Fairytale Come Alive (Ghosts and Reincarnation #4) by Kristen Ashley ~ Review

Source: Purchased.

Fairytale Come Alive (Ghosts and Reincarnation #4) by Kristen Ashley

In Isabella Austin Evangelista’s life miracles never happen… she knows she’s destined to be the princess who’s stuck in the middle of a fairytale where there will be no happily ever after.

Once upon a time, Prentice Cameron loved Isabella Austin until he discovered she was a spoiled, rich girl who spent her summers toying with his heart.

Life led Prentice to his own fairytale, the love of the full-of-life Fiona Sawyer. That being so, that fairytale was torn away when Fiona died of a brain tumor leaving Prentice with a house to keep clean, piles of laundry to be done, a business to run and two children who were getting tired of takeaway.

But Isabella comes back to Prentice’s tiny fishing town and she sweeps into his children’s lives like a beautiful, well-dressed fairy godmother who bakes exquisite chocolate cakes and gives the perfect manicure to six year old girls. Then Prentice finds out Isabella’s soul destroying secrets, secrets that explain why she left him so many years ago.

Fiona, stuck in her village and forced to haunt her family and watch Prentice and Isabella’s crazy dance, finds the impossible happening. She’s cheering for Bella and Prentice to rekindle their love. Then she finds out why she’s caught in her heartbreaking haunting and discovers she must embrace her magic and keep Bella safe or Bella’s fairytale will never come true.

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After reading Still Standing, I was still in a KA mood. So I took a look at my quickly dwindling list of KA books I haven't read yet and Fairytale Come Alive caught my eye. I've read the first two books in the Ghosts and Reincarnation series and started the third, though I did put book 3 on hold until I work my way back to it. Regardless, I did like the books I've read in the series so far. Not my favorite KA, but not my least fav either. And Fairytale Come Alive ended up being my favorite of the series so far. 

Second chance romances are not my favorite trope by a long shot (actually, it's among my least favorite tropes), but man...KA can rock a second chance like no other. This was one of those books that hit the perfect spot so that it hurt so good. In the time between when the two MCs were last together, the hero went on to love someone else, get married, and have two children--and then lost his wife when she past away. That's a lot to happen in the time in between, especially because it led to a lot of lingering feelings muddying the waters.

But I cannot stress enough how WELL DONE it was here. It was respectful to the hero's late wife while still making it very clear that the heroine is the love of his life. And the growth of their relationship? As misunderstandings were righted and they discovered their somewhat-dormant feelings for one another? Lovely.

I also adored the heroine's bond with the hero's children. They were good, sweet kids, and I'm glad they all had each other. And speaking of being glad to have them--their FRIENDS. Especially Isabella's. The best.

The only thing I didn't quite love was the epilogue. Since it's the very end of the book I obviously can't be specific here for the sake of spoilers, but I didn't like how the ghost/spirit interacted in the end. It was just a little bit too much for my personal liking. 

All that said, Fairytale Come Alive was a lovely second chance romance that hurt so good. It was also my favorite in the Ghosts and Reincarnation series so far, so I definitely recommend giving this one a shot even if you didn't love the books that came before it--the romance it so worth it!

4 stars - A second chance romance that hurt so good!

Still Standing (Wild West MC #1) by Kristen Ashley ~ Review

Source: Purchased

Still Standing (Wild West MC #1) by Kristen Ashley

When Clara Delany walks into the Aces High Motorcycle Club’s hangout, she’s hit rock bottom. She’s hiding her car from the repo man, she has less than two dollars in her bank account and the only employment she can get is delivering messages for a criminal.

All because of a man. Therefore, she’s sworn off them.

And then she meets West “Buck” Hardy, president of the Aces High MC.

Buck also meets her, and the minute he does, he makes it clear (to everyone but Clara) that they’re starting something. Since Clara doesn’t get that message, she decides to leave Buck and sort out her life in order to come back to him clean.

She’s not gone but hours before life hits Clara with another blow. Which means Buck and his boys have to ride in and save the day. After that, Buck makes no bones about where they stand.

But does he?

Welcome to the first novel in the Wild West MC series which will tell the stories of the brothers of the Aces High MC, the Resurrection MC, and the Chaos MC…and the women who love them.

