Book Review: Kaleidescope

I have read so many of Kristen Ashley’s books it’s not even funny. She has several series and I just love so many of them. Kaleidoscope is part of Ashley’s Colorado Mountain series, which is one of my faves of hers. (It’s also a primary reason I have been so infatuated with moving to Colorado!)

In a nutshell:
Kaleidoscope follows the story of Jacob (Deck) Decker and Emmanuelle (Emme) Holmes. They were best friends, years ago. She was a bit frumpy in those days and he was dating, and went on to get engaged to her best friend. They connected back then on more than a physical level, but always respected the boundaries that were in place because he was taken. But he’s not anymore.

Fast forward many years and Emme is now the successful manager of her family’s construction business. Deck is…well, it’s hard to describe what Deck is. Law enforcement hires him for the cases they can’t break and he also works some on his own. Private investigator. Commando. Super sleuth. All of the above? Anyway, he’s working a case with the local police department that–unbeknownst to her–involves Emme and her boyfriend. Yeah, now she’s taken. Oh, and her frumpy days are long gone.

As Emme works to restore her dilapidated, historic home and Deck works to make sure she’s safe, they begin to realize what was between them all those years ago is stronger than ever.

Tara’s Take:
This is in my top ten of Ashley’s books. It’s not a traumatic, angst filled tale. The heart of the story is about two people reconnecting many years later and figuring out how they work. Yes, there’s some intrigue thrown in, but it’s more of an aside than the primary focal point.

I found this book to be refreshing. Who hasn’t had things in their past shape who they are today? Who hasn’t felt lonely and wished for more, even though they were afraid of what that might mean? The feelings expressed by the hero and heroine in this book were true to form and had me thinking, I can relate. Which only made this story that much more engrossing.

Side Note:
One of the many things I love about Ashley’s books is the fact that the characters aren’t 20. More often than not, her main characters are older 30’s to mid-40’s. Realizing I’m dating myself, it makes it that much easier for me to identify with them. We’ll just leave it at that. The male characters are strong and not ‘broken’ like so many mainstream love stories these days. It’s usually the female character that is working through some issues and the man is right there to support her and hold her up when she needs it. You gotta love that!