I was so excited when I heard that Clarissa was writing Jaret's book; I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Jaret has gone through quite an evolution. In Fierce, he was just Hunter's strange roommate. In Fury, we got to know him a little better. He helped Hunter out with the gang, but only up to a certain point because he was worried about the consequences. He seemed a little selfish to me because of that, but he could have chosen not to help at all, so I thought he was alright. In Flame, he stood out as much as a secondary character can. We really saw a different side to him. He was wise, thoughtful, and he helped Hunter come to his senses whenever he was lost. I really started to like Jaret and I hoped that he would get his own story. I'm so glad that he did!
Jaret is a one night stand kind of guy because the girls don't want him for him and he's hung up on the one girl who did, Lin. Jaret has always loved Lin and he is lost without her. He finds her again in an unexpected place and she's different from the girl he knew. He refuses to let her get away from him a second time and decides to fight for her. Lin wants to be with him too, but she has debts that she thinks makes it impossible for them to be together. She has to decide whether to put her pride on hold and let him help her.
I loved Jaret! He's sexy and dirty, but he's also sweet on Lin. You never question his love for her or his determination to claim her. I also enjoyed meeting Lin's character. I thought she was going to be like Autumn, and while Lin is nice like her, they are really different. She's not shy, she knows that she wants Jaret and she refuses to let him hold back. She loves him and is willing to forget about her parents' honor to be with him.
Pride is a major theme in this book. It ranges from not having any of it, to having too much of it, to learning to let go of it to accept help. It was a nice balance – showing how too much pride can hurt you and others, but that you do need to have some pride to prove that you care. I loved how Filthy showed that sometimes you need to accept help and there's nothing wrong with needing it or accepting it.
Flame is still my favorite in the series, but I did love Filthy. It is a novella so you can finish it one sitting if you don't get interrupted. I didn't mind the shortness, though, because everything moved at a nice pace without too many complications. It might seem like Lin and Jaret's relationship develops really fast, but they have loved each other for years, and they finally get to be together, so they don't fight against it. I love that!
I finished Filthy with a big smile on my face; I loved it! I will absolutely read it again; it's filthy hot with no cliffhanger and a great HEA. I definitely recommend it to anyone who's read the series and loved it. ~ Paige, 5 stars
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I am all tied up in Clarissa Wild’s Fierce series. I have read all the existing installments, enjoyed them, and thus I was both intrigued and excited at the prospect of getting a book (and some history) for Jaret. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I was going to get from the rich, bad boy and I wasn’t sure what I wanted, either....
Jaret Paxon appears to have it all. Money, expensive toys, women on their knees before him. But it’s not real. His life is broken and spiraling out of control and he’s not sure where he’s going. When he encounters Lin, the girl that he loved and lost, in the last place he would expect to find her, he knows that his life isn’t the only one that’s broken.
Jaret wants to help the one girl that makes him want to be a better man. He’s determined to save her from the trouble she’s found herself in. He wants her – even though he knows that Lin is too good for the filthy, ex-dealer he’s become.
I wanted to love this novella, but sadly I didn’t. I liked it well enough, but I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. Writing a novella is an art, no doubt, because there is a trick to making a story feel complete in a short form.
This novella felt more like a short story, an introduction, than a complete story. The pacing of the story felt off – things happened too fast or too slow – and there wasn’t enough history for me to believe in the connection between Jaret and Lin or to get invested in their future.
Having said that, I found the filthy-as-f*ck sex scene to be....filthy-as-f*ck. Yep, it was very hot. I enjoyed seeing a little bit of Hunter and his Leafy, Autumn. It was great to finally see a little more of Jaret, after he redeemed himself (somewhat) in Hunter’s POV, Fury. There was definitely plenty here for fans of this series – and it’s enough to make me interested in reading more from these characters (I say Hunter’s brother needs a book, stat). I just wish there had been more...
Filthy is the third book in the Fierce series and can be read standalone, but I would recommend getting acquainted with the series first. No cliffhanger. ~ Beth, 3.5 stars.