What do you think?
Rate this book
Ashes & Embers #6
Asher
I should have died.
I should have been forgotten.
But I didn’t, and I wasn’t.
Living the life most women only dream about, I was madly in love with my soulmate—Asher Valentine—amazing husband, loving father, and rock’s favorite kick-ass frontman. A man who loved me every day, in every way, since we first met as teens. We were blessed with a beautiful daughter who was the light of our life. My all-female rock band was tearing up the charts.
Then tragedy struck, and I lost it all.
Now all I have is a stack of journals, an antique key, and a big black void where my memories should be.
Used to be.
And I have him—this man with wild hair, tattoos from head to toe, a soft voice, and an even softer touch that gives me butterflies. He’s clearly hopelessly in love with his wife.
I’m told that’s me.
But that wife is gone, and she took everything they once had, leaving me in her place.
A broken replacement. A new version that doesn’t quite fit.
I’m slowly falling in love with him, but will he ever truly love me? Or will he forever be in love with her, the phantom woman who haunts us both?
________________________________
Asher can be read standalone!
There is NO cheating in this book. The Hero stays 100% faithful to his wife from the time he meets her at 15, all through her 8 year coma, and forever after. This is a story of what marriage and true love is.
I should have been forgotten.
But I didn’t, and I wasn’t.
Living the life most women only dream about, I was madly in love with my soulmate—Asher Valentine—amazing husband, loving father, and rock’s favorite kick-ass frontman. A man who loved me every day, in every way, since we first met as teens. We were blessed with a beautiful daughter who was the light of our life. My all-female rock band was tearing up the charts.
Then tragedy struck, and I lost it all.
Now all I have is a stack of journals, an antique key, and a big black void where my memories should be.
Used to be.
And I have him—this man with wild hair, tattoos from head to toe, a soft voice, and an even softer touch that gives me butterflies. He’s clearly hopelessly in love with his wife.
I’m told that’s me.
But that wife is gone, and she took everything they once had, leaving me in her place.
A broken replacement. A new version that doesn’t quite fit.
I’m slowly falling in love with him, but will he ever truly love me? Or will he forever be in love with her, the phantom woman who haunts us both?
________________________________
Asher can be read standalone!
There is NO cheating in this book. The Hero stays 100% faithful to his wife from the time he meets her at 15, all through her 8 year coma, and forever after. This is a story of what marriage and true love is.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2020
About the author
Carian Cole
16 books7,787 followersI have a passion for the bad boys, those covered in tattoos, sexy smirks, ripped jeans, fast cars, motorcycles and of course, the sweet girls that try to tame them and win their hearts.
Born and raised a Jersey girl, I now reside in beautiful New Hampshire with my husband and our multitude of furry pets and spend most of my time writing, reading, and vacuuming.
Born and raised a Jersey girl, I now reside in beautiful New Hampshire with my husband and our multitude of furry pets and spend most of my time writing, reading, and vacuuming.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,177 reviews
April 9, 2024
6+ Now and Forever stars for Asher.
Have you ever heard about the theory of the red thread? It’s said that the two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. Asher is the red thread that connects all these amazing characters in this incredible world that Carian Cole has created. He is the rock, and pillar of the Valentine family in my eyes. A true constant in times of trouble.
Where do I even begin to express the intense feels that I have for this book. Carian raised her own bar x1,000 with this story, pouring her blood, sweat and tears into this, and it shows. With every turn of the page, the evidence is there.
I love that this is not your typical Hea. Carian makes her characters, and her readers I feel, fight for it. This is real life. The things Ember went through, and felt after coming out of an eight year coma & having amnesia felt very realistic. I appreciate how Carian gives both perspectives, allowing us to see, feel and experience the pain of the cut, and rawness of the wounds with these two.
“I'm no one." Her voice is low and haunting. "I'm not a wife or a sister or a mother or a singer. I'm a mindless mannequin who looks like someone else."
When Ember said this quote it cut my heart straight to the quick. I can remember having feelings that touched these areas after I had my second child. I felt like I didn’t know who I was when I looked in the mirror. It was such a scary place in my head.
This story is living proof of the old saying, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” It gives testament to what the “power of love” truly means.
We get to see splashes of the fam, especially Tor & Kenzi, but the sole focus of this book is Asher & Ember’s journey through their nightmare. Their tale is a true beauty from ashes type love story.
Carian will always be at the top of my favorite authors list. I love the way she not only weaves a story, but how she writes her men. These men know what devotion, love, Commitment, and sticking to your vows mean. They’re tough as steel mixed with velvet teddy bear, and I will always have a soft spot for them. Especially Asher.
Have you ever heard about the theory of the red thread? It’s said that the two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. Asher is the red thread that connects all these amazing characters in this incredible world that Carian Cole has created. He is the rock, and pillar of the Valentine family in my eyes. A true constant in times of trouble.
Where do I even begin to express the intense feels that I have for this book. Carian raised her own bar x1,000 with this story, pouring her blood, sweat and tears into this, and it shows. With every turn of the page, the evidence is there.
I love that this is not your typical Hea. Carian makes her characters, and her readers I feel, fight for it. This is real life. The things Ember went through, and felt after coming out of an eight year coma & having amnesia felt very realistic. I appreciate how Carian gives both perspectives, allowing us to see, feel and experience the pain of the cut, and rawness of the wounds with these two.
“I'm no one." Her voice is low and haunting. "I'm not a wife or a sister or a mother or a singer. I'm a mindless mannequin who looks like someone else."
When Ember said this quote it cut my heart straight to the quick. I can remember having feelings that touched these areas after I had my second child. I felt like I didn’t know who I was when I looked in the mirror. It was such a scary place in my head.
This story is living proof of the old saying, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” It gives testament to what the “power of love” truly means.
We get to see splashes of the fam, especially Tor & Kenzi, but the sole focus of this book is Asher & Ember’s journey through their nightmare. Their tale is a true beauty from ashes type love story.
Carian will always be at the top of my favorite authors list. I love the way she not only weaves a story, but how she writes her men. These men know what devotion, love, Commitment, and sticking to your vows mean. They’re tough as steel mixed with velvet teddy bear, and I will always have a soft spot for them. Especially Asher.
Read
July 1, 2019What if the love of your life couldn't remember you? Or the fifteen years you spent together? Or the life you built?
What if you were a total stranger to them?
What if they were a stranger to 𝘺𝘰𝘶 now?
Would you stay and fight for love? Or would you go?
𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧! 🦋
Sign up for a special newsletter alert so you don’t miss it!
Click here: https://www.cariancolewrites.com/ashe...
What if you were a total stranger to them?
What if they were a stranger to 𝘺𝘰𝘶 now?
Would you stay and fight for love? Or would you go?
𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧! 🦋
Sign up for a special newsletter alert so you don’t miss it!
Click here: https://www.cariancolewrites.com/ashe...
August 28, 2020
Asher and Amber are two successful rock stars and a loving couple since they were teenagers, but their love story was tragically interrupted. A day of fun at their favorite place by the lake, ended in an accident in which Amber almost lost her life... Instead, she's been in the hospital for 8 years, in a coma. 😱
Asher might be alive, but not really. Over the years he never stopped hoping that the love of his life will awake and they will continue from the same place they left off. Then, one day, Amber wakes up, but.... she's not the woman he remembered. Amber suffers from amnesia - and then, their real struggle begins. 💔🎸
This is a story about a couple who lost their way, and are trying to rebuild their lives as two strangers. Will they find the great love they once shared again? Will Amber ever get her memories back...? 😱
📚 “𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒆—𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓.” 📚
This book was amazing - but also VERY BAD... it totally did bad to MY relationship! It turns out (according to my husband) that during the reading I occasionally stared at him with hatred looks! Hahaha 😂😂😂
Me (and my ovaries) couldn't resist Asher's patient and romantic behavior - because he might have the tough-rock-star-bad-boy look with that long wild hair and lots of tattoos - but on the inside, he's the most sensitive man in romance books! 😍👑🎸
📚 “𝑻𝒐 𝒎𝒆, 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓.”
“𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒖𝒔…𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒚?”
“𝑬𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒚.” 📚
So why not 5 stars?
I totally understood why Amber fell in love with him (past and present) because I fell for him too. But until the end of the book I didn't get an answer to why the hell did HE fall in love with HER??? 😱
Because apart from the moments before the accident, both as teenagers (leech, much?) and the present (ungrateful, much?) - I could not connect to her character and I really hoped (especially for Asher's sake) that the Amber from "before the accident" would return. 😬💔
Yes, she found herself in a scary situation and her struggles were painful, yada yada... Lady, you won the fucking lottery. SHUT UP! 🙄
📚 “𝑰 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒚.” 📚
But my main problem was with the drama that happened towards the end - I will not go into detail to avoid spoilers, but it totally ruined the important message that Carian wrote throughout the book. So even though the ending was good, I was left with a sweet and bitter taste.
Despite that, Carian's writing (AS ALWAYS) was absolutely amazing - and this book was one of the most romantic books I've read, so I definitely recommend it! 👏❤
This is the sixth book in 'Ashes & Embers' series - but you can read it as a stand-alone (although a lot of characters from previous books appear in it) - BUT I recommend to read the book 'Torn' first. 😍
▪️▫️▪️▫��▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️
📖 ᖴOᒪᒪOᗯ ᗰE Oᑎ IᑎᔕTᗩGᖇᗩᗰ: https://www.instagram.com/the_romanti...
📖 ᐯIᔕIT ᗰY ᗷᒪOG ᖴOᖇ ᗰOᖇE ᖇEᐯIEᗯᔕ: https://books-romance.com/
📖 GOOᗪᖇEᗩᗪᔕ: https://bit.ly/3acMRMP
💕 לקריאת הסקירה בעברית, כנסו לבלוג: https://books-romance.com/ 💕
August 28, 2021
4 Always and Only ⭐
I wonder how many times my heart can break before it’s shattered into nothingness.
Asher and Ember Valentine were in the prime of their lives when things took a drastic turn. Musical acclaim, happily married with a child, making decisions for the future. And then a freak accident that left Ember fighting for her life.
During the 8 years of her absence, Asher concentrated on raising their daughter and caring for his wife while praying for a miracle. Fortunately, it did come but at what price?
