At Peace (The 'Burg Series Book 2)

Once again, Kristen Ashley has given me a story I will go back to reread. Real characters that I like and care about and a dynamic plot that kept me riveted. Doesn't hurt that the women are always funny and the men are amazing!

Although I am bias and love everything written by this author, she once again left me sleep deprived and suffering from a book hangover. I couldn't put it down or walk away. I love the story for its angst, drama, danger, romance and sense of family. Thank you again Kristen Ashley!

Perfect! That is the only way I can describe this book. I love all KA's books, but this ties with "Sweet Dreams" as my all time favorite KA book, and my all time favorite EVER book. He is Alpha times 10!...Yum!

Joe/Cal is a total jerk! He treats Vi terribly and she keeps taking him back (not that he gives her any choice). It frustrates me that Joe never listened to whatever Vi says and just carries on behaving however he wants. I enjoyed the other characters in this story much more than the main characters. It was good to see the other characters from the first book in the series. I love KA so I will keep reading the series but there are other books of hers that I enjoy more.

At Peace has sweet, touching, and steamy moments in the story. Joe and Violet have chemistry. Of the three and a half Kristen Ashley books I have read, this story has the best written suspense of all. The secondary characters feel like people I would meet in real life. A couple of those characters have me interested in their upcoming stories, but I am conflicted about the rating for this particular novel. The conflict lies not with the typical KA style of rambling narrative or love of describing insignificant details, but with the characterization of Joe.

***"Little suitcase like a brick, kinda makes it hard to get a good grip."***

Joe has major baggage - lots and lots of baggage! In fact, he has seventeen years of living under the cloud of his crazy first love. Joe's the kind of hero destined to meet the one woman who will heal his pain. She will shine her bright light onto his soul and he will be whole again. I can embrace the dark, tortured hero. (They are usually my favorite.) So, what's wrong with Joe? There are times when his behavior is cruel to Violet. He plans. He executes. He twists the knife. Darn you, Joe! An attempt is made to pardon him. I partially shook it off to enjoy the remainder of the story, but the damage was done.

***"Lover man, oh, where can you be?***

When I read romance I expect a hero to be the stuff of dreams. He can be the bad boy set on fire by a shy woman; a scarred and bitter lord matching wits with an iron lady; or he can be a kind, tormented, and lonely man brought to life by a cynical mistress. Joe is not the stuff of dreams. If a friend showed interest in a man like Joe then observed her receiving the poor treatment Violet did, I would advise this friend to let Joe go.

So what's the conflict? It's obvious I didn't like Joe "Cal" Callahan. Well, I didn't until the second half of the book. The first half of At Peace we have kick-him-to-the-curb Joe. The second half, Joe is the dream alpha hero. He is everything Violet and her daughters need and want. Accepting the transition is ultimately dependent on the reader's ability to realize this is only a book and Joe is obviously the `One' for Vi. His cruel actions will either be forgiven or a romance reader (like me) will mark him with a scarlet "A" (for a@@hat).

Joe's point-of-view helped me as a romance reader. The glimpses into his head enlightened me. His past explained his negative patterns. Later, Joe proves he can be compassionate and wise. He can be a family man. Joe has redeeming qualities. Violet is able to rationalize and forgive Joe's transgressions. She follows her heart.

***"If this is communication, I disconnect"***

Does miscommunication have to be a constant source for conflict? It is a common issue between men and women. In At Peace, Joe mystified me (and Vi). Why did he play mind games? This behavior is followed up with Joe's irrational answers and deflections. My enjoyment dimmed. Joe required effort and mind tricks for me to move past his mistakes.

***"Gonna wallow in your dang good stuff!"***

The best thing about Ms. Ashley's storytelling is she knows how to pack an emotional punch. There are scenes that brought tears to my eyes. It happened so many times I lost count. Whether I like all the characters, they have vivid personalities. They convey passion, anger, joy, bravery, despair, fear, and jealousy. The hero and heroine's friendships with secondary characters are compelling. One unlikable character had unexpected depth to her. Kate and Keira's (Violet's daughters) distinct personalities shine. Joe's Chicago family intrigued me. I genuinely cared for these characters. I want Mike's story! I also want Frankie and Benny's story! Despite my Joe troubles I am invested.

Another positive is the way Violet's stalker problem unfolds. Feeling that I knew KA, I assumed events would play out in a predictable manner. Fortunately, the solution involves many unexpected players and unforeseen twists. The `Burg police act appropriately. Joe stays true to his nature. I really enjoyed watching the stalker subplot reach its climax!

Kristen Ashley heroines tend to thrive with domineering men. They are sassy, nurturing, and somewhat independent. Yet there is a continuous theme amongst the heroines: A need for a man take control. Their men make them feel safe and cherished. There's almost a Dom/sub dynamic in the way the women are handled.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I'll continue to read Ms. Ashley's work with long periods in between books. I am taking a star and a half off the rating because of Joe's characterization, but I am rounding my rating up to 4 stars. This story can stand alone and I will skip book 3 to read Mike's story in Games of the Heart, followed later by Frankie and Benny, which should release within a few months.

[***Lyrics in Quotes: "Baggage Claim" by Miranda Lambert, "Lover Man" by Billie Holiday, "Communication" by The Cranberries, " Good Stuff" by The B-52s]

Story is predictable. I didn't like either of the lead characters. The female was a doormat who allowed her jerk of a neighbor to take advantage of her. He made it very clear that he only wanted her for sex and when she tried to take it further he broke it off. She then starts to date a decent guy who would treat her right and of course this is when he has his epiphany he wants her. She just goes back no questions asked. I was so angry!

Ms. Ashley somehow continues to derive unique story lines, characters and situations. I never tire of reading her books. This one addresses the challenge of finding a second "live of your life", whether after tragedy or divorce. Great read!

I love this book heard about her books and it all was true. She has reeled me in. Just wish I didnt have to read in the middle of the night under the blankets hidden till wee hours of the night. ONly time I am free of kids and hubby. Love her! Romantic and HOT!!!

Let me just say that my best friend worships Kristen Ashley so I find myself trying to read her over and over again. Some of her books i love, lady luck and some I absolutly hate. That said i liked this book but he was a major jerk and she acted like a slut. ** spoiler*** here are my issues, she's too damn wordy, it's like she gets paid per word.Her books are long for no reason. 2. WTF is cake? This bothers me like crazy, i have never heard money refered to as cake and she does it in every novel. 3. What Violet does with Mike is wrong, had she done it while they were broken up, i could maybe forgive , but not when she did it. 4. why would you kill ( him) is beyond me, I think Violet has been through enough without adding that. Joe is never sorry for how he treats her and even though she did read into the relationship more than she should have, he still should have been sorry. I know it sounds weird but I did like this book, a lot. She just has these weird language quirks and ticks that you just kind of have to forgive. And don't get me started with the nicknames. I know this may not help anyone and i'm sorry. My best friend loves the things i most dislike about her writing..... so maybe it's just me.

