At Peace (The Burg Series Book 2)

Editorial Reviews. About the Author. Kristen Ashley is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She grew up in Indiana, but has lived in Colorado .
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To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about At Peace , please sign up. How prominent is the love-triangle in this book? I'm not really into reading books with love-triangle, they aren't really my thing. I didn't notice that some people have tagged it as one before I started reading it!

Just got to the part where the alternative love interest has made an entrance. Jennifer It's not very prominent. The reason the author uses the triangle theme for a small portion of the book is more as a stepping stool to the VERY …more It's not very prominent. I don't like the triangle theme at all, but because of the reason for the triangle I don't want to give it away it did not detract from the book.

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I've never heard someone refer to their mother this way. Kristen said something about these two are characters based on her nieces so it would be weird.. See all 5 questions about At Peace…. Lists with This Book. Nov 30, Lisa rated it it was amazing Shelves: When I stand before thee at the day's end, thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds and also my healing. I was not wrong. Kristen Ashley did it again. She made me fall in love with yet another alpha jerk who is damaged, scarred and hurting. What a beautiful book about love, healing and second chances at life.

Violet has not had an easy run.

Book Review – At Peace (The Burg #2) by Kristen Ashley

Her husband was brutally murdered and Yet another re-read! Her husband was brutally murdered and to escape the psycho killer that committed the murder she moves to the Burg with her two teenage daughters. It has been over a year since her husband died. She is living, just not with her whole heart. Violet and her daughters broke my heart. They miss the man in their life and are struggling to make a new life for themselves. I admired Vi's strength and her persistence to keep going all for her daughters.

She was trying to make life as loving and normal as she could. One night after being fed up with the noise coming from her neighbour's home, she decides to go over there to give her neighbour a talking to about blaring music in the middle of the night. She meets Joe Callahan. He is scary, huge, rugged, scarred and gorgeous. Despite her instant attraction, Vi immediately dislikes her asshat of a neighbour.

It does not take long for Joe to make his move on his beautiful neighbour. It also does not take long for Violet to give in to Joe's advances. He pulled some really big dick moves when it came to Vi. Joe has his own tragic past and when things with Vi start to become too real for him he deals with matters like any emotionally crippled dink would - he breaks it off and breaks Vi's heart. However, when the crazy psycho who killed Vi's husband reappears once again, Joe is there and decides that he can not deny what he feels for Vi. He makes his claim and goes about the task of getting Vi to trust him once again.

I'm stakin' my claim with you right now Taking advantage, his face dipped close and his hands curled around both sides of by head. Instead I said, "Whatever it is, that's what I feel for you. Kristen Ashley gives us two damaged individuals and gives us an epic love story about how they both learn to love again, heal and find peace and happiness in one another.

Once you get the back story on Joe you understand his reasons for his dick moves with Vi. It does not make what he did right, but you understand him. It was heart-warming to see his walls come down with Vi, watching him let her in and help him heal and move on from his past. I love how once he deals with the fact that he can't walk away from Vi, he becomes this protective and possessive swoony alpha-male.

Vi and her two girls gave Joe the love and family he didn't know he craved and in return he gave them his love, his protection and the security of knowing that someone was looking out for them. They'd been strong for a long time, both my girls had. And I was proud of them. But even the strongest person in the world needed something to hold onto. They crawled into this same fuckin' bed with me, so did you, and when you did, you all became mine. There was something so innocent and pure about how her daughters accepted Joe and then eventually fell in love with him too.

Joe stepped into a protective role with the girls and I melted every time he took care of them. He never tried to replace their father, he simply took on a role in their lives that was unique and special. At Peace is yet another Kristen Ashley book full of gorgeous moments. You can't help but feel connected to each character and engrossed in the story. This is what Kristen Ashley does best - she takes a hold of you and does not let go. There were a lot of mistakes made by both Joe and Vi in this book; however, they learned and love and trust came into the picture.


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It was heart-melting and achingly beautiful. Every day, every week, every year, every fuckin' second, buddy," he kept muttering, his eyes intense, his face serious and my breath caught, "this. View all 94 comments. I feel the need View all 66 comments. Dec 20, Christy rated it it was amazing Shelves: Can Kristen Ashley write a bad book??? This may be my new favorite of hers.

