Soaring (The Magdalene Series) Paperback – March 16, 2015

“All my life, I was the girl who everyone thought had everything or could get it. But the only thing I ever wanted was a man like you.”To encapsulate all the feelings that a Kristen Ashley novel stirs up in me is always an ambitious feat in itself, her stories being an extraordinary emotional journey beginning to end, and this book did not disappoint. Mickey and Amelia’s story moved me deeply, just as I expected it would, but the sheer beauty of their romance caught me by surprise. I never expected to relate so completely to two characters representative of this particular point on the age spectrum, and while their sizzling chemistry is truly something to behold, the emotional aspect of their connection, specked with just the right amount of heart-pricking angst, took my breath away on more than one occasion. This is a story about life, about the unexpected journeys that life takes us on, about the curveballs, about the direct hits and the pain they bring, but it is first and foremost a story about second chances at finding happiness, about finding the strength to be whole again and fighting for what matters the most in life. A truly splendid example of this author’s inimitable style of storytelling—I walked in these characters’ shoes, I felt all they felt, my heart roared every time they ‘soared’, and in the end, I did not want to say goodbye to them.“There is nothing guaranteed in life. But the only leaps worth taking are leaps of faith on love. So look where you leap, beautiful, and happy landing.”Amelia Hathaway is a woman in her late forties, an heiress, a mother, a scorned wife. The unexpected demise of her marriage made her lose herself in her anger and pain, turning her into the kind of vindictive individual her privileged upbringing taught her she should be, but while reeling in self-pity and fury, Amelia lost herself along the way, the ultimate cost being the affections and respect of her two beloved children. In a desperate attempt to start anew, to beat back the anger and bitterness that poisoned her mind for too long, and to give her children the kind of mother they could not only love again, but also be proud of and learn from, she moves to Magdalene, the small coastal town her ex-husband and their children made their new home.“No matter what it took, no matter how much time, no matter that it made me bleed, no matter what it cost me, no matter that it would take everything I had and force me to find more, I had to do what I’d come to Maine to do.”But a new house, new friends, a new purpose in life mean little when one’s confidence has hit rock bottom, and Amelia’s wake-up call arrives in the form of a handsome firefighter neighbour, whose striking looks and protective demeanour make her wish he’d see her the way a man sees a woman he wants in his life. But she soon realises that before anyone can see her that way, she needs to like what she sees in the mirror.“He didn’t need me in his life. I didn’t even like me in my life. Alas, I couldn’t escape me.”Mickey Donovan is a single dad, a natural provider, a man who works two jobs in order to give his kids the life they deserve, even when doing what he loves means living a more modest life than the one he was born into. The slow downfall of his marriage has made him question all he can offer a woman, especially a woman like Amelia Hathaway, knowing he could never give her all that she has been accustomed to having in her life. But Amelia’s insecurities put a different spin on Mickey’s reluctant behaviour.“He didn’t want me, plain and simple. I was just his…‘attractive’ neighbor.”When they finally take a leap and give in to their attraction, they inevitably connect on every level, but they don’t rush—they take their time, they show consideration for the people in their lives such a union would affect the most, and they give themselves time to get to know one another. The true beauty of these characters is that they are two formed, adult individuals who know what they’d gain by taking a chance on such a love, what they risk missing out on if they don’t, and who are now prepared to work their hardest to hold onto the rare magic they found in each other. The slow evolution of their relationship is as it should be, gradual and organic, each emotional milestone sinking deeply into our hearts and making us smile in delight. And there is so much to smile about in this story!“… there is no safer place than in my arms and when you’re here, Amy, you can give me anything.”This is the tale of a woman who always had a lot in life, and yet all she ever wanted was a loving family and a man to stand by her and accept her for all that she is. And it is the tale of a hard-working man coming to terms with the fact that some women are not looking for glitz and gold in life, but the simple joy of loving and of being loved by a man who understands them and provides for them in ways no money could ever buy. With so many aspects of this story designed to tug at our heartstrings, this was not a book I was able to read in one sitting, taking my time to fully absorb the magnitude of some particularly emotional scenes in the story. While this might be in essence a love story, this is also a tale of broken families, of healing families, of new families. And it is a story of redemption, showing that we are not defined by the mistakes we make, but by the steps we take to correct them.“I am who I am. I have what I have. And one of the things I got that I wanna keep is you.”

