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Salana Livingston did everything right, from taking her multi-vitamin to kneeling before bed to say her prayers every night. She followed the path her parents had planned before she was born, never questioned the role until the day a bus-load of sweaty kids from the Bronx got dropped at her parents' horse farm.

Tiago Alcazar knew a life of hard knocks. An incarcerated father, a missing and strung-out mother who left him to rely on his aged grandmother for most of his life.

Tiago runs the mean streets of the neighborhood that raised him, living hand-to-mouth, everyday a gift, if he can just make it.

Burdened by a world that only wants to see her as perfect, Salana finds her greatest confidant in a boy society has labeled as worthless. Their paths cross too many times for their stubborn hearts to deny the connection, but can the delinquent and the debutant defy the odds and overcome the social constructs that condemn them?

258 pages, ebook

First published June 4, 2018

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About the author

Mara White

24 books588 followers
Mara White is a contemporary romance and erotica writer who laces forbidden love stories with hard issues, such as race, gender and inequality. She holds an Ivy League degree but has also worked in more strip clubs than even she can remember. She is not a former Mexican telenovela star contrary to what the tabloids might say, but she is a former ballerina and will always remain one in her heart. She lives in NYC with her husband and two children and yes, when she’s not writing you can find her on the playground.


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5 stars
135 (39%)
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107 (31%)
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59 (17%)
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27 (7%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
Profile Image for Christy.
4,081 reviews34.6k followers
June 8, 2018


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Flesh doesn’t know race and class, it only knows need and want, gratification and comfort.

Salt is a powerful and poignant story about two people from completely different walks of life. This is one of those books that will touch your heart. It will make you feel and make you think, and it’s not a typical romance. It’s a journey you walk through with both of these characters. It’s not always pretty, but it’s tangible and true. 

I love forbidden love stories and those opposite attract type tales. This is a classic troupe and one that was portrayed perfectly.
The delinquent and the debutant.

Salana grew up in Connecticut. She’s a privileged girl and has never wanted for anything. As a teen, she meets Santiago, or Tiago. Tiago’s parents are not only absent, but addicts. He is raised by his Grandma and spends most of his time on the streets. He doesn’t want to be this way, but what else can he do. There could not be two people any more different than Tiago and Salt, but when they meet, sparks fly. As their story progresses, every time they come back together it’s still there.

The connection these two characters had from the moment they first met was completely undeniable. It was palpable. As time went on and they went through different things, when ever they were together, the connection only grew. I think Salana is an amazing and strong character, but Tiago’s character blew me away. Coming from what and where he did, life was not easy for him. He did it though. He somehow managed to do the unthinkable and rise above. To take the hand he was dealt and somehow turn it into something good. I felt pride for him and adored his character.
Between the sheets was their ground zero. There was no class war, no cultural differences when they were marking and owning one another’s flesh. It didn’t matter who Salana was and Santiago wasn’t when the physical language their bodies spoke was more clear than most human communication. It wasn’t just sexual, the explosive chemistry that rocked them—their connection was also spiritual.

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This book is real, it’s raw, and it’s beautifully written. The romance aspect wasn’t the part I loved the most, even though I did love it. I loved watching both of the characters change, grow, and through it all, support each other. Their stories- both of their stories- were inspiring to me. This book really spoke to me. Sometimes there aren’t choices and all we can do is work with the hand we are dealt. I appreciated this book and the message it gave. This is my first book written by Mara White, and I’ll be reading many more to come!!!
Profile Image for SueBee★bring me an alpha!★.
2,417 reviews14.8k followers
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June 4, 2018


FRIENDS TO STAR-CROSSED LOVERS…

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Blurb:
Book Blurb:
Salana Livingston did everything right, from taking her multi-vitamin to kneeling before bed to say her prayers every night. She followed the path her parents had planned before she was born, never questioned the role until the day a bus-load of sweaty kids from the Bronx got dropped at her parents' horse farm.
Tiago Alcazar knew a life of hard knocks. An incarcerated father, a missing and strung-out mother who left him to rely on his aged grandmother for most of his life.
Tiago runs the mean streets of the neighborhood that raised him, living hand-to-mouth, everyday a gift, if he can just make it.
Burdened by a world that only wants to see her as perfect, Salana finds her greatest confidant in a boy society has labeled as worthless. Their paths cross too many times for their stubborn hearts to deny the connection, but can the delinquent and the debutant defy the odds and overcome the social constructs that condemn them?
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,322 reviews9,243 followers
May 31, 2018
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SALT: Is a full length romance novel by new to me author ‘Mara White’ Spoken in ‘Dual Perspectives. In this we meet Salana Livingston & Tiago Alcazar.

When opposites attract..As different as chalk and cheese, she was from a privileged background and he was born in the ghetto. Tiago is half Puerto Rican/half Dominican. Salana was raised in a life of privilege.

“But there was no way of getting around who they were—she was born into a life of elite privilege and he, into the cold, hard fist of poverty.”

Under normal circumstances these two probably would not have met, they don’t rub shoulders with the same crowd, go to the same school or even know the same friends.

But once they came into contact with each other there was something that sparked between them, in some ways it was taboo, it’s unheard of when a white girl who comes from money is seen with a boy not in their circle, is of coloured skin, doesn’t come from money and his social standing is zilch, but when these two are together none of that matters. He’s sees what she struggles to show the rest of the world, she doesn’t have to hide who she really is or what she wants to become.

