Hell on Heels Lib/E

by Anne Jolin

I use people. Not in a malicious way, but in the way an addict abuses their substance of choice. People are my vice--men specifically. I crave the emotional high they give me with a unique and reckless disregard for my own well-being--eagerly floating into an unsustainable euphoria, knowing full well that after every high comes an equal, if not more powerful, plummet into a devastating abyss. But like every junkie, I crawl willingly back into the arms of my demons. Oh, the price we pay to feel loved. We'd all sell our souls to the devil himself for that. Perhaps I have already. They say that acknowledging that you have a problem is one of the first steps to recovery. Well, in that case, my name is Charleston Smith, and I have a f***ing problem.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance

Audio CD

First published April 26, 2016

About the author

I was born and raised in Ladner, a small farm town just outside Vancouver, Canada.

I never expected to be an author. Writing was something that snuck up on me and rooted itself into my life. It was beautiful to discover that love, and I’m truly grateful to say I’ve found my passion.

If I could leave y’all with one thing, it’s that life’s far too short to not live it out loud. Drown in your passions, hold on tight to the things that inspire you, and chase your dreams relentlessly. I can promise you without a doubt that you won’t regret it. I know I don’t.

Mad love,
Anne Jolin

Reviews

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 STARS



This is a story about a woman who learns to deal with her grief and finds herself through her journey of self-discovery. The heroine, Charleston Smith survived two big losses almost ten years ago in her life. Her boyfriend Dean left without an explanation and her brother Henry died from addiction. Today Charleston is a very success business woman so claims to have an addiction problem but my friends I NEVER SAW IT. She doesn’t use guys, no string of one night stands, no line of broken hearts are left in her wake it’s all in her head. By 50 percent in this book of talking to herself about her addiction I wanted to strangle her.

”I am an independent woman with severe co-dependence tendencies. I do not believe in needing people. I believe in wanting them, and that is far more dangerous. Need is stable emotion.”



Three Guys slowly make their way into the heroine’s life; Dean Porter, Beau Callaway and Maverick. Charleston has unfinshed business with Dean while all three men vie for her affections and the hero who has a great job and friends still is stuck on…

”I was a functioning addict.”

Again NO. She even has a therapist who tries to tell her that she’s not an addict but in one ear out the other.

”You are not using or abusing any relationship where the other part gets something positive from the relationship. That is mutual exchange of “highs” as you call them, and it’s perfectly natural.”



The day after day or page after page of her grief was exhausting however the heroine does eventually get her act together and the author very cleverly ends this story. Overall, this one wasn’t my cup of tea but did make for an okay read.

”I was by no means healed in completion, but I was a woman willing to save herself. I was a woman who believed she deserved to give herself her best shot at life.”

**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**

[Sybil aka Lala · Rating 5 out of 5]

God, this review is going to be difficult to write.

This is my second read by Anne Jolin and I really should have known better. But somewhere between all the good feelings the last book left me with, I forgot that Ms Jolin left me broken on the floor and only remembered that little fact once I read the dedication of Hell On Heels and realised I wouldn’t be coming out of this one unaffected.

What a truly exceptional book… Fuck, this was just a brilliant piece of writing.



I feel like I should start by saying that I cannot tell you what happens but that this is not a typical romance by any means and yet it still had one of THE most amazing endings I have ever read. My heart was shattered into a million little pieces while reading this but at the last sentence I smiled and said: ‘Perfect’.



I wish I could convey the beautiful sense of melancholy this book was surrounded in. And it was beautiful. Even though this book touches on some ugly subjects and our heroine is so broken, flawed and filled with that she could hardly hold herself together – the strength she displayed gave me hope that everything would turn out just fine. The emotions were written with such honesty and I felt each one deeply.



But damn… that ending…

I dare you to read this book.

I dare you not to fall in love with this heroine.

I dare you to walk away unaffected.

I dare you not bawl like a child at the ‘prologue’

Marvellous. Brilliant. Authentic. Emotional. Beautiful. Recommended.

(ARC provided in exchange for an honest review)

[Booknerdingout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hell On Heels was my first Anne Jolin book and I'm asking myself whhhhhy! Why have I waited so long to read something written by her!

This book is about a girl, Charleston, who has an incredible bond with her big brother.
Even in death. Because addiction takes no prisoners.
Charleston's struggle to continue living life without him is incredibly heartbreaking.
But her finding the strength to continue pushing through each day is inspiring.
The author takes you through Charleston's journey, beautifully.
Making every emotion feel so real.
The overall message, along with Anne Jolin's words, touched my soul.

