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❤~🌟~❤ 4.5 BREATH-STEALING STARS! ❤~🌟~❤
“Sometimes, the bravest thing to do is stay and fight.”
What do you get when a ruggedly sexy small-town sheriff reunites with his beautifully beleaguered long-lost love, only to discover she’s hiding a WHOPPER of a secret? A WHOLE LOT OF EXPLOSIVE FIREWORKS, that's what! !
Wowza! C.M. Seabrook has managed to sweep me off my feet yet again with SALVAGE, the latest standalone installment in her interconnected Savages & Saints series. I swear each book she writes is even more enthralling than the last, and this high octane second chance tale is no exception!
THE STORY:
At 17, Lorelei was living a nightmare under the tyranny of her stepfather, notorious criminal Bence Farkas, and had secret plans to skip town before he made good on his sadistic plans for her. Then she and Damon Savage fell in love—and into bed—and she allowed herself to dream of the impossible . However, after overhearing a callous conversation that shattered her heart, she ran off, determined to follow through with her plans to leave Port Clover forever.
Deeply remorseful for hurting Lorelei, Damon chased after her, hellbent on making amends . But he was too late, and his world crashed down around him when the girl he desperately loved disappeared in a mysterious boating accident during a dangerous thunderstorm.
Skip ahead to present day, 11 years later. Damon, who’s now the Port Clover Sheriff, can’t believe his eyes when he spots Lorelei in an out of town diner , in disguise. His lawman intuition tells him she’s desperate and afraid…and in big trouble.
Turns out his gut was right.
Lorelei was forced out of hiding when her son, Nolan, was kidnapped by her stepfather and her reunion with Damon is hardly joyous when he foils her plans to come up with the blackmail money. Damon promises to help her get her boy back from her evil stepfather, but they will do it HIS way. But that entails putting her son’s life in the hands of her far too bossy former flame who betrayed her trust all those years ago.
Damon has been working for years to bring back down the crime ring in his town, led by Farkas. And as he and Lorelei race against time to orchestrate a daring rescue of Nolan, it's clear their red-hot attraction is more potent than ever and they can no longer deny the undeniable gravitational pull between them. But just as they begin it find their way back to each other, Damon is sucker punched with life altering news about Lorelei’s son. Can these two lovers salvage what they once lost, and keep their newfound family intact, before the worst nightmare come to fruition?
MY MUSINGS:
Sigh. I love me a wildly passionate love story with all the feels that seamlessly intertwines romance, passion, drama and suspense, and SALVAGE accomplished that beautifully! This book has a bit of a grittier edge to it than Ms. Seabrook’s’ prior romances, but it still has a plethora of sweetness and swoon and aching tenderness that we’ve come to RELISH from this author.
Gah…these two are just so breathtaking together! I was instantly invested in Damon and Lorelei’s tantalizingly twisty love story, and these characters were both so beautifully nuanced and endearing and relatable that you can’t HELP but root for them. And when these two hit the sheets…it’s THERMAL!
I love the slow build between them as they rekindle their romance and try to mend past hurts and bond as a family. But they’ve both changed during their time apart. All those years of hiding, constantly looking over her shoulder, has caused Lorelei to build an iron fortress around her heart. Meanwhile Damon has grown from a reckless, insecure teenage boy into a six foot plus of pure, rock-solid dominance! And this strong, dependable, take charge lawman will do whatever it takes to reclaim what's rightfully his!
Ms. Seabrook always concocts the most SWOON-WORTHY ALPHA PROTECTORS to salivate over, and I absolutely looooooved Damon Savage in all his tall, dark and primally sexy glory!! And this über commanding crime fighter takes his job of watching over Lorelei very seriously. (Hee hee…there may be some handcuffs involved !) But gah this sweet, chivalrous man blames himself for driving her out of town all those years ago, but now that she’s back, he will do everything in his power to protect his own.
But, of course, at first Lorelei does not make it easy on him. She is still hurt and distrustful over their past falling out and so terrified about her son’s welfare that she can barely think straight. But the blame goes both ways. After all, she kept Damon’s boy away from him all these years, and even though he’s justifiably ticked because he missed out on all those precious moments, I could hardly be mad at her because she has been thought the wringer during their years apart and will do anything to keep Nolan safe. Even if it means sacrificing her own happiness. I truly loved this heroine’s
“tender, fragile, damaged heart that burned with strength and ferociousness under the icy calm she masked herself with.”
Bottom line? This duo has a lot emotional baggage to sort out, but the one thing they have in common is their soul burning love for each other—and their desperate plight to do what's best for their boy.
As much as I relished the red-hot interludes, the palpable romantic friction and adrenaline pumping suspense, some of my FAVORITE moments revolved around the heart melting scenes with Damon and young Nolan. I mean is there anything hotter than a big, gruff alpha bonding with the young boy he never knew he had? And as you can imagine Nolan has a mega case of hero worship for his tough yet achingly tender sheriff daddy! Plus, to round off this amazing cast, there’s all those winsome Savages and Saints who add so much warmth, wit, loving support and delicious drama to the story!
(And eeep Abbott’s story is gonna be epic, folks. E.P.I.C.!!!!)
FINAL VERDICT:
SALVAGE slayed my heart! This achingly beautiful, action-packed second chance story about love, family, forgiveness and finding your way back home had me on the edge of my seat from page one and culminated in a heart pounding ending that had me basking in sweet bliss!
Highly recommend!