Unbreak Me a BBBC Book Review

June 3, 2013 / 2 comments

Unbreak Me a BBBC Book ReviewUnbreak Me by Lexi Ryan
Published by Self-Published on May 24th 2013
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Format: ebook
Source: ARC
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“If you’re broken, I’ll fix you…”

I’m only twenty-one and already damaged goods. A slut. A failure. A disappointment to my picture-perfect family as long as I can remember. I called off my wedding to William Bailey, the only man who thought I was worth fixing. A year later, he’s marrying my sister. Unless I ask him not to…

“If you shatter, I’ll find you…”

But now there’s Asher Logan, a broken man who sees the fractures in my façade and doesn’t want to fix me at all. Asher wants me to stop hiding, to stop pretending. Asher wants to break down my walls. But that means letting him see my ugly secrets and forgiving him for his.

With my past weighing down on me, do I want the man who holds me together or the man who gives me permission to break?

Liezel’s Thoughts:

“I’m not trying to change you, Maggie. I’m trying to love you.”

Maggie was the one supposed to be married to William Bailey, instead she finds herself  walking down the aisle as a bridesmaid  at her ex-fiancee and her sister Krystal’s wedding. It’s the talk of the town. Everyone in  small town  New Hope, Indiana wants to witness Maggie’s reaction  and speculate why she decided to leave town two days right before their  ceremony.

Because of  a town’s accusation on one atrocious incident that wasn’t her fault,  the relationship she had with her father, and the scandalous decisions that she’s made in the past… Maggie is broken. Because of this she has formed a hard shell around her and never wants to let anyone in.

When she returns home she decides to  reinvent herself and comes up with the “New Me” plan. The plan is to build a better  relationship  with her mother, to spend more time with her sisters (Martini Nights!) , to avoid stealing and trespassing  into her neighbors property  and  most importantly … lay low and  avoid all promiscuous activity.

All of her plans were coming along just great  right up until she gazes upon Asher standing on her mother’s dock.  An  immediate attraction explodes between the two and she instantly throws her last goal out the window.  Maggie just puts herself out there and tells him what she wants. Him in her bed NOW. Maggie wants to lose herself in this man.

“I want to wash my loneliness away with the weight of a man’s body on mine, to erase unwelcoming memories with his mouth.”

” This man’s body. This man’s mouth.”

At every attempt Asher resists her. He knows that she is different. There is just something about her that makes her standout amongst the rest. He doesn’t want just a one night stand with her. He wants to get to know her, to learn every secret she keeps, he yearns to  break down that hard shell that she’s built around her and as he spends more time with her she becomes much more difficult to resist.

“I am insane with wanting her. I don’t care where we are. I don’t care that she’s just… I need this woman despite that. Fuck all reason, I need her because of it.”

Even if  Will is engaged to Maggie’s sister he remains in-love with her. This wasn’t an issue when Maggie was gone but now that she’s back in town he is just as addicted to her as he was before she left. Krystal knows this and always knew she was just the “understudy”. Is their upcoming nuptials a mistake or are they going to go through with it and make it work? And is it too late for William to win Maggie back if he decides so?

I enjoyed reading this story. Behind the messed up life that Maggie lived I thought she was resilient. With all the challenges and the heartbreak  that was thrown her way she was coping as best she could. She was strong enough to return to her family despite the judgement that the whole town passed on her.

The absolute kicker to this story for me was Asher. He is gentle and sensitive, respectful and honorable and ever so patient with Maggie. Even with the electrifying chemistry between them and even with her constantly throwing herself at him he continuously rebuts every impulse even if it goes against his nature.

About William, it’s crazy that he decides to marry Maggie’s sister instead. Crazier that Krystal is keen on this idea. What did she expect? There are just some lines that you aren’t supposed to cross and to me that line was a major one. But because of this insane detail, to me this is what made the story stand out.

I thought the angst, the passion and  the romance,  the (almost) love triangle and the story pacing was  all well-played out. The humor  was also spot on. That ‘N Sync scene was ridiculously funny!

Another great thing about this one is there isn’t a cliffhanger whatsoever. And I’m elated that we will soon read more about William. Thank you so much Lexi Ryan for writing such a great story. For me, this one comes highly recommended.

The Verdict:

rating-4

 

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Author Interview:

What inspired you to write Unbreak Me?

Maggie did. I’m a very character driven writer, and I’m compelled to write a story when a character takes root in my head. For Maggie, I loved this smart-mouthed character who carried all these secrets.

Can you summarize your book in 30 words or so.

Returning home to salvage her long-tarnished reputation, Maggie finds herself caught in a web of secrets and deception between the man who once promised to fix her and the sexy ex-rocker who gives her permission to break.

If  Unbreak Me was to become a movie… who do you see playing William, Asher and Maggie?

Matthew Fox would make a really great Asher and Rachel Lafevre (the one who played Victoria in Twilight) would make a fantastic Maggie. For William? Ryan Gosling, maybe? He has that soft, sensitive look about him.

Do you have any unique skinny dipping experiences that you would like to share?

Ha! Do you mean have I ever snuck into the pool of the sexy ex-rocker who happens to live next door to me? As if I’d tell you about that… 😉

 Is there someone in real life that influenced you in writing Ethan’s character? (*cough*what a douche *cough*)

Until recently when I resigned from my day job to write full-time, I’d been in academia my entire adult life—as a college student, a grad student, an adjunct instructor, and finally a professor. I adore higher education and will probably always keep it in my life to one extent or another. That said, through those years I encountered more academic snobbery than I care to remember. Those experiences may have colored my representation of Ethan a little.

Is there a message in your novel you want readers to grasp?

Oh, so many. I never set out to prove or teach something when I start to write a book. That said, often, when it’s over I think I hope this helps people understand X. Usually it comes down to self-acceptance and the redemptive power of love. In this book, Maggie has to learn that her past doesn’t define her, and I think that’s a hard lesson for those of us who have made such life-altering mistakes.

Can you tell us about upcoming projects? Are there going to be any more stories from New Hope, Indiana?

I am currently working on William’s book, which is set (at least in part) in New Hope. We’ll see how readers respond to that and decide then if I can explore more of the secondary characters’ stories.

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Giveaway:

Click below for a chance to win a signed copy of Unbreak Me.

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Just for funsies!

If you’ve read Unbreak Me, try out this quiz. Let’s see if you’ve been paying attention to the minute details.

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About Lexi Ryan

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Ryan writes romances with humor, heat, and heart. Her books are described as fun, flirty, and wickedly sexy. A lover of learning, Lexi has been in the classroom all her life and currently holds the title of assistant professor of English at her local community college. Lexi is a proud member of Romance Writers of America. She lives in rural Indiana with her husband and two children.



2 Responses to “Unbreak Me a BBBC Book Review”

  1. Kelly

    Great review, great interview and GREAT QUIZ! I got the last 2 wrong, the coffee and the tattoo questions.

    And I need to know how you have the moving colour band between the interview and review, I love it!

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