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Liverpool Boys #1
Saving Ziggy
𝙕𝙄𝙂𝙂𝙔
Leaving home four years ago was the best thing I could have done. Selling myself on the streets for the past two years, the worst, but what else was I to do? All I truly wanted was someone I could love and someone to love me in return. Was it really too much to ask?
Meeting him though, the most handsome man ever, I thought all my prayers had been answered…..until they weren’t.
That man was almost the death of me.
𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙘
An early call out changes my life forever. I can’t get him out of my head. I need to know his story, need to know what put him in the back of my ambulance, as close to death as he could be.
The more I know, the more I want him in my life, but is he too damaged? Too scarred at such an early age to let me love him as he deserves.
I’ve been burnt before but I won’t let that stop me this time. I need to make him see he can have it all, including me.
𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗭𝗶𝗴𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗠 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗺.
𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲, 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁
Leaving home four years ago was the best thing I could have done. Selling myself on the streets for the past two years, the worst, but what else was I to do? All I truly wanted was someone I could love and someone to love me in return. Was it really too much to ask?
Meeting him though, the most handsome man ever, I thought all my prayers had been answered…..until they weren’t.
That man was almost the death of me.
𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙘
An early call out changes my life forever. I can’t get him out of my head. I need to know his story, need to know what put him in the back of my ambulance, as close to death as he could be.
The more I know, the more I want him in my life, but is he too damaged? Too scarred at such an early age to let me love him as he deserves.
I’ve been burnt before but I won’t let that stop me this time. I need to make him see he can have it all, including me.
𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗭𝗶𝗴𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗠 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗺.
𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲, 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 29, 2022
143 people are currently reading
513 people want to read
About the author
Alex J. Adams
25 books177 followersAlex is an MM author from the NW of England. She's married with three grown-up sons and two Tamaskan dogs, her night time companions when she's writing into the early hours!
She writes gritty, realistic, mainly contemporary romance but always with a happy ever after.
Her tagline? Finding Forever - One Chapter at a Time.
An avid reader, she started writing one lunch break, writing her first book in no time at all. From there, her passion grew and The Nava Dance Studios series was born. Her writing style has changed, a darker feel creeping into her work and while she doesn't profess to be a dark author, she covers some socially dark subjects.
She'd love to move somewhere sunny with a beach view, continuing to write about her perfectly, imperfect men.
Follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Bookbub.
She writes gritty, realistic, mainly contemporary romance but always with a happy ever after.
Her tagline? Finding Forever - One Chapter at a Time.
An avid reader, she started writing one lunch break, writing her first book in no time at all. From there, her passion grew and The Nava Dance Studios series was born. Her writing style has changed, a darker feel creeping into her work and while she doesn't profess to be a dark author, she covers some socially dark subjects.
She'd love to move somewhere sunny with a beach view, continuing to write about her perfectly, imperfect men.
Follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Bookbub.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
February 25, 2022
For a book dealing with strong and dark themes, this felt too lackluster.
Trigger/content warnings for sexual, emotional, and mental abuse, and sexual assault.
Saving Ziggy first follows Ziggy (his mom was a huge Bowie fan), a young, twenty-year-old prosecutor in Liverpool, and Damian, his thirty-seven-year-old boyfriend. Thinking Damian was the man he thought was the answer to his prayers of being cared for and loved, he instead falls into the trap of a controlling, toxic, and manipulative relationship. After an almost-deathly encounter, Marc, a paramedic, saves Ziggy and takes him to the hospital. After a brief and minor contact, Marc becomes curious about Ziggy and why he was dumped on the pavement, on the verge of death. Ziggy may have lost hope, but as the friendship between the two grows, so do each other’s hope.
The story isn’t exactly divided, but there is a before and after. The before part worked well for me, despite being heavy at times, which was from 1%-44%.
Before Ziggy met Marc, he was a prosecutor trying to make enough to pay rent and live, along with one of his closest friends, Suzie, who had a similar way of living. When he meets Damian, he becomes drawn in, yet the two don’t shape a relationship first thing. Instead, Damian continues asking for Ziggy’s services but later becomes interested in starting a real relationship with him. We start to gradually see how Damian becomes over the top and controlling of Ziggy through various ways–making Ziggy clean the house and make sure it’s tidy; making Ziggy dress up the way he wants him to; making Ziggy clean; and limiting the time Ziggy has contact with others, especially men. While Damian is working and being the “financial reliability,” Ziggy is left alone and unable to find a job. Damian does not allow him to have a job and doesn’t understand why Ziggy wants a job when he has Damian. He becomes more abusive and controlling, from slapping Ziggy to spanking him and forcing him to engage sexually. The book is realistic and doesn’t avoid portraying everything going on, including a sexual assault scene where both Damian and his brother, Stuart, physically attack him. Stuart forcefully shoves his dick in Ziggy’s mouth, coming inside him (which is something Ziggy doesn’t like). Damian proceeds to attack him as well, continuing to humiliate and degrade him. Later on, after a specific scene, Stuart beats Ziggy up so much to the point where Ziggy almost dies. None of these scenes hide their reality and brutality of them. It’s entirely easy to imagine the scenes and watch them unfold as you read, which I appreciated.
As we read on, we see how Ziggy, sadly, falls into Damian’s trap, becoming ignorant about the adoration that was never there in any case. He goes from having aspirations and even dreams, hopes that include Damian being the man he thought he’d form a future with, but slowly ignores the red flags he presents him. It’s not difficult to feel bad for him, and it wasn't a case where you could blame Ziggy, taking everything into consideration. He overlooked the warnings and obstacles being put in front of him, causing him to venture back and get back with Damian, not understanding he was the prey the whole time. Hating Damian is easy, of course, but I also liked reading how slowly he started showing his true colors with Ziggy. It showed the abusive side without revealing itself on the first page. This allows the reader to unfold how the events came to be, displaying a timeline following the reality of how violence becomes a center point for many people. Despite Damian being a piece of shit, his obsessive behavior, from presenting Ziggy as a “domestic wife” role to showing zero remorse at the end where he used his advantages to prey him, he was an interesting character. While his backstory is short and seems irrelevant to the story, he and his brother endured abuse at the hands of their parents and sister, progressing from there. They used the antics against them on people they thought were weak, like Ziggy or Liam, to show a sort of dominance and authoritative voice.
With part 1 being much darker, part two, which started at 44%, shows the healing of Ziggy and the development of his relationship with Marc, but that’s exactly where the story lost me.
My biggest problem was the entire after part, which is the relationship between Marc and Ziggy. During specific times, I got where the two characters were coming from and why they acted the way they did, particularly Ziggy, which prompted miscommunication. But before that, their relationship felt like it developed a little too quickly for my liking. After Ziggy’s events, I was quite surprised at how fast it felt like Ziggy moved on. Despite being safe and sound for three weeks, which helped him heal properly and naturally, his relationship with Marc felt weak and undeveloped. There were some moments I was confused and weirded out on. For example, I could kind of understand how and why Marc became curious about Ziggy and wanted to learn more about him. I could also understand how and why he asked his mother to offer Ziggy a place to stay, and most of this is because my parents do the same with family members and close friends. Yet, I felt confused and honestly a little disgusted at how quickly his sexual attraction for Ziggy felt. I would have expected that their relationship developed more slowly, regardless of whether only the second half was used to explore their relationship dyanmics.
