I knew that this story was going to be very different than the other Kingmaker’s books and I was right. While it had very few elements related to the academy it felt as if it was its own story building up to its own series and I didn’t mind it at all. I was very curious about Adrik when we first met him, his cocky ways were instantly my favorite, and I knew he would rock my world. I also knew Sabrina would be this feisty stubborn character that would be a hard one to crack and I wanted to know more about her so I was excited to get this story. It is amazing writing with a very intriguing storyline that will keep you glued to each page but for me a few things felt off. I knew with these two characters who are both strong willed individuals, know what they want and will stop at nothing to get it, but this relationship was a bit toxic and their lack of communication when it came to disagreements was frustrating. I did like how strong they were, but at times Sabrina could come off as immature in this world she has grown up in. I have to say that in the end I ended up loving Adrik way more than I thought and was head over heels for him,he stole the show for me. When it came to Sabrina i liked her, yet I wanted to love her but I just couldn’t connect with her. I think I didn’t connect with her because she made me frustrated so much and it had absolutely nothing to do with the FMF or FF scenes because I’ve read things like this before, yet I did find it odd when Adrik says he doesn’t care who she f***s, he just wants her love and loyalty but to me loyalty is being faithful not sleeping with others. Overall this was a great story that was well written with characters that even if they frustrate you they make you fall in love with them and won’t let you go. ( )

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Introduction
The Savage is the fifth in the Kingmakers series and I absolutely was terrified of this book, I know that this one has been a really difficult one for so many there. And now that I have read it, I can definitely see why this one is such a difficult read and honestly it was definitely a change. Now in the first half I was really hopeful, then you get to the second half and it goes downhill and it happens fast and gets kinda bonkers if I am being honest, but am I surprised? Not really. Some of Lark's heroines go bananas haha I think its just how she tends to write them sometimes. And I knew this heroine would be a battle to even like. But its not a horrible book or anything and I feel like it connects dots on certain serial ties that was so fascinating. But if you are a fan of Sophie Lark and how she writes her heroines, than I do think this one is worth picking up.

Summary
Sabrina Gallo is a woman that is full of mystery and always on the hunt. She is never satisfied with life and shifts from one man after another and never being content. She has a restless energy that she is never able to satisfy long term. Her girlfriend has ended their relationship and even though it has hurt Sabrina she easily moves on from the hurt. Then we have Adrik Petrov, who is his own man and working on cultivating his own empire but ever since he met Sabrina, he has been intrigued and he wants to have her no matter what. He and Sabrina go on a journey together to build their empire with their wolf pack and its not as easy as either of them though. Both had certain expectations moving forward and they don't always mesh, but when passions rise between them, they could burn down the country of Russia if they aren't careful...

My Outlook
This story honestly has left me so speechless and I truly don't even know what to say about this one here. I wanted to really love this one, and I did keep a complete open mind on this one but *sigh* I just couldn't with this heroine. I really tried to like her, but she was such a challenge on that front. There is a certain type of heroine that Lark sometimes write and its not my type of heroine I enjoy because she can write these self destructive heroines that are so difficult to relate to or connect to on ANY level. At first I was hopeful but I did feel like Sabrina was a bit naive on how alpha mafia males work, has she not been paying attention at Kingmakers or even her own family? I was not shocked by Adrik's behavior at all, its very A typical of a mafia man. I understand why she was upset, but the road that we see her go down, was not necessary if she would have stopped acting like a spoiled child. Yep I said it lol she really acts so spoiled and that nothing bad can happen to her as long as he gets her own way. She eventually learns her lesson, but it takes a very dangerous path and puts all the people she loves in danger, and seeing how self destructive she becomes is very difficult. It's so hard to witness, that I almost DNF'd the book because of it or really just wanted to skip until the end of the story.

However this book isn't all bad and there were aspects of the story that I truly enjoyed at times. I really liked how well these two accept each other and create their own unique dynamic especially physically. Its definitely not conventional and there are FFM and FF scenes, so keep that in mind and it might now work for everyone. I appreciate what Sophie Lark was working towards with this story and why she wrote it, BUT, it was a hard one to read.

Overall View
I found The Savage while a struggle at times, had many redeeming qualities to the story and became so endeared by Adrik and Sabrina's connection that was unique and bold! .

Rating Evaluation:
Plot: 4
World Building:4.25
Cover:5
Hero: 4
Heroine: 2.5
Steam: 4
Heart & Feels: 3.5
Ending:3.5
Overall View: 3 ( )