Two kindhearted people find healing after years of life bruising and battering them in this emotionally intense tale that pulls at reader's heartstrings and is a beautiful addition to a series full of memorable characters and uplifting conclusions. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Salvaged by Jay Crownover, along with my impressions of it, then add it to your bookshelf. In honor of this fourth installment in the Saints of Denver series make sure to fill out the form for the chance to win 2 signed bundles of the first three books in this series too!
Hudson Wheeler is a nice guy. Everyone knows it, including his fiancée who left him with a canceled wedding and a baby on the way. He’s tired of finishing last and is ready to start living in the moment with nights soaked in whiskey, fast cars, and even faster girls. He’s set to start living on the edge, but when he meets Poppy Cruz, her sad eyes in the most gorgeous face he’s ever seen hook him in right away. Wheeler can see Poppy’s pain and all he wants to do is take care of her and make her smile, whatever it takes.
Poppy can’t remember a time when she didn’t see strangers as the enemy. After a lifetime of being hurt from the men who swore to protect her, Poppy’s determined to keep herself safe by keeping everyone else at arm’s length. Wheeler’s sexy grin and rough hands from hours restoring classic cars shouldn’t captivate her, but every time she’s with him, she can’t help being pulled closer to him. Though she’s terrified to trust again, Poppy soon realizes it might hurt even more to shut Wheeler out—and the intense feelings pulsing through her are making it near impossible to resist him.
The only thing Poppy is sure of is that her heart is in need of some serious repair, and the more time she spends with Wheeler, the more she’s convinced he’s the only man with the tools to fix it.
EXCERPT:
“I don’t know that I have the time to take on a puppy right now, Poppy.” He lifted a hand and rubbed it across the back of his neck. His mahogany-colored eyebrows pulled into a vee over the top of his nose and the corners of his mouth pulled down in a frown that was too harsh for his pretty face. I liked it much better when he smiled and his twin dimples cut deeply into his cheeks.
I bit my bottom lip to keep the distressed noise that I could feel climbing up the back of my throat at bay. I knew he might say no but I couldn’t hide the fact that I was disappointed by his decision. I honestly felt like he and the puppy would be good for one another, that they could bring a little joy into each other’s life. It broke my heart a little that Wheeler wasn’t ready to open his heart up again, even when it was to something that was so obviously eager to love him unconditionally and irrevocably, unlike his ex.
“It’s okay, Wheeler. Like I said, I’ll take him home until I can find a place for him. I’m sure Dolly could use a friend.” I crouched down and wiggled my fingers to get the dog’s attention, and grinned when he bounded over, tripping over his front legs as he scrambled in my direction. “I can take him to work with me and hold on to him until I figure something out. One of the boys at the shop will step up if Dixie doesn’t want another dog." I heard him sigh and looked up to see him watching me intently. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then let it snap shut with his teeth audibly clicking together. I didn’t know much about Wheeler, but what I did know I liked. He was nice. He was polite. He was thoughtful and he was kind. But more than any of those things, he went out of his way to hold himself in a way that wasn’t threatening or intimidating because he was aware without me saying a word how jumpy I was around people, men in particular. I hated that they were bigger than me. I hated that I knew firsthand how badly they could hurt me if they had a mind to. I hated that I wilted and cowered under their attention, even if it was innocent and friendly. The fact that he took care not to spook me spoke volumes and made me feel awful for putting him in such an awkward position.
“Poppy…” He sounded regretful and I had no interest in dragging the torture out any longer for either of us. I scooped up the dog and buried my nose in the top of his head.
“Seriously it’s no big deal. I love him and I’m happy to wait until I can find him a proper home. It was stupid of me not to consider how busy you are with everything you have going on in your life right now. A puppy is a big commitment and that’s not something you can put on someone else without discussing it with them first.” The dog swiped his tongue across my face, no doubt feeling my distress and rising panic. I wanted to tuck his warm little body to my chest and run away like I was trying to score a touchdown in the other team’s end zone. “I should have known better.”