Yet, 57% in, where Marc and Ziggy have had a few encounters only Ziggy is still at the hospital, there is a scene where Marc goes back to check up on him. After realizing he’s not there and spotting him in the bathroom, he notices his back, where he notes, “What I saw, though, through the gap in his gown, was his beautiful back, marred by bruises, and the curve of his arse as he bent over the sink to wash his hands. My cock took notice of course, and grey sweats weren’t the best things to be wearing when that happened. I should have looked away, but the sight of that perfectly formed body had me in a trance.” I’m honestly just . . . confused? Is this really how a paramedic should think? Is this really what it’s like to be hypersexual? Do people think with their genitals so much they don’t look at the rest of the picture? Damian showed up at the hospital the day before this, where he pretended to be Ziggy’s boyfriend but later threatened him. Considering this and how scared Ziggy appeared, I’d expect more “professionalism,” especially after Marc was the one who saw how badly beaten Ziggy was. Adding on to that, he noticed his back was bruised up, yet he still became interested. I don’t know, it just rubbed me the wrong way. Plus, the fact that up until 44%, the story focused on Ziggy and Damian, so they hadn't actually met/talked until 49%.
I was also shocked at how fast Ziggy started feeling comfortable. When Marc saved Ziggy, Ziggy ended up grabbing Marc’s hand, implying a sort of “don’t let go” kind of thought, which is one reason Marc ended up becoming interested in knowing more about him. Yet, from the moment Ziggy meets Marc as he regains his consciousness back, he becomes trustworthy of him to the point where he’s extremely comfortable. This just left me more confused because I would have thought there would be most angst for this. Their feelings towards each other weren’t slow, but hey also felt underdeveloped. There were a couple scenes where it’s mentioned that Ziggy flinched or tried moving further away from Marc, but it still felt like it wasn’t enough due to the different feelings and thoughts he had towards Marc in terms of attraction. At times, the romance felt forced, like it needed to happen because of the two’s interactions before. Yet, I thought this could have used more substance due to what Ziggy went through. Damian was someone Ziggy trusted pretty early on and fairly quickly, and the way he started feeling towards Marc was the same. While we, the readers, realize they will end up together and ultimately have their HEA, it doesn’t remove the way the missing substance might have added more apprehension and, generally, feeling. Even Ziggy’s inner thoughts had to do with him asking himself what he was thinking and why he was moving on so fast. To be honest, I was asking myself the same things. Marc appeared friendly and hopeful, just as Ziggy thought: Staring at me with those intense blue eyes, I didn’t doubt that’s exactly what he’d do. I believed his words, every damn one. A glimmer of hope blossomed in my chest. Could this really work? Yet I was left wondering: Where did these hopeful feelings come from and why so quickly?
Again, it goes back to how lackluster it felt. It took away the angst I expected the story to have. After a few brief experiences, the two keep hanging out somewhat more regularly, particularly since Ziggy lives with Pat, Marc’s mom, and their feelings towards one another develop. Yet, I had hoped they wouldn’t have acted towards them pretty early on. It felt too sudden.
Also, this is just a me thing, but I couldn’t help but become thoroughly annoyed at how the word “OK” was used to refer to “okay.” I don’t know if it’s a British literature thing or what, but my brain would read the word “okay” but refer to it as “OK” with an unnecessary emphasis. But, again, this was just a personal quibble I had that annoyed me. It didn’t take away from the story or anything. In addition to that, I think it’s important that trigger warnings should be added at the beginning of this book. Despite the warnings being present in the blurb, adding them before the story begins feel necessary too. Sometimes readers don’t even read blurbs and become interested in a book because of the cover or because they heard about the book in general, without really looking into what it’s about.
In conclusion, Saving Ziggy had potential, but it wasn’t as angsty as I expected, nor did the overall relationship and transition work well for me.
Trigger/content warnings for sexual, emotional, and mental abuse, and sexual assault.
Saving Ziggy first follows Ziggy (his mom was a huge Bowie fan), a young, twenty-year-old prosecutor in Liverpool, and Damian, his thirty-seven-year-old boyfriend. Thinking Damian was the man he thought was the answer to his prayers of being cared for and loved, he instead falls into the trap of a controlling, toxic, and manipulative relationship. After an almost-deathly encounter, Marc, a paramedic, saves Ziggy and takes him to the hospital. After a brief and minor contact, Marc becomes curious about Ziggy and why he was dumped on the pavement, on the verge of death. Ziggy may have lost hope, but as the friendship between the two grows, so do each other’s hope.
The story isn’t exactly divided, but there is a before and after. The before part worked well for me, despite being heavy at times, which was from 1%-44%.
Before Ziggy met Marc, he was a prosecutor trying to make enough to pay rent and live, along with one of his closest friends, Suzie, who had a similar way of living. When he meets Damian, he becomes drawn in, yet the two don’t shape a relationship first thing. Instead, Damian continues asking for Ziggy’s services but later becomes interested in starting a real relationship with him. We start to gradually see how Damian becomes over the top and controlling of Ziggy through various ways–making Ziggy clean the house and make sure it’s tidy; making Ziggy dress up the way he wants him to; making Ziggy clean; and limiting the time Ziggy has contact with others, especially men. While Damian is working and being the “financial reliability,” Ziggy is left alone and unable to find a job. Damian does not allow him to have a job and doesn’t understand why Ziggy wants a job when he has Damian. He becomes more abusive and controlling, from slapping Ziggy to spanking him and forcing him to engage sexually. The book is realistic and doesn’t avoid portraying everything going on, including a sexual assault scene where both Damian and his brother, Stuart, physically attack him. Stuart forcefully shoves his dick in Ziggy’s mouth, coming inside him (which is something Ziggy doesn’t like). Damian proceeds to attack him as well, continuing to humiliate and degrade him. Later on, after a specific scene, Stuart beats Ziggy up so much to the point where Ziggy almost dies. None of these scenes hide their reality and brutality of them. It’s entirely easy to imagine the scenes and watch them unfold as you read, which I appreciated.
As we read on, we see how Ziggy, sadly, falls into Damian’s trap, becoming ignorant about the adoration that was never there in any case. He goes from having aspirations and even dreams, hopes that include Damian being the man he thought he’d form a future with, but slowly ignores the red flags he presents him. It’s not difficult to feel bad for him, and it wasn't a case where you could blame Ziggy, taking everything into consideration. He overlooked the warnings and obstacles being put in front of him, causing him to venture back and get back with Damian, not understanding he was the prey the whole time. Hating Damian is easy, of course, but I also liked reading how slowly he started showing his true colors with Ziggy. It showed the abusive side without revealing itself on the first page. This allows the reader to unfold how the events came to be, displaying a timeline following the reality of how violence becomes a center point for many people. Despite Damian being a piece of shit, his obsessive behavior, from presenting Ziggy as a “domestic wife” role to showing zero remorse at the end where he used his advantages to prey him, he was an interesting character. While his backstory is short and seems irrelevant to the story, he and his brother endured abuse at the hands of their parents and sister, progressing from there. They used the antics against them on people they thought were weak, like Ziggy or Liam, to show a sort of dominance and authoritative voice.
“It’s what we do. Prey on the weak like you, like Liam. It’s where we get our fun, Ziggy. I never loved you. It was all part of the game. We’ve played it for years, me and my brother dearest.”
