Savage Storm (A Savage Series Novel #8) by J. Woods – Review

Savage Storm by J. Woods – Review

Rating – 3.5/5

Having endured a traumatic childhood, Marlea has separated from her family. She has been working for Savage Security for the last two years nursing a secret crush on her devilishly attractive boss, Luke Savage, all this time. Her disturbing childhood along with her physical insecurities doesn’t allow her to approach Luke.

Until a wild night out with her girlfriends in a club where she sees Luke in a compromising position. Thus, starts a passionate relationship between them which is threatened by misunderstandings and a deadly foe.

Riley isn’t a typical criminal. Dropped on the doorstep of a lush vineyard owned by the gorgeous Nick Delano, Riley needs to keep her senses intact to escape from Delano’s sensual seductions and to complete her mission. A year ago, they had met on an undercover mission and were instantly attracted to each other. However, a wrong step on Nick’s part drifts them apart. Will they able to reconcile this time? Read Savage Storm by J. Woods to find out.

Savage Storm features two couples—Luke, Marlea and Nick, Riley—and is thus told from the perspectives of all four of them. Woods provides distinct personalities to each of them. Consequently, I could effortlessly follow who was bearing the reins of the story.

Although the story contains dollops of steamy, sizzling romance, make no mistake – it is also suspenseful, action-packed, and fast-paced. As a result, I breezed through the book in three days. Strong, independent, kick-ass female characters further bolster this novel.

As with any other book which is a part of a series, there are references to several other characters from the Savage family who have appeared in the previous installments. But this did not stop me from enjoying Savage Storm. Woods ensured this by providing references to past incidents wherever necessary. Hence, this can be read as a standalone. The family tidbits helped to lighten the tension in the plot.

However, I felt Woods couldn’t capture both the stories with equal élan. Luke and Marlea’s story was way better than Nick and Riley’s. In my opinion, Luke and Marlea had more chemistry; they had more sparks flying between them than Nick and Riley. I could feel the electricity surging between Luke and Marlea, which I, unfortunately, couldn’t discern between the other pair. I honestly couldn’t root for Nick and Riley at all. Every time their story started, I would be impatient to reach Luke and Marlea’s story.

This may be because Marlea’s past resonated with me more than Riley’s. I could perceive her hurt and disappointment over her childhood experiences that led to her insecurities in the present. I loved how Luke overcame her insecurities and convinced her to give him a chance. I also loved the glimpses into Luke’s psyche showing us why he is the way he is.

I adored the parts involving Nick and his grandparents. The tender love they had for Nick led them to raise him in an affectionate atmosphere and never for once did they let him feel the absence of his parents. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite fathom Riley’s femme fatale character and Nick’s attraction towards her.

This was the first book I read from J. Woods, and I’m inclined to read the previous books in this series.

If you like a short, light-hearted, steamy, suspenseful and a fast-paced romance, consider picking up Savage Storm.

You might not have the same experience with Nick and Riley as me, but you’re gonna love Luke and Marlea.