The Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs series continues with a couple fighting to keep what they thought they had and gain what they didn’t know they needed.Roxie Montgomery met her soul mate when she least expected it. When he asked her to marry him, she thought her happily ever after was only just beginning. Then, she found that walking into the sunset was much harder than her favorite books made … books made it out to be. After a crushing loss, she feels as though she doesn’t know her husband anymore, or rather…she doesn’t know herself.
Carter Marshall has loved Roxie since the first time he saw her. But as the days pass between them, so does the distance. He doesn’t know how to show her that he’s all in, and honestly doesn’t know if she’s in at all. When an accident changes everything, they’ll have to decide if what they have can be salvaged, or if starting over is the answer. Or even possible.
Without fighting, without a true new beginning, sometimes, the remnants of what was lost can leave anyone jagged, shells of what they were before. It will take more than the idea of forever for Roxie and Carter to find themselves again, but as the Montgomerys know, nothing worth fighting for is easy.
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WOW! This story really hit home for me. Carter and Roxie are still in love, but allowed the world to come between them – jobs, family, Carter’s injury. They took each other for granted and stopped communicating – no long talks in bed, no dates nights. Now, they both realize individually that they are at a crossroads, but fear is holding them back from reconnecting. Both Carter and Roxie are so fearful that they will hear the worst if they talk to the other. So they drift further apart. They have to dig deep, remember how if felt to be connected and in love, and most of all overcome the fear to build a bridge back to each other.
Fear can be so paralyzing in a relationship. We’ve all been there to some degree. After two children and a drastic career change, my husband and I went through the same as Roxie and Carter. I understood, cried, and cheered Roxie and Carter on throughout this book. Carrie Ann, definitely one of my favs!
Get out the tissues. Jagged Ink had me weepy the entire story. I could just feel the love and pain from Roxie and Carter throughout the entire story. These two have been on the periphery and low key in the other Montgomery stories. I didn’t think anything about them or the struggle they might be hiding – pretty much like their family probably saw them. Once I started reading Roxie and Carter’s heartbreaks, I couldn’t stop. I wanted to keep pushing them back together, making them feel better. When you’re that invested in fictional characters, you know that you have a book that is tucked close to your heart.
How do you describe a book that first had you ugly crying and then maniacally laughing?!? Talk about all the feels…I was a sobbing mess and felt a personal connection to the MC’s. It was heartbreaking to read the words “Maybe love isn’t enough”. I really was scared they wouldn’t find a way to get better. But when they decided that they need a second chance to see if they can repair the damage, something magical happened and I was soooo happy for them both.
I could relate to both MC’s with how they shut off and show a brave face to the world. It’s never easy to admit that you need help – I know that first hand. But just like Carter and Roxie I’m taking one step at a time and learning as I go along, hoping that one day I’ll able to ask without thinking that I’m weak because of it.
This book was simply AMAZING. It’s going to one of my favorite reads so far – brilliant work Carrie Ann Ryan simply BRILLIANT.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
Love this emotional story about making love work even in the hardest of times!
The large majority of romance novels focus on the dating and beginning stages of the couple. Very few explore what happens are the wedding vows. How does a couple find their way back to each other after a tragedy? How do they cope?
The first few times, this book came across my email, I ignored it. It didn’t look like my cuppa tea. I’m not a fan of biker clubs and the real tough guy type of books which I thought this was. I’m glad I took a chance on it. Even though this book is the smack in the middle of a series –Roxie’s siblings and numerous cousins began the series. It can be read as a standalone which is not always the case especially since there are so many books within the series. I figured I would spend the first few chapters playing catch up that focusing on the main characters. Luckily, the focus of the entire book are the two main characters–Roxie and Carter. They have been married for only a few years and have fizzled out. Tragedy struck instead of leaning on each other. They shut the other out until they became a shell of who they were.
Normally, this is the point where I enter into a brief synopsis of the storyline with a favorite aspect of the book. I won’t this time. I won’t because …this book is different. It explores how the couple finds themselves and individuals. It takes them a bit to find it. Carter needed to evaluate his worth and why he never felt “good enough” for Roxie. Roxie felt that Carter only married for one reason and when that reason was gone….what was left? Roxie also had a few more self issues such as comparing herself to her siblings. I mean, anyone who does that will likely feel de-valued. Once a person jumps into that rabbit hole only negativity prevails.
Carter and Roxie needed to learn how to fall in love…not again. But to begin with. Their love story began in a whirlwind. They needed to slow down and appreciate the other. Discover each other, appreciate each other.
This book will move to my re-read shelf.
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
It’s finally time for Roxie and Carter to have their due! If you’re as excited as I was get a hold of this book you’ll be wanting to hold their hands and give them hugs all throughout the story.
You really have to give it to this couple. They faced a tragic event in their marriage but instead of talking about it with each other nor anyone else it just eats away at their marriage. I can’t stress enough how important communication is to a successful relationship. We can’t read each others minds. If you won’t talk it out, how is anyone supposed to know what’s eating away at you?
So you’ll see in Jagged Ink that Roxie and Carter have a massive amount of “stuff” to get through. Not only his healing from an explosion but the couples own loss. It’s sad. I’m serious about the hugs and hand holdings. I just wanted to reach in the book and have a group hug.
