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

May 22, 2013 Mistress rated it it was amazing

Shelves: so-good

"If you call forth what is in you, it will save you. If you do not call forth what is in you, it will destroy you."

Oh, WOW! This book was unexpectedly great! I wasn't too sure if I would like this one when I picked it up, but boy, am I glad I took a chance and read it. This book was heartbreaking, full of tragedy and loss. It was also full of forgiveness, redemption, love, and learning one's self-worth. There were many steamy scenes to get your blood flowing and enough drama to keep you on e ...more

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May 21, 2013 JoJo - JJJ (Jo Anna) Janesko rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite, books-everyone-should-read, kindle, crushing-on-him, bad-boys, awwww-romance-is-bliss, spicy, read-in-2013, couldn-t-put-it-down, a-million-stars

A Million Stars!!!!!

This book was incredible. I have to agree with my goodreads friends this book totally and completely owned me. I just finished last night and I still can't stop thinking about Bastain and Raine. I think they are going to be two characters that will stick with me for a long time to come. Once I was reading it and knew how incredible it was I immediately sent out recs to all of my friends and also bought several copies of gifts on Amazon for friends. This book is a must read i ...more

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

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

**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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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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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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Feb 27, 2014 Kathy rated it it was amazing

This book has been on my Kindle for a long time, and I’m so happy I finally started reading it! The main character is a complete jerk, but I can’t help but love the guy. He’s so tortured and emotionally distraught from his past, but one person seems to get to him and under his skin. It had been a while since I’d read the synopsis, so I went in blindly, making the surprises that much better. Shay Savage has amazed me once again with her incredible talent, writing style, and characters who seize m This book has been on my Kindle for a long time, and I’m so happy I finally started reading it! The main character is a complete jerk, but I can’t help but love the guy. He’s so tortured and emotionally distraught from his past, but one person seems to get to him and under his skin. It had been a while since I’d read the synopsis, so I went in blindly, making the surprises that much better. Shay Savage has amazed me once again with her incredible talent, writing style, and characters who seize my heart without letting go.

Take one man with abandonment issues, anger issues, violent tendencies that lead to murder, alcoholism, insecurities, and feelings of self-worthlessness….you have ‘Bastien Stark. He’s a complete jerk in every way, and his coping mechanisms are found in the bottom of a bottle, as putrid and hateful words spewing from his mouth, and through his release inside of a paid whore. And I absolutely fell in love with this broken man who by all rights teeters at the brink of emotional disturbance.

Survival is second nature to ‘Bastien, given his past, so it is no surprise that he is the master of survival after his schooner is capsized. After finding his passenger, Raine, unconscious in the water, he pulls her aboard his emergency raft and revives her. Finding himself without alcohol for the first time in four years, Raine learns first hand just how big an a$$hole ‘Bastien really is.

Raine is a timid bookworm who is recovering from her father’s death in the line of his policeman duty. She is the mistress of twenty questions. Questions about her father’s death, questions about ‘Bastien and his past, questions about how they will survive on a raft in the middle of the ocean…all of which grate on ‘Bastien’s last nerve. Raine has her own insecurities, but within the arms of ‘Bastien, she feels safe. But there is so much more to both of these strong characters with survival instincts.

With nothing left except each other, Raine and ‘Bastien begin to break through walls and teach each other more than survival of the elements. The evolution of ‘Bastien is remarkable. The power Raine holds over him and the foreign feelings he experiences are more than he can handle. His only reaction is to be a complete jerk; it’s his coping mechanism. The author’s writing depicts ‘Bastien’s thoughts and feelings in such a way that had me completely captivated before ever realizing my breathing had stopped and my heart had sped up. Bastien is an enigma with his crude demeanor and conduct conflicting with his soft, poetic heart.

From the very first to the very ending, this book is filled with heart pounding emotion, grit, and adventure. ’Bastien is crude, cruel, despicable, detestable, and utterly lovable. Shay Savage has completely spellbound me with her writing and character development. The plot is absolutely gripping, digging its claws deep into my psyche and heart with the twists and the perils surrounding these two characters…no perils being greater than ‘Bastien’s feelings for Raine.

He may have saved Raine, but Raine really saved him. This is a story that will stay with me long after my reading has finished. It is completely re-readable and has me wishing for more of these characters NOW. The danger isn’t over, as clearly evidenced in the epilogue…and the fact that this is book #1 in the Surviving Raine series. There isn’t a cliffhanger in the epilogue, but it is evident that the ghosts of ‘Bastien’s past will collide with his present and threaten his future in the next installment, Bastien’s Storm. Clearly, this book is a must read!

...more

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