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Recovered
It was hate at first sight...
Affton
I hated Cable James McCaffrey.
He was entitled, spoiled, a user…and an addict.
He was out of control and didn’t bother trying to hide it.
He had everything anyone could want but still seemed miserable and lost.
Every move he made, every mistake he stumbled his way through, rubbed me the wrong way. However, I couldn’t stop myself from trying to save him from himself when no one else would. In the sweltering heat of the summer, Cable taught me that having it all means nothing if you can’t have the one thing you want more than anything else.
Cable
I was obsessed with Affton Reed.
She was rigid, uptight, and no fun. There was something about her innate goodness that called to me.
She acted like she was above all the normal faults and failures that clung to the rest of us like the scent of smoke after a fire.
I was infatuated with her, but that didn’t stop me from acting like she didn’t exist.
In the scorching heat of summer, Affton taught me that there is always a way back from the brink of despair. She showed me that the trick to having it all was realizing that it was already there, in my hands. All I had to do was hold onto it.
The road to recovery is full of twists and turns no matter who is in the driver’s seat.
Affton
I hated Cable James McCaffrey.
He was entitled, spoiled, a user…and an addict.
He was out of control and didn’t bother trying to hide it.
He had everything anyone could want but still seemed miserable and lost.
Every move he made, every mistake he stumbled his way through, rubbed me the wrong way. However, I couldn’t stop myself from trying to save him from himself when no one else would. In the sweltering heat of the summer, Cable taught me that having it all means nothing if you can’t have the one thing you want more than anything else.
Cable
I was obsessed with Affton Reed.
She was rigid, uptight, and no fun. There was something about her innate goodness that called to me.
She acted like she was above all the normal faults and failures that clung to the rest of us like the scent of smoke after a fire.
I was infatuated with her, but that didn’t stop me from acting like she didn’t exist.
In the scorching heat of summer, Affton taught me that there is always a way back from the brink of despair. She showed me that the trick to having it all was realizing that it was already there, in my hands. All I had to do was hold onto it.
The road to recovery is full of twists and turns no matter who is in the driver’s seat.
369 pages, ebook
First published March 27, 2018
About the author
Jay Crownover
102 books14.2k followersJay Crownover is the International and multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men Series, The Saints of Denver Series, The Point and Breaking Point Series, and the Loveless, Texas series. Her books can be found translated in many different languages all around the world. She is a tattooed, crazy haired Colorado native who lives at the base of the Rockies with her awesome dogs. This is where she can frequently be found enjoying a cold beer and Taco Tuesdays. Jay is a self-declared music snob and outspoken book lover who is always looking for her next adventure, between the pages and on the road.
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GUYS!!! I finally have a newsletter, so if you want to sign up for exclusive content and monthly giveaways you can do that right here:
https://www.jaycrownover.com/subscribe
You can email me at: JayCrownover@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 525 reviews
March 26, 2018
LIVE AMAZON https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BPR6FFK/...
5 STARS
I can't even express how much I loved this story!This is so different from what I have read so far from Jay Crownover!Recovered was an emotional,intense,heartwarming and steamy story!I fall in love with this one from the first pages!
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I fall in love with Cable and Affton!Both were unique and interesting characters!They have an amazing chemistry and their moments together were so intense and full of tension!Cable had problem with drugs now after rehab he has to stay clean!Affton is the only one who can help him.Omg I said it before but I will say it again this is the most intense book I have read from Jay Crownover!
I highly recommend it to everyone!This is a must read and I love Jay's message in the beginning before the story starts!This story touch my heart and I hope you will feel the same!
5 STARS
I can't even express how much I loved this story!This is so different from what I have read so far from Jay Crownover!Recovered was an emotional,intense,heartwarming and steamy story!I fall in love with this one from the first pages!
"alt="description"/>I fall in love with Cable and Affton!Both were unique and interesting characters!They have an amazing chemistry and their moments together were so intense and full of tension!Cable had problem with drugs now after rehab he has to stay clean!Affton is the only one who can help him.Omg I said it before but I will say it again this is the most intense book I have read from Jay Crownover!
I highly recommend it to everyone!This is a must read and I love Jay's message in the beginning before the story starts!This story touch my heart and I hope you will feel the same!
May 21, 2018
MY REVIEW can also be found on my blog:
KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
RECOVERED: A full length romance novel by Jay Crownover. In this we meet ‘Cable McCaffrey & Affton’ Spoken in ‘Dual Perspectives’
Jay has given us a little bit of herself in this book, because cable is loosely based on a real person when she was younger, the boy who taught her about love and loss, her first crush, her first love, her first heartbreak, a truly poignant story that touched me so deep within. It’s not very often that you stumble across a book like this one, unique, un-put-downable, an emotional, intense, real life story that had me in it’s grip from the very first page.
When Affton was first aware of Cable it wasn’t with lust, or attraction she detested him, despised him, ignored him, he was a year ahead of her in school, the poor little rich boy that had the whole township wrapped around his little fingers. He was privileged, he was beloved. He was the closest the township had to royalty, and all the rest were peasants who merely existed in his mighty kingdom.
The main reason I never joined Cable James McCaffrey's fan club was that he was not only a user of people, but also used that which was scary and risky. He used in the literal sense
Affton is the type of girl who doesn't like to bring attention to herself, someone that likes to hide in the shadows and not be seen, it's where she's most comfortable, most think she's an ice queen, untouchable, they couldn't be more wrong. It just takes one certain boy down the track to wake her up.
It was during Affton's freshman year that she noticed a major change in Cable, his appearance changed from healthy and good-looking to gaunt and homeless looking, his mood swings were becoming erratic, dangerous and out of control. But no one else seemed to notice the change in him..Only Affton.
Someone had to save him before it was to late. Affton knew first hand what it was like to lose a loved one under the influence of drugs. So she could see the signs of a user.
Addiction takes and takes and keeps on taking. It's the most greedy and selfish thing in the entire world.
Taking matters into her own hands Affton sends Cable's mother an anonymous email, warning her that her son needed an intervention as he was on a slippery slope of no return unless someone stepped in and saved him.
That proved too late, because not so long after that letter was sent, Cable never returned to school. He'd gotten behind the wheel whilst under the influence and was incarcerated for eighteen months and when released straight into a sober living facility.
The day after her high school graduation she was approached by none other than Cable's mother demanding, threatening, that she move into the summer vacational home that Cable is staying in and become his keeper over the summer vacation making making sure he stays clean.
Being in such close living quarters it doesn't take long for Affton's walls to come tumbling down, these two had more in common than they even realised. From friends to lovers, but what happens when the summer is over and Affton goes away to University?
How could this not be 5 stars! What an amazing journey this took me on, I feel like I've been pulled through a hedge backwards. This was intoxicating, incredible, indescribable with all the feels, the highs and lows, the bittersweet ending, the undeniable love these two felt, the angst, heartbreak, addiction that wanted to keep him in his grasp. God this was good!!
Want to read
February 24, 2018The hero's name is Cable? Gettin' weirder with the names. What's next? Toggle? Leash? Grout? No! Foil!!!! Foil Reynolds! In the winter he's a crab boat captain, but in the summers, he's a street racer. Only Acrylic Daniels can get the thrill seeker to thaw his heart.
April 7, 2018
In this raw, gritty and intense new adult romance, Cable McCaffrey needs to get a foothold in an uphill battle to stay sober but having the straight laced, beyond reproach and unattainable Affton Reed as his keeper during the summer is an ever bigger challenge.
Addiction ruined her life once, Affton is not about to let it derail her plans now and spending her summer trying to keep Cable out of trouble is only a speed bump even though she’s resigned to the fact that she’ll probably fail because he wasn’t just an entitled spoiled teen, no one ever said no to him. That is, until the day she tried to save him from himself which unchained a series of events that ended in tragedy. But time has passed and Cable is about to teach her a thing or two about having it all.
Even though Cable did his best to ignore her during high school, there was something about Affton that fascinated him, sadly his demons were bigger. But now he has the opportunity to have everything he wanted, all he has to do is try and hold on.
Both Affton and Cable are complex and interesting characters. While Affton was an incredibly strong, independent, and very centered young woman, Cable is lost and broken and riddled with self-hate. They’re complete opposites and yet perfect for one another because both are closed off due to loss, they both understand guilt and sadness.
Things never really go as planned, much less when two people are forced to spend time together, but it’s the perfect setting for this raw, real and honest romance. After a lot of pushing and provoking, they get under each other’s skin. Cable finds understanding and support from Affton and the possibility of losing her drives him to make an effort. The story moves between deep discussions of addiction, devastating secrets, forgiveness, redemption, hope and a beautifully intense romance neither Cable nor Affton expected.
