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The Ash Trilogy #1
Ash's Fire
Desire, suspicion, love and loyalty all clash in the fast-paced city of Tel-Aviv, Israel.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2014
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720 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 24, 2015
I received this book from the author, after she did a guest spot at my blog. That was almost a year ago. Yes, sometimes it takes me a long time to get around to reading the books I acquire! In fact, my husband read Ash’s Fire before I did. He recommended it highly. “It’s different,” he said. “Not exactly a romance. Not exactly a mystery. It will keep you guessing.”
His assessment was spot on (as is so often the case with my brilliant man). Anyone who follows my blog posts and reviews will probably have picked up on the fact that I really appreciate originality. Ash’s Fire stands out as one of the most distinctive books I’ve read in a while.
It’s also one of the most honest. The core conflict in this novel is the struggle between marital commitment and the intoxicating pull of erotic attraction. Ms. Gold recognizes that even the happiest and most stable marriages become less exciting over time, and that sometimes monogamy can be an impractical ideal.
Ash’s Fire begins with Sam Cohen telling Jordan, his wife and partner in a highly successful law firm, that he wants to have sex with another woman, specifically his twenty-something trainer at the gym. Theoretically, Sam and Jordan have an open marriage, but neither of them has previously taken advantage of their prerogatives. Now, after more than two decades together, Sam wants to explore the pleasures of a new lover.
Understandably, Jordan feels inadequate compared to Sam’s much younger playmate. Although Sam makes it clear he still loves her deeply, she can’t shake off the sense that she’s being rejected or replaced. These emotions make her vulnerable when she encounters talented pianist Ari Ash at a conference. She doesn’t fight the magnetism that draws them together. She and Ari share a chemistry so strong that it totally sweeps her away. Emotions swamp her clever and calculating
lawyer persona.
But Ari is a man of mystery, entangled in a web of complications. Before long he is accused of murder. Jordan commits herself and her firm to defending him. All the evidence points to Ari’s guilt. Should she trust her heart and her instincts? Or is he lying to her, as he lied about his violent past?
Fans of traditional erotic romance will likely hate this book, because it breaks all the “rules”. I really enjoyed it. Ms. Gold does a fabulous job evoking the passion that overwhelms Jordan in Ari’s presence. I could feel, smell, taste every moment of the extraordinary love scenes. I also loved the strong sense of place that pervades the book, which is set in Israel. Ms. Gold describes the environment, the people and the food in fabulous detail, including the bombing of a bus. “A bombing to an Israeli, she learned years ago, was like an earthquake to a Southern Californian. You were shaken and then, you shook it off.”
My most significant complaint about Ash’s Fire is that some of the language in the sex scenes struck me as coy , using awkward indirection to avoid the use of anatomical terms. This only happened occasionally, but it was enough to annoy me. My other concern involves the plausibility of Jordan’s profession. She’s a sympathetic and appealing character, but she’s so intensely emotional that it was hard for me to imagine she could be a lawyer. That’s a profession that demands the ability to distance oneself from feeling and to focus on facts. Although she’s quick-thinking and skilled at influencing others, Jordan rarely shows much control over her reactions.
Overall, though, Ash’s Fire is a great read, one that will keep you engrossed until the very last page. If you don’t mind a story that deals with marital infidelity, I think you’ll enjoy it.
His assessment was spot on (as is so often the case with my brilliant man). Anyone who follows my blog posts and reviews will probably have picked up on the fact that I really appreciate originality. Ash’s Fire stands out as one of the most distinctive books I’ve read in a while.
It’s also one of the most honest. The core conflict in this novel is the struggle between marital commitment and the intoxicating pull of erotic attraction. Ms. Gold recognizes that even the happiest and most stable marriages become less exciting over time, and that sometimes monogamy can be an impractical ideal.
Ash’s Fire begins with Sam Cohen telling Jordan, his wife and partner in a highly successful law firm, that he wants to have sex with another woman, specifically his twenty-something trainer at the gym. Theoretically, Sam and Jordan have an open marriage, but neither of them has previously taken advantage of their prerogatives. Now, after more than two decades together, Sam wants to explore the pleasures of a new lover.
Understandably, Jordan feels inadequate compared to Sam’s much younger playmate. Although Sam makes it clear he still loves her deeply, she can’t shake off the sense that she’s being rejected or replaced. These emotions make her vulnerable when she encounters talented pianist Ari Ash at a conference. She doesn’t fight the magnetism that draws them together. She and Ari share a chemistry so strong that it totally sweeps her away. Emotions swamp her clever and calculating
lawyer persona.
But Ari is a man of mystery, entangled in a web of complications. Before long he is accused of murder. Jordan commits herself and her firm to defending him. All the evidence points to Ari’s guilt. Should she trust her heart and her instincts? Or is he lying to her, as he lied about his violent past?
