Friday, November 18, 2016

Book Review & Release Week Blitz ~ SPLIT by JB Salsbury




SPLIT
Author: JB Salsbury
On Sale: November 15, 2016
Publisher: Forever
Trade Paperback: $13.99 USD
eBook: $3.99 USD

New York Times bestselling author JB Salsbury makes her Forever debut with a stand-alone unforgettable new novel, with a twist no one will see coming . . .

What do you do when you wake up with no memory of what you did last night?

Lucas spent the first half of his life protecting himself from others, but now his own mind is his biggest enemy. He doesn't know what happens when the blackouts overtake him, but he can recall the feelings--the rage, the confusion, the fear. Thankfully the quiet life he's found in Payson, Arizona has kept the darkness at bay. Until his boss's estranged daughter shows up in town, asking questions she shouldn't and sparking a desire Lucas can't control. Getting close to Shyann is the best thing that's ever happened to him, but when his blackouts return, unleashing the truth he's battled so long to hide, he may just lose her forever . . ..



Occasionally, a book comes along that consumes you and lights a fire in your heart that you can’t possibly contain.  That book for me is Split by JB Salsbury and it has been a long time since I became so emotionally invested in the characters in a story.  

First off….take a look at that cover, specifically the eyes of the model on the cover.  They just challenge you to open up the book and take a risk as you begin this reading journey full of impossible twists and turns and pleading with you to love the man behind the eyes.  Plus, he’s hot, so that has to be appreciated. Yes, I admit I am a sucker for covers, and this one spoke to me like none other.  Anyway, let’s start on my thoughts…..

The prologue is truly what got my attention and from that point I just knew that this book was going to be one of those that I couldn’t put down and spend every single minute of day reading.  Guess what?  That’s what I did every single minute of the day – reading this heart-stopping story until the very last page was read.  Not only was this a great story – it was simply AMAZING!

With her big dreams of a better life, Shyann all but abandoned her family and friends, discarding them like an old rag.  She had high aspirations for her life and wanted nothing more than to escape her small town and go to the big city to become the best News Broadcaster the world has ever known.  Her career comes to a halt however and she has no choice but to return home with her ‘tail between her legs’ as she tries to save enough money to try to give her career another shot.  Life however has other plans for Shyann and when she meets one of her father’s employees, Lucas, those plans don’t seem quite as important as before. I’m not going to lie.  When I first ‘met’ Shyann, I didn’t like her - but she finally won me over with her understanding and heart of gold.

Lucas.  Oh, my gosh…this man will always a special place in my heart.  Although he has no recollection of the horrible night, Lucas was accused of murdering his entire family but released on a technically several years prior.  He’s a quiet one and tries to mind his own business, and he finds solace in the small town of Payson, Arizona – that is until Shyann returns home.  Trying his best to keep Shyann at arm’s length, there is just something about her that makes him desire to open up and trust again. But will his haunted past collide with his future and will the person that is always there to protect him from getting hurt allow Shyann into his heart?  This, my dear reader is for you to learn as you begin this roller coaster ride of emotional ups and downs.


This review was difficult to write without giving too much away, because I believe the reader needs to travel this journey without really knowing what is going on until it unfolds before you.  What I will say though is that this story is raw and somewhat dark yet it’s also a story full of hope and love that can withstand even the darkest of storms. Ms. Salsbury’s style of writing is engaging and the story line tugs at your heart while the riveting plot keeps everything moving smoothly.  I can’t even imagine how difficult it was to write some of the scenes because as a reader I found myself crying and my heart breaking at the descriptions of abuse that Lucas and his siblings had to endure at the hands of their monsterly mother.  I am giving Split a well-deserved 5-star rating and would highly recommend it to all my friends as it is raw, sexy, emotional, and intriguing from the very first page to the very last.


“You can’t jump.”
She narrows her eyes on me. “Of course I can.”
“Is it safe?”
My grip on her grows tighter and she steps close enough that I can feel the heat of her breasts brush against my ribs. “Lucas, do you trust me?”
“No.” The word comes out on a shaky whisper.
A gentle grin softens her face and with both her hands she works to relax my hold enough for her to slip free. Seconds later she turns, takes four long strides, and disappears off the rock cliff.
A holler that can only be described as guttural exhilaration echoes off the canyon walls and slices through the trees.
I race to the edge and there’s nothing but a circle of white bubbles marring the once shimmering pond.
I wait for her to surface, and just when I’m about to jump in and rescue her, her head pops up out of the water with a feral howl.
“That was amazing!” She waves at me. “The water is perfect!”
With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I allow myself a moment to wonder what it would be like to be as free as Shyann. Everything I do is weighed against the danger of doing it. The threat of blacking out always pulling me back to walk the safer, less risky side of any situation. But something about her makes me want to try harder, makes me want to take a risk like other twenty-five-year-old guys. The sound of her squealing lights a fire in my chest that has me wanting to jump.
Risking a blackout might be worth the few seconds of euphoria I haven’t felt since…I can’t remember.
I think of backing away and yelling for her to meet me at the truck, but something pulls me toward her. Part of me wonders if it’s nothing more than wanting to be close, to keep her safe, because she belongs to Mr. Jennings and I owe him. But even as the thought enters my mind, so does another.
I want her to like me.
I want her to see me as brave.
I want to know what it’s like to be normal. 




 
New York Times bestselling author JB Salsbury spends her days lost in a world of budding romance and impossible obstacles. Her love of good storytelling led her to earn a degree in Media Communications. Since 2013 she has published six bestselling novels in The Fighting Series and won a RONE Award. JB Salsbury lives with her husband and two kids in Phoenix, Arizona.

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