Blake is her sister's wedding planner, willing to do anything for her since they've reconnected after a strained relationship. At the pre-drinks party, her mum invites a family she doesn't want there, bringing back memories of how Dair bullied her in their youth. Dair, however, can't take his eyes off her and ends up helping her in every way throughout the wedding. This is their story—an emotional journey that I absolutely loved.

Dair Wallace a famous Scottish rugby player has known Blake Sharp since childhood their families being friends. Blake always felt Dair bullied her and Dair had no time for the pretentious girl.
Growing up with an unloving critical narcissistic mother Blake became the sarcastic attention seeking mean girl even to her younger sister Alex. Realising how unhappy she is Blake resolves to become a better person and make amends for her past behaviour. She becomes wedding planner for Alex determined to make it the best day ever for her.
On the wedding day Blake is working her socks off ensuring all goes well, enter Dair who ends up helping her and they work well together, both realising there is attraction between them.
As their relationship progresses we have the sparkling fabulous dialogue and depth of emotions this author is famous for. With great scenes where emotions jump off the pages we have beautiful uplifting scenes and some heartbreaking moments.
Ultimately this is a romance that grips you from the start as you become totally invested in the characters who have depth that is breathtaking in its authenticity. Gripping and emotional this is a fabulous read.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

I have been reading Kristen Ashley on and off for years, more off than on in the last few years if I'm honest, but I read the blurb for this book and I was intrigued to see how she would portray a Scottish MMC and I decided to ask for the ARC.
All I can say is thank you, this is in my opinion the best book she has ever written. Alasadir is a grown up educated, emotionally mature man who knows how to communicate and how to apologise. Some of her "heroes" in her other books , well personally I would have run then over with a truck and backed over then a few times, But I adored Alasdair or Dair as he is in the book. He grew up with Blake through their somewhat twisted family connection and when they meet again at a family function he is drawn to her and she sees him a new light . The book follows their relationship and the ups and downs as Blake learns that while childhood shapes us, it doesn't have to define who we ultimately become and everyone can change and grow if they want to. it is a wonderful book and I recommend it to anyone, including those, like myself who may have not picked up her books in a while you will not be disappointed.

Finding the One has that classic KA vibe: a strong, relatable heroine, a hot alpha male with a soft side, and a community of side characters you kind of wish were your real-life friends.

The story flows at a nice pace—it doesn’t rush the romance, but you’re never bored either. There are some emotional moments, a bit of tension, and lots of heart. You can expect the usual mix of banter, steamy scenes, and heartfelt conversations that make you fall in love with the characters.

Thank you for the ARC xx

Book review: Kristen Ashley’s Finding the One, A River Rain Novel. Thank you to Blue Box Press and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

I’ve been a fan of Kristen Ashley’s work for years, and the River Rain series has been a reliable mix of emotional depth, complicated family ties, and messy, beautiful romance. But Finding the One, book seven in the series, might just be one of the most emotionally satisfying reads yet. It’s not flashy. It’s not overly dramatic. It’s real—and it hits hard in all the right ways.

When I first met Blake Sharp in Taking the Leap, I wasn’t exactly her biggest fan. She was polished, icy, controlling, and let’s be honest—kind of awful to her sister Alex. So I was skeptical going into this book, wondering how on earth Kristen Ashley was going to turn Blake into a heroine I could root for. And then I read the first chapter. By the time I reached the halfway point, I realized: not only had I changed my opinion about Blake, I wanted her to win. I wanted her to find the love she didn’t believe she deserved. I wanted her to be chosen, not because she’d curated a perfect life, but because someone saw her chaos, her scars, and loved her harder for them.

Enter Alasdair “Dair” Wallace, a Scottish rugby player who has been in Blake’s life since childhood. Their relationship has always been thorny. He was the wild, rough-edged kid who pulled her pigtails. She was the too-perfect, too-prissy girl who rolled her eyes at his antics. They annoyed each other endlessly. But as adults, that history morphs into something else—something heavier, sharper, and undeniably magnetic. Dair is exactly the kind of hero I love in a Kristen Ashley novel: grounded, mature, emotionally intuitive, and totally smitten with the heroine from the start. He sees Blake’s perfectionism for what it is—a defense mechanism—and he never tries to break her down. He simply stays. He listens. And when the time comes, he fights.

