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An Ordinary Girl

by Barbara Elsborg (Goodreads Author)

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 971 ratings · 80 reviews

Ash is an ordinary girl, leading an ordinary life, but behind her smile she hides a secret so damning she’s sure no one could ever love her. Noah is a war photographer who’s come back from Afghanistan with a secret so dark he can’t escape its smothering grip.

Both need redemption. Ash looks for it by making people happy. Noah seeks it under the whip of a Dom. They’re damage...more

ebook, 331 pages

Published April 6th 2011 by Ellora's Cave

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Community Reviews

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Mar 27, 2012 Karla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: emotional, family-drama, favorites, funny, passionate, scrumptious-hero, strong-willed-heroine, sweet-romance, scorching-hot, terrific-dialogue, tortured-souls

4 ½ stars!!! Just EXTRAORDINARY!!!

Barbara Elsborg has a most unusual way of bringing characters together that are haunted by their pasts, and then are dealing with the impact that it has on their lives. Ash and Noah meet at a wedding, he’s the photographer and she is a waitress, and their first encounter is amusing and had me smiling. Noah who suffers from PTSD, has an unpleasant incident while he’s working and Ash comforts him in her own unique way. You feel the instant attraction that these tw...more 4 ½ stars!!! Just EXTRAORDINARY!!!

Barbara Elsborg has a most unusual way of bringing characters together that are haunted by their pasts, and then are dealing with the impact that it has on their lives. Ash and Noah meet at a wedding, he’s the photographer and she is a waitress, and their first encounter is amusing and had me smiling. Noah who suffers from PTSD, has an unpleasant incident while he’s working and Ash comforts him in her own unique way. You feel the instant attraction that these two have for each other. That is what this author is so good at, the connection between the characters, and the reader.

Ash has had an awful childhood, manages to live somewhat of a normal life, but is trying to compensate for the sins committed by others. Noah barely exists after his life is tragically impacted while he is on assignment in Afghanistan. She starts to bring him back to life, and he has her believing that she can find love. As the relationship develops, the magic begins and this is where the author really shines. She has a profound way of healing her characters through the passion and desire they have for one another. You feel every kiss, every touch and it warms you to the core. Barbara Elsborg’s characters experience some awesome sex too! Then just as things are moving along nicely, the story has an unexpected twist and the angst starts all over again.
This is a beautifully written story about healing and acceptance, with some interesting secondary characters and lots of terrific dialogue. Ash and Noah stayed in my mind long after I finished the book.

I highly recommend this book and everything that I have read from this author.

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12 likes · like · see review

Dec 07, 2012 edzkie♥§*.*§♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: steamy-books, books-i-love-so-so-much, fave-barbara-elsborg

An Ordinary girl is an Extra Ordinary Book!!! READ THIS!

Ms. Elsborg is now my new fave. Actually she has been since strangers but now she level up!LOL. So far all the book I've read of her involves two broken souls. And this one is not an exception. Noah is a war photographer in Afghanistan with a past that still hunt him. Ash was trying to live an ordinary life. Doing good deeds to make people happy especially her 3 housemates which she considered as family. Two souls need redemption. Noah who...more

5 likes · like · see review

Nov 22, 2011 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantica-erotica, barbara-elsborg, family-dynamic, tortured-souls, steamy, endearing-heroine, 3-star, scrumptious-hero, contemporary-romance

I liked this book but didn't love. What I did like about the book were the hero and heroine, their romance, chemistry, and the smoking hot love scenes. What I didn't like, however, was the over-the-top drama (the author's m.o.), a few of the secondary characters, and the unnecessary love scene between Ronan and Ilya. It was irrelevant to the plot.

Overall, An Ordinary Girl was an okay read but one I wouldn't read again.

7 likes · like · see review

Dec 02, 2012 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-and-disturbing, barbara-elsborg

And still "Strangers" is my BEST book on Ms. Elsborg novels Hands down:)

4.5 stars:)
Nothing on this book was Ordinary..everything is so complex both characters are dynamic you can't escape with the demons their hiding.

The story behind the story...oh my God...it made me shiver, shudder and gasp for air..and not only that..my memory of the film "Changeling" keeps on hunting me again because of this book...no no no no...terrifying? no! its horrifyingly gruesome!So Amazing..

I had a hard time liking N...more

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 02, 2012 Sofia Grey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this to bits and promptly told my friends how good it was. Man, I love a tortured artist, and Noah fit the bill to a T.

