Manipulated

by S. Wagner

All she wanted was a safe place to call home.

All he needed was someone he could count on.

Nothing in Charlotte Collins’ life has ever come easy. After bouncing around foster homes as a child and escaping an abusive relationship as an adult, she finds herself in Cedar Valley with hopes of a new beginning and the stability she’s been searching for her whole life.

Trauma seems to follow Jude VanHoss through every stage in his life. From losing his parents at a young age, to being betrayed by the one person he should have been able to count on, he’s closed himself off from the outside world as much as possible, refusing to get hurt again.

When Charlie and Jude’s paths cross unexpectedly, they soon realize they have more in common than anticipated. Will they find the safe, stable life they’ve both been craving or will their pasts come back to haunt them and rip it all away?

Continue Jude and Charlie’s journey to security and happiness in Manuipulated, book two in the Cedar Valley Series.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 14, 2025

Reviews

[Bethany Latronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book of this series was everything I needed and more. The secrets kept & revealed and the twists throughout had my emotions all over the place. I absolutely loved every single second of it! It was intense. The mental health representation and trauma talk was wonderful. I enjoyed learning more about the FMC's past, and seeing her start to work through it. The MMC is perfect - he's a well-rounded, strong leader.

⭐5/5
🌶️3/5

[Jenny Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

@authorswagner GIRL! How are you gunna do me like that? The ending always gets me!!!! 😭😭
Idk which was better, Vindicated or Manipulated! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The suspense in these books will keep you on the edge of your seat! I could not put this book down! There was definitely more spice in book 1, but book 2 had some damn good spicy scenes, too! 🌶🌶🌶 Gravel roads.....🤔😉
Anyway, I can't wait to put this book on my shelf!
Also, S. Wagner, please tell me there is a book 3 coming sometime in the near future? Cause I need an update after that epilogue!
Thank you for letting me be a part of your arc team!
I will be posting more reminders for everyone when this book releases! #bookstagram friends, this is a much have!!! Go get book 1, so you're ready for book 2!
Oh! And for all my Iowa friends and family out there, support your local authors! S. WAGNER is an Iowa girlie and deserves all the love!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[Holli Sacco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! It wasn't what I was expecting but that's okay! I will say that I was a little bit confused in the beginning as far as how certain people were suddenly there (or maybe I missed something when reading the first book), so that threw off the beginning for me a little bit. But I enjoyed all of the twists and turns that this book took (even though I did guess a few of them pretty early), it kept me reading and I finished in 3 sittings!