Many of you will see all of the five star reviews and wonder if they are all telling the truth and many of you will wonder if this is as good as some of the old Kristen Ashley books. All I can say is yes yes yes. Drop what you are doing get some food and your beverage of choice put a sign on your door telling all the people who love and depend on you to leave you alone that it's survival of the fittest, lock your door and dig right in. I didn't want to anything else but read this book. Cooking(no), doing what a mother and wife should do(no) feed the animals(no) I didn't want to do anything but read this book and not stop till I had finished. There was no lag where I wanted to skim, simply put I just loved this book.Moving to Maine to be close to her kids and get her family back Amelia moved into her dream home. She knew getting her kids back wouldn't be easy but she had finally woken up. Having her husband leave her and get engaged while they were still married and then marry the woman a few days after the divorce killed Amelia and she wanted revenge, all of her focus centered on that and the price she paid was her kids. Coming to Maine she knows her kids won't be thrilled and thats what she gets angry kids who only see her when they have to. But Amelia has a goal and part of that is to find who Amelia really is and be a better person.When her ex comes angry about her move and gets in her face Amelia is rescued by Mickey her neighbor who also happens to be the most gorgeous guy she has ever scene. When she sets out to improve who she is she stops by a local gym that has youth programs and asks if they need fundraising. Part of Amelia finding herself is getting rid of everything she has that represents the woman everyone thought she should be. Coming to the gym she again runs into Mickey. With the charity event in full swing Amelia finally starts to meet friends and runs into Mickey and his kids even more.On the big day Mickey offers her a chance to relax at his house the next day, accepting Amelia has one of the best days of her life surrounded by a loving family, thinking Mickey is as attracted to her she makes a impulsive move only to end up humiliated. Amelia gets another wake up call and finally see's that during her revenge she let herself go. Having found some great new friends she sets out to correct that as well. What she thought was Mickey shutting her down was something else and the more Mickey is around the harder it is for him to stay away till Mickey see's her with someone else and makes his move. What begins is something Amelia never knew and she finds something in Mickey and his family she thought she would never have, but she's also scared that Mickey will leave when he finally see's the true Amelia.As Amelia keeps working on putting her family back together she finally starts to see her kids open up and Amelia finally finds something that gives her great joy just for herself. But Mickey has his own set of baggage including an ex who is drunk more than not and a wonderful family with a daughter who is slowing withdrawing. Just when Amelia thinks she may have her kids back they find the reason for Mickey's daughter withdrawing might ruin the chance of them being together and when her kids and her are closer than they have been in years they may be torn apart again.I loved this book there was so much going on in this story I mean a lot but it fit together perfectly. I never felt overwhelmed or that some of the story lines took up to much time. Every bit of this story just made the whole that much better. Gah I cried and cried and cried in this book(I mean get some tissue ready). My heart literally broke for Amelia, did she do somethings wrong yes but was everything her fault ABSOLUTELY NOT and that she got blamed for it all was wrong(but her ex was a cheating jerk so...), should she have let everything meld into her relationship with her kids no but again it wasn't her. I was so so so glad that everyone (except the wrong) saw it and helped to show Amelia it wasn't her I would have been so mad if that blame was left on her.I loved Amelia she was one of my favorite heroines she was so strong and smart and kind and she also knew when it was time to get herself right and in order and that she wouldn't stop till she got her kids back. Mickey was an amazing hero I loved him he was a great dad, and he was perfect for Amelia he knew when to be soft and when to be tough(and he was always possessive) he didn't let other woman or anyone else pull him around, and once he knew he couldn't stay away from Amelia he was all in(and I also understood what held him back at the beginning).This is one of those book with everything is just right, it all fit together perfectly. I didn't want this one to end, I could have gladly read 200+ more pages and been happy. We get a nice glimpse into book three(the final book in this series) and I can't wait. With all of Kristen Ashley's books I never have enough I will always want more. Soaring reminded me of her earlier books, this one will definitely be on my re-read list.

Characters were so well thought out you felt like you “knew” them!Loved how the book progressed, how they met, how they ended up,the crises that most divorced families go through. So well thought out!

