Make It Hurt by Jackie Ashenden was a quick second chance romance. Nora was a debutante turned bounty hunter and Smith is now a part of an MC. But when they were younger, they were in love, but due to circumstances outside of their control, they went down separate path. Now face-to-face again, will all they shared come back or separate them for good? Nora was touch and determined, but still had feelings for Smith. Smith did not want this heartbroken again, but could not deny what he felt for Nora. A sexy and steamy story!

Happy reading!

This is the second book in the Texas Bounty Hunter series. Nora and Smith have a past, when she shows up at the biker bar to bring in his VP Dust sparks fly again.

Nora has a job to do. Smith promises to help if she’ll give him a night for old times sake. That one night makes them both remember the past, both good and bad. They help each other overcome the bad so that all that is left is the good.

MAKE IT HURT - Jackie Ashendon

#2 in the Texas Bounty romance series

A HOT SECOND CHANCE AT ROMANCE - 3 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Nora is a rich girl who fought with her father and ended up getting out and turning to the life of a bounty hunter. To prove herself, she's become a tough, successful one, living basically in a man's world. She needs to bring in the VP of the local motorcycle club, but first she has to negotiate with the president--a former flame.

Writing - 3 stars - Ashenden always captures my attention right from the first page. She creates strong characters with personality. Although the good writing was there, the characters just didn't capture my imagination this time.

Characters - 3 stars - As it turns out, Nora (the gun-toting tough girl we met in Book #1) was a rich little debutante years ago, but she's turned herself into a hot shot bounty hunter. She always gets her guy, so when she finds herself face-to-face with MC president Smith, she's stymied. Turns out he's her first lover--a guy she let down when her father found out about them. Smith is still holding a lot of resentment--and their chemistry is still off the charts--so their relationship is nothing but fireworks. But something about their connection just didn't work for me. They both were a little one-note. Both were not loved by their daddies, both are still holding grudges about that, both are insecure underneath their tough-guy outer shells. Ho hum. Get over it already. They both have strong passion and intelligence, but because they couldn't seem to get beyond their pasts, neither is happy or really moving on in life. And their insta-passion was a little too intense and over-the-top.

Title - 2 stars - I'm not exactly sure what the title means except that Smith has been angry for years about the treatment he received from Nora (and her dad). So I suppose he really wants payback, and I guess that would mean that he wants her to be hurt like he was. Although that's the basic focus of the story, the title doesn't exactly fit.

Cover - 3 stars - There's a look at a tattooed male shoulder and a glimpse of a female form, but the book is shade of black and gray and really doesn't draw the eye in any way.

Overview - 3 stars - As with all Ashenden books, I liked the characters and their chemistry. She can definitely write some hot scenes, and this book was no exception. However, there was something a little lacking in this book that didn't capture my attention. The chemistry between Smith and Nora was obviously hot, but it just didn't quite seem believable. I found it difficult to believe that Smith would hold a grudge for such a long time, especially since he now successful and settled. This book just didn't do it for me.

An ex-soldier, sexy biker versus an ex-debutante turned bounty hunter... A young romance turned ugly by the tentacles of a nasty father... Eight years ago, Smith let Nora Sutcliffe ruin his life. The then only eighteen-year-old beauty turned his head and heart. After seducing him, she hang him out to dry and to face her father's vindictive wrath. Refusing to become his own father, Smith joined the military and after a series of tours, he found a new family with his MC. Now the Prez of his club, he's faced once again with the Golden Girl who nearly destroyed him. Nora enjoys bringing down tough guys. The best fugitive recovery agent in the business, Nora always gets her man. Until the man she was supposed to get was Smith's VP. Surprised to see him again, she agrees to a deal that brings them back together and face to face with their past. In Make It Hurt, Jackie Ashenden mixes a good but hurt MC Prez with a sexy bounty hunter with enough guilt to make reconnecting with Smith a challenge between desire and regret. A fun and sexy read for sure!

PAC in exchange for an honest review

Make it Hurt is the 2nd installment of the Bounty Hunter series by Jackie Ashenden. Nora is a bad ass bounty hunter who always gets her man. Smith was the one that got away ... this book has a great story line ... past hurts & misunderstanding eventually lead both characters to a great HEA !! Loved this book & series

This was an emotional story that I absolutely loved from start to finish. The author did an amazing job with the emotions in this story and I cant wait to read more from this author.

This one was hard for me to rate - I loved Smith - but Nora - a former debutante turned bounty hunter was hard to relate to. Otherwise, it was a good story.

I think I've read too many MC books lately, because, for some reason (not sure what), this one fell short for me. It was good and I loved all the sexy scenes, but............

