A liar…Three weeks ago, James Maxwell’s wife died in a car accident, but he hasn’t been able to tell his five-year old daughter the heartbreaking truth behind her mother’s death. Instead, he packs them up and leaves for a summer resort in upstate New York to spend a few peaceful weeks and to gradually break the news. But a spirited and outspoken maid at the resort has figured out his secret.A … secret.A hater…After witnessing her mother’s violent death at the hands of her stepfather, Madison Smith has turned aimless and bitter toward the world-men, in particular. Her dead-end job at the local resort and her convenient girlfriend are barely keep Madison from falling apart. When she meets James, however, she’s driven to protect his child from the darkness she sees inside him.A forbidden kiss…But Madison doesn’t expect to find that very darkness irresistible. Drowning in guilt and memories, James doesn’t expect to be drawn to the sharp-witted woman who has made his life miserable. When their tempers flare, a brutal kiss triggers a need that blurs the lines of hate and desire. As their lust spins out of control, they must decide if their attraction is worth fighting for or if love is the real enemy.
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Incredible story!! Thank you Saffron for writing your debut novel in such a compelling, heart wrenching story that will live on within me for a very long time. This story is unique, two very complex characters that have had disturbing childhoods, come together and find what they need from one another. James never feels that he measures up, he needs to hurt himself for relief. Terrified that he’ll lose his daughter’s love if he tells her that her Mom was killed in an accident weeks before, he continues to lie to her. Madison hates and mistrusts all men because of her mother’s mixed up version of love and a very bad experience. While in a relationship with another woman, Madison is torn by her attraction to this gorgeous, animal of a man. Unable to fight their attraction they continue to secretly meet having explosive sexual encounters that border sadism but still have moments of tenderness. How can they continue this destructive obsession? How can they survive without the satisfaction they derive from each other? This book had me locked down and mesmerized from start to finish. I still can’t believe that this was Saffron first novel, she’s incredibly talented and structured!! The characters are so well defined I swear I bled myself during some of their tormented scenes! Saffron has a fan for life in me, I can’t wait to read what she has in store next!! I know it’s going to be so good!! <3
Wow…..I am completely speechless right now after finishing this story. It was so dark and twisted, yet completely beautiful and moving at the same time. James and Madison both are broken and have many flaws….yet the instant they meet, it’s almost as if they met the other half of their soul. They saw right through one another and couldn’t deny the attraction they had towards one another. Granted, their relationship wasn’t conventional or healthy; but it’s what they needed to try and mend the broken parts of one another. I absolutely loved this story and cannot wait to see what the author comes out with next!
Because of her past, Madison doesn’t trust men. She believes all of them are greedy and selfish. So even though she has an unexplainable attraction to James, she refuses to let him inside her heart.
James has a deep and dark secret. He plans on coming clean at a peaceful resort, but his lies just keep getting bigger with each passing day. He’s damaged and broken. But whenever he is near Madison, some of the pain and confusion fades away.
Nothing can stop the chemistry. Not even Madison’s girlfriend.
This story isn’t a traditional romance story. As the point of view switches between Madison and James, we get to understand their terrible demons. I love dark and twisted books, but this wasn’t a home run for me. I liked the idea and plot. The thing that didn’t do it for me were the characters. I just had a difficult time finding them likable.
– A War Like Ours by Saffron A. Kent
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I feel like I say this about every SAK book I ever read but this woman is just sensational. This was her debut novel back in 2017 and was the last book I had to read of hers yet. I kept putting it off because I love experiencing Saffron’s writing for the first time, but wow… I am regretting waiting so long because this story was so beautiful, dark, tragic and so different from all the previous books I’ve read by her. How this book is her debut novel will never make sense to me… her writing is flawless, enthralling, poetic, mesmerizing and so meaningful.
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This story follows Madison and James. Right from the beginning of this book you are made aware that both Madison and James are both tortured from painful pasts. They are both lost, complicated, vulnerable people who are looking for something but don’t know what that is. Due to a disturbing incident Madison has sworn off men for good and has in turn begun dating women, she has a long-time girlfriend who is also her boss at the resort she works at, she is happy, content, or is it all the pills she has that make her feel this way? What about those late night runs to the woods to just cry in piece? Or the feeling that something is missing? Until him… James evokes something in Madison she hasn’t felt in years she wants to explore their connection but also can’t stand being in the same room as him especially after she figures out his secret.
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“’ ? . , , . ’ . . , .”
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James is beyond broken and lost. He is constantly lying to the one person he never wants to lose. His daughter. And once Madison overhears his lie, she makes it her mission to understand this damaged tortured man that she feels a connection with. This story is raw and real. Madison and James immediately recognize the pain in each other, their grief and despair completely comes through the pages as you’re reading this story and you can’t help but root for them the entire way through.
