Deserted is the third book in the Auctioned Series, following book 1, Auctioned, and book 2, Stranded.
Gray Nolan had survived a kidnapping where he was supposed to have been auctioned off to the highest bidder. He had also survived being stranded on an island, under siege from a different set of foes, and throughout the hell they’d all endured, their motto had been “Leave no man behind.”
… motto had been “Leave no man behind.”
Recovery was different. Gray wanted to be left alone to fight his demons—and to get over the attachment he’d formed for the man who’d saved him more than once. But in a time when darkness threatened to consume him, salvation arrived as he set out to uphold the promise he’d made to a friend. Eight-year-old Jayden stormed into his life, fresh off the streets of Philadelphia, and lit up Gray’s bleak existence.
Darius Quinn had known that Gray was going to close himself in and run away after everything they’d been through. But he was determined to follow and watch over the young man who should have been just a paycheck. Something about Gray prevented Darius from staying in his preferred role of passive observer, and he couldn’t let Gray carry out his last commitment alone.
What started out as a cross-country road trip to guide them home to Washington was quickly turning into a journey with a destination that scared the life out of Darius. He’d never wanted that kind of future before, and now he was gearing up to fight for it.
(All books taking place in the Camassia Cove universe are standalone unless otherwise stated. For more information about the standalone series, the town, and the residents, please visit www.camassiacove.com.)
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Cara has done it yet again !! Take a cross country trip with Gray , Jayden and Darius. Fall in love with these 3 then fall in love all over again when they add Justin into the mix. *Spoiler*
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
„I know all too well what it´s like to cling to someone innocent and hope they´ll show you that humanity is worth saving.“
„Deserted“ is book 3 of 5 from Cara Dee´s „Auctioned Series“
I think this part is my favorite of the series so far. You can´t help but fall in love with both Gray and Darius, their developing relationship. And I absolutely adored both Jayden and Justin. So adorable.
The story continues right where book 2 „Stranded“ ended, where Gray Nolan leaves his family and Darius Quinn behind, on his way to keep a promise he made on the island to his dying friend Jonas, that is to find Jonas´s 8-year old brother Jayden and to take care of him.
His search leads him to Philadelphia, all the while secretly followed by Darius, who put trackers in Gray´s phone and bag, where Gray meets with some kind of underworld mafia boss, who is willing to help him find Jayden.
(Dear Cara Dee, on this point, can we please have more of Kellan Ford?? Please?)
Jayden is a 8-year-old whirlwind, living on the streets of Philadelphia, always on the run to avoid contact with authorities, been waiting for his older brother to come back for over a year now. But he also has a network of people who care a lot for him, such as the „underworld mafia boss“ Kellan Ford, the priest Father O´Malley and Sister Margaret.
Jayden bursts into Gray´s life full force, keeps him on his toes, distracts him a great deal from his suffering and haunting memories and Gray soon discovers, that he not just only wants to keep his promise he made to his dying friend Jonas. Gray permanently wants to keep Jayden in his life. So he decides to take him to Adeline, who runs a shelter house in Camassia Cove.
On their way back to Camassia Cove, Gray suffers again and again under his nightmares, flashbacks and panic and anxiety attacks. Darius never leaves his side and helps him through them every step on their way. Their relationship develops, same as their feelings, ever growing stronger from day to day.
„There´s nothing pretend about us, knucklehead.“….„I´m not playing. If anything, I´m sick of it. I´m so over pretending that I only wanna be near you during your recovery, when – f***. When I´m pretty sure I´ll never be able to let you go.“
When they finally get settled in Darius´s cabin in the woods of Camassia Cove, new trouble comes to their door. Philadephia´s „underworld mafia boss“ Kellan Ford. And he hands them over some intel, that Gray and Darius seem not to be able to resist.
„He couldn´t foresee the next battle, but he knew one thing. The war wasn´t over.“
So, I´m already afraid for the next part, but I NEED book 4. Now. ASAP. Please?!
