An imprisoned cowboy. An empowered woman. When true love is forbidden, opening their hearts could destroy them both… outspoken beauty, his dreams of escape transform into visions of passion.
Monica Avery struggles to fill her heart in a loveless society. With marriage outlawed and romantic partners reduced to pawns, she’s given up hope of finding her soul mate. But watching the rugged rancher hard at work on her shelter awakens deeply buried desires.
As the project comes together, Monica discovers a kindred spirit in the tenderhearted Jake. But despite their growing attraction, he still belongs to a cruel woman who’d rather see him dead than free.
Can Monica save Jake, or will their love lead to a tragic tomorrow?
Jake’s Redemption is a full-length book in the Angel Eyes cowboy dystopian romance series. If you like scorching-hot chemistry, clever post-apocalyptic worlds, and star-crossed love stories, then you’ll adore Jamie Schulz’s captivating tale.
Buy Jake’s Redemption today to see if love can brighten a dark world!
This prequel has an HFN ending and opens the door for the next book in the Angel Eyes Series.
This story would appeal to those who found the adult scenarios in books like A Handmaid’s Tale and The Hunger Games intriguing. Or who enjoy the writing of other romance authors like Maisey Yates, Pam Godwin, Karen Robards, and Nora Roberts, or who simply love cowboys.
Please note: Intended for mature audiences. This story contains some unsettling and violent subject matter that sensitive readers may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised.
Review Snippets
“If you are looking for an extremely well written new story that is different from the norm, I can definitely recommend this book to you. I am anxiously waiting for the next book …!”
– Avonna, The Romance Reviews.
“Peppered within the main story arc were lovely moments of tension and unexpected plot twists. This was a smooth read, with depth and development of a wide range of emotions. It is hopeful, romantic, gripping, and original. I loved it and look forward to see how it all develops in the rest of the series.”
– Kindle Customer
“Schulz pens a grand mix of storytelling within Jake’s Redemption. It’s like fantasy meets cowboy meets romance. I enjoyed the premise of the story and how it played out. It is not always easy to blend genres, but Schulz does it remarkably. The hint of dystopian brings the Jake to Monica’s doorstep, and things evolve from there. The story has a great deal of tormented souls and romance, and surviving the obstacles. Schulz certainly can write a good story. I look forward to reading more by this new author.”
– Amy, Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews
“Oh My! For a prequel, I didn’t expect it to be so in depth and long! I actually expected it to be done in a couple hours, like a lot of other prequels. But WOW! It sucked me in and I was ready to read the next one! But have to wait. But I’m sure it’ll be worth it!”
– Rachel Menzies, Amazon UK Reviewer
“While dystopian, post-apocalyptic stories are not my favored genre, I found this prequel engaging. It’s more—including a western theme, a sweet romance, and a glimmer of hope in a dismal swamp of misery—something for everyone.”
– Colorado Avid Reader Review
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This book seemed different on the cover, I was thinking it was more sci-fi but that was just a back story. The real story centers around Jake a male who is owned like a slave by a nasty woman who did unbelievable things to him just because she could. Well Jake has been loaned to a woman because he has experience in building and farming but years of being abused has damaged him.
Monica the owner of the ranch sees something in Jake but she doesn’t approach him because she wants to gain his trust. Jake was used as a breeding machine and his trust in women and even men is limited but something about Monica’s ranch seems to relax him a little. It was a heartbreaker when Jake finally got the courage to tell Monica some of his years as a slave but Jake is only on loan for six months so he doesn’t dare dream. The story doesn’t end in a cliffhanger but it leaves you wanting more which won’t be out until sometime in 2020.
Reviewed on behalf of Once upon an Alpha
If you’re looking for something different to read that will take you out of reality and drop you into a dystopian world, where women rule and the men are nothing more than, well…. Then look no further than Jamie Schulz’s “Jake’s Redemption”. So, let’s start: The world building is amazing, it’s detailed, and Ms. Schulz paints us a world where punishments are gleefully handed out and hope is hard to come by. Enter Monica and Angel, two women who completely disagree with how people (men) should be treated. And Jake, who is terrified at the prospect of being treated with a gentle touch. Let the story making continue. Ms. Schulz did a great job balancing the bleakness of life for much of the population with the very real emotions (fear, hope, loss) that exist for these characters; and I mean it when I say, they were palpable for me. Gah, I swear I could taste Jake’s despair at times (well done there!) Amazon has this story categorized in romantic fantasy, dystopian fiction, and science fiction romance, but it’s much more than that. It’s a love story that spans years, it’s a story of redemption, it’s a story of second chances, and it’s a story of love triumphing. Well, mostly. It is a prequel to what I hope will be a long running series.
