Salvageable

by Jean Baxter

The trouble with trust is once it’s broken, it changes who you are and who you will become—forever.

If Michael Jarrid thinks the worst has happened when his parents don't believe him over his pregnant ex-girlfriend’s lie, he is wrong. Feeling alone, he pours all of his heart and soul into a new relationship. What Lacey does to him is even worse . . .

Now he doesn't even trust himself. Is his life salvageable?

267 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 17, 2017

About the author

Jean Baxter lives in northeastern Wisconsin. As a single mom, she white-knuckled it through the adolescent years of her two kids. She found it to be a time fraught with angst and drama. She credits those experiences for her love of writing for that age group. A career as a nurse makes her background ripe with real life scenarios. Along with her obsession for writing, she adores her four grandchildren (more fodder for her stories), gardening, traveling, and wonderful friends. She is a member of Green Bay Area Writer's Guild and Wisconsin Writer's Association.

Reviews

[Tracy Zickert lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart Touching

A must read if you're looking for a heart touching book. Once I started the book I couldn't put the book down.

[James Zelzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard putting this book down

This is such a well written, heartfelt book. I felt involved with the characters and the "mom" in me came to the surface. I highly recommend this book. I'm anxiously awaiting Jean's next book!

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Salvageable by Jean Baxter, is a coming of age, young adult novel about Michael an 18-year old who is just out of high school, anticipating college, when obstacles of love and loss turn his life upside down. The dialogue is quick, creative and lively between Michael and his buddies. The tensions between parent and child are real. Baxter keeps us guessing what will happen next with an engaging plot with unexpected turns. This is a book young adult readers will identify with; and I look forward to the sequel.

[Joshua Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

High school senior Mike’s life is going great—he just graduated and is about to head off to college—when he learns that his ex-girlfriend is pregnant. Jean Baxter’s Salvageable is a powerful tale of the ups and downs of young parents trying to make it in life. Well written and emotional, this is a great hopeful read for any It’s a Wonderful Life fans out there!

[rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I couldn't put it down! From the first page I was hooked. Great story line and character development. I would recommend this book. Bravo to Jean Baxter on her first but hopefully not the last novel.

[Larry O'Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Interesting plot. Loved the characters. Very believable.Shows how growing up you do things you regret but are able to turn things around

[Pamela Harju · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will confess, first of all, that I'm no longer a young adult and, therefore, not the primary target group of this book! If I was, I probably would have enjoyed it even more.
This is a story that warmed the cockles of my heart and at the same time pulled on my heartstrings. Mike is a character that I felt for although I admit that there were times when I was mad at him for being so stubborn. His heart is in the right place, but he doesn't always act accordingly, creating chaos around him.
The characters are ordinary, but I say that in a good way; they feel like real people instead of like characters in books sometimes can be where the author has tried too hard to make them interesting. Ordinary people and their ordinary problems are interesting if the book is well written and the story draws you in. I think Jean Baxter's Salvageable is a prime example of this. A fine debut novel.

[Diane Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfathomable is Jean Baxter’s continuation of the life of Mike Jarrid and his encounters as he enters adulthood. From the joy of finding true love to the cutting pain of loss, I enjoyed the Mike’s character and reading about the situations in which he finds himself on his journey. The range of emotion the character goes through is very deep and it makes you feel as though you yourself are Mike as you recall your own drama of leaving the comfort and safety of being a kid and now following the road of adulthood, bumps and all. Although I felt that the ending would be a happy one, I kept reading and I’m glad I did as I read an interesting, surprising twist at the end which gave me that “ah” moment as Mike makes an unexpected and pleasing discovery. I have read the advanced review copy and I highly recommend this book for anyone that loves a great romance.

[Terry Misfeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jean Baxter has mastered story telling with this first novel. Salvageable weaves the tale of a young man at odds with his doubting parents as he begins his adult life. Mike is accused of fathering a former girlfriend's child and, despite denying it, is chastised. He turns to the arms of another woman and, before the story ends, finds redemption. I'd rather not reveal too much of the plot, but Jean Baxter keeps the reader enthralled as the main character bumps head with authority on his road to salvaging his life.

Salvageable is a good foray into the young adult genre for Jean Baxter, and I would think it falls into the category of a must read for young men. Well done!

[Vicky Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a debut novel I thought it was excellent. The beginning had me hooked. Typically I am an article and short story reader, so a book more than 200 pages has to written in such a way that it maintains my attention. This one did!!

