Wrecked is the story of secret identities, secrets, and lies between Sawyer, posing as her sister, and Aden, determined to get the truth. Aden has returned from Afghanistan bitter and out for revenge. After betrayal cost him several soldiers in his unit, Aden is devastated. Sawyer has promised her sister Celia to honor her dying wish and assume Celia's identity and have a little fun. As you can imagine, when these lives collide, will everyone end up wrecked or is it possible to survive?
Sawyer has a fairly severe case of OCD. She feels that she gave her grandmother the flu, and that caused her to die. So, she is cautious about germs, but also becomes a list maker. Her behaviors are not your 'classic' OCD of cleaning or obsessive washing, but its noticeable to those who know her well and you can see how it impacts her daily life. Celia is the total opposite. She was a free spirit, roaming around the country and enjoying life. She is social and has lots of friends. For twins, they have nothing in common outside their looks. I think I understood Sawyer quickly and really connected with her as a character. She doesn't want to 'be' her sister, but she can't tell her no. She is determined to do this for Celia even though its incredibly difficult for her.
Aden is suffering from PTSD and its heartbreaking. His guilt is crushing and Salsbury does an amazing job at showing the reader that pain and anguish. He has such survivors guilt over what happened, and he has not handled it well.
As Aden and 'Celia' get to know each other, they fall in love. But, with all the secrets and lies between them, you can see the writing on the wall as to how this could implode. As Aden's PTSD gets worse and Celia's illness progresses, the story started to break my heart a bit. Thankfully, I know Salsbury will piece it back together.
- POV: dual 1st
- Tears: yes
- Trope: secret identity
- Triggers: Aden has a PTSD flashback that might be upsetting to some readers. Also, Celia dies of cancer.
- Series/Standalone: stand alone
- Cliffhanger: no
- HEA: yes with a beautiful epilogue!
Out of the Ashes by RC Boldt, Ruthless by Lexi Blake, Hard Rules by Lisa Renee Jones...then you will probably like Wrecked!
See full review on The Book Disciple