With part 1 being much darker, part two, which started at 44%, shows the healing of Ziggy and the development of his relationship with Marc, but that’s exactly where the story lost me.
My biggest problem was the entire after part, which is the relationship between Marc and Ziggy. During specific times, I got where the two characters were coming from and why they acted the way they did, particularly Ziggy, which prompted miscommunication. But before that, their relationship felt like it developed a little too quickly for my liking. After Ziggy’s events, I was quite surprised at how fast it felt like Ziggy moved on. Despite being safe and sound for three weeks, which helped him heal properly and naturally, his relationship with Marc felt weak and undeveloped. There were some moments I was confused and weirded out on. For example, I could kind of understand how and why Marc became curious about Ziggy and wanted to learn more about him. I could also understand how and why he asked his mother to offer Ziggy a place to stay, and most of this is because my parents do the same with family members and close friends. Yet, I felt confused and honestly a little disgusted at how quickly his sexual attraction for Ziggy felt. I would have expected that their relationship developed more slowly, regardless of whether only the second half was used to explore their relationship dyanmics.
Yet, 57% in, where Marc and Ziggy have had a few encounters only Ziggy is still at the hospital, there is a scene where Marc goes back to check up on him. After realizing he’s not there and spotting him in the bathroom, he notices his back, where he notes, “What I saw, though, through the gap in his gown, was his beautiful back, marred by bruises, and the curve of his arse as he bent over the sink to wash his hands. My cock took notice of course, and grey sweats weren’t the best things to be wearing when that happened. I should have looked away, but the sight of that perfectly formed body had me in a trance.” I’m honestly just . . . confused? Is this really how a paramedic should think? Is this really what it’s like to be hypersexual? Do people think with their genitals so much they don’t look at the rest of the picture? Damian showed up at the hospital the day before this, where he pretended to be Ziggy’s boyfriend but later threatened him. Considering this and how scared Ziggy appeared, I’d expect more “professionalism,” especially after Marc was the one who saw how badly beaten Ziggy was. Adding on to that, he noticed his back was bruised up, yet he still became interested. I don’t know, it just rubbed me the wrong way. Plus, the fact that up until 44%, the story focused on Ziggy and Damian, so they hadn't actually met/talked until 49%.
I was also shocked at how fast Ziggy started feeling comfortable. When Marc saved Ziggy, Ziggy ended up grabbing Marc’s hand, implying a sort of “don’t let go” kind of thought, which is one reason Marc ended up becoming interested in knowing more about him. Yet, from the moment Ziggy meets Marc as he regains his consciousness back, he becomes trustworthy of him to the point where he’s extremely comfortable. This just left me more confused because I would have thought there would be most angst for this. Their feelings towards each other weren’t slow, but hey also felt underdeveloped. There were a couple scenes where it’s mentioned that Ziggy flinched or tried moving further away from Marc, but it still felt like it wasn’t enough due to the different feelings and thoughts he had towards Marc in terms of attraction. At times, the romance felt forced, like it needed to happen because of the two’s interactions before. Yet, I thought this could have used more substance due to what Ziggy went through. Damian was someone Ziggy trusted pretty early on and fairly quickly, and the way he started feeling towards Marc was the same. While we, the readers, realize they will end up together and ultimately have their HEA, it doesn’t remove the way the missing substance might have added more apprehension and, generally, feeling. Even Ziggy’s inner thoughts had to do with him asking himself what he was thinking and why he was moving on so fast. To be honest, I was asking myself the same things. Marc appeared friendly and hopeful, just as Ziggy thought: Staring at me with those intense blue eyes, I didn’t doubt that’s exactly what he’d do. I believed his words, every damn one. A glimmer of hope blossomed in my chest. Could this really work? Yet I was left wondering: Where did these hopeful feelings come from and why so quickly?
Again, it goes back to how lackluster it felt. It took away the angst I expected the story to have. After a few brief experiences, the two keep hanging out somewhat more regularly, particularly since Ziggy lives with Pat, Marc’s mom, and their feelings towards one another develop. Yet, I had hoped they wouldn’t have acted towards them pretty early on. It felt too sudden.
Also, this is just a me thing, but I couldn’t help but become thoroughly annoyed at how the word “OK” was used to refer to “okay.” I don’t know if it’s a British literature thing or what, but my brain would read the word “okay” but refer to it as “OK” with an unnecessary emphasis. But, again, this was just a personal quibble I had that annoyed me. It didn’t take away from the story or anything. In addition to that, I think it’s important that trigger warnings should be added at the beginning of this book. Despite the warnings being present in the blurb, adding them before the story begins feel necessary too. Sometimes readers don’t even read blurbs and become interested in a book because of the cover or because they heard about the book in general, without really looking into what it’s about.
In conclusion, Saving Ziggy had potential, but it wasn’t as angsty as I expected, nor did the overall relationship and transition work well for me.
February 1, 2022
This was OK, I guess. The first half was quite intense and I thought this would at least be 4 stars, maybe more, but alas…the second half kind of ruined that thought. I do have some issues...
So, let's start by saying I was really curious about this book. Alex J. Adams is a new, upcoming author and the blurb of this book spoke to me, so when I got the chance to read an ARC, I took it with both hands.
This story can be divided into two parts - one before the bad things happen and everything starts to fall apart, one about recovery.
When I started reading, I was very invested in the story, in Ziggy and the life he lead. He was estranged from his family and to provide for himself and pay his rent, he worked the streets. Until one night a stranger pulls over and takes Ziggy home with him, out of the cold December night into a warm house. Not much happens, actually. A BJ and the stranger pays for it, but making clear he wants to see Ziggy again. And so he does. When Ziggy's life goes downhill, the stranger takes him in and takes care of him. A relationship develops.
But what follows is not a pleasant story - the trigger warnings are to be taken serious considering this part of the story. Since I don't really have any triggers, I wasn't bothered by what happened to Ziggy, other than I felt sorry for him. It was painful and awful and just something you never wish to happen to anyone.
Then he meets Marc. Marc is the paramedic who saved him.
And that's where my issues started.
Ziggy was severely wounded when he was found and taken to the hospital. He seemed more death than alive.
After a few days in the hospital, he goes home with Marc to stay with Marc's mother and the rest of Marc's family because Ziggy has nowhere else to go.
What I had a hard time believing was how Ziggy recovered so quickly from the brutal attack. The love was too insta for me. How could Ziggy put his trust into some other man after what happened? I know, Marc was patient and caring and he allowed Ziggy to set the pace for their intimacy. But it all seemed to happen too soon and too quickly. Physically Ziggy needed to recover too, but we never really saw him have physical trouble and pain. We never saw him really struggle with trusting Marc and having a physical relationship again. Of course it is mentioned, and sure, at certain moments we see a little of Ziggy's discomfort, but it felt a bit unrealistic to me. The hardship should have been worse, to my opinion. The path to recovery should have been longer. That would have made for a more realistic approach towards Ziggy's healing. Does that make any sense?
I really felt a bit bummed after finishing the book. I wanted to love it, and I did, the first 40-50%. After that, it went downhill for me, and I had not expected for that to happen.
Still, the writing is good, so I will definitely check out more by the author, but I'm really sorry I didn't like this one more than I hoped I would.
I received an ARC by the author and this is my honest review
So, let's start by saying I was really curious about this book. Alex J. Adams is a new, upcoming author and the blurb of this book spoke to me, so when I got the chance to read an ARC, I took it with both hands.
