A review by allisonbree
Cinder by Chelle Bliss

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

**I received a free, advanced copy of this book for reviewing purposes. Thank you to the author, Chelle Bliss, and to Valentine PR for including me in this release!**

Olive has returned to her hometown to look at the grad school she'll be attending in the fall. She runs into Asher and his grandmother, who invite her to join them at a family party that night. As soon as the grandmother calls her "kalamata," I knew I'd love the characters. And I read the entire book straight through in one sitting. 

Olive and Asher jump into their new relationship almost immediately. But at the same time, it takes a long time for them to reach a mutual understanding when it comes to the seriousness of their relationship. And that's mainly because Oliver is hesitant to fully give in to her feelings. After all, she knows he was not a one-woman man before now, and her older brother has always hated him to the point of him telling Olive to stay away. 

I really enjoyed this book. But, I do think I wasn't able to enjoy it to the fullest because I've never read any books from the series. I think if I had, I wouldn't have struggled to keep all of the characters straight, and probably would've enjoyed seeing little peeks at the lives of previous main characters. This may not be true in this instance, but for me it has been way in every series I've read that is structured like this. So I think it's a safe bet. That being said, you can absolutely enjoy the book as a standalone.

Read my full review at allisonbree.com