This is book #5 in the Wildstone series.  This book can be read as a standalone novel.  For reader enjoyment, and to understand the series, I recommend reading this series in order.

Brynn comes home after another boyfriend makes her feel less than herself.  The bright spot in her life is her Mom's.  They may be in her business but they bring the fun.  Also being at home she runs in to Eli.  The very Eli with whom she made the summer deal.

Eli has his hands full with Kinsey and her health.  With a breath of fresh air, Brynn comes  back to town and its like he can breathe again.  With his protective attitude, he enjoys being in both women's lives.  Even though he is only best friends with Kinsey, her friendship is more like family.

This story just kind of pounded into my head.  I felt like each chapter was a sock to the stomach and was like watching a very loud play.  So much action, so much to it, I felt a little overwhelmed.  I do not normally say this about this author's books.  This was a hard one to finish.  Honestly if it was not an author I love well, I would not have bothered.  I give this a 3/5 Kitty's Paws UP!

***This copy was given in exchange for an honest review by Edelweiss and its publishers.

Quinn has suffered a tragic loss with her sister now gone for two years.  The news she gets that sets her back even more, causes her to go looking for the why.  Arriving in the sleepy town, she finds there is someone else who suffered a loss that needs her.

Mick is just back visiting his mother.  Trying to help her move on from the pain and the house that haunts them both.  Meeting Quinn makes staying in town a bit more exciting.  She is in need of a steady hand, and it could be his that helps her up.

Sweet and fragile are two words I thought while reading this novel.  It has many great pieces that make it fun and still the author's work.  I just found it a bit slower than the norm.  The high points were the sexy times and the banter.  You should never miss those.  I give this story a 3/5 Kitty's Paws UP!

***This early copy was given in exchange for an honest review.

This story just jumps right into the friendships of the four girls: Monica, Nora, Grace & Ozzie.  We read mostly about Nora and where she is later, after the others have gone on.  She suddenly hears from the group of girls wanting to get together.

Nora is just trying to live her life in her own way.  Now with the girls asking to get back together after so long - and with no warning - since none of them have been in touch in so many years.  Should she give them a chance?

If a reunion in Chicago is a way to face the past...can these 4 women put to bed the old pain and fears?  Can Nora forgive and move on?  Will it tear them all apart?

I was kind of humbled by the simple and yet profound way the author approached the topic.  Highly unusual for a story to take this direction and it works, somehow.

***This ARC was given by Edelweiss and its publisher for an honest review.

This review rant will not be in normal format, instead it will be in freehand along with unmarked major spoilers.

I really shouldn't review this book. I really shouldn't. It's just going to make me angry, plus I have other books to review. But, books that make me so angry like FROM ASHES, I need to review, no matter how bad it is for my sanity.

FROM ASHES is pretty much the worst book I have ever read. I know I'm going to say it again and probably will till the end of time but at this time, I cannot imagine a worse book. The only reason I finished this piece of utter shit is because FROM ASHES is the most readable book ever. 

Yes, I know, that makes no sense since I mentioned (once or twice) that I HATE this book but it's true. Molly McAdams has succeeded in making a book you hate to love to read (I'm pretty sure that's the first of its kind). I wanted to know what happened next even though I was literally screaming at the book. 

The characters in this book are just terrible. I could go on forever but here is a basic summary:

Cassidy: Cheating, bitchy, judgmental girl who thinks she's better than everyone. One of the main characters whose only problems in life are: trying to decide which guy (out of 5 guys) she loves, handling a real life job, and being unable to have sex 10 times a day.

Gage: Boring, possessive, and bland all describe Gage. Me no like.

Tyler: THIS GUY IS WORSE THAN TRAVIS MADDOX. He is one of the worst love interests - no characters - I've ever encountered. Ever.

The plot of FROM ASHES makes absolutely no sense, at all. It was just terrible. In fact, I will recap the book's plot for your enjoyment/torture. Get ready guys because this is one messed up book.

The books starts off with Cassidy recounting how she's so scared and has so many problems. These problems range from bad to not being bad at all. The worst being her parents abusing her as a kid not being able to decide if she loves Tyler or Gage this week and the least being that she's too pretty.

I know, I know, it's so horrible.

Somehow, these abusive parents allow Cassidy to leave her home and travel to Texas. Note, this is realistic fiction and everyone knows that this is all very plausible. Anyway, she moves to Texas with her hot best friend (but he doesn't have aaanny romantic feeling towards her). There, she meets his even hotter (I know, I know, how is this possible?) cousin Gage. Let's examine some quotes now.