“You have to try to trust me. I know the person inside you better than anyone. You’d want to be home. You’d want to be with me. I know that as sure as I know the sun is gonna come up tomorrow.”
Ember is awake but has no recollection of her past. A gut-wrenching reality for everyone involved. Asher wants his wife back at any cost, while Ember feels like an impostor. Can she put her faith in the one man who never wavered at her side while she finds herself?
“I don’t want to be alone anymore. I miss you – your love and your touch. And I hate missing you when you’re right fucking here. It’s destroying me.”
This was hard to read in parts. Watching Asher bend over backwards to help his wife regain her memory. Trying everything to reconnect and getting Ember to fall back in love with him again. It was devastating. Meanwhile Ember's amnesia made her detached and inhospitable. It would take something extraordinary and questionable to lead them back to each other.
Bloody hell, I knew this book was going to ruin me. This was a slow journey for two people who once had achieved eternal love. A man who never lost faith and allowed his heart's song to keep him strong and resilient throughout. Asher was certainly the standout for me. At times I had to dig deep for sympathy towards Ember. Her actions were hard to swallow. If true love exists, it's this.
I wonder how many times my heart can break before it’s shattered into nothingness.
Asher and Ember Valentine were in the prime of their lives when things took a drastic turn. Musical acclaim, happily married with a child, making decisions for the future. And then a freak accident that left Ember fighting for her life.
During the 8 years of her absence, Asher concentrated on raising their daughter and caring for his wife while praying for a miracle. Fortunately, it did come but at what price?
“You have to try to trust me. I know the person inside you better than anyone. You’d want to be home. You’d want to be with me. I know that as sure as I know the sun is gonna come up tomorrow.”
Ember is awake but has no recollection of her past. A gut-wrenching reality for everyone involved. Asher wants his wife back at any cost, while Ember feels like an impostor. Can she put her faith in the one man who never wavered at her side while she finds herself?
“I don’t want to be alone anymore. I miss you – your love and your touch. And I hate missing you when you’re right fucking here. It’s destroying me.”
This was hard to read in parts. Watching Asher bend over backwards to help his wife regain her memory. Trying everything to reconnect and getting Ember to fall back in love with him again. It was devastating. Meanwhile Ember's amnesia made her detached and inhospitable. It would take something extraordinary and questionable to lead them back to each other.
Bloody hell, I knew this book was going to ruin me. This was a slow journey for two people who once had achieved eternal love. A man who never lost faith and allowed his heart's song to keep him strong and resilient throughout. Asher was certainly the standout for me. At times I had to dig deep for sympathy towards Ember. Her actions were hard to swallow. If true love exists, it's this.
June 2, 2020
I’m so FRUSTRATED right now! I WISH I enjoyed this more but I didn’t. I REALLY WAS SO EXCITED TO FINALLY READ THIS BOOK and I’ve been waiting for Ashers book! However, I couldn’t really connect to the characters especially Ember. I also skimmed through some parts but I managed to finish it just for ASHER.. WE NEED MORE LOYAL HEROES and he was just that.
I’m so disappointed I couldn’t love this more!!
I’m so disappointed I couldn’t love this more!!
May 26, 2020
Sometimes when you read a really good series you feel that with each passing character… with each story you move towards a certain destination. Most of the time you can guess what that will be – you have hopes and ideas about how it will turn out – and you always know that this type of series only comes around every now and then so you savor each and every book.
And then there is a series like Ashes and Ember – from it’s first book - already the names of the characters give away how deep their stories will go . You know it will hurt - but still – nothing will keep you from reading them. And each and every book brings you nearer to something big – and then you can see it on the horizon – ASHER is coming and you know – you just KNOW it will be THE Book ….
It was a long time in the making and the author had to postpone the release - but once I knew it was out there – there was no stopping me from reading as long as I am breathing. I checked and rechecked the release dates – emailed the author – again and again – and then when I least expected it – I turned on my kindle and it was finally there.
The average reader craves a HEA if they admit it or not – deep down we all do - but what if the story starts after that ? Well I get very reluctant to read because what good can top a HEA? – Probably only a second chance at it.
The Blurb you get for Asher will tell you the basics you need to know – but it doesen’t tell you how much you will feel on your journey going there. I am not sure there is anything I could add to that or even want to add to it – because when you read the plot that you will instinctively know that before you can even get into the story it will hurt. And trust me it will hurt a lot …. In the beginning in the middle and basically it will hurt all over.
I honestly have no idea how the author managed to create such a believable story out of facts – hopes – fictions - wishes and miracles. Even when it comes to the fictions/miracle part of the story there was not a single moment that felt impossible to me. It simply felt like it was meant to be.
It was admirable how the characters grew during their journey and how well the plot was developed from every angle. That has to have been the most complex book - when it comes to its details – that I read this year.
BUT I admit there was a certain moment when I thought about a certain movie back from the 80s (yes I am that old) where there was a situation not similar but connected to Embers situation – and I was afraid that the author might … but well that would have been simply cruel. (Gosh – now I am trying to remember the name of that movie – even if I would not state it here to give away my idea I still would have loved to ask Ms. Cole if she was inspired by it – as I always felt it was a good movie but I never liked the outcome - but well I guess I really must be getting old not remembering the name…. ) And even if this whole plot was a hard piece to swallow – the author was never cruel …
Ash and Ember are two characters that will not be easy to forget. And already now I know their story will stay with me for a long time. It was simply everything a reader could wish for. And it was worth every minute of waiting (easy to say now that I have read it – during the waiting period I def. did not feel that generous hahaha)
If you only just now stumble across this series – well I would recommend to start reading it from the beginning – the books might be standalones but this is one of these kinds of series that you really will want to read in the right order to get the full feeling for the characters and the plot.
Dear Ms. Cole , thank you for gifting your readers these wonderful characters and I would like to especially thank you for the last line of the book – yes I mean the one AFTER the story – because while ASHER was just THE Book that I expected – you managed to directly ignite the next fire and imagined correctly what would have been the topic of my (and probably many other readers ) next question – and you answered at least 50 % because the remaining question is – now is “WHEN” – because I need one of them bad - like really REALLY BAD (the one that appears first and most) – you cannot throw facts like that out there without giving details – because that is really cruel … and while you obviously love it when your readers suffer (laughing) you are not cruel ….
You really planted a seed in my imagination and there is this WOODburning fire already growing …
═══ PLEASE SUBSCRIBE / LIKE / FOLLOW US ════
Blog : https://www.jerisbookattic.com
FB Page : https://www.facebook.com/JerisBookAttic
Twitter : https://twitter.com/JeriTRyan
Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2...
Bloglovin : https://www.bloglovin.com/@jerisbooka...
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/jeris_book_...
.
July 16, 2020
I feel like I’ve been waiting for this story forever and it was definitely worth the wait.
Asher and Embers love story was so tragically cut short.
In a coma for 8 long years after her accident and subsequent brain trauma and during that period Asher has never given up on his wife his hope in their future and her eventual recovery is what has kept him going.
visiting her every day sitting by Her bedside and wishing for a miracle.
The medical experts all telling Asher it is extremely unlikely that his wife will ever recover.
And then a miracle happens and Ember awakens but she is far from the wife Asher remembers.
In fact, she has no memory of even who she was and definitely no recollection of her loved ones.
It’s like slowly piecing together the jagged edges of a broken puzzle and Ember feels that she just doesn’t fit into the mould.
She feels so disconnected and separated from her former identity that she actually feels a sense of displacement and almost irrational jealousy against her former self.
Almost like a cuckoo in the nest and Ashes expectations weigh just as heavily as she just can’t and almost doesn’t want to be the woman he loves and wants her to be so desperately.
In her head its almost an invisible power struggle with her former self.
Asher himself is also struggling emotionally and is holding on to the hope that Ember will eventually recall there past.
But at the same time, this is also preventing him from forging a new connection one void of its former expectations with a whole new Ember.
This was such an emotional journey and concentrates mostly on the intricacies of human relationships and bonds.
It’s a rediscovery of love and the question of what do you do when your whole life has been erased.
It doesn’t just affect the immediate individuals but has such a far rippling effect on all involved like a pebble on a pond, echoing outwards.
This was a story about rebuilding connections and rediscovery.
If I'm honest though I wasn’t completely sold on the finish with this as I felt it was slightly bittersweet and contradicted what Ember was trying to originally project and accomplish with herself and her whole new persona and Asher’s acceptance of it all.
It felt a bit of sell-out and totally negated all the effort Ember had put in just for others to see her as an individual separate and apart from her forgotten past.
I feel it implied that without her memory’s she was still somewhat lesser in her husband’s eyes and Asher was just biding his time until his wife’s past came back fully.
In the meantime, he was really just settling for the next best thing.
It made a mockery of all her inner turmoil and their former struggles.
Still, I did enjoy this a lot it was excellently written and very engaging and easily managed to keep my attention throughout.
I also managed to read this in one sitting, which says it all really.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Asher.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
September 14, 2020
How often do you read about a faithful man? Be honest. It’s been so long for me that I don’t even remember when was the last time. For this reason alone I’m rating it 5 stars. It might be less but him being faithful from the beginning to the end deserves the stars.
Does a man this perfect even exists?
This man looked like sin with his long hair and his body tattoos. My worry reading this book was that the author built this hero up in the previous books only to have him failed. I’ve read the previous books and I was always interested in reading his story. We were given hints that he was the perfect husband, perfect father, perfect son and friend but we all know how authors like to ruin their heroes when their stories get told. This man exceeded my expectations. He even takes his grandma shopping for groceries weekly, he helped people in need. He’s humbled, not a rich (well he is rich) just not a spoiled celebrity with women hanging around his house or arm. He doesn’t even pose with women for album art or music videos. He really does give a new meaning of in sickness and in health vow. I was half waiting for the other shoe to drop. I went into this book with the lowest expectations ever. I did not want to get disappointed. I grew frustrated with the heroine. When she hurt the hero’s feelings I wanted to reach inside my kindle and slap her silly.
"Ember and I have only ever kissed each other. It was our promise when we fell in love so young. Our sacred gift to each other. Our bodies and our hearts would always only belong to us.”
“I love you twice. Now and forever,”
“My wife, my twin flame, my everything has come back to me.”
“Before, during, and after. You’re the only woman I’ve ever made love to or touched in any kind of intimate way. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”
“Why do people assume a man can’t have patience or live without sex? Is it really so friggin’ bizarre that a man could love his wife so much that he wouldn’t want to touch another woman?”