Crownover expertly entwines addiction as a backstory for contemplation and interpersonal development while reminding the reader that before we can love others, we need to love ourselves.
Recovered is a standalone new adult romance by Jay Crownover. It is a powerful contemporary romance that hooked me from start to finish. Told from both points of view with a happily ending, no cliffhanger.
Amazon -> https://amzn.to/2DVP1zJ
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title. *
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Addiction ruined her life once, Affton is not about to let it derail her plans now and spending her summer trying to keep Cable out of trouble is only a speed bump even though she’s resigned to the fact that she’ll probably fail because he wasn’t just an entitled spoiled teen, no one ever said no to him. That is, until the day she tried to save him from himself which unchained a series of events that ended in tragedy. But time has passed and Cable is about to teach her a thing or two about having it all.
Even though Cable did his best to ignore her during high school, there was something about Affton that fascinated him, sadly his demons were bigger. But now he has the opportunity to have everything he wanted, all he has to do is try and hold on.
Both Affton and Cable are complex and interesting characters. While Affton was an incredibly strong, independent, and very centered young woman, Cable is lost and broken and riddled with self-hate. They’re complete opposites and yet perfect for one another because both are closed off due to loss, they both understand guilt and sadness.
Things never really go as planned, much less when two people are forced to spend time together, but it’s the perfect setting for this raw, real and honest romance. After a lot of pushing and provoking, they get under each other’s skin. Cable finds understanding and support from Affton and the possibility of losing her drives him to make an effort. The story moves between deep discussions of addiction, devastating secrets, forgiveness, redemption, hope and a beautifully intense romance neither Cable nor Affton expected.
Crownover expertly entwines addiction as a backstory for contemplation and interpersonal development while reminding the reader that before we can love others, we need to love ourselves.
Recovered is a standalone new adult romance by Jay Crownover. It is a powerful contemporary romance that hooked me from start to finish. Told from both points of view with a happily ending, no cliffhanger.
Amazon -> https://amzn.to/2DVP1zJ
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title. *
Stalk us on FaceBook * Twitter * Pinterest Book Teasers * More reviews
April 12, 2018
This was ok, a tad bit predictable.
I know it's unfair but the story I read before this is still lingering, resonating around me.
I can't help it because it was disturbing and intense making Recovered feels like a walk in the park.
As you can see I am totally biased.
Just ignore my rate.
The sex was hot as fuck!
I know it's unfair but the story I read before this is still lingering, resonating around me.
I can't help it because it was disturbing and intense making Recovered feels like a walk in the park.
As you can see I am totally biased.
Just ignore my rate.
The sex was hot as fuck!
July 8, 2018
⭐️4.5 stars⭐️
Addiction didn't discriminate.
Addiction didn't care about the square footage of your house or the kind of car you drove.
It didn't care about your pedigree or your GPA.
Addiction was an equal opportunity life-ruiner.
Addiction didn't discriminate.
Addiction didn't care about the square footage of your house or the kind of car you drove.
It didn't care about your pedigree or your GPA.
Addiction was an equal opportunity life-ruiner.
July 19, 2018
So so so good! Really enjoyed this book!
💛💛💛💛💛
Added to my favourites shelf.
💛💛💛💛💛
Added to my favourites shelf.
June 16, 2022
The world of addiction is ugly. And this is one hard-hitting storyline filled with a push/pull relationship that is heartbreaking for both the guilty and the innocent. My heart was literally attacked from all sides. A large dose of drama-rama that tore through my emotions.
The story is not my normal read – but it grabbed hold, and I stuck with it. It definitely evoked reactions and emotions – and not ones I have ever dealt with personally – thank God above!
Cable and Affton will wrap themselves around your heart, mind and soul. With their scarred pasts they look to each other for healing, and together they bring the heat! It’s a rocky road filled with numerous potholes.
My first book by Crownover – and I was impressed with the writing. At no time was I bored and quickly became totally absorbed in the story.
In the end, I was totally drained and exhausted. And not completely convinced that “Recovered” truly fits Cable’s present state. It felt more like he’s still recovering and always will be. The real question is: Will he be able to stay the course?
The Epilogue ends on a positive note with the happily-ever-after a minute-to-minute, day-to-day work-in-progress, but the pledges have been made and the love is there. Things are going well for both Cable and Affton, separately and together. Fingers crossed they’ll see it through to the end.
The story is not my normal read – but it grabbed hold, and I stuck with it. It definitely evoked reactions and emotions – and not ones I have ever dealt with personally – thank God above!
Cable and Affton will wrap themselves around your heart, mind and soul. With their scarred pasts they look to each other for healing, and together they bring the heat! It’s a rocky road filled with numerous potholes.
My first book by Crownover – and I was impressed with the writing. At no time was I bored and quickly became totally absorbed in the story.
In the end, I was totally drained and exhausted. And not completely convinced that “Recovered” truly fits Cable’s present state. It felt more like he’s still recovering and always will be. The real question is: Will he be able to stay the course?
The Epilogue ends on a positive note with the happily-ever-after a minute-to-minute, day-to-day work-in-progress, but the pledges have been made and the love is there. Things are going well for both Cable and Affton, separately and together. Fingers crossed they’ll see it through to the end.
March 27, 2018
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
An utterly devastating raw, poignant and honest story of life, love, healing, and redemption. Jay Crownover completely blew me away with Recovered as this book was so real and emotional that it pulled the heartstrings right from the start. Addiction. It is a stigma that society will always label an individual. It’s sad but true. As a society, we often judge hard or brush aside a person suffering and struggling with addiction.
And so in Recovered, Crownover showcases the bond and pull of two individuals whose life were to collide once again. Cable is the rich boy who had everyone wrapped around his fingers. He lived the life that everyone envied. He was popular, rich, and could get away with anything. Everyone practically bowed down to him. Except one.
Affton is the girl that stayed in the shadows. She knew what it was like to live with an addiction. She first hand experienced the loss of losing her mom to drug addiction. And so when she sees Cable, she recognized the signs. So can Affton save Cable from his self destruction?
Honestly, this book is a must read. It was so intense and raw that it cut you to the core. It made you bleed for these characters that there are so much more behind the facade they portrayed. We have always been told to never judge a book by its cover and in this case, Crownover allows her readers to peel the layers of both Cable and Affton and see that people who live in glass houses, shouldn’t throw stones. We all have our problems and for some, their problems runs deep with addiction. And so if you are looking for a book that doesn’t sugarcoat anything but tells a raw, honest, harsh, intense and soul-searching perspective on the road of recovery then this book is for you. Hands down one of my favorite reads written by Jay Crownover.
Jay Crownover
An utterly devastating raw, poignant and honest story of life, love, healing, and redemption. Jay Crownover completely blew me away with Recovered as this book was so real and emotional that it pulled the heartstrings right from the start. Addiction. It is a stigma that society will always label an individual. It’s sad but true. As a society, we often judge hard or brush aside a person suffering and struggling with addiction.
And so in Recovered, Crownover showcases the bond and pull of two individuals whose life were to collide once again. Cable is the rich boy who had everyone wrapped around his fingers. He lived the life that everyone envied. He was popular, rich, and could get away with anything. Everyone practically bowed down to him. Except one.
Affton is the girl that stayed in the shadows. She knew what it was like to live with an addiction. She first hand experienced the loss of losing her mom to drug addiction. And so when she sees Cable, she recognized the signs. So can Affton save Cable from his self destruction?
Honestly, this book is a must read. It was so intense and raw that it cut you to the core. It made you bleed for these characters that there are so much more behind the facade they portrayed. We have always been told to never judge a book by its cover and in this case, Crownover allows her readers to peel the layers of both Cable and Affton and see that people who live in glass houses, shouldn’t throw stones. We all have our problems and for some, their problems runs deep with addiction. And so if you are looking for a book that doesn’t sugarcoat anything but tells a raw, honest, harsh, intense and soul-searching perspective on the road of recovery then this book is for you. Hands down one of my favorite reads written by Jay Crownover.
Jay Crownover
March 18, 2018
4.5 stars
In high school, Cable McCaffrey was a privileged, popular, short-tempered, rude, manwhore struggling with addiction and no one noticed but Affton Reed. He ruled the high school and got away with anything he wanted due to his parent's wealth and social status. But Affton had a history with watching someone wither away from drug abuse, so she tried to help. She was the quiet, guarded, good girl that did not get close to people. Her actions succeeded in alerting others to the problem, but also had worse consequences.
