Into the Light

Great characters and great storyline. I've read loads of rock band books but I like Kerrigan's character as a smart successful woman. I suspected she was set up to fail with how many managers there had been before her for this job and they met with failure.

I felt strongly against Jack and for half the book did not see him mature enough for Kerri. Sebastian was very immature. Kerri used her brains and whatever resources to pull the band forward despite these obstacles. I really loved her character. There is a HEA that is mildly good but for me the book was about the character and integrity of Kerrigan....which reminded me of Elizabeth Bennett...another book character with similar attributes.

Thanks for opportunity to read!!

This the third book in the Rocky Creek Series. Like books #1 and #2, I couldn't put this one down. I finished it in a day and a half. Amazing writing, very animated and descriptive. This is Jackson Harris's story (Nathan's youngest brother from book #2) and Kerrigan Dodd.

Jackson and Kerrigan have known each other since she was 2 and he was 5 years old. He was her brother, Charlie's, first friend when they moved to Rocky Creek and best friend for over 19 years. Jackson and Kerri form their own friendship, he NEVER treats her as Charlie's little sister. As she gets older, they spend more time together, just talking about everything and anything. When Kerri and Charlie's parents die in a fatal car accident, Jackson is the one to bring her out of her depression, that is until he has to go back to school. She was only 16 years old at the time it happened, so, Charlie, just 19, drops out of college and raises her.

Jackson, is back at school, partying hard, drinking, drugs, girls. Living it up. When he spends the summer at the Dodd's beach house, he comes to the realization that he's in love with Kerri. When he asks for Charlie's permission, because of a pact they made along with another friend, Pete, when they were younger--to NEVER let a girl come between their friendship. But Charlie turns him down because of his reputation--said he wasn't good enough for her, he's shocked and a bit embarrassed. He didn't think that anyone back home would hear about his behavior up at school. Boy was he wrong!! He was told to clean up his act, he had 2 years to do so. And he had to cut off all communication with Kerri. No email, no texts, no phone calls. Jackson didn't like it, but he knew it was for the best. He would be worthy of her by then.

Kerri comes back from the beach to find Jackson gone without saying goodbye. Hurt that he left like that, she tries to find out from her brother what happened, only to get a vague reply that they had a fight and he left. When her phone calls go unanswered, and her email is blocked, she gives up. A few months later, she's accepted into an abroad program in Paris and leaves.

When the 2 year mark comes, Jackson shows up at Charlie's front door a clean and sober man, only to find out that she's not there. With no help from Charlie, he goes to search for her in Paris. Kerri is recovering from a traumatic experience in Paris when Jackson shows up at her apartment. She doesn't know why he's there to begin with. She hasn't seen nor heard from him in over 2 years, so she figures that it can't be good news. When Jackson ends up getting arrested for causing a scene, she comes to the police station, but refuses to see him in her battered condition. He can't believe that he flew all that way and she's rejecting him. He vows NEVER to let anyone to hurt him again.

When Jackson gets home, he drowns his sorrows in booze, women, and his new band. He becomes Jack Hart. He never wants to be Jackson Harris again.

Kerri, is now Kerrigan, all buttoned up, a bun tight on her head, glasses on her nose, ALWAYS a distance between herself and any male she's speaking with. And NO body contact at ALL. She becomes very successful managing other people's money. Living in London, then in Zurich.

Six years later, she's offered a job managing a band because they have gone through 4 managers in less than a year, she accepts the challenge. Yet, when she walks into the room the last person she ever thought she would see again, has twins on each arm. When he sees her, he shocked. He NEVER thought he'd see her again. He purposely missed their friend, Pete's wedding, because he knew that she would be there. But knowing that she just saw him with the twins, he never wanted her to see that side of him.

Can Kerrigan work with this highly immature band?? Especially Jack?? Will Jack get through her solidly built walls that have been up for the past 6 years? One of the band members is supposed to run her off, will he succeeded?? And at what cost? Who will get hurt the most at the end of the tour?

Read on!!

The author Katherine Ascher has written 3 books and a novella featuring characters from Rocky Creek. I havenot read the novella but I have read all three full lenth novels in this series.

