From USA Today Bestselling Author, A.M. Hargrove, comes the 3rd stand alone book in the West Brothers Novels.They say there’s a fine line between love and hate. Ours was a mile wide. To put it bluntly, my life sucked. When I finally got up the courage to divorce my jerk of a husband, never in a million years did I imagine his prick of an attorney would gain him full custody of my daughter. My … full custody of my daughter.
My scant two weekend visits per month killed me.
And my ex made it as difficult as possible on me every single time.
So imagine my shock when said attorney’s name appeared at the top of the list
at the in-patient substance abuse clinic where I worked as a counselor.
My list.
The first thing that occurred was I completely lost my Zen.
Then my blood boiled.
Then his chart flew across the room and slammed into the wall.
How could this possibly be happening?
Karma couldn’t be this cruel.
How in the world could I be an empathetic abuse counselor to the cocky Pearson West, who destroyed my life?
I would rather become an addict myself, or better yet, strangle him first.
This is a full-length, contemporary, single-mom, enemies-to-lovers, romance.
I’m so in love with this story, the amazing characters and the storyline. This 6 star story was just beautifully executed to perfection. TDC reviews
I was captured and tied down to this book within one instant. Most of the time I wasn’t sure whether it was a romance or a thriller that I held in my hands and devoured it in every spare minute I had. Andrea, Goodreads Reviewer
The plot was fast paced from beginning to end and the tension and suspense had me gripping my kindle so tight my knuckles were white. Make My Day Books
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Nobody can resist the charm of a West brother =P
I fell in love with Pearson West from the first page on. He was somewhat of a troubled hero but his flaws made him human and just that much more loveable for me. My heart ached for him from the very beginning and that’s probably also why I felt so protective of him and cursed the heroine when they first met.
Although he was a recovering drug addict I never viewed him as such because he was so controlled. Sure, there were weaker moments but for what he’s been through I admired his strength and tenacity.
Pearson’s life might have seemed perfect to others but after his fall down the drug hole his problems were worse than he let on or even accepted himself. Getting out of this vicious circle was easier said than done and he learned the hardest way that he couldn’t continue like this anymore. Seeking out help was the only solution no matter how hard it was to accept the truth.
Rose liked her job as a counselor but her new patient stretched her self-control to the limit. He was the reason why her ex-husband had full custody of her daughter and although that’s something she would’ve loved to change, she sadly didn’t have the financial resources for it.
The story took a turn I didn’t see coming but had me on edge until the end. I loved Sylvie’s character and I adored Montana, Rose’s little girl, who was a spitfire of a kid and hilarious at playing matchmaker.
I absolutely loved the solidarity of the West family. I was like a sponge soaking everything up when these brothers were together. Did I mention how much I loved them?! =P Grey might still be my number one but I loved Hudson and Pearson all the same.
Grey and Hudson had their own struggles throughout life until they found their love of their lives. Now it was Pearson’s turn and boy did he go through pain. I even shed a tear or two during his story because some things were just so heartbreaking to read. His story couldn’t have been any more different to his brothers but he had still a lot of strength inside and fought for the better. I loved how calm and controlled he was most of the time even in his precarious situation and that he didn’t let people rile him up although the drugs made it tough for him. I would have hated for him to be aggressive.
Not sure if I would classify this as an enemies to lovers romance – which the blurb led me to believe – because it was only Rose who was angry since her ex got full custody of her daughter. Pearson wasn’t even at fault because he only did his job. But I understood that she wanted to lash out, even though it wasn’t very professional of her to steer her anger towards anyone else than her ex. I think this was more of a not-the-right-time kind of romance because of many reasons which I don’t want to spoil, but partly because she was his counselor at the rehab facility.
I loved the writing and the story so much but I couldn’t overlook Rose’s unprofessionalism towards Pearson in the beginning as well as when she used him to help her, which I found rather selfish in that particular situation because he was there to get help for himself in the first place and she made it even harder for him with the guilt. Even if it wasn’t her intention, her outlash caused him pain. I understood her very emotional situation and my heart broke for her but it really wasn’t very professional of her to act that way at her work place.
There were some 5 star moments in this book but all in all it was a solid 4 star read. Well, as always, it’s a question of personal taste and opinion. But altogether I really enjoyed this story and who can resist a West?! =P
OMG! The epilogue though was worth a hundred stars! It cracked me up so hard! I loved it and can’t wait to read more.
I knew that Pearson was going to be the one West brother that would have the most emotional storyline and A.M. Hargrove did not disappoint. The lawyer, Pearson, with the drug and alcohol problem seeks help from the drug counselor, Rose, that had her parental rights stripped down by the same lawyer made for an emotional yet heart breaking story. Add in the physical and emotional abuse that poor little Montana and Rose have to endure and you have me yelling at my kindle. I was locked into the book from the opening pages and the roller coaster ride that Pearson and Rose have to go through made this the best book in the series. 5 Stars are not enough.
