Lauren Asher

Jax
Pills. Alcohol. Adrenaline.
I'm addicted to destructive decisions that numb my pain.
Until one night when I make a catastrophic mistake.
To repair my broken reputation, my team hires Elena --
An overpaid babysitter set on ruining my plans.
She's my damnation disguised as my salvation.
And my newest addiction.

Elena
I begged the universe to save me from my financial disaster.
It answered my call with a Formula 1 team desperate for a PR miracle.
One season. One job. One broody British racer.
Except that Jax turns our hotel room into a battleground.
To beat the enemy, I need to find his weaknesses.
What I learn threatens to ruin everything.
Him. Me. Us.
Love is a warzone, and neither one of us plans to surrender.


Wrecked

raia

Anger feels good. Anger feels so fucking good I want to hold on to the feeling rather than the anxiety pulling me under time and time again.

“I think I’m falling in love with you.”

The pawn doesn’t become a queen through sheer luck. It takes grit, work, and confidence.

And I’m so damn ready to make my way across the board.

Her soft brown eyes find mine. Bright and beautiful, with a hint of mischief. My kind of girl.

"I can’t change the cards I’ve been dealt, but I can change the way I approach my hand.”

If we let the nightmares define us, then we lose sight of our dreams.

“I don’t fear happiness. It’s more like I fear the despair that comes afterward.”

"It's addicting as fuck to have my problems disappear with the swallow of one pill.”

“The best part of my day,” Jax answers with another smile.

His eyes flash with a rare vulnerability I’m unaccustomed to seeing from him. “I was waiting for you. Because when you’re around, I feel something."

I’m on a lonely path of destructiveness with no end in sight. Turns out misery loves company, and I found her in a bottle of Jack and a refill of Xans.

“Why would I want to control what makes her special? That’s like asking the sun to stop shining.”

“Once the pawn makes it to the other side, it can turn into a queen. That’s who I want to be. The person who comes out stronger than when they started."

“Are you saying you’re better than my idea of you?”

Laura de Francisco

“I don't think anyone ever truly moves on. You can heal, sure, but letting go insinuates you don't want to remember anymore. And the memories aren't the problem. The mistake people make in life is that they assume pain is bad. But really, pain means you feel something. It means you’re alive. It's about using it as a weapon rather than a weakness. So, heal yourself, but don't let go of the memories. They're what make you so very you."

My hands tremble at the urge to be honest with her. “Because even though I tell myself daily you don't need someone as fucked up as me around you, I cant resist wanting more from you than I should." Something pushes me to cup her cheek. The same something in me that wants to pull her close and press my lips against hers.

Shanthu

Hana 

Emma Ouellet

Ellie M.

3.75 ⭐️

“I don’t need a happy ending. I want our ending.” 

Jax and Elena BROKE ME SO BAD HOLY SHIT. This book was such a wonderful yet bittersweet slow burn, high stakes romance with hilarious banter. These two had such a painful story yet it openly talked about healing from anxiety and trauma and to live in the fucking moment. Their journey to endgame had my heart clenching to the point of pain and I honestly doubted so much but thank fuck jaxelena absolutely pulled through.

abby

this book is definitely is not the kind you wished like the first and second. not everyone is able to keep up with such negative vibes but I am glad I finished. aside of the anxiety, sadness, disease that is described, this also allows you to heal. like, you may have an unfortunate moment in your life but it doesn't make you to stop. keep dreaming, keep reaching, and most importantly keep living your life to the fullest. I don't know how much I like this book out of 3 that I have read. but definitely the kind I would love to reread bc it instantly becomes my comfort book.

Renata

this book, was so good, but mostly about healing. 
i cried, laughed, got my heart warm. it was truly good. 
i love jaxelena sm, they are so strong 

- "I was waiting for you. Because when you're around, I feel something."

- "Love, is that you?" 
"Who's she?" A woman clutches onto his arm
"The best part of my day,"

- "Jax Kingston stole a piece of my heart, and I'm not sure if I'll ever get it back. And worse, I don't know if I want it."

- "I wish I hated you. But instead, you're making me like you more. You pretend to be this put-together person, but you're broken-damaged like me. And the absolute fucking worst is that I want to know your messed-up parts too. I want to put them together with mine and see what we create. So, I don't know whether to run in the opposite direction or beg you for a chance despite how much of an arse I've been," he whispers.
Oh, God. He thinks I'm sleeping.
"But most of all, I wish I wasn't a coward. I'm not brave. Fuck that. If I were, then I'd face my future for you. And bloody hell, if that doesn't worry me more than anything else. You have the power to change it
all"

- "You deserve moments worthy of buying a snow globe, not ones tainted with sadness and regret."

- "I'm not a selfless fucker. I take and take until there is nothing left to offer. But with Elena, I'm willing to share. The good, the bad, and the hopeless."

