Out of the Ashes

Okay, I get it now, Jenn Burke. The fact that I never quite felt the chemistry between Evan and Colin in the first two book in this series ( [b:All Fired Up 55452131 All Fired Up (Ashes & Dust, #1) Jenn Burke https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611240638l/55452131.SY75.jpg 86474216] and [b:House on Fire 55764788 House on Fire (Ashes & Dust, #2) Jenn Burke https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1623257827l/55764788.SY75.jpg 86970530]) was actually a feature, not a bug. The bond between them has been broken, but Evan remembers Colin's written plea to “fight for us,” and he is determined that their relationship can be restored. Or that they can at least go on a date. So we get a chance to see a real love story develop, and finally I can ship vampire Evan and phoenix Colin with all the feelz in my heart. We still don't have Colin's POV but he shines much brighter now, and his appeal is more obvious. There's quite a bit of fallout from the dramatic conclusion to House on Fire on Colin's relationship with the family who thought he died in 1990. The interactions between Colin and his firefighter son are in turn heartbreaking, hilarious, and heartwarming. I wouldn't mind another spinoff series featuring CJ. There are several new characters introduced, including a snarky, talented shifter named Maverick, who is also intriguing spinoff bait. The Big Bad is a little disappointing in that its motive is not terribly compelling (he's a demon who just likes to kill people, but there's still some sleuthing involved in tracking it down. So, Jenn, I apologize for the meh reviews of the first two books in this series; I didn't understand your strategy. Reading this trilogy as one long story puts the somewhat lackluster initial romance between the two MCs in perspective, so that the eventual HEA is that much sweeter.I don't think I'm ready to forgive you for the book 2 cliffhanger though.ARC gratefully received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.