Two years later when Affton is ready to enjoy her last summer before college, she is convinced to be Cable's sober companion for the summer. She does not want to to be there and is not going to take it easy on him. She is pushy, demanding, sarcastic, and determined to keep him from destroying himself.
They hate, they push, they avoid, they want. They are both intense people and their connection is hard to ignore. They know it is a bad idea, but they get under each other's skin and start to care. He is her worst nightmare and she could be his salvation. They resided somewhere in the gray area between friends and enemies for quite a while. These two were just an accident waiting to happen and I was not sure how things would end up.
I typically do not like books about out of control addicts. And alpha-holes are hit or miss. But Jay Crownover managed to bring these complex, flawed characters to life. She was able to make me feel his chaos, confusion, hopelessness, and vulnerability. He truly needed an anchor and someone to really see him and care. But his insecurities, pain, secrets, and demons keep him in a constant state of being overwhelmed and floundering. She is the only one who will stand up to him, push him, and hold him accountable. But their relationship is riding the border of unhealthy and all consuming. He knows she is too good for him. But he is so lost, broken and hates himself so much that it feels good to have some light around him and maybe a little hope. She makes him feel. He makes her live. But they are on borrowed time.
Distractions, diversions, destinations. Life is a series of choices...good ones, bad ones, questionable ones. There is a thin line between love and hate, but both are strong emotions. Can Cable learn to love himself or someone else enough to make more good choices than bad ones?
This is the story of two people broken in their own ways. Both are emotionally closed off and dealing with loss, guilt, sadness, and isolation. But they deal differently...one has little hope or purpose and one has a future all planned out. But somehow, some way their broken parts pull towards each other and fit. It is a story of hopelessness turning to hope, hate to love, fear to determination, and enemies to lovers. But it is mostly Cable's journey of finding purpose, self worth, and fighting his demons. It is raw, frustrating, intense, and definitely not always pretty...but it is real, current, and powerful. And even though this is not my favorite subject matter, I got hooked just the same. And the fact that it was based somewhat on personal experience made it have even more impact.
I was gifted a copy.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim (Rachel and Jay) | Facebook | Twitter
In high school, Cable McCaffrey was a privileged, popular, short-tempered, rude, manwhore struggling with addiction and no one noticed but Affton Reed. He ruled the high school and got away with anything he wanted due to his parent's wealth and social status. But Affton had a history with watching someone wither away from drug abuse, so she tried to help. She was the quiet, guarded, good girl that did not get close to people. Her actions succeeded in alerting others to the problem, but also had worse consequences.
Two years later when Affton is ready to enjoy her last summer before college, she is convinced to be Cable's sober companion for the summer. She does not want to to be there and is not going to take it easy on him. She is pushy, demanding, sarcastic, and determined to keep him from destroying himself.
They hate, they push, they avoid, they want. They are both intense people and their connection is hard to ignore. They know it is a bad idea, but they get under each other's skin and start to care. He is her worst nightmare and she could be his salvation. They resided somewhere in the gray area between friends and enemies for quite a while. These two were just an accident waiting to happen and I was not sure how things would end up.
I typically do not like books about out of control addicts. And alpha-holes are hit or miss. But Jay Crownover managed to bring these complex, flawed characters to life. She was able to make me feel his chaos, confusion, hopelessness, and vulnerability. He truly needed an anchor and someone to really see him and care. But his insecurities, pain, secrets, and demons keep him in a constant state of being overwhelmed and floundering. She is the only one who will stand up to him, push him, and hold him accountable. But their relationship is riding the border of unhealthy and all consuming. He knows she is too good for him. But he is so lost, broken and hates himself so much that it feels good to have some light around him and maybe a little hope. She makes him feel. He makes her live. But they are on borrowed time.
Distractions, diversions, destinations. Life is a series of choices...good ones, bad ones, questionable ones. There is a thin line between love and hate, but both are strong emotions. Can Cable learn to love himself or someone else enough to make more good choices than bad ones?
This is the story of two people broken in their own ways. Both are emotionally closed off and dealing with loss, guilt, sadness, and isolation. But they deal differently...one has little hope or purpose and one has a future all planned out. But somehow, some way their broken parts pull towards each other and fit. It is a story of hopelessness turning to hope, hate to love, fear to determination, and enemies to lovers. But it is mostly Cable's journey of finding purpose, self worth, and fighting his demons. It is raw, frustrating, intense, and definitely not always pretty...but it is real, current, and powerful. And even though this is not my favorite subject matter, I got hooked just the same. And the fact that it was based somewhat on personal experience made it have even more impact.
I was gifted a copy.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim (Rachel and Jay) | Facebook | Twitter
January 7, 2019
Loved this book so much!!! A definite win for me! A 5 star! I loved everything about it! The writing, the characters, the story, all of it. My first from Crownover even though I have all her other books, just haven't read them yet. Must change that.
Well fucking done.
❤
Well fucking done.
❤
March 27, 2018
I’m always unsure when I review a book that moves me because I know that I will never be able to adequately express just how good i is.
Never have I met such a strong male character who is also so emotionally vulnerable. I say strong because Cable’s personality dominates the story, of it was a movie I would say he’s a scene stealer. Affton is that girl in school, the one that no one pays attention to and the one who doesn’t realise just how Intriguing and beautiful she is.
Two very fascinating but different characters who ordinarily would never have met never mind spend time together. Affton lived through a horrendous period in her young life and when she spots what no one else has with Cable she decides to intervene. For rich kid Cable consequences and boundaries are unheard of, he does what he wants when he wants so her offer is quickly shot down. What happens starts a chain of events that have implications for both of their futures.
This was a very real, raw and relatable story, the circumstances could literal be any one of us. I found this to be an emotional and thought provoking story. Sometimes the picture we present to the world is hiding so much pain and turmoil but we just need that one person to look deeper.
reviewed by Sweet Spot Sisterhood
Never have I met such a strong male character who is also so emotionally vulnerable. I say strong because Cable’s personality dominates the story, of it was a movie I would say he’s a scene stealer. Affton is that girl in school, the one that no one pays attention to and the one who doesn’t realise just how Intriguing and beautiful she is.
Two very fascinating but different characters who ordinarily would never have met never mind spend time together. Affton lived through a horrendous period in her young life and when she spots what no one else has with Cable she decides to intervene. For rich kid Cable consequences and boundaries are unheard of, he does what he wants when he wants so her offer is quickly shot down. What happens starts a chain of events that have implications for both of their futures.
This was a very real, raw and relatable story, the circumstances could literal be any one of us. I found this to be an emotional and thought provoking story. Sometimes the picture we present to the world is hiding so much pain and turmoil but we just need that one person to look deeper.
reviewed by Sweet Spot Sisterhood
June 18, 2018
i might be the minority here to give this book 2 stars. i love jay crownover. i love her marked men series. i addicted to it.
but recovered... i am not sure. the character that i do not like is actually cable. he is very confusing. his past seems... like warm and has no impact on him. his angst is for no reason. and why he is upset and angry affton leaving cable is the one who sets her free right?
and then he ends up in hospital because he is unable to man up to affton.
2 stars.
but recovered... i am not sure. the character that i do not like is actually cable. he is very confusing. his past seems... like warm and has no impact on him. his angst is for no reason. and why he is upset and angry affton leaving cable is the one who sets her free right?
and then he ends up in hospital because he is unable to man up to affton.
2 stars.
March 15, 2018
I am a HUGE Jay Crownover fan and have been since Rule and the Marked Men series. There was something about him that blew my mind and still affects me years later. So when I heard that the author was releasing Recovered and it was in the same NA vein as Rule but with a more edgier feel, I could not jump on it fast enough. Affton and Cable were pure FIRE!!! I loved everything about this story and honestly could not get enough of the moody and broody Cable and all of his demons and the strong and sassy Affton who took no prisoners in her approach to dealing with him.
Affton Reed's immediate goal in life is to live under the radar. Still dealing with the effects of her mother's death she just wants to keep her head down and do her best to graduate High School and get out of Loveless, Texas. But a wrinkle in her determined plan? Cable James McCaffrey. As the elite and spoiled Prince of the town, Cable cares about no one but himself and his next high. But his downward spiral with drugs and alcohol brings back painful memories for Affton and she is moved to try to help him before it's too late. But through one selfless act to help, Affton inadvertently causes an avalanche of consequences which affects her future with Cable and his path to recovery.
