Saint: Le Clan Wilde #5

Forever Wilde #5

by Lucy Lennox

Je n’ai besoin de la protection de personne. Je vais bien. Mais pour rassurer ma sœur après un cambriolage, j’accepte de suivre des cours d’autodéfense. Il se trouve que ces leçons sont données par un ancien Navy SEAL, grand et musclé, qui pourrait bien représenter tout ce dont j’ai toujours rêvé, mais que je n’ai jamais pensé pouvoir avoir.

Et il est déterminé à prendre soin de moi, même lorsque les choses se compliquent dans ma vie. Entre les menaces qui se multiplient envers moi et la pression exercée par ma famille pour que je sois quelqu’un que je ne suis pas, j’ai du mal à tenir le coup. Alors que je commence à m’effondrer, je perds la foi que je rencontrerai un jour quelqu’un qui voudra d’un type comme moi, et encore moins quelqu’un de fort et de compétent comme Saint Wilde.

Mais plus je passe de temps avec lui, plus je me rends compte qu’il n’est pas aussi solide qu’il y paraît. Et je commence à me demander... pendant que Saint s’occupe de tout le monde, qui s’occupe de lui ?

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Military Fiction, Gay, Contemporary Romance

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2018

About the author

I write M/M romance with humor, heart, and heat. Check out my backlist here on GR for a selection of series and standalone or visit www.LucyLennox.com!

I only keep a small list of my very favorite books and series in my bookshelf here. I read A LOT and it's hard to keep the list updated!

Reviews

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp]

DNF @40%

Superficial insta-love with an extra double dose of boring.

This had no depth and the writing nearly put me to sleep. The characters were also completely uninteresting and they had little to no chemistry with each other.

I honestly couldn’t be bothered.


'Forever Wilde' series:
1. Facing West - 1.0 star
2. Felix and the Prince - 4.0 stars
3. Wilde Fire - 2.0 stars
4. Hudson's Luck - 3.0 stars
5. His Saint - dnf
7. King Me - 3.5 stars

Novella:
4.5. Flirt - 3.0 stars
9.5. Professor Platonic - 3.0 stars

Other Lucy Lennox books:
‘After Oscar’ series - var. ratings
Shy Sheldon - 2.0 stars
Virgin Flyer - 4.5 stars
Say You’ll Be Nine - 4.5 stars
Hostile Takeover - 4.0 stars
Prince of Lies - 4.5 stars

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 stars for the Audiobook

3 stars for Story

Grandpa is a Marian... What The Fuck? 🤔 😂

I liked it. It was nice hanging out with the Wilde family.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

~3.5~

Augie bugged the hell out of me. I don't even know how he functioned as an adult, especially running his own business and everything. A home invasion would terrify me too, but Augie was so stubborn, immature, and closed off. He was always assuming the worst about Saint and pushing him away.

Saint was, well, a saint. The man put up with a lot of crap from Augie, although he did the push-pull dance himself, kissing Augie passionately and then freaking out because Augie was a client.

The mystery of who was behind the attacks on Augie's property was mildly interesting. I sort of guessed the culprit, but not all the players. I did want a longer resolution, though. I'm not convinced the whole set-up was believable.

This is a sexy story, with many steamy scenes. Augie giving it up was hot, hot, hot, and Saint was a god in bed. No wonder Augie fell for all those muscles and baby face.

The MCs from the other books have cameo roles, and there is a set-up for Doc and Grandpa's book at the end, which was awkwardly done.

I'm not sure how well the Forever Wilde books would work as standalones. The Wilde family plays a big role in all the stories. For full reading pleasure, I suggest reading in order.

I enjoyed this story despite my niggles. Lucy Lennox's writing is just so engaging, and I loved the bonus scene, which serves as an epilogue.

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

After reading many of my GR friends’ reviews, I honestly went into this Wilde story with lowered expectations… but thank god for that, because as it turns out, I didn’t share any of my friends’ qualms with this story (or its characters) so I ended up genuinely enjoying myself!

This one is somewhat of a bodyguard/protector trope romance, with ex-navy SEAL Saint Wilde stepping in and teaching wealthy antiques dealer August Stiel how to protect himself after a string of break-ins and burglaries rattle Augie’s already anxiety ridden cages.

I enjoyed Saint and Augie’s dynamic, liking both characters enough to truly get behind their opposites-attract romance. I couldn’t get enough of Saint’s fierce protectiveness or his overwhelming attraction to the shier, less experienced Augie. These two just worked for me, on several levels. Plus, they were smoking hot together, so there’s that.