An award winning photographer, he returns from Afghanistan with PTSB, wrecked with such extreme guilt that he turns to a local Dom for physical punishment.

He's returning to his old life, one baby step at a time, thanks to his friend and housemate, Dalton. As part of this, he ends up covering a wedding where he meets Ash, a feisty and pretty waitress. Her cheek softens so...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 23, 2013 Jenny - totallybookedblog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult

The title may be An Ordinary Girl but this book was anything but ordinary.

I connected with the characters and the story immediately and found myself going through all possible scenario's of what could possibly be causing the anxiety and hurt to both Noah and Ash from their pasts.

I have to say, I was floored. I didn't see the story unfolding as it did and I was hooked pretty much from the beginning. The story of Ash's childhood was horrific. I can't imagine anyone coming through that unscathed, l...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 08, 2012 Tessamari ♥Many Waters...♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: explicit, favorites, highly-emotional, hot-and-heavy, lead-character-player, lead-character-bad-boy, i-love-brits

4-4.25 Stars

After reading Ms. Elsborg's Strangers a while back, which I absolutely LOVED, I immediately put this on my to-read list. So glad that I finally got to read it. This story wasn't ordinary by all means. It had a lot of drama, surprises, twists and turns that it was extremely entertaining. We have our hero, Noah, who wasn't easy to like at first. After his experience in the war as a photographer, he is suffering from majorly from PTSD. He's brooding, moody, and angry. No amount of trips...more

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 25, 2012 Lindsey {Lindsey's Bookshelf} rated it 4 of 5 stars

one think I liked about this was knowing the places that were mentioned. I heart wrenching tail on both sides, kept me gripped.

One thing about Barbara's books you know your going to be sent on an emotional roller coaster of a journey.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 20, 2012 Arlene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, cover-pda-fave, read-2012, romance

I became a Barbara Elsborg fan when I read Strangers a couple months ago. Call it insta-love for this author, but she sure has a way of creating witty, snarky yet easy-to-love characters. That book gave me the rom-com fix I enjoy with the right dose of a reality check. Unfortunately, I can’t say I loved An Ordinary Girl as much as the first book I tried by Elsborg. I do have to say that that the first scene in this book was quite the shocker, but having been forewarned, I carried on and enjoyed...more I became a Barbara Elsborg fan when I read Strangers a couple months ago. Call it insta-love for this author, but she sure has a way of creating witty, snarky yet easy-to-love characters. That book gave me the rom-com fix I enjoy with the right dose of a reality check. Unfortunately, I can’t say I loved An Ordinary Girl as much as the first book I tried by Elsborg. I do have to say that that the first scene in this book was quite the shocker, but having been forewarned, I carried on and enjoyed most of the storyline. The dialog between the two characters was my kind of entertainment. However, there was just something about this book that made it too dramatic and over the top for me to just sit back and enjoy, but it came mostly at the end of the story.

See in this book, Ash is trying really hard to hide her past from her friends and those she gets close too. I guess I would too if my mother and father were convicted serial killers. No, I really would. And then you have Noah who experienced a PTS-worthy event as a war photographer in Afghanistan. These two meet at a party they are both working at, and when the fireworks light the sky a connection sparks between these two broken souls.

I’ve got to hand it to Elsborg who goes all out in her storylines. She’s daring enough to throw in scenes that makes me cringe, laugh, gasp, guffaw all in one sitting. She blends her characters quite well throughout the novel with the perfect measurements of wit, snark and sensitivity. I like that a lot, but then it gets to a delicate point where I’m screaming ENOUGH! Let’s just have a graceful ending and I think that’s where Elsborg lost me in this novel… then ending. It just didn’t work for me, and I was all sorts of disappointed at the finale.

Don’t get me wrong, she’s a big believer in HEAs, but have you ever felt like an intruder in a conversation or situation where you’re just frantically looking for an easy exit? Well that’s how I felt. AWKWARD!

I don’t plan on giving up on this author, see my insta-love is strong and I’d like to believe we’ll outlast this little episode of discomfort, so if anyone can recommend another Strangers type book to me, I’d gladly give it a go. Barbara Elsborg knows how to entertain me. I just need the right ambience to get me hooked and committed to her stories.
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May 27, 2011 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bdsm, contemporary, anal-play-sex, erotic, m-f, m-m, spanking, toys, voyeurism

I giggled. I sighed. I squealed in surprise. An Ordinary Girl is one of the most compelling books I’ve read this year.

“Noah was a bad boy.”