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
When it comes to putting characters through the emotional wringer Ms. Crownover has become a master, not only by tugging at reader's heartstrings but also at making readers fully invested in her character's outcomes. From start to finish this book takes readers through numerous highs and lows, from tears to an uplifting ending that defines happily ever after and it was a hard-fought journey for two very deserving characters.
The son of a drug addictive mother, Hudson Wheeler's childhood was one of being shuffled from one foster home to the next. He never felt a connection to anyone, never felt like he mattered to anyone, and never felt worthy of anyone's attention. With all he went through growing up it had me sympathetic towards him from the start and rooting for him to find someone to finally see him as the gentle giant that he is. It wasn't until high school that he found something that made him feel special...fixing up classic cars. This talent set him apart, helped him make a name for himself, and gave him a path to the future. Despite how he grew up Wheeler was a kindhearted man, always helpful to others, and though his size and tats were somewhat intimidating it's clear he has a big heart. That big heart though made it easy for the woman he planned to marry to wrap him around her little finger, to have him work himself to the bone, to give her everything she wanted. When he discovered her affair with another, her betrayal left him with a broken heart as well as a baby on the way. In the midst of all this chaos he finds himself growing ever closer to the timid and emotionally battered Poppy. Her fears had him holding back before but it's becoming clear that it's only in her presence that he finds peace. It's only by earning her trust that he truly feels worthy and though their journey evolves slowly it's a journey he's more than happy to take. Wheeler's looks may be intimidating but he's a gentle soul, sensing her fears and giving her strength while still protecting her. He wears his heart on his sleeve and through small touches and sweet words their romance charmed me. Wheeler's the quintessential book boyfriend who says and does exactly what you dream of and he still plays a central role in my nightly dreams.
Poppy's childhood was also unsettled as the daughter of a malevolent preacher who used the Bible and his condemnation as weapons against his family. Though her sister was able to rebel Poppy's loyalty and soft heart kept her from doing the same. In trying to be a dutiful daughter she set herself up for even greater pain, taken advantage of by men who used her kind soul against her. A sheltered, and smothering, upbringing left her vulnerable to men who sensed her loneliness and need to be loved and who left her bloody and broken. With a lot of therapy she's slowly come out of her shell but men still leave her cringing. Wheeler's the first man to reawaken her libido, the first man to have her wanting to run towards him instead of away. He never rushes her and lets her take the lead in a sweet and sensual relationship where they both have times of needing to lean on the other. Poppy's journey of empowerment is a cheer-worthy one as her initial fears regarding men were palpable. The horrors of her childhood and the betrayals by men who swore their love to her were vividly depicted and left me aching for her. Wheeler's love, along with the unconditional love of a cute puppy, was the first step in her healing and hard-fought journey to HEA that I was fully invested in seeing come to fruition.
This was a story where the good guys finally finished first after years of fate treating them like a punching bag both physically and emotionally. Poppy especially had it rough which is why her journey took center stage here. She was extremely timid and jumpy at the start but by the end she was standing up for herself and others, putting herself in danger to save another from her father. Though this decision had a shocking outcome I still applauded her empowerment and the vibe of serenity and strength surrounding her by the final page. Wheeler's journey is just as uplifting. He always wanted to be part of a family and through all the friendships he's made he finally has one. It's a big extended family made up of colorful and supportive people who are there for him whenever he needs them. He's the perfect hero through all his words and deeds and I wish even more time had been devoted to him as his mix of sexy and sweet left me drooling over him. The romance between him and Poppy started out sweetly but became more sensual in scenes that were about more than just sex, it became a cleansing for both and a way to leave their pasts behind them. This was a sentimental tale too as readers get to say goodbye to the characters that have inhabited this world throughout a number of books. These characters are loyal, strong-willed, and offer unconditional support and I've come to see them as family too. I loved catching up with all of them and the epilogues wrapped up their journeys with a big bow that warmed my heart. Readers who haven't yet started these books should do so now as they're a beautiful depiction of love and romance!