This person had never known hardship, her trust in life was painfully innocent, this wasn’t a person waiting for the other shoe to drop, because nothing had ever dropped for her, nothing at all.

This definitely won't be the last time I read anything by this author.

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Profile Image for Jessica Hull.
935 reviews657 followers
May 26, 2018
I first fell in love with Mara White's heartfelt, forbidden romances when I read Maldeamores. That storyline still holds such a special place in my heart. Never before had my heart felt so much uncertainty and desperation while reading a romance, a story that oozed impossibility and rightness all at once. Well, White takes us back to the sultry streets of Washington Heights with Salt, delivering more of those conflicting emotions, more of the complicated impossibility surrounding the forbidden romance between Santiago and Salana and IT. IS. EVERYTHING. 

My heart hasn't returned to it's normal rhythm since I turned the last page of this story. I dont know what or why or how, but each story Mara White crafts in the Heights resonates with me on some deep inexplicable level. I am SO into these books, so drawn to these characters, so consumed by the gritty, illicit attraction between personalities that aren't supposed to make sense together but do. Salt is no exception, falling right in line with the standalone romances that have come before it, intoxicating the reader with angst and sensuality and uncertainty. I was consumed. I'm just as drawn to Tiago as Salana was and my heart broke for them, for all the reasons they can never be, for all the ways they save each other, for all the obstacles between them, for everything they face together and apart on these pages.  It's excruciatingly beautiful and I loved every moment. 

Mara White is a master at creating stories and characters that claw their way under my skin and never relent. She's also a master manipulator that I never fully trust to deliver an HEA, so she had me on the edge of my seat the entire way through. I can't even explain how twisted up this story had me in all the best ways. Like Lucky and Jaylee before him (if you don't know them, come out from under that rock you're living under and go read Mara White's  backlog), Santiago had me mesmerized. I didn't care that he was a criminal. I didn't care that he was broke. I didn't care that he was abandoned by a junkie, or covered in tattoos, or that he was raised by his grandmother and by the streets in the projects, or that he was a high school drop out. I saw what Salana saw and I was desperate for him to get everything he wanted even when the world tells him he's not good enough. 

This book is layered with heavy emotions, with powerful messages about social issues, with lush romance. Buckle in for an INTENSE reading experience with Salt because the angst and the slow burn and the longing and yearning and devastation are on another level. This is one seriously powerful read, one wholly unforgettable love story, one unbelievably captivating course of events that literally took my breath away. From start to finish, these characters take the reader along on a journey with them that I never wanted to end. Salt hurts so good. It's hopeful and joyful and INSPIRING and it's rife with delicious pleasure pain that will leave your heart aching from the barrage of feels on every single page.
Profile Image for Alissa.
421 reviews74 followers
June 3, 2018
4.5 stars- Tiago & Salana’s story is not one I’ll soon forget! This book really makes you think, and the main message is that you can’t always judge a person by their appearance. Tiago - who we’ve all seen in person on the streets - had the biggest heart. He’s had a rough life and yet he sees the good in people. Then there’s Salana (Salt) and her circle of beautiful people who have never had to work hard and yet can hold such ugliness inside of them.

This story was edgy and gritty and unpredictable. I did have a few issues along the way where I wanted more detail on situations that happened (like how we got from one point in the story, to then 10 years later and there was no explanation on why things changed). Sorry that’s vague but I don’t want to give anything in the story away! And I felt the same on events towards the end of the story, Salt was so wishy washy and frustrated me! I’m so happy with how it ended though!

Definitely take a chance on this book when you’re looking for something different, I highly recommend!
Profile Image for Wil Loves Books!.
1,232 reviews489 followers
November 30, 2018
This was overall a good read. It actually got progressively better for me as it went on. However, in all honesty I really thought I would love it more than I actually did. Something still rubbed me the wrong way about this one, I feel that this Latino character definitely came across as a caricature, which is a peeve of mine. This caricature behavior just made the story seem a little unrealistic to me. Everyone was just so over the top, overdone. Not sure how to explain it but I just didn’t “get it”. Also there’s tons of inner dialogue and issues with story continuity, at times when really important stuff happened the storyline doesn’t quite wrap up and then the story moves forward (time jumps) leaving you wondering what the heck happened. At times, I found myself highly annoyed by the behavior of these two MCs, they seriously acted like children. It was just really hard for me to get on board with the love story on this one outside the sex, which they had lots and lots. On the other hand, the writing is beautiful and the ending and epilogue are everything.
Profile Image for Laura Lee.
953 reviews170 followers
May 29, 2018
Salt
By: Mara White
5+++ Stars

I opened my kindle and did not close it until I flipped the very last page. This story as like all of Mara White’s stories has many layers to it. You are reading a story of two young kids who fall in love and we read the story spanning many years. Not always together, but together always.

Yet in the same story, we read about what life really is like. On both sides of the fence. We all want to be treated equally. We all want to grow up and be successful. We all want the same things in life. Yet, with life…we all don’t get the same.

The journey throughout the years this story takes us on is told in all truthfulness. Nothing is held back. We feel the sorrow, the pain, the distance. But most of all we feel the love between these two.

Can two people from two totally different life styles be so much in love?
Can two people who want nothing but to have happiness in their lives, such as the happiness they feel when they are together survive?

I’ve not read a Mara White book yet that hasn’t sucked me in! Salt is among the very top of my list for favorites from this author. The writing is perfect, the flow is consistent, the emotional journey is twisting and turning. This book is one that all need to read!!!