Their romance unfolds naturally, and I appreciated that Ashley didn’t rely on manufactured drama to keep the plot moving. The conflict here isn’t about games or miscommunication—it’s about real wounds. Blake is reeling from a broken engagement that shattered her self-image. Dair is still recovering from a failed marriage to a woman who deceived him. When they come together, it’s with an understanding that love can be both a risk and a salvation. Their chemistry crackles, but the emotional intimacy is what sets this story apart. It’s in the way he sees through her defenses, the way she softens around him, the way they allow themselves to be vulnerable, even when it’s terrifying.

Still, this is a Kristen Ashley book, and she’s never content with just a sweet love story. There’s drama—oh yes, there’s drama. Long-buried family secrets explode, threatening to upend everything Blake thought she knew. The third-act breakup? Absolutely brutal. It gutted me. I felt every sharp edge of their separation, and I wasn’t sure they’d recover. But that’s the brilliance of this book: it doesn’t offer easy answers. It demands that its characters earn their happiness. And when they do? It’s beautiful.

One of my favorite quotes in the book comes from Dair: “You make me believe in forever, even when I’ve seen how fast forever can fall apart.” That line encapsulates the entire emotional arc of the story—two people who’ve been hurt deeply, learning how to love bravely.

Beyond the central romance, Finding the One also gives us meaningful moments with characters from earlier books. It was a joy to see Alex and Rix again, and I loved how seamlessly their world wove into this one without stealing the spotlight. Dair’s family—especially his sister and mother—brought warmth and humor, and yes, his dog might be one of the most unexpectedly charming characters in the entire book.

And let’s talk about the writing itself. Kristen Ashley has such a distinct voice—bold, intimate, occasionally meandering, but always deliberate. She knows how to build a scene emotionally so that when the payoff hits, it hits hard. Her characters talk like real people. They ramble. They hesitate. They repeat themselves when they’re trying to make a point. It all feels natural, unfiltered, and human.

If I had one small critique, it’s that some of the family drama nearly overshadowed Blake and Dair’s story at times. But even then, it served a purpose: showing us where these characters came from, and why it’s so miraculous that they still choose love anyway.

In the end, Finding the One is about second chances—not just in romance, but in identity, in family, in how we see ourselves. Blake Sharp’s journey from brittle perfectionist to fully realized, fiercely loved woman is one of the most satisfying arcs in the entire River Rain series. And Dair? He’s the kind of hero who doesn’t just fall in love—he stands in it, unwavering.

Five stars. No hesitation. This is Kristen Ashley at her best.

Kristen Ashley does it again! Super spice, but even better chemistry and building a relationship of respect. I loved Dair and Blake. I can't wait for this series to continue!

I loved this one (as I have loved each of the books in the River Rain series). It was a great redemption story, given the history of Blake in this series. I appreciated that her growth wasn't rushed and thought book #7 was a great spot for her, so time has passed between Alex's story and Blake's. Dair was a great MC who knew who he was and what he wanted. The 3rd act breakup was a doozy but all came together in the end, as Kristen Ashley always does. I laughed at Blake's binders. This book was fast paced and well written. I was immediately invested and couldn't put this down.

Overall, easily a 5 star read for me. I always look forward to this series and can't wait for the next! I'm hoping we get some insight to another character's happy ending just to see how it all played out.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Blue Box Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Kristen Ashley returns to her Rain River series with her latest release, Finding the One. Blake Sharp, first introduced in book 3 (Taking the Leap) of the series, is a strong, smart, talented woman who meets her match in Scottish rugby player Alasdair “Dair” Wallace. Blake and Dair grew up together but always butted heads because they were so different. Years pass and they reconnect at Blake’s sister’s wedding and sparks fly. Before they can ride off into the sunset, they must first deal with some very real, life-changing events that will alter everything around them in irrevocable ways.

I love Kristen Ashley’s River Rain series, and I have been wondering how she would redeem Blake Sharp after bringing her into the fold as a mean girl who acted petulant and childish. Ashley does a good job of exploring Blake’s transformation, and I found I could really identify with her issues regarding her self-worth. Dair is a great hero for Blake; he knows who he is and what he wants. With Dair, Blake can be her truest self and be appreciated for who that is. Their story is a great addition to a wonderful, interesting, and captivating series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Box Press for sharing this advanced review copy with me in exchange for my honest feedback!