I fell in love with this story. Her husband a cop, the man she was with since she was a teenager was murdered over a year ago, so now its just her and her girls. One night, she hears a lot of music coming from her neighbors house in the middle of the night. Thats when she meets her neighbor, Joe Callahan.

Joe makes quite an impression on Violet, and not necessarily in a good way. He travels a lot for work. Joe is a bad ass alpha male. He is tough and rugged on the outside, on the inside he is empty. He has a damaged past. He can be a jerk some of the book, but he is just so damn lovable. He knows it right away. Joe knows he is empty. Joe pretty much dismisses her, and pretty harshly.

You will think Joe is a giant asshole for a good part of the book, but he has his reasons. Eventually, Joe realizes he made a mistake. He wants her and the girls back and he takes whats his. You and the girls plugged it. I just loved it. Those two together, two damaged people finding each other, it just makes my heart happy. There was a ton of drama. OMG I cried like a baby at that scene!!! He is a straight up creeper, but a powerful man from Chicago.

He is the reason Vi had to move. On a side note- It was great seeing Colt and Feb again too: They were in the book a lot. Just loved them both. She was a firecracker. Their relationship with their mom was great- Momalicious , and I loved how they interacted with Joe. That was one of my favorite parts of the book. How the girls and Joe were together, how they accepted each other and became a family. Kiera was a magnet for trouble. Kate would rather die a thousand bloody, painful deaths than break a rule or get into trouble. Keira would make a deal with the devil for a pair of killer shoes and not even blink.

Joe and Violet were HOT together. They were sweet together. Both of thier stories and pasts were heartbreaking, but I loved how they were able to come together, heal one another. It was just beautiful. I will forever be a fan of yours, woman! I will read anything you write! This one was just great. Such a beautiful and fantastic book about love, friendship, healing and second chances. I give it 5 freaking spectacular stars!!! View all 95 comments. Jun 09, Ana rated it did not like it Recommended to Ana by: Spoilers ahead, tread carefully.

I'm so sorry Aisling. I wanted to love it, I really did. The good news is you can keep Joe. Now that I've met him, I want nothing to do with him anymore. This is another case of 'everyone loved it but me. Brand new popular books are coming out every week but, quite honestly, I have zero interest in them. Do I have shit taste in books? The storyline was promising. The heroine was boring, albeit surprisingly likable.

Howeve Spoilers ahead, tread carefully. However, I immediately noticed that the hero was a giant douche. I present to you Exhibit A: My mouth dropped open as she flew back on her platform stripper shoes, her arms flying out to the sides to find purchase as she wheeled backwards. There was nothing to grab onto and she tripped gracelessly off the side of her shoe but righted herself before going down.

Fuck, woman, I had better head in junior high. I had to jack off in the shower to get off after I was done with you. Whatever happened to 'it's not you, it's me? Joe cut me off. Because sleeping with a drunk woman is totally ok. Which brings me to my next point. Why does Joe talk like a raging rap star? Who does he think he is, Eminem?

No offense to Slim Shady I know what you must be thinking. I don't want to date Ted Bundy. And not just because he's obviously dead. When I read a romance novel, I must be able to relate to the main characters as fully as possible. I want to say, 'I could see myself dating this guy. This is my main problem with Kristen Ashley. Her heroes are super popular, but their behavior seems questionable at best.

Muscled tough guys with over-the-top white boy gangsta style of speech. Kristen Ashley please tell your heroes to ditch the word bitch. View all 36 comments. Dec 07, Mo rated it it was amazing. This was a Buddy re-read with Alleskelle and Irene. This book is perfection.

There are tears, laughter, suspense, teenagers, dogs, drinks, food. It has it all. Decided to do a re-read. Was it as good the second time around — even better….. Sexy Joe Callahan … He was a dick, Christ he was a dick, he should cut her loose. Loved the way poor Vi was calling herself a slut… You Go Girl!! No more drink, no more sex. You always work to balance the scales. So you give back to balance the scales. View all comments. This was my umpteenth reread!

My ultimate favorite read of Kristens!! I have a confession to make You know how we all have this one book that we find perfect for one reason or another. This is MY perfect book. It's This was my umpteenth reread! It's always a sure cure for my book slumps! What I love about this book is absolutely The story I am sure you read the synopsis so I won't bother with it is perfection! Even the one and only part that bothers me every time I read this book where Mike tells Vi the story that isn't his to tell! I have managed to come to terms with Now onto the best parts of the book Sorry, ladies and gents!

