From bestselling author, Dr. Rebecca Sharp, comes an emotional, small-town romance with a twist… For years, I was close enough to fame to touch it. Taste it. Drink it.Until one more drink became my answer to everything.Until one night I made a mistake which couldn’t be undone. So, I cut all ties to my former life and the addiction that destroyed it. And I left in search of redemption on the … destroyed it. And I left in search of redemption on the other side of the country.
After months building a new future, I thought my past had stayed put.
Until I opened my front door to find she’d followed me.
Taylor Hastings. My sister’s best friend.
And the good girl I’d never been good enough for.
Not then. Not now. Not ever.
One glance at Taylor’s face told me she’d come searching for a safe haven. One glance at the swell of her stomach told me she hadn’t come alone.
I didn’t hesitate to offer her my help and my home because looking out for her was the right thing to do…
Even if the way I wanted her would always be wrong.
So, I kept my distance. And Taylor kept her secrets.
Until one kiss changed everything.
Until one kiss made me realize it wasn’t our first.
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I will say the theme of this story is right there in the name, the redemption arc is strong and for character that had a long way to go to be redeemed. All the way back when I first read Reputation, I saw the demons that Ash was fighting and the struggle he faced, so when I saw he was getting this own standalone story I was so excited to see where his story would go. I love me an angst A-hole, what can I say I love it especially when the author has some serious talent to write them to be seemingly unredeemable and then make me feel for them. That is the sign of an amazing story!
Redemption ticks all of the marks for me. I was on about page 5 when I knew I would have a hard time setting this book down and I was right 100%. Long time feelings ignored, secrets, angst, unpredictability, and off the chart’s chemistry. I loved this story and I can’t really go beyond that. Redemption is a book I will reread again and again because it was that amazing! A must read in my book!
-XOXO Mackenzie
Ash is now rebuilding his life in Carmel Cove. Taylor shows up on his doorstep several months later pregnant just asking for a place to regroup herself. Both Taylor and Ash have issues in expressing their feelings and being open with each other. Though I really love how strong of a character Taylor is. Speaking from experience it is not easy to go up against your super religious parents.
Carmel Cove seems to be a very special town made up of very unique people who have formed their own family. At the head of that family is Larry, who has a lot of insight and wisdom to share with everyone. He seems to see what everyone’s real issues are and guides them on the paths they need to be on.
What I did not expect was that that this book would touch me so deeply. I have been affected by the addiction of a loved one in my past and reading this book brought back a lot of old memories to the forefront of my mind. It also felt in a strange way a sort of cleansing for me. What a powerful thing for an author to be able to do for a reader.
I absolutely am very excited to read the next book in this series. I can already tell it’s going to be one that I’m not going to miss.
Ashton Tyler’s life has hit rock bottom after attempting to destroy his sister, Blake’s relationship with her new boyfriend and his ex best friend, Zach Parker. Now he has head to the west coast to try and pick up the pieces of his life and get sober. Now he has finally found some sort of happiness and is on the road to finding his new role in life and new friendships he has developed.
Taylor Hastings is Blake’s best friend and grew up in a very strict Catholic home. One night she makes a mistake trying to help a friend and now she has come to Ashton’s to find a safe place.
Yet what she finds when she arrives at Ashton’s she discovers that this may not be the place that she needs to be and she may be too late.
Can Ashton overcome his past and realize that he is worthy of love if only he can forgive himself first. Will the secrets that Taylor is hiding destroy everything that Ashton has worked so hard to overcome?
I must say that I enjoyed this book much more than the first one and in the first book I really hated Ashton but slowly in this book I began to like him again and I really wanted Taylor happy above all else.
Ashton was a bit of a complex character as he was on his way to recovering from his alcohol addiction but he needed to do it on his own and away from everyone from his past, including his family. I found that a little frustrating as he had hurt Blake so much in the first book. I was proud of what Ashton began to accomplish for himself and how he was going about it with the help from Larry, his sponsor.