Here is the list:
Book 1: What It Takes (features two movie stars, one from Rocky Creek, Kelsey and her co-star, Patrick)
Book 2: On the Line (features Kelsey, Patrick and Kelsey's sister, Janelle and her ex Nathan Harris)
Book 3: Into the Light (featuring Jackson Harris, Nathans brother and his best friends sister, Kerrigan)

I had the pleasure on reading this authors first book when it was first featured on Netgallery and it blew me away. It was absolutely wonderful and I even re-read it a few times. So when book 2 came out I ran to read it but it was pretty bad, I really hated it. Largely my dislike of it was Janelle was such a tough character to like. She did some good things but she also did horrible things and it was tough for me to read. Book 1 and book 2 did not stand alone. However what it did do was introduce Nathan and his brothers which is where book 3 comes in.

This book easily stands alone and it ends in a super sweet and romantic way. This is about a girl named Kerrigan/Kerri whose parents die and her brother takes care of her. She fell in deep love with her brothers best friend, Jackson Harris (Nathan's brother) when she was 14. When she was 18 Jackson fell in love back, but he was in college and leading a wild life, so when he asked the brother, Charlie if he could date her he said clean up your act, get out of her life while you do that and then come back and he demanded he wait two years.

Meanwhile Kerri felt Jackson dumped her and it hurt her immensely so much so she avoided home and ran tp Paris during college. There she was attacked two days before Jackson came for her. So when he came she refused to see him. He never tried again and she never contacted him again.

Now its 4 years later and Kerri comes home for a wedding and decides to not hang around Rocky Creek incase she sees Jackson, and instead get hired to manage a band. The band is unfortunately Jacksons band and thats where the story takes off.

I truly LOVED this story. I think it surpassed Book 1. It was an incredible journey of love and forgiveness. Lots of mistakes happened on all sides between Charlie, Kerrigan, Jackson. There were repercussions for all the mistakes but they became a team and fought for each other and thats what makes this book so great.

I loved every moment of this story. Kerrigan has such pain inside her and the author wrote her story so well that it brought tears to my ears. Jackson, is an amazing man. His love for Kerri knew no bounds. In this story he is a very sticky situation and I loved how he came out fighting for Kerri every single time. And I loved how Nathan and Mason ( a Harris brother too) joined the fun.

I totally got who the bad guy was in this story every early on. In fact I think he did some other dastardly deeds as well. But I still loved it and I couldn't wait until Kerri saw the light and figured it out too. This book was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it.

This is the third book in the author’s Rocky Creek series, but it doesn’t take place in Rocky Creek and you don’t need to have read the previous two books in order to follow this one. In fact, it wasn’t until about two-thirds of the way through that I realized that the hero of this book was the younger brother of the Nathan, the hero of “On the Line.” The story involves two close friends from Rocky Creek, Jackson and Kerri. From flashbacks, we can see what a lovely relationship they had had while growing up with Jackson there to comfort Kerri as she dealt with the sudden death of both her parents. I really liked that Jackson.

Unfortunately, Jackson underwent a change once he went to college as he got involved in a band and enjoyed that lifestyle. When he realizes that he loves Kerri, he tells her older brother who had had to raise her after their parents’ death. The brother, Charlie, tells Jackson that he needs to change his behavior and should wait two years to contact Kerri again. So we have this artificial break with no contact between the two even though they had been very close up to that moment. Kerri is, naturally, hurt and mystified by Jackson’s behavior. So when Jackson finally shows up two years later to see her in Paris, she refuses to see him. There is a hint that she’s undergone some trauma that influenced her in refusing to talk to him. He doesn’t persist in trying to talk to her and just leaves in a funk. I didn’t buy it, but the author needs this separation between the two to set up the rest of the book.

Now, four years later, Kerri has been hired to be the manager for a rock ‘n roll band. And, by coincidence, it turns out that the band is Jackson’s band. He’s changed his name a bit so she hadn’t realized it until she meets the band. You have to suspend a bit of disbelief that Kerri, who has been working in Europe in finance is now taking a job to travel with a band through small Southern cities and it just happens to be a band founded by Jack/Jackson.

Kerri has a tough job because the lead singer, Sebastian, is so immature and has been bleeding the band’s expenses by wasting money and trashing hotel rooms. Kerri has to take a strong stand with him while trying to withstand her attraction to Jack. And Jackson, who has apparently spent the intervening four years from Paris, living the life of a rocker: alcohol and many women.

I found it hard to warm up to Jackson. He seems so passive and immature. We read several times that he’s the most talented member of the band and he just allows Sebastian, who is not as talented, peacock around as if he’s the best person of the band ruining the music, causing acrimony among band members, and basically bankrupting the band. So we’re supposed to believe that this lovely guy we saw in the beginning of the book, totally sank into the slough of despond after he couldn’t see Kerri. Now she’s back and he immediately realizes he still loves her and wants her back and switches back to the sweet, loving guy he used to be.

