The Wilde One (Old Town Country Romance #2)
by Savannah Young
Contemporary Romance
Date Published: April 8, 2014
Blurb:
THE WILDE ONE is the second novel in the spicy contemporary romance series about four sexy brothers, their small-town bar and their local country band. Each novel in the OLD TOWN COUNTRY ROMANCE series can be read as a STAND ALONE NOVEL or as part of the SERIES.
FOUR WILDE BROTHERS...ONE WILDE COUNTRY BAND
Tucker Wilde joined the United States Army right out of high school and was injured in Iraq. But more than just his leg was shattered in the Middle East. The war also crushed his spirit and damaged his soul. When a strange couple arrives at his family’s bar, Haymakers, Tucker can see signs of mental and emotional abuse and is immediately drawn to the lovely but fragile girl seated at his bar.
Gracie Parker has been a victim of abuse her entire life. When her boyfriend, Dex, beats her in the parking lot of Haymakers and abandons her, it’s almost too much for the nineteen-year-old to bear. That is until Tucker appears like a warrior knight from the darkness to save her.
Tucker and Gracie are two broken people who are immediately drawn together. But their relationship and even their very lives are threatened by Dex who will stop at nothing to get Gracie back.
If you like your trucks loud, your beer cold and your men hot...you'll love THE WILDE ONE.
Read an excerpt:
One
Tucker
“You look different,” Savage says, then downs the last of his pint of ale.
“Different how?” I prod even though I have an idea what he’s going to say. I look more normal. Like I fit into society rather than looking like an outcast.
Savage shrugs. He’s never been a person of many words. We’re like two peas in a pod that way. Even though he rarely says very much, with just one sideways glance Savage can have the biggest and meanest guys on the planet shaking in their cowboy boots.
People say that about me too.
“Do you want another?” I ask, even though I can guess his response. Savage always orders two pints and drinks them at the far corner of the bar. There are worse ways of coping with the past than drinking a few beers every night before he goes home to an empty apartment. I should know. I’m a master of poor coping skills.
“Hit me,” Savage says.
I pour him another pint and take away the empty.
“You look good.”
I’m surprised by the compliment. I’d never use the word good to describe anything about me. But I do look better than I have since I got back from Iraq.
“Drink your beer,” I tell him because I’m not in the mood to explain what’s been going on in my life.
Savage was in Iraq about the same time I was and he’s the closest thing I’ve got to a friend. I’m not one for relationships. Life is too short and relationships are too painful. When you get close to someone, you usually just end up getting hurt.
But like me, Savage isn’t the type of guy who gets too close to people. The most obvious reason is the way he looks: he’s big and scary. Also just like me.
Savage and I lift weights together, and in a fight it would be a close match. Not that either of us would ever start a fight but we would definitely end one if we had to.
It’s a weeknight and the bar is almost deserted except for a few of the regulars. That’s why I’m surprised when I see a couple I don’t recognize walk in and look around. The guy’s wearing all leather and carrying two helmets, so he’s obviously a biker. He looks about my height, six feet two inches and he’s big. The girl looks tiny standing next to him. She’s the definition of the word waif. She looks like a strong wind could pick her up and blow her away. Not a good thing in Old Town where it’s windy most of the time.
The most interesting thing about her, though, is her coloring. I’ve never seen someone so fair in my life. I’m the only blond in my family but I’m not even close to this girl. Her long hair is so light it’s practically white. And her skin is the color of milk. She looks like a princess who just stepped out of a fairytale, as corny as that sounds.
I can't help but notice that she doesn't look like she wants to be here. Or maybe she doesn't want to be with the guy. It's hard to tell. But she doesn't look happy. If anything, she looks scared.
As the couple steps closer to the bar, I can see the girl is shaking. I'm not sure whether she's shaking because she’s scared, or because it’s January and it’s freezing outside and she’s wearing a tiny spring jacket that barely fits. It almost looks like a jacket for a kid it’s so small on her. Not that she’s much bigger than a kid herself.
What kind of an asshole wears a thick leather jacket while he lets his girl freeze? I’m really not liking this guy at all. And when I see him grab her by the elbow, so roughly she almost comes off the floor, I can feel every hair on my body stand at attention.
Is it possible to hate a guy I don’t even know?
**My thoughts**
Okay, I have to admit that at first, I wasn't interested in reading this one. I am not a fan of contemporary country music, at all. I do, however, like my rock star romances. How could this be too much different? It's not like I was going to have to listen to the music, right? I was pleasantly surprised and couldn't put down the Kindle until I was finished with the book.
This is one of the first times that I have ever come close to wanting to call someone my book boyfriend. Tucker is fabulous. He is damaged, both physically and emotionally from his time in Iraq. He is so self-conscious of his mangled leg that he cannot conceive of allowing a woman get close to him. To do so would mean letting her see his imperfections and acknowledging his demons. Yet the man has a huge heart and wants to do whatever he can to help people.
Gracie stumbles into his path when she is forcefully dragged into the bar and humiliated in front of everyone. Tucker is a real man who isn't going to put up with any of that nonsense and rescues her. He feeds her, clothes her, and takes care of her. He also allows her to maintain her independence and to do things for herself, because she is capable. *swoon*
Romance isn't easy under normal circumstances. When both of you are already broken, it can be even more complicated. Yet somehow, two broken pieces can also fit together nicely, to create one whole.
There isn't a ton of drama and conflicts are few. The focus is just on rebuilding themselves and falling in love. A quick, uncomplicated read that is perfect for a sunny afternoon. And now I am jonesing to read the rest of the series!
Savannah Young
Romance novelist Savannah Young grew up in rural northwest New Jersey in a place very similar to the fictional Old Town, which is featured in her books. When she's not at her computer creating spicy stories, Savannah is traveling to exotic locales or spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.
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