It pains me to say this...but I couldn't finish this book.

I tried, I mean I seriously tried to like it. I was reading this book for over 13hrs and I'm no slow reader but I just couldn't. This book did nothing to me but annoy me or even piss me off.

I picked the book up because:
The story's blurb interested me - yes.
There's some serious alpha going on - yes.
There's a psycho trying to hurt the h and who hurt her loved one already - totally my cup.

But dang, the story was dragging soooo much that it annoyed me. The alpha was beyond alpha - more like a caveman. I wanted to high five him...in the face (sorry but it's true). He was too much; yeah he did get better after the 55% (<-- yeah I read this far, I stopped at 76%, so you can't say I wasn't trying) but it was too late. In between the h, Violet, got on my nerves with her actions, thoughts, and just about anything.

Oh remember the psycho I mentioned above?? Yeah, I saw none of it until then, NADA. The book is beyond descriptive; too much setting for my taste. So many situations, actions, dialogues that really DID NOT INTEREST ME AT ALL to read, or helped shape the story -smh. So yeah it wasn't for me.

It's my very first K.A. book and I figured it's either a hit or miss, and for me it's clearly a miss. It doesn't mean I won't give this author another try, I'll but def not keep on reading for 13hrs. You might think "oh come on now you can finish the book, you've only 20% left.." yeah, NO. Those 20% take me another 4hrs and that's not gonna happen.

Normally don't read these, friend of mine insisted because of the author. Read some of the authors other work, not too bad. This one had terrible characters, who were really immature and into playing games. Couldn't even get through it and can honestly say, I couldn't care less what happened to anyone in the book

I've read a few Kristen Ashley's and have enjoyed them. I don't leave reviews on books I haven't finished. This book is an exception. It was that bad. I lasted 58% and I just couldn't finish it. I wanted to execute both the lead characters. Mafia style. Joe/Cal whatever his name is, is a Neanderthal creep. Seriously? Are there guys out there that really act like that? I could not stand the man. And the whole bit about calling Violet "buddy"? Really? Ugh! Kill me now. Now we come to Violet. Words almost fail me. At first I thought she was okay but as I read further in she frustrated the hell out of me. The only thing her and Joe had in common was they bonked their brains out. No relationship building, nothing. Just supposedly hot sex. I'm going to finish up now as I've wasted enough time on this as it is.

I really have enjoyed the 6 Kristen Ashley novels that I have read, and At Peace was a good story (although long.)
My irritation has been building after reading Mystery Man, Law Man, Heaven & Hell, Knight, Sweet Dreams and At Peace because of the same general language (or lack therof) in all of these books. The repeated use of "bein' doin' havin' wantin' lovin' and needin'" is driving me crazy. In At Peace, Violet starts out with full sentences when communicating and after a few conversations with Joe, she drops all pronouns and talks like him. (and I loved Joe) All of the Heroes in the KA books I have read have had the same hottish grunty way of speaking with partial sentences and now the Heroines are speaking the same way. Not especially charming. It worked in Heaven & Hell, but after 6 books with the exactly same 'language,' I am frustrated.

I know this is not helpful as a review of the content of At Peace if you are a first or second time Kristen Ashley reader, but I needed to vent :)

That being said, I am about to start reading Breathe, and I can't wait to dive in.

First, I must say I'm not finished with this book but I felt compelled to review it up to this point, because it's driving me crazy. Since it affected me enough to drive me crazy, the writing is good but the characters are horrendous. This book has many of the characters from For You which I haven't reviewed but probably will. Violet and her two teen daughters move into Colt and Feb's neighborhood. She and the kids are recovering from the tragic murder of her husband by a thug who torments her to this day. She quickly becomes entangled with another neighbor, Joe (Cal) Callahan. What happens next leads me to politely describe Violet as a skank ho.

*The following may contain too much information for anyone who has not read this book. Continue at your own risk*

We quickly learn that this Joe character is most likely damaged beyond repair. He makes it clear that Violet is no more than sex to him...and she decides she's mostly okay with that. On one fateful night out with a friend, she meets Mike, the polar opposite of Joe who makes it known he's interested in her but he doesn't share. She puts him on hold. He's not thrilled.

Knowing that a maniac has found her and her daughters, Violet (Vi) proceeds to bounce between her booty call Joe and his polar opposite, Mike, constantly leaving the girls home alone. WHAT????? She allows her daughters to become attached to Joe, which they do, only to have him decide...again....he needs to end it. Violet has no problem bringing more emotional turmoil into the lives of her children - not a great mom. When tragedy strikes the family again, she again allows Joe to bully his way into their lives under the guise of caring. That's about where I am and I have to reiterate that while the writing is good (constant foul language aside..WHAT is with that in KA's books? No, I'm not a prude or I wouldn't be reading KA..but the constant bad language and bad grammer like 'likin', bitin', beginin' drives me insane.), I can't stand Joe or Violet.

Now I feel better. : 0 )

I have read a lot of Kirsten Ashley books and you can be guaranteed complicated heroes kick ass heroines and wonderful secondary characters that enhance the story in all her books. I would recommend these other books by Kristen Ashley: Mystery Man, Motorcycle Man, and most of the Rock Chick books.

What bugged me about this book it was too long I started skimming. There was always the threat of drama but no action. I like the action pace in her other books.

SPOILER. I hated the love triangle I was glad Vi was dating other people not waiting for Joe but I did not like that she had sex with Mike. I could have gotten over the sex with Mike if the story just moved along faster.

Lastly I love sex but there was too much and too repetitive it got boring.

Anyway bottom line...it was just ok

I think I would like it, but I cannot read it. I had ordered For You and read it. Then I ordered At Peace. The cover is correct but the content was For You. I have tried to tell someone - anyone about it, but got absolutely nowhere in reporting it. Every e-mail comes back as undeliverable. I am afraid to place another order digitally as I am afraid the same thing will happen. So be careful when you order this. I would order the hard copy, but it is not available.

I absolutely adore this book and all things Kristen Ashley...

Violet lost her husband to a really bad person a few years ago before moving to a new burg to get away from him stalking her and her two teenage daughters. He had been showing up at their house and leaving expensive gifts for Violet in hopes that she'd fall in love with him.. I mean, he killed her husband but sure, totally could happen.. anyway, she moves into Colt and Feb's burg and moves right next door to Joe Callahan...