Kristen Ashley really does romance right! I read and loved The Will and revelled in the fact that these forty something characters were getting a chance to have their stories heard, well what do you know- Ms Ashley has only gone and done it again!The ability to inject just about every word with the power of a love that was never prepared to take no for an answer is not a skill that many have but this author can wield it like a magic wand because when she sprinkled her magic over Mickey and Amelia – their story was brought to life right before my eyes. I felt as if I was watching their days unfold before me and the descriptive nature and demonstrative tone that Kristen is majestic at deploying was paramount in that experience.Both characters had lived, they had loved and they had lost – Amelia I think it is safe to say was in many respects a victim of her own making but she had bottomed out on the self-pity scale that her husband’s infidelity had heaped upon her and the pain that she had allowed to consume her but she was finally fighting her way back to being a productive member of society again and she was absolutely giving it her best shot at being the mother that her she knew she needed to be for her kids. Although initially they were far from welcoming.Amelia had always had everything she needed – coming from entitlement and money she wanted for nothing, she had a marriage that she considered to be strong, children she adored, friends and family that surrounded her and a husband that she trusted implicitly but what she didn’t have was a clue that her solid , trustworthy husband was in fact a handsy philandering rat who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar on more than one occasion but always managed to keep it from the woman who was raising his kids and oblivious to the fact that she was playing second fiddle to his libido.When the truth come to light and her marriage falls apart, Amelia doesn’t deal with it well and despite the fact that she has the children to consider she loses her way and she eventually loses her kids when her ex-husband moves them to Maine.Finally she comes to her senses and kicks her own butt, because believe me by this time if I could have I would have kicked her tush all the way to Maine myself– yelling in her ear all the way that she needs grow a pair and put the cheating bastard in his place!!!Getting a wiggle on she ups-sticks and moves across the country in order to be close to the kids and in a bid to build a relationship with them that will be sustainable. But when her ex rocks up on her doorstep on her first day, screaming and shouting at her – both he and Amelia are quickly introduced to her new neighbour and all round good guy – Mickey Donovan.Mickey lives by pretty simple rules and no man should ever be threatening a woman, so when he hears the rumpus coming from his new neighbours front yard, he steps straight in and puts the guy in his place – ship up or ship out and leave the lady alone!I loved Mickey this smoulderingly hot man works his butt off in his bid to insure that his two kids (who he shares custody of with his ex-wife) have everything they need, on top of his day to day job he also works as a volunteer at the local fire department – but it is the fire department that is his true passion. Although some of that may just have set its sights on the feisty little newbie on the block!Amelia throws herself into finding her feet in Magdalene, she really does embrace the whole “fresh start” ethos and sets about proving to herself that she can be the woman that she has always dreamt of being and someone that her children can be proud to call mum.Amelia may have more money than she could possibly spend but when you don’t like what you see each morning, all the dollars in the world mean nothing, Mickey on the other hand has claim to almost as much money as Amelia has but he is determined to earn his living and stand on his own two feet – and as with many situations money initially is the root of their issues- he feels that she would never be interested in him because he would never be able to provide for her in a way that she is used too and she feels that he is threatened by her money and as such is staying way – honestly I could have knocked their heads together.But they both learn fairly quickly that no matter their age and experiences- love will not be denied – they just need to get with the program!I thought the author handled the sensitivities that go along with two experienced adults embarking on a relationship, the situation on how them being together was going to impact no only the two of them but also four children with tact and diplomacy. She eased them into a relationship and showed that somethings really do need to be taken slowly, sensitivities have to be taken into account and nothing is more sensitive than the introduction of a lover to your children, because no matter their age they still need to know that they rank as the most important thing in your parents eyes.I loved the text chat, the sneaking around and the “your house or mine” scenario’s, the fitting in with the kids timetables and the knockbacks that you take when you realise that there is more than just the two of you in your relationship – there is life getting in the way too.The story really touched a nerve with me and made me smile, I actually managed to get through a book without being reduced to tears and all the while feeling that I was taking a walk through the best that love has to offer – the chance to be happy and the chance for one broken woman to gather her heart up, lay it out before her and to begin to try and piece it back together – what she hadn’t realised was that her forever happiness meant that her puzzle was always one piece missing and that was because it was being held in the safe hands of Mickey and when he entered her life – her puzzle was complete – sometimes life is like that – you have what you can handle and when you need it the next piece of your life puzzle is handed over.

