I struggled with this one.

Is it a dark, steamy, angsty story? YES

A solid enemies to lover tale? OH YES.

Hazel and Callum are all kinds of hot, and this is very well written. I burned thru it BUT I struggled with Hazel a bit. She was just a smidge too sweet, loved the writing, the twists the turns (there's a solid surprise in this one), and their HEA is definitely hard won. I just didn't love their story. With that said, it was totally worth the read! Would read more from this author for sure.

4 Savage stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Savage is a story of Hazel trying to find out the meaning behind the cryptic message left by her brother that has the name of a mysterious Callum. And her trying to find out who her birth parents are. Callum is having his own mystery to search that relates to Hazel's adoptive father or not?

It started with a strong and mysterious first chapter that captured my attention. There were times where both the MCs annoyed me and made me want to smack them upside down. 🤭

But there were so many moments that made me smile and giddy for more. Like the scenes with the dog Killer (he was so cute) and the banter between Callum and Hazel and how she doesn't let him order her around.

There there is Callum's friend Damon. I liked him and I hope Anna Ray writes his own story because I would love to see him fall in love. 🤩❤

I gave an extra star just for the writing style of Anna Ray and the mysteries that she had added to this story. 🤗

Overall I enjoyed this story and it was a new plot in this genre for me. Doesn't find anything repetitive with other stories of the same genre. But there is one cliche that I'm not a fan of and I wouldn't be spoiling that in the review. Still, I like this story.🥰

Thank you so much, NetGalley, publisher, and author of this book for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Grateful for it. 🙏🏾🧡

Even though I felt I've read this story before (similarities to another book,) SAVAGE has a great premise and I enjoyed reading about the two main characters fighting against their attraction and interest for each other while also trying to figure out what brought them together in the first place.

I found that some of the dialogue was written in a weird way at times, which took away from my reading flow. Callum also put "fucking" in almost all of his sentences, which I found annoying.
I also found it a little annoying that Callum was so incredibly back and forth with Hazel. Poor girl really went through it.

This story starts off with action right away. It's an incredibly quick read and I was never bored. I liked the dual perspective, which allows us to look a little deeper into both characters. I also didn't see the plot twist coming until right before, but that's probably because I'm not very intuitive.

I finished this book late last night. Twice I put it down to go to sleep, but then picked it back up again to finish. I had to know the conclusion. A gripping, well told tale of the rich, famous and criminal elements of today. Hazel and Callum are well fleshed out, and have good and bad sides, just like us. I think that's what makes the book so entertaining. I look forward to reading the next one.
I was provided this book in exchange for an unpaid, honest review.

ARC received from Netgalley and author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it was dark read filled with vengeance and hate.
This book captured my attention from the very first page and i just had to read ahead. The main characters, Hazel Brentwood; a rich high society woman and Callum O'daire ; a self proclaimed street rat who made his own empire, have to work together to find h's birth parents. I could definitely feel the chemistry between them, it was very steamy and erotic. That being said I was not too sure what to think about Hazel. I absolutely liked how she went after what she wanted and that she didn't hide her feelings from Callum but, she was also continously putting herself in dangerous situations where the hero had to come rescue her.
I liked Callum's character, he was funny in a very understated way and his inner monologues about Hazel were so funny and cute. Although he didn't say it outright to us I could see he cared about the heroine in the little things he did.
I can figure out the plot twists of almost any book a few chapters in, but i was not ready for the plot twist here. It utterly took me by surprise and that doesn't happen enough.
I was going to give this book 3 stars but just because of the plot twist i give this book 4 stars!

An enjoyable enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract story that captivates you from the first page.

Hazel Brentwood wants to learn information about her birth parents after she finds a note that her brother has left for her. It leads her to a man who cannot stand her family, Callum O’Daire. He is the only person who can help her so Hazel has to stick with him nevertheless. One thing that they definitely did not expect is falling in love.