Loved Salt and Tiago’s story!!!

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Profile Image for TJ *Book Twins Reviews*.
1,093 reviews2,542 followers
June 3, 2018
Wow! Salt is angsty, emotional, real, and raw.
A tale of two cultures! Santiago, a poor kid from the hood falls in love with Salana at first sight. She's everything he's not. Well bred, wealthy, and white. However, the immediate chemistry between these two characters is undeniable.

This is a super angsty and gut-wrenching read. I was crying like a crazy person during parts of it and other parts I wanted to hurl my kindle across the room. If you're an emotional angst junkie, this is SO your jam!

Here's what I loved:
The author really goes all in. The book feels authentic. The language, the different speech patterns, the descriptions, and the overall differences between the characters jumps off the pages! I really commend her for writing a story where the characters feel amazingly authentic. Tiago's cultural differences and disadvantages are fully explored. You get a true sense of his struggle. The same for Salana. You see her struggle just as fully as his. Growing up wealthy doesn't make her immune to life's struggles.

The story is epic! It spans a huge amount of time and these two characters experience so many heart-breaking events together. They face so many obstacles time and again. My heart was pounding through much of the book. Lot's of drama and angst!

The most impressive is the character though. Again, I was impressed by there voices and their experiences. It feels real. My feelings were raw. I felt all the feelings and was left breathless. Well done.

I had some minor issues with the language in a couple spots and timing/transitions, but other than that, this is a fantastic and heart-wrenching read. Recommended!




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Profile Image for Auden Dar.
Author 7 books1,041 followers
May 7, 2018
Ten unforgettable and beautiful stars!

I finished SALT and few days ago and Ms. White's characters are still in my thoughts. Last night, I mentioned to my husband how much I had been affected by Tiago and Salana's story. I need to add that I shared passages with my hubby while reading the book. I never do that, and hubby loved what I had read to him.

There are books you love and then there are stories that you not only love, but will always remember and treasure. Without a doubt, SALT is that kind of story. It's gripping, raw, and so intense, I swear I felt my heart jump out of my chest a couple of times.

Full review to be posted after release.
Profile Image for Betül.
1,022 reviews279 followers
May 29, 2018
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**

description

"But there was no way of getting around who they were—she was born into a life of elite privilege and he, into the cold, hard fist of poverty."

My previous read by Mara White, Touched was one of my favorites of 2017, so I was pretty excited about Salt. I love stories where one of the characters is from the 'wrong side of the tracks'. Because I love seeing how two complete different people can eventually come together, find a common ground and fall in love. Mara White did an incredible job in showcasing this to readers with Salt.

"Tiago felt real, he felt raw and gritty, and yet he was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stifling environment."

When I started reading this book, I didn't really know what to expect from the story and characters. It even felt a bit rushed in the beginning, and I couldn't fully connect to the characters. I also didn't feel a strong connection between Salt and Tiago. However, the story was intriguing and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

"Maybe to her he was some random guy she slept with once. To him, the encounter had been transformative—a nick in his very soul that had never quite scarred over all the way."

Eventually, it all came together and I was rooting for this unlikely couple. What I loved most about Salt was how real and raw the story was. It wasn't a fairy tale and it wasn't easy for this couple but it felt very genuine. I loved the character development so much in this book, especially that of Tiago. This guy was dealt such a bad hand in life, but with the right people around him to motivate and support him he was trying to turn his life around. I loved seeing his transformation, and I also loved his loyalty to Salt.

"Santiago would appear dangerous to anyone else, but to Salana he was an oasis, the one star that could shine through the layers of darkness."

Salt is another great book by Mara White, and I continue to be impressed by her story-telling. There was some heartbreak and emotional moments in this book, but it was also a very uplifting and inspirational story. I am already looking forward with what she will come up next. There are still a couple of her books I still need to read, so I'll be adding those to my TBR list.

"Between the sheets was their ground zero. There was no class war, no cultural differences when they were marking and owning one another's flesh."
Profile Image for S.M. West.
Author 39 books1,205 followers
June 3, 2018
5 Stars

Salt is my first Mara White book and I simply loved it. Tiago Alcazar stole my heart. To say I loved this character means nothing. Adored him. Couldn't get enough of him. Could spend days in his mind! Tigao was such a complex, original and endearing soul. He made this story for me.

The story of Salana Livingston and Santiago Alcazar is layered and rich with memorable characters--an original take on the age old love story of clashing classes and ethnicity. Salt and Tiago's tale spans a lifetime starting in their teens and while time and circumstance pulls them in different directions, they somehow always run into each other.

"Be kind, Tiago. Do the work. The salt of the earth will be the light of the world."

This is a must read!

*I voluntarily read this ARC*

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Profile Image for TeriLyn.
1,356 reviews435 followers
May 29, 2018
**Salt generously provided in exchange for an honest review.**

4 "Come with me." Stars

Fate collides these two souls over and over again in this emotional tale where the privileged girl meets the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The depth of this story goes far beyond that though. It's a story of perseverance and owning who you are in whatever you can while making yourself the best you possible. It's about our world, cultures, and the extreme problems we face in regards to human conditions. Mara White took this romance to a higher level with compassion, understanding, and two soul mates destined for glory.

