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.

"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!

In my opinion if you are a Cassia Leo fan she did not disappoint. This was a very emotional trip through grief, love and understanding. I liked both Colette and Jake their journey to love is long and frustrating. Both Colette and Jake have flaws but I understood where they were coming from. I felt all the emotions to my core. I have a feeling some of the pain displayed in Savage Love was personal for Cassia Leo, I know she has had some personal grief the last couple of years. Colette and Jake both carry secrets from family and each other they have to come to terms with. The strength and wisdom that Colette and Jake have at such a young age in amazing. Cassia Leo did bring a tears to my eyes. If you are a Cassia Leo fan or a fan of emotional trips, Savage Love is for you. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader's copy.