Review: So Bad and Sinful, but SOO Good!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 2, 2014
**May contain spoilers** Received complimentary book from author for honest reviewReviewer: Lea JamesWOW is about all I can say right about now and the fact that I have a sudden urge for some Dunhills and Bourbon! Ridge, like Wild (the first book about his older brother, Lane), is a standalone, but I highly recommend reading Wild first to get a little background on Ridge.Ridge is a story of an extremely broken individual who struggled tremendously with his demons and consequences of his past mistakes and actions. Ridge is introduced briefly in Wild and it's no secret that he and his brother Lane had a very tumultuous and strained relationship, especially after stealing and running off with his brother's fiancée, Mia.Suffering enormous guilt of losing his brother caused by his actions when he ran off with Mia, Ridge decides to end things with her, claiming their relationship was purely toxic and shouldn't have happened from the start and then proceeded to kick her out of his apartment. His actions set off a series of unfortunate events, leading to his ultimate downward spiral.Determined to rectify and repair his relationship with Lane, he sticks to his decision to break things off with Mia and engulfs himself in sex w/ different women, alcohol and smoking, to mask his pain from the loss of his one true love. Against his better judgment, Ridge decides to start a new relationship with a girl he meets at the bar named Amy, in an effort to try to move on with his life and forget about Mia. Although he carries on with their faade of a relationship, he feels nothing but emptiness without Mia and is consumed with even more guilt, pain and self-loathing.Damn!! Ridge was such a jerk, it was only natural for anyone to hate him, scream at him, slap the crap out of him, but somehow, I just couldn't...I couldn't make myself even when I tried..but then again, I do have a soft spot for Bad Boys!After reading Wild, I definitely DID NOT like Mia and I totally labeled her a biotch...LOL, but she completely grew on me in Ridge and I began accepting that, things happen for a reason and overall, shh-tuff happens and it was an actual blessing in disguise that she and Lane didn't end up together, as he was more compatible and happier with Kat. Similar to Ridge, Mia was also incredibly broken and fighting her own demons, but she was so supportive and sweet towards Ridge despite what he had done to her and I just couldn't stay mad at her or make myself hate her either.The super-HOT, smoldering sex scenes were in-freakin-sane!!! There's a reason Adriane has been crowned the "Queen of Smut." She does not disappoint and as with her other books, you will need a cold shower and new panties after reading this book. LOL!I LOVED every minute of Ridge; I felt his struggles, his pain and his desire to be a better man in spite the crappy cards he'd been dealt with in life. True, he labeled himself and behaved like an a-hole and did pretty revolting things to the women in his life, but what I appreciated about him was that he was remorseful for his actions/mistakes and he was willing to put his own feelings aside to remedy the situation to the best of his ability.This story was far more about a player who battled with sex, drugs and alcohol, but a depiction of someone who acknowledged their past mistakes and poor choices and wanted nothing more than to repent for his sins, no matter the cost, and even if it meant his own happiness - How can you be mad at him?!? This story was about his fight for redemption and a self-discovery journey that although he made mistakes he couldn't necessarily come back from, he could overcome his past and learn how to forgive himself in order to move forward with his future.I highly recommend Ridge!!! That damn Ridge has imprinted his "rough around the edges" self into my heart and I can't seem to get him off my mind. He's certainly not your typical romantic gentleman, but he will definitely sweep you off your feet. Excellent job to Adriane Leigh for an outstanding story, plot and character development and above all, for making me LOVE someone I would normally loathe.