Heart of a Savage had me speed reading. I didn't sleep a wink! 5 fabolous stars!

There were parts of this book that I thought were brilliant. Then there were parts that confused me. And then...there were parts that made me want to throw my Kindle.

Let’s start with the brilliant bits:
1. LaShanta Charles is a great writer. Her dialogue has a very natural feel to it, and the story had a nice flow. This was definitely an engaging read that made you truly care about Bailey and Dominic.

2. I loved Bailey’s transformation from scared little mouse into MMA-fighting badass. And the fact that she took it upon herself to train so that she could defend herself and her son, despite the fact that she’s clearly terrified of strangers in the beginning, was beautiful.

3. Bailey’s devotion to her son, and all she was willing to endure for him, was inspiring. She’s a great example of a what a mother should be.

4. I loved Bailey’s character. I find her habit of blurting out her inner thoughts endearing.

Now for the confusing bits:
1. The beginning of the book, in which we get a feel for just how terrible Connor is, is brutal. Jarring. Dark and violent. Then with the introduction of Dominic and his friends, the whole tone shifts to almost lighthearted. There are some truly hilarious bits in the interactions between the guys, and between Bailey and the guys. So, the dark violent beginning was extremely well-written, but it didn’t totally match the tone for the rest of the book. Was I supposed to laugh when Bailey incited the riot? I did. But I felt weird about it. It was hilarious, but the circumstances were so serious that I wasn’t sure how the author wanted me to react, which made me kind of uncomfortable as a reader.

2. Bailey’s blog and her writing seemed like a throw-away. It was mentioned in the beginning, and once towards the end. Was this a passion of hers, or wasn’t it? If it wasn’t, why even mention it at all?

3. Don’t get me wrong: I LOVE badass Bailey. I loved reading about her gaining confidence, strength and skill. I LOVED reading about her slamming Dominic’s bitchy ex to the ground. But at the same time, this Bailey is such a huge departure from the Bailey we met in the beginning of the book that it just didn’t ring entirely true for me.

And now for the bits that made me want to throw my Kindle in a fit of anger. It’s established from the very beginning of the book that Connor is a cruel, soulless, spineless abuser. Bailey knows that he’s not above using her son to manipulate and hurt her. So, the fact that she went anywhere with him willingly towards the end made me want to reach through my Kindle and smack the crap out of her. ​

“[Connor] looks helpless. Lost. I actually feel a stab of pity for him.”

I’m sorry...did you just say that you feel pity for the dude who has made your life a living hell? I must’ve read those lines at least ten times before I believed them. Why—in the name of all that’s holy—would she feel ANYTHING for this vile human being other than loathing? That’s not OK with me.

And it’s also well-established that Bailey is a great fighter. This dude is hurting her, hurting her son and she just takes the abuse? Why didn’t she kick the ever-lovin’ crap out of him? Having Dominic save her wasn’t nearly as satisfying as Bailey saving herself would’ve been.

But all-in-all, this was an interesting read that fans of MMA fighter romances will enjoy.

​Full disclosure: We received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Title - Heart of a Savage
Author - LaShanta Charles.
Series - No
Genre - Romance
Cliffhanger - No
Rating - 4Stars.
Recommended - Yes!

This was and amazing story of strength and redemption. Bailey's story got me in my feels big time. I love how even though she was gutted in the worst way imaginable, it didn't break her. She never stopped fighting and she came back stronger than ever. This is a must read for any romance lover

Honestly I just did not care for this book from the get go. I continued to try to read and click with it but I couldn't I found neither hero or heroine to be likable or characters I wanted to root for. If I can't root for a hero or heroine it makes a story incredibly hard to enjoy.

a great read.

Summary

Baily Ross has spent her whole life in the shadow of Connor, a man her father chose to be her husband. She has spent years under his control and raising a young boy whom she considers to be her own and she will fight with her every breath for. When Connor takes her son to Ireland, to punish her. She decides to be able to fight back when he returns. Bailey goes to a MMA club, looking for ways to defend herself. But after years of physical abuse, she is determined to be stronger and learn to fight. Dominic Prince, a MMA fighter for the club, is drawn to Baily. He feels overprotective of her and knows that she has suffered abuse for long term periods. But as Dominic and his friends teach her to defend herself and to be a female MMA fighter, their relationship is tested when Connor and his ex girlfriend threatens to take her son away forever and she may be in for the hardest fight of her life….
Plot and Story Line

Heart of a Savage brings to life a story that is heart breaking and intense. This is a new to me author, and for the most part I really enjoyed the story. I liked seeing our heroine go from suffering abuse to learning to fight and defend herself. She has such a sweet nature and I love how she is always looking out for others. When she meets the boys at the MMA club, she bakes them goodies and is always looking for ways to help them out in ways that she can. Dominic is a protective hero, and I really enjoyed seeing the way he and his friends try to get to the bottom of why Bailey is becoming abused so much and helps her overcome her fears and fight for those that she loves. It was interesting seeing her training to be a fighter. I did like this story, its a quick and easy read, but I felt that there was a lack of depth to the romance side of the story. I didn’t really feel Dom and Bailey’s story to each other which was a bit of a bummer, but the other parts to the story did make up for it in moments.
The Cover

I love the use of the tats the cover artist used for this book…very unique and celtic like.
Overall View

Heart of a Savage is a interesting story that brings together domestic violence, overcoming fear and fighting for those you love…full of intrigue and passion!