Let's tell ya a bit about Joe Callahan... he's hot and rough and kind of a jerk, (with good reason we find out later) but still... He's a security to the stars man, after meeting his new neighbor on one of the few nights he's home to deal with a scene from a crazy person he has in HIS life at the moment, they realize they're attraction to each other and while Violet reads more into it than Joe would like her to, they go back forth a couple times about their situation. My heart broke for Violet, she had only been with one other person her entire life and would have still been with him had he not died. And Joe, he is NOT a one woman kinda guy, he's an "I don't do emotional crap... ever" kinda guy and even though we know Violet and her daughters are getting under his skin he still reverts to his jerky ways from time to time.

Kate and Kiera are awesome and so cute and funny, and they accepted and wanted Joe for their mom immediately, and they needed him as much as he needed them, it just took him a while to accept it, but when he did... it was beautiful!

There were lots of secondary charecters that I also really liked, Feb and Colt, it was awesome seeing them now married and happy, Mike Haines which I felt bad for but since I've read his book and seem him get his chick, I don't feel bad for him anymore lol but I did at the time. Cal's family Aunt Teresa and Uncle Vinny, they were loud and in your face and the typical Italian family lol
I cried for Frankie, I absolutely adored her and I hated how badly everyone treated her. I was also glad to see she and Benny pulled their heads out and got it together in their own book. But I hated how much he hurt her in this one.... Lets see who else... Oh Sam and Melissa.. Violets brother who we love and then lost, that broke my heart too but I loved how Joe was there for all of them.
There is so much awesome one can say about Kristen Ashley and the amazing work she creates, but I'd be here all day, I could honestly go on and on for hours about each story. I love them all. I've just re-read this one for the hundreth time and I realized I'd never gotten around to writing a review... So, now I have.
I loved it, I'll re-read it again and I'll tell everyone I know to read it too if I haven't already.
Don't pass this up, or ANY Kristen Ashley book, she's that amazing.

At Peace (The 'Burg Series Book 2)

At Peace by Kristen Ashley
Genres; Adult Crime Mystery Suspense Contemporary Romance.
4.75 Stars
Negatives & Positives
There were a couple of typos, but nothing that interfered with the flow of the story in any way. The mystery & suspense of the crime aspect is intense. It heats up to a magnificent crescendo as the man who murdered Violet's husband continues to torment her and her family. The magnitude of his crimes hitting where it brings excruciating pain.
The flow of the story is almost perfect. Only Ms. Ashley's penchant for rambling interrupted the flow on occasion. It could have been at least 100 pages shorter. While her descriptions give you a great feel for the world she has created and her characters, she tends to get carried away. Some of that detail is just not essential to the story and gets the reader bogged down a bit. This story is over 650 pages long. I feel it could have been easily reduced to 450 pages and been better for it.
Violet and Joe are fantastic characters and have your sensibilities ricocheting. Both of their actions make you want to intermittently hug them and smack them upside the head. That is just two of the many emotions they provoke.
All of the characters in this story are well defined. They will have you laughing one minute and sitting on the edge of your seat the next. You find yourself so embroiled in what is happening you can't pull yourself away.
All and all, a great read.
bookshelves: 1-dig-lib, kristen-ashley, romance, contemporary, adult, suspense, mystery, crime, 0-review-share, ztally
Recommended for: Lovers of Adult Romance, Lovers of Intrigue and Suspense, Lovers of Mystery

I wish I could get my money back. I may finish the book but only because I paid 3 F***ing 99 for it. The "heroine" is everything I hate about main female characters. A complete weakling and flakey. She knowingly leads 2 men on and just excepts when they tell her "no were not breaking up I'm your man" blah blah. Grow a backbone! Christ! And don't even get me started on the dialogue. Excluding proper grammar usage does NOT make the dialogue sound more authentic, it just makes the characters sound unintelligent and lazy. I can't believe this book is getting such great reviews. And I know that no one is going to listen to one or two 1 star reviewers but please reconsider before spending your hard earned cash on this 1000 pages of bad writing.

Joe "Cal" Callahan & Vi (Violet) Winters story. Again KA gives us great characters (who you will come to love), snappy dialogue, laughter, tears, a sweet story with the HEA ending. This was my first book in the "Burg Series" and I'm looking forward to reading them all.

This book had so many moments that I just loved. Here are just a few: ***Possible spoilers*** Especially when they go to Vinnie's Pizzaria - meeting that whole group of characters (giving us more people to love). When Keirry realizes that Joe paid for her dog - that was just - so perfect. When Kate's boyfriend screws up and she has a screamfest and how Joe helps handle it. When the grandparents come to visit and more unexpected family comes to visit at the same time. It was so funny and poignant how (Grandma) Bea, (who is such a shy and quiet person) is handled with care by big, bada$$ Joe - and because of that, he puts her at ease so she can enjoy her visit. (So many things happen during that visit - it's hysterical) Then of course, there's Joe & Vi's conversations and funny moments throughout the entire book.

I loved the book, hope you do too...

At Peace is book two in The Burg Series and my favorite one in the series so far. Book five (Frankie & Benny) is expected summer 2014 with great expectations! I have read At Peace three times now and since I haven’t reviewed this one yet, I figure it’s a good time for a re-read and review.

Sometimes a book just speaks to you, and for whatever reason you are drawn to it over and over again. At Peace is one of those books for me. Maybe it’s the vulnerability of Vi and her naiveté on the dating/flirting world. See, she’s a widow, once married to a cop whom she met in high school; she has never been with anyone else. Ever. Vi has just moved to a new town trying to escape the madman who is responsible for murdering her husband and who now has a romantic obsession with her.

Things are going pretty good until she meets her neighbor Joe, a security expert, who is rarely home. It’s when Vi is woken in the middle of the night to blaring music and a crazy celebrity trying to get her seduction on next door that she comes face to face with him. The sight of Violet in her nighty, a ratty old men’s robe, and wellies will change Joe forever.

It’s not a simple sweet story. Joe really is an ass and rips Vi apart more than once. Yes, we are dealing with a strong alpha man with a troubled and unhappy past, but it’s watching Vi take hit after hit and still she keeps getting up. Her strength is something that she really doesn’t see in herself but is proven over and over.

Joe is a good man at heart, and when his light bulb moment hits, he may be too late to fix things. Vi has been spending time with a local cop, and he stirs memories and feelings of security and stability - something she has craved and missed.

Then, tragedy hits and her world is altered yet again. The last twenty five percent of this book is amazing! It’s action-packed, heart racing, and I could not turn the pages fast enough. This is also when Frankie and Benny are introduced and I am instantly in love with the idea of their story. Even after so many reads, I am still breathless when Frankie says she has had enough.

The epilogue is perfection and her description of that house makes me want to head straight to the coast.

What else can I say, guys? This one just spoke to me. There have been three books written by Kristen Ashley that have done that to me. The other two were Golden Dynasty and Creed.

