A Promise in Ash — Elysia Strife

With only a manipulative mother figure to guide her, Norah's learned everything the hard way. Her dreams of a stable family shattered with her self-confidence years ago. Thank goodness her single-dad coworker is nearby to eagerly pick up her pieces.If only her past would stay put, maybe they could move forward together.In a small Texas town, outside of Houston, lies a family of secrets Norah Taren will soon uncover. She's tried to move on for years and push the past into the shadows. Yet handsome Evan Swanson is ever-curious about her, leaving her worried he'll dig up something ugly. Some part of her life will surely push him away for good.Norah refuses to let him get too close, wanting desperately to keep him as a friend. He has enough chaos in his life with his teenage daughter. And Norah doesn't want to lose them.Despite her resistance, Evan has zero plans of giving up on Norah.When Norah's engagement falls apart, the news of her infertility breaking her last thread, she gives in to Evan's embrace. He and Ashley welcome her with open arms, but Norah hesitates to go all in with them. Her traumatic childhood still haunts her and makes her feel undeserving of love.As Norah's love for Evan grows and she becomes more invested in spending time with them, secrets emerge from Norah's father, her ex-fiancé, and the mystery around her adoption, reinforcing the walls she's put up to shield her heart.It isn't until her father's death that a friend from the past emerges and exposes the truth. Her gut feeling that she needed to stay away from Evan and Ashley was right.Norah's entire life has been one big lie.One man is behind it all, someone she's never met.Norah longs for trust, real love, friends she can count on, and a stable, wholesome family. Evan and Ashley have an empty seat at their table, one they wish Norah to fill. But Norah's past won't stay gone, putting her would-be family in serious harm's way.Norah's battle runs deeper than her jerk of an ex, her sinister stepmother, and her stalker's sect. The self-doubt and self-loathing were programmed into her from a young age.But Evan has a secret too.Can she become more and rescue the ones she loves, or will she be forced to watch her past devour them forever?***Version 3No intimacy. This is a Happily For Now romance.Some violence, suspense, and cursing. Features scenes that may trigger sensitive readers.***Heartbreaking, delicate and wild, I LOVED THIS BOOK. Mixed in with threatening messages and a mystery at hand, you get a book with interest and passion. --Goodreads Reviewer Plenty to keep you glued to the pages with everything going on and all the things coming to light. This isn't a light fun read, but one that will make you stop and think for a long time after closing it. --Goodreads Reviewer I ordered this book after learning the author, as well as the protagonist, is an adoptee. Stories that showcase the realistic emotions of adoptees are the best—not the ones where the feelings are those the authors think adopted persons should have... it's not a straight-up adoption story. But there's lots of action and not a dull moment. --Goodreads Reviewer