We all have reasons for doing things we do and I think Joe's were pretty valid ones. Then what more do you want from a guy?? Then there is Violet a. Vi managed to sail through the entire story without getting on my nerves even a little bit She is such a great character!

At Peace (Burg, book 2) by Kristen Ashley

Reading about her with her girls was one of the sweetest things ever! And speaking of the girls Keira and Kate are probably the cutest teenage duo I've ever read about. The way they took to Joe and he to them Scratch my above statement about Vi with her girls being one of the sweetest things I've ever read about Joe with the girls was equally as sweet if not sweeter! All in all, this is a great book that will make you laugh and it will make you cry. May 13, Jilly rated it did not like it Shelves: I wanted to murder the main guy.

He is an alpha asshole for the alpha asshole museum. And, the book was 1, pages on my e-reader. That's a long time to hate someone. I think my blood pressure took a hit during this reading. Okay, so we have Violet, a widow with two teenage daughters, and Joe, an asshole who lives next door. They have a not-so-nice meeting where Joe acts like a total jerk.

Later, he comes up to her at the local bar while she's drunk Just shoot me. Later, he comes up to her at the local bar while she's drunk and decides to take advantage of that fact. You know how you read these romances and the lead male character is all noble and shit and refuses to sleep with the drunk girl? Yeah, this guy isn't noble at all. Even when she says she's not on the pill, and he doesn't have condoms, he says, "Fuck it" and has sex with this drunk woman who can barely stand up anyway.

After a couple of nights of booty calls, he cuts her loose in the most humiliating way possible. After this happens, she avoids him - you know, like a normal human would do. And, she's pissed off - again, a human-like reaction. So, good old Joe calls her a bitch. Yup, he's that awesome. I know what you are thinking, girls, "Where can I find a great guy like this? This guy might be available. And, he's better than Joe. So, Violet moves on and meets another guy, Mike.

He asks her on a date. He gives her time to see where her head is at. He treats her with decency and doesn't even cuss her out. So, of course she goes back to screwing Joe. They've got a great situation worked out. Mike takes Violet out on nice dates and drops her off at home with a goodnight kiss, then she goes over to Joe's house and has sex with him. Joe is cool with this arrangement. He doesn't have to do the work, but gets the payoff.

Violet is cool with this. She's obviously a low-class slut. What Mike doesn't know won't hurt him, right? So, at this point I'm thinking Violet deserves Joe. They are both a couple of assholes. Two for one special here! Aside from the horrible horrible couple in this book, it was also just waaaay too long. It dragged on and on with angst and break-ups and fights and dramatic bullshit until I wanted to burn the world down just to get rid of this book.

I considered the Witness Protection Program to get out of this buddy-read. I'm such a masochist! View all 58 comments. Oct 04, Stacia the club rated it liked it Recommended to Stacia the club by: Buddy read with Sea and all of the AA peeps. Dear Goodreads Friends, I'm sorry to have to go against the trend here, but I can't seem to wrap my mind around a 1, plus page contemporary romance book. Someone please come let me know if Ms. Ashley ever decides to write one in about half of the space and I might be willing to check it out. However, my patie Dear Goodreads Friends, I'm sorry to have to go against the trend here, but I can't seem to wrap my mind around a 1, plus page contemporary romance book.

However, my patience isn't up for reading page after page of gossip about who is who at the BBQ, what Mike's house looks like on the inside, and how much care and attention Vi put into her backyard. When a 'random' scene having nothing to do with the actual story drags on for pages, my eyes start to glaze over. What I did like about this story: I didn't struggle with Joe or Vi the way that some other people did.

I didn't care that Vi hooked up with more than one man guys do it all the time, after all The daughters were cute and fun to read about, although somewhat unrealistic sounding. I'm around teens constantly, and none of them sound like these girls. Joe and Vi had great chemistry and the sex was enjoyable to read. Almost all of the scenes involving Joe and Vi or Joe with the family were worth reading. I am always a sucker for men who want to own their women in the bedroom: He ground his cock in deep and demanded, "Who do you belong to?

All of the dialogue involving the scales and weights was endearing and heartwarming. What I didn't like about this story: I have seen this pattern before with KA books. One of the heroes falls for the leading lady and she rejects him, so he gets a chance for his own book later. I find this method unnecessary. There are other ways to introduce a future character. Let him be the lonely neighbor who is closed off to the world, so we're all curious to know more about who he is.

