After the Climb / Chasing Serenity (River Rain 1 & 2) by Kristen Ashley-review & excerpt tour
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 7, 2021.
From a very young age, Chloe Pierce was trained to look after the ones she loved.
And she was trained by the best.
But when the man who looked after her was no longer there, Chloe is cast adrift—just as the very foundation of her life crumbled to pieces.
Then she runs into tall, lanky, unpretentious Judge Oakley, her exact opposite. She shops. He hikes. She drinks pink ladies. He drinks beer. She’s a city girl. He’s a mountain guy.
Obviously, this means they have a blowout fight upon meeting. Their second encounter doesn’t go a lot better.
Judge is loving the challenge. Chloe is everything he doesn’t want in a woman, but he can’t stop finding ways to spend time with her. He knows she’s dealing with loss and change.
He just doesn’t know how deep that goes. Or how ingrained it is for Chloe to care for those who have a place in her heart, how hard it will be to trust anyone to look after her…
And how much harder it is when it’s his turn.
•••••••••
REVIEW:CHASING SERENITY is the second instalment in Kristen Ashley’s contemporary, adult RIVER RAIN erotic, romance series. This is twenty-five year old, independent businesswoman Chloe Pierce, and twenty-nine year old businessman / environmentalist Judge Oakley’s story line. CHASING SERENITY can be read as a stand alone but for back story I recommend reading book one AFTER THE CLIMB. Some of the events of CHASING SERENITY cross over with, and run parallel to some of the events of book one AFTER THE CLIMB. Chloe and Judge’s story begins in After the Climb.
Told from first person perspective (Chloe) and dual third person perspectives (Corey and Judge) using present day and memories from the past, CHASING SERENITY follows the building but tempestuous relationship between twenty-five year old, independent businesswoman Chloe Pierce, and twenty-nine year old businessman Judge Oakley but also focuses on dysfunctional family dynamics of both the Pierce and Oakley families. Chloe Pierce’s family life has spiralled out of control since the suicide of a close family friend, and divorce of her famous parents. Forced to work with River Rain’s Judge Oakley on a small independent film focusing on the life of her parents, actress Imogen Swan and tennis champion Tom Pierce, meant Chloe having to work with a man that stirred the ire and anger of our story line heroine but from where she wasn’t completely sure. With each meeting and attempt their connection grew stronger so much so that they would come to learn their lives have been entangled for a very long time.
Chloe Pierce is a fiercely independent and strong-willed young woman whose life is about to implode when the burden of the fallout of her parents’ divorce, and her mother’s impending marriage to her childhood sweetheart, apparently falls solely on the shoulders of our story line heroine. It is only a matter of time before Chloe breaks, and when she does, Judge Oakley will be there to catch her fall but all is not well in Judge Oakley’s life, as his past is about to destroy what’s left of his self-control.
CHASING SERENITY is a story of loss, love, family and friendships; multi-levelled secrets and lies, addiction and abuse; acceptance and understanding. Kristen Ashley slowly reveals the family histories of both Chloe and Judge, such that, we begin to see a pattern that has affected everyone going forward. Essentially, a study in sociological behavior and the psychological fall-out of death, divorce, addiction and suicide, CHASING SERENITY is awash in conflict and anxiety, misdirected pain and grief, sibling rivalry, numerous external struggles and challenges, acceptance and love.
CHASING SERENITY is a complex, heart breaking, intense, and impassioned story wherein the large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters are necessary to the overall building of the introductory story line. We are re-introduced to Chloe’s large immediate and extended families by blood, birth, divorce and remarriage, as well as Judge’s best friend Rix, and Judge’s emotional, disturbing and embittered relationship with his mother, his father, and his paternal grandfather.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
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AFTER THE CLIMB
(River Rain #1)
by Kristen Ashley
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Re-release date July 8, 2021
Original Release Date: April 4, 2020
They were the Three Amigos: Duncan Holloway, Imogen Swan and Corey Szabo. Two young boys with difficult lives at home banding together with a cool girl who didn’t mind mucking through the mud on their hikes.
They grew up to be Duncan Holloway, activist, CEO and face of the popular River Rain outdoor stores, Imogen Swan, award-winning actress and America’s sweetheart, and Corey Szabo, ruthless tech billionaire.
Rich and very famous, they would learn the devastating knowledge of how the selfish acts of one would affect all their lives.