Hey, it’s not really our fault. We have been burned before by theauthors powers that be.
“Sex isn’t important to me, Em. That’ll come when it’s right. What’s important to me is that you’re okay, and we’re together.”
See what I mean? How is it that this man is so perfect? I was half waiting for him to fart glitter! 😂🤦🏻♀️ but don’t get him wrong, he craves sex with her, he just doesn’t want to hurt her because it’s been so long without her. She still healing and he wants her healthy more than anything. He wants her to remember their love, their lives together. He wants her to remember their daughter.
I think the author took way too long to give the heroine her memories back. I had a problem with this.
“I’ve never fantasized about another woman, Ember. I only wanted you. I was one thousand percent happy with you. I never even watched porn. I didn’t want or need anyone else, physically or mentally. That’s what love is.”
At this point I won’t write about safety because by now you know that this man has been faithful to his wife while she was in coma for 8 years even with her nasty friend throwing herself at her husband. I wanted to punch the frenemy because friends like her who needs enemies. She’s a nasty person. I don’t like when authors write OWs as whores but damn this woman was like a dog with a bone, like a std that won’t go away. Like the worst rash that you can’t stop scratching. This hero never paid attention to her and even after telling her off she continued throwing herself at a married man, a man that wanted nothing to do with her. She insinuated to the heroine that her and hero had gotten close together. Which he never did. They were acquaintances because she was his wife best friend and she spent time with all of their friends and family, she was also in a band with the heroine but she never pass for more than that. She was a total bitch.
Towards the end at 82% was a clusterfuck. I really wasn’t expecting that. And hero’s reaction and heroine’s actions threw me for a loop. I’m not going to spoil it but damn what the fuck was the heroine thinking of doing this without talking to him first? I don’t even know what to think or whom to side with.
“Asher Valentine. He protected my heart, my memories, our marriage, and my life fiercely. He never gave up—even when the odds were stacked against us.”
**Book NOT provided by anyone but my KU subscription.**
*****************************************
Finally a release date. June,3 2020
Let’s just hope the author doesn’t change it again like she has done the previous times.
And let’s hope this guy stayed faithful to his wife. But I won’t hold my breath.
Does a man this perfect even exists?
This man looked like sin with his long hair and his body tattoos. My worry reading this book was that the author built this hero up in the previous books only to have him failed. I’ve read the previous books and I was always interested in reading his story. We were given hints that he was the perfect husband, perfect father, perfect son and friend but we all know how authors like to ruin their heroes when their stories get told. This man exceeded my expectations. He even takes his grandma shopping for groceries weekly, he helped people in need. He’s humbled, not a rich (well he is rich) just not a spoiled celebrity with women hanging around his house or arm. He doesn’t even pose with women for album art or music videos. He really does give a new meaning of in sickness and in health vow. I was half waiting for the other shoe to drop. I went into this book with the lowest expectations ever. I did not want to get disappointed. I grew frustrated with the heroine. When she hurt the hero’s feelings I wanted to reach inside my kindle and slap her silly.
"Ember and I have only ever kissed each other. It was our promise when we fell in love so young. Our sacred gift to each other. Our bodies and our hearts would always only belong to us.”
“I love you twice. Now and forever,”
“My wife, my twin flame, my everything has come back to me.”
“Before, during, and after. You’re the only woman I’ve ever made love to or touched in any kind of intimate way. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”
“Why do people assume a man can’t have patience or live without sex? Is it really so friggin’ bizarre that a man could love his wife so much that he wouldn’t want to touch another woman?”
Hey, it’s not really our fault. We have been burned before by the
“Sex isn’t important to me, Em. That’ll come when it’s right. What’s important to me is that you’re okay, and we’re together.”
See what I mean? How is it that this man is so perfect? I was half waiting for him to fart glitter! 😂🤦🏻♀️ but don’t get him wrong, he craves sex with her, he just doesn’t want to hurt her because it’s been so long without her. She still healing and he wants her healthy more than anything. He wants her to remember their love, their lives together. He wants her to remember their daughter.
I think the author took way too long to give the heroine her memories back. I had a problem with this.
“I’ve never fantasized about another woman, Ember. I only wanted you. I was one thousand percent happy with you. I never even watched porn. I didn’t want or need anyone else, physically or mentally. That’s what love is.”
At this point I won’t write about safety because by now you know that this man has been faithful to his wife while she was in coma for 8 years even with her nasty friend throwing herself at her husband. I wanted to punch the frenemy because friends like her who needs enemies. She’s a nasty person. I don’t like when authors write OWs as whores but damn this woman was like a dog with a bone, like a std that won’t go away. Like the worst rash that you can’t stop scratching. This hero never paid attention to her and even after telling her off she continued throwing herself at a married man, a man that wanted nothing to do with her. She insinuated to the heroine that her and hero had gotten close together. Which he never did. They were acquaintances because she was his wife best friend and she spent time with all of their friends and family, she was also in a band with the heroine but she never pass for more than that. She was a total bitch.
Towards the end at 82% was a clusterfuck. I really wasn’t expecting that. And hero’s reaction and heroine’s actions threw me for a loop. I’m not going to spoil it but damn what the fuck was the heroine thinking of doing this without talking to him first? I don’t even know what to think or whom to side with.
“Asher Valentine. He protected my heart, my memories, our marriage, and my life fiercely. He never gave up—even when the odds were stacked against us.”
**Book NOT provided by anyone but my KU subscription.**
*****************************************
Finally a release date. June,3 2020
Let’s just hope the author doesn’t change it again like she has done the previous times.
And let’s hope this guy stayed faithful to his wife. But I won’t hold my breath.
June 18, 2022
Give me a marriage in trouble with a little bit of amnesia any day. From the beginning, I loved how much Asher loved Ember. They have such a history and such a deep connection, so when Ember had her accident and was in a comma for years, Asher never left her side. He never gave up on her or loving her. So when Ember finally wakes up, years later, and has no memory of who she is, Asher is both ecstatic but also helpless. His wife doesn't remember him and doesn't seem to want anything to do with him. Ember knows she had a life before she woke up, but she feels like Ember from before is a completely different person than the Ember she is now. I really loved the connection Ember and Asher shared, and I enjoyed watching Ember learn to trust Asher and open up to him. I wasn't the biggest fan of how much Ember changed herself in order to feel like a new person, especially how she did it behind Asher's back. I know she explained her reasoning, but I didn't love the extreme extent she went to. I did love seeing the characters from Torn in here and Ember's reaction to her daughter's current situation. This was definitely an emotional read, it just wasn't an absolute favorite of mine.
August 5, 2020
I gave it 4 stars because the hero is perfect.
He is totally faithful during all the time his wife was on a coma, he never once during these 8 eight years even consider moving on, he visited her every week and he never stoped believing she would wake up.
They were each other’s first and last everything, first kiss, first time, first love...
They were teen parents, when they were fifteen after their first time they got pregnant.
Her fake best friend wanted him but he never looked at her and when she blatantly hit on him he was pretty harsh turning her down which I love because I couldn’t care less about being polite to whores.
She was the reason why I can’t give it five stars, I can’t imagine what she went through waking up after eight years without memories, but holy fuck you could be more likable after knowing how devoted your husband was to you and how everyone around you (your daughter for example) cared deeply about you. I wanted to slap her when she convinced him to go touring because she wanted to change her body and face without communicating him. The reason? She looked at the mirror and didn’t see herself so she got a nose job, tattoos, changed her hair color and hit the gym so uh la la she is feeling herself now. I found that party pretty lame but my issue was doing it behind his back.
I like that she got her memories back but the epilogue was pretty meh, they had another kid and it was a boy
He is totally faithful during all the time his wife was on a coma, he never once during these 8 eight years even consider moving on, he visited her every week and he never stoped believing she would wake up.
They were each other’s first and last everything, first kiss, first time, first love...
They were teen parents, when they were fifteen after their first time they got pregnant.
Her fake best friend wanted him but he never looked at her and when she blatantly hit on him he was pretty harsh turning her down which I love because I couldn’t care less about being polite to whores.
She was the reason why I can’t give it five stars, I can’t imagine what she went through waking up after eight years without memories, but holy fuck you could be more likable after knowing how devoted your husband was to you and how everyone around you (your daughter for example) cared deeply about you. I wanted to slap her when she convinced him to go touring because she wanted to change her body and face without communicating him. The reason? She looked at the mirror and didn’t see herself so she got a nose job, tattoos, changed her hair color and hit the gym so uh la la she is feeling herself now. I found that party pretty lame but my issue was doing it behind his back.
I like that she got her memories back but the epilogue was pretty meh, they had another kid and it was a boy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2021
It's okay.
There are some positives and some negatives.
Whatever the reasons first of all I think it affects the reader when there is such a huge gap between one book in the series to the next, I couldn't remember who anyone was, yes you can reread but it depends how invested you are in the series and I wasn't interested enough to do a reread prior to the release of this book and it might not have actually come out, which is an issue when a release date is changed so many times.
A huge positive is the Hero, Asher is faithful for 8 years during the time his wife, Ember is in a coma.
That is huge! That is despite doctors not giving much hope and the music band environment he works in and regardless of how many offers he has.
They have been together since they were 15 and they are their one and only sexual partners.
He also visits her regularly, over the 8 years.
It is dual POV though primarily Asher from the start and then we get Ember in her dream state.
The dreams were a bit weird.
I'm not sure if they were in the other books in the series as I've forgotten but she comes to him in dreams and it's as if he keeps atune to her through them.
So of course he notices a change in them before she wakes up.
There are secondary characters who appeared in the previous books in series but as I said I'd forgotten most of them.
A few to me had fan pleasing appearances, the scene didn't seem to have any real point other than the character was known to previous readers.
The huge thing is her daughter has grown up from a teenager to an adult and married her parents best friend.
There was a character named Redwood and tbh the whole interaction with him was strange but I think he was introduced as he's having a book in the future and there was another new character the Hero met but I think again the whole purpose of the introduction was to link his book to the series.
The huge thing in the book is the heroine, Ember has no memory of her former self or her life with her husband and friends so she is like a different person.
She also begins to fall for her husband but as he's harping on constantly about old Ember, she feels jealous of her former self.
This could have taken the book two ways, either the heroine gets her memory back and becomes old Ember or she doesn't and Asher has to grow to love the new Ember.
I'm not saying this isn't an issue, to get used to a new person or to mourn the person you lost but it just didn't work for me.
Spoiler alert...
It was an interesting situation of amnesia but I wish the author had stuck to her guns and not got her memory back.
They were having issues and it felt like although he eventually comes to term with a new Ember he ends up getting both.
It's a bit slow burn, they don't end up having sex until very near the end.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
No cheating, flirting etc.
If you've read the previous books in series then you will probably want to read this book even if it's out of curiosity but if this had been the first book it wouldn't have made me determined to read the rest.
I'm a huge fan of the amnesia troupe and this one was okay but I wouldn't reread.
HEA.
Epilogue.
There are some positives and some negatives.
Whatever the reasons first of all I think it affects the reader when there is such a huge gap between one book in the series to the next, I couldn't remember who anyone was, yes you can reread but it depends how invested you are in the series and I wasn't interested enough to do a reread prior to the release of this book and it might not have actually come out, which is an issue when a release date is changed so many times.
A huge positive is the Hero, Asher is faithful for 8 years during the time his wife, Ember is in a coma.
That is huge! That is despite doctors not giving much hope and the music band environment he works in and regardless of how many offers he has.
They have been together since they were 15 and they are their one and only sexual partners.
He also visits her regularly, over the 8 years.
It is dual POV though primarily Asher from the start and then we get Ember in her dream state.
The dreams were a bit weird.
I'm not sure if they were in the other books in the series as I've forgotten but she comes to him in dreams and it's as if he keeps atune to her through them.
So of course he notices a change in them before she wakes up.
There are secondary characters who appeared in the previous books in series but as I said I'd forgotten most of them.
A few to me had fan pleasing appearances, the scene didn't seem to have any real point other than the character was known to previous readers.
The huge thing is her daughter has grown up from a teenager to an adult and married her parents best friend.
There was a character named Redwood and tbh the whole interaction with him was strange but I think he was introduced as he's having a book in the future and there was another new character the Hero met but I think again the whole purpose of the introduction was to link his book to the series.
The huge thing in the book is the heroine, Ember has no memory of her former self or her life with her husband and friends so she is like a different person.
She also begins to fall for her husband but as he's harping on constantly about old Ember, she feels jealous of her former self.
This could have taken the book two ways, either the heroine gets her memory back and becomes old Ember or she doesn't and Asher has to grow to love the new Ember.
I'm not saying this isn't an issue, to get used to a new person or to mourn the person you lost but it just didn't work for me.
Spoiler alert...
It was an interesting situation of amnesia but I wish the author had stuck to her guns and not got her memory back.
They were having issues and it felt like although he eventually comes to term with a new Ember he ends up getting both.
It's a bit slow burn, they don't end up having sex until very near the end.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
No cheating, flirting etc.
If you've read the previous books in series then you will probably want to read this book even if it's out of curiosity but if this had been the first book it wouldn't have made me determined to read the rest.
I'm a huge fan of the amnesia troupe and this one was okay but I wouldn't reread.
HEA.
Epilogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2021
Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiii... I loved this.
After reading the first two books in this series and not liking them, I decided to skip the others because they didn't hold my attention, I just wanted to read this one, and it was very emotional and good.
ASHER this is a real man
ASHER AND EMBER true love
a second chance romance that is worth every chance, I fell in love, I hope God sends me an Asher in my life, please, lol.
After reading the first two books in this series and not liking them, I decided to skip the others because they didn't hold my attention, I just wanted to read this one, and it was very emotional and good.
ASHER this is a real man
ASHER AND EMBER true love
a second chance romance that is worth every chance, I fell in love, I hope God sends me an Asher in my life, please, lol.
May 26, 2020
Listen. This is a book about what love, commitment, and marriage should be. This is what wedding vows look like when they’re actually being lived out. It is the ultimate embodiment of “for better or worse, in good times and in bad, in sickness and health.” Asher’s devotion to his wife is, in my opinion, unmatched. I hope that’s the kind of dedication I would show to my own husband if we were faced with Asher and Ember’s circumstances.
This was raw, difficult, beautiful, heartbreaking, incredible, powerful...there aren’t enough adjectives to properly describe their story. This was a burrito of all the feelings. I felt everything as it was happening on the page- every struggle, every hurdle cleared, every setback they had to power through time and again, each tear of frustration and heartache, every ounce of yearning, each ray of hope, every little victory, just...all of it.
As much as Asher is the perfect husband, he’s not perfect. He’s only human. He never gave up on his wife, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t struggle. He had his times where he got frustrated, felt desperate, didn’t understand, and even got to a point of everything coming to a head and he just sort of...implodes. These aren’t things to be held against him though. They’re what made him realistic. Relatable.
He’s trying to recreate a marriage from scratch, where he knows each and every ingredient by heart, but he can’t actually use them. There’s no way he can come out of that without a few burns and bruises.
Now Ember, I couldn’t have imagined being in her situation. However, Carian’s writing made me come pretty dang close. Her fears, her confusion, her feeling of not belonging- they seep into your bones. I constantly found myself switching places with her, imagining what it would be like to wake up and not have an ounce of the memories-knowledge of the people, places, and events that formed the person I am...was...should be.
Meanwhile, everyone around her does know all those things. Watching her figure out who she is now, and how much of the before-Ember is a part of that person was...emotional...inspiring...heart-aching...and ultimately beautiful.
What an adventure it was to go on this journey with Asher and Ember. At times it was so raw, that I felt like I was intruding on an intimate moment. To watch his love morph and adjust into what it needed to be at each specific moment just for them to be able to make it to the next one, felt like a privilege.
It’s completely obvious that there was a ton of research, blood, sweat, and tears poured into each and every page.
Carian has a gift with her storytelling where the words leave the page and burrow their way into your heart. 🖤
This was raw, difficult, beautiful, heartbreaking, incredible, powerful...there aren’t enough adjectives to properly describe their story. This was a burrito of all the feelings. I felt everything as it was happening on the page- every struggle, every hurdle cleared, every setback they had to power through time and again, each tear of frustration and heartache, every ounce of yearning, each ray of hope, every little victory, just...all of it.
As much as Asher is the perfect husband, he’s not perfect. He’s only human. He never gave up on his wife, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t struggle. He had his times where he got frustrated, felt desperate, didn’t understand, and even got to a point of everything coming to a head and he just sort of...implodes. These aren’t things to be held against him though. They’re what made him realistic. Relatable.
He’s trying to recreate a marriage from scratch, where he knows each and every ingredient by heart, but he can’t actually use them. There’s no way he can come out of that without a few burns and bruises.
Now Ember, I couldn’t have imagined being in her situation. However, Carian’s writing made me come pretty dang close. Her fears, her confusion, her feeling of not belonging- they seep into your bones. I constantly found myself switching places with her, imagining what it would be like to wake up and not have an ounce of the memories-knowledge of the people, places, and events that formed the person I am...was...should be.
Meanwhile, everyone around her does know all those things. Watching her figure out who she is now, and how much of the before-Ember is a part of that person was...emotional...inspiring...heart-aching...and ultimately beautiful.
What an adventure it was to go on this journey with Asher and Ember. At times it was so raw, that I felt like I was intruding on an intimate moment. To watch his love morph and adjust into what it needed to be at each specific moment just for them to be able to make it to the next one, felt like a privilege.
It’s completely obvious that there was a ton of research, blood, sweat, and tears poured into each and every page.
Carian has a gift with her storytelling where the words leave the page and burrow their way into your heart. 🖤
June 6, 2020
SPOILERS AHEAD!
*******
******
*****
****
***
**
*
I’m furious that I read this book. I wasted a day on it. I stopped at 88% because I don’t want to see this couple have their HEA. There are so many things wrong with this book imo.
First off, if you helped raised someone and were their Godfather that’s a pretty good indicator that you shouldn’t be looking at them with any other feelings but of parental nature. They weren’t main characters but I felt disgusted reading about them. Idc what kind of story they had, I just can’t. Multiple times in the book it was said that he helped when she was born, helped raising her. At one point it was mentioned the girl had feelings for the man when she was WAYYYYYYYYY too young. Absolutely disgusting to me. I tried to skip those parts (how this is appropriate enough to be included is beyond me). Also the random character at the end who is also I’m assuming in his late 30s or 40s even is married to an 18 year old. Why this obsession with this?
Moving on, the story itself was not great either. The h was all about how she’s feeling and how it’s her life. Yeah sure let’s just ignore that your husband spent last 8 years sticking with you but yeah it’s all about how hard life is for you. The part where she avoids him knowing well that he gets panicky over her disappearances. She makes huge decisions behind his back expecting him to understand because that’s how he is. And then when he doesn’t react that way, she’s back to oh poor me I didn’t realize this would happen. At one point when he shuts her out for two mins she’s like oh this is how he must have felt for 8 years oh I feel so guilty. Yeah a little too late for me. She was unlikable from the moment she woke up. If you’re going to write a book about a person’s journey and want the reader to empathize then make them likable or at least understandable. She just came off as a selfish woman who wanted things her way and wanted everyone to just forget the old her. Yes you were in coma for 8 years, yes you have lost your memory but others have had traumatic experiences too. Your struggle doesn’t outweigh everyone else’s hardships; if you expected to be treated a certain way then treat others with the same respect. All in all I regret reading this book. I would have preferred if they had just gotten divorced. Which honestly is what I will imagine in my head.
Oh one more thing :) she was jealous of her husband loving the pre-memory loss her and acted so drastically but she was totally okay with talking to Redwood behind her husbands back and having him know about her plans. It just keeps getting worse the more I ponder about this book
*******
******
*****
****
***
**
*
I’m furious that I read this book. I wasted a day on it. I stopped at 88% because I don’t want to see this couple have their HEA. There are so many things wrong with this book imo.
First off, if you helped raised someone and were their Godfather that’s a pretty good indicator that you shouldn’t be looking at them with any other feelings but of parental nature. They weren’t main characters but I felt disgusted reading about them. Idc what kind of story they had, I just can’t. Multiple times in the book it was said that he helped when she was born, helped raising her. At one point it was mentioned the girl had feelings for the man when she was WAYYYYYYYYY too young. Absolutely disgusting to me. I tried to skip those parts (how this is appropriate enough to be included is beyond me). Also the random character at the end who is also I’m assuming in his late 30s or 40s even is married to an 18 year old. Why this obsession with this?