This is nothing new. FFS, passed and past do not mean the same thing. I would also mention that there are too many characters. If we're introducing characters for future books, then it's probably better that we meet one or two at a time in each book, not 10 or so of them in one book. As if I'd miss this in any book. Shit, he was like a drug and I realized I'd been jonesing for him all day.

Does every single book need to have nicknames? Is this a trademark? If some guy called me that, I'd hurt him. This ties with Daddy for being on the list of worst nicknames ever. Again, another recurring issue with KA books.

In real life, not all men sound the same, not even if they're all alpha. Joe - "I'm not leavin' for two weeks not gettin' my fill of you. You don't, I hear your feet on the steps of my deck. I'm makin' you dinner. Know you're stringing' along a good man like Mike. I'd love to see some beta males, or at least an alpha who isn't the same controlling yet lovable jackass. If she could figure out how to make each book stand alone as something completely unique from the last book and work on possibly condensing and editing, then I really do think we might be looking at something great.

I'm hoping that someday I'll find the KA book which truly works for me. I'd love to be able to give one of her books a rating higher than 3 stars because I see what could be. We're just not there yet. I had officially decided to take a break from KA books after Motorcycle Man, but this was a buddy read that I was talked into by a good friend who I simply couldn't say no to. I'm not sorry that I read the book because I did enjoy it in parts, even with my complaints. However, this will be my "official" time now to break from this author for a good, long while.

You might see me read another KA book someday, when my memory is at least slightly fuzzy from my last read, so I'm not comparing details too closely in my head. View all 73 comments. Gearing up for Frankie and Benny's story! Vi and her daughters, Kate and Keira, are awesome, and then with Sam, Mel, Bea, Gary, Pete, Vinnie, Theresa… we got an incredible supporting cast who I loved getting to know, as well as revisiting with many of the folk from For You. But then again, in ways he was. The bottom line — Time and time again, Kristen Ashley has given me stories I can immerse myself in, characters I can believe in, and she has given me hours and hours of absolute reading pleasure.

As with most of her books, the page count is huge, and yet, never enough. View all 44 comments. Feb 13, Stacey is Sassy rated it it was amazing Shelves: Baking can be very, very emotional He just shakes his head and keeps on walking. I mean, I could have burnt myself, be recovering from a concussion after slipping in egg whites or sprained my wrist with all of the mixings with a hand mixer. I have this one recipe for coconut cookies that you have Baking can be very, very emotional Anyways… Noooo, he just walks on by. To be honest, he knows me too well.

I could hear swallowing…I hate that in real life let alone right in my ear. The mad man has the hots for Vi and wants her. He finds her and starts harassing her again. This is the journey two people make to find happiness. Unfortunately, the journey is fraught with barriers…mostly made by Joe. What starts off as the two of them finding mutual satisfaction in each other's arms, becomes more for Vi. But I wanted to make clear that even though Joe does some really douchey things…when he comes good he comes really, really good. That brings us to another point.

This man is HOT!!

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View all 42 comments. Mar 09, Auntee rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Fans of alpha heroes. Joe Callahan, also known as "Cal", minus the scars that mar his gorgeous face So I'm sitting here, stalling, wondering how to convey my thoughts about this one. So many people have raved about this author, and finally, after a few not-so-gentle nudges, I decided to give KA a try. I haven't picked up another book since I've finished this one days ago. I just can't get over security expert Joe and his next-door-neig Joe Callahan, also known as "Cal", minus the scars that mar his gorgeous face I just can't get over security expert Joe and his next-door-neighbor Violet okay, who am I kidding, it's Joe that I can't get over!

But how to explain how this story totally captivated me? It wasn't a flawless book by any means. And by that I'm not only talking about some weirdly structured sentences, a few grammatical mistakes, and a couple of slow passages that could've used some editing-- I'm talking about the main characters. I understood that his years spent view spoiler [ with his doozy of a first wife and the tragedy in their life really messed him up emotionally, but c'mon Joe, it was 17 years ago.

