Westward (Ashford Creek #3)

Carrie Ann Ryan

Blurb:

Atlas Carter has it all.

One of the best careers in the NHL as a star goalie.

A family that sacrificed everything to get him where he is.

And a small town that praises him as their golden boy.

What he doesn’t have is the girl he left behind.

But when Atlas gets hurt and is forced to spend his recovery in Ashford Creek, he finally has a second chance.

Elizabeth loves her life—her small town, her family, and her job.

Only she knows she can’t love Atlas Carter.

They parted ways for a reason, and those who judge her from her town don’t need to know the truth. She knows what it feels like to have the town’s eyes on her when it comes to Atlas Carter. So when she finally gives in, she’s prepared for the heat.

At least that's what they both tell themselves. Because the season is almost here and choices will have to be made.

Only they aren’t the only two forced to make a choice. Somebody doesn’t want Atlas to return…and small towns keep their secrets for a reason.

Themes: Contemporary

Rating: 4.25 stars

Heat Rating:

Review:

We always know that when we get a second-chance romance the pain and beauty of that love is going to be heart-wrenching but nobody manages that pain any better than Carrie Ann Ryan. Glimpses of Atlas and Elizabeth in earlier stories told us that when we finally got to learn their story and see if they were going to get another chance we were going to be blown away and we were right. Their story was surprising in many ways because there was none of the animosity of real trauma that you generally get when a couple splits and then is forced to remain in each other’s orbit. Instead, Atlas and Lizzie found a way to bury their true feelings and present to the world that they were still friends and stayed supportive of one another. Now Atlas is rethinking his whole life and wondering if it might be time to go after what he really needs to finally be complete in life—the woman that has always held his heart, even if he has to give up the one thing that has always driven his life. Elizabeth gave up the love of her life because she understood that they were heading in different directions and she came home to live her quiet and simple life, but now he is back and challenging her to give them another chance and see if they can’t move forward together. Their feelings have never gone away and as they learn one another now the passion is only deeper and hotter, but they both know that despite the fact that their love is strong there are tons of obstacles for them to overcome. Atlas was a sensual, strong, sweet, and caring character that stood strong with his family and defended those that needed were in need of protection while still showing the softness that Elizabeth needs in her life. Elizabeth is a woman that has stood on her own, being a caretaker for most of her life so when her world shatters she needs a strong shoulder to lean on and Atlas is right there to support and help her to move through the pain and loneliness of her new existence, reminder her of her own inner strength and ability to stand up. She is sassy, compassionate, daring, and strong-willed, unwilling to let anyone take advantage of those she loves or considers under her care. I loved every moment of this story and seeing Atlas finally come to the understanding that he made a mistake so long ago and then take steps to correct that mistake and make sure that Elizabeth knows that she is the most important part of his life and will be forever, going forward. I am so looking forward to the next story in this series and hope that Teagan finally gets the chance to live her HEA and find a way to heal the pain that has kept her from moving forward in her life. This new spin-off series has quickly become one of my favorite of Ryan’s series and I am hoping it will last a long time to come.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.