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Alaska Homecoming #2
Deep River Promise
Welcome to Deep River, Alaska
Damon Fitzgerald's only desire is to get back to LA and out of the tiny Alaskan town he's somehow inherited. But first he has to keep a promise he made to his old army buddy and look out for his friend's son. That would be a whole lot easier if the kid's mother wasn't the mayor of Deep River...
Astrid James didn't ask to be mayor of Deep River but since she is, she intends to do right by the town and her son. The last thing she needs is an arrogant outsider coming in and taking charge, no matter how attractive he is. But when Astrid starts to realize that Damon is more than just a pretty face, she'll have to decide whether she can risk her heart and her son's happiness on a man who's mission is to leave Deep River.
Damon Fitzgerald's only desire is to get back to LA and out of the tiny Alaskan town he's somehow inherited. But first he has to keep a promise he made to his old army buddy and look out for his friend's son. That would be a whole lot easier if the kid's mother wasn't the mayor of Deep River...
Astrid James didn't ask to be mayor of Deep River but since she is, she intends to do right by the town and her son. The last thing she needs is an arrogant outsider coming in and taking charge, no matter how attractive he is. But when Astrid starts to realize that Damon is more than just a pretty face, she'll have to decide whether she can risk her heart and her son's happiness on a man who's mission is to leave Deep River.
- GenresRomanceContemporary
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 30, 2021
21 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Jackie Ashenden
456 books973 followersJackie has been writing fiction since she was eleven years old. Mild mannered fantasy/SF/pseudo-literary writer by day, obsessive romance writer by night, she used to balance her writing with the more serious job of librarianship until a chance meeting with another romance writer prompted her to throw off the shackles of her day job and devote herself to the true love of her heart – writing romance. She particularly likes to write dark, emotional stories with alpha heroes who've just got the world to their liking only to have it blown wide apart by their kick-ass heroines.
She lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr Jax, two kids, two cats and some guppies (possibly dead guppies by the time you read this). When she's not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.
She lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr Jax, two kids, two cats and some guppies (possibly dead guppies by the time you read this). When she's not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
June 8, 2021
Deep River Promise was a fantastic small town romance set in Alaska between a single mom and an outsider who just inherited the town.
After one of his best friends dies in a plane crash, Damon Fitzgerald finds himself one of the new owners of a small Alaskan town along with two of his friends. Needing to get back to LA, Damon's plan is to spend as little time in Deep River as possible. His first order of business is to keep a promise to his late friend and check in on the man's son. Unfortunately for Damon, the boy's mom happens to be Deep River's mayor and she instantly dislikes him. Astrid James didn't want to be mayor of Deep River, but now that she has the job she intends to do right by the town and her son. When Damon shows up, Astrid finds herself falling for a man who has no intention of making Deep River his home.
Astrid grew up in Deep River before leaving as a teenager after her son Connor was born. After a relationship gone bad five years ago, Astrid returned to Deep River with Connor to start a new life there. Astrid initially comes across a bit cold, but it quickly becomes clear she acts that way to protect herself. Damon by all appearances is a man without a care in the world who flits from place to place avoiding commitment along the way. In reality, Damon is hiding a lot of pain from his past as well as the fact his mother is showing early signs of dementia. Damon's backstory was heartbreaking and completely unexpected based on how he acts when we first meet him.
Astrid and Damon's relationship gets off to a slow start due to Astrid's protectiveness over her son and the fact Damon has no intention of sticking around in Deep River. Their attraction however is instantaneous and the pair's chemistry is fantastic. There's an excellent scene between the two in the town library that was steamy and overall very well done. Astrid and Damon had significant obstacles to overcome in order to make their relationship work and I enjoyed watching the pair work through those issues. I thought the ending was well done though I did get a bit annoyed at Connor for interfering in the situation, but that could simply be because I mostly dislike kids in romance novels.
Overall Deep River Promise was a very enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, That Deep River Feeling.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
After one of his best friends dies in a plane crash, Damon Fitzgerald finds himself one of the new owners of a small Alaskan town along with two of his friends. Needing to get back to LA, Damon's plan is to spend as little time in Deep River as possible. His first order of business is to keep a promise to his late friend and check in on the man's son. Unfortunately for Damon, the boy's mom happens to be Deep River's mayor and she instantly dislikes him. Astrid James didn't want to be mayor of Deep River, but now that she has the job she intends to do right by the town and her son. When Damon shows up, Astrid finds herself falling for a man who has no intention of making Deep River his home.
Astrid grew up in Deep River before leaving as a teenager after her son Connor was born. After a relationship gone bad five years ago, Astrid returned to Deep River with Connor to start a new life there. Astrid initially comes across a bit cold, but it quickly becomes clear she acts that way to protect herself. Damon by all appearances is a man without a care in the world who flits from place to place avoiding commitment along the way. In reality, Damon is hiding a lot of pain from his past as well as the fact his mother is showing early signs of dementia. Damon's backstory was heartbreaking and completely unexpected based on how he acts when we first meet him.
Astrid and Damon's relationship gets off to a slow start due to Astrid's protectiveness over her son and the fact Damon has no intention of sticking around in Deep River. Their attraction however is instantaneous and the pair's chemistry is fantastic. There's an excellent scene between the two in the town library that was steamy and overall very well done. Astrid and Damon had significant obstacles to overcome in order to make their relationship work and I enjoyed watching the pair work through those issues. I thought the ending was well done though I did get a bit annoyed at Connor for interfering in the situation, but that could simply be because I mostly dislike kids in romance novels.
Overall Deep River Promise was a very enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, That Deep River Feeling.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
February 19, 2021
Received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review
4.5 stars.
“Deep River Promise”, by Jackie Ashenden (Sourcebooks Casablanca), is a fabulous, well written story about second chances, with wonderful multidimensional characters.
Damon is protective and tender, kind and decent; he has some alpha tendencies but not over the top, he just balances the right amount of virility, confidence, wittiness and smartness with a surprisingly gentleness and sensitivity (he’s amazing dealing with teenage Connor or the town residents and issues). The loneliness he hides is heartbreaking.
The emotional trauma and heartbreak he hides makes him such a complex hero, all that altruism and easy-going demeanor masking a void and an incommensurable bleakness.
Astrid is a strong woman with some vulnerabilities and lots of baggage. I loved watching her perform her duties as mayor.
I liked how the author wrote the palpable chemistry and desire between the main characters; it’s an instant attraction very convincing. The story is an exciting read about finding love when you’re not looking and certainly not expecting it at all.
I loved how they acknowledged, faced and tried to overcome their emotional baggage and their individual journeys towards overcoming past traumas.
The secondary characters add a lot to the story – Connor would be a fantastic adult hero - and the setting is full of charm and magic.
4.5 stars.
“Deep River Promise”, by Jackie Ashenden (Sourcebooks Casablanca), is a fabulous, well written story about second chances, with wonderful multidimensional characters.
Damon is protective and tender, kind and decent; he has some alpha tendencies but not over the top, he just balances the right amount of virility, confidence, wittiness and smartness with a surprisingly gentleness and sensitivity (he’s amazing dealing with teenage Connor or the town residents and issues). The loneliness he hides is heartbreaking.
The emotional trauma and heartbreak he hides makes him such a complex hero, all that altruism and easy-going demeanor masking a void and an incommensurable bleakness.
Astrid is a strong woman with some vulnerabilities and lots of baggage. I loved watching her perform her duties as mayor.
I liked how the author wrote the palpable chemistry and desire between the main characters; it’s an instant attraction very convincing. The story is an exciting read about finding love when you’re not looking and certainly not expecting it at all.
I loved how they acknowledged, faced and tried to overcome their emotional baggage and their individual journeys towards overcoming past traumas.
The secondary characters add a lot to the story – Connor would be a fantastic adult hero - and the setting is full of charm and magic.
March 16, 2021
Deep River Promise is the second novel is Jackie Ashenden's Alaska Homecoming series, and having enjoyed the first book in the series, I was eager to read this one too. As always with Ms. Ashenden's books, this was a well-written, deeply emotional romance that draws the reader in, not only to the story and its well-defined characters, but to the fragile and harsh beauty of the setting as well. Although this novel can be read as a standalone, I will strongly suggest that you read the first novel in this series, Come Home to Deep River, before reading this one, because so much of what happens in this novel and in Deep River is explained in greater detail in the first novel. I only had one small problem with this book, which is why I'm giving this novel 4.5 stars rather than 5.