Moving on, the story itself was not great either. The h was all about how she’s feeling and how it’s her life. Yeah sure let’s just ignore that your husband spent last 8 years sticking with you but yeah it’s all about how hard life is for you. The part where she avoids him knowing well that he gets panicky over her disappearances. She makes huge decisions behind his back expecting him to understand because that’s how he is. And then when he doesn’t react that way, she’s back to oh poor me I didn’t realize this would happen. At one point when he shuts her out for two mins she’s like oh this is how he must have felt for 8 years oh I feel so guilty. Yeah a little too late for me. She was unlikable from the moment she woke up. If you’re going to write a book about a person’s journey and want the reader to empathize then make them likable or at least understandable. She just came off as a selfish woman who wanted things her way and wanted everyone to just forget the old her. Yes you were in coma for 8 years, yes you have lost your memory but others have had traumatic experiences too. Your struggle doesn’t outweigh everyone else’s hardships; if you expected to be treated a certain way then treat others with the same respect. All in all I regret reading this book. I would have preferred if they had just gotten divorced. Which honestly is what I will imagine in my head.
Oh one more thing :) she was jealous of her husband loving the pre-memory loss her and acted so drastically but she was totally okay with talking to Redwood behind her husbands back and having him know about her plans. It just keeps getting worse the more I ponder about this book
February 23, 2022
As much as it pains me to say, I really didn’t enjoy my time reading this story. For many reasons, but the most prevalent was the completely self-absorbed h. Her needs, her behavior, her coma, her emotional trauma dominated what could have been an incredibly beautiful book about a couple overcoming insurmountable odds.
There are SO many things that upset me with Ember’s overall behavior.
Asher is the only reason I kept reading this book. Has there ever been a more dedicated hero than him?
And then at at 96%
The whole subplot with the creepy psychopath killer guy, is bizarre. It makes no sense, it does nothing to enhance the story.
As one reviewer said, and I agree, I wish I had never even started this book. This couple should have had their hea around the 70% mark so that we could have enjoyed their love. Instead I felt like I was dragged through a swamp of emotional insecurities and angst up until the last few pages.
There are SO many things that upset me with Ember’s overall behavior.
Asher is the only reason I kept reading this book. Has there ever been a more dedicated hero than him?
“Before, during, and after. You’re the only woman I’ve ever made love to or touched in any kind of intimate way. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”Ember constantly refers to her pre-coma self as "old Ember" and is jealous of her. When they kiss, she thinks.
Is this kiss ours? Mine and his? Or is it theirs? Hers and his?Over and over again Ember states that she doesn’t want to hurt Asher, yet she continues to do this for a good 90% of the book.
“I know, but sometimes I feel like everyone is thinking about the old Ember. What she liked and wanted. I feel forgotten. And the tongue ring… I’m not really sure if I like it, but she did. I don’t want to think about her name on a piece of metal in your mouth when you’re kissing me. It’s like everything is haunted by your ex.”Even when Ember got annoyed with her teenage self when reading her diaries from high school, I absolutely loved them. They gave me so much more depth on their relationship, and how their love grew to be so enormous. Asher adores everything about Ember. He stays faithful and true to her for EIGHT YEARS while she’s in a coma. He’s the only one who doesn’t give up on her. And now he’s broken.
We’re both lost. She doesn’t consider herself as Ember at all yet. It’s scary how she thinks of herself as a totally different person. She’s jealous of herself and the past we had together.At 80% and she made me so angry. The amount of love, care, and dedication that Asher shows her absolutely blows my mind away. And the fact that her character can't see that, and all she can see is her own needs, her own wants, her own insecurities, really pissed me off.
And then at at 96%
The whole subplot with the creepy psychopath killer guy, is bizarre. It makes no sense, it does nothing to enhance the story.
As one reviewer said, and I agree, I wish I had never even started this book. This couple should have had their hea around the 70% mark so that we could have enjoyed their love. Instead I felt like I was dragged through a swamp of emotional insecurities and angst up until the last few pages.
June 3, 2020
After Reading:
I was waiting for this book for so long and it was finally released. I have to say, though, it wasn't as good as I was hoping. And really, it was my issues and nothing that was really written in the story. I expected a different type of story so it wasn't quite what I expected, but it was still good.
Asher and Ember's lives were changed years ago when Ember fell off a cliff and was in a coma for over 8 years. Asher was faithful to her and never looked at another woman. He was devoted to Ember, visiting her every day. When she finally wakes up, she has no memory of her life, not with Asher, not of her daughter.
In all honesty, I found it off-putting just because she seemed so cold and unfeeling in the beginning. That certainly changes but we just had this sense of such a great love, it hurt to read how she didn't remember and even was scared of Asher.
Later in the book, Ember makes a decision that I did not agree with and realized in hindsight she should've talked with Asher, so that made me feel a bit better.
Just some other thoughts on this one:
♫
♫ Ember needed to tell Sydni to never show her face around again. What a horrible person.
♫ I can say that Carian Cole can keep you turning the pages. It was 1:15 in the morning before I went to bed. I couldn't stop reading the book. It's been like that for any book of hers I've read, for the most part.
♫ Overall, I enjoyed the story. Asher was the sweetest and so devoted to Ember. The Ember before and the Ember after.
Before reading:
Asher and Embers book!!!! Can't wait!!!!
I was waiting for this book for so long and it was finally released. I have to say, though, it wasn't as good as I was hoping. And really, it was my issues and nothing that was really written in the story. I expected a different type of story so it wasn't quite what I expected, but it was still good.
Asher and Ember's lives were changed years ago when Ember fell off a cliff and was in a coma for over 8 years. Asher was faithful to her and never looked at another woman. He was devoted to Ember, visiting her every day. When she finally wakes up, she has no memory of her life, not with Asher, not of her daughter.
In all honesty, I found it off-putting just because she seemed so cold and unfeeling in the beginning. That certainly changes but we just had this sense of such a great love, it hurt to read how she didn't remember and even was scared of Asher.
Later in the book, Ember makes a decision that I did not agree with and realized in hindsight she should've talked with Asher, so that made me feel a bit better.
Just some other thoughts on this one:
♫
♫ Ember needed to tell Sydni to never show her face around again. What a horrible person.
♫ I can say that Carian Cole can keep you turning the pages. It was 1:15 in the morning before I went to bed. I couldn't stop reading the book. It's been like that for any book of hers I've read, for the most part.
♫ Overall, I enjoyed the story. Asher was the sweetest and so devoted to Ember. The Ember before and the Ember after.
Before reading:
Asher and Embers book!!!! Can't wait!!!!
June 11, 2020
Way back in 2014 I read the Ashes and Embers series for the first time, and have fallen more and more in love with the characters as I reread them over the last few years. Asher Valentine was someone that you just felt that automatic pull towards. He made appearances many times, often being the one with all the wisdom, giving out relationship advice and generally being that supporting character you want to see more of. And see more of him we did when his daughter Kenzi got her own book, TORN. Yet still Asher hadn’t told his own story, but that never mattered to me, I loved him anyway. So imagine my excitement when I saw that my favourite Valentine was finally getting his own book and we would hear the heartbreaking story of him and his wife, Ember (who had been in a coma for many years) and find out if they finally got their happily ever after.
It actually pains me to say this, particularly as I’ve just explained how much I adore these books, but the whole thing just fell completely flat for me and when you get to the point of having to force yourself to carry on and read, you know it’s time to give up and call it quits. I know that Carian will have put a tremendous amount of research into this story, because of the subject matter, and I applaud her for that, but I just didn’t believe in Asher and Embers love. I felt that it was forced, in a way, and certain situations didn’t quite add up.
I could’ve quite easily just given it 5 stars because of how much I love Carian, but that wouldn’t have felt right, and I know that I needed to be honest; and we are all entitled to our opinions, right?! So, Asher will remain my favourite Valentine (along with Talon) but I will go back to pretending he’s that sweet, compassionate and lovable guy who crops up in other books without a story of his own.
It actually pains me to say this, particularly as I’ve just explained how much I adore these books, but the whole thing just fell completely flat for me and when you get to the point of having to force yourself to carry on and read, you know it’s time to give up and call it quits. I know that Carian will have put a tremendous amount of research into this story, because of the subject matter, and I applaud her for that, but I just didn’t believe in Asher and Embers love. I felt that it was forced, in a way, and certain situations didn’t quite add up.
I could’ve quite easily just given it 5 stars because of how much I love Carian, but that wouldn’t have felt right, and I know that I needed to be honest; and we are all entitled to our opinions, right?! So, Asher will remain my favourite Valentine (along with Talon) but I will go back to pretending he’s that sweet, compassionate and lovable guy who crops up in other books without a story of his own.
November 4, 2021
This book was brutallll. So sad and frustrating and heartbreaking. I mean has there ever been a sweeter hero than Asher Valentine?? The man was faithful for eight years while his wife was in a coma!!
I really liked all the vaguely supernatural things, her visiting him in his dreams and helping from the other side while she was asleep. This book was kind of hard bc it was impossible to feel connected to Ember as a heroine bc the whole point was that she didn't feel connected to herself. I felt like I didn't know who she was until the last chapter. There came a point where Asher said they were even closer than they were pre-accident, but tbh we we never really shown that. I'm still glad they got their HEA tho and Asher by himself... swoony af.
I really liked all the vaguely supernatural things, her visiting him in his dreams and helping from the other side while she was asleep. This book was kind of hard bc it was impossible to feel connected to Ember as a heroine bc the whole point was that she didn't feel connected to herself. I felt like I didn't know who she was until the last chapter. There came a point where Asher said they were even closer than they were pre-accident, but tbh we we never really shown that. I'm still glad they got their HEA tho and Asher by himself... swoony af.
June 2, 2020
Wow! Asher & Ember's book has been a long time coming, but it was worth every second of the wait! It starts off by breaking your heart, but as the story progresses it slowly heals.
Despite being told that his wife would probably never wake up, Asher has never given up hope that she would one day come back to him. Day in and day out, he brings Ember flowers, talks to her, sings to her. Then after eight long years she wakes up from the coma, but with no recollection of him or the past. What follows is a breathtakingly epic story about love, loss and healing that rocked me to my core.
