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Montana Heat #1
Escape to You
A Montana man always protects the woman he loves He discovered her during a Montana blizzard, freezing cold, impossibly vulnerable, a little boy by her side. Undercover DEA Agent Beck “Trigger” Cooke is astonished to recognize Ashley Swan—award-winning actress, famous beauty—and missing for over a year. To keep her and the child hidden from a sadistic madman, he secrets the pair away to his isolated home. No longer a prisoner, and protected at Hope Ranch, Ashley recovers and learns the tall, tempting federal agent may have a dark past, but it hasn’t destroyed his sense of honor. As they shed past roles and find common ground, Ashley and Trigger can’t help but fall slowly, carefully, in love. But danger still lurks outside the boundaries of Hope Ranch, for until her crazed captor is brought to justice, and Trigger’s undercover past is laid to rest, none of them will ever be truly safe…
384 pages, ebook
First published August 29, 2017
423 people are currently reading
1340 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Ryan
50 books1,883 followersJennifer Ryan, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Hunted and McBrides Series, writes romantic suspense and contemporary small-town romances.
Jennifer lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children. When she isn’t writing a book, she’s reading one. Her obsession with both is often revealed in the state of her home, and how late dinner is to the table. When she finally leaves those fictional worlds, you’ll find her in the garden, playing in the dirt and daydreaming about people who live only in her head, until she puts them on paper.
Please visit her website at www.jennifer-ryan.com for information about upcoming releases.
Jennifer lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three children. When she isn’t writing a book, she’s reading one. Her obsession with both is often revealed in the state of her home, and how late dinner is to the table. When she finally leaves those fictional worlds, you’ll find her in the garden, playing in the dirt and daydreaming about people who live only in her head, until she puts them on paper.
Please visit her website at www.jennifer-ryan.com for information about upcoming releases.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
July 29, 2017
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Escape To You is the first book in the newest series by Jennifer Ryan. This is a story that is heartfelt and thrilling and has the same unique voice as her other previous books. In Escape To You, our heroine, who was a famous actress, has been held prisoner for a whole year, being beated and battered both physically and emotionally. The man who holds her is mentally unstable. He has a crazy fixation on her, and on a young boy of four years old. But when an opportunity arises, Ashley, grabs the boy who she has tried to protect as best she could, and run with him away from the madman whom she once called "friend", out in a blizzaard, and was stumbled upon by "Trigger" . Agent Beck "Trigger" Cooke, can't believe that the infamous actress is half dead with a young boy afraid of his own shadow. He treats their injuries, and soon it becomes apparent, that they are in some deep trouble and need help. Trigger is a DEA Agent, but with the right help, he can help protect them from a man who will stop at nothing to get to them....
What a story and I had such a blast reading this book, but of course, it is Jennifer Ryan and I just can't put her down EVER!! Literally, I think I went without food and everything just so I could read this book, it was that good. But those that have picked up this author and enjoyed her in the past, know exactly what I am talking about. In Escape To You, we have a young woman, that even though she has suffered some horrific things, she still hasn't been broken. She has courage and strength to run when she can and save a little boy as well. At first, this book might break your heart, seeing how desperate these two are just for a safe roof. Our hero Trigger, handles the situation just right both for Ashley and Adam. Now little Adam, he is such a darling little boy, can barely speak a word due to his living conditions, but is bright and he made me cry. And the way Trigger is with him, is so sweet. I love how he is with him in this book. The romance is just delightful though. I love seeing these two come together. Trigger hasn't had a easy past either. He has had to work as a DEA, and the things he has had to do in the name of the "law" still haunts him, but finding Ashley and Adam helps him heal and find his true self again. Ashley and Trigger fight for each other in gentle and forgiving ways, and their story is a must read for romance lovers. What is most special about their story, is seeing their vulnerabilities and strengths come out when it truly matters most, I love how well they balance each other, lift each other up and encourage one another. There is a special intimacy that grows between them that is remarkable to see.
He never expected it. Never thought he'd be blessed to have something this good and right in his life. But here she was, lying in his arms. And even though he didn't think he deserved her, he'd spend the rest of his life trying to be worthy of all she offered him or die trying. He'd wished to find the kind of love and companionship Caden found with Mia. He had it. Now all he had to do was hold on to it. Her. For the rest of his life.
Escape To You is a love story that keeps you on your toes, emotional and riveting, a tale you won't easily forget!!!
Click To Buy On Amazon
Escape To You is the first book in the newest series by Jennifer Ryan. This is a story that is heartfelt and thrilling and has the same unique voice as her other previous books. In Escape To You, our heroine, who was a famous actress, has been held prisoner for a whole year, being beated and battered both physically and emotionally. The man who holds her is mentally unstable. He has a crazy fixation on her, and on a young boy of four years old. But when an opportunity arises, Ashley, grabs the boy who she has tried to protect as best she could, and run with him away from the madman whom she once called "friend", out in a blizzaard, and was stumbled upon by "Trigger" . Agent Beck "Trigger" Cooke, can't believe that the infamous actress is half dead with a young boy afraid of his own shadow. He treats their injuries, and soon it becomes apparent, that they are in some deep trouble and need help. Trigger is a DEA Agent, but with the right help, he can help protect them from a man who will stop at nothing to get to them....
What a story and I had such a blast reading this book, but of course, it is Jennifer Ryan and I just can't put her down EVER!! Literally, I think I went without food and everything just so I could read this book, it was that good. But those that have picked up this author and enjoyed her in the past, know exactly what I am talking about. In Escape To You, we have a young woman, that even though she has suffered some horrific things, she still hasn't been broken. She has courage and strength to run when she can and save a little boy as well. At first, this book might break your heart, seeing how desperate these two are just for a safe roof. Our hero Trigger, handles the situation just right both for Ashley and Adam. Now little Adam, he is such a darling little boy, can barely speak a word due to his living conditions, but is bright and he made me cry. And the way Trigger is with him, is so sweet. I love how he is with him in this book. The romance is just delightful though. I love seeing these two come together. Trigger hasn't had a easy past either. He has had to work as a DEA, and the things he has had to do in the name of the "law" still haunts him, but finding Ashley and Adam helps him heal and find his true self again. Ashley and Trigger fight for each other in gentle and forgiving ways, and their story is a must read for romance lovers. What is most special about their story, is seeing their vulnerabilities and strengths come out when it truly matters most, I love how well they balance each other, lift each other up and encourage one another. There is a special intimacy that grows between them that is remarkable to see.
He never expected it. Never thought he'd be blessed to have something this good and right in his life. But here she was, lying in his arms. And even though he didn't think he deserved her, he'd spend the rest of his life trying to be worthy of all she offered him or die trying. He'd wished to find the kind of love and companionship Caden found with Mia. He had it. Now all he had to do was hold on to it. Her. For the rest of his life.
Escape To You is a love story that keeps you on your toes, emotional and riveting, a tale you won't easily forget!!!
