Review of Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain #6) by Kristen Ashley
Kaleidoscope is the sixth book in the series Colorado Mountain.
Jacob "Deck" Decker had to say goodbye to the woman for him nine years ago. She was his girlfriend's best friend and off limits. When the girlfriend broke up with him, he had to say goodbye. Emmanuelle "Emme" Holmes pined for Deck from the moment they met, but she couldn't do anything about it. It broke her heart when they said goodbye, and the years have been long but she never forgot Deck.
Deck has taken a job in Gnaw Bone contracting for the police department, and on his way to the meeting, he runs into Emme, finding her changed into a knockout. He'd thought she was beautiful before, but now she's gorgeous. And on the arm of another man. They reconnect as friends, but Deck is determined they will finally be something more.
But Emme's past comes knocking, and only Deck can help her move on.
I loved this book. Like Jagged, this was not romantic suspense, though Deck was working on solving crimes that connected to Emme. He proved her innocence, but her intimacy with a member of a crime ring brought her into danger.
Emme was a sweet woman with a tragic past that she denies was as tragic as it really was. It frustrates Deck, and he has to keep dodging the sabotaging she unconsciously does to keep him back. Her love for Deck keeps her wanting him to stay, but her efforts at getting him gone were heartbreaking. I could see what she was doing just like Deck did. And the source of it tore me up as I was reading, especially since she denied it was an issue at all.
Deck, and his mysterious job, was interesting. Deck has been present in several books since he's friends with many of the characters from past books. He's Chase's best friend and featured prominently in Breathe. In those books, Deck was very mysterious, and his job was never explained. In reality he's a private investigator, and a very good one. His IQ is very high and he loves solving puzzles which makes his career satisfying for him. He doesn't talk about what he does with hardly anyone, including Emme. But he was a caring, loving man even as he was domineering and pushy. It helped him push past Emme's barriers to love her the way she needed. As the reader, I loved Deck for how he was with Emme, and for how he used his detective skills to help her get free of the issues holding her back from him.
The plot twisted and turned, and those turns captivated me. The connection with the title was lovely, and the kaleidoscope in the story was a strong representation of their love. I delighted in the love story combined with the mystery of what Deck was doing to help Emme through his detective skills.
Descriptions, as always with Kristen Ashley, were wonderful. Not much took place in Gnaw Bone, so there wasn't much description of the town, but both Emme's and Deck's houses were clear. People were well described and I could picture them easily. Action sequences, including the very hot sex scenes, were easy to follow and clear.
Dialog was great. Smooth and natural, and the way they spoke was different and easily distinguished. It pushed the plot forward and helped deepen the characters.
I loved the book as I have the entire series. There's only one more book in this series, then I will search out more Kristen Ashley books and keep reading her delightful work.
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