On the Line

A happy ending that was 15 years in the making. I really enjoyed this book even though it hit on some really heavy topics. All were written really well though. It's hard to imagine what this family must have gone through between Mary and Richard. I wanted to smack Mary quite often, but then hug Nancy! Janelle wasn't perfect either, which I think made me like the book even more. She made mistakes, kept secrets and was perfectly human. The story while a little deep was a great read that was very realistic. I definitely enjoyed it!

Definitely a unique story. Interesting plot. Enjoyed it a lot. Liked the ending.

An emotional read that will break your heart but in the end it will bring a smile to your face when you read that awesome epilogue.

This is the second installment in the Rocky Creek Series and I have to say it was an emotional read. When I read a book about physical, emotional and psychological abuse it makes me so mad because it seems the victim blames themselves for the behavioral of the person that was at fault. I totally loved Janelle thought she was an awesome mother but she had to remember she was the victim. She was the one that was being abused not only physical but mentally and emotionally and she did not deserve it she deserved a man that would treat her like a queen.

There were two characters that I totally loathed one of them being their mother because of how she treated her daughters. What made it worse was the incident that happened in the funeral home where she belittled her daughter in front of everyone. A mother should be there to support their children and guide them in the right direction and she was not doing that she was doing the only thing she knew and that was that the woman needed to do everything possible to make the husband happy. Then of course there was the psycho of husband that decided to kidnap an innocent little boy and then hurt his mother. Zach was a little boy that was full of life and then when this book started it was like all that life was drained from him in a matter of a day. He was having nightmares and was withdrawing from his family. I wanted to see the little boy that played with his baby sister that loved doing what little boys do.

Like I said previously Janelle was a great mother but it seemed that she somewhat did listen to her mother when it came to making her husband happy. She was blinded to see that their marriage ended a very long time ago. Then when the incident happens where her husband was killed and that was the start of her life being turned upside down and her secret comes out. I could not believe what her husband had done before he kidnapped Zach the video that he did explaining what he was going to do in full detail to Kelsey and Zach it made me sick but it didn’t end there.

Then of course there is Nathan a man that was awesome. He was heartbroken when he heard from the video that Richard did that he had a daughter. But what truly hurt him was that he was forbidden to see Janelle and his daughter. Nathan was being investigated because he was using a company vehicle to stake out Janelle home and also because he could have been having an affair with her on company time. When I read that I couldn’t believe it he was just trying to protect the woman he loved along with her children. I felt so bad for him but them again he could have answered her phone calls and talked to her but he was taking it too far. Then once he made the decision to talk to her but she stopped calling.

There were so many ups and downs in this read that at times I had to step away because it was breaking my heart. There were many times that I wanted to strangle Janelle because of her decisions and how she blamed herself. She was not doing anything wrong she needed to be strong and stand up to her mother. It seemed Kelsey was able to defend herself when it came to her mother but doubt was what ruined both of them. The men in their lives were strong and they both needed to trust in them and everything would be taken care of. In this read I fell in love with Patrick even more in this book than in the last. Then there was Zach he was a little boy that had gone through a horrific nightmare and he needed time to digest through everything that happened.

On the Line was a great read yes it was a rollercoaster ride of emotions but it was still great. I loved seeing Kelsey and Patrick in this story and seeing them getting closer than ever. I know that I could have done without their mother, Mary, but knew that there was no way that she could be keep out of this story. Then there was their father I was disappointed in him but in the end he won me over. The storyline was intriguing and I knew that once I started there was no way I was not going to finish it. The journey that the characters went through in the end they became stronger and their hearts fuller. I knew that Janelle and Nathan were going to have a happily ever after but they were going to have to wait awhile for it. I wonder if Veronica and Grayson can get their own book would love to see how their lives turn out and also get a sneak peek in Kelsey and Patrick’s life and of course Janelle and Nathan.

I truly recommend this read to other readers!

Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an Honest Review

Janelle seems to have been from hell and back and its not over yet. Now that her dead beat husband is dead it seems like everyone is blaming her and has no problem blaming a few close to her ether. Right now all she wants to focus on is her kids and bringing them back to normal. Zach with his super heros and therapy and Zoe with her sweetness and her daddy. All in all it seems like anything that can go wrong has and she just wants to start over again and rebuild and make a happy life for her children, but she wonders if that will ever happen. Nathan is a cop and a dang good one at that. He loves his job but what he loves more is Janelle and she is off limits and that is just not going to happen. He finds out her biggest secret and he is non to happy about it but when he is ready to face her his boss has other plans for him and so do a few others. This book is packed full of on the edge of your seat action. This book is a continuation from book one so I encourage you to read that one first other wise this book might seem to much all at once. I really like how it seems like nothing is off topic or out of read with this author or this set of stories. You will immediately have a love for the dad in this book and really really want to shoot the mom and wish her dead. There are other characters in the book that you will really love and seem very much real and others you just want to strangle, I love a good book that will play on all emotions like this one. This book grabs you and draws you in and sometime you feel like it may be to much and other times you find yourself turning the pages just to see what happens. I am really excited to read the rest of this series. This action pack book will not disappoint. Does contain strong language.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in The Rocky Creek series. It can be read as a stand alone because there is background in it that tells what happened in the first book.

Janelle has had a hard time the last 10 years. Her abusive alcoholic ex-husband Richard is dead and her life and that of her children is left in shambles due to his last revelation before he died. He not only tried to kill her sister but he also tried to kill their adopted son. She had one last secret that she was holding on to and now it is out.

Nathan has loved Janelle since high school. He has done his very best to keep her and her family safe on his own time and also in his job as a police officer. He even broke a few rules that are coming back to bite him. The final revelation from Richard blows his world apart.

They both are now left to pick up the pieces of their lives.

I enjoyed this story and think that Ms. Ascher did a good job telling it and did her research. I was glad that in the course of it. She was able to explain what made Janelle and Kelsey the way they were. This was also a story of family dynamics.

This book was a great romance true love does when in every way I loved the families coming together when it was necessary n how they stood by the but that mother of the girls omg sh was outrageous n had some nerve doing what she did I could had jumped Into the book n beat her myself I loved the end of the book

Fantastic book. I loved all of the relationships and how everything wasn't easy and they all had things about their relationships and themselves they needed to work on. I would have personally liked a few more scenes with just zoe and her new daddy because i felt that father daughter connection was lost slightly in the drama of the book. However, this book is truly wonderful and i would love to read more books by Kathryn Ascher.

Looking back on my review of the first book in this series, Whatever It Takes, many of my questions from the end of that book are answered in On The Line. However, the whys of the answers is not really answered. Perhaps Kathryn Ascher knows that life is like that sometimes.

Questions I still have - I still do not understand why the toxic relationship between mother and daughters continued. At one point, the mother states that she does not need a reason to visit her grandchildren. But the truth of the matter is the grandmother had no right to say that. Janelle could have stopped her from visiting anytime she wished since she was the children’s legal guardian.

Then there is George, he seemed clueless to his daughters’ abuse at the hand of his wife. How could he not know what she had been saying all these years?

Shouldn’t the Detective Bonner have been charged instead of just fired? He clearly tampered with the evidence.

This soap opera sage is just as gripping even with the questions that I still have. The confusion and misconstrued actions of Janelle clearly show she needs therapy as much as her son does. In fact one of the most interesting parts is when Zach is with Andrew, the therapist. Most of all this story shows how victims often blames themselves and then make continued poor decisions based on those feelings. This is not an easy read but a compelling one.

Net Galley provided a copy.

