Savage — Catherine Black

One free-spirited tree hugger running from grief. One technology-addicted IT manager on the road to self-discovery. 6 states. 1200 miles. 1 cramped SUV. What could possibly go wrong? ********** Skyler I never thought I'd lose the best thing to ever happen to me...and then I did. Without my best friend at my side, the world drains of color and the commune I grew up in no longer feels like home. So I give into the wanderlust plaguing my heart and set out to rid myself of the grief hanging onto my soul like beggar's lice. Then he sits down in front of me in a small roadside diner and everything changes. Reed is high-strung, materialistic, and shows little to no interest in the world around him, which is the only reason I take him under my wing. I'm bound and determined to teach him how to embrace the hideous beauty that comes with each sunrise, as well as the bliss and heartache that passes with each sunset. But it's hard as hell to learn anything new about life when you're weighed down by a secret, and Reed Stanley's has the power to ruin everything. Reed I don't stand a chance with a gypsy witch like Skyler Kassamali, but I don't care. Her tattoos and piercings are enough to intimidate me, but there's something else to her -- a sharp sadness -- that draws me in and refuses to let go. But she's so much more than a shattered heart lost on a grief-fueled adventure and I want to know her best-kept secrets, all while never revealing my own. But secrets have a way of undoing you, whether you want them to or not, and despite all my shortcomings, Skyler sees something in me and takes a chance. On an adventure that brings us both to our knees, she teaches me the greatest lesson of all: No matter how convincing the smile is, no matter how untarnished the skin seems to be, no matter how we bend and fold to conform -- inside, we're all a little savage.