Alex's bookstore goes up in flames, its called an accident, but Alex's family demands Matt Fields come investigate it. When Matt and Alex meet, the tension between the two is thick. Matt finds signs of Arson, which put Alex at risk, and Matt wants to know who is targeting Alex.

The tension between Alex and Matt is thick from the moment they meet, and while the hold back for a bit, once they give in the relationship between them is fast and hot. I enjoyed both the characters and as well as the story line.

Another LGBT contemporary book that I liked but didn't love (I've annoyingly been in an awkward reading slump for months and I've been DNF'd so many books). I liked the characters, they were so cute together and it was entertaining overall but again it was more explicit than I thought it would be, it felt a little like insta-love and I just didn't really get on with it sadly.

Caution warnings: abusive family members, references to infidelity and attempted suicide, drugging, kidnapping, poor depiction of mental health issues.

In MJ James' debut <em>Out of the Ashes</em>, Alex Porter loses everything when the bookshop that he rebelled against his wealthy family to build goes up in flames. His overbearing mother insists that a fire marshall be called for, so Matt Fields has to drop everything and devote himself to the case, <em>and</em> Alex.

I wanted to like <em>Out of the Ashes</em>. Queer mysteries are my wheelhouse, and I'm always looking for new authors! The initial introduction of characters and problems hung together well, and the story was fast-paced enough that I burned through it in a day. Unfortunately, I still had <em>several</em> problems with it.

Most of my problems are with the writing and editing. There are many errors, like references to conversations that never happened, an arson charge that disappears, or the core belief of one character at the start of the book becoming something that they had never believed in by the end. The protagonists' backstories don't feel like they have any true influence on their current actions, either.

[spoiler]
As an example, Matt was apparently traumatised by his previous partner dying in a car accident, which not only isn't mentioned before the halfway mark, but also doesn't stop Matt trying to get Alex off while he's driving! A valid characterisation choice, but one that I felt needed addressing explicitly.
[/spoiler]

It feels like all of the narrative beats are there, but none of the groundwork is done to support them. They feel like they're put there more because that's what those tropes <em>should</em> lead to, than because of any character development. For example: Alex's mother is controlling, throwing her name and power around to get what she wants, and sweeping in to make Alex’s life fit her preferences. Alex's frustration and complete distrust works well initially, but halfway through the story she has a complete change of heart that not only doesn't feel earned, but that Alex <em>accepts</em> at face value. From there, their reconciliation is handled in one paragraph, which somehow fixes all of their problems.

Another example is that Matt's relationship with the police chief, which starts off fairly acrimonious, to the point that Matt suspects him of trying to set Alex up. However it <em>ends</em> with that plotline dropped in favour of the chief suddenly becoming a trusted mentor <em>despite not having a scene where Matt's suspicions are overcome or addressed at all.</em>

It also doesn't help that the scenes that could work for that development are glossed over or summarised. Their first date is at a salsa bar, which could have been an opportunity to build the tension, but instead it's glossed over, with Alex and Matt talking afterwards about how hot they found it. Even the conclusion of the mystery is narrated by a third party because neither of the protagonists are present at the time. It feels like poor storytelling.

[spoiler]I was very disappointed with how the mystery plot line turned out. There was very little lead-in to the villain, and the fact that their motive appears to have been "mentally ill, potentially abused, and fixating on Alex due to a breakdown" did <em>not</em> endear <em>Out of the Ashes</em> to me. The resolution didn’t work particularly well either, because the arsonist is dealt with off-screen between chapters, and Matt and Alex are told what happened later! It felt like the story was trying to avoid any of the complications that would come with the arsonist either living or being killed by Matt. Although I would also believe that it's just the same problem with plot and pacing that affects the rest of the book. As someone who has seen a LOT of trashy action movies in her time, having the mentor character show up and prove their respect for the protagonist by saving them makes perfect sense! But without the build-up, it just read like a deus ex machina. [/spoiler]

That's all without getting into any of the things that are my personal squicks, like "no one seems to remember that both bisexuals and lube exist," "please stop trying to have sex in that hospital bed," and the entire relationship hinging on their instant sexual attraction and mysterious soul-mate draw, to the point that they're engaged in less than a week. It also doesn't help that neither of the characters really felt like they were part of a community, or had any friends outside of each other, which means they and their story felt unmoored.

I don't think I'd recommend <em>Out of the Ashes</em>. I want to, because it has a promising premise, a clear understanding of narrative structure, and it <em>is</em> compelling. I just don't feel like the writing lives up to the potential.

I'm sorry but I really couldn't get warm with this book.
One character is a blushing mess but the other likes his strong attitude, the other behaves like an arrogant assh** but this one can only see his amazing eyes and sexy body...