A little background information first. One of owners of Deep River was Caleb West, who died in a plane crash in the previous novel. The West family actually owned all the land that comprised Deep River, leasing parcels out to those who needed the peace, serenity and isolation it provided. When his will was read, Caleb's sister had already told her brother early on that she didn't want him to pass ownership to her, so instead, Caleb left Deep River to his former military buddies, Damon, Silas and Zeke, with whom he founded Wild Alaska Aviation, based in Juneau, and, as we also learned in the last novel, Deep River is sitting on quite a large underground oil field, and its residents are being contacted to sell their homes and/or drilling rights off to the oil companies for a lot of money. But the town has voted to try to make money another way--by attracting tourists to the area, and not allowing the oil companies to establish a foothold in Deep River and despoil its pristine environment.
This novel opens with a rather hungover Damon Fitzgerald, waking up after being trapped in Deep River due to torrential rains for the past three days, preventing him from flying out. He's one of the owners and operators of Wild Alaska Aviation, and one of the men who inherited Deep River, but he plans to turn over his share to Silas, who has made Deep River his home, and no one has seen Zeke in weeks or has a clue where he is. Since the sun is out, Damon is sure he can fly back to Juneau, drop off his plane and return to L.A. which is where he needs to be, to care for his mother, who is experiencing early onset dementia, and currently being looked after by her part-time housekeeper. But his return to L.A. is going to be delayed, for a host of reasons.
There was a separate letter that Caleb had written to Damon at the time his will was being drafted, and it was quite a shock to learn that Caleb had a secret son, Connor, now 15 years old, and after Caleb impregnated his 17-year-old girlfriend, Astrid, he then deserted her to fend for herself and their child. Five years earlier, when Astrid realized she'd gotten into a verbally and emotionally abusive and controlling relationship with a man named Aidan, she contacted Caleb, who told her to get to Deep River, and she'd find a home there for her and their son--a son he never even met. She's also never divulged to Connor the name of the man who fathered him, and to top things off, she's recently been elected as the mayor of Deep River.
From the moment Astrid spots naked, hungover, Damon Fitzgerald, standing on the balcony of his room, her attraction to the gorgeous man is instantaneous, and since Damon is equally attracted to Astrid, who at first gives him the cold shoulder, we move from hello to insta-sex to insta-love way too quickly, 4 days in all, for a novel of this length, which is the problem I mentioned at the outset.
However, Damon is a compelling, decent, kind and understanding man, and just like Astrid, he's had a troubled past and has sworn off anything more than one-off hookups for years. It took me a while to get to l past Astrid's icy facade, which, at the outset was cold, rude, and rather snippy, but it wasn't long before I came to admire her strength, her deep love for her son, and her insight into Damon. Although Damon believes he keeps his pain well hidden, so too does Astrid. And let's not forget Connor, who at first believes Damon is an untrustworthy oil man, and feels it's his duty to protect both his town and his mother. All of these main characters are written with so much depth of emotion, so much backstory, so much pain and regret in their respective pasts, and they all keep so much of their angst, anger, and hurt locked away, yet they somehow can each sense exactly what the drives the others, and what they feel and need.
Deep River Promise delves heavily into doubt, regret, self-examination, self-recrimination, and matters of the heart with amazing delicacy. I found it an un-put-downable read, one that certainly tugged at my heartstrings, and gave me even more reasons to love reading and recommending the novels of Jackie Ashenden.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
A little background information first. One of owners of Deep River was Caleb West, who died in a plane crash in the previous novel. The West family actually owned all the land that comprised Deep River, leasing parcels out to those who needed the peace, serenity and isolation it provided. When his will was read, Caleb's sister had already told her brother early on that she didn't want him to pass ownership to her, so instead, Caleb left Deep River to his former military buddies, Damon, Silas and Zeke, with whom he founded Wild Alaska Aviation, based in Juneau, and, as we also learned in the last novel, Deep River is sitting on quite a large underground oil field, and its residents are being contacted to sell their homes and/or drilling rights off to the oil companies for a lot of money. But the town has voted to try to make money another way--by attracting tourists to the area, and not allowing the oil companies to establish a foothold in Deep River and despoil its pristine environment.
This novel opens with a rather hungover Damon Fitzgerald, waking up after being trapped in Deep River due to torrential rains for the past three days, preventing him from flying out. He's one of the owners and operators of Wild Alaska Aviation, and one of the men who inherited Deep River, but he plans to turn over his share to Silas, who has made Deep River his home, and no one has seen Zeke in weeks or has a clue where he is. Since the sun is out, Damon is sure he can fly back to Juneau, drop off his plane and return to L.A. which is where he needs to be, to care for his mother, who is experiencing early onset dementia, and currently being looked after by her part-time housekeeper. But his return to L.A. is going to be delayed, for a host of reasons.
There was a separate letter that Caleb had written to Damon at the time his will was being drafted, and it was quite a shock to learn that Caleb had a secret son, Connor, now 15 years old, and after Caleb impregnated his 17-year-old girlfriend, Astrid, he then deserted her to fend for herself and their child. Five years earlier, when Astrid realized she'd gotten into a verbally and emotionally abusive and controlling relationship with a man named Aidan, she contacted Caleb, who told her to get to Deep River, and she'd find a home there for her and their son--a son he never even met. She's also never divulged to Connor the name of the man who fathered him, and to top things off, she's recently been elected as the mayor of Deep River.
From the moment Astrid spots naked, hungover, Damon Fitzgerald, standing on the balcony of his room, her attraction to the gorgeous man is instantaneous, and since Damon is equally attracted to Astrid, who at first gives him the cold shoulder, we move from hello to insta-sex to insta-love way too quickly, 4 days in all, for a novel of this length, which is the problem I mentioned at the outset.
However, Damon is a compelling, decent, kind and understanding man, and just like Astrid, he's had a troubled past and has sworn off anything more than one-off hookups for years. It took me a while to get to l past Astrid's icy facade, which, at the outset was cold, rude, and rather snippy, but it wasn't long before I came to admire her strength, her deep love for her son, and her insight into Damon. Although Damon believes he keeps his pain well hidden, so too does Astrid. And let's not forget Connor, who at first believes Damon is an untrustworthy oil man, and feels it's his duty to protect both his town and his mother. All of these main characters are written with so much depth of emotion, so much backstory, so much pain and regret in their respective pasts, and they all keep so much of their angst, anger, and hurt locked away, yet they somehow can each sense exactly what the drives the others, and what they feel and need.
Deep River Promise delves heavily into doubt, regret, self-examination, self-recrimination, and matters of the heart with amazing delicacy. I found it an un-put-downable read, one that certainly tugged at my heartstrings, and gave me even more reasons to love reading and recommending the novels of Jackie Ashenden.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
April 6, 2021
DEEP RIVER PROMISE is the second instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult ALASKA HOMECOMING romance series focusing on three friends who inherited the small town of Deep River, Alaska when their best friend died in a place crash. This is bush pilot Damon Fitzgerald, and Deep River Mayor and librarian Astrid James’ story line. DEEP RIVER PROMISE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary.
SOME BACKGROUND: Thirteen years earlier Silas Quinn (Home to Deep River 1), along with his best friend Caleb West, swore never to return to Deep River but with Caleb’s death came the ownership of the town of Deep River, owned by the West family for close to one hundred years, now passed on to our hero Damon, and his friends Silas and Zeke.
Told from dual third person perspective (Damon and Astrid) DEEP RIVER PROMISE follows Damon Fitzgerald as he endeavors to come to terms with partial ownership of the small town of Deep River, Alaska but Deep River sits on a field of oil, a field of which the Big Oil companies are hoping to own. In an effort to strengthen the town, and bring in some much need tourism and money, Damon Fitzgerald, along with his best friend Silas Quinn, and the town’s Mayor Astrid James, begin to ferret out a number of possibilities but Damon never expected to lose his heart to the town and the woman with whom he would fall in love. What ensues is the quick building romance and relationship between Astrid and Damon, and the potential fall-out as Damon struggles with demons from the past, and an ailing mother back home in Los Angeles, California.
Astrid James is a single mother to thirteen year old Connor James but Astrid’s secret is about to be exposed with the arrival of Damon Fitzgerald, a man who stirs something deep within our story line heroine. Having loved and lost, and loved and lost again, Astrid ‘ran’ to Deep River, Alaska, a town with too many memories but a town that has accepted Astrid, and the boy that she loves. Damon Fitzgerald never wanted to own Deep River, Alaska, and is preparing to walk away once a plan has been put into action to save a town that meant much to his former best friend but Damon never expected to meet a feisty, single mother, a woman who isn’t afraid to call Damon out on his excuses and fears. After his death, Caleb’s request meant Damon had a responsibility, a responsibility that now included Astrid and her fifteen year old son, Connor.
