Review: Review from Closed the Cover
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 9, 2014
Emma, a young southern girl, flees her small hometown in search of greater things and a bigger life.  She moves to Boston to pursue her love of art and try to find her way in the big city.  Breck is jaded and closed off to the world at large.  He uses women then throws them away and has convinced himself that he is happy that way.  When a few shared friends cause Emma andBreck’s worlds to collide both characters are forced to reevaluate their lives and their future.As in Stewart’s previous novels she really shines with her characters.  Ash to Steele has a large cast of characters (Emma, Breck, Jess, Jason, Gavin, etc) and it’s obvious that Stewart took a lot of time to really get to know the character and develop them before writing her novel.  The depth of their personalities helps to draw the reader in to the story and keep them invested in the character journeys.  Breck is the stereotypical alpha male in the beginning complete with the brooding personality and a motorcycle but as the story progresses and he’s forced to reevaluate his life his growth is one of the most enjoyable parts of the story.Stewart really elevates the novel when she writes from Emma’s POV.  Emma is the highlight of the book as a young woman who is desperately seeking to find her own way.  She left behind a small town full of people that tried to force her to live a life she never wanted.  Her growth from a controlled young girl to a woman that is in charge of her own destiny is fantastic.  She really transforms!The sexual content is more than explicit than I prefer to read in a novel and I have to say that in full disclosure to those that seek clean romances here on Closed the Cover.  While it’s not erotic by any standards and may be acceptable to many readers it was explicit enough to cause me to quickly skim those passages in order to return to the plot and the character development.  If you, like me, try to avoid explicit sexual content you may not want to read Ash to Steele but for anyone ok with sexual content this should be a romance you quickly pick up to read.Review by Ashley LaMarClosed the Cover