Asher is raw, painful and emotional, but also a sweet, hopeful and inspiring love story. It took me through the full gamut of emotions. My heart hurt and my eyes teared up at times, but I also smiled, connected and felt hopeful. It truly seemed like I was sharing this journey of a love lost and then found with Asher and Ember. And watching the healing and progression of these characters was touching and beautiful. 5 stars and many, many more for Asher and Ember!
Despite being told that his wife would probably never wake up, Asher has never given up hope that she would one day come back to him. Day in and day out, he brings Ember flowers, talks to her, sings to her. Then after eight long years she wakes up from the coma, but with no recollection of him or the past. What follows is a breathtakingly epic story about love, loss and healing that rocked me to my core.
Asher is raw, painful and emotional, but also a sweet, hopeful and inspiring love story. It took me through the full gamut of emotions. My heart hurt and my eyes teared up at times, but I also smiled, connected and felt hopeful. It truly seemed like I was sharing this journey of a love lost and then found with Asher and Ember. And watching the healing and progression of these characters was touching and beautiful. 5 stars and many, many more for Asher and Ember!
May 30, 2020
Five Breathtaking Emotional Stars
There are some writers that you simply pause life for. You shut out the world, find a quiet place and you give yourself over the world they have invited you to. No questions asked. Carian Cole is that author for me. After all, she’s the girl who made me fall in love with long-haired, tattooed, rock stars.
I have loved the Ashes and Embers series and each book has its own perfect place in this journey. Carian has had us all dying to know the secrets behind Asher for years and now, she has revealed his ultimate role. He is the heart.
Asher is the ultimate love story. It is packed with emotion from page one. I felt every word of this book. I’m talking I felt it in my bones, had to put the book down, walk away, take a breath, gather my emotions, eat some s’mores ice cream, and let my heart start beating again felt this book. I felt every emotion at the same time. I was a mess. The kind of mess where you look up from reading and expect the world to be turned upside down because your world is tilted off its axis mess. It was perfection. That’s because Carian knows her characters so well that she is able to pull everything out of them and lay all of their honest truths right there on the table for us to see.
Asher and Ember’s love story is so unique. Their obstacles will make you hurt, make you hope, make you question what you feel from one moment to the next because you feel everything they feel. You can tell the author puts her heart into every word of this story. As always, she takes the time to tell the best story she can and it pays off in spades.
If you’ve waited tor Asher, you won’t be disappointed. Just take the ride, feel the feels and know when read the last page you’re going to want to go right back to book one and read them all over again just to stay in the world a little bit longer.
There are some writers that you simply pause life for. You shut out the world, find a quiet place and you give yourself over the world they have invited you to. No questions asked. Carian Cole is that author for me. After all, she’s the girl who made me fall in love with long-haired, tattooed, rock stars.
I have loved the Ashes and Embers series and each book has its own perfect place in this journey. Carian has had us all dying to know the secrets behind Asher for years and now, she has revealed his ultimate role. He is the heart.
Asher is the ultimate love story. It is packed with emotion from page one. I felt every word of this book. I’m talking I felt it in my bones, had to put the book down, walk away, take a breath, gather my emotions, eat some s’mores ice cream, and let my heart start beating again felt this book. I felt every emotion at the same time. I was a mess. The kind of mess where you look up from reading and expect the world to be turned upside down because your world is tilted off its axis mess. It was perfection. That’s because Carian knows her characters so well that she is able to pull everything out of them and lay all of their honest truths right there on the table for us to see.
Asher and Ember’s love story is so unique. Their obstacles will make you hurt, make you hope, make you question what you feel from one moment to the next because you feel everything they feel. You can tell the author puts her heart into every word of this story. As always, she takes the time to tell the best story she can and it pays off in spades.
If you’ve waited tor Asher, you won’t be disappointed. Just take the ride, feel the feels and know when read the last page you’re going to want to go right back to book one and read them all over again just to stay in the world a little bit longer.
March 25, 2024
There is always a character that the reader links a series to and although Asher did not get his story told until the end he still had an impact on the rest of them. Just like fine wine gets better with age, so has Carian Cole. There is no fluff in this story. Every chapter, every page, every word has meaning and brings this heart wrenching story to life. While reading I sighed with happiness, cried ugly tears to the point that my husband thought someone died and I had to put the book down to regroup, but I also had the a-ha moments that connected items in other books in the series together. This book had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but with every instance the reader is right there invested in his story and walks through the emotional journey. I can honestly proclaim this is the best book of 2020. I only wish I could give it 5000 stars. As with the rest of the series I will be reading this time and time again. I have just added this to my go-to books.
August 19, 2020
I've been almost like festering over this book for about 4 days now. I wasn't sure what to rate it...I was debating between loathing and acceptance for the way this story was told.
At the end of the day, I basically thought I would have been better off never having read this book at all. Obviously, my opinion is not in the majority because this book is just overloaded with 4 and 5 star reviews. And I should point out, although I really don't think it reflected in my rating at all, contemporary is my not my favorite romance sub genre and I avoid rock star romances like the plague. That being said, a friend thought I might enjoy it because of the hero and I decided to give it a shot without reading the previous novels in this series.
I'm not going to rehash the synopsis because I think there are plenty of reviews that do this already. Asher, to be blunt, is a painful story to read. I fully expected this because why wouldn't it be? You're experiencing Asher's anguish when he doesn't immediately have his soul mate back because of her memory loss and you also experience Ember's fear and frustration over not knowing what has happened in the past.
My problems? I think the author relied on the basic fact that essentially Asher was perfect far too much. Reading about this situation, I felt he needed just as much therapy, just as much outside help as Ember did but he never received. I felt like everything Asher was dealing with he had to go through alone. Maybe to an extent, he had to but if nothing else, shouldn't Ember and Asher have been going to therapy together to get through this?
Ember, honestly...I hated her. I was desperately wishing she was the person she used to be because Asher built her up to be the paragon and the woman that woke up was just...not. Throughout the story, I tried not to be too harsh on her because her situation has to be absolutely frightening but I just couldn't do it. I don't feel like she even tried to embrace the old Ember. She kept referring to herself in the third person...she would feel jealousy towards the person she was pre-coma. This entire book was her trying to "kill or destroy" that version of herself and Asher watching in absolute agony while she did it. Maybe that's realistic...but I don't read romance for that kind of realism. While I want there to be conflict to move the story along, I felt like this book was ALL conflict and little romance. I had to just accept that they were falling in love again, but I didn't read it! All I read was how they were hurting each other.
The story was heartbreaking until around the 85% mark...then we basically hit the point of no return. It's like we were flying at a straight altitude for so long but suddenly decided to crash and burn. At this time in the story, I felt both characters had reached a point of acceptance and love for each other. They had accepted their situation and were working together to move forward and continue building their healthy relationship. THEN THIS HAPPENED: After this, I skipped to the epilogue because seriously, what was the point anymore? I didn't even care anymore. I was just devastated.
And then to top it all off...
I just can't even with this book. Two stars for Asher...but even he alone wasn't worth the disaster that made up the rest of this book.
At the end of the day, I basically thought I would have been better off never having read this book at all. Obviously, my opinion is not in the majority because this book is just overloaded with 4 and 5 star reviews. And I should point out, although I really don't think it reflected in my rating at all, contemporary is my not my favorite romance sub genre and I avoid rock star romances like the plague. That being said, a friend thought I might enjoy it because of the hero and I decided to give it a shot without reading the previous novels in this series.
I'm not going to rehash the synopsis because I think there are plenty of reviews that do this already. Asher, to be blunt, is a painful story to read. I fully expected this because why wouldn't it be? You're experiencing Asher's anguish when he doesn't immediately have his soul mate back because of her memory loss and you also experience Ember's fear and frustration over not knowing what has happened in the past.
My problems? I think the author relied on the basic fact that essentially Asher was perfect far too much. Reading about this situation, I felt he needed just as much therapy, just as much outside help as Ember did but he never received. I felt like everything Asher was dealing with he had to go through alone. Maybe to an extent, he had to but if nothing else, shouldn't Ember and Asher have been going to therapy together to get through this?
Ember, honestly...I hated her. I was desperately wishing she was the person she used to be because Asher built her up to be the paragon and the woman that woke up was just...not. Throughout the story, I tried not to be too harsh on her because her situation has to be absolutely frightening but I just couldn't do it. I don't feel like she even tried to embrace the old Ember. She kept referring to herself in the third person...she would feel jealousy towards the person she was pre-coma. This entire book was her trying to "kill or destroy" that version of herself and Asher watching in absolute agony while she did it. Maybe that's realistic...but I don't read romance for that kind of realism. While I want there to be conflict to move the story along, I felt like this book was ALL conflict and little romance. I had to just accept that they were falling in love again, but I didn't read it! All I read was how they were hurting each other.
The story was heartbreaking until around the 85% mark...then we basically hit the point of no return. It's like we were flying at a straight altitude for so long but suddenly decided to crash and burn. At this time in the story, I felt both characters had reached a point of acceptance and love for each other. They had accepted their situation and were working together to move forward and continue building their healthy relationship. THEN THIS HAPPENED: After this, I skipped to the epilogue because seriously, what was the point anymore? I didn't even care anymore. I was just devastated.
And then to top it all off...
I just can't even with this book. Two stars for Asher...but even he alone wasn't worth the disaster that made up the rest of this book.
June 4, 2020
First and foremost, this can be read as a standalone, however, for those of us who have been reading Carian Cole for a while, have been waiting for this story for what seems like forever. Though I have read several books in this series and the spin-off, I have not read them all (yet) and was not lost. Okay, now the review. I am at a loss for words. Asher by Carian Cole is a story about true love and everything that comes with it. Love and marriage is not easy by any means, but when you love with all your heart and know you are with your soul mate, anything is possible, right?
Asher and Ember were always meant to be. Best friends, lovers and everything else, they knew they were it for each other. Even with all the craziness of being rock legends, their love was always true. But when tragedy struck, was it all over? Not for Asher. Ember was his life and soul and that was the end of it. Even though now she cannot remember her past, he is ready to be her future. My heart hurt and soared while I read this. It was a beautiful and heartbreaking story and I devoured every second of it. This is truly a must-read!