The relationship between Damon and Astrid is one of immediate attraction but Damon’s time in Deep River comes with an expiry date, and Damon refuses to hang around for the long haul. Falling in love was never on the agenda but Astrid, and her son Connor, made it difficult for Damon to walk away. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are reintroduced to Silas Quinn and his girlfriend Hope Dawson; Astrid’s son Connor; Caleb’s sister Morgan West; as well as ferry operator Kevin Anderson; general store owner Malcolm Cooper; tourism operator Sandy; and wannabe luxury motel owner Mike Flint. Zeke and Morgan’s story line is next.
DEEP RIVER PROMISE is a story of family, betrayal, loss and love; a story of survival and reflection; promises and happily ever after. The premise is inspiring; the romance is spirited and heart breaking; the characters are sassy, determined and lost.
Copy supplied by Netgalley
www.thereadingcafe.com
SOME BACKGROUND: Thirteen years earlier Silas Quinn (Home to Deep River 1), along with his best friend Caleb West, swore never to return to Deep River but with Caleb’s death came the ownership of the town of Deep River, owned by the West family for close to one hundred years, now passed on to our hero Damon, and his friends Silas and Zeke.
Told from dual third person perspective (Damon and Astrid) DEEP RIVER PROMISE follows Damon Fitzgerald as he endeavors to come to terms with partial ownership of the small town of Deep River, Alaska but Deep River sits on a field of oil, a field of which the Big Oil companies are hoping to own. In an effort to strengthen the town, and bring in some much need tourism and money, Damon Fitzgerald, along with his best friend Silas Quinn, and the town’s Mayor Astrid James, begin to ferret out a number of possibilities but Damon never expected to lose his heart to the town and the woman with whom he would fall in love. What ensues is the quick building romance and relationship between Astrid and Damon, and the potential fall-out as Damon struggles with demons from the past, and an ailing mother back home in Los Angeles, California.
Astrid James is a single mother to thirteen year old Connor James but Astrid’s secret is about to be exposed with the arrival of Damon Fitzgerald, a man who stirs something deep within our story line heroine. Having loved and lost, and loved and lost again, Astrid ‘ran’ to Deep River, Alaska, a town with too many memories but a town that has accepted Astrid, and the boy that she loves. Damon Fitzgerald never wanted to own Deep River, Alaska, and is preparing to walk away once a plan has been put into action to save a town that meant much to his former best friend but Damon never expected to meet a feisty, single mother, a woman who isn’t afraid to call Damon out on his excuses and fears. After his death, Caleb’s request meant Damon had a responsibility, a responsibility that now included Astrid and her fifteen year old son, Connor.
The relationship between Damon and Astrid is one of immediate attraction but Damon’s time in Deep River comes with an expiry date, and Damon refuses to hang around for the long haul. Falling in love was never on the agenda but Astrid, and her son Connor, made it difficult for Damon to walk away. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are reintroduced to Silas Quinn and his girlfriend Hope Dawson; Astrid’s son Connor; Caleb’s sister Morgan West; as well as ferry operator Kevin Anderson; general store owner Malcolm Cooper; tourism operator Sandy; and wannabe luxury motel owner Mike Flint. Zeke and Morgan’s story line is next.
DEEP RIVER PROMISE is a story of family, betrayal, loss and love; a story of survival and reflection; promises and happily ever after. The premise is inspiring; the romance is spirited and heart breaking; the characters are sassy, determined and lost.
Copy supplied by Netgalley
www.thereadingcafe.com
April 1, 2021
I read the first in the series and thoroughly enjoyed it, and the second, (Damon and Astrid’s story), is even better.
Whilst I imagine this can be read as a standalone, I found that the knowledge I picked up from book 1 gave me a greater understanding of the problems the residents of Deep River were experiencing.
Damon and Astrid were beautifully drawn characters, both with tragic pasts which influenced their behaviour now. Connor, Astrid’s son was an equally well drawn character and getting to know him really was a pleasure.
The inner conflict of each character was totally understandable and credible: and it was interesting that Astrid came through it all first, and was able to be honest with Damon about how she felt despite his problems putting obstacles in the way.
This was an emotional and sexy read. I loved it.
I am looking forward to Zeke’s story next!
Whilst I imagine this can be read as a standalone, I found that the knowledge I picked up from book 1 gave me a greater understanding of the problems the residents of Deep River were experiencing.
Damon and Astrid were beautifully drawn characters, both with tragic pasts which influenced their behaviour now. Connor, Astrid’s son was an equally well drawn character and getting to know him really was a pleasure.
The inner conflict of each character was totally understandable and credible: and it was interesting that Astrid came through it all first, and was able to be honest with Damon about how she felt despite his problems putting obstacles in the way.
This was an emotional and sexy read. I loved it.
I am looking forward to Zeke’s story next!
April 4, 2021
This one starts out a bit slow, but builds from there. Damon settles into Deep River for a few days to help Silas with their inheritance, but he also has a secret that Cal left for him to take care of, looking after his son. Things get a bit sticky for Damon as he bonds with Connor and gets to know Astrid and a couple days becomes a couple more, and a couple more. In the meantime Damon helps the town as they find their footing going forward with the new owners and by the end realizes all that he leaves behind as he leaves Deep River. I really like the change that Damon makes at the last second, it is the right one for him and all those involved.
March 8, 2021
awww. its a heartbreaking emotional story.. But as we know with Jackie we always get some off the charts hotness and chemistry that will help with the tears.
rcvd an arc at no cost to author..(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions
rcvd an arc at no cost to author..(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions
March 25, 2021
This is the second book in this series about a small village in Alaska, and I did read the first book. To me, It was an ok read, but I didn’t really feel invested in the characters until close to the end of that book. However, this was a totally different read for me. The characters jumped out of the page from the first and by the time we got to the HEA, I was not only thoroughly invested in Damon, Astrid, and Connor, but in all the people of Deep River, as well as wanting to see what would happen next. It is a heartwarming story, well written with great dialogue, and everything i have come to expect from a Jackie Asheden book. I hope she brings on the next one soon!
July 1, 2021
This was just a cute small town romance set in Deep River, Alaska! Need I say more considering I'm a huge Alaska anything lover! I love how Damon was trying to protect Astrid and Connor from himself when in reality he needed them as much as they needed him. Such a cute story.
July 19, 2021
**Actually a 2.5-rating**
ooo, boy...I was, uh...hmm... this is not going to go into too much detail because I do not want to waste too much brain space [for better, likable characters and fascinating romantic stories] to explain away why this book really rubbed me wrong all the way to the very end.
I had this really unrealistic idea...or ideal?...that maybe if we give Erotic Authors extra room-to-breathe...maybe Plot or Story could be expanded and there would never be such an intensity to rely on SEX-SEX-SEX so much.
I see Authors breaking the formula...and putting out Small-Town Romance that's sweet-steamy-heat. They have major heart swoons and really great character evolution, but yeah...some really steamy to erotic sex scenes. Oh, depending on what a reader will grade as "steam"-level that brushes against Erotic's glass ceilings.
Ashenden is someone who has the, literal, button on erotic. Do not get me wrong. This Author can write really intense, heated sex scenes that can border lines that eventually could cross into kinky territories.
This book series, based in the island town of Deep River, is as if you wrote an Erotic VIRGIN RIVER...except...Book 1 had some elements I was ready for--as it is the INTRO book to the series. But it really seemed to miss-the-mark on what makes wonderful small-town romances feel so comfy and home-y...like you're curled up in front of a warm, crackling fire with a mug of steaming mocha hot cocoa...
Book 1 fell apart for me because of some instances with characters [...and their actions to reactions-to-actions] and a difficult plot to wrap my head around, but I got there, eventually. This book, #2...already begins in a wrong-footed space...where I do not like or enjoy ANY of the main characters...and then it never finds its proper footing for me. EVER.
Something was majorly off-putting about this book...and I want to foist all the blame on Connor...uh, and it makes me uncomfy, but the 14/15yr old son of Astrid... local librarian and Mayor of Deep River...it felt like HE ran the show...and ran roughshod over his mom and then Damon. Eh, pretty much over ALL adults, really.
