Monday, March 21, 2016

Release Day Review~ Under a Sky of Ash by Brandon Witt #Review #Giveaway





More than a decade after leaving Colorado to attend college and escape his past, Isaiah Greene moves back and builds a life in Denver as a special education teacher. When he meets Ben Woods, the mentor of one of his students, the attraction is immediate. The revelations that they’ve both suffered traumatic childhoods form a bond between them.

Raised by an abusive grandmother, Ben is a recovering addict who has made a family with his construction worker boss, Hershel, and Hershel’s husband, Daniel—drag queen ManDonna. Adding Isaiah to his life gives Ben a glimpse of a future he’d never dreamed possible for himself.

Both Isaiah and Ben are survivors, but when guilt drives a wedge between them, the past threatens to end their relationship.

Ben and Isaiah embark on journeys of self-discovery. Though their path will be difficult at times, humor and love find a way to bring light to the darkness.








Review: Under a Sky of Ash
Written by: Brandon Witt
Reviewed by: Erin
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Under a Sky of Ash is Brandon Witt’s newest novel. Great title and a gorgeous cover, yeah? Both fit this book so perfectly. This is a story of tragedy and pain, but also redemption and forgiveness. Told in Brandon Witt’s usual heart-shredding way, Under a Sky of Ash is a book that will stay with you long after you’ve finished.

Isaiah Greene and Ben Woods are complex characters. Layered and very flawed and scarred men who cross paths and begin a journey neither could have ever expected. One of the things I really enjoy about Brandon Witt’s writing is how he can take such everyday moments and turn them into life changing ones –which is really how a lot of these things do happen. There is a realism in his storytelling that I very much appreciate. Life is not always sunshine and roses, and Brandon Witt isn’t afraid of showing his readers this fact.

Told in a dual POV, Witt lets the readers see thing from both sides, and with as complex as Isaiah and Ben are, and as powerful as the storyline is, this was necessary and worked so well. I really liked the secondary characters. Hershel is fabulous and was very pivotal, and I adored the friendship between Charity and Isaiah. Aaron was … well he broke my heart, but only because he was written so well and realistically. And as for RJ, well, just be sure you have plenty of Kleenex handy for any scene he’s in. There’s a plot twist I did NOT see coming in any way, shape, or form, so bravo Brandon Witt for shocking me.

This is not a light hearted book, not at all. There is a lot of pain, and anger, and cruelty. But, there is also love and forgiveness and an HEA though hard won, it is very satisfying. The book is a roller coaster of emotions for sure, but it’s well worth the ride.






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 Giveaway

Enter the Release Day giveaway to win a $5.00 Amazon gift card.
Contest ends March 31st

Winner will be contacted via email. You'll have 48 hours
to respond to the email. After that time a new winner will be selected.


 



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3 comments:

  1. I seem to repeat tweeter, but continuing to hold my ground as RSS/email/fb are swamping me enough.
    Where's the time to read MM fiction going?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh wow this story sounds really deep and interesting, can not wait to read it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congratulations on your new release Brandon the book sounds really good it on my TBR list.

    ReplyDelete