Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: From the Ashes

AUTHOR: C.M. Valencourt

PUBLISHER: Self -Published

LENGTH: 196 Pages

RELEASE DATE:  October 9, 2018

BLURB:

Hunter and Derek are at a fork in the road…

At their friend Justin’s funeral, once-best-friends Derek and Hunter meet again almost four years after their monumental falling out. Hunter kissed Derek, and Derek freaked out and chose a college on the other side of the country.

If they had a choice, both of them would walk away and never see the other again. Except Justin has given them a mission: an epic road trip to scatter his ashes all over the Midwest, complete with cryptic notes, new friends, and a whole lot of sexual tension. Can Derek and Hunter finish Justin’s road trip without ripping each other’s heads—or clothes—off?

REVIEW:

Re the story description, I can’t add much to the blurb except to say that Justin seemed to be one of those characters that was so full of life that his death leaves a gargantuan hole.

As the blurb says, one of Justin’s dying wishes was that his friends take a road trip together to scatter his ashes. Those friends are Jamie, Paige, Hunter and Derek. All four had a big effect on Justin’s life, and he had something to say to every one of them. It may be only the four on the trip, but it was Justin who called all the shots. Along the way, Justin leaves a series of questions, tasks and notes/letters that lets the reader know more about him and his sense of humour. Whenever one of his letters was read, I couldn’t help shedding a tear. So, before anyone starts reading this, make sure you have a pack of tissues ready. Justin, even in death is a scene stealer.

As well as being fun, the trip becomes a confessional of sorts, with each person opening their hearts to Justin and each other. Of the four, the story’s primary focus is on Hunter and Derek as their relationship is the most broken.

Hunter and Derek were once best friends until one fateful night when Hunter kissed Derek, who then ran off. It is Justin’s hope they repair what was broken. If it were left to Hunter and Derek, the odds of that happening would be better than actuality. Unfortunately, there are outside influences that affect the outcome. The struggle between heart, and mind are a significant part of their journey as is Derek’s filming along the way. Derek is a budding director and Justin asked that he make a permanent record of the fours voyage.

The story arc runs smoothly with nothing suddenly happening that seems out of place. I’ll happily admit that at times I blubbered and the main cause for this was Justin. The only spoilers for me were the use of my all-time hated things to see on a page – the bitten lip and the phrase ‘come for me’.

Overall, From The Ashes was a peach of a story to read, that gave my emotions a workout. It was lovely to see the development of the characters through periods of reflection, and I willed for the best between Hunter and Derek. Their story with a nudge from Justin is one I enjoyed reading too.

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

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