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Book Review: Amber to Ashes by Gail McHugh

AMBER  to ASHES

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

GAIL McHUGH

 

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They were a storm I never saw coming, an unforeseen heartbreak on the edge of a dangerous cliff.
In AMBER TO ASHES (Atria Paperback; June 9th, 2015), Amber Moretti’s life changes in the span of minutes. An orphaned outsider, she is desperate to start fresh the moment she walks onto campus. In the time it takes to cross the university’s dining hall, she meets two men who bring color, air, and light to her darkened world.
They became my addiction, each a needle to my next hit, my high.
Brock Cunningham’s appeal is dizzying, a potent force Amber can’t deny. A green-eyed smooth talker, he instantly attracts Amber. It doesn’t take long for him to consume her every thought, her every breath.
Ryder Ashcroft, a blue-eyed, tattooed, and pierced bad boy, turns Amber off immediately—that is, until he kisses her, stealing a piece of her heart, her soul.
They were as opposite as fire and ice, yet I ached for them equally. 
Never knowing she could be broken down in so many unexpectedly beautiful yet petrifying ways, Amber finds herself falling for both men.
Immoral? Maybe. I say undeniable. Uncontained.
But one devastating event changes everything, shattering each of their lives…and Amber isn’t sure she can recover from it.

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Book Review 

*This was an ARC provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review. 

All thoughts and comments are my own.*

My favorite thing in the world is picking up a new book and reading through all the words an author has penned together creating a new journey for me to embark upon. Words are powerful and can reveal the most beautiful or even the ugliest inner workings of someones mind. Gail McHugh has a gift with words and through it they reveal a story in which she has claimed contain many layers of her own reality. Parts of her own story woven together with fictional elements to create a gem that will captivate you from start to finish. 

 

This is the first book I’ve read by Gail McHugh and it definitely won’t be my last. I don’t think I have EVER read a story like Amber to Ashes. I was completely spellbound. I could not put it down. I read it in one sitting by the final page I was dying for more. Addiction, obsession, desire, love, lust, pleasure, pain by the end you’ll have fought a battlefield of emotions and even question your sanity. The physical and emotional turmoil all three characters experience will tear at your heart. Their desires overwhelming at times, torturous and completely unlike any story you’ll ever read. It is not an erotic fantasy come to life, it is a dangerous and desperate yearning that plague these three and may be the beginning of the end for all of them. I was intrigued and as I delved deeper into the story it was hard to form an alliance or choose. I almost felt like I was Amber because I became as torn as she was. Parts of this story at least the arrogance of the two leading men made me a bit suspicious of their intentions at times. This book will mess with your head. Gail’s poetic style of writing leaves you to ponder many painful yet harsh realities of love, life, death and everything in between.

 

Amber to Ashes is a raw and artfully crafted masterpiece that takes you on a bumpy, deeply emotional, chaotic and passionate journey through the lives of three people whose stories culminate in the mother of all cliffhanger endings. This is a dark and gritty story that will rip you to shreds rendering you absolutely speechless . It is a book you won’t soon forget. One that will seep its way into the depths of your soul and completely own you. It is an all-consuming, fiery, get your heart racing, question your sanity kind of ride. I loved every minute of it and I cannot wait for more. Check out an excerpt here.

 

Buy NOW

 

AMBER TO ASHES by Gail McHugh
Atria Books Paperback | On sale: June 9, 2015 | 480 pages
ISBN: 9781476766010, $15.00 | eBook ISBN: 9781476766041, $7.99

 

Order the AMBER TO ASHES paperback:
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441084315_hrAbout the author:
Gail McHugh is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Collide and Pulse. She is the mother of three beautiful children and has been married to her husband for fifteen years. 

 

Visit Gail online at:
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Giveaway

Enter to win one (1) of ten (10) signed copies of AMBER TO ASHES HERE

 

REVIVING IZABEL (In The Company of Killers #2) Release Event

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REVIVING IZABEL (In The Company of Killers #2)

By Bestselling Author J.A. Redmerski

An Adult Suspense 

Killing Sarai (In the Company of Killers, #1) is on sale for .99 cents for the release of Reviving Izabel!

Killing Sarai: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo   

 

SYNOPSIS

Determined to live a dark life in the company of the assassin who freed her from bondage, Sarai sets out on her own to settle a score with an evil sadist. Unskilled and untrained in the art of killing, the events that unfold leave her hanging precariously on the edge of death when nothing goes as planned.