The book now is a second-chance romance with plot complications as Kerri tries to help the band make enough money to fulfill their contract while Sebastian keeps trying to sabotage her efforts. And there is a bit of a mystery at the end to figure out who, besides Sebastian wants the band to fail. My biggest disappointment is that no beat up Sebastian at any time in the book since he was so obnoxious and really deserved a beat-down. I would have enjoyed spending a little more time gloating at his downfall.

I liked the set-up of the problems the band faces as it tries to make it. I liked that this wasn’t some big-time successful band, but one on the rise trying to find its way. I got a bit frustrated with Jackson for not shutting Sebastian down and asserting himself in the band. He spends too much time yearning for Kerri while she yearns for him so that the mid-part of the book dragged a bit. Once they decided they loved each other and then had to work together to help the band overcome all its challenges. I also liked the secondary characters - the other band members, one member’s girlfriend and then Jackson’s brothers who show up to help out at the end. So I ended up feeling very positive about the book.

I’ve enjoyed reading all three books in this series and I appreciate the opportunity to read a review copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest interview.

a good read

Kerrigan Dodd has a new job managing a rock band. She does not know that Jackson Harris, the man she loved and lost six years ago is in this band, until he shows up to their first band meeting with a girl on each arm. Since she is between jobs and because she has wicked organizational skills, she is the perfect candidate to help get the band in the black, before their label drops them. It is their last chance. She does not know that on this mission of mercy she will be slapped in the face with her devastating past.

Jackson Harris broke Kerrigan’s heart six years ago when he walked away from her and their relationship. She has just recently put her life back together and put the past in her review mirror. Now, here she is face to face with Jackson. Will she be able to hold it all together and face the past that she has spent six years running from? How is she supposed to deal with this? Why should she have to?

First, let me say that I LOVE THIS BOOK! I am a sucker for second chance romance. I love the angst that goes with past misunderstandings and righting the wrongs from bygone days – especially when the protagonists are older and wiser. That is the case with INTO THE LIGHT. Kerrigan has enough going on in her life right now. She should not have re-open old wounds that have hardly healed. She is moving on with her life – AND without Jackson Harris…or is she?

The story of Jackson Harris and Kerrigan Dodd is heart wrenching and poignant. After finishing this book days ago, I’m still thinking about the story. I loved the opportunity to meet the secondary characters. They are so much fun. They make the reader feel like you are there, hanging out with them.

Kerrigan and Jackson both have very real issues that make it hard for them to pursue a relationship. The chemistry between them is strong, but the obstacles seem to be stronger. Kerrigan is a very engaging heroine.

Kathryn Ascher’s writing style is powerful. She pulls you into the story, and doesn’t let go until the last word…actually, not even then. You will still be feeling it days after the story ends. INTO THE LIGHT is a heartwarming story of a second chance at love. It was a sweet narrative of love and loss and loving again. I LOVED it – and recommend!

*An advance reading copy was generously provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really good book. I loved the characters and will be super happy to recommend.

Jackson is the bad boy who has no problem having girls on his arm and enjoying the lifestyle the band affords him. However he has some secrets of his own he would like to keep, when one walks in the door and turns his world on its edge he starts to question the past and what could have been. Kerrigan is broken and home and has a secret that could break most people, but she has decided to put that to the side and take on this job as a band manager, she just never thought she would be babysitting and that was going to end real quick. When she discovers who is in the band she sets in her heart and mind that she will keep everything professional and not let Jack affect her or her job in any way. When things go array will she and Jack be able to put everything aside and fight for whats right or will it be best she just walk away?
This book is utterly amazing. I seriously could not put this book down I stayed up late one night just to finish reading it. So amazing. I really enjoyed each of the characters, even the ones who were not meant to be so great. Each person played such and important roll in the book I could not imagine the book going any other way. I found the book to be on the edge of your seat on some points and others just completely enjoyable and going with the flow. The storyline flowed amazingly and kept you guessing. The language was strong in the book, there were some adult scenes and some tough topics in the book, so the book will not be right for all ages but its so worth the read.
IF you are looking for a love story were not everything just falls into place this is the story for you.

My Initial Thoughts
After reading the first few pages and being introduced to Ms Kerrigan Dodd, I felt for her immediately when Jack finally made his grand entrance and she recognized him as the boy from her past and had her heart in her throat. It was a what the hell have I gotten myself into kinda moment.

