Review: Letting Go by Morningstar Ashley (Love by Design #1)
Note: This ARC was provided by the author via Michelle Slagan in exchange for an honest review.
Letting Go is the first novel in the Love by Design M/M contemporary romance series from first-time author Morningstar Ashley, not to be confused with another LGBTQIA author that I stumbled across on Goodreads and iBooks while checking for links whose name is Ashley Morningstar. This was a hurt/comfort-type of story about a twenty-seven-year-old self-employed graphic designer named Alex Davidson who became his younger sister Evie's guardian after the death of their mother and while still mourning the death of their father from a few years before. His life has become all about Evie for the past four years, to the point that he's neglected to take note that he's been barely living himself. When he comes across his former boss, forty-year-old Kelley Matthews, the attraction he once felt returns and it's unexpectedly reciprocated. But Alex already has a lot on his plate and he knows all too well what it's like to be left behind when the reality of the life he has now become too much for the person he's intimate with. However, Kelley's in it for the long haul and he's ready to break down Alex's walls--every single one.
I'm a bit of an angst whore, so the synopsis for Letting Go definitely called to me. I tend to keep my expectations for debut releases realistic as compared to new releases from go-to or established authors. In the case of this series starter, it shows that Morningstar Ashley has promise. She's written a story meant to tug at heartstrings and is filled with angsty drama with a hint of lighthearted humor to try and not have an overly heavy read. I liked the cast of characters--from Alex who tries to show the rest of the world that he's got everything under control and that he doesn't need any help from anybody, whether it be his best friend Ben or his boyfriend Kelley, to the aforementioned Kelley who is every bit the good guy who wants nothing more than to take care of not just Alex but Evie as well. Speaking of Evie, she was quite the little scene-stealer, and brought life to the book. My main issue with Letting Go, though, are that it was far longer than it had to be, dragging and overly drawn out in places, to the point that I lost interest and just wanted to get to the end already. Still, this was a noteworthy, three-starred effort. ♥
I'm a bit of an angst whore, so the synopsis for Letting Go definitely called to me. I tend to keep my expectations for debut releases realistic as compared to new releases from go-to or established authors. In the case of this series starter, it shows that Morningstar Ashley has promise. She's written a story meant to tug at heartstrings and is filled with angsty drama with a hint of lighthearted humor to try and not have an overly heavy read. I liked the cast of characters--from Alex who tries to show the rest of the world that he's got everything under control and that he doesn't need any help from anybody, whether it be his best friend Ben or his boyfriend Kelley, to the aforementioned Kelley who is every bit the good guy who wants nothing more than to take care of not just Alex but Evie as well. Speaking of Evie, she was quite the little scene-stealer, and brought life to the book. My main issue with Letting Go, though, are that it was far longer than it had to be, dragging and overly drawn out in places, to the point that I lost interest and just wanted to get to the end already. Still, this was a noteworthy, three-starred effort. ♥
Date Read: 16 July 2017
Learn more about Morningstar Ashley.
Purchase Letting Go on Amazon.
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