Reclaim by Marley Valentine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have been branching out a lot as a blogger because there are so many good and great reads that I miss out on by only looking at the authors I have previously read. As such, at times I occasionally scour social media for new-to-me authors. In one such search, I came around a new book coming out by Marley Valentine, Reclaim. Needless to say, I was very intrigued and signed up as a blogger to read and review. I am so glad I did. Marley Valentine is a skilled author that wrote a beautifully crafted love story. Reclaim is the story of Jagger, an ex-con that is learning to live outside prison – a life he lived only marginally longer he was a prisoner. Emerson was his counsel as he navigated the last few weeks as a prisoner. The spark between the two is instant and intense. But can a man who has little self-worth find redemption in his own eyes?
Marley Valentine’s Reclaim was a fantastic read. I can’t think of any traditional romances that deals with a hero that’s a convict or ex-convict. Usually these heroes are reserved for dark romance or thrillers. Yet, Marley Valentine wrote Jagger who serves as the hero of Reclaim which is a contemporary romance. The story was easy to get lost in and I didn’t put it down until I finished the very last word. There is soooo much heat and chemistry between Jagger and Emerson. Also, you will love Emerson’s faith in Jagger. As a heroine, Emerson was awesome. In addition, Reclaim had great secondary characters – particularly Dakota and Hendrix. I would love to see a book for one or both of them. The story has a deep sense of family and Marley did an incredible job of representing the emotions that would be called forth in the situations our characters found themselves in. The story pace is great – neither too fast or too slow – and you can easily read it in one sitting. If you can put it down, you’ve got better impulse control them me because I was too invested in the story to even get up for food or drink!
Overall, I would say it’s a solid 4.5 stars. I don’t pad reviews, regardless of the author. You can be assured that I was captivated by this book and I went so far as to purchase two other books by Marley Valentine that I thought sounded just as awesome. I hope that if you are new to Marley Valentine like I was, you will read Reclaim because it’s truly a fantastic story. If you’ve read her work before, I am sure you already one-clicked Reclaim so get to reading!