AT PEACE is an example of why I enjoy good contemporary romance. It is the story of a love that doesn't come easy and isn't easily embraced by either Joe or Violet. Both Joe and Violet are nursing losses that can never be replaced and hurts that aren't easily healed. Joe protects himself by simply never getting emotionally involved with anyone. He gets what he wants from women giving them the least that he can and then moving on. He's brutally honest in the way that he deals with women and they can either take it or leave it. Joe even keeps the family that he has at a distance. Joe literally carries the scars of his past on his body as well as on his heart and doesn't want the trouble that caring too deeply for someone can bring. Violet on the other hand is basically forced to leave the family and community that she loves in order to escape the man responsible for her pain. By moving away and starting over she is attempting to build a new life for herself and her daughters.

I loved that the pull between Violet and Joe is so strong that even when they both want to walk away from it they can't. The physical attraction is absolutely and prominently there, but that isn't the only thing that is binding them together. Both Joe and Violet are adults who aren't full of angst but there is plenty of drama with a strong and slowly unfolding story that I enjoyed page by page. Joe is often a jerk but as I have come to expect from Ashley's male leads he manages to become a hero in the end. Violet, although not always confident in herself or her decisions, is still a strong and loving person. Her ability to keep going through every tragedy was believably portrayed. As with pretty much every KA book the secondary characters are important and enjoyable and will leave you jonesing for the next book in the series. AT PEACE is yet another KA book going on my favorite reads list.

I listened to the audio version of AT PEACE and it was narrated by Olivia Porter who did an excellent job!

You can find more from me at Monlatable Book Reviews

One of my all-time favorite books and all-time favorite of Kristen Ashley’s! This book has it all and makes you feel everything. I’m so in love!

I cannot properly put into words how I feel about this book! At Peace has absolutely everything I could have ever hoped for. I can’t remember the last time I read a book that made me feel like this.

It’s one of those that I knew was special from very early on. I fought with myself over wanting to savor it and wanting to devour it whole. Joe Callahan might be my favorite character ever created. He gave me all the feels!

This book made me cry happy and sad tears, it made me laugh, smile, and made me feel warm from the inside out. My heart feels so full! I read the last word and immediately wanted to start the entire book over.

Kristen Ashley does so many things well. How she creates these swoon-worthy heroes, so many of them, I will never know. This book has heart, suspense, sexiness, but above all it just oozes love. Nobody makes me feel the way Kristen Ashley does with her words.

I loved every single character in this book and I loved watching everybody getting their happy ending. The perfection that was Joe’s happy ending made me cry happy tears.

This book is perfection. It’s everything. 6 stars, all-time favorite, must-have-on-my-bookshelf-right-now good! Read it, read it, read it! I fell in love so hard and you will too.

Joe and Violet story was not an easy one. Both tasks were heartbreaking and they deserved it something that was good. When each other was easy task, but they’re out they did an amazing job of pulling you in and making you group for them to get that happy ending. I love this Authors signature action scenes towards the end of the box. The one is no different. Heart pounding to the extreme. Not a lot I can say, but I did enjoy it. Perfect set up for Benny’s book, and leaves you craving Mike to get his own HEA. 4 stars #2OCCJD

Violet is starting over in Indiana after a heartbreaking ending in Chicago. Her husband has been murdered and with a stalker haunting her every movement, she flees to a small town in Indiana to lick her wounds, raise her girls, and find herself. In the midst of all of that, she finds her sexy next door neighbor, security expert, and ultimate hottie, Joe Callahan.
Upon their meeting, Violet hated Joe. Pushy and invasive, Joe seems to think he knows what’s always right. Suddenly a surprisingly passionate kiss leads to more and both Vi and Joe want to see where it goes. And even though the two begin to care for one another, they spend much of their time finding ways to push one another away in fear of hurting each other. Heartbreaking at times, Vi and Joe seem to be pulled together as if they are two halves of the same whole.
At Peace is a huge, huge book coming in at over 500 pages. It’s daunting when it starts, but honestly, once you are wrapped up in the story, you don’t even notice it. Violet and Joe’s story is so volatile and engaging, I knew it was an Ashley book because I never wanted it to end!
I think the major theme I would associate with At Peace would be...drama, drama, drama! Now I like drama don’t get me wrong, but there is something happening on every single page. Vi’s got a crazy stalker that is basically hunting her family down in order to gain her attention. Super creepy and discomforting, but absolutely an integral part of Joe’s continued involvement with Vi until he finally admits that she truly means something to him.
Vi has two teenage daughters, who while dealing with a murdered father, are also dealing with a new home, new town, teen drama and their mother finding a new man. Well written though, I found the two girls to be the comic relief for much of the book, and it helped tone down some of the more serious themes.
I can’t not talk about Vi and Joe themselves! Wonderful together and worse apart, these two fought their relationship with everything they had. Joe was intense but in such a good way! Oye. Makes me a little hot under the collar, in a very good way, wink wink! No holds barred, Joe made his own way in the world and taught Vi some pretty valuable lessons in never having any regrets.
Utterly romantic and unforgettable, At Peace is likely to stay with me for a while. I reread Ashley books quite a bit and I’ve already began the epic reread. Part of the Burg series, I haven’t read the other titles but am planning on picking up the others. I had heard At Peace was a roller coaster, and I’m here to say, it was one of the best!

If I felt comfortable enough with videoing myself doing a "OMG, this book was so awesome that I just have to do a happy dance" then I would post it but instead I am just going to tell you how AMAZING, TERRIFIC, WONDERFUL, FANTASTIC, and BRILLIANT this book was. Everything that you could ever ask for in a KA novel was neatly wrapped up in this book and presented with a beautiful bow. At Peace kept me thoroughly entertained until the last page. In fact, I still wanted it to continue after I read the last sentence.

Violet is one awesome woman who has been through the wringer and is still stuck in the wringer because things just keep getting worse. As the reader, you just marveled at what she overcame and then wept when she was swept back into the undertow. Her pain is so present and it continues to add after the loss of Tim, Hart's obsession, Joe's on again off again attitude, and the tragedy that made me sit in my bed and cry. Oh man was that chapter painful to read.

I would say my favorite part about this book was Joe. Even though I hated him at some points, I really did deep down love him the whole time. He is the ultimate man; one of my favorite KA characters. But how he stole my heart was the way he interacted with Kate and Kierra.

The `Burg series just keep getting better and better and I cannot wait to start the third.