[ach · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was Meh, i kind of liked it from the start then the main character blew it off, i hated her and all what she did, even though the writing style was okay the characters made me hate it. And that ending, WTF? i don't want to chose, it's your job to tell me what's going to happen and it's my job to read it.

[Selin' · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to start this off saying this was my first book by Anne Jolin. I have no reason why I never took one of her books up before, but now I'm regretting it.
When I first read the title and saw the cover, I had a whole different thought of how this book would be. And I can honestly say, I've never been more pleased to have been proven wrong.

W O W. I am still overwhelmed with all my feelings. This story is something else and I want to thank Anne for sharing this with us. Making us think and feel all these emotions

This was not a typical book with a typical storyline and a typical ending. No this was something different that i'll be holding close to my heart for a long time

Everything was perfect about this book, how it started, how it progressed and how it ended. Especially the ending is what I loved most. Such a powerful message, I know i'll be going back to read a couple of times

I marked so many things, it's more a colorbook then anything else now. The way Anne has a way with words just amazed me. I cried throughout the book and even writing this review got me into tears because this was RAW. Nothing more nothing less, just pure rawness.

I want people to go into this story blindly like I did. Just pick it up and dive head first in, and I promise you'll be captured by this beautiful story in many ways then one.

Thank you Anne Jolin for sharing such a beautiful story with us. You captured my heart with this one, and I can mark this as one of the best books i've ever read. God bless

[Brianna bribookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was beautiful. I'm literally trying so hard not to let the tears fall. It's an awkward situation to be in while babysitting and you're crying from a book. :P This book was nothing like I expected it to be. Anne Jolin has a gorgeous writing style that you just fall into her words. I cannot tell you how many times I highlighted this book... At least 50 times. This does have a HEA, but it's different from most. Which I absolutely loved. I seriously just want to cry- I'm not kidding. This book was absolutely beautiful and I can't stop gushing about it. Everything and I mean EVERYTHING about this book was beautiful. You have to read this book guys! Extremely fast paced and can probably be read in 1 sitting. If it wasn't finals week for me, I would have finished in 1 day.

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know how to start this review - or how to write it at all.
This book was not my kind of thing. ☹
The cover and title looked/ sounded interesting, the blurb was not really my kind of story, I don’t like love triangle thingies...but by the time I saw the blurb we had already signed up for the blog-tour. And I kinda regret that now.
I want my books to be romantic or erotic or suspensy or moving or exciting and preferably all combined.
This book.... it felt like a self-help autobiography thing. How to live with and survive addiction. Or how to survive when someone close to you died from addiction. And since this is not anything I can relate to privately (other than being addicted to eating) I don’t think this book was for me. It might be the book for you or you, and it might really help people go through something like that... so, please don’t let me stop you from reading it. It really had its good moments. Sad moments, funny and sexy and VERY moving moments. I cried a lot. But I kind of hurried through it - I only tried to read the conversations and not her constant thinking and describing and another ‘putting lotion on her body’ moment. It was a bit too much for me. Sorry :/
I think - the potential for something more is definitely there. But Anne turned it into a sad thing with a slightly unlikable heroine and three hot guys that we don’t get to fall in love with as a reader, because of all of Charleston’s problems :/ This could’ve been a great romance - just make 2 of those guys slightly unlikeable and bam - Happily Ever After with one of them.... BUT - it really wasn’t a bad book - just not something I would ever read again .... But please - try it - don't let mes stop you - it really had some great moments!!!!



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[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know how to start this review - or how to write it at all.
This book was not my kind of thing. ☹
The cover and title looked/ sounded interesting, the blurb was not really my kind of story, I don’t like love triangle thingies...but by the time I saw the blurb we had already signed up for the blog-tour. And I kinda regret that now.
I want my books to be romantic or erotic or suspensy or moving or exciting and preferably all combined.
This book.... it felt like a self-help autobiography thing. How to live with and survive addiction. Or how to survive when someone close to you died from addiction. And since this is not anything I can relate to privately (other than being addicted to eating) I don’t think this book was for me. It might be the book for you or you, and it might really help people go through something like that... so, please don’t let me stop you from reading it. It really had its good moments. Sad moments, funny and sexy and VERY moving moments. I cried a lot. But I kind of hurried through it - I only tried to read the conversations and not her constant thinking and describing and another ‘putting lotion on her body’ moment. It was a bit too much for me. Sorry :/
I think - the potential for something more is definitely there. But Anne turned it into a sad thing with a slightly unlikable heroine and three hot guys that we don’t get to fall in love with as a reader, because of all of Charleston’s problems :/ This could’ve been a great romance - just make 2 of those guys slightly unlikeable and bam - Happily Ever After with one of them.... BUT - it really wasn’t a bad book - just not something I would ever read again .... But please - try it - don't let me stop you - it really had some great moments!!!!



