#Review by Rach - From the Ashes by Daisy Harris

Hey folks, it's time for the next installment of Reviews by Rach. Today we have From the Ashes by Daisy Harris, a m/m contemporary erotic romance. 

Before the review, we have the blurb, and a great excerpt. Check it out: 

When an accident burns down Jesse’s apartment, he’s left broke and homeless, with a giant dog and a college schedule he can’t afford to maintain. And no family who’s willing to take him in.

Lucky for him, a sexy fireman offers him a place to stay. The drawback? The fireman’s big Latino family lives next door, and they don’t know their son is gay.

Tomas’s parents made their way in America with hard work and by accepting help when it was offered, so he won’t let Jesse drop out of school just so he can afford a place to live. Besides, Jesse’s the perfect roommate—funny, sweet and breathtakingly cute. He climbs into Tomas’s bed and tugs at his heart. Until Jesse starts pushing for more.

Their passion enflames their bodies but threatens to crush Tomas’s family. Tomas is willing to fight for Jesse, but after losing everything, Jesse isn’t sure he can bear to risk his one remaining possession—his heart.

Warning: Contains an angry older brother, judgmental best friends, a slobbering bull mastiff, and enough red-hot gay loving to make a porn star blush.

Excerpt:

The gay guys Tomas hooked up with never seemed to find what he did to them demeaning, but he’d been raised to believe it was.

That was fine when it came to hookups at strange bars in the city, but the kid curled up on his couch watching television wasn’t like those guys. He was sweet and had had a tough time. He didn’t deserve to be treated the way Tomas treated men, even if Jesse thought that’s what he wanted.

By the time he pushed open the door from his bedroom into the living room, Jesse had twisted into the fetal position on the couch, and fallen asleep.

“Jess?” Tomas touched his arm, trying to shake him awake. He needed to get Jesse off the couch long enough to unfold it into a bed.

“Hmm?” Jesse flopped onto his other side, almost falling off in the process.

Tomas shook his head. “All right.” He went to the other side of the loveseat and worked his arms under Jesse’s knees and shoulders. “Up you go.” He lifted.

Waking up, Jesse wrapped his arms around Tomas’s neck.

He smelled like soap from Tomas’s shower, overlaid on the scent of ashes. Jesse pressed a kiss into his shoulder.

“You can take my bed tonight,” Tomas whispered. He tried to ignore the throbbing in his belly and the urge to set Jesse down and lie on top of him.

When he laid Jesse on the bed, Jesse didn’t let go. “I could be rocking your world right now,” Jesse breathed in his ear.

Soundlessly, Tomas gasped. He couldn’t leave the circle of Jesse’s arms. Jesse was stronger than he realized, and in that moment, Tomas was far too weak.

And now for the review - I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

I LOVED this book. For a hot M/M romance, it was so damned sweet it made me tear up at points. Tomas has been taught that his desires to be with men are wrong. He's trying so hard through the first part of the book to chase away those thoughts, trying to be strong and love himself, but the years of his brother's anger and his firefighter buddies' slurs about "faggot" this and "faggot" that have done a lot of damage. 

As for Jesse, he's been disowned by his parents, cast out because he's gay, and when a fire devastates the small home he'd managed to make for himself, he's lost. He's lost his home. Again. But when Tomas sees how distraught Jesse is, he offers a place to crash and a shoulder to cry on. Things quickly heat up between the two men, but living a mere few yards from his parents makes Tomas cautious. 

They fight, they make up, they fight some more. Each has to come to terms with their sexuality, their family, and their love. Jesse and Tomas were both deep, well-damaged characters who you just can't help rooting for! Through the twists and turns of this sexy story, I was enthralled by these two and the journey they share, and when it was over, I thought... what, that's it? Not because the ending was disappointing, just because I was disappointed about the story being over. Definitely a must-read for lovers of erotic romance, M/M style.  

Five out of Five Divas!   

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Birkenstock-wearing glamour girl and mother of two by immaculate conception, Daisy Harris still isn't sure if she writes erotica. Her romances start out innocently enough. However, her characters behave like complete sluts. Much to Miss Harris's dismay the sex tends to get completely out of hand.

She writes about fantastical creatures and about young men getting their freak on, and she's never missed an episode of The Walking Dead.

Want to learn more about new releases, general news and my latest inappropriate boy band crush? Sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/b96xX

Find me on twitter at: https://twitter.com/thedaisyharris

Like me on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Daisy-Harris/185042351535537

My filthy Tumblr feed can be found at: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/holsumcollege

Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/From-Ashes-Fire-Rain-ebook/dp/B00C4U6MOC

Samhain buy link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/from-ashes-p-72937.html

Barnes and Noble buy link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/from-the-ashes-daisy-harris/1115084890?ean=9781619217980

Daisy will be awarding a $20 gift card to Starbucks to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so make sure to leave your comment below! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

~Rach