Out of the Ashes {Review}

In Book #2 of the Heart of Alaska series, young Katherine finds herself traveling across the country with her aging grandmother, off on an adventure to Alaska.  But though she travels for weeks, she finds she can't escape the memory of her abusive husband and his untimely death.  Haunted by his verbal and physical abuse, Katherine struggles to stand on her own feet, while still allowing others into her life.

Half a world away, Jean-Michel and his sister, Collette, struggle with burying their beloved father.  Jean-Michel, scarred by the horrors of war, must carry on and find a way to help his self-centered sister mature into a young woman.  While, adventurous Collette desires to shed her self-absorbed nature, but how?  

Due to Grandmother's match making skills, Jean-Michel and Katherine ultimately come face to face in the wilds of Alaska.  Yet, both are haunted by disturbing pasts and struggle to connect.  Can their put their memories to rest?  Or will their scars come between them?

Peterson and Woodhouse carry on their Heart of Alaska series with this gentle yet complex love story.  I loved the fact that Jean-Michel and Katherine had a shared history, but had gone through their own heartaches and struggles separately.  This made their characters rich and true to life.  Their individual pasts made for several storylines within the book which I enjoyed following.  Besides Jean-Michel and Katherine, several other characters each had their own compelling storylines that kept the plot of the book moving along.

Written as book two in the series, Out of the Ashes focuses on a new couple and the pains they must overcome in order to fall in love.  However, key characters from book one are retained and still play a prominent role.  While this book could be read as a stand alone without that background, the secondary stories is much richer having read the first book.  I can't imagine jumping into this book not knowing who Cassidy, Thomas, Ms. Johnson, and others are.

All in all, I enjoyed the book.  I didn't find it as compelling as book one, but sometimes that happens with a sequel.  Out of the Ashes was still quite enjoyable and I would highly recommend it... after you read In the Shadow of Denali.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for review.  All opinions are my own.