When Ashes Fall by Marni Mann
5 stars!!!
“When ashes fall… That was the end.”
I first read this book about four months ago and having now read it again those first impressions, emotions, thoughts, and feelings just came flooding back…tenfold. I have been a huge fan of Marni Mann from more or less the beginning of her career when I stumbled across her book on Amazon, and I haven’t looked back since. Having read every book she has published I have to say that this is my new favourite book of hers, the raw, intense emotions and honesty that she has conveyed through her words will tug at every heartstring, will bring lumps to your throat and cause plentiful tears. But, despite the emotional wringer that this book puts you through, you cannot help but be affected, impacted and emotionally stirred by the profound story that this author delivers. You can tell that this book was written from the heart, you feel and experience EVERYTHING. Love is such a powerful emotion, one that you are lucky to experience once in a lifetime, some maybe twice, none are ever the same, but each leaves their mark. This is not a cheating book, far from it, but read this as the author intended, blind. Let her take you on this ride, it is one that you will never, ever forget.
“You’re asking to see my storm.”
We all want sunny days, the days where the sun on your face warms your soul and your heart, however, there are always storms too, and it is on those days that you keep your nearest and dearest with you. Life is full of moments, to learn by, to cherish, to love, they may be insignificant, they may be monumental, but they make up your map, your map is your own, and you never know when life is going to make you change direction. This is all about those directions, those left, and rights, some you anticipate and others you don’t, but they are there for a reason. It is how you cope and deal with them that determines your end destination.
“No, I don’t want to run… Unless it’s towards you, and then my answer is yes.”
Marni Mann delivers an extremely poignant, heartfelt, heart-destroying, heart-warming, raw, honest, extremely moving love story that will have you captivated from start to finish. The story grabs you from the very beginning and doesn’t let you go even after the very last words. This is a book that I will be thinking about for a very long time and one that I will definitely be re-reading. This is one of those stories that makes you think long and hard, both at what you have just read and about the characters. The journey that Alix, Dylan, and Smith embark on will have your heart in your mouth one minute, your heart fit to burst the next, tears aplenty and the cheesiest grins. This was a rollercoaster, and as your brain frantically tries to read between the lines, you can only sit back and admire how well the author has layered this story. This book was like an onion, every chapter was a layer and as each layer was devoured the possibilities got smaller and smaller. The author delivers the crux of this story with brutal honesty, and I dare anyone not to bawl their eyes out. Intense, yet beautiful for its innocence, no unnecessary drama, no angst for angst sake, just one incredibly unforgettable story.
“Alix and I weren’t perfect. We had cracks. And, as the months passed, I learned some deepened while others got filled in. I also learned that wasn’t the last night I’d sleep alone.”
Every character had their purpose, nothing superfluous, nothing artificial. Every character well defined and the character connection was on point. You will take these characters into your heart and soul as love takes centre stage. Alix is cut open for the world to see and her love, emotions, and pain were agonizingly honest. It is this honesty that embraces Alix into your heart and soul as she undertakes the hardest journey of her life. We all need a best friend like Rose, Rose was Alix’s rock, she centered Alix, was her confidante and always had her back. She had been through the rough and the smooth, and she always had Alix’s best interests at heart. Both the men in this book were extremely lovable, total opposites and yet congruous in their love for Alix. I will reiterate that there is NO cheating in this book, just two loves in one lifetime. I cannot say any more, I want to keep this review spoiler free, but all I will say is read this book. You won’t regret it, and you definitely won’t forget it. Marni Mann, take a bow. I sincerely hope that this book gets the recognition it deserves. You deserve it, these characters deserve it, and the blood, sweat, and tears you poured into it deserve it. This will definitely be one of my top reads of the year.
“I wish I knew now what I hadn’t known then.”
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Reviews with images
Emotional, heartfelt reads
Okay. I’ve jumped onto the Marni Mann bandwagon and I think I picked a great one to start with.When Ashes Fall, the first book in the Moments in Boston series, is written beautifully.I listened to the audio and devoured it because I needed to know, really badly what happens.A story of heartbreak and tragedy, it follows Dylan, Alix and Smith and how their lives have intertwined in past and present chapters. I went in totally blind to this and even though i had an inkling where the story was going but it didn’t take away any of the feelings I had.Alix’s life is all perfect until a tragic event happens. She doesn’t know whether she is living in the past or present and we see how she navigates between her struggles of letting go and moving on and her own mental health struggles.I will admit I was confused for a while as to where the plot was going at the start until it clicked. Was Alix seeing things? Was she living a double life? What was going on?!? The anticipation was too much at one point where I wanted to rush through it so I powered through to that AHA moment and my heart felt kinda settled at that point.It hurt feeling Alix go through all she went through in secret and alone until it all comes to a head. The narrators captured the emotion so well that I actually found myself stopping what I was doing while listening so I could concentrate more on the pain that they were feeling throughout the heart wrenching and broken scenes. With lots of dialogue about feelings, you will become immersed in the characters.A beautiful story that could be so relatable to anyone.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 starsIf you love:✨ Boston!✨ Emotional, heartfelt reads✨ Second Chances in Life (not the same person)✨ Mental Health✨ Tragic Event
Top reviews from other countries
Caz the bookworm /Caroline O'Sullivan
Will never forget this book!
Reviewed in Australia on November 4, 2020