Rating: 5⭐️
“Grief is a squatter. You can’t evict it or reason with it, and it keeps touching your things.”
This is a story I want to share, underline, have quotes made into bumper stickers, and just absolutely love.
But it’s not an easy story to read at times. It’s emotionally draining, raw, heartbreaking, funny, full of truth and tragedy, and for many women who are struggling with their bodies, trauma, and grief, this story can only be described as a tale of recovery and healing.
Lara McKenzie always manages to balances darkness with humor in her writing, and that’s especially true here in Kiss My Ash.
Charlotte Marelli, ex-lawyer, now owner of a supernatural coffee shop in the realm of Umbrafore. Charlotte is a character we’re familiar with if you’re a reader of the connected series, Maya’s Blogs, written in the similar style.
Charlotte has been a wonderfully steady force in the lives of many beings around her but here it’s Charlotte who is in need as her life begins to shatter.
Careful to keep complete control of her life, reasons for which become apparent as the story develops, her past life begins to invade her current situation and her physically changes of perimenopause and hot flashes are making her everyday life even more difficult.
This is truly such a powerful read as Charlotte’s struggles through her tragic history, current dangers and watch as she grows into a survivor and warrior.
A remarkable book that’s relevant, quotable, and heartfelt. I highly recommend both the author , Kiss My Ass, and Maya’s Blogs too.
Cover Illustration by Mansitha.
Side story. Related to
Maya’s Blogs (5 book series)
Buy link
Blurb
Forty-seven, perimenopausal, and armed with a lethal wit, ex-barrister Charlotte Marelli runs a supernatural coffee shop.
Her small and carefully controlled life shatters when someone from her past reappears just as her no-strings-attached relationship becomes complicated.
Thrust into a web of surveillance and old traumas, Charlotte must unravel a conspiracy tied to her own kidnapping, forcing her to decide whether trusting anyone is worth the risk of being broken again.
February 2, 2026
Language
English
Print length
312 pages
Women’s fantasy fiction, fantasy fiction,
Kiss My Ash contains depictions of: Mild PTSD and panic attacks Past captivity and human trafficking (not depicted on page) Alcohol as a coping mechanism Death of a parent Trauma responses Menopause and perimenopause experiences Violence and threats of violence (non-explicit) Please, take care of yourself.
Note; written for neurodivergent readers, with shortish chapters, accessible prose, and minimal filler.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 