Rating: 5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
While the Russian wreaks havoc on his streets, Israel Storm is sent to a cabin in the middle of nowhere with his best friend Reggie Turner. Since Is got hurt, it seems like he and Reggie fight more and more. It all started when Tawnya showed up at the hospital so Is can’t help but assume it has something to do with the bitch that tricked Is in the first place, Ilana. All Is knows is he doesn’t like fighting with Reggie and he needs to fix whatever is broken between them.
Is has trusted Reggie since the night they bonded over making two of Mateo’s enemies disappear, and Reggie has kept that trust close. But when he starts to see Is in a new light, the night Is reveals his supposed feelings for another person, Reggie’s world flips upside down. Having Is in his mountain cabin, so close, day in and day out, gets to be too much for Reggie. But the closeness comes with an advantage: after days together, Reggie sees his feelings mirrored in Is’ eyes, although Is will never admit to them.
Before they return home an argument over what’s between them causes a rift in their friendship. A confrontation, an inconvenient threesome, and unwanted revelations tear at Is. When Is is pushed, he pushes back and cuts Reggie out of his life. When he thinks that will solve all his problems, he learns he can’t live without his best friend, no matter how hard he tries.
While battling his feelings, Is deals with business interruptions in Atlanta. Finding who he is and who he loves changes Is’ life, but when an unknown variant tries to take that from him, Is will stop at nothing to keep his life and his love protected.
(Watch Me) Body You is the second book in Avril Ashton’s Run This Town series.
Ohmigod, you guys! This story is… is… it’s everything! It’s angsty and dramatic. It’s dirty—draw out the “ur” sound, that’s how dirty it is—and raw. It’s sexy beyond belief and so good. Ashton has done it again with this one, and I’m telling you, regardless of the title that I’m still a little iffy on, this book is freaking amazing. I’m ready to dive back in. In fact, in all of my sleeplessness reading this book, I may have asked the author not to ever sleep again and instead write every book in this series. I have no regrets.
We met Is and Reggie in the first book. Israel “Is” Storm is the leader of the Jamaican gang, The Rude Boys. He runs Queens pretty much. Is is full of badassery and awesomeness. Gah! What I love so much about Ashton and her way of writing her guys is the danger element. We all love a bad boy—or at least the idea of one—the mystery, the danger, the adrenaline spike. Ashton gives Is all of these elements while keeping him human and somewhat grounded. But Is’ journey in this book—finding himself and accepting his love for Reggie—comes at a price. Is has been through hell and back in his life time, seen more than any one person should have to, so it’s no wonder he turns out the way he does. He’s made his life one he can walk away from if need be, because he makes it a point to not have real connections, relationships, with anyone. Until Reggie. His inner struggle is what this story is about. It’s gritty and ugly, but it’s also captivating and beautiful
I can’t mention Is without mentioning Reggie. They are meant to be. When it seems like the world has turned against Is, Reggie is there. Always. Even when he is hurting and broken. Reggie is the selfless half of this couple. He gives and gives and gives, and until he can’t take it anymore, he never asks for anything in return. But when he does ask, his heart is shredded. Still—still—he doesn’t turn his back on Is. Reggie is the heart of this story, the body. His hands aren’t clean, so don’t mistake my words. He’s not a quote-unquote good guy. He’s a former gang member, one of Mateo’s boys, who has his hands in other businesses now. He just happens to be the best friend of the leader of The Rude Boys.
I’m telling you guys, this story is amazing. What Avril Ashton does with and to these guys to bring their eventual happiness tore me up. I was enamored, and I wasn’t joking about the sleeplessness. I totally went without sleep to finish this one. Her writing is amazing. I actually feel like I’m part of the story. The words she chooses are for that specific purpose. It’s amazing. And because I love you guys and this book, I come with examples:
“How did I taste?” Reggie asked.
Is’ body spasmed.
“She might not have caught on, but I did, so tell me.” Power and danger glinted in Reggie’s eyes. “Did you like it? How did I taste?”
So good. Is’ lips parted. He panted, gulping breath like a fish on a hook. So fucking good.
“Were you wishing you were the one between my knees, Is?” Reggie came in closer until their thighs brushed, until Is noted his dilated pupils. “Were you wishing you were the one getting their throat fucked, the one touching me, the one biting me?”
And then:
Reggie’s lips quirked. “Ask me, then.” He rolled his hips. Is gasped. “Ask me how I know what you’re feeling, Is. You wanna know who has been playing with your property?”
Fucking A. And he’d slit the throat of anyone who even thought to touch Reggie.
“I did it,” Reggie whispered against his forehead. “My fingers and one very lucky cucumber from my fridge. No one touches me. No one, but you.” He reared back and slammed in.
Is found his voice. “Fuck. Fuck.” He held Reggie when he would have pulled back, hand at his jaw as their eyes met. “Don’t play with me, Reggie. Not about this. Payback is gonna hurt.”
I’m fanning myself because I know what happens next. In detail.
I am gone on this series. Avril Ashton hooked me with the very first book I read of hers and that still hasn’t changed. Dirty, sexy bad boys and their need to find love will always do it for me, especially if it’s written right. I highly, highly recommend (Watch Me) Body You by Avril Ashton.
