Ride with Me

I hate sports, in every form and shape, and my idea of exercising is taking a 30 minute leisurely stroll through the park, preferably with a book in hand that I can read while I’m walking. Because of that, I tend to avoid novels that are in any way concerned with that subject, because I simply cannot relate to footballers, baseball players, boxing champions and all their sportsmanship-related woes.

This of course also applies to people going on a cross-country bike tour which is what Ruthie Knox’ debut novel Ride with Me is about, and I might never have picked this novel up if I had not read (and enjoyed) several blog posts by the author as well as several very positive reviews of the title. So I decided to give it a try and take a show more peek at the sample… which had me hooked almost immediately. In just a few paragraphs describing a phone conversation between the male protagonist and his sister, Ruthie Knox manages to give to not only give us a solid impression of his character but also to like him immensely.

Once hooked, I flew through the sample, then of course had to get the whole thing, and then continued the whole distance with barely a stop. It was a very enjoyable ride, and really the only thing I have to complain about it is that it was over way too soon. There is a lot to love about Ride with Me, but I want to mention only two things here that impressed me particularly.

One is the way the bicycle ride across the US is treated – it not only drives the novel’s the basic plot line, but also provides a background for the unfolding relationship between the protoganists, both scenic and emotional, the surrounding landscape blending into the feelings of the characters, or in turn its perception coloured by their emotions. Also, Ruthie Knox really brings the joys of cross-country cycling across (and that is no mean feat, with a self-confessed couch potato like myself), the sensation of moving through vast landscapes on your small bike as well as the sheer physical pleasure of cycling.

And speaking of physical pleasure… the other thing that struck me were the sex scenes which are some of the best I have read in a Romance. – I know I recently complained about how sex in Romances and Erotica tends to be always perfect and mind-blowing, without all the small awkwardnesses that tend to happen around and during the actual act… well, I have to say if the perfect and mind-blowing sex is done like it’s done here I do not mind, not one bit. There are no tired cliches here, no heated cores or throbbing rods, instead there is unpretentious but sensual languages, and there are details – imaginative details, well-observed details, touching details, details that make you feel that here there are two people expressing their love for each other, not just two random bodies exchanging fluids. To name just one example (paraphrased from memory as I’m too lazy to look it up for a quote): In the early stages of their relationship, Alex remarks in her PoV how when Tom caresses her, she for the first time in her life gasps on the inhale; then several chapters later, Tom mentions that he enjoys that weird gasping sound Alex is always making when they are together, and several chapter after that, he tells her how much he loves the small noises she makes during sex… I mean, is that cute, or what? Also, the sex scenes are scorchingly hot.

It is possible that maybe twenty or thirty years from now, someone will read the first novel by the Grande Dame of Romance and think that those Alex and Tom are as stilted and improbable as anything out of Barbara Cartland, but here and now they feel real. Ride With Me stays quite happily in the Romance genre but at the same is not content to just re-tread the old, worn-out paths; it opens up and explores new spaces in what seemed familiar territory, and that is quite an achievement. And it’s a hell of a lot of fun to read. show less

This book was adorable and surprisingly hot. The hero was wounded and cantankerous. He had isolated himself from everything and everyone but his sister, but had such a valid reason to be that way, and it was incredibly realistic and appealing. It was a departure from the norm in which the heroes that act like that do it for immature and ridiculous reasons.

The heroine is a schoolteacher like no other I've read. Feisty and self-assured, she doesn't take crap from the hero and doesn't let him get away with his brooding ways, she pushes him and pushes him until he’s out of his shell. I liked her very much.

I’m not a fan of road trip stories and yet this one charmed me from page one. I want to take my bike and do the Trans-Am route.

There show more is a lot of explicit sex, something you wouldn't expect based on the cover and description, and based on a story about a prim and proper schoolteacher and a guy who’s slightly obsessed with the environment and just wants to be left alone.

Absolutely recommended to fans of contemporary romance, I am so happy I read the book and can’t wait to read more by Ms. Knox, if it’s half as good as Ride With Me it will be fantastic.