Jake’s Redemption is a well crafted story that sets up a series the to come. The tension of Jake’s looming departure was present in everything, and added a layer of suspense and emotion that impacted the depth of each scene. The chemistry between characters was a highlight of the writing. The build and attraction between Jake and Monica is gripping and raw, and teases and twists in all the right places. The relationships that develop between the supporting characters are excellent. There is a great cast of characters in this novel that make me excited for the next book and to learn more about how their stories continue and their world expands. Schulz does an expert job of providing great detail and context without overdoing it, readers are drawn in from the start with the extreme of Jake’s circumstances. There are incredibly vivid descriptions, which created a solid sense of place–I could clearly picture the ranches and the world around them.
Peppered within the main story arc were lovely moments of tension and unexpected plot twists. This was a smooth read, with depth and development of a wide range of emotions. It is hopeful, romantic, gripping, and original. I loved it and look forward to see how it all develops in the rest of the series.
Jake and his friend Bret have been evading Raiders since the war was lost. But his lovesick friend got them caught. In a last-ditch effort to get free, Jake is able to cause just enough of a distraction to help his friend make a run for it. Unfortunately, Jake doesn’t fare so well, becoming a slave to one of the most sadistic women. This is the story of a women-run world; where the men are little more than property, slaves.
This story was intriguing and very sad. My heart broke over and over for Jake and the atrocities he endured. Most of the story follows his healing on Monica’s farm, an off chance opportunity that he almost refused to take. I did find myself smiling at Shawn’s antics and Kara and Trevor’s innocence. I am curious about Rosa and Angel’s stories.
I liked the writing, but there were times where the pacing crawled and I found myself skimming the pages. This didn’t happen often, but it happened. The characters were well written and worked well together to make this story work. The premise was interesting. There were a few things that I questioned, like the spurts of super strength and the WARs that caused everything to happen. I just wanted more info on them. It bothered me that women were so depraved and saw nothing wrong with their actions.
I liked that the author showed the main characters’ strengths and imperfections and allowed the characters to recognize them. I’m not sure of what a “happy ending” should look like for a story like this. The main character does find a reason to be happy, but it is not without its problems. The ending actually felt like the beginning of the next book with a planned resolution for Jake and Monica to come. This was a great setup for Angel’s story, but I wanted something more solid for Jake.
Warnings: There is physical and mental abuse. The men are given a drug that makes them cower to women. Though there are no explicit details, there is rape and molestation and it isn’t seen as wrong to seemingly most of the women in this society. But there is hope. I am interested in reading the next book in this series.
3.5 stars
I will admit that I enjoyed this book, the characters, the emotions, and the trauma in this book. It did get a bit gritty and as a Christian author, there were one too many sex scenes in the book that I did have to skip over. It was mostly error free and a smooth easy read.
As an author, I don’t have much time to read anymore, and this book hooked me and I was able to finish it in two days. That’s the reason for my review, but I also can’t really recommend it either because it does have some things in there that aren’t okay -mostly sex and the intimate scenes.
But overall, this is a book by a talented and creative author. The emotions she conveyed were so realistic. I literally was feeling the emotions right along with the characters and it hooked me into the story.
Dystopian world where men are enslaved. Prequel to a 6 book storyline.
Fairly well edited, but a few more misses than I like.
In a post-war world where women have enslaved men, Jake has been on the run. Captured, he is bought by a rather sadistic woman and held for two years. Finally, he is lent out to Monica to help build her house and run her ranch. Although Jake is happy to be away from Darla, he doesn’t trust Monica’s intentions. For her part, Monica is not happy with the state of society, and is trying to provide a safe place for those she can. She and her friend Angel run their ranches as safe havens – even though they own the men, they treat them as human beings and as close to equals as possible within the society. Monica tries to help Jake see that not every woman is like his current owner. As time passes and Jake slowly learns to trust Monica, the threat of returning to his owner hangs like a guillotine over his head. Jake would rather run or die than return to the torture that awaits.
In the end, Jake has to run to Angel to escape a return to the evil Darla. A deal is struck, and Jake must stay with Angel for several years before he’ll be able to get back to Monica permanently. This leads into The Angel Eyes series, which it seems is a planned 6 book series that will take several years to finish.
