Goodreads

Amazon | B&N 

Every once in a while, you need to get away from it all.

I was a woman on the edge, shaken and shattered after a breakup that felt like it tore my entire world apart. 

My best friend, sick of watching me drown in misery and melancholy, harassed me until I agreed to go with her on a week-long wilderness retreat.

She promised days spent bonding and getting in touch with our inner bad-asses. 

It was supposed to be all about the two of us roughing it and making do with the bare minimum. She assured me we were going to be pushed to our limits in ways that were unimaginable. Neither one of us could have ever guessed just how right she was.

Nowhere in the glossy brochure did it say anything about the fact I was going to have to battle the insufferable but deliciously rugged and sexy trail guide instead of the elements. The brochure also forgot to mention the part that warned when you left civilization behind, there was no place to pack your inhibitions and fears.

I was told that I would be facing a week where the only thing I should expect was the unexpected. However, no one mentioned that I was going to have to fight for my life…and my heart as soon as I ventured into the unknown. 

I was a pro at hiding from my feelings but when it came time to face a real threat, one that could change everything, I learned I was more of a no surrender, no retreat kind of girl.

Retreat is a standalone novel, the first in the Getaway series which centers on the hardheaded and brokenhearted Warner brothers and the women that dare to love them.

These boys are very good at putting the wild in wilderness.

Okay peeps, I’m not going to waste time pulling punches here, the struggle with Retreat was real up until about 40%. So real, a DNF seemed to be in Cy and Leo’s future. In the end though, I’m so damn glad I didn’t walk away. Because if I had I wouldn't have gotten to experience all the deliciousness that is the Warner brothers. The adoration may have taken a bit but Jay Crownover ended up hooking me, line and sinker. 

To say I fell hard for this gang of rustic, alpha heroes would be an understatement. They're what kept me glued to the pages, pushing through. I wanted to know everything about them and then some. Hell, if I had my way I would've written out Leo, Emrys, and Brynn and claimed ALL of them for myself. Not because I didn't like the girls, because I did. Its just these "cowboys" had me wanting to be the filling in the middle of their cookie. 

Bwahahahaha! Sorry, I know that is so wrong, but I couldn't help myself. So I guess that would be a #sorrynotsorry. 

Cyrus, Sutton, and Lane are NOT your typically defined “western ranch owners.” And Retreat doesn't fall into any one defined genre. My blog partner, Rachel, wrote it best when she described Cy and Leo's journey as "part western, part romance, and part suspense." I'll go further and state that this is most definitely not your typical Crownover book. In fact, I would venture to say this is quite unique to anything I have read from her. I’d strongly suggest setting aside any preconceived notions you may have regarding this author and go in with no expectations. If you do, I think you’ll find she pleasantly surprises you with a balanced mix of love, witty banter, low angst, twists, and adventure. 

Overall, this was an enjoyable start to Ms. Crownover's, Indie published, Getaway Series. And if books were rated solely on the likability, tangibility, and chemistry of all the characters Retreat would get five stars hands down. However, since I look at the book as a whole, I have to mention where things went wrong for me and why I only rated four stars. My struggle in the beginning, the editing issues, the repetitiveness at times, and the couple of inconsistencies I saw held back that last star. Even with that, though, I would recommend this to readers. 

P.s. #bringonsuttonandemrys