Thursday, May 1, 2014

Ash To Steele by Karen-Anne Stewart with Giveaway, Excerpt & Review



New Adult Romance
Date Published: February 13, 2014

Synopsis:
Emma
Who I am and all I believe is marred with just one glance into angry, steel blue eyes. He seems to control my air, my ability to breathe. He makes me crave everything I know is a sin. Pure becomes tainted and lines are blurred. It's my fault; I'm the one who isn't strong enough. I've been damaged...broken. Breck's words haunt me...'There's a consequence for every choice you make.'

Breck
I've had so many women I can't even remember over half of their names, but none of them are mine; I make damn sure of that. I take what I desire and never look back. I don't need or want anyone, ever...not until I met Emma. Those eyes bore into what's left of my soul and her touch sears me, weakens me. I want to hate her for that. She is my ruin...my sweetest hell. 

Disclaimer: Intended for readers 18+ due to strong language, mature scenes, and some violence.

BUY LINKS
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Ash-Steele-Karen-Anne-Stewart-ebook/dp/B00IGGCCUQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393103506&sr=8-1&keywords=ash+to+steele

Excerpt
    I vaguely hear Anton making his not so smooth move, but my attention is still diverted to the enigma standing on the threshold.  Carnal thoughts wage with futile attempts to break the vexing connection enslaving my failing senses.  Heat simmers through my veins to places low in my belly and my lips part in resentful shock from the intensity of emotions raging inside of me.  His gaze is full of hate, punishing even, and chills spill down my spine.  Need to know why he affects me this way conquers all my internal alarms blaring for me to just stay away. 

   The redhead follows his gaze and the warning in her eyes is clear.  Disregarding the seething look, I pull away from Anton.  Breck’s lips curve slightly as his eyes gleam dominantly, daring, showing his intentions to play.  Standing my ground, I refuse to break the silent challenge.  I don’t understand the rules, or the game, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to lose.  The music stops; people push their way through the crowd towards the bar, but neither of us moves.  Anton is calling me.  I ignore him.  Flashes of light ignite the room in angry hues as the band begins the next song.  Breck’s date pulls on his arm, and it’s me who smiles this time. 

     Several accosting seconds tick by before he gives me a slight nod, admitting his defeat, but it’s the toxic mix of admiration and animosity in his eyes that strips me of air, making my knees weak.  With one last look, he’s gone, but I know whatever this is that he’s started is far from over.  Slowly, the tension gripping me begins to ease.  Dread and desire hit me like a sledgehammer.  I don’t want to play his game.  Good or bad, I don’t want to feel anything for him…not him.  Shaking my head, I blame Jess’ drink.  Feeling discombobulated and foreign in my own skin, I breathe a rushed apology to Anton and walk shakily to the bar. 

My Review: 4 1/2 stars
This was a very well written book that grabbed me and pulled me in. I loved the chemistry between Emma and Breck from the beginning. They're both fighters, they just haven't seen that in each other yet. Emma does her best to stay away from Breck, because he's such a manwhore and doesn't seem to have any respect for women. She's a preacher's daughter, so she's got values and morals that she's trying to keep intact after moving away from her small town. The problem is, Breck can't seem to stay away from Emma, no matter how much he tries. The chemistry between them only grows with time, even as they begin a friendship that's anything but. Breck has his own issues and doesn't want to want Emma. Eventually, she sees him for who he really is. The question is whether she will still want him after seeing the reality. I really enjoyed the story line and the many twists and turns that it took, including that last one that was a doozy. The characters were all very likeable, with the exception of the ones we weren't supposed to like. Fantastic job Karen-Anne!!

Karen-Anne Stewart 

Karen-Anne Stewart has always adored reading and has now fallen in love with writing. Her written works are The Rain Trilogy: Saving Rain, Healing Rain, and After the Rain, and the newly released stand alone novel, Ash to Steele. Her debut novel, Saving Rain: The First Novel in The Rain Trilogy, was a nominee for the Book Junkie’s Choice Awards and is a nominee for the RONE Awards to be held July 2014. 
When Karen-Anne isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and visiting new places. She fuels her addiction of creating new stories by her only other addiction, caffeine, and listening to a myriad of musical genres. Tucked away near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Karen-Anne lives with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and their cat. She plans on writing new adult romance as long as her fingers maintain dexterity. 

Blog:  http://www.karen-annestewart.com/karen-anne-stewart-blog.html  (under construction, but working). 

GIVEAWAY 

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for reading and reviewing Ash to Steele! I'm glad you enjoyed Breck and Emma's story :). Have a wonderful day!

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