Click To Buy On Amazon
August 5, 2019
4 Pleased & Re-Readable Stars
Prominent Hollywood starlet Ashley Swan has been missing for a year, the media assume she has escaped to have a break from her life, those closest to her are not so sure but their concerns fall on deaf ears. In the last year Ashley has endured having her love acting used against her, as well as being mentally and physically tortured and caged. Knowing she will die, and welcoming this reality, when an unexpected opportunity rises for her to escape, she jumps at it, fleeing with the 4-year-old little boy (Adam) she cannot leave behind in the grasp of a monster.
Running into a blizzard Adam and Ashley are helped by DEA agent Beck (Trigger) Cooke, he is one leading man I couldn’t help but like – he’s caring, kind, emotionally scarred, and a silent wall of strength – the prefect fit for Ashley and Adam.
I have to say that I do think that the main characters had the potential to be fabulous rather than just good/enjoyable, the author just needed to flesh them out a bit more, add some more dimension to the two.
Also, I think that the trauma Ashley and sweet Adam had endured for so long and its consequences could have been illustrated far more potently, and greater intensity in emotion was need. Plus, I wanted Adam in more scenes, despite these niggles I really enjoyed this read, having hardly put my kindle down until I had finished it.
This book has me keen to read more by the author.
Potential Triggers:
Currently £1.99 on Amazon.
Prominent Hollywood starlet Ashley Swan has been missing for a year, the media assume she has escaped to have a break from her life, those closest to her are not so sure but their concerns fall on deaf ears. In the last year Ashley has endured having her love acting used against her, as well as being mentally and physically tortured and caged. Knowing she will die, and welcoming this reality, when an unexpected opportunity rises for her to escape, she jumps at it, fleeing with the 4-year-old little boy (Adam) she cannot leave behind in the grasp of a monster.
Running into a blizzard Adam and Ashley are helped by DEA agent Beck (Trigger) Cooke, he is one leading man I couldn’t help but like – he’s caring, kind, emotionally scarred, and a silent wall of strength – the prefect fit for Ashley and Adam.
I have to say that I do think that the main characters had the potential to be fabulous rather than just good/enjoyable, the author just needed to flesh them out a bit more, add some more dimension to the two.
Also, I think that the trauma Ashley and sweet Adam had endured for so long and its consequences could have been illustrated far more potently, and greater intensity in emotion was need. Plus, I wanted Adam in more scenes, despite these niggles I really enjoyed this read, having hardly put my kindle down until I had finished it.
This book has me keen to read more by the author.
Potential Triggers:
Currently £1.99 on Amazon.
January 16, 2018
Worst ever book I've read. If it wasn't for the read harder challenge, I'd have dropped it.
August 9, 2019
I really liked it, the hero and heroine had developed an awesome relationship!! I just wanted to see more interaction between the child and the heroine after everything got settled. And also the heroine became such a badass!! 👐👐
September 2, 2017
Escape to You by Jennifer Ryan is a suspenseful story of kidnapping, torture, and salvation. Ashley was a famous actress who disappeared from the public (and private) eye with seemingly no trace! One evening, almost a year after her abduction, Ashley manages to escape and brings along a child who was held captive as well. Lost in the Montana wildness, she stumbles upon Beck Cooke's home. He takes her and the child in and promises to protect and help them. Ashley has been tortured and is battered and terrified.
Ashley and Andrew escape pretty early in the story so the focus isn't quite on the torture, which is good to know. Ashley is very scared by the time she reaches Beck's. Her struggle is not only what had happened to her, but how the public will perceive her. She fears they won't believe her and will vilify her and that her kidnapper (who is also famous), will spin a story that makes her look like a crazy person. I struggled with Ashley because of her over concern of people's perception. I get it-she was famous and people will talk. But, after what she went through, that should be the LAST thing on her mind.
Beck "Trigger" Cooke is still struggling with his recent injury and feeling like a failure. He feels that he needs to get Ashley and Andrew out of his life quickly before he ruins them as well. However, he has strong feelings for Ashley and struggles with the desire to keep her safe and with him.
My favorite part of the story was Andrew. Seeing his adorable interactions with Beck made me melt!
POV: 3rd
Tears: no
Trope: kidnapping
Triggers:
Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series
Cliffhanger:
HEA:
Pretend You're Safe by Alexandra Ivy, Monster in the Closet by Karen Rose, Under Fire by Scarlett Cole...then you will probably like Escape to You!
Escape to You
January 4, 2020
Actress Ashley Swan trusted the wrong person and it cost her a painful year. When he slips up she escapes and takes the young child she has seen with her. Unfortunately, the cold and her weak body can't quite make it. The young boy with her finds the house that she saw and he comes to the attention of the owner who happens to be DEA Agent Beck "Trigger" Cooke. Beck follows the boy named Adam to the woman fallen in the snow and takes the both to his home to care for them. Recognizing Ashley, Beck has to think carefully about how to handle this and give both time to heal some. As trust begins between the three, they see what a great future could be but with Ashley threat as well as a threat to Beck can they make it happen.
I got this as audiobook from the library and the narrator did a solid job I thought. The story dragged a little for me at the beginning but picked up and I ended up enjoying the story. So a solid romance suspense that was pretty low angst and had more on the insta love side of romance.
I got this as audiobook from the library and the narrator did a solid job I thought. The story dragged a little for me at the beginning but picked up and I ended up enjoying the story. So a solid romance suspense that was pretty low angst and had more on the insta love side of romance.
November 11, 2017
The blurb + cover made me get this book. Was it a good investment? Not really as I know for sure that I will not be rereading it.
Ashley Swan, the heroine was kept as a prisoner by someone she thought a friend for a whole year. Besides keeping her against her will, the psycho beat her up + starved her.
When she finally got the chance to escape, she grabbed it without any hesitation + took along with her a four year old boy, the son to the psycho's housekeeper/lover.
Okay enough with the introduction,
Ashley and Adam[the boy] found themselves at the hero's property and you guess what happened next.
Some trust issues, nightmares, loads of good food then suddenly 💕💕💕💕appeared out of nowhere. I would prefer a bit more of getting to know you scenes [didn't help that I was listening to Julie Andrews ' song by the same title]
The psycho appeared a few times, he wasn't giving up on recapturing Ashley, he even made a deal with the hero's enemies [hero's a DEA Agent]
When that scene happened, I was excited.. Finally some evil action but something like this happened. You were excited to go to the beach, your picnic basket filled with goodies, you have your battery operated radio, beach chair an other essential picnic at the beach stuffs and onced you arrived.....
It started to rain! The same thing happened to the story😭.
Anyway, nothing bad happened to the good guys/gals. They got their
This didn't work for me, however it could work for you.
Ashley Swan, the heroine was kept as a prisoner by someone she thought a friend for a whole year. Besides keeping her against her will, the psycho beat her up + starved her.
When she finally got the chance to escape, she grabbed it without any hesitation + took along with her a four year old boy, the son to the psycho's housekeeper/lover.
Okay enough with the introduction,
Ashley and Adam[the boy] found themselves at the hero's property and you guess what happened next.
