Saving Toby

Save Me, Book 1

By: Suzanne McKenna Link

Narrated by: Willa Jaymes, Gomez Pugh

Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

A man forced to go home to the town that gave up on him.

A woman who fights to look past his reputation.

A love affair no one saw coming.

After leaving his notorious family’s reputation in the rearview, Toby reluctantly returns home to care for his ailing mother. When his old school crush takes the job to help him care for his mom, coming home suddenly has one hell of a silver lining.

Claudia knows all about Toby’s bad-boy reputation and has no intention of falling under his spell. But the handsome, kind, caring man she sees with his mother is not the same troublemaker she grew up with. Fight it as she does, Claudia cannot resist her blossoming feelings for the town bad boy.

When Toby’s past catches up to him and he’s falsely accused of a despicable hate crime, he’s shocked when Claudia, the daughter of a policeman, is the only person in town to stand up for him. Toby might be innocent, but he’s hiding an awful secret that could endanger Claudia and cost him everything he's ever cared about.

Can Toby and Claudia trust their hearts, clear his name, and find their way to love?

Saving Toby is the first standalone novel in the stirring New Adult romance series, Save Me. If you love deeply drawn characters, emotional roller coasters, and fierce devotion, then you’ll adore Suzanne McKenna Link’s story of star-crossed lovers.

©2014 Suzanne McKenna Link (P)2024 Pink Flamingo Productions

Nice!

While I liked the story there were many times I did not like the heroine. She seemed strong and has a mind of her own which is great. There were times she leaned one way soo hard only to turn about and go the other. Very wishy washy. It ended up really drawing the story out. It made me almost feel sorry for Toby who went through a lot, acted out got caught and dealt with it all. I was really rooting for him. Overall its a good story that people who like drama and emotion filled stories. PS I did love his mom!!

I listened to this on audio. Willa James and Gomez Pugh did a nice job on the narration.

Part 1 of 2

This book is long. It’s part 1 of 2. Toby doesn’t have the best reputation. He comes back to his small town to take care of his sick mother. When a crush from his past starts to help take care of his mother. Toby decides he will do anything to prove his worth to her. Claudia is a little childish in my opinion. She’s taking college classes and wants to transfer to a college closer to her mom. In her mind that’s all she ever wanted. In the process she hurts her dad’s feeling by choosing being closer to her mom and Toby’s by telling him she doesn’t want him to come with. During orientation Toby’s mom dies. Claudia immediately flys from California to New York. So she can be there for Toby. Toby breaks her heart and no matter what he does to try and prove that he’s not that guy anymore. Claudia will do what she must to protect her heart.

Emotional Journey

I'm not sure I know how to feel about this book. I felt like it was an emotional journey and young love for sure. Toby came from such a troubled upbringing that he had a lot of issues he needed to work through. Claudia was someone that made an impression on Toby at a young age. When they meet again it's interesting but nothing comes easy. Toby gets sucked back into the "old friend" vortex until he realizes that he can't just go along to get along anymore. Claudia seems like she's the mature one in the relationship to start with but then it seems like neither of them really is ready for a real relationship. So after a lot of work, drama and changing between who is all in they maybe able to end up with HEA but we'll have to wait to see if it sticks.

It was like I was watching a TV teenage drama

I'm kind of all over the place with this book. It is definitely a story of overcoming, personal growth, and has a lot of angst and heartbreak. It covers a pretty big timeline, which I don't mind...but the story still isn't complete. I feel like Toby and Claudia switch sides...a tennis match just came to mind...with who is all in, etc. I know they're young and so I suppose that's to be expected. There are some things I totally disliked about Toby, but then he seemed to grow. Then there are things I disliked about Claudia. It seems they belong together, but we have to wait to see them finish their journey. It was like I was watching a TV teenage drama (I'm going to date myself, but Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, The OC era...), and that isn't a slight but gives you an idea of the angst and drama you'll find. Narrators brought it to life.