I think possibly the set-up of all 4 men...from Caleb [who has died at the opening]...who owns the town of Deep River...who then leaves his island town to his 3 Ex Soldier buddies...who all own an Alaskan bush plane business together...and [individually] are really just horrible Alpha-holes in the sense that...NO ONE WANTS OR CARES ABOUT DEEP RIVER...not even the small nothing townfolk...until they have to GO to the town in order to kick it to the curb...like a forgettable one-night-stand at 5am in the morning...
NONE of these men WANT this town, even though Caleb believed they would "care" or "share feelings/emotions" at some point. You get an idea from each man, Silas and Damon, so far [we have Zeke in the wings and I am not looking forward to him, at all--each book has steadily spiraled down the drain for me]...that Caleb was a better person, Man, Son, Brother, Father, Owner of a Town/Island off-page...and since he is dead there is no resurrecting this asshole...so, yeah, it figures it is now up to 3 of his asshole-ish buddies to repair what was, is and remains broken.
Silas had this in his book, and it is here with DAMON, like...to such an Nth degree---this heavy I DO NOT WANT TO BE HERE-atmosphere. And it didn't matter to me if the first meeting with Hero and Heroine...is him stark-fucking-naked on his hotel balcony...with Astrid and her son, Connor spotting him.
Deep River apparently also has some secret "oil deposits"...so anyone, especially MALE/MEN, new in town...is halfway suspect to be from an oil Conglomerate ready to BUY BUY BUY... so they can SELL SELL SELL.
So Connor has been "stalking" Damon who has been in Deep River for 3dys...and he refuses to take the ferry to go to mainland and GO TO SCHOOL...and, I am sorry...I do not want kids, never did...I had a wonderful mother who raised me nearly single-handedly when my Dad often "checked out"...but there is such a disrespect to parenthood and parenting, from child to parent...and THE PARENT?...feels more childlike and in need of supervision...it feels...tragic and horrific...
There is no explicable reasoning for Connor to want to LEAVE school all-together except to be some kind of MASCULINE Protector of not just his Mom but of this whole god damn town...and it feels...really ugly to me that a 14yr ld kid tries hard to run the show here...while the Adults go off and act like lustful teenagers.
Astrid? and Damon? no chemistry for me which made their scenes feel very...smarmy and icky...like I was being doused with a really bad smell or tons and tons of real sludge slime...like green slime...
Then there are some really shocking instances inside this book where...Astrid allows Damon to "parent" Connor...giving him BEER...I know, I know...I'm a prude sometimes and it was just sips... but his other option? was to give Connor some of his Whiskey??? I mean...come on...
...who are The Parents here? ...Does anyone want to parent who has some kind of responsible nature and who is not horny through most of this book?
This is why this book never works for me. No Chemistry. A child who is TOO ADULT and with unrealistic pressures foisted on by some really bad, misplaced parenting...
And one instance that really enraged me...and made me cut this story from ever coming back from redemption was...Connor is given some highly sensitive and personal info about Damon [from Damon's own mouth]...and Connor abuses it so he can manipulate Damon into staying in Deep River AND IT WORKS!!!!!
...and yeah, Damon was mad, but jesus christ on a Ritz cracker...
WHERE ARE THE ADULTS IN THIS BOOK??? WHY IS A 14yr old boy running this show for a majority of the book?
Astrid caves... Damon caves... and then Silas breaks a bro-code and dials Damon's Mom [who is battling early onset-dementia!?!?!? who is somehow COHERENT the one day a strange KID calls her out of the blue...]...half the time I felt like, as a reader and wishing I could enjoy and immerse in this Small-town Alaskan Romance... I WAS BEING HEAVILY MANIPULATED, as well, to fathom I was reading something based in some kind of reality.
And hear me out, there were mad, strange attempts to reel me inward, make me conjure up these two were based in some modicum of real-ness-->> I get background trauma leaving characters numb and emotionless...not wanting to FEEL, only to end up hurt or harmed...but between Astrid and Damon...the saddest part is me turning a deaf ear to BOTH of their plights.
I Don't Care. I never fuckin' cared because they often showed me how they never fuckin' cared. It was more about Insta-lust... boinking and then...showing me somehow that they were still humans, possibly Adults...but, eh, Jury is still out for me...
...because I never once liked or enjoyed them as believable people...in this kind of wonderful setting.
I understand what is being done here...we want something like VIRGIN RIVER...but hotter...
We want to go up in flames when hero and heroine come into contact...but, yeah, ew...nope. Not these two. And certainly not with them caving in to Connor and then of course the manipulations of Connor bringing the two, Astrid and Damon, into some type of a Insta-romance that never felt genuine.
Damon impressed that...I WANT TO LEAVE/I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE/I AM ONLY STAYING FOR ONE. MORE. DAY. [same as Silas in Book 1...it gets OLD fast...] button all too often...and then would break it. Time after time...the urge to leave was extended further...and, man, I simply wanted him to GO.
Look, the situation with his Mom...is horrendous...and the fact he thinks leaving her with some random housekeeper is SAFE KEEPING her for one more day...and then a few more days...and then... whoopsie... I was never clear on just how much Damon disliked his Mom and might have been intentionally torturing her... because of a past fall-out...or eh, the fact that she was always a, kinda, ball-buster woman who pulled no emotional Mommy punches with him...so Damon IS WHAT HE IS, because of her and now?
Now is some sort of soft revenge. He never appears THAT deeply concerned about her, especially once he has fucked Astrid and had her ONCE... beaten the "challenge" of having her and then... reeling in the townfolk to make them think he was actually a willing party in helping them make choices on what Tourist Attraction ideas they should begin with...he was a pointless and useless addition to Deep River. I don't care who or what he is in his own life...he was a POS...no like-able quality at all. Even when he was a mentor/father figure to Connor...pseudo-being a Dad the way Caleb wished he had been to Connor...it was just...all-over icky-ness from Damon...and, you already know I disliked Connor...
Damon postpones leaving, then says he will leave NEXT DAY, then...he, literally, is about to fly away, piloting his own Cessna...and he makes a call to Mommie Dearest and this is one of her coherent days...and she suddenly brings her son to his Epiphany...and yeah...nope... never. Not for me.
The speed this man wanted to EXIT through 75% of this book...and then his sudden proposal after denying Astrid, denying his feelings and emotions...I just...hehehe...
...my poor laptop's keyboard kept feeling the brunt of my anger as I kept hitting the FORWARD button to advance to the next page...shaking my head in wild wonder and aghast that this bullshit was being forced on me after pages and pages of unrealistic bullshit.
Look...no one has an insta-epiphany in flight like Damon does...without having crashed landed or lost some gas in his engine and needed to land quickly, possibly near-fatality [Life flashes before his eyes epiphany...]...
The levels this book asked for me to reach in my brain for I SWEAR... this is how the story unfolds...this is one where No One cultivates or build meaningful, lasting relationships. The timeline for this story is no more than a week to 14dys...and NO ONE can construct a viable future or build a Forever with this kind of squished journey of self discovery and respect to...simply allowing people to BE messy and broken...and numb and ugly...eh, human and real, in some respect? Let everything happen organically and not feel like you have to force characters to interact and say dialogue that never feels... honest...
I think when an Author leans too heavy on the narrative of their Hero NOT WANTING to live where he falls in love...at some point the nail drives so far into your skull...YOU BELIEVE IT EVENTUALLY...so for a Reader, like me, it takes a redemption arc/Apology Tour to unthink it...and not wonder if the Hero is fooling himself and just "going through motions to save face" [oh, well, gotta live here...gotta live where the woman I love and her kid live...]
But also what often concerns me is when characters are given such trauma-driven backstories...and they show a level of fear and anxiety---toxic push-back...with no sign of healing and therapy...to just so easily fall in love after having great smexy times just ruins the power...
There are Authors who have found the working formula...and I think this is what Ashenden is attempting... but the progressions from book 1 and on into book 2...has gone down, for me, immeasurably...where it had me hating book 1's couple even more because they butt-in-ski'd this book...and forced Damon and Astrid to be a couple, like Barbie & Ken dolls,...just because...
I most likely will read Book 3, but with so much trepidation. I do not have hope that Ashenden can figure the erotic small town novel out...because you would think with some space to move and room to breathe she would focus on some "different things" because her sex scenes are already ENOUGH...
You were give those 200extra pages and SHOW ME IN THE WHITE BOARD...what did you DO with them, constructively to execute a great story with likable characters? She has the fascinating Alaskan small town...and the SEX scenes... but what else is there to draw me in, book after book?
