Chasing Serenity: A River Rain Novel

Kristen Ashley

Sep 2021 · River Rain Book 2 · Blue Box Press

About this ebook

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Ashley brings a new novel in her River Rain series…

From a very young age, Chloe Pierce was trained to look after the ones she loved. 

And she was trained by the best.

But when the man who looked after her was no longer there, Chloe is cast adrift—just as the very foundation of her life crumbled to pieces. 

Then she runs into tall, lanky, unpretentious Judge Oakley, her exact opposite. She shops. He hikes. She drinks pink ladies. He drinks beer. She’s a city girl. He’s a mountain guy.

Obviously, this means they have a blowout fight upon meeting. Their second encounter doesn’t go a lot better. 

Judge is loving the challenge. Chloe is everything he doesn’t want in a woman, but he can’t stop finding ways to spend time with her. He knows she’s dealing with loss and change.

He just doesn’t know how deep that goes. Or how ingrained it is for Chloe to care for those who have a place in her heart, how hard it will be to trust anyone to look after her…

And how much harder it is when it’s his turn.

Ratings and reviews

This is book 1 in the River Rain series, but we were first introduced to this world in After the Climb. Although you don’t need to have read that one to enjoy this one, I definitely recommend it because it gives the backstory to the characters and the complex history involved with some of them. Chasing Serenity is really about family – and not just those we are born related to. There is also a lot of time spent on how people can just not be good at all, but others can do not good things, but still have good in them. I had a difficult time at first getting into this story. Chloe is the daughter of a world-class, very successful athlete, and a very famous actress. She is strong-willed, knows her mind and in the beginning came across as being entitled. But as the story progresses, you find that she is incredibly caring and feels responsibility for all of her loved ones and takes on all of their problems, feeling that she has to take on helping to solve all of their problems. Judge is the “whole package”. He is intelligent and successful at a job that involves the outdoors and helping kids who need it, he is caring, protective and exactly the kind of alpha that is appealing. I really can’t wait for Rix and Alex’s story next. I received an Advance Reader Copy and have voluntarily left an honest review.

4.25 stars--CHASING SERENITY is the second instalment in Kristen Ashley’s contemporary, adult RIVER RAIN erotic, romance series. This is twenty-five year old, independent businesswoman Chloe Pierce, and twenty-nine year old businessman / environmentalist Judge Oakley’s story line. CHASING SERENITY can be read as a stand alone but for back story I recommend reading book one AFTER THE CLIMB. Some of the events of CHASING SERENITY cross over with, and run parallel to some of the events of book one AFTER THE CLIMB. Chloe and Judge’s story begins in After the Climb. Told from first person perspective (Chloe) and dual third person perspectives (Corey and Judge) using present day and memories from the past, CHASING SERENITY follows the building but tempestuous relationship between twenty-five year old, independent businesswoman Chloe Pierce, and twenty-nine year old businessman Judge Oakley but also focuses on dysfunctional family dynamics of both the Pierce and Oakley families. Chloe Pierce’s family life has spiralled out of control since the suicide of a close family friend, and divorce of her famous parents. Forced to work with River Rain’s Judge Oakley on a small independent film focusing on the life of her parents, actress Imogen Swan and tennis champion Tom Pierce, meant Chloe having to work with a man that stirred the ire and anger of our story line heroine but from where she wasn’t completely sure. With each meeting and attempt their connection grew stronger so much so that they would come to learn their lives have been entangled for a very long time. Chloe Pierce is a fiercely independent and strong-willed young woman whose life is about to implode when the burden of the fallout of her parents’ divorce, and her mother’s impending marriage to her childhood sweetheart, apparently falls solely on the shoulders of our story line heroine. It is only a matter of time before Chloe breaks, and when she does, Judge Oakley will be there to catch her fall but all is not well in Judge Oakley’s life, as his past is about to destroy what’s left of his self-control. CHASING SERENITY is a story of loss, love, family and friendships; multi-levelled secrets and lies, addiction and abuse; acceptance and understanding. Kristen Ashley slowly reveals the family histories of both Chloe and Judge, such that, we begin to see a pattern that has affected everyone going forward. Essentially, a study in sociological behavior and the psychological fall-out of death, divorce, addiction and suicide, CHASING SERENITY is awash in conflict and anxiety, misdirected pain and grief, sibling rivalry, numerous external struggles and challenges, acceptance and love. CHASING SERENITY is a complex, heart breaking, intense, and impassioned story wherein the large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters are necessary to the overall building of the introductory story line. We are re-introduced to Chloe’s large immediate and extended families by blood, birth, divorce and remarriage, as well as Judge’s best friend Rix, and Judge’s emotional, disturbing and embittered relationship with his mother, his father, and his paternal grandfather.

This was fun. I liked the banter between Chloe and Judge that they had from their first meeting. It's not a meet-cute and I liked it. While they fought their attraction, you can't help but see that they are perfect for each other. They brought out different sides to each other and I liked how the author showcased that. While I would have preferred less descriptions into Chloe's wardrobe, I did enjoy the multiple point of views (it's not just Chloe and Judge's) and the traveling between the past and present. I can't wait for the next book and I will be picking up the prequel as I hadn't read that.

About the author

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Kaleidoscope (part of the Colorado Mountain series). She is also the author of the Dream Man series, Fantasyland series, The Magdalene series, Unfinished Heroes series and the Chaos series.. Her novels include Three Wishes and Play it Safe.