I didn't love this. I read it because it introduces a character for book 5 of the Colorado Mountain series. But this story was so dark and depressing and sometimes hard to read.

This was book one in The 'Burg series. It was about a girl named February who loved a boy named Colt. They were high school sweet hearts and one day, she inexplicably dumps him. No one knew why. No one understood why. She takes off and lives a wild life way from her family. 20 years later, she returns to help her brother run the family bar. For 2 years, she and Colt manage to steer clear of each other. But a serial killer starts a killing spree and it all seems connected to February. Colt, being a cop, makes it his mission to keep her safe and figure it all out. And of course that puts them back in the vicinity of each other. Old feelings arise. Old hurts arise. And they need to figure out if they want to explore what can be and let go of what used to be.

I felt really bad for Colt. We never knew what happened between them, but we could see that he had no clue why she left him and how hurt he was at her abandonment. Not to say February didn't dump him for a legitimate reason, I just think maybe she should have verified that reason was valid and applicable before she threw away everything with him. It's hard to see decades of a love thrown away because of a misunderstanding and Colt and Feb had a lot to overcome. What tore them apart was truly horrifying and disgusting. But in true love story fashion, they did overcome and all was well. Except for the serial killer targeting them both. That guy was messed up and did some things that were unpalatable. February had daily breakdowns that were understandable, but annoying by the third crying jag.

A decent read, but nothing to make me interested in reading the rest of this series. I moved straight back into the Colorado Mountains series to read more about Graham Reece, introduced in this book. ( )

[b:For You|10813480|For You (The 'Burg, #1)|Kristen Ashley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327337194s/10813480.jpg|15727095] by [a:Kristen Ashley|2958084|Kristen Ashley|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442937365p2/2958084.jpg]
Genres: Adult. Contemporary, Crime, Mystery, Suspense, Romance.
4.5 Stars
Negatives
Kristen Ashley's tendency to ramble is in full force. Overdone descriptions about unnecessary information bogs the story down. For example; Feb, the female mc, is being introduced to the FBI men taking over the case. Instead of paying attention to the FBI & what is being done about the case KA has her thinking about the time she took her niece & nephew on a tour of the town's police station. These thoughts go on & on. Rambling leads to repetition. So you will find yourself skimming. The problem with skimming is you can miss important details.
My other problem is Feb's 'issue' with Colt. Specifically, her not dealing with it for more than 15 years. It is completely unbelievable.
Positives
The story grabs you from the start. There is humor peppered throughout. The suspense, mystery and the investigation is top notch. The main characters, the world build and all supporting characters, including the 'Bad Guy'are superbly developed.
The relationship between Colt & Feb keeps you invested. Sometimes they make you want to scream. Other times they make you smile and even laugh. The intimacy between them is definitely adult and tastefully portrayed. It never feels meaningless. You can feel the emotions through the pages.
Definitely well worth the read. And on that note, I leave you with this quote from the book.
Colt to Feb.
"Just as much a waste of time thinkin' about what life might have brought as it is thinkin' you can turn back the clock and change things."
Don't let the negatives keep you from experiencing this story. It is well worth every minute you spend reading it. ( )

I avoided this for a while because I really don't like reunited lovers stories. I just hate to feel that wasted time element that is involved. Especially 20 years as this one. And yes the whole situation could have been avoided with one conversation so super depressing. Still the story itself was pretty good. A solid interesting early KA read. ( )

This book...... oh my goodness. It is such an emotional ride. You think please Kristen don't go there...... and she does. Superb writing, brought many tears to my eyes, really got involved with Feb and Colt. As with all KA books it all gets sorted.

Well worth a read.
There is mystery, misunderstanding and second chances.
Ex drama in form of his ex wife and an ex in her past.
No intimate scenes with anyone other than the Hero and heroine.
No cheating.
Accusation of cheating from first time they are together.
HEA. ( )

In some ways this was frustrating in that so much time was wasted due to one conversation not taking place. Still... that's what created the tension to make this a story to be told rather than nothing happening. It was still annoying in some ways though.

I'll admit that when I was initially reading this I didn't really have much sympathy for either of the protagonists. They were both so righteous in their stands. They eventually did grow on me a bit as events started coming to a head.

I suspect this won't be one of my favourite KA series. I'll still read then all but ?if they'll becomre rereads. ( )