What with Tyler's possessiveness and all no one even attempted to get close enough to me. Not that it bothered me...

Cassidy says this after stating how Tyler could never like her romantically. Also, how can you be okay with this amount of obsessiveness.

Gage was like a brother to him [Tyler] and Tyler hadn't seen him in a few years, so their sharing an apartment would be good for Ty.

HAHA you can guess how long Tyler thinks of Gage as a brother instead of a rival.

Tyler dropped my hand, only to put his on the small of my back as he led me over to Mr. New [Gage] and the leggy blonde.

You just met Gage and you're already calling his girlfriend a "leggy blonde". 

"I'm Brynn [this is the leggy blonde], Gage's girlfriend." Her eyes narrowed.

Woah, already jealous huh? Now the next few quotes are from Gage's point of view.

All I could think about was closing the distance between us [Gage and Cassidy].

You just met this girl a few hours ago. Slooooww down cowboy.

I was frozen in place, taking in the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen.

DUUDE you met her a few minutes ago.

I couldn't even stop the growl that came from my throat when I saw it [Tyler holding Cassidy's hand].

WHY ARE YOU GROWLING MAN? Staph kthanks.

And yeah, I'm not gonna lie, I'd already pictures her beneath me.

GAGE 

WHAT

THE

FUCK

DUDE

"She's mine Gage, Let's get that clear right now." [said Tyler]

Dude, no. She's not.

"Damn, when you said your cousin was bringing a chick, I wasn't expecting her to be so hot," Jake said.
"Jake, touch her again.... see what fucking happens." [said Gage]

Ok, so Gage is already threatening people to lay off "his woman". At 3%. 

How was I already so into this girl that it physically hurt to think of her being with Ty?

Trying to figure that one out myself honestly.

"she's been cooking for herself since she was six" [Ty on Cassidy]

Why does the main female character always have to know how to cook and seem to be the only one who does?

Anyway, a bit more plot and then we'll go over quotes because I have the whole book highlighted (well pretty much all of it). The next 10% or so is Cassidy lusting over Gage's body while sincerely denying that Ty could ever love her all while Ty continually tells Gage that Cassidy is "his". At 10% in, Tyler forces himself onto Cassidy.

Before he does that, Tyler visits Gage. 

I already hated thinking about what happened between Tyler and Cassidy, but having Tyler tell me he was about to go screw her made it that much worse. I'm sorry, not screw her, bang her. Like it was no big deal, just announced "I'm gonna go bang my girl." [from Gage's POV]

God, what is wrong with Tyler? How could anyone like this guy? This is disgusting especially since this is coming from a guy who supposedly loves Cassidy like a sister. Just disgusting. 

After that, Cassidy smartly decides not to sleep in Ty's room like she always did before. So what does she do? She sleeps on the couch and then lets Gage pick her up and put her on his bed. She's not even scared when she wakes up on the bed of some guy she met a few weeks ago.

A bunch of random and un-noteworthy things happen (including Cassidy's eighteenth birthday). Let's examine some of these quotes shall we?

... there was no doubt in my mind I was in love with Cassidy. [Gage's POV]

First of all, what kind of sentence is that? I mean, does it make any sense to you? The second thing is that this is 12% into the book. Twelve percent and Gage is confessing his love.

I loved everything about him.
I loved him.

Sometimes, Sassy Gay Friend is the only way to express my feelings... *sigh*

I cook for six ridiculously obnoxious college guys while they take turns playing Xbox.

Why? Why the fuck do you do is Cassidy? You say hate doing it yet you do.

Ok, back to boring plot summaries. Gage and Cassidy sort of, kind of get together then Cassidy does something and Gage gets all macho man angry and dumps her. Cassidy gets all depressed cause "O NOES HE DON'T LIKE MEH".

Then Cassidy meets Gage again and they make up. Somehow. I really have no idea how that happened. If anyone figured this out, I'd be happy to add it in. One chapter Gage is like "RAWR SHE HATE ME" and Cassidy is practically mirroring that feeling, and in the next?

"Cassidy," I breathed.
She launched herself at me and wrapped her arms around my neck, whispering into y ear. "I missed you so much, Gage."

Uhhh.... kthen.

In a few pages, Cassidy has already attracted another guy who tries to force her into having sex. All I can say is, girl get yo rape whistle out. Doing his Travis Maddox thing, Gage goes and breaks Max's nose. Why do love interests need to break people's noses? Is that cool or something?