This story can be divided into two parts - one before the bad things happen and everything starts to fall apart, one about recovery.
When I started reading, I was very invested in the story, in Ziggy and the life he lead. He was estranged from his family and to provide for himself and pay his rent, he worked the streets. Until one night a stranger pulls over and takes Ziggy home with him, out of the cold December night into a warm house. Not much happens, actually. A BJ and the stranger pays for it, but making clear he wants to see Ziggy again. And so he does. When Ziggy's life goes downhill, the stranger takes him in and takes care of him. A relationship develops.
But what follows is not a pleasant story - the trigger warnings are to be taken serious considering this part of the story. Since I don't really have any triggers, I wasn't bothered by what happened to Ziggy, other than I felt sorry for him. It was painful and awful and just something you never wish to happen to anyone.
Then he meets Marc. Marc is the paramedic who saved him.
And that's where my issues started.
Ziggy was severely wounded when he was found and taken to the hospital. He seemed more death than alive.
After a few days in the hospital, he goes home with Marc to stay with Marc's mother and the rest of Marc's family because Ziggy has nowhere else to go.
What I had a hard time believing was how Ziggy recovered so quickly from the brutal attack. The love was too insta for me. How could Ziggy put his trust into some other man after what happened? I know, Marc was patient and caring and he allowed Ziggy to set the pace for their intimacy. But it all seemed to happen too soon and too quickly. Physically Ziggy needed to recover too, but we never really saw him have physical trouble and pain. We never saw him really struggle with trusting Marc and having a physical relationship again. Of course it is mentioned, and sure, at certain moments we see a little of Ziggy's discomfort, but it felt a bit unrealistic to me. The hardship should have been worse, to my opinion. The path to recovery should have been longer. That would have made for a more realistic approach towards Ziggy's healing. Does that make any sense?
I really felt a bit bummed after finishing the book. I wanted to love it, and I did, the first 40-50%. After that, it went downhill for me, and I had not expected for that to happen.
Still, the writing is good, so I will definitely check out more by the author, but I'm really sorry I didn't like this one more than I hoped I would.
I received an ARC by the author and this is my honest review
January 17, 2022
Alex J Adams is an author to watch, a fresh new name in the UK pool of M/M romance authors. She brings that typical northern British realistic charm into her work, without glossing over the settings or lives of her characters.
Saving Ziggy is set in Liverpool, and is a gritty tale that will pull you straight into the backstreets and grime of the sex worker district. There is no glamourized idea of life here, it is cold and horrific and terrifying from the outset, but you will have the honour of following Ziggy to the very bitter end, and through new beginnings and a well deserved HEA.
Please read trigger warnings. Highly recommend.
Saving Ziggy is set in Liverpool, and is a gritty tale that will pull you straight into the backstreets and grime of the sex worker district. There is no glamourized idea of life here, it is cold and horrific and terrifying from the outset, but you will have the honour of following Ziggy to the very bitter end, and through new beginnings and a well deserved HEA.
Please read trigger warnings. Highly recommend.
January 17, 2022
I received a copy of this book from the author, and this is my honest review.
Wow, what a story! If you ever read a book from Alex you know that her style is quite intense but this, this is on an entirely new level.
For half the book we have our amazing Ziggy in a toxic relationship with Damian, whom I think is the third MC of this story, and even if it is not the flow a story usually has, I really found it captivating. Half the book and I kept asking myself: where is Ziggy's savior??? And why does he keep staying with this piece of sh*t? And then I suddenly understand. Without all this part of the story, we would never been able to truly connect with his feelings, with Marc, with all that happens after Ziggy meets him.
It is dark? Yes, it is.
It is tough? Yes, it is.
Do you struggle alongside Ziggy? Yes, you do.
His agony is yours.
I generally don't like much dark books. Actually, there was only an author I read in this genre, but now they became two, because Alex really got me hooked. I started reading at 9pm and couldn't put it down. I read all the book in one go. Thank God I work from home, otherwise I wouldn't be able to explain to my employer why I went to sleep at 2am 😅
I absolutely recommend this book, even if you don't like the dark ones, because it really explains how a relationship should NOT be, how a Daddy/boy dynamic should NOT be and how much consent is important.
Also, I really hope we'll read more about Liam and a certain detective.
Wow, what a story! If you ever read a book from Alex you know that her style is quite intense but this, this is on an entirely new level.
For half the book we have our amazing Ziggy in a toxic relationship with Damian, whom I think is the third MC of this story, and even if it is not the flow a story usually has, I really found it captivating. Half the book and I kept asking myself: where is Ziggy's savior??? And why does he keep staying with this piece of sh*t? And then I suddenly understand. Without all this part of the story, we would never been able to truly connect with his feelings, with Marc, with all that happens after Ziggy meets him.
It is dark? Yes, it is.
It is tough? Yes, it is.
Do you struggle alongside Ziggy? Yes, you do.
His agony is yours.
I generally don't like much dark books. Actually, there was only an author I read in this genre, but now they became two, because Alex really got me hooked. I started reading at 9pm and couldn't put it down. I read all the book in one go. Thank God I work from home, otherwise I wouldn't be able to explain to my employer why I went to sleep at 2am 😅
I absolutely recommend this book, even if you don't like the dark ones, because it really explains how a relationship should NOT be, how a Daddy/boy dynamic should NOT be and how much consent is important.
Also, I really hope we'll read more about Liam and a certain detective.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2022
I don’t have sufficient words to express the brilliance of Saving Ziggy… the show not tell of Ziggy’s psychological and physical grooming and impending danger expertly unfolds. Ziggy is a vulnerable target for sadistic predators. He describes himself as 20 year old Ziggy… unloved and life unlived. I can hardly write that without tears and a lump in my throat. Better times do come for Ziggy… by his own resilience and support from Marc. The inflicted trauma and aftermath is not easy to read… we see this young soul literally trampled and broken… the journey to heal mind and body is not without challenges. Marc is so patient… there every step of the way. Support but never pressure. He saved Ziggy in more ways than one.
I can’t give enough love for Marc… what a remarkable remarkable man… Huge perfect nod to his family too… such a great reminder there are inherently good and kind people in this world.
Saving Ziggy needs to be read and experienced. It is chilling, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. The triumphant HEA is beautiful to the 100th degree.
I can’t give enough love for Marc… what a remarkable remarkable man… Huge perfect nod to his family too… such a great reminder there are inherently good and kind people in this world.
Saving Ziggy needs to be read and experienced. It is chilling, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. The triumphant HEA is beautiful to the 100th degree.
January 22, 2022
I had a really hard time writing a review. Normally I can write my reviews and my words just flow because I know exactly what I want to say. This story is hard. It’s emotional. It’s heart-wrenching. And it’s beautiful. I’m sure some people will wonder how it’s beautiful. Ziggy is a sex worker. One thing I can’t stand is when people look at other humans like they’re not human. Alex J. Adams took a character and very much humanized him. I’m positive there are a few Ziggy’s out there in the world. And I’m sure there are many, many Damian’s in the world. Sadly, we don’t have enough Marc’s. And I don’t mean his occupation. I mean him as a person.
