Heaven and Hell

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance Heaven and Hell is a single title from Kristen Ashley, although there is a novella in "Loose Ends" about a couple that we see featured in this book. I have been wanting to work towards reading more of this author and quite frankly she is my NIRVANNA when it comes to romance. I swear I will never get enough of her work and most especially her characters. This is what I am so gravitated towards the most in her stories, the way she just addicts the reader to her character's personalities and you just want to fight for their story to turn into a happy HEA. Heaven and Hell begins with our heroine, Kia Clementine, who has suffered abused for seven long years. And now she is free from her late husband who along with his mistress tried to put a hit out on her. Now she has inherited a wealth and now she aches to find the heaven after her hell she has lived. So she heads to Europe, near Greece and meets a man she never expected, a man she has had a girl like crush on for years. A famous football player, Sampson Cooper. There is an instant connection between the two. And even though Kia isn't sure what to make of Samson, she knows she will regret it for the rest of her life if she doesn't act. And before she knows it, she is swept away by Sampson and his devotion to her and their relationship and showing her how to conduct a relationship in a productive healthy way. But there are demons from her past, demons she will need to face if she hopes to embrace the bright future with Sampson. There are very few, very fuckin’ few people, Kia, who get what’s precious in this world. They work their asses off for pure shit and think they’d fight and die to keep it. You don’t fight and die for shit. You fight and die for things that matter. You are the first woman I’ve met outside a life that leads you to understand that shit who gets that. And straight up, baby, you gotta know, I like that a fuckuva lot. Heaven and Hell was a breathtaking book and from the first chapter I was captivated by this story. I just couldn't put this book down ....*sigh* boy have I been picking up some goodies lately and Heaven and Hell is definitely going to top the list for best reads of the year. I just loved everything about this book and couldn't get enough of it. Sampson and Kia made for such a great couple. And I do love seeing a couple get together from the beginning and see such relatability in the relationship we see here. And one of my favorite things.....the balance and showing of what a healthy romantic relationship can be. We just don't see enough of this in romance. Kia hasn't really known what its like to be in a healthy balanced relationship. To give and give back, to help each other and be open and understanding completely. In his arms, pressed close, and feeling something I hadn’t felt in years. Something precious I lost, and even precious, I didn’t notice it was missing, but something I recognized as precious instantly when I got it back. Safe. Sampson is determined to show Kia what it means to be in such a good relationship and I loved how he stood up to her when she used passive agressive behavior at times. (As someone who relates to this as I used to do this before I realized how abusive it is to others) I really appreciated seeing an author showcase this. I see it, Kia, and I get this is gonna take effort. But what I’m sensin’ is, you don’t notice I’m makin’ that effort. Don’t fuck up, baby, and out of habit reinforce your shields to hold back a threat that doesn’t exist. You get me?” Too often I see heroines abused the heroes and what I LOVE about Kristen Ashley is seeing the hero stand up to the heroine in this abuse and set her straight. We need more men like that. Who stand up for positive healthy behaviors in a relationship. But also Sampson does it carefully and gently knowing she has been abused for years. He is so patient and understanding. Kia is a wonderful heroine though. She is always working on being better with Sampson, letting go of her demons and striving for more in her life. That’s your first block, baby. Use it, step up on it and keep climbing. You’ll get to the other side. Overall I found Heaven and Hell to be a striking romance that tears through barriers to the heart and soul of a pair and delivers in such a beautiful way.

Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads. I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't read a single Kristen Ashley book in all of 2017. Awful, right? I know. I had the pleasure of sitting at her table for the Q&A Brunch at ApollyCon and I decided then and there I needed to read one of her books. I just wasn't sure which one. Until she answered a question about Heaven and Hell and got all emotional. I decided that was my pick and my god, it did all kinds of things to my heart. It also left me with a damn near debilitating book hangover.  Heaven and Hell was a gorgeous book. It's a long book, as is to be expected with a KA book, but it sure didn't seem that long as I was breezing right through it. I don't know if I've ever read one of her books in a day and a half, but that's all the longer it took me to read this one. My heart and my feels were all over the place. Few things make me happier as a reader than seeing a character with a hard past, one who'd dealt with things no one should have to, get a second chance at love. When it's with a man or woman who treat them the way they deserve to have been treated all along, it's even better.  Sam and Kia's story made my heart happy. He basically worshipped her and was all in for her. (Ok, with the exception of a couple parts where I wanted to scream at him for being an utter ass.) After all she'd been through with her ex husband, god knows she deserved it. As much as I loved the romance, it was also quite special to watch Kia get her groove back, so to speak. She'd lost so much of herself to her ex, having been literally beaten down by him. She was worthy of so much more and it made me happy to see her get it.  Heaven and Hell was sexy, sweet and full of feels — all things I expect from a Kristen Ashley book. It's been nearly a month since I finished and I still get a big stupid grin on my face when I think about it. One of my favorites of hers to date. I can't wait for the next book, Sam and Kia's friend Luci's book. If Luci's scenes during this book are any indication, I'm pretty sure it'll absolutely destroy me as Luci tries to find her own happy ending after the death of her husband. But, regardless, I'm here for it. I fell a little bit in love with Luci, too, and I need her to be happy.  FAVORITE QUOTES "Make him work to unlock your secrets, my Kia. Do not accept another man in your life who does not rise to that challenge and do it gallantly." "Wherever you are, however you got there, if it's good, you're meant to be there either because you earned it or life led you there and you were smart enough to hold on." Sometimes home wasn't where you grew up. Home was where you were meant to be. "You do what you gotta do, girl, and I'll do what I gotta do. Life's too short to live with demons and life's too short to miss one second bein' with the ones you love. You gotta go. I see that. I gotta kick that boy's ass when he comes home. I hope you can see that."

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life AUDIOBOOK REVIEW If you’re a romance fan and you’re looking for an audiobook to listen to, I can’t recommend Kristen Ashley enough. Her stories are always so satisfying and long – her books are more than worth the credit. Heaven and Hell is another excellent audiobook of hers, with a romance that will sweep you away and a fantastic narration from Felicity Munroe. Kia Clementine has been living in hell with her abusive husband, but a tragedy and blessing in disguise leaves Kia free and with lots of cash. So she decides to spoil herself with the things she never had when she was married and travel the world – but mostly, she sets off to find the person she lost during her years of being in an abusive marriage. And in the midst of rediscovering herself, Kia meets former all-star athlete and soldier Sampson Cooper – her celebrity crush. Never in a million years would Kia expect the gorgeous, perfect, alpha-male Sam to notice her, but he does, and with him, she gets a second chance at love and romance. Kia and Sam are heavenly together. Kia’s a little shy and innocent, but Sam’s honesty and gruffness are able to draw her out and just let her be who she’s really meant to be. And Kia breaks down Sam’s walls and discovers the real him behind the celebrity crush. Kia truly has found heaven with Sam, but when she finds herself giving all of her to him and not getting all of him in return, things get a little rocky. She has to make a choice between having only parts of the man she loves, or having it all at the risk of losing him. Once again, Kristen Ashley delivers a powerful romance that you won’t be able to put down. Kia and Sam are wonderful characters you can’t help but adore and root for. Felicity Munroe narrates Kia’s voice perfectly with her light southern accent, and she also does a great job with voicing the male dialogue. I would definitely listen to another audiobook with her narration. Heaven and Hell is a worthwhile listen and I highly recommend the audio version of it! Audible: http://amzn.to/1pvfJrw Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1R9jqhu Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1pvfLj9 Liked this review? Subscribe to Booklovers For Life for more!