REVIEW: A Wreck, You Make Me by Saffron A. Kent

A Wreck, You Make Me by Saffron A. Kent: Jupiter has been in love with her best friends brother for as long as she can remember, but Shepard has never once given her so much as a second glance. Which is kind of how Jupiter finds herself pulling a bit a reckless prank that lands her slap bang in Shepards dark orbit. As a known heart breaker and famous soccer star Shepard is used to having girls throw themselves at him, but having to deal with the fiery red head that grew up with his sister, well that is turning out to be a whole lot more than even he expected. What started as a reckless game of taunts and blackmail soon spirals into something raw, messy and impossible to resist. But there are things that Jupiter is hiding and if her secrets come out they could destroy everything for both of them…

Going into A Wreck You Make Me, I had hoped for a dark and steamy best friends brother romance that would have me blushing and giggling at the same time, and for the most part that is exactly what I got from this book. Though I do have to say I wasn’t to sure if the pacing would keep my attention. The start of the book was slow and it took me a good few chapters to really fully get into Jupiter and Shepards world, but once the plot began to unfold and the stakes grew, I found myself invested.

I really found myself liking Jupiter, she was not your typical perfect heroine and that is largely what made her stand out. I liked that she was a bit quirky, awkward and rough around the edges. The thing that really drew me to her was how real she came across, there were moments that she was still very much a young naive girl trying to find her footing but then there were moments that we got to see her fiercely protective side when it came to her love for her sister. Now when it came to our hero, well Shepard was a bit more complicated, he was moody and reckless and he had a slightly cruel streak to him. But underneath all of this there was something redeemable about him and I liked getting to slowly uncover this about our slightly dark hero. The more we got to see Shepard open up and see the softer – or his version of softer – moments with Jupiter, it became easier to see why she couldn’t stay away from him even after all these years.

The build up between Jupiter and Shepard was slow, tense and filled with emotional tug of war…. And I just ate it up! At first it felt a bit one sided with Jupiter harbouring this longtime crush but as the story unfolds we get to feel the tension begin to simmer between both of them. There is this sense of this constant undercurrent between them, just licking below the surface waiting to erupt. I loved that Kent did not rush their journey, we are made to wait through each sharp word, the slow glances and all the small moments in-between, but gosh this only made the ultimate climax all the more perfect. While their connection was intense it was messy and just impossible to want to put down!

Overall I really loved reading A Wreck You Make Me, this was an addictive, raw and steamy read that had me frustrated at moments but ultimately hooked on their slow burn journey. If you are looking for a slightly messy, dark love story then this is definitely a book to check out!

Book Info:

Publication: August 8, 2025 | Purple Prose Press LLC | Bad Boys of Bardstown #3

I have been in love with Shepard Thorne since I was twelve.

He’s my best friend’s hot older brother, and I am the weird redhead who low-key follows him everywhere. He’s soccer’s bad boy, and I am stuck in a dead end job, serving drinks at the local strip club.

Our paths aren’t meant to cross.

Until one day I catch him getting a lap dance at the club and jealousy makes me ruin his fun.

Now he’s made it his mission to make my life hell and no matter what I do, there is no escape.

Everywhere I turn, there he is, waiting for his payback.

He threatens to kiss me one second, and choke me the next.

He promises to bring me to my knees and make me beg.

What started as a little harmless prank turns into a twisted game of blackmail that’s toxic but oh-so-good.

But it has to end.

Because I have a secret…

That ties me to my tormentor in an irrevocable way, and if he ever finds out, it will wreck everything I now crave.

Even his revenge.