Her past is plagued with darkness…He’s determined to make her future brighter.–Ashley–My life was once a nightmare.Because of my past, the walls I’ve constructed are mighty.But those walls begin to waver the day I meet him…Chase Jacobs, star quarterback, and the cutest boy I’ve ever seen.With his easy smile and sweet words, he’s perfect.Problem is, I’m not.My scarred soul is corrupted, my … perfect.
Problem is, I’m not.
My scarred soul is corrupted, my battered heart tainted.
And my secrets? They have the power to destroy me.
Plagued with demons, I fight to keep Chase at a distance.
But he’s not having it.
Determined to steal my heart, he fights to make me fall.
It’s a mistake.
You see, the thing about secrets is that they don’t stay hidden forever,
and whether I’m ready or not, mine are about to be revealed.
Once they are, will Chase then walk away for good?
Or will the love we share truly conquer all?
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Wow! I had to sit on this one for a few days after reading before I could put my thoughts together. There are some things that Ashley went through that are absolutely horrifying to read about. However, it was written in a way that isn’t overly graphic, but the reader will absolutely feel every ounce of pain Ashley feels. She has lived through unimaginable pain and loss, but won the lottery when Shelby and Anthony adopted her. Chase is just about perfect in this book. He has his own problem, namely his crooked cop father that keeps coming back, but he would do anything for Ashley even if that means walking away. I found myself holding my breath a few times hoping Ashley would finally open up about her past, and I was so relieved when she finally did, although it was gut wrenching.
While this book was extremely emotional, Grandmama was still out in full force with her usual antics. I couldn’t help but laugh! The epilogue helped put my broken pieces back together, and of course it’s got me anxiously waiting for more!
Every kiss he steals
I feel like I’ve been waiting for ages for Chase and Ashley to get their a’s into gear, purely because they’ve been behind the scenes and my imagination often runs away with itself but J.E. Parker threw this one out of the ball park. It’s interwoven with couples that we’ve read and events that are taking place simultaneously which is absolutely amazingly doneThe characters are top notch and often have me laughing with the amount of sass they pull and all their other antics
Admittedly, Shelby was my favourite character and she still ranks right up there, but Chase and Ashley are pushing their way to the top. Ashley has been through soooo much in her short life and Chase is her anchor keeping her grounded through it all and with all his patience with Ashley, has certainly stolen a piece of my heart
This book is full of everything you could want in a book, emotions galore and those last few chapters certainly had me shedding some tears Thank you to J.E. Parker for my advanced copy for which I leave my honest review and I’ll be walking around on eggshells trying to wait patiently for Pop’s story next
I rarely cry when reading books and yet JE Parker manages to make me cry every dang time! This book is a beautiful story but is also a rollercoaster of emotions and full of triggers so be warned if you are sensitive to things like that. I highly recommend reading this!
Chase and Ashley have a wonderful story. Forgiving yourself for things outside of your control is not easy. They have HEA better then I ever could have guessed. This novel is a standalone, but if you have not read Shelby or Heidi’s story those should come first. This story runs parallel to theirs.
5*
Chase took one look at Ashley’s photo and was determined to protect her and be who she needed.
Ashley’s life was never as it should have been until she managed to escape to the women’s refuge. She never expected to feel again but the determination of her new friends and chosen family were making it possible, but nothing lasts forever and when a blast from her past appears it shatters them all.
This story had all the emotions that totally draw you in. I couldn’t put it down.
I can honestly say this series has totally took me on a journey I’ve cried, laughed and loved each and every book. No book is a repeat of the previous one the characters are feisty, loving and totally batty (grandma) but you will never regret buying and reading any of them.
What I totally enjoy is that the characters are mentioned in each follow on book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Highly recommend reading.
Ashley and Chase finally have a book!!!! And boy, it has all the angst, drama, tears, love, grandmama and butt pinching you expect.
I knew from the previous books that this story was going to be gut wrenching and heartbreaking, but seriously, I just want to hug Ashley and Chase. There are so many beautifully written scenes throughout, but I don’t want to give away spoilers.
The way Ashley tries to build relationships, the self doubt, the pain in so many scenes, that the extended adopted family is there for her to help her is so important. And I appreciate that not all of the conflict is resolved with a happily ever after. Bad people don’t all get redeemed, while some characters do prove that it’s not who or where you came from, but the person that you want to be.
I swear, every single book in this series manages to top the one before it. This time, Chase and Ashley have become my favorites, along with Tony for burning the town down from the very top!
Chase and Ashley have a very hard road to travel, since both of them spent at least part of their childhoods in less than stellar situations, to put it mildly. Chase knows that Ashley is The One for him from the very start, but he also recognizes that convincing Ashley to take a chance on him is going to require patience and perseverance beyond almost any comprehension. Luckily for Ashley, he has both in an abundance.
Ashley, on the other hand, is 1000% certain that she is undeserving of anything good that life has to offer. She breaks her own heart and soul trying to make things right for others, but she didn’t count on the love that her family has for her. With the support of everyone from Grandmama to Chase and all of our favorites in between, Ashley finds the strength to take her power back, and it’s a GLORIOUS event. And the best part? The HEA that she and Chase so richly deserve is even more wonderful than I’d anticipated. I can’t wait to see what comes next for this family by choice (and blood). I’m sure that this author will tear my heart to shreds, then glue it back together better than new all over again.