What I Think: Thank goodness the tale continues right where we left off. I understand what Gray is going through but I want to smack him so bad before I realized I’d do the same thing and saved my smack for a better time. I can’t even imagine how Dare must feel as he goes after Gray again and can’t wait for when he finally comes to terms with his feelings for Gray. As Gray begins to trust himself again, accepting that his scars have changed parts of him but it doesn’t make him too broken to open his arms and heart to different types of love, I fell for him all over again. As they continue together on this journey to recovery, I can finally smack them both for letting their scars make them doubt their feelings so much that they couldn’t see what’s glaring. And I triple smack Dare with feeling because aaargh, I want him to know better because he’s older even as I remind myself that age and experience have nothing on scars. And even as I thought that things would get a bit stale between them, there is nothing like home. Especially when that home comes with arms that will never let you fall. That amped the passion up to a whole ‘nother level that made their present reality even more solid than their nightmarish past. The comfort in this tale is so palpable that it makes up for all the heartache Mme. Cara put me through in the first 2 tales. So much that I admit to dragging it out just a teensy bit so I wouldn’t finish too fast. But I can’t complain because, at the end, the love has got so bone-deep that I could finally let go of my darlings, certain that they will fight even their fears to stay together. And isn’t that what this journey was all about?
Verdict? A journey that’s a reminder that home is where the heart is but often found where love lives.
Well Damn!
I have been waiting a yr for this to be released and it did not disappoint.
I love every moment between Gray and Darius, they both are a little broken and jagged but they fit together.
Not much is easy for Gray as he tries to deal with being sold and violated, he struggles with day to day but he has determination and loved ones to help him when he needs. Darius has patience and so much understanding for Gray as he also has his own demons, Gray is also a fantastic person for Darius. I love that they both are able to help each other.
Oh Jayden, just he totally had me laughing all the time is is just suck a little punk.
I can’t wait til the next book.
Once again Cara Dee has written a wonderful story with some twists that left me wanting more.
Un tome très réussi ! C’est simple, je ne pouvais espérer mieux pour les héros. L’émotion est toujours au rendez-vous, mais cette fois la tendresse est très présente. Cela fait un bien fou de voir Gray et Darius avoir un peu de répit après avoir traversé l’enfer. La tension n’est pas pour autant absente, notamment dans la dernière partie du livre, mais il s’agit vraiment d’un roman réconfortant et qui met du baume au cœur, même si l’on sait que ce n’est pas terminé (et que les événements à venir me font déjà stresser !).
Je ne vais pas m’étendre sur l’intrigue, notre cher Gray a une promesse à tenir et il fera tout ce qui est en son pouvoir pour la respecter. Arff Gray mais je l’aime tellement cet homme ! Ce qu’il a vécu l’a définitivement changé et c’est bouleversant car on sait que jamais il ne pourra guérir de ses blessures, que son passé reviendra le hanter… Mais sa force est incroyable et sa détermination à prendre soin de ceux qu’il aime n’en sont aucunement altérées.
La fin de Stranded laissait planer de nombreuses questions au sujet de la relation entre Gray et Darius, on ne savait pas trop à quoi s’attendre… et wooow , encore une fois j’ai adoré ce que l’autrice a concocté à ce sujet. Juste parfait ! Les deux hommes peuvent enfin se consacrer à ce qu’ils éprouvent l’un pour l’autre, à laisser parler leur cœur et à comprendre que leur avenir ne pourra pas s’écrire l’un sans l’autre. Dans Deserted, leur relation s’enracine profondément (ne plus avoir leur peau à sauver aide forcément !) en nous offrant des moments tellement swoonant, émouvants mais aussi drôles…J’ai adoré leur dynamique, leurs échanges et les voir si proches l’un de l’autre, ils n’hésitent pas à être honnête l’un envers l’autre et à montrer leur vulnérabilité. Bref, tout s’emboîte à merveille.
