Title:
Saving Toby
Author:
Suzanne McKenna Link
Release
date: August 26th, 2013
Genre:
New Adult
Book
Description:
Loving someone
through their hard fall from grace takes a lot of grit.
In school, Toby
Faye was a moody kid who sat in the back of class and looked like he wanted to
be anywhere but there. Claudia Chiametti, the perfect student, always sat in
the front row. She might have forgotten him if it weren't for the fact that his
family had been involved in two tragic events. In the small town of Sayville,
Long Island, many knew of the family’s dark history.
Hired on as a
caretaker to Mrs. Faye, Claudia is thrown into the lives of the widow and her
son — a world where sadness lingers and old wounds run deep. Now twenty-one,
Toby is not so quiet. A mass of muscles and unruly hair, he is a real head turner.
He is jaunty with the confidence his masculine good looks afford him. While not
immune to his sexual advances, Claudia sees beyond the cocky grin. Up close,
his blue-grey eyes expose something else.
Despite her
father’s stern warnings about the family’s violent history, Claudia is
empathetic to their plight and vows to help both mother and son move past the
hurt. This endeavor forces her to face situations she never imagines possible.
She must be tougher than she's ever had to be. Does Claudia have the grit to
love Toby through his fall?
Saving Toby, the author's debut novel, is the first book of a two-part story that follows the emotional and gritty tale of a young couple's journey to find themselves and the love they never dreamed existed.
Saving Toby, the author's debut novel, is the first book of a two-part story that follows the emotional and gritty tale of a young couple's journey to find themselves and the love they never dreamed existed.
*Due to some explicit scenes and language, this fictional story is meant for mature readers.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18661231-saving-toby?ac=1
Book Excerpt:
Breaking off our kiss, he put his mouth near my ear.
“So, how long do you usually wait?” he asked, his voice lilted and husky.
“Wait for what?” I asked, hoping he wasn’t asking
what I thought he was asking. Knowing he was.
Pulling back, he looked at me. “Your internet
connection,” he said wryly. “Come on, Claude. It doesn’t have to be carved in
stone, just an estimate.” He must have mistaken my expression to mean I didn’t
understand the question. He rephrased, “Tell me how long you want to wait
before we can, you know, get tight.”
Oh, God. How do I answer this? “I don’t know. I never thought about it
in terms of time.”
“If it feels right, you just do it?”
He didn’t get it, but I was concentrating on where
his thing pushed into me, and trying so hard to be still, my brain was
paralyzed. I could barely manage a complete thought, let alone talk. I shook my
head.
“No?” he asked. He stopped touching me and tilted
his head in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
Our mismatch was rearing its ugly head. It was all
so ridiculous—my complete overwhelmed state, his expression, and our bumbling
miscommunication.
At the same time, I couldn’t help but find it
humorous. I giggled and bit my lip trying to suppress the embarrassment. “I
can’t say.”
“You can’t or you won’t?”
I took his confusion as opportunity to sit up and
shift so I could see his face. I wanted to observe his expression when I
clarified my answer.
“As you probably know, I’ve always been very focused
on school,” I said, carefully picking through my words. He waited patiently, so
I continued. “In high school, dating took a back seat to schoolwork. And now,
with my heavy course load of health classes, it’s been even less important to
me. So,” I took a breath and willed myself to finish it up, “as you
might imagine, I don’t have a lot of experience racked up in my sexual
repertoire.”
His eyes did a little whirligig thing, spinning
around. “You’re a … virgin?”
He spoke as if we were talking about a mythical
entity like Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster.
I looked down at my fingers, puckered my lips, and
nodded.
“Holy shit!” He pressed his hands atop his head as
if I’d told him some earth-shattering news. My face, I’m sure, was crimson.
And then he had the nerve to laugh.
I shoved his arm. “It’s not funny!”
He rubbed his hand over his face and blinked his
eyes. “I’m sorry. I don’t actually think it’s funny, but it never occurred to
me that you’d never been with someone. I suppose that’s nice…”
“Nice?” I snapped. “It’s discerning,
selective. Moral.”
Toby blew out and slowly sat up next to me, his
manner suddenly subdued. “Does that mean you straight-out won’t have sex?”
Letting me consider my answer, he remained quiet.
Negotiating sex. Way, way, way out of my comfort zone. I didn’t expect to have
to deal with this so soon. Was this the ‘customary talk’ he had with all
his girlfriends? Ugh, I was so out of my league.
“So,” he prompted. “What is it?”
I didn’t know. The answer didn’t seem so clear cut.
Without responding, I threw my hands up in the air. “This isn’t going to work.”
Humiliated, I stood and pulled out my car keys. The
faster I got out of there, the better.
“Hold up.” Toby snagged a belt loop on my jeans, and
unfolding himself from the couch, he hauled me against him. I held myself
stiffly in his arms. “Hey,” he said, raising my chin so I would look at him. “I
didn’t think you’d be someone who gave up so easily.”
“Because you expect me to be different than I am,” I
challenged.
His eyes traveled over my face. “I did. But you are
way more than I expected. Virginal you—you who laughs at all my jokes, makes me
quit smoking, forces me think about college classes, and for the first time,
makes me happy to be home. Claudia Chiametti. You. Are. Perfect.”
“Yeah, right. Virginity is a dirty word to you.”
He shook his head. “No, I actually like that no one
has ever touched you before. I’m not saying we have to get busy, like, tomorrow
or anything. I only want to know you’d consider it.” Lowering his chin, he gave
me a hopeful look.
Leaning away, I crossed my arms. “What if I say no?”
“I won’t lie, I’d be disappointed.” He tugged at my
arms until I allowed him to place them around his neck. “But, I would try very
hard to make you change your mind.”
About
the Author:
Suzanne McKenna
Link is the debut author of SAVING TOBY. The literary love
story follows the moving journey of a damaged young man and his love for a girl
who might just save him. An avid interest in psychology has Suzanne digging
deep into the reasons for her characters' behaviors. The native Long Islander
is fascinated by the how and why of people's actions. As a result, her
characters come to life on the pages.
Suzanne is
currently working on "Keeping Claudia," the emotional sequel and
finale to Saving Toby. To keep up-to-date on Suzanne’s newest writing endeavours.
Official Website: http://suzannemckennalink.blogspot.pt/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneMckennaLink
Tour Giveaway:
Prize: 5USD Amazon Gift Card + Copies of the book
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Schedule: http://bit.ly/KtBUdI
I've already read this - it took only a few days since I couldn't put it down! I can't wait until 'Keeping Claudia' comes out.
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