Après mon énorme coup de cœur pour The Will et l’apparition remarquée de Mickey, j’avais hâte de lire ce deuxième tome, d’autant que le résumé était alléchant.Soaring est une histoire de reconstruction, celle d’Amelia, une femme à la dérive depuis plusieurs années, en rupture avec ses enfants et ses parents. C’est une femme abattue par la culpabilité, mais qui désire arranger les choses, elle ne se cherche pas d’excuses, est assez lucide sur elle-même, quoiqu’un peu trop naïve peut-être. Effectivement c’est une riche héritière, plus habituée aux levées de fond qu’au travail quotidien. Et c’est dans la petite ville côtière de Magdalene qu’elle vivra sa renaissance, qu’elle se sentira pousser des ailes.Ses relations avec ses enfants sont très critiques au début du livre, Amelia m’a fait l’effet d’une femme en pleine perdition et elle m’a fait de la peine de nombreuses fois. J’ai aimé la voir peu à peu sortir la tête de l’eau, se reconstruire pas à pas et entamer une nouvelle vie, aller de l’avant. Sa relation avec Mickey commence très fort, dès le début les cartes sont distribuées, et il remporte celle du héros viril à souhait, protecteur et aimant. Leur histoire couve doucement, la température monte, et notre frustration avec. Et lorsqu’enfin le désir est trop fort et qu’il leur explose en pleine figure, cela donne lieu à une scène d’une sensualité brute, la meilleure du livre selon moi.Mickey est un héros purement « ashleyien » : il est infiniment sensuel et sexy, viril, protecteur, macho et surtout, c’est un bon père, un homme qui aime ses enfants et qui est prêt à tout pour les protéger et les rendre heureux.La romance est en fait au second plan ici, l’axe majeur du livre c’est la famille, les affres de l’adolescence et les relations compliquées entre parents et enfants, les manques de communication, ce besoin de liberté des uns confronté à la protection et aux interrogations des autres. C’est touchant de voir Mickey s’inquiéter pour ses enfants, de le voir si vulnérable dès qu’il s’agit d’eux.Amelia m’a moins emballée, je ne saurais pas dire pourquoi d’ailleurs, peut-être ai-je tellement aimé Josie (du tome 1) qu’Amelia fait pâle figure à côté, je ne sais pas.Même si je n’ai pas été emportée par cette lecture, j’ai quand même retrouvé la plume de KA avec plaisir, et cette magie qu’elle a de nous toucher à des moments où l’on ne s’attend pas, par de petits détails, de petites phrases, des regards qui se perdent, des gestes d’affection qu’on n’espérait plus...Et quel plaisir aussi de retrouver la truculente Alyssa, Josie et Jake (ah Jake … la première scène où on le voit …) et les fameuses fight nights … J’ai tout particulièrement apprécié les personnages secondaires, toujours aussi soignés. J’ai craqué pour les enfants de Mickey, pour la douce et discrète Aisling, pour Cillian, plein d’énergie et de candeur. J’ai eu un soupir attendri pour Lawr, ce frère si dévoué qui ne manque pas d’humour … Et Coert est toujours à peine mentionné mais …. qui promet de grandes choses !J’avoue avoir eu moins d’empathie pour Auden et Olympia, un peu trop enfants gâtés à mon goût, même si ma préférence va à Auden.Je n’ai pas retrouvé dans ce KA le souffle qui animait certains autres de ses livres et qui m’avait emportée sur leur passage. Je n’ai pas vibré pour le couple vedette, mais j’ai tout de même retrouvé mon petit cocon propre à KA avec plaisir et j’ai passé d’agréables heures de lecture.

