Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Saving Sebastian
SERIES: Custos Securities (book #3)
AUTHOR: Luna David
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 525 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2017
BLURB:
Gideon McCade—weighed down by memories of his previous life as a Navy SEAL and a CIA agent—has blood on his hands. He turns to his BDSM club, Catharsis, and Dominating submissives to get him through the daily grind of civilian life. Knowing his past is too much to inflict on a life partner, he keeps his connections brief and superficial. When his former life comes back to haunt him, his desire for revenge pulls him back into the shadows, darkening his hopes for a future in the light. Temporarily sidelining his career as a tattoo artist, Sebastian Phillips works as a composite artist for the local police department. To alleviate the inescapable burden of a congenital medical condition, he immerses himself in his art and seeks the catharsis of submission. But with life weighing heavily on his shoulders and darkness encroaching, he yearns for a contract with a Dominant that sees past the protective barriers he’s erected to the vulnerable submissive within. When happenstance brings Gideon and Sebastian together, their connection is undeniable. The knowledge that they are both too damaged to form permanent bonds of love causes them to rely on an impersonal contract to fulfil their physical needs. But staying emotionally detached becomes impossible, and breaking their contract seems the only option. Will Gideon’s need for vengeance and Sebastian’s declining health destroy what’s grown between them, or will they help each other find their way back into the light?
REVIEW:
I have to say that, before this book, I never understood the phrase “Book Drunk”. After having to give myself a full 24 hours to recover from this incredible and amazing book, I totally get it!
We have seen a bit of each of these characters in the previous books. Gideon is Zavier “Cade” McCade’s brother and Sebastian is the police sketch artist that helped Braden, Zavier’s husband, with the sketch of his assailant. Gideon is a former Navy seal and CIA agent. He has a very dark soul and has “ about an ounce of humanity left” in him. He has had to do the nastiest of jobs and it has carved away at his soul. He doesn’t believe he has anything left to give to a partner and really doesn’t deserve one. Sebastian relies entirely on himself. His parents made sure that he knew, from a very young age, that he is a burden. He doesn’t let people close because he doesn’t want to be a burden to anyone ever again. When Sebastian is called in to help Nana, Braden’s grandmother, in a sketch of her attacker he runs into Braden and Zavier, along with Zavier’s brother Finn, who is a doctor at the hospital. Then he is roofied at the BDSM club that Gideon owns. “Saving Sebastian” is story of these two broken, lost men’s journey into the light.
Sebastian has to be the saddest character I have ever read. He literally made my heart hurt. He is the sweetest, most caring and giving person but he is totally alone. And only because he shuts everyone out. He has major trust issues because of his despicable parents. And his desire to never burden anyone has literally made him push everyone away that tries. Thankfully there are good people, like Zoe and the McCade family, who don’t know the meaning of no!
I knew that Braden and Sebastian would hit it off as friends if they ever got the chance. They actually remind me of each other in a strange way. They both have have a submissive type personalities, they are very much are attracted to the two alpha male dominate brothers, and they have medical issues that are very real and need close supervision.
I think one of the most endearing and touching scenes was when Gideon explains to Sebastian just what he went through while waiting the long hours while Sebastian was in surgery. Then he recalled how he had sat with Zavier when he watched Braden’s surgery and flatlining during it. Gideon saying “It’s so different watching something like that when it’s the love of your life. I thought I understood how Zavier felt.” Gideon shook his head and closed his eyes. “I didn’t know. I couldn’t know. Not until you were wheeled away from me that day. And all I could think was that same thing could easily happen to you, and maybe you wouldn’t recover like Braden did. That’s all I kept thinking, for six goddamned hours.”
I do have to warn you that there are two very disturbing and brutal scenes in this book. They involve graphic torture and murder. However, they are very much needed to understand that the conditioning and mind set that Gideon has endured to become who he was and what he must overcome to be the man Sebastian, and the McCade family, need him to be.
When I said I was “book drunk” I was literally telling the truth! I started on this book at 9pm, when 8:30 am rolled around the next morning I could no longer hold my eyes open but struggled to put the book down. Three hours of sleep and I was back at it again, barricaded in my room so no one could disturb me. I stayed there until 5:30 that evening. And yes, 525 pages is a lot of reading in less that’s24 hours but I just couldn’t put this book down! It’s that great!!! As a matter of fact, I guarantee that this book will be on my Book of the Year list, because it was that amazing! Then I take in the fact that this is only the third book by this brilliant new author and it floors me. She is so full of talent that it just astounds me! THIS IS A MUST-READ BOOK! If you don’t have time for any other book this year then this is the one you should choose! This is one of those moments when I wish you could give an extra heart because this book deserves it in my opinion.
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