Some trust issues, nightmares, loads of good food then suddenly 💕💕💕💕appeared out of nowhere. I would prefer a bit more of getting to know you scenes [didn't help that I was listening to Julie Andrews ' song by the same title]
The psycho appeared a few times, he wasn't giving up on recapturing Ashley, he even made a deal with the hero's enemies [hero's a DEA Agent]
When that scene happened, I was excited.. Finally some evil action but something like this happened. You were excited to go to the beach, your picnic basket filled with goodies, you have your battery operated radio, beach chair an other essential picnic at the beach stuffs and onced you arrived.....
It started to rain! The same thing happened to the story😭.
Anyway, nothing bad happened to the good guys/gals. They got their
This didn't work for me, however it could work for you.
September 20, 2017
Reviewed for Romancing the Readers Blog: https://romancingthereaders.blogspot....
I will admit that I love everything Jennifer Ryan writes. She's one of those authors that I find to be so exciting to read. Each book gets better and better.
She's now started a new series that I'm loving. It started with the novella, Protected by Love. It's about Beck's brother Caden. The stories overlap a little but unless you read Protected by Love you wouldn't know that.
I would make sure to read the novella first. It will make both stories better!
Now back to Beck. Oh boy, talk about issues. This man has a ton of them. Mostly they are because of the work he does. After years of all he's done and seen it's built up till he's ready to blow. So why not add one more thing to his shoulders?
Ryan did just that. But of course being the man that Beck is he handles it like a hero!
I don't even know where to start about Ashley, you really need to read the story and hear her own words. Yes, I know she's not really but what she went through felt real. It broke my heart. I was so happy that her and Adam found Beck. No other man would have taken care of and cared for them like he does.
The three of them are the perfect fit.
I would have to say that one of my favorite scenes is the jail one at the end. You'll have to read the story to know why. I don't want to ruin anything for you. Believe me you'll love this series! Hurry up reading it because True to You comes out on 2/27/18.
Follow me on:
https://www.facebook.com/RomancingThe...
I will admit that I love everything Jennifer Ryan writes. She's one of those authors that I find to be so exciting to read. Each book gets better and better.
She's now started a new series that I'm loving. It started with the novella, Protected by Love. It's about Beck's brother Caden. The stories overlap a little but unless you read Protected by Love you wouldn't know that.
I would make sure to read the novella first. It will make both stories better!
Now back to Beck. Oh boy, talk about issues. This man has a ton of them. Mostly they are because of the work he does. After years of all he's done and seen it's built up till he's ready to blow. So why not add one more thing to his shoulders?
Ryan did just that. But of course being the man that Beck is he handles it like a hero!
I don't even know where to start about Ashley, you really need to read the story and hear her own words. Yes, I know she's not really but what she went through felt real. It broke my heart. I was so happy that her and Adam found Beck. No other man would have taken care of and cared for them like he does.
The three of them are the perfect fit.
I would have to say that one of my favorite scenes is the jail one at the end. You'll have to read the story to know why. I don't want to ruin anything for you. Believe me you'll love this series! Hurry up reading it because True to You comes out on 2/27/18.
Follow me on:
https://www.facebook.com/RomancingThe...
August 12, 2021
3.5 Stars!!
Not a bad read, I liked the secondary (DEA Agent) characters and I’m interested in reading their stories, so I’ll definitely read the next books in the series.
Not a bad read, I liked the secondary (DEA Agent) characters and I’m interested in reading their stories, so I’ll definitely read the next books in the series.
September 17, 2017
Beck, aka Trigger, an undercover DEA agent on personal leave, though his injuries have pretty much healed, is still living with the guilt from two months ago during a drug bust when an innocent woman died, and last month being within an inch of hitting his brother, Caden's girlfriend, Mia, see book one, Protected by Love, while saving her from a madman bent on revenge. And yet, the gossip, oh, sorry, celebrity news show, excepts him to care that Ashley, some hoity-toity spoiled actress, disappeared a year ago? He's got real people problems, such as his self-exposed exile while he tries to move forward. All he can hope for is that his seclusion remains intact and he doesn't have to shoot anyone this month.
Resistance is futile. No, this isn't Star Trek: Voyager, and she isn't Seven of Nine, yes, I'm a sci-fi geek LOL, but, it's still true. Every hope Ashley has had of escaping in the past year has failed. Neither has mercy been given, or the torture stopped. Now, Ashley has reached her end, hope is lost, the will to fight, to go on, is quickly fading in the face of her captor, Brice's obvious lack of sanity. But when, by some miracle, Ashley is given a chance to escape, and probably her last ever, she knows she has to take it, as well as the poor little boy, Adam, trapped as her captor's "son."
Ashley can see the light signaling help is close, but she knows she won't make it, and is willing to sacrifice herself so that Adam will. Thankfully, that won't be necessary. And that, understandably, raises questions in Trigger's mind because he knows that face, it's been splashed all over the news as the anniversary of her disappearance approaches, and he regrets his immediate, and judgmental attitude, of her situation upon seeing the state she's in.
"You're safe." - Trigger
"He can't find me." - Ashley
As Trigger begins taking care of Ashley and Adam, ensuring they're healing, feel safe, and are getting the care they need, he's surprised by how right it feels, minus the their suffering, to have them their, becoming a part of his life. He knows, as Ashley begins telling her, their, story, that her pain isn't only physical, but mental and emotional as well, and, though he doubts if he's the one to help her through it because of his work, he wants to be.
As for Ashley, she's trying to stay strong, but the memories, and her pains, make it hard to move forward, to not be plagued by nightmares, but Beck, as she insists on calling him, has become a godsend. And, as he's helping her heal, she wants to do the same, and begins reminding him of who he is, not the facade he portrays to protect himself and live with the realities of his job.
Trigger, err Beck, is recalling who he is, and wants to be, and he couldn't be more grateful to Ashley for helping him see the good in himself, but it's more than just gratitude and pity that makes him want to take her in his arms and never let go.
But, as Beck and Ashley fall in love, and fight for justice for her and Adam, her present and Beck's past are merging, conspiring to rip apart their happiness and make them both pay.
Can Ashley overcome the past horrors she experienced? Can Beck find peace in the life he had to live while undercover? Is Ashley finally safe? Or will Brice do anything to have her back? Can Beck keep her safe? Have two people who make a living playing others found the one person they can be themselves with? Will Beck ever be free of the threat following him? Will Ashley, Adam, and previous victims get the justice they deserve? Will this little family get their HEA? King, Beck's friend and fellow DEA agent, get his story next. What will his journey to happiness look like?
One-click now and follow as two people, both broken in their own way, struggle to move toward the future.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**
Resistance is futile. No, this isn't Star Trek: Voyager, and she isn't Seven of Nine, yes, I'm a sci-fi geek LOL, but, it's still true. Every hope Ashley has had of escaping in the past year has failed. Neither has mercy been given, or the torture stopped. Now, Ashley has reached her end, hope is lost, the will to fight, to go on, is quickly fading in the face of her captor, Brice's obvious lack of sanity. But when, by some miracle, Ashley is given a chance to escape, and probably her last ever, she knows she has to take it, as well as the poor little boy, Adam, trapped as her captor's "son."