Heart wrenching story of love and futures lost. Carter and Roxi are soul mates that have lost their way and don’t know how to fix it. Afraid to have their love turn to hate, they do nothing except drift along in a sea of numbness. A very intense book about Carter and Roxi finding their way back to each other and overcoming heartbreak. A great addition to the Montgomery series.
This is a voluntary review of an ARC.
This is a well written emotional read. Do not go into this thinking it is a typical romance because it is far from it. This book provides an intense overload of feels that do their best to overwhelm you and pull you deep beneath the surface. Roxy and Carter’s story is not easy to read. I’ll be honest I found myself feeling extremely frustrated with these two characters. The levels of miscommunication were to many to count. You could really feel the love between them but everything else just complicated & clouded it all. If you enjoy a read that is 100% angst, heartache and emotional turmoil, than this book is for you.
Beautifully written addition to the Colorado Spring series. Loved experiencing Carter and Roxie’s journeys, both tiger and separately. Looking forward to another visit with the Montgomery Family.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
This hit home for so many reasons that I won’t share on here. I stopped multiple times cause it hurt to read but ultimately pushed through because I was promised a HEA. This book was definitely different but so needed to be told.
This book is on the emotional side. A good half of the story occurs as Roxie or Carter’s thoughts, not dialogue. That made it a slow start for me. If you’ve gone through a divorce before or you’re in a rocky relationship then you might identify well with this story. I was really having a hard time with it until the dialogue picked up. It was depressing.
Roxie and Carter do get their happy ending and there are some very hot times and some heart-warming moments. This wasn’t my favorite book in the series, but if you’re a fan of then you’ll want to read it. 3.5 stars
Break out the tissues and the wine. This book will tear you up and make you cry for the first half then it will slowly rebuild stronger than ever and leave you crying happy tears. I’d been waiting for this book but I was not ready for the emotional ride the author takes us on but boy what a ride.
I’m going to start by saying that this book was hard to read, and took me a bit longer to get through than normal, only because of the depth of emotions that were involved in this book. But, in the end, I’m so glad I read Roxie and Carter’s story, because it is so full of emotion, so full of hope, renewal, and forgiveness. Roxie and Carter were happy together, until they weren’t. Something happened, and ripped their world apart. This book is all about what happens when happily ever after, just isn’t enough.
This isn’t your typical romance. It begins after the HEA, after the wedding, when things start falling apart. There were many tears shed while reading this book, and my heart hurt for Roxie and Carter. There was so much involved, so many things that could have gone wrong, I wasn’t sure if they were ever going to find a true HEA together. I enjoyed looking at romance from a different view point, I loved Roxie and Carter together, but could tell in previous books that something just wasn’t right. The beauty of their story, the sincerity, is about love, forgiveness, and family. There is nothing stronger, more important than that, and this book focuses on that. For anyone that loves the Mongomerys, this book is a must read, because it shows just how strong they are as a family, how supportive they are, and how they band together when someone needs them. Absolutely perfect!
Jagged Ink was breaking my heart from chapter after chapter. To understand the torment and shadows that haunt Carter and Roxie. I really thought this was it. A Montgomery was not going to have their HEA. Carrie Ann Ryan sends a powerful message about marriage. Patience and love should trump all. But what about the in between? Should Carter and Roxie give up?
I still have the chills creeping up my skin. My heart cried out for these two. I am still left with these two on my mind. I love the Montgomery’s forever. But with Jagged Ink, you see that they will not judge or take sides. They will wait out the storm. A truly beautiful story about ever lasting love. If you are married, it will make you hold on tight to your significant other.
Love the montgomerys.Love this heartstopping emotional beautiful love story of Carter and Roxie.So Ready for Landon.
Make sure you have some tissues, because this book had me with the ugly crying through the first third of it. Then some more tears until I hit the mid-way point. From there on in, hope sparked; smiles happened; sexiness came out to play; love grew, it grew again, it grew new, it grew stronger, better, more honestly and pure than it had been able to grow before. A happy ever after is never guaranteed, but once knocked down, if you decide to get up, you can fight for it. Even if the person you’re fighting the most is yourself, as Roxie and Carter find out
Second chances are never certain, but sometimes when things seem the darkest, you find the light. Roxie and Carter were in the dark so long, they forgot about light. Being with them as they found their way, it was truly beautiful!
This was chock full of emotions, straight from the get go. Be prepared to be emotionally wrecked before you start feeling happier feels. Roxie & Carter get put through the wringer before their world spins right
Loved this storyline. It’s about overcoming tragedy and learning how to love your partner again. Roxie and Carter story just draws you in! They fight to keep their love and marriage intact. The cast of supporting characters were wonderful as usual. You cant go wrong getting this book or reading this series!!
These two have some major baggage to tackle, some from before they met but mostly during their relationship. Unfortunately communication with each other has been nonexistent. They do however run through a whole lot of stuff in their heads, I just wanted to reach through my ereader and shake them both. This story gives us so many feels, and while sad for a bit we are not bombarded with darkness. After rooting for their HEA so much the ending is sweet satisfaction.
Jagged Ink is so much better than amazing. Its a story written with perfection. Consuming and captivating Carrie Ann Ryan has written a phenomenal book. A definite one click, a must read for all book lovers.