Clare Ashton

Just Wow!

I love this book. The humour, the tension, the challenges both Jess and Anna have to overcome and their attraction and devotion to one another is masterfully portrayed, and I don't think I've ever felt chemistry between two characters the way I can between these two.

Clare Ashton has conjured up a world that feels real. Jess's family and Anna's friend Penny are a joy to read and I desperately want the Atlassia comics and movies, which are a big part of the story, to be real.

If you show more enjoy WLW romance this is a must-read, and if you haven't yet explored the genre this is a great place to start.

Very highly recommended! show less

Woooooow! Reading the author's books always makes me feel as if she is sitting in front of me telling the story.

What an enjoyable read. The Goodmans undoubtedly has a place on my reread shelf. Having read both [b:Poppy Jenkins|30658821|Poppy Jenkins|Clare Ashton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1466471225l/30658821._SY75_.jpg|51204970] and [b:After Mrs Hamilton|16168131|After Mrs Hamilton|Clare show more Ashton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353793842l/16168131._SY75_.jpg|22013826], I agree with other reviewers; The Goodmans has elements of both stories. This contemporary romance has a good balance of humor and drama. Self-discovery, friendship, and family are important themes throughout the story, but the emotional growth and development of Maggie interested me the most. She's such a complex character-­­feisty and cantankerous on one hand, but trustworthy, reflective, and compassionate to the core. She had the most to gain and lose from the events that transpired. There are multiple POVs, but they are necessary in telling this sweet love story. show less

I've enjoyed reading [After Mrs Hamilton] very much indeed. I was intrigued by the opening premise of a mature woman waiting for an escort for the evening and being unsettled when a female escort appeared at her hotel door. I won't say too much about the plot to spoil others' pleasure but this isn't the superficial steamy skim read that you might suppose from the opening. It is a well written, engrossing look at the intersecting lives of a number of women whose pasts has also intersected in show more unexpected ways. I look forward to reading Ashton's other books after this first dipl show less

I honestly don't know what to make of this book...at least in some ways I don't. It's wonderfully written with a beautiful love story at the forefront, but the angst and melodrama almost threaten to pull the quality of this book down. Thank goodness Clare Ashton is such a skilled writer and wrestles with taboo issues with such thoughtful delicacy, somehow managing to make the novel anything but a juicy soap opera. The dynamics between characters Clo (an unhappy escort on the cusp of changing show more her life) and Fran (a talented and lovely French actress) are absolutely mesmerizing. show less