Com o segundo volume da série Magdalene, Kristen Ashley, mais uma vez, conseguiu tocar o meu coração. Por meio de uma trama madura, absente de clichês adolescentes e com personagens que já passaram dos quarenta, eu me vi profundamente comovida. Soaring é uma estória sobre segundas chances, sobre redescobrir a si mesmo e principalmente sobre encontrar forças para luta por aquilo que é realmente importante na vida.A narrativa começa com Amélia se mudando para Magdalene com o propósito de ter um novo começo. Ela precisa reconquistar seus dois filhos e provar que mudou. Só tem um pequeno problema... os seus filhos parecem a odiar. O que como mãe, eu devo dizer, foi bastante doloroso de se ler e eu pude senti todo o sofrimento de nossa heroína. No início, nós não sabemos ao certo o que ela fez para merecer tanto rancor de suas crianças, o que nós sabemos é que o seu ex-marido não está nada feliz por ela o ter seguido da Califórnia para Maine. Fato este que ele expressa claramente, sem economia de palavras, através de gritos e ameaças na porta de sua nova casa.E é assim que nós conhecemos o nosso herói, Mickey, o novo vizinho de Amélia. Lindo, alto, intenso, musculoso, divorciado e pronto para resgatá-la do assédio de seu ex-marido.Mickey certamente não se aflige diante do homem que representa o passado do qual Amelia gostaria de esquecer. Muito pelo contrário.Amelia se sente atraída por Mickey logo de cara, mas o sentimento parece não ser recíproco... Contudo, não se enganem porque esta não é uma estória sobre amor não correspondido.O lento desmoronar do casamento de Mickey fez com que ele questionasse tudo o que ele poderia oferecer à uma mulher, especialmente uma como Amelia Hathaway, herdeira de uma fortuna imensurável. Tendo que trabalhar em dois empregos para sustentar os seus filhos, ele sabe que nunca poderá dar à ela tudo aquilo pelo qual ela esta acostumada.Amélia, por outro lado, pode ter tudo o que o dinheiro pode comprar. Pena que o dinheiro não compre as coisas mais importantes da vida, como uma família amorosa e feliz. Como Mickey, o seu fracassado casamento a deixou cheia de inseguranças e problemas. Assim, por mais que ela se sinta atraída por ele, ela não quer que a sua bagagem traga ainda mais confusão para a vida já bastante conturbada de nosso herói.Soaring conta a jornada deste casal tentando superar os seus traumas pessoais. O caminho deles é rochoso e repleto de mal-entendidos; e mesmo quando eles parecem finalmente se encontrar e se entender... tudo fica ainda mais complicado quando envolvemos os seus respectivos filhos e exes.Embora esta seja essencialmente uma estória de amor, ela aborda vários temas. Família, amizade e dinheiro. Ela é contada num ritmo lento e não é uma daquelas tramas que você engole em uma sentada. Confesso que não me senti impulsionada a parar todos os meus afazeres a fim de continuar sua leitura. Contudo, embora esta não seja uma estória que possa ser chamada de viciante, KA, ainda assim, conseguiu me manter investida em sua obra, por meio de momentos intensamente sexy, circunstâncias de doer o coração e ocasiões que me fizeram suspirar. Eu simplesmente adoro as séries desta autora. Ela, como sempre, conseguiu versar sobre questões incrivelmente reais e profundas que me fizeram sentir profundamente e eu mal posso esperar pelo último volume desta trilogia que termina com a estória de Coert (o xerife da cidade).

Great story, The character developement was even better, than expected. I love KA, she just writes in a way that it draws you in deeper and deeper until the book is finished. I read the whole book in 1 day.

3.75 ⭐️I liked it but I wanted to like it more than I did.I liked Amy. I really liked the fact that she made mistakes and she owned them. The mistakes were greater in her mind than what they actually were, but she owned the fact that she didn’t keep it away from her kids, and she was trying to rebuild the relationship. She didn’t deserve the treatment from her kids at the start. They were cruel. I also liked that she was rich and she didn’t throw her wealth in peoples faces and didn’t judge people by what they could give her, she just wanted to live her life and working as a volunteer suited her.I didn’t understand the treatment her kids dished out at the start. What she did didn’t justify that. And I found their about turn a little suspicious, their Uncle rings them and suddenly everything is ok? Yes she had been trying but that was months with nothing to show for it. When it came out about the ex, it felt like they just made up with her to suit themselves.Mickey I liked, but while I understand that money is a thing in a relationship, I just wished he would let it go. She explained what she needed and that wasn’t a rich husband, but he kept bringing it up and making it a problem. His kids were great and I enjoyed it when Cill stuck up for his sister.Still a good read just not as great as I wanted it to be.