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Even though Kristen Ashley is one of my favorite authors, I'm a little behind on her recent releases. The last one I read was Dream Maker and while I enjoyed it, it didn't quiiiite hit the spot the way I wanted a KA book to do, so I've been shy of her releases since then (which includes the ebook releases of her fantasy series that originally released through audible). But something about Still Standing made me want to give it a shot, and now I'm glad I did because it was pretty darn good.

Still Standing was rather reminiscent of earlier KA books--it especially reminded me of Motorcycle Man in particular--which I loved. I was also glad that we got a whole new cast of characters. This was a book that was NEW but had enough KA stamps on it that it was just what I wanted it to be, and man it hit the spot.

I was a fan of these characters we're introduced to. The main characters, of course, Clara and Buck. Clara's sweet and kind and very much a KA heroine who's somewhat clueless but still sassy, though not over-the-top stubborn either. Buck is the leader of an MC, so he's rough around the edges a lot of the time--but also caring and sweet and it was easy to love him. 

I feel like we only got a taste of the rest of the characters, but I'm looking forward to seeing them again in future books. The rest of the MC, that got along so well with Clara, and Buck's kids, and Tia, and even Detective Rayne Scott. There's so much room for more, new stories.

While I mostly loved this book, there was one big snag in reading that brought it down from being a perfect 5-star for me. I'm not going to say EXACTLY what it was, due to not wanting to spoil, but I'll just say that there was a big misunderstanding carried through most of the book that I haaaated. Luckily it was only a misunderstanding, so I can look back on the whole story fondly now, but it really brought down the first reading experience to have that hanging over everything the whole time.

Overall, Still Standing was a solid addition to Kristen Ashley's extensive catalogue. I enjoyed the characters, and loved the romance. Buck's a great hero (oh, the sweet things he did for Clara!), and Clara's a strong heroine (the way she got on with the kids!). If you're unsure about giving this one a try, I definitely say take the plunge. It'll be worth it.

4 stars - Glad I gave this one a shot!

After the Climb (River Rain #1) by Kristen Ashley ~ Review

Source: Available for free download.

After the Climb (River Rain #1) by Kristen Ashley

They were the Three Amigos: Duncan Holloway, Imogen Swan and Corey Szabo. Two young boys with difficult lives at home banding together with a cool girl who didn’t mind mucking through the mud on their hikes.

They grew up to be Duncan Holloway, activist, CEO and face of the popular River Rain outdoor stores, Imogen Swan, award-winning actress and America’s sweetheart, and Corey Szabo, ruthless tech billionaire.

Rich and very famous, they would learn the devastating knowledge of how the selfish acts of one would affect all their lives.

And the lives of those they loved.

Start the River Rain series with After the Climb, the story of Duncan and Imogen navigating their way back to each other, decades after a fierce betrayal.

And introduce yourself to their families, who will have their stories told when River Rain continues.

This series was started with the help of you, my readers, during the pandemic crisis of COVID-19. The first book in this series is free, a gift to my Chicklets for their loyalty and support over the years, and a project we all banded together to produce during a challenging time. Thank you for years of kindness and encouragement. I hope you enjoy what we built together.

Please note: This book is a love letter to my readers, a project we worked on together, and as such, for the time being, will only be available right here on my website. In time, I will put it on vendors to be made available widely, but now, it’s just for you.

Goodreads | Download from Kristen Ashley's Website

Kristen Ashley is my favorite author. This is not a secret. So of course I was intrigued when she started a project she called "We're All in This Together." Honestly, the idea of writing the book "together" through polls deciding little details in a book that don't entirely matter doesn't make me any more of less likely to read a book. But this is KA and part of her doing this "together," she posted parts of the working draft as she was writing it. Which means I started reading this one before it was completely written and released. I actually only read the first set of chapters she posted, because when I got to the end of them I knew I was torturing myself trying to read along and chose to wait until the rest was done and released to read the rest. Because the beginning had me that hooked.

Which brings me to last weekend when Kristen Ashley released After the Climb as a free download. I hopped on that SO FAST. I read it in less than a day. And now my thoughts are such a cluster that I'm going to split this into two lists: things about After the Climb I particularly enjoyed and things I did not.

