Five years ago, I nearly lost everything. But there was a glimmer of hope on that darkest night. There was him—a stranger I could never forget.

Now, I’m finally getting the fresh start I’ve longed for. But when I show up to interview for a nanny position in the small mountain town, the single dad has startlingly familiar blue eyes.

Eyes that have haunted my dreams for the past five years.

Lawson Hartley is everything I know I can’t have. Older, handsome, and my boss. Not to mention the shadows in his eyes that tell me he has demons, too.

Still, he seems to understand me better than anyone I’ve ever met. So gentle and careful of my scars, yet somehow making me believe I’m stronger than I ever thought possible.

And when his lips touch mine, I’m lost.

We find what we’ve been missing in each other. But the terrors of my past aren’t done with me yet, and this time, Lawson might not be able to save me..

My Review

The book opens with Halston during the worst month of her life. We don’t get every detail right away, but you can tell the trauma runs deep and still shapes everything she does.

Lawson is the small-town police chief and a single dad raising three boys. His life is already busy before Hallie ends up back in his orbit. She’s trying to live independently but struggles with panic attacks and lingering fear from her past. Watching her take small steps forward felt very real, and I liked that healing wasn’t instant.

She becomes the nanny for the man who once helped her, and the history between them adds a lot to the relationship. The story mixes everyday family life, found family warmth, and protective hero energy with an underlying thread of suspense.

As they work through their own emotional walls the romance grows and does get steamy. Hallie is still messy in a believable way but she slowly gains strength and confidence. The mystery element builds alongside the relationship and keeps the tension high.

The emotional moments hit hard as Hallie has to face parts of her past again, this time with people supporting her. The ending wraps things up sweetly, even if a few twists felt a bit dramatic for me. I would have loved a little more focus on her new normal life at the end.

Overall this was an emotional romantic suspense with strong found family vibes and character growth.

If you would like to read Ashes of You by Catherine Cowles, you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn on qualifying purchases. 

If you like this book you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories: mental health rep, found family and single dad.