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[Marieke ~ Marieke's Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know Anne Jolin for her Alpha books; protective Alpha men with a little rough edge falling for sweet, sassy women. Hell On Heels is her latest book, and it’s a little different from her other books. The pleasant writing style is the same, but the story is very different. However, I loved it.

“My need to soothe the loneliness inside me would have to be remedied. It was in those such instances I often chose to attempt to develop something with a suitor in my life, thus finding a handsome man to deliver me to heaven and return me to hell.”

Charleston has a busy life with her event-planning firm and her charity organization. The organization is dedicated to help the families of addicts, and to help youngsters stay clean. While to the outside world she is the prefect, organized woman, inside she is a mess and can’t have functional relationships with men. As a young woman she’d experienced traumatic heartbreak; her boyfriend disappeared without saying goodbye, and a few months later she found her addicted brother, death. She didn’t want to forget her sorrows with alcohol or drugs, instead she chooses a different addiction; men.

“In a way, I loved being unattached. I was able to fill the holes in me with the affection of multiple men, not necessarily always at the same time, and it stopped the bleeding. I was a functioning addict. The high of male adoration kept my stride steady until, well, it didn’t.”

While organizing the yearly event for her charity, Charleston meets two men. The men are the opposite of each other, one polite, good looking and friendly, the other one with a rougher edge. Around the same time the long disappeared boyfriend suddenly walks back into Charleston’s life, reopening the hurt she felt when he left. While spending time with each man, slowly Charleston comes to terms with her past and sees what she wants from life, and from the man she’s going to spend it with.

Hell On Heels isn’t the love story of Charleston and her man. It’s the story of her finding her true self, to be happy with who she is, to love herself. Whatever man she chooses, isn’t important. The book is written in Anne Jolin’s familiar style, and since it’s solely in Charleston’s POV, it’s about her inner struggles, her dealing with her brother’s death, her deciding which man is the best for her true self.

“I, Charleston Smith, was a lot of things. I was messy. I was sometimes poorly tempered. I was someone who believed you could still wear white after Labor Day. I was successful. I was someone who still thought a good horror movie could fix a bad day. I was a woman, and I was loved.”

Although this is not the usual romance book I prefer, I’ve enjoyed reading it. I give Hell On Heels 4.5 stars.


Check out my blog: www.mariekesbooks.com

[Sejla · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Oh wow! Anne Jolin has totally blown my mind with this book! I honestly didn't knew what to expect from it when I decided to read it. It turned out that I've found more than I could have ever hoped for. I was intrigued from page one and couldn't put this book down until I finished it.

Charleston Smith has suffered two terrible losses in her life that altered her forever. Even years after her brother died and her first love left without a trace, she is still struggling. Charleston has a special vice—men. She craves the emotional high they give her, knowing full well that after every high comes an equal, if not more powerful fall. Hell on Hells describes her journey and how this beautiful and intelligent but somehow broken woman learned how to make peace with her past and move on. Even though there are three amazing men who are trying to win her heart (Dean, Maverick and Beau), this book is not about who she will choose in the end. It is more about Charleston and how she became the hero of her own story!

Charlie is such a loveable heroine. She wasn't by all means flawless, but none of us are either. I can't remember the last time that I've read about a heroine where I felt like I knew her because I saw myself in her. Her struggles were real and I could relate to many of them. No, I haven't lost a brother to addiction like Charleston Smith. But my first love left me too. It has shattered me! It took me years to understand what Dr Seuss meant with his words: Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happend. I realized that it's up to us to either concentrate on the good parts or the bad. I chose the good memories. What I've also learned from all of it was that I'm much stronger than I thought. I realized that a lot of people expect their partners to make them happy. But in my opinion, you need to be happy on your own before you can be happy with someone else!

What touched me deeply was Charleston's love for her brother Henry that was palpable on every page. I've shed so many tears because of her terrible loss and was so relieved that in the end Charlie bear was healing and ready to try to love again.