I loved Taylor from the first book and it continued in this book. She had feelings for Ashton for so long and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t have done for him. Yet one night everything changed and then Ashton left and Taylor was left picking up the pieces. When Taylor arrived at Ashton’s she was shocked to meet Danny and knew she was interrupting something.
Taylor was holding a huge secret and gradually as she and Ashton became closer she kept coming close to telling him things but at the same time she was afraid to tell Ashton just in case she lost him.
I loved the friendships that were formed between Ashton and Larry and their circle and how Taylor became embraced into their circle.
I hated what was happening with Larry and I really hope we learn more. I hated what happened to the coffee shop and how much that affected Larry and the events that led to. I was super sad with everything that happened after and I do hope we get a little more closure on that.
I loved when Ashton realized the truth but I was super freaked out for Taylor.
I loved what Ashton named his restaurant and how everything ended!
I still need more with everything that happened to Larry!
By Rebecca
Another win from Dr Sharp. This story drags you in and you keep turning the pages until you realize that you are finished. Your emotions will run high, you will cry but you will have a few laughs and most of all you will love the main characters.
Ashton (Ash) is devoted, loving to a fault but he is battling his many demons. Taylor has her secrets and is also struggling with her parents’ deep religious beliefs. Two broken persons come together and try to heal each other with love.
I really enjoyed this story!!!
When I found out that Sharp was writing another book in the same world of “Reputation” I was over the moon excited! I loved that world and couldn’t wait to find out more. The more she revealed the more excited I got. I can honestly say that I was blown away by Ash’s story! Such a major life issue taken on and the truths behind such was brought to light in an amazing way.
Ash leaves behind his life, family and friends to heal himself after giving too much of himself to those around that it left him with nothing. Nothing but an addiction…wanting to heal himself from this he had to remove himself from the place that helped create it.
He finds what he needs in a community out west named Carmel Cove, a place where he learned family isn’t always blood. A place where he found the support and path to healing himself. It’s a long path but as he works at it, he realizes with the help of a good man that healing for him is more than just quitting and completing steps.
When the one girl he’s always wanted shows up on his doorstep looking for a safe haven, he provides it. He keeps his secrets of why he left to himself…while she keeps her own. What forms between these two reminds him of something he didn’t remember from his past. Makes him wonder if he’s imagining a dream he had…because he’s definitely had MANY of those starring Taylor. However, once he realizes it wasn’t a dream but his reality…secrets are revealed.
Redemption was such a sweet read! Filled with secrets, passion and a forgiveness that anyone would wish for but not many accomplish. I wish I could say that the words that filled the chapters of this novel was something that twisted my heart and made me feel…and they might have to a degree but the most feeling came in the author’s note at the end. Please please please save that for last! Experience the novel in it’s entirety and then finish it off with her notes as it was written that way….as it should be!
#herestolarry
Redemption lives up to it’s name, but have tissues nearby. Such a beautifully written story about love after loss and tragedy. A powerful example of how everyone makes mistakes, it’s what you make of it, that matters.
I loved Ash and Taylor’s story! It is a beautiful story about redemption, forgiveness, strength, and so much love. It definitely gives you all the feels. This is the first book by Dr. Rebecca Sharp I have read and I plan to read more!
Is there redemption for a man who has made so many mistakes? That is the main crux of the problem in the book Redemption by Dr. Rebecca Sharp. And Ashton Tyler definitely has made enough mistakes to fill an ocean! So it makes sense that Ashton would run from everyone he loves in Nashville, Tennessee to start over in a small town in California. But the last person he expects to see on his doorstep is his sister’s best friend, Taylor Hastings. She reminds him of a past he wants to forget.
So is Ashton a heartless, cowardly man, running from his problems instead of facing them head on? I don’t think so. He is just a tormented man recovering from his past addictions and relying on his new friends in Carmel Cove to help him start over. I felt so bad for the man Ash became, but loved that he was committed to staying clean while at the same time trying to help those he loved. His relationship with Taylor feels at once vague and intimate which is really confusing as a reader. I loved Ashton and Taylor together, but there were moments where Ashton seemed too mentally fragile and scattered for a real commitment.