The son of a drug addictive mother, Hudson Wheeler's childhood was one of being shuffled from one foster home to the next. He never felt a connection to anyone, never felt like he mattered to anyone, and never felt worthy of anyone's attention. With all he went through growing up it had me sympathetic towards him from the start and rooting for him to find someone to finally see him as the gentle giant that he is. It wasn't until high school that he found something that made him feel special...fixing up classic cars. This talent set him apart, helped him make a name for himself, and gave him a path to the future. Despite how he grew up Wheeler was a kindhearted man, always helpful to others, and though his size and tats were somewhat intimidating it's clear he has a big heart. That big heart though made it easy for the woman he planned to marry to wrap him around her little finger, to have him work himself to the bone, to give her everything she wanted. When he discovered her affair with another, her betrayal left him with a broken heart as well as a baby on the way. In the midst of all this chaos he finds himself growing ever closer to the timid and emotionally battered Poppy. Her fears had him holding back before but it's becoming clear that it's only in her presence that he finds peace. It's only by earning her trust that he truly feels worthy and though their journey evolves slowly it's a journey he's more than happy to take. Wheeler's looks may be intimidating but he's a gentle soul, sensing her fears and giving her strength while still protecting her. He wears his heart on his sleeve and through small touches and sweet words their romance charmed me. Wheeler's the quintessential book boyfriend who says and does exactly what you dream of and he still plays a central role in my nightly dreams.
Poppy's childhood was also unsettled as the daughter of a malevolent preacher who used the Bible and his condemnation as weapons against his family. Though her sister was able to rebel Poppy's loyalty and soft heart kept her from doing the same. In trying to be a dutiful daughter she set herself up for even greater pain, taken advantage of by men who used her kind soul against her. A sheltered, and smothering, upbringing left her vulnerable to men who sensed her loneliness and need to be loved and who left her bloody and broken. With a lot of therapy she's slowly come out of her shell but men still leave her cringing. Wheeler's the first man to reawaken her libido, the first man to have her wanting to run towards him instead of away. He never rushes her and lets her take the lead in a sweet and sensual relationship where they both have times of needing to lean on the other. Poppy's journey of empowerment is a cheer-worthy one as her initial fears regarding men were palpable. The horrors of her childhood and the betrayals by men who swore their love to her were vividly depicted and left me aching for her. Wheeler's love, along with the unconditional love of a cute puppy, was the first step in her healing and hard-fought journey to HEA that I was fully invested in seeing come to fruition.
This was a story where the good guys finally finished first after years of fate treating them like a punching bag both physically and emotionally. Poppy especially had it rough which is why her journey took center stage here. She was extremely timid and jumpy at the start but by the end she was standing up for herself and others, putting herself in danger to save another from her father. Though this decision had a shocking outcome I still applauded her empowerment and the vibe of serenity and strength surrounding her by the final page. Wheeler's journey is just as uplifting. He always wanted to be part of a family and through all the friendships he's made he finally has one. It's a big extended family made up of colorful and supportive people who are there for him whenever he needs them. He's the perfect hero through all his words and deeds and I wish even more time had been devoted to him as his mix of sexy and sweet left me drooling over him. The romance between him and Poppy started out sweetly but became more sensual in scenes that were about more than just sex, it became a cleansing for both and a way to leave their pasts behind them. This was a sentimental tale too as readers get to say goodbye to the characters that have inhabited this world throughout a number of books. These characters are loyal, strong-willed, and offer unconditional support and I've come to see them as family too. I loved catching up with all of them and the epilogues wrapped up their journeys with a big bow that warmed my heart. Readers who haven't yet started these books should do so now as they're a beautiful depiction of love and romance!
My rating for this is a B+/A-
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point, and the Saints of Denver series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her dogs.
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