shatteredandsalvagedduet – booksofthemuggleborn

⚠ This review contain minor teasers!

booksofthemuggleborn_kisstosalvage — Original post from my IG @booksofthemuggleborn

•••

• BLURB •

Prescott Wentworth is my brother’s best friend and teammate.

We hate each other.

But we also can’t keep our hands off each other.

The day I met the star wide receiver, he was acting like a grumpy ass, and I was so over big, bulky men messing with my life. He was gorgeous, with wide shoulders, a chiseled jaw hidden behind a week’s worth of scruff, and the meanest glare I’ve seen in my life. So what if he was injured during a game? At least he’s alive, not that he appreciates it.

Now it’s a new school year, but some things never change.

Like the sizzling tension between Prescott and me every time we’re in the same room. But the more we fight, the more I want to shut him up. With my mouth.

Then he sees me on a date with someone else, and something in him snaps.

The deal is simple: it’s just sex, and nobody can ever find out. Especially not my brother.

But then the demons from my past come back to haunt me. The darker they become, the more I need Prescott. And I’m beginning to feel like he needs me too.

NOTE: Kiss To Salvage is book two in Shattered & Salvaged Duet. You need to read Kiss To Shatter in order to understand this book. Shattered & Salvaged Duet contains dark and mature themes appropriate for readers 18+. For the full list of trigger warnings please visit http://www.annabdoe.com/trigger-warnings.

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• MY REVIEW •

“You make me want to be better. Only you.”

I don’t know how else to describe reading Jade and Prescott’s story other than its therapeutic. It puts you through the wringer but by the end it leaves you feeling emotionally lighter. If there’s one story that fits the meaning of “emotional rollercoaster” to a T, then it’s this one without a doubt. I went from crying, to smiling, and back again with each chapter I’d read. All the push-and-pull and all the ups and downs between them definitely took an emotional, mental, and even physical toll on me, but man, was it worth it.

Doe stepped it up and killed it with this one. It’s another epic addition to the Blairwood University series that I will go back to over and over again. I can’t fault the writing— it’s well-written, well-developed, and totally encompasses you in its world-building. The premise caught my curiosity, the narrative sucked me in, and the characters took hold off me until it was time to part ways.

Not only has Doe written something thought-provoking, inspiring, and truly heartfelt, but she’s brought to life characters who’ve managed to make those who read it a part of their journey. I came away from this book feeling as if Jade and Prescott were real people who I knew and absolutely cared for.

I found this duet to be one of the rare exceptions where both books had solid storytelling from start to finish. It’s rich, vivid, with constantly evolving characters. The dual POVs gave so much insight into both Jade’s and Prescott’s mentality, their emotional state, and most importantly showed how far and how deep they’ve grown as individuals.

It’s well-paced, with tons of twists and turns that had me in suspense for the entirety of the time. I wish I could experience reading their story for the first time again. Jade and Prescott are a pair of all-consuming characters that deserved (and rightly received) my undivided attention. Their stories are full of genuine, relatable experiences, some of which I could completely relate to and sympathise with. These characters are flawed but there’s nothing about them I didn’t love.

“You were there when it mattered. When I was at my lowest, you were there, and you helped me cling to reality. Cling to life.”

This is one of Doe’s best work and reading it, it’s evident how much time and effort, heart and soul she’s put in ensuring Jade and Prescott’s story was a worthy one. And it is. From the grittiness to the fragility, I was blown away by the multitude of layers it contained and how well-balanced all the elements were within. Whilst the intense romance is undoubtedly an element I was gripped by, the entire cast of secondary characters came a close second in elevating Jade and Prescott’s world. The contrast and group dynamics in itself was a powerful presence and helped cast the atmosphere.

One of my favourite reads of the year. It’s the type of contemporary romance read that I effortlessly got invested in. It may fall under the New Adult umbrella but make no mistake these college students are well beyond their years. The friendships are goals just as much as the romantic relationships. It can be read as a standalone but this series is interconnected through its characters, and I highly recommend reading them all. Whilst each book has some form of angst, drama, and personal struggles, this story in particular deals with another level of heaviness and heartbreak. It contains sensitive subject matters that may be triggering or disturbing for some readers to deal with. Please proceed with caution.

