Cocktails and Books
Written on Jan 25, 2017
Oh, the ANGST! AL Jackson is always a good source of angsty reads, but this one ripped right at the heartstrings. Ash and Willow. The connection between them was almost instantaneous and I wondered, right from the very beginning, exactly what was going to be their downfall. AL Jackson made it one that I wasn't expecting and wondered how they were going to work past it.
Ash and Willow met when both of their lives were at a low point. Both of them needed something or someone to help them turn things around. And you just knew that when Ash suggested they pretend to be in a relationship for Willow's upcoming class reunion that things were going to get much deeper than either of them expected.
I enjoyed both characters. Ash was lovable and liked to make everyone believe he was the life of the party. But the man had a tortured soul. He was full of regret and remorse and couldn't figure out a way to work through all of it. His method was to not let anyone into his heart again, but he learned he'd break all his rules for the right person.
Willow was broken down by heartache and loss. But what I liked most about her was she wasn't willing to give up. Even when she knew what she was doing with Ash would likely cause her more pain, she wasn't willing to give up on him. She protected him when he needed it and showed him he was worth it.
This was another great entry into the Bleeding Stars series. Ash was more than his fun-loving manwhorish ways and I loved seeing that side of him.