Taylor is the perfect match for Ashton. She is such a mix of confident woman with everyone else in her life and confused girl with her parents and Ashton. She is also so sweet and selfless in her love for Ashton that you can’t help but love her, too.
While I loved everything about Ashton and Taylor’s storyline, I found myself wondering how Ashton and Taylor’s bittersweet past was going to work in a sleepy little town of Carmel Cove, California and it’s established residents. I really felt disconnected from the residents of this town, except for Ashton’s friend and mentor Larry. He is the only character that is really three dimensional while everyone else surrounding Ashton and Taylor felt like filler characters and could have been left out all together. The drama surrounding this town is too strange and confusing and really didn’t fit this storyline at all. The only part of this book that definitely kept me reading was Ashton and Taylor’s story.
3.5 Stars
“Because, sometimes, the world has to go on without you for a little bit until it’s time to catch up. It’s not about being left behind, it’s about staying back until you’re ready to move forward.”
Redemption is a highly emotional tale of addiction, love & forgiveness. It is heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once, but be warned, there are certain themes that may be triggers for some readers.
Ash finally hit rock bottom and escaped to Carmel Cove to face his demons. Cutting himself off from his friends, family & the life he knows, he meets a kind stranger who helps him forge a new path. Months later his sister’s best friend lands on his doorstep, forcing him to open up about his new life and what led him there. Only he doesn’t know the real reason she’s there and isn’t prepared for how her presence will affect his life.
Taylor grew up in a strict, religious household, believing she must follow in the life her parents and God have laid out for her. Despite her mother’s warnings and guilt trips, she goes on tour as the PR manager for her pop-star best friend, quietly loving Ash from afar. But one night changes everything, and soon she’s traveling across the country to find Ash and escape her disapproving parents.
“We were both broken, and when we kissed, those jagged pieces fit together and became whole.”
This book was a lot heavier than I thought it was going to be. The blurb definitely gave off an emotional vibe, but I wasn’t fully prepared for this book. Ash, Taylor, Larry, Eliv-they all chipped away and broke me a bit, grabbing onto my heartstrings from the very beginning and never letting go. I loved the bonds everyone shared, the friendships and varying forms of love and family throughout. There were highs and lows, and while I understand why there couldn’t be, I do wish there were more highs.
While not what I was expecting, I really enjoyed this story and all the characters. It seems like this is the start of a new series. and I’m definitely excited to get back to Carmel Cove and read more!
The title of this book says it all.
Ash has done a few things he is not proud of and takes a look at his life realising that he is a high-functioning alcoholic who is hiding it from his friends and family. To beat this, he moves away from the family and friends he knows and ends up in Carmel Cove. Here he meets Larry, who helps him change his life around. This book really is about Redemption and Ashes journey to change his life.
From day one in Carmel Cove, Ash has been sober. He’s recently bought a space and is turning it into a restaurant. This is where he sees his future and wants to lay down roots and not going back to his past.
One early morning Ash is surprised to find Taylor at his door, seeking help. Taylor is best friends with Ashes sister and is pregnant with his child, something he doesn’t know anything about nor remembers, as he was drunk at the time.
This read was so real, raw and emotional and goes beyond just a love story. The chemistry between Ash and Taylor was insane with a constant pull between them, each character had their flaws and their own battles to deal with but the love and respect they had for each other had my heart bursting.
Ash is one of my favourite hero’s I have read in a while and definitely stole my heart, I’m still swooning over him! He’s caring, considerate, a great lover and a valued member of the Cove community and a true redeemer who has struggled with addiction but has managed to turn his life around and has learned to forgive himself for his past mistakes that haunted him.
Carmel Cove is a place that is neighbourly, it’s small, everyone knows and respects each other and Sharp really portrays the sense of community with this town introducing side characters and unresolved stories that I can’t wait to read about in future books, especially since I didn’t want this one to end.
This is a real personal book for the author and this really comes through in her words. A must read for everyone and worth more than five stars.
