Review: Loved it!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 25, 2011
"Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness."- by Martin Luther King, Jr. -4 1/2 stars.Every night for six weeks since Layne saw Raquel (Rocky/Roc) in his hospital room, he had carnal dreams. He doesn't understand these dreams. Layne hadn't even seen her since his hospital stay. He'd seen her brother Merry and her father Dave many times but not Raquel. At a certain point the dreams become weirder and after reclaiming Rocky, Layne fears he could lose her again.Raquel Merrick Astley is a high school English Lit teacher and the wife of the Chief of Surgery at a big hospital in Indianapolis. Rocky's husband is cheating on her for years and she wants to divorce him. Layne and Rocky were an item a very long time ago until she left him without an explanation. Now they're getting closer to each other again when they team up to expose a dirty cop in the Department. Actually, Layne is so not thrilled to involve Rocky since he knows how dangerous this mission is. He was close to expose the dirty cop when he got ambushed and shot.Golden Trail is book 3 of the "Burg" series and I think the best so far. The series will continue and I'm really glad. Kristen Ashley became one of my favorite authors and she confirms that fact emphatically with another wonderful story. I always said that you shouldn't read Kristen's books for the sake of suspense. Then again, I have to admit that Golden Trail comprised more suspense than For You or At Peace. There was a good balance between love story and suspense. Further, the villains took a rather active part in a very nasty business. I won't give away more since that could spoil your reading experience. But let's just say the idea of being confronted to those acts is incredibly repulsive, evil, and creepy!Again, the cast of characters is great and she brings them to life! Kristen delivers a very hot and scrumptious hero and a determined, passionate, affectionate yet vulnerable heroine. Boy, Layne is such a cool dad and at the same time a terrific lover. Every boy would love to have him as a father, that's for sure. I LOVED Layne's sons Jasper and Tripp! How Kristen incorporated the two boys was fabulous. Jasper and Tripp are casual, cool, and very smart and somehow I got this feeling 'been there done that' but then again, my boys are younger and I think I can look forward to so much more (worse) stuff that I'll be dealing with in a few years. The author mixed the dialogs with a nice dose of banter. As expected the character  development is very good. I appreciated the interesting plot and how Layne unravels Rocky's dark "secret". Layne was Roc's steady anchor and he cared for her and her well-being. Honestly, Golden Trail is such an engaging read and there was never a dull moment throughout the whole story. The last few chapters are very intense and captivating. Wow, I loved chapter 25 "Dark"! Rocky came freakingly undone, and that part was truly goosebumps-worthy! It was so beautifully written and utterly thoughtful and compassionate. Layne, you really push all the right buttons of a woman's body, and you make my toes curl! Yum! Golden Trail is very nicely wrapped up by a beautiful and sweet epilogue.My minor censure:I didn't appreciate it that Layne had to involve Jasper and Tripp in his investigation. Layne, you were walking on dangerous ground...Despite the fact that many characters of the two previous books are incorporated in Golden Trail, you can certainly read this story as a stand-alone.Golden Trail is another compelling and wonderful story written by Kristen Ashley, and if you love her work then it's definitely a must read. Highly recommended!