Brilliant!
This ìs such a beautifully written second-chance story.
Loved High and Millie's story.
I really enjoyed how KA wrote the past and present scenes.
On a side note, I sure hope Hound and Keely find a HEA.

Currently at the 70% mark. Status update too long for the "update box", so I'll rant here instead:
(Also: Not sure if I'm willing to finish the book, at this point. So for now, this is a DNF for me...)

1.5 stars

So. Much. Drama. & Angst. (So bloody much!)
And dude, Drew, what's with always repeating that you're not gay (although it's okay! Your best friend Jordan is gay too, after all. It's true!) but when touching Ash... It just. Feels sooooo right. You fit like two puzzle pieces....
It's like coming home. Like finding your other half.... Like [insert any other puke inducing schmalzy thing].
YES. Got it. Check!

To say it with Eric Northman:


But now, you're "together". But Ash is so just broken on the inside, as your gran (great judge of character, that woman, it's true) said he was... And she was right. Yeah Drew, we get it. Childhood drama is bad. We are all feeling bad for him. (Don't get me wrong, abuse, rape even, totally is the fucking worst & nobody should ever have to live through it, much less a child.)
But boy, here it's just another tragic element of the book to justify the "asshole & player" on the outside, but oh, on the inside, once you get to know Ash, he's just a victim of tragedy and pain and suffering...

The whole book is quite over the top. Just. Idk. I could hardly read a page without making a scathing note or marking a stupid sentence or paragraph on my kindle... Or LOLing because. It's just too bloody much.

Well. here's a unicorn for you, maybe it'll make you feel better (or not. Because, yap, even the unicorn can't take it anymore & is judging you..)


Sorry, rant over.
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ETA: Or not, sorry. Because I did finish the book after all. And can I just ask: Are they bloody serious? I mean, really?! As if there wasn't enough draaaaama in the book already, no, sir, they had to add a death, i.e. murder to the mix??? Sorry. NO. I mean, why? Tragedy not bad enough already? Or was it simply another of those 'tragic elements'/instruments to make Jordan see the errors of his overbearing ways? Because, there was no other possible way this character could've realised that he acted like a wanker, albeit a well-meaning one???

That seriously takes 'Over The Top' to a whole new level. If buckets, no, bathtubs full of drama & tragedy are your thing, don't mind me and this added section...
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I probably need to add that I got this book for free. Freebies are always great. Thank you, author, for providing readers with such an opportunity.
And also, many readers have loved the book. And it totally isn't the worst I've read. I mean, the writing is solid. (Besides the characters' repeating inner monologues, it was good.) But I just couldn't empathise with the characters. And considering that these two MCs, especially Ash, experienced horrible things during their childhood, I'd say that that is not a point in favour of the book. At all. It was just too much. Too over the top.
But this is just me. Plenty of people thought differently, I guess.

Crucible and Flame: A Walk the Fire stor...

*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review at my request.

The Ferryman escorts his passenger through the flames to ship 227, that's been around for hundreds of years and now a few short decades to reaching it's destination, finds himself alone while the Legal negotiated his trade. The Ferryman didn't expect to learn there was more to life than what he does for work, surprised at coming to feel relaxed around the people that fear and worship him.

John voices his own story here. And in doing that, he knows what his characters are to feel. The beginning it felt like there was space between the words but quickly came to a routine cadence to the reading. In the end, I felt Ferryman's resignation and appreciation.

This story feels of what The Ferryman has to deal with, the physical aches and pains along with the torment he feels when the people reach for him asking to be taken away. We see much of this in the beginning. Though it felt as I was trying hard to understand the world and ways of things, but then things started to click. It feels as though the Ferryman needs to learn a bit of humility, and does so on ship 227. By the end I understood what John had created here with the ship and flame and the ferryman.

John is one that writes fascinating short stories that people face themselves and their feelings, growing to become more. This story is no different. The Ferryman starts to see things differently, then lives through a drastic life changing moment.

“I'm done walking through fire for you, High! ... I'm done not because I'm done but because there's nothing left of me to burn. You have it all. You've always had it all! I gave up everything so you can have it all! Please! God! Leave me to my nothing.”



The first half of this book hurt like a motherfucker. Oh the angst. The angst was angsty. I also spent the first half with an overwhelming desire to find High and beat him up side the head and find Millie and give her a good shake. KA does her signature 'I hate you and will never forgive you!' followed by 'Oh my goodness, new favourite alpha dude. I love you so much, I'm going to leave it all behind, move to Denver and find a biker. JUST. LIKE. YOU.' It's why I love her so. Now I read this over the new year and most days were hangover days so it might not be as angsty as I think but it really killed me. I cried a lot. But I also smiled and laughed and got totally into it and way invested in the story.