Ashley can see the light signaling help is close, but she knows she won't make it, and is willing to sacrifice herself so that Adam will. Thankfully, that won't be necessary. And that, understandably, raises questions in Trigger's mind because he knows that face, it's been splashed all over the news as the anniversary of her disappearance approaches, and he regrets his immediate, and judgmental attitude, of her situation upon seeing the state she's in.
"You're safe." - Trigger
"He can't find me." - Ashley
As Trigger begins taking care of Ashley and Adam, ensuring they're healing, feel safe, and are getting the care they need, he's surprised by how right it feels, minus the their suffering, to have them their, becoming a part of his life. He knows, as Ashley begins telling her, their, story, that her pain isn't only physical, but mental and emotional as well, and, though he doubts if he's the one to help her through it because of his work, he wants to be.
As for Ashley, she's trying to stay strong, but the memories, and her pains, make it hard to move forward, to not be plagued by nightmares, but Beck, as she insists on calling him, has become a godsend. And, as he's helping her heal, she wants to do the same, and begins reminding him of who he is, not the facade he portrays to protect himself and live with the realities of his job.
Trigger, err Beck, is recalling who he is, and wants to be, and he couldn't be more grateful to Ashley for helping him see the good in himself, but it's more than just gratitude and pity that makes him want to take her in his arms and never let go.
But, as Beck and Ashley fall in love, and fight for justice for her and Adam, her present and Beck's past are merging, conspiring to rip apart their happiness and make them both pay.
Can Ashley overcome the past horrors she experienced? Can Beck find peace in the life he had to live while undercover? Is Ashley finally safe? Or will Brice do anything to have her back? Can Beck keep her safe? Have two people who make a living playing others found the one person they can be themselves with? Will Beck ever be free of the threat following him? Will Ashley, Adam, and previous victims get the justice they deserve? Will this little family get their HEA? King, Beck's friend and fellow DEA agent, get his story next. What will his journey to happiness look like?
One-click now and follow as two people, both broken in their own way, struggle to move toward the future.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**
September 27, 2017
This is my first reading of a book by author Jennifer Ryan and it won't be my last. This was a near perfect, start to finish, thriller, suspense, romance.
Undercover DEA Agent Beck “Trigger” Cooke is home on his secluded ranch in Montana when he discovers the shock of his life and he thought he'd seen everything. As the storm storm started he discovered a little boy on his property trying to help him he is led to a woman near naked in an evening gown and one heel out cold on the cold tundra. When he sees her face he is stunned.
Ashley Swan, the award-winning actress, who has been seen or heard from in a year. She is malnourished, bruised and beaten. He takes her and the boy into his home and tried to gain their trust. When he learns their story a calm settles of him, he knows he will do anything to protect these two. Seems a 'friend', a former talk show host has lost touch with reality and so the story begins.
What fills in the rest of the book is Beck trying to win the two over, the feelings that develop for her and her for him. His fear his job will make them a potential target on top of her worries about Brice and eventually the sh** will hit the fan!
I love this book cover to cover.
5 stars
Highest recommendation
September 1, 2017
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
See the full review at HarlequinJunkie.com
Wow! Escape to You was an intense, heartrending story of two people who had been through horrific situations finally falling in love and healing each other. This gem of a romance ranks right up there as some of the best work Jennifer Ryan has done to date.
‘He planned to do everything in his power to show her that love didn’t always hurt. That kindness didn’t have to come with strings attached.’
For years I’ve loved the characters Jennifer Ryan has created and how she can spin such a wonderful story. And so far her new Montana Heat series (including the novella Protected by Love) has everything I enjoy about her writing plus tons of exciting action. I think what really struck me about Beck and Ashley’s journey was the realistic emotions they dealt with along the way and the amazing connection they had. Theirs was seriously one of the sweetest and most heartfelt relationships I’ve read in a while. Read More
See the full review at HarlequinJunkie.com
Wow! Escape to You was an intense, heartrending story of two people who had been through horrific situations finally falling in love and healing each other. This gem of a romance ranks right up there as some of the best work Jennifer Ryan has done to date.
‘He planned to do everything in his power to show her that love didn’t always hurt. That kindness didn’t have to come with strings attached.’
For years I’ve loved the characters Jennifer Ryan has created and how she can spin such a wonderful story. And so far her new Montana Heat series (including the novella Protected by Love) has everything I enjoy about her writing plus tons of exciting action. I think what really struck me about Beck and Ashley’s journey was the realistic emotions they dealt with along the way and the amazing connection they had. Theirs was seriously one of the sweetest and most heartfelt relationships I’ve read in a while. Read More
December 4, 2020
Honestly, though I have enjoyed all of the stories I've read, I don't think I can handle anymore Jennifer Ryan right now. All her stories are sappy and this one even had a "and the whole family lived happily ever after with lives full of love and only good things" paragraph at the end. It's not a sugary sweet romance, but there's a level of corniness or sappiness in here that, after 5 books, gets a bit cloying.
Again, plot was great, characters were good, but there's zero mystery and I thought the book was over like 5 different times. But there was always more. It was good more, but still. Long ass book.
So if you like Jennifer Ryan and/or this kind of book (not as Montana-rancher-romancy as most of her other books), I would recommend it.
Again, plot was great, characters were good, but there's zero mystery and I thought the book was over like 5 different times. But there was always more. It was good more, but still. Long ass book.
So if you like Jennifer Ryan and/or this kind of book (not as Montana-rancher-romancy as most of her other books), I would recommend it.
May 26, 2018
As much as I love this author's books for the way she brings out the deep emotional connection between the MCs and also for the suspense in her books, I find myself highly disturbed by her graphic detailing of the torture and violence her protagonists go through especially the heroines and also her tendency to stretch the bad stuff for so many pages. Like there was no need for the detailed description of the killing of one prison inmate by another in the shower as it was a foregone conclusion even before it happened that it would happen. I don't expect romance books, even if they are in the suspense category, to have such high level of violence.
Having said that, and having read book 2 first which led me to read this book, I have to say I liked this book a little more than book 2. Maybe because along with broken adults there was a broken four year old , the adorable Adam. I could feel my heart wrench every time he came on whether it was his bruises from the beating he got from the madman or the fact that he's never seen a cookie or a cartoon in his little life or his happy squeals when he's sitting on Beck's back while he's doing push-ups. I also had tears in my eyes at the scene where he talks to his father who's in prison.
The book starts off with DEA agent Beck Cooke AKA Trigger, the undercover name he'd taken when he'd infiltrated a drug lord, is watching a news channel where the reporter tells the viewers that is a year anniversary since Oscar winning movie star Ashley Swan had suddenly disappeared. No one, not even her mother or assistant or anyone else know where she is. Beck ignores it. He's suffocating with his own guilt and heavy grief for having killed innocent woman whistle-blower puts herself in front of her criminal boyfriend when Beck shot at him. That's why he's locked himself away on his secluded property in Montana, hoping to find some peace. He has no idea that Ashley is on the ranch neighbouring his property, held captive by a madman whom she thought a friend, a famous host of a late-night talk show.