~BookWhisperer Reviewer MC~

WOW, this was one I really liked.
This book did have me on a little bit of an emotional roller coaster though. I laughed, I cried, think I might even have fallen in love! :)
I will say I don't think I know anyone as strong as Vi going through the crap she did and pulling through it all as well as she did.
I can't imagine living through Joe's hell either.
Joe lives next door, but some how becomes the rock for Vi and her girls Kiera and Kate as they're still working through the aftermath of the death of Tim Vi's first husband and the girls' dad.
I have to say I kind of didn't like Vi part of the time and felt like she was acting slutty, even if she'd only slept with 2 men in her whole life. To me this book in no way was about "cheating" though, one thing I do detest. The players in this scenario all knew about each other. Dating one man, and climbing in bed with a different one at the end of the date with the first. Took her too long to sort her crap. Of course with Joe and Mike they weren't making it easy on her.
That being said Cal was a total ass for a bit, and needed to pull his head out of it to recognize what was in front of him. That may have helped Vi trust herself and choices a little quicker too.
Again another book with lots of new characters and names to keep track of! Cal and Colt when you're reading quick get mixed up a lot then you have to go back and double check what you read!
Loved this book, and probably will actually take time to reread this one in the future. (I'm not a reread type of girl)

Violet Winters and her daughters have moved to the 'burg after her husband's death to start fresh. One night having to leave her bed to tell her neighbor to turn down the music is when it happens. She meets her scary Hot neighbor Joe Callahan. The have a back and forth relationship from that moment on pushing and pulling each other. When things heat up between Vi's mob stalker, the same man who killed her husband, finds her she turns to Joe for help. Determined to never fall for another woman who needs "fixed" Joe takes off leaving Vi vulnerable.

This was some fast paced emotional roller coaster stuff! Back and forth between Vi and Joe. With many in the mix to shake things up it is never boring. Vi has been through some horrific things in her life and she is still standing....she is a strong, independent woman and I admire that. There was so much to feel with this book.....I laughed out loud waking my husband up in the middle of the night because I couldn't put this down...I cried several times throughout this story...who wouldn't. Love Love Love the 'Burg!

I've been on a Kristen Ashley audio binge lately. This audio was 23 hours long. I figured it would take me a month to finish but instead it took a week and half. I really enjoyed listening to this one but there were some minor things that the narrator did that took some time getting use to... such as her swallowing noise. At the beginning when she'd do it would distract me from the story.

I'm Team Joe now! He makes a great KA alpha male. Vi, on the hand, drove me nuts for a portion of this book with her stringing along two guys. I'm glad to know the other guy has his own book later in this series..

Overall, I'm glad I got to meet Joe Callahan. ♥

Good lord....I'm having trouble deciding if I like this story better than MOTORCYCLE MAN. It's certainly a keeper and up there with the best of the best.
I adored Violet Winters.
I loved her daughters - both of them.
I covet living in that neighborhood - except that nosey witch of a neighbor woman.
Joe Callahan: what a great alpha-male hero-type character. I started out thinking him to be a louse and darned if Kristen Ashley didn't turn him around by book-end and the guy is one of my favorite KA guys.

How the romance (if you want to call it that) starts out it's intense-dislike at first sight - at least for Violet it is. Joe.....he's intrigued by the ballsy woman who is dressed in a ratty old robe. It really turns out to be a fantastic love match but getting to the 'love' part is painful for the characters and readers alike. This book had me crying....takes a pretty darn good writer to bring that out in this reader. There are so many emotional moments in this story - good and bad. The ending.....however......was simply wonderful and so fitting for the characters.

There were bad guys in this story as well and at one point I was pretty worried about our love-duo. Good writing does that......gets the reader 'fired-up'. One thing I'd like to state for what it's worth is that I feel Susie Shepherd really should have learned a lesson in humility - after that horrid experience she had at the hands of Dennis Lowe (book one: FOR YOU). Skanky woman didn't learn a thing and in fact she got worse!

Thank you dear authoress for (yet) another fine story. I found it......unforgettable.

I'm a KA fan, I have read almost all her books and some of them 2 x. Violet is trying to raise her 2 girls after her husband was killed. She ends up hooking up with her neighbor Cal/Joe and the way he takes care of things for her seems like he wants more then just sex. However he has emotional issues and hurts her....during that time she hooks up with Mike. I was annoyed with Violet not make Joe grovel longer about hurting her and her girls and her hooking up with Mike when she knows its wrong....I wanted to pull out my hair. I did like the angst and wondering what was going to happen next.

Violet Winters and her two teenaged daughters Kate and Kiera had moved from Chicago to the Burg after Tim Winters husband and father to Violet and the girls, had been murdered. Hoping for some peace and a fresh start. Their next door neighbour Joe Callahan is not only quiet but for the most part invisible as he is never around. That is until one night blaring music wakes Violet in the early hours. Donning Tim's old robe and pink wellingtons with yellow flowers she goes over to confront Joe Callahan. Instead she is face to face with a tall beautiful woman. Joe is not at home. When Violet asks her to turn the music down she flips Violet off. Then Joe arrives throws out the woman. Violet then gets her first look at Joe Callahan, very tall muscular and scarred, but still very handsome.
From the first instant there is a spark between Joe and Violet. They embark on a sexual relationship, but just when Violet thinks its going somewhere Joe ends it. But Violet also has another local guy interested in her, a cop Mike Haines. When Joe sees this he does an about turn and wants Violet back. Violet is confused by all this attention from two very alpha males, but that isn't the end of it for her. As the man who murdered her husband crime boss Daniel Hart wants her as well, although his gifts and promised attention scare Violet, she worries for her daughters safety and others who mean something in her life.

Another great read from KA, she certainly knows how to draw her readers into her stories. As usual the characters are very well drawn, and not just the two leads. Characters from the first book also make a welcome appearance in this. In particular Alec and Feb from the first book For You (The 'Burg Series). I loved Violet's two daughters Kate and Keira they are brilliantly written, loved all the scenes they were in, whether it was sad or happy ones. They stole the limelight. Joe is pure alpha male and then some. Violet had only ever known one man intimately before Joe, that had been her dead husband Tim. One niggle I did have with this is Joe and Violet's behaviour was not always very attractive. Joe plays Violet, and Violet in turn plays Joe with Mike Haines that did not endear either of them to me. But if you can get past that this is still a very good book that is fast paced and addictive.

I absolutely loved this - this is Kristen Ashley at her finest.

Part 2 in The Burgs series and we have the newly widowed Violet and her two daughters moving in over the street from Feb and Colt to start a new life away from Chicago. Her neighbour, Joe' Cal' Callahan working as security to the stars is often away from home and they have never met until one night she has to go over to ask him to turn his music down in a ratty old dressing gown and pink wellies.

He's instantly captivated by her and they soon start a relationship that is purely sexual. He makes it clear that's all he wants but Violet is falling for him. He senses this and immediately and cruelly dumps her by announcing that `he's done'. Violet is crushed, heartbroken and tries to start over.

Unfortunately she has a major league stalker, the man who executed her cop husband and he's not done with her. Colt tells Joe this and his deeply hidden and denied feelings for Violet resurface and they start up again only for him to lie to her to force her to end the relationship...........again. He's brutally cruel and Violet is devastated.