Save Me - book 1

This is book 1 in Link's new Save Me series and revolves around our main characters Toby and Claudia. Toby's life has been anything but easy with family tragedy and difficulties one after another and thru it all he's somehow managed to hold on to some scruples. With that said, when you lay with pigs, you'll start to smell, and Toby's got a reputation based on the people he's been surrounded by - either by choice or not. I love that he somehow manages to find a few key people who see the good he is and tries to be. Claudia, I had a hard time with. Her claim of love seemed a bit selfish to me but on the flip side, they are so young, and you can't love others til you love yourself. Her push and pull with Toby made me a little crazy but I love that she was there when he needed someone the most. Definitely an emotional love story with plenty of hardships and a hope for a forever future. Oh, and I love the growth of the relationship between Toby and Claudia's dad - that may have been my favorite! A rollercoaster of a ride thru years of growth for our main characters, told in dual points of view and narrated beautifully by Jaymes and Pugh - I can't wait to see what Link will write next in following this journey!

This book was given to me for free at my request and I voluntarily provided this review.

emotional

Claudia is working at Toby's home, taking care of his mother while she has cancer treatments. She wants to work in the healthcare field, and this experience will be good on her application for college.
Her father objects to her working there. Toby is guilty by association, because of the troubles in his family.
Toby is broken, and Claudia has some issues she is dealing with, especially with her father.
It's an amazing beginning of this series. It is so emotional, full of drama and angst
Willa Jaymes and Gomez Pugh performance is so good. They both bring out the emotions of pain, angst , and passion . very well done.
#the flock on tour

Young Infatuation, Growing Up to Determine Who They Are

We meet the MMC Toby on his 16th birthday following a fight with his older. The dynamics of his relationship with his brother and his mother (quiet, docile and religious) and his friends (not positive influences) and his attraction to The MFC Claudia that has lasted for years
We meet Claudia after her first 2 years of college and her desire to work in geriatrics, living with her divorced law enforcement over protective father.
Tony and Claudia meet when Claudia is hired help care for Tony’s ill mother. So begins the turbulent relationship of Tony and Claudia. The reader and listener need to remember the ages of this couple, the dynamics that they have grown up with and how they need to grow and figure themselves out
My heart went out to each at different times and frustrated me at others, but keep listening and you get to the HFN. Hoping to see where these two go from here
This is a new author for me and worth following
Enjoyed the narration.

Excellent performance!

🔷 What I liked:
Likable, hard-working female lead, in grad school.
Loveable best friends (hers, not his).
Heroine’s father I loved to hate.
The crime twist/ side plot.
Hero’s super sweet mom.


🔷 What I didn’t love:
It’s very religious, but not advertised/presented as such.
I struggled with plausibility—the female lead has a curfew, has to seek ‘permission’ to do things like tattoo her own body, go on dates, take adult jobs, etc., despite being in her twenties. I found this extremely implausible.


🔷 Included tropes / tr!ggers:
🔹 V!rgin heroine.
🔹 ‘Bad boy’ hero, though he doesn’t actually do anything bad.
🔹 Racism and xenophobia.
🔹 Old (sort-of) friends to lovers.
🔹 New adult
🔹 Blackmail.
🔹 Workplace romance.

Overall:
This was a quick, sweet listen. I struggled with plausibility through much of it, but there were aspects to enjoy as well.

3 stars.


🎧 Audio:
Both narrators were great, both opted to perform and the overall sound quality is perfect. 🦩
5 stars.

Emotional...

3.5 Stars
Saving Toby is book one in the Same Me series. It's a modern day Beauty and the Beast story with all the feels. Claudia & Toby's story is an emotional roller coaster ride. It was intense and realistic. However my one complaint is their drama was drug out two hours too long. Their issues could have been resolved sooner than two years later. Otherwise it was a good read.

Willa Jaymes and Gomez Pugh did a good job with these character.

Dark twist of love story

I absolutely loved getting to know Toby and Claudia! His dark sordid past and her innocence make for the perfect duo!! I could keep listening to their love story all day. Narration was absolutely perfect!