I also liked the mystery component of the story, if that’s what we’re calling it (because it was fairly obvious who was involved in the break-ins from practically the start of the story, but the whys and the who else, thankfully, weren’t as apparent until later in the story).

The only aspect of the story that I remain unsure about revolves around the reveals relating to Grandpa Wilde and the evident set-up to his and Doc’s story (book #6). I love these two characters dearly, always having found great joy in their scenes across the series, but something about the way their book was set-up here just felt somewhat forced to me, especially in terms of how it all miraculously links in to Lennox’s Made Marian series (which I also love). Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to read it, but I just wish it had been introduced in some different way… although, I’ll probably be eating my words soon enough once I get more details and backstory. *fingers crossed*

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Augie loves his antiques. When his home is broken into he hides in his attic. As devastating as the senseless destruction done to his collection, he is more shaken up by the fear overshadowing his life. He decides that learning to protect himself will help him take back control.

Saint, in trouble for a comment he made about a client, is sent to Hobie as a punishment. Giving self defense lessons doesn’t rank high on his list of things to do. Until he sees the delicious man he will be helping.

Augie and Saint dance around each other. Being extremely attracted only adds complications to the mystery they are trying to solve.

Very cute story. I liked how their attraction made each of them vulnerable. Saint not knowing how a beautiful man like Augie could want him. Augie thinking they would be temporary because a stunning man like Saint couldn’t be satisfied with someone as unremarkable as him.
Altogether a satisfying love story. Nice addition to the Wilde stories.

[Elsa Bravante · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, leo esta serie porque a veces son entretenidos y porque está en KU (si no estuvieran en KU con absoluta seguridad no la seguiría), pero es tan tan poco creíble todo y tan OTT en ocasiones... El nerd inseguro y el SEAL protector, si tienes ganas de leer sobre ello sin un atisbo de realidad y tienes KU, adelante, si no es el caso, abstente.

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bummer, bummer, bummer.

I couldn't wait for this one. Just the mention of Saint in the other books had me so completely intrigued by him.

He didn't knock my socks off. He came across, I don't know, as too soft and not at all what I was expecting. He just read totally different than he did in the other books. I think I was really ready for a bold, gruff, Navy Seal player type. I dunno. I did like him. He was compassionate and well, passionate but he didn't read strong to me.

Augie. I don't think I really ended up liking him all that much. I mean he was terrified of everything but when he talked to Saint he was down right mean to him. He never said anything nice to him and kept everything in his own head. He was a contradiction at every second. I kind of wanted him to need Saint and while he did we spent the majority of the book fighting that and fighting that in a very not nice way.

Overall I totally dig the Wilde's, even more than I do the Marion's but somehow this one just missed the mark for me.

[Denise H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

* Lucy Lennox books just get better and more exciting. Loved the opposites attracting, and the smaller/larger guys.
* Augie/August Stiel, 28, is an antique dealer
who has been the target of a home burglary.

His sister insists he take self defense classes. We learn why he's so timid.
* Former Navy SEAL, tall hunk, Saint Wilde, 31, is working as a Security Expert, when he's moved to teach the classes.

He finds Augie adorable, and after class they spend time together.

I liked each of these men, and they belong in each other's company. Both are caring, sweet, devoted and lonely. A mystery is afoot as Augie is targeted several more times. Saint's overwhelming need to protect is in full gear.


Their sexy times are fabulous, as we see Augie's first times with Saint, which include all of the deep emotions they both have.


We get action, suspense, questions, hot romance, snappy banter, fun, and much more. Terrific characters all around and a fun story.

We are truly entertained.
Highly recommended. ENJOY !

======

[Santy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

Something was missing here.

I loved Lucy’s writing as usual and the Wilde’s were perfect but I just didn’t get lost in the story like I did for the previous books in this series.

I think it’s because I didn’t connect with the MCs. I liked Saint well enough but couldn’t get Augie. His insecurity and low self-esteem I understood, but his insistence on pushing away help and comfort when he obviously needed both desperately did not endear him to me. I just couldn’t get it.

Also, the emotional side of their relationship felt unreal to me. I didn’t buy it. I know Saint wanted to protect Augie but all the other things and the “love” just didn’t work for me.

I feel this was just a filler book befor Doc and Grandpa’s book (which would be a crossover with the Made Marian series) and it looks like Aunt Tilly(who I cannot stand) from that series would be featuring heavily in it. Lord save us all.