"...Jack Hart? That was Jackson Harris.
Kerrigan's chest felt heavy as she braved another glimpse. Those were most definitely Jackson's full lips, the ones she'd dreamt about kissing since she was a teenager. Those were his high cheekbones and scruffy, square jaw, his straight nose, his cute little dimples. Those were Jackson's strong arms, the ones that had held her the morning of her parent's funeral, now wrapped around two busy, tall blondes. Kerrigan stood frozen, staring unfocused into the room, suddenly wishing she'd listened to her brother's advice..."


Enter Jack...who I, from first impression didn't really like, his man-whore of a persona and all. But first impressions are just that, eventually when his facade drops and the real man shoes his true colors we warm up to each other quite nicely.

What You Can Expect
What starts out as Kerrigan keeping business and personal separate turned into two friends rekindling and exploring what once could have been, what might be and finally may possibly find the happily ever after that they had always wanted and now deserve to enjoy.

This was a sweet little romance that can be read as a stand alone book from the first two in the series; What It Takes and On the Line. It wasn't until near the end that characters from the previous novels made a brief appearance.

Overall I didn't see the end coming despite the feeling certain characters were slimy and untrustworthy and was completely shocked by the turn of events. But I still really enjoyed it!

The novel had a lot of plot twists and kept my interest piqued that I had little interest and much trouble putting it down. I can't wait to see if there is going to be another addition to the series and to see where the characters end up. Out of the three books so far, Into the Light has been by far my favorite, with On the Line coming in at a close second and What It Takes taking up the rear.
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Another great addition to a super series,couldnt put it down and read it in one sitting recommended to all

Into the Light by Kathryn Ascher is the 4th volume in her Rocky Creek series. The previous volumes are What it, On the Line and the novella In too Deep that I haven’t read. Much as the first two volumes should be read in the order, Into the Light can certainly be read alone.

The story features Jackson Harris, brother of Nathan, the hero in On the Line, and Kerrigan Dodd. Jackson and Kerrigan have known each other since childhood, they were best friends then fell in love. That’s when things got complicated, and due to the intervention of heroine’s brother they broke all ties. In this novel our heroes meet again after eight years apart.

I discovered with surprise that the novel is set in the rock universe. For me, it’s quite a shady universe where stand alongside drug, groupies, and nights of debauchery. Fortunately here Kathryn Ascher prefers focusing on a less used aspect in this kind of novels: all about financial aspect, concerts, marketing, and the troubles and pressures to which under contract bands are subjected.

I liked but also hated the reunion scene. LOL. Yes I know it’s contradictory. But I can’t say too much. Let’s say the opening scene is typical of the scenes I hate in romance novels, all the while being close to what I expect in this kind of romance novels. On the other side, I loved the heroine’s reaction.
The rest of the story is quite logical after the beginning. We understand Kerrigan’s distrust toward Jackson. We salute the latter’s determination to win her again. We know it will be hard. And we also discover what happened to them during their time apart. Some flashbacks also show us the relationship between both heroes before their separation.

The heroine’s brother is a character I’d have loved to hate, because his intervention in Jackson/ Kerrigan couple had terrible consequences for our heroes. But on the other side, I understood why he acted like this.
The other secondary characters, especially the three other members of the hero’s rock band have very important roles. I liked some and hated others.

The author surprises us in the end of the novel with a sudden development unexpected by everyone but which explains a lot of malfunctions for the band.

The love scenes aren’t very numerous and happen quite late in the novel. For me, I wouldn’t have wanted it to be different. The attraction is very present between our heroes all the same.

To conclude, a very good opus I had a lot of pleasure reading, full of emotion. Kathryn Ascher has a very good style so we read her novel in one go. We also believe in the couple’s HEA.

A woman has to come face to with a man she's been avoiding for the past 4 years  but has been in love with since she was 15. How did it this happen? A final ending  is a trilogy w/underhanded record companies, the rockstar life, family,  friendships and love ends with a sweet bang.

Kerry moved from Rocky Creek to Paris to avoid Jackson, but then learns she's going to be managing the guy she can't help but love. BUT she thought she knew is gone  (so she thought)  and she can't grasp the new persona his rockstar life had changed Jack. She had didn't expect to be managing a spoiled grown man who is determined to make her leave.  But, through many setups and misunderstandings it came full circle.

I think this is probably my favorite out of the trilogy, but I have only read the first and third books of the trilogy.