Publisher: Random House Flirt
Publication date: September 2nd 2014
My rating: 4 stars
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Lauren Layne’s New Adult novel tells the story of a girl with secrets, a guy with scars, and a love that could save them both... or destroy them.
When Olivia Middleton abandons the glamour of Park Avenue for a remote, coastal town in Maine, everyone assumes she’s being the kind do-gooder she’s always been. But Olivia has a secret: helping an injured war veteran reenter society isn’t about charity—it’s about penance. Only, Olivia’s client isn’t the grateful elderly man she’s expecting. Instead, he’s a brooding twenty-four-year-old who has no intention of being Olivia’s path to redemption . . . and whose smoldering gaze and forbidden touch might be her undoing.
Paul Langdon doesn’t need a mirror to show him he’s no longer the hotshot quarterback he was before the war. He knows he’s ugly—inside and out. He’ll do anything to stay in self-imposed exile, even accept his father’s ultimatum that Paul tolerate the newest caretaker for three months or lose his inheritance. But Paul doesn’t count on the beautiful twenty-two-year-old who makes him long for things that he can never have. And the more she slips past his defenses, the more keeping his distance is impossible.
Now Paul and Olivia have to decide: Will they help each other heal? Or are they forever broken?
My
Thoughts:
I’m a huge fan of Lauren Layne because she shines in writing
witty, chemistry laden romances guaranteed to tug at your heart! I loved the first in this series, Isn’t She Lovely, so I was thrilled to
have Olivia’s story. Even though she was technically the cheating girlfriend
(not as bad as it sounds, I promise) I felt bad for her.
Olivia is trying to escape and redeem herself for a mistake
that cost her longtime boyfriend. Taking
a job as a caretaker for an injured veteran satisfies her need for penance and
to get away from all her friends, but Olivia doesn’t really know what she’s gotten
herself into. Thinking she’ll be caring
for an old injured man, she’s shocked when she finds out that she’s the paid
companion to a hostile man just a few years older than her. Paul has horrible jagged facial scars on one
side of his face and an injured leg, but that doesn’t hide the fact that he is
gorgeous, and in spite of his horrible attitude Olivia is intensely attracted to
him.
Paul is an ex-soldier suffering from a major dose of
survivor’s guilt. His only purpose in
the world at this point is to provide for a fallen teammate’s spouse and sick
daughter. So when Paul’s father makes sticking with his new caretaker/companion
for three months a requirement for keeping his payments and house, he has to
make nice with Olivia instead of scaring her off like he’s done with all the
others. He’s a smidge less hostile to Olivia.
And I do mean just a smidge!
Paul is “rude, angry and generally unpleasant” but even so
there is combustible sexual tension between these two! He had no idea Olivia would be around his age
and beautiful. She’s exactly the type of
girl he’d date before his injury and facial scars, and it unsettles him. Plus,
Olivia gives as good as she gets and doesn’t tip toe around Paul with
pity. She was blunt and rude right back,
and it stunned him, spurred him onto rising to her challenges, and making
positive changes. Soon Paul is coming
back to the land of the living while falling a little more for Olivia every
day. But he’s afraid once her time is up
and once she realizes she could do better than a washed up, scarred vet, he’ll
be alone, and the difference is, this time he cares.
Paul was moody, broody and sometimes downright cruel in his
treatment of Olivia! He’d act like a petulant child and one of his tantrums was
a completely disproportionate, over-the-top reaction to Olivia’s supposed
transgression. I wanted to knee him,
good and hard for Olivia a couple of times! But then I thought about being in
his head. Paul was depressed and angry,
and he had pretty much cut himself off from socialization, so some of his
reactions were not coming from a mentally well-adjusted person. Olivia is the first person he was actually
opening up to in a very long time, so I could understand how a relatively small
matter would come off as a huge betrayal to Paul. Thankfully, Olivia recognizes
this to some degree and cuts him a break.
Olivia and Paul’s interactions were the: “I hate you, I hate
you, but really I want to tear your clothes off and ravage you!” type. Paul’s rough, gruff and uncivilized manner
was completely tantalizing to Olivia!
That dark and dangerous vibe he broadcasted was completely sexy!
I lick my lips
nervously, noting the way his eyes follow the motion of my tongue, and I
finally accept that in spite of myself—in spite of the fear—I’m ridiculously
attracted to him. Attracted in a fierce, animalistic way that I’ve never felt ever.
And Olivia’s irreverent rebuttals draw Paul in like a
magnet! They couldn’t seem to keep their lips or hands off each other! Oh my!
Lauren Layne once again impresses with Broken. Paul and Olivia’s romance was filled with passion and
heart, and was a pure pleasure to experience!
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10 comments:
Rachel, you got me all excited for this book. I adore Lauren Layne's books and I binge-read most of them a couple of weeks ago.
I think I'm going to love this one as well. The characters seem great. I secretly love grouchy characters like Paul. Olivia sounds great too. I can't wait to read this! :)
Lovely review!
This sounds so good! I like that Olivia gets her story, and that she wasn't written off as simply a bad, cheating ex. Paul sounds delightfully surly, and the chemistry between them is exciting.
Great review, Rachel!
Hm. Normally the fact that Olivia is a cheater would have me steering way clear of this book, but clearly there's more to her story than that and if you say it's not as bad as it sounds, then I believe you:) Glad Olivia is able to see where Paul is coming from in some of his reactions and cuts him a break so their story doesn't result in over the top and unnecessary angst. Really excited for this one Rachel!
I didn't realize this book was connected Isn't She Lovely! I loved that book. Your fantastic review makes me want to read this one sooner than I planned. Thanks for posting about it!
The passion and heartache sounds like something I would enjoy
I have to admit this is the first time I've heard of Lauren Layne, Rachel. I wonder why because this one sounds so good just basing from your review. I might have lived under the rock not to have heard of Isn't She Lovely before. Reading your review, I felt your connection with the characters because you wanted to protect Olivia but still felt empathy towards Paul. I like characters who can make me feel that way. Definitely checking this out and Isn't She Lovely. Fantastic review, Rachel! :D
Okay, you did almost lose me in the first paragraph when you said she was the cheating girlfriend but, as I have faith in you, I kept reading. And...maybe? This is an author I haven't heard of before so I'm definitely intrigued.
I love me a broken hero. And I have a feeling I will like Paul despite his cantankerous attitude towards Olivia. :)
Great review, Rachel.
And now I'm going to sing Stevie Wonder's song all day long :) You wanna join me? ;) But still this sounds so good and what's more emotional. I want that in my contemporaries. This is the first time I hear of this author so thanks for the introduction. Great review, Rachel :)
I'm glad you enjoyed this one, Rachel! I know that the constant bickering and rudeness of these two characters really got to me after awhile and I just wasn't as big a fan of this novel as I have been of her previous work. Still, it was definitely a sexy read and I'm thrilled that you appreciated all its facets. Beautifully written review, dear! :)
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