I certainly did not expect to like this book. The excuse many of the women in the book used for enslaving men is that they treated women badly throughout history, therefore they were justified in their actions. They obviously can’t see (more, don’t care) that two wrongs will never make a right. However, it was heartening to see Monica and Angel trying their best to find ways to save men (and women) from horrible treatment. There are many secrets left to be discovered, questions to be answered, and lives to be saved. I am certainly hoping that it will take much less that the projected 5 years to complete the series.
This is a totally different read for me but one I’m glad I read. The author does a fantastic job bringing a great cast of characters and weaving an intriguing story line. She brings an array of emotions from cruelty, pain and despair along with torture and slavery to hope and romance and describes it all in detail with vividly painted scenes. She captured and held me from start to finish and had me turning the pages as fast as I could trying to keep up with all the twists and turns along the way. I loved this prequel and am looking forward to the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
Before I start this review, I want to let everyone about some significant triggers in Jake’s Redemption. I usually don’t include trigger warnings, but I felt this book warranted one. The trigger warnings I want to add are rape, the threat of rape, mental abuse, and physical abuse. If any of these triggers you, I would suggest finding another book.
Jake’s Redemption starts with Jake, his best friend, and the group that they are traveling with being captured in the mountains. Jake’s best friend, Bret, stages a daring escape but leaves Jake behind in the chaos. Five years later, Jake is a shell of the man he used to be. Abused in every way by his owner, Jake is waiting to die. Then, he is offered a chance to get away from his owner for six months. He is loaned to Monica. Expecting the worse, Jake is surprised when Monica turns out to be a kind and gentle woman who cares for the people under her protection. He begins to heal and begins to fall in love with Monica. But time is working against them. Jake is slated to return to his abusive owner. What will happen? Will Jake be returned? Will Jake and Monica have their happily ever after?
Jake’s Redemption was not what I thought it was going to be. When I read the blurb, I knew that I was getting a dystopian book with romance elements, which was fine with me. I like dystopian themed books, and I love romance. What I wasn’t expecting was the book to be as raw and gritty as it was. It blew my mind in the right way. I couldn’t put the book down. I needed to find out what was going to happen to Jake. I can’t say that I have had a book have an effect like that on me in a long time!!
I loathed Darla. Her treatment of Jake was horrendous. Then her backstory was explained. She was a victim of domestic abuse before the war. While I still loathed her, I understood why she treated her male slaves the way she did.
Jake was an amazing main character. The author did a fantastic job of showing his transformation. He went from a man who was living free to a man who had been tortured. She also did a tremendous job of showing his recovery and how tenuous it was. I didn’t blame him for not wanting a woman to touch him. My heart broke for him when he told Monica that. I did wonder if he was too damaged to be with Monica. I also wondered that if the brainwashing that Darla did would kick in towards the end of the book.
I liked Monica. I did find her pushy with Jake at points in the book. She knew that he had been abused. She still insisted on trying to kiss him. That made me go “Eeeehhhh” when it came up in the book. I did like that she stood up to Darla. That one scene when Darla tried to visit Jake and Monica intervened is seared into my brain. I also liked that while she had slaves, she still treated them as people. I do think that she should have gotten rid of that one guard who attacked Jake when it happened. I did understand why Monica kept her but still. That was asking for trouble.
There were two significant storylines in Jake’s Redemption. The main one is Jake/Monica’s romance. The second one, which didn’t show up until the middle of the book, is about Angel. I liked that the author was able to intertwine the two storylines but kept them completely separate.
Jake and Monica had insane chemistry and insane sexual tension. Even with Jake denying it, he was attracted to Monica. The author was able to build that sexual tension up until it exploded. That lead to one of the hottest sex scenes that I have read to date. It was fog up my Kindle hot!! It was also bittersweet because of what Jake went through with Darla.
The dystopian angle of Jake’s Redemption was interesting. I liked that the author chose to make the world female-dominated. I did like that the woman discovered that they had a new adrenaline based power. It was interesting. I wish that more detail had been given about that power. Heck, I would have loved to have seen it shown more often
The end of Jake’s Redemption was exciting. It set up for the next book perfectly. None of the storylines were ended. I do wonder what Angel had over Darla that made her cave as often as she did. I am hoping more will be explained in the next book.