I LOVED this story and was consumed from the get go. Anyone who knows me knows that Enemies to Lovers stories are my jam!! Cable was sexy, raw, intense and so compelling to read. His devil may care attitude and his immediate spark with Affton was so fiery. Likewise, I loved that Affton was strong and bull headed about people she cares about and was everything Cable needed in his life that he never had growing up. She was stable, kind and considerate and everything solid he needed. All in all I feel this novel was an absolute joy to read and I feel the author did a fantastic job portraying an honest depiction of addiction and recovery. 5 stars! ~Ratula
Affton Reed's immediate goal in life is to live under the radar. Still dealing with the effects of her mother's death she just wants to keep her head down and do her best to graduate High School and get out of Loveless, Texas. But a wrinkle in her determined plan? Cable James McCaffrey. As the elite and spoiled Prince of the town, Cable cares about no one but himself and his next high. But his downward spiral with drugs and alcohol brings back painful memories for Affton and she is moved to try to help him before it's too late. But through one selfless act to help, Affton inadvertently causes an avalanche of consequences which affects her future with Cable and his path to recovery.
I LOVED this story and was consumed from the get go. Anyone who knows me knows that Enemies to Lovers stories are my jam!! Cable was sexy, raw, intense and so compelling to read. His devil may care attitude and his immediate spark with Affton was so fiery. Likewise, I loved that Affton was strong and bull headed about people she cares about and was everything Cable needed in his life that he never had growing up. She was stable, kind and considerate and everything solid he needed. All in all I feel this novel was an absolute joy to read and I feel the author did a fantastic job portraying an honest depiction of addiction and recovery. 5 stars! ~Ratula
April 17, 2018
***5 ...recovering... stars***
*****************************
“Well . . . I’m going to ruin you, and you . . .
you’re going to do your best to save me.”
*****************************
God, i loved this story!!!!
Even though that i have read only the "Marked Men" by Mrs. Crownower, for me this was one of her best work!!!
I loved very much the dynamic between Gable and Affton...
Yep, the road to recovery is a hard and lonely road, but if you have an Affton by your side, it could be easier...
“If you don’t get help, everything you have, everything you love, is going to go away. Addiction takes and takes and keeps on taking. It’s the most greedy and selfish thing in the entire world.”
Well, Affton hated Gable James McCaffrey...
He was cocky, arrogant, spoiled and he had everythinghe wanted no matter the consquences...
She kept her distance, but her eyes was always drown toward him and even though he had tons of friends and girls around him, noone could see what she was seeing...
So, she had to do something drastic before something really bad will happen....
“Those dark orbs were perfect for hiding secrets, but if you looked hard enough, you could see the storm raging inside of Cable McCaffrey. There were shadows in those dark eyes, and they were at war with him. They were winning.”
“It’s not about saving them after they’re lost. It’s about getting to them before they lose their way in the first place.”
Two years later and since she wasn't able to prevent the bad that eventually came in Gable's life, she is forced to be his sobriety companion...
A task very difficult since Gable is still acting like a brat.... But a miserable, desperate brat...
So, her mission for this summer is to help Gable stay clean and in a way to find his way back to life...
“I knew I was a mess. Unhinged and hanging on the precipice of becoming someone who was beyond any kind of redemption. I teetered on the brink of making bad choices every moment I was awake, but somehow, some way, I always managed to keep myself from going completely over.”
“It was a daily struggle to present myself as something close to a normal human. And here I was, all kinds of twisted up and confused over a chick who made life, and all its ups and downs, her bitch.”
Gable from the other hand, is so freakin' lost....
Drugs was his only way out from reality, but at some point, he got in a point of no return...
Now, he had to fight for his health and life, but he isn't so sure that he wants to...
But then, Affton Reed is coming back into his life and everything is changing...
She used to be his faraway obsession and now, she is so close to him.... He wants to reach her, but he is not sure how to do it or if it's possible...
“I was capturing a fantasy, creating a memory I could hold onto later. Holding something that shouldn’t be real, shouldn’t exist in my hands.”
“Everyone else had been a distraction, but Affton Reed, she was a destination. She was the place I wanted to go and maybe, just maybe, she was the place where I wanted to stay. She was the place I was going to have to work my ass off to reach.”
So, Affton and Gable are forced to live together for a summer...
Some days are dark and some others better...
Some days the old hate is rising to the surface and some other days there is a strange peace between them, but there is only one sure thing... There is something strong between them...
But they are so different and Gable is struggling to remain on the surface...
“If you think about it, love and hate really aren’t that much different when you got right down to it. Both make you crazy. Both make you do things you never thought you would ever do, and both were so, so easy to get lost in. I loved that she hated me . . . and I hated that I was pretty fucking sure I was falling in love with her.”
“Because of Affton, I understood it had to matter more than that. I was starting to see I was supposed to matter more than that. I didn’t necessarily agree with her, but the part of me that woke up and took notice every time she told me she cared about me sure as hell did.”
I loved both Affton and Gable...
Affton was so good, so perceptive, so focused...
Once upon a time, she had taste the disappointment and the loss of a loving person to drugs and to be so close to Gable was really hard for her... But she was a very strong young woman and she could do anything she was putting on her mind...
Gable was breaking my heart... When we were inside his head, i was feeling his despair and sadness was washing me over...
Gable's life was a mess and it was so hard to find his peace...
It was so hard to become recovered from recovering... even though Affton was his ticket for that!!! He just had to grab her and let go.... But it wasn't so easy...
“I can’t love another addict, Cable. I won’t....
I hate Cable the addict, but I love Cable the recovering addict, even if he’s not always who you choose to be. You need to learn to love him, too.”
“I was, without a doubt, going to break her, and there would be no cleaning up afterward. My pieces and her pieces were going to be scattered from here to hell and back. There would be no putting either of us back together.”
Phew!!! It was an intense story that will stay with me for a long time...
The writer's note in the beginning was very touching and as i was reading this book, i realised that some of the things inside of it might be personal experiences...
I just wish for all these Gables around the world to be an Affton beside them to hold their hands and help them with love to find their way back from addiction...
“I wanted to tell him that sometimes the only way to excise an infected wound was to slice it open and let all the poison out.”
***************************************
“Thank goodness I had made the right choice by picking
the absolute wrong guy to love and perfect guy to hate.”
***************************************
*****************************
“Well . . . I’m going to ruin you, and you . . .
you’re going to do your best to save me.”
*****************************
God, i loved this story!!!!
Even though that i have read only the "Marked Men" by Mrs. Crownower, for me this was one of her best work!!!
I loved very much the dynamic between Gable and Affton...
Yep, the road to recovery is a hard and lonely road, but if you have an Affton by your side, it could be easier...
“If you don’t get help, everything you have, everything you love, is going to go away. Addiction takes and takes and keeps on taking. It’s the most greedy and selfish thing in the entire world.”
Well, Affton hated Gable James McCaffrey...
He was cocky, arrogant, spoiled and he had everythinghe wanted no matter the consquences...
She kept her distance, but her eyes was always drown toward him and even though he had tons of friends and girls around him, noone could see what she was seeing...
So, she had to do something drastic before something really bad will happen....
“Those dark orbs were perfect for hiding secrets, but if you looked hard enough, you could see the storm raging inside of Cable McCaffrey. There were shadows in those dark eyes, and they were at war with him. They were winning.”
“It’s not about saving them after they’re lost. It’s about getting to them before they lose their way in the first place.”
Two years later and since she wasn't able to prevent the bad that eventually came in Gable's life, she is forced to be his sobriety companion...
A task very difficult since Gable is still acting like a brat.... But a miserable, desperate brat...
So, her mission for this summer is to help Gable stay clean and in a way to find his way back to life...
“I knew I was a mess. Unhinged and hanging on the precipice of becoming someone who was beyond any kind of redemption. I teetered on the brink of making bad choices every moment I was awake, but somehow, some way, I always managed to keep myself from going completely over.”
“It was a daily struggle to present myself as something close to a normal human. And here I was, all kinds of twisted up and confused over a chick who made life, and all its ups and downs, her bitch.”
Gable from the other hand, is so freakin' lost....
Drugs was his only way out from reality, but at some point, he got in a point of no return...
Now, he had to fight for his health and life, but he isn't so sure that he wants to...
But then, Affton Reed is coming back into his life and everything is changing...
She used to be his faraway obsession and now, she is so close to him.... He wants to reach her, but he is not sure how to do it or if it's possible...
“I was capturing a fantasy, creating a memory I could hold onto later. Holding something that shouldn’t be real, shouldn’t exist in my hands.”
“Everyone else had been a distraction, but Affton Reed, she was a destination. She was the place I wanted to go and maybe, just maybe, she was the place where I wanted to stay. She was the place I was going to have to work my ass off to reach.”