- "You. It's always been you. I was screwed ever since you walked into that McCoy conference room when Liam needed help. Even when I made it my mission to have you stay the fuck away from me.
Especially when you were vulnerable with me. I want to be broken with you." "Fuck the usual. I don't want to be picture-perfect with you. I want to be a fucking mosaic, made up of broken pieces so damn colorful, you can't help finding them beautiful."

- "Jax and I were never meant for any basic ending with the boy chasing the girl into the sunset. In our story, I'm the one who needs to embrace the dark to pull him out and save him. From our past. For our future. And most of all, for the love I know is stronger than any shitty diagnosis or anxiety. I don't need a happy ending. I need our ending. The one that might be messy and imperfect, but exclusively ours."

- "I came here because you deserve the whole goddamn world and every snow-globe moment. And I'm selfish because I want all those moments to be with me."

- "I wouldn't want it any other way. Live a messy life with me, Jax Kingston. I want chaos. I want darkness. I want sunshine and rainstorms with you. But most of all, I want you any way I can have you because I love you."

- "For all the days of my life, I promise you I won't push you away. When life gets hard, I'll lean on you.
When you need me, you can count on me to do the same. I want our kind of love story."

- "Elena Gonzalez, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter the place, the time, the issues. You're the hero in our story, willing to stand by my side, no matter how dark the future looks. All I want to do is make you mine, forever and always. No take backs."

- "To thank her for her love, forgiveness, and acceptance. To kiss away her doubts and show her I want it all. Hope is for men with their futures ahead of them. Hope is for those who wish under stars, or in a church, or in a desperate moment of need. And most of all, hope is for people like me."

Nialani Thompson

5 MILLION STARS!!!!! Ugh Jax and Elena were the perfect couple I’m so utterly obsessed with them. I love the heartache and the want that went into their relationship. I love that they embraced their relationship and didn’t fight it. My heart aches for them but I love the way they’re living. Everything was so perfect and I love that they were both “damaged” and “broken” so it wasn’t one fixes the other but they both grow and heal together. I feel like their love is so important because of how real it is. It’s perfectly imperfect. I was hooked on Jax when he got introduced as a tattooed bad boy and I was rightfully obsessed. I love Elena as well, someone who could keep up and had a fire in her from the start. I feel like they fit so well together, like a puzzle

Meghan Thompson 

** spoiler alert **
           “no take backs” 

4.5/5⭐️

first: pain 
second: anger 
third: pain again 

look I’m not a enemies to lovers girly I personally did not like that part of the book. Jax was so mean and I get it I truly understand why which makes me dismiss his meanness a bit. but like if I was Elena I would be crying all the time. this man was mean. 

also Ms Lauren Asher that freaking prologue. PAIN. from the very start but it also made me understand why Elena was the way she was because lordt. Elena honestly deserves the world and if Jax starts acting a fool I’m going to beat his ass because he put that woman through too much. 

nooooowwwwww the friendship in this book specifically with Liam and Sophie made me want to bawl my eyes out. this may be bcs Liam is my fav but also he just cares so much in his own way. also Elena’s bff Elías is the best book friend ever. man’s deserves the world. my little found family I love them all so much. 

*potential spoiler* 
something I found super interesting in this book is that the women reconciled the relationship after the whole third act break up. now was I cheering Elena on absolutely but would I take Jax back after what he did absolutely not. his actions and his words would of sent me packing. 
however I understand why he did it…it just pissed me off that he ruined so many things for her in the name of protecting her 

now I know Jax will give Elena the whole world and that makes me happy. I loved this book and how soft and marshmallow-y this man was but he still pissed me off with his stubborn ass 

love you Jax but I love Liam mooorrreeeee

So far the best book of the series! I absolutely love Jax and Elena’s story and real and raw it was! It is that a story where you get the usual happily ever after but the ending is something more special to both of them. Their entire journey and what got them to where they were. Their pasts, what they were already going through, and what would happen for them in the future. It was all a beautiful story and one I think I’ll always think about! I can see the improvement that LA had in her writing through these books and I’m so excited to be able to read and experience them all!

Priscilla Stanfield

Cherryreads

Alienthe 

Nie jestem w stanie opisać jak bardzo kocham książki Lauren Asher. 

Czytając pierwszą z serii nie wiedziałam czego mogę się spodziewać skoro nie znałam prawie w ogóle tematu F1. Te książki wprowadziły mnie w ten świat i jestem za to niesamowicie wdzięczna. 

Każda następna książka powiększa moją miłość do dzieł autorki. Wiem że czytając kolejną nie zawiodę się. 