Over the course of the novel it is apparent that they are nothing alike as Hazel is from a rich pampered family and Callum comes from the streets. He tries to intimidate her quite often. Whilst they work together and some mysteries are uncovered they find that they are pulled towards each other. The hot chemistry is impossible to ignore.

And it is not only a love story, as the twists make quite an interesting book.

This was my first time reading this author and I enjoyed her writing style. There was a good overall flow and balance between our more heated scenes and story action.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, it was fun and an easy read and definitely worth the read if you enjoy mafia romance .

5 STARS for SAVAGE : An Enemies to Lover’s Mafia Romance by Anna Ray

ARC received from Netgalley and author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

Really loved this book - could not put it down !! Here are just a few reasons why :

Great cover and visual of Callum ( Bookblurb would have me one clicking )
Age gap
The chemistry and tension between the (2) main characters of Callum and Hazel is just incredible
Mafia genre - a favorite of mine
Enemies to Lovers
Plot twists galore and awesome story line
Angst and more angst
Laugh out loud funny dialog
A cute stray pup named Killer
Serious themes that are all part of the roller coaster storyline - murder , secret adoption, drug use & violence
Chemistry that is off the charts
Hard won HEA

I highly recommend Savage and I for one will be checking out this author’s ( Anna RAy’s ) backlist !

What an amazing read - 5 off the chart stars

I really wanted to enjoy this one. The blurb sounded awesome and I figured it would be a great read. Sadly, I couldn’t relate to any of the characters, therefore, I simply could not get into this one. It just never captured my attention. I did skip around until I finished it. A waste of time for me though.

This was a good story. I really liked Hazel, and how she was pretty much willing to do anything to get her wish...
Callum.... Very hard on the outside, but loves Hazel with all his heart. The twist with Phoenix surprised me, and I quite enjoyed that.

This story is about Callum, a powerful investment banker with a shady and dangerous past, and Hazel, a do-gooder young woman looking for the truth about her birth mother after finding a mysterious note from her deceased adoptive brother. The two hate each other but work together to uncover the truth about their pasts and discover how they interconnect.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Unfortunately, I wasn't a huge fan. The book had so much potential with the mystery and the enemies-to-lovers plot but I don't think it was done very well. The ending to the whole mystery aspect was very underwhelming while also being extremely confusing. I didn't buy into the romance between Callum and Hazel and was just overall disappointed in the book.

I was graciously given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A good enemies to lovers, mafia romance with lots of chemistry!

After her brother leaves a note before dying Hazel Brentwood, a young woman from a rich family, is on the hunt for more information about her birth parents. The note connects her with Callum O’Daire, Ruthless, Dangerous, and he despises her family. She needs help finding information and he’s the only one who can help. What they don’t expect is the crazy hot chemistry they have.

My mixed feelings come from the obscurity and the warm between the legend and courageous woman. There's a cold warm between them, sizzling fascination but white, ice cold vibes, an interesting sort of communication and a bizarre association. But the warm is there, and is all devouring. It is, by my information, the darkest book Anna Ray has composed. The merciless world, the shadows, so much of the activities is happening at night or within the obscurity, terrible lit bars and indeed the daylight has this feeling to it.. There's an awfully curiously world developed and I must say it is exceptionally well composed.

Hot DAMN! This is not your grandma’s romance novel. This book will suck you in right from the very first word. Do not read if you are easily offended, this mafia romance is not for the tender hearted. Callum and Hazel’s love story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Hoping for more from this author soon.

This is very much an enemies to lovers romance. It's dark and plagued with mysteries.

Coming from the poor side of the fence, Callum has now made himself rich and famous. Hazel comes from a rich family and isn't streetwise. Upon finding Callum's name on a piece of paper, she seeks him out to help her find her birth parents. He tries to intimidate her, but she doesn't budge. He is the bad boy and she is the good girl. Will he help her, and will she like what she finds?

Callum comes across as being callous when deep down he feels responsible for the shortfalls of others. Hazel is stronger than she thinks. As the story develops, more and more mysteries are unravelled. The most surprising one comes when Phoenix is exposed for who he really is. It's unpredictable and makes for a page turner.

