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Author of the popular Cedar Tree series, as well as the critically acclaimed standalone “From Dust,” Freya Barker is driven to make her stories about ‘real’ people; with characters who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills, and some hot, sizzling sex in their lives.
Recipient of the RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for best first book, “Slim To None,” Freya has hit the ground running. She loves nothing more than to meet and mingle with her readers, whether it be online or in person at one of the signings she attends. With her kids grown and out in the world, Freya has poured her creative energy into spinning story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!
Reviewed by JJ Phillips for Readers' Favorite
From Dust by Freya Barker is a romantic suspense that is tough, dark, and ultimately inspiring. It starts with Sydney Donner, a woman unsuccessfully trying to run from her mistakes. She lives in an abandoned shed next to a pub called The Skipper. Gunnar Lucas owns the pub, but he is too distracted as a single parent to pay too much attention when Sydney starts working at The Skipper. He can tell she has a secret. When the shed next to the pub catches on fire, he thinks he has finally figured out what her secret is. Eventually Sydney and Gunner put trust in one another, because a multitude of subplots comes into play and adds suspense and a mysterious twist to their now budding relationship. As the plot thickens, the characters grow until they are capable of letting go of the past and looking toward a bright future...perhaps together.
From Dust is a good story that crossed a multitude of areas and topics, including parenting, working relationships, and class. I enjoyed Freya Barker's descriptions of Sydney when she was homeless. These scenes were incredibly detailed and made the story come to life in a way that I haven't experienced in a while. I also liked Gunnar's character. I liked that the male character was taking care of his children (a role reversal we don't always see in romantic suspense), and I liked the way he thought about Sydney and how he chose to act on those feelings.