[Bookreader87(Amanda) · Rating 3 out of 5]

His Saint Augie

3.25 stars
Another solid addition to the Wilde series. Always fun to revisit Hobie Texas with the bunch. This time we get Saint's love story with the sweet antique shop owner Augie.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saint is the first Wilde I actually like!!! Augie drove me nuts though, so I'm resigned to the idea there won't be an actual couple in this series where I like both characters 😂

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never really warmed up to Augie. The burglary side plot could have been so good and I’m generally a huge fan of body guard books - but didn’t really work for me this time.

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another satisfying romance in the Wilde family series

I liked lots of this romance including Saint's absolute determination that Augie was his person and that he'd do whatever it took to let him know he was there for him and Augie's awareness that Saint needed someone to look after him too.

The mystery/suspense element of the narrative also worked well for most of the book. Although I didn't think one part of it really got the necessary time spent on it dealing with the fallout - it felt a bit "wham bam" plot point completed when it needed more of a reaction from Augie and his sister in my view.

That said, that specific part was more of a side burner to the main tensions which were driven well throughout.

Lots of lovely conversations between Augie and Saint meant a lot of humour too and plenty of smexy times as well. Both men were easy to like as characters and their relationship never felt forced.

There are more plot lines thrown in for the rest of the series and I am seriously stoked to be getting Grandpa and Doc's story up next.

[Gerbera_Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read for me. I didn't hate it but neither did I love it. I liked Auggie and his internal struggle with his insecurities. Saint was a bit arrogant at times but I enjoyed his relationship with his siblings especially MJ. One of my pet peeves in this book was overuse of the word dude. (Weird, I know) The culprit was evident from the beginning and as the book progressed, there it was right in the open. Maybe after reading so many mystery/suspense books, I wanted it to be a little more challenging. There was enough steam, cute/awkward moments to make this a nice book.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this - so adorable and sweet. Both Augie & Saint resonated with me and I felt connected with both characters. Saint was a gentleman who showed compassion & empathy for Augie, even before he understood the triggers and traumas Augie was battling. This one just hit the right spot for me - loved it !

[Vanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!! 💕 Really liked it💖.. not my favorite in this series, but still very enjoyable.
Augie, a sweet young man in his late twenties despite being wealthy has his share of baggage (traumatic childhood/stoic family/bullied in school); but he finds his salvation in the small-town of Hobie and his antiques shop. Soon after settling down however, his life seems threatened by an unknown enemy when his home is burgled and car gets broken into twice. His childhood fears now renewed, he takes the advice of his sister and decides to take self defense classes..; the trainer: Saint Wilde; the hot ex-SEAL now security specialist who after a tough assignment is taking a brief break from his regular duties. Sparks fly between the two immediately, but Augie due his insecurities and Saint not wanting to break any more rules keep it strictly professional for as long as they can. But threat follows Augie constantly and Saint's protective nature seeps through and soon they can't keep their hands off of each other. Can Saint keep Augie safe from this unknown enemy? What is the enemy looking for? Will Augie find the courage to claim this Wilde-man for his own? What kind of future will they have in Hobie? 😉
The passion between the two is sizzling hot, the mystery enemy in the plot is seemingly obvious but there is a surprise enemy who was totally unexpected. Saint is the perfect MC and his extended family is just awesome. Augie, comes off a little weak and yet stubborn in his ways. Despite the chemistry, it takes a very long time for him to trust Saint with his fears. His on again, off again attitude was a little frustrating. Nevertheless it is a wonderfully romantic book which can be read as a standalone, but it's highly recommended that it be read in order of the series. The characters from the previous books show up quite frequently and it would be good to have those connections understood. Last but not the least, the epilogue is hot and sweet. 🔥😍 Recommended to all "Wilde" fans! 👍👍

[haletostilinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars!

This book was about Saint, Otto's older Navy SEAL brother from previous books and Augie, the antique store owner we met from the last book.

Augie is a small, shy guy who has pretty bad insecurities about himself and who thinks no one will ever want him do to bullying - by his own family at times - when he was growing up and people making him feel like shit throughout his life.

When his house his broken into one night and he finds himself hiding in a hide-y hole above his closet the whole time these people are breaking into his house for hours, his sister Rory convinces him to take some self defense classes because he absolutely refuses to get a bodyguard.