Tiago and Salana should have never met. Both born and raised into two very different lives the pair share an unlikely destiny. Fate tethers them to this story and to each other through very emotionally, life changing circumstances where they come to realize how closely their connected and what that connection means in going the distance. Hard but not cynical versus soft but a little jaded meet and explore each other in the ways that make a romance lasting. Mutual respect and admiration preserve their abundant, intense feelings as they navigate the social constraints of their relationship and their lifestyles. Sacrifices were made and Salana helps Tiago figure out exactly what's he capable of being and how they can make each other stronger. That's what fascinated me the most about these two I think. They built each other up without even trying and at first, barely understanding why. It's like soulful, inexplicable but strong bond that makes them crazy, romantic, empathetic, and wonderful.

I really enjoyed Salt. Told from the third person point of view, the story brings to light intellectual, important topics that need to be told through human condition feelings. Real feelings and emotions and struggles are plenty here and really connected me to the story. As it neared the end I thought it went a little sideways and I was overwhelmed by details I didn't feel were warranted but nothing detracted me from wanting to know where these two were going. And even in some of those details true progress points came to light. It's just a lot of conflict was squeezed into the end. Some transitions were a bit wonky and I didn't realize we went from one place to another so quickly until I re-read the specific passage. Overall, I'm enlightened and excited about Tiago and Salana. Salt was a great introduction for me to Mara White's story telling and I'm excited for more.
Profile Image for ~♡AB♡~.
974 reviews687 followers
July 10, 2018
★★★★ 4.5 Stars ★★★★

LOVED! This book ticked so many boxes for me, it was a book that I will always remember.

Salana is privileged and white, but even at the tender age of 16 when she meets Tiago, she see's the person that he is deep down and doesn't care that he comes from the projects, or that his skin is not the same as hers - she falls in love without even realising it until many years later.

What I loved most about this book was the connection that they shared, it was truly beautiful. Tiago was a man born to a life of drug abuse, poor opportunities, and a world full of prejudice, but he fights for the woman he knows he deserves.

A forbidden, inter-racial and sexy romance - with a side of angst.

High on my list of best books of 2018.

Recommend!

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Profile Image for Heather❀Kiss The Pages❀.
710 reviews296 followers
June 10, 2018
Mara White brings us a raw and gritty love story of two people who by society's standards should have never fallen in love with each other. This book consumed and enraptured me! It was wickedly sexy while tackling difficult issues of race and social status.

I love how real this book was. This author doesn't play. She tells it as it is and the naked truth of Tiago's reality was open and evident throughout these pages. Raised by his grandmother in the projects with absent drug addict parents left him with no real role models. As a teenager, he visits a horse farm on a state funded field trip where he meets Salana. Salana is his complete opposite. She is the white to his brown. The wealth to his poverty. The academic and the high school dropout. These two are naturally drawn to each other and their lives intertwine at intermittent times from teenagers into adulthood.
Because flesh doesn’t know race and class, it only knows need and want, gratification and comfort. And Salana’s body sought him out. Her heart, too, knew where he came from and it didn’t care...

Salana seeks out Tiago in times of need because she knows he won't judge her and he brings her a sense of comfort that she can't find anywhere else. Despite the tattoos, bling and slouching pants, Tiago is the most caring and upstanding man she knows. All her parents and other people from her world see is a thug but she sees the man that just wants to take care of his grandmother and make a solid life for himself but just doesn't have the resources to make it happen.

The social injustice is so painful to read. Tiago has completely captured my heart! He is sexy AF and despite his circumstances, this man keeps getting up and pushing forward. He always had a great attitude and an even amazing heart. He was the only one who supported Salana and her dreams even if it was not in his best interest.

The passion this couple have for each other is so intense. This book was insanely sexy and their attraction was almost animalistic. The sexiness, the touch of forbidden and the struggles this couple had to deal with to get their HEA made this book absolute perfection. Highly recommended!

5 Stars
Standalone
Heat Level: Moderate
POV: Dual
HEA


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Profile Image for The Book Bee.
565 reviews277 followers
June 11, 2018
REVIEW: 4 STARS
"Why did his heart call to hers and block out all the meaningless noisy stuff?"


Y.E.S. This book. This love. This truth. This depth. I am not sure I will accurately be able to convey all that I loved about this book. At some points it was an uphill battle for me, but I loved it by the time I was finished with it. Not only did Mara White jump into a very deep love that was, for all intents and purposes, an "unconventional match" between two people at very different social standings in life, but she did it in such a powerful way that mastered every hurdle thrown their way. I love that they manipulated the odds in their favor just by living life. I felt this book from the first page until the very last, and the emotions were so intense, I almost chucked my kindle!! I think my favorite part about this book was that none of it was conventional in the truest sense of the word.

Salana was an amazing person, inside and out. She had insight mixed with innocence and that was admirable, but her unbiased mentality was a beautiful thing to witness. She was an honest person with a good soul, deep down. She didn't allow others to dictate acceptance in her eyes. She had such a strong sense of self, and I feel that strength was her guiding light throughout all the crazy these two dealt with. Not only in their collective circumstances, but in their bubble together as well. Their pull and their chemistry was absolutely evident and completely undeniable.

Tiago was the very description of a boy from the 'hood. His upbringing, his lifestyle, his world, is vastly different than Salana's, and to "picture" him? I saw the cornrows and the saggy pants, the white tank and the gold chains around his neck, but I also saw him . The way he was on the outside most definitely did not match who he truly was on the inside...or maybe it did? Was he a softie? No. No way. He was from the mean streets. He had a very distinctive "don't mess with me" attitude that he had NO problem sharing with anyone and everyone. To add to it, he was rather crass as well...but that's just who he was. He was a rough hewn young man taking what he wanted, but the flip side to that was seeing how he carried himself. There was a deep-seated truth to him. A very protective and moral side that was unshakeable to it's core and I admired that about him.