She starts a relationship with Mike Haines (hero to be of book 4) but it's not the same and Joe eventually wises up and `claims' Vi and their relationship finally gets going in earnest.

Can I just say I LOVE JOE....... yes I call him Joe. Does that mean he's mine?

The first time I read this book was back in June 2011 and I've lost track of just how many times I've re-read it.
This is obviously one of my favourites and Joe/Cal is and always will be one of my top ten dream men.
Violet is beautiful but this beauty has brought her the unwanted attention of a powerful and dangerous man Daniel Hart. Daniel killed her husband and so Vi has packed her her two daughters Kate and Keira and moved to the 'burg.
Violet and the girls are settling in nicely all she knows about her neighbour is if he's home his black truck is on his driveway but more often than not he's away.

Her neighbour is Joe Callahan or Cal as he's known and he's huge, dangerous and handsome and I love him.

This book (as with all Kirsten's early books) has a bit of everything.

I don't give 5* often or easily and nearly all the older reads that originally received 5* (I was obviously more generous back then) have been demoted on re-reading but not this one.

Violet and her two daughters, Kate and Kiera have just moved from Chicago to a small town in Indiana. Although it's only 4 hours away, it's a world away from the gangster, Daniel Hart, who killed "Tim"; Violet's husband and father to their two teenage daughters. Now, they're on their own but Hart isn't finished with "Vi" (who caught his eye early on.) Now, he wants her for himself and he sets out to find her.

Joe "Cal" Callahan lives next door to Vi, Kate and Kiera. He's got his own issues and wants no part of a serious relationship. He's tried that, didn't work, he moved on. Cal's a rugged, tall, and handsome man and when an estranged girlfriend breaks into his house before he arrives and blasts classic rock non-stop; by at 2am, Vi's had enough and tromps over to put an end to it. Vi and Joe arrive about the same time, and Joe lets the woman have it, but not before noticing Vi for himself.

Kristen Ashley is fast becoming one of my favorite authors! Her stories suck you in and keep you interested...even when you should be cleaning, cooking or paying attention to your dog, who REALLY needs to go "potty"...STAT!! I will say I thought the book didn't need to be quite so long: (1,400 pages according to my Nook.) However, since it seriously kept my interest, I constantly tried to get back to it as often as possible! The story was great, the character development was even better and you KNEW how they felt and what they wanted. Which was NICE! Sometimes, Ashley's descriptions were exhausting and unnecessary, although, I knew that going into this book since I had just finished her long but great book, Sommersgate House.

This was an exciting story, with fantastic humor, serious gangster action and smoking hot sex! Now you know why I couldn't put it down! Loved it!!

Something about Joe, he's one sexy beefcake, "his lips at my ear, he murmured, “I want you in my bed tonight, buddy.” Joe obviously has his priorities straight, “might be gone two weeks, we need to eff.” I think Joe likes to drive his woman bonkers, “keep sayin’ Joe, baby, you’re makin’ me hard.” I growled, he grinned against my skin then." When the going gets tough, Joe makes plans to take his woman away, "he turned to me and cut me off. “Fair warnin’, there’s nothin ’ there. Just the house and the beach, a coupla houses either side. Nothin’ to do but fish, cook, sleep, eat, eff and read.” As usual I loved this read I don't think there's been a book by Kristen that I haven't loved.

This was my 1st book I read by this author. Loved it! It had everything sadness, romance and suspense. I do not think I have ever read a book that dealt with so many issues. There is love, trust, death, murder, drug addiction etc. I think alot of people can relate to this book as something that has happen at some point in their life. I would read a part and say to my self. Wow I am so happy I have never gone through that then I would read another part and want to break down crying because I have been through that and I know what the character is going through (the emotions the charcaters go through were right on the mark. I felt like I was reliving my life). The characters jumped out of the pages. I felt like I was part of the family. The Hero Joe was super alpha male and stayed the same through out the book. He took care of what was his the only way he new how, might not always be good or sugar coated but he made sure what belong to him was taken care of. The Herione Violet was an amazing & strong woman. Kristen Ashley wrote her characters with alot of thought and emotion. You could feel their happiness, love, anger and sadness. This a keeper for me and will read more from KA.

I just loved everything about this book, the characters, the humor and oh yes, the love!
Violet and her girls have moved to the 'Burg to start over and hide from Danny Hart. Hart's a mob head who has murdered her husband is obsessed with "Momalicious".

Their neighbor is Joe Callahan, a security specialist whose past has been full of heartbreak and loss. Joe and Violet develop an instant attraction to one another. Joe tries to keep the emotional connection out of their relationship but the girls and Violet find their place in his heart. Sadly, Joe tries to fight it by pushing them away.

Joe ends up staking claim on the life he wants. Joe saves his family from Hart and showers them with security and love.

Favorite scene hands down: The "stand down" between Joe and Mike was awesome, Holy Alphas!

So many parts of this story touched me: shopping with the girls, the black and white photos on the pizzeria walls and especially the shelf of photos of loved ones in their home.

RESERVATIONS AT COSTA'S ARE REQUIRED THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!

Violet Winters once had it all but when her husband was murdered by a criminal madman she is left to raise her two daughters alone moving to the Burg. Violet’s new neighbor Joe Callahan is mysterious and scary but she is very attracted to him. Joe and Violet can’t fight their attraction but he doesn’t date he has closed off his heart so they meet up for booty calls. Joe breaks her heart twice and she is finished with him. Another tragedy rocks Violet’s world and Joe steps in to take care of her and her girls. This is quite the intense, crazy, mysterious, thriller I was on the edge of my seat to the end and a few tears along the way. Fantastic read.

This book is one of my top two favorites by this author. It is definitely one of the darkest of her stories both in the main male characters current personality and backstory and the villian past and current deeds. This story, as per usual for this author is non stop mystery/suspense/action and adventure. Just when you think it's time for a lull something happens and the tension ratchets up again. This book absolutely has sexual tension and hot sex to spare. I loved the hero because as rude and horrible as he was in the beginning and as determined as he was not to get involved, once he's in he's fully committed and in it for good. I love a man with focus! I love the family theme in this one and the all inclusiveness of building a new family together, but including former in-laws, aunts, uncles, etc. Great story be prepared to practice discipline in order to get any work done while reading this one!

Kristen Ashley is one of my favorite authors and At Peace is my favorite book from The Burg series. Ms.Ashley writes alpha hero's like no one else. Violet Winters a widow who has moved her children from Chicago in an attempt to run form the man that killed her husband{who is obcessed with her} moves next door to Joe Callahan. Joe is all male with a sad and dark past. Violet is beyond taken with Joe but he doesn't want to enter into a relationship with her. Joe's past has left him physically and emotionally scarred. Violet tries to break through and gets hurt in the process. Even though Joe finds it hard to commit to Violet his need to protect her is strong.I love the HEA and especially Ms. Ashley's Epilogues. The relationship between Joe and Violet is intense but the emotional ride is worth the read.

