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A review by abidavisf
A Wreck, You Make Me by Saffron A. Kent
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I knew I was signing up for a ‘morally grey’ read, but I did not realise I was signing up for a narcissistic asshole. I have potentially never hated a male protagonist more than I hate Shepard. He is cruel and manipulative, taking naive Jupiter on a rollercoaster of emotions on every other page. Though she has her own flaws, the poor thing never knew if she was coming or going and I can only pity her.
A Wreck, You Make Me takes the miscommunication trope to a whole new level. Shepard is constantly telling Jupiter exactly how he feels in a roundabout way and she can never understand him. Shepard will also start conversations halfway through and expect her to know what he’s talking about. Somehow, she does but I, as the reader, had no idea how we got there most of the time. I wanted to sit the two of them in a room, lock the door, not let them touch each other and only let them leave once they’ve had an open and honest conversation. I know Shepard would rather die than do that, but my word, does he need it.
Jupiter’s backstory is gutting, and hers and Snow’s relationship is a really strength of this book. There is a lot said their childhood in very little words, and it speaks volumes. The implications are horrendous, and I became their biggest cheerleader almost immediately. To see them gain a family was really lovely.
I get Jupiter. I know why she is the way that she is: streetwise yet naive, resourceful, brave. She is also a little delusional. For large parts of the book, she is stunned that Shepard would try to sleep with his stepsister even though he has no idea that she *is* his stepsister. It is also evident to me that she carries a lot more self-loathing than even she realises, and the way that she allows Shepard to treat her is only proof of that. There is degradation and then there is degradation to the extent that Shepard subjects her to it. It’s shocking at best, and aggressive at worst. I wanted her to run away and never look back at points.
Outside of the romance, the plot of this book is intriguing and does keep you on the edge of your seat. From Jupiter’s jobs and dating life, Snow’s medical history, and the girls finding their way in a pre-established family, there is a lot of good stuff in here, especially in Parts 1 and 2. Even when I was repulsed by Shepard’s words, I wanted to read on to see what everybody else was getting up to.
Saffron A. Kent did an excellent job at writing this tale as a standalone. It was obvious to me that a lot of these characters clearly had books of their own, but she provided just enough information about them for me to understand their relationships while also leaving me with enough questions to encourage me to go and read her other books! Suddenly finding out Reed and Tempest are siblings, for example, made me want to go and pick up their books straightaway to figure out how that worked, family-wise. No wonder the Thornes accepted Jupiter so quickly. They had practice!
This would be a great book for you if you love dark romance and Edward Cullen.
There are trigger warnings at the start of this book and I urge all readers to consider them before engaging in this story. I’m not often shocked by what I read, but elements of this book were hard to handle. There were definite blurred lines when it came to consent.
A Wreck, You Make Me takes the miscommunication trope to a whole new level. Shepard is constantly telling Jupiter exactly how he feels in a roundabout way and she can never understand him. Shepard will also start conversations halfway through and expect her to know what he’s talking about. Somehow, she does but I, as the reader, had no idea how we got there most of the time. I wanted to sit the two of them in a room, lock the door, not let them touch each other and only let them leave once they’ve had an open and honest conversation. I know Shepard would rather die than do that, but my word, does he need it.
Jupiter’s backstory is gutting, and hers and Snow’s relationship is a really strength of this book. There is a lot said their childhood in very little words, and it speaks volumes. The implications are horrendous, and I became their biggest cheerleader almost immediately. To see them gain a family was really lovely.
I get Jupiter. I know why she is the way that she is: streetwise yet naive, resourceful, brave. She is also a little delusional. For large parts of the book, she is stunned that Shepard would try to sleep with his stepsister even though he has no idea that she *is* his stepsister. It is also evident to me that she carries a lot more self-loathing than even she realises, and the way that she allows Shepard to treat her is only proof of that. There is degradation and then there is degradation to the extent that Shepard subjects her to it. It’s shocking at best, and aggressive at worst. I wanted her to run away and never look back at points.
Outside of the romance, the plot of this book is intriguing and does keep you on the edge of your seat. From Jupiter’s jobs and dating life, Snow’s medical history, and the girls finding their way in a pre-established family, there is a lot of good stuff in here, especially in Parts 1 and 2. Even when I was repulsed by Shepard’s words, I wanted to read on to see what everybody else was getting up to.
Saffron A. Kent did an excellent job at writing this tale as a standalone. It was obvious to me that a lot of these characters clearly had books of their own, but she provided just enough information about them for me to understand their relationships while also leaving me with enough questions to encourage me to go and read her other books! Suddenly finding out Reed and Tempest are siblings, for example, made me want to go and pick up their books straightaway to figure out how that worked, family-wise. No wonder the Thornes accepted Jupiter so quickly. They had practice!
This would be a great book for you if you love dark romance and Edward Cullen.
There are trigger warnings at the start of this book and I urge all readers to consider them before engaging in this story. I’m not often shocked by what I read, but elements of this book were hard to handle. There were definite blurred lines when it came to consent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Death of parent