Surviving Raine (Surviving Raine, #1) in Buddy Read Zone

May 23, 2013 Duchess Nicole rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2013, self-contained, genre-new-adult, e-pcs, hyped, genre-erotica, favorites, genre-contemp-romance, highly-rated, ebooks-i-own-amazon

"Forgiveness is the fragrance of the violet which still clings fast to the heel that crushed it. "Raine's eyes met mine again, her tears still staining her cheeks. "I'm a heel, Raine," I told her. "You're my beautiful violet and I'm always crushing you..."

Hey...little disclaimer here...I know there is talk of this book having a cliffie (most of you know how I feel about cliffhangers), but I really don't think this ends in a cliffie AT ALL! The story told within this book is complete....I p ...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Vikki ~ *squee* lite ~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: brooding-hero, h-h-needs-a-2x4, angsty, alpha-hero, abuse, bad-boy-hero, hurt-my-heart, i-wish-you-would-act-your-age, fight-club, addiction

Wow. I could not put this one down. (Which was an issue since I really had other things to do today)

I'm not usually a fan of the man against nature plot. Although, there was obviously more to this book than just that. Sebastian Stark is not a good guy. He's an alcoholic who is trying to drink himself to death, while avoiding human contact as much as possible except of course for the hookers he picks up to fuck. There really isn't a lot to like about him. Eventually, you get his story. You unders Wow. I could not put this one down. (Which was an issue since I really had other things to do today)

I'm not usually a fan of the man against nature plot. Although, there was obviously more to this book than just that. Sebastian Stark is not a good guy. He's an alcoholic who is trying to drink himself to death, while avoiding human contact as much as possible except of course for the hookers he picks up to fuck. There really isn't a lot to like about him. Eventually, you get his story. You understand why he is how he is. You get that no one has ever loved him. You get that his life has been dominated by violence and anger. And, eventually, you get that even though that has left him scarred in body and soul, somewhere, deep inside, there is still a good guy hiding there.

It's funny, Sebastian isn't a swoon worthy hero for me. I didn't sigh over the sweet things he said ( and there certainly were some sweet things). I didn't smile when he opened up to Raine, or pulled off miraculous feats to keep them alive. Oh, I did fall just a little bit in love with him, and he certainly would be my first choice for island survival guide, but mostly, I just hurt for him. Every time we learn more about his past, every time he reveals just how lost, scared and vulnerable he is, it just broke my heart.

Raine on the other hand, well, I don't really know what to say about her. She's an interesting mix. There was a lot to admire about her. She certainly held up better than I would have. I'm women enough to admit I would have descended into the depths of hysteria pretty soon after the ship sank, and Sebastian would have tossed me overboard. She also puts up with Sebastian's shit (and there is a LOT if it) with more grace than I would have. At the same time, she puts up with SO much shit. Yes, it gets better, but Sebastian is far, far from "healed" at the end if the book. It's hard to know why Raine loves him so much. Not that he's unloveable, or unworthy if her love, but I don't get the devotion, not really. (view spoiler) I also found her to be, more naive then I expected for a twenty year old (view spoiler)

Ok, so I guess it sounds like I didn't like this book that much, but that is far from the truth. I was totally engrossed in this story from start to finish. My chest actually ached when we learned about Sebastian's past. I got choked up, my heart pounded, my stomach clinched, and my palms were sweating. I could not walk away, and when I finally got to the end - I wanted more.

I can't wait for book two.

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Jun 28, 2013 Tessamari ♥Many Waters...♥ ~ Sweet Spot Book Blog rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, must-re-read-again, hot-and-heavy, lead-character-bad-boy, highly-emotional, 2013

**Smirking** I guess I’ll start off by saying, “Wow!”

4.5-4.75 Stars

“I never know what to think about you. I don’t know why you…why you do anything for me.”
“Because I love you.” There were tears in her eyes now, and it fucking tore me apart.
“I don’t understand that, either.”
“Because you are worth it,” she said with determination.

Speechless. I swear this book made a sobbing mess out of me. I lost count on how many times my eyes got all misty and I got all sniffy. Seriously, guys…check thi ...more

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Apr 30, 2013 ~V~ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary-romance

Wow!! That was sooooo good!! I do believe this is the first book that i've read where the entire story is told from the male's first person point of view, i loved it!! Take the book On the Island and increase the intensity 10 fold and you get Surviving Raine! It was raw, gritty, emotional and HOT. Bastian is one messed up and sometimes scary guy and darn lucky to have stumbled upon someone like sweet Raine who is able to see past the grumpy a**hole and put up with him. Likewise, she was lucky to ...more

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May 07, 2017 Lindsay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: a-s-a-p, to-br-with-nikki, signed-copy, may-2017, 2017

This is a book that I've had my eye on for a while. A friend recommended it to me forever ago, but something always kept me from reading it. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it? But anyway, I was scrolling through a new friend's shelves on GR and this was on there and it just hit me. It jumped off the screen and screamed "READ ME!!!!!!"...so, I finished my current read and picked this up.

