From Winter's Ashes

Oh my! This book was explosive! (in a good way of course ;) ) Okay, so I haven't read from this author previously, and I honestly didn't know what to expect, but boy, let me tell you I wasn't expecting to gush all over my screen, being taken up with a wounded heiress and macho fire-fighter.

The plot of the story was engagingly complex with twists and turns that kept me guessing from page one. But what I loved about this story was the transformation of the heroine. She faced tragedy and abandonment in her youth, and disappointment continued to follow her over the stretch of years. But her spiritual growth was genuinely beautiful, like witnessing a flower blossom after a blustery winter. And these lines. "She finally felt worthy of love. Not because she'd earned her stripes, but because of the one who had taken them for her." Oh my heart!

So Contemporary Romantic Suspense isn't my usual genre to read, but I'll be sure pick up the next novel by this author. :)

I was provided a copy. All opinions are my own.

Enjoyable book about the slow thawing of the freeze between heiress, Joselyn Whyte, and her best friend's brother, Finn Carson. Of course it literally took a fire to start the unfreeze and force the 2 warring protagonists to call a transient cease-fire. Joss and Finn were not always spitting out venomous insults at one another. Once they shared some real chemistry back in their youthful high school days. Then betrayal and trauma tore them apart and further present day traumatic and violent events are forcing them to face the past as revealed in flash backs by the author. Although this is a clean romance, the author manages to convey oozes of sexual tension between the leads. I just find the constant assassination attempts on Joss a bit over the top after a while. Enough already! A girl can only withstand so much trauma, though she remains admirably strong. Finn could use a fist or two on occasions to mar his supposedly mighty fine face, but he is charming enough to gain ours and Joss's forgiveness ultimately. A bit of late grovelling didn't hurt either. This has some Christian elements to it, but done in a subtle non-overt way that I think might still appeal to the general reading population.

A Netgalley book provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

This book serves as a stand alone featuring two main characters who appear in book one as secondary's to the mains. Amy Leigh Simpson laces this story of two people who felt an instant connection as teens but fell apart when manipulations cast their shadows on their young, vulnerable hearts. Ten years later, ten years where their lives have intersected with sarcasm and disdain, Finn Carson and Joselyn Whyte find themselves needing each other like never before even if they don't want to admit it. This dynamic created intense chemistry from the two. Full of admiration and dislike they fight, banter, and snark their way into a meaningful and complex situation catapulting their relationship.

The tone of this story borders on reverence and compassion. With the knowledge clear to Finn and Joss that their hearts our more fragile with the walls they've erected because of each other the romance provided is charming, sweet, and full of friendly fire. Each hiding a past full of demons, these two dance around the flames igniting from their attraction. The romantic tension is combustible and palpable from the pages. The reverence comes in the form of deep and lasting care even though admittance to such would never happen. As the story layers itself with on-going mystery and true crime elements, questions of "who dunnit?" arise. The conflict and angst of the story never felt forced or misleading. And while those things are derived from a place of young, tender feelings never fleshed out as teens the way Amy Leigh Simpson unravels those misguided in the characters present lives was marvelous.

The third person point of view writing kept my attention throughout most of the story. There were a few times where the story broke focus for me later on when it goes into inner monologues and continual hiding. I felt some dragging as a result. However, Simpson's vivid prose is descriptive and full of beautifully complex sentences and story telling you cannot deny her clout or her gift as an author. And I especially love that the romance isn't wholly sexually driven. It's clean, pure in it's nature and more fade to black when it comes to sexual intent but the tension electrifies the reader.

I highly recommend this series from Amy Leigh Simpson. I'm grateful to have discovered her series and lovely writing and look forward to discovering more of her stories. From Winter's Ashes is a timeless romantic, suspense love story encompassing forever friendships, complex relationships, deep manipulations, engaging mystery, and sweet charm.

Incredible story! There wasn't one thing to not like about it. Thinking about it after I remembered the line where we speak those words, "things done and left undone." They reminded so much of the relationship between Finn and Joss.
The story like a loose thread that once you start pulling unravels, yet there is so much mystery and the twists and turns. The barbs between Finn and Joss. Joss never knowing what family was. Finn's family was close, obviously. His dad spoke some remarkably wise words to him.
Finn is a firefighter who is given leave after saving Joss from her home during a horrendous fire, he however is suffering from PTSD after what he sees as a failed rescue during a recent house fire.
Joss now homeless is staying with her best friend Sadie, who is Finn's sister. Sadie's new boyfriend is an FBI agent and it soon becomes apparent that someone is threatening Joss' life. Her father is cold as a stone, never available and he's too focused on making money to bother with Joss. He enlists Finn to look after her, let the games begin. It was refreshing to read a book where there was no sex. That some affection was displayed and that while the faith and grace aspect wasn't overdone, it was an obvious undertone in the book, which made it even better. The author worked that in seamlessly. While Joss struggled with her's at times, it was good to see her fall back on that at several pivotal points.
I can't say enough good things about this book. The plot was fabulous, the characters were so well done and fully developed, and while Sadie and Archer were there, clearly this book was about Joss and Finn. It was a joy to also see Finn finally wake up. I like books that have well developed characters that have at least some depth to them, this one covered all the bases for me. Nice work Amy !!
I highly recommend this book.

**arc from Net Galley and WildBlue Press in exchange for a fair review**

A very readable book with good story and interesting background.
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One word persistently leaps to my mind as I read and reflect on this delightful story... HOT! Literally hot fire, figuratively hot attraction, and all while an arsonist is hot on their trail! I am a melty puddle of happy reader, here!

Joselyn Whyte has spent years perfecting her cool and collected façade of indifference. Finn Carson is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to fighting fires but he can't catch a break in his own inner turmoil.

When these two rivals are forced together by circumstance and imminent threat, SPARKS most definitely fly. There is nothing dull, cool, or mediocre about this story! It is a blazing FIRE of brilliance!!! I love this book just as much as the first in this series (maybe even a little bit more!) and I can't wait to get my hands on book 3!!!

I purchased this title. The opinions expressed are my own.

Although this is book 2 in a series, I hadn’t read the first, and so it was nice that this book could be read as a stand-alone. The author did a great job of planting me right in the setting as though I was there. I loved the combination of the heroine being an heiress and the hero being a fireman. Great clash of worlds.