Let's start with the things I enjoyed:

- The. Characters. All of them, but the MCs' children especially. They were all so interesting and fun, and really that's always a shining star in KA's books. It's rare (though not unheard of) for me to not think her characters are awesome. Not only are these particular characters, in fact, awesome, but they also have high potential to become some of her best. A thing I'm hesitant to say, because she has many amazing characters in many amazing series, but... we'll see. For now, they were super fun and I'm excited for more in future installments.

- This book was exactly what I needed right now. Just what I was in the mood for. It perfectly hit the spot. I know this isn't a quantifiable point, but it does add to my level of enjoyment, so it was worth mentioning.

- All of the relationships. There's a bunch of new characters in this one, and they're all interacting and getting to know, or re-know, each other, and I loved the sprouting relationships from it. Of Bowie with Genny's kids, and Genny with Bowie's kids, and all their kids together. The friendships between Bowie's best friend and his wife with Genny. The little interaction of Tom and Bowie. Hale and everybody. And, of course, Genny and Bowie. It's all so heartwarming, and I am here for it.

- Speaking of Bowie and Genny, their romance was nice. I love how well they fit together and how easily they worked. Once they got past the difficult beginning, they were both all in and I appreciate that. They're mature and realistic and they care for each other so much.

Now for the things I did not particularly enjoy:

- This one is a personal preference, but I tend to have a hard time with second chance romances. They tend to be a hard sell for me, though I always pick up the ones by KA because she does them so well. This one isn't exactly an exception, but I grapple with the way things ended between them the last time. It's discussed, and I understand...but my feelings are mixed. I am glad they're together now, and I am excited to see them together as the series continues. I guess I just wish there was more apology from Bowie to go along with his explanations as to how things went in the past.

- I kind of feel like the side characters outshine the main characters. I truly like Genny and Bowie, but I was always itching for interactions with Chloe and Sasha and Gage and Sully. The kids with Bowie and Genny were cute, and the kids together and bonding was the best. It kind of made the impact of the main characters fade to the background. Which isn't necessarily a BAD thing overall, because it means this whole series is going to be fan-freaking-tastic, but for this book focused on these two characters...*shrugs*

Overall, I had a great time reading After the Climb. It was a fun, quick read that really hit the spot. I am beyond excited to see more of these characters as the series continues! I can already tell this series is going to be a great one.

4 stars - Marvelous!

Loose Ends: Volume One by Kristen Ashley ~ Review

Source: Purchased.

Loose Ends: Volume One by Kristen Ashley

In Kristen Ashley’s first anthology, readers will find three short stories and two novellas taking them back to characters and series in the Kristen Ashley universe.

No Clue , a short story – Visit with Joe and Vi from At Peace of The ’Burg series and learn how Joe breaks up a fight between his sons, what Ryker’s up to and why, exactly, his wife Violet has no clue.

The Stars Aligned , a novella – The long-awaited love story of Hap and Luci. Introduced in Heaven and Hell , readers learned, after a heartbreaking journey through grief, Luci was ready to take another chance at love. But Hap was adhering to “the code” between brothers, unwilling to betray his dead friend Travis by falling for Travis’s widow. Further, Hap can’t quite believe a beauty like Luci could fall for a normal guy like Hap. But for Luci and Hap the heart can’t be denied. Especially when the stars align.

The Favor , a short story – Deacon and Cassidy from Deacon of the Unfinished Hero series go back to their favorite cabin at Glacier Lily, and there, Cassie asks her husband a favor. He’ll give her anything she wants. Including this.

More Than Everything , a novella – Readers left Diesel, Maddox and Molly at a crossroads at the end of The Greatest Risk of the Honey series. Maddox and Molly were all in with their commitment to their unconventional love triangle. But Diesel was letting the pressures and prejudice of family and society sink under his skin, making him hold himself distant from the man he loved. Can Maddox and Molly lead Diesel fully into their lives and give him more than everything?