As I read this story, I thought of the criticism it might get and it honestly pissed me off. I think this author has an immeasurable amount of courage to write a story like this. Not only that but another thing I have always loved about Alex J. Adams's writing is her stories are not cookie-cutter outlines. You won’t see the first kiss at 50% through, sex at 60% through. Anything can happen at any time. Her stories are intense, angsty in places, loving in others, and always emotional.
And her writing… she’s still just getting started. I thought her first book was good. I loved the story of her second book and she killed it with this one. She changes her story up every time. She keeps raising the bar on herself with every story. My only real concern is that she probably doesn’t realize her only competition is….herself!
As I read this story, I thought of the criticism it might get and it honestly pissed me off. I think this author has an immeasurable amount of courage to write a story like this. Not only that but another thing I have always loved about Alex J. Adams's writing is her stories are not cookie-cutter outlines. You won’t see the first kiss at 50% through, sex at 60% through. Anything can happen at any time. Her stories are intense, angsty in places, loving in others, and always emotional.
And her writing… she’s still just getting started. I thought her first book was good. I loved the story of her second book and she killed it with this one. She changes her story up every time. She keeps raising the bar on herself with every story. My only real concern is that she probably doesn’t realize her only competition is….herself!
January 20, 2022
4-4.5 stars
Before I start, I just want to say this: read the trigger warnings because they're there for a reason. The first half of the book is very tough and hard hitting - not in a bad way - but like most things we go through the tough part to get to the good things in life.
With that out of the way, on to the review proper. I've read the author's other books but this is nothing like those, this is far darker in tone than those but written with the same flair and attention to detail. The strength is in the characters, we meet Ziggy first and he's just the best. He's at times hopeful, happy, naive, older than his years yet full of a zest for life and really just wants to be loved, which sadly is his downfall. He's too trusting by half and even though you can see what's coming, you're there with him for the whole thing.
The whole first half of the book is necessary so we get to the happy ending that surely Ziggy deserves. I liked Marc too, I like to think there are actually people as good as him in the world, although they're sadly few and far between. I'm happy these two found each other and found exactly what the other needed, this was a balanced relationship in the end I think, and far from where Ziggy was at the start.
Ultimately it's a dark story with a deserved happy ending and I'm keen for more. (Duke please?)
I received an ARC and this is my honest review.
Before I start, I just want to say this: read the trigger warnings because they're there for a reason. The first half of the book is very tough and hard hitting - not in a bad way - but like most things we go through the tough part to get to the good things in life.
With that out of the way, on to the review proper. I've read the author's other books but this is nothing like those, this is far darker in tone than those but written with the same flair and attention to detail. The strength is in the characters, we meet Ziggy first and he's just the best. He's at times hopeful, happy, naive, older than his years yet full of a zest for life and really just wants to be loved, which sadly is his downfall. He's too trusting by half and even though you can see what's coming, you're there with him for the whole thing.
The whole first half of the book is necessary so we get to the happy ending that surely Ziggy deserves. I liked Marc too, I like to think there are actually people as good as him in the world, although they're sadly few and far between. I'm happy these two found each other and found exactly what the other needed, this was a balanced relationship in the end I think, and far from where Ziggy was at the start.
Ultimately it's a dark story with a deserved happy ending and I'm keen for more. (Duke please?)
I received an ARC and this is my honest review.
January 19, 2022
How do I put into words how I feel about saving Ziggy? Because my god did Ziggy make me feel. I wanted to adopt him as my little brother and keep his beautiful naive heart safe from the world.
I like that this is a bit of a slow burn at first building up to the abuse Ziggy faces in his first relationship in the book.
This build up got me really emotional and by the time the abuse hits it’s peak, I was a blubbering mess. Ziggy just craves and deserves real love.
When Marc enters, the book starts to move a little faster, Just like their connection. They both fall fast while there’s a few ups and downs their hea is beautiful. I have honestly be left craving a hug with Ziggy.
I have read both of Alex’s previous books which were both duel pov but written in the third person as Ziggy is written in the first person and is also duel pov. I found it easier to connect to Ziggy because of this, I felt what Ziggy and Marc felt as if it was my own feelings.
Alex’s writing gets better with each book and to say this is only Alex’s third book it is amazing. I can’t wait to see what Alex writes next
I received this arc in return for my honest review
I like that this is a bit of a slow burn at first building up to the abuse Ziggy faces in his first relationship in the book.
This build up got me really emotional and by the time the abuse hits it’s peak, I was a blubbering mess. Ziggy just craves and deserves real love.
When Marc enters, the book starts to move a little faster, Just like their connection. They both fall fast while there’s a few ups and downs their hea is beautiful. I have honestly be left craving a hug with Ziggy.
I have read both of Alex’s previous books which were both duel pov but written in the third person as Ziggy is written in the first person and is also duel pov. I found it easier to connect to Ziggy because of this, I felt what Ziggy and Marc felt as if it was my own feelings.
Alex’s writing gets better with each book and to say this is only Alex’s third book it is amazing. I can’t wait to see what Alex writes next
I received this arc in return for my honest review
January 19, 2022
All the stars for this amazing story ⭐️
I’m not quite sure I can put into words how much I loved this book! From the first page, I’m hooked right into Ziggy story. Cause throughout the book there’s no mistaking, this is his story. It’s dark, angsty and heartbreaking at times, but I loved every minute of it! I trusted the author to put my heart back together again, and I was moved to tears when Ziggy finally gets his HEA.
I adore the way this story is written. It’s the writing that makes me feel everything perfectly and the writing that makes me love both Ziggy and Marc!
Some of the side characters in this story, makes me so happy. There’s something about found family that I really love.
Precious, strong, but a bit broken Ziggy definitely stole my heart! Caring, gorgeous and a bit protective Marc will be with me for a while! He’s just so perfect for Ziggy.
If you’re looking for a story that’ll swoop you in and leave you with a hangover, this is the perfect story.
I’m not quite sure I can put into words how much I loved this book! From the first page, I’m hooked right into Ziggy story. Cause throughout the book there’s no mistaking, this is his story. It’s dark, angsty and heartbreaking at times, but I loved every minute of it! I trusted the author to put my heart back together again, and I was moved to tears when Ziggy finally gets his HEA.
I adore the way this story is written. It’s the writing that makes me feel everything perfectly and the writing that makes me love both Ziggy and Marc!
Some of the side characters in this story, makes me so happy. There’s something about found family that I really love.
Precious, strong, but a bit broken Ziggy definitely stole my heart! Caring, gorgeous and a bit protective Marc will be with me for a while! He’s just so perfect for Ziggy.
If you’re looking for a story that’ll swoop you in and leave you with a hangover, this is the perfect story.
January 18, 2022
I am not generally much for realistic stories--my "thing" is genres like PNR and romcom, so I can stay outta the Real World, but I think Alex J. Adams may have won me over! A hustler trope is one of my favorite M/M tropes, because I love the Pretty Woman side of things where they get saved, and since this is an HEA and it's SAVING Ziggy, I knew from the start it had to happen. So I began the journey and along the way? I absolutely fell in LOVE with Ziggy. Not even in a book boyfriend way. No, I wanted to be his protector, because he was just that sweet! I also loved Marc, the secondary MC. He was so sweet and caring and awesome. I would take that one as a book boyfriend, thank you very much!
Alex is a great author, and I expect to see some fantastic stuff from her in the future, so I'll definitely be keeping my eyes out. Crossing my fingers that I might get to see something about Liam! It would make a fab spin off.