Saint has recently got in trouble for some comment he made about his pop star client, and his punishment is teaching a guy some self defense classes in Hobie.

There is an instant connection between the two, but Saint is determined to be good this time and not screw shit up - like sleeping with his client - and Augie is always thinking there's no way a guy like Saint - all 6'5" of his muscled frame - would want Augie.

I found this slow at times and I wasn't as into Saint and Augie as I've been with past couples, and Augie frustrated me quite a bit throughout this - he was SO determined to not be seen as weak (and he had messed up ideas of what was weak from his family) and he kept thinking throughout until almost the end that there is no way Saint would want him, and then there's no way he would want him for long...and so on - that it got to be a bit much.

It was like he couldn't let go for one second and enjoy what he had and give in to his love for Saint until the end. It frustrated me, especially when he would hurt Saint because of his insecurities. They were understandable to a point, but he just didn't not communicate well or express his feelings well most of the time and I just ended up feeling bad for Saint.

There was also a moment of complete manufactured drama that amounted to nothing - so why have it in there? - where Saint had to leave to help with a family thing and he leaves a note for Augie in the master bathroom so he'll "see it first thing" even though, I don't know...setting it on the pillow or nightstand would make him see it first thing? Why put it in the bathroom lmao. And then Augie doesn't take a shower because of someone being at the door and he doesn't see then note and then he thinks Saint left him and then gets drunk...and it's a whole thing.

But then Saint comes to the door and Augie doesn't even question him, he just gets over it and then later they find out about how he didn't see the note and it was this WHOLE production for no real payoff of any kind. It was ridiculous.

Anyway, despite those annoyances, I DID enjoy this and Augie and Saint did have chemistry and were incredibly sweet and adorable a lot throughout this book. I especially enjoyed the last few chapters where they got together for good and Augie let go and gave into his love for Saint.

Overall this was a good story, with a good couple with cute, adorable moments, but not one of my favorites in the series.

[Cat the bookworm (semi hiatus ish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might be a bit biased by now because I’m addicted to the Wildes from Hobie,Texas - so ofc I loved Saint and Augie‘s story, too

We’ve already met Augie, he’s the shy antiques shop owner whos cat, Milo, has an affair with Mama, Charlie’s dog.

Turns out he’s from a very wealthy family, gay but not out due to family pressure, and currently seemingly in the focus of a burglar who broke in and robbed him while he was in the house. He hires an ex marine to teach him how to defend himself and by that fighting his anxiety attacks - and said instructor is Saint Wilde.

I loved how Saint fought his immediate attraction to Augie, trying to be professional. And I loved how Augie slowly stepped out of his comfort zone and took what he wanted, and how he - finally- stood up for himself against the bullies in his family. The crime side plot wasn’t as annoying as it could have been, actually adding both to Augie’s character development and the story - the only thing that felt a bit unnecessary and underdeveloped was the story around MJ, Saint’s twin sister.

All in all and enjoyable read, but not quite as good as Gideon&Charlie’s book.

[Eugenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh...

This one is my least favorite of the bunch thus far. I felt very little chemistry between Saint and Augie.

I liked Saint, the ex-navy SEAL turned bodyguard. Augie, the nervous antiques dealer lacked so much confidence that he put me off.

Lennox tried her hand at a little bit of intrigue and action in this one, but it didn’t work for me. I don’t think the story needed it.

So...unless you’re a die-hard Lennox fan, you might want to skip this one.

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I doubt this author can top my fave book of hers: #6 in this series.

This def didn't come close. Dragged on. I dunno, I didn't really connect with either character.

BUT, it's always hot when the topper bottoms. The willingness to be vulnerable for the guy he loves.

I skipped most of this, just read the naughty bits.

Moving on.

[Neta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was hard for me to like, mainly because of Augie, he is so clearly and illogically insecure and instead of it making you care for him you just feel annoyed by him. To me his constant doubt in Saint, especially when they get to know each other and become intimate did not make sense and felt like a way to drag out their eventual 'getting together' moment.
Another thing I found hard was that from the very beginning of the book you have very clear clues about what is going on the the author chose to make the characters stupidly ignorant to things so blatantly obvious, it frustrated me a lot. Augie also has this issue with sharing important details and constantly assuming he would be perceived as weak and then get BEATEN UP by Saint. Despite his past, which I understand can cause these fears, Saint was so patient and kind with him throughout the book, always accommodating and helping, Never judging Augie, and it makes no sense for him to keep thinking that about Saint. It was so hard to care for a character that can ignore the way someone is treating him. It felt engineered to make sure they have a conflict between them, or again, don't get together "too soon" and was just a major plot issue for me.

