Book Tour for Ash to Steele by Karen-Anne Stewart (Review & GIVEAWAY)

As a fan of the New Adult genre I was immediately drawn to this intensely emotional book, Ash to Steele by Karen-Anne Stewart.  Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of this book, along with my impressions of it, and then make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card and a free e-book of Ash to Steele too!

Emma

Who I am and all I believe is marred with just one glance into angry, steel blue eyes. He seems to control my air, my ability to breathe. He makes me crave everything I know is a sin. Pure becomes tainted and lines are blurred. It's my fault; I'm the one who isn't strong enough. I've been damaged...broken. Breck's words haunt me...'There's a consequence for every choice you make.'
Breck
I've had so many women I can't even remember over half of their names, but none of them are mine; I make damn sure of that. I take what I desire and never look back. I don't need or want anyone, ever...not until I met Emma. Those eyes bore into what's left of my soul and her touch sears me, weakens me. I want to hate her for that. She is my ruin...my sweetest hell.

EXCERPT:

Angrily opening my eyes, I slam my palms against the floor, not wanting to think of last night, of Emma, or how beautiful she looked without make-up and wearing those old, torn jeans and worn-out jacket.  I wanted to kiss her.  That goes against all my rules.  No kissing, no personal shit, just sex.  Lots of sex. Seeing her bare skin through the holes in those jeans made me thirst for sex.  I could taste her.  Her phantom flavor bursts on my tongue even now.  There was nothing remarkable about the modest amount of skin I saw.  Hell, the holes weren’t even near intimate areas, but seeing her tan skin made me want to see all of her, lying on the bed for me.  Just for me.  That’s another cardinal sin, none of them are mine, I make damn sure of that. 
There’s an unending supply of women who are willing to follow the rules and service my needs, so thoughts of Emma getting in my way doesn’t make any sense.  Only pansy asses like Jason believe in love at first site, swearing that’s what happened between him and Jess.  That’s bullshit.  Love is bullshit.
Emma is different, possibly innocent, or at least more innocent than the others.  Maybe that’s what’s screwing with my head.  I’ve grown too accustomed to women who are anything but innocent. Debased.  That’s what I prefer, what I’m used to, what I need.  There’s only one way to get her poison out of me…I will make her like the others.

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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

It's books like this that have contributed to the increasing popularity of the New Adult genre.  With realistic characters, gritty life experiences, and a feeling of sensuality permeating the story it's easy to get caught up in the lives of the characters and root for their HEAs amidst adversity.

Emma is a small town girl with a father who's a preacher.  Her life seemed set in stone until she realized she wanted more for herself and left it all behind for the big city.  She didn't leave everything behind though as she still retains some of the religious beliefs ingrained in her from her father and has chosen to abstain from sex until marriage.  Meeting the sexy Breck makes keeping that vow difficult as everything about him fascinates her against her better judgement.  As their relationship evolves he becomes a bigger part of her life after he takes it upon himself to protect her from the dangers of the city.  She's a strong-willed girl but in some areas still seems to doubt herself which makes me happy she has Breck watching out for her.  She's immensely likable and kind hearted and though her attraction to Breck might not make sense in the long-term, it's obvious how good they are together as they bring support to and meet an emotional need each have been missing until they met.

Breck is the quintessential bad boy but there's definitely more to him than what it seems, maybe even more than he thinks of himself.  He's a man-whore who enjoys women and sex without strings attached.  Meeting Emma profoundly changes him and though he knows he shouldn't taint her with his presence he too can't help being drawn to her.  He struggles with her religious beliefs but everything else about her fascinates him and has him becoming her protector and ultimately more in a romance that's sweet yet sensual and rocky once his past comes back to haunt him.  Breck is drool-worthy and a bit possessive, protective of those he cares about, and as the story progresses we dig deeper to see someone worthy of love.

Along with the appealing main characters are a colorful cast of secondary ones.  From the lovable and supportive Jess and Gavin, who I'd love to see more of as he's a sexy and gentle giant of a man, these are friends you can always count on.  The villains are just that, from drug dealers showing the gritty underbelly of the city looking to drag others down, to catty women teeming with jealousy looking to destroy love and self-esteem.  All of these characters add vibrancy to an already intense story and keep you tightly immersed in the story.  Though certain events may seem predictable the outcomes are not and it all combines to make an unforgettable story.  Using dual POVs the author gives greater insight into these main characters that you can't help but be drawn to despite their human foibles.  Once the final page is turned you're left with a smile on your face and wanting to read it again.  Here's to a talented author and hopefully another book based in this world as there's plenty of stories left to tell.

My rating for this is an A!

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Author of New Adult Romance who doesn't shy away from writing about dark issues and hot heroes.

Karen-Anne Stewart has always adored reading and has now fallen in love with writing. Her written works are The Rain Trilogy: Saving Rain, Healing Rain, and After the Rain, and the newly released stand alone novel, Ash to Steele. Her debut novel, Saving Rain: The First Novel in The Rain Trilogy, was a nominee for the Book Junkie’s Choice Awards, and Saving Rain and After the Rain were nominees for the 2014 RONE Awards.

When Karen-Anne isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and visiting new places. She fuels her addiction of creating new stories by her only other addiction, caffeine, and listening to a myriad of musical genres. Tucked away near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Karen-Anne lives with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and their cat. She plans on writing new adult romance as long as her fingers maintain dexterity.

WEBSITE:  http://www.karen-annestewart.com
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE:  https://www.facebook.com/SKarenAnne
TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/SKarenAnne
INSTAGRAM:  http://instagram.com/skarenanne/
GOODREADS:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6920317.Karen_Anne_Stewart

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