Their love, their story, it wasn't an easy one. There was such a sexy intensity between them, social standards be damned, but there was also natural insecurities with bold issues. I honestly felt like I was going through the motions with them - I felt the whole darn thing. But Tiago, he made this story for me. His unwavering strength and conviction in his love for Salana....there was nothing he wouldn't do for her. He was such a dynamic character. There was so much more to him than meets the eye. I loved his personality, his depth....his devotion. There was a confidence and swagger in him that showed the streets he was raised on, yet there was such an intimacy when he was around Salana that was a force to be reckoned with. He was the physical interpretation of 'weak in the knees' for me. A bit (read: a lot) of bad boy with a whole lotta heart. I loved him!

Now for a few harsh truths - A few times I had to re-read some passages because they were quite confusing. Overall I was caught up in the storyline and the love so I kept pushing through, but a few times had me squinting. I also ended up putting this book down and walking away around the 30% mark. I was so bummed that I needed to take a breather from it. I mean, this book was sooo good. I was deep into it, enjoying it and loving it - time escaping me. The ridiculous reason? The first sex scene had me like....whuuuut? This is a joke, right? It was just, I don't know, not what I would have imagined it to be, given the circumstances. I was completely caught up in the story, in the happenings, in the push and pull of these very different worlds colliding, but that first sex scene seriously took me out and made me step back while scrunching my nose. Obviously I went back in, and I am glad I took a moment and cleared my mind, because the rest of this story had me once again completely engrossed and twisting my fingers in anticipation while I was reading it. I was anxious as to how this story was going to turn out, because at one point, Salana - she was going to get the wrath of me!! I mean, c'mon!! I wanted to shake her so damn hard! Argh!! Talk about frustrating! But see? That's good. That means I was invested and completely devoted to this story!!

I am sitting here shaking my head while I write this because the emotions I felt while reading this were so very real. So very palpable. When a book can pull out the feels, when it can make me physically feel the emotions that are coursing through me, that is a sign of a good book for me. This was such an amazing story, so emotional and turbulent. I loved Tiago and Salana. Loved them. I will easily and quickly recommend this one. So. Darn. Good. I loved it. Mara White proved yet again that she can write words that affect my heart in all the ways possible.

"....as if their destiny were already written."
~BEE


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Profile Image for Philomena Callan Cheekypee.
3,918 reviews405 followers
June 6, 2018
Oh my dayz. This was an awesome read that will stay with me for a long time. I knew once I started this story that I wasn’t going to put my kindle down until I’d read the whole story. It was just that kinda read for me.

Salana and Tiago are totally different characters with totally different backgrounds. When they meet there’s an instant chemistry between them. Although life keeps throwing obstacles at them fate has a path of its own for them.

Their story is raw, gritty and emotional. I thought the storyline and the characters came across as so real to me.
This read will definitely be one of my favourite reads this year. Pure perfection. I loved it.
Profile Image for Whoo Gives A Hoot.
1,263 reviews103 followers
May 29, 2018
* Read more of my reviews at Whoo Gives A Hoot *
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My first taste of Mara White's breathtakingly captivating writing came from her forbidden and taboo romances Maldeamores & Malentendido, which are still two of my favorite books to date! These stories not only introduced me to this incredibly talented author, but to the Heights...a place we revisit in her brand new release about the delinquent and the debutant.

Salt is one of those stories that will captivate your heart and hold on for days to come. Salana and Tiago are an unlikely pair and yet they could not have been more perfect for one another. These two certainly kept me on my toes and I found myself falling deeply in love with them. Just like the author's past releases this beautiful story captured me whole body, heart and soul. This story was raw and full of emotion. My chest ached and my heart swelled time and time again from beginning to end.

Once again I found myself devouring a Mara White original and loving every minute of it! I started this story late last night and finished it a few hours later. Trust me it was worth the sleepless night! One of my favorite reads ever! Mara White you have certainly outdone yourself with this one and I cannot wait to see what you come up with next!
Profile Image for Stephanie.
723 reviews5 followers
May 27, 2018
Good girls make good choices.

Salt is not for the faint of heart. It is deep. It is beautifully written. Packed with emotions. Early on I wanted to stop reading but I realized that it wasn’t because I didn’t like the book. It was because of the emotional journey it was taking me on. My feelings were all over the place. It was intense, raw, gritty, and sad. I loved the way Mara White developed the characters. So much went into this story! It is told over ten years. The evolution of the main characters is cathartic.

Salana Livingston is a “privileged” teen from a wealthy family in Connecticut. Her family owns a horse farm that hosts The Fresh Air Fund kids. It provides a day trip to escape Washington Heights, NYC and go horseback riding. Salana is an accomplished rider with a gentle spirit and the need to please. The crew refer to Salana as Sal, meaning salt in Spanish. This is due to her white hair and fair skin.

Necessity and survival were words that ruled his life.

Tiago Alcazar is living one day at a time. His goal is survival. Tiago’s parents are drug addicts and/or incarcerated. He, like many of his friends, is being raised by his grandmother. Tiago goes to the horse ranch with his best friend Chico as a way to escape the stagnant, summer heat of NYC. He makes a connection with Salana, and it is mutual.

A bad choice in the moment might be the only choice, so in his book, you took whatever you could get and ran with it for a while.