This is the first introduction to Noah. And yes on the surface, Noah appears to be your typical bad boy. But from the first moment we meet Noah we know he is truly tortured. Everyone knows something happened while Noah was captured as a war photographer, but Noah isn’t talking. The memories are destroying him. He’s a fascinating hero who is even stronger th...more I giggled. I sighed. I squealed in surprise. An Ordinary Girl is one of the most compelling books I’ve read this year.

“Noah was a bad boy.”

This is the first introduction to Noah. And yes on the surface, Noah appears to be your typical bad boy. But from the first moment we meet Noah we know he is truly tortured. Everyone knows something happened while Noah was captured as a war photographer, but Noah isn’t talking. The memories are destroying him. He’s a fascinating hero who is even stronger than he thinks.

“Ash was a good girl.”

Like Noah, this is how we meet Ash. And Ash is a truly good girl through and through. But Ash’s torture is much more deeply hidden than Noah’s. She is too good to make up for her past. She tries to rescue troubled souls. She’s a beautifully giving and earnest person who truly deserves happiness. And in Noah, although he does need rescuing, she also finds someone who rescues her.

The book began by showing Ash and Noah in their own environments. Yet it’s when they meet in chapter two that the fireworks truly start. From the moment they meet, sparks fly off the page. They have a chemistry that glued me to this book. Their relationship is just spectacular. In most books, there’s normally just one damaged person and the mate is the one helping them heal and grow. In An Ordinary Girl, Ms. Elsborg breaks the rules effortlessly. Watching Ash and Noah alternately heal each other while they grow further in love is beautiful.

The supporting characters in this book were wonderful. Each played a unique part that helped enhance the story. For Noah, it’s his brother Ilya and friend Dalton. Ilya wants to run Noah’s life. Dalton is a good friend, but has ulterior motives. Ash’s roommates Ronan, Mike, and Kay are perfect fodder. Ronan has a twist in the book that made me squeal. Mike is the good guy who Ash is trying to help, but is also loyal to her. And Kay is your typical self-absorbed actress who needs everyone to build her up.

The book is truly captivating. The writing is superb. The love scenes between Ash and Noah are beautifully erotic, although some felt a bit long. The actual storyline was so absorbing, I wanted back to the story. The one M/M love scene felt pitch perfect (and I don’t read M/M normally). Noah does visit a male Dom for punishment, but this is not a sexual relationship. Nor is this a true BDSM relationship. If you are squeamish about BSDM, know that this is not a BDSM book. It is merely used as a device for Noah to find punishment.

Why is this book not a 5 or Best Book? As much as I was glued to this book the last twist was just too sensational. It went too far and hurt rather than enhanced my memory of this book.

Ms. Elsborg’s An Ordinary Girl is an incredible book. The whole time I read the book, I was thinking that her writing is a caliber above what I’m accustomed to, and how lucky I was to find her.
originally posted at http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 06, 2011 Baba ♥♥♥ Marcus, Tyler, Tate, Dan, Ty, & Hunter rated it 4 of 5 stars

4 1/2 stars.

"If you knew that hope and despair were paths to the same destination, which would you choose?"
- by Robert Brault -

Everybody thinks that Ash is an ordinary girl, leading an ordinary life. She's smiling a lot and seems to be happy.
Ash is really one extraordinary woman! And ordinary is just façade. She's a very private human being but she's got very serious reasons for being this way. Behind her smile she hides a horrible secret she's sure no one could ever love her. Noah is a war phot...more 4 1/2 stars.

"If you knew that hope and despair were paths to the same destination, which would you choose?"
- by Robert Brault -

Everybody thinks that Ash is an ordinary girl, leading an ordinary life. She's smiling a lot and seems to be happy.
Ash is really one extraordinary woman! And ordinary is just façade. She's a very private human being but she's got very serious reasons for being this way. Behind her smile she hides a horrible secret she's sure no one could ever love her. Noah is a war photographer who's come back from Afghanistan. He's got to deal with a dark secret of his own. This secret seems to slowly destroy him. Both of them need redemption. There are different ways to seek and find redemption. Ash is very kind and always wants to help people and put a smile on their faces. And Noah thinks that he deserves pain and seeks it under the whip of a Dom. Please note: this is NOT a BDSM book.

Ash thought that she could leave her past behind and be the person she longed to be, but she should have known that her past would merely wait until she was at her most happy to bring her down...

