Book Review: Beyond the Ashes ~ The Review Stew

A book was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

About the book:

Where better to rebuild and face one's fears than in 1906 San Francisco, a city rising from the ashes?

Ruby Marshall, a young widow, is certain she'll discover new purpose assisting her brother Robert with his cancer research, but she doesn't anticipate finding new love.

Dr. Gerald Larkspur dreams of filling his empty home with family, but he'd always hoped it would be a wife and children. In the aftermath of the great earthquake, the rooms are overflowing with extended family and friends left homeless by the disaster. When Robert's widowed sister arrives, the close quarters seem close indeed.

Ruby and Gerald's fledgling romance is put at risk when Gerald develops symptoms of the very disease they're striving to cure. Together they must ask---is it worth a second chance at love when time might be short?

About the author:

Karen Barnett is the author of Beyond the Ashes, Out of the Ruins, and Mistaken. Named the 2013 Writer of Promise by Oregon Christian Writers, Karen lives in Albany, Oregon, with her husband and two kids. When she's not writing novels, she loves speaking at women's events, libraries, and book clubs.

My Opinion

I am a HUGE fan of the first book in this series, Out of the Ruins and was waiting so anxiously for Beyond the Ashes to come out because the first book ends with the story still to continue!

I am so glad to learn more about Dr. Gerald Larkspur in this book along with Ruby. I also love learning about how San Francisco continued to rebuild after the earthquakes and fires!

As always, Karen Barnett writes with such description and talent that I am instantly sucked into the book for hours and can't put it down! Sadly, this books ends with a cliffhanger "to be continued" ending as well so now I wait for the third book to come out NOT so patiently!!! :)