My biggest complaint about this book was the way the fact that these two were "obviously destined to be together" is shoved down your throat every fifteen seconds. I honestly considered not finishing it every time they said "I feel like I've known you forever" in some way or another. My second biggest issues were the inconsistencies. One page you have someone giving a business card out, then a few pages later they are asking the person they gave it to how he got their number. There were a few good parts, I suppose, but for the most part it was repetitive and boring. It feels like a full half is them saying things like "I can't explain these intense feelings" "I feel like I've known you forever" "I can't deny my feelings any longer". Then the ending which left me just like... what the actual hell? It's been ONE WEEK MAYBE.

I wanted to like this one, I really did. But sadly, for me, it just didn't work. I loved the idea of the storyline, but unfortunately, when it came to the execution, it just fell a bit flat.
I think that part of the problem with it was that the characters didn't sound real. Their dialogue was a bit off, there was nothing that I could put my finger on, but it just didn't flow naturally and that stopped you from really connecting with them. Add to that the fact that there was a lot of internal thoughts and feelings, rather than actually showing us what was going on through actions and I found it hard to feel anything for either of the two main leads and didn't really connect with their instant love connection.
The plot itself wasn't so bad, but parts of it just didn't make sense the way that it was recounted to us. People went from being suspects to everyone knowing that they were innocent or vice versa for no apparent reason. There were also inconsistencies that tripped you up as you read. Someone would ask where the person calling got their number when they'd given out a business card in a previous chapter. A relationship is described one minute as being almost an arranged marriage and later as they met and fell in love instantly. The main characters decide to investigate the fire at the shop, but then go and do something else instead.
This probably sounds as though it should be a one-star review, but it's not. There are things in this book that show promise and to be honest I think that with a bit of re-writing it could actually be a really good read. It almost seems to be a book that just isn't ready for publication yet.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book started with a flaming bookshop. Something we all don't like. From there it took of. At first I like the attraction of Alex and Matt. They didn't act on it for a long time and I like my slowburn. Unfortunately the mystery about who burnt down the shop was getting wishy washy and took a huge backseat to the developing, in my liking far too quickly, from the slow burn beginning. If it wasn't my curiousity about who burnt down the fudging shop I would have dnfed it at the sex scenes. I didn't feel the chemistry between them and what could have been promising made me skip huge chunks of the book, sadly. So I will read it but skim most parts since they are getting it on constantly.
The solve of the case was rather boring and it felt like the suspense was forced. Sadly just 2 🌟

I didn’t really enjoy this book at all. It suffered from too much internal monologue and constantly changing emotions. One minute Alex and Matt were screaming at each other then they were constantly apologizing to each other until I wanted to scream. I was only able to finish it by skimming through which is something I hate doing while reading.

Alex bookstore is burned down and Matt is the fire investigator assigned to the case. There is an attraction between the two when they first met but they can’t pursue it because Alex is accused of starting the fire. Someone is threatening Alex’s life. The book is romantic, easy to read, with a
“who done plot” and I enjoyed it

I really liked the synopsis of this book - it sounded really exciting but the execution just didn't work. It opened up interesting enough and Alex seemed like an interesting character. His bookstore is destroyed by a fire and he ends as a suspect. He is also still dealing with the end of a relationship with a fiance who cheated on him. This is where Matt gets introduced and things go down hill from there. At this point it becomes instant love and Matt insists that Alex is innocent (why he believes this makes no sense since the two hardly know each other). From here we go into mostly sex scenes with a few minor plot points in between. The worst part is most the resolution of the suspense part takes place off-scene.

If you don't mind instant love and porn with a little plot then this book might work for you but it didn't work for me

Out of the Ashes follows the torrid romance between Alex, a young man who's book store has been destroyed by arson - and Matt, an arson investigator assigned to Alex's case. The novel opens with a strong start which unfortunately peters out into a slog that inspires no spark of chemistry between the two main characters.

A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fun and sexy M/M romance. I very much enjoyed the story and the characters behind the story.

This book starts strong where the main character, Alex Porter, faces a huge loss when his bookstore burns down. While initially thought to be accidental, the police suspects otherwise. A fire investigator, Sergeant Matt Fields, is called upon to investigate at the behest of Alex's influential mother. I thought this has the potential to be a suspenseful thriller. Unfortunately, I was let down by the repetitive dialogue and slow moving plot. Both main characters have a minor disagreement when they meet but spend the next few chapters apologising to each other, while secretly harboring attractions. I thought the relationship happens too fast, and that Matt jumps into Alex's defense with no probable cause. While the ending finally bring some action, the resolution happens quickly and off-page, to the detriment of the book. The characters are told what happened, instead of them living through it. In the end, I was intrigued by the setup of the story but it left me frustrated.