Thank you Anne from the bottom of my heart for writing this heartbreaking, amazing and emotional story.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I start with this book? Anne Jolin is one of my all time favorite authors, she always writes such amazing stories and has just a breathtaking way of writing them. She has a rare form of writing and I love it.
Charleston Smith is anything but average. She's beautiful and curvy. And knows how to take life by the horns and pull real hard. She's had anything but an easy life. After suffering such a great loss in such a tragic way, she's still learning and getting stronger from the loss she has suffered.
After having so much pain in her life, all she wants is to live a good life from here on out and help people that couldn't help her through her hard time. That's why she created her business, that is currently booming.
When she throws a charity ball for the one and only Beau Calloway, things start to change. He shows an interest in her heavily and she's flattered by his attention. And might have a slight crush on him but that is until a masked man dances with her, and she finds peace in his muscular arms.
But when the past starts creeping back into her life, she finds herself thrown off the path. Three men are in her life and all three want her in some way. But can they have her or handle her?
Charleston is no little girl and chews men out for dinner. But these three have their hooks in her and she's being pulled in many directions. The real questions is which guy makes her feel like the better version of herself?
Hell on Heels is so rare and so real, that I cried through half the book. Going through so many experiences that Charleston did herself, I made an instant connection with her. I've been where she's been. I've felt her pain. So to read it and be so beautifully written that only Anne can do, touched me to soul.
This book, couldn't have been any better. Anne's best work to date. I cried, laughed, screamed, right along with these characters. And I do it over and over again, no matter how many times I read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Whether it was love or not, I don’t know. All I know is that it felt like our souls were intertwined, all of our hopes, fears and dreams entangled together.”

“Loving the ugly parts of ourselves isn’t easy, but if we can’t love them, how can we expect someone else to?”

Anne Jolin has done it again. She has once again blown me away. She has not only given me a well written story, but she has provided me with something that is so unique, so refreshing; unlike anything I’ve read by her before.

Now, there’s not much that I can say about Hell on Heels because I don’t want to spoil it. This is one of those books that is best to go into without knowing what’s going to happen. Here is what I can share with you: Hell on Heels is intriguing. It will captivate you. You will find yourself swept up in Charleston’s story and you will not be able to put it down. Charleston���s story is not an easy one. It does deal with some really tough and complex issues. Anne Jolin does an amazing job handling those tough issues and really getting you to understand and connect with the character.

Hell on Heels is beautifully written and will take you on one crazy ride. This book will make you laugh. It will frustrate you. It will make you fall in love. Hell on Heels is not your traditional love story. There are a lot of twists and steamy moments. But most of all, this is a book about finding yourself and forgiveness. It was just an overall beautiful book and I loved every second of it.

*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*

[Sarah/DragonflyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hell on Heels is the latest complete standalone from Anne Jolin. Long story short, this book is more about our heroine Charleston Smith finding, healing and loving herself before choosing to love a man. It's so different from a typical "boy meets girl, they fall in love and get married" romance that we're used to and I find it refreshing and needed.

Almost a decade after losing her brother to addiction as well as the love of her life leaving her Charleston is still picking up the pieces. She's grieving, trying to heal and find a way to move on and create new relationships. She's an independent and successful woman, and enjoys attention from men. She doesn't need to settle down immediately and when she finally chooses her man, we find ourselves met with the ending of a wonderful almost coming of age story.

I know that this story has a personal touch from the author. With that being said, I can't imagine the grief as well as the healing that came along with writing this beautiful story. Anne writes it in a way that's not focusing on sex or smut, but Charleston's life while finding a meaningful relationship. I appreciate this type of writing. It's easy to stray away from a story and get lost in a steamy scene. We get the opposite here with much more story and a lot less steam, but it doesn't take away from the romance. Thank you, Anne Jolin, for writing such a thoughtful and poignant story.

[alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hell On Heels is my first Anne Jolin book and I fell in love with this book. I think what made me love this story was how real it felt. Charleston wasn't a spoiled over privileged woman, she was a hard working woman while maintaining life and her her battle with grief for her late brother. Charleston is a woman many of us should look up to, she was a fighter who kept pushing for a life of peace and happiness. It also shows how you don't need a man to support you and how you don't need to be whole to forgive yourself, you just need to be brave. Hell On Heels is a book for different types of people. For me it was about challenge and growth, which is why I'm team Maverick lol. In life we sometimes need that extra push or someone or something to not always sugar coat things. Find your self-worth and love yourself.

Hell On Heels is beautifully written and I'm so glad I've bought Anne's other series so I can dive right into them.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

[Heather Pollock · Rating 4 out of 5]

@authorannejolin

Review ~~ Hell on Heels





Hell on Heels

by Anne Jolin



QueenZany 4 STAR REVIEW

“Hell on Heels” is not your typical romance novel. You are thrown in right from the start. Which was hard for me! I wasn't sure I would be able to get through the book. But after letting the tears flow. You become immersed in a beautiful story that will leave you raw! I was glad to read this remarkable journey that Charleston went through. So vivid and clear. At some points it almost felt too real for me!






ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.


https://plus.google.com/+heatherpollo...

[French Press Bookworm Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

️⭐️⭐️⭐️stars

I honestly wanted to love this book. But it just missed the mark for me. It wasn't at all what I expected. This really is a story about standing on your own and coming to know who you are and knowing you don't need a man to have your HEA even though they do help

[Syrine Bk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was def a hard read for me considering it hit home .. I have a lot in common with Charlie .. But I love it! Anne no many people can pour down their hearts into words for the world to see it takes someone so brave to do it.

[Melissa (Corrupted BY Smut) · Rating 5 out of 5]

** ARC provided for an honest review**

What a beautifully, BEAUTIFULLY written story! This is the first book that I've read by Anne Jolin, and I can assure you I will be devouring ever last one of her books soon! This woman is a writing QUEEN! Every last sentence is written with such heartfelt detail, you can literally feel the emotions like they are dripping right off the pages. You completely sense how personal this story is for the author with how much heart she puts into it. I've never personally experienced the tragedy of addiction, but within these pages, Anne Jolin creates a story so profound that you really feel the emotional struggle on what it's like to deal with it, how to carry on with that loss, and what grief can do to destroy a person.

I can't even explain within this simple review how beautiful the words in this book are. I should start by saying that at the heart of it all, this story is about Charleston, a woman who is struggling to deal with the loss of her brother (to addiction), and her first love who abandons her around the same time, with no form of goodbye, just up and disappears. She loses herself in her grief, and as a result, uses men as her salve, to receive from them the comfort and attention that make her feel better. She herself, becomes an addict. But with men. She is deathly afraid of losing herself to love again, and as a result keeps any form of attachment at a safe distance.

Enter the three gorgeous men that come into her life, and in turn, bring out a parts of Charleston that she lost. Beau, the gorgeous politician that sweeps her off her feet and is the sweetest man ever!! Maverick, the man bun wearing, body full of muscle, dark and mysterious, hunk of man meat who I would want slamming me against a wall any day! And then Dean, her ex who left her high and dry, who unceremoniously, comes back into her life and tries to explain his past mistakes and receive closure. (BOY, did I want to choke him to death and kiss him all at the same time)

Through her time with these men, Charleston is left to figure out who she has become as a woman, and how she wants to continue living her life. There is a lot of inner dialogue from Charleston as well, as she tries to maneuver around her past, her fear, and her grief. Which was beautiful to read. But at the same time, I found it took away from the build up into her relationships, their interactions and the time spent with the three men. As a result, I didn't really build any sort of strong connection or strong feelings for any one of them, and it was hard to say who I really liked from the three (although Maverick was flippin HOT during those intimate scenes!)

Another little MINOR detail that sort of left me wanting in this book were the sex scenes. Each time, the build up was sooo steamy, and with three men in the mix, I would have liked some lengthier and detailed sexy time. But having said this, I feel that the authors purpose of this book was about Charleston's grief process and how she deals with the loss of people in her life, and how each of these men allowed her to see the woman she was choosing to be. As a result, I can see why steamy sex scenes may have taken away from the important message of the story.

The ending is what completely got me. I have to say before it, I was undecided about my star rating for this book. I went from 4, to 4.5 and pretty much stayed there up until the end just because of my loss of connection with the men. But that ending knocked the air out of me, made me cry my eyes out and then left me with a big fat small on my face. I absolutely 100% LOVED the ending. I've never come across a book that has ended that way, and I think if it was any other author or any other story, I might have thrown my kindle and smashed it to pieces. But Anne Jolin made my heart hurt and soar all at the same time! It was genius really, and beautiful! What an inspiring message about the true meaning of love! Loved loved loved this book! 5 stars all the way!!

[Emmbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

°•☆ARC provided for honest review ☆•°

well first thing to say about this book is that it's kinda stunning, in more than one way. It's beautifully written. Like, put the kindle down and just absorb the words beautiful. the kind of writing where you do a mental fist pump cos the Author just nailed it, beautiful.

Charleston is up there with the most relatable characters I've ever read. I may not have been through the things she has but I felt it right alongside her. Struggling to deal with her brothers death and being abandoned by her long term boyfriend, Charleston describes herself as being addicted to men. more specifically the high she gets from being wanted. This brings us to the men in her life.

First off she meets up and coming politician Beau. Handsome and charismatic Beau. She immediately feels a deep connection with him. He is sweet and romantic and despite having a crazy life, he wants to be with Charleston.

despite her feelings for Beau, Charleston can't deny her attraction to the beast of a man that sweeps her off her feet. The connection between her and Maverick is much more primal. He's the straight talking, no nonsense type. Maverick refuses to let Charleston's demons keep on controlling her.