What crushes my energy for this type of series now is... there is no beating heart or gut wrenching moment to hold onto that shows me Story or Plot mean anything, except as fodder to pit the sexy couple in bed...and sometimes that is never going to be enough.
ooo, boy...I was, uh...hmm... this is not going to go into too much detail because I do not want to waste too much brain space [for better, likable characters and fascinating romantic stories] to explain away why this book really rubbed me wrong all the way to the very end.
I had this really unrealistic idea...or ideal?...that maybe if we give Erotic Authors extra room-to-breathe...maybe Plot or Story could be expanded and there would never be such an intensity to rely on SEX-SEX-SEX so much.
I see Authors breaking the formula...and putting out Small-Town Romance that's sweet-steamy-heat. They have major heart swoons and really great character evolution, but yeah...some really steamy to erotic sex scenes. Oh, depending on what a reader will grade as "steam"-level that brushes against Erotic's glass ceilings.
Ashenden is someone who has the, literal, button on erotic. Do not get me wrong. This Author can write really intense, heated sex scenes that can border lines that eventually could cross into kinky territories.
This book series, based in the island town of Deep River, is as if you wrote an Erotic VIRGIN RIVER...except...Book 1 had some elements I was ready for--as it is the INTRO book to the series. But it really seemed to miss-the-mark on what makes wonderful small-town romances feel so comfy and home-y...like you're curled up in front of a warm, crackling fire with a mug of steaming mocha hot cocoa...
Book 1 fell apart for me because of some instances with characters [...and their actions to reactions-to-actions] and a difficult plot to wrap my head around, but I got there, eventually. This book, #2...already begins in a wrong-footed space...where I do not like or enjoy ANY of the main characters...and then it never finds its proper footing for me. EVER.
Something was majorly off-putting about this book...and I want to foist all the blame on Connor...uh, and it makes me uncomfy, but the 14/15yr old son of Astrid... local librarian and Mayor of Deep River...it felt like HE ran the show...and ran roughshod over his mom and then Damon. Eh, pretty much over ALL adults, really.
I think possibly the set-up of all 4 men...from Caleb [who has died at the opening]...who owns the town of Deep River...who then leaves his island town to his 3 Ex Soldier buddies...who all own an Alaskan bush plane business together...and [individually] are really just horrible Alpha-holes in the sense that...NO ONE WANTS OR CARES ABOUT DEEP RIVER...not even the small nothing townfolk...until they have to GO to the town in order to kick it to the curb...like a forgettable one-night-stand at 5am in the morning...
NONE of these men WANT this town, even though Caleb believed they would "care" or "share feelings/emotions" at some point. You get an idea from each man, Silas and Damon, so far [we have Zeke in the wings and I am not looking forward to him, at all--each book has steadily spiraled down the drain for me]...that Caleb was a better person, Man, Son, Brother, Father, Owner of a Town/Island off-page...and since he is dead there is no resurrecting this asshole...so, yeah, it figures it is now up to 3 of his asshole-ish buddies to repair what was, is and remains broken.
Silas had this in his book, and it is here with DAMON, like...to such an Nth degree---this heavy I DO NOT WANT TO BE HERE-atmosphere. And it didn't matter to me if the first meeting with Hero and Heroine...is him stark-fucking-naked on his hotel balcony...with Astrid and her son, Connor spotting him.
Deep River apparently also has some secret "oil deposits"...so anyone, especially MALE/MEN, new in town...is halfway suspect to be from an oil Conglomerate ready to BUY BUY BUY... so they can SELL SELL SELL.
So Connor has been "stalking" Damon who has been in Deep River for 3dys...and he refuses to take the ferry to go to mainland and GO TO SCHOOL...and, I am sorry...I do not want kids, never did...I had a wonderful mother who raised me nearly single-handedly when my Dad often "checked out"...but there is such a disrespect to parenthood and parenting, from child to parent...and THE PARENT?...feels more childlike and in need of supervision...it feels...tragic and horrific...
There is no explicable reasoning for Connor to want to LEAVE school all-together except to be some kind of MASCULINE Protector of not just his Mom but of this whole god damn town...and it feels...really ugly to me that a 14yr ld kid tries hard to run the show here...while the Adults go off and act like lustful teenagers.
Astrid? and Damon? no chemistry for me which made their scenes feel very...smarmy and icky...like I was being doused with a really bad smell or tons and tons of real sludge slime...like green slime...
Then there are some really shocking instances inside this book where...Astrid allows Damon to "parent" Connor...giving him BEER...I know, I know...I'm a prude sometimes and it was just sips... but his other option? was to give Connor some of his Whiskey??? I mean...come on...
...who are The Parents here? ...Does anyone want to parent who has some kind of responsible nature and who is not horny through most of this book?
This is why this book never works for me. No Chemistry. A child who is TOO ADULT and with unrealistic pressures foisted on by some really bad, misplaced parenting...
And one instance that really enraged me...and made me cut this story from ever coming back from redemption was...Connor is given some highly sensitive and personal info about Damon [from Damon's own mouth]...and Connor abuses it so he can manipulate Damon into staying in Deep River AND IT WORKS!!!!!
...and yeah, Damon was mad, but jesus christ on a Ritz cracker...
WHERE ARE THE ADULTS IN THIS BOOK??? WHY IS A 14yr old boy running this show for a majority of the book?
Astrid caves... Damon caves... and then Silas breaks a bro-code and dials Damon's Mom [who is battling early onset-dementia!?!?!? who is somehow COHERENT the one day a strange KID calls her out of the blue...]...half the time I felt like, as a reader and wishing I could enjoy and immerse in this Small-town Alaskan Romance... I WAS BEING HEAVILY MANIPULATED, as well, to fathom I was reading something based in some kind of reality.
And hear me out, there were mad, strange attempts to reel me inward, make me conjure up these two were based in some modicum of real-ness-->> I get background trauma leaving characters numb and emotionless...not wanting to FEEL, only to end up hurt or harmed...but between Astrid and Damon...the saddest part is me turning a deaf ear to BOTH of their plights.
I Don't Care. I never fuckin' cared because they often showed me how they never fuckin' cared. It was more about Insta-lust... boinking and then...showing me somehow that they were still humans, possibly Adults...but, eh, Jury is still out for me...
...because I never once liked or enjoyed them as believable people...in this kind of wonderful setting.
I understand what is being done here...we want something like VIRGIN RIVER...but hotter...
We want to go up in flames when hero and heroine come into contact...but, yeah, ew...nope. Not these two. And certainly not with them caving in to Connor and then of course the manipulations of Connor bringing the two, Astrid and Damon, into some type of a Insta-romance that never felt genuine.
Damon impressed that...I WANT TO LEAVE/I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE/I AM ONLY STAYING FOR ONE. MORE. DAY. [same as Silas in Book 1...it gets OLD fast...] button all too often...and then would break it. Time after time...the urge to leave was extended further...and, man, I simply wanted him to GO.
Look, the situation with his Mom...is horrendous...and the fact he thinks leaving her with some random housekeeper is SAFE KEEPING her for one more day...and then a few more days...and then... whoopsie... I was never clear on just how much Damon disliked his Mom and might have been intentionally torturing her... because of a past fall-out...or eh, the fact that she was always a, kinda, ball-buster woman who pulled no emotional Mommy punches with him...so Damon IS WHAT HE IS, because of her and now?
Now is some sort of soft revenge. He never appears THAT deeply concerned about her, especially once he has fucked Astrid and had her ONCE... beaten the "challenge" of having her and then... reeling in the townfolk to make them think he was actually a willing party in helping them make choices on what Tourist Attraction ideas they should begin with...he was a pointless and useless addition to Deep River. I don't care who or what he is in his own life...he was a POS...no like-able quality at all. Even when he was a mentor/father figure to Connor...pseudo-being a Dad the way Caleb wished he had been to Connor...it was just...all-over icky-ness from Damon...and, you already know I disliked Connor...
Damon postpones leaving, then says he will leave NEXT DAY, then...he, literally, is about to fly away, piloting his own Cessna...and he makes a call to Mommie Dearest and this is one of her coherent days...and she suddenly brings her son to his Epiphany...and yeah...nope... never. Not for me.
The speed this man wanted to EXIT through 75% of this book...and then his sudden proposal after denying Astrid, denying his feelings and emotions...I just...hehehe...
...my poor laptop's keyboard kept feeling the brunt of my anger as I kept hitting the FORWARD button to advance to the next page...shaking my head in wild wonder and aghast that this bullshit was being forced on me after pages and pages of unrealistic bullshit.