These books are, as always, funny and it was a shame not to be able to care for Augie and feel like it was drawn out instead of made into a logical plot line. I would also like to say, despite it being very typical of her books, I find it hard to read another story where the first meeting between two man is based solely on how much they want in each other's pants and can't think straight because of it. It gets old very fast and I would like to see more variety or less instant hornyness sometimes.

Sorry to say I didn't like it more.

[Fani *loves angst*]

DNF at 38% because I didn't much care for Augie. He acted like a TSTL heroine when it was obvious there was a threat out there, and TSTL heroines are one of the reasons I left FM romance for MM, so I'm not wasting any more time in this.

[♡❀✦☞ Sammy ☜✦❀♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

[Ash🍉 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

Another hit in this series, it has the same style as the previous books but I just love them anyway. The few Stevie cameos had me dying each time 😂

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great add to the series. I love this series more and more with each book. We get Saint finally and I was happily surprised with who he is on a deeper level. Each are different but opposites attract for sure. Saint might be a huge ex-SEAL but has a sweet gentle heart of gold, a true good guy who wants to finally settle down like this brothers have; with his loving supportive family it should be easier. Augie is new to town, a shy scared nerd who is trying to deal with the aftermath of a trauma. He is adorable as he finds himself, taking a step towards being his true self. His family is the worst by far and you'll cheer on Augie to confront them once and for all. This story had a mystery to solve and had me guessing til the end, this is a slow burn connection but it is definitely worth it once they get together. Chemistry is hot, intense and sweet. These two had me smiling the whole way through. We get updates with Otto/Seth and West/Nico, fun scenes with MJ, Stevie and Charlie. New characters like Rex, Landen and Neckie I hope we see more of. With a few surprises along the way I can't wait for the next. I voluntarily reviewed an 'Advance Author’s Copy' of this book.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable addition to the Wilde family series. Saint was a...well, a saint. Stunning, strong, and sweet. Augie was the perfect mate for the former SEAL. Quiet, intelligent, a mouse among his domineering family members, wealthy, and attempting to be independent. He runs an antique shop in Hobie, not far from Hudson and Charlie's pub.

The dynamic was great. A slow burn with a bodyguard/former SEAL and a quiet nerdy guy who happens to be a virgin? Oh yes, and add to that a nice story in addition to their budding romance so this one was interesting as well.

I'm holding off on reading Doc's and Grampa's stories for a bit. I want to savor that one. But I do recommend these romances to anyone looking for a nice contemporary love story.

[Elyxyz Elyxyz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mi è piaciuta molto questa storia, ha una bella trama e un buon ritmo. Ho notato anche un miglioramento nell’editing italiano rispetto ai precedenti. August e Saint sono davvero carini insieme: timido e insicuro il primo, il gigante buono il secondo. E poi tutto il clan Wilde che li aiuta, lo sostiene e s’impiccia amorevolmente dei fatti altrui.
Resto in attesa di conoscere la storia di Nonno e Doc.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

His Saint is the fifth book in Lucy Lennox’s Forever Wilde series. We have met both Saint and Augie in past books, though I think the story would stand alone pretty well. What you miss jumping in here is meeting the extended Wilde clan, many of whom make appearances in this story. So some of the family dynamics may move past you, but the basic storyline should work fine as a standalone.

I really enjoy an opposites attract vibe in my books, so I was drawn in right away by Saint and Augie. Saint is kind of hard not to like, as he is hunky and brave and just on the right side of protective to not be boorish. Augie is a little pricklier, but he is struggling with this need to be strong and self sufficient that his family has drilled into him, versus his very real fears and anxieties. I could feel for Augie as he so badly wants to let go, share his burdens, and open himself up to Saint, but he just can’t quite let himself. I enjoyed seeing him slowly come to believe that he can rely on Saint and that is ok to need someone. At times I felt like Augie’s insecurities could have been better grounded in the story. We know his cousin was a bully and that affected Augie’s self esteem, but we don’t get enough detail for me to really understand fully where Augie is coming from. He has no sense of self worth and is constantly sure Saint will leave him, even though Saint has done nothing to indicate he sees this as temporary. So I think more backstory might have helped here.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down

Sweet, well-plotted, hot.
This series is comfort food.
And yay for MJ!