Time to get back on the horse and give a real relationship another try, or get some therapy already! So yeah, the fact that he wasn't perfect made him a much more interesting character and really worked for me! I liked that she was a hard worker, was able to overcome the terrible tragedy in her life, took care of her two teenage daughters, Kate and Keira who were nicely drawn characters , and I enjoyed the inner dialogue she had with herself especially regarding her feelings about Joe. I liked how she handled her relationship with Joe most of the time.

The one thing that I didn't like was how she treated Mike the man who was also vying for her affections. I didn't like how she view spoiler [ kept him on a string while she tried to get over Joe. I couldn't believe how far she took the relationship! Yes, I realize Mike knew what he was getting into, being a rebound guy and all, but I think Vi had no business getting involved with him so soon. It just seemed a little selfish to me, and almost made me not like her.

Joe was one big badass, an intense, physical lover, who kept Vi coming back for more even when she knew she shouldn't! Joe's classic Mustang starred in one memorable scene Joe and Vi's relationship was filled with ups and downs, break-ups and intensely passionate makeups. Joe thought he had nothing left to give a woman besides sex, and when Vi realized that he may be right and she was tired of expecting more from him, she had a terrific scene where she laid it on the line for him Kate, Keira and me, we could have plugged that hole.

We could have filled you so full, you'd be bursting. We would have loved that chance. We'd have given everything we had, no matter the time that slid by, graduations, weddings, grandbabies, you'd have been a part of us and we'd have given everything we had to keep you so full, you'd be bursting. But boy did it make me sad. My other favorite emotional scene, one in which a beloved character is tragically killed, and Joe is there for Vi and her daughters He was warm and strong and solid and big enough to surround us with all of that and we all needed it, we needed something to hold onto.

He could go away later. And anyway, he would. Well I could go on and on, giving up plenty of scenes that touched me emotionally. But I'm not going to do that. And when Joe finally lets himself have what he fights against for most of the book, when he finally is "at peace", you're going to love the man that he becomes, the man that was buried deep for 17 years. Joe, finally at peace and a much better, happy man If you haven't given this author a try yet, do yourself a favor and pick something from her extensive catalogue.

Even though this is the second book of this particular series, it can be read as a stand alone if you don't mind a few spoilers. I am so grateful to all my Goodreads friends for their reviews and suggestions If you're looking for a book that will grab you emotionally, make you squirm and blush with the sheer audacity of some of Joe's actions and declarations, and have you rooting hard for the heroine to have another shot of happiness in her life, then this is the book for you. I think that now that I've gotten all that out of my system, I'm ready to move on to another Kristen Ashley book.

My only concern is View all 89 comments. Sep 08, Amy Foxy rated it it was amazing Shelves: I've been on a Kristen Ashley audio binge lately. This audio was 23 hours long. I figured it would take me a month to finish but instead it took a week and half. I really enjoyed listening to this one but there were some minor things that the narrator did that took some time getting use to At the beginning when she'd do it would distract me from the story.

I'm Team Joe now! He makes a great KA alpha male. Vi, on the hand, drove me nuts for a portion of this book I've been on a Kristen Ashley audio binge lately. Vi, on the hand, drove me nuts for a portion of this book with her stringing along two guys. I'm glad to know the other guy has his own book later in this series.. Overall, I'm glad I got to meet Joe Callahan. View all 46 comments. Jan 02, Aestas Book Blog rated it it was amazing Shelves: My heart is filled to bursting here. This is a gorgeous book about a second chance at love, life, family and healing.

Kristen Ashley never ceases to amaze me with utter brilliance of her books. Just one winner after another!! Damaged Alpha male hero, strong heroine, beautiful story One night, at 3: In a huff, she stomps out to figure out where its coming from and give whoever was playing it a piece of her mind when she meets Joe Callahan. He's big, tall, rugged, striking, scarred, gorgeous, blunt, badass, and Alpha-out-the wazoo! But he kind of acts like a bit of a jerk though not in a way that'll make you hate him and needless to say, despite her intense attraction to him, Violet pretty much dislikes him P "Who's the big guy next door?

Hell, after a few paragraphs, I missed him. He sounded like such a perfect KA man - gorgeous, caring, protective. And she's struggling and trying to start a new life - working as hard as she can to keep her and the girls afloat in the aftermath of such a senseless tragedy. Joe's work takes him away a lot, but every time he's back, Vi and him have some sort of interaction. And so begins their on-and-off-ish, swoony-to-us yet perhaps frustrating-at-first-to-Vi relationship.