Look...no one has an insta-epiphany in flight like Damon does...without having crashed landed or lost some gas in his engine and needed to land quickly, possibly near-fatality [Life flashes before his eyes epiphany...]...
The levels this book asked for me to reach in my brain for I SWEAR... this is how the story unfolds...this is one where No One cultivates or build meaningful, lasting relationships. The timeline for this story is no more than a week to 14dys...and NO ONE can construct a viable future or build a Forever with this kind of squished journey of self discovery and respect to...simply allowing people to BE messy and broken...and numb and ugly...eh, human and real, in some respect? Let everything happen organically and not feel like you have to force characters to interact and say dialogue that never feels... honest...
I think when an Author leans too heavy on the narrative of their Hero NOT WANTING to live where he falls in love...at some point the nail drives so far into your skull...YOU BELIEVE IT EVENTUALLY...so for a Reader, like me, it takes a redemption arc/Apology Tour to unthink it...and not wonder if the Hero is fooling himself and just "going through motions to save face" [oh, well, gotta live here...gotta live where the woman I love and her kid live...]
But also what often concerns me is when characters are given such trauma-driven backstories...and they show a level of fear and anxiety---toxic push-back...with no sign of healing and therapy...to just so easily fall in love after having great smexy times just ruins the power...
There are Authors who have found the working formula...and I think this is what Ashenden is attempting... but the progressions from book 1 and on into book 2...has gone down, for me, immeasurably...where it had me hating book 1's couple even more because they butt-in-ski'd this book...and forced Damon and Astrid to be a couple, like Barbie & Ken dolls,...just because...
I most likely will read Book 3, but with so much trepidation. I do not have hope that Ashenden can figure the erotic small town novel out...because you would think with some space to move and room to breathe she would focus on some "different things" because her sex scenes are already ENOUGH...
You were give those 200extra pages and SHOW ME IN THE WHITE BOARD...what did you DO with them, constructively to execute a great story with likable characters? She has the fascinating Alaskan small town...and the SEX scenes... but what else is there to draw me in, book after book?
What crushes my energy for this type of series now is... there is no beating heart or gut wrenching moment to hold onto that shows me Story or Plot mean anything, except as fodder to pit the sexy couple in bed...and sometimes that is never going to be enough.
July 27, 2021
A sweet and pretty steamy small-town romance set in Alaska, with a “city boy” in contrast to a lot of other Alaskan romances I have read. Our main couple comes from two different pasts tragic and hard in different ways and strikes up an instant connection. Our main heroine is a single parent, and her fifteen-year-old kid is also a main character of the storyline. The main storyline of the book is around the small town and how to lure more tourists there to make the town more money and confronting your past and be able to move on from it. If I would have some complaints, I would say that the small-town aspects could have been a little better done, I missed some of the ingredients often found in these kinds of books. I think that the book could have benefited by having a larger supporting cast of towns people that makes me fall more in love with the town.
Overall, I had a pretty good time with the book. I was entertained and liked the main couple and even shed a few tears reding about them (but I do cry very easily). I would recommend it to people who wants a pretty steamy small-town romance.
Overall, I had a pretty good time with the book. I was entertained and liked the main couple and even shed a few tears reding about them (but I do cry very easily). I would recommend it to people who wants a pretty steamy small-town romance.
March 16, 2021
Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the electronic copy of Deep River Promise by Jackie Ashenden. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this book prior to publication. My opinions are my own and nothing has influenced my rating.
Deep River Promise is a well written romance novel with engaging characters and an emotionally charged plot. The pacing pulled me in from the opening scene and kept me enmeshed until the last. After all, how does one resist a nude male on a balcony!
Astrid James is the heroine, and I became fully vested in her character right from the start. She has many aspects I most admire. She is a nurturer, and that comes through in her parenting of her fifteen-year-old son and how she manages the town of Deep River as the mayor.
Damon Fitzgerald is the yummy hero, and on his introduction, it’s clear he’s an extremely attractive male. He has some baggage from his youth that makes it difficult for him to have a meaningful relationship. While he’s not a player, he does keep tight control of his emotions. I enjoyed his back story and could understand his fears.
The romance between Astrid and Damon heats up fast and threatens to burn them up! The first sexual scene takes play in Astrid’s office. While I understood both the characters’ fears, I did experience some frustration with the hero. I had to do some deep thinking to fully accept why he was willing to let his past keep him so closed off. That is why I am not giving this book 5 Gold Crowns.
If you enjoy contemporary small-town romances, then you will love Deep River Promise as much as I did. The town folks stole my heart, especially Astrid’s son. This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Ashenden, and I will certainly look at the first book in this enjoyable series. Happy reading!
Deep River Promise is a well written romance novel with engaging characters and an emotionally charged plot. The pacing pulled me in from the opening scene and kept me enmeshed until the last. After all, how does one resist a nude male on a balcony!
Astrid James is the heroine, and I became fully vested in her character right from the start. She has many aspects I most admire. She is a nurturer, and that comes through in her parenting of her fifteen-year-old son and how she manages the town of Deep River as the mayor.
Damon Fitzgerald is the yummy hero, and on his introduction, it’s clear he’s an extremely attractive male. He has some baggage from his youth that makes it difficult for him to have a meaningful relationship. While he’s not a player, he does keep tight control of his emotions. I enjoyed his back story and could understand his fears.
The romance between Astrid and Damon heats up fast and threatens to burn them up! The first sexual scene takes play in Astrid’s office. While I understood both the characters’ fears, I did experience some frustration with the hero. I had to do some deep thinking to fully accept why he was willing to let his past keep him so closed off. That is why I am not giving this book 5 Gold Crowns.
If you enjoy contemporary small-town romances, then you will love Deep River Promise as much as I did. The town folks stole my heart, especially Astrid’s son. This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Ashenden, and I will certainly look at the first book in this enjoyable series. Happy reading!
March 4, 2021
This was a sweet, well written and not overly cheesy story about finding love when you least expect it and second chances to get things right.
Damon is a good man. Kind, decent, confident, and maybe a tad overprotective but in a good way lol. He comes to Deep River after his best friend dies and in his will asks him to take care of some things that he left unfinished. So Damon heads to deep river to handle the things with every intention of going back to his life and his mother in LA, who is struggling with dementia.
Astrid and Connor are two of the things that Damon has to fix. His friend never acknowledged publicly that Connor was his son and that left both Connor and his mom hurt and rejected. Damon vows to fix that for them as well as improve the town’s economy as Cal, Damon’s friend, had owned it at the time of his death.
Damon doesn’t think he is worthy or capable of love after his tough childhood and a huge loss as an adult, but eventually he realizes that he’s not as tough and hard as he wants everyone, including himself to believe.
There was just enough steam to add to the story without it being gratuitous and I loved how Connor stood up for himself and gave of himself to the his mom and the people of his town even though he was just a teenager.
And I liked how the ending lead to what will hopefully be the next book in the series.
Thanks to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my review.
Damon is a good man. Kind, decent, confident, and maybe a tad overprotective but in a good way lol. He comes to Deep River after his best friend dies and in his will asks him to take care of some things that he left unfinished. So Damon heads to deep river to handle the things with every intention of going back to his life and his mother in LA, who is struggling with dementia.
Astrid and Connor are two of the things that Damon has to fix. His friend never acknowledged publicly that Connor was his son and that left both Connor and his mom hurt and rejected. Damon vows to fix that for them as well as improve the town’s economy as Cal, Damon’s friend, had owned it at the time of his death.
Damon doesn’t think he is worthy or capable of love after his tough childhood and a huge loss as an adult, but eventually he realizes that he’s not as tough and hard as he wants everyone, including himself to believe.
There was just enough steam to add to the story without it being gratuitous and I loved how Connor stood up for himself and gave of himself to the his mom and the people of his town even though he was just a teenager.
And I liked how the ending lead to what will hopefully be the next book in the series.
Thanks to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my review.
May 21, 2021
3 1/2 Stars
Deep River Promise is the second book in the Alaska Homecoming series. I haven't read the first book so I didn't get everything they were referencing that had happened previously but I also feel that the story is still fleshed out enough to be a standalone.
Damon has arrived in Deep River, Alaska after finding himself the new owner of the town with his two buddies after their friend, Caleb died and left it to them. But he has other business in town which is to look out for his buddies son, Conner who has never known who his father is. Astrid is Conner's mother and also happens to be the mayor of Deep River. She arrived in Deep River five years ago after escaping a toxic relationship and loves the town dearly. Astrid and Damon are attracted to each other off the bat but a past full of hurt is keeping them from fighting for what they really need.
