My true love reviewed
Ashes and Embers series
Carian Cole
Storm
Vandal
Lukas
Talon
Loving Storm
Asher
I admit I read Storm, and Lukas last year but this year I thought I would work my way through the whole series and I am so glad that I did. This series holds my favorite book that I read this year, keep reading to learn which one it is. This series follows a group of brothers and cousins in the famous Valentine family. Their fathers were musicians in the ’60s and ’70s. When their grandfather died their grandmother who is one of the best characters ever went looking for her two grandsons she learned about at the funeral (Lukas and Vandal). You will want to hug all these men and give them all the love. Storm, Talon, and Asher are brothers, they have a younger brother and I hope that the author will be writing his story because I am so looking forward to him falling, it’s going to be so good.
Storm finds Evelyn after she wrecks her car in a blizzard on a lonely road when he is on his way to his cabin to find peace and quiet with his dog. Of course, mishaps occur. Evelyn is currently in a long-term relationship and Storm hasn’t been in a relationship since he was 19. All I will say is snowglobes.
Vandal was the hardest novel to read in the series but the twist at the end was so unexpected. Vandal is troubled and often her male characters are hard-edged troubled men who desperately need love and compassion. It kills you when you find out what happens and how much he needs someone to see him.
Lukas falls for an older woman who has recently found that her husband has been cheating on her for a year. Struggling to be a single parent and deal with her attraction to a younger man would be a struggle anyone can understand. Lukas has a heart of gold and is often the 2nd person people in the family go to when they need help. He co-owns a tattoo shop with his half-brother Vandal and occasionally plays music with the band (Ashes and Embers). The twist in this book will kill you and strangely so believable that it could happen in real life.
Talon is another hard novel in this series. Their mother who is a famous romance novelist is working with some psychologist on what makes a good marriage. Talon is looking for a relationship because the same groupies aren’t doing it for him and he sees how Storm and Evelyn are. He takes a chance and joins the project. After several meetings and psychological tests, he is matched with a person the group believes will be their right match. Asia works hard but can’t seem to find success and pull herself out of poverty she decided to join the project because she wants to mean something to someone, is desperate to be loved. Too bad Talon has a ticking clock of a health issue that will put a strain on his life and his new marriage.
Loving Storm is my comfort novel. I will go back to this book, again and again, to feel good. This book picks up with Strom and Evelyn after Storm proposed. It includes their wedding and moving into a new house and surprise a new baby. I love the epilogue and seeing their oldest daughter all grown up and Strom being a father.
Asher well here we are my favorite book this year. I will endeavor as an author to do what this book did to me. Reading this book I had a visceral body reaction. I felt the knife of emotion enter my heart. I cried so much. Asher has been a thread through all of these novels and always alone. Other characters have eluded him loving or hanging onto a ghost. You learn in this novel who he is hanging onto and how devastating it has been to him. It killed me and is my 5-star read.
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