“Burned Bridges is a story about Traci Collins, a recovering alcoholic. She and her three friends, Norman, Kevin and Olivia, support one another in the tough battle against alcoholism. The book is narrated by Traci, who is a lovely woman with a troubled past. She's in a relationship with Marc, a dominant, over-confident lawyer. Traci really wants to help her friends, especially Olivia, who has a terrible secret; but doing so can put her in danger. This is a story about loyalty. How far should one go to help a friend? Is it okay to hide things to support someone? And how much can it affect your own life?Traci is a good character, with a believable sad history that left physical and emotional scars. Her past completely diminished her self-esteem, making her really fragile and vulnerable sometimes. It's heartbreaking to see how she accepts a lot less than she--or anyone--deserves during the story, just trying to please everyone, forgetting to please the most important person--herself.The dialogue is excellent and the plot is well-done with a compelling ending. I loved the Traci character and would like to know more about the past of this intense woman, perhaps in a sequel. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery with drama and a bit of romance. Renata F. Barcelos for Readers Favorite” - Renata F. Barcelos
— Readers Favorite
“A Book You Won't Want to Put Down Once you Start Reading: Ms. Ashton has done an excellent job of portraying new bonds developed through three people newly sober. She shows how stresses can cause setbacks, how new friendships can become too intense, particularly when one person doesn't divulge all the secrets that put her into the sobering path to start. This framework is a fine backdrop for the drama that Ms. Ashton portrays so well. I was touched by the caring shown by these people and their other new friends, even through some serious crises. The characters are well developed and are people I'd like to have for neighbors. The entire plot revolves around the fact that all secrets were not shared with the entire group at the time they should have been, causing some very high drama and intense mysteries.Dawn Edwards, The Kindle Book Review” - Dawn Edwards
— The Kindle Book Review
“A Friendship Under Fire: Recovering alcoholic Traci is newly sober, in a relationship, and building friendships with three other recovering alcoholics. When one of the three, Olivia, begins to act strangely, Traci and her friends start to suspect a deeper problem than Olivia falling off the wagon. Traci's tenuous emotional state begins to crumble as Olivia pulls her on a twisting journey of codependency and deception. Amid dealing with Olivia's problems, Traci also must reexamine her relationship with her possibly cheating boyfriend and her own family secrets. Burned Bridges was a compelling novel with a realistic portrayal of the legal world (Traci is a paralegal and her boyfriend, a lawyer). Those who find stories about addiction and childhood trauma will also find this an interesting read. There are suspense qualities to this book, but the story reads more like Traci's personal journey which made me think of women's fiction. Larissa Reinhart, Mystery author of Portrait of a Dead Guy” - Larissa Reinhart
— Goodreads
“Promising Debut: Ashton’s promising debut novel concerns a group of friends who have bonded because they are all recovering alcoholics looking out for each other - and one of their members may be going over the edge. This is a great premise for drama and murder, with an enormously sympathetic heroine in Traci, who is not only struggling with recovery but who becomes pregnant by her untrustworthy and domineering live-in boyfriend. On top of that, she must answer the challenge of loyalty to her fragile friend Olivia, whose demons threaten to overwhelm her. One looks forward to the next of the series. Sarah Kernochan, Writer of What Lies Beneath” - Sarah Kernochan
— Goodreads
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