I usually love a small town romance especially one set in Alaska but this one just didn't suck me in as much. Its missing more involvement of the small town characters that add an extra element to these types of books. It's a little steamy but not really too much more than a scene or so. I enjoyed the main characters growth but I don't know how much I believed in their romance.
Its still a easy, enjoyable read if you like an Alaska romance.
Thanks to Netgalley.com and Sourcebooks Casablanca for my complimentary eARC copy.
Deep River Promise is the second book in the Alaska Homecoming series. I haven't read the first book so I didn't get everything they were referencing that had happened previously but I also feel that the story is still fleshed out enough to be a standalone.
Damon has arrived in Deep River, Alaska after finding himself the new owner of the town with his two buddies after their friend, Caleb died and left it to them. But he has other business in town which is to look out for his buddies son, Conner who has never known who his father is. Astrid is Conner's mother and also happens to be the mayor of Deep River. She arrived in Deep River five years ago after escaping a toxic relationship and loves the town dearly. Astrid and Damon are attracted to each other off the bat but a past full of hurt is keeping them from fighting for what they really need.
I usually love a small town romance especially one set in Alaska but this one just didn't suck me in as much. Its missing more involvement of the small town characters that add an extra element to these types of books. It's a little steamy but not really too much more than a scene or so. I enjoyed the main characters growth but I don't know how much I believed in their romance.
Its still a easy, enjoyable read if you like an Alaska romance.
Thanks to Netgalley.com and Sourcebooks Casablanca for my complimentary eARC copy.
January 11, 2024
**My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**
Its always worth picking up a book by this author. The story telling is always well written, characters are well fleshed out and grow as the story goes on and you get a little bit of spice and a good developing relationship.
Astrid is a single mum of a teenager along with being the town mayor and librarian of a small town called Deep River. She is a strong person, because life has been hard for her and she has had no choice but to step up and look after herself and her son.
Damon is a military man who is only in Deep River on a promise from a fallen friend. He two has his scars, but with Astrid, something makes his give them up in order that he can help her, however he longer believes that he is capable of giving someone else the love they would need in a relationship.
Both find something special with each other and they help each other in many ways, however it is not until the end that Damon makes a discovery of his own that changes everything for him.
I really liked seeing the interconnected characters and their relationships to the main characters and glad that Damon finally figured out what he really wanted.
Its always worth picking up a book by this author. The story telling is always well written, characters are well fleshed out and grow as the story goes on and you get a little bit of spice and a good developing relationship.
Astrid is a single mum of a teenager along with being the town mayor and librarian of a small town called Deep River. She is a strong person, because life has been hard for her and she has had no choice but to step up and look after herself and her son.
Damon is a military man who is only in Deep River on a promise from a fallen friend. He two has his scars, but with Astrid, something makes his give them up in order that he can help her, however he longer believes that he is capable of giving someone else the love they would need in a relationship.
Both find something special with each other and they help each other in many ways, however it is not until the end that Damon makes a discovery of his own that changes everything for him.
I really liked seeing the interconnected characters and their relationships to the main characters and glad that Damon finally figured out what he really wanted.
March 31, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the Alaska Homecoming by Jackie Ashenden so I was looking forward to reading Deep River Promise. It did not disappoint. The ending of the first book heavily hinted where the next book was headed with Damon Fitzgerald. It is not so much of a homecoming for him as it becomes finding home.
Deep River is as unique an Alaskan town as the people who live there are. Damon has no idea what he is facing as he arrives there. For his part, he does adapt with grace and dignity even as he is planning on leaving as soon as is possible. His interactions with many of the residents including one teenager is wonderful. He’s a hero who doesn’t even know that he is. Astrid James is just as complexed. She’s not looking for love especially with an outsider. Sometimes what we need is the one thing we were never expecting to find. An appealing story with a down-to-earth hero and heroine who deserve love.
Without a doubt my favorite series by Jackie Ashenden.
4.5 Stars
An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Deep River is as unique an Alaskan town as the people who live there are. Damon has no idea what he is facing as he arrives there. For his part, he does adapt with grace and dignity even as he is planning on leaving as soon as is possible. His interactions with many of the residents including one teenager is wonderful. He’s a hero who doesn’t even know that he is. Astrid James is just as complexed. She’s not looking for love especially with an outsider. Sometimes what we need is the one thing we were never expecting to find. An appealing story with a down-to-earth hero and heroine who deserve love.
Without a doubt my favorite series by Jackie Ashenden.
4.5 Stars
An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 19, 2021
Deep River Promise was a great follow up to Come Home to Deep River. Damon Fitzgerald is another one of our Alaskan pilots that ends up in Deep River to take care of a promise to his deceased friend. That involves a conversation with Astrid James the town mayor and her son. Damon has no desire to stay in Alaska. He has responsibilities back in California and as much as Astrid and her son intrigue him, his mother takes precedence. Astrid just wants a safe and peaceful life for her and her son and that is exactly what she found in Deep River. She doesn't need or want Damon sticking his nose her their lives no matter what his reasons are. Well these two have an attraction that is off the charts and things are going to change no matter how much they fight it! As always Ms. Ashenden's books are well written and full of interesting characters that had me glued to the pages! The books in the Alaska Homecoming series each stand alone however there is an underlying story that is carrying throughout so I definitely recommend reading them in order to get the most out of this deeply emotional series.
May 20, 2021
Deep River Promise (Alaska Homecoming #2). By Jackie Ashenden. 2021. Sourcebooks Casablanca (ARC eBook).
When one of his friends died, Damon Fitzgerald found himself one of three new owners of the town of Deep River, Alaska. But Damon has another piece of business to do in Deep River other than signing off on ownership and getting the heck out of dodge. He has a promise to deliver on—which brings him to Deep River’s mayor and librarian, Astrid James. Book 2 never really grabbed me like Book 1 did. Both Damon and Astrid have old hurts needing to be healed and that bonds them together. But they are both mild-mannered people, leaving a lot to be desired for on dynamics. And while the overarching story revolving around the fate of the town was still around, there was not enough activity from the townspeople on that front either. Overall a tender romance, but not memorable.
*Sourcebooks Casablanca ARC via NetGalley
When one of his friends died, Damon Fitzgerald found himself one of three new owners of the town of Deep River, Alaska. But Damon has another piece of business to do in Deep River other than signing off on ownership and getting the heck out of dodge. He has a promise to deliver on—which brings him to Deep River’s mayor and librarian, Astrid James. Book 2 never really grabbed me like Book 1 did. Both Damon and Astrid have old hurts needing to be healed and that bonds them together. But they are both mild-mannered people, leaving a lot to be desired for on dynamics. And while the overarching story revolving around the fate of the town was still around, there was not enough activity from the townspeople on that front either. Overall a tender romance, but not memorable.
*Sourcebooks Casablanca ARC via NetGalley
March 22, 2021
Astrid more or less fled with her son Connor to the small Alaskan town of Deep River but now, five years later, she's more or less the single person keeping it alive. Caleb, whose family owned the land, dies, tragically in a plane crash but he's left the property to Damon, Zeke, and Silas, his partners in an aviation firm. Damon, whose own child died years ago, had promised Caleb he would keep an eye on Astrid and now he's fulfilling that. These two don't get along well to start- Astrid sees Damon as a threat- but Connor binds them. And, readers of this genre know that these two wounded people will help to heal one another and, best of all, that there will be an HEA. My quibble with this is that I'd hoped for more Alaskan atmospherics. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a good read for those looking for a sweet romance.
March 25, 2021
What a deeply moving story!
Damon has a promise to keep, even if it's twisting him every which way but loose. He needs to make sure that his late friend's son, Connor, is doing well, but Damon never counted on the intense attraction he'd share with Connor's mother, Astrid.
Both Damon and Astrid have secrets to hide and tragedies to get past, and I loved their sensual, emotionally-charged journey to their HEA. The writing is so beautiful, so vivid, you almost feel like you can visit Deep River on your next trip to Alaska. The characters are flawed and layered and so wonderfully developed.
I loved the final scenes and the sweet, tender HEA. I love how neither had to sacrifice anything that was important to them, how they were able to make it all work out for everyone in their families. I couldn't love this book more, and am really looking forward to reading more in this series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Damon has a promise to keep, even if it's twisting him every which way but loose. He needs to make sure that his late friend's son, Connor, is doing well, but Damon never counted on the intense attraction he'd share with Connor's mother, Astrid.
