Review – Shattered (Extreme Risk #2) by Tracy Wolff

Emotionally gripping, sensual, and carefully crafted to reflect the change and acceptance needed when lives are changed forever, this book will take hold of your heart and remind you to live each day to the fullest. ~ Slick, Guilty Pleasures 

Description:
Ash Lewis has poured every last ounce of his blood, sweat, and tears into reaching the very top of the professional snowboarding world—until the unthinkable happens. After the biggest competition win of his career, Ash’s mother and father are killed in a tragic accident. Unable to handle the idea of going back out on the snow to pursue the dream his parents shared with him, Ash feels that he has no choice but to walk away from snowboarding forever. Then he meets Tansy Hampton.

Wild, fun, and impulsive, Tansy has a different look and a new passion every week. As a cancer survivor who spent the past several years waiting to die, Tansy has a fresh perspective on life—even if she doesn’t have a clue about what she actually wants to do with it. But she’s determined to find out, and that means making the most of her time while she still can.

From the very beginning, their chemistry is intense. But while Ash can’t stop chasing the ghosts of what can never be, Tansy stays firmly focused on the possibilities the world holds for her—and for them. She’s already picked up the pieces of one shattered life. Now she’s determined to help Ash do the same.

Review copy provided for an honest review

In the first book in this series, Shredded, author Tracy Wolff ended that book with an event that completely Shattered one of the secondary characters, Ash Lewis. To be honest, as much as I loved that book the ending of it left me reeling so I couldn’t wait to read this book. Once again this author blew me away with the depth of emotions and intricately woven story of a young man thrust into full out adulthood while trying to deal with his own grief and inadequacies. I was caught up in the story of these friends and their lives and while Shattered had moments of sorrow and turmoil, it also contained an overwhelming sense of hope making it impossible to put down.

Months after his life was torn apart Ash Lewis is still trying to figure out his life and how to cope with being a guardian to his 14 year old brother. Since the accident that changed his world he’s given up snowboarding, taken advantage of the plethora of women who want to sleep with him, and while he still sees his friends he’s no longer the one to keep everyone together he’s doing the best he can to keep himself together.

Her first real assignment since she began her job with Make A Wish foundation and Tansy Hampton finds herself dealing with a “retired” at age 21 snowboarder, Ash Lewis. The fact that he hits on her when she tried to talk to him about a wish for a dying kid doesn’t stop her from noticing how attractive he is or the fact that her body responds to him. When he refuses her request she figures it’s over until a few days later she gets a call from his agent and a huge donation for the wish.

I really loved the interaction between Ash and Tansy, while not that far apart in age they are worlds apart in life experiences. With so much of Ash’s life being lived in the media spotlight Tansy had the advantage of knowing way more about him than he did about her. While there was no doubting their attraction, Ash at first could not understand Tansy and found himself getting more and more jealous as she became closer to his friend Luc and when his brother Logan seemed to share with her more than him. Soon he found a way to break through her defenses and their relationship began to blossom. It was interesting to watch their attraction grow and how close they became as they explored many new experiences together. While they were growing closer, Ash’s relationship with his brother, Logan was cracking despite Tansy trying to help him understand Logan’s point of view.

Shattered is a complex story with many pieces cohesively blended together to form one spectacular story. Emotionally gripping, sensual, and carefully crafted to reflect the change and acceptance needed when lives are changed forever, this book will take hold of your heart and remind you to live each day to the fullest.