In her one year of captivity, Ashley is beaten, underfed, and kept naked. She'd only get to wear an outfit when the psycho wanted her to enact a movie character she'd done. He wanted her to play out his fantasy where she is crazily in love with him like her character Aurora had been with her hero and with Ashley holding back from fulfilling his fantasy he couldn't perform sexually. Angered by it he would then beat Ashley until her ribs and bones were broken. She's now at the end of her endurance and is on the verge of giving into to Brice's demands when he makes a small mistake and she finds an opportunity to escape. She grabs at it and on her way takes four year old Adam with her. The boy's mother had been Brice's housekeeper and lover, who had suddenly disappeared. Ashley later finds out that Brice had murdered the woman because of her jealousy of Brice's attention toward Ashley. Ashley finds it very difficult to run in a blizzard with a broken body and a four-old and ends up unconsciousness on Beck's property.
The rest of the story is how Beck tends to the two of them and gains their trust. He instantly falls in love with Ashley. He encourages her to expose Brice and put him behind bars. He ropes in his older brother Caden --also a DEA agent and hero of the novella before this-- and his best friend and DEA Agent Dawson King-- the hero of book 2. He also becomes extremely fond of Adam and he and Ashley make plans to adopt the boy and seek permission from his father who is in prison. Meanwhile Brice is not willing to give up on Ashley. He makes a deal with the drug lord whose gang Beck had infiltrated to flush out Beck and Ashley from hiding.
If not for the violence, this book would be a perfect romantic suspense. The characters, the premise of the story and the suspense was strong. Beck and Ashley made an awesome romantic pair and as I said before I loved little Adam. I am glad the three ended up as family.
Having said that, and having read book 2 first which led me to read this book, I have to say I liked this book a little more than book 2. Maybe because along with broken adults there was a broken four year old , the adorable Adam. I could feel my heart wrench every time he came on whether it was his bruises from the beating he got from the madman or the fact that he's never seen a cookie or a cartoon in his little life or his happy squeals when he's sitting on Beck's back while he's doing push-ups. I also had tears in my eyes at the scene where he talks to his father who's in prison.
The book starts off with DEA agent Beck Cooke AKA Trigger, the undercover name he'd taken when he'd infiltrated a drug lord, is watching a news channel where the reporter tells the viewers that is a year anniversary since Oscar winning movie star Ashley Swan had suddenly disappeared. No one, not even her mother or assistant or anyone else know where she is. Beck ignores it. He's suffocating with his own guilt and heavy grief for having killed innocent woman whistle-blower puts herself in front of her criminal boyfriend when Beck shot at him. That's why he's locked himself away on his secluded property in Montana, hoping to find some peace. He has no idea that Ashley is on the ranch neighbouring his property, held captive by a madman whom she thought a friend, a famous host of a late-night talk show.
In her one year of captivity, Ashley is beaten, underfed, and kept naked. She'd only get to wear an outfit when the psycho wanted her to enact a movie character she'd done. He wanted her to play out his fantasy where she is crazily in love with him like her character Aurora had been with her hero and with Ashley holding back from fulfilling his fantasy he couldn't perform sexually. Angered by it he would then beat Ashley until her ribs and bones were broken. She's now at the end of her endurance and is on the verge of giving into to Brice's demands when he makes a small mistake and she finds an opportunity to escape. She grabs at it and on her way takes four year old Adam with her. The boy's mother had been Brice's housekeeper and lover, who had suddenly disappeared. Ashley later finds out that Brice had murdered the woman because of her jealousy of Brice's attention toward Ashley. Ashley finds it very difficult to run in a blizzard with a broken body and a four-old and ends up unconsciousness on Beck's property.
The rest of the story is how Beck tends to the two of them and gains their trust. He instantly falls in love with Ashley. He encourages her to expose Brice and put him behind bars. He ropes in his older brother Caden --also a DEA agent and hero of the novella before this-- and his best friend and DEA Agent Dawson King-- the hero of book 2. He also becomes extremely fond of Adam and he and Ashley make plans to adopt the boy and seek permission from his father who is in prison. Meanwhile Brice is not willing to give up on Ashley. He makes a deal with the drug lord whose gang Beck had infiltrated to flush out Beck and Ashley from hiding.
If not for the violence, this book would be a perfect romantic suspense. The characters, the premise of the story and the suspense was strong. Beck and Ashley made an awesome romantic pair and as I said before I loved little Adam. I am glad the three ended up as family.
September 19, 2017
This read held up to the expectations of my strong, sexy, determined men of Jennifer Ryan's series. I loved meeting Trigger in a previous read. I was very much hoping that he found love and a way out of the life that he was in, by choice and circumstances. Reading the pre-quel to this series, I was very hopeful that Trigger (Beck) would be getting his story and it would be well worth the wait.
This on had everything that I have come to associate with one of Jennifer's hot sexy alpha males. There was everything I wanted and then some. Protection was needed from both the woman and the child. The psycho on their trail was not willing to stop to get what he wanted. This was intense and page turning. There was no room to hide from the danger that was upon them.
Most certainly lives up to the good characters, good vibes, and secondary characters that are sure to make their appearances in their own stories.
This on had everything that I have come to associate with one of Jennifer's hot sexy alpha males. There was everything I wanted and then some. Protection was needed from both the woman and the child. The psycho on their trail was not willing to stop to get what he wanted. This was intense and page turning. There was no room to hide from the danger that was upon them.
Most certainly lives up to the good characters, good vibes, and secondary characters that are sure to make their appearances in their own stories.
August 14, 2017
I am not sure how to classify Jennifer Ryan's books. I read most of her Montana Men series. And now she's started this spin-off, Montana Heat. Delving into the law enforcement side, out in the country of Montana, her books are one third suspense, one third action, and one third HOT romance. To say that this first full novel in the new series is intense is an understatement. This book is GOOD!
Beck/Trigger doesn't know who he is right now. Just having come out of being undercover for the DEA, he's holed up in his isolated Montana ranch recovering from a gun shot wound. In his mind, he's "Trigger", the cranky drug runner hiding from his family. On a particularly cold, snowy night, he finds a young child out by his barn hiding. When the child runs off to where a young woman is laying unconscious, the child trying to protect her with a stick (*tears*), Trigger recognizes her as the famous missing movie star. From there, everything changes for both Trigger/Beck and Ashley Swan, who has been missing for over a year.
This story... I can't tell you, was soooo good! Yeah, yeah, like you'll take my word for it. It's just that Ms. Ryan has a way with taking words and twisting them into phrases that really pull at my heart and then snap it back hard so it hurts... a lot!! Toss in a child and this was soooo bittersweet.
