One broken FBI agent.
One sassy, sarcastic journalist.
Brought together by one set of circumstances, there’s another – a threat which could destroy them both – that may push them even closer.
But he’ll need to bring down the walls he’s built so carefully and let her in.
And she’ll need to trust a man so jaded…
He might be incapable of the very thing she’s looking for.
This book has been one that I craved since I first met Mason in Jasmine! There was always something about Mason that I felt people misunderstood and now we get to see why he is who he is.
Trish has this personality that blossoms throughout the story. You can’t help but mentally cheer every time she stands up to Mason or some other character in the story!
Shane Starrett gives us this emotional rollercoaster of story at is part intrigue, part suspense, part action, part dark, park romance, and all around phenomenal! You won’t want to put it down. I love that you can read this book completely independent of Jasmine and still know what is going on! Love love love this story! Bravo Shane!
Well, this was more then I ever expected. I’m one of the people who actually wanted more Mason after his appearance in Jasmine. Something about the grumpy, damaged, cynical man I needed to know more, wanted the Why explained. Why is he so determined to keep up his wall, to only believe the worst of people and keep them barricaded away from the real him.
But this, it was more, in all honesty it scared the crap out of me, there are people like this every day who will go to any lengths to convince people they are right, their way is the only path to follow. But and this is a big part of why I loved this story……there was also hope and possibly love. Friendships that you only wish you were lucky enough to have. All this kept me involved til the end. And yet again Shane Starret managed to make me see the side of a “bad” guy. Not evil, just someone who life has bashed, skewed his image of the world and left him open to “persuasion” by some truly horrible people. And this circles me back to the fear, you never know what people have hiding way down deep, what thing in life will push them into an unspeakable act.
The romance aspect was perfect but I think the fear will stick with me longer, and you know? I like it just the way it is.
Not a story you can stick into one genre, he hit buttons across many.
Please please keep these coming, and I’ll keep one clicking.
This story has everything you could want in a suspenseful thriller, with a dose of gritty, sexy, and danger! The story of Mason was introduced in the book ‘Jasmine’, but began 10 years prior. ‘Jaded’ has done an amazing job of twisting the surly, gritty nature of Mason and exposing his flawed personality in a very organic fashion until the reader has no choice but to read to the end to find out how things will end.
An explosive, well written story that shows tremendous growth by the author. The writing is more concise than previous books, while still giving the reader a beautifully built world for the story to live. 5 big stars, I am looking forward to his next book!
First of all, I have to be honest…… I haven’t read Jasmine but I have heard a lot about Mason. LOL And no, that’s not a bad thing! This story basically hooked me from the start. So going into this story, I had no idea how unlikable Mason was but as I read, I could easily see how readers who had read Jasmine felt. Putting that aside, this story took me on a trip of Mason growing as him and Trish came together. I liked Trish in that she is a strong woman who went after what she wanted. There were several, “oh holy mother of God” moments and all in all, this is one story that I’m sure as I read over again, I’ll find something new. Mr. Starrett may not have many books out as of yet, but he definitely has a very bright future as an author if this and his other two books are any indication. The man is talented and gifted in writing! If you’ve read Jasmine, you’ll want to read this story and get sucked down the rabbit hole and even if you haven’t read it, go ahead and get this book. Emotions abound and you will love it!
Would you look at that, Mason has been redeemed!!!!!
I was one of those folks who DID NOT like Mason in the beginning (Jasmine book). Dude just rubbed me the wrong way and NO ONE could change my mind. Well mark my mind changed!!!!
This book really took me for a loop! Chapter 3 is where I started with “WHAT THE EVER LOVIN FK”! The bad guys are REALLY messed up, like “what was Shane thinking when he wrote that” kind of bad.
Now that I’m done, I’m gonna go read something warm and fuzzy cause Shane really messed me up with this phenomenal book.
Another winner for one of my favorite new authors! This story follows 2 characters from a previous book: Mason and Trish. And although reading Jasmine will give you some background (and history) for these 2 it is not needed for this story to play out completely. I really enjoyed the way that Mason and Trish interacted. Shane has a way of making the people in his books feel like your close friends and as such, you are both cheering them on and cursing them for their stupidity. I, for one, can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.
Whether you liked Mason or thought he was a waste of space in Jasmine, you will like him in Jaded. Shane Starrett’s writing has come a long way since The Wedding, it is no longer hesitant and flows wonderfully. Jaded has some difficult themes and I always find fanatics difficult to comprehend and when they are as deluded as these are then I am at a loss! I was particularly happy that we didn’t have to wait too long for Mason and Trish to get together (god bless Carmen and Marianne). This is a fast paced, full of action and well plotted book with a happy ever after; what more could a reader want?