*An ARC received for an honest review*
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Overall Ratings;u2063
First Sex Scene – 60%
POV – Duel
Hero –
Heroine –
Story –
Angst –
Steam –
Chemistry –
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Redemption, love, and life
Rock bottom is a place and unfortunately for some it isn’t the actual bottom…there are places below it. Ash crawled out of those places to climb up to rock bottom. He was given a guiding hand and a new outlook on life. Redemption (and Caramel Cove) are a new start. A do over. A chance to change everything.
Ash’s Redemption came in the form of a Pixie. Their love story is complicated and complex. It’s hard won and worth every word.
I was already hooked by the story having read Reputation and been introduced to these two. I was already chomping at the bit for their story. Redemption has now given me a whole new family of friends to wait for. Caramel Cove is going to steal the hearts of those who read this book.
I will be at Roasters waiting for you!
This book gave me all the feels. Ash and Taylor’s story has the angst and I’m glad the got their HEA. Although there were times I wanted to shake Ash to tell him to wake up! What really resonated with me the most was Larry’s story. His story completely gutted me. It just hit too close to home.
Such a wonderfully well written story filled with all the emotions, and I mean all your emotions. Ashton Taylor has always been there for everyone else helping family and friends follow their dreams, somewhere along the way his dreams were pushed aside. With that comes resentment, feelings of not being good enough and lost opportunities, including finding love even knowing his sister’s best friend Taylor was always there often picking him up after his drunken behaviour got out of control. Ash knew things had to change he needed help with his drinking and find his dreams once again. This was a emotional story that touched on many current issues in a realistic way, and a highly recommended read
He doesn’t remember because he was drunk
Redemption is a standalone and has a HEA. It is a “precursor” to a series of standalones set in the Carmel Cove, CA.
Ash is stumbling around drunk. He used to be able to manage his alcohol but can’t anymore and he doesn’t remember much before he cut ties with his old life and then Taylor shows up on his doorstep for a safe haven. Taylor won’t tell him her secret just that she needs help.
Ash is a changed man and Taylor is still afraid to tell him her secret.
Oh holy cow there was a hot as ever scene. I felt like I was unraveling while reading it.
I loved Ash Tyler and Taylor’s story. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I will be lined up in May 2020 to get Beholden. Laurel and Eli’s story. Although, I think I will be doing things bass ackwards and now read Reputation that was written prior to Redemption.
4*
Ash has helped his sister Blake achieve her dreams of being a pop star also helping his best friend Zach with his band. However the pressure has changed him relying on drinks to get him through it all.
Taylor is the only person who sees him but will he remember in time.
My heart broke for Ash such pressure to help others and Taylor trying to show him the way despite her upbringing.
This book certainly pulls on your heart strings.
I’m so pleased to notice it’s part of a series all standalone but featuring the friends from previous books my favourite type of read.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Redemption by Dr Rebecca Sharp is the follow up book to Reputation. We met the brother Ash. We know what he did to his sister. This book tells his story after he left. Going all the way across the country he tries to find who he is. No famous sister, no manger of his best friend’s band. When a knock on the door has him questioning what he is doing in his life. Taylor has found herself in a precarious position and she shows up at Ash’s door. This book can be read as a standalone however book 1 is not only enjoyable but you get to know the back story. I can say I loved this book more than book 1. The other characters in this story were interesting and I definitely am curious regarding their stories. I loved Ash’s journey to not only his redemption but finding his place in life. He also finds something he never thought he could have or was even possible. The chemistry between Taylor and Ash kept me interested in their story. 5 stars for me.
10 BEAUTIFUL HEARTFELT STARS!! Redemption is beautifully written and will touch all your emotion buttons. Rebecca Sharp has written Ash and Taylor’s with so much heart…..they will be in my heart forever. I absolutely loved this book!!! You definitely need this book on your TBR list, so do it now.
This was my first book by Rebecca Sharp and she has left me speechless! This is by far one of the easiest 5 stars I’ve given a book. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t even halfway into the book when I knew this story would exceed those five stars it without question deserved.