Fans of traditional erotic romance will likely hate this book, because it breaks all the “rules”. I really enjoyed it. Ms. Gold does a fabulous job evoking the passion that overwhelms Jordan in Ari’s presence. I could feel, smell, taste every moment of the extraordinary love scenes. I also loved the strong sense of place that pervades the book, which is set in Israel. Ms. Gold describes the environment, the people and the food in fabulous detail, including the bombing of a bus. “A bombing to an Israeli, she learned years ago, was like an earthquake to a Southern Californian. You were shaken and then, you shook it off.”
My most significant complaint about Ash’s Fire is that some of the language in the sex scenes struck me as coy , using awkward indirection to avoid the use of anatomical terms. This only happened occasionally, but it was enough to annoy me. My other concern involves the plausibility of Jordan’s profession. She’s a sympathetic and appealing character, but she’s so intensely emotional that it was hard for me to imagine she could be a lawyer. That’s a profession that demands the ability to distance oneself from feeling and to focus on facts. Although she’s quick-thinking and skilled at influencing others, Jordan rarely shows much control over her reactions.
Overall, though, Ash’s Fire is a great read, one that will keep you engrossed until the very last page. If you don’t mind a story that deals with marital infidelity, I think you’ll enjoy it.
January 6, 2015
Callie Gold - Ash's Fire
ARC is kindly provided by Author/Publisher via GoodReads in exchange of an honest review. Thank you for the chance to review the book.
Jordan. Blonde. Slender. Middle age wife. 45 y.o.
Ari Ash. Pianist. Sea green eyes. Late 40s. Long black curly hair.
Attorney couple. Tel Aviv. Philosophist. Middle age crisis. Weird style of writing. Between chapter often has no connection. Written in journal style, complete with date in the beginning. Emotional read. Open marriage. Erotica, beautifully written. Lots of metaphors. Sweet and romantic, melting me.
Their connection, Ari to Jordan, Sam to Jordan captivated me. This one of those book that overflow with romantic phrase in the conversation, but not making me cringe because the overcheesiness. It was perfectly placed and said from understandable characters. The book held so much emotion on it, but i dont know why not a single event tripped me over to the cry-cry-land.
The suspense slash mystery things also well done, fully lined, eventough i cant grasp the need to do such a horrible act with that motive, later it being elaborated more. The ending is open, i guess. But it is nice to read more epilogue in Jordan relationship, since Jordan clearly so heartbroken before that. You'll never guess who Jordan finally choose, Ari or Sam. I've been fooled, nice twist.
“I just can’t live with the idea that you will be the last woman I ever sleep with. And the opportunity presented itself.”
middle age crisis. suddenly open marriage. an erotica with a lot dash of mystery/suspence. attorney power couple. emotional, beautifully written, and romantic.
"She wished that she could be all that he wanted in a woman, that he could be all that she wanted in a man."
ARC is kindly provided by Author/Publisher via GoodReads in exchange of an honest review. Thank you for the chance to review the book.
Jordan. Blonde. Slender. Middle age wife. 45 y.o.
Ari Ash. Pianist. Sea green eyes. Late 40s. Long black curly hair.
Attorney couple. Tel Aviv. Philosophist. Middle age crisis. Weird style of writing. Between chapter often has no connection. Written in journal style, complete with date in the beginning. Emotional read. Open marriage. Erotica, beautifully written. Lots of metaphors. Sweet and romantic, melting me.
Their connection, Ari to Jordan, Sam to Jordan captivated me. This one of those book that overflow with romantic phrase in the conversation, but not making me cringe because the overcheesiness. It was perfectly placed and said from understandable characters. The book held so much emotion on it, but i dont know why not a single event tripped me over to the cry-cry-land.
The suspense slash mystery things also well done, fully lined, eventough i cant grasp the need to do such a horrible act with that motive, later it being elaborated more. The ending is open, i guess. But it is nice to read more epilogue in Jordan relationship, since Jordan clearly so heartbroken before that. You'll never guess who Jordan finally choose, Ari or Sam. I've been fooled, nice twist.
“I just can’t live with the idea that you will be the last woman I ever sleep with. And the opportunity presented itself.”
middle age crisis. suddenly open marriage. an erotica with a lot dash of mystery/suspence. attorney power couple. emotional, beautifully written, and romantic.
"She wished that she could be all that he wanted in a woman, that he could be all that she wanted in a man."
November 6, 2014
>Review - Ash's Fire
>I received this book from the author and from Paranormal Romance and Authors that Rock. This is book one in the Ash Trilogy. The mystery is solved, but the relationships are up in the air.
>Jordan and Sam are married lawyers who own and work in their own firm in Tel Aviv. They have been married over 20 years and the spark is gone. They made a pact, early in their relationship to let each other know if they wanted to have an affair. They both felt that sneaking around and lying were worse than adultery?! Sam cheats first and throws Jordan in a tailspin. She feels unloved, not sexy, old and used up. Just by chance, she meets a man, Ari, and they begin an affair.