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept via NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Make it hurt is the second book in the Texas Bounty series. It is a great read. Having read the first book in the series I knew the second was a must read for me. While the first book was better in my opinion I truly enjoyed this read and the characters.
Nora Sutcliffe and Smith are long ago lovers that still obviously have feelings for each other. Despite the fact that Nora is a Texas Debutant turned bounty hunter and is after Smith’s VP of the MC he is president of. The worlds are brought together for a second chanced at love and getting answers to long ago questions. The book shows that true broken people can have a second chance at love. Looking forward to the book three in this series.

I was provided at ARC by NetGalley.

Everyone who reads my reviews knows I'm a sucker for MC romance. If there is a book with a Motorcycle Club, I'm pretty much in. So of course when I saw the description of this book, I was like hells yes. But then Nora happened and things went left quick.

So Nora is a bounty hunter. But before Nora was a bounty hunter, she was a southern debutante who was firmly under her Daddy's control and did everything he told her. But Nora was not immune to lust. So when she was a teenager and met the super sexy Smith, it was only a matter of time before she gave herself to him. And I do mean gave herself to him. Nora was the one who led when it came to Smith. She was younger and he was reluctant but Nora pressed the issue until they were doing the vertical hokey pokey. Nora fell in love with Smith and vice versa but when her Dad found out she was into some lowly contractor, things went left. I didn't mean to tell you this much but the background is significant to understanding why the rest of the book annoyed the hell out of me. The thing that you most need to understand is that Nora convinced Smith to get into a relationship with her, they both fell in love with each other and NORA sold Smith out, not the other way around.

So fast forward several years. Nora comes to Smith's MC bar hangout to claim a bounty on Smith's VP. Let's just pause right here for a minute. Nora goes crashing into a MC bar by herself to arrest one of the club regulars. IN WHAT WORLD? This does not happen. Nora would've gotten her ass killed in anything near a real MC bar. Instead, she sashays in, talks crazy to the MC PRESIDENT and lives to tell the story. The MC Pres happens to be....you guessed it, Smith. In addition to the fact that I could not get over Nora talking crazy, the book totally lost me at this point.

Nora treated Smith like Smith was the one who did her wrong. I kept going backwards in the book trying to figure out if I had gotten the details of their early relationship wrong but I didn't. There is simply no explanation for Nora's treatment of Smith. Oh wait, Nora was a witch. That might explain it. And that explains why despite all the things about this book that should have made it a great read for me, I didn't love it. Smith is great. He's a strong bossy man who seems to really love Nora. I liked that he was not at all put off by Nora's tough facade and that he pressed her to get what he wanted. And of course he is the president of a MC so he has that going for him!! I think if Nora had been less ridiculous about her history with Smith, I would have really liked this book. By the time Nora sorts herself out, I just really didn't like her.

I know this is going to sound crazy but beyond my issue with Nora, this is quite a good book. Lots of action, twists and turns. The story was entertaining, the sex was sexy and eventually I even kind of liked Nora and Smith together. You just have to be able to overcome Nora's shenanigans to enjoy this one.

his is the second book in the series. I will say, I expected more drama or violence from this type of book, maybe some more kick ass, but it was still good.

I loved it!
Nora has no idea what she's really getting herself into when she walks into that biker bar to collect her skip. And Nora was the last person Smith expected to walk through the door of his bar.
Nora is cocky and sarcastic and Smith is a rude jerk. Both of them have been changed by circumstances in their past but they both start to think there could still be something there. That spark of attraction definitely is but is that enough. A great second chance romance.
5 stars.

Not sure how you do it but every book I read by Jackie Ashenden pulls me in from just the first few pages. I Gant wait for more in this series!

This is the second book in the series. It is mainly about the Duchess Bail bond. You meet Nicole Sinclair and find out about her past. Well that is until she goes into a biker bar to bring in a skip and low and behold a man form her past is there. Smith, he is now the president of the club and is shocked to say the least at seeing the little debutante now all confidante. She is not the little girl he left eight years ago. Theirs was just a hot summer romance until her father found out and him being older and from the wrong side of the tracks was forced to leave in more ways than she thought. There is still an attraction between them and the scenes of them together are hot, and very good. The only problem I had is that it was not as gripping as the first book or some of the authors other books. I still enjoyed her writing and the way she makes the characters come to life on the pages.

Yep, I'm a fan. These books blow me away. I will say, I expected a LITTLE more drama or violence from this type of book, maybe some more kick ass, but it was still good. Super hot, bad boy, criminal, who really wasn't a criminal. A female cop. That alone, just says hot and sexy all over it! The characters were so well written, you feel like they are your friends, like you know them! I couldn't put this book down. Instead of sleeping, I literally stayed up, all night, and read the whole thing! I've definitely been won over by this author and will be looking for other titles!

I just love stories with romance and woman in charge. It was a win-win situation and was a great story.

I was given a gifted copy by NetGalley.
Nora and Smith had a story together in the past and both of them think they had moved on. When they meet again they realize they still have feelings for each other.
The book is well written and at the beginning was all right but then the action stops and they were just thoughts and reflections about the past. The best part for me was their consciences speaking to them, making them focus on reality and not the lies they use to disguise their real feelings.
I missed a little bit more of action.