The author walks on the edge with this story. She could have slipped off into this corny stuff but she definitely hasn't done that. Ms. Elsborg's pulled off a feat and has written a very special and beautiful love story. Jeez, I feel a bit awkward to confess this, but I had to laugh a lot at the beginning of this book and it got more and more serious and I felt kind of guilty. The main part of this novel is so downright evil that you shouldn't laugh at all. Another insight after reading this book: it's kind of a modern Cinderella story. I am so not into Cinderella but I have to admit it did work for me here. Completely. Two damaged souls find each other and make each other happy. Both of them have to deal with issues as big as the Mount Everest. And redemption often seems inaccessible. This story is totally captivating and very intense. It is an emotional roller coaster, and the chemistry between hero and heroine is superb. The main and also the secondary characters are very well developed. There's Kay...Such an evil bitch! I could have strangled this woman. Awful! The love scenes were erotic and well written. And the dialogs were both thoughtful and hilarious. Loved it! The only two minor problems I had with this book were a) the epilogue: It was rather redundant and I didn't like it. And b) The author used some French words. They were incorrect/grammar issues. This happens quite often. It needs better editing! Use an editor who's able to speak the language!

When I was reading this book I felt that the words hope and surrender were very important. Even if you've been through tragedy and you've seen the most evil deeds there's no reason to lose hope. And you should never surrender the belief that no matter how bad things become, life will one day be happy again.
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May 13, 2012 cosmogirl7481 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: broody-moody-men, smut-that-i-love

3.5 Stars

I wasn’t really sure what to think of this book. I’d just read another book by this author and it wasn’t my favorite, but the smut was fantastic. So, I decided to give this a try.

This author tends to have a lot of secondary characters, and for me, that can get old and tiresome. Mostly because it makes me want to skim. And if you know me at all *cough cough* (Laura and Marvar) *cough cough* You know I don’t skim. Like ever. I always feel like I’m going to miss something.

There were a lot...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 10, 2013 Sari Loocev rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, drama, family, sexies

Menjadi penggemar Babara Elsborg setelah membaca karangan spektakuler "stranger". Dan akhirnya memilih buku ini sebagai bacaan kedua. Dan wow, memang tidak mengecewakan. Sangat menyukai gaya penulisan Barbara, bagaimana cara dia mengatur alur dan plot yg begitu hebat penuh emosi drama dan intrik, pembaca jadi gak bosan, pengen terus baca, dan akhirnya ikut terharu biru dengan masa lalu tokoh didalammnya.

Makin kebelakang makin kompleks ceritanya, terkuak satu persatu luka masa lalu dan bagaimana...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Bakudis rated it 3 of 5 stars

This second book from Barbara Elsborg i read. Always i think all Hero in BE books have some demon and little bit pathetic. Strong but human, you know its not overall arrogant like some kind Hero from the others books.

the relationship between Noah and Ash i think too fast, its good story but i don't truly like it.

First i guess its will be BDSM story because the prologue,but no.

I little bit confused here:

i think in here he feel lust pain because when dom touch his C**K Noah shudder of fear. Even...more

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May 28, 2011 Barb Manning rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, romance-reviews

On the surface, Ash Elleston appears to be an ordinary girl. She lives in a house with two guys, Ronan and Mike, and a girl, Kay. Ash is holding down several jobs. She has fun with her roommates. She likes her jobs and she is always willing to offer a smile to make someone’s day happy. Ash’s entire goal in life is to help people find what makes them happy. When she meets acclaimed war photographer, Noah Golitison while helping Kay out on a catering job, Ash is immediately aware of Noah’s pain. N...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 17, 2012 JoJo - JJJ (Jo Anna) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: awwww-romance-is-bliss, spicy, kindle, own, read-in-2012

So glad I decided to pick this book up again and give it a chance. Thanks to my goodreads friends for the extra nudge to continue. It turned out to be a really good story. I will definitely be reading more from this author. I love her writing style.

3 likes · like · see review

May 10, 2011 Elena R a.k.a. Lunies R rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, spank-me-baby-bdsm

The action of one persons wrong doing,sets in motion a series of events that were devastating towards strangers and lovers in this novel.

Noah,is a strong Hero,but just like many ordinary people,stresses of his life,guilt,responsibilities all weighed heavy on his shoulders and because of it,it always brings him back to thinking the question "What If?" Seven months back,Noah took an assignment in Afganistan as a photographer of war, while there the unthinkable happens and when he returns home, Noa...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

Barbara Elsborg has a total knack with words without being wordy. Her stories just leap of the pages along with her characters and their emotions.

