ARC Review: ‘Savage’ by Cala Riley
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from Love Notes PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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Savage
by Cala RileyPublished by Self-Published on March 27, 2025
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 260
Source: Love Notes PR
Audience: 18+/Adult
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SavageI never wanted to be the president of the Lotus MC, but when my uncle dies, I have no choice, but to fill his shoes.As if putting my club back in order isn’t enough, a Texas sized tornado blows into my life.Bailey Watts.She is my childhood best friend and the only woman I have ever truly loved. Time and distance has changed us though.When danger finds its way to her life, I have a decision to make. Do I want to make good on the claim I put on her when I was seven years old or will I let her go for her own good?
BaileyTaking a PI case for my best friend shouldn’t be so hard, but her brother is a slippery little weasel.That’s how I find myself at the gate of the Lotus MC knowing there is only one man in this world that can help me.Hayes Brown. I haven’t seen him since he broke my heart when I was seventeen years old, but the moment we are together again those old feelings come flooding in.Things aren’t always as they seem. When my case becomes intertwined in his club, we find ourselves chasing ghosts while dealing with the fall out of past decisions.
Will Savage and Bailey find their way back to love or are they destined to crash and burn once more?
Savage is the first book in the Lotus MC: San Antonio series. I’ve been eagerly anticipating Savage’s story since I first encountered him in Colt’s book in the Lotus MC series. I was curious about how Savage would manage the Lotus MC San Antonio chapter following the events in Colt’s book. After finishing this book, I can confidently say that he is doing a great job and has earned the respect of his men. This is especially evident in how his men treat him and how they treat someone under his protection who he loves.
I love a good Friends to Lovers story, and Cala Riley did a fantastic job with Savage and Bailey’s love story. These two have been in love with each other since they were younger, but unfortunately, life threw them some curveballs along the way, one of which was Savage joining the military and leaving Bailey behind.
Now, he’s back and running the Lotus MC chapter in San Antonio, while Bailey, a private investigator, needs help finding someone. She knows that Savage has resources to assist her, but he’s not going to make it easy, especially since both have been hiding their attraction for one another. Savage is determined not to let Bailey go this time, and he’s ready to prove it every step of the way.
What they don’t realize is that someone is stalking Bailey, and Savage will do anything to protect the one person he has always loved.
I immediately loved the banter between Bailey and Savage and how their long-standing friendship allowed them to pick up right where they left off. They had some issues to address, but it didn’t take long for them to resolve them because their connection was inevitable. Despite Bailey’s belief that she was in love with someone else while Savage was away, it was clear that they were always meant for one another. I also appreciated how the other members of the motorcycle club welcomed Bailey, showing their protectiveness over her. They truly functioned as one large, supportive family.
The story was filled with mystery and suspense as Bailey and Savage tried to figure out who was stalking her and leaving items behind. While I had an inkling about the identity of the stalker, I still found the story enjoyable overall. It was fast-paced and included some steamy moments between the two characters as they transitioned from friends to lovers. I give this installment four stars and can’t wait to read more in this spin-off series.
Single/Dual POV: Dual POV.
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s the first book in the spin-off series (Lotus MC: San Antonio) and is an interconnected standalone. I do encourage reading the Lotus MC series so you can meet the other members of Lotus MC, especially Colt who is mentioned only in this book.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you are looking for an MC romance that is full of mystery and suspense and love reading Friends to Lovers storylines, then check out Savage by Cala Riley.
What to Expect:
✔️Motorcycle Club Romance
✔️Friends to Lovers
✔️Found Family
✔️Sassy Heroine
✔️Alpha Hero
✔️No Third Act Breakup
About Cala Riley
Cala Riley, better known as Cala and Riley, are a pair of friends with a deep seated love of books and writing. Both Cala and Riley are happily married and each have children, Cala with the four-legged kind while Riley has a mixture of both two-legged and four. While they live apart, that does not affect their connection. They are the true definition of family. What started as an idea that quickly turned into a full-length book and a bond that will never end.
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My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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