Kristen Ashley - For You

Lieutenant Alexander Colton and February Owens were high school sweethearts. Everyone in their small town knew from the moment they met they were meant for each other. But something happened and Feb broke Colt’s heart then she turned wild and tragedy struck. Colt meted out revenge against the man who brought Feb low but even though Colt risked it all for her, Feb turned her back on him and left town.
Fifteen years later, Feb comes back to help run the family bar. But there’s so much water under the bridge separating her and Colt everyone knows they’ll never get back together.
Until someone starts hacking up people in Feb’s life. Colt is still Colt and Feb is still Feb so the town watches as Colt goes all out to find the murderer while trying to keep Feb safe.
As the bodies pile up, The Feds move in and a twisting, turning story unravels exposing a very sick man who has claimed numerous victims along the way, Feb and Colt battle their enduring attraction and the beautiful but lost history that weaves them together.

Comment: I won't take too long with this one, for this was a DNF for me.

In this story, the first in the 'Burg series, we meet detective Alexander Colton as he investigates an apparent stalker of February Owens, his high school sweetheart. The stalker seems to have escalated into murder and when the story begins, a woman everyone in the town knows has been murdered. As the investigation starts, February - now helping with the family bar after years away - is placed in a complicated situation and those close to her are eager to be assured of her safety. Alexander wants to be a professional and find the bad guy but he also wants to win February back, although he doesn't yet know, after years, why she broke up with him when they were together in high school... will they finally find peace?

Not many words are necessary to express myself here, this was a book I didn't finish therefore there isn't a lot about the plot I am able to comment on. While I was reading the first chapter, the way the author described the female characters was just so... abhorrent to me, I just couldn't find any real motivation to keep reading. February was described as someone all guys would want to be with but the words used weren't in any way acceptable to me. We have Alexander's POV as he describes February and it was more than simply an alpha male talking, as often one would expect from this author. To me, that was more along the lines of sexist and derogatory.

However, even worse was how he described another female character, clearly an opposition to the heroine February in all ways, and I won't repeat it but let it be said it made her look like the dirt on someone's shoes. I really think the author could have done this differently, better, while maintaining her usual style, which is probably one of the reasons why so many readers like her work and keep reading her books.

It didn't motivate me to read nor do I think this method is one a woman should use to write about other women. I say this because it isn't one word or one time, this is her style, and here it just didn't work for me at all.

I also was a little put off because the characters are, apparently, in their 40s. I would not say so if it wasn't shared. They don't act nor talk as mature people or someone who has had the life experiences they say they did.

I've read the second chapter too, hoping I could become more interested in the plot but since the writing style continued in her trademark of telling every single detail about the characters' surroundings and clothes and actions, I confess I simply decided to give up.

I've read another book by the author which I found meh and I've read one I surprisingly liked. I will read another in that series when possible, perhaps it's a genre thing for me, when it comes to the author's style.

Sadly, this one was a no. (The cover isn't also appealing at all...)

Grade:DNF