Finally we have Dean. The man from her past that could finally offer some closure on the things that have causes her such pain. Will their past secrets heal Charleston or hurt her all over again?

I have to say I've been all around the houses with trying to write this and do the story justice. This is Charleston's book. The fact that there are 3 potential love interests is almost secondary to the story of how she learns to heal herself.

As with all good love triangles (or squares in this case) our heroine must make the hard choices. Which man to pick? This is where I was almost tempted to make this a 4.5 stars read. The story is so focused on Charleston that there is very little interaction with any other characters. Having read the whole book I get why, but It's not easy to form an opinion on who she should be with when lots of their times together are implied rather than written about.

That said I couldn't give this anything less than 5 stars. I've only been able to read 1 other of Anne's books and even though I really enjoyed that one, Hell on Heels is another level of story telling.

Beautiful, thought provoking prose with a storyline that will have you veering from sobbing to cheering Charleston on.

this is the kind of book that stays with you. You won't be able to forget this in a hurry.

[Bambing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even begin?

Let me preface that I loved Anne Jolin's "Saving Steele" (http://amzn.to/1OyDLbB) but I wasn't too keen on "Chasing Rhodes" (http://amzn.to/1WDmCoS) so I had no expectations when I received an ARC of this. I knew it could go either way for me.

As is my practice when I have a new book, I read the prologue (if there is one), the first two chapters, the last two chapters and the epilogue (again, if there is one). I know it is weird but, to me, the ending is just as important as the rest of the book. No matter how great the book is, if the ending does not tie up the story neatly, the book loses its appeal for me.

I almost didn't read this because of the ending. I couldn't stand the way it ended. Not to give it away (no, it is not a cliffhanger) but I didn't like it. I needed a resolution. I needed a bow to wrap up the whole story in a neat package. I needed a typical "the end". I almost emailed the author to tell her thanks, but no thanks, I can't review because I didn't read it. But, I gave my word. So I was going to follow through, albeit, belatedly.

I am glad I did. Granted, I wasn't prepared, nor did I welcome the emotions that this book evoked. I didn't expect to relate to the heroine. I didn't want to feel what she was feeling, to understand why she was that way or to empathize with her, even when I didn't agree with her actions and decisions. But, I did. I wanted to cry when her heart was breaking, I wanted to hide with her when she didn't want to face her issues. I wanted to cheer her on when she persevered and had a breakthrough. I wanted to hit her upside the head when I thought she was being stupid and stubborn. I had a whole gamut of emotions when I was reading and I didn't want to stop.

That's a testament to Anne Jolin's growth as a writer. Like I said, I didn't care much for one of her earlier books. Yet, in this book, she was able to elicit varying reactions from me. To the point that though I didn't like the ending, I am still giving this 5 stars. I think this book is also a testament to her bravery. It is often said that a writer brings a piece of himself or herself to every work. If that is the case, Anne Jolin brought a very private piece of herself to this book and managed to present it with eloquence and grace. For that, I have to give her props and like always says, mad love.

[Laura Nelson (Tangents and Tissues) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know about Hell On Heels, but this book was hell on my emotions!!

This story had me hooked from the opening scene right up to the climactic end. I’m ashamed to admit that this is the first work I’ve read by this author, but you can be rest assured that is something I will be remedying asap.

It’s true what they say; one moment in time can change us all, but what happens when you experience two such life altering events in a short space of time? This is where we find Charleston at the beginning of our journey.

Having lost the two loves of her life in her teens; her first love disappearing without a trace and her brother succumbing to his addictions. Charleston masks her emotional scars under a very thin veneer of togetherness.

She is now the very successful business owner of a highly sought after event planning firm. Her one vice, however, is men and she uses them to seek her high, but finds herself unable to commit to any who come and go from her life.

Surprising things happen when you least expect them and three men enter Charleston’s life at the one time. Each couldn’t be more different from the other. Ambitious but sweet politician, Beau Callaway; Security Specialist, Maverick Hart and the errant first love Dean Porter.

I loved each of these men in their own way. I just hoped that Dean would finally provide Charleston with the answers she needs in order to get closure. Oh and what can I say about Maverick? I totally pictured Jason Momoa and the character reminded me so much of Ranger from the Stephanie Plum series (another fav of my mine). Beau would give Charleston the world if she’ll only let him in.

Yet, for me, the focus of the book wasn’t on which man Charleston would end up with. It was about Charleston forgiving and finding herself. Her realisation that she deserves her own Happily Ever After the same as we all do.

