Wow, wow, wow. Kristen Ashley has done it again. This is one of my favorite reads of the year. It had everything and made me feel SO much. I really understand KA’s formula. It is present in almost all of her books, but somehow, it never grows stale. The character development, the depth of descriptive detail, and the intrigue she weaves into every story makes you feel like you’ve been transported to their world. I have been trying to determine what it is about her books that speak to me. I have determined that in large part, I feel more connected with the characters because they are closer in age to me that most romance novels. where we have characters in the early to mid-twenties. It’s great seeing people in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s falling in love and getting it on. I love that she shows 40 as an age of vibrancy, discovery and self-awareness. Also, as I have said before, no one writes like KA. Okay, enough gushing...Here is my review:
Josephine has returned to Magdelene, Maine to bury her most beloved grandmother. Josephine, Josie to those who know her best, is a jetsetting, stylish and charming woman. She has worked for a world renowned photographer for 23 years and has been all over the world with him. But, no matter where she goes, Lavender House and her gran have always been home. So, it with a heavy heart that she has returned to settle her grandmother’s affairs so that she can get back to her life. At the reading of her grandmother’s will she meets Jake, a strip club owning, ex-boxer with three kids and three ex-wives. He was also someone her grandmother apparnetly loved dearly. Her grandmother uses her last will and testament (hence the title) to give Josie something more than material wealth...if only Josie is willing to embrace it. We get to experience the slow and sweet growth of Josie and Jake’s relationship. Even though they start out slow, their felings ramp up pretty quickly. And once they finally get it on, the chemistry is explosive. The sex scenes were incredible- and very tender. The love that Jake and Josie feel for each other comes through in every scene.
We get to see Josie make some life altering decisions and grapple with her past as it threatens to cast a shadow on her future. As usual, the supporting characters and subplots are fantastic. Jake’s kids are lovely, the friends that Josie makes in Magdelene are funny and endearing. This is a long read, but every word sings. No loose threads, no unanswered questions here. By the time the book is ending, I felt invested in the outcome. I wanted them all to have everything they wanted. The epilogue was amazing. I think epilogues should be mandatory in romance novels.