Sarai’s reckless choices send her on a path she knows she can never turn back from and so she presents Victor with an ultimatum: help her become more like him and give her a fighting chance, or she’ll do it alone no matter the consequences. Knowing that Sarai cannot become what she wants to be overnight, Victor begins to train her and inevitably their complicated relationship heats up.

As Arthur Hamburg’s right-hand man, Willem Stephens, closes in on his crusade to destroy Sarai, she is left with the crushing realization that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. But Sarai, taking on the new and improved role of Izabel Seyfried, still has a set of deadly skills of her own that will prove to be all she needs to secure her place beside Victor.

But there is one test that Izabel must face that has the potential to destroy everything she is working so hard to achieve. One final test that will not only make her question her decision to want this dangerous life, but will make her question everything she has come to trust about Victor Faust.

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Check out my review of Killing Sarai & Reviving Izabel  

 

Excerpt 

Victor’s car stops at the mouth of the alley, the brakes squealing to a halt on the street. He gets out leaving the door open and rushes toward us.

“I’ve got it under control,” I say and I look down at Andre next to my feet.

I’ve knocked him out, but not for long because he begins to stir awake when Victor grabs him by the backs of his arms and pulls him to his feet.

“You were supposed to lead him to the parking lot,” Victor snaps.

Andre begins to struggle as Victor drags him toward the car.

“I said I had it under control,” I snap back. “You see I’m not the one that ended up on the ground.”

“What the fuck’s going on?” Andre calls out, trying to fight his way out of Victor’s arms.

Victor shoves him in the backseat, face-down, and plants his knee in his back as he secures his hands behind him with a plastic zip tie.

“Get in,” Victor demands.

I do as he says, rushing around to the passenger’s side and shutting the door.

“Who the fuck are you?! What’s going on? Answer me!”

Andre’s voice is vociferous behind me, filling the small space in the car.

Victor turns around against the seat, leans over it at the stomach and punches Andre so hard he knocks him out cold.

“Thanks,” I say as Victor sits back down and puts the car in Drive. “I was about to go deaf.”

“I didn’t hit him for shouting,” Victor says without looking at me.

I glance over at him as he carefully weaves the car down the thin streets lined with tightly packed cars on either side.

“I hit him because he put his hands on you,” he says.

I turn my face toward the side window, hiding my smile from him.

BUY REVIVING IZABEL NOW: 

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About the Author  

Born November 25, 1975, J.A. (Jessica Ann) Redmerski is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas with her three children and a Maltese. She is a lover of television and books that push boundaries and is a huge fan of AMC’s The Walking Dead.

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Giveaway:

(3) Signed print copy sets of Killing Sarai and Reviving Izabel  – International  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Killing Sarai & Reviving Izabel Review

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Synopsis 

From the author of the New York Times, USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling novel, THE EDGE OF NEVER, comes a story of passion and survival… 

Sarai was only fourteen when her mother uprooted her to live in Mexico with a notorious drug lord. Over time she forgot what it was like to live a normal life, but she never let go of her hope to escape the compound where she has been held for the past nine years.

Victor is a cold-blooded assassin who, like Sarai, has known only death and violence since he was a young boy. When Victor arrives at the compound to collect details and payment for a hit, Sarai sees him as her only opportunity for escape. But things don’t go as planned and instead of finding transport back to Tucson, she finds herself free from one dangerous man and caught in the clutches of another.

While on the run, Victor strays from his primal nature as he succumbs to his conscience and resolves to help Sarai. As they grow closer, he finds himself willing to risk everything to keep her alive; even his relationship with his devoted brother and liaison, Niklas, who now like everyone else wants Sarai dead.

As Victor and Sarai slowly build a trust, the differences between them seem to lessen, and an unlikely attraction intensifies. But Victor’s brutal skills and experience may not be enough in the end to save her, as the power she unknowingly holds over him may ultimately be what gets her killed.

This is their story… 

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 Purchase Killing Sarai, (In the Company of Killers, #1) for only 99 Pennies!!! 

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 This book is slated for release December 10, 2013 

 

Synopsis

Determined to live a dark life in the company of the assassin who freed her from bondage, Sarai sets out on her own to settle a score with an evil sadist. Unskilled and untrained in the art of killing, the events that unfold leave her hanging precariously on the edge of death when nothing goes as planned. 