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
Asher and Ember were always meant to be. Best friends, lovers and everything else, they knew they were it for each other. Even with all the craziness of being rock legends, their love was always true. But when tragedy struck, was it all over? Not for Asher. Ember was his life and soul and that was the end of it. Even though now she cannot remember her past, he is ready to be her future. My heart hurt and soared while I read this. It was a beautiful and heartbreaking story and I devoured every second of it. This is truly a must-read!
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
June 23, 2020
I have been looking forward to reading this book. I adore all of Carians books and I knew it would be good. But it was amazing. The way Carian explains Asher is Hot and Sexy.. But then look at the cover. I love when the cover of the book matches the characters inside. And this book flowed. I couldn't put it down. I agree with a few others who said this book was stuck a bit to me from the beginning to about 70% . Not in a bad way stuck but at 70% things picked up. There love was unbelievably wonderful and romantic. What every girl would wants. I would of given this book more stars because I felt it was amazing. I'm also happy to hear we will be getting more story's in this series.
June 3, 2020
Amazon US / UK / CA / AU
It's finally time for Asher and Ember to tell their story, and let me tell ya, it's not pretty. In fact, it's pretty damn painful, but beautiful in its own way.
If you've been reading this series like I have, you'll already know the bare bones - Ash and Em got married and had a baby at a young age. They both became famous rockstars. They had everything. Then she had an accident and fell into a coma. During those 8 long years, Asher has been by her side willing her to wake up, to come back to him. Then one day, she does just that.
"Ember's awake. My wife, my twin flame, my everything has come back to me."
Sounds like a reason to celebrate but for one tiny thing - Ember's not the same woman from 8 years ago. She doesn't remember her life with Ash, doesn't remember their love, their daughter, their friends/family. So now she's got to figure out how to live her new reality, with a husband in love with someone she doesn't recognize, doesn't remember.
Their journey is long, painful, emotionally fraught. It's everything I had been hoping for, waiting for, expecting. It may have gutted me, but I relished it, and I LOVE it. No one deserved their happiness more than this couple, no one. So glad I finally got to read it!!
ARC via Give Me Books Promotions for an honest review.
Review & Release Blitz: Live Through Books Blog.
Blog | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
May 26, 2020
“I love you twice – now and forever.”
5 epic stars!
Like all Ashes & Embers fans, I have been desperate for this book. I was so freaking excited to get my hands on it, and oh, holy damn it was worth the wait! The feels! OMG, the feels! Asher’s long-awaited story sucked me in, brought the emotion, and heart my heart pounding from start to finish. I highlighted like crazy, rereading sections over and over again, and devouring every word. It's an absolutely beautiful book, and a fave for 2020.
This book is the sixth in the Ashes & Embers series, but it could be read as a standalone. Asher’s story has been building since book #1, but he’s been a distant side character in previous books. If anything, you will want to read Torn before you read this book – that’s the story of Asher’s best friend, Toren, and daughter, Kenzi, (forbidden tingles, right!), and it leads into this book beautifully.
Asher is the lead singer of rock band Ashes & Embers, whose life was ripped away from him almost eight years ago when his wife and love of his life, Ember, had a tragic accident. The prologue of this book begins by showing us the incident in horrifying detail, and oh dear Lord, I was tearing up from that alone! Asher and Ember were childhood sweethearts who became soulmates. They fell in mad, crazy, all-consuming love, had their daughter at age 16, married at 18, formed a rock band together and were all set for their happily ever after. They were it for each other, and they didn’t need anything else. But suddenly, Ember was gone. Not gone completely, but suffering a traumatic brain injury which put her in a vegetative state. And for almost eight years, Asher has been living a half-life. Still in the band, still there for his daughter, but his heart and soul lay in a hospital bed with the love of his life that he still visits every day, pining for her and the life they could have had.
And then, she awakes. But she awakes without any memory of who she is, who Asher is, or their shared life. And she's mildly terrified of the long-haired, tattooed guy who is constantly by her side and declaring himself to be her loving husband. That doesn’t stop our devoted hero from being there for his love, caring, supporting and encouraging her recovery as she slowly moves back into her old life, trying to find the person that she used to be.
I’m not going into any more detail than that because you just have to read this book. It’s everything. Seriously, it’s everything that I was hoping for, and the journey that I went on with these two characters was incredible!
Asher absolutely stole my heart as the devoted husband waiting for his wife to come back to him. I could feel their connection, I could feel his love for her, and I could feel his desperation to get her back. And I wanted that for him more than anything!
At the same time, I could feel Ember’s struggle to find herself again. And as she recovers and starts to live a ‘normal’ life, I could feel all that she was going through as she battles with reclaiming her old life, and living her new one, especially as she finds herself falling hopelessly for the tatted up rockstar who wants her so desperately to be somebody she’s not.
Asher wants his soulmate back. Ember wants to be loved for who she is. It's a devastating situation, and Cole writes it beautifully! It’s heartbreaking and soulful, but also incredibly uplifting, swoony and romantic. Ember waking up is only the beginning of this epic story, and they have a lot to go through as they find their way forward – not quite the same as they once were, and struggling to come to terms with that. My heart ached for them both, and though they have ups and downs, the love between them shines through the whole story.
This is a long book, and I devoured every page, never wanting it to end but desperate to see how their story would play out, and this book kept me up reading until the early hours of the morning, unable to put it down. It was everything that I was hoping for from Asher and Ember’s story, with plenty of Tor and Kenzi involvement, as well as a chance to catch up with the characters from previous books in the series (and a squee-inducing cameo from another of Cole’s much-loved rockstars). The book ends with a beautiful epilogue that provides a whole lot of closure, and I finished it with happy tears in my eyes.
5 hugely emotional stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
5 epic stars!
Like all Ashes & Embers fans, I have been desperate for this book. I was so freaking excited to get my hands on it, and oh, holy damn it was worth the wait! The feels! OMG, the feels! Asher’s long-awaited story sucked me in, brought the emotion, and heart my heart pounding from start to finish. I highlighted like crazy, rereading sections over and over again, and devouring every word. It's an absolutely beautiful book, and a fave for 2020.
This book is the sixth in the Ashes & Embers series, but it could be read as a standalone. Asher’s story has been building since book #1, but he’s been a distant side character in previous books. If anything, you will want to read Torn before you read this book – that’s the story of Asher’s best friend, Toren, and daughter, Kenzi, (forbidden tingles, right!), and it leads into this book beautifully.
Asher is the lead singer of rock band Ashes & Embers, whose life was ripped away from him almost eight years ago when his wife and love of his life, Ember, had a tragic accident. The prologue of this book begins by showing us the incident in horrifying detail, and oh dear Lord, I was tearing up from that alone! Asher and Ember were childhood sweethearts who became soulmates. They fell in mad, crazy, all-consuming love, had their daughter at age 16, married at 18, formed a rock band together and were all set for their happily ever after. They were it for each other, and they didn’t need anything else. But suddenly, Ember was gone. Not gone completely, but suffering a traumatic brain injury which put her in a vegetative state. And for almost eight years, Asher has been living a half-life. Still in the band, still there for his daughter, but his heart and soul lay in a hospital bed with the love of his life that he still visits every day, pining for her and the life they could have had.
“I’ll wait for you,” I whisper to the dark room. “I love you.”
And then, she awakes. But she awakes without any memory of who she is, who Asher is, or their shared life. And she's mildly terrified of the long-haired, tattooed guy who is constantly by her side and declaring himself to be her loving husband. That doesn’t stop our devoted hero from being there for his love, caring, supporting and encouraging her recovery as she slowly moves back into her old life, trying to find the person that she used to be.
“It’s okay to be confused and scared. But ya know what? Everything is going to get better soon. I’m going to take care of you just like I always have.”
“No.”
I flash her a grin, hoping it’ll win her over like it used to.
“Trust me, you really do like me. I know you don’t know that right now, but you’re crazy about me.”
I’m not going into any more detail than that because you just have to read this book. It’s everything. Seriously, it’s everything that I was hoping for, and the journey that I went on with these two characters was incredible!
“I’m no one.” Her voice is low and haunting. “I’m not a wife or a sister or a mother or a singer. I’m a mindless mannequin who looks like someone else.”
“Some things just feel impossible.”
“Nothing’s impossible if we believe in it and fight for it.”
Asher absolutely stole my heart as the devoted husband waiting for his wife to come back to him. I could feel their connection, I could feel his love for her, and I could feel his desperation to get her back. And I wanted that for him more than anything!
“I don’t want to be alone anymore. I miss you—your love and your touch. And I hate missing you when you’re Right. Fucking. Here. It’s destroying me.”
At the same time, I could feel Ember’s struggle to find herself again. And as she recovers and starts to live a ‘normal’ life, I could feel all that she was going through as she battles with reclaiming her old life, and living her new one, especially as she finds herself falling hopelessly for the tatted up rockstar who wants her so desperately to be somebody she’s not.
He doesn’t see me.
He hasn’t really seen me since I woke up. When he looks at me, all he sees are ghosts.
I don’t want to be the living dead anymore.
I want to live, love, and be loved…and I want it all with him.
Asher wants his soulmate back. Ember wants to be loved for who she is. It's a devastating situation, and Cole writes it beautifully! It’s heartbreaking and soulful, but also incredibly uplifting, swoony and romantic. Ember waking up is only the beginning of this epic story, and they have a lot to go through as they find their way forward – not quite the same as they once were, and struggling to come to terms with that. My heart ached for them both, and though they have ups and downs, the love between them shines through the whole story.
“Just hold me for a little while.”
I hug her tighter. “I’ll hold you forever.”
This is a long book, and I devoured every page, never wanting it to end but desperate to see how their story would play out, and this book kept me up reading until the early hours of the morning, unable to put it down. It was everything that I was hoping for from Asher and Ember’s story, with plenty of Tor and Kenzi involvement, as well as a chance to catch up with the characters from previous books in the series (and a squee-inducing cameo from another of Cole’s much-loved rockstars). The book ends with a beautiful epilogue that provides a whole lot of closure, and I finished it with happy tears in my eyes.
“You fallin’ in love with me again, baby?” he teases, leaning down for a kiss.
“Always,” I whisper.