This book is full of the most wonderful characters and ‘Charlie’s People’ are the best. I want a night out with Kevin!! I also truly hope wherever Leighton is that she gets her own HEA eventually. These two are true BFFs.

It may not be a conventional HEA, but in my eyes it was perfect. As Charleston states:

“I was defined by the collective whole of the things I believed in.”

Quite simply put, Charleston is my hero!

Note: ARC kindly received from author in exchange for an honest review.

[Amie Morgado- We Stole Your Book Boyfriend · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Anne - her stories have been great and this one is no different in that aspect but in itself a whole different style of story. More in depth , more reality and way more emotion than I could handle at times !! I will admit it took me awhile to connect with Charleston - I liked her all along but there were a few pieces of her that just didn't make sense to me until the end. See I too had to go on this journey with her to understand her more so by the time she was stable and happy I was able to finally say - OH YES NOW IT MAKES SENSE !!

It has been 10 years BUT the loss of her brother and her best friend/first love still haunts her. Not only did she lose 2 guys that meant the world to her , she also lost herself. Her road to recovery has not been easy , with the help of a therapist , her family and friends she has managed to function and create a successful business. Yet she has some quirks that really keep her from opening up and fully trusting. She says she uses guys and has an addiction but the piece of the story we get is the here and now , she has met 2 guys and come face to face with one from her past. Things get pretty messy and confusing for her but this journey , these 3 guys , they help her realize so much more than I imagined she would. I laughed , I was annoyed , confused and shocked - by the end I was so emotional and those last few chapters and that letter from the author WOW. It may not have ended as clearly as I wished BUT the author really tied it all together with her words. She may just be a fictional character but I think we all have a bit of Charleston in us !!

[MyMy (PunchDrunkLibrary) · Rating 3 out of 5]

WHOA – did I walk into this one fully blinded. For the first time ever, I decided to not read a blurb for a book I am reading. THIS was most definitely NOT the book to decide to be brave and do something out of the norm! Twenty percent through the book and my head was spinning as the characters were being introduced (do not take this negatively; keep in mind that I had NO idea what I was getting myself into what-so-ever)!

It is not your typical romance; the story focuses on Charleston Smith, the heroine in the story and how she faced life challenges with moving on, after a great loss of her brother to addiction. The story is moving and touching in ways I did not expect. It is about acceptance and growth within the challenges in life she faced and self-discovery in order to find her true happiness.

If you are one to refuse to read any books unless it is a HEA, I would not say this is not the book for you... In the same breath I would not say it is for you either. It truly is a unique closing.

To be honest, I was holding my breath and was disappointed at the ending (this happens when I am not getting what I wanted to happen ¼ ways through the book). However, after sitting back to absorb it all, it is the perfect ending. It may not be your perfect, but I was able to have my perfect.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five huge emotionally charged stars for a new stand-alone . While this book is a romance it does tackle tough topics of addiction, loss and grief . Charleston is at a point in her life where she meets three distinct people who cause her to realize things she may never have done on her own.

Charleston Smith is a event planner who runs a foundation to honor her big brother's memory. Her brother dies at the age of twenty-four due to a decade long addiction to drugs/alcohol. While Charleston realizes she couldn't have physically stopped her brother she still carries the residual guilt around with her even now four years after his death.

While in the midst of the fourth annual gala for her brother's foundation two very distinct men come into Charleston's life and start to have an impact on things. Then seemingly out of nowhere the ex-boyfriend from years past also is back in her life to mix things up a bit.

This book was a very emotional read for me that at times had me smiling and laughing and then literally sobbing in the next chapter. Gut-wrenching, honest and beautifully done from the dedication until the author's words to us in the end :)

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an emotional read! This book will connect with you, and pull at your heartstrings, in ways you never thought possible.

This is my first read by Anne Jolin, but honestly, I don't think I'll ever be able to pass up one of her books, from now on. She has a way of writing such sorrowful life events, but then giving you the hope and strength, along with a beautifully created main character, to come out on top.

I loved the main character. What strength, passion and resilience. I really connected with the character straight away, and found myself caring for her like a friend. I liked the way that Jolin developed the main, and all supporting characters, as it provided us with a cast that felt real and relatable.

The pace of the story was brilliant. It had more of a steady to slow pace, due to the emotional nature, but it really worked. The level of detail put into the emotion and the events really meshed well with the pace, creating a rollercoaster of a journey.

Overall, this was a great read. If you want to feel a good read and be a part of a good read, this is your book.

