones series, Guild Hunter series. Having said this, this book was horrible.
I was not able to finish this book and I have only ever done this three times! The main couple, I can't even describe my contempt for them. Ham was a horrible hero. Characters like Ham have no business being in Romance Novels. But I guess it's ok considering what an awful heroine Zara is, and nothing makes me more furious than when there is a great heroine and an awful jerk of a hero (think "Never a Gentleman"). Zara seems like an incredibly weak woman. I am not sure about this recurring trend where the heroine is described as "strong" but the minute a man is within a foot of her she is ready to rip her clothes off. Zara, besides being unlikeable, is weak no matter how "strong" she's supposed to be.
I hope these types of characters are a one time deal. I love Kristen Ashely and cannot wait to read her next book!

I love Kristen Ashley books. Excerpt one book I did not like, I love reading what she writes. She is a different writer, she loves her characters and you can feel it. I love Jagged, I love this alpha man MORE than every other man I met on her books. He is “the one”. Ham is what I call a “solved man”, which means a man who already dealt with all his stuff (Ashley would use another word but you understand what I mean) and is ready to be the Man in the very deep meaning of the word. Present, sweet, ready to do what’s needed, no doubt no hesitation, he can act the right way. I recommend this book. Do not miss it.

I love Alpha Reece! I love everyone of her characters and how she makes each one just fit perfectly together. Since I've read all of her other books I knew this one was missing something big, ACTION. After each chapter I just kept thinking "OK, this will be the chapter someone is kidnapped or an explosion or killed" Nothing happened. Good romance but missing that KA touch. I still have to give it a 5 because I will always love KA.

I enjoyed this book; not as much as other KA favorites but it was still good. I wanted to like Zara and Ham but I have to admit they were not my favorite KA couple. They didn't have the same intensity or passion as I've come to know other couples to have. That being said; I am a KA fan to the end! I vowed to read anything she publishes and I am sticking to my vow. Looking forward to future reads!

OMG..."Love is a show not a tell"!!!! I'm just saying that this woman can't write them fast enough for me. This book is short but sweet and a treat to savor on a chilly fall morning. I loved visiting with Nina again and am looking forward to 're-reading the Mountain Man series again to get me through to the next book release.

OMG Kristen Ashley has done it again with Jagged!!!! The Colorado Mountain series is one of my favorite of all time. Jagged was so much more than what I expected. Ham and Cookie face real life relationship challenges. Some things I can personally relate to. I loved that she briefly reviewed all of the past stories of Gnaw Bone as it was a while since the last release. Thank You for another great book.

Loved it! Again, from Kristen Ashley, she makes her characters come alive for me. They're real in the way a lot of 'romance novels' aren't.
When Zara and Ham had dramas and were working things out, I was right with them all the way. I went on the emotional ride with them, tears and tingles all the way. When I finished reading Jagged, I felt happy and warm, thinking that Zara and Ham finally had it all. I also felt disappointed for myself, because now I have to wait for the next Kristen Ashley ride!! I just finished reading the Colorado series in preparation for Jagged, so now I might have to start the Rock Chicks again!
Not sure who's up next, but my vote is for Frankie and Bennie. Can't wait to ride their story with them!

In this Chapter we meet Graham Reece and oh boy what a Mountain of a man he is. We also meet Zara Cinders and I just feel head over heals in love with Zara.

The story was interesting good but I felt that KA skipped over things that needed to be address and left you asking questions in the end.

This Chapter in the series was the tameness by far. We still get to experience an inc of drama but not Colorado Mountain drama.

I enjoyed taking a break from the drama and you would too.

Can you please stop reading my boring Review and go and start reading Jagged. I promise that Jagged is 10x better than my review.

*ARC from NetGalley for my honest review*

Loved it. Always great characters and stories. Must say compared to previous books, it was too short. I've always loved that her stories were so long and involved in a way that was not bad but glad because the story was told in such detail. Still great stories, but getting shorter with each book. :(

The name Cookie irritated me more than Ham. Zara and Reece had very little chemistry...maybe because it was a long friends with benefits relationship or perhaps Zara was soo desperate for this man or Reece himself was in love with someone else. Because of their history it felt like Reece settled for Zara...he just wasnt fully present in their romance. Zara's character felt washed out and u dont feel sad for her. I suppose its a good "Getting the man u want even if he doesnt really want u book".

I'm a huge KA fan so it hurts to rate this book so low. If you are a KA fan, better skip this one and just read all her previous books. This one is not worth destroying your "love" for KA. If you are a first time KA reader, same advice: skip this one.