Joe Callahan who was scary and thrilling all in himself. He was more man than I'd ever know and I spent most of my adult life around cops. His maleness filled the cab, dangerous, assertive, assaulting my senses. What they have is explosive, undeniable, and freaking H. But Cal has gone through something tragic in his past that makes him unable to establish a permanent emotional connection and give himself fully over to any relationship even if its what his heart wants and as soon as his feelings for her grow too strong, he breaks both their hearts by leaving and breaking off the relationship.

But when Vi's husband's murderer comes back on the radar with his creepy-stalker-eye set on Vi, that isn't something he can just stand by and do nothing about, so its up to him to do what he can to protect her and the girls, even though he has his work cut out for him to make her trust him again. It was so sweet and heart warming watching him struggle with his emotions, wanting more, but not trusting, trying to do right by Vi and her girls, trying to protect their family. He might be rough around the edges, but he sure-as-hell could be ridiculously sweet and thoughtful.

He just had a lot of walls up, guarding himself against future hurt that might mirror a past he's spent 17 years trying to forget. And when his back story finally comes out, you get it. Its horrible, tragic, and made me cry. It totally explained his behavior, his attitude and his reluctance to get fully into a relationship.

And since their relationship wasn't clearly defined for a while, there is a bit of a love triangle thing going on for part of the story, but its always clear who ends up with who especially since the other guy is the hero of book 4 of this series: Joe was just so damaged and totally Alpha, the perfect tortured badass bad boy. And once he figured all his stuff out and finally accepted that he couldn't ignore or deny what he and Vi had, he went all-out possessive claimy Alpha and stopped at nothing to prove his intentions, his love and his dedication to both her and her girls.

Dear Lord, its hard for one heart to handle that much swoon!! I wasnt even certain he could laugh. He was my hot-as-shit, bad boy, player, next door, security to the stars booty call. He was a serious, scary, rugged, sinister, alpha male. Men like that didn't laugh. I have to say, the only thing I didn't really like was how he called her 'buddy' - that's just a little weird and not exactly hot to me. But hey, if that's my only possibly complaint about the book and it is , I can definitely live with it. This book really sneaks up on you. There were twists that had me rocking back and forth crying, some utterly beautiful scenes, epic badass moments KA is a genius.

The depth to which she just "gets" deep connections between friends, family, lovers, is just sensational. You can't help but feel totally connected to them, be totally sympathetic to them, and you end up knowing them so well and feeling for them so strongly that its hard to believe they are not real. She has a magical way with words.

Speaks straight to your heart. I thought it was so beautiful how Joe never tried to replace Tim Vi's husband either with Vi or the girls. He was something different. He loved them for who they were, not for who he wanted them to be to him. Watching them work together to learn to trust each other and develop a functional relationship just melted my heart.

I've got a temper and so do you, we're gonna clash I won't give up on you, Joe, I promise. I just need you to promise the same thing. I had lots of misty eyes and several tears. Not just from a sad event, often just because the level of emotional I was feeling for a scene was just so strong, it overflowed. For You were integrated into this story. I love when an author doesn't forget about the beloved characters from previous books. Its so wonderful to see the development of their happily-ever-after, even if its from the outside.

God, the ending is intense!! Its absolutely epic - filled with cops, mafia, stalkers, murders, kidnappings, plenty of badass Get book 1 and join the swoon-fest. You won't regret it! View all 68 comments. Jan 15, Kristen rated it it was amazing Shelves: I loved this book! I will admit to not fully enjoying the first half of the story because the hero was a complete and utter jerk, but the second half more than made up for it and shined brilliantly. At Peace made me laugh.

It made me cry. It made me giddy. It also made me irate at times. However, At Peace is packed with so much heart and soul it's impossible not to get caught up in all its splendor. I was captivated and enthralled by the meaningful and awe-inspiring relationship that developed between Joe Callahan and Violet Winters and her daughters, Kate and Keira. Joe needed them as much as they need him, and their relationship left an indelible impression on me.

I am grateful I read reviews before starting this book. I knew what to expect, how the love triangle would play out, and how cruel the hero would be during the first half of the story. Had I not been prepared, my enjoyment of this book undoubtedly would have suffered, which would have been a shame considering the fact this book is simply wonderful. The only reason I dropped the rating a half star is because of the climax chapter near the end. It just didn't fit with the overall tone of the book.

