Savage Love: A Second-Chance Stand-Alone Romance

4.25 stars--SAVAGE LOVE is the first instalment in Cassia Leo’s contemporary, adult LOVE LIKE THIS erotic, romance series. This is twenty –two year old Colette Baker, and twenty-four year old Jake Maxwell’s story line. WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive issues. Told in three parts, and from dual first person perspectives (Jake and Colette) SAVAGE LOVE follows the building romance and relationship between twenty –two year old Colette Baker, and twenty-four year old bartender / grad student Jake Maxwell. Colette Baker lost everything the day of her twenty-second birthday but ghosted by her one-night stand ‘Max’ added more hurt to her already broken and seriously hung-over heart. Fast forward four months wherein Max will seek out our story line heroine hoping to pursue a relationship but Max refuses to reveal why he disappeared, and in the ensuing weeks to months Max continues to keep secrets that force our heroine to reconsider everything and more. Jake Maxwell’s attraction to Colette was immediate and visceral but Jake’s life imploded the night he met our story line heroine. Four months would pass before Jake is able to seek out the woman he met while tending bar but Jake’s secrets and lies are meant to protect everyone he has ever loved. Colette Baker got good and drunk the night of her twenty-second birthday, and thought she found a sympathetic and compassionate heart in Max, the bartender who became her guardian and protector on that fateful night but Max’s secrets and lies would continue to grow, leaving our heroine wondering about what happened and why. The relationship between Colette and Max is one of immediate attraction that began the day and night both suffered horrific losses. Max refuses to talk about what happened, lying by omission in an effort to protect not only the woman with whom he is falling in love but the only person who survived that fateful night. Colette found herself falling for a man she did not know, and when the truth is revealed, our heroine is blindsided but the vitriol and accusations of immense pain and suffering. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. The colorful cast of secondary and supporting characters include Colette’s parents Ryan and Cyndi Baker; her best friends Dahlia and Anissa; Max’s sister Frankie, and his friends Diego, Kev and Nate. Frankie’s story line is next in Broken Love. SAVAGE LOVE is a raw and emotional story of heart break and passion; a haunting story of tragedy and loss, forgiveness and love. The premise is impassioned and dramatic ; the romance is provocative and intense; the characters are broken, tragic and inspiring.

I knew from the beginning of this book that it would keep me wondering and guessing. I knew it would be emotional. -And it was! Collette and Jake are extremely likable characters. They both stole my heart in different ways. At times I knew that I was missing pieces of the story, so I wasn’t sure how to feel or what to prepare myself for. It made for an interesting reading experience, I really loved it! It’s more than a romance. It’s more than a story about someone’s worst day. It’s more than pain and secrets. I loved the journey this story took me on. I loved the wisdom through the pain. I loved the romance, playfulness and the steam. I loved the deep emotions it evoked from the characters and from me! It’s so well written, I love this story and the characters! This is a story that will stay with me.

"There is a fine line between love and hate. Even love can sometimes feel like an act of violence." Holy Hotness!! You will swoon over the mysteriousness that is Jake. The chemistry between him and coca-Colette is stifling. I love Jake's protective nature. I think we all want someone to want to keep us safe like that. Collette has 2 BFF Anissa and Dahlia and the banter between those 3 is awesome. This book is sad, serious, heartbreaking,steamy, mysterious...listen you will want to keep turning the page. One minutes it's 9PM and the next it is 1AM..oops!