>Ari is a musician who lives in NY. He travels back and forth to see Jordan and his family. He uses Sam & Jordan's law firm to represent him in a lawsuit that spirals out of control. Soon Ari is accused of murder and a very jealous, Sam, must defend him.
>This story was a good mystery and the author's descriptions and prose were so well written. She goes on and on about the different layers to Ari's smell. Weird, but so intriguing to read. I do not believe the premise of 2 married people, who say they are in love, agreeing to cheat out in the open. I dislike cheating and this story made a mockery of the whole institution of marriage. Throwing in a murder mystery did not erase the taint of disgust and shame I felt while reading this book. The author is a wonderful writer, but her premise was silly and brought down an otherwise well written book.
> This book is for an adult (18+) audience due to descriptions of sexual encounters and the theme of adultery.
October 18, 2014
I love this author's style. Her words dance in your mind like pixies in a forest. Her words are well crafted and I loved it every time she chose to throw a suspensive sentence in, bringing you in right from the beginning, and not letting you in on the secret until the last few words.
For me it was the mystery, and the unique method that the killer used to hide his crime that made this novel so well worth it. Not only did I not see it coming, I loved it when it was revealed, and this author's professional life shows through in her knowledge of the legal world. Even the scenes that were not climactic were still interesting as she took you on a tour and put a pair of legal shoes on, letting you see how that world is.
I hope that Callie Gold continues writing, and I really hope that her focus remains on the mystery and legal end of storytelling!
For me it was the mystery, and the unique method that the killer used to hide his crime that made this novel so well worth it. Not only did I not see it coming, I loved it when it was revealed, and this author's professional life shows through in her knowledge of the legal world. Even the scenes that were not climactic were still interesting as she took you on a tour and put a pair of legal shoes on, letting you see how that world is.
I hope that Callie Gold continues writing, and I really hope that her focus remains on the mystery and legal end of storytelling!
October 30, 2014
The story from the lawyer side of a mystery was a genius viewpoint. I loved the behind the scenes that this viewpoint let me see that as a regular person I would not have been privy otherwise. I connected with Jordon in her pickle of predicaments, one after another. From her relationship with her family and the loves of her life, right down to the court cases and investigations. The fresh vantage point brought things into perspective that dealt me a winning hand in the game.
So between the romance and the mystery and all the elements in between I feel that this is a wonderful book to sit down with your favorite hot beverage of choice, a little piano music in the background and take an adventure into this intriguing story of love, revenge, murder and mystery.
So between the romance and the mystery and all the elements in between I feel that this is a wonderful book to sit down with your favorite hot beverage of choice, a little piano music in the background and take an adventure into this intriguing story of love, revenge, murder and mystery.
November 14, 2014
Ari Ash is a world-renowned classical pianist and composer. Jordan Cohen is a successful Intellectual Property attorney. An odd mix for a romance, but sparks fly when the two are in the same room. The story begins with Jordan’s husband asking her if he can have an affair with his gym coach. She laments the fact that she doesn’t have a lover and that her life holds no passion anymore.
This book is an erotic mystery/romance. It is erotic and sensual, but it also has a very strong plot with twists and turns that keep you turning the pages until late in the night, or it did me. I hated to flip that last page and return to reality. I loved Ari. All of the characters are well developed. I would definitely recommend Ash’s Fire and can’t wait for the sequel.
This book is an erotic mystery/romance. It is erotic and sensual, but it also has a very strong plot with twists and turns that keep you turning the pages until late in the night, or it did me. I hated to flip that last page and return to reality. I loved Ari. All of the characters are well developed. I would definitely recommend Ash’s Fire and can’t wait for the sequel.
February 11, 2015
I have to say, that I liked this book. I felt for Jordan when her husband started to push her aside, but at the same time I was thinking that she was out of her mind for making a pact with her husband that would allow other sexual partners. It is definitely not a pact that I could make.
The story was fast paced, and there were twists and turns in it that kept me wanting to read more. I look forward to reading more from this author, as I liked how detailed she was in her descriptions of Jordan's emotions, including what she was feeling for Ari.
*I received this item complimentary for review purposes. All opinions are purely my own*
The story was fast paced, and there were twists and turns in it that kept me wanting to read more. I look forward to reading more from this author, as I liked how detailed she was in her descriptions of Jordan's emotions, including what she was feeling for Ari.
*I received this item complimentary for review purposes. All opinions are purely my own*
December 1, 2014
Ash’s Fire was a fantastic romance thriller that was written beautifully with well developed characters. It flows quite well and the continuity was pretty spot on. I definitely would recommend this book to romance readers who are looking for a little action with their loving. :)
January 22, 2015
This book is about this middle age sucessful lawyer marriage living in Israel.The man wake up one day want to have sex with other woman that is not his wife.He told her,they make a pact.But she was jealous.And then she decide to be with other guy.A musician.The book is excellent,great.
January 6, 2015
Great book!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews