Ashton Family #2
Alana & Warren
This is a new to me author and I am loving this small town series! The series portrays the Ashton family, who are like royals in this town, Hope Crest, located on the side of the Delaware River. They own a worldwide famous Italian restaurant called Hope Pizza. The first book portrayed the second oldest son Patrick with former actress Cassandra; this one is a best friends to lovers portraying the only daughter of the Ashton family, Alana, with Warren Teal.
Warren and Alana have been best friends since sixth grade and the family embraced him. He comes from a tragic past, where his father murdered his mother and want away to prison for a life sentence. He was adopted by an older, wealthy couple but they didn’t know how to deal with a traumatized young child, so enter the Ashton loud and loving family, who gave him all the love and acceptance he craved.
When his adoptive father died, he left all his belongings to Warren with the caveat he marry Alana. Read the book to understand why! They agree to marry but in name only. Warren is respecting a deal he made with Alana’s father and is keeping away from a marital relation.
These two certainly had a stormy relationship once they married! Full of regret, guilt, yearning, and simple horniness. They are so full of feelings that it’s hard to communicate; add in all the family dynamics and you have a hot kettle. There’s a menacing presence in town in the form of a videographer who wants to portray Warren’s family tragedy, awakening all of Warren’s buried trauma and bad memories.
I love that the family surrounds the couple like the circling of wagons in cowboy stories. The only negative in this is the patriarch, Thomas Ashton. He’s a pigheaded, stubborn man who adheres to old-fashioned values and he’s extra hard with Alana, making her jump through more hoops than he demands from her brothers. I found him frankly horrible, same as he was in the first book. His attitude with Cass was despicable, and in this case, he was just as reprehensible in his actions, both to Warren and to Alana.
I loved Alana’s and Warren’s road to fulfillment, to the culmination of their love story and Warren’s realization that he wasn’t alone, he had a woman who loved him above everything and was there for him for the good times and the bad times. I also noticed that this author writes strong female characters and not-so-strong male characters. Alana was a passionate life force, and Warren was more laid back and accepting. They were a perfect combination, like he was yin to her yan. It was passionate, stormy, suspenseful, super entertaining, with very nice and yummy sexy scenes. I loved Warren and Alana and all their family, even cranky Liam, except for Thomas. Now on to the next, hoping it’s cranky Liam!
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About the author
Author of romance novels such as Fool Me Twice and Love at First Fight, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the love stories of her imagination, and the athleisure dress code, much better.
When she isn't writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She lives in the suburbs of New Jersey with her husband, two children and ninety-pound rescue pup.
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