BLOG TOUR * AMBER TO ASHES by GAIL MCHUGH * REVIEW + GIVEAWAY

Amber to Ashes by Gail McHugh
Also by this author: Collide
Series: Torn Hearts #1
Published by Atria Books on June 9th 2015
Genres: Dark Romance, New Adult
Pages: 480
Format: eARC
Goodreads

From the New York Times bestselling author of Collide and Pulse comes a gritty new novel about a shattered young woman who unexpectedly falls for two best friends.

They were a storm I never saw coming, an unforeseen heartbreak on the edge of a dangerous cliff.

Amber Moretti’s life changes in the span of minutes. An orphaned outsider, she is desperate to start fresh the moment she walks onto campus. In the time it takes to cross the university’s dining hall, she meets two men who bring color, air, and light to her darkened world.

They became my addiction, each a needle to my next hit, my high.

Brock Cunningham’s appeal is dizzying, a potent force Amber can’t deny. A green-eyed smooth talker, he instantly attracts Amber. It doesn’t take long for him to consume her every thought, her every breath.

Ryder Ashcroft, a blue-eyed, tattooed, and pierced bad boy, turns Amber off immediately—that is, until he kisses her, stealing a piece of her heart, her soul.

They were as opposite as fire and ice, yet I ached for them equally.

Never knowing she could be broken down in so many unexpectedly beautiful yet petrifying ways, Amber finds herself falling for both men.

Immoral? Maybe. I say undeniable. Uncontained.

But one devastating event changes everything, shattering each of their lives...and Amber isn’t sure she can recover from it.

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Review by Maria

“You know my ugly parts, yet here you are. “

Amber to Ashes has been one of my most highly anticipated books this year. I have been anxiously awaiting it since author Gail McHugh began talking about it. When she posted a beta reader’s reaction, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I was so nervous that I contemplated reading the ending first, which to me is an absolute never. I like to go in blind. I don’t really even read reviews until after I read the book. I go on friends’ recommendations, type of book and instinct. Gail McHugh’s other books, Collide and Pulse were favorites of mine. But I knew this story would not be like them. It would be darker and a little more twisted. However, I love dark and twisted. Once I started reading, I was hooked.  I devoured this book, inhaling every page with a racing heart because I had to know how it would end. It is a love triangle with a twist. I somehow missed that it was a series because the ending surprised me, yes, it’s a cliffhanger, but I’m okay

“I fell for the two loves of my life when I was 19. Yes, two. Plural. More than one. One was my rock. My strength. My first real…obsession. The other was my passion, my burn.”

The characters are intriguing and captivating, perfectly imperfect.  Amber is so screwed up and lost, I found myself loving and being angry with her throughout the story. At times, I had to stop and breathe because I couldn’t understand what she was thinking. She is damaged and broken, vulnerable but strong. Her need for love is her undoing, I must say, and leads to some unexpected poor choices. Brock is your all American Abercrombie hero. Captain of the football team, gorgeous, confident and he has his life on track. He appears to be perfect, but appearances can be deceiving. There is something dark about him. Though I love him, I knew he was not who he portrayed himself to be. Ryder stole my heart. Cocky, sexy, self possessed, smooth but somehow sincere, I just instantly loved him. He has a fundamentally good character. He has his issues, his demons and secrets but he is more honest in my eyes. Calls it like he sees it but has a loyalty to Brock. Their friendship appears solid, firm and fast. Things get heated quick. Amber makes them face things they seemed to be avoiding. The alternating POV is on point, helping the reader understand each character just a little bit more. It’s my favorite writing style when done well and author Gail McHugh does it very well. Just when I’m thinking what the hell, I come to understand because of this switch in narrator.

“Let us, baby. Let us give you what you want. What you need.”

I like to keep my reviews spoiler free but I feel I must warn the readers that this is a love triangle and there is M/F/M menage with a cliffhanger. I only mention that because if you don’t like that, then this book isn’t for you. I thought Amber to Ashes was well paced, engaging, angsty, and steamy. Gail McHugh knows how to write a sex scene! From sweet and sensual to raw and dirty, this book had it all. It is fantastic and gritty. I recommend it and cannot wait to read the next one to see what happens next and who ends up together.

“If you were mine, someone’d have to f**king kill me before I ever shared you with anyone else. Jesus!You can’t have the both of us! Don’t you get that?”

 

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