It had a heavy "cops and robbers" feel that didn't resonate with the rest of the story. This book is about family, healing, redemption, and love; and, frankly, the "cops and robbers" chapter did nothing to enhance the overall story. It only diminished it.

Luckily, the epilogue brought everything back on track, giving me that heartwarming feeling that only Kristen Ashley can give. If you're already a Kristen Ashley addict, or interested in checking out her books, be sure to stop by our Kristen Ashley Addict's Support Group here on Goodreads! Apr 18, Duchess Nicole rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Everyone who loves the alpha. Recommended to Duchess Nicole by: And that's the thing, neither of you did.

And you found each other. It's time to unload that burden and find some joy. I should have known Kristen Ashley would bring out my inner teenage girl. Violet Winters moved to the 'Burg after the death of her husband. She and her two teenager daughters are doing the best they can to move on with their lives. Her husband, Tim, was a wonderful father and partner, and if they don't have him, at least they have wonderful memories. One night, the house next door is suddenly blaring music for hours on end. Since the house has been empty for months, Violet tries to give her neighbor a pass.

But after hours of losing sleep, a fuming Vi finally storms over to Joe Callahan's house, livid and fed up. This initial meeting between Joe and Vi is a great precursor for how the next few months go Joe Callahan is a security specialist for the stars. He may live in the Burg, but he's rarely home.

A chance 3 a. But Joe doesn't DO relationships. Not since the tragedy of his younger years. Joe is the very definition of a loner, and he has no place for a woman, especially one with two beautiful, wonderfully quirky daughters, one who lights him up with a smile, and one who wants, expects, and deserves more than he is able to give. But when Violet's secrets come out and she is put in danger, Joe's protective instincts come out.

And he realizes that somehow, these three women have squirmed their way into his heart, where no one else has been for seventeen years. And once Joe lays down a claim, I can't imagine anyone who would get in the way. This book has lots of fun Kristen Ashley type inclusions such as: An awesome group of zany, wacky, distinctly loyal girlfriends Some competition for our heroine's affections It's almost ridiculous how much I loved this book.

I had heard, being a big KA fan, of Joe Callahan, for quite awhile, by so many friends Partly because I can only take so much of her uber alpha, overbearingly bossy men, and partly because I'm attempting to prolong the end of her long list of amazing stories. In a huff, she stomps out to figure out where its coming from and give whoever was playing it a piece of her mind when she meets Joe Callahan. It was really heart breaking because you felt how strongly Vi missed her husband.

He sounded like such a perfect KA man — gorgeous, caring, protective. And so begins their on-and-off-ish, swoony-to-us yet perhaps frustrating-at-first-to-Vi relationship. Seriously though, every time they met, even from their slightly rough start, I was grinning like an idiot and squeeing right out loud often quite loudly. Joe Callahan who was scary and thrilling all in himself.

His maleness filled the cab, dangerous, assertive, assaulting my senses. What they have is explosive, undeniable, and freaking H. But Cal has gone through something tragic in his past that makes him unable to establish a permanent emotional connection and give himself fully over to any relationship even if its what his heart wants and as soon as his feelings for her grow too strong, he breaks both their hearts by leaving and breaking off the relationship.

He might be rough around the edges, but he sure-as-hell could be ridiculously sweet and thoughtful. And when his back story finally comes out, you get it. Its horrible, tragic, and made me cry. It totally explained his behavior, his attitude and his reluctance to get fully into a relationship. Joe was just so damaged and totally Alpha, the perfect tortured badass bad boy. Dear Lord, its hard for one heart to handle that much swoon!! He was my hot-as-shit, bad boy, player, next door, security to the stars booty call.

He was a serious, scary, rugged, sinister, alpha male. If you want a book with steam, this is it. This book really sneaks up on you. There were twists that had me rocking back and forth crying, some utterly beautiful scenes, epic badass moments… Loss. KA is a genius. She has a magical way with words. Speaks straight to your heart. He was something different. He loved them for who they were, not for who he wanted them to be to him. I just need you to promise the same thing. This book really makes you FEEL!!! I had lots of misty eyes and several tears. Not just from a sad event, often just because the level of emotional I was feeling for a scene was just so strong, it overflowed.

Its so wonderful to see the development of their happily-ever-after, even if its from the outside.