Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain, 6)

“Met you twelve years ago and we’re just gettin’ here. I don’t call that fast. I call that a waste of ... time I’m about to rectify.”Whenever a Kristen Ashley book is about to come out, I am like a child in a candy store, greedy for it and desperate for my “KA fix”, but when that book also happens to be part of the Colorado Mountain series, well, we have a small emotional meltdown on our hands. I have re-read every single one of these books more times than I care to admit and finding out that the quiet but reliable Jacob Decker was getting his own book was a dream come true. In true Kristen Ashley style, this is a story of second chances at love, of best friends turning lovers, of people finding a home in one another. Every element of this writer’s signature writing style is present once again – a protective and nurturing alpha male, this one with a gentle Dominant streak, a fierce but emotionally vulnerable heroine, a passionate union of minds as well as bodies – all perfectly packaged into a delicious bundle of addictive fiction at its best.“You think you’ve lost beauty, Jacob, but you didn’t. Just turn the dial.”Jacob “Deck” Decker is a loner, a man who has not exclusively dated a woman for almost a decade, ever since the demise of his last failed relationship. But after one chance encounter with a blast from his past, Deck is reminded of the one who got away, of the only woman who has ever both challenged his mind as well as cared deeply for him – his ex’s best friend. Emme was his soul mate from the moment they met, their connection palpable to everyone around them, but their friendship ended the moment his relationship to her best friend came to a halt. Heartbroken and angry over the break-up, Deck had expelled Emme from his life, aware of her affections towards him, but unwilling to deal with them. Nine years later, they are back in each other’s lives, but a decade of distance has changed them both and put so many things in perspective.“I missed you,” I whispered.“How bad?” he whispered back.“I wouldn’t allow myself to think about it, that bad.”“Baby –”From the moment they meet again, the spark between them is re-ignited, reminding them both of how much they had once meant to one another and enjoyed each other’s company. But Emme is no longer the diamond in the rough Deck once knew, having blossomed into a confident and outspoken young woman, her independence and drive only making her even more irresistible in his eyes. Everything about her now draws him to her, feeding fantasises he never allowed himself to entertain before. It does not take long for their friendship to enter uncharted territory, but Emme is no longer the same woman Deck had left behind, ten years of loneliness and having to face the ups and downs of life on her own, coupled with a childhood trauma, having marked her deeply and made her emotionally disconnect from life. She fears loss above all else, so she skips through life never allowing anyone to get too close to her, preferring solitude over the pain of losing a loved one.“I’m not a puzzle to figure out, Jacob.”“You are, Emme, the most frustrating one I ever found and the one it’s most important to solve.”But Jacob, being the alpha male who not only knows and goes after what he wants, but being also the only person in the world who understands Emme through and through, will not allow her to distance herself from him, seeing the beauty and uniqueness of their connection as something worth fighting for. With every dominant bone in his body.“You love me but won’t let yourself have me. And, baby, I’m gonna figure out why. Fix what’s broke in you. Then turn my attention to givin’ you the best life I can for the rest of the time you’re on this earth breathin’.”Every single Colorado Mountain instalment has been an intensely emotional and always truly unforgettable love story, and this last one did not disappoint. But while most other couples in this series had to fight to find their way to one another, Deck and Emme start their journey already caring deeply for each other, and their connection only grows as they let themselves embrace it. In so many ways, this story was quite a departure from Ms Ashley’s previous works in the series, but the fresh dynamic between these characters made me love this book even more. In this beautiful tale of friends becoming lovers, I once more fell head over heels in love with another epic Kristen Ashley romance, one that stayed with me long after I turned its last page.“… I’d be alone, lost and alone forever, if I didn’t have you.”[4.5 STARS]