Rock Chick Renewal , a short story – Tod has been planning Rock Chick weddings for years. He’s got a new one on his hands. And it’s not what he expected.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Story #1: No Clue 
This is a quick little peek into the lives of Joe & Vi. They're done having kids (and end up with 5: Kate & Keira, Angie, and 2 sons Sam & Ben). They're settled into their lives. Nothing extraordinary or riveting happens, it's just a little check in to see Joe & Vi happy and settled into their family. Which, honestly, I LOVED. I love the love Joe has for his kids, his family. I love the respect his boys have for their mother. I love how sweet Vi is. As for the little dose of Ryker, though, I'm so-so on that. It felt like a forced situation just so SOMETHING could happen. Which I'm not mad at, but just... *shrugs* Since I adore Joe & Vi, and this story was sweet, I'm giving this one 4 stars.

Story #2: The Stars Aligned 
Hap & Luci’s story. It’s been a while since I read Heaven & Hell so I wasn’t sure how this novella would work for me, but I found it super easy to get into and ended up loving it! Their story is sweet and beautiful and full of emotion. I’m mostly just really glad they got a novella instead of a full book because this was exactly what they needed. It was honestly perfect for them. 5 stars.

Story #3: The Favor 
A little Deacon & his Cassie. Deacon was my favorite of the Unfinished Heroes series, so I was SO EXCITED when I saw he was getting a scene in this anthology. And now that I've read that little short, I'm glad it's here. It's a small glimpse into their lives after they settled in together. He's still giving her everything she wants and it warms my heart. They have a cute little bicker. Overall, this one is short and sweet. 3.5 stars. (maybe I'll bump it up to 4 later?)

Story #4: More Than Everything 
I have been WAITING for this one! It's the novella for Maddox, Diesel, and Molly from KA's Honey series. I enjoyed meeting them in The Greatest Risk, and I'm so glad we got a story to see them work their stuff out. I ADORE their relationship. The romance is top notch, well built and just plain beautiful. I also love the characters. Their personalities, the way they care, the way they operate as individuals and together. Loved it. However, I wish there was more Molly involved in working things out-both in considering her along the way and in stepping in to work things out. She wasn't entirely disconnected from the conflict (obviously, she's part of the relationship too and what affects one affects them all), but I just wanted more. Or maybe I just wanted more time of them three together, the guys with Molly. There was a lot of Mad & D time, so I guess I wanted more of the whole package. That said, it was lovely watching this story play out. This romance is absolutely sigh-worthy. 4.5 stars. (I think on re-reads this story may go up to 5 stars...)

Story #5: "Tell Me What You Want" 
This one isn't connected to any of KA series, it's just a little disconnected short she wrote and decided to include here. And I liked it. It was a cute, quick read. I wasn't super into it, though. The story is told from an outside perspective, so we're just watching a couple with their meet cute instead of being IN it and experiencing it. Plus, it was super short with characters we don't know. Not really the kind of thing that's easy to get swept away in. Not bad, but not great either. 3 stars.

Story #6: Rock Chick Renewal 
A short story for Tod & Stevie from the Rock Chick series. While the idea of this was sweet and cute, the actual story was not my favorite. It didn’t pull me in and I ended up just reading it so I could complete the anthology. It’s a happy story, and I’m always a fan of the Rock Chick world, but this one didn’t really work for me. 2.5 stars.

Overall, this was a solid anthology with LOTS of content. I definitely enjoyed some parts more than others, but I’m glad I took the time to wade through them all. The novellas were my favorite, then No Clue, then The Favor. I’m seriously looking forward to the next volume whenever KA gets around to writing it!

4 stars - Such a great anthology, full of sweetness and characters I love!

Free (Chaos #6) by Kristen Ashley ~ Review

Source: Purchased.

Free (Chaos #6) by Kristen Ashley

Through good times, bad times and times of war, Cole “Rush” Allen grew up in the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Along this journey, he watched his father, Tack, and his MC brothers fight, sweat, bleed and die to steer the Club to legitimacy.

And they’ve got one more battle on their hands.

A battle they have to win.

But when Rush meets the woman who put herself right in the thick of it, he knows he has to stop at nothing to get her out.

Rebel Stapleton has lost someone she loves to murder and she’s the kind of woman who’s going to do something about it. She puts her career on the line, and her life, to bring the man who did it to justice.