Not going to lie, the third act break-up in this one gutted me! Dair and Blake fit together so perfectly, they yinged and yanged like no other, and they had wild chemistry that they simply couldn’t contain. They clashed, they melded, they had good times, and they were in sync almost always. All the things they worried about fell away, whether with others or the other, and understanding came easy. I guess that is why that crater that befell them hurt so bad, hurt them, hurt those around them, hurt me. It wasn’t simple or easy to come back from, it took a leap of faith on both their parts, but what they had was too special to not give into it. They truly were The One for the other, it just took them the right time, the right circumstances, and the right mindset, to see it and act upon it <3

I've been a Kristen Ashley fan for many years and I always tend to devour her books. The same happened with FINDING THE ONE. While the River Rain series has been half a hit, half a miss for me (I loved the first 3 books the most), I was a little hesitant about this one. I hadn't re-read Alex's book therefore it came as a pleasant surprise that Blake is Alex's sister and what all went down with them.

Regardless, FINDING THE ONE started wonderfully well for me! I liked how the lead couple had history of being family friends and how Blake was wary of Dair because of him being a bully to her. The first half of the book was quite refreshing for me in regards to the usual things expected in the River Rain saga. I always love how KA sets up the family drama, intensity, how amazing and bitter the characters can be and it came across well in this book. So well that I thought the whole family drama took away the attention from Blake and Dair's third-act breakup and I thought it fell quite short and the resolution happened very quickly. But Blake and Dair's banter and chemistry was like a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed this couple!

Overall, this is still a classic KA read for me, and I had a wonderful time reading this. I really enjoyed Dair's character and his family (mom and sis) and it was lovely to read about the previous characters from the novels. I already look forward to KA's next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure Blake could be redeemed after being such a twat in Alex’s book. But it’s been 4 years, a good amount of time to work on herself and her relationship with her sister and Dad.

There’s a long cast of characters and couples from previous books in the series. It does help if you’ve read some of the series to understand Blake’s arc.

We start this one at her sister’s wedding, which Blake has planned to ensure Alex has the day she wants. Blake is upset her mom invited her affair partner and his family (messy). They all grew up together, and Dair was the older boy, rough house of the bunch that teased Blake. She is still kinda snotty to him, but Dair sees through to her stress about the wedding day and helps her out. After a big scene with their parents, Blake and Dair are pretty much together. Kristen Ashley has been doing this more with her books lately, putting the couple together pretty quickly and then they deal with adversity together.

There is family drama, ex drama and Blakes past comes back to haunt her. I was actually crying in parts of this book, thank you KA for making me feel feelings.

I really enjoyed this one and seeing a former villain get an HEA. Note, Dair and his family are Scottish. Ashley included a note about his accent and how she wrote it. I LOVE an accent so I had zero issue with the dialogue, but others might make a fuss.

Also CW death of a parent on page, but that parent is a see you next Tuesday.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of Finding the One. Sweet love story of childhood friends that reunite and find love.

At one point in time, Blake's book was going to be the fifth. I am glad it ended up being the 7th as I didn't really like her in Taking the Leap. I did enjoy this book overall, and I liked Dair and most of his family including his dog. My biggest quibble would be that a lot of angst could be avoided if people just talked to each other.

Finding the One by bestselling author Kristen Ashley, published by Blue Box Press, is book seven in the River Rain Series. Every book in this series is about another couple and can easily be read as a stand alone.
This is Dair and Blake's story. Blake is a 34 year old single woman, wealthy, and just now she's planning the wedding of her sister Alex and Rix. Yes Alex and Rix from book three in the series.
What riles her up is the attendance of Dair and his family.
They know each other since childhood and they love to bicker and banter. He loives pulling her pigtails, she loves informing him of her opinion who's the right one of course.
When Dair has an eye-opening moment he decides he wants to be with Blake. But they're living in different parts of the world.
A lot is happening in this fast paced, complex, exquisitely written book. I fell hook, line and sinker for characters and storyline. Their story made me do an re-read of the whole series.
I recommend the book and the series, 5+ stars.

The next installment in the River Rain series features Blake and Alasdair. Their parents are friends so they spent their entire childhoods together. Blake thought Dair was an obnoxious bully and Dair thought Blake was spoiled and prissy. They meet again as adults and deal with sad romantic past....

Love Blake and Dair together. Lots of explosive chemistry. Terrific dialogue and plot. Of course it was great seeing other characters from earlier novels too.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.