Alex is a great author, and I expect to see some fantastic stuff from her in the future, so I'll definitely be keeping my eyes out. Crossing my fingers that I might get to see something about Liam! It would make a fab spin off.
January 29, 2022
I loved Saving Ziggy, even though it was not an easy read. It contains emotional abuse, sexual assault, and graphic, but never gratuitous, physical violence. The trigger warnings are there for a reason, so heed them carefully.
As a survivor of domestic abuse and violence, I will tell you that although my starting point and Ziggy's starting point were vastly different, the patterns and emotions are quite similar and heartbreakingly accurate. The hard-won HEA felt so good, and despite the darkness, it ends up being a tender and sexy story.
I highly recommend it, though you may want to take your mental and emotional temperature before starting it.
As a survivor of domestic abuse and violence, I will tell you that although my starting point and Ziggy's starting point were vastly different, the patterns and emotions are quite similar and heartbreakingly accurate. The hard-won HEA felt so good, and despite the darkness, it ends up being a tender and sexy story.
I highly recommend it, though you may want to take your mental and emotional temperature before starting it.
February 5, 2022
Saving Ziggy is the third book published by this author and it is the start of a new series.
This read was OK for me. There was A LOT I rolled my eyes about and some details really bug me. First, the main characters don't even meet until somewhere after 40% of the book. That then leads to a ton of insta insta after a horrific attack. That's months of another relationship and then we get weeks of the second.
Marc is a paramedic and has been for almost 10 years I believe. However, after he broke up with his ex, he supposedly got his tattoos and an EYEBROW piercing. Now, tattoos on paramedics, yup got that. Facial piercings however are usually against the rules because if you have a patient who is tweaking out of their mind and grabs something shiny on your face, it gets ripped out. Now you, the paramedic, are bleeding and that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. This detail really, really bothered me.
Ziggy was also described in several places to be 6ft or possibly just shy of that. Marc is 6'3 and yet, somehow Marc is able to scoop Ziggy up like he weighs nothing and carry him up stairs in multiple locations... that's A LOT of maneuvering without ever bumping into walls...
Finally back to all of the insta between Marc and Ziggy. Ziggy has major surgery... the removal of a spleen I believe, yet he is up and moving around with no mention of healing or how his life changes post that... plus cracked ribs hurt for MONTHS, but not really for Ziggy. I also had to suspend belief that someone who was attacked and lived through the hell of Damian just jumps into a second relationship in a matter of weeks. It just doesn't jive for me.
I liked the "darker" theme of the book, but sometimes the devil is in the details for me.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This read was OK for me. There was A LOT I rolled my eyes about and some details really bug me. First, the main characters don't even meet until somewhere after 40% of the book. That then leads to a ton of insta insta after a horrific attack. That's months of another relationship and then we get weeks of the second.
Marc is a paramedic and has been for almost 10 years I believe. However, after he broke up with his ex, he supposedly got his tattoos and an EYEBROW piercing. Now, tattoos on paramedics, yup got that. Facial piercings however are usually against the rules because if you have a patient who is tweaking out of their mind and grabs something shiny on your face, it gets ripped out. Now you, the paramedic, are bleeding and that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. This detail really, really bothered me.
Ziggy was also described in several places to be 6ft or possibly just shy of that. Marc is 6'3 and yet, somehow Marc is able to scoop Ziggy up like he weighs nothing and carry him up stairs in multiple locations... that's A LOT of maneuvering without ever bumping into walls...
Finally back to all of the insta between Marc and Ziggy. Ziggy has major surgery... the removal of a spleen I believe, yet he is up and moving around with no mention of healing or how his life changes post that... plus cracked ribs hurt for MONTHS, but not really for Ziggy. I also had to suspend belief that someone who was attacked and lived through the hell of Damian just jumps into a second relationship in a matter of weeks. It just doesn't jive for me.
I liked the "darker" theme of the book, but sometimes the devil is in the details for me.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2022
Saving Ziggy -(Liverpool boys Series Book One) by Alex J Adams is a book that grabs at your heart , a book to always remember.
Ziggy is young , a sex worker needs to work to pay rent and eat, always looking for that “ someone”.
Damian , there is a lot about Damian that I won’t say as this book needs to be read without spoilers, I can say that I didn’t see that coming!
Meeting Marc, for me was wonderful, I could see the kindness evaporating from his wonderful spectacular body… and spectacular it is!
Marc’s family is the icing on Ziggy’s cake , it definitely shows that kindness and love also patience conquers all.
Marc’s mum ,Pat reminds me of myself in the sex shop ! I say no more !!!
Alex J Adams has a flair for writing that brings the reader into the lives of her characters.
I do believe what happened in the life of Ziggy does happen, which is horrendous.
A wonderful storyline that had me captured from the first line.
Ziggy is young , a sex worker needs to work to pay rent and eat, always looking for that “ someone”.
Damian , there is a lot about Damian that I won’t say as this book needs to be read without spoilers, I can say that I didn’t see that coming!
Meeting Marc, for me was wonderful, I could see the kindness evaporating from his wonderful spectacular body… and spectacular it is!
Marc’s family is the icing on Ziggy’s cake , it definitely shows that kindness and love also patience conquers all.
Marc’s mum ,Pat reminds me of myself in the sex shop ! I say no more !!!
Alex J Adams has a flair for writing that brings the reader into the lives of her characters.
I do believe what happened in the life of Ziggy does happen, which is horrendous.
A wonderful storyline that had me captured from the first line.
February 9, 2022
Out of the frying
Pan, into Marc's life... at
the halfway point. Meh.
Pan, into Marc's life... at
the halfway point. Meh.
January 21, 2022
This is my first book by Alex, but it will definitely not be my last. This story gave me all the feels. It is heartbreaking and heartwarming in a perfect balance. Ziggy and Marc are so lovely and they are supported by some great side characters too. And off course there is a very satisfying HEA at the end.
If you love dark mm romances like me, you should put it on your tbr list right away!
I received this book as an arc, and this is my honest review.
If you love dark mm romances like me, you should put it on your tbr list right away!
I received this book as an arc, and this is my honest review.
January 7, 2024
4.5 stars. I have read a few books by this author and have really enjoyed them. Their next book to be released is book 3 in this series and I wanted to read this one so I was familiar with the character. I am so glad I did. This book is different to many other MM romances that I’ve read and I definitely recommend if you can handle the triggers for this book (which there are lots of).
The first half of the book is a single POV told by Ziggy. We don’t actually meet the second MC until close to the second half of the book but once we do we start getting chapters from Marc’s POV as well. I can’t talk too much about the story as I don’t want to give any spoilers but Ziggy had such a rough journey to go through and it was incredibly tough at times to watch him. I wanted to yell through the book at him to run! Marc was truly Ziggy’s saviour. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened to Ziggy if he didn’t have Marc and his wonderful family.
There were a few things throughout the story that I wished had been fleshed out a bit more or touched on but overall it was a great story, no matter how tough it was to read. If you are looking for a darker story that still ends in a wonderful HEA l absolutely recommend this book.
The first half of the book is a single POV told by Ziggy. We don’t actually meet the second MC until close to the second half of the book but once we do we start getting chapters from Marc’s POV as well. I can’t talk too much about the story as I don’t want to give any spoilers but Ziggy had such a rough journey to go through and it was incredibly tough at times to watch him. I wanted to yell through the book at him to run! Marc was truly Ziggy’s saviour. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened to Ziggy if he didn’t have Marc and his wonderful family.