I received an eARC from Netgalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

Hazel Brentwood is wanting to find her birth mother. While HAzel may seem innocent, her qualities come out showing her strength especially dealing with one man, Callum O’Daire. There was a strong attraction between the two and both knew it couldn’t work coming from different worlds. While it may seem the usual tale of good rich girl meets bad boy, it’s more than that, twists and suspense with a couple of mysteries uncovered.
This story was close to me wanting to find my own birth parent and reminded me that maybe sometimes leaving things unknown may be best.

Savage is a story about opposites attracting.

Callum, a rough, tough, macho, violent male from the wrong side of the tracks and Hazel, gentile, feminine, innocent virgin from a well connected rich family. Hazel wants Callum to help her find out more about her birth family, and Callum only wants Hazel - for a while.

Most of the book sees Hazel showing up in random places annoying the bejesus out of Callum, and Callum ruminating to himself about why he should avoid her. Callum blames himself for the decline of Hazel's brother and continuously steers Hazel away from spending time with him, only to find himself pining for her company.

There isn't much more to this story - there's a fair bit of dialogue and backwards and forwards between Callum and Hazel but not alot of substance to their relationship. We get Callum's an angry man, and a violent one. But he sounds a little two dimensional as well... coupled with Hazel's flare for the dramatic and painful, whiney-ness I just couldn't see these two working with any satisfaction. I needed to know more about Calum's day-to-day and badness, and there was really nothing to speak of Hazel's existing outside her chasing Callum other than she had finished college.

There was potential for this plot but I wished for a little more depth somehow.

I would rate this 2.5 stars.

I'm normally partial to mafioso, mob, dark romances but this wasn't quite there with these two. Killler made it worth it.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

Savage is an enemies to lovers book which is a trope, if done well, is a trope I really like. This wasn't a bad book as I do like when people who can't get along have to work together and I found that the relationship wasn't bad as it grew but as I read the book, I felt that there was something lacking and I can't quite put my finger on it.

Rating: 3⭐
Would I Read It Again? No
Would I Recommend it? Yes

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Callum O’ Daire is my cup of bad boy tea 🤤. While I thoroughly enjoyed the smut in this book….ALOT. I didn’t really get the plot. The book opens on our heroine Hazel needing help from bad boy Callum to find her birth parents. It just doesn’t make sense, like you are a spoiled rich girl who has money to boot but yet you can’t find your birth parents without the help of the dangerous low life scum (his words, not mine)of Boston?? I get that their lives intersect but it was just a weird choice for plots. However that being said, while Callum is a complete ass, he never claims to be anything other than that and it’s hot. They try so hard to stay away from each other but the pull is just too strong. I love that through the whole book, Hazel believes Callum has a good heart, and he maintains the ruse that he doesn’t till the very end. But come on, feeding homeless dogs treats and giving him a home? Swoon ❤️ so while the plot was lacking, as well as the character development, I enjoyed reading this book a lot, I’m such a sucker for a bad boy.

It's about a girl who seeks the help of Callum because her brother and Callum used associated with each other. She is adopted by Rich parents and her brother Sam I left a clue as to who her real parents are. Sam's dead so she goes to Callum and it fit is really attracted to her but when he finds out who she is he stays away from her. But she keeps coming back to him and he can't help himself from saving her in every situation.

He agrees to help her in exchange for information that her father has as well as...

But they keep gravitating towards each other and they can't help but feel as much as they like to deny it. But of course nothing's ever perfect and things get more complicated than they should be.

It's kind of slow burn in the sense of they don't admit their emotional attraction to each other until way later. And the passion between the characters is very real and recognisable as well as the story being plausible but I don't like the motivation that leads the story to go on because it doesn't seem gripping enough.

It's a decent length of a read and again the Love Story is really good and the main female lead is quite a strong character despite seeming soft. She can be quite stubborn which I feel is a characteristic of a strong female character but sometimes it's annoying.

Although it wasn't fully my cup of tea I don't deny that it's well written and that it has a good story.