Ava Miles

For the most part, I absolutely loved Tammy & John Parker's story, but I find I cannot give this book 5 or even 4 stars because I'm so incredibly disappointed in how the author handled the beginning of their physical relationship. I think Ms. Miles missed an opportunity here. John Parker is the perfect hero for someone coming out of an abusive relationship. There was such a great opportunity for Ms. Miles to showcase just how hard it really is for a someone to re-enter a physical show more relationship after being in an abusive relationship. There are flashbacks. There are times when one has to stop in the middle of sex because of said flashbacks. There's dealing with self-loathing that comes from being upset with yourself for having to stop. There's dealing with being frustrated with yourself because logically, you KNOW that the new person you're with is not anything like your abusive ex, but yet your body still occasionally reacts as if they're exactly like that abusive ex and it interferes with being able to be intimate. However, instead of a more realistic version where Tammy has to deal with flashbacks and self-loathing and being frustrated with herself, we get a less realistic version where she simply "pushes through" her fears and suddenly everything's miraculously okay and amazing. To be able to climax the very first time is highly unlikely. I'm not going to say it never happens, but it's unusual when one is coming from an abusive background. The tension in your body is just too much. John Parker's quiet support, gentleness, and tenderness would've made him the perfect one to help Tammy know that it was okay that she had to stop because of flashbacks and that she didn't have to be upset with herself for those things. To help her realize that it takes a long time to heal from those traumatic experiences, even with the love of a good man. Instead, we end up with a much less believable, almost trite version where she doesn't even deal with these issues. Very, very disappointing.

I also was very surprised that Tammy didn't come flat out and confront Amelia Ann after she realized that her Mama hadn't been the one to betray her. After all, there are only so many "close female relatives" in the family. But, I did enjoy the way her Mama actually stood up to Sterling for Tammy and the reconciliation that is slowly forming there.

Overall, I still enjoyed the book and look forward to continuing on with the series with "Fireflies & Magnolias" when I can purchase it. show less

Wow. That pretty much sums up all my feelings as I finish of this latest offering from Ava Miles. Absolutely wow. This book was phenomenal.

Our hero Jake suffers from PTSD and is looking to find ways to cope. He's already been through several therapists and different types of therapies, but in this book, he ends up working with Reverend Louisa, who we've met before in the other books in this series. Jake doesn't believe there's much hope, but working with Louisa, together with dating Louisa's show more daughter, Susannah, he experiences breakthroughs like he never has before.

THIS book is what I was so hoping to see when Ms. Miles published "The Chocolate Garden". This book accurately portrayed PTSD and the struggles that arise from it. Whereas I felt like "The Chocolate Garden" glossed over some of the difficulties of surviving domestic violence and entering into a new relationship after an abusive relationship, this book NAILED all the struggles and such that come with PTSD. Jake's feelings about himself and the brokenness he feels is all very indiciative of what many PTSD sufferers feel. I know. I am one. The brokenness, the self-loathing, the feel that others are better off without being in a relationship with you, everything.

And yet, Susannah sees past all that and loves the man that Jake is, not all the lies that PTSD tells him about himself. He ends up seeing Susannah as his miracle, helping pull him out of himself and back into the world. Each and every one of us has someone who either has worked such a miracle in our lives or who will work such a miracle one day. Not necessarily a romantic someone, but someone who pulls you up out of the depths when you can't find the way out yourself.

It's not an easy book to read given all of Jake's struggles. If you struggle with PTSD yourself, like I do, you may find this book hitting very close to home. I certainly did. I cried more with this book than I have in a long, long time. But it's totally worth it. Take your time but read it. Give yourself breaks to process, but don't hide from this book because of its subject matter. It's too good to pass up.

The plot, the setting, the characters, everything about this book was phenomenal. One of Ms. Miles' best books EVER. Read it. You won't forget it or regret it.

**I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review. All conclusions are my own. show less

Wow. That pretty much sums up all my feelings as I finish of this latest offering from Ava Miles. Absolutely wow. This book was phenomenal.

Our hero Jake suffers from PTSD and is looking to find ways to cope. He's already been through several therapists and different types of therapies, but in this book, he ends up working with Reverend Louisa, who we've met before in the other books in this series. Jake doesn't believe there's much hope, but working with Louisa, together with dating Louisa's show more daughter, Susannah, he experiences breakthroughs like he never has before.

THIS book is what I was so hoping to see when Ms. Miles published "The Chocolate Garden". This book accurately portrayed PTSD and the struggles that arise from it. Whereas I felt like "The Chocolate Garden" glossed over some of the difficulties of surviving domestic violence and entering into a new relationship after an abusive relationship, this book NAILED all the struggles and such that come with PTSD. Jake's feelings about himself and the brokenness he feels is all very indiciative of what many PTSD sufferers feel. I know. I am one. The brokenness, the self-loathing, the feel that others are better off without being in a relationship with you, everything.

And yet, Susannah sees past all that and loves the man that Jake is, not all the lies that PTSD tells him about himself. He ends up seeing Susannah as his miracle, helping pull him out of himself and back into the world. Each and every one of us has someone who either has worked such a miracle in our lives or who will work such a miracle one day. Not necessarily a romantic someone, but someone who pulls you up out of the depths when you can't find the way out yourself.

It's not an easy book to read given all of Jake's struggles. If you struggle with PTSD yourself, like I do, you may find this book hitting very close to home. I certainly did. I cried more with this book than I have in a long, long time. But it's totally worth it. Take your time but read it. Give yourself breaks to process, but don't hide from this book because of its subject matter. It's too good to pass up.

The plot, the setting, the characters, everything about this book was phenomenal. One of Ms. Miles' best books EVER. Read it. You won't forget it or regret it.

**I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review. All conclusions are my own. show less

"The Gate to Everything" is the first book in a new series by Ava Miles. The "Once Upon a Dare" series is a spin-off from the "Dare Valley" series dealing with Blake Cunningham's football brothers. This first installment in the new series was fantastic!

This book focuses on quarterback Jordan Dean and his childhood sweetheart, Grace Kincaid. Jordan and Grace have always been the "golden couple". They've been together through thick and thin with Jordan's career in football and Grace's career show more as a chef. As Jordan's gotten more and more famous, Grace is having a harder time dealing with the by-product of that fame, the paparazzi and tabloid journalism. Eventually, it becomes too much for Grace, she breaks it off with Jordan, and flees to Italy. Months go by and when Grace returns from Italy, she meets with Jordan to tell him that she's pregnant. This is when the story really takes off as it has both of them dealing with still being in love with each other, but her still having a hard time with his popularity. Him wanting to keep her and their baby safe but stymied on how to do it. It's a fabulous story line that moves along at a decent pace, neither too slow or too fast.

While both characters are richly complex and well-rounded, I definitely connected more with Grace at the beginning, probably because I'm introverted and not comfortable in the spotlight either. I wasn't so sure about Jordan at first, but as the book went on, I grew to love him even more than Grace. He cares so deeply and yet, like many men, he's so afraid of being vulnerable in front of Grace. Yet, it's only by being vulnerable that he and Grace connect at a deeper level.

It's a great romance on top of being a wonderful insider's look at what fame and the spotlight must feel like to some spouses of sports stars, male or female. I loved the ending and I'm looking forward to the next one in this series! Pick it up and read it. It's a great feel-good story!

[I received a free copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review. My review was not influenced by this, nor was I compensated for my review. All opinions and conclusions are my own.]

Originally posted on: Valerie's Musings show less