Review: Retreat by Jay Crownover
SYNOPSIS:
Every once in a while, you need to get away from it all.
I was a woman on the edge, shaken and shattered after a breakup that felt like it tore my entire world apart.
My best friend, sick of watching me drown in misery and melancholy, harassed me until I agreed to go with her on a week-long wilderness retreat.
She promised days spent bonding and getting in touch with our inner bad-asses.
It was supposed to be all about the two of us roughing it and making do with the bare minimum. She assured me we were going to be pushed to our limits in ways that were unimaginable. Neither one of us could have ever guessed just how right she was.
Nowhere in the glossy brochure did it say anything about the fact I was going to have to battle the insufferable but deliciously rugged and sexy trail guide instead of the elements. The brochure also forgot to mention the part that warned when you left civilization behind, there was no place to pack your inhibitions and fears.
I was told that I would be facing a week where the only thing I should expect was the unexpected. However, no one mentioned that I was going to have to fight for my life…and my heart as soon as I ventured into the unknown.
I was a pro at hiding from my feelings but when it came time to face a real threat, one that could change everything, I learned I was more of a no surrender, no retreat kind of girl.
Retreat is a standalone novel, the first in the Getaway series which centers on the hardheaded and brokenhearted Warner brothers and the women that dare to love them.
These boys are very good at putting the wild in wilderness.
REVIEW:
In typical me fashion, I have no idea why I waited so long to dive into this book/series but this weekend was the perfect moment. The book was a refreshing plot line, filled with sexy suspense that had me guessing until the very end. I will read anything Jay Crownover writes, regardless of my immense love for some of her other works, this book is in a league of its own. A unique plot with a refreshing voice, I was inspired and hypnotized by these strong characters, the rugged terrain, and the endless danger lurking around them.
Wyoming is mystical, lush forests, fresh mountain air and a log cabin getaway ran by three drop dead sexy brothers…sign me up! One way ticket please, I will need no refund. These men all grasped onto a piece of my heart and never let it go. But the real icing on the cake was the character growth. Leo was a broken woman at the beginning of this story and to see her grow in confidence, strength, and determination was inspiring and energizing. She went from fragile to kick-*ss and never lost the underline of sass in her personality.
While the trip and romance was only a week long, I love that both Cy and Leo acknowledge time is not on their side. It’s these types of small touches that Jay puts into her story that makes these characters real, and the story real. Cy was all brooding, strong muscles and I couldn’t help but fall for him, a man that protects his own is a man I want to be around. And in record fashion, Jay had me turning into a tomato at 30% and I don’t think it faded much throughout the rest of the story.
In terms of the plot, I knew something fishy was going on from the second they all sat down for dinner, the night before the trip. But never in my wildest dreams did I guess the story line and I never saw the suspense and build up coming. I was on the edge of my seat, fascinated and ready to gnaw a finger off as nerves consumed me. Unpredictable, tense, and chaotic the plot had me hooked. The only problem with this story is that it ended…but lucky for me book 2 is already on my Kindle.
LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble
