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Out of the Ashes #1

Out of the Ashes

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Can love really conquer all? Even when the secrets are so big, someone could die for keeping them, has died to keep them?

Celeste Brooks is haunted by a past she cannot escape. Plagued by nightmares and fear that her secret will be discovered, she buries herself in her MBA and work, opening up to no one except her roommate, Gavin. Until her path crosses with his.

Ian Jacobs made a vow when his heart was broken that he would never allow anyone that close again. Being a sexy business mogul has its perks, and having many attractive women throw themselves at you is just one. Until his path crosses with hers.

As soon as Ian finds Celeste has applied for a position with Jacobs Enterprises, he takes matters into his own hands, knowing that he must possess this woman at any cost. Celeste finds herself under Ian’s spell and knows that she will do anything to be close to this man. Including revealing her secrets? As their paths, past and present, collide, they must decide to risk it all or leave each other behind.

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 24, 2014

9 people are currently reading
555 people want to read

About the author

S.M. Lynn

3 books444 followers
S.M. Lynn has a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education with an English specialization. She resides in small town Nebraska with her husband and two children. She writes contemporary romance leaning toward the erotic but enjoys mixing in elements of suspense.
When her family can pry her away from writing and reading, she works in her husband's financial services firm. Between kids and work there is not much time left over but when she has some, she enjoys traveling, watching Vampire Diaries and scouring Facebook for book deals.

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5 stars
67 (34%)
4 stars
68 (35%)
3 stars
36 (18%)
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14 (7%)
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7 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Christie«SHBBblogger».
988 reviews1,303 followers
March 31, 2014
I liked this book, and then I didn't as much. I had kind of a hard time rating this. Don't you hate that? The beginning started off with a bang,



the middle started to lag a tad,



and the end was like a waiting game for what I knew was going to happen.



Then I got to about 90% and it wasn't looking like it was going to wrapped in a HEA and I started to get really annoyed.



This book is not listed as book 1, part of a series....nothing. So this was not a happy sight to see. 98% hit me and I was like....



Cliffhanger.....NOOOOO.





I am OVER unexpected cliffhangers, not to mention heroines that can't freaking communicate and cause unnecessary drama, and Heroes that make really brainless decisions. Their relationship was sweet, but they both made too many WTF moments and I really think a lot of it was dragged on too long. I gave it a 3 because the story was decent, it caught me in the beginning, and the sex was hot, but it got a little stagnant and the ending was less than satisfactory.




Profile Image for Nerd Alert.
143 reviews14 followers
February 26, 2014
*****I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review for Nerd Alert Book Love Blog*****
This story is about two people struggling to overcome their pasts and work towards a future of success and happiness.
Celeste Brooks ran away from things from her past over 3 years ago to start new. She buries herself in getting her MBA and working towards her dream job. But her past seems to always be lurking over her shoulder and in her nightmares.
Ian Jacobs is the owner and CEO of Jacobs Enterprises, which just so happens to be Celeste's dream job. He is a gorgeous, sexy, business mogul and one of the most eligible bachelors and a real playboy. He had his heart completely devastated in his past and decided relationships are not for him and he is constantly seen with a different woman.
One night at a club Celeste and Ian form an instant attraction to each other. Ian finds out Celeste is applying for a job at his company and he decides to take matters into his own hands and make her an offer that is almost impossible to refuse.
Can these two find away to be together and work together or will work interfere with a relationship? Can Ian even open his heart up to someone again? Can Celeste over come her past and nightmares or will it all come crashing down on her? Can love conquer all or will lies and secrets destroy it?
S.M. Lynn knows how to write an incredible story. Romance, steamy sex scenes, and some mystery all rolled into one. This story is so good, it really sucks you in and leaves you on the edge of your seat. I can not wait to see what this author has in store for us next. With that being said, I'm happy to give this book a Nerd Alert A+ or 5 stars!
Profile Image for Bookfan_10895.
40 reviews
April 7, 2014
Well that was extremely abrupt. I felt like there was sooo much more potential held in this storyline but this book just couldn't deliver. Many details were left unexplained and to me that is extremely frustrating. Only gave this book three stars because I just wished there was more
Profile Image for Nicolette Maassen.
108 reviews5 followers
March 4, 2014
Only reason this is not a five is because it could really use a trip to an editor. Loved it otherwise!
Profile Image for Books By Ces.
523 reviews45 followers
April 20, 2014
WTF
A CLIFFHANGER W/O WARNING, NO NO NO NO.... it doesn't say it's book 1, nothihg...

Review to come
Profile Image for Crystal.
6 reviews
September 8, 2016
OMG...Amazing! I was addicted to this book beginning to end! Can't wait for book 2!
Profile Image for JBro.
212 reviews6 followers
March 31, 2014
I'm not sure where to start with my review for Out of the ashes. I want to say early on in this review that there is a cliffhanger at the end. I'm not a huge fan of cliffhangers, but I also began to expect that there would be a cliffhanger, so I think I was mentally, if not emotionally, prepared for it. We begin with the apparent death of a young girl, just out of college and seemingly at the prime of her life, poised to marry a man that everyone deems perfect for her. Then, we pick up with Celeste, whom has just completed her MBA and is getting ready to apply for her dream job at Jacobs' Enterprises. To celebrate her graduation, Celeste goes out with her roommate and best friend, Gavin, and ends up meeting a man that takes her breath away and then takes her back to her apartment. He is gone by the next morning, but not for long. This man ends up being Ian Jacobs, whom she ends up interviewing with and gets offered a job as his personal assistant.

Ian and Celeste seem to continue misunderstanding one another's feelings for each other for several months until, finally, they recognize the mutual feelings in one another. Celeste seems to really be enjoying her new job, and it is good to see a female character not seem to wilt away and need the guy's attention. Instead, she really jumps into her new job and stays busy working - although, it is with Ian, so I'm sure that that helps. Celeste is keeping a major secret from Ian, and, as the reader, you really begin to think that you know what it is. Ian, however, also seems to be keeping something from Celeste. She has several negative interactions with Rebecca, another employee, who seems to have a personal connection with Ian. His secret definitely seems to involve her, so Celeste begins to feel very insecure. I did not like Celeste's reaction to Ian's possible connection to Rebecca at several points, as she would immediately cry and ask Ian to hold her. I think that there were times that I just wanted her to yell at him and tell him to tell her what was going on or to just be honest. BUT, I understand why she felt that she couldn't force him, as she was also keeping a secret and not being honest. I still wanted her to be stronger, at times, than she was, however.

Once Celeste and Ian are together, they begin to explore one another in some pretty steamy ways! They definitely have the heat factor. Celeste continues to have nightmares about her past, and you begin to see that she experienced some pretty difficult things, in regards to a past relationship. Ian, though, he is just amazing. Not only is he hot and very successful, but he is also willing to share Celeste with his family. While he struggles to tell Celeste how he feels, he is constantly showing her how he feels. This factor makes Ian such an amazing guy, but his care for others also causes some friction in his relationship with Celeste when Rebecca continues to try to gain a foothold in his life. All of this leads towards Celeste's secret being revealed right at the very end. I had begun to suspect what her secret might be about, so I was frustrated with some of her actions. I wanted to yell at her to continue to be careful and not relax her guard! At the end, we see someone from Celeste's past explode back into her life. I can't wait to see what happens next. Ian better be ready to kick some a**.

There were a few grammatical errors that I noticed, but I was provided a copy by the author for my honest review, so it is possible that these could have been edited at this point. Also, as mentioned before, there is a cliffhanger, so if you are prone to pull out your hair at cliffhangers, hold out until at least the second book is out. And finally, I love the cover of this book - I feel like it is actually a great representation of Ian and Celeste!
Profile Image for Sassy Southern Book Affair.
294 reviews20 followers
October 4, 2014
4 Mysterious Stars

Review:
I'm not sure where to start with my review for Out of the ashes. I want to say early on in this review that there is a cliffhanger at the end. I'm not a huge fan of cliffhangers, but I also began to expect that there would be a cliffhanger, so I think I was mentally, if not emotionally, prepared for it. We begin with the apparent death of a young girl, just out of college and seemingly at the prime of her life, poised to marry a man that everyone deems perfect for her. Then, we pick up with Celeste, whom has just completed her MBA and is getting ready to apply for her dream job at Jacobs' Enterprises. To celebrate her graduation, Celeste goes out with her roommate and best friend, Gavin, and ends up meeting a man that takes her breath away and then takes her back to her apartment. He is gone by the next morning, but not for long. This man ends up being Ian Jacobs, whom she ends up interviewing with and gets offered a job as his personal assistant.

Ian and Celeste seem to continue misunderstanding one another's feelings for each other for several months until, finally, they recognize the mutual feelings in one another. Celeste seems to really be enjoying her new job, and it is good to see a female character not seem to wilt away and need the guy's attention. Instead, she really jumps into her new job and stays busy working - although, it is with Ian, so I'm sure that that helps. Celeste is keeping a major secret from Ian, and, as the reader, you really begin to think that you know what it is. Ian, however, also seems to be keeping something from Celeste. She has several negative interactions with Rebecca, another employee, who seems to have a personal connection with Ian. His secret definitely seems to involve her, so Celeste begins to feel very insecure. I did not like Celeste's reaction to Ian's possible connection to Rebecca at several points, as she would immediately cry and ask Ian to hold her. I think that there were times that I just wanted her to yell at him and tell him to tell her what was going on or to just be honest. BUT, I understand why she felt that she couldn't force him, as she was also keeping a secret and not being honest. I still wanted her to be stronger, at times, than she was, however.

