I haven’t done a review before, but I think when you read the same book twice in the space of three weeks, you should probably tell everyone about it!
Dirty for Me
(Motor City Royals, book #1)
Jackie Ashenden
There is a saying thrown around all too often – don’t judge a book by its cover – but the cover of Dirty for Me told me all I needed to know about this book; it would be hot, and I would grow to love the so-called bad boy at the heart of it.
It was, and I certainly did.
Zee is your classic ‘wrong side of the tracks’ character. He has attitude, tattoos, muscles, works with his hands, drives a muscle car, is very straight to the point, doesn’t put up with any crap, and loves venting his frustration using his fists. Tamara is the opposite, a privileged little rich girl, who – from outside appearances – doesn’t know what it’s like to struggle, or to have to work for anything. Her wardrobe is full of designer clothes, shoes, and purses, she has a career that is going places, and lives in an impressive apartment downtown. The two characters are oil and water. Black and white. Night and day.
One of the many things I love about this story of Jackie Ashenden’s is the depth of backstory she gives both characters, but especially Tamara. Without giving too much away, it gradually comes out that Tamara experienced something extremely traumatic, something that has left her with a truckload of guilt, and feeling obligated to live her life in a particular way. She refers to the latter as her ‘costume’, and I think it’s something many readers will be able to relate to, with regard to various facets of their own lives.
Zee also has a lot of backstory, which reveals him to be far more complex than just the ‘bad boy’. We see he has emotions – strong ones – and that he also carries a lot of guilt over something from his past. As the story progresses you get the sense that the barriers he’s put up to protect himself are becoming weaker, that maybe, just maybe, it is time to try and move on. But the idea of moving on scares him.
The chemistry between Tamara and Zee is hot and frantic right from their very first run in, and it continues to build from then on, no matter how hard they try to ignore it. I can say that – hands down – Dirty for Me contains the hottest sex scenes I’ve ever read. I really like that these scenes seem completely natural, and not at all forced; the sex scenes serve a specific purpose, advancing the story line. Not once did I get the feeling the sex was just there to bump up the word count.
The sex scenes are especially important in the progression of Tamara’s story; it’s only through the act of being undressed by Zee, that she feels free of her costume, free of everything that costume entails. When she’s with Zee she isn’t the dutiful daughter, or the ‘yes, sir’ intern. There are no expectations with Zee. She is free to express herself, to get a taste of what her life might be like if she can rid herself of her costume, for good.
The ending of this story was exactly what I expected; full of tension, with the potential for a lot of danger, and some momentous decisions needing to be made for both Tamara, and Zee.
The last few chapters are a bit of a roller coaster ride, a constant up and down of the emotions, but that’s what makes a good story, isn’t it! I found the climax to be of a great length, it definitely built the anticipation, but wasn’t so drawn out I felt the urge to skim over pages, too impatient to experience the relief provided by the eventual happy ever after.
This story was a quick, easy read, which kept my attention throughout. It was such a good read I have now read it a second time, and enjoyed it just as much!
Rating: 5/5
If you want to check the book on Jackie’s website, you can do so here!
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