The pacing of the story was pretty good. There were some slow parts, at least for me. But nothing too distracting. Heck, you probably wouldn't even notice it.
Not a lot of time was spent dwelling on "getting the bad guy". You knew who the creep was and he paid for his sins. Oh, it did take a while and you were never sure how it would happen. And honestly, I never thought it would end like it did. But it was a fabulous ending! Ms. Ryan did not wimp out on her ending. Yay for redemption!!! Get some!!
Oh, wait, that's not right... but it is fiction :)
A fantastic way to try out Jennifer Ryan's writing is to check out her introductory novella to the Montana Heat series, Protected by Love.
This story is only 191 pages long so it can read in a day. That's less commitment than to a cake you bring home from a store. Well, not at my house but you get the idea...
Starting off with an intense DEA raid, the story quickly turns fun and quirky when we meet Caden and Mia's aunts trying to set them up. It's been tough because Caden keeps standing Mia up at the last minute. His work keeps interrupting. But this time, he has a plan and gifts. Too bad other people have different plans for them tonight ;)
The Kindle eBook is only $1.99 - not bad if you're cheap... like my husband (OOHHHHHHHHH!) Well, he did marry me so...
Girl surprises boy - I can't give anything away with that one, I just love when it happens.
Happy Ever After... do I need to say more?
Even though I read this novella before I read Escape to You, you don't necessarily HAVE TO read it. But they do mention Caden and Mia in book one so... there's that. This novella isn't quite as good as Escape to You (IMHO) but if you're looking for something quick and cheap, here you go :)
Review appears on
Beck/Trigger doesn't know who he is right now. Just having come out of being undercover for the DEA, he's holed up in his isolated Montana ranch recovering from a gun shot wound. In his mind, he's "Trigger", the cranky drug runner hiding from his family. On a particularly cold, snowy night, he finds a young child out by his barn hiding. When the child runs off to where a young woman is laying unconscious, the child trying to protect her with a stick (*tears*), Trigger recognizes her as the famous missing movie star. From there, everything changes for both Trigger/Beck and Ashley Swan, who has been missing for over a year.
This story... I can't tell you, was soooo good! Yeah, yeah, like you'll take my word for it. It's just that Ms. Ryan has a way with taking words and twisting them into phrases that really pull at my heart and then snap it back hard so it hurts... a lot!! Toss in a child and this was soooo bittersweet.
The pacing of the story was pretty good. There were some slow parts, at least for me. But nothing too distracting. Heck, you probably wouldn't even notice it.
Not a lot of time was spent dwelling on "getting the bad guy". You knew who the creep was and he paid for his sins. Oh, it did take a while and you were never sure how it would happen. And honestly, I never thought it would end like it did. But it was a fabulous ending! Ms. Ryan did not wimp out on her ending. Yay for redemption!!! Get some!!
Oh, wait, that's not right... but it is fiction :)
A fantastic way to try out Jennifer Ryan's writing is to check out her introductory novella to the Montana Heat series, Protected by Love.
What's the best thing about novellas???? That's right, they are short introductions to an author's style of writing. And Protected by Love is an outstanding introduction to Jennifer Ryan's writing!
Why?
Let me tell you why:
This story is only 191 pages long so it can read in a day. That's less commitment than to a cake you bring home from a store. Well, not at my house but you get the idea...
Starting off with an intense DEA raid, the story quickly turns fun and quirky when we meet Caden and Mia's aunts trying to set them up. It's been tough because Caden keeps standing Mia up at the last minute. His work keeps interrupting. But this time, he has a plan and gifts. Too bad other people have different plans for them tonight ;)
The Kindle eBook is only $1.99 - not bad if you're cheap... like my husband (OOHHHHHHHHH!) Well, he did marry me so...
Girl surprises boy - I can't give anything away with that one, I just love when it happens.
Happy Ever After... do I need to say more?
Even though I read this novella before I read Escape to You, you don't necessarily HAVE TO read it. But they do mention Caden and Mia in book one so... there's that. This novella isn't quite as good as Escape to You (IMHO) but if you're looking for something quick and cheap, here you go :)
Review appears on
August 29, 2017
Review: MONTANA HEAT: ESCAPE TO YOU: A Montana Heat Novel by Jennifer Ryan http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-9y3
Publication Date: August 29, 2017
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 4 Stars
This exciting story kept my attention from page one. Ashley was in an impossible situation that would normally make her one dimensional, but the author managed to make me like her and root for her. Beck (Trigger) was the perfect man for a desperate woman. Hot, sexy, strong and troubled himself. I enjoyed how they found strength in and with each other. Their romance blossomed realistically despite everything going on around them, I appreciated how it flowed and didn’t seem thrown in. I enjoyed this sexy, dangerous run through Montana.
*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
~*~*~*~
Kindle $5.99 http://amzn.to/2g1FLDM
Publication Date: August 29, 2017
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 4 Stars
This exciting story kept my attention from page one. Ashley was in an impossible situation that would normally make her one dimensional, but the author managed to make me like her and root for her. Beck (Trigger) was the perfect man for a desperate woman. Hot, sexy, strong and troubled himself. I enjoyed how they found strength in and with each other. Their romance blossomed realistically despite everything going on around them, I appreciated how it flowed and didn’t seem thrown in. I enjoyed this sexy, dangerous run through Montana.
*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
~*~*~*~
Kindle $5.99 http://amzn.to/2g1FLDM
December 16, 2017
Plot: 4/5
Characterisation: 4/5
Prose: 3.5/5
How much I enjoyed it: 4/5
Characterisation: 4/5
Prose: 3.5/5
How much I enjoyed it: 4/5
June 16, 2017
Dark and twisty along with sweet and romantic and very suspenseful!!! This had everything I could want!!! Super strong, kickass heroine! SO freaking much to admire in her!! I'm now dying for the next one!!
September 2, 2017
Loved this! Review coming.
August 7, 2017
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
Betrayed by a man she thought was a friend, Ashley Snow has been held as a prisoner for a year. Was it kidnapping if she willingly went with him? Was it her fault that she didn't see the signs of that he was just a little left of normal? After being beaten, starved and mentally abused for the past year, she knows that her will to live is fading. The last time she tried to run, her beating was so severe she was afraid she would die.
However, when he makes a mistake, she does just that: she runs. But not before grabbing the little boy who has suffered as almost as much as she has. Running through the cold Montana night in nothing but heals and an evening gown, Ashley does her best to outrun the monster that will kill them both. As the snow falls, her energy wains but she is determined to protect the child at the cost of her own life.
Beck Cooke has his own set of problems. As an undercover DEA agent he has lived a life full of danger and regret. He has hurt people he was assigned to protect and the guilt of surviving is almost as bad as the guilt he carries for being unable to save the innocent.
As their two lives intersect, each must learn to trust their instincts and to make peace with their pasts.
