Book Review — Walk Through Fire (Chaos #4) by Kristen Ashley

“Are you saying we should start up where we left off?”
His comeback was instant.
“Did it ever end for you?”

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What a gorgeous love story!!  Kristen Ashley really outdid herself. The emotional journey that Logan and Millie went through and the depth of their love — the things they sacrificed for their love — just hit me so hard. Theirs was the kind of ‘bottom of your soul, straight to your gut’ epic love that made them willing to walk through fire for each other. I cried, I swooned, and I completely adored this book!! 

Over twenty years ago, Millie forced the one man who she loved more than anything else in the world to leave her. Even though it gutted her and devastated them both, she made it so that he’d go away for good and never look back. Logan had lived for her, loved her with all his heart and soul. What she did left a gaping hole in his soul that never healed… For two decades, she walked through fire — knowing full well everything she’d given up, unable to ever let go of the love she had for him, and living with the fact that her soul-mate hated her for what she’d done to them. But when she runs into him one day in a checkout line and overhears him on the phone talking about divorce papers and his kids, everything changes…

So I’m going to be honest with you. I judged Millie before I had all the facts. I went into this book fully expecting that I’d have to forgive some stupid reason for their break up. I knew that Logan wasn’t a cheater so seriously, what the hell reason could she have had for not only giving him up, but also forcing him away? Welp, serves me right for underestimating KA because when the true reason was revealed for what she did, I quite literally burst into tears. We’re talking full-on crying here. Of all the possible reasons I imagined, that was one I never saw coming. And truthfully, it was probably the only one I’d be able to forgive or accept. It broke my fucking heart into pieces. The selflessness of her actions gutted me even though I wanted to shake her for doing it. Seriously, that whole ‘reveal’ scene was heart-wrenching. I mean, did I think she still handled the situation wrong twenty years ago? Yes. But did I understand why she did it? Absolutely. Like, my God, what a selfless woman. Seriously. She gave up everything for him.

“You’re always here, Logan. Even when you were gone.”

Gah. THE FEEEEEEEEEEELS!!!!!!!

I absolutely loved it.
LOVE
LOVE
LOVED IT.

The story is told (especially in the beginning) primarily from Millie’s POV, although as the story progresses we do get to see other ones as well. And while most everything takes place in present day, in the first half of the story, we also get gorgeous flashbacks to twenty years ago when they first fell in love.

In the first quarter/third of the book, there’s a lot of hate that comes across from characters that makes perfect sense given that the only thing Logan knows is that the woman he gave his entire heart to apparently threw it away without a second thought. Some regretful things were said, and hurtful actions done, but please don’t be too mad at them. Everything is explained and everything comes out into the light. And their reunion is absolutely beautiful. You’ll see clear as day that everything is not as it seems and even though it’s not apparent at first, their love for each other never changed.

God, there were SO MANY powerful scenes. Like the one with him going through her house realizing exactly what she’d been living with the last 20 years. So goddamn powerful.

Millie and Logan had the kind of love for each other that, no matter how much time had passed or pain had been borne, once they were back in each others’ lives, it was like they’d never been apart. When you read it, you’ll see — you’ll feel — that it’s impossible not to believe that they belonged together.

He tipped his chin so his face was in the top of her hair.

‘I gave you up, walking through fire to do it but I did it. I did it in the end. I gave you everything.’

He’d fucked up… But he’d fix it. Then it was his turn. Finally, fucking finally. It was his turn to give her everything.

I totally broke down crying several times. The pain, the loss, the healing, the unconditional selfless love had me overflowing with emotions. There’s something extremely beautiful about watching two people who were clearly meant to be get a second chance at the happy life they were always meant to have had, and seeing them realize full well how precious that chance was and not wasting a single second of it.

“I’m gonna fuck you breathless in a way you’re gonna remember every second of it for the rest of your life.”

I loved that, once Millie communicated to him why she’d forced him to leave, he not only understood it and forgave it, but did everything in his power to help them make up for lost time. Despite their painful history, they were a surprisingly funtional couple and I absolutely LOVED reading about them together.

Then he changed my whole world.
No, he didn’t change it.
He gave it back to me.

“I love you,” he declared. “Loved you then. Love you now. Never quit lovin’ you in a way I knew I never will. You were it for me, the only one, the only woman I ever loved, and you never quit bein’ it. So I think you can get how I cannot find words to explain how fuckin’ pleased I am that you’re back.”

I won’t give away too much but I will just say that family is huge theme in this book and it’s presented in that soul-deep kind of way that only KA can deliver. She just understands people and relationships on such a deep level that the emotions come across so strongly in every single scene she writes.

This book absorbed me. I read it in one sitting and couldn’t put it down from start to finish. Not only is there a gorgeous romance, but we see all kinds of fantastic cameos from the whole Chaos gang, and even appearances from the Rock Chick and Dream Man teams! — Side note: Elvira and Shirleen rock my world!

Oh, and one more thing. After learning the meaning of this book’s title “Walk Through Fire”, I can easily say that it is my most favorite of all KA’s book titles. Absolute #1 favorite title. Like really. Holy gorgeous!

If you’re a fan of emotional, heart-felt second chance romance, and you happen to love Alpha male heroes and bikers, then this book and series are absolute must-reads! 

“Never,” he whispered, and my hands rested this sides curled into his flesh at his tone. “Never, Millie, don’t you ever hide or feel ashamed of the emotion you have for me, for us, for what we lost, for all we got back. Don’t ever do that. All a’ this is gonna be pain right along with pleasure. That is, until we work through the pain and got nothin’ but the good left over. And I swear to you, fuckin’ swear, I’ll get us there.”

Rating: 4.5+ stars! Contemporary Adult Romance.

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• Buy WALK THROUGH FIRE (Paperback)

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*** FULL “CHAOS” SERIES ***
This series is a spin-off of the Dream Man series (specifically, the last book in that series) so while you can read any of these books alone it is still strongly recommended to read them in order.

Book #1 — OWN THE WIND (Shy & Tabby)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Buy in Audiobook | Read my Review

Book #2 — FIRE INSIDE (Hop & Lanie)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Buy in Audiobook | Read my Review

Book #3 — RIDE STEADY (Joker & Carissa)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Buy in Audiobook | Read my review

Book #4 — WALK THROUGH FIRE (High & Millie)
Buy for Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Buy in Audiobook | Read my Review