So, Affton and Gable are forced to live together for a summer...
Some days are dark and some others better...
Some days the old hate is rising to the surface and some other days there is a strange peace between them, but there is only one sure thing... There is something strong between them...
But they are so different and Gable is struggling to remain on the surface...
“If you think about it, love and hate really aren’t that much different when you got right down to it. Both make you crazy. Both make you do things you never thought you would ever do, and both were so, so easy to get lost in. I loved that she hated me . . . and I hated that I was pretty fucking sure I was falling in love with her.”
“Because of Affton, I understood it had to matter more than that. I was starting to see I was supposed to matter more than that. I didn’t necessarily agree with her, but the part of me that woke up and took notice every time she told me she cared about me sure as hell did.”
I loved both Affton and Gable...
Affton was so good, so perceptive, so focused...
Once upon a time, she had taste the disappointment and the loss of a loving person to drugs and to be so close to Gable was really hard for her... But she was a very strong young woman and she could do anything she was putting on her mind...
Gable was breaking my heart... When we were inside his head, i was feeling his despair and sadness was washing me over...
Gable's life was a mess and it was so hard to find his peace...
It was so hard to become recovered from recovering... even though Affton was his ticket for that!!! He just had to grab her and let go.... But it wasn't so easy...
“I can’t love another addict, Cable. I won’t....
I hate Cable the addict, but I love Cable the recovering addict, even if he’s not always who you choose to be. You need to learn to love him, too.”
“I was, without a doubt, going to break her, and there would be no cleaning up afterward. My pieces and her pieces were going to be scattered from here to hell and back. There would be no putting either of us back together.”
Phew!!! It was an intense story that will stay with me for a long time...
The writer's note in the beginning was very touching and as i was reading this book, i realised that some of the things inside of it might be personal experiences...
I just wish for all these Gables around the world to be an Affton beside them to hold their hands and help them with love to find their way back from addiction...
“I wanted to tell him that sometimes the only way to excise an infected wound was to slice it open and let all the poison out.”
***************************************
“Thank goodness I had made the right choice by picking
the absolute wrong guy to love and perfect guy to hate.”
***************************************
March 29, 2018
Full review can be found HERE --> https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
*ARC provided for a voluntary honest review.* ~Sonal
*ARC provided for a voluntary honest review.* ~Sonal
March 29, 2018
5 Stars!
Didn’t want to put this down once I started! Straight to my favorites shelf. Loved Cable and Affton! What a awesome book!!
Didn’t want to put this down once I started! Straight to my favorites shelf. Loved Cable and Affton! What a awesome book!!
November 3, 2019
Recovered is everything I love about a Jay Crownover book, but taken to a next level that I wasn’t even sure existed.
If you start this book, you may want to clear your afternoon. You won’t want to leave Affton and Cable as they fight to overcome a force that has taken far too many good people from this world. Recovered is an incredible story that will help you appreciate just how hard it is to resist the pull of addiction, no matter what the drug of choice may be.
About ‘Recovered’
Affton
I hated Cable James McCaffrey.
He was entitled, spoiled, a user…and an addict.
He was out of control and didn’t bother trying to hide it.
He had everything anyone could want but still seemed miserable and lost.
Every move he made, every mistake he stumbled his way through, rubbed me the wrong way. However, I couldn’t stop myself from trying to save him from himself when no one else would. In the sweltering heat of the summer, Cable taught me that having it all means nothing if you can’t have the one thing you want more than anything else.
Cable
I was obsessed with Affton Reed.
She was rigid, uptight, and no fun. There was something about her innate goodness that called to me.
She acted like she was above all the normal faults and failures that clung to the rest of us like the scent of smoke after a fire. I was infatuated with her, but that didn’t stop me from acting like she didn’t exist.
In the scorching heat of summer, Affton taught me that there is always a way back from the brink of despair. She showed me that the trick to having it all was realizing that it was already there, in my hands. All I had to do was hold on to it.
The road to recovery is full of twists and turns no matter who is in the driver’s seat.
If you start this book, you may want to clear your afternoon. You won’t want to leave Affton and Cable as they fight to overcome a force that has taken far too many good people from this world. Recovered is an incredible story that will help you appreciate just how hard it is to resist the pull of addiction, no matter what the drug of choice may be.
About ‘Recovered’
Affton
I hated Cable James McCaffrey.
He was entitled, spoiled, a user…and an addict.
He was out of control and didn’t bother trying to hide it.
He had everything anyone could want but still seemed miserable and lost.
Every move he made, every mistake he stumbled his way through, rubbed me the wrong way. However, I couldn’t stop myself from trying to save him from himself when no one else would. In the sweltering heat of the summer, Cable taught me that having it all means nothing if you can’t have the one thing you want more than anything else.
Cable
I was obsessed with Affton Reed.
She was rigid, uptight, and no fun. There was something about her innate goodness that called to me.
She acted like she was above all the normal faults and failures that clung to the rest of us like the scent of smoke after a fire. I was infatuated with her, but that didn’t stop me from acting like she didn’t exist.
In the scorching heat of summer, Affton taught me that there is always a way back from the brink of despair. She showed me that the trick to having it all was realizing that it was already there, in my hands. All I had to do was hold on to it.
The road to recovery is full of twists and turns no matter who is in the driver’s seat.
April 3, 2018
5 Reed ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐s!
“What are we doing?” I had no idea, but I was positive it was going to be the best and worst thing that had ever happened to me. “Well . . . I’m going to ruin you, and you . . . you’re going to do your best to save me.”
Though I'm so caught up with work, I couldn't shelve this book without leaving some words to express how amazing it was.
CABLE KEPT ME UP TILL 4 AM!
TOTALLY WORTH IT, by the way.
When I read the introduction and knew that the book was inspired by the author's first heartbreak and that Cable really exists, Recovered did a number on me. I devoured the pages and hoped that fiction would make the dreams that real life shattered come true.
“Some souls were never meant to be saved. They might end up on the right path, but without fail, they will veer off. It’s all they know how to do. No matter how badly they might be hurting other people, they still lose their way.
Recovered is a stunning, heartbreaking and absolute beautiful piece of work. It deals with addiction in its most ugly way, with loss and how it would leave its horrible mark, it also deals with heartbreak and how much it hurts, but it also deals with love and its ability to make wonders, with hope for a bright future and how determination is able to turns ugly pages and opens clean ones.
“What are we doing?” I had no idea, but I was positive it was going to be the best and worst thing that had ever happened to me. “Well . . . I’m going to ruin you, and you . . . you’re going to do your best to save me.”
Though I'm so caught up with work, I couldn't shelve this book without leaving some words to express how amazing it was.
CABLE KEPT ME UP TILL 4 AM!
TOTALLY WORTH IT, by the way.
When I read the introduction and knew that the book was inspired by the author's first heartbreak and that Cable really exists, Recovered did a number on me. I devoured the pages and hoped that fiction would make the dreams that real life shattered come true.
“Some souls were never meant to be saved. They might end up on the right path, but without fail, they will veer off. It’s all they know how to do. No matter how badly they might be hurting other people, they still lose their way.
Recovered is a stunning, heartbreaking and absolute beautiful piece of work. It deals with addiction in its most ugly way, with loss and how it would leave its horrible mark, it also deals with heartbreak and how much it hurts, but it also deals with love and its ability to make wonders, with hope for a bright future and how determination is able to turns ugly pages and opens clean ones.
April 10, 2018
WOW! What a ride!
It was all about emotions and feelings. I don't think i have ever read a book like that before. I felt like i was inside the characters' minds and hearts.
They save each other and it's amazing. I loved how it was "based on a true story", meaning that Cable (the hero) was actually Jay Crownover's first love.
I hesitated a little bit on giving it 4*, because of the epilogue.
BE AWARE OF A MAJOR SPOILER coming your way.
But it's such a small part, in the end I decided it doesn't matter. I loved everything else about the book.
"It was always good, always breath-stealing and mind-melting".
PS: it's only 1$ on Amazon, so go ahead and buy it. Trust me, it's worth much more than that. :)
It was all about emotions and feelings. I don't think i have ever read a book like that before. I felt like i was inside the characters' minds and hearts.
They save each other and it's amazing. I loved how it was "based on a true story", meaning that Cable (the hero) was actually Jay Crownover's first love.
I hesitated a little bit on giving it 4*, because of the epilogue.
BE AWARE OF A MAJOR SPOILER coming your way.
But it's such a small part, in the end I decided it doesn't matter. I loved everything else about the book.
"It was always good, always breath-stealing and mind-melting".