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Rating – 4.5
Steam – 5
“A War Like Ours” is not a book for everyone. Whoever wants to read it must be aware that the behaviors and dynamics of the book are absolutely unconventional and twisted. It’s a great book because the writing is excellent and skilled, but the topic is complicated.
That said, this book is definitely not a conventional romance. It could even be labeled dark, but in the conventional way. More in the “this behavior is completely diagnosed in any psychiatric book” kinda way, with lots of haunting and angsty feelings and characters that have complicated life experiences that makes them act in a disturbing way. However, the magic of this romance is enjoying their complicated story through a dual POV.
James and Maddy are proof of the excellent writing skills that the author has, because when reading this book, we can understand their feelings, their history, what brings them together. The ride of their love is complicated and as readers, this can be experienced thanks to the skilled writing of the story.
A recommendation for people looking for a complicated, different romance book that puts your throughs of what a conventional dynamic can be to a limit.
3.8
This was a different book and style from Saffron I feel. A War Like Ours is a book thay was really hearterwnching, emotional and at times it was disturbing but it just kept you hooked. My heart aches for these two. These two; James and Madison are two extremely broken characters and I felt for them. Saffron writes complex chatsvters so wonderfully and this was no different. Their relationship was turbulant at best and they had alot of issues that needed sorting out and I felt that often they brushed them aside but we all know thay this can be a pain in life. I love love love a book that makes you think and feel, and this one certainly did just that. If you like dark romances then I do recommend.
if there is anything Saffron knows how to write its a tortured soul, and these are two of the most damaged.
Maddy is seriously bitter and hard, closing herself off from having any real feelings, James is punishing himself and fights his attraction to her but they are full of fire and spark whenever they meet.
I love the intensity of this couple both damaged but drawn together. They both become better. The only thing that left me uncomfortable was the way it appeared to glorify self harm.
I loved the idea of this book, dark broken characters I seek out daily and none of the content actually bothered me but for some reason I couldn’t get into the book. I’m putting it down to wrong frame if mind as I had so much going on at the time of reading that I wasn’t able to read it fluently like I normally can which then irritated me more. I love this authors words and her writing so it irked me more I couldn’t get a decent run in it.
All that being said … the two main character were broken each by different events affecting their childhood. They were drawn together by the emptiness they could see in each other. Their story is not for the faint hearted but it is beautiful in its own tragic way. As with every saffron book there’s always secrets and twists that keep you on your toes!
A War Like Ours by Saffron A. Kent
Wow! A great read, dark and addicting. A twisted tale of love and hate. I enjoyed the Authors story, it was shocking at times but that only increased the reading pleasure. James and Madison were trouble right from the start. Their addicting relationship skyrocketed into a form of healing for both of them. I enjoyed Katie’s character, James young daughter. I thought she added a strong foundation in this story, as to keep it grounded and not flying off the reels.
There are serious subjects in this book that shouldn’t be overlooked.
I give A War Like Ours 4 stars for its dark addicting read.
I would recommend this book to Adults.
“I wondered what it would feel like to be loved like that, with such abandon and ferocity. Love that destroyed everything. Love that felt like a war.”
A War Like Ours is like nothing I have ever read before. It was a twisted journey, filled with lust, lies and blood.
An amazing read about Madison and James, discover that they are in fact not alone with their kinks. But are it enough? Are they enough? What happens when all the lies and secrets are out there in the open?
Well in this debut your not going to get hearts and flowers. The author comes out with her gloves on fighting for her place as an author…….
If you are looking for something sweet and sexy this book is not for you. This book was emotional, gut wrenching, dark, at times hard to read. The rawness in James and Madison was brutal and it bleeds from the pages.
The beginning was a little chaotic. Like the author had so much to say but didn’t know how to say it or needed a little confidence. As the story unfolded I think her confidence grew as did the story. You have your expected mistakes with a authors debut. But come on do you not make mistakes when you start something new? That’s what I thought!!!
The anticipation was brutal. Knowing something was about to happen but not sure what. And then when it does it’s like WTH did I just read and oh NO she didn’t.
It was crazy to see the growth from the author in the same book. Normally it happens in the next couple that follow. I can’t wait to see what Saffron Kent brings us next and I can’t wait to see her grow as an author.
Dark and a little uncomfortable. This book made me feel that at times but it wasn’t a bad thing. These characters are a bit off and messed up for lack of better words lol but I wanted to see how this ends, had to!! If you like dark and up for possibly pushing your boundaries, go for this!
It is hard to believe that A WAR LIKE OURS is the first book ever written by Saffron A. Kent. But is not the first book I have read by this author. On completion of this one, I have now read all three of her present novels. She has a unique way of writing characters with broken, shattered hearts and pairing them with others with similar dark and twisted souls. *Warning that I found the book, A WAR LIKE OURS, the darkest of the three!
