Review: Angels' Kisses

Angels' Kisses by Nikki Ashton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s been less than a year since I read my first Nikki Ashton book, and yet here I am in limbo once again. I’ve become addicted to this woman’s work, desperate for more. I’m a true fan and there is no going back now. Waiting to get my hands on the next book, it is going to be difficult.

My first two Nikki Ashton reads – Roman’s Having Sex Again and I Wanna Get Laid By Kade (the latter written with Victoria Johns) – were very much on the lighter end of the spectrum. Box of Hearts, the first book in The Connor’s series was a much heavier read. In fact, I think it just about broke me. I felt so much, I felt everything, and by the end I was both terrified and excited for what would happen when we did receive Garratt’s story. I knew, without a doubt, it would be both beautiful and heart-breaking.

Having now read Angels’ Kisses, I can confirm this story is both of those things.

Garratt was one of my favourite characters in Box of Hearts, and I could not wait to find out more about his story. Getting to see inside of his head, getting to experience what he was experiencing, caused me to fall even deeper in love with him. As much as I adored Jesse, I think it is safe to say Garratt is my favourite of the two Connor brothers. The wise cracks, the dirty mouth, and the depth of his love will have everyone looking for their own Garratt Connor. As a side character he was amazing, as a main character he was unbelievable.

Much like Box of Hearts, Angels’ Kisses is a deeply emotional read. Garratt’s story deals with a very different kind of emotional story, but it will bit you just as hard. In fact, this one hit me in a very different way. Box of Hearts dealt with the deep emotions following the death of Jesse’s first wife and the impact this had upon his interactions with his family; Angels’ Kisses deals with the very real emotions when dealing with cancer. It deals with both the losses people face following cancer and the fears people face when worrying it can have an impact on their life. Having lost family members to cancer and other family members having been through treatment, I can honestly say this one hit all the right spots. There is so much emotional depth throughout, so many real emotions shown.

Honestly, I could rant for days and days about how true to life reactions were. The fears, the anger, the sadness, and throughout it all we had the strength of people in such situations. We get to experience it all, go through everything with the characters. You’re constantly holding out hope for the best, praying everything will be okay, knowing life is not always rainbows and butterflies.

Fear not, however. Whilst this does deal with a very heavy topic, one I’m sure many readers will be able to relate to in some way, it is not all doom and gloom. Considering the topic of the story, I did so much laughing. I’m sure a few people are doing a double take at such a thing – laughing in a book where cancer is a main topic, I must be mad – but it is so well done. The book shows how life can, and will, go on. It shows how happiness can always be found. It tells the story of true love, how a person who truly loves you will always be there by your side. When that person is Garratt it comes in the form of many comments that will leave us all laughing out loud. It really is the perfect blend of emotions.

Honestly, this was such a beautiful read. There was so much added to this story throughout, so many things I could mention, but I’m not. I’ve mentioned the big thing, the hardest hitting element, and I’m going to leave the rest a mystery. Just know, you’ll be taken on an emotional roller-coaster due to so many different elements of this story.

Without a doubt, this was a wonderful read. I could not have imagined a better story for Garratt. This was all I could have asked for in his story, all I could have wanted. The perfect follow up to Box of Hearts.

Moreover, there is another book to come in The Connor’s series and I cannot wait to grab it. Already I know it is going to be another emotion filled read, a story that will pull at all my heartstrings. I cannot wait to experience it.

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