Et la cerise sur le gâteau (deux en fait !), c’est les voir créer un foyer, une vraie famille et c’est tellement attendrissant. J’ai complètement fondu en voyant ces deux hommes tisser des liens profonds avec Jayden (mais pas que !) tant c’est adorable. Ils s’apportent tant tous ensemble, que d’émotions ! Cara Dee est tellement douée pour décrire ce genre de relation, je ne m’en lasse pas…
Comme souvent dans les romans de Cara , nous avons droit à deux caméos… et comme à chaque fois cela me donne envie de me jeter sur ses deux séries que je n’ai toujours pas eu le temps de découvrir !
Bravo Cara et merci pour ces moments si précieux passer en compagnie de tous ces beaux personnages. J’ai tellement hâte de tous les retrouver, même si je suis morte de trouille tant j’ai peur de ce qui leur sera réservé
I loved the continuation of Gray and Darius and the addition of Jayden and Justin. It was great to see gray and Darius settle into a relationship. As always Cara Dees books are a mix of sweet and sexy and I cannot wait to see what happens next with them. I really enjoyed Jaydens character he came off a a little tough guy but was really sweet, I hope we get to see more of him in the next book.
*Spoilers*
At the end of the last book Gray took off on his own to find Jonas’ little brother, thats where we pick back up in Deserted.
Im very happy to say theres little to no angst in this book, not that I’d be disappointed if there was.
Jayden is a street smart, slight cocky but adorable little boy. His intro to Darius is hilarious but shocking. And wouldnt you know it, Gray and Darius take him back to Camassia and introduce him to Adeline. Its brilliant.
Darius and Grays relationship progresses. Theyre too cute. Aww! There may be a few more unexpected surprises too.
Going into this book I was really anticipating development in Darius and Gray’s relationship. I was fearful the overall dramatic plot would feel too dragged out but it in no way did! The new characters are amazing, and Gray’s attempts to recover from his trauma were portrayed excellently. Love the possessiveness Darius feels over Gray and their overall relationship, it gives all the feels. Can’t wait for more Darius and Gray, their *spoiler* little family and of course a certain bad guy who I pray gets his own spinoff and – pretty please – MM book. (Just want a super bad guy who is gay, not too much to ask surely?) Cara Dee has done it again with an amazing book in her, in my opinion, best series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Once again, this was an absolute whirlwind of emotions. The tension is so gripping I had to stay up all night to finish and my heart never really had a moment to relax. But it is so so good! And although this instalment is heavily focused on Gray’s recovery, it’s not all dark and bleak. Dare and Gray are still as scorching hot as ever, and there are some really beautiful and touching moments between them. And the long-fought battle is still not over… I definitely need more of their story soon!
Gray and Darious journey is incredible to read they definitely overcome alot of optical survive and continue to trust. Great story good book.
Oh god i love this book, i couldnt put it down even if i wanted. Cara Dee is just amazing.
I love love love loooove Gray and Darious.
This is part 3 and it doesn’t disappoint. We watch as the relationship grows between Darious and Grey. As Grey follows thru with the last wishes of his friend. There are a few glimpses from our friends in This Life at the beginning.. This book will take you on a roller coaster of feelings, with the relationship between Darious and Grey and with some new characters that are just adorable. As the book goes on not only does the relationship between Grey and Darious grow but we watch as Grey gets stronger and starts to come to grips with all that happened.Some incomplete things from the first 2 books are resolved, and others are just starting.
“May the rebellion in your blood save you from their shackles” I think that sums up this book so well. I have been not so patiently waiting for more of these two and was not disappointed. I feel like in this book the battle for their lives has ended and the battle for their life has begun. It is not an easy process for Gray to come back to his life but it’s now more important than ever to get back and start living for himself and those he loves. In this book Gray fulfills a promise and it completely changes his and Darius’ life forever. They find a new purpose but still have things in the past that HAS to be dealt with in order to move on. This book will keep you turning the pages and making excuses to not put it down. I can not wait to see what happens next with these guys and their families. I’m anxiously waiting to continue on their journey.