PS: it's only 1$ on Amazon, so go ahead and buy it. Trust me, it's worth much more than that. :)
March 31, 2018
LOVED this book!!!! Fantastic writing, well developed characters and a unique romance. A top pick of 2018!
March 29, 2018
I received an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review and blog tour can be found on *Milky Way of Books*
There's nothing worse than addiction. And Afton knows that. And she can see it into her classmate Cable, who does nothing but drink, doing drugs and putting his life in danger. A cruel twist of fate causes these two people to meet again after certain circumstances and spend the summer together, as Afton must take care of Cable, who is on parole and must stay clean.
This book was different from the others Jay Crownover writes. And that's good. Sometimes books must touch these issues not only for the grown-ups who read them but also for the younger people. Addiction destroys not only the body but also the mind and if you don't put yourself together then you will not only hurt yourself but also the ones who are around you and want to help you.
That's the true message of this book. Afton and Cable did have a rocky start and their hate relationship evolved into one of attraction. I liked reading this ebook and I recommend to anyone who wants something different to read it too. Also, Jay's author note did surprise me.
There's nothing worse than addiction. And Afton knows that. And she can see it into her classmate Cable, who does nothing but drink, doing drugs and putting his life in danger. A cruel twist of fate causes these two people to meet again after certain circumstances and spend the summer together, as Afton must take care of Cable, who is on parole and must stay clean.
This book was different from the others Jay Crownover writes. And that's good. Sometimes books must touch these issues not only for the grown-ups who read them but also for the younger people. Addiction destroys not only the body but also the mind and if you don't put yourself together then you will not only hurt yourself but also the ones who are around you and want to help you.
That's the true message of this book. Afton and Cable did have a rocky start and their hate relationship evolved into one of attraction. I liked reading this ebook and I recommend to anyone who wants something different to read it too. Also, Jay's author note did surprise me.
March 25, 2018
Review by Trinette Dungee
“I thought hating Cable James McCaffrey was overwhelming. Hating him had nothing on loving him.”
To the outside world Affton Reed appeared to be standoffish, unapproachable and just plain ole snobby, but Affton has demons no one knows about; demons that caused her mother to rip their family apart, demons that took her mother away from her and demons that she recognizes in Caleb McCaffrey, demons that make her loath and detest Caleb McCaffrey.
Caleb McCaffrey was “that guy”, the guy everyone wanted to be friends with, the guy everyone wanted to party with. His family had more money than God and everyone want to be his friend…except Affton Reed. Nope, Affton wanted no parts of him and the more she ignored him the more he became obsessed with her. Affton was the only one who could see him spiraling out of control and she was the only one who dared to confront him about his addiction.
Can you say “intense”? Can you deal with or handle “intense”? If you answer “no” to either question then this is not the book for you. While the entire story wasn’t intense there were moments and those moments really did me in.
Affton watched her mother spiral out of control due to drug addiction and day after day she wished she’d been strong enough to help her or wish that there had been someone else out there strong enough to help her mother. So seeing that Caleb wasn’t just the party boy that everyone thought he was but real addict she takes it upon herself to confront him to save him from himself. Her actions set off a chain of events that to her spending a summer at Caleb’s beach house trying to keep him on the straight and narrow.
“What are your plans for the summer, Cable? You can’t party. You won’t be able to work with the random drug screens that will be thrown your way, no boss will understand you having to run out in the middle of a shift to pee in a cup. You aren’t getting ready to go off to college. So, what are you going to do with yourself? Were you planning on lying around, feeling sorry for yourself while someone else takes care of you?” Her eyebrows shot up, and a furious flush stained her cheeks hot pink. “You’ve already lived your life that way and look where it landed you. I think it’s time you figure out how to be self-sufficient.”
Affton’s a bit of a hard nut. She’s no nonsense but at times was just a little too harsh. The reality is that by helping Caleb she’s kind of coming to terms with the issues she never really resolved with her mother and she’s so down on herself because she feels like she wasn’t enough because her mom chose drugs over her. As time goes on as expected Affton starts to realize that there is so much more about Caleb than she initially thought and she starts to acknowledge the fact that it’s not just Caleb’s addiction or her need to save him from himself that attracts her to him and of course this doesn’t really sit well with her…I think this is why she lashes out so much at him. Honestly, there were some times when I thought…she’s so hard on him that she’s going to send him right back to rock bottom.
He had asked me why the someone who tried to catch him before he fell had to be me. I would die before I told him it was because it was more than his addiction that interested me. Cable James McCaffrey interested me in a way no one else ever had . . . and obviously, I hated it because I couldn’t lie to myself and say that I still hated him.
Caleb, naturally, is resentful of his summer babysitter and can’t understand why she of all people is sent to help him. Affton knows nothing about him. She thinks because of the addiction she has him all figured out but there’s so much more to him than his addiction….there’s so much more to his addiction than just his addiction.
“We were in school together for years. You never so much as looked in my direction. How is it that you ended up being the someone who intervened?” He didn’t sound mad about it. Curious and puzzled, but there was no anger in his tone.
Caleb is definitely more than what meets the eye. While he may come off as he spoiled rich kid who gets any and everything he wants nothing could be further from the truth. Caleb is kind of the “poor little rich boy”; all the money in the world but no love to go along with it. Caleb wants to be a good guy but it just seems like there’s always something getting in the way of being the person he really wants to be. He’s starved for love and attention and someone to just talked to and be himself with.
"No one wakes up one morning and decides they want to be a drug addict.” He didn’t say ‘someone like you’ doesn’t decide to be an addict. He said no one decides.
This statement from his therapist, I feel helped Caleb to really starts to get that this addiction is not unique to him it’s something that can and does happen to anyone.
In reading the synopsis, this book really wasn’t at all what I thought it was going to be. Very rarely do I read the authors notes; especially something at the beginning of the book. I’m so glad I stuck to my guns and read it after I finished. Had I read that part first I would have had a totally different reaction. I liked going in blind and feeling the shock of emotions. Like I mentioned before, it wasn’t constant intensity but there were parts that just truly shock my soul.
In the beginning I really didn’t like Affton, I just couldn’t figure out what her problem was towards him and why she was so angry toward Caleb but then something clicked and I remembered something I read in the beginning of the book.
Anyone rational would point out that I had no reason to loathe Cable the way I did. He’s never outright attacked me, embarrassed me, or victimized me. All he’d done was notice me when it was the last thing I wanted. It might not make sense to anyone, but it made perfect sense to me. I’d wanted to hide, but he had no trouble finding me. In my mind, that made him my enemy from day one.
And then it made total sense to me. Affton was so full of pain that she didn’t know how to deal with, that she didn’t want ANY attention from anyone and that one day when she first moved to the small Texas town…the boy everyone wanted to notice them, noticed her. She wanted to be invisible. Maybe this is taking a little deeper than intended but I think, even though this was way before Caleb started is downward spiral and he knew nothing about her mother’s death, I think he recognized a wounded soul in Affton, the hurt she hadn’t dealt with from her mother’s death.
One of the most heartbreaking moments for me….
“Some souls were never meant to be saved. They might end up on the right path, but without fail, they will veer off. It’s all they know how to do. No matter how badly they might be hurting other people, they still lose their way. Honestly, the hurt they cause will never compare to how much hurt they inflict upon themselves.” He lifted his hand to the center of his chest and dug the heel of his palm into the place where his heart sat. He was trying to hold back whatever that tender place inside of him was bleeding out.
I have to say I really liked the way this book was wrapped up. It wasn’t quickly wrapped up with a nice little bow; it took it’s time getting to the end and for me it ended in a very familiar place with Jay’s books that made it feel like a homecoming. This was such a departure from her other books that I almost forgot I was reading one of her's. This was most definitely an emotional rollercoaster of a read and worth every minute.
“I thought hating Cable James McCaffrey was overwhelming. Hating him had nothing on loving him.”
To the outside world Affton Reed appeared to be standoffish, unapproachable and just plain ole snobby, but Affton has demons no one knows about; demons that caused her mother to rip their family apart, demons that took her mother away from her and demons that she recognizes in Caleb McCaffrey, demons that make her loath and detest Caleb McCaffrey.
Caleb McCaffrey was “that guy”, the guy everyone wanted to be friends with, the guy everyone wanted to party with. His family had more money than God and everyone want to be his friend…except Affton Reed. Nope, Affton wanted no parts of him and the more she ignored him the more he became obsessed with her. Affton was the only one who could see him spiraling out of control and she was the only one who dared to confront him about his addiction.
Can you say “intense”? Can you deal with or handle “intense”? If you answer “no” to either question then this is not the book for you. While the entire story wasn’t intense there were moments and those moments really did me in.
