[b:At Peace|11665750|At Peace (The 'Burg, #2)|Kristen Ashley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327913073s/11665750.jpg|16610933] by [a:Kristen Ashley|2958084|Kristen Ashley|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442937365p2/2958084.jpg]
Genres; Adult Crime Mystery Suspense Contemporary Romance.
4.75 Stars
Negatives & Positives
There were a couple of typos, but nothing that interfered with the flow of the story in any way. The mystery & suspense of the crime aspect is intense. It heats up to a magnificent crescendo as the man who murdered Violet's husband continues to torment her and her family. The magnitude of his crimes hitting where it brings excruciating pain.
The flow of the story is almost perfect. Only Ms. Ashley's penchant for rambling interrupted the flow on occasion. It could have been at least 100 pages shorter. While her descriptions give you a great feel for the world she has created and her characters, she tends to get carried away. Some of that detail is just not essential to the story and gets the reader bogged down a bit. This story is over 650 pages long. I feel it could have been easily reduced to 450 pages and been better for it.
Violet and Joe are fantastic characters and have your sensibilities ricocheting. Both of their actions make you want to intermittently hug them and smack them upside the head. That is just two of the many emotions they provoke.
All of the characters in this story are well defined. They will have you laughing one minute and sitting on the edge of your seat the next. You find yourself so embroiled in what is happening you can't pull yourself away.
All and all, a great read. ( )

I loved this one. The first half was especially good. The hero and heroine were off again and on again. The hero, Joe, was an amazing ass but he was hot. I didn't think that Violet stood up to him as well as Lauren did to Tate in Sweet Dreams and she needed to pin his ears back a time or two when he was jerking her around. Still the scene where she throws his money and business card back at him the day after they first meet and he grabs her and slams her onto the hood of his Mustang and does her without out a word kind of made my panties sizzle. I liked how they couldn't leave each other alone and also the suspense part was fairly well done. There were quite a few really emotional moments in this one where I choked up. Lovely emotional writing as usual, even if technically uneven but who cares, right? Excellent secondary characters and I really would like to read Benny's story. Thank goodness I've already read Mike's HEA or I might be really upset about that situation. Anyhoo, this is probably my second favorite after Sweet Dreams. And I think that is only because Violet didn't stand up for herself as well as Lauren did. ( )

I don't like the way Joe treated Vi for the first 35% of the book, i get his past gives him issues but i hated the way he was with her. That said once he gets his head on right, its an emotional read.

Poor Mike, the first time i read it i almost felt she would have been better off with him but on re-read you can see how protective he is of Vi and her girls.


Got to be honest, have trouble liking Joe/ Cal at times, he hurts Vi, twice, the second time is really bad as it hurts the girls too.

I feel so sorry for Mike... i understand he gets his own book and his own HEA but 'poor Mike'. When Joe finally sorts himself out his is fab but i don't think i would have held out for him. I know he is a broken soul but he is also cruel and mean, early on,and he disappears for two months even though he knows the danger Vi is in.

There are real emotional scenes in this book, when they have news of Sam, its a heart breaker.
It also has some funny moments, cal's receptionist is funny. And there are clever pieces to Kristen's writing which show true genius, the time her dad turns up and asks who is Cal as they have all been calling him as Joe.
We are also introduced to Benny and Frankie which is a later book.
( )

I'm going to start by saying that the 'hero' was a real pain in this at first. I actually found myself rooting for the other guy (I didn't get the feeling that Joe/Cal deserved to get the girl after all the s*** he put her through).

Violet deserved to be happy but I just didn't feel that Joe earned her love. They were all hot and heavy and then all of a sudden it was going to be permanent. I enjoyed it...but I didn't enjoy it. ( )

Another hit

Life ceases to exist when I fall into a KA world. She writes the best alphaman. Just the perfect balance of growly and possessive balanced with support and love.Loved seeing how get his life full again. Truly touching. Violet had just as much unluck but she stayed positive and loving unconditionally.This is why they both work so well together. Loved the girls and their connection with their mom.

Just basically a fantastic book. ( )