Deserted is the third book in the Auctioned Series, following book 1, Auctioned, and book 2, Stranded. These books are not standalones and must be read in order.
We pick up right where we let off in Stranded, with Gray on a mission to keep the promise he made to Jonas; to find his little brother. Unbeknownst to Gray, Darius is hot on his heels.
I feel that Gray and Darius really come together in this book, their relationship is progressing in a way that makes you think that they have been together years and not just a few months. I have really enjoyed watching their relationship unfold.
There are a few surprises thrown in, but it wouldn’t be a Cara Dee book if there wasn’t. I was excited to see a couple of familiar faces from other books, a crossover that I feel you will not be disappointed with.
I thought that while still is was an ‘edge of your seat’ read there was less action than the previous two books, but it still packs a punch and plays heavily on the emotions.
A definite must read! I’m looking forward to reading more of their story and to see where life takes these characters.
Five Stars!!
This book series has been such a rollercoaster ride. I am so glad that I got to go on this journey and it isn’t over yet. Cara does a magnificent job telling this story. I am a huge fan. Again, make sure you have you tissues handy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Back with Darius and Gray, back to Gray’s POV, which is excellent since this third installment is mainly focused on Gray’s recovery.
AT the end of book two we left Gray pulling his disappearing act to go and keep his promise to one of his deceased fellow captives to take care of his little brother. Thi is where the book starts, with Gray unable to feel like he belongs with his family and friend, feelink broken and wanting to keep his promise to Jonas, so he’s driving to Philly to meet Jayden…
The book is all about recovery and Gray’s finding his center again, with a lot of help from Darius and two little kids who become Gray’s main focus. But the war isn’t over yet…
A big 5-stars from me, and I can’t wait wait to read the final chapter of this great story!
This is the third in this series and these books just keep getting better. Jayden and Justin are awesome kids. Not always a fan of kids in books but these two are great. And the growth of Gray showed is so well written. For me this was a little lighter than the first two books but still tons of feels.
This book picks up directly after Stranded and it is in no way a stand-alone. This series is really great though and I highly recommend reading it!
Gray has left Florida behind and is traveling to Philadelphia to find Jonas’s little brother, Jayden. Gray does not want help from anyone and feels he must complete this promise to Jonas on his own. He is struggling with nightmares of losing Jonas and the other guys while escaping their hellish ordeal and he feels like he has to overcome these nightmares alone. He is afraid he had been relying on Darius too much and he doesn’t want to fall for another “straight” guy.
Once Gray teams back up with Darius we start to really see some relationship growth. My only complaint is I still want to know more about Darius and his past relationships. We know about women he’s been with but has he ever been with a man? Obviously he hasn’t ever had feeling for anyone like he does for Gray but I am still left wondering. I love their relationship and how their feelings have grown while supporting each other.
Jayden is adorable! Gray falls for him almost immediately and would love to be the one who takes care of him permanently. He knows he still has a long way to go with overcoming his PTSD from being kidnapped and sold and also losing the other guys that weren’t able to escape. He doesn’t know what it will be like for him coming home but for once in a long time he has someone to take care of and someone to be better for.
Jayden and eventually someone else really steal this book! They are a huge surprise and fit perfectly in Gray & Darius’s life. I missed being in Darius’s head but I’m sure we will get that in the next book if the pattern stays the same. I love how Gray and Darius become a team and a family. This was a really great addition to the series. It isn’t as angsty as the previous two but it works as what I’m thinking will be the in-between book before all hell breaks loose.
This series has been full of so much action, suspense, murder, secrets, love, grief and healing. I am very excited to see what happens next!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I absolutely loved this book it was worth the wait. Darius and Gray are two of my favorite Characters. I loved the road trip part of the book. I also loved a crossover of some old favorite characters of mine. I cannot wait for book 4.