James Maxwell has hit rock bottom. Three weeks ago his wife had died in a car accident, but he has yet been able to tell his five-year-old daughter Katie about her mother’s death. He decides to pack-up his daughter and leaves for a summer resort in upstate New York. He needs a few peaceful weeks before he breaks the news to his young daughter. When his wife had left, the circumstances were not what they seemed. The time and courage is always wrong to break the news to his daughter. He thought he was not an ideal man. He was not quite right in the head and had dark thoughts.
Madison Smith was heartbroken and devastated. She had witnessed her mother’s violent death at the hands of her stepfather. She had run from her tragic and awful life. But the person who she thought was saving her, her girlfriend that was her host to her parasite, didn’t really want to fix her, but wanted to keep her under her need and care. Soon it was a triangle affair between the three. But Madison had forgotten how good it could be with a man, it had been years since she had experienced anything so dynamic and feral. It all started with a kiss. James became her broken superhero.
No matter how hard she tried, his words still echoed in her ears. He just wouldn’t go away. He’d said it could not happen again. She thought it could and would. He had said that whatever they had was a game. She thought it wasn’t It was a war, and she would do anything to win.
For a debut novel, A War Like Ours is pretty damn fantastic. Actually, for any novel, it’s pretty amazing.
I don’t want to give spoilers, I’ll just say that as much as James and Madison disturbed me with their twisted af selves, I found myself um, not liking them exactly, but wanting them to be happy together. Their journey was disturbing and twisted and a little creepy, but in the end, it was kind of beautiful. Thank you Saffron Kent for this excellent (but twisted) story. It’s definitely something I will not soon forget!
A War Like Ours was an okay read for me. James and Madison’s story was not a light and fluffy one. Their story was dark and twisted and deals with subject matters that may be triggers for some readers. I would say that if readers enjoy a good dark and twisted read that this might be the story for you. James and Madison were not perfect characters; they each had their own flaws but somehow they were right for each other. My problem with this story was that although I thought the characters seemed right for each other, I just could not connect with them. I tried. I really did but even though I liked and disliked them at times, the connection just wasn’t there and that was my biggest problem.
WOW! This is an incredible debut novel by Saffron Kent. It was darker than what I’m used to reading, but I didn’t love it any less because of that. If anything, it was a refreshing change from the alpha billionaire trying to swoon the irresistible yet elusive heroine. I was really impressed with the authors writing and the detail in which she used to convey the feelings of Madison and James.
It’s very clear from the onset that Madison and James are both tortured about their painful pasts. They are very complicated, yet vulnerable at the same time. Due to a tragic event in her past, Madison has sworn off men and is in a relationship with a woman. James is having a hard time being honest with his young daughter, Katie, about events that have changed their lives forever. He wants to be honest with Katie, but is so worried that once he tells her the real reason they’re vacationing at a resort she will forever be like him. The self-hatred he has for himself is heartbreaking. He doesn’t want her to not love him anymore and is afraid her smile and innocence will be taken from her.
The journey for Madison and James is not an easy one. They seem to find comfort in one another, yet struggle to make sense of what these feelings mean. Neither one knows what to make of their physical and emotional connection, so the bumps they encounter are often very difficult. There is a lot of push and pull with funny banter that has you rooting for them to find their way out of the sadness. The supporting characters are an integral part of this story and the author does a great job of keeping their role in the story relevant.
This story was so raw and real. Madison and James immediately recognize the pain in each other, their grief and despair completely comes through the pages as you’re reading this story. The emotion that the author puts into these characters is amazing. I felt their pain, sadness and hope for something more. Yes, it’s sad and tragic. You’re not going to get hearts and flowers. What you will get is honest characters who are dealing with circumstances out of their control. This is still a love story, but one that takes a different approach. The story gives you hope… hope that two people can find their way out of the dark and into a life that brings them joy and happiness.
I would highly recommend taking a chance on this debut novel and Saffron!
“I wondered what it would feel like to be loved like that, with such abandon and ferocity. Love that destroyed everything. Love that felt like a war.”
And what a beautiful war it was. So intense, core shattering, heartbreaking, tear-jerking. A constant battle between two dark, imperfect souls with such an undeniable connection, a magnetic attraction based on raw pain and suffering.
“Here was that signature pain, the pain that made me recognize him in an instant. It was a beacon in the darkness.”
The darkness that surrounded both James and Madison felt like a void, pulling me in, trying to drown me in my own tears and the heavy, encompassing pain I felt for their struggle.
Did their behavior make me angry at times? Yes.
Did I condone their actions all the time? Hell no.
But did their love story make me feel in the most pure sense of the word? Did it make me think about the depths of human nature? Absolutely yes. And that’s what makes a book amazing.
The characters’ flaws, the mistakes, the brutal reality of it all. And the courage of the author to turn such darkness into something epic for a debut novel.
In the words of Madison: “It was gut-wrenching, agonizing…beautiful.”