Świetna historia o cudownych bohaterach a Jax to najcudowniejszy człowiek na ziemi. 

nic dodać nic ująć 

6/5

sienna

** spoiler alert **
           "Live a messy life with me, Jax Kingston. I want chaos. I want darkness. I want sunshine and rainstorms with you. But most of all, I want you any way I can have you because I love you.”

this book was truly incredible. words can't describe how much i cried during it. elena and jax are truly soulmates and are so perfect for eachother. i will never shut up about this book!!!!

Kissy 

Lauren, you better give me another extended epilogue or another jaxelena book bc this is not enough !!!!

Laura 

I've been casually enjoying this series, so far it's entertaining and fun. 
well, this one wasn't as fun for me because this book explores a character that suffers from anxiety, I also suffer from anxiety and I haven't dealt with it the correct way very much like Jax, so reading about it was a bit difficult for me.

Again this is just a casual read for me so I tend to enjoy it more if I don't analyze it too much. If you're looking for a steamy read with not that much going on and with okay writing then you might enjoy it. ( I guess this is a good series to get over a book slump) This series also reminds me of the off-campus series, just swap Hockey players to F1 drivers and voilà

felt the writing style could have been better but the angst in this one hit so well. 

sara kerr

oh my god the angst in this one was something else…this has to be one of my favourites

jude

Jax broke my heart, his and Elena’s story literally wrecked me. He just needs love and to be understood…

Julia pinheiro

I have never had a book mend and break my heart so many times! If you haven’t read this book already what the hell are you doing with your life!!!

Ella Sullivan

so I’ve been loving the dirty air series and I was really excited about wrecked, because lauren asher on the page before the prologue writes, “to all my anxious people, this one’s for you,” and for someone with anxiety, I was pumped. but seeing how lauren asher wrote out jax’s anxiety really turned me off. don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed the book outside of that, but jax’s anxiety was written pretty poorly. I wasn’t a fan of that. plus the whole pills aspect really made me want to puke. it just felt unbelievable? but I liked how different jax and elena’s backgrounds were compared to the 2 other couples. how easily jax was ready to be with elena threw me off, but it also made sense considering his impulsiveness throughout the book. the angst that occurred it the book, I wasn’t expecting the result, but afterwards I knew how it would play out. but I loved jax’s parents relationship with elena and how the rest carried out. their epilogues were adorable and definitely made my heart gushy.

Tara Bounkeovisane

These books have been wonderful to read. I think the only reason I took a half off is because I am reading them back to back and they are kind of starting to sound similar, but with different characters so the plot is just slightly different. Despite that, I still loved the book. Such an easy read because I love Lauren Asher’s writing. I did think this one was different than the others based on Elena & Jax’s backgrounds more unique than the first two books. It really had me think where the angst was going to play in. I think Lauren asher does such a great job with her character banter. And I especially loved Elena’s quick remarks that kept Jax on his toes. I will say the end did have me smiling ear to ear like collided, but it was still so sweet. If I play devils advocate a bit, I would say it’s kind of predicable though. Regardless, it was very enjoyable to read, just ranks lower than the others in the series.

ally cuabo 

catia

“I wouldn’t want it any other way. Live a messy life with me, Jax Kingston. I want chaos. I want darkness. I want sunshine and rainstorms with you. But most of all, I want you any way I can have you because I love you.”


Jax and Elena were both dealing with their own demons but found light in each other and I think that's so freaking beautiful!!
These two broke my heart into pieces and then put it back together, their story was truly one of the best i ever read! Loved everything! They deserve nothing but happiness!


  “For all the days of my life, I promise you I won’t push you away. When life gets hard, I’ll lean on you. When you need me, you can count on me to do the same. I want our kind of love story.”

Cathy

honestly one of the standout books of the series. ms asher really knocked it out of the park with this one.

Wrecked is a sensual love story about two broken people fighting for their futures while trying to overcome past and present adversities. 

This novel is an intimate exploration of mental health, genetic disease, and long-term trauma/PTSD. Lauren Asher beautifully tells the stories of Jax — who has lived with a huge secret for many years (resulting in him not allowing any one to get close to him) and Elena — a woman who follows all the rules so she can provide for herself and her Abuela, especially because she’s all alone and has no one to help her.

Jax Kingston is a one-time F1 World Champion with a notorious reputation for partying and sleeping around. At the start of the new season, his team is a true contender for another World Champion title and can’t afford any bad press, so they decide to hire a Public Relations specialist to manage Jax and repair his reputation.

As a PR and Crisis Manager, Elena Gonzalez is praying for her big break because she has bills to pay and a sick family member to care for. So, when she gets the call to work with Jax for 10 months — shouldering the responsibility of keeping him in line and repairing his reputation — at an outrageously unbelievable sum of money, she jumps at the opportunity.

Little does anyone (including his closest friends) know that Jax has purposely curated his reputation with the intention of never letting anyone get too close to him. He has a secret: there’s a 50% chance he has Huntington’s disease, and he doesn’t believe that he has very long to live a “normal” life, so he doesn’t want to burden someone with his love.