They form a connection as teens and fate keeps pushing them together. Salana leans on Tiago in her time of need. He is her rock, her comforter, her confidant. He is there for her during her most difficult time and then just like the tide, she is swept away. Life continues to pull them apart. But it also pulls them together.

He sometimes yearned to be clean, honest, and kind, but the environment he’d grown up in was all ride or die.

As life goes on they continue to find themselves crossing paths. They have both changed, but their connection is still the same, if not stronger. They are so in tune with each other. There were so many times when I had to put the book down because it was tearing me up. The choices that they each had to make…. There were so many times that I was disappointed with the path Tiago chose. I wasn’t sure he would survive it. And for Salana - everything she did in life was always about others.

He survived by his own means in a hostile environment where the odds were perpetually and disproportionately stacked against him.

Tiago’s honesty gutted me. Although he never graduated high school, he expressed himself, openly and truly. The obstacles that he and Salana faced were enormous. But, he never lost his confidence and she was never ashamed of him. Their journey together was never easy but it was beautiful. The support he gave her was amazing. While everyone else wanted her to be a certain way and to work a certain job, Tiago wanted to let her fly and live her dream. In return, she saw him for who he was. Loyal, caring and honest. This was such a self-sacrificing decision for him and the road that followed was not easy.

“Sometimes there aren’t any choices. Life is a minefield. When you’ve got no choice but to go, you just step as carefully as you can.”

Such an amazing, heartfelt story. I look forward to reading other books by Mara White.

Be kind, Tiago. Do the work. The salt of the earth will be the light of the world.

4.5 stars
Profile Image for Paperback Princess.
953 reviews66 followers
May 28, 2018
Stars..stars..all the damn stars!!!!

“Be the salt of the earth and you will become the light of the world.”

Omg ..where do I possibly begin with this review??? First let me say thanks to the author for giving me the opportunity to read Salt..thank you Mara White.

Next....Salt is amazing!!!

Salt is the story of a boy from the hood and a rich girl from Connecticut. Tiago and Salana meet when they’re 16 at her family’s horse farm..Tiago is there with a group of inner city kids on a field trip and as soon as he sees Salana it’s love at first sight.

Tiago and Salana keep finding their way to each other throughout the years and this is their story of love despite the difference in their social and economic backgrounds.

I loved this book so much!! My heart broke for Tiago..I wanted everything great in life for him because even though he was poor..uneducated..basically what society wouldn’t give a second look at he was determined to make something out of his life...gahhhh I just loved him!!!

One of the best books I’ve read this year!!!
Profile Image for ❤SanaReads❤.
1,105 reviews66 followers
July 11, 2018
2,5 ⭐!

Disclaimer:


This review is a reflection of the things I felt while reading this book and it doesn't in any way mean to offend the author.

I rate the books and the characters not the authors because I'm no expert to.

Please proceed with caution

*S-p-o-i-l-e-r A-l-e-r-t*


So, yeah. I'm the weirdo who swims against the tide and don't seem to like what other people love.

description


I read the book.

Unless skimming is not a synonym of reading. *🤔🤔🤔*

Did I enjoy it?

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My rating?

Well, Tiago was a good guy, hence the three stars!

“His longing was so fierce that kissing her felt like survival. He was the hunter, she was the doe. He didn’t want to kill her, but he wanted to make the damn shot even if it killed him in the process.”



The story?

Not convincing and has nothing to do with romance especially when the H f*cked the h six ways to Sunday, supported her, didn't judge her when she decided to have an abortion and stood by her side to JUST forget she ever met him.

Seriously, Salana!!

Would ten years really do that?!! Would ten years really make you forget a man who gave you three ORGASMS in one night?

description

Not gonna go into the details or the way Salt treated Tiago during the whole book cause like I said I'm no expert.
Profile Image for talon smith.
710 reviews133 followers
May 30, 2018
“Be the salt of the earth and you will become the light of the world.”

I have to start this out by saying that I am not a third person narrative type of girl. I typically get really slowed down in books that have said narrative but every single time I read one of Mara White’s books I am reminded that with the right care and expertise, I can love it. And in Salt, I did just that.

Salt was not what I expected, but in the best kind of way. I was rooting for this unpredictable couple more than I ever knew I could and as the story went on, Tiago was slowly finding his way into my heart. It took a while, it did, but once he was halfway in there, he didn’t find his way back out. He fought just like he should have and he did exactly what Salt needed at the right times and for that I am truly grateful. He knew just what she deserved and he never forgot it.

“Rings were forgettable, but true love- that was indestructible.”

I loved that Salt wasn’t the fairy tale romance that most books revolve around today. It was two real, unlikely people and it was endearing seeing all of the things they encountered as their relationship went on. If they ended up together- I would have been happy and if they didn’t end up together- I would have been just as happy. I say that because the character growth they both portray and go through, without each other, was perfect. Just absolutely fan-freaking-tastic.
Salt is not only another great book by Mara White but proof that this girl can write a book full of emotion and well-rounded characters. She never ceases to amaze me.

“Just follow your dreams, Salt. I can’t give you much, but freedom? - that I can give you.”

Mara did a great job showing us the years of these two characters lives starting at the age of 16. I didn’t feel like there were any time jumps that left me confused or anything that was unresolved. Her writing truly flowed in a way that kept my attention until the very end.

Salt left me filled with hope, happiness, and true understanding for the types of people that were involved in this story and that is all that I can really ask for. Bravo, Mara!
Profile Image for Elizarey.
346 reviews63 followers
September 22, 2018
How can you write a review for a book that is basically the most beautiful thing you have ever been able to experience?