Affton watched her mother spiral out of control due to drug addiction and day after day she wished she’d been strong enough to help her or wish that there had been someone else out there strong enough to help her mother. So seeing that Caleb wasn’t just the party boy that everyone thought he was but real addict she takes it upon herself to confront him to save him from himself. Her actions set off a chain of events that to her spending a summer at Caleb’s beach house trying to keep him on the straight and narrow.
“What are your plans for the summer, Cable? You can’t party. You won’t be able to work with the random drug screens that will be thrown your way, no boss will understand you having to run out in the middle of a shift to pee in a cup. You aren’t getting ready to go off to college. So, what are you going to do with yourself? Were you planning on lying around, feeling sorry for yourself while someone else takes care of you?” Her eyebrows shot up, and a furious flush stained her cheeks hot pink. “You’ve already lived your life that way and look where it landed you. I think it’s time you figure out how to be self-sufficient.”
Affton’s a bit of a hard nut. She’s no nonsense but at times was just a little too harsh. The reality is that by helping Caleb she’s kind of coming to terms with the issues she never really resolved with her mother and she’s so down on herself because she feels like she wasn’t enough because her mom chose drugs over her. As time goes on as expected Affton starts to realize that there is so much more about Caleb than she initially thought and she starts to acknowledge the fact that it’s not just Caleb’s addiction or her need to save him from himself that attracts her to him and of course this doesn’t really sit well with her…I think this is why she lashes out so much at him. Honestly, there were some times when I thought…she’s so hard on him that she’s going to send him right back to rock bottom.
He had asked me why the someone who tried to catch him before he fell had to be me. I would die before I told him it was because it was more than his addiction that interested me. Cable James McCaffrey interested me in a way no one else ever had . . . and obviously, I hated it because I couldn’t lie to myself and say that I still hated him.
Caleb, naturally, is resentful of his summer babysitter and can’t understand why she of all people is sent to help him. Affton knows nothing about him. She thinks because of the addiction she has him all figured out but there’s so much more to him than his addiction….there’s so much more to his addiction than just his addiction.
“We were in school together for years. You never so much as looked in my direction. How is it that you ended up being the someone who intervened?” He didn’t sound mad about it. Curious and puzzled, but there was no anger in his tone.
Caleb is definitely more than what meets the eye. While he may come off as he spoiled rich kid who gets any and everything he wants nothing could be further from the truth. Caleb is kind of the “poor little rich boy”; all the money in the world but no love to go along with it. Caleb wants to be a good guy but it just seems like there’s always something getting in the way of being the person he really wants to be. He’s starved for love and attention and someone to just talked to and be himself with.
"No one wakes up one morning and decides they want to be a drug addict.” He didn’t say ‘someone like you’ doesn’t decide to be an addict. He said no one decides.
This statement from his therapist, I feel helped Caleb to really starts to get that this addiction is not unique to him it’s something that can and does happen to anyone.
In reading the synopsis, this book really wasn’t at all what I thought it was going to be. Very rarely do I read the authors notes; especially something at the beginning of the book. I’m so glad I stuck to my guns and read it after I finished. Had I read that part first I would have had a totally different reaction. I liked going in blind and feeling the shock of emotions. Like I mentioned before, it wasn’t constant intensity but there were parts that just truly shock my soul.
In the beginning I really didn’t like Affton, I just couldn’t figure out what her problem was towards him and why she was so angry toward Caleb but then something clicked and I remembered something I read in the beginning of the book.
Anyone rational would point out that I had no reason to loathe Cable the way I did. He’s never outright attacked me, embarrassed me, or victimized me. All he’d done was notice me when it was the last thing I wanted. It might not make sense to anyone, but it made perfect sense to me. I’d wanted to hide, but he had no trouble finding me. In my mind, that made him my enemy from day one.
And then it made total sense to me. Affton was so full of pain that she didn’t know how to deal with, that she didn’t want ANY attention from anyone and that one day when she first moved to the small Texas town…the boy everyone wanted to notice them, noticed her. She wanted to be invisible. Maybe this is taking a little deeper than intended but I think, even though this was way before Caleb started is downward spiral and he knew nothing about her mother’s death, I think he recognized a wounded soul in Affton, the hurt she hadn’t dealt with from her mother’s death.
One of the most heartbreaking moments for me….
“Some souls were never meant to be saved. They might end up on the right path, but without fail, they will veer off. It’s all they know how to do. No matter how badly they might be hurting other people, they still lose their way. Honestly, the hurt they cause will never compare to how much hurt they inflict upon themselves.” He lifted his hand to the center of his chest and dug the heel of his palm into the place where his heart sat. He was trying to hold back whatever that tender place inside of him was bleeding out.
I have to say I really liked the way this book was wrapped up. It wasn’t quickly wrapped up with a nice little bow; it took it’s time getting to the end and for me it ended in a very familiar place with Jay’s books that made it feel like a homecoming. This was such a departure from her other books that I almost forgot I was reading one of her's. This was most definitely an emotional rollercoaster of a read and worth every minute.
March 27, 2019
5 "It was time." Stars
When I randomly come across a story that pokes my interest from the blurb and the cover and I end up obsessed and longing I'm forever grateful. That's how I feel about this wonderfully dark side of human nature and the human condition it takes to withstand that kind of storm Jay Crownover presents in Recovered.
This is a tale of ruin and rising. It's a story of strength and redemption. One of brutally honesty and the toughest love. Ultimately, it's a hard fought story of kindness and forgiveness. Affton Reed ensnared me in her clutches of decency, understanding, compassion and tough love, much like she did Cable James McCaffrey, and she never once let go. Affton Reed is a heroine for whom I admire and strive to model behaviors after. Her core belief system and unwavering faith in something, someONE, that she fights so hard against was as astounding as it was beautiful. Cable James McCaffrey is not an easy person to get along with let alone love. But there's something inheriting magnetic about his presence. The way he and Affton collide was wondrous.
I could feel the truth in Jay Crownover's writing. I could feel her pain and her glory through these two polarizing characters. Her story is more than a love story to me. It's a cleansing, an understanding. It'll take you out of comfort zone in a subtle way that allows to really take in the motives and find a deep passion of your own. I loved every single word and am so happy I came across Recovered. It's one I won't soon forget.
When I randomly come across a story that pokes my interest from the blurb and the cover and I end up obsessed and longing I'm forever grateful. That's how I feel about this wonderfully dark side of human nature and the human condition it takes to withstand that kind of storm Jay Crownover presents in Recovered.
This is a tale of ruin and rising. It's a story of strength and redemption. One of brutally honesty and the toughest love. Ultimately, it's a hard fought story of kindness and forgiveness. Affton Reed ensnared me in her clutches of decency, understanding, compassion and tough love, much like she did Cable James McCaffrey, and she never once let go. Affton Reed is a heroine for whom I admire and strive to model behaviors after. Her core belief system and unwavering faith in something, someONE, that she fights so hard against was as astounding as it was beautiful. Cable James McCaffrey is not an easy person to get along with let alone love. But there's something inheriting magnetic about his presence. The way he and Affton collide was wondrous.
I could feel the truth in Jay Crownover's writing. I could feel her pain and her glory through these two polarizing characters. Her story is more than a love story to me. It's a cleansing, an understanding. It'll take you out of comfort zone in a subtle way that allows to really take in the motives and find a deep passion of your own. I loved every single word and am so happy I came across Recovered. It's one I won't soon forget.
May 19, 2020
DNF 30%
מסתבר שקראתי את הספר הזה לפני שנתיים, נטשתי אותו, כתבתי סקירה ומעולם לא פרסמתי אותה.
אבל באמת מדובר בספר גרוע להחריד, כל כך גרוע שאני זוכרת כל פרט מהזוועות שהלכו שם.
לסקירה שלי
image:
מסתבר שקראתי את הספר הזה לפני שנתיים, נטשתי אותו, כתבתי סקירה ומעולם לא פרסמתי אותה.
אבל באמת מדובר בספר גרוע להחריד, כל כך גרוע שאני זוכרת כל פרט מהזוועות שהלכו שם.
לסקירה שלי
image:
April 2, 2018
”Some souls were never meant to be saved.”
OH. MY. FREAKIN’. WOW!!! Jay Crownover has struck my soul with her words again! I don’t think I’ve ever felt an author more through her words than I have with Jay Crownover and Recovered. Recovered is so raw with pieces of the author poured into the story that make this journey so REFRESHINGLY REAL. This book made me BREATHLESS as I breathed in words that felt so personal with reality bleeding into fiction.