This book is no exception, it's full of so much emotion and it's brilliantly executed. Ash is just absolutely gorgeous inside and out and Noah is well, sexy as hell, emotionally wrung out and totally worth getting to know. All of the characters in this book are there for a reason and they all bring this sensitive subject to life and they do it so well...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Turkey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ebook, ebook-epub

This book reminded me of the books Fragile and Broken by Shiloh Walker. The heroine hides a past, a really tragic past. The hero is an award winning war photographer, broken from what he saw and captured in Afghanistan. The story has many twists and turns and the truths revealed are sometimes shattering but all in all a great read. Highly recommended if you like your heros wounded who find peace and acceptance in the heroines arms. Except in this story it goes both ways the heroine is also wound...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Emmie Dark rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

"An Ordinary Girl" is vying for top spot as my favourite-ever Barbara Elsborg book -- although "Strangers" is probably still number one, by a narrow margin.

This is my favourite kind of erotica -- absolutely fits the definition of "romantica". It's a romance story in which the sex scenes between the characters just happen to be explicitly described and the characters do consenting-adult-type things. But the point of the story is the relationship and the obstacles that have to be overcome.

The he...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 06, 2011 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemp, e-book, ultra-rich-hero

Ordinary Girl was my third Barbara Elsborg read and I have to say, once again she did not disappoint me. The biggest pleasure I've found in reading this author is she creates spectacular heroines and Ash is no exception. She is spunky, strong, and full of so much pain, that she eloquently hides from the entire world. Noah, the hero was also a treat. He was a true tortured hero and I thoroughly enjoyed watching as Ash pulled him out of his own personal hell.

This is an excellent example of how to...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 ~Lei ~ Reading Is An Adventure~ rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who wants a sexy, intelligent story

Shelves: a-ebook, a-read-in-2012-ereader, ee-fall12-review-author-challenge, a-length-151-399-pages, a-stand-alone, body-uncut-cock, character-business-wo-man, character-damaged-h-or-h, character-damaged-body, character-survivor, content-lots-of-angst, from-i-borrowed, a-favorite-author, genre-contemporary, genre-romance, outcome-hea, sex-good-and-smutty, sexcontent-anal-play-sex, sexcontent-bdsm-elements, sexcontent-masturbation, sex-my-naughty-fantasies, sexcontent-oral-play-sex, sexcontent-public-sex, sexcontent-toys, sexual-mix-m-f, sexual-mix-m-m

Another excellent offering from Barbara Elsborg.

Ash is no ordinary girl and when she and Noah meet - literally, fireworks go off. Both Ash and Noah have huge secrets and trust issues and even more in common than they know. More angsty than

, (and I'm not real big angst fan) yet this kept my attention - maybe it was some of the really hot smexin'!

Ash had some great lines even with the angst and definitely was a big part of helping Noah heal and his acceptance of her past helped her heal.

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Nov 19, 2011 Brooke rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 09, 2012 Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angst, emotional, messed-up-reads, panty-dropping-hot, some-m-m-or-m-f-m

Ash appeared to be an ordinary girl... but appearances can be deceiving. Ash has a past that to no fault of her own that haunts her, as does Noah. These two come together by chance. They have a link to each other that was a twist in the story I didn't see coming at all!

Overall a really good read. Ash was strong, caring, and kind. A great mc. Noah was great at times. I also really loved Ronan (Ash's roommate/friend) and Noah's dad. After the first 60% of the book I was up all night reading to se...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kobo, favorites

Wow! Absolutely extraordinary... 5 fully amazing stars!! This book has deeply touched my soul, I can't say anything about why without giving it away!! It had me asking question off myself, could I still love that person? even though they themselves didn't do anything wrong they are deeply connected to those who did. What a heart wrenching read this was!!! The torment of forgiving yourself, being twisted with guilt and never believing you could be happy. All the while there is a breathtaking love...more

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May 06, 2013 Judy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book should be 4.5 stars if it were available. Well written love story about two very conflicted people (one PTSD, one abused) and how they find each other and love. I liked both characters very much and even with some angst thrown in it wasn't overpowering and flowed along nicely. The only negative thing I can say was maybe there was too much sex (is that possible?), I might have liked a little more conversation and dialogue between Noah and Ash (especially a little more of Ash's story). O...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Heather in FL rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-i-own-it, ee-review-author, elements-erotic-smut, elements-romance, z-from-elloras-cave

Holy moley. I thought the characters in Strangers were damaged. They have absolutely no issues compared to these two! But my, what a beautiful, if tragic, story. Well... I suppose ultimately it wasn't tragic, but for a while, it was touch and go. God... so much guilt from so many different directions!!