Sarai’s reckless choices send her on a path she knows she can never turn back from and so she presents Victor with an ultimatum: help her become more like him and give her a fighting chance, or she’ll do it alone no matter the consequences. Knowing that Sarai cannot become what she wants to be overnight, Victor begins to train her and inevitably their complicated relationship heats up. 

As Arthur Hamburg’s right-hand man, Willem Stephens, closes in on his crusade to destroy Sarai, she is left with the crushing realization that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. But Sarai, taking on the new and improved role of Izabel Seyfried, still has a set of deadly skills of her own that will prove to be all she needs to secure her place beside Victor.

But there is one test that Izabel must face that has the potential to destroy everything she is working so hard to achieve. One final test that will not only make her question her decision to want this dangerous life, but will make her question everything she has come to trust about Victor Faust. 

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Review 

It appears J.A. Redmerski and I share the same birth month! Perhaps that is why I am such a fan…hehe. I can appreciate a fellow Sagittarius’ creativity. With the upcoming release of Reviving Izabel, the second installment in the In the Company of Killers series, I wanted to provide a brief review of both Killing Sarai and Reviving Izabel

I don’t think I can adequately put into words my feelings on Reviving Izabel, (In the Company of Killers, Book #2).  In fact, I don’t think I can even do so with Killing Sarai. I received Reviving Izabel as an advanced copy from the author and I dropped everything I was doing to read it…I finished it in a few hours and I am still going through withdrawal hehe. This book is a complex blend of dark and dangerous, sexy, earth shattering, toe curling, and lustful desire. I don’t know how J.A. Redmerski did it, but she managed to make a brutal, action packed book into one of the sexiest novels I’ve read in a while. This book has a little something for everyone and I…LOVED…EVERY…MINUTE…OF…IT!!!!

Let me begin by expressing my heartfelt love for Killing Sarai, (In the Company of Killers, Book #1). The book is so far from what I would’ve expected from J.A. Redmerski, especially after reading The Edge of Never series…yet another book I fell head over heels in love with! I digress. Anyway, after reading Killing Sarai, I never posted a proper review…so I will give you my thoughts on it briefly…it fuckin rocks!!! However, it isn’t all roses and sweet words and a happily ever after! It’s raw, brutal and gritty! The main character Sarai has been sold to a drug lord. She becomes his “favorite” girl and though she is living in hell, she’s certainly treated better than most. She’s protected in a way because of his attachment to her, but Sarai wants out, she yearns to escape and never look back so when an opportunity presents itself via Victor Faust, she jumps at the opportunity. Sarai knows her chances with Victor are about as good as living on the Mexican compound but she needs to take a chance if there is any way she can escape. Things get a bit…messy between the two, but slowly they come to a mutual understanding. Their attraction to one another is intense and the build up is insane, but these feelings are problematic for someone in Victor’s line of work, with Sarai’s life in danger and Victor risking his neck to help her, will these two find a way to help one another while staying in each others lives?

Killing Sarai is an absolute must read. I cannot express to you enough how much I loved it. The only problem I encountered reading it was Reviving Izabel wasn’t even in the process of being written so I had to patiently wait on the continuation of this beloved story! If you haven’t already done so, you have the opportunity to read both beginning December 10th!!!! I highly recommend this book to all readers there is something for everyone.

Now, moving on to Reviving Izabel…. this book is PHENOMENAL! The story continues with Sarai who is trying to pick up the pieces of her life in a somewhat normal manner, her thoughts of being Izabel Seyfried haunt her daily. She’s out for blood and a chance to prove she’s cut out for the life of an assassin. She wants more than anything to prove she can handle herself, especially to the one man that consumes her thoughts daily – Victor Faust. Her commitment comes with a price,  will Sarai aka Izabel be up for the task or will she realize this may not be the life for her after all?

I feel if I go any more in depth with my review, I may reveal too much. I was definitely surprised at a few things that happened throughout the book. There are a lot of twists and turns, scary moments, drama, violence and then there are some ahem..some really hot, really, um :::fans self, opens window, takes a deep breath:::, let’s just say this book is as hot and steamy as it is brutal and dark. I don’t know how, but J.A. Redmerski was able to capture the essence of both a romance and a dark work of fiction. She blended the two together perfectly creating a masterpiece and the perfect follow-up to an already amazing Killing Sarai. These books are must-reads on my list and I recommend them for all readers (ok…except young adults and children…this is definitely a mature read…so make sure you can hang before opening this one!)  

*This book was an ARC provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own.*

 

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