Taut by J A Huss
Taut - The Ford Book ( a Rook and Ronin Spinoff) by JA Huss
Having never read any of JA Huss's previous novels - despite having them on my Kindle, I picked this one up and couldn't be anything but hooked by the blurb.
Ford Aston - where to satrt? What a man, completely emotionally disfunctional - he has absolutely no filter - because he has never needed one - he says what he thinks and to hell with the concequences. he doesn't do relationships and certainly doesn't have girlfriends- he has "pets".
But he is as funny as they come - I loved him!
Leaving Rook for the last time after laying his heart on the line - Ford gets caught in a snow storm and finds himself trapped in his old home town - somewhere he has no desire to be.
Unable to make it to his house due to the weather - he has no choice but to take a room at the motel in town, while his truck is towed to the local garage.
Gathering his things from the car he notices a young woman and child taking shelter in their broken down vehicle. The Ford of old would have left her to her own devices but something in him, is changing and he extends an offer of assistance to the young woman.Offering a bed in the motel for both her and her child.
Ashleigh is a smart, but broken woman who is suffering an unspeakable pain - the true extent of which is not obvious at first. They end up stranded together in the town for a few days while Ford has his car repaired - Ashleigh is less fortunate - having no money she is unable to afford the repairs to her car but as money is not an issue to Ford, he steps in and tells the garage to get the car fixed and send him the bill.
Details are sketchy when it comes to Ashleigh's back story - she gives little away other than the fact that she has very little to do with her family, has been studying in Japan and above all she just has to get to California and since Ford has already missed his flight he decides to drive to California for his upcoming meetings - a road trip with Ashleigh and the baby gives them both time explore their feelings.
Ford struggles to keep himself on the straight and narrow with regards to how he feels about Ashleigh because he is convinced that no matter how much he wants her, he can't have her.
All Ashleigh will say is that she needs to talk to the father of her child for one last time when she gets to California but Ford is convinced that she wants to make a go of things with him again - to have the family she needs.
But as hard as he has tried -the closer they get to California, Ford realises that he can't and more to the point he doesn't want to give Ashleigh up.
California brings everything to ahead and all is not what Ford had imagined and against the grain Ford has to find his "Grand Gesture" to final get his girl.
Fate, Authority and Family conspire against him when it comes to Ashleigh but there si no way that he is going to let her go and when Ford goes "Grand" - he goes the whole hog!!!
This was a revelation, Ford was fabulous and Ashleigh was every inch his match.
Told exclusively from Ford's POV - this book was worth every since second spent reading it - page turning pleasure at it's very very best!
Rating 5 out of 5 ( First Class)