It gets a 4.5 from me just because the ending was rather abrupt. show less

This book was adorable and surprisingly hot. The hero was wounded and cantankerous, he had isolated himself from everything and everyone but his sister. He had such a valid reason to be that way that it was incredibly realistic and appealing. It was a departure from the norm in which the heroes that act like that do it for immature and ridiculous reasons. The heroine was a schoolteacher like no other I’ve read. Feisty and self-assured, she doesn’t take crap from the hero and doesn’t let him get away with his brooding ways, she pushes him and pushes him until he’s out of his shell. I liked her very much.I’m not a fan of road trip stories and yet this one charmed me from page one. I want to take my bike and do the Trans-Am show more route.There is a lot of explicit sex, something you wouldn’t expect based on the cover and description, and based on a story about a prim and proper schoolteacher and a guy who’s slightly obsessed with the environment and just wants to be left alone. Absolutely recommended to fans of contemporary romance, I am so happy I read the book and can’t wait to read more by Ms. Knox, if it’s half as good as Ride With Me it will be fantastic.It gets a 4.5 from me just because the ending was rather abrupt. show less

When Lexie Marshall places an ad for a cycling companion, she hopes to find someone friendly and fun to cross the TransAmerica Trail with. Instead, she gets Tom Geiger—a lean, sexy loner whose bad attitude threatens to spoil the adventure she’s spent years planning.

Roped into the cycling equivalent of a blind date by his sister, Tom doesn’t want to ride with a chatty, go-by-the-map kind of woman, and he certainly doesn’t want to want her. Too bad the sight of Lexie with a bike between her thighs really turns his crank.

Even Tom’s stubborn determination to keep Lexie at a distance can’t stop a kiss from leading to endless nights of hotter-than-hot sex. But when the wild ride ends, where will they go next?

I love this book, it show more is just one of those that is a one sitting read cause you just can't put it down. It is witty, funny, sweet and I fell in love with the characters. The bantering between Tom and Lexie had me laughing out loud, I think one of my favorite scenes is when Tom is comparing his sexual prowess to Lexie's vibrator~! This was a wild fun ride and I can't wait to read more of Ms. Knox's work! Her books definitely go on the keeper shelf. show less

This was my second novel by Ruthie Knox, and I have to say I'm not disappointed yet.

Above all else, I think she creates wonderful characters the readers can easily connect with. In the case of Tom and Lexie, they were opposites attract, and while Tom could be surly and rough, I couldn't help but love him.

Their interaction with each other was probably my favorite thing about this book. I found myself grinning for a great deal of it. I love, love, love witty banter and characters that can volley back and forth like that, and Lexie & Tom definitely play that part.

The setting of this book was something that was a nice change of pace. I've seen several people who said the journey was fairly predictable, but I actually thought there were some show more nice potholes (heh, see what I did there?) thrown in their way. We got to simmer over their conflict, and that made the resolution all the better.

The reason I didn't give this 5 stars were really just detail things that stood out to me: we wear our rings on our left hand, yet he glances at her right to see if she's married. We also don't use wanker or rubbish (with any frequency, anyway). Those details, as insignificant as they were, stuck with me, unfortunately. Besides that, I thought the end came up rather abruptly, especially when my e-book said I was only 85% done. Imagine my surprise when I turned the page to the acknowledgments. *sigh* After such a long period of detachment between Lex & Tom, it would've been nice to read a scene where they were together again.

And speaking of those scenes, this book had one of the hottest and most sensual love scenes I've ever read. It was poignant and powerful. I loved it. show less

Fast paced contemporary romance. This is a road trip romance where the hero and heroine start out as strangers and fall in love while bicycling across the US. The characters were believable and interesting. The bicycling elements were well done and interesting. Good conflict and conflict resolution. The sexual tension was very good and the dialog was pretty good. There were some bits of action and dialog at the beginning that seemed childish but that smoothed out pretty soon and the book was an enjoyable ride.

I like to ride my bike, that said, I like to ride a few miles at a time, come home an shower, and feel all athletic! The thought of riding thousands of miles made me shudder, especially alone!!! Now we see why Taryn (Tom's sister) is so anxious for a partner for him. He already is very much a loner, and he carries a lot of guilt and sadness on his shoulders. Lexie is a strong, young, intelligent woman who wants the excitement of a journey across the country, since she has ruled men from her life. She also carries the fantasy of her parents romantic meet along the Trans America trail. Lexie, with her families urging, sets up an add for a partner, Taryn secretly answers the add as Tom. Problem solved....(you'd think). They begrudging go show more on their way. to the adventure that will change their lives! The scenery, the towns, the weather, and most importantly the "character's" they meet, tell their own story. Tom and Lexie? Their story is funny, sad, HOT and sexy. It's a great ride. and every minute of it was fun! show less