Ashes and Wine (Entangled Ever After)

by Taryn Elliott

[Cocktails and Books]

Ashes and Wine was a touching story about dealing with loss and finding love at the worst possible time.

Royal Andreas was a man who gave up his dreams when his father was diagnosed with cancer three years ago. One of those dreams was book shop owner Tessa Winters. Royal felt as if with his father's diagnosis the weight of the family's needs and those of the vineyard came before anything else that he might want...and that included Tessa. On one hand, you want to commend Royal for making sure his family was cared for and that their livelihood continued to flourish. But on the other, you see him making this sacrifice and it's slowly draining the life out of him. It's selfless, but at the same time you had to wonder why everyone let him.

Tessa has wanted Royal since the summer she toured him family's winery and shared a special glass of wine with him. She made all sorts of excuses for why he wouldn't be attracted to her and was willing to live with those, until she discovered he returned her feelings. Once she discovered that, she was unwilling to let Royal walk away without a fight. She forced her way into his home and into his heart when he needed her the most She knew exactly what he needed, even when he didn't, and she made dealing with his father's illness a much easier road than it would have been.

Have a kleenex handy with this one, you'll be a little teary-eyed at the end, but it's totally worth it.