Tuesday, April 7, 2015

review || FOR THE LOVE OF ASH { blog tour }

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For The Love of Ash Cover

 


 


For The Love of Ash by Taylor Lavati


Publisher: someone (3/9/2015)
Genre: New Adult
Source: S.B.B. Promotions
Purchase links || amazon || add to goodreads

Rating: ★★★1/2

Maggie Larken is a reformed party girl. After her parent’s death, she’s left to raise Asher, her nine-year-old brother.

Luke Wilson has done everything his parents have ever asked of him. A new teacher, Luke constantly questions where his life is headed. When Luke and Maggie meet, neither is in the market for a relationship. But sometimes life has other plans. Both navigate new waters as they try to decide where their priorities should lie, while also seizing what they want. In this heartbreakingly real tale of love, Maggie and Luke discover what being a family truly means.



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about Taylor || Taylor Lavati is a twenty three year old student residing in a small town in Connecticut with her husband and flat-coated retriever. She enjoys writing books that are unique with dynamic characters. She writes both Young Adult and New Adult with ranging genres from fantasy to dark romance. When she's not writing, she's reading. When she's not reading, she's gaming.







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For The Love of Ash Teaser

{ playlist } .
Want to Want Me—Jason Derulo 
Stolen Dance—Milky Chance 
Jealous—Nick Jonas 
Me and My Broken Heart—Rixon 
Skinny Love—Birdy 
Take Me Home Tonight—Jamestown Story 
Save Tonight—Eagle-Eye Cherry 
Human—Christina Perri 
Lovesick Fool—The Cab 
Stay—Florida Georgia Line 
I’m Not Okay—My Chemical Romance 
Change—Taylor Swift 
All That Matters—Justin Beiber 
Make You Feel My Love—Adele

{ review } .
Let me start this with:

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. There were parts that didn't quite read as full as some of my favorite authors (I don't really know how to explain that sentiment, just that at times, the writing felt off just a bit). I also felt that some of the things Asher did weren't really age-appropriate (sans the thumb sucking -- working with children, I'm fully aware how some revert due to stress), but while his big confession that causes the whole plot bang in the book wasn't what I would call a nine-year-old declaration, I understand the author's need to make him nine for the sake of everything else in the story. One other thing I was disappointed in? I wanted to know the man's tattoos! Sure, we get to know the clock, but I was super interested in the one on his neck/back...

Anywho.
 
After a car accident took their parents, Maggie becomes the sole guardian of her nine year old brother, Asher. Deciding that she needs to go back to school, Maggie settles the two of them into an apartment in a town she wants to get away from.

Growing up, Maggie was one of the "mean" girls. She smoked, drank, and often had negative things to say. However she is now a different person -- or so she tries.

Her one vice, I would say, would be she still smokes, because it's a stress reliever, much like her brother sucking his thumb -- something she wants him to kick, but their therapist says that it will go away in time.

Luke has lived a priveledged life -- on the outside.

Inside the walls of the family home, he and his five siblings have been parented by nannies, have a mother who ignores them, and a father who beats them. Much to the family's demise, he gave up the fast-track to being a lawyer, to be a gym teacher -- what he really wants in life is to help some child who was like him, who hadn't been helped and could have used it. And while he'd rather be anywhere but home, he takes a job at an elementary school nearby -- at least it's not the prep school his parents would rather he teach at.

The only reason he stays home is because he still has siblings living at home. When he sees a scratch on his sister Lilly's face, and she says that it was nothing, he'd just hit her because she was failing her summer college level course, Luke sees red.

Luke is very much a protective guy -- with his family, and then eventually with Asher and Maggie. His biggest fear is becoming his father, which no amount of damage could do because Luke is such a loving, giving person.

I rather enjoyed the slow progression of Maggie and Luke's romance. I liked that it started out bickering; I liked that he was intrigued by his classmate with the young son (even though he didn't take a moment to ponder the age difference). It was, however, unrealistically coincidental that on the very night he proclaims he's keeping his familial life to himself, Maggie gets a good wiff of it -- and yet, that night was not the driving part in the fall out of the story.

I most enjoyed the fact that Luke called her Sunshine the first day in class, then Sunny after, much to Maggie's distaste -- but the nickname grew on her. She is his sunshine; she is the brightness to his days. So the fact that Sunny stuck? Gah, I love it.

Annddd... que the epilogue reader-comment: my goodness, this epi was a good one. I love how much Luke loves Maggie, and I love what a great father figure he gives Asher. It's obviously a bit of a learning curve for Maggie and Luke to raise Asher, but I think they'll do just fine.

As I had not heard of Taylor Lavati pre-this tour, I'm curious as to what this book will bring forth. I'm rooting for a series, with Linds and Finn next? Yeah? Oh, yeah... I want stories for all those Wilson kids, but eventually I really want to see Liam's story. Granted, he's just a baby... he's got a good 8, 9, 10 years to grow up but I'd like to see his story, too.

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