I wanted to know more about Mason after Jasmine and Shane sure delivered on all fronts for me!! This story will take on a wild ride on the merry go round and you will not want to get off it!!! Desires, heartbreak, drama, you go through the gamut of emotions along with the main character. The story will leave you reflecting on where you can categorize it. An amazing story from Shane I honestly volunteered to review this story.
Damn, I wanted to punch Mason in Jasmine (J. Bene & S. Starrett). His story is one of heartbreak so far down the hole it just undoes you. His dedication would be admirable if it wasn’t to the dead creating a sword in his side, no thorn for this guy. Love (old and new), want, desire, heartache, loneliness, dedication, jaded, cynical, action, taboo age gap, and crazy radical ideology is experienced throughout this book making it a propelling and interesting read. Many feelings were delayed or subtle building overtime so it surprised me was the surge of feelings towards the end. Well done! I have no idea what genre this belongs in it bridges several. Visualizations are clear and world building are fantastic. I also must comment that this book is well written and edited. Truly a great read!
Four and a half weeks into a lockdown, still trying to get my head around working from home (a surreal situation when you’re a 1 to 1 home ed teacher who can’t video call students because of safeguarding). Rapidly loosing track of the days along with my sanity, I’ve struggled to read anything other than lightweight stories or fantasy books, things that take no brain power or are so far removed from real life that I can sink into them. The last thing my head thought it could cope with was a gritty romantic suspense. Yet not only did Jaded prove me wrong, it damn well hooked me tight and reeled me in.
Mason was a substantial side character in the book Jasmine, Trish held a much smaller role. However fantastic writing means that you don’t need to have read ANY of that story to both understand and enjoy this one. I adored Mason, really grew to understand him and, yes, my heart broke for him when we got the 10 years ago prologue. Trish was strong, smart and so, so sassy and I loved her. She set her sights on Mason Jones and was not going to let her quarry escape.
The suspense element was very convincingly executed, the various threads weaving together into a fast paced, engaging, fleshed out and convincing tale. The balance between the romance, character building, story development and plot was perfect, I mean *maybe* we could have had another steamy scene between Trish and Mason, but I loved that what there was felt like an organic development of the storyline, rather than being shoe-horned in to tick a box. And boy do that pair have some scorching hot chemistry!
To summarise – Jaded is well written, captivating and just an all round wonderful read.
What an excellent book. So glad Shane wrote this. We get to see why Agent Mason Jones is the way he is. You do not have to read Jasmine to understand this book, but it help you see the other side of Mason. This book is packed full of surprises, suspense and action. So glad he and Trish get together. Enjoy this wonderful book.
This isn’t necessarily a sequel to Jasmine, but it is a companion to it. You don’t have to have read Jasmine to understand this, since it talks about the background enough, but it will help if you have read it. You will understand what’s going on with everyone and to have a deeper understanding of the characters.
I really like Mason. He comes off as a huge jerk, but the thing is, he really isn’t as big a jerk as he wants everyone to believe. It’s a defense mechanism, and one that he’s worked really hard to create. I think that he cares a lot more about things than even he wants to. Trish just gave him the push that he needed in order to get back to that point.
I think that Trish is really strong. I think it’s just an innate strength when it comes to her. She just has it, and she has made it work well for her.
A wonderful book, and a worthy companion to Jasmine.
Holy Freak! This one will get its hooks in you and never let go. I mean NEVER! You are going to be thinking about it long after you reach the last page. Some of the thoughts will be pleasant, but more of them are going to be nightmare inducing. This story is dark and gritty, but the love story is amazing. I walked that thin line between love and hate for most of this one. It was emotional, parts were difficult for me to read, and I still couldn’t put it down. Bravo, Mr. Starrette! Bravo!
Jaded is another great piece by Shane Starrett. I was very excited to hear that he had written another book and I devoured it. I normally don’t read all that quickly but this was one I just couldn’t put down. It is well written, highly accessible and very entertaining.
Mason is a great character. We first met him in Jasmine (also a great book that you should read) and he was a little rough around the edges. This book explains more of Mason’s background, exploring his past and why he acts and speaks the way he does. Shane did a wonderful job of taking us on Mason’s journey.
The plot of Jaded was fresh and the interaction of the characters is a highlight of Shane’s writing. The conversations are very natural and real. It doesn’t feel like reading a book, but more just being part of the story.
I can’t wait for his next book. Hurry up, Shane!