ARC Review: Whispers of Helena by Ashley Warren

I wanna a start with a huge thank you to Luna Literary and Ashley Warren for allowing me to join the ARC team for this book, these thoughts are my own. This gothic cowboy romance did not at all go down the way I thought it would. In the first half of Whispers of Helena, a widowed woman becomes nanny to the son of a widower ranch owner and tension grows between them as it becomes clear that things are not what they seem on the ranch. From the start, this book nailed it with the suspenseful vibes, I was instantly hooked into the story, and I highly recommend listening to the playlist that the author has in the front of the book as it takes the vibes to a whole another level. I loved the tension and the angst of Silas not wanting to develop feelings for Helena as he mourns his wife, it was so good. I really liked the smut scenes - to me, the way Silas was torn up making him a more dominant sexual partner made sense, and I had fun reading it.  

Shortly before the 50% mark, there is a plot twist that completely changes EVERYTHING. I still enjoyed what followed and it wasn't like anything I have read before, but it didn't have the same angst or tension that I was really enjoying in the first half. I was also left with more questions than answers, I guess I just wanted to know more details about how what was happening worked. There are religious elements throughout the book with bible verses being listed at the start of every chapter, but the second half kicks it up a notch to where the religious elements are a large part of what was going on and I can see that being off putting for some, but I really didn't mind it. I will be checking out more of Ashley Warren's novels, especially her next book for a side character in this one named Marcel.

Synopsis:

Helena

Taking the job at Devil’s Ridge Ranch was supposed to be simple: care for a little boy and keep my head down. But the moment I stepped onto this land, I felt the weight of it, the history, the loss, the tension that clings to the air like an approaching storm. And then there’s Silas Hayes. Every glance from him, every brush of his hand, unravels me in ways I haven’t felt in years. Each night he vanishes into the darkness, returning with shadows that only grow deeper in his eyes. It’s clear he’s chasing something, or someone, but whatever it is, it’s destroying him. I came here with my own purpose, one I can’t afford to fail, but Silas makes me want to take risks I can’t explain. And in the quiet moments when the walls between us begin to crumble, I wonder: can I save him before he destroys us both?

Silas

There’s blood on my hands, and most days, I can’t remember if it’s meant to cleanse or curse me. This ranch, this land, it used to be my whole world, but now it’s nothing more than a tether, holding me to a life I can’t let go of. And then Helena walked into it, her gaze cutting through my quiet like a whisper I’m too afraid to hear. There’s something about her, something unsettlingly familiar, as though she knows the weight I carry. When I ride into the darkness, I tell myself I’m seeking justice and retribution. But the deeper I go, the less sure I am of who I’m chasing, or who I’ve become. Helena’s presence feels like a reprieve, a reminder of something pure. What will she see when my demons are laid bare? What will I see?