Reviewer: Holly The Will by Kristen Ashley
Series: Magdalene #1
Also in this series: Soaring, The Time in Between (Magdalene, #3)
Publication Date: April 8th 2014
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 379
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
Series Rating:
Early in her life, Josephine Malone learned the hard way that there was only one person she could love and trust: her grandmother, Lydia Malone. Out of necessity, unconsciously and very successfully, Josephine donned a disguise to keep all others at bay. She led a globetrotting lifestyle on the fringes of the fashion and music elite, but she kept herself distant.
While Josephine was trotting the globe, retired boxer Jake Spear was living in the same small town as Lydia. There was nothing disguised about Jake. Including the fact he made a habit of making very bad decisions about who to give his love.
But for Josephine and Jake, there was one person who adored them. One person who knew how to lead them to happiness. And one person who was intent on doing it.
Even if she had to do it as her final wish on this earth.
This read like an older KA novel, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I haven’t loved her last 3 or 4 releases, but I really enjoyed this one.
Josie’s manner of speaking was hard to get into early on. She’s very formal and sounded old fashioned. I had a hard time believing she didn’t understand a lot of modern colloquialisms. Her general innocence was bothersome, since she had a hard childhood and spent years globe-trotting. It was explained that she kind of took on this persona to protect herself from further hurts, but that didn’t make sense given the life she lived up until her return to Magdalene.
Similarly, I had a problem with how the Ashley brushed over the fact that Jake owned a strip club. In a small town, I don’t think he’d be as respected or well-liked, nor would his kids be revered the way they were, as a strip-club owner.
I liked her and Jake together, however. I also liked his kids. I liked his kids (and their friends) a lot, actually. They were possibly the best part of the book. Ashley writes kids really well. They acted like real teenagers do, yet they weren’t annoying or bratty.
As with all Kristen Ashley’s books, parts of it were over-the-top. The return of someone from Josie’s past and the drama with her boss, for example.
Though this isn’t my favorite or hers, I enjoyed it for the most part and will probably re-read it. Incessantly. Because I have a problem.
3.75/5
This book is self-published. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
Leave a Reply