I don’t see life as black and white; I see varying hues of grey. Jay Crownover’s books are grey: not black … not white … not quite dark … not quite light … but so bold and beautiful. Since I met first met Rule years ago, I coined a few Jay-isms that apply to each since story of hers. Jay Crownover is the master of writing fierce and flawed heroes, heroes that since Rule I’ve called ‘bad ass boys with big ass hearts.’ I know these boys, all of her heroes, own my heart for life as do her beautiful and brave heroines.
There’s nothing I love reading about more than a broken hero and heroine who make each other whole. There is something beautiful about the broken—the journey that transcends while picking up those shattered pieces and putting them together. Recovered features a hero you want to hate but have to love and a heroine you have to admire.
I hated myself. I hated myself more than anyone else ever could.
Cable?!? Cable, this beautiful and broken bad boy with a big heart, OWNED ME. My heart was and is Cable’s. This complex hero has given my favorite Jay Crownover marked man, Rule, some serious competition. Affton?!? I admired the beautiful and broken heroine too who was the light to Cable’s dark. These shattered souls are soulmates, and I felt their deep connection penetrate me.
”What are we doing?”
“Well . . . I’m going to ruin you, and you . . . you’re going to do your best to save me.”
This is a story of dark meets light and hopeless meets hopeful. Achingly honest, heart-hitting, and hauntingly hypnotizing, Recovered strikes straight to the heart where you’ll feel every word as if this journey is yours too. In the most soul-crushing of ways, Recovered broke me and put me back together again and again—piece by broken piece.
We ignited.
We went up in flames.
We burned and singed each other over and over again.
Recovered lit me on fire where I BURNED FOR THIS BOOK!!! I melted from the magic of mere words . . . words that pulled me straight into the flames, flames where I ignited as EVERY FEEL WAS ON FIRE. Recovered was both my fire and water, my sun and rain, my perfect storm and rainbow. Recovered was my light and dark, shades of grey that mix the gloom with the great. Recovered was my happiness and my heartbreak. Recovered was MY EVERYTHING.
”I saw you, Affton, I’ve always seen you. And even if I was blind and could never see you again, I would know the way you feel.”
Recovered may very well be the best book Jay Crownover has ever written because HOLY HEARTFELT RIDE! This may be my new favorite Crownover Crack because WOW! I can’t stop feeling this journey . . . this escape in words. It may take a while for my heart to recover from Recovered.
”When I looked ahead, all I saw was you.”
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 soul-striking ‘second chance at life’ stars
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March 26, 2018
ARC received for an honest review
** this was released through Jay's newsletter back in 2017 so if you read that, you are not getting a new story**
I was a little leery when I read at the beginning of this book that this is kinda based on events in the author's life. Been there, read that and it has usually been a shocker!
I am happy to say though that this was not the case with Recovered.
Recovered is a story that will break your heart, stomp on it and heal it again.
Cable and Affton (yeah, I admit I rolled my eyes and thought WTF as we go those names - I am all for unique names in stories but these just felt a bit ridiculous to me - but this could just be me).
I like the way C and A's relationship unfolded. It felt organic, it didn't feel rushed, and I felt that they dealt with issues well.
It did take me a little while to get into Recovered, but once I got into it I didn't want to put it down.
I can't wait to see what Ms Crownover brings us next.
** this was released through Jay's newsletter back in 2017 so if you read that, you are not getting a new story**
I was a little leery when I read at the beginning of this book that this is kinda based on events in the author's life. Been there, read that and it has usually been a shocker!
I am happy to say though that this was not the case with Recovered.
Recovered is a story that will break your heart, stomp on it and heal it again.
Cable and Affton (yeah, I admit I rolled my eyes and thought WTF as we go those names - I am all for unique names in stories but these just felt a bit ridiculous to me - but this could just be me).
I like the way C and A's relationship unfolded. It felt organic, it didn't feel rushed, and I felt that they dealt with issues well.
It did take me a little while to get into Recovered, but once I got into it I didn't want to put it down.
I can't wait to see what Ms Crownover brings us next.
March 19, 2018
When I first read the Introduction notes in this book it initially made me unsure of what to expect, to explain that better I have read books by other authors who have thrown aspects in from their personal life and it didn't work and ended up just totally cringe worthy. HOWEVER Jay Crownover has nailed it with this one! I simply just could not get enough.
These characters have taken over my life for the last 2 days and I was cursing at my teenage kids for constantly making me put this book down because they are bone idle lazy at times. Cable and Affton are the type of characters that will most likely be relatable to a lot of people who have been in the same circumstances as Cable was, simply because addictions are real and this story is as real as it gets.
Affton was mature and sensible and was determined to exceed her aspirations in life, after losing her mum to addiction she grew up fast and didn't want to fall down that same hole. Cable felt lost and unhappy at a young age in life which led him to his addiction, he came from rich parents who sometimes failed to recognise they had a child because they were too busy bringing each other down and being socialites.
The story itself is a roller coaster of emotions, it has a couple of twists that pop up from nowhere but they add more flare to the story and are relevant to Cables circumstances. I loved the fact that the majority of the story really concentrated on the main characters and the side characters that were in there didn't play much of a part in person.
Jay Crownover is fast becoming one of my top authors and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
These characters have taken over my life for the last 2 days and I was cursing at my teenage kids for constantly making me put this book down because they are bone idle lazy at times. Cable and Affton are the type of characters that will most likely be relatable to a lot of people who have been in the same circumstances as Cable was, simply because addictions are real and this story is as real as it gets.
Affton was mature and sensible and was determined to exceed her aspirations in life, after losing her mum to addiction she grew up fast and didn't want to fall down that same hole. Cable felt lost and unhappy at a young age in life which led him to his addiction, he came from rich parents who sometimes failed to recognise they had a child because they were too busy bringing each other down and being socialites.
The story itself is a roller coaster of emotions, it has a couple of twists that pop up from nowhere but they add more flare to the story and are relevant to Cables circumstances. I loved the fact that the majority of the story really concentrated on the main characters and the side characters that were in there didn't play much of a part in person.
Jay Crownover is fast becoming one of my top authors and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
March 27, 2018
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I was touched by the beginning of the novel, a part of the personal like of the author that I’m sure wasn’t easy and that she shares with us through Cable. This start put me in a particular state of mind for the novel and I was impatient to discover the story and the characters.
We learn to know Affton and Cable, two different characters… Affton had to deal with the overdose of her mother and since then she needs to help people around her. While she takes notice of Cable, a boy of her high school, who is taking drugs and that she sees that nobody say a thing, she knows she can’t continue to watch him like that without doing a thing. Worse than that, he is spoiled, does what he wants without any problems and it’s really difficult for Affton to accept that. She is trying to help him, to make him understand, but it’s more complicated than expected.
It’s a touching novel with some strong themes like drugs, alcohol, rehabilitation, but mainly on acceptation. I had a good time with the novel but it’s true that after the note of the author I was expecting more of the story and in the end something was missing for me.
My English review
I was touched by the beginning of the novel, a part of the personal like of the author that I’m sure wasn’t easy and that she shares with us through Cable. This start put me in a particular state of mind for the novel and I was impatient to discover the story and the characters.
We learn to know Affton and Cable, two different characters… Affton had to deal with the overdose of her mother and since then she needs to help people around her. While she takes notice of Cable, a boy of her high school, who is taking drugs and that she sees that nobody say a thing, she knows she can’t continue to watch him like that without doing a thing. Worse than that, he is spoiled, does what he wants without any problems and it’s really difficult for Affton to accept that. She is trying to help him, to make him understand, but it’s more complicated than expected.
It’s a touching novel with some strong themes like drugs, alcohol, rehabilitation, but mainly on acceptation. I had a good time with the novel but it’s true that after the note of the author I was expecting more of the story and in the end something was missing for me.
July 8, 2018
intense and real
This book truly shows what it's like loving an addict. It perfectly depicts what it's like watching a loved one struggle and having the desire to help but knowing, ultimately, that what happens during recovery is strictly up to them. I especially loved that the author used her own life experience to write this novel.
It's not an easy read. It's heavy and dark at times, just like living with and loving someone who struggles with sobriety, but I'm so glad I gave this book a try.
This book truly shows what it's like loving an addict. It perfectly depicts what it's like watching a loved one struggle and having the desire to help but knowing, ultimately, that what happens during recovery is strictly up to them. I especially loved that the author used her own life experience to write this novel.
It's not an easy read. It's heavy and dark at times, just like living with and loving someone who struggles with sobriety, but I'm so glad I gave this book a try.
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