Book Review + Giveaway: Ashton by Anne Perreault

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Ashton by Anne Perrault, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Ashton
Series: Yellowstone Descendants #1
Author: Anne Perreault
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: October 1, 2025
Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary Western Romance

Return to Yellowstone with the next generation of our beloved characters from the original series.

Saddlehorn, MT

Ashton Anderson, former town sweetheart and prodigal son of rancher Clint Anderson, has finally returned home. Where has he been for the last ten years, you ask? Apparently, working a smaller rodeo circuit up north. With his strength and skill, he should have done well, but he has returned battered, bruised, and grieving the loss of his faithful gelding, Dusty. As for the girlfriend who turned down his marriage proposal all those years ago . . .

Kelsey Winters has left her less-than-idyllic past behind. She now helps others as a therapist at the therapeutic riding center outside of town, although her own personal life seems to be a solid mess. She’s tried to be a good older sister to her brother, Darren, but she can’t protect him—or herself—from his poor choices. They’re one bad decision away from homelessness when they’re robbed and Darren is put in jail for possession of a controlled substance.

Due to circumstances beyond their control, Kelsey and Ashton’s long-ago romance resurfaces. But will it leave the gate running, or suffer a colossal wreck?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Buy from the Author | Amazon | Bookshop | BookBub

More in This Series

I didn’t know a thing about Anne Perreault’s books before I picked this one up. I hadn’t read the Yellowstone series. Didn’t know a thing about the characters or their backstory. But now I must go read All the Books, because I have fallen in love with Saddlehorn, Montana and its residents!

Ashton and Kelsey both have their share of baggage. When Ashton proposed marriage to Kelsey, they were both teenagers. Ashton feared losing her when she went away to college, so he did the only thing he could think of. It went badly, and he fled town out of embarrassment and hurt, not letting anyone except his cousin Ryley know where he was (and swearing her to secrecy). Kelsey already had her challenges to face. Her mother died at a young age. Her father turned out to be an art thief and got himself thrown in prison. Her only family was her father’s mother (a harsh, bitter woman who never let Kelsey forget how worthless she should feel about herself and who bequeathed her considerable wealth to charity rather than give her grandchildren anything) and her younger brother, Darren. Add to that the fact that she and Darren were half-breeds – Crow mother, White father – and that was the cherry on the crap sandwich, because racism is still a thing, especially in her grandmother’s eyes.

Ten years later, Ashton returns home, literally broken. He’s been riding the rodeo circuit and got hurt pretty badly. He couldn’t think of anywhere else to turn, and he gets a mixed reception. His brother Luke is less than thrilled (I’d go so far as to say angry) that the prodigal has come dragging back in. His father and stepmother, while hurt that Ashton hadn’t thought he could come to them to work through life’s difficulties, are relieved he’s okay and glad to have him home. And Kelsey? Well. She wants to move on. She knows she should. She doesn’t want to see Ashton, even if he wants to see her. But will their past ties pull them back together?

I loved this story! Ashton made a stupid choice, bless his heart. He paid for it. Even now, he’s reluctant to accept help. He is the prodigal personified, and just like in Scripture, his brother, who’s been there, who’s seen the damage Ashton’s departure caused his parents, is less than enthusiastic to have Ashton rejoin the family.

But Ashton’s pain was at least partially of his own making. He chose to leave, and that led to everything else that happened to him. My heart really ached for Kelsey. Life happened to her in painful and nasty ways, and when she went off to college to improve her situation, she returned home to find her beloved younger brother addicted to drugs, partying like it’s 1999 and putting himself in all kinds of bad situations. In addition to all she’s carried growing up, she’s now riddled with guilt that she couldn’t protect Darren, and she struggles to let him feel the consequences of his choices even though he’s a grown man now.

So Perreault gave me all the feels with all the things Ashton and Kelsey were working through. But she also had me on the edge of my seat with the action! As sometimes happens, the past bleeds over into the present, and suddenly the father that Kelsey never expected to see again is back in town. The FBI shows up, trying to bust up a drug cartel, and Ryley (Deputy McClintoch) is playing second fiddle to straitlaced agent Cole Townsend as he tracks down information and bad guys. There were several moments where my heart was in my throat because I didn’t know what was going to happen next.

And I do love books where I learn something. Our straitlaced FBI agent asked Ryley if she knew taser stood for Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle. I shared that with my husband, and he said that sounded like something made up for a story. So I had to look it up, and that is indeed what taser stands for! That’s our new thing we learned today. I see that Ryley’s story is coming up next. Can’t wait to see what happens with her and Agent Townsend!

Second-chance romance, faith in the midst of struggles, the story of the prodigal son, action, all in a Western setting – I am hooked. Anne Perreault, welcome to my list of favorite authors!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from JustRead Publicity Tours. I was not required to leave a review. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

About the Author

Anne Perreault was born and raised in Germany. By the time she was 14 years old, her family moved to Dubai, UAE. While living in this exotic place, she traveled extensively to various countries around the world. After graduating from an American boarding school in Austria, she attended college in England, where she met her husband. She graduated from New England College with a degree in biology, and settled down in Connecticut.

Anne became a horseback riding instructor as well as a certified therapeutic riding instructor. She and a group of friends started a therapeutic riding center in Bristol, CT. During that time, Anne also received a masters degree in secondary education and began to homeschool her three children. While raising their three children, she began to write an inspirational story primarily for her daughter. 12 years later, God commissioned her to write down her skating stories. That started a writing ministry she has enjoyed ever since.

Anne, her husband, and two of their grown children now reside in Southern Vermont, where they are building their home. Besides writing, Anne enjoys reading, spending time with her husband, grown children, and granddogger. Her oldest son and his wife recently welcomed their first child making Anne and her husband now grandparents. She enjoys visiting and seeing her grandlove a few times a year.

Connect with Anne by visiting intothelightfiction.weebly.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a blind date with a book prize package which typically includes a signed paperback, bookish stickers, chocolates or mints, sticky notes, bookmarks, a drink koozie, and other fun bookish things!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 6, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 13, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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