Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick 
 I have been trying to come up with the right words for this review since I finished Slammer by Tabatha Vargo. This book left me absolutely speechless, and Tabatha Vargo just proved to me once again why she is such an amazing writer! Let me start off by saying that this book will not be for everyone. Take the warnings into consideration and if you are against dark and gritty books with violence, this book probably isn't for you. Slammer is unlike Tabatha's previous books, so I would also caution you to read the blurb before just blindly picking this one up. I definitely think this one is worth the read though, but not every book is for every person and that is okay as long as you know what you are in for ahead of time. 
 Christopher Jacobs never expected to find himself in prison, but after ten years he finds that the boy he once was is gone and in his place is the man they now call X. X has adapted to prison life and he knows how to handle himself, as well as what to avoid. But nothing could prepare him for the new nurse in the infirmary. Lyla Evans has no choice but to work at the prison infirmary, even though she wishes different. X is the one they warned her about, yet when she needs help, he is the one to rescue her. Both X and Lyla know that there should be no fraternizing with each other, yet the attraction and pull they feel is one they can't fight. 
 Lyla and X were such unique and different characters, and I had never read about any like them before. The connection between these two was intense, and their chemistry was explosive. They had so much going against them with their circumstances, yet the relationship that they found with each other was one that was impossible to deny and felt real and natural. They were proof that it is possible to find love in the most unexpected places, and I loved seeing how deep their connection ran. The fact that they were willing to do so much for each other gave me hope for their situation and I knew that they would do whatever it took to look out for one another. Lyla's belief and support of X made me love her as a heroine, and it was good to see that she was able to look beyond what others saw in him. These two were so special, and I really enjoyed their journey even if it wasn't always what I wanted to expected for them. 
 Tabatha Vargo got my attention right away with this book, and I honestly could not put it down. It was shocking and thrilling, and I never knew what was going to happen next. Just when I thought that I had started to figure things out, it turned out everything I thought I knew was wrong. This book as I stated before will not be for everyone, and I do think that some people will have a problem with some of the content as well as the ending. Without spoiling anything I will say that I can understand where some people will have issues, and yet I didn't here. Normally I would have, but I really felt like this story was written exactly as it was supposed to have been. I suggest if you are planning on reading this book to make sure that you have plenty of time, because once you start you are going to want to keep going. As much as I enjoyed the book, the epilogue blew me away. I couldn't believe what happened there, and to say my jaw was on the ground for quite a bit of time would be a huge understatement. There were a few things in this book that thought could have been a bit more clear and seemed to be a bit confusing, but on the whole this book was great. The criticisms I had were very minor though, and they didn't take away from the experience that was Slammer. I definitely recommend this story if you are a fan of dark reads and unconventional endings. I am a huge fan of Tabatha's and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next! 
 **ARC Provided by Author**