REVIEW: From Here to Eternity by A.L. Jackson

From Here to Eternity by A.L. Jackson: From the moment Charleigh enters River’s studio, he’s entranced. The only issue is that he can’t get hooked on her. He has to be alone per his own guidelines, but he can’t help but be drawn to her. He has so many secrets in his life, so he limits who he allows to get close. He recognizes fear in Charleigh though and feels the overarching need to protect her at all costs.

Charleigh has been on the run for a long time when she finds herself in River’s tattoo shop. She recognizes the strength in him immediately as well as an aura of mystery. When she finds a friend in his sister, she finally feels like she can breathe, but when she feels like someone is watching her, she knows she needs to run again.

When River recognizes the panic in Charleigh’s face, he takes off after her to ensure her safety. What he finds is a stricken woman who wants to flee. As he tries to get to know Charleigh, he convinces her to stay and let him protect her. Against all odds, she listens to him. Both have secrets though that fight to get to the surface. Will they be able to trust each other with the truth?

WOW! First things first: phenomenal story. I honestly didn’t see the twist coming until a lot later in the story so kudos to that because normally you can guess what’s going to happen at the beginning. Secondly: if there is any part of you that gets scared, this might not be the book to read at bedtime. The spice is definitely fully there and ready for the bedroom, but the suspense made me take breaks from bedtime reading.

Both main characters are mysterious in their own way. As a reader, you don’t really find out the truth about either one of them until like ¾ of the way through the book which is rare. Normally you at least have one character’s backstory. Charleigh lives through fear and her entire life revolves around her fear until she meets River. From there, you start to see signs of hope in her and I loved her transformation. For River, he lives a guarded life. He has to for his line of work, but it makes him a hard character to read. He comes across as harsh in most aspects besides with Charleigh and his family, but it was good to see him let Charleigh into his life in so many ways.

One thing that I really loved about this book was the split POV and the flashbacks. It really helped you understand the characters more, but also helped them keep some things hidden. Understanding their feelings about every situation really helped the reader connect with them both even though you will have no idea what’s coming.

The book kept me on the edge of my seat to see what came next and I loved how the story ended. It made me really excited to see how the relationships with the rest of the crew can be handled in future books.

Book Info:

Publication: October 15, 2024 | A.L. Jackson Books Inc. |

I should have known everything was going to change when she walked into my tattoo shop…
Timid as hell and gorgeous to the extreme. I knew better than even thinking about touching a woman like that.
My life is dangerous.
My calling wicked.
Willing to cross any line to protect the innocent.
I thought I’d never see her again until my little boy tumbled and busted his lip, and I found her working at the doctor’s office.
The woman who’d taken possession of my thoughts.
When it becomes clear she’s in trouble, I offer up a deal.
Twenty questions to earn her trust.
Too bad trusting me is the last thing she should do.
With one kiss, I’m addicted. With one night, we’re falling into a passion greater than either of us has ever known.
The voices in my head warn I can never keep her. She can’t know the secret life I lead.
Only she’s keeping a secret, too.
And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if it means losing everything…