~~Wicked Reads Review Team~~
Betrayed by a man she thought was a friend, Ashley Snow has been held as a prisoner for a year. Was it kidnapping if she willingly went with him? Was it her fault that she didn't see the signs of that he was just a little left of normal? After being beaten, starved and mentally abused for the past year, she knows that her will to live is fading. The last time she tried to run, her beating was so severe she was afraid she would die.
However, when he makes a mistake, she does just that: she runs. But not before grabbing the little boy who has suffered as almost as much as she has. Running through the cold Montana night in nothing but heals and an evening gown, Ashley does her best to outrun the monster that will kill them both. As the snow falls, her energy wains but she is determined to protect the child at the cost of her own life.
Beck Cooke has his own set of problems. As an undercover DEA agent he has lived a life full of danger and regret. He has hurt people he was assigned to protect and the guilt of surviving is almost as bad as the guilt he carries for being unable to save the innocent.
As their two lives intersect, each must learn to trust their instincts and to make peace with their pasts.
~~Wicked Reads Review Team~~
August 29, 2017
After reading the preview for this novel in the back of PROTECTED BY LOVE, I knew we would be getting an intense story. Beck is at his ranch in Montana recovering both mentally and physically from an undercover assignment that his left him weary and the target of a drug kingpin out for revenge. A snow storm is moving in and when he goes out to tend his horses he discovers someone has been in his barn. Imagine his surprise when he finds a young boy who leads him to a woman. He is shocked when he recognizes the gaunt unconscious young woman. Beck brings them inside and soon realizes these two have been abused. The tale that unfolds places them all in danger even as they build an incredible bond.
Ryan gave us quite the twisted villain and the tale had dark elements as we learn of Ashley Swan and Adam's ordeal. Beck like his brother Cade falls fast and goes into protective mode. Determined to be by Ashley's side he comes out of hiding and exposes his location to the man who wants him dead. Filled with twists, turns, and surprises Ryan had me devouring this in a single sitting.
I have liked Beck since we first met him in the Montana Men series. Cover in tattoos that share a story, his tall, rugged looks, dark clothes and scruff makes him look more like a drug dealer than a DEA agent. As the story progressed we saw him transform and it felt genuine. Like he had once again found a purpose.
Ashley was a strong and fearless character. Ryan did a wonderful job of allowing the reader to feel her emotions and gain a sense of what she endured. The flashbacks to the previous year were chilling and had an air of believability to them that sent shivers down my spine. While I knew Ashley was strong to have survived her year in captivity her kick-ass actions and cleverness made me smile. I appreciated the way Ryan allowed both characters to show their strengths and grow.
This was a dark tale with quite a bit of violence. We even spent time exploring the villain's psyche. Ryan also touched on PTSD as well as media and fan perception. I appreciated these added details and depth.
I think for fans of romance, this tale may feel more like a thriller but I ended up enjoying the ride even if it left me breathless. The romance was touching and despite the initial fast pace, I felt connected. Ryan slowed things down a little, gave us some heat and delivered a satisfying ending that left me smiling. Ryan weaved past threads into the tale and set us up for the next novel, TRUE TO YOU, Dawson Kings' story.
Copy provided by the publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Ryan gave us quite the twisted villain and the tale had dark elements as we learn of Ashley Swan and Adam's ordeal. Beck like his brother Cade falls fast and goes into protective mode. Determined to be by Ashley's side he comes out of hiding and exposes his location to the man who wants him dead. Filled with twists, turns, and surprises Ryan had me devouring this in a single sitting.
I have liked Beck since we first met him in the Montana Men series. Cover in tattoos that share a story, his tall, rugged looks, dark clothes and scruff makes him look more like a drug dealer than a DEA agent. As the story progressed we saw him transform and it felt genuine. Like he had once again found a purpose.
Ashley was a strong and fearless character. Ryan did a wonderful job of allowing the reader to feel her emotions and gain a sense of what she endured. The flashbacks to the previous year were chilling and had an air of believability to them that sent shivers down my spine. While I knew Ashley was strong to have survived her year in captivity her kick-ass actions and cleverness made me smile. I appreciated the way Ryan allowed both characters to show their strengths and grow.
This was a dark tale with quite a bit of violence. We even spent time exploring the villain's psyche. Ryan also touched on PTSD as well as media and fan perception. I appreciated these added details and depth.
I think for fans of romance, this tale may feel more like a thriller but I ended up enjoying the ride even if it left me breathless. The romance was touching and despite the initial fast pace, I felt connected. Ryan slowed things down a little, gave us some heat and delivered a satisfying ending that left me smiling. Ryan weaved past threads into the tale and set us up for the next novel, TRUE TO YOU, Dawson Kings' story.
Copy provided by the publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
September 18, 2017
OK, I decided to buy the next book in this series after reading the novella that gave you a sneak-peek at the new Montana Heat series, because I really wanted to read Beck and Ashley’s story. And it was really quite good. It did kind of go on and on to add more pages to the book, which I hate, but it was exciting and dangerous for both Beck and Ashley. He was trying to stay away from Guzman and she had escaped from being kidnapped and tortured by that sick and twisted Brice. Wow, the author really gave readers someone to hate. However, it didn’t have to be almost 400 pages so I’m not sure I’ll read anymore of her books.
As Caden and Mia had in the novella, Protected By Love, Beck and Ashley also fell in love in about two days. Fortunately, it took almost the entire book for them to admit it to one another, so that wasn’t too bad. I do so hate insta-love. And it looks like all the books in this series are going to be pretty much the same: Caden felt like he was missing something in life not having anyone to come home to then he met Mia. Beck was happy for his brother but was saddened because he didn’t have anyone to come home to then he met Ashley. Now, it looks like King, in the next book, is also saddened because he doesn’t have anyone to come home to, until he meets Cara.
There was explicit sex in this book and the F-bomb was used 35 times.
As to the narration: Coleen Marlo is just OK for me. He voices are decent but her emotions when she reads leave a lot to be desired. I’d listen to her again but I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to books she’s read.
August 28, 2017
4.5 Stars
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
So this book if really one of those books that teeters between four and five for me. While I really loved the story and plot line and the face that these two very broken and struggling individuals find strength and comfort in each other, I also had a few issues. The relationship borders on insta love and, well, I always have a hard time with that in any story. They could've shared most of what they did without it turning so quickly into this "I love you and can't live without you" type of situation. In fact, in my opinion, it would've made them feel more real because of their crazy situations, but that's not how it worked out. Then there was the ending and the judge and I felt like it was a bit overboard and it sort of ruined the story a bit for me... The same thing could've come about just in a different way, but again not the way it went.
That all being said, I absolutely loved the way we get to know someone who went from being Hollywood's hottest star to this battered and abused woman who has been so worn down by her captor. Trigger, her somewhat rescuer, is already dealing with his own issues, but by being able to focus on hers and her focusing on him, they find this excellent balance especially with Adam as a buffer to help both of them find where they need to be.
I'll admit, I felt like we missed out a lot on the whole Caden and Mia story, but then I don't know if that is another series or not so that could just be me. I will say the story does have a lovely little wrap up that makes it very clear this is the end of Beck and Ashley's story, which makes me wonder where the next book in the story will be going.