I never expected to love this book as much as I did. I don't always have the best of luck with books reco ...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Angie **loves angst** rated it it was amazing

"You really ought to stay away from me."
Only Shay Savage could make me fall in love with an asshole alcoholic who just wants to be loved. I must admit when I first started reading this book I didn't like Sebastian Stark. He was mean, crass, self centered, vile, a rogue and I could go on and on. This book should've been called Surviving Bastian because this is one complicated dude. When he's sweet, he can melt your panties off, and when he's bad, find the nearest exit. Throughout Surviving Raine "You really ought to stay away from me."
Only Shay Savage could make me fall in love with an asshole alcoholic who just wants to be loved. I must admit when I first started reading this book I didn't like Sebastian Stark. He was mean, crass, self centered, vile, a rogue and I could go on and on. This book should've been called Surviving Bastian because this is one complicated dude. When he's sweet, he can melt your panties off, and when he's bad, find the nearest exit. Throughout Surviving Raine I enjoyed seeing the changes and growth in this character. Survival stories are one of my favorite themes and I definitely made note of the creative ways Bastian and Raine found to stay alive on the island and life boat. You know just in case I'm ever stranded in the middle of the ocean or find myself on an abandoned island. (view spoiler) Even though the book is told from Bastian's point of view, I never got tired of it. It definitely made the book interesting, I was better able to sympathize with this character's past and struggles.

I liked Raine, the heroine, right away. Probably because she's a book reader, but mainly because of her never ending patience and understanding. I don't know how she did it. Let me just say she dealt with ALOT while getting to know Bastian. I also liked that she didn't jump into bed with him right away. Just because they were stranded and the only two people around she stood her ground and was strong when she needed to be. I enjoyed witnessing the slow build up between these two and seeing them move from strangers, to enemies, to friends and eventually lovers.
"My natural reaction had always been fight - I had never run from anything in my life. What was it about this minuscule little girl that scared the shit out of me?"

So many things kept going through my head as I read this book. Most of all I really wanted to give Bastian a hug. His life was filled with nothing but hurt and pain. He only knew how to solve problems with his fists. Then Raine came along and showed him how to love. This brought to mind a quote I read in one of Baba's reviews, "Sometimes we have to love the unlovable to show them how it's done." Refusing to let Bastian push her away or deny his feelings for her, Raine showed Bastian how to love. Even though he felt that he was unworthy of her love she showered it on him anyway. Personally, I don't know if I would've been as understanding as Raine after all the things Bastian said and did to her. I guess this is what loves does to us. It helps us forgive. It helps us look past the bad in those we love in order to see the good. It eradicates the past and gives us hope for the future. There is a happily ever after and that finally scene in the bar just gave me the shivers. I felt as if I was right there in the moment. I'm definitely looking forward to reading Book 2.
"When I looked at her, held her, and felt her hands on me, I didn't have a name for it. Happy didn't describe whatever it was."

Rating: 5 I Can't Wait To Read More From This Author Stars

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May 25, 2013 Vallsykes rated it liked it

Shelves: omg-can-u-stand-him-alpha-male, eh-yo-adrian, my-lover-is-mental, dark-and-dominant, protective-hero-swoon

3.65 stars, in my mind I know this could have been 4, and there's fact that I'm cynical about whether the author can pull it off in the sequel to come
~~I wasn't ready to give it 4 stars(& I may change my mind, LOL)~~[mind changed], I am[still]being generous and this one was a bit better OR different than the ones I've read and discarded lately.

The suspense plot was a little convoluted and left me hanging, the writing was a more than a bit rough, which hindered the flow, and after all of the ship-at 3.65 stars, in my mind I know this could have been 4, and there's fact that I'm cynical about whether the author can pull it off in the sequel to come
~~I wasn't ready to give it 4 stars(& I may change my mind, LOL)~~[mind changed], I am[still]being generous and this one was a bit better OR different than the ones I've read and discarded lately.

The suspense plot was a little convoluted and left me hanging, the writing was a more than a bit rough, which hindered the flow, and after all of the ship-at-sea terms and the glaring incongruity of the hero's range of knowledge compared to his darkly illustrated background, I might have felt a tad overwhelmed, even if I liked the premise of the story.

What I liked!
There is a bit of a wolf and lamb situation going on. The hero, Bastian, is a mix of alpha wolf, Tarzan and Rambo (if that makes any sense) and he quotes Coleridge and Byron (awkward):

“I’m not stupid.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that....I mean, you’re very well spoken for a high school dropout.”
“I still got my GED. Actually, Landon insisted on it.”
“That’s it?”
“No.”
“You went to college too, didn’t you?”
“Correspondence schools, but yes,” I said. “I have a master’s degree, actually.”
“Really?”
Raine’s shocked expression amused me. I decided to take it a step further. “In English Literature.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m not,” I said. “Do you want me to quote you something?”
“Yes, I do.”

In any case, Bastian had a raw sexuality and a "You are MINE!" possessive trait that appealed to me though it was a little much at times. However, I was just taken by his strength of will and his willingness to go to great lengths to take care of the heroine (I'm always a sucker for that!).

The heroine, Raine, as Cindy wrote: "Raine was nothing more than a weepy, angelic lamb to his wounded lion."; she was a bit weak for my liking, but she wasn't so annoying, given the situation she was in, and I liked her for Bastian because she was definitely what he needed.

The survival theme of the story was a great central theme though the suspense of it was frustratingly underlined by its connection to the hero's and heroine's backstory and the unexplained floating cloud of a threat that the author doesn't capitalize on until the end, leaving a bit of a cliff-hanger (which I DO NOT LIKE).

Bottom Line: Maybe the writer was just trying to write too much!LOL Nevertheless, this story held merit. So, read it if you are looking for the male PoV for the entire plot and something a bit on the dark side. ...more

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May 21, 2013 Britney rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-favs, my-crack, 6-stars, strong-alpha, 5-star-rating

OMG. I FUCKING LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!! I'm just...WOW. AMAZiNG.
Full review to come once I float down from this high I'm on from this book :))) ...more

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