There were a few things throughout the story that I wished had been fleshed out a bit more or touched on but overall it was a great story, no matter how tough it was to read. If you are looking for a darker story that still ends in a wonderful HEA l absolutely recommend this book.
January 20, 2022
This is the first story I’ve read by this author and I have an addition to my watch list. I felt heartbroken for Ziggy. He just can’t seem to get a break. His life isn’t anything anyone strives for and he doesn’t really have many ways of changing that. He is a likable and careful character, yet he gets drawn into a situation that leaves him in a life-threatening possibility. Thank goodness fate is looking down on him and Marc is called on to attend to him. This becomes an instant attraction. Marc’s family is so warm but Ziggy has trust issues that might not let him be open again. I really enjoyed the secondary characters especially Marc’s mom. I look forward to more by this author.
January 29, 2022
💕
This is a gritty read from up and coming British author Alex J. Adams. It’s darker than her previous stories and deals with subjects that some readers may find difficult. I really enjoy how this author sets her stories in UK cities, this time it’s Liverpool. I had fun imagining how those accents sounded in my head as I read.
Ziggy is a very loveable character who really goes through a horrendous ordeal in the first half of the book. I liked how the author has chosen to mix up the traditional dual pov chapter layout of most romance novels, it suits this story perfectly. Marc makes his appearance at just the right time and what has been a dark and stormy tale shows the first signs of sun shining through.
This book is full of loveable characters and the gripping story kept me glued to my kindle. Looking forward to more from this author in 2022. Five stars.
This is a gritty read from up and coming British author Alex J. Adams. It’s darker than her previous stories and deals with subjects that some readers may find difficult. I really enjoy how this author sets her stories in UK cities, this time it’s Liverpool. I had fun imagining how those accents sounded in my head as I read.
Ziggy is a very loveable character who really goes through a horrendous ordeal in the first half of the book. I liked how the author has chosen to mix up the traditional dual pov chapter layout of most romance novels, it suits this story perfectly. Marc makes his appearance at just the right time and what has been a dark and stormy tale shows the first signs of sun shining through.
This book is full of loveable characters and the gripping story kept me glued to my kindle. Looking forward to more from this author in 2022. Five stars.
February 2, 2022
Engrossing , yet, unusual written romance
In Saving Ziggy Alex J. Adams delivers an emotional , raw , gritty, slow burn romance that is poignant, deep and heart breaking.
She lets the reader get to know the main characters by experiencing together with them the trauma , recovery and healing that take place in their lives.
This story made me cry .
In Saving Ziggy Alex J. Adams delivers an emotional , raw , gritty, slow burn romance that is poignant, deep and heart breaking.
She lets the reader get to know the main characters by experiencing together with them the trauma , recovery and healing that take place in their lives.
This story made me cry .
January 29, 2022
Alex Adams is a new to me author. The setting is in the UK. I find the book enjoyable and hope to see a secondary character in this book get his own HEA. He deserves one too. Anyway.
Ziggy is a prostitute and has been on his own for years. He has quite the stinky family which resulted in him leaving while he was young. He’s doing what he can to survive.
The first almost half of the book is his heartbreaking story how he just can’t catch a break. He doesn’t meet the hero Marc until 40% in.
Marc is a paramedic that helps Ziggy and he feels and instant connection and wants to help. I just wish we got to see more of them together. It felt more like an instalove to me and with the trauma Ziggy went through , I felt it was a little fast in that regards.
Overall I enjoyed the characters, story and Marc’s family. Beware of the trigger warnings as the book does get dark for Ziggy
Ziggy is a prostitute and has been on his own for years. He has quite the stinky family which resulted in him leaving while he was young. He’s doing what he can to survive.
The first almost half of the book is his heartbreaking story how he just can’t catch a break. He doesn’t meet the hero Marc until 40% in.
Marc is a paramedic that helps Ziggy and he feels and instant connection and wants to help. I just wish we got to see more of them together. It felt more like an instalove to me and with the trauma Ziggy went through , I felt it was a little fast in that regards.
Overall I enjoyed the characters, story and Marc’s family. Beware of the trigger warnings as the book does get dark for Ziggy
May 16, 2022
Saving Ziggy is an epic love story -- a story of redemption for the main characters, who both rise above less-than-stellar circumstances to take a chance on a once-in-a-lifetime connection and be able to reap its amazing benefits.
I don't make it a point to address concerns of others who leave reviews. I will make an exception in this case, as it seems to be a sticking point for some. The "Damian portion" of the story is significant. But so is its impact upon Ziggy. Ziggy, the beautiful and shining star who felt Damian would be his last, best chance at anything closely resembling "love."
It's necessary for us to have this context for when we meet the epiphany that is Marc. He and Ziggy are emphatically next level. They make a unique initial contact, to say the least, and what follows is a bombastic adventure of the heart that is completely riveting. Saving Ziggy is the epitome of a page-turner. The characters, main and peripheral, are fleshed out and well-developed. The story is an absolute revelation, and I recommend it to anyone who may (or may not) have a cynical view of finding Love.
I don't make it a point to address concerns of others who leave reviews. I will make an exception in this case, as it seems to be a sticking point for some. The "Damian portion" of the story is significant. But so is its impact upon Ziggy. Ziggy, the beautiful and shining star who felt Damian would be his last, best chance at anything closely resembling "love."
It's necessary for us to have this context for when we meet the epiphany that is Marc. He and Ziggy are emphatically next level. They make a unique initial contact, to say the least, and what follows is a bombastic adventure of the heart that is completely riveting. Saving Ziggy is the epitome of a page-turner. The characters, main and peripheral, are fleshed out and well-developed. The story is an absolute revelation, and I recommend it to anyone who may (or may not) have a cynical view of finding Love.
January 21, 2022
Yet another beautifully written book by Alex J.Adams, but don’t be fooled this is not a light or fluffy read. This book tackles some hard hitting topics, sexual & physical assault as well as coercive control.
We see very quickly how tough life is on the streets ‘hustling’ to pay the bills & keep a roof over your head & having no family supporting you; & therefore how easy it is to believe & hope your future is looking brighter when someone tells you “I Love You” & initially appears to be supportive & doting. How wrong could Ziggy be? The scenes between Damian & Ziggy make painful & heartbreaking reading.
Alex then introduces us to Marc, bringing hope, life can change & be turned around. Watching Ziggy & Marc learning to navigate their budding relationship, overcome their fears & supporting each other without wanting to control the other is powerful & emotional.
Alex hasn’t lost her knack of peppering snarky humour throughout which gives us some relief from the hard truths we are faced with. The supporting cast are wonderful & add so much depth to this story. Pat in the sex shop still makes me laugh out loud!🙈🤣
Alex skilfully weaves a hard hitting tale of sorrow, desperation, sheer grit & determination but also self doubt, low self esteem, self reflection & ultimately survival leading to a hard won HEA.
This book will stay with me for a long time!
We see very quickly how tough life is on the streets ‘hustling’ to pay the bills & keep a roof over your head & having no family supporting you; & therefore how easy it is to believe & hope your future is looking brighter when someone tells you “I Love You” & initially appears to be supportive & doting. How wrong could Ziggy be? The scenes between Damian & Ziggy make painful & heartbreaking reading.
