This book is the second book in the Riding desires boxed set. I likes Monroe almost too much. I also liked how Caleb turned out to be such a jerk because I got a bad vibe from him from the start. I also liked the the type of their relationships. To me it was such an beautiful thing. But I'm very excited to read the next books in the boxed set. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A predictable but fun short story about embracing the moment.

Opening Sentence: Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday, dear . . .

The Review:

Nice Girls Don’t Ride is an enjoyable new adult contemporary romance novella about a girl who starts out having the worst birthday ever. This was a really fun and quick story to read. There was something really freeing about the direction that the story went, even if it started out a bit predictable.

Natalie is dressed to kill, ready to celebrate her twenty-first birthday, when her car breaks down on the side of the road. It’s a really hot day in Texas and she’s already been waiting an hour when a tow truck shows up offering help. Although it’s not the tow truck that is supposed to be on its way. This tow truck comes with a young, hot, tattooed man. Natalie is attracted but like all sane and nice girls she fights the attraction because she has a boyfriend. Although maybe she isn’t too nice because she does fight that attraction with sarcasm. Natalie’s luck doesn’t get any better when her boyfriend completely stands her up and the resulting chaos of this is the predictable part of the storyline.

Monroe likes Natalie’s sass but of course he is also trying to be a gentleman because she’s one of those stuck up girls who wouldn’t give a guy like him the time of day plus he knows she has a “terrible” boyfriend. When Monroe finds out that Natalie is being stood up on her birthday, he decides that she has to celebrate it. She can’t be all depressed, sad and angry. Monroe wants Natalie to have a special birthday and he does all he can to help her. He also helps prove to her that life isn’t all about the straight and narrow.

Natalie starts off as a girl who knows exactly where her life is going. She is making sure she has a way better life than her mother. She does whatever she can to make everyone around her as happy as possible without causing any conflict. Natalie is pretty spunky overall, she doesn’t let what happened to her get her down.

Monroe is not quite what he seems. His character doesn’t quite match what he looks like on the outside. I really liked the fact that Monroe wanted to help Natalie even though in the beginning there wasn’t really anything for Monroe in it. His free spirited lifestyle really inspires Natalie.

I really enjoyed the sarcasm and wit of the characters in this story and I really enjoyed Roni Loren’s storytelling. It is just a short story but I did feel I got to know the characters well enough that I would love to see a continuation of where their story went.

Overall, this was a fun story to lose an hour with. I really enjoyed this short story. I really look forward to reading more of Roni Loren’s stories.

Notable Scene:

Monroe hops down from the table, singing along with them and grinning. “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Nat-a-lie . . .” He leans over. “So, in answer to your question, no, I don’t think you’re an idiot.”

My hands go to my hips, and I give him my are-you-out-of-your-mind face. But I can’t help the swell of emotions that comes from the simple act of being sung to by a large group of people. There’s some weird power in that. I never really had birthday parties—even as a kid. Mom wasn’t organized enough to put something together. So I’d get a few presents and a trip to McDonald’s with my cousins. This is so much better.

I close my eyes. Because I will not cry, dammit. “If you think this is going to get me to kiss you again, prepare to be disappointed.”

“As if I would have ulterior motives,” he says, and I open my eyes to find him watching me with an amused expression.

And son of a bitch, I do want to kiss him. Because he looks so damn good standing here. Because unlike Caleb, he isn’t afraid to look silly in front of other people. Because he called me a badass and meant it.

I make a sound of frustration. “I’m still not sleeping with you.”

I step into his space, and I’m not sure who kisses who first. All I know is that before the birthday songs ends, his hand is in my hair and his lips are on mine and my body is melting against his.

FTC Advisory: Penguin Intermix provided me with a copy of Nice Girls Don’t Ride. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )