Oceanside

by Michelle Mankin

Ash has been in the previous books in the series but in this we get to see him properly for the first time, an honest look at what makes the man tick and what lights his fuse. Told from I would like to say opposing but I suppose I should say alternative points of view it was the look inside that we needed of not just Ash but also Fanny.

I liked the fact that the author was to the point, she didn’t pad the story, they had too much to say to waste words. Ash had a past that ensured that he was more than protective of his heart and soul and rightly so but the guard has to fall at some point, little did he know just who it was that was going to bring that carefully constructed all tumbling down.

Fanny fought hard for the man she wanted and, had the patience of a saint because winning the heart of Ashland Keys was never going to be a smooth ride, but this beautifully complicated controlling man was worth the effort.

I found the pace of the book, paid homage to a man that liked his world just so, that liked to keep his council close and those that he was ambivalent to at a distance, he rocked recluse like the star he was.

The energy that emanated from the pair of them, was palpable through the screen of my kindle, the world could see that they were meant for each other but that didn’t mean that either of them was willing to jump on that particular bandwagon just yet. The hesitation of contact, the element of longing that they both showed was heartfelt and endearing. This was a couple that worked the slow burn with absolute aplomb!

A sensual read, this wasn’t littered with wild abandon, they didn’t need that, the author kept their connection emotional right up until they could no longer just be platonic, but when that happened, the romance of their connection caught fire, they were quite simply fabulous, in all the right ways.

I thank the author for a book that was sensitive, that approached a sensitive subject matter with honesty and realism. That approach brought hardship and honesty to the page and ensured that this, the most unlikely and unpredictable love, lived up to its star billing.