That is, she does this until Rush Allen intervenes.

Chaos is at war and they’re about to face the ultimate showdown. They’ll have to negotiate skeletons from the past, enemies becoming allies, and loved ones in the line of fire on their ride to be…

Free.

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Whenever I pick up a Kristen Ashley book, it's with a mix of anticipation, fear, and excitement. I mean, mostly excitement. But it's also intimidating. Because I love her books so much and I really don't want to be let down. So automatically, there's pressure on the book. Then with Free, in particular--it's the finale for Chaos. I had many *feelings* going into this book. And, ahahah I have even more feelings coming out of it. But to begin, I'll say that Free was one of the best series enders I've read.

I'll be honest: I wasn't in serious need of Rush's story. As far as the Chaos members go, Rush wasn't exactly around the top of my list of guys I was hoping for a story from. I was still excited for this book, because it's KA so it's literally impossible for me to not be bouncing off the walls with anticipation, but as far as what I was hoping to get out of this story, a serious love for Rush was not expected. But MAN. Rush was never front and center before, so I never paid him much attention. But we got up close in this one and we know him so much better...and I adore him. ADORE. 

As for Rebel, I've been excited to get her story since meeting her in More Than Everything (Molly, D, and Mad's story in the Loose Ends anthology). And she ended up being all I expected her to be and more. She was so cool. And she fit into the Chaos crew like she was meant to be there. 

Rebel and Rush together was basically the definition of swoon-worthy. They were sweet. And cute. And they had their great steamy moments (like, I must say that these were particularly well-written in this one). But really, they were everything I gear up for when I get into a KA couple--they fit together perfectly, had exactly the right chemistry, and were devoted and stable in all the ways that count. 

The overall Chaos plot was handled well in this one, too. And I say this as a person who honestly wasn't super into the ins and outs of what was going down. I was mostly here for the romance and only kept half an eye to what was happening with the Club so I wouldn't end up totally lost. But in this one, I was actually pulled in by the Chaos situation. 

As a finally, there's obviously a lot going on: the romance, the Club drama, and tying up storylines that need closing. We know the obvious ones going in: Rush and Rebel and Chaos vs. Valenzuela. But there were also two added aspects to the book that I was not expecting...but really ended up enjoying. I'm not going to outline what these were exactly, so as to avoid spoilers, but I will vaguely say that one had to do with Rush and while I didn't and still don't care about this particular character, I was quite entertained by how things ended up with them (and Rebel, heh). The other surprise aspect, however, I LOVED. Like, I never would have expected to care so much but I was 1000% here for it and I'm so glad it was included. 

Overall, Free was the best series ender I could have hoped for. It left my heart so full. I'm going to miss Chaos, but I'm glad this was the way they went out. It was SO. GOOD. And I may have shed a tear or three. <3

5 stars - My heart is so full--one of the best series enders I've read!

Wild Like the Wind (Chaos #6) by Kristen Ashley ~ Review

Source: Purchased

Wild Like the Wind (Chaos #6) by Kristen Ashley

The brother known as Hound has a reputation. He’s all about cracking heads, having a good time, and when the Chaos Motorcycle Club needs someone to do the tough job, they call on him.

But Hound has a secret. He fell in love with a woman years ago. She’s untouchable. Unattainable. And even when her status changes, for Hound, it remains the same.

Keely Black had it all early and lost it all not long after. Thrown into an abyss of loss and grief, she’s faced a life of raising two sons alone and battling the rage at all that had been ripped from them.

And why.

Words spoken in anger open Hound’s and Keely’s eyes. For Hound, he sees he’s wasted his life loving the wrong woman. Keely sees she’s wasting her life not opening herself to the love of a good man.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | IndieBound

This is officially the longest I've waited to read a new Kristen Ashley book since I first fell in love with her writing. Normally I'll jump right into her books pretty much right when they land on my kindle, but this time I waited--partly because I was busy and partly because I was nervous. I've been seriously looking forward to Hound and Keely's story, and I wanted so badly for Wild Like the Wind to deliver. And, you know, now that I've read the book I'm not surprised that it did.