Jamie Schulz is a new to me author and this book isn’t my normal genre, BUT I was intrigued about the story after reading the blurb and the story itself did not disappoint. This is a post-apocalyptic, western, romance mix and it works well.
Schulz created a world in which woman rule, they are powerful, and they are slave owners. There was a war and this is a story about those who survived physically, but mentally may still be damaged.
Jake Nichols was captured. He is a slave. His mistress is cruel, she enjoys torturing her slaves. Jake is stuck, he can’t escape this life. However, he gets a break from the torture when another ranch needs his help for 6 months. The owner of this ranch is the complete opposite from his mistress. She doesn’t torture her slaves, she treats them like any other human. He knows his time away is temporary but it gives him a glimpse of what life could be like if he was away from captivity.
Monica Avery is the ranch owner who Jake is working for. She has given up on any sort of relationship, she isn’t the typical slave owner. She truly cares about those who work for her and wants to help them, not hurt them. When Jake starts working for her, she is intrigued by the man. There is something about him that draws her to him, but she knows that she needs to lightly when it comes to getting close to him.
This story was a SLOW, SLOW burn. Jake and Monica definitely have chemistry, but they are both afraid to take the next step with each other BUT when they finally do, sparks fly. Jake is a broken man, he truly doesn’t trust women (which given his past who can blame him). Monica is there for him, she is patient and she will do anything she can to keep him away from going back to his previous mistress.
The main characters were well written, but so were the secondary characters and they really contributed to the overall plot of the story. This also sets up for the second book in the serious, because I am very intrigued with Angel and want to learn more about her.
This story was well written, built an amazing world with intriguing characters and I can’t wait to see how Jake and Monica’s relationship continues to grow and to see how the story continues with Angel and Bret.
This book kept me turning pages, this is a really different type of story. Men are bought to work on farms or sold as Breeders. Monica gets the loan of Jake and they fall in love but Jake is owned by an cruel woman called Darla. Jake ends up being bought by Angel. This story has suspense, drama, danger, attempted rape, a woman that is holding secrets, and romance. I want to read the next book when it is out. I received a copy through K U and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
On pins and needles from beginning to end!
My heart broke from the first for Jake and immediately became invested in him. This story of his redemption and healing is both heart breaking and hopeful. Jake’s path in this book is fraught with distress, emotional scars, anger and rage, torture and gut wrenching, paralyzing fear. Yet amidst all that negativity, there’s also hope, laughter, a sense of family and belonging, light hearted moments, and even happiness. That happiness is due mostly to Monica. She and Jake share a connection and their chemistry is longed for, but drawn out.
This prequel sets the scene for more of the story to come, it’s not just about Jake and Monica, but also about this new society. The author has deftly created unique society in which cruelty reigns. As Jake’s story progresses, more of his plight is revealed as well as his past before his capture and torture.
This author’s work is new to me and I enjoyed her style of writing, attention to detail and characters with much emotional depth. There was tension, a sense of urgency, even suspense at times.
Overall, a very well written book and I’m really looking forward to reading the next book.
JAKE’S REDEMPTION: THE ANGEL EYES SERIES PREQUEL by Jamie Schulz Is a full length prequel to a new dystopian, western, sci-fi romance mash-up series. This story pulled me in right from the first chapter. The author brings you into a new world order in which females are in charge and the institution of slavery has reappeared. All of the characters in this book have survived the war, but some are much more damaged than others.
*WARNING: This book is written with authenticity to the sci-fi story so there are triggers for more sensitive readers which include scenes of abuse, torture, non-consent, rape and slavery.
Jake Nichols is trapped and enslaved. After two years of torture and abuse by his sadistic owner, he is loaned out to a neighboring fledgling rancher who needs his services as a builder. What he discovers is an owner unlike his Mistress, who does not believe in cruelty and submission. He begins to feel like the man he was before he was captured, but this is only a temporary reprieve. As much as he dares to hope for a future on the ranch with his new owner, he is afraid he must try to escape before he is returned to his Mistress. Death would be better than returning.
Monica Avery has given up on finding love. She works instead at sheltering those under her care from the harsh realities of this new society. When Jake comes to work for her, she is intrigued by him. He wants nothing to do with the females on the ranch, but he shows his caring nature with his treatment of the children and his respect of those who work with him. Monica wants Jake to care for her, but she knows he has been damaged and is just starting to trust she is not like other females. Can she rescue Jake from returning to a captivity that will destroy him?