I literally just finished reading and I’m crying and I don’t even know why. The ending was wonderful and it was perfect. I just feel so connected to Tiago and Salana.

From the beginning the author introduces two characters that immediately grip your soul. I feel in love with them instantly. When they hurt, I hurt. When they were happy, I was happy. I was so invested in their lives. I rooted for them so hard. Especially for Tiago. Being born with less of chance to succeed because of where and who he was born to. Seeing his daily struggles, all of it was so touching. Understanding his behavior and the people he grew up around it was all like a in The Heights 101.

Salana Livingston is the opposite of Tiago in nearly everywhere. They basically had nothing in common but that didn’t matter to them. It was like the world stopped when they met and it was just them. In that moment I knew this book was going to be way beyond whatever I had expected. Salana basically has everything she could want in life. On paper the couple would never work but they actually do. They work so well. Their differences is what makes them so perfect, they learn and grow with them help of each other.

I’m sorry if this review isn’t really making sense but my emotions are all of the place and I’m just trying to get through to you guys just how much the book touched me.

Mara White’s writing has the perfect flow. Nothing ever felt forced or I never felt like anything didn’t make sense. It comes across straight away that the author has a deep understanding of where Tiago is coming from and got his life. She explained everything so well and made me feel like I was in the Heights myself. The description was so brilliant I could literally visualize myself in Tiago’s tiny apartment in the sweltering heat. The characters were so layered and with every chapter we got to know them even more and with every chapter a piece of my heart was lost to them.

I’m so sad to have to the end but that’s the beauty of reading. You never know when I story will change your life and affect you the way Salt did to me. I really really hope others read this book because I truly truly believe it’s is one of a kind.
Profile Image for Dee Montoya.
942 reviews598 followers
June 24, 2018
5 Beautiful Stars.

As always when reading a Mara White novel I get excited to read a romance with some Latin flavor in it. I’m not from New York, but I am Latina and proud, so any well written novel that shares our culture with the world is a book a want to read. And this story is truly amazing.

Santiago and Salana fell in love when they were very young. She is rich, comes from a good and loving family, and has her future mapped out for her. Santiago aka “Tiago” is a kid from a poor neighborhood, his dad died in jail and his mom is a drug addict. Tiago is being raised by his grandma, but from very early on in his life, he’s had to play by the rules of the streets in order to survive.

Throughout the years they meet and experience love and devotion towards each other, but then life always gets in their way. But no matter the years, the people around them, or whatever place or part of town they live; Salt and Tiago are each other’s only home.

This book took my breath away. The intensity of the story kept my heart beating fast, and the plot felt real, I had tears in my eyes during most of the emotional scenes. The characters felt human, and their passion red-hot. Mara White is one of those authors that sets out to make the reader feel everything; she makes us think beyond the story. You could relate and feel companionate about the social issues presented on her stories. Definitely check out this author, she’s quickly becoming a favorite of mine.
Profile Image for Kindle Crack Book Reviews Cheri .
1,250 reviews1,066 followers
June 4, 2018
description

After reading Maldeamores years ago, I was hooked on Mara White’s books. Salt, Mara’s latest unconventional, forbidden white-hot romance is unputdownable.

Salana and Tiago are complete polar opposites. She's salt and he's pepper. Salana comes from a very privileged, upper-class existence. Tiago is a Latino street thug from the Bronx with no money or future. Their worlds collided and their attraction is as unusual as it is undeniable. Salana and Tiago’s paths continue to cross throughout their lives. The doctor and the drug dealer try to follow their dreams in this epic coming of age story of love and adversity.

I just had a few salty tears hit my Kindle when I reached the end. I’m seriously speechless from Salt and expect to have a book hangover the size of the South Bronx for days. Best of 2018!

This review appears on www.kindlecrack.net, www.facebook.com/kindlecrack, Goodreads, Amazon, Pinterest, Google+ and Twitter.
Profile Image for Ellen ✦ Book Bellas ✦.
1,608 reviews339 followers
June 2, 2018
4.5 Stars!!

“I’ll never be good enough. Smart enough. Have enough money. Your parents would hate me and it’d make them hate you too. I’d ruin your fucking life, Salt. Whatever picture you always had, it’d be fucking different with me, and probably not in a good way,” he confessed into her neck, her sweaty hairline, but not to her face.

Sexy, gritty and emotional - trademark Mara White style. Loved it!

I have always loved Mara White's books. Her Heightsbound series made me a fan for life. Her stories explore class differences, modern urban landscapes and difficult social issues. 'Salt' is no different. The wealthy and privileged Salana could not be more different from street-wise Tiago. From two very different worlds, their lives collide over and over again.

"But there was no way of getting around who they were—she was born into a life of elite privilege and he, into the cold, hard fist of poverty."

Salana was born into wealth but she also has a strong sense of social responsibility. A physician, she only wants to hep others less fortunate. That doesn't go over very well with her family or her current boyfriend. But she feels likes she can be herself with Tiago, even though he is from the rough streets of the city.

"She felt conflicted by all the warning bells going off in her head. He wasn’t dangerous, at least not in the way that her friends thought him to be. He posed a threat to Salana only by being so desirable. She’d never met a guy who made all of her baby hairs stand on end. A boy who was so hard, but so vulnerable that he made her loins ache. Somehow she wanted to both fuck him and mother him."

