Book Blurb:
A thirty-six year old mother of two finds out life isn't over after divorce when a sexy as hell twenty-four year old tattoo artist kisses her senseless under a shooting star.
Ivy thought she had it all--married to her high school sweetheart, two great kids, and a beautiful house. But her world comes crashing down when she catches her husband with another woman.
When her best friend gives her a gift certificate to a local tattoo parlor to cheer her up, Ivy gets a helluva lot more when inked-up Lukas Valentine--renowned tattoo artist, violin player extraordinaire, and extreme hopeless romantic--captures her heart.
Lukas is an old soul with a heart of gold. When Ivy walks into his shop, he's instantly drawn to her shy smile and down to earth personality. Tired of the dating scene, Lukas is ready to settle down, and he's hell-bent on making Ivy believe they can have the happily ever after they both dream about - with each other.
Despite their age difference, the chemistry and love they share is undeniable. Lukas is everything Ivy never knew she wanted in a man, but can she trust her heart with a much younger man, and can they overcome the hurdles that life keeps throwing in their way?
** Lukas can be read as a single book, has no cliffhanger, and a happily ever after
Lukas is book 3 in the Ashes & Embers series. Lukas Valentine is the younger brother of Vandal Valentine. This book actually begins before Vandal's story and the storylines eventually crossover. Ivy and Lukas's budding relationship is mentioned in Vandal, but a lot of the details are glossed over to allow their story to be told separately. It was nice to jump back and see where Ivy and Lukas began.
We meet Ivy as her marriage comes to a crashing halt when she discovers her husband, Paul's infidelity. Ivy is drowning in emotions and snacks to make herself feel better. Her best friend, Lauren, wants to help Ivy get herself back together and help her move on. Lauren decides Ivy needs to try something new. Something she has always wanted to do, but has never done out of respect for her husband. A tattoo is just what Ivy needs. Paul never liked tattoos, so Ivy never got one. Lauren won a gift certificate to a tattoo parlor so she decides to gift it to Ivy.
Lukas Valentine is the tattoo artist. He's a young, pierced, tatted, long-haired hottie. Their chemistry is instant, although Ivy tries to fight her attraction to him. Ivy has huge reservations about dating Lukas due to their 12 year age gap. She is also scared to trust somehow after her less-hot ex cheated on her.
Lukas is such a sweetheart. He's very patient with Ivy, but never gives up on wearing her down. He's an old soul who is already ready to settle down. He knows exactly what he wants. And he wants Ivy. Lukas had a hard life and had to grow up fast. He battled some demons as a child that would make anyone grow up quickly. He fought his way through the traumas of his past and is working hard to continue moving forward and be a good man. He's a business owner and part-time member of Ashes & Embers. Ivy finally starts to see who Lukas is and trusts that he knows his heart. These two fall so hard for each other. Their love story was so sweet and full of romance. Humor. Passion. Tenderness. Trust. Lukas builds a bond with Ivy's children. What more could they ask for?
Towards the end of the book we experience Vandal's tragedy from the perspective of his brother Lukas. If I thought this experience in Vandal was hard to get through, it was almost worse experiencing it through Lukas's eyes. So much of it wasn't described due to Vandal not being aware of what happened at that time. But Lukas was aware. Painfully aware. And thankfully he had Ivy and the rest of the Valentine family to lean on. My heart broke. Visualizing such strong men fall apart is so heartbreaking.
I. Could. Not. Breathe. My heart was racing. I was so mad I was listening to this part on audiobook at work. The audio made it so much more vivid to hear this happen. The emotions in the voices. The pain and tears. Good lord. I wanted to curl up under my desk and cry, but I had to maintain my composure. One of the hardest things I've had to do! I needed to let those tears flow so bad.
The family struggles through this tragedy and slowly Ivy and Lukas return to their regular routine. Their bond is also strengthened. Until something totally unexpected happens. Ivy questions everything she knows and trusts and loves about Lukas.
Was she betrayed by the man she loves, again? Who does she trust? Who does she believe? Asher pops up and drops some awesome advice bombs on Ivy. I appreciate Asher so much when he appears in these scenes. Since I started with Asher first, I already know how and why he's so wise. And I know what's being hinted at in each of these scenes. He appears in quite a few of the preceding books doling out relationship advice. It's best to read the series in order, but I'm not disappointed. I feel like I'm in a secret club knowing Asher's secrets. But I digress!
When the real truth comes out it's even harder for Ivy to fathom, but now she knows Lukas is trustworthy. Someone else she trusts implicitly has betrayed her. Not Lukas. This brings it's own set of challenges, but it doesn't have anymore bearing on Ivy and Lukas' relationship. He's definitely the man for her. Age is just a number and has no bearing on their relationship.
Ivy and Lukas reconcile. But with it comes another GIGANTIC bomb. It's a bomb Lukas and Ivy, together, decide they can live with and work through, but it also requires lifelong secrecy. Carian Cole has truly mastered the art of throwing in the unexpected. I couldn't contain my surprise and exclaimed out loud. "What?! OH MY GOD!" Where is this going to lead? In life you have to let certain decisions play out. Will this decision come back to haunt me? Will this secret come out years down the line? And if it does, what will happen?
Lukas has a happy ending and I'll say it doesn't end with a cliffhanger, There's resolution in this ending., but it will definitely stay in my mind as I continue to read the Ashes & Embers series. I am following (low key stalking, but shh it's no big deal) Carian Cole on all the socials. I have joined the hordes of die hard fans and will patiently wait for each and every book she releases. They are worth any wait needed for the perfection of these stories. Onto the next! Talon here I come.
RATING: 5/5 STARS ✰✰✰✰✰
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Buy this book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012VC9T5G?
Happy reading!
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