Review: Another great addition to the Colorado Mountain Man series!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 4, 2014
*I was given a copy of Kaleidoscope for an honest review.Last year I found my go to author. What does that mean exactly? It means I found the author that gets me through all my book hangovers, slumps, and reading funks. I opened a Kristen Ashley book and found the reason why so many women love romance novels. Kristen's writing flips that switch in me. Her books call up all the reasons I read-compassion for a character, the nail biting angst when something doesn't go the way you want it to, and the heart pounding connection these characters have for each other. More simply stated Kristen Ashley's writing conjures up is love. Kaleidoscope is a wonderful example of Kristen Ashley's skills at crafting a wonderful second chance romance with a bit of mystery and suspense that we've come to expect in the Colorado Man series.Kaleidoscope begins with Jacob "Deck" Decker. After a nine year separation from each other, Deck reconnects with Emmanuelle "Emme" Holmes, a friend of his ex-girlfriend Elsbeth. Their friendship was strong, but not strong enough to survive the break up of his relationship with Elsbeth. Deck is quite surprised with what greets him in Gnaw Bone. Emme is no longer the frumpy, shielded girl he remembered. She is svelte, beautiful, and full of life. Deck is immediately attracted to Emme and he is bound to have her. Their relationship picks up where they left off and more. If you are a Kristen Ashley reader, you know this union will be filled with clashing opinions, alpha male attitude slung all over the place, a heroine struggling to overcome her past, and all the fantastic sex that accompanies these great scenes!The one thing I love about this book is the wonderfully deep and complex back story for each character. Emme has a very dark past that she can't seem to shake. But she does a pretty good job of hiding her anguish from her family, but not Deck. As in all her books, Deck is 100% alpha bad ass in every way, including a very high IQ and a job that puts that skill to work. He knows Emme is veiling her true feelings and he's going to pull her out of this darkness. The tenacity and real talk of Kristen's characters hook me into the story every single time. I love that Emme isn't a pushover. She lets Deck have it when she gets pissed. His alpha ways don't intimidate her in the least. And I love that Deck doesn't let Emme's attitude push him away. And as always, Kristen doles out the common sense relationship conversations that I love!They mystery/suspense plotline of Kaleidoscope isn't as as strong as some of the other Colorado Man novels. There are no serial killers this time around. But the story line surrounding Emme's past is so intriguing. It's different from some of her other heroine's pasts, creating a unique character in Emme.The one think Kristen Ashley does well is write a freakin' HOT sex scene. Along with her alpha males, this is my favorite quality about Kristen's books that I love. She doesn't mess around. The sex with her characters is steamy, detailed, and make you want to run out and find your own real life alpha to reenact these scenes!So simply stated, Kaleidoscope is another great read by Kristen Ashley. You get your super hot alpha male, the mouthy and brave heroine, a fun supportive cast, and super hot sex scenes that keep you squirming while you read. This is the reason Kristen has become my go to author. I know I'm going to get everything I want from her books and she doesn't disappoint me. I give Kaleidoscope 4.5 out of 5 stars!