As it is a continuous storyline, Kiss To Shatter needs to be read first before starting this one. But all in all, I recommend the hell out of this duet. It’s a reading experience that has surprisingly taught me a lot about self-worth, love, and sacrifice. If you’re in need of a good cry and in the mood to hunker down with a hearty romance story, then add this one to your immediate TBR. It delivers. If I could rate it higher, I would.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Anna B. Doe for the opportunity to read an advance copy! 💗

🔔 Interested in reading the Shattered and Salvaged Duet? Grab the books here:

Book One | Kiss To Shatter: Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA

Book Two | Kiss To Salvage: Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA

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📷 Shattered & Salvaged Duet! 🏈

booksofthemuggleborn_kisstoshatter — Original post from my IG @booksofthemuggleborn

Book One: Kiss To Shatter by Anna B. Doe

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🏈🏒 Blairwood University Series ⛸🏀

Prequel: Kiss Me First by Anna B. Doe

Book One: Kiss To Conquer by Anna B. Doe

Book Two: Kiss To Forget by Anna B. Doe

Book Three: Kiss To Defy by Anna B. Doe

Book Four: Kiss To Remember by Anna B. Doe

Book Five: Kiss To Belong by Anna B. Doe

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Happy reading, guys! Catch you in my next one! Xo

⚠ This review contain minor teasers!

•••

• BLURB •

Prescott Wentworth is my brother’s best friend and teammate. We hate each other. But we also can’t keep our hands off each other.

Now it’s a new school year, but some things never change.

Like the sizzling tension between Prescott and me every time we’re in the same room. But the more we fight, the more I want to shut him up. With my mouth.

Then he sees me on a date with someone else, and something in him snaps.

The deal is simple: it’s just sex, and nobody can ever find out. Especially not my brother.

But then the demons from my past come back to haunt me. The darker they become, the more I need Prescott. And I’m beginning to feel like he needs me too.

Author’s Note: Although not a dark romance, this duet contains DARK THEMES! You can find the full list of trigger warnings (which can contain spoilers) on my webpage: https://www.annabdoe.com/trigger-warnings

•••

• MY REVIEW •

“I inhale her sweet scent—lavender mixed with sun and grass from hours spent on the field. She smells like home.”

Kiss To Shatter is a siren song. I need more. Jade and Prescott are two characters I had always thought would only play minor roles; secondary characters who helped create the world-building centring around a group of friends navigating through college, but after reading this book my mind is completely reeling at the fact that it was so not the case. Jade and Prescott’s personal stories are gritty, complex, and just as (if not more) thought-provoking as some of the previous books in Blairwood University.

There’s a lot to unpack with this first half of the duet, but it was attention-grabbing from start to finish that I’m now eagerly anticipating the next book. There’s a sweet balance between darkness and lightness within this story that kept me engaged. It could easily have been a heavy-set melancholic narrative but Doe carried comic relief amongst the cast of characters, witty banter, as well as uplifting moments all throughout.

It’s well-paced storytelling with dual POVs that heightened the MCs thought process and emotions, and incorporated internal monologue. I recommend readers interested in starting this duet to first look into the trigger warnings as Jade and Prescott’s story deals with a handful of sensitive subject matters.

As someone who has gone through a similar experience as Prescott, I found myself instantaneously connecting with his character and sympathising with his dilemma despite his prickly persona. Jade faces a completely different set of hurdles but they’re just as real life, genuine matters that plenty of people can relate to. Although I found her reckless personality a little frustrating at times, the reasoning behind her behaviour is understandable. They bring about an emotional journey that’s full of unpredictability and impulsive choices that set the course of their evolving relationship.

“That’s what we are. Completely destructive, but unable to stay away from one another.”

Jade and Prescott both have strong personalities that have a way of clashing yet meshing together at the same time. It’s a hate-to-love trope that builds in anticipation and leaves you pining for more.

It’s a hearty, character-driven storyline filled with angst and drama. It can be read as a standalone but I strongly recommend you start from the beginning of the series as characters and relationships are interconnected, and the world-building is extensive. It’s a New Adult/ College backdrop that easily toes the line into Adult Romance with the seriousness and mature themes included.

I loved it. It’s another gripping addition to Blairwood University. Each book in this series has consistently been a winning read. Doe’s writing is mighty, complex, and well-developed. The storylines always reflect real-life matters and contain striking characters that tend to leave lasting impressions. The group dynamics in this series is something I’ve come to look forward to seeing other than the MCs developing romance as there’s a genuine sense of friendship and support system. Kiss To Shatter is a quality contemporary romance that I’m happily recommending to fellow romance readers. It’s the type of read you can really hunker down and get lost in. I can’t wait for Kiss To Salvage!