Gage's pants get tighter a few dozen times and then Tyler tells Gage that Cassidy preformed oral sex to him and Gage goes insane. I think Tyler and Cassidy get together in this time but I'm not sure because Tyler kisses Cassidy all the time.

Like, pretty much every page but DON'T WORRY GUYS HE HAS NO ROMANTIC FEELINGS TOWARDS CASSIDY. 

-.-

Cassidy get's a job and everything is quiet for a bit before (yep there's always a before...) TYLER TRIES TO FUCKING RAPE HER. This part made me so angry. It wasn't the worst part in the book but, god, it was close. This time, he doesn't do anything that bad, but just wait ok?

Gage gets pissed and goes out whoring. He brings home a couple of girls and has sex with them (but there was this funny moment when he screamed out CASSIDY during sex and got slapped). What happens on the next page?

Tyler tries to, more forcefully this time, rape her. This is where I'm going to share a few of the GRRRR quotes.

"You'll enjoy it, Cassi. I promise."

Dear Tyler and other men out there, just because it's sex, doesn't mean people enjoy it. You are forcing yourself upon a girl and just because you think, "she'll like it", doesn't mean it's not RAPE. R. A. P. E. RAPE. 

"You want this, Cassi, don't tell me you don't. Your little moans and sighs, and damn it, Cassi, you're met as fuck. So why are you telling me to stop?" Tyler searched my face and shook his head slightly. "I swear to God, if you say you don't want this...."

THIS IS A LOVE INTEREST PEOPLE. HE'S NOT THE ANTAGONIST, HE'S THE FREAKING LOVE INTEREST. This is just sick, ok? There is absolutely no excuse for rape, and out of all the ones people tell the victim, this is the worst.

No. Just no.

Now, what does our favorite love interest do after he stops humping her? He goes out, gets drunk, and brings home a girl to have sex with. WHAT WHAT WHAT. NO. This is NOT ok. Ever. NO. Why are these guys going all Travis on me?

Cassidy goes into a rage and Tyler kicks her out of the house without phone or proper clothes. Cassidy almost dies of hypothermia before being saved by the amazing, strong, wonderful Gage. Once she warms up, Gage yells at her telling her that he's mad at her for being kicked out and almost dying.

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?

Nothing happens for a while (except for Cassidy's friend trying to get her to date someone even though she's stringing along two other guys). Gage tells Cassidy that he loves her and she goes too. They go through that "OMG I THOUGHT YOU WOULD NEVA WANT MEH?" conversation.

Gage and Cassidy have lots and lots of sex everywhere (bed, shower, couch, and the kitchen table) and he calls Cassidy his girl around 15 times. Jesse is introduced and he's in lurve with Cassidy as well. I'm still trying to figure out what they all see in her.

Cassidy cooks for some guys and this is what one of them say to her:

"I want a damn SMB too! Doesn't matter if she thinks it's 'nothing fancy' or not, thee isn't another SMB out there like Cassi. That's it, I'm kidnapping and keeping her." Jake sounded exasperated.
"What the hell is a SMB?" Ethan asked, but we all looked confused.
Jake looked at us like we should know this already. "SMB? Sandwich-Making Bitch."

What. The. Fuck.



But, wait, it gets better. 

Cassidy was wiping tears from her eyes when her laughs turned into soft giggles ... "And I didn't take it as offensive. It's like that whole women-belong-in-the-kitchen-barefoot-and-pregnant thing; it's funny."

GRRRRRR NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO IT'S NOT FUNNY AT ALL. IT'S DEMEANING AND ENTIRELY UN-FUNNY. 

After that, Cassidy basically turns into a sex addict and has sex everywhere. Gage hits some more people and accidentally hits Cassidy. She then finds out her old house had been burned down - yes, parent's house got burned down with them in it.

She leaves and meets Connor Green who she has an affair with. She then has the gall to confront Gage about his one night stand a few months ago. Whaaaa? Cassidy is also the one who says she doesn't trust guys.

Gage and Cassidy get together and Connor comes to ask Cassidy to go live with him. She declines and moves in with Gage. Turns out he made her a house and what do they do the moment they enter? Have sex. Then have more sex (ON THE KITCHEN ISLAND PEOPLE).

They get married; Cassidy almost dies (twice - scorpion bite and labor issues) and has three kids. The end. All I could get out by the end of the book was RAWR I HATE THIS. It was just terrible. Never, ever recommend. In fact run away.