It took me back into the early years of finding myself and at times I felt like grabbing Michael by the shirt collar and telling him to 'smarten up'. Mind you those trials of youth need to happen to create who you're suppose to be as an adult.

Once finished I wanted more.

Great Job Jean Baxter!!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an enjoyable read! The story is a plausible scenario within many a family, where trust is strained. Emotions feel raw and real. Ms. Baxter has a writing style, which is warm and heartfelt, while also accurate to the language and belief systems of young adults. Her use of descriptive vocabulary certainly adds to the visualization of the story itself.

I bought a second copy for my daughter, as I didn't want to let go off my own copy.

[Deb Behrendt LaMarch · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart sank, leapt, cringed and cried with all the characters, especially Michael, who makes his way through the adventures of relationships and struggles. I thoroughly enjoyed Jean Baxter's Exceptional writing style, which allows the reader to visualize, and emotionally experience a fractured, but resilient main character. Can't wait to read more from this new writer!

[Cyrene Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncaged Review: Mike had it all planned out according to his father. Finish school then off to college. Until Mike finds himself in trouble with his ex girlfriend.

I really enjoyed this book as it focused on real life problems. I even found myself getting angry with Mike like I knew him myself.
Reviewed by Jennifer

[Beth Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book from a Good Reads Giveaway.

What a great storyline. Once I started, it was hard to put down. Lots of real world connections to be made and the characters even reminded me of people I know! lol. The emotions in the book truly connect the reader to the characters.

[Jennie Rosenblum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brought back all the angst of being a teen or when my children were teens. The frustration of dealing as a “grown” kid but not having reached the maturity to match their adult size was well presented in this book. This is a realistic coming of age tale.

Mike is the typical high school senior with all the usual issues as well as a mess of a situation thrown in. His recent ex-girl friend just told him she is pregnant, his father has his whole life planned out, and many older brothers seem to be putting a lot of pressure on him. Mike loses control and himself.

I feel the author did a really good job of pulling you into Mike’s life and helping the reader experience the challenges, questioning and annoyance that teens deal with as they become adults.

Due to the subject matter I would suggest this book to high school age as well as adult readers.

[KobeJoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has it all. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. It has you thinking of how this young man Michael, was lied to, deeply hurt by the lies, and hurt from his parents. It has you crying, laughing and worried all in one book. I truly enjoyed reading this book. Thanks Jean Baxter

[Nancie Lafferty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written young-adult, coming-of-age story of a nice young man whose well-planned out future takes some unexpected twists and turns. A bit anachronistic at times, but an enjoyable read.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

A GoodReads first to read giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

This paperback copy was published November 25th, 2017 by Soul Mate Publishing.

I was hooked from the start when I saw the cover art and title. Reading the synopsis I just had to know more so I was so happy to win a free copy.

Michael Jarrid is about to experience his worst birthday ever. His ex-girlfriend and her parents are about to arrive at his parents’ house to let them know she is pregnant. Pushed to the edge by his parents lack of trust and belief in his version of the events he stumbles across his neighbor Lacey. A new promising relationship that ends just as badly as his first. Betrayed and hurt, one bad decision leads to another and Michael is forced to re-evaluate all his choices, is his life salvageable?

Salvageable is a super easy read and keeps you wanting to know what happens next. That being said, I had to suspend my belief on some of the relationships/decisions being made by some of the characters.

The relationship between the ex-girlfriend and Michael is easy to understand. Michael’s reactions to his parents and the situation is easy to understand, even as you want to slap him and say “listen to your parents fool!†Where my suspension of belief happens is with the relationship with Lacey.

We are introduced to Lacey and her 2 year old son very quickly into the story. As a mom to two young children I cannot imagine diving into a relationship with a much younger man and letting him into my kids life as easily as Lacey did. She is much older than Michael in the life experience department, the age gap between his just graduated high school 18 and her graduated from college with a nursing degree, divorced, I have a two year old self. If she was younger, maybe still going through school this would have been a little bit easier to swallow.

Outside of that, I think the author did a very good job navigating an 18 year old twice burned by love view point. I would be interested in reading more by this author!

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. Kind of an odd book. It felt like it’d been written in the early 80’s, pulled out later, with parts updated, to be published in 2017. The characters felt incredibly anachronistic and made the story a bit of a stretch. Wasn’t a bad read, just odd.