Review: Shelter (Getaway #2) by Jay Crownover

Title: Shelter
Author: Jay Crownover
My rating: 5 hearts
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Pub. date: December 26th, 2017
Synopsis: His life is chaos and confusion. It’s a storm of uncertainty and raging emotion. 

Sutton Warner is a mess. Everything in his life feels like it’s unraveling. 

He’s let a lot of people down lately, including his daughter. Sutton always promised his little girl he would never disappoint her and that he would always be there when she needed him. Until he wasn’t. 

The truth is, he’s used to disappointing the women in his life. First was his mother who couldn’t find a reason to stick around when he was growing up. Then there’s his ex. The woman who takes unbridled delight in making his life incredibly complicated.
Luckily, his daughter is still young enough to believe her old man is some kind of hero. But, he knows the day is coming when she realizes the truth, that he’s just a man with some serious flaws and a list of ever-growing weaknesses. 

Finally, there’s the woman he’s desperately trying to forget with every shot tossed back and each pill popped.

He more than disappointed Emrys…he almost got her killed.

Her love is steady and sure. It’s a shelter shaped by conviction and silent assurance.

Emrys Santos is lost. Everything in her life feels pointless and futile.

She’s been busy running away from her feelings and all the people who love her the most—including her best friend, the one person who knows exactly what she’s been through. They promised to always stick together and to lean on one another. It was a promise Em had to break so she could lick her wounds and figure out her next move. For once, there is no easy way out of the tangled web of emotions she’s caught up in, and right now, she recognizes that all roads lead back to Wyoming…and back to Sutton.
The man she nearly got killed. (synopsis from Goodreads)

Jay Crownover never disappoints. I have loved every single book by her so far, and Shelter was no exception. When I read Retreat, I loved Emrys, and was really intrigued about her, and after the way it ended, I was so excited to read more about her and Sutton. Shelter was exactly what I wanted it to be, even though I didn't know it when I started it. And I've got to say, I loved that Sutton also had a little girl - Daye is so cute and my heart barely survived the scenes with her and Sutton.

I loved Emrys.

Of course, I loved her even before I started reading, but once I got to know her more, once I got to hear her deepest thoughts, it was a done deal. After what happened to her in Retreat, she's scarred - both mentally and physically. And since all her life, people has talked about how beautiful she was, she's struggling to find her worth besides being pretty. She's struggling to feel like she's worth sacrificing for. And she's struggling with her guilt. But this is also the perfect ground for some serious character development, and I loved seeing her grow, seeing her get better. Bexause Emrys is such a strong woman that I just can't help but love her.

And then there's Sutton. *swoons*

Okay, I'll admit it didn't start off so great, when I saw how he was dealing with the guilt and pain. But at the same time that I cursed him out for acting stupid, me heart absolutely ached for him and everything he's been through with the events of Retreat and his ex, Alexa, and his daughter, Daye. And yet he still takes care of everyone. And seeing him interact with his little girl was just too much for my poor fangirl heart. He cares so much about little Daye, and what girl can resist that? Certainly not me (and not Emrys, either, for that matter).

The romance was electric.

Let me tell you something; Crownover is the queen of romance. There is just this spark in her writing that makes the romance feel alive and intense. And the sexual tension is incredible. I couldn't breathe through most of it. It made my heart race and my breathing quicken.

The plot was great.

There's nothing like some mystery mixed with the romance to make it interesting. As if the romance didn't keep me on my toes and struggling to breathe, the suspense and mystery was enough to make me want to weep.

The writing is just incredible.

There's something about Crownover's writing that just gets to me. It makes it so easy to get lost in the book and forget about everything else, and it keeps you hooked until the very last page. It's filled with so much emotion that you can't help but feel everything the characters feel, and it's so natural that it just feels right.

For any fan or romance, this book is a must-read. With romance that will make you swoon, a plot that will keep you on your toes, amd writing that will keep you hooked, you will forget to live, so I would suggest stocking up on chocolate and coffee beforehand, because stopping to cook is simply not an option.