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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
When a book starts out with an intoduction like this one does you know you are in for a ride...
This book is the first in a series about a trauma support group.
We meet Ben, gym owner and Colby who just got out of an abusive relationship.
Both have their own trauma and issues to take care of and Nicole writes about the topic of trauma and dealing with the consequences of it so wonderfully. There is so much understanding and gentleness reflected in her words, it is truly amazing to read ♥️
We also meet some (in this first part of this series) side characters and I can't wait to read more about Rome... I think I am going to ADORE that guy
This book is the first in a series about a trauma support group.
We meet Ben, gym owner and Colby who just got out of an abusive relationship.
Both have their own trauma and issues to take care of and Nicole writes about the topic of trauma and dealing with the consequences of it so wonderfully. There is so much understanding and gentleness reflected in her words, it is truly amazing to read ♥️
We also meet some (in this first part of this series) side characters and I can't wait to read more about Rome... I think I am going to ADORE that guy
***3.5 rating***
Trigger warning: this review mentions topics and themes that may be sensitive and triggering to some. Viewer/reader discretion is advised.
"He sees me. The real me. And I don’t want to push him away anymore. I only want to hold on as tightly as I possibly can."
Brief Summary:
Bruised But Not Broken is a new book by Nicole Dykes, its the first book of her new upcoming series. The series is meant to discuss different traumas and how the characters cope with them and eventually recover from trauma (obviously no one is ever fully recovered from trauma, but hey baby steps).
This book focuses on Ben and Colby. Ben was a married "straight" guy with a hero/savior complex to his then wife Summer, a social media influencer. One sudden night, Summer is attacked by her stalker. Shocked by the turn of events, Ben is of course worried for his wife. He is no stranger to trauma and violence. They are indeed the ghosts of his past. For many reasons, it is told to the reader that the marriage between Summer and Ben is strained and has turned into a routine. There is no passion or romance. They may as well be roommates. On the night of her attack, Summer decides that its been a long time that she has been unhappy and the attack solidified the truth of her strained marriage. Summer wants out and decides its time to cut Ben loose.
Newly divorced Ben, who is a proud gym owner is somewhat depressed after his failed marriage but his brother Roman (a cop and a proud member of the lgbtq2s+ community) does not let Ben mope around for long. In fact, his brother and their friend a therapist named Andrew, want Ben's help to run a group therapy for people who have experienced trauma. Ever the skeptic, Ben is reluctant and not a fan of therapy but he does help out his friend and agrees to have the group therapy at the gym twice a week. With the gym now being very busy Ben needs help and is looking to hire a new employee. That is when Colby walks into Ben Price's life.
Colby a DV victim, has recently fled from his abusive ex. With no place to go or anyone to turn to, he stumbles upon Ben's gym and sees the poster for the job. This is when the story of our MCs begin.
Bruised but Not Broken is about two people with traumatic pasts who some how found each other and became each other's support, friend and eventually lover.
Verdict:
This is my second read by Nicole Dykes, my first read was Hostile, a book which I very much enjoyed. I saw that she had a new book coming up and well because I enjoyed Hostile, I decided to give this a chance. Unfortunately, this one was not as good as Hostile. It was a fast-paced, light read with not much angst and fast-paced romance, where I failed to feel the connection between Colby and Ben. I think whenever authors try to cover trauma or abuse in general as a theme, its not an easy task to do. If I am reading about characters with trauma, I want some depth, angst, deep feelings and the connection to be established. Ben is fresh out of a 10 year marriage and is immediately taken by Colby who is gay and fresh out of an abusive relationship. And while I appreciated that the author made them become friends first, the romance was still fast-paced. Again, Ben the sweet caring "straight" guy who has never been with a man is down for gay sex quickly and ready to go raw. It just didn't feel realistic. I am sad to say it, because I really did enjoy Hostile and I had the same hope for this book but sadly that was not the case.
The MCs were really sweet tho, especially Ben. He cares about everyone and everything. Colby was also sweet but again their connection...I did not feel it. I did like Ben's brother Roman, Ben's friend Andrew and Ethan. The gym seemed like a safe space for the characters, so that was nice to see.
Roman's book is next, and its about him and Summer's friend, Brooks. Will I check it out? That remains to be seen.
Overall, this was a fast-paced, easy read. It does touch upon topics like trauma and abuse so do be aware. I wish this was as enjoyable as Hostile...but oh well.
Trigger warning: this review mentions topics and themes that may be sensitive and triggering to some. Viewer/reader discretion is advised.
"He sees me. The real me. And I don’t want to push him away anymore. I only want to hold on as tightly as I possibly can."
Brief Summary:
Bruised But Not Broken is a new book by Nicole Dykes, its the first book of her new upcoming series. The series is meant to discuss different traumas and how the characters cope with them and eventually recover from trauma (obviously no one is ever fully recovered from trauma, but hey baby steps).
This book focuses on Ben and Colby. Ben was a married "straight" guy with a hero/savior complex to his then wife Summer, a social media influencer. One sudden night, Summer is attacked by her stalker. Shocked by the turn of events, Ben is of course worried for his wife. He is no stranger to trauma and violence. They are indeed the ghosts of his past. For many reasons, it is told to the reader that the marriage between Summer and Ben is strained and has turned into a routine. There is no passion or romance. They may as well be roommates. On the night of her attack, Summer decides that its been a long time that she has been unhappy and the attack solidified the truth of her strained marriage. Summer wants