Elena is also carrying a heavy weight: she lives with the trauma and PTSD of the gruesome murders of her parents when she was just a child.

With forced proximity and undeniable attraction, Elena and Jax are a collision waiting to happen. The question is: will they allow each other in and work together to overcome their adversities, or will they shut each other out and settle for half lives.

Filled with beautiful moments of happiness and healing, as we all as heartbreaking moments of grief and loneliness: Jax and Elena’s story is an unforgettable one. 

I’d be completely failing if I didn’t highlight their mouthwatering sexual chemistry. It’s a slow burn that’s worth the wait and all the more rewarding. 

For my Dirty Air fans, fear not: we get great content with our favorite Bandini and McCoy boys and girls (I’m looking at you, James Mitchell🤤). Plus, we are introduced to new characters (on and off the track) that will quickly become favorites!

Ultimately, Wrecked weaves the threads of love, family, despair, hopelessness, friendship, passion, grit, and tenacity to create a tapestry of a story that you won’t soon forget!

☞ mention of anti-interracial relationships

Skye

Wrecked is a sensual love story about two broken people fighting for their futures while trying to overcome past and present adversities. 

This novel is an intimate exploration of mental health, genetic disease, and long-term trauma/PTSD. Lauren Asher beautifully tells the stories of Jax — who has lived with a huge secret for many years (resulting in him not allowing any one to get close to him) and Elena — a woman who follows all the rules so she can provide for herself and her Abuela, especially because she’s all alone and has no one to help her.

Jax Kingston is a one-time F1 World Champion with a notorious reputation for partying and sleeping around. At the start of the new season, his team is a true contender for another World Champion title and can’t afford any bad press, so they decide to hire a Public Relations specialist to manage Jax and repair his reputation.

As a PR and Crisis Manager, Elena Gonzalez is praying for her big break because she has bills to pay and a sick family member to care for. So, when she gets the call to work with Jax for 10 months — shouldering the responsibility of keeping him in line and repairing his reputation — at an outrageously unbelievable sum of money, she jumps at the opportunity.

Little does anyone (including his closest friends) know that Jax has purposely curated his reputation with the intention of never letting anyone get too close to him. He has a secret: there’s a 50% chance he has Huntington’s disease, and he doesn’t believe that he has very long to live a “normal” life, so he doesn’t want to burden someone with his love.

Elena is also carrying a heavy weight: she lives with the trauma and PTSD of the gruesome murders of her parents when she was just a child.

With forced proximity and undeniable attraction, Elena and Jax are a collision waiting to happen. The question is: will they allow each other in and work together to overcome their adversities, or will they shut each other out and settle for half lives.

Filled with beautiful moments of happiness and healing, as we all as heartbreaking moments of grief and loneliness: Jax and Elena’s story is an unforgettable one. 

I’d be completely failing if I didn’t highlight their mouthwatering sexual chemistry. It’s a slow burn that’s worth the wait and all the more rewarding. 

For my Dirty Air fans, fear not: we get great content with our favorite Bandini and McCoy boys and girls (I’m looking at you, James Mitchell🤤). Plus, we are introduced to new characters (on and off the track) that will quickly become favorites!

Ultimately, Wrecked weaves the threads of love, family, despair, hopelessness, friendship, passion, grit, and tenacity to create a tapestry of a story that you won’t soon forget!

Read if you like:

♡ F1 🏎 🏁

♡ forced proximity 

♡ “fix him” trope 

♡ grumpy/sunshine

♡ slow burn

♡ pop culture references 

♡ self-made women 

♡ tight friendship groups 

♡ close family

♡ mental health awareness

♡ sexual tension

♡ heat and spice 

♡ London 

Trigger warnings:

☞ parental death 

☞ murder 

☞ anxiety 

☞ Huntington’s disease 

☞ Alzheimer’s 

☞ depression

☞ Cancer (adolescent) 

☞ mention of anti-interracial relationships

Can I just say how much this book ripped me apart emotionally cause omg this was such a good one??
Jax made me cry every chapter for no reason but god Elena too😭 such a sweet pairing like I love how this series is getting better every book after. Like come on, medical disease and mentally not stable? This is my jammm😍 So far, this book is my favorite one out of all the em in the series. But hey book number 4 let’s get it🤪

Katie Fountain

The whole dirty airs series has been so good so far. This is the 3rd out of 4 books and I cried. It’s the saddest out of all of them and I literally was in shock most of the book. I didn’t love the 2nd one as much so I wasn’t expecting much with this but it reignited my feelings I felt after the 1st one. 

This is a great series by the author who wrote The Fine Print and Terms and Conditions. 

Ashley 

This was a page turner, I read this in a day. Loved the main characters.

Wrecked

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