From Rags By Suzanne Wright

A Review By Wendy

5 Surprising, In your Face, No Holds Barred, Gutsy Broad Stars 

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I don't know about you... but I love surprises. The idea of something unexpected jumping out and grabbing you ... either a happy feeling of joy... or it can be the shock of thinking you know exactly what will happen and then Bam the story takes you to a whole other place... I love all of it.  

And the best type of surprise is meeting an author, not knowing anything about them and falling head over heels in love. Suzanne Wright's book, From Rags, did all of that for me. I knew nothing about this book except one of my friends either wanted to read it or had read it... because it showed up on my feed. I was curious enough to read the blurb; clicked and I was off and running... I mean reading....

Oh what a joy... Now understand... this is not all happy clappy... no... This opens with our Jaxxon being abandoned again at 14... This time by her sister, Leah. Jaxxon our MC and her sister are in foster care. It has not been good; it has been a series of crappy situations and the only saving grace was this bonding of 4 children, Roland, Connor Leah and Jaxxon. 

Connor, who Jaxxon has always loved, left a while ago.... he was her best mate but older... he looked out for her; protected her from the other messed up boys staring at her due to her luscious early curves. He was 16, of age to leave; promised in a kiss which meant everything to her, he would come back to see her. Jaxxon carried that promise in her heart... keeping her warm and safe. Only Leah, her selfish, bitch of a sister, tore that away from Jaxxon on the day she left... saying what a fool she had been... thinking Connor cared for her... when in reality, she and Connor had been laughing and shagging the whole time. Leah was off to join Connor... and that was that. Roland was gone, so Leah was alone... and she could either become bitter, lost, and angry or she could look at these reveals from her sister about Connor... and decide to move forward and start fresh. She chose to start fresh. 

It fast forwards to Jaxxon at 22 working as a barmaid in a dump. The patrons are grabby, crude and sometimes evil. She puts up with the garbage but in her own way; and that is to be direct, not give a shit, tell the blokes to go fuck themselves or pay the consequences. She has no idea of how she is the most sensual creature with eyes that have this look ... this ability to cause men to go weak. Her lush curves are still there only more womanly and her chocolate curls just finish the look. She is oblivious to all of this to a degree and only knows she doesn't care what others think or say and goes about her business. However, that does not mean she isn't aware of the looks and idiots trying to get her attention..... And today there is this fella watching her... checking her out... but not like the others... she feels like she is under the microscope and he is evaluating her every move. At the end of her shift... she is called over by the owner and he tells her he has been paid to have her talk with this man... she has no choice but to do so.

Ricky is a co owner of a cosmetic company; he and his partner want a real beauty to be the face of the line... not some tried and true model type... all puffed up with injections and plastic boobs, no.... they want an everyday woman who is real through and through. He presents this concept to Jaxxon and she just looks at him.... and then laughs... because she tells him, if you are not some con artist and if this is the real deal... you are wanting someone who doesn't play... someone who doesn't hold back and will tell people what I think. I can be crude and I just will not do whatever you want and be bossed around. Ricky acknowledges all of that and sets up a meeting with his partner...Jaxxon agrees because... She wants a way out of her situation and if this is really what has been presented to her... why not.

The meeting goes just as Ricky knew it would; Ollie his partner saw immediately the fire in Jaxxon's eyes; how they cause the stirring in anybody, male or female, and the skin which was a smooth pure canvas for their product. Photos were taken while Jaxxon had been properly annoyed... for it seems when in that mindset her eyes are at their best...and from there her life changes drastically. She becomes an overnight sensation. She is fortunate though as Ricky and Ollie really do care about her and take on the oversight of her adapting to the high and public life.  

On the other tract of this story there is Connor. Connor never forgot Jaxxon... he also never was into Leah... she lied. Connor was always into fast cars and ends up by a twist of fate a Formula 1 Driver... famous, rich and quite the catch. He was so taken by Jaxxon; he never trusted himself around her; never wanted anyone else around her and deep in his heart always felt she was his. He was remiss in not reaching out yet thought with Leah and Roland around, Jaxxon would be alright. Time goes by and Connor is the playboy never giving his heart, doing the casual fuck and letting the girls know it. Sometimes they get it... sometimes they have difficulty letting go.

It is during a ranting by one of the women who is refusing to hear Connor when he has told her repeatedly he was done with her he spies Jaxxon on the cover of a major fashion magazine. He can't breathe; he is stunned, he must find her and see how she is.

That is the set up and from there this book takes off and never stops. The coming together of these two characters is beyond great. We have learned who they are; how they function and all of their demons... we know quite a bit of why they will fight any attraction which, of course, will happen. We are also given secondary characters which assist in so many ways as to be really perfect in their roles. 

The combustion; the chemistry; the way these two interact; OMGOMGOMGOMG....OMFG!

The sexual situations, the way they are teased and we are lead to the point of us as readers just dying... and the humor with all of it, too... perfection. There are a few scenes where I was clenching my fist and holding my breath without even realizing it.

But speaking of perfection.... the character Jaxxon.... she is everything you wish a person could be... she is strong and incredibly sure of herself. She has overcome unbelievable horrors and still maintained this ability to set things aside and not have that woe is me shit. She says and does things in such a way you wish you were her best friend; and Connor... when he gets with Jaxxon... Oh dear God... he is confused; he is addicted; he is in love but doesn't know it. This was the best.

Here is the deal.... this book was so good it interfered with my real life. I had places to go and things to do... but all I wanted was to read this fucking book. So as I said, I love surprises... and this was a big one. I suggest you go and treat yourself and have one, too.

About Suzanne Wright

Suzanne Wright lives in England with her husband, two children, and her bulldog. When she's not spending time with her family, she's writing, reading, or doing her version of housework - sweeping the house with a look.