Alex then introduces us to Marc, bringing hope, life can change & be turned around. Watching Ziggy & Marc learning to navigate their budding relationship, overcome their fears & supporting each other without wanting to control the other is powerful & emotional.
Alex hasn’t lost her knack of peppering snarky humour throughout which gives us some relief from the hard truths we are faced with. The supporting cast are wonderful & add so much depth to this story. Pat in the sex shop still makes me laugh out loud!🙈🤣
Alex skilfully weaves a hard hitting tale of sorrow, desperation, sheer grit & determination but also self doubt, low self esteem, self reflection & ultimately survival leading to a hard won HEA.
This book will stay with me for a long time!
January 22, 2022
Poor sweet Ziggy. This story pulled at all my heartstrings. The first part of this book takes you in detail through all the rough life experiences of Ziggy on the Street. How he is so desperate just to survive and to be loved that he puts his trust in the wrong person and gets emotionally and physically hurt. I was so invested in Ziggy pulling through I could not put this story down. Everything feels so real, you go through all of it with Ziggy and it is gritty, violent and depressing! But this makes his hard-earned love found with Marc and his Family all the more emotional and special. I do not want to give the entire journey of recovery away, but I will say this is a beautiful HEA epilogue! I received an ARC of this book, and I am looking forward to more from this author. I hope they give the detective and Liam a story!!!
January 23, 2022
* Deep breath
Ziggy Coleman will always have a special place in my heart. My heart feels like it was literally put through a wringer. My heart was wrung out by the pain that Ziggy went through. I honestly had to pause in reading this book, that is just how powerful this story is. The pain, the ugliness, the depths of hurt that he endures feel so real and genuine that you will be crying, gasping for your breath while your brain is grasping at how can he survive all this? Then you see hope, happiness and your heart is hurting less. I can not tell you what a brilliant job that Alex did in writing this book. This book is permanently ingrained into my soul. Thank you for sharing your talent with us. I am already looking forward to the next book from this author.
Ziggy Coleman will always have a special place in my heart. My heart feels like it was literally put through a wringer. My heart was wrung out by the pain that Ziggy went through. I honestly had to pause in reading this book, that is just how powerful this story is. The pain, the ugliness, the depths of hurt that he endures feel so real and genuine that you will be crying, gasping for your breath while your brain is grasping at how can he survive all this? Then you see hope, happiness and your heart is hurting less. I can not tell you what a brilliant job that Alex did in writing this book. This book is permanently ingrained into my soul. Thank you for sharing your talent with us. I am already looking forward to the next book from this author.
January 22, 2022
This book is perfect, from start to finish, a book of love, self-love, survival, loneliness, strength, a new beginning... it's a rich book that makes the reader feel Ziggy's pains and desires, fears, insecurities, betrayals, the abuses! Villains are incredibly bad and Marc is a dream! Everything we need to warm and take care of Ziggy's heart and the reader who suffered throughout the journey! Awesome secondary characters too! A million stars! Highly recommended book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
February 1, 2022
Alex J Adams did such an amazing job writing Saving Ziggy!
Knowing she was stepping out of her comfort zone and going darker with this book, I was so excited to read it and was not disappointed.
Every character is so true to life and Ziggy? I just wanted to reach into the story and hug him. He’s such a beautifully flawed young man, who’s not had an easy life, and just wants to be loved. Like many people, this leads to choices with devastating consequences that had my heart in throat and my eyes welling up with tears.
Paramedic Marc enters Ziggy’s life at it’s lowest point, and he can’t help but be drawn to him, wanting to know his story. More than that, he’s there for Ziggy in every way as he recovers physically and emotionally. Their relationship develops naturally and gradually, but not without the setbacks you’d expect considering the abuse and traumatic events Ziggy has been through. Although their attraction is there from the start, their physical relationship has it’s setbacks too but lacks nothing in chemistry and heat. Seeing Ziggy get to the happily ever after he deserves was at times dark and emotional, but worth every tear I shed.
Check the triggers warnings as this story does contain situations that may not be for everyone.
Knowing she was stepping out of her comfort zone and going darker with this book, I was so excited to read it and was not disappointed.
Every character is so true to life and Ziggy? I just wanted to reach into the story and hug him. He’s such a beautifully flawed young man, who’s not had an easy life, and just wants to be loved. Like many people, this leads to choices with devastating consequences that had my heart in throat and my eyes welling up with tears.
Paramedic Marc enters Ziggy’s life at it’s lowest point, and he can’t help but be drawn to him, wanting to know his story. More than that, he’s there for Ziggy in every way as he recovers physically and emotionally. Their relationship develops naturally and gradually, but not without the setbacks you’d expect considering the abuse and traumatic events Ziggy has been through. Although their attraction is there from the start, their physical relationship has it’s setbacks too but lacks nothing in chemistry and heat. Seeing Ziggy get to the happily ever after he deserves was at times dark and emotional, but worth every tear I shed.
Check the triggers warnings as this story does contain situations that may not be for everyone.
February 3, 2022
For me this was almost a book in 2 parts before the event and after the event but it works and is well written.
The book has angst, love, friendship, drama...it's not dark but maybe grey in places :)
Ziggy story may break your heart to start but he does get his HEA with the perfect partner.
The book has angst, love, friendship, drama...it's not dark but maybe grey in places :)
Ziggy story may break your heart to start but he does get his HEA with the perfect partner.
July 16, 2024
This book was a struggle to read at times due to the abuse that Ziggy suffered but in the end he got his happy ending and I really enjoyed reading it.
February 3, 2022
This book was quite emotional and definitely not for those who can't take a bit of violence.
But honestly I just didn't like the way it progressed. After the assault that Ziggy had to go through Marc immediately gave him a place at his mom's house. As a psychology student, the one thing that I've learnt is to not interrogate the victim. Marc's mom, as amazing as she is was doing exactly that. It was quite disturbing to me bcs I know the mechanisms of the whole thing. People usually try to make these victims feel at home, by conversing too much, asking them to talk, gushing over them, trying to get them to socialise. And that's not always right. I just couldn't help but point that out.
This book also gave me Sloane Kennedy vibes....
Hope ya all like it better than I did.
But honestly I just didn't like the way it progressed. After the assault that Ziggy had to go through Marc immediately gave him a place at his mom's house. As a psychology student, the one thing that I've learnt is to not interrogate the victim. Marc's mom, as amazing as she is was doing exactly that. It was quite disturbing to me bcs I know the mechanisms of the whole thing. People usually try to make these victims feel at home, by conversing too much, asking them to talk, gushing over them, trying to get them to socialise. And that's not always right. I just couldn't help but point that out.
This book also gave me Sloane Kennedy vibes....
Hope ya all like it better than I did.
January 29, 2022
The book was really emotional.
It involves the sad story of a man who always feels alone and has not found someone good in his life. It gives hope to find a real soulmate, and it does it in a very natural way. I really enjoyed it (some parts are really difficult to read because you can feel the sufferance through the lines). I think five stars are not enough.
It involves the sad story of a man who always feels alone and has not found someone good in his life. It gives hope to find a real soulmate, and it does it in a very natural way. I really enjoyed it (some parts are really difficult to read because you can feel the sufferance through the lines). I think five stars are not enough.
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