5 hugely emotional stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2020
Breathtakingly Beautiful and Achingly Desperate, it's a love story standing on shaky grounds, hanging by a thread of insanity
I've NEVER EVER read a book about Amnesia like this before. It's the ultimate rift causing villain and only decisive love is what helps them beat all the odds. It hits deep, right down in the soul and camps there. Asher's book has been highly anticipated, eagerly awaited and lemme says- the wait was Totally Worth It!!. It's a heartfelt journey of an excruciating romance between a hopelessly devoted husband- Asher Valentine and the love of his life- Ember. Carian squeezed out all the tears out of my eyes At Every Word. I felt their amazing connection, the depth of their undying love, all through the book. It's undoubtedly the The Best Book In The Series
"The accident was like a bolt of lightning. It struck me first, but then branched out, searing everyone close to me with its electric shocks."
A major accident throws their life into a tizzy. Asher is left with a haunted shell of his wife. It's like he's standing on shifting sands, the memories lapping at his feet like waves, pulling him in and throwing him back on the shore. His wife is lost in the fog of her memories, in a suspended vaccum, trying to come to terms with her new life without her old connections.
"I didn’t just lose eight years of my life while in a coma. I lost my entire life. Memories, experiences, relationships, loves and hates, my career, my family. Things I obviously believed in, worked for, fought for, and cherished.
All wiped clean like a crashed hard drive."
It was so interesting to see how a weakened Ember manages to settle her anxieties but the ripples of the tragedy ultimately weaken Asher, his trauma is no less scarring or debilitating than Ember's. Their marriage goes through Hell and back, yet Asher hangs on to their connection, never letting go. Funnily no outside factors cause turbulence, it's their own intense love that invites this third entity into their marriage.
"You’re stuck on a past that doesn’t exist in her mind, and she’s tired of competing with it. And you’re stuck on her being who she used to be."
The shift of the spotlight was a brilliant move on Carian's part, a feat achieved by a faithfully sensitive soul and an impressive talent.
A boat unmoored. A loveless relationship. A tormented mind.
Ember is being pelted from all sides by anxiety, panic & identity crisis. Yet her strength of spirit and survivor tenacity amazed me.
Asher is the stuff dreams are made of. His unswerving loyalty and unwavering dependability is tested in every chapter and I was frustrated FOR HIM. My heart cried out FOR HIM, what a perfect partner, he made me swoon, made me fall in love, made me pine for his affections.
‘Asher Valentine, you’re—’”
“—giving me some major crazy butterflies,”
This is truely the Perfect Couple who made me believe in the Miracle of Magical love.
Carian has written this book, this entire series with a lot of heart. highlighting the soul connections between artists and their muses, Each book has been a beautiful journey, but Asher's is most temepstous and magnificent. I cannot wait for the next two characters to get their stories.
5 stars for Loving Twice- Now & Forever
#BookBistroBlogApproved
Follow me on:
BookBistroBlog@gmail.com
https://Twitter.com/BookBistro
www.instagram.com/BookBistroBlog
https://bookbistroblogger.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookB...
I've NEVER EVER read a book about Amnesia like this before. It's the ultimate rift causing villain and only decisive love is what helps them beat all the odds. It hits deep, right down in the soul and camps there. Asher's book has been highly anticipated, eagerly awaited and lemme says- the wait was Totally Worth It!!. It's a heartfelt journey of an excruciating romance between a hopelessly devoted husband- Asher Valentine and the love of his life- Ember. Carian squeezed out all the tears out of my eyes At Every Word. I felt their amazing connection, the depth of their undying love, all through the book. It's undoubtedly the The Best Book In The Series
"The accident was like a bolt of lightning. It struck me first, but then branched out, searing everyone close to me with its electric shocks."
A major accident throws their life into a tizzy. Asher is left with a haunted shell of his wife. It's like he's standing on shifting sands, the memories lapping at his feet like waves, pulling him in and throwing him back on the shore. His wife is lost in the fog of her memories, in a suspended vaccum, trying to come to terms with her new life without her old connections.
"I didn’t just lose eight years of my life while in a coma. I lost my entire life. Memories, experiences, relationships, loves and hates, my career, my family. Things I obviously believed in, worked for, fought for, and cherished.
All wiped clean like a crashed hard drive."
It was so interesting to see how a weakened Ember manages to settle her anxieties but the ripples of the tragedy ultimately weaken Asher, his trauma is no less scarring or debilitating than Ember's. Their marriage goes through Hell and back, yet Asher hangs on to their connection, never letting go. Funnily no outside factors cause turbulence, it's their own intense love that invites this third entity into their marriage.
"You’re stuck on a past that doesn’t exist in her mind, and she’s tired of competing with it. And you’re stuck on her being who she used to be."
The shift of the spotlight was a brilliant move on Carian's part, a feat achieved by a faithfully sensitive soul and an impressive talent.
A boat unmoored. A loveless relationship. A tormented mind.
Ember is being pelted from all sides by anxiety, panic & identity crisis. Yet her strength of spirit and survivor tenacity amazed me.
Asher is the stuff dreams are made of. His unswerving loyalty and unwavering dependability is tested in every chapter and I was frustrated FOR HIM. My heart cried out FOR HIM, what a perfect partner, he made me swoon, made me fall in love, made me pine for his affections.
‘Asher Valentine, you’re—’”
“—giving me some major crazy butterflies,”
This is truely the Perfect Couple who made me believe in the Miracle of Magical love.
Carian has written this book, this entire series with a lot of heart. highlighting the soul connections between artists and their muses, Each book has been a beautiful journey, but Asher's is most temepstous and magnificent. I cannot wait for the next two characters to get their stories.
5 stars for Loving Twice- Now & Forever
#BookBistroBlogApproved
Follow me on:
BookBistroBlog@gmail.com
https://Twitter.com/BookBistro
www.instagram.com/BookBistroBlog
https://bookbistroblogger.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookB...
November 12, 2021
I didn’t like the “new” h in this book AT ALL. Honestly she was terrible to the H in my opinion when he was nothing but good to her. I was going to let it slide though, seeing as she had just gotten her memories back. But it continued through everything. The whole idea of her being jealous of literally herself and wanting the H to forget literally his entire life ever happened with her was asinine. I was especially disgusted with her when she wouldn’t let her literal daughter call her “mom”.
The H was perfect and he deserved better. One of the most devoted H’s I’ve read and I was sad about how he was treated. Imo, the h should’ve gotten her memories back way earlier in the story so that the whole dumb idea of the “old” Ember being a different person would just go away.
This is, I think, the second book by this author that I’ve read and not been a fan of. So I think I’m tapping out with her bc her books are obviously not for me.
The H was perfect and he deserved better. One of the most devoted H’s I’ve read and I was sad about how he was treated. Imo, the h should’ve gotten her memories back way earlier in the story so that the whole dumb idea of the “old” Ember being a different person would just go away.
This is, I think, the second book by this author that I’ve read and not been a fan of. So I think I’m tapping out with her bc her books are obviously not for me.
September 14, 2020
Darling, I Fall To Pieces When I’m With You
*read on KU. No need of sugar daddies called promo teams*
What’s this book about? (I'm trying to give as little spoilers as possible)
Ember is confused. She shouldn’t be here. She doesn’t belong in this perfect life of love and happiness. She doesn’t recognize the person she used to be. Gradually, she starts to fit into her new old life. She’s falling in love again, but she doubts his feelings. Does he want her or Ember?
This was my third Carian Cole read. Torn, Tied and Asher; I read them back to back. As always, this was a captivating and addicting read. Fast-paced, emotional. This was once again more steamy than Tied. Asher and Ember have such a deep connection that even the barriers of the books couldn’t stop. The first half had me heartbroken for Asher. I had a tougher time connecting with Ember, and she’s actually the main reason why I started drifting off after 70%. This being the third book I read by the author, I’m noticing a pattern in the characters, and I wonder whether that was just my luck with my choice of reads by Cole or if she always has these patterns LOL. The book made me understand how hurt and traumatized Asher was for all these years, and the final 30% just screwed all of that up. I tried to be understanding, but the lack of communication really made me dislike a certain someone.
I recommend this to lovers of heartfelt romance, a couple of the ages, and a family drama unlike any other.
ORIGINAL COMMENT
Strong four stars. It was going very well until a certain point. I'm only giving four because I lost initial interest around 70sth% and then at 85% I just wanted it to be over.
Goodreads
Bookbub
Amazon
May 25, 2020
Damnit, damnit, damnit! I'm so bummed I'm done reading this book. I know fans of Carian Cole including myself have been anxiously waiting for Asher's story and it was so worth the wait. This will definitely make my list of for top books of this year. When we first met Asher in Storm's book I remember finding him to be so secretive and couldn't help but form many theories as to what transpired between him and Ember. I could never have anticipated what actually happened and knew this was going to be a tearful journey. This story had all the feels and my heart was literally pulled in every direction. Don't do that, Em." His voice is husky. "Don't make me believe in us by myself."
The love between Asher and Ember is truly one of a kind. It was so beautiful to read. "You made me this way. The way you treated me and how you made me feel. Unconditional love breeds confidence." Can I also say that I pretty much highlighted the entire book. Her words are just incredible. She is just such a talented author!
As usual Carian created such a deep storyline. I honestly would never have thought about the reality of this situation and how emotionally devastating it would be, not only for Asher and Ember themselves, but for their family and friends as well.
We met some new characters too which were quite interesting to say the least. I was so unsure of how this would end but the ending was perfect, the story was perfect, everything about Asher and Ember were perfect.
Although these books are all standalones, I strongly recommend reading them in order to really experience how much went into the story of Asher!
A million stars if I could! ~ M
The love between Asher and Ember is truly one of a kind. It was so beautiful to read. "You made me this way. The way you treated me and how you made me feel. Unconditional love breeds confidence." Can I also say that I pretty much highlighted the entire book. Her words are just incredible. She is just such a talented author!
As usual Carian created such a deep storyline. I honestly would never have thought about the reality of this situation and how emotionally devastating it would be, not only for Asher and Ember themselves, but for their family and friends as well.
We met some new characters too which were quite interesting to say the least. I was so unsure of how this would end but the ending was perfect, the story was perfect, everything about Asher and Ember were perfect.
Although these books are all standalones, I strongly recommend reading them in order to really experience how much went into the story of Asher!
A million stars if I could! ~ M
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,177 reviews