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
So this book if really one of those books that teeters between four and five for me. While I really loved the story and plot line and the face that these two very broken and struggling individuals find strength and comfort in each other, I also had a few issues. The relationship borders on insta love and, well, I always have a hard time with that in any story. They could've shared most of what they did without it turning so quickly into this "I love you and can't live without you" type of situation. In fact, in my opinion, it would've made them feel more real because of their crazy situations, but that's not how it worked out. Then there was the ending and the judge and I felt like it was a bit overboard and it sort of ruined the story a bit for me... The same thing could've come about just in a different way, but again not the way it went.
That all being said, I absolutely loved the way we get to know someone who went from being Hollywood's hottest star to this battered and abused woman who has been so worn down by her captor. Trigger, her somewhat rescuer, is already dealing with his own issues, but by being able to focus on hers and her focusing on him, they find this excellent balance especially with Adam as a buffer to help both of them find where they need to be.
I'll admit, I felt like we missed out a lot on the whole Caden and Mia story, but then I don't know if that is another series or not so that could just be me. I will say the story does have a lovely little wrap up that makes it very clear this is the end of Beck and Ashley's story, which makes me wonder where the next book in the story will be going.
March 3, 2018
My Review:
I read book #2 in this series for review, but hadn't read this first book. There was enough of Ashley and Beck's story told in that book that I knew I had to read this book immediately. OMG, it was so good. It did not disappoint at all.
Ashley is the strongest heroine I think I've ever read in a book. When the book begins, she's in captivity and on the verge of giving up everything after a year of torture. Instead, she escapes with a four year old also living in her nightmare in the middle of a Montana snowstorm...with innumerable injuries. She gets them out and away by pure will. And that's where Beck finds them...on the verge of death in the raging snowstorm...a woman in heels, a ballgown, and with a four year old that she's carried almost 10 miles.
I told you she was strong...and that's just the beginning.
Beck is not without his demons, too. He's coming off a long, intense case where he's lost himself. Finding himself having to focus on Ashley, somehow helps him come back to the living, too. Seeing her strength, he realizes he doesn't have any reason to wallow any longer. If she can choose life after all she's been through, then he sure can, too.
I loved them together. They're both wounded souls and as such find healing in one another. It's gorgeous to read. The addition of Adam and his father to the story was just an emotional icing on the cake that I loved.
Everything about this book was incredible. I don't get to read non-review books very often, so I choose them carefully when I do. I made a great choice to slide this one into my reading lineup. I loved the story and the characters and everything about the setup of the story.
I read book #2 in this series for review, but hadn't read this first book. There was enough of Ashley and Beck's story told in that book that I knew I had to read this book immediately. OMG, it was so good. It did not disappoint at all.
Ashley is the strongest heroine I think I've ever read in a book. When the book begins, she's in captivity and on the verge of giving up everything after a year of torture. Instead, she escapes with a four year old also living in her nightmare in the middle of a Montana snowstorm...with innumerable injuries. She gets them out and away by pure will. And that's where Beck finds them...on the verge of death in the raging snowstorm...a woman in heels, a ballgown, and with a four year old that she's carried almost 10 miles.
I told you she was strong...and that's just the beginning.
Beck is not without his demons, too. He's coming off a long, intense case where he's lost himself. Finding himself having to focus on Ashley, somehow helps him come back to the living, too. Seeing her strength, he realizes he doesn't have any reason to wallow any longer. If she can choose life after all she's been through, then he sure can, too.
I loved them together. They're both wounded souls and as such find healing in one another. It's gorgeous to read. The addition of Adam and his father to the story was just an emotional icing on the cake that I loved.
Everything about this book was incredible. I don't get to read non-review books very often, so I choose them carefully when I do. I made a great choice to slide this one into my reading lineup. I loved the story and the characters and everything about the setup of the story.
August 7, 2017
A GREAT BOOK. This book has it all. A villain you love to hate, a hero and heroine and a great plot. You admire the strength, courage and cunning that the good guys show. You will cheer them on and boo the bad guys. I enjoyed reading this book and I think you will too.
September 5, 2020
Unfortunately, I was not really a fan of this book. The after effects of trauma on Ashely are a bit too unrealistic for me especially since there are scenes of her going to a psychiatrist and talk about treatment for Ashely. Now, you may read that and say "But she went to a psychiatrist!"
What I mean that the effects of trauma are unrealistic is that Ashely doesn't really seem to have residual emotional and mental issues. At least, not any that would have a longer term affect than a week. For the first day she is jumpy around Trigger and thinks a lot about not being able to trust people but then she trusts Trigger just because he hasn't killed her yet and he looks cute sleeping with Adam (four year old boy Ashely saved when she escaped from her kidnapper). With the short time frame that this book takes place, Ashely's mental (and physical) healing happens in rapid time. Now, to be fair, there isn't really a scene that shows Ashely before she's kidnapped but the only time Ashely gets close to showing that she's affected by the kidnapping (and all the torment she went through) is when she "disassociates" while retelling. She says things in monotone and her mind seems to go elsewhere when she does this. But even that is a bit odd because Ashely tells the events in a type of flowery way?
I will say that there were some twists that I didn't expect (in a good way) plot wise in regards to the drug dealers Trigger has to dodge.
What I mean that the effects of trauma are unrealistic is that Ashely doesn't really seem to have residual emotional and mental issues. At least, not any that would have a longer term affect than a week. For the first day she is jumpy around Trigger and thinks a lot about not being able to trust people but then she trusts Trigger just because he hasn't killed her yet and he looks cute sleeping with Adam (four year old boy Ashely saved when she escaped from her kidnapper). With the short time frame that this book takes place, Ashely's mental (and physical) healing happens in rapid time. Now, to be fair, there isn't really a scene that shows Ashely before she's kidnapped but the only time Ashely gets close to showing that she's affected by the kidnapping (and all the torment she went through) is when she "disassociates" while retelling. She says things in monotone and her mind seems to go elsewhere when she does this. But even that is a bit odd because Ashely tells the events in a type of flowery way?
I will say that there were some twists that I didn't expect (in a good way) plot wise in regards to the drug dealers Trigger has to dodge.
July 23, 2017
Escape to You by Jennifer Ryan was a wonderful novel that kept me captivated. I liked the development of the characters and how the story unfolded. Just when I would think I had figured out what would happen next, things changed and I was once again on the edge of my seat as the story changed directions. By the end of the story all the pieces had come together leaving a feeling of satisfaction. This book was a combination of drama, mystery and romance all in one. I enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book in a Goodreads contest. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own and given willingly.
August 29, 2017
Escape to you was an addictive page turner that kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning, and I have to say it was well worth the loss of Zzzz's! The story line gripped me from the first page, it was dark, full of unexpected twists and turns, and highly engaging !! I have read books by this author in the past and I have to say not only did she take me by surprise with this one, but she also left me pretty anxious to read the next installment in the series!! Highly recommend this one, it's sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.
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