Once Celeste and Ian are together, they begin to explore one another in some pretty steamy ways! They definitely have the heat factor. Celeste continues to have nightmares about her past, and you begin to see that she experienced some pretty difficult things, in regards to a past relationship. Ian, though, he is just amazing. Not only is he hot and very successful, but he is also willing to share Celeste with his family. While he struggles to tell Celeste how he feels, he is constantly showing her how he feels. This factor makes Ian such an amazing guy, but his care for others also causes some friction in his relationship with Celeste when Rebecca continues to try to gain a foothold in his life. All of this leads towards Celeste's secret being revealed right at the very end. I had begun to suspect what her secret might be about, so I was frustrated with some of her actions. I wanted to yell at her to continue to be careful and not relax her guard! At the end, we see someone from Celeste's past explode back into her life. I can't wait to see what happens next. Ian better be ready to kick some a**.

There were a few grammatical errors that I noticed, but I was provided a copy by the author for my honest review, so it is possible that these could have been edited at this point. Also, as mentioned before, there is a cliffhanger, so if you are prone to pull out your hair at cliffhangers, hold out until at least the second book is out. And finally, I love the cover of this book - I feel like it is actually a great representation of Ian and Celeste!

Jess
Profile Image for My Secret Book Spot.
662 reviews23 followers
June 10, 2014
“Out of the Ashes” by S. M. Lynn
5 out of 5 stars

Clear your schedule because this is a one sitting read! S. M. Lynn has crafted a world that will suck you in and hold you tight until the very last page! It’s a book worthy of your time and a new series worth investing in.

Celeste has a problem. She harbors a big secret and can’t afford to let her guard down. A chance encounter with the hottest man she has ever met leads her down a path that threatens the shaky foundation she has built her life on. Has she finally found someone she can put her trust in or will the past catch up with her first?

I have to start with Ian. He could easily contend for “Book Boyfriend of the Year”. He’s got it all…intelligence, masculinity, sensitivity, a touch of possessiveness, and smokin’ good looks. The way he worships Celeste had me in awe and very jealous. Ian commanded my attention on every page he appeared and handled every plot turn in stride. Lynn couldn’t write a more perfect male lead if she tried. A++ to her!

Celeste is well developed and very well balanced. She’s one part strength and determination mixed with vulnerability and a touch of frailty. I usually like my heroines to be more in command but here I appreciate Lynn’s focus on making Celeste more resilient and brave. She is a fighter and I respect the grit she exudes. She’s beautiful more so for the adversity she has overcome. Another A++ for Lynn.

As a couple, Celeste and Ian are sexy and fun. They spark and have amazing chemistry. Add to that a great rapport and banter and you have a match made in heaven. Together I seem them handling every twist and turn as the story continues and coming out triumphant.

Lynn’s storyline will grab and you and won’t let go. Her writing is paced just right and her style flows effortlessly off the page. You will easily find yourself lost in the book and at the end before you know it. I will caution that there is a cliffhanger which I usually hate. This time I am very invested, and while I wanted to see how it ended, I know it will be worth the wait to find out. I’m putting this book on my “must read” recommendation list. Great job S. M. Lynn!!!

*I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Shannon, My Secret Book Spot
Profile Image for Kerri’s Reading Corner.
498 reviews53 followers
February 26, 2014
*****I was lucky enough to be given an ARC in exchange for an honest review for Six Chicks and Their Love of Books*****

4.5 Sexy, Suspenseful Stars

S.M. Lynn had me captured from the prologue to the very last page! This book was certainly NOT lacking in suspense, romance, or some of the hottest alpha male sex scenes. This is a story of learning to let go of fear and let love in.

Celeste Brooks is running from a dangerous and disturbing past she left behind. She has buried herself in school work, hoping to land her dream job at Jacobs Enterprises. She lives with her best friend Gavin who is her rock and confidant.

Ian Jacobs runs Jacobs Enterprises. He is a sexy, alpha male business mogul who is never lacking in attention from females. And that suites him just fine after having his broken once before. Love em and leave em....until he meets her.

After a chance encounter on a dance floor the two hit it off. When Ian discovers that Celeste is applying for a job at his company he takes matters into his own hands. When Celeste accepts his job proposal can these two learn to work together professionally with their growing feelings aside? When their pasts come back and threaten their future will they be able to survive the battle?