This is forbidden romance at its best. Sensual, emotional and very, very sexy, Mara White writes about two characters that do not seem to stand a chance at happiness together. But Tiago never gives up and stands his ground with Salana and her family and friends. These two have a deep connection that withstands time and distance and class differences.

"That boy was the kind who would make your mother sob and your father open up the door with a shotgun. She didn’t want to disappoint Tiago with her naiveté. She didn’t want him to know how much his kiss meant. How it would be marked down in her diary as, by far, the most erotic moment of her sixteen-year-old life. But dating a guy like Tiago was something her parents would never accept. Santiago was the epitome of bad in all the ways that a boy can be bad. He will grow from bad into wild into uncontrollable and then he will be a bad, bad man. Her parents wanted perfection from her and he certainly wasn’t it."

If you love a gritty, urban romance that is about very real characters fighting very real battles, then you will love 'Salt.' The love scenes between Salana and Tiago are beautifully sensual and very steamy. And the Epilogue was fabulous. I look forward to more books like this from Mara White!

“Be kind, Tiago. Do the work. The salt of the earth will be the light of the world.”

Profile Image for Stephanie Rose.
Author 29 books2,862 followers
June 2, 2018
5+ stars and a 2018 top read!

A privileged girl from Connecticut crosses paths with thug from the NYC projects and they fall in love, but Salt and Tiego's story is so much more than that. They both suffer in their own ways and in each other find solace. Their love is raw and all-consuming and stays with you long after you finish. Salt is a beautiful tale of a real New York City only Mara White can write.
Profile Image for Shabby  -BookBistroBlog.
1,585 reviews856 followers
June 14, 2018
The struggle between survival & flourish Delinquent and Debutant With Heights in NYC as a backdrop.

description

Mara has quite a hold on this setting and such stories. Her finger is on the pulse so authenticity is guaranteed. She has a knack of baring the nitty gritty with no holds barred, making her an out of the box thinker and narrator. This story was so interesting and out of my realm of relativity, I HAD to pick it up and devour. It's heartbreaking but hopeful still, if you can allow this. There's misery and penury and bare sustenance but hope is alongside. Inner city kids have it really rough, we all know this, but reading about it, IN DETAIL, gets graphic in Mara's capable hands. it forces us to acknowledge and realise the magnitude of the problem these overcrowded cities face vis a vis crime, destitution, injustices, unfair treatments and gang violence.

description

Santiago Alcazar is a school dropout, living with his grandma in the projects of NYC. His junkie mom abandoned him and dad was nowhere on the scene. His hangout at his corner exposes him to drug dealing, gangs and hustle life. He's severely struggling and barely manages to keep his head above the water

description

His future was dead, the present was where he lived all of the time. Necessity and survival were words that ruled his life.
On a Fresh Air Fund Field Trip he meets Salana, a rich privileged blonde angel, who volunteers and teaches horse riding.
Her-Salana Livingston, equestrian, high school student, darling daughter
Him-a young street punk trying his best just to keep his head above water.

Salana "Salt" is really as essential to this world as salt and is as down to earth as the salt it produces.
Her dedication and objective to contribute to the society is nobel and selfless.
As fate happens, they fall in love. Couldn't happen more opposite of people
Salana’s life looked like a Hollywood set, whereas his looked like a public service announcement for the dangers of drug use.
An ache for a different destiny, an alternate ending to the story. But there was no way of getting around who they were—she was born into a life of elite privilege and he, into the cold, hard fist of poverty.

The story travels good 10 years later and their chance encounter brings them into each other's arms.
The story sails smooth but the incessant desire to find herslf and her purpose in life separates them and Tiago decides he can't give anything except space. So that's his gift to her.
Sometimes there aren’t any choices. Life is a minefield. When you’ve got no choice but to go, you just step as carefully as you can.

description
Life throws them one curveball after next, but they find sanctuary in their love nest bubble. Blocking out prejudices and judgements.
I loved the premise, the style and the theme. Mara is a gifted & prolific writer. Though underrated and under recognised at most times. Her sensitivity and sympathetic heart bleeds all over the pages and it's energy transfers to the readers.
I'm her die hard follower and will continue to hoist her flag throughout my reading life.
4.5 "Salt Of The Earth" stars
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Profile Image for Lily.
820 reviews55 followers
June 4, 2018
4.5 stars! The delinquent and the debutant.

I just finished reading a book I know I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. Now, I know that Mrs. White is known for realistic endings so I was in pins and needles to see how this story would flow. I didn’t cheat and read the ending first- I asked one of my good friends and she told me to trust her so I did. I’m glad I did because my heart is so full and I’m in tears- happy tears! I was so invested in Tiago and Salana’s story from beginning to end and even though it was long, I read it in two sittings. There was so much against them, but I couldn’t help and root for them! At times, I felt like my heart couldn’t take it anymore, but I needed to know what happened next! I was so afraid of how it would end, but the epilogue was EVERYTHING! I seriously loved Tiago so much that I didn’t care he was a criminal. The way he was with Salt had me constantly swooning. They taught me that love has no race, social status, or currency. Everyone needs to read this raw and gritty, yet compelling story! If you haven’t discovered this author, you are truly missing out!
Profile Image for Autumn Grey.
Author 23 books1,224 followers
Read
May 25, 2018
Oh, man. Salt was amazing. Mara's beautiful, honest writing breathed life into this story. Two people, both so different, yet, the same. Flawed characters, intense story, pure perfection.
I Loved it!!
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