This story begins with Alex discovering that his bookstore has been destroyed by a fire. I really felt for Alex as he was dealing with the loss of his dream. He was fighting where he came from… a wealthy family and had put his best effort into creating an independent life for himself. In one evening… that life is gone.

Still recovering from the loss of his fiance who cheated on him, Alex suddenly finds himself as the main suspect in the fire that destroyed his bookstore. The good thing is that this brings Matt into Alex’s life. This was the part at which things got a little rocky for me. The moment that Alex and Matt saw each other they were both completely obsessed with one another. It only took a couple of days for them to get together and, it seemed, about a week for them to be declaring their feelings. If insta-love is your thing, then this will probably work really well for you!

I found there wasn’t much distinction between the voice of Alex and the voice of Matt… I had a little trouble sometimes remembering which character was which. Most of the character’s thoughts seem to be focussed on sex rather than any of the other qualities each of the men share. it didn’t read as very authentic to me.

There is a LOT of sex in this story. There’s much more sex than there is plot. Depending on what you’re looking for that could be a selling point! Just don’t go into this thinking that it is plot-heavy. There’s an underlying suspense plot… who is trying to hurt Alex? What happened in his past? But, most of the reveals are spread out in between the sex scenes. I would definitely give this author another try later on as this is their first novel.

This is a fast read and I’m sure there’s an audience for this type of book! 2 stars from me.

I could not finish reading this book. Under 30% in, and the repetition and the terrible dialogue and the lack of plot development have all become too much to endure. It desperately needs an intense edit.

MJ James' Out of the Ashes is LGBTQ romantic suspense that follows Alex, whose bookstore has burned down, and Matt, the fire investigator who is in charge of the related case. The pair are swept up in a whirlwind romance, alleged arson, and a possible attempted murder. Oh my.

I found the author's writing style to be easy to follow and quick to read. I also really liked the concept of the novel, but unfortunately that is more or less where my enjoyment stops.

It seems as though the author wrote all of the police procedural information from consultation of television shows and movies rather than consulting with subject matter experts or doing solid research. Unfortunately, the investigation was a key portion of the main plotline, so that caused a major weakness in the novel.

I wish I could say that the plot was neglected in favor of character development, but it kind of just turned into a PWP where any two male characters will do. Both characters had bad breakups and poor relationships with their mothers prior to the onset of the story, but that didn't really impact the storytelling much.

Overall, I was disappointed and found the story rather forgettable despite the promising premise. I am open to reading other works by this author, but perhaps not another police procedural.

I hope other people are able to enjoy the story as being simple, good fun rather than being distracted by the inconsistencies and implausibilities in the plot.

This book started off strong with Alex Porter watching his self-built bookstore burn to the ground. Even though this trust-fund baby could have had the easy life, living off his mother’s rich coattails, he chose to become a self-made man. As he watches his dream and his life’s work go up in smoke while being hauled in for questioning by the police and while dealing with his cold, overbearing mother, I thought one chapter in and we’ve already got a solid character. This is going to be a good book.

Spoken too soon….

Because then I turned the page to MC #2, Matt Fields, a 28-year old fire investigator who is strong-armed into investigating the fire at Alex’s bookstore even though he has a desktop overflowing with unsolved cases that are actually in his jurisdiction. Unfortunately, Matt, or more accurately, Horndog, has the mindset of a 13-year old boy who just discovered how his dick works. From the minute he sees Alex, Horndog can’t think of anything else. Every thought is how hot Alex is, how sexy he is, how much Alex makes Matt’s dick twitch. And I’m supposed to take this guy seriously as a recently promoted Sergeant? His thoughts made my eye roll so hard I thought they’d pop out of my head and keep going.

This is followed by a scene at the burn site where Alex and Matt have a very mild, slightly-rude-yet-completely-tame encounter that they spend the next seven chapters apologizing to each other for. It was ridiculous and repetitive, and when Alex is arrested, Matt declares that he is going to find out who burned the store because he knows Alex is innocent. Um, how exactly does he know that? Because he doesn’t know Alex at all. AT ALL. They have had three encounters at this point. This was around the time I started skimming just so I could avoid more unnecessary apologizing and try to make it through to the end.

I felt no connection to the characters. I don’t know if it was the off-putting instant lust or the horrible banter between them, but I did not care about either of them or their relationship. Frankly, I found each of their prior relationships far more interesting. It’s a shame that the backstory wasn’t more developed so that the book could have evolved into something more thorough and emotionally engaging.

The longer the story went on, the more awful and ridiculous it became until that ending which was completely absurd, just a complete WTF ending that made me glad I’d skimmed so many pages instead of wasting more time.

I cannot recommend this one.