Review: A great story, with a gem of a main character!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 24, 2014
I have to say that from the moment that I began reading Relentless Hope, I was immediately taken with Aleah's story. I felt for her from the very first page, and that feeling never stopped. Aleah's story hooked me in from the beginning, and I couldn't wait to figure out what was going to happen with her as I read Relentless Hope.At the beginning of the story, Aleah is reeling from circumstances she never thought she'd face. Reading how she handles those circumstances was extremely emotional at times, and it made just want to reach into the book and give Aleah a big old hug. Early on in the story, Aleah meets David, a elderly man who is slipping away. They meet in a truly memorable moment that was phenomenal to read. The first half of Relentless Hope follows the engaging and very unique relationship that Aleah develops with David. I have to say I felt the connection between these two from the minute they were together on the page. I could tell they'd both been through so much in their lives, and reading how the connection between these two developed was great. The level of pain and regret you could feel from both Aleah and David at times was written extremely well, and it made you feel for both of them so much more. That pain also made it easy to see how the events of the past had shaped the futures of both of these characters.The second half of Relentless Hope focuses on Aleah and her relationship with the seriously flawed but oh so divine Aiden. Aiden was fantastic to read, and watching how he interacted with Aleah was fabulous. Reading the mixed emotions and reactions he was having was wholly realistic and believable, and it made me just love his character. These two have an instant chemistry that comes of the page easily. The reaction they have towards one another is wonderful to read and adds so much to the story. Their interactions at times are humorous, but often are powerful and very meaningful, and that made the book. I have to say that the second half of the book had me on the edge of my seat to see how it would all work out between these two characters, but especially with Aleah herself. Watching how Aleah and Aiden developed over the story was magnificent, and it was great to read such thoughtful development for these characters.Relentless Hope follows Aleah from a very dark place in her life. She never thought she'd end up where she did, and now she has to face it all on her own. Aleah takes a serious journey in this book filled with emotion, ups and downs, and plenty of turmoil. All of that combines to make a great book that was easy to slip right into. Aleah is a character you will easily connect with, and you will be eager to find out how it all works out. She is pushing through everything the events of this book throw at her as tough as they are, and through it all she is a character you'll love. The ending of this book will leave you dying for the next book in this series. Relentless Hope is a wonderful debut novel for Ashely Cassidy, and I'm eager to see what happens next with these fantastic characters. (less)