Customer Reviews

Aspen's Embers

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Braund's latest is a topical story, pitting an environmentalist against a forester. Will love endure between Aspen and Leigh?

It was difficult to get into this book. No real groundwork was presented for the attraction between our two heroines. That was lacking. It seemed Braund was so interested in presenting the environmental side of the story that the romance side was not adequately developed. That was a definite weakness.

The characters were flat...nothing jumped out at you as you read. And like many lesbian romances of late, the plot was resolved in the final four pages. FOUR PAGES DOES NOT A RESOLUTION MAKE!! Grrrr...

If you're planning on buying this, buy it used, save yourself a few bucks, and then pass it on to the next reader. Not worth the list price of $10+.

I've always enjoyed Diana Tremain Braund's writing, but her most recent two books have shown us a depth of heart and character that shows growth in an already good author.

Aspen's Embers communicates a sensitive touch, first between legitimate environmental concerns and the real people affected by them. So often, when environmentalists are represented, they are treated as either angelic or demonic, depending on the political leanings of the author. In this case, Tremain Braund convincingly argues the concerns of an environmentalist AND the concerns of the local people whose livelihoods are at odds with environmental goals.

The other sensitive interplay is between likable, three-dimensional characters who find themselves facing difficult choices.

Another in a series of increasingly good books by an author whose work continues to grow in depth and color.

This is a nice lesbian romance amidst plenty of environmental conflict. The story is fast moving and a pleasure to read.

After reading all of this author's books, I was impressed with the writing of Aspen's Embers. This author's writing clearly has matured with each of her books. I find that instead of the traditional love story, she introduces themes that are pertinent to each of our lives. Once again she has produced a really good read!

A terrific love story interspersed with so many of today's `real' issues. Romance, economics, environmental issues and the striking realities of everyday life in the Northeast USA. Anyone who lives in the `wilds' of New England has most likely felt, or lived, any number of the issues that this book raises. The revealing of true (and clearly well-researched) depression-related realities, clearly cements Braund's passion and knowledge of these issues and the region.

The truly engaged reader will quickly realize the relevance presented here between real life issues and the pains of the challenges of finding....and securing...true love. Well done Diana!

Codyville Plantation is a small town in Maine that has depended on the work provided by the local lumbering company to sustain the town's life. Aspen Brown has lived there all her life and feels that she has a special relationship with the trees. Whenever she feels stressed, she retreats to the forest and climbs a tree until the world rights itself again. As a teacher at the high school, she tries to share that love with her students and she's very active in the local environmental group that is trying to prevent any more logging in the forest. When Leigh Wright shows up as the new agent for the company, everyone is suspicious as to what her motives are and Leigh and Aspen are both thrown out of balance when they realize that they are tremendously attracted to each other. The relationship doesn't improve when Leigh discovers that the company plans to stop lumbering, cut down large quantities of the trees and build and expensive community on the land. Codyville is torn between the citizens who see this as a chance for the town to rejuvenated with jobs and development and those who want to preserve the way of life they've always had. Leigh is torn herself between her belief in conservation and facing the fact that, by staying with the company, she might be able to influence how the company's plans are implemented. And then there's the potential damage to her relationship with Aspen who has become a leader in the movement to stop the company. While the town and the women are struggling to find a solution to the situation, a radical professor at a nearby college takes matters into her own hands and violence strikes the town. Finally, Aspen and Leigh find themselves fighting not only for the woods, but for their future together.

Braund has managed to take a very topical concept and weave it with a romance to produce a realistic story with believable characters. Braund does a good job of presenting both sides of every issue without taking a side and maintains the integrity of the story while she is doing so. The way the romance develops is also true to life. In the end, the good guys win, sort of, but not totally and that is true to life also. If you enjoy romance that comes with a message, this is the book for you.

Aspen's Embers
Finally an author who writes about something other than girl meets girl, girl loses girl. Diana Tremain Braund has taken lesbian literature to a new level.
Aspen's Embers not only has romance and wonderful characters, but it also touches on emotional issues that many of us deal with, but few of us get to read about. Lots of kudos to Tremain Braund.
I look forward to her next book and hopefully many more books in her future.

I thought the dialogues were confusing. I was never sure wich character was talking (although I bought the ebook version, so it might have been a problem with the page setup).
I didn't like Aspen. I thought she was very obtuse. It was obvious that Leigh was not a tree killer, that she was concern about replacing the trees that were cut. Also, if you love trees as much as Aspen says she does, you don't use them to heat your house.
There was no spark between the two main characters. And the thing with Aspen's depression was stupid. I've suffered from depression and I can tell you it's not something that appears, or reappears, overnight.
It was my first book from this author and probably the last.

The focus of this work is, as previously stated by another reviewer, on the environment.

Forests are certainly sacred spaces, so the environmental focus is not the reason for my disappointment.

My disappointment stems from the lack of character development - specifically, the lack of a foundation. We are thrown into the story, meeting both the main characters as quickly as they are introduced to one another. We don't have time to get a real feel for either one of them before their first encounter. Because of this, neither of them felt real to me. I found myself not really caring about either of them.

Having read "Wicked Good Time," I know the author is capable of much better writing. I can only hope that in her future works she returns to her previous style of writing.

32 year old Aspen is a lifetime resident of a tiny, poor, logging community in Maine. She is a local teacher and while drop dead attractive, at the moment, she is single. She has lost all her family but has many terrific friends, one of her closest friend is Cassie. She finds her deepest comfort in her love of nature, especially the trees of the forest.

New to the town is thirty-something Leigh. Leigh is single and a lifetime forester. As women are rare in the business and she happens to be considered the best manager in the company Leigh is fast tracked for great things. While Leigh is new to town, and doesn't know anyone, her sister Brittany arrives and gets her older sister involved in the community.

How these two women overcome their seemingly different views towards their habitat ( and troubling similarity of family backgrounds) will hold your interest. The romance is very passionate and a highlight of reading this book. The book also gets exciting when radical environmentalists come to town and get involved fighting redevelopment plans.

Don't miss the author's other books including-

Finest Kind of Love