ARC Review | ASHES by Steven Manchester

Ashes by Steven Manchester

Published by Story Plant

February 21, 2017

Contemporary Fiction

Buy the book on Amazon

Summary:

Middle-aged brothers Jason and Tom Prendergast thought they were completely done with each other. Perceived betrayal had burned the bridge between them, tossing them into the icy river of estrangement. But life and death has a robust sense of irony, and when they learn that their cruel father has died and made his final request that they travel together across the country to spread his ashes, they have no choice but to spend a long, long car trip in each other s company. It s either that or lose out on the contents of the envelope he s left with his lawyer. The trip will be as gut-wrenching as each expects it to be . . . and revealing in ways neither of them is prepared for.

At turns humorous, biting, poignant, and surprisingly tender, ASHES puts a new spin on family and dysfunction with a story that is at once fresh and timelessly universal.

My thoughts... 

As you know, if you have followed this blog for very long, I am a fan of Steven Manchester's work.  I have read nearly all of his books and I always enjoy them very much.  This was no exception. This book was a little different than the last few of his that I have read in that there is no hint of romance to be found.  Other than that aspect, it's very on par with the rest of Steven's books.  It's very heartfelt and full of subtle messages that hit you right in the feels.

Jason and Tom Prendergast are estranged brothers who are brought back together when their father dies.  His will states that they will not get what's been left to them until they travel across the country to spread his ashes in Seattle.  The brothers haven't spent any real time together for more than 30 years; truth be told they hate each other almost as much as they hated their father so this is bound to be a miserable trip.  As they travel they are forced to relive some horrific moments of their childhood that they really just want to forget.  They move closer to resolving their differences and to forgiveness the closer they get to Seattle. They never expected what they find when they get there, but, will it be enough to mend their long forgotten relationship?

At first I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, but in the end I did really enjoy in and just like all the others it did make me cry.  There is just something in Steven's writing that gets me every single time!

XOXO, 

Shelly

*Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.* 

Update

Hey!  I just wanted to hop on here really quickly and let everyone know that I will be taking an extended hiatus from this blog.  I started student teaching in August, I am still working part time and I have very little time to read outside of what I am doing for school.  I am student teaching in a high school English class where nearly all the hours I am teaching are writing classes....with writing classes comes lots and LOTS of grading!  Right now I have a stack of papers that is literally over 6 inches high that needs to be graded this weekend.

I will be back in a couple months....hopefully!  I will graduate in December, but I am not sure how much time I will have to read once I start teaching.  We'll just have to see how it goes.  I just know that I will not continue to accept books for review at this time, because I just don't have the extra time to read.

Thank you to each and every one of you who has continued to read my reviews over the years.  Thank you to the authors who have sent me your books to review.  I continue to buy books even though I don't have time to read them...I keep telling myself that one day I will have all the time in the world, but that won't be happening any time soon I'm afraid.

XOXO,
Shelly

Release Day Blitz | CLOSE TO YOU by Kristen Proby

I totally missed the ball and forgot to post this yesterday!!  I will have a review coming soon, though.  I am about halfway though the book and I am LOVING it so far!!

XOXO,
Shelly

Kristen Proby is known for writing heartfelt characters with deep connections and sizzling passion. In her brand new Fusion Series from William Morrow, she seduces readers’ senses with the sexy, contemporary romance in which five best friends open a hot new restaurant together. Today, we are thrilled to bring you CLOSE TO YOU, the second book in the Fusion Series! CLOSE TO YOU brings readers the next story in this amazing cast of characters. Grab your copy of CLOSE TO YOU today and check out the special offer below! 

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the second novel in her sizzling Fusion series.

Camilla, “Cami,” LaRue was five-years-old when she first fell in love with Landon Palazzo. Everyone told her the puppy love would fade—they clearly never met Landon. When he left after graduation without a backward glance, she was heartbroken. But Cami grew up, moved on, and became part-owner of wildly popular restaurant Seduction. She has everything she could want…or so she thinks.

After spending the last twelve years as a Navy fighter pilot, Landon returns to Portland to take over the family construction business. When he catches a glimpse of little Cami LaRue, he realizes she’s not so little any more. He always had a soft spot for his little sister’s best friend, but nothing is soft now when he’s around the gorgeous restauranteur.

Landon isn’t going to pass up the chance to make the girl-next-door his. She’s never been one for romance, but he’s just the one to change her mind. Will seduction be just the name of her restaurant or will Cami let him get close enough to fulfill all her fantasies?

Order Your Copy Today!

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Order CLOSE TO YOU during release week, fill out this form, and receive an email with the Exclusive Short Story, GROW WITH ME, featuring Will and Meg from Kristen Proby’s PLAY WITH ME in the With Me in Seattle Series after Release Week!

And Don’t Miss the First Novel in the Fusion Series, LISTEN TO ME!

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About Kristen Proby:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.

Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

 

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Review | WICKED SEXY by J.T. Geissinger

Wicked Sexy by J.T. Geissinger

Published by Jack's House Publishing

July 17, 2016

Adult Romance

Buy the book on Amazon

Summary:

A badass ex-Special Ops officer and a smartass hacker fight a dangerous enemy…and a blistering attraction to each other.

Connor Hughes is an ex-special ops officer, CEO of Metrix Security, and bonafide badass. His private security firm is renowned for its effectiveness. He’s renowned for his lethal precision and iron self-control. But when the former Marine meets a gorgeous young hacker with a mouth as smart as her brain, his control unravels in ways he never could have predicted.

Tabitha West is a genius MIT dropout with a bad attitude, an obsession with Hello Kitty and piercings in unmentionable places. Tabby amuses herself by outwitting the most secure technology systems on the planet. Known in hacker circles as Polaroid due to her photographic memory, she’s as secretive as she is accustomed to working alone. So when Connor decides she’s the only one who can help him catch a cyber criminal intent on taking down one of his clients, she tells him exactly where he can stick it.

But when the cyber criminal turns out to be the Hannibal Lecter of computer crime—and a dark presence from Tabby’s past—Tabby and Connor are drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. They quickly find themselves fighting not only their common enemy, but also an explosive desire that threatens to consume them.

When the stakes are this high and the game this deadly, will falling in love be the most dangerous move of all? 

My thoughts... 

I think that I liked this book even better than the first one.  This one centers on Tabby, Victoria's assistant and Parker's security guy Connor.  They met in book 1, but this book takes place 3 years later.

There isn't much I can say about the plot of this book without spoiling things so I am going to keep my comments pretty short.  Connor contacts Tabby to help him with a case and it turns out she is connected to the target they are investigating.  Connor and Tabby have a pretty volatile relationship that gets pretty intense at times.  This definitely makes for interesting reading and their chemistry is off the charts hot!

This story does have a lot more suspense than the last one and the action is what moves the story along at a good pace.  There were elements, as with the last one, that are somewhat unbelievable, but no less interesting to read.  There is a lot about computers and hacking and the damage that can truly be done by someone who knows what they are doing and that was interesting to me for sure.  I also really liked getting to know Tabby and Connor better.  They have a decent set up in book one, but this one really digs deep into who they are.

I am anxious to see if she does another installment in this series.  This time I have no idea who the leads will be.

XOXO, 

Shelly

*Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*