This is my new favorite Ruthie Knox book. I love a good, rich setting, and this book has it in spades. The crazy bike trip gives weight and gravity to the main conflict, and it was so much fun to read. I'm not always a fan of male-self-flagellation-as-internal-conflict (i.e. the hero wrestles with himself about how he doesn't deserve her, yada yada) but this one really worked for me. The way the author used ever ounce of her setup and character building to push the romance forward was so well done.And let's not forget the humor. The first flat tire? Priceless. And the hot sauce scene? Awesome. I failed to connect with Ride with Me the majority of the time. I prefer dialogue-heavy books, and this one, as a road romance, focused more on the journey rather than the day-to-day interactions between the characters. The pages of internal monologues, the characters' too quick transformations, and the isolation of the cycling route lent a distancing quality to the h/h and their story. In the beginning, I didn't understand their draw to each other, and then in the middle most of the interactions on the page were about sex, not about getting to know each other. I also would have appreciated reading about the h/h interacting with their family members more and talking about their lives back home. The book ended abruptly, and I couldn't quite trust in their HEA as I wanted to see them living their life as a couple in society, with their friends and family. I found Ride With Me underwhelming, but it was written well-enough that I want to try another Knox.
What do You think about Ride With Me (2012)?
Cute cycling romance story. This writer holes my attention with her style of writing.
—Rachel
Enjoyed the story. First one about long distance bike tour.
—bel