Why make women seem so horrible?? So I really like KA's Colorado series. This is my first Burg's series and I will NOT read anymore. KA really needs to stop writing horrible women and then somehow passing them off as "worth it" for no reason! Good women do NOT act that way.
1) Sleep with 1 guy who treats you like a booty call while dating a man, NOT telling him the truth that you are sleeping with another man the SAME night you have a date with him. Just telling him its complicated.
2) Leave your teenage daughters at night alone to go have sex???
3) Be so "over it in grief" you let a man who in front of your teenage daughters (impressionable women) kisses another woman when they think you are dating him and then just take him back?
4) Still be mad at a 17 year old boy for THINKING about exploring other options when you at 35 actually STRUNG along 2 guys???? HYPOCRIT
This book was WAYY too long because she spent CHAPTERS on this love triangle and then it all ended with a unniteresting mob fight??? Im sorry I dont care how "hot" anyone is 3 men are not going to ignore their responsiblities, put up with that, and go to mob war over such a woman. I hate when authors portray women like that, instead of strong people capable of making good decisions, and not whiny, weak in order to make a man seem alpha. PLEASE. This book would have been without that unnecessary extra edition being strung out and maybe the characters would not have been that bad. She also probably wouldnt have struggled to bring the stalker story line to an end if she had concentrated on that instead of going this disgusting tangential story line.

I loved, loved, loved this book. I want a handsome, silent, slightly scary Joe to move next door to me! Joe was kind of the perfect guy. I'll admit he had a rough start with Violet, but once he figured his head out boy did he become a lovable hottie!! And Violet, she is just an awesome person. She is an awesome mom, and a caring person. I would want her to be my neighbor too lol. And I loved Kate and Keira, they were a big part of the book, not just background kids like in some books. This book has definitely gone on my 'Favourite Kristen Ashley Books' list. And I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

I love Kristen Ashley and this whole series, but Vi is unforgivable in this one. She was a great heroine - until she wasn't.
*
*
------- SPOILERS -------
Kristen Ashley is a great writer and an instant buy for me. I love her characters but Vi and her dick moves was a deal breaker for me. I hated how selfish she was in this one, stringing along a guy as nice as Mike, dating one guy and crawling into bed with another repeatedly. Makes it worse, she's not feeling much guilt over it, but thinks of herself as a victim. If Mike was a little less likeable or it was some revenge plot on an ex, maybe it would have easier to swallow. But Mike is such a nice, thoughtful guy. I can't believe Vi's behavior is acceptable in this story.This is definitely the worst in the series. Don't get me wrong, the writing is good and very readable. Just the plot is questionable. Lucky for me, Mike got his own book and his own happily ever after.

re-read. I think this book was always my favorite in this series. I loved Joe, I love Vi and her girls. This story was just as great as it always was if not better. Kristen Ashley can not only write but she can write a long book and keep my interest and never make me board or skim or want a book to be done. I always want more when I finish one of her books but especially this one. This is one of those books you take your time with because you love it so much, and I really think it says something when after multiple re-reads an author can still make you cry multiple times while reading a book.

This story of Joe and Violet is one of my favorites from Kristen Ashley. I like all of her books, but this one just had a feel about it that broke my heart and warmed it at the same time. It is long, but I don't feel like it drags on. The emotions are so raw that you get sucked right in. I love the talk of balancing the scales and the way the girls are written and Joe's interaction with them. I don't love Violet's wishy-washy side, but in the end I can get over that because of what she and Joe have. The ending is great, as always!

I have read most of KA’s books and I put this one in the top percent I have read of hers so far, up there with Motorcycle Man (Tack) and Sweet Dreams (Tate). Very well done. I look forward to seeing if any of the other four left in the series give this one a run for the money. KA is such an amazing writer.

I loved these characters so much! Joe is such a strong male lead, but not completely overbearing. I thought it was adorable how quickly Vi's girls had him wrapped around their fingers. There were a few times I want to strangle him too. Vi is such a strong character too. She's lost her husband and is just trying to make it through day by day. This story was filled with tragedy, but through it you find an amazing love story!

I absolutely love this book. I'm so glad that the author took the time and didn't try to make this 200 to 300 page book . I found myself laughing, tearing up and become so emotionally invested in it. The characters were written out really well and it made you feel like you are right there going to do it also .

At Peace is one of my all time favorite Kristen Ashley books. Violet's history was sad, but Joe's was devastating. The amount of time and trials that occurred between the two of them only made the book better. It was fantastic to see Joe - admittedly not quickly - change and come to open up to the Winters women. What a fantastic book and a definite must read from Kristen Ashley!

What a wonderful book, yeah! This one is my new Kristen Ashley favorite. Joe is a tough, alpha male with a sweet, soft side. He's had a tough life and has closed himself off to emotions and people, until he meets Violet and her two girls. This story is filled with humor, suspense and interesting characters. I enjoyed all the banter and there were many lines that made me laugh-out-loud. Kristen Ashley, you are my favorite author!

This was a sweet story. I enjoyed getting to know the Winters girls. They are sassy, sweet, big hearted women. Joe aka Cal had no chance in hell against not falling for them. Violet is a great mom. Very fun read.

First I have to say I can not stand that Joe calls Vi "buddy"... What is that about?? That being said, I LOVED THIS BOOK! I absolutely LOVE Joe! He is so alpha-hottie delicious! I love his tragic past and journey to over come it. I loved Violet and both her girls. I thought they were all such great characters that you just couldn't help but fall in love with. This was a fantastic story that had me hooked from the beginning! KA never disappoints!!!

WOW!! I'm New to Kristen Ashley and holy mother!! she's an amazing author! This was the best book ever!! I seriously want a Joe Callahan!! Violet and her girls omg I laughed so hard I cried and I was so freaking tuned on! This girl knows how to pen a story!! Seriously you want to read books that got it all?! Get anything from Kristen Ashley!!

I gave it 2*'s because there was some good writing in some places.

The characters were good, except I did not like the main two: Violet and Joe.

She was just too stupid for words, and he was a 'grunter'; I can't stand grunters. He needs help as he can't string a sentence together; he communicates in grunts and monosyllables, mostly. The author tries to create a super strong Alpha, but he just isn't my kind of Alpha. He's really just a jerk; he uses women for sex, then he's 'done' with them. There's much more to an alpha than that. Read A Bedtime Story; True Nature; Accepting His Proposal; we were one once; Vicious; Scars; I know What love Is, etc. Alpha's are exciting, thrilling, delicious, just to begin with; Joe was none of these. He was flat and boring! Many readers thought him hugely sexy. Can you explain how please?