As the slow burning romance between Jake and Monica grows, you are introduced to a whole host of secondary characters. Ms. Schulz has done a great job of world-building. I never felt bogged down by info or character overload. Every scene was interesting and integral to the plot and world-building. This is an emotionally charged story of a dark future where it does not seem females learned their lessons from the past. If you are looking for an extremely well written new story that is different from the norm, I can definitely recommend this book to you. I am anxiously waiting for the next book in this proposed six book series!
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.
JAKES’ REDEMPTION is the first instalment and full-length prequel in Jamie Schulz’ post-apocalyptic, dystopian, erotic romance series focusing on a world controlled and ruled by women. This is former rancher and slave Jake Nichols, and ranch owner Monica Avery’s story line.
WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line there are numerous triggers including rape, torture, abuse, non-consent, slavery and imprisonment that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.
Told from dual third person points of view (Jake and Monica) JAKE’S REDEMPTION follows Jake Nichols spiral into the darkness, and the building relationship between our broken hero, and rancher Monica Avery. Several years earlier a catastrophic war destroyed cities and towns throughout the world, and ‘changed the social order’ between men and women. In the ensuing aftermath, a second civil war between the sexes resulted in women becoming the dominant and controlling sex, while men were slaves to be used and abused. Jake Nichols, and his best friend Bret Masters hid in the mountains only to find themselves captured by raiding parties and sentenced to servitude and slavery for the rest of their lives.
Jake Nichols is a broken man; shattered by months of sexual abuse at the hands of his Mistress and owner Darla Cain, and her equally cruel and abusive friends and council members. When rancher Monica Avery offers Jake a chance at temporary ‘freedom’ from Darla’s barbarism, Jake is sceptical about Monica’s intent. What ensues is the slow building relationship between Jake and Monica, and the potential fall-out as Jake’s time with Monica comes to an end.
The relationship between Jake and Monica struggles in the face of Jake’s imprisonment and torture by Darla Cain. Fractured, and unable to trust, Jake battles the memories, the fears, the humiliation, and the possibility of returning to Darla’s hold, fear that controls every aspect of his life. Monica’s attraction to Jake is met with uncertainty as Jake’s trust has been destroyed by betrayal, abuse and torture.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Jake’s friend Bret Masters; Monica’s best friend Angel Aldridge and her head guard Michelle, as well as Monica’s ranch hands and guards- Shawn Brohm, Rosa Santos, Kristine, Trevor and Kara, and Section Council member Jewel Stewart; Darla Cain, and Carrie Simpson. Angel and Bret’s story line is next.
The world building looks at the aftermath of another world war, and the consequences of corrupt power. Not all women are cruel or vindictive but those that are have destroyed any sense of peace for the men that survived.
JAKE’S REDEMPTION is a heart breaking, emotional, dark and gritty story of survival wherein recovery is next to impossible; and memories control the present and the future.
A great mix of storytelling
Schulz pens a grand mix of storytelling within Jake’s Redemption. It’s like fantasy meets cowboy meets romance. I enjoyed the premise of the story and how it played out. It is not always easy to blend genres, but Schulz does it remarkably. The hint of dystopian brings the Jake to Monica’s doorstep, and things evolve from there. The story has a great deal of tormented souls and romance, and surviving the obstacles. Schulz certainly can write a good story. I look forward to reading more by this new author.
Jake’s Redemption took me a little out of my comfort zone with its post-apocalyptic world, but with that came some of my favorite romance tropes, so I dove in. I’ll admit that I was a bit thrown when I realized that this prequel is the first in a new series. I’m used to seeing prequels come out after at least the first book, and they’re usually done to answer a few questions raised in the series. That said, Jamie Schulz has created an intriguing world in her debut novel. The story does get dark at times with descriptions of the torture Jake has had to endure, but there are lighter moments too after he comes to stay with Monica. This one is definitely a slow burn romance – almost too slow, and there are places where the story drags some as well as some points that are repetitive throughout the story. Nevertheless, the book is well worth the read with an intriguing plot, a slow burn steamy romance, and interesting and sometimes quirky characters who should make for an exciting series. As this is a prequel, the conclusion isn’t so much a conclusion as an open-ended, where does it go from here kind of thing and a promise from the author to deliver more on these characters in the next book. As for this one, Jake and Monica’s story is a solid debut from the author, and I’ll be interested to see how she grows with future books.