Once again really enjoyed this book, and I would not say no to another (spin-off) series.

It took me a little while to get back into this and I felt a little less invested, but that's probably because it's been ages since I've read the previous books. I'll definitely be rereading the series as a whole though! And I still really enjoyed this, I love the balance between a fast-paced, action-packed plot and amazing interactions between the characters.

Thank you, Carina Press and Carina Adores, for allowing me to read Out of the Ashes early.

When I requested this book, I wasn't aware that it is the final installment of a trilogy, and therefore I started with a backlog. Nevertheless, I had a great time while reading the story. I liked the bond between Evan and Colin and had a soft spot for the former one. I loved the characterization and am a bit sad that I didn't read the other two books in this series first. Overall a great read!

4.5 stars

After book 2 ripped my heart up a bit, this finale managed to do all the things to put it back together again - while also delivering an engrossing paranormal suspense story. Told entirely from Evan’s POV, the reader gets a front-row seat to his struggles as Colin comes back from the events at the end of book 2 just…different. The back-and-forth as Evan comes to terms with Colin’s decision and the consequences were heartbreaking even as he (and I) understood Colin’s side. Add to that the increasing threat to the paranormal community, and yeah, Evan’s barely hanging on.

The whole series is intense and emotional and at the same time suspenseful and full of action. Yes, I binge-read it. Yes, I will undoubtedly do so again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publishers. This is my honest review.

Out of the Ashes is the third and final book in the Ashes & Dust series featuring private investigator Evan Fournier and his former bond mate, phoenix Colin. You could say that Evan and Colin have seen some stuff in the last two books. Their relationship might have started out as an accidental bond formed in a moment of danger, but it has grown into love and affection.

At the last book’s conclusion, Colin had made the choice to break their bond and hope that he and Evan could reconnect and remember their passion for each other afterward. But at the start of Out of the Ashes, Colin is cold and unemotional, and despite a letter he left Evan urging him to fight for them, seems ready to give up himself. Evan doesn’t know if he can stand being rejected even one more time. Then something happens that throws this couple right back into the middle of a mystery and stuck by each other’s side during the duration.

This is a solid conclusion to this trilogy. All of the same cast of characters appear at some point, and a couple more are introduced. The overall series arc is still in play and it is wrapped up nicely, but this is mainly about Evan and Colin finding each other again and figuring out what their future looks like.

Evan has come a long way and overcome so much over the last two series in which he appears. He still struggles with depression, but he acknowledges those struggles and is willing to do the work to help himself deal with what he calls his “asshole brain” from leading him down into a deep depression. He has a great found family who serves as a wonderful support network to both him and Colin.

I couldn’t have been happier with the way Jenn Burke wrapped this series up. Pretty much every aspect worked for me, from the way the main plot concluded to the HEA. I will say that it was kind of bittersweet saying goodbye to this world once again. I’m hopeful that this author figures out a way to revisit it in the future.

In this thrilling conclusion to Jenn Burke's Ashes & Dust series, Evan and Colin contend with the results of their newly broken bond along with a plot to harm paranormals in increasingly deadly ways. Out of the Ashes is a satisfying end to Evan and Colin's saga that leaves the reader smiling.

Get ready for some serious paranormal business! The third and final installment in the Ashes & Dust series picks up where the shocking, devastating, heart wrenching, and a whole lot of other -ings, cliffhanger of Book Two left off. This time, not only does Evan have to battle his bruised and battered heart and hold his depression at bay, he has to solve the mystery of exactly who’s preying on humans in Greater Toronto. Can’t a guy catch a break?

After everything Evan’s been through, I didn’t know it was possible for my heart to hurt for him even more, but that’s Jenn Burke for you. Always keeping you on edge and wringing your emotions dry - in the best way possible, of course. 😉 Like Evan, I may have trust issues because of traitorous oatmeal raisin cookies, but I have faith that Burke will always deliver on that happy ending. Out of the Ashes takes you on an exciting, action-packed paranormal adventure on its way to a fantastic, satisfying conclusion.

Breaking their bond caused a few unexpected consequences for Colin & Evan, so things are a bit awkward and frosty in the beginning. If it wasn’t clear Colin was already struggling with the aftermath of his decision, it might have been easier to hate him. If only I didn’t know where these two had been in their relationship and feelings for one another…GAH.

Then there’s Evan. I’ve always felt soft and overly protective toward him, and parts of this one definitely made me want to wrap him in bubble wrap and never let anything hurt him ever again. Although he doesn’t need it, because Evan Fournier is all grown up. He’s come full-circle, been through it all and come out stronger on the other side. His might be one of the most complete and fulfilling character arcs I’ve experienced; I never dreamed he would find the kind of closure and inner peace Burke helps him find. It’s more than I ever hoped he would have.