We have Ash, who has lived her life basically helping others. She had a horrible (I don't think I can make it bold enough horrible) childhood, yet she's constantly trying to make others' lives bet...more Holy moley. I thought the characters in Strangers were damaged. They have absolutely no issues compared to these two! But my, what a beautiful, if tragic, story. Well... I suppose ultimately it wasn't tragic, but for a while, it was touch and go. God... so much guilt from so many different directions!!

We have Ash, who has lived her life basically helping others. She had a horrible (I don't think I can make it bold enough horrible) childhood, yet she's constantly trying to make others' lives better. She tries to fly under the radar with all her do-good activities. She really does not want any acknowledgement for the things she does... she just tries to make people's lives better.

And we have Noah. He's a freelance photographer who volunteered a while back to go to Afghanistan to take photographs of the war there, to personalize it for the people back home. Only he ended up getting captured and mentally tortured by a faction of escaped Afghani convicts. He's been screwed up for months. Lots of PTSD and a massive load of guilt.

Noah begrudgingly takes a wedding photography job for a photog friend who has fallen ill at the last minute. He meets Ash, who is there as a last-minute fill-in for a server, when he backs into her and she drops her tray of hors d'oeuvres. And they meet again when the fireworks go off and trigger a PTSD episode for Noah. She attempts to help him, he suggests she fuck him, she refuses, and he's baffled. Nobody tells him no. But he's in no shape to continue taking pictures, so Ash ends up photographing the fireworks as well as a few more key moments for him.

Through some trickery, because Noah can't stop talking about Ash, Noah and Ash are in the same place a few days later, and this time, she goes home with him. And after some great fun, he's an asshole and she bolts. A few more times like this happen... I can't imagine trying to live with PTSD. I can only imagine feeling like nobody around you has a clue what you've been through. And it must be just as hard to watch someone go through it. But Ash is forever patient with him. And they find love.

But then something happens. Ash went through so much as a child and now her past has caught up with her but in a much bigger way than she could have ever anticipated. OMG my heart broke for her. (view spoiler)

Ultimately it was an incredibly sweet HEA. Noah, although definitely damaged, was such a great guy. I thought the sentiment behind his actions at the end was so heartfelt. I sort of knew it was coming, but I still cried. And Ash was as far from ordinary as a girl can get. She was remarkable in her ability to see the bright side of life... for everyone else. For herself, she only saw the solitude that she thought she deserved.

I thought the side relationship between Ronan and Ilya was nice. Ronan seemed like the best kind of friend to have, so I was glad to see him find a bit of happiness himself.

I think I'll remember this story for a long while. I think the fact that it was born from wondering how children of demented, evil people end up made Ash's situation that much sadder. (less)

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Mar 27, 2012 Splage rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read, alpha, contemporary, couldn-t-put-down, emotional-made-me-cry-lump-in-thr, heiress, hero-heroine-wounded-handicapped, hero-military-ex-or-current, highly-recommended-by-others

4- 4 1/2 Stars - Some initial thoughts.

Story grabbed me quick with all the mystery about the characters backgrounds and hardships. I did feel it didn't keep up the pace of the beginning towards the end, or maybe it just fell together to easy where there could have been more detail. It might have felt rushed to the HEA, but still a superb story.

Loved the characters!! Ash, the heroine was so precious, I just wanted to hug her and tell her what a wonderful person she was. A definite favorite heroi...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 28, 2011 Michelle [Helen Geek] rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-star

Maybe I was expecting too much after my experience with Strangers, but this one didn't grab me and I was a bit disappointed. An okay story, but really pretty predictable and did try to borrow plot and situations from Strangers. I think the concept was a good one, but the execution didn't live up with what I was expecting.

It is a good book and others may get more from this than I did. Give a try and see for yourself. Who am I to judge for you.

Happy Reading!

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Dec 04, 2012 Justjay Go rated it 4 of 5 stars

I didn't expect to like this book that much as it is from Ellora's Cave publication but suprisingly I did like it! it was very intriguing when both Noah and Ash are keeping secrets from one another which was a page turning for me. I just didn't like the last bit when Noah's brother and Ash's friend got intimate which I thought was unnecessary, unless there is a sequel about them. It was a good read and i recommend it.

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Barbara Elsborg lives in West Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. Vulcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide.

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