The first chunk of the book is in Hound's POV, something for which I am grateful because seeing his absolute devotion to Keely and her boys (and his lost brother) was a big deal. From when Black died, to trick or treating, to helping raise the boys, Hound was there being supportive. That made for a solid foundation for his and Keely's relationship--a selfless love.

All that said, that first chunk of the book was a wee bit frustrating on the romance front. Because Hound was so oblivious. And since we were in Hound's POV, we could kind of see Keely's feelings had changed but not the full force of it. So Hound and Keely were making important strides, but those strides weren't meaning as much as they should have at the time which was frustrating.

After that first chunk of the book, we get Keely's POV and everything starts falling into place. From there, we get a clear view of the beauty that is Hound and Keely--and I ADORE them as a couple. The only thing that kind of irritated me about them together was how long they kept it a secret. This was an issue for me with Hop and Lanie, too. (And kind of Tabby and Shy, but that's a different discussion.)

I also loved Keely and Hound and Dutch and Jagger being a cute little family. The moments between Hound and those boys, and the sweetness between Keely and her boys, were perfect. Another plus about this book--Tad. I was so happy about the addition of Tad! I just wish we could have seen that couple get together because it sounds like it was lovely.

There's some progress in the overarching Chaos storyline, but we're still waiting for things to come to a head...which I'm sure will happen in the next book (which will be the final book), Free. Of all the things these books have to offer--romance, friendships, family, laughs, cuteness, sweetness, etc--the Club business isn't exactly number one on my radar so I wasn't too bothered by the fact that this novel only took a step forward in the conflict instead of starting to resolve things. In fact, I found it interesting how the present is tying to the past. We'll see where that goes from here.

Overall, Wild Like the Wind took a minute to win me over, but once Keely and Hound actually started sorting their selves out I was hooked--and darn happy about it. I loved them as a couple. I also loved Dutch and Jag and Bev and Tad and the rest of the Chaos crew we've grown to know throughout the series. This was a good, solid dose of Chaos and I can't wait for the next in January!

4 stars - A good, solid dose of Chaos--I loved Hound & Keely!

Sommersgate House by Kristen Ashley ~ Review

Source: Purchased.

Sommersgate House (a Ghosts and Reincarnation Novel) by Kristen Ashley

Douglas Ashton is the cold and unfeeling owner of the gothic Victorian Mansion, Sommersgate House. Julia Fairfax is his stubborn American sister-in-law. After tragedy strikes, Douglas and Julia are forced to live together at Sommersgate and raise their newly orphaned nieces and nephew.

Douglas has no desire to raise his dead sister’s children nor does he want the distraction of the tempting Julia living under his roof. Julia is struggling with grief and trying to make a go in a new country without much help from impossibly handsome but even more impossibly remote Douglas. Not to mention, she has to deal with the active hostility of Douglas’s frosty, Attila-the-Hun-in-a-skirt mother, Monique.

Douglas decides the best way to give the children what they need, get his mother to behave and give himself what he wants is to marry Julia. When he tells her (yes, tells her) she will be his wife, Julia thinks Douglas is (probably) insane. And anyway, she’s decided if she ever has another husband (since the last one wasn’t so great), he was going to be short, balding, have a paunch and worship the ground she walks on (none of these characteristics define Douglas in the slightest).

One more thing, Sommersgate House is haunted by the ghosts of the man who built the house and the woman who was the love of his life. They both died mysteriously at Sommersgate months after it was finished. When they did, a curse settled on the house making it seem strangely alive. And the only way for the beautiful but frightening house to rid itself of this curse is for its owner to find true love.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

So I'm just going to start this review by saying that I actually have no idea what the reading order for this series is. Amazon and KA's website show this as the book to read first, but Goodreads shows this as book 2. I decided to read this first, since 2 out of 3 places showed that as the right thing to do.

Now that I've got that out of the way, Sommersgate House. I've been holding off on picking up this series for a while because I was worried it wouldn't live up to what I generally expect from KA. The Ghosts and Reincarnation series just seem like the type that'll be hit or miss for me and I haaaate reading misses, as I'm sure anyone does. I want to love every book all the time. So yeah, I held off on picking up Sommersgate. But now I'm in need of some KA, so I figured it was a good time to try it out. And...honestly, it's not anywhere near my favorite.

