Book Blurb:
She takes my breath away.
She’s so beautifully damaged.
A mirror of my own tortured soul.
A mirror of my own tortured soul.
I was powerless to stay away from her.
I was responsible for all the pain and grief that brought her to her knees in front of me.
Broken. Hopeless. Reckless in her agony.
But what I took away I can give back…in ways she cannot even begin to imagine.
Ways that I can’t stop thinking about.
Ways that I can’t stop thinking about.
Together we spun a tangled web of lust and need. Power and submission. And dare I say... trust and love.
We’re everything right in all our wrongs.
We found redemption. We found happiness. A chance for a new beginning.
but... she has no idea I’m the one who destroyed her life.
So I have enthusiastically begun my journey through the Ashes & Embers series. I have yet to be disappointed by any of these books. They keep getting better. In Storm, book 1, we learn that each of the men in the Valentine family have experienced something truly awful or tragic at some point in their lives. Vandal is Asher's cousin and he's the subject of book 2.
I truly loved Storm and his story. I may still blog about it, but I jumped so quickly into Vandal I got a tad sidetracked. Vandal's story called to me. At the end of Storm, we find out what Vandal's tragedy is. My heart was screaming so hard. After that discovery I couldn't do anything other than open up Vandal and start reading. I had to see where this revelation lead.
After suffering inexplicable losses Vandal and Tabitha find each other. They find some comfort in each other, and build a shaky relationship built on deception and lies. Vandal's lies. As time passes their relationship strengthens. Vandal has abandonment issues. He also turns to vices to numb his pain. After being abused as a child he also has a need for control. Through his own pain, he sees a kindred spirit in Tabi. Vandal strives to dull the pain in her eyes and bring her back to life.
When the heartbreaking truth that lead to their losses comes out Tabitha is left in the wreckage. Wreckage left behind in the aftermath of the explosion of truth. Tabi and Vandal aren't sure if their relationship can survive this revelation. Once they begin to figure things out, Carian Cole, proves yet again how much she loves a good plot twist. And boy oh boy! Plot twist! And one more time a little louder for those in the back. PLOT. TWIST! Say what?! MIND = BLOWN!
I almost feel like Vandal ended on a little bit of a cliffhanger. Usually everything is all tied up in a nice neat bow, but this ended with a bit of hmm? Tabi & Vandal’s stories were so painful and messy that I think this ending fit their story. It was very realistic and RELATABLE. Real life is messy. Real life isn’t always all wrapped up in a neat and tidy bow. Love doesn't have to be pretty.
Carian ended the story how it needed to end. If it leads to more down the line.. who knows? I can't wait to find out. The Ashes & Embers series is shaping up to be a collection of must reads. In this case, I’m very glad to be late to the party, because I can binge to my hearts content until I burn my way through the books. I’m already prepared for the therapy I may need after reading their stories. So emotionally gripping. If you haven't read a Carian Cole book yet, please do!
RATING: 5/5 STARS ✰✰✰✰✰
Website: https://www.cariancolewrites.com/
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Buy this book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Vandal-Ashes-Embers-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00TZ8A0O4/
Happy reading!
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