Deacon by Kristen Ashley Series: The Unfinished Heroes Series #4
on September 23, 2014
Pages: 216 pages
Genres: Erotic, Romance
Goodreads
AMZ US
Deacon has an ugly history, a history that broke him, leaving him a ghost of a man. Out of necessity, he left the normal world to descend into the criminal world and found he fit. So he stayed. Cold as ice and living off the grid, Deacon has no intention to connect, not with anyone.
Then he returns to some remote cabins in the Colorado Mountains and finds they have new owners. One of them is Cassidy Swallow, a young woman willing to work hard to live her quiet dream in a house by a river surrounded by aspen and pine.
Suddenly, Deacon finds he’s at war. Cassidy’s pull for him to connect is strong. He fights it, but he loses, always coming back for more. But when he does, he gives her nothing.
From the first time she sees him, Cassidy knows Deacon is dead inside. She knows he’s the kind of man who could destroy a woman. But one night when Deacon’s control slips, Cassidy takes a chance.
He might break her. He also might be her dream come true.
“You’re a vulnerability,” he ground out. “MY vulnerability. I have no vulnerabilities. I spent years shaving’ every last one away from me so there was nothin’ left. Now I got one, a big one, and I do not give one f*ck as long as she’s in Colorado, sitting’ on her porch, waiting’ for me to get back.”
KA and her anti-hero’s rock! I love the combination. Not only does she give us our dirty-mouthed, alpha-male who is hawt as … But she has an uncanny ability to make each one vulnerable. Here, Deacon hides a past that has him drowning in self-loathing and guilt. He is passionate and can be incredibly sweet and tender – vulnerable. It is a dichotomy, really. The perfect character, one that isn’t singular. Which makes him relatable as well as lovable. The perfect anti-hero. One whose acts make you struggle with your morals to love, but whose character is so endearing you can’t help but love. While Deacon may have lacked the traditional attributes of a hero, he certainly made up for those in the way he worshipped and took care of Cassidy.
KA doesn’t stop with her rockin’ anti-hero’s, she pairs them with kick ass heroine’s, as she did with Cassidy. They are bossy, yet submissive, tender, yet strong, smart-alecky yet sweet.
Cassidy set out to follow her dreams. Running a set of cabins in the Colorado Mountains was living the life for her, even if it took every penny she had earned and some blood sweat and tears to fix them up the way she wanted, naming them Glacier Lily. Bringing her boyfriend with her, she thinks her fairy tale is about to come true. Only to find his idea of living is far different from hers. While fighting over money, relationship and work of the cabin, they receive a renter. John ‘Deacon’ Priest.
Over the years things change, she dumps her boyfriend, Deacon continues to visit his room #11, and she continues to beautify the cabins. Eventually, one Christmas when they are both without family and his trusty room #11 is booked when he needs respite from work, she offers a guest bedroom. Things change between them that night, a little Christmas kiss would be the slow start of Deacon’s healing.
“That’s why,” he stated confusingly and I looked to him again.
“What?”
“That and your eyes.”
I didn’t say anything, just watched him drive.
He said something. “And your Christmas kiss”
Oh my God.
My Christmas kiss. He remembered my Christmas kiss.
“Deacon,” I whispered.
“And a hundred other things,” he stated.
He had a lot of healing to do, and thankfully Cassidy had a lot of patience. A very steamy, sexy read, but also a lovely story.
Tally: #33 KA books read, verdict: I loved it!
About Kristen Ashley
Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA and nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!). Her mother said they took Kristen away, put her Mom back in her room, her mother looked out the window, and Gary was on fire (Dr. King had been assassinated four days before). Kristen’s Mom remembered thinking it was the end of the world. Quite the dramatic beginning.
Nothing’s changed.
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana and has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus, she’s blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her family was (is) loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. They all lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing, it keeps getting better.
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