I LOVED this story! Celeste is such a strong female lead, and Ian is just the perfect combination of alpha male and sweetheart! The supporting characters were just as great too. Gavin is such a doll and the best friend that everyone wants. The suspense had me on the edge of my seat to the very last page. And when that last page came, I fell out of my seat screaming! I think that S.M. Lynn hit it out of the park with her debut and i will be not-so-patiently waiting to see what she has in store for Ian and Celeste next!
Profile Image for Anny hernandez.
1,181 reviews13 followers
February 28, 2014
***** I received an ARC copy for an honest review *****

This is the first book that I read from this author.

O.M.G. Holy Smoke I just finish reading this book and I have to say I love it. love the characters and the way this story turned out, I have to say that their where moment where I got so angry at the main characters but I have to say I love the book from the first page to the last, I am gone tried to keep this short since I don't want to give anything away.

The story begging with Celeste Brooks, after few years of studying and focusing on school, the first night of freedom after finishing school, her best friend Gavin take her out to a club to celebrate, that was the night that she decide that she was gone get lose, after dancing to few songs with a friend she lock eyes with the Hot Sexy Ian Jacobs. Ian is the owner and the CEO of Jacobs Enterprises. After Ian lock eyes with Celeste he knew he had to have her.

The following morning celeste was walking in to Jacobs Enterprise for her job interview. When Ian saw her seating down he had to find out why she was their, when he got his answer he decide to change her job position, after Celeste waited for a while and she was ready for her interview, she was shock to see who was gone interview her and the job he offer her, what they where not expected was how strong their feeling to each other where growing stronger and faster.

But Celeste and Ian are both struggling with their past, but that just make them want to fight to have a future.

I love the way that Celeste and Ian act with each other, and HOLY SMOKE the Sex scenes are Hot. I really love and enjoy reading this book and I just want more I did not wanted to finish reading it. Author S.M. Lynn THANK YOU for introducing me to this amazing book and this awesome characters love it.
Profile Image for Beth Slone .
317 reviews10 followers
July 8, 2014
I love this story and can't wait to read the next part of this series. I loved this because you never knew what was going to happen next so much went on in this book.
Celeste is running from her past and she falls in love with Ian. Ian also has a past and is the owner of a big company. Gavin is Celeste best friend. I love Gavin and I think everyone needs a best friend like him. The characters in this book are amazing all of them. Marlene is Ian's mom. Claire is Ian's Sister. Rebecca is Ian's crazy ex girlfriend. Patrick is Ian's Cousin. Ian hires Celeste to be his personal assistant at the company. She has to travel with him,she has to go to events with him and her office is in his office. This story had so much going on that you never knew what was going to happen next. I can't wait to read the next book in the series because Book One left you wondering what was going to happen next. If you love cliffhanger books then you really need to read this one.
Author S.M. Lynn is amazing. This is the first book I have read by this author and I loved her writing. I loved everything about this book. Everything in it was so perfect. I can't wait to read more book by her. I think everyone should read this book. It give you a lot of perspective on life and how hard life is for people sometimes. I fell in love with this story instantly.
Profile Image for Jamie  Leigh.
6,567 reviews29 followers
March 4, 2014
This is such a complex, dark but exciting read. Celeste is just getting out of college and gets her dream job with a company she has always wanted to work for, and the boss that she just had a one night stand with. This author tells a great story that grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go until the final word. There is a major cliff hanger at the end that leaves you dying to find out what happens next.
Profile Image for Renee at Book Happiness.
1,486 reviews36 followers
April 25, 2014
I was lucky enough to receive this book from the author for an honest review... and plain and simple I loved it...for a first book she (the author) has captured a winner. it has a strong woman as the lead. it was amazing. i am now totally in love Ian he is everything a book boyfriend should be.
book had just enough angst and romance and holy hotness to make an amazing book
Profile Image for Jessica Parsons .
313 reviews7 followers
July 13, 2014
I really enjoyed the book but warning it ends in a cliffhanger so if you don't like them might be best to wait for book 2 to be out and some dark aspects.


As well as the intriging main characters there were some other interesting characters too. The book kept you guessing and then left you wanting more, the sex scenes were hot and the storyline kept you hooked.
Profile Image for Renes Getaway.
104 reviews9 followers
January 2, 2017
I have no words! I stumbled upon this book in hopes in finding a new author and I did!! I'm a fan. I NEED to read the others asap and feature her on my blog. If you have not read this book yet, you better get to reading! Great great great.....oh, there's a killer cliffhanger!!
92 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2014
Ugghhhhh huge cliffhanger!!!!!! Wish I would have know before reading!!!!!
Profile Image for Cheryl Morley.
1 review
March 28, 2014
I loved every page! I was so engrossed that when the end came I was completely shocked! Please get the next two books out soon! I can't wait to read them!
95 reviews
November 5, 2015
This is most probably the most frustrating and not to mention confusing book I've ever read - but the cliffhanger makes me want to know what the hell happens..
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