Ashes of Life

good book. well written. once I started I could not put it down. the ending was a little rushed. maddie was forgiven way to easily, I know she's a teenager but come on. but overall a good book

Erica Dean and Laura Kolar have done a fabulous job of bringing the world of blended families to light. This is a must read for anyone struggling to make an adjustment into the life of being a "step" and a must read all around.

Maddie has been orphaned at 16 and is in a tragic place in her life. Alex has been widowed due to a car accident that killed both her husband AND his ex-wife leaving her pregnant and in charge of her step-daughter. Life couldn't get more complicated...or could it!

Prepare to laugh, cry, scream and celebrate with these two unforgettable characters!

I can't wait to see what these authors have in store for us in the future!

4.5 stars I loved this book. My kids were worried about me because I was crying so much. A very emotional look at a wife/stepmother and daughter/stepdaughter dealing with the death, grief, and becoming a family. The story is told both from Alex and Maddie's POV, and somehow both voices feel so real, and pull you in. I sympathized and empathized with both of them as they told the story. A wonderful look at what makes a family.

I was given a copy of Ashes of Life from NetGallery for an honest review and this is my review.
I absolutely loved this book. At first I wanted to slap the spit out of Maddie because she was such a big brat but as her character evolved throughout the book and she grew up and learned how to deal with her grief she became a very strong character that reader had no choice but to respect. Alex was also another character that the author was able to grow throughout the book so the readers could feel a true connection to her and feel her pain and her happiness.
This book was well written and the depth of the characters was outstanding. I loved the storyline and the characters interaction and how real it felt. This book had bit of everything from romance to parenting drama. I would highly recommend it and am giving Ashes of Life five out of five stars.

This is a book that I am sure to recommend. If you are anything like me, and a sucker for a sad, intriguing, thought provoking, and as near to anyone's life as this can be, then this is the book for you.

Tragedy can strike anyone at any time at any age.

Alex has only been married to David for 3 months when he is killed in a tragic accident, on top of this she is pregnant. Oh, and did I mention he already had a teenage daughter? Well yes, he does, and Alex has not only to come to terms with her loss of her husband and Father to her unborn child, but also to console his daughter. Maddie.

Maddie is a teenager and most of us parents know that teens are not a good age without anything else happening to put stress on your, but things to come to a head.

Then on top of this, Alex finds out that her husbands was with his ex.

Things come out.

You know, I have always said that none of us know the inside outs of another person even if we have been living with them for years, and in this case, its true.

Alex and Maddie have to keep going and somehow come through it and out the other end.

This book had my attention throughout and I was so engrossed in it the time just flew by.

I will be keeping a close eye on this author if she writes books like this again. Lots of intense, angst moments.

My thanks go to Red Adept Publishing for allowing me to read and review this and give my honest thoughts about. And my kindness to the author for writing such a brilliant piece of work.

I really liked the two points of view in the story. It really showed the insecurity and pain of both the stepmom and the daughter. I really liked their interactions with each other and I felt like I could understand and relate to both sides. I did think their eventual friendship happened a little more quickly than it would in real life, but I guess it is a fictional story. I also thought they really downplayed the dancing element of the story. I thought it would be a much bigger part of the story, particularly with the dancer on the cover.

I enjoyed reading this story. It's sad and full of conflict between teen, Maddie, who loses both her parents and the young step mother, Alex, who becomes responsible for her. They eventually come to an understanding, it seemed a bit contrived, and learn they need each other. Throw in lots of lies, drugs and alcohol and you wonder how they make it but it's satisfying to know they do.