Review: Charged by Jay Crownover

Title: Charged by Jay Crownover

(Book 2 #Saints of Denver)

Genre: New Adult Romance

Rating: 4.5 Stars

*E-ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Synopsis:

Avett Walker and Quaid Jackson’s worlds have no reason to collide. Ever. Quaid is a high powered criminal attorney as slick as he is handsome. Avett is a pink-haired troublemaker with a bad attitude and a history of picking the wrong men.

When Avett lands in a sea of hot water because of one terrible mistake, the only person who can get her out of it is the insanely sexy lawyer. The last thing on earth she wants to do is rely on the no-nonsense attorney who thinks of her as nothing more than a nuisance. He literally has her fate in his hands. Yet there is something about him that makes her want to convince him to loosen his tie and have a little fun…with her.

Quaid never takes on clients like the impulsive young woman with a Technicolor dye job. She could stand to learn a hard lesson or two, but something about her guileless hazel eyes intrigues him. Still, he’s determined to keep their relationship strictly business. But doing so is becoming more impossible with each day he spends with her.

As they work side-by-side, they’ll have to figure out a way to get along and keep their hands off each other—because the chemistry between them is beyond charged.

My Thoughts:

Charged is the second book in the Saints of Denver series by Jay Crownover, for my review on Built (Book 1) please click here.

I was really excited to see Charged on Netgalley because I really enjoyed the first one, I find Jay Crownover’s writing to be really engaging and realistic whilst also being exciting. For this second book, I did however struggle to get into it a little at first. I think this is because I read the first book a while ago so it wasn’t fresh in my mind, whilst the story focuses on two different characters it does include Sayer and Zeb so I think if you have Built fresh in your mind you will fall into this easier. Whilst the book doesn’t explicitly include these two characters, I would also suggest reading Built prior to this, rather than this just as a stand alone so you can fully understand the context for Quaid’s character.

I would personally give Charged 4.5 stars, whilst I did struggle to get into the story I still really enjoyed it. Avett isn’t your typical female protagonist seen in most contemporaries, she isn’t really a damsel in distress that needs saving. She’s just a girl who makes really bad choices, but there’s  a reason for that; shes punishing herself.
This will be unraveled in the book so I won’t be a spoiler sue and explain why because its a factor which develops Avett as a character, her honesty as to why she acts the way she does adds an emotional element to the story.

Whilst on the topic of Avett, I also really like the character types of both herself and Quaid. Their story really is 2 opposites attracting, the lawyer and the accused, this in itself is unlike anything I have read before. I would say it’s a rather unique element to see the female lead as the accused and the male protagonist as the lawyer.

SIDE NOTE – Can I also just mention how much I dig the fact that Avett has pink hair? 

Charged incorporates not only romance but crime, mystery and action throughout. There are heart jumping moments to keep you on your toes, which each play alongside this criminal and justice setting. It’s what I would ultimately describe as being somewhat unique because here you have the story of Avett and why she is accused, but it also belongs to this giant bigger picture which slowly begins to be revealed.

Jay Crownover also includes the fact that Avett is a domestic abuse survivor, her ex boyfriend beat her and molded her into a fragile person. He made her do things she didn’t want to do all to fund his drug habit. Therefore you can see that this book touches upon some big issues, Jay Crownover doesn’t simply brush over them either. They are important to the context of Avetts current situation and her character. I appreciated how Jay Crownover acknowledged the severity of Avetts past and also realistically presented Avetts feelings from that situation.  (I’m not a spoiler sue here, I swear. It’s not a shock reveal and it plays a big part in the story and Avett’s character) 

Overall I really enjoyed Charged, the court,criminal and justice type of setting was really realistic and I actually kept thinking oo this is almost like a Cop TV Show and were waiting to see if the truth will be revealed. I also appreciated how many different themes and elements went into this book, from the crime and mystery to Avett being a abuse survivor. Their are so many different elements which make the book unique and each are engaging and add something to the ending of the book. By the time you’re finished you will feel like you have been put through the ringer and been on an emotional roller-coaster.

I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve read Charged before and what you think, or if you have read Built and this is an anticipated read for you!

 

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Useful Links

Goodreads – Book Page| Goodreads – Author Page | Built (Book 1) Review  |