Review: Ashes to Ashes by Tory Palmer

Ashes to Ashes by Tory Palmer

Series: Men of Clarke County #1

Publication date: February 7th, 2020
Pages: 317

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:

My life in Medicine Mound is amazing! I have friends, my own home, and a successful business. In short, everything a young woman could hope for...

Oh, who am I kidding? My husband left me, my best friend is an oversexed trust-fund kid, and the silent partner in my business just dropped dead. And, without him, I've got maybe one season before my art gallery goes under.

And, as if all that weren't enough, now I have a stalker!

When Rachel, my oversexed pixie of a friend, drags me out to the rowdiest biker bar in the country, we find not one but two sexy, capable hunks to keep both my mind and body "busy."

But, as my stalker begins to escalate, both of my handsome bikers, Ryder and Tommy, come to my defense.

Will the three of us be strong enough to stand against the criminal forces at work, even as they grow in danger and scale? More importantly will we be strong enough to embrace our hearts' desires?

Or will we all end up as nothing but ashes in the end?

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Review:

The last thing on Jessica Bloom's mind when she is confronted with not just the potential downfall of her business but the new stalker leaving her hateful messages is trying to get laid. Sure, she has rarely had an orgasm with her ex-husband and all their experiences left a lot to be desired. But does that mean that she should give into her horny friend, Rachel's, demands and go out for a night of no-strings-attached sex with a stranger? Apparently so, because that is exactly what Jessica does. And when she does so she means two ex-military bikers named Ryder and Tommy. The night had started out with Tommy and Rachel hot to trot while Jessica found pleasure in the arms of Ryder but when something calls Rachel away what are they to do with the third wheel? It seems the answer is to invite him in for some group fun. But if that dynamic isn't enough of a head scratcher in the light of day the next morning, then an old enemy of the boys shows up in town and seems to be connected to Rachel. Could this be her stalker? And what will the two men do to protect Jessica from an unknown as well as finding a way to bring down their known enemy?

This book was all over the place. Even trying to summarize the book as I always do in the beginning of my review I felt some of my eye-rolling snark surface. It was not a reverse harem. Reverse harems are a dynamic with one woman and three or more men all involved with the same woman. This was a thruple where the two men refuse to cross swords. Although there were some moments where I was like, "hmmm..." in reference to Tommy and Ryder's closeness. The romance was odd and felt very forced and not at all the whimsical romance that most books of its kind are. No professions of love. Barely any acknowledgement of a connection outside of great sex. I didn't fall in love right along with the main characters because there was no love. 

Then you have the mystery which just felt like an afterthought. It was meant to be this big huge antagonistic event that drove the three together but it was just a clusterfuck. There were pot holes and missed information all over the place. It wrapped up without incident which was a huge let down. It's like the excitement of going up a hill on a rollercoaster. The anticipation and excitement mounts, your heart starts to race, your breath starts to quicken and when you get to the top... you go over a speed bump and the ride is over. Let's face it, this book was meant to be a smutty read catering to the taboo nature of reverse harem-type romances and the rest of the story was just fluff thrown in to give the characters reasons to be pushed together so they could have sex. 

So... the romance was non-existent, the plot was also missing, but the sex scenes... those were really well done. The author took her time with the scenes and fleshed them out to make them pretty hot to read. I just wish the rest of the book had some of the same passion she put in these few sex scenes. It would have made the book a lot more redeeming to me. I don't believe I will be continuing the series as the next book is about Rachel and I don't like the character enough to want to read her story. If I stumble across anything else by this author I'll give it a whirl but this one was just not it for me.

Book Blitz with Excerpt + Teasers + Giveaway: The Penance of Valentine Cash by Rebecca Rook @XpressoTours

The Penance of Valentine Cash by Rebecca Rook

Publication date: January 16th, 2024

Synopsis:

Neil Gaiman's American Gods meets Jennifer Mason-Black's Devil and the Blueburd in this modern adaptation of the Greek legend The Twelve Labors of Hercules for young adult fantasy readers.

Valentine Cash is dead.

When she dies in an accidental collision she caused on the cusp of musical fame, Valentine is offered a deal: Complete a series of difficult tasks to get her life back. Fail, and she dies a final, everlasting death. Guided by Route 66 the Mother Road of America on her quest, she tackles one herculean task after another, giving up a piece of herself with each trial.

