Reviews

*sigh* I LOVED it! Definitely my favorite KEW book. Alaina and Cole were perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed the character development and progression of their relationship. A perfect blend of action, romance, angst, and spice to make this an unforgettable adventure. I was emotionally invested from beginning to end.

"It has come to mind, Miss MacGaren, that in the past few months three people have entered and affected my life. They had no face I could define, yet each bore the mark of this war. First, there was the ragged boy driven from his home and, I thought, well in need of my attention. Then, I came across a convincingly wayward wench who seared her brand upon my mind and left me searching for a face and a form. And lastly, there was the widow who, though well veiled, had a shape so refined that it stirred my imagination and made me seek her out." He glanced aside at Alaina. "Now I find they are all one and the same. Tell me, Miss MacGaren, am I the richer or the poorer for my new-found knowledge?"

🎙️ Cassandra York and Ashford McNab delivered! The narration improves with a faster listening pace.

🎧 Recommended Listening Speed: 1.7+
(I listened at 2.5 speed)

*First Read: 13 October 2023*

neensobeens1's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.25

sammy234's review against another edition

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Adding this to my read pile, because I read 300 pages of this book and I'm proud of myself for that. The writing is great, as is the historical detail, but the story got a bit disjointed around page 270.

I picked up this book because I heard that Kathleen E. Woodiwiss wrote angsty, dark historical romances with alpha male heroes.

Maybe I should have started with a different book by her?
Because I honestly got none of that.

It wasn't dark at all, nor was the hero alpha enough for me. He probably will be alpha enough for most people, but I'm not most people lol.

I loved the heroine, though. She was fantastic.

The racism was hard to stomach. I get it. It wouldn't make sense if it weren't there because of the time period this was set in, but still.

Other than that... I'm just not captured by the story like I was at the beginning when the main female character was pretending to be a boy and running away from the confederacy. There was such charm in it then.

I also loved the evil scheming cousin sub plot. Pretty weird, but what can I say? Give me something angsty and messed up as possible and I'm happy.

nbvanderhyden's review against another edition

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5.0

Y'all, "Ashes in the Wind," let me tell you-

Reading Romance is like what I image doing hard drugs is like. You are always searching for the next high. As soon as you are finished with the emotional upheaval of a book, you either have a total downer mood, aka book hangerover, or immediate begin another book wanting to ride that high a little longer.

Ashes in the Wind was such an emotional saga for me, that I wanted to chase that high as soon as I finished.

To date, this is my favorite of KDubs and even one of the best books I've read this year.

It was fast paced and super angsty with believable antagonists and some real fun local facts for your NOLA girl here.

If you are a lover of Old School romance, this is not one to be missed!

Alrighty, they have kissed and I've told you about it!

yazthebookish's review against another edition

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4.0

4 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ashes in the Wind was a pleasant surprise! It got my heart fluttering and pounding with its extremely slow-burn romance and in agitation of unforeseen circumstances

I was spellbound by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss’s fluid writing. I was wholly immersed in what I consider to be a heavy romance book without it being a daunting experience because the writing alone just flows beautifully.

The romance was a chaotic whirlwind! The blazing chemistry between Alaina and Cole, because I would not describe in any other way, engulfed me. The slow-burn was truly excruciating because trust me when I say it. was. SLOW. Yet, it was rewarding once they sheathed their claws and their hearts began to soften for one another. Though I have to say I enjoyed their banter and teasing, but half of the time I found it to be vexing because it burst my lovey-dovey bubbles whenever there was a perfect romantic moment, they managed to ruin it somehow. As for the characters themselves, I really liked Alaina but she played with my nerves a lot. As for Cole, I had mixed feelings about him, I liked him in the first quarter of the book, began to have very mixed feelings about him by the end of Part 1 but I grew to like him more in Part 2.

As for the plot, I would say it was a bumpy ride. Unlike other romances, this one has a more serious tone to it and the circumstances do not get easier for the characters although I felt like there were events that were a little too convenient for the characters. It was probably 30% to 50% through the story that I felt it’s becoming a little flat and the pacing did not help but it managed to keep me interested for the other half of the book which I believe has the best bits.

Despite the few points I wasn’t happy about, I would recommend this book but keep in mind that it’s roughly around 600 pages and it’s a heavy read in terms of the story. I promise you if you love slow-burn romances, this will satisfy your craving for a true slow-burn.

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