And the lives of those they loved.
Start the River Rain series with After the Climb, the story of Duncan and Imogen navigating their way back to each other, decades after a fierce betrayal.
And introduce yourself to their families, who will have their stories told when River Rain continues.
••••••••
REVIEW: AFTER THE CLIMB is the first instalment in Kristen Ashley’s contemporary, adult RIVER RAIN romance series. This is fifty–two year old, award winning actress Imogen ‘Gen’ Swan, and fifty-four year old, business and philanthropist Duncan Holloway’s story line.
SOME BACKGROUND: River Rain, owned by businessman Duncan Holloway, is a large chain of stores concentrating on outdoor life including camping, hiking, rock climbing and trail walking.
NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from first person perspective (Gen), and dual third person (Duncan and Sullivan) AFTER THE CLIMB introduces the characters and the backstory to Kristen Ashley’s RIVER RAIN series. Approximately thirty years earlier, Imogen Swan’s life spiralled out of control when betrayal by a friend ended her relationship with her best friend and lover Duncan Holloway. Fast forward to present day, wherein, Imogen Swan, now a single mother, divorcee and award winning actress, is forced to confront her past, in the guise of Duncan Holloway, the man who destroyed and broke her heart. The suicide of their former best friend, has revealed years of secrets and lies, secrets that are about to be exposed. About to reconcile with the man she has never stopped loving, past betrayal continues to be at the heart of their lives, when social media, paparazzi, and spurned lovers and exes, believe it is their duty to expose the truth. What ensues is the rebuilding romance and relationship between Gen and Duncan, as they must now navigate a social media blow up, the blending and merging of two adult families, and the potential fall-out when the truth is revealed.
AFTER THE CLIMB is a story of betrayal and vengeance, obsession and love, family, friendships, relationships and love. We are introduced to Gen’s ex-husband Tom Pierce, who remains friendly with the woman he continues to love; their children Chloe, Matt and Sasha, as well as Duncan’s sons Sullivan and Gage. Chloe’s story line is next in CHASING SERENITY.
AFTER THE CLIMB is an emotional story of reconciliation and second chances. The premise is honest, twisted and haunting; the romance is seductive; the characters are numerous, energetic, and colorful-the back and forth is frenetic and fast.
Own a copy
Reviewed by Sandy
He’d dated Meg.
And before Meg, there was Jess.
And before Jess, there was Kimberly.
They all had different color hair, Meg and Jess were tall, Kim was not.
But even so, Judge had a type.
He knew it.
And that woman who’d strolled up to the shoe displays?
She was his type.
Multiplied by a thousand.
Christ, she was beautiful.
And bad news.
He could tell that last by the outfit, including her ridiculous, high-heeled booties.
He’d worked at River Rain Outdoor stores for nine years—starting as a sales associate when he was still going to college and advancing to director of the Kids and Trails program.
In all that time, he didn’t think he’d ever seen a woman walk into any of their stores wearing shoes like hers.
And when he came down again a half an hour later to hit Rix’s office to make some copies because the copier in the corporate offices at the top level was busted, he noticed she was still there.
He also noticed he had further evidence she was bad news.
That evidence?
The sheer number of boxes of boots that she was trying on scattered around her.
She looked like she’d not set foot on a hiking trail in her life.
And she looked like she was there because she’d already trolled through all the boutiques around the square, but this hadn’t assuaged her shopping fix, because nothing really did.
Therefore, there was a possibility, after making a member of staff bring her fifteen pairs of shoes, she’d walk out not buying anything.
She’d do this not thinking a thing of it.
However, he noted some of the boots she was trying on were riding boots, and Judge could see that round ass of hers in the saddle on top of a horse.
Wearing a riding habit.
Even if she was trouble, and he had not the slightest interest (or he was telling himself that), he couldn’t keep his eyes off her.
Because he was a moron.
That said, she caught his gaze every time.
So he was looking.
But so was she.
His instincts proved true when he came down for the third time with more to copy, and he again walked through the shoe section to get to the office in the back. Doing this close to where she was seated, still trying on boots, because, yes, in the fifteen minutes between then and now, he had not stopped being a moron.
And again, she caught his gaze.
He had no clue why, but as her gorgeous hickory brown eyes hit his, he muttered, “Nice booties.”
Her back shot straight, and she demanded, “What did you just say?”
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Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!).
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