I was so stoked to receive another ARC from Ms. Hargrove.
This book is probably the heaviest I’ve read from her. It talked about the real life struggles of a single-mom who is being emotionally and physically abused by her ex-husband and a child being physically and mentally abused by her own father. It also talked about the struggles of a recovering addict and the abuse of illegal substance.
Some parts were difficult to see in my head because I wasn’t able to relate to it, but it still opened my mind… it made me aware about how it is to go through something like that.
I love that Pearson West and Rose Wilson overcame their individual hurdles… that they forged on and pushed themselves even when things seemed so bleak… I loved that they were given a second chance at life and love, and that their family was there to support them. I truly believe that while we have our own individual strengths, having and knowing your family is there for you, definitely makes you a whole lot stronger.
This is not a light read. Like I mentioned earlier it is full of angst and drama, but it’s definitely an eye-opener.
* A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review *
Well A.M. Hargrove has done it again!! I don’t think there is a book she has written that I haven’t absolutely LOVED!! From Smoke to Flames is no different!!
I loved this story and the characters in it. I think this one is the most emotional read of this series. She focuses on the tough subject of Drug and Alcohol addiction. I felt that everything she portrayed felt real and accurate. I truly felt the struggle that Pearson faced throughout the whole book.
This book was such an emotional roller coaster. I was laughing one minute and then either crying or yelling the next. This truly had my heart all over the place. But that is what makes this such an AMAZING story and worth more than 5 stars!!
From Smoke To Flames is the third and final book in the West Brothers Series by A.M. Hargrove. This is a stand-alone novel and told in Dual POV. I don’t believe these books need to be read in order but I do think the reading experience would be better if you did read them in order. You get to understand Pearson’s character better if you meet him from the beginning.
In this story we follow the emotional journey of Pearson and Rose. Pearson is the final sibling in the West Brothers Series. He is a very successful divorce lawyer but his success has come at what price?? Over the course of the first two books we get a glimpse into Pearson’s downfall, but that downfall comes to the rock bottom in this book. When Pearson wakes up in the hospital and is told he almost died, he knows he needs to change his life. So he is sent to rehab….that is where he meets Rose. But what he doesn’t know is that he had met Rose before. Rose can’t believe who one of her patients is….the divorce lawyer who represented her Ex in the divorce. (Pearson) To say that Rose doesn’t like Pearson in the beginning is putting it mildly. Can these two get past their differences?? What happens when Rose’s past won’t go away?? Can they get their HEA?? Read this story to find out.
I loved seeing the past characters in this story. I thought this story showed what an AMAZING bond the West family has with each other. I also liked that she introduced the West Cousins in this story, so we will get a spin off of this series in the future!! I look forward to reading Sylvie’s story.
I would 100% recommend this book to all A.M. Hargrove fans. I think this West Brothers Series is my favorite of her books so far!!!
Best one in the series.
This series satisfies all my romantic cravings. To say the stories are good is an understatement, From Smoke to Flames is a fantastic story. The story feels so real reading/listening to the book, my emotions are all over the place, I cry, laugh my heart rates are up and down all in the best ways. My heart breaks for Pearson, Rose and Montana, Pearson struggles to fight his demons and be worthy of Rose’s love. Great story.
Pearson and Rose had a heartbreaking but beautiful story about survival, strength and love. Montana was absolutely adorable with her clicky shoes and wild legs and her lovable nature. I loved these characters and this story.
From Smoke to Flames has nothing to envy the previous books,even if one story got on my “Favourite 2018 Reads” list.
This story was an emotional rollercoaster,there are a few downs,some ups and a couple of a loop the loops.
A.M. Hargrove writing has always a great flow,it’s so easy to follow and it keeps the reader attention from start to end.
Pearson and Rose journey is a difficult one,being a recovering addict the first and a counselor with a mean ex husband the latter.I’ve appreciated their slow burn relationship because there’s nothing idyllic about their lives before they met but they could help each other get through this.
I fell hard for these characters I was hoping this series would last forever but I was slightly happy reading tha epilogue.
I can’t wait to find out what this author has got in store for us.
WOW! I was hooked right from the start. Having lived a lot of this it hit close to home. I was the wife of an addict and this book is spot on. Pearson’s story is heartbreaking, but you finally get the answers to many questions from the previous books. Rose was his angel or so he thought. Things took a slight turn. Rose’s story is heartbreaking and Montana OMG. You want to cry for them. You will love this book and all the twist and turns it takes