Out of the Ashes

by RC Boldt

I have read so many books that when I have the opportunity to discuss them with my fellow bloggers and readers I get told that the book made them sob or brought them to tears, and often I haven’t had the same experience… but with this book I can’t say that, because it obviously takes something of absolute quality to bring on the tears and this had that quality in spades!

The story is very well written and the characters are fantastic.

It may not seems like it straight off the bat but Hendy is the sort of guy that will grow on you, yes, he had been the sort of guy that was prepared to rely on the fact that he was a handsome to get what he wanted and needed, an a** you may say but that was before Afghanistan and this story is about his life now, now that he is out of the Navy and no longer a SEAL.

Being held captive and tortured whilst in Afghanistan has left both physical and more importantly mental scars and while he may as charming as ever, after all he is a really nice guy but the life he has now isn’t what it had been and coming to terms with that wasn’t exactly straight forward, his physical limitations are taking their toll.

But when he meets Presley his new chiropractor, it was obvious that the connection between the two of them had potential, I was just pleased that the author didn’t rush the pair of them. He tested her patience and pushed the limits, but Presley knew that his behaviour was his way of hiding the fact that his injuries were weighing heavy on how he saw himself and she want willing to let him get away with shirking the work that she needed him to undertake in order to assist his recovery.

What formed between the two of them was a friendship that both of them needed, and it was also one that I didn’t know that I needed to see too.  I didn’t get the impression that either of them were the sort to rush in to anything romantic, so I appreciated the fact that the author gave them the space to form their friendship and the time to see where that friendship would end up …although I had a fair idea!

I liked Presley, she was an honest character, a salt of the earth woman who had developed her own defence mechanisms and was more than able to stand her ground when necessary.  But could her biggest battle be the one that would show Hendy not only who he was but what they could have?

Now there wasn’t that much angst in the story but that doesn’t mean that it didn’t have any, it did.

You will have your fingers crossed at one point just praying that Hendy (and Presley)  gets a much deserved happy ever after.

It was this that brought me to tears. I needed him to be happy, I just hadn’t known how much.

Beautifully written, this is one of the best of the year so far and highly recommended!!!