“Twenty years apart, haunted by you, walkin’ around with a hole in my soul.”

Millie and High are a new favourite KA couple for sure. We get to see a massive transformation happen to both throughout and even though there are things I didn't love I couldn't not give it 5 stars because I was ridiculously entertained and 100% sucked in to the Chaos world once again.



“We lost each other. Now we’re found. And nothin’ else matters.”

I didn't LOVE book 1 and 2 in this series but after 3 and this I'm seriously considering rereading them. Maybe I was just not in the right mood for them when I read them.

Chaos are awesome. Just awesome!!


I know biker gangs are not like Chaos. I know that. But man I wish they were and I was an old lady. I really want to be a Chaos old lady. I am so excited about the next one in this series. Kristen Ashley says on her site that Snapper and Hound's books are upcoming with Rush (drool) being the finale in the series. I can wait for Rush, happy to do so, as before him we get more, but I can't wait for Hound and who I think is going to be his old lady. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make the next book Hound's!! I NEED THAT BOOK!!!

I've already done  My Best of 2015 list.  But beyond my favorites there are lots of little things that stick out in the books I've read this year.  So here are my Awardies.  Awards given to total random things that stayed with me from my reading this year.

 

 

The All Along the Watchtower Award for best cover goes to...

 

  

• The cover is fab. Great color, great font, great hair and the model is giving face!

 

 

The Cougartown Award for Most WTF Book Title goes to....

 

I read the whole book, wrote an in depth review, and even looked up the etymology of the title. It refers to when the sun is shining during a rainshower. Uh huh. Still have no idea how that title relates to what is essentially a Ghost/All of Me/Topper mash-up with a helping of Jim Crow on the side.

 

 

The All My Children Award for the Most Cracked Out Soap Opera Storyline goes to...

 

• Mixed up babies, quickie divorces, BDSM PTSD, Kidnapping, Fraud, fistfights, cheating, spousal abuse and that was just the first chapter! (I kid, I kid…)

 

 

 

The Pootie Tang Award for Book with Bad Dialogue goes to....

 

 They spoke actual English, you know -- nouns and verbs. Sometimes subordinate conjunctions and objects were thrown in there too. I largely followed the story. But still the characters speaking felt odd, stilted and unnatural. 

 

 

 

The Don Draper Award  for Totally Fucked up Character I Would Still Totally Fuck goes to....

 

Zeus.  This guy has no filter, zero regular socialization, a little too ready to knife someone – friends and enemies alike. And yet, one of the most fascinating, interesting, characters I’ve read all year.

 

 

 

The Shake It Off Award for the Book That Really Took Its Title Seriously goes to....

 

Dude, if I had to hear how either Millie or High would walk through the fuckin' fire for each other one more time I swear I was gonna hurl!

 

 

 

 

The Project Runway Award for book Most In Need Of  It's a MotherFuckin' Walk OFF!  goes to....

 

OMG, the descriptions of what went on during that momentous historical night at Versaille between five American designers and five French designer NEEDS video. NEEDS! But sadly none exists only snippets. I could weep. Also early example of #blackgirlmagic!

 

 

 

The Bitch Betta Have My Money Award for the Heroine Who Was So Fierce I Could Not Even…. ! goes to….

 

Louvaen was so totally awesome. I mean she was confronted with a curse that turned a man into a ravening beast and all she did was quirk her eyebrow, rolled up her sleeves, fought killer vegetation, and saved her family and his. Basically she got shit done. And made the him fall in love with her in the process

 

 

 

The Maltese Falcon Award for the Inanimate Object With an Important Starring Role goes to....

 

That damned earring! An holy cow, the description of everybody trying to get it in that damned box at the end was a great piece of scene crafting.

 

 

 

The Theophilius Lovegood Award for Best Names goes to.....

 

The main characters are Gearoid McCardle and Aoife Boyake.  The author knew these names were special because the pronunciation guide is right in the blurb!

 

 

 

And the final award of the night, the biggie....

 

 

The Keeping it 100 for the Book With Best Synergy in Cover, Title and Story goes to....

 

 

 

 

The title, the cover art and the story all work together perfectly. 

 

The title is evocative and memorable. It isn’t one of those generic titles where you have to see the cover and/or hear the author 's name along side it to remember which book it is. Either element alone – the title or the cover - would make your mind immediately flash to the story.  It is the type of cover and title that makes you pause even if it isn’t exactly your favored genre.   And most of all, it is a story that will make you want to recommend it to other people. And read the sequels.