Surviving Raine (Surviving Raine, #1)

by Shay Savage

• ISBN10: 1490401822
• ISBN13: 9781490401829
• Publish Date: 20 June 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 350
• Language: English

Reviews

[Caitiebelle]

I absolutely LOVED this book. I could not put it down.

This author is rather new to me. I first read [b:Transcendence|20504754|Transcendence (Transcendence, #1)|Shay Savage|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1391320052s/20504754.jpg|34802286] because it kept being recommended in one of my online reader groups, and like so many others, I absolutely fell in love with that book.

I decided to give another book a try by the same author and so 'Surviving Raine' was the next choice.

This book reminded me slightly of [b:Transcendence|20504754|Transcendence (Transcendence, #1)|Shay Savage|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1391320052s/20504754.jpg|34802286] because it follows the main antihero 'Bastian's point of view, and also because of most of the book? They are on a liferaft. Yup, you heard me! How he and Raine end up on said liferaft I can't tell you, because that would ruin the surprise - but safe to say that for a book where the majority of the content is in one specific place (and a tiny one at that) the Author still manages to amaze me.

The book is sarcastic, Bastian has a bit of a sarcastic asshole type of thing going on, but I did laugh quite a lot throughout the book. He's not all bad. Please give him a chance, because as the book progresses - so does he, and he really does deserve to have his story explained. :) It all makes sense in the end.

Raine is an orphan who just wanted to get away from tragic events of her past, so she booked a trip on a private cruise. It so happens that the ship is Bastian's and all though they have never spoken whilst on the ship, they do hit it off rather well, though poor Raine has to put up with some major shit...

The book has romance in spades, and no it's not Stockholm syndrome. It's two people who need to use every skill in the books to be able to survive the next day, just one more day.
It has drama, it has delicious sex, it has 101 Survival and some really nifty ways to fish! I think I might have learned something from this book...you know...in case I end up...I don't know...on a liferaft in the middle of the blue sea? :p


Bastian's back story is told in pieces and I ached for the childhood he didn't have and for the choices he had to make in order to just survive. I ached for his naivete in his tender youth, and I cried for his desperate choices made at such a young age.

But I also laughed, smiled and enjoyed their story. And I am on to read the sequel because you just can't get enough Bastian!

[leelu92]

Ummmm. This is the 2nd shipwrecked and stuck on an island book in the last 2 weeks. This one I had to be patient with because some parts of it bordered on hot mess. BUT- Raine and her common sense approach to an emotionally battered Bastian some what redeemed it. Bastian could be real bastard... a lot. But really, the guy had a super shitty upbringing. So..I guess this one is a HFN? I'm pretty sure we will get more from this author as far as this couple's story goes. Because, I for one, would like to know how their relationship will function in the real world....with bad guys on their tail on top of everything else.

[Lindsey Gray]

What some people might not know about me is that I'm kind of an adrenaline junkie. Since I can't do a lot of things that give you that thrill, I get my fix through books like "Surviving Raine".

I don't know what I was expecting when I started to read this book, but getting up close and personal with the mind of Sebastian Stark was not one of them. Women love the bad boy and Sebastian is the epitome of the stereotype. His life from a young age was kill or be killed. On the exterior, Sebastian is the foul mouthed, alcoholic version of Bear Grylls from Man vs Wild. On the inside, Raine brings out the man that would do anything for the ones he loves and loves fiercely.

While this is a love story, it is written completely from a man's point of view. With this story it really works. I don't think you would get the whole picture of his character if it didn't come straight from him. Raine has a hard time getting him to open up, but when he does, bit by bit, she brings out the man he was always meant to be.

You might think being stuck with a stranger in the middle of the ocean might be boring, but Savage gives us an adventure at every turn. This book is made up of life changing moments that give the reader the sense that they are making the decisions with him. His attraction toward Raine is instant, even when she is still unconscious. He has perceived her as a dimwit heiress when in actuality she's the daughter of a cop who died in the line of duty. He doesn't usually go for someone who doesn't collect money from the bedside table at the end of their tryst. With Raine, the forced isolation and the innate will to survive, Sebastian shows that he is a man capable of real love and compassion, not the mindless killing machine he once was.

Savage created a thrill on every page and a twist in every chapter. She kept me guessing at every turn which made the read all that more exciting. When you take on this monster, make sure to have your supplies with you. This is one that you will want to read straight through until the end.

While this chapter of the story has come to an end, Savage has more in store for Sebastian and Raine. There is a planned second book in the series and I can't wait to find out what happens next.