This is the sequel to "What it Takes" as well as Janelle & Nathan's story. Kelsey is recovering after her now deceased brother-in-law,Richard, shot her in the thigh and let her bleed on the floor of their summer cabin. The whole time Zach, Kelsey's son that Janelle & Richard adopted from her, was watching all of this unfold because Richard kidnapped him.
Now that the police are involved, the investigations take place, making sure it was a suicide. Nathan can't be involved in any investigation because he was the 1st cop to be on the scene.
Arriving at the hospital, tv cameras are all lined up. When Janelle sees the news story she's shocked. Before Richard died, he filmed a tape and told America everything about Kelsey's secret. How Janelle was having an affair with Nathan for 3 years AND that his daughter, Zoe, was actually Janelle and Nathan's love child. After that confession, everyone is in shock, including Janelle, because she never knew that her dead husband suspected anything. He was never home with her nor the kids, that's why Nathan was always there. He became apart of the family, in more ways then one. How will Nathan react to finding out that the 3 year old that he played with daily while guarding their home, was his OWN daughter? Will he forgive Janelle for the lies? Does he still want a future with them? Will their mother, Mary, ever accept the girls for who they are, not what she expects of them? Will Patrick stay with Kelsey, or does she have way too much drama in her life?

READ ON

Kathryn Ascher's On the Line is the second book in The Rocky Creek series and it begins where the first book, What it Takes, ended. It's a well-written story of two sisters, their choices and relationships. Janelle Wagoner is shocked to watch her late husband's video on television. As she listens to his words, she realizes that her entire life is unraveling in front of millions of people. Richard's words drive this story and his presence is felt during the novel.
Kathryn Ascher presents an intriguing, well-written story of two women, Janelle and her sister actress Kelsey Morgan. Kelsey and Janelle are very close. In fact, Janelle and Richard are raising Kelsey's son as their own. The sisters share many secrets with each other and keep a few secrets to themselves. Ascher’s portrayal of the sister's relationship with their mother, Mary Morgan, and the impact of two generation of domestic and verbal abuse are well documented and expertly researched. Loved the scenes at Richard's funeral services when Mary and Richard's sister verbally attack Janelle.
Richard's video alters Nathan Harris' life as well. Nathan has loved Janelle for years and was deeply hurt when she married Richard. Now, he is dealing with several important issues; he's been suspended from his job and he may be a father. Nathan is under a lot of stress. His role in Richard's death is being investigated and he needs to decide if he should he forgive Janelle and become a father to his daughter.
I liked the continuity between What it Takes (book one in the series) and On The Line. Characters appeared in book books and the crossover plot lines which began in book one were resolved in On The Line. I feel that readers should read What It Takes first to understand background information provided. The characters are multi -faceted and realistic -- the author writes a great villain and a nasty mother--and the plot had enough intrigue and twists to keep me invested in the story.

On the Line is about a young woman, Janelle Morgan, dealing with the aftermath of a public spectacle that her deceased husband left her with just before taking his own life. Janelle deals with issues stemming from her childhood on her quest for normalcy, love and happiness.

I really enjoyed On the Line. I loved how the novel picked up right where What It Takes (review here) left off. It was a nice feature however if I hadn’t of read What It Takes previously or remembered what happened then I probably would have been totally lost for the first few chapters.

The other shoe finally dropped, (if you remember from my latest What I’m Reading post, I had said I was waiting for the other shoe to drop on their happiness). The looming thundercloud finally made it’s presence. Things were just too happy for them to not have something go wrong. I was half expecting what played out to happen, it was kind of predictable but it was definitely needed.

I really didn’t like Mary Morgan, Janelle and Kelsey’s mother. I felt like her character was a bit overplayed, like she kept popping up almost every scene. The abuse she enforced on her daughters was atrocious and was really thrown in your face over the course of the novel. I get that it was part of her personality but by the end of the novel I was ready to reach in and try and shake some sense into her.

All in all, it was a very good book. I was kind of sad with the ending because it ended just like that, kind of out of the blue. But it was still good.

Keep an eye out for my review of Into the Light for the books release this fall!