As soon as I started reading I was immediately entranced. I knew right then not even a paragraph in that I wanted nothing more then for this book to never end. I was completely and utterly captivated by this story and this amazing group of people and their undeniable goodness. And as much as I liked every character in their own way—there was one that immensely surpassed everything, Ash undoubtedly owned every piece of my heart.
Ash is lost and in order to find himself he leaves to make himself better. For a long time alcohol was the answer. He tried to fill the void by drinking and not caring about the destruction his drinking caused. But after an incident occurs, he hates the damage he’s done because of his drinking. My heart shattered for Ash and what he was going through. There was so much more to him and he was so deserving of the redemption he was seeking. It’s no question I was rooting so hard for him and him accepting forgiveness.
Taylor was such a kind and caring person. She’s the one person who truly sees Ash. And one night when Ash desperately needs her help—she’s there for him and without knowing, Ash is also there for Taylor. After months have passed, Taylor finds Ash and thus begins their journey they never knew was in their grasp, but one they hoped for.
Ash and Taylor were everything. They both leaned on each other and were always there for one another. Even though Ash didn’t feel worthy and especially worthy of Taylor, she made him see how wrong he was. Ash was every bit deserving and deserved every good thing. My love for Ash and Taylor is beyond. I loved their friendship, I loved their love and I absolutely loved the journey to get them there.
Redemption was the journey one takes to seek forgiveness from others, but more importantly forgiveness from yourself. It’s angsty, downright emotional and everything beautiful. This story and Ash and Taylor will forever have a piece of my heart. I will cherish this book, always.
Rebecca, thank you for writing this book. I know you hadn’t planned to write it, but I’m so happy you did. After reading your author’s note I couldn’t stop the tears. You have no idea how much I needed this book. Thank you isn’t enough, but again—thank you, thank you, thank you for writing Ash’s story.
MUST READ
DEFINITELY RECOMMEND
I am speechless…I can honestly say I am lost for the right words to tell you how much I LOVED and cherish this book by Rebecca Sharp. So this will probably be a short review,because of the simple fact that I love this story too much for simple words.
Words seem meaningless when to me it is perfect.
I am not going to tell you anything about the story because if you decide to read it( which I think you should) then you will experience the full effect of this incredible journey between Ash and Taylor.It is a beautiful tale poetically crafted from the mind of Rebecca Sharp.This may be my favourite story by her so far.I cried more than neccessary,feeling the raw emotions deeply and unapologetically between two characters that I felt an instant connection to.
ASH…Stole my heart completely he is perfectly imperfect and I adored him ,it is so hard to be able to pick yourself up from rock bottom and admit you are in trouble but Ash did and I was in Awe of him.Taylor was everything that is good and kind and her strength was something I admired she loved unconditionally and without judgement despite her upbringing and I loved that about her.
Set in a small town called Carmel Cove were Ash ran to so he could save himself,I found myself enjoying meeting all the characters of this town and Ash and Taylor fit in so easily.
This is such a special book,it is like a bible, there are so many wonderful quotes and good advice that are like mantras to live by.Redemption will always be an important and exceptional book for me and I am sure others will take something special away with them when they read it too.
I treasure everything this book stands for and the message of Redemption, and forgiveness it sends especially the lesson of trying to forgive yourself and that Love always wins .
5 Stars will NEVER be enough.
Exquisite.
I might have been a new reader to Dr. Rebecca Sharp when I signed on to read Redemption, but after finishing, I have a feeling I am going to be a life long reader of her work.
Redemption is filled with all the angst and pain and hurt, that as readers, we love to hate. From the first page to the last, there is no slow down on the emotion that pulls on your heart. Honestly, Redemption is an emotionally hard read. The thing about it is, even though it’s hard, the underlying message of love and hope is there and pushes you through when you think it might be too much. Rebecca digs into subjects that aren’t easy for people to talk about and makes the characters face them head-on.
I’m a sucker for a good love story, that much has to be evident if you follow me at all. What I love most is when a story brings more than the obvious to the forefront. For the characters to learn more than lessons a romantic relationship brings, and that’s what Rebecca gives us in Redemption, so much more.