The Slow Burn by Kristen Ashley

The Slow Burn (Moonlight and Motor Oil, #2)

by Kristen Ashley

Tobias Gamble knew from a young age precisely the kind of woman he was going to make his. She was not going to be like his mother. She was going to be like the mother he claimed.

In other words, she was going to be just right.

And when Toby returns to his hometown of Matlock, Kentucky and claps eyes on Adeline Forrester, he knows she’s the one.

The problem is, his brother Johnny has a new girlfriend. And Addie is her sister. Last, Toby would do nothing to hurt Johnny’s chance at happiness.

Toby hangs around town to get to know the woman Johnny fell in love with. He also hangs around to get to know Addie.

But he’s fallen hard, and he knows the best thing for him—and Addie—is for him to leave.

Addie Forrester is thrilled her sister Eliza found a good, solid man. Johnny Gamble is the salt of the earth. The best guy in the world.

The best except for his brother, Toby.

Toby doesn’t know it, but Addie’s fallen hard too. He’s perfect, except for the fact that he’s hands off and it’s torture, being friends with Toby when she wants so much more.

Addie also has a lot on her mind. She’s got bills to pay, her young son needs food, Christmas is coming and her job at the grocery store just isn’t cutting it.

Toby is steering clear of Addie. Addie is steering clear of Toby. But everyone around them knows this is the slow burn.

Because just like Eliza and Johnny, Addie and Toby were made for each other.

Reviewed by stacey_is_sassy on

4 of 5 stars

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A fantastic audio, but...

I finished listening to The Slow Burn on my way to work this morning and I was left very troubled. There was a scene towards the end that had me completely flabbergasted. I can't tell you what happened in that scene because it would be a HUGE spoiler. When you listen to certain words you can't always tell the right context, while reading makes it clearer. I came home and opened up my Kindle version (that I had preordered) read the same section and it all made sense. I'm glad I got the opportunity to confirm because if I hadn't, it would have been bothering me FOREVER. In some cases, reading just makes more sense.

Reading or listening to a Kristen Ashley generally leaves me in my reading happy place. The Slow Burn took me on an emotional journey with Tobey and Addie. There were plenty of highs and a few lows to deal with too. Sure, this was a "slow burn" but luckily we didn't have to wade through the "slow burn" to get the good stuff. I'm not necessarily talking about the sexy times, I'm talking about the good stuff being them fighting their battles together. Independence has its place, but a partnership will always work better when you work as a team.

Addie has just ended her relationship with the father of her child and she's looking for a new path. Tobey has been on a meandering path for years, and now that his brother Johnny has settled, he's thinking about settling too. Their first meeting was not under good circumstances but it did suck me in. Addie is vulnerable and Tobey is her protector...YIPPEE!! I love it that when she was at her worst, she finds the best.

The Moonlight and Motor Oil series gave us two stories that packed a punch. Both Johnny and Tobey are far from angels when we first meet them, but it doesn't take long to love them. Izzy and Addie have had their fair share of hard times but they're the kind of women who makes the most of what they've got. Both couples have pasts that were bumpy but their strength was in how they moved on from their rocky rides. I loved that two sisters fell in love with two brothers.

I liked the audio version of The Slow Burn but I didn't completely love it. It flowed well and was easy to listen to most of the time, it's just that I prefer Stella Blooms narration and wished she'd done it solo. She's just so easy to listen to.

I loved all the characters I met in The Slow Burn and was sad to say goodbye at the end. The story flowed in a way that made it easy to believe that Tobey, Addie and Brooklyn (Addie's son) would be together forever. Addie was a fantastic mother and I loved her fierce protectiveness. Tobey, while it took me a while to warm up to, ended up being a strong, sexy and dedicated hero I could admire. This story was fun, sexy, emotional and at times heartbreaking. Just the right mix of emotions.

The Slow Burn was everything I was hoping for and more. I definitely recommend.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 7 May, 2019: Finished reading
  • 7 May, 2019: Reviewed