Violet was a doormat. She had absolutely no idea what was going on around her, and needed constant reminders of what day it was, lol. She did absolutely nothing that was remotely interesting, and her conversation was so limited, as to be virtually non-existent. Yawn. Her constant use of the following almost drove me to throwing my tablet at the wall:

'I....'
'What?'
'Um....'
And finally:
'Joe..'

I so wish I had a £$ for every time Violet uttered one of these words/phrases; just drove me bonkers. I had to give this book up to the book Gods around 60%; I couldn't go on with this non-story, and I needed to get finished before Christmas, lol.

I don't regret this decision whatsoever, as I hate the way this author writes. Just an awful style of writing; I could never read anything else of hers. I had to really concentrate to work out a lot of what she was trying to say; might have been due to the lack of punctuation, but the main culprit is the way she writes. Some of it wasn’t so bad in places, but not nearly good enough to keep me wanting more. I found myself re-reading bits, over and over again, trying to make sense of it, until finally I realised it wasn't worth the effort. There was absolutely NO Ooomph here at all; it was a dead dodo.

Life’s too short to read these long, empty, boring, little town stories: Brookside Close; Coronation Street; EastEnders; and all the other TV 'soaps' that I don't know the names of, because I don't watch sh*te like that. Or read books like this. Feel like I need a holiday to get over it. LOL

Would I ever be tempted to try to finish it?
No! Simply do not have the time.

Kindle Edition, 660 pages of this tat; reader beware.

As with most Kristen Ashley novels, I devoured At Peace within a couple of days but unlike her other novels this one left me feeling very frustrated. It's a nice typical Kristen Ashley book and you will get what you expect in her books (independent but lonely heroine, alpha male hero, crazy ex, spunky and vibrant secondary characters etc.) but this book had many aspects that left more to be desired after the last page has been flipped.

****There will be SPOILERS in this review****

The main problems I had were with the main characters. Violet started off as an independent and strong heroine and we could see this as she works hard to raise her two daughters and give them a happy life. This Vi was dealing with her husband's tragic death and pulled herself together for her kids. I would happily read about this Vi for 100 chapters but after the first couple of chapters, my beloved strong Vi was gone. She practically lost her backbone the minute she met Joe and it bothered me that Vi let Joe control so much of her life. Joe was even making decisions that included her children and she did not, could not, say anything about it other than the usual interrupted one worded sentences like 'Joe-'. After a chapter full of this I had to avoid ripping my hair out. Another thing was that Vi was easily swayed with a kiss. It's nice when my heroines and heroes are weak only for each other but Violet instantly relents and submits to Joe the minute he touches her and this happens in almost every chapter of the book. It got really tiring. At one time, after she spends the night fooling around with Mike in Mike's house, she comes home and Joe confronts her. I was excited because I thought this would be the time where Vi would call out on Joe's behaviour and begin the steps to move but this did not happen. Joe practically throws himself on her and she ends up having sex with him because she can't resist him! I was so disappointed in Violet that I had to stop reading and put this book down because of that scene. By the end I didn't recognise Violet as the same woman when the book started as she even starts talking in chopped sentences just like Joe.

Even after that I would have given this book 4 stars but Joe completely knocked this book down to 2.5 stars. He was a jerk. Plain and simple. Hearing his sob story explained why he was a jerk but did not excuse the fact that he was the ultimate jerk in the history of Kristen Ashley books that I've read. Everything had to be his way and Vi usually had no say in the relationship. What's more is that Violet always ends up convincing herself that Joe is right so she never confronts Joe about his behaviour. Another thing that annoyed me was that Joe could hurt Violet so much and expect her to get over it. The love scenes in this book was smoking hot but what made it sizzling was the intimacy that Joe and Violet shared. And after the intimacy that Violet and Joe shared it was unbelievable that he could break the relationship in a cruel way not once, but twice. That's just not hero material. But what bothered me the most was that he never apologised for hurting them. Not even once had he said sorry. When Vi was hurting I was hurting along with her and Joe never made himself up in my eyes so I can not love Joe when he does not take into consideration how Violet feels. He didn't think about the hurt he inflicted to not just Violet, but her kids as well when he broke their relationship off publicly the second time. Call me heartless but this made it hard for me to swallow anything he said after they got back together. I even skimmed his speech about family and kids and balancing the scales because I really didn't believe him as a worthy hero. Which was a shame because after they got together Joe took a 180 turn into the loving signature KA alpha male.

Also, I didn't like how KA used the death of a closed one to push Joe and Violet together. I enjoyed this person's character and this also meant that there was 0 grovel from Joe before Violet took him back. It would've been more interesting to read how Joe wins Violet over under normal circumstances.

Despite all these things, I thought this was a nicely thought out story. I also enjoyed the stalker sub-plot and liked how it did not dominate the book. Violet's daughters, Kate and Keirra, absolutely stole my heart. They had two completely different, conflicting personalities but it was easy to fall in love with both of them and their bickering. The segments with Francesca and Benny were interesting and I can't wait for their book to come out. I'll admit that when Joe and Violet's relationship was good, it was really good. Still, a part of me didn't buy it.

After all my issues with the book would I re-read it? Maybe if I'm feeling forgiving. If you need a Kristen Ashley fix this book will probably do but my personal warning is that Joe is not as yummy or as heroic as Tate or Chace.

This one is right up there with Lady Luck, Motorcycle Man and Playing for Keeps! So, so good packed full of so much Kristen Ashley goodness...just amazing! It had everything I've come to expect from KA and then some. God, I love her so much!

Oh yea, this author rocks! I am so glad I found her work. Her stories are sooo great! They are long, but oh so good with plenty of romance, action, love, comedy, drama and plenty of alpha males!! I LOVE YOUR BOOKS KRISTEN!! Keep them coming!!!!!

I have read almost all of Kristen Ashley's books and they are all great. This one is my favorite so far. It was amazing! I have to say I have several favorite authors but with this book, Mrs. Ashley is now at the top of my favorite list. Wow, just wow!

DNF.

Loved this series, but the female in this book, who you think after following Feb, would be another amazing female, was a door mat.

She is the mother of 2 girls, (single mom) and yet had zero self respect for a guy who used her, had a pet name of "BUDDY".

Nope this one was not for me and I love this author and series.

I would recommend skipping.

I am vey sorry but i could not appreciate bring attracted and having sex with someone that calls me #buddy#. I only read the sample amd did not go any further. I was stuck on the fact he hardly used her name. Also, he was very mean and ugly when he threw out the unwanted visitor he had in the beginning of the book. You can be firm but not cruel. I think these authors are taking the alpha males a bit too far.

I bought this book based on the reviews it already had. That was a big mistake. I like Alpha Males similar to the ones Linda Howard writes. Joe Callahan crosses over to a Neanderthal. I did not like either Joe or Vi. Vi was a trampy slut and Joe was a jerk. Skip this one.