Both Damon and Astrid have secrets to hide and tragedies to get past, and I loved their sensual, emotionally-charged journey to their HEA. The writing is so beautiful, so vivid, you almost feel like you can visit Deep River on your next trip to Alaska. The characters are flawed and layered and so wonderfully developed.
I loved the final scenes and the sweet, tender HEA. I love how neither had to sacrifice anything that was important to them, how they were able to make it all work out for everyone in their families. I couldn't love this book more, and am really looking forward to reading more in this series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
April 6, 2021
Amazing heartfelt romance!
Jackie has done it again with the second instalment in This series. I loved this book and it only adds to the magic in Derp River. Damon is handsome, strong, alpha, closed off emotionally but deep down has a heart of gold and a willingness to care for others. He’s in Deep River to fulfil a promise, a promise he thinks can be taken care of quickly without any need to be really involved. Little does he know.
Astrid is a single mother who knows what she needs to do to take care of her son Connor and herself. And that doesn’t include help of any man especially one sent by Connor’s father.
These two are made for each other, both stubborn and hard on the surface but soft and gooey in the middle. Love their romance.
Absolute five star plus book by Jackie Ashenden, cannot wait for Morgan and Zeke’s story.
Jackie has done it again with the second instalment in This series. I loved this book and it only adds to the magic in Derp River. Damon is handsome, strong, alpha, closed off emotionally but deep down has a heart of gold and a willingness to care for others. He’s in Deep River to fulfil a promise, a promise he thinks can be taken care of quickly without any need to be really involved. Little does he know.
Astrid is a single mother who knows what she needs to do to take care of her son Connor and herself. And that doesn’t include help of any man especially one sent by Connor’s father.
These two are made for each other, both stubborn and hard on the surface but soft and gooey in the middle. Love their romance.
Absolute five star plus book by Jackie Ashenden, cannot wait for Morgan and Zeke’s story.
July 5, 2021
This book had a lot of potential and I liked the idea. Damon is out of the Army and caring out a promise he make his friend who has died to make sure his friend's son is ok and taken care of. His friend has also left his ownership of his hometown to Damon and two other Army friends. The town is on an oil field and they have to come up with a plan to bring in money to save the town from being bought out by the oil people. Damon gets to know the town's people and befriends the kid and his mother. He soon figures out that they both have been hurt badly and he wants to help them. He then falls in love with the mother, Astrid, but is afraid to admit it due to his own past demons. Due to his own demons he ends up hurting the kid and his mother. In the end he realizes that he was wrong and there is an HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2021
Had higher hopes at the start that this would be better than book #1, it started out strong but eventually fell back to the same repetativeness of people's inner thoughts/assumptions and so much would be desrcibed or re-hashed (internally) between bits of dialogue that by the time the 2nd character was responding to the 1st character I had forgotten what they were even talking about.
I also found the ending to be completely unrealistic and very rushed, there was a boundry over-stepping that took place (and was acknowledged) but it was really only a vehicle/reason for part of the premise to completely change and there was no real reprecussions and the person who was wronged then felt bad??
(trying not to give spoilers, but know the boundry-crossing was *not* sexual, just socially/personally)
I also found the ending to be completely unrealistic and very rushed, there was a boundry over-stepping that took place (and was acknowledged) but it was really only a vehicle/reason for part of the premise to completely change and there was no real reprecussions and the person who was wronged then felt bad??
(trying not to give spoilers, but know the boundry-crossing was *not* sexual, just socially/personally)
March 28, 2021
*** I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
I love Alaska romances! This is the first book that I have read by Jackie Ashenden, and I don't think it'll be the last. The plot of this book feels like it would be one of a historical romance (but it's set in present times): town in trouble, group of alpha male heroes, and beautiful single mother in distress. The book follows Damon and Astrid (and her son Conner) as they work together to save Deep River. There's lots of drama and steamy scenes (in a library! What?!) This is a story of family, love, friendship, and trust. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a light, HEA vacation read.
I love Alaska romances! This is the first book that I have read by Jackie Ashenden, and I don't think it'll be the last. The plot of this book feels like it would be one of a historical romance (but it's set in present times): town in trouble, group of alpha male heroes, and beautiful single mother in distress. The book follows Damon and Astrid (and her son Conner) as they work together to save Deep River. There's lots of drama and steamy scenes (in a library! What?!) This is a story of family, love, friendship, and trust. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a light, HEA vacation read.
March 3, 2021
Having loved the first book in this series, I was excited to read Damon and Astrid’s story. It’s a very satisfying, deeply emotional and at times profound story. Damon and Astrid have both suffered heartache and loss and are afraid to trust each other. Their chemistry just jumps off the page and there is almost an inevitability in the way they are drawn to one another. The underlying message, about the nature of love, is really quite beautiful and I found myself going back to reread and think about several passages. Although this book made me cry at times, at heart it’s a very uplifting book that leaves you feeling a little better about the world and your place within it.
March 29, 2021
This is the second book in the Alaska Homecoming series and it’s centered around Astrid, the mayor of Deep River, Alaska and Damon, one of the men Caleb had left the town to in his will. Damon comes to town to try to get out of Wild Alaska Aviation that Silas, Damon, Caleb, and Zeke started, when they left the military, and to give his ownership of the town back to Silas. Astrid has a secret, but Damon knows what it is. What is going to happen and will Damon find love like Silas did with Hope? No spoilers so grab your copy and see what happens.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.
April 1, 2021
Another amazing read
Just WOW!
I could not put this down once I started it, as Jackie's books tend to grab hold of you from the first few pages! And this one is no different. I was lost in Alaska all day.
Damon and Astrid are written so well that I felt like I was right there with them, listening to their words in person.
Several times I caught my breath at the perfect images conjured in these chapters. This is so well crafted and I enjoyed this one immensely. Damon's pain was tangible and so raw.
I strongly recommend reading the series in order to get the most from this story. Thanks for this one, and
I look forward to Zeke! Can't wait!!
Just WOW!
I could not put this down once I started it, as Jackie's books tend to grab hold of you from the first few pages! And this one is no different. I was lost in Alaska all day.
Damon and Astrid are written so well that I felt like I was right there with them, listening to their words in person.
Several times I caught my breath at the perfect images conjured in these chapters. This is so well crafted and I enjoyed this one immensely. Damon's pain was tangible and so raw.
I strongly recommend reading the series in order to get the most from this story. Thanks for this one, and
I look forward to Zeke! Can't wait!!
May 17, 2021
This book follows the story of single-mom Astrid, her teenage son Connor, and outside Damon in their small town in Alaska.
The story takes place over the course of a week and draws you in so fast!! Its a quick read, super sweet and also a bit steamyyy. If you’re a fan of small-town romances, single-mom romances, or romances in general I highly suggest this book!!
The writing was good, the characters had nice background stories and were interesting to read about and overall the plot was interesting!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review! All thoughts are my own.
The story takes place over the course of a week and draws you in so fast!! Its a quick read, super sweet and also a bit steamyyy. If you’re a fan of small-town romances, single-mom romances, or romances in general I highly suggest this book!!
The writing was good, the characters had nice background stories and were interesting to read about and overall the plot was interesting!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review! All thoughts are my own.
June 8, 2021
This was an enjoyable romance with a hero learning to open his heart and a heroine learning to trust again. Both characters have suffered in the past and come together to move on in the name of love. This novel has a nice balance of heat, likeable characters, and overall charm. While this is the second book in a series, it works as a standalone and does enough to fill a new reader in on what they missed. Deep River is a small Alaskan town filled with the charm of residents caring about the fate of the town and each other. An epilogue sets up the next book and the romance in this one was sweet enough to make me want to revisit Deep River.
March 30, 2021
Northern Exposure meets Hallmark
I found I rather liked Deep River Promise. Set in a small town in Alaska, Damon is so desperate to ditch and go back to LA. Astrid is the mayor with her son, Connor.
I liked how they had real problems and issues to deal with (Damon's aging mother, Caleb, Astrid's husband's death and her son Connor).
I feel like Jackie has found a fresh voice in this series (hey, I was an early reader) and found a niche that is just calling out to be turned into a Hallmark series or movie. Maybe Netflix?
Recommend.
I found I rather liked Deep River Promise. Set in a small town in Alaska, Damon is so desperate to ditch and go back to LA. Astrid is the mayor with her son, Connor.
I liked how they had real problems and issues to deal with (Damon's aging mother, Caleb, Astrid's husband's death and her son Connor).
I feel like Jackie has found a fresh voice in this series (hey, I was an early reader) and found a niche that is just calling out to be turned into a Hallmark series or movie. Maybe Netflix?
Recommend.
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