Nora, the deb turned bounty hunter and Smith, the good guy turned MC Prez, steam up the pages in Make It Hurt. 8 years ago Nora was an 18 year old virgin with a rich, not very paternal father and Smith was a nice construction worker working on her father's pool house. She begged him to rid her of her v card and after much convincing, he gave her what he wanted, and fell fast and hard for her. But, when her jerk of a father found out and accused him of raping her, Nora didn't do the right thing. No, she didn't do anything, didn't say anything, and Smith left with his heart broken, went into the military and further hardened that broken heart. Now, 8 years later, she wants something, or someone, from him and he wants something from her. She wants his VP, Dust, because he skipped bail, and he wants one night with her and answers for why she didn't stand up to her father 8 years ago.

That's it in a nutshell, and, it's all it is. Because, as steamy as Make It Hurt is, lust and some latent anger is pretty much all that there is to this story. I didn't feel a particularly strong connection between the two, nor much meat to the story. Sure, there's the whole MC thing, but it's not really a big part of the story aside from setting the groundwork. Perhaps it's too short, or just maybe it's just that the characters aren't that well developed. I don't know how to pinpoint it, all I know is Make It Hurt doesn't do it for me, unfortunately. Nora isn't very interesting, nor likable. I do like Smith, though, and that's the only reason I didn't rate it lower.

I was really looking forward to reading and reviewing Make It Hurt, the second novel in the Texas Bounty series, since I gave the first novel in the series, Take Me Deeper, an enthusiastic 5-star rating, but I had a difficult time deciding what rating to give this novel and finally ended up with giving it 3 stars.

Nora Sutcliffe is a fugitive retrieval specialist, aka skip tracer/bounty hunter, working for Duchess Bail Bonds in Austin, Texas, and, as the novel opens her task is to bring in bail-jumper Garrett Brook, aka Dust, a member, in fact VP, of the Graveyard Ministry MC. She makes the unfortunate choice to try to take him in at a known biker bar, surrounded by his MC brothers, not the smartest decision, in my opinion, but she likes a challenge and a chance to show off her finely honed skills and toughness. When the bartender is of no help, she ventures into the pool room in the back of the Rusty Nail, where a number of bikers are watching a game in progress, and as the man holding the pool cue takes his shot and stands up she gets the shock of her life. Standing before her is a man from her past, Smith, the man she begged to take her virginity at age 18, and whose heart she broke 8 years ago, and he's nothing like the sweet, gentle, and hunky contractor's helper whom she met while he was working on the pool house at her wealthy father's mansion. The man she knew and loved is gone, and in his place stands the bearded, tough as nails, furious President of the MC, Smith, and boy can he carry a grudge. Only one thing about him is the same, his lust for Nora, and Nora is further shocked to realize that she's still attracted to him, certainly a weakness and not something she wants him to see.

Smith is the new President of the Graveyard Ministry MC, and has been trying to get them to clean up their act and stop their illegal activities. He's got a lot to prove, and the last thing he wants to do is show any kind of weakness in front of the brothers, so when Nora asks him to give up Brook, he refuses, and then tells everyone but Nora to leave. What follows is a contest of wills between the two, and they eventually make a deal, Smith will give up Dust, his VP, friend and old army buddy, in exchange for one night of sex with Nora and her agreement not to involve the police, but it's not just sex with Nora that Smith wants, he wants answers and retribution.

When Nora's rich and remote father discovered her relationship with Smith 8 years ago, he called her into a meeting with Smith and Smith's boss, and accused Smith of taking advantage of and raping his 18-year-old daughter and demanding that he be fired. Smith expected Nora to say that she'd been the one to pursue and seduce him, but she never said a word in his defense. What Nora soon learns is that her father blackballed Smith as a rapist and that he couldn't find another job anywhere. He ended up enlisting and serving several tours in Afghanistan, returning home a bitter man with nothing to lose. What Smith didn't know was that Nora had been forbidden to say a word by her father, her only means of support, and whose love and affection she'd been trying to gain for years. As it turned out, one year later when she refused her father's demand that she marry a business associate, he disowned her and threw her out with little more than the money in her purse.

So far, this novel was working for me, but by the time the aforementioned secrets are revealed and hashed out, and after the all the steamy sex and power games between these two characters happens (and it happens a lot, mature readers only), I began to realize that there really wasn't much in this novel beyond that. The motorcycle club and it's members faded into the background, and there really wasn't a solid plot beyond the relationship between these two lovers turned adversaries turned back to lovers. I kept waiting for something other than sex to happen--some crisis with the MC, perhaps even an attempted reconciliation with Nora's father, some involvement with the police, but there simply wasn't anything there, nor was there much in the way of character development either. Although I didn't mind the fact that this put a different spin on a MC romance, and that it was well-written, it left me wanting more depth and more action. I liked it, but I didn't love it.