Valentine begins to understand that the fame she once sought won't bring her happiness or belonging -- and if she fulfills the penance, she must decide what's more important: Her old life or restoring the lives of the strangers who died alongside her.

The young and the ancient, the tangible and the mythical, collide as Valentine learns the true meaning of redemption, connection, and the enduring power of the human spirit.

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Excerpt

The Huntsmen had arrived.

They were all large, dressed in furs, leathers, and thick boots. The men had thick beards and braids; the women either wore braids or had shorn hair. All of them wore armor of some kind, with runic designs upon their crests. Ghost green flames danced and kissed across their skin. As Valentine watched, she saw that their skin flickered and faded in the moonlight, alternately translucent  and opaque. During the translucent phases, she saw their skeletons underneath.

She shivered.

Then, beyond the Huntsmen, she saw the mounts.

They were stunning.

Each horse shimmered, dressed in golds and silvers, blues and violets, coppers and moonlight. They were enormous, with hooves the size of dinner plates and lush manes that draped across the starlit skin. Valentine watched as they huffed, stamped their feet, and half-reared. They were ready, she could tell. They wanted to hunt, to chase.

She heard Malcolm's prosaic voice in her head. Choose the smallest mount.

Valentine scanned the herd. There.

The smallest mount glowed like a golden fire in the moonlight, with a silver mane. Compared to the others, this one was dainty, almost delicate. Valentine cast a quick glance at the Huntsmen, then started forward, crouching low to avoid notice. As she moved forward, she draped the bridle over her shoulder, then pulled out the packet of frankincense and myrrh. She poured it into her hands, then crept forward. She stopped before the golden creature, a good six feet away. Though this mount was smaller than the others, it was by no means tiny.

When Valentine stilled, the horse raised her head.

What do you want, mortal? The voice sounded like a crack of lightning in her head. The eyes glowed with violet flame.

REBECCA ROOK designs tabletop games, manages a little free library dedicated to sequential art and comics, and lives in the Pacific Northwest with two wonderful dogs. She writes young adult fiction in the fantasy, thriller, and horror genres.

A 2021-2022 Hugo House Fellow in Seattle, WA, she also attended the 2021 Tin House YA Fiction Workshop in Portland, OR. Rebecca was selected as one of the 100 invited writers to participate in the Write Team Mentorship Program's curated Pitch-a-Thon event before being chosen as a Mentee for the 2021 Program. Prior to this, she completed the wonderful Yearlong Workshop for Young Adult and Middle Grade Fiction at Hugo House.

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Book Blitz with Teasers + Giveaway: Lavender Moon by Natalie Parker @nataliecparker @XpressoTours

Lavender Moon by Natalie Parker

Publication date: December 4th, 2023

Synopsis:

Kaleb

I was always the bad boy.

The kid from the broken home and the wrong side of the tracks.

But in her eyes, I hung the moon.

The girl from my summers who I thought I'd never see again.

Finding her now right before I'm due to deploy is like a gift, one I'm not going to waste.

She was always meant to be mine and I'm going to make it official.

My silly girl is now my spirited wife, giving me someone to come home to.

Little do I know I won't be coming home - at least not as the same man.

Luna

I never thought of myself as a good girl... but he does.

The boy I used to see every summer has grown into a brave soldier that I now get to call my husband.

Getting married so quickly was supposed to be a way to protect us both and keep us together for good.

But we both take on demons while he's away, and when he comes home, it's his that try to tear us apart.

Someone has to fight for us while he's weary and wounded.

And now it's my turn to go into battle.

From the author of the Turn it Up Series, comes an all new standalone about young love, and two people's harrowing journey to save it -- as well as each other.

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NATALIE PARKER resides in the Seattle area with her husband and two rugrats, but is originally a Michigan girl.

She always enjoyed writing and noticed she had a knack for it while earning her Psychology degree and ha always been an avid reader, but never thought of becoming an author until one day there seemed to be a story to tell.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading, reading, reading to her kids, drinking coffee, reading, occasional yardwork, reading, listening to music, reading and writing.

Stay tuned for more to come for your favorite characters of the Tune it Up series!

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