The premise sounded great. A marriage of convenience mixed with some haunting? Sounds cool! Unfortunately, it took me a while to actually get into the novel. I think this was partly because it was written in third person POVs. I was glad to get multiple perspectives (Douglas' mainly) but the third person made it tough to really get attached, which made it take a while.

Another negative for me was the way Douglas pursued Julia. I'm always here for an alpha male. Persistence and devotion make my day--his solid interest and protectiveness for Julia were actually my favorite things about him. HOWEVER. Douglas was uncomfortably pushy at first, in my opinion. She was very adamant with her no, and while she did change her mind I just wasn't 100% on board with Douglas' actions in the process.

That said. Douglas and Julia had a great push and pull chemistry, and their relationship built slowly on the page in such a satisfying way. Not a surprise, since KA is a romance master. I was so pleased with their overall journey as a couple, and I loved them together. I wish we did get more of them solidly and comfortably TOGETHER, but that's me making a small greedy gripe.

There were two other notable aspects to the novel along with the romance: the children and the haunting. As for the children, I loved seeing both Julia and Douglas with them. Julia as the loving aunt, and Douglas with his melting heart. It was so sweet. And the haunting added a fun little something extra to the overall story. There's ghosts and a curse on the house, and it was nice seeing that come full circle as our main characters reached their own.

Overall, I really liked Sommersgate House. The romance built in a satisfying way, and there were some extra aspects that I definitely enjoyed. However, this is nowhere near my favorite Kristen Ashley novel and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed that this one didn't fully click with me. I do plan on continuing the series--and I am actually looking forward to it!

3.5 stars - Not my fav KA, but I really liked it!

Blog Tour: The Greatest Risk by Kristen Ashley ~ Review & Giveaway

Source: e-ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Greatest Risk (Honey #3) by Kristen Ashley

A woman unable to connect, struggling to hide another part of her. A man burning to learn her truth, and make her whole. Through explosive passion and deep exploration, they are about to take the greatest risk of all. But will they be able to take that leap, and come out on the other side together? In this next passionate novel in the Honey series, New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley delivers a stunningly romantic and intensely sexy novel that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

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So I enjoyed The Deep End. And I LOVED The Farthest Edge. And this book is by KA. So my expectations for The Greatest Risk were of the positive variety, but I wasn't quite sure where in the grand scheme of POSITIVE it would land. I knew I liked Stellan and Sixx always seemed cool, so I was guessing book 3 would fall between the first two books when ranking the series -- with book 2 as my top favorite. But I am here to tell y'all that setting high expectations for The Greatest Risk is not only a good idea but the BEST idea because this book BLEW ME AWAY with how fantastic it was. Honestly and truly, The Greatest Risk is one of the best books I've read so far this year and definitely a new KA favorite for me.

First of all there's Sixx. Who has always been a fierce chick. But getting to know her much deeper in this installment reveals so much. She's even more awe-inducing than I anticipated. Her personal growth was so great to witness. But even aside from that, she's just so cool and I'm glad we got a book for her.

Then there's Stellan, and to be perfectly honest he's what MADE the book for me. I adore Sixx, but Stellan. Man. Stellan. He's so devoted to Sixx. So sure of being with her. So openly fond and in love. It was beautiful and sweet and it made me unbelievably happy.

Their story was so satisfying to read. It kicks off pretty quick and honestly gave hints a few times of going in a direction that made me nervous -- but it never did go those ways I was worried about. In fact, the directions the book actually went in made me SO HAPPY. Stellan and Sixx together are literal perfection, and I am in awe of Kristen Ashley for writing such beauty.

Overall, The Greatest Risk is a beautiful addition to the Honey series and is definitely not to be missed! In regards to the Honey series, The Greatest Risk is now tied for my favorite along with The Farthest Edge -- and Branch is some tough competition. ;)

5 stars - A beautiful addition to the Honey series -- Stellan & Sixx are perfection!

Kristen Ashley is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over fifty novels, including Mystery Man, The Gamble, and Own the Wind. She grew up in Indiana, but has lived in Colorado and the West Country of England.

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