4 starsThis was a very good story. I really liked both Emme and Deck and got in to their story. There wasn't a major action plot but it was still engaging and a very enjoyable read.Emme is a sweet but damaged woman. She has known fear and loss and it affected her greatly. She's made a life for herself but holds herself back and has few friends. Recently she's made more of an effort to come out of her isolation and has changed some things about herself. She even started dating a man for the last few months but she's not sure about him and is considering breaking it off.Deck is a P.I. (for lack of a better definition...he doesn't always do things by the book) and the best friend of Chase (the hero from Breathe) and has shown up in a few previous books. He's a good guy, VERY smart and is a loyal friend. He is someone you do not want to get on the bad side of. Deck is also a bit of a ladies man and doesn't usually do serious relationships. Deck's been feeling like something is missing lately and thinks he needs to find the right girl.Deck in Gnaw Bone to talk to the police about a possible job when he and Emme first run in to each other. She's changed a lot in the 9 years since he last saw her and he barely recognizes her but is way happy when he realizes who she is. Deck and Emme used to be very tight for years. Deck was going out with Emme's best friend and the 3 of them hung out all the time. Deck and Emme had a special friendship that his girlfriend was jealous of but there was never a hint of something more at that time because Deck was majorly hung up on his girlfriend. When she dumps Deck for a man with more money, Emme tried to bring him some happiness, giving him a beautiful kaleidoscope and an offer for friendship. Deck kept the kaleidoscope but was too torn up to keep the friendship going and it was 9 years before they saw each other again. When Deck sees Emme again and gets to talk to her, he realizes just how much he missed their friendship and their connection. They make plans to do dinner that evening (which Dane is there to see and not to pleased about) and when they do Deck starts realizing just how stupid he was to have lost Emme from his life.Deck's job actually has some ties to Emme's boyfriend so there's a little bit of a conflict of interest that makes things interesting but that part get done relatively quickly. Emme was already planning to break up with Dane so when things go down she's not unhappy about Dane being out of her life. She does feel a bit unsettled though because Deck makes it quite clear that as soon as Dane is out he's in and proceeds to make it that way. I liked the way Deck treated Emme, he was bossy but could be reasoned with and wasn't an alpha-hole. He decided that he wanted Emme and wasn't going to balk on that and he made a concerted effort to take care of her in important ways. Emme cares deeply for Deck and has since they first met but because of some of her past issues, Emme has trouble with letting people close and the growing seriousness of their relationship throws her in to retreat. This happens on multiple occasions but fortunately, Deck is very smart and figures out that there are deeper issues. There's some drama as those issues are discovered and worked through and I liked how things worked out. There was a bit more on the action plot before the end but nothing to serious. The ending/epilogue was really good and had some touching moments (keep a tissue handy) and I enjoyed seeing Deck and Emme getting their well deserved HEA.This was a very good story. I really liked Emme & Deck and how they interacted and worked through things. I loved the kaleidoscope as part of the story and the meanings/emotions behind it. I particularly loved the part it played in the epilogue. As always, the secondary characters are great and I loved seeing some of my faves from previous books. I did notice a few editing errors but not too many. This was a very good addition to the series and I'm looking forward to the next book. I'd recommend this book. Thumbs up. :D

I loved Deck & Emme’s story. She and Lauren are probably my favourite characters of the women so far in this series. The story was well paced and had me hooked from the first chapter.

I didn't think I was going to like this book at first, as I didn't know if I was going to warm to emme, but she grew on me. I actually found myself getting hooked into the story and stayed up until 1am to finish it, I thought it was that good. Didn't like the fact emme was okay with being kidnapped and having a relationship with her kidnapper, I thought this was weird, but it all tied up at the end of the book and explained why emme was disconnected, you just have to read on to find out why.As usual brilliant KA book, I have three left in her burg series to read and I really don't know what I'm going to do when I've finished all of her books.

I read the other books in this series some time ago and enjoyed them, some more than others, mostly they were 4 star reads.I felt unable to connect with Emme and Deck (Jacob) and found myself skipping, which I had never done with the previous books.It was overly long and would have been better with some editing, particularly the numerous sex scenes.It again had a kidnapping, a frequent theme in the series - getting predictable.The hero talked and behaved like those in the earlier books and in fact they are interchangeable.

I've now read the whole series and I'm glad I didn't listen to some of the reviews for this book. I really wanted to read Decks story but after reading a couple of bad reviews it put me off a bit. Being me and liking making my own decisions I ignored said reviews and cracked on with it. Really really glad I did because it was another great read. I think some people may have misinterpreted Decks anger, all it showed me was that he really really gave a damn about Emme. So ignore the negative reviews I say and make your own mind up. Another great book from a great series 😀

Really good book to end with deck got his girl in the end after all these years but not before all the bumps they had to got through.They are actually a match made for each other alway's got along Emme when they were just friends and long conversations about every topic. When they met again after years deck new she was the one and set about getting her. Deck works for himself and very intelligent helps bring people to justice and helped emme through a lot of feelings that she kept bottled up. Great story and love her books.