Vandal’s little brother. 

You’ve met him in the background.

The sweet one.  

The nice one.  

The one they can all rely on.

The good one.

He’s a tattoo artist.  He plays metal and classical music - on the violin.

He’s got a body built for sin.

He’s 24.

In comes Ivy. She’s a 36 year old single mom who hasn’t dated in 18 years.  

All she wanted was a tattoo.

She got a helluva lot more  :)  

Being good has never been so bad.

Ivy's life has just imploded. At thirty six she finds herself a single mom and her previous stable home life in shambles. She is trying to pick up the pieces and one of her new daring moves to get her out of her rut is to get a tattoo. 

Enter Lukas Valentine...her new tattoo artist. He's twenty-four years old,  but wise beyond his years. He looks like a pierced and tatted rock God, but has a caring, sensitive heart. He truly believes in love and happy ever afters.

They have an immediate spark and connection, but Ivy is unsure and wary. But Lukas is over eager enough for both of them. He is strong, romantic, sexy, intuitive, and mature. He makes her want things she shouldn't. She feels plain and boring, but he makes her feel alive and more vibrant. But she has baggage, fears, and insecurities. And everything about Lukas seems to scare her more because he is young, talented, has rock star looks, and could have any young woman he wants. It is hard for her to believe and trust. 

Lukas just has a need to feel truly wanted, loved and trusted. He is protective and wants to take care of her since others don't. He believes in soul mates and fairy tales. Ivy used to, but is now more jaded and untrusting. And not everyone is supportive of their relationship. There are plenty of complications, drama, and issues to wade through. 

Is love enough to survive the challenges, insecurities, and public perception?

This was a sweet, passionate, and heartwarming read. I was not sure how I would like the older woman/younger man story line but I really liked both of these characters and loved them together. I really adored Lukas' personality. He was such a good guy who knew what he wanted and was not afraid to go after it . But underneath there was also a broken little boy who needed to loved so badly and could easily be crushed. I really felt for him as he faced both issues with Ivy and his family. He was one of the strong ones trying to hold his brother and cousins up when needed. He was a sweet, yet sexy and swoon worthy hero. He had bad boy looks, but a soft center.

It brings back his brother Vandal, Storm, Asher, Talon, Mikah, Gram, and Rayne. We were introduced to Ray who was a unique side kick and had me laughing. Her kids Macy and Tommy were also featured as well as Vandal's daughter Katie. It takes place in the timeline of both Storm and Vandal so we relive a few scenes in different points of view. There were some interesting twists and I loved the epilogue.

I am looking forward to Talon next....his story was teased a bit and sounds really interesting and fun. But there are plenty of other books expected in this series Storm and Vandal sequels, Mikah, Asher, and Rayne. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Lukas Valentine has a big heart. The 24 year old tattoo shop owner plays the violin and piano, lives in an old church, runs a successful business, and unlike many other mid-20s men, just wants to build a family.

Ivy’s world is collapsing around her. After 18 years of marriage her husband wants out, leaving Ivy staring at a very different future than she had imagined. Her best friend encourages her to get out and have fun. Her kids just want her to be happy. Ivy isn’t sure what she wants any more.

This was a much easier read than Vandal. I found myself laughing more, and rooting hard for Lukas. There were times I grew tired of hearing about the age difference between them, but only because I loved watching these two together. They were fun and flirty, even as Ivy wrestled with insecurity and trust issues.

This was a quick read, with the events happening in what felt like quick succession. The timeline overlapped Vandal by quite a bit, but reading the previous books in the series is not necessary to following this book. Having read Vandal and knowing what was coming in his storyline, my heart broke watching from this other perspective.

I really like the way these books fit together and stand alone so well. Hints of Talon’s story, which will be the next in the series, seep through the scenes here and it has been announced that Storm and Vandal will be getting sequels in the future. I hope these sequels will touch on at least one aspect of this story that I wish had been given more detail, but with the way the timelines overlap I wouldn’t be surprised if that is the case.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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The calm before the storm…

I lived in the quiet stillness.

I felt the wind rustle, warning me, telling me to get out of its path.

But I didn’t.

I never stood a chance.

A series of weather and road mishaps leaves me trapped in the middle of a blizzard with a complete stranger. In the back of a pickup truck. For forty-eight freakin’ hours.

A stranger with long hair, tattoos, and rippling with muscle.

A stranger with an insanely sexy voice and a wicked smile that turned my insides to jelly.

A stranger who held me in his arms, calmed me, and then set a fire in me that I couldn’t put out.

Storm lives up to his name. Beautiful. Dangerously inviting. Tumultuous. Dark. A clash of hot and cold.

I have a passion for the bad boys, those covered in tattoos, sexy smirks, ripped jeans, fast cars, motorcycles and of course, the sweet girls that try to tame them and win their hearts. My debut series, Ashes & Embers, follows the lives of rock band members as they find, and sometimes lose, the loves of their lives.

My first novel in the Ashes & Embers series, Storm, was published in September of 2014. Book 2, Vandal, is expected early 2015.

Born and raised a Jersey girl, I now reside in beautiful New Hampshire with my husband and our multitude of furry pets and spend most of my time writing, reading, and vacuuming.

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