Ashes & Ice

Ashes & Ice
Author: Rochelle Maya Callen
Mature YA Book
PNR/Suspense/Mystery
4 out of 5 Stars

Synopsis

She is desperate to remember.
He is aching to forget.
Together, they are not broken.
But together, one may not survive.

​Jade wakes up with no memory of her past and blood on her hands.

Plagued by wicked thoughts, she searches for answers. Instead, she finds a boy who doesn't offer her answers, but hope. But sometimes, when nightmares turn into reality and death follows you everywhere, hope is not enough.

LUST. LOVE. LOSS. Sometimes, all that is left are Ashes and Ice.

My Review

Dark and Wicked. Those are the two words to describe this book. In the beginning I was on the fence about how this book would play out. It reads very choppy and unclear in the beginning, but as you read on it levels out and you have a better understanding of the characters. I am not a big fan on books that switch from character to character. For me it takes away some of the bond that you would normally forge with the main character. Rochelle makes it work with her story, instead of one bond you form two. I liked that this was not your fairy tale romance with a happily ever after. Throughout most of the book, both characters are in pain emotionally. Even with each other, there is so much distance that neither can come to grips with what is in front of them. The big mystery is who and what Jade is and what part Conner is supposed to play in her life. Rochelle leads you to believe a few things about Jade but beware, you will never figure it out. I am a big fan of the tough females who don't need to be saved every five seconds. That is exactly what Jade is, tough on the outside but hollow on the inside. It gives her an opportunity to grow as a character. I like that Conner and Jade don't form a romantic relationship in the beginning. They are friends and you see them grow together and actually fall in love. This book contains so much mystery and suspense that it grips you in and doesn't let go. I am very excited to see what happens in book two.

 

Excerpt from Ashes & Ice

“Have you ever been in love?”

            I spill my popcorn on my lap. “I, uh, what?” I say, swiping off the kernels. The question catches me off guard.

            “You know, in love.”

            “No. No, I haven’t.” I shift on the couch, needing more space between us. “What about you?”

            “Nah.” She flicks her hand toward me as if she is brushing away nonsense, but the hard look in her eyes says something different.

            “Why?”

            She points to the TV screen and the couple making out there. “Figured if you had been, then you could explain that to me.”

            The guy sweeps the girl up and carries her into bed before they… you know. “Uh, sex?”

            She bursts out laughing. “That too. But I was talking about what  it feels like to be, you know, in love. Totally, without question. Like, does that,” she points to the screen again, “exist?”

            “Yeah, I think it exists.” I think of mom and dad—the way they kissed every morning, hugged a few moments longer than anyone else, laughed so hard they cried, and cuddled, shutting out the world, looking more content than these fakers on the screen. “It exists. And in real life, it’s better than that crap.” I say, suddenly uncomfortable by the moaning coming from the TV.

            “I thought you said you’ve never been in love?”

            “I haven’t. But I’ve seen it. And I haven’t ever seen anything come close to that in the movies.”

            She opens her mouth as if about to ask a question, but then closes it and smiles, accepting my answer. “Well, it’s good that there may be something in life to look forward to.” She drops a kernel of popcorn in her mouth.

            “May be?”

            “Well nothing is guaranteed. Who knows, I may die an old spinster.” She’s smiling, but her eyes aren’t.

            I think about the movie store guy’s possessive eyes, Jesse’s chair fiasco, and Dominic’s leering, my heart. “I doubt that.”