** I received this book for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

[Kimothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, this review is not going to go into too much of the book. I want to let you the reader absorb it to its best potential. This is a story about a woman, it could be you or me or anyone we know and how she learns to love herself and understand herself through the men she meets in her life. Each man holds a small a small part in identifying our heroines strength. That is not to say our female lead is lacking in fact she is powerful and strong and amazing. The men Anne Jolin writes are always hot and she did not disappoint again here, there are men for every taste. Go read this amazing book and go look like you could take on hell itself (ie daily life) in heels, this is what you will feel when you finish the book :) and i can't even walk in heels but i swore i could after reading this book x

[Shell Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

This book takes you not only in to the world of Charlie but in side her heart and wow it's such a great book that it will touch your heart and make you think at the same time and how it ends is just spectacular I loved it.

[Anna]

Lovely

Charleston's story though sad is one of growth. You will experience her loss and also see how she tries to deal with her grief. You will fall in love. The ending is different but I get it and I like it. I look forward to more from Anne Jolin.

[the_sharks_are_circling · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was really hard to stick with but I always try my best to stick with it. This book was full of Charleston wallowing in grief and unable to forgive and move forward for both losing and not saving her brother from addiction and her love of her life leaving her with no explanation. I guess there was rejection, pain and loss at the middle of her feelings not good enough.
Queue Beau a handsome almost too good to be true hunk who makes Charlie feel special, Dean comes back from the past with secrets but still loving her and the rough and ready Maverick (I think that's his name because he doesn't focus too much in the book)
The books ending will be really frustrating for some as there is no happy ever after and for me that was my favorite bit. The letter in place of the epilogue inspired me, made me appreciate the author and gave me lots to take away. I've written it out below minus some of the spoilers ......

To you

It took me many years to learn the blessing that came in the cloak of boundaries. There is no shame in acknowledging the lines in the sand that keep you whole. You are no less  loving or empathetic for their suffering by choosing to honour your limitations.
Maybe for you life is about finding redemption, forgiveness or simplicity or acceptance or maybe it was challenge or growth.
Maybe this time it's not so much about someone coming in to save you, it's not about finding the happy ever after. Maybe it's the time you choose yourself
The Great loves are not the ones bore out of choice, but the ones that have endless options and still choose each other. I believe that in any given point in our lives there is someone out there for us. There are people who will touch your soul in different ways and that is part of what makes living so exciting. You could meet someone tomorrow who would change your life in a way you never saw coming and perhaps you wasn't ready for. We shouldn't decide to love others because we are ill epuipt to love ourselves but rather because we choose to love because we are so full of self love that we are bursting to share that love with someone we are aching to share that love with. Because you will firstly always belong to you before you belong to someone else
May you reign down your presence in this world and make no apologies for it. You are a beautiful person inside and out. With each step you take worship yourself. Let them fear you, let them quake with the urge to touch you but most of all let them earn the right to love you. I believe in you.

[Jennie Winters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based upon the multitude of 4- and 5-star reviews, I was looking forward to a book about self-discovery and recovery. However, that is not how I would describe this book.

Charleston Smith is a woman who suffered great losses. Ten years ago, her boyfriend left her and brother died of an overdose. Although I can see how both of these events would be difficult, Charleston's challenges seem to be more about her own mindset. She seems to believe she suffers from some kind of addiction. However, there isn't evidence of an addiction.

The book is interspersed with memories of her brother, which are awkwardly placed at times. The close relationship with her older brother Henry is well articulated. It would make total sense that she suffered from depression over his loss, yet she doesn't seem to see herself as suffering from depression. Rather she keeps focusing on her own addiction--to what, I'm still unclear.

Charleston's "recovery" seems to come about due to her simultaneous relationships with 3 men. I think the story may have been stronger if it focused on 2 of the 3 men instead of all 3: Beau, an influential politician, Maverick, his head of security, and Dean, the boyfriend who left her 10 years ago. Adding the 3rd wheel seemed unnecessary. Forgiving Dean made some sense for her healing process, but I don't think it was necessary for her to be juggling 3 men--especially since she implied that having the 3 relationships is what helped her to heal. Granted, they each showed her kindness and care in her grief over her brother, but did she really heal or just become distracted from her issues because 3 very different men were interested in pursuing her? In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with dating multiple people, but I just didn't see how that moved so quickly into picking "the one." I'm not sure I'd describe what she did with Maverick and Dean as dating. She also chose "the one" pretty callously, considering all 3 were invited to the gala at the end. Did she even consider how the other 2 might feel about that? Of course, we'll never know because it ended so abruptly without a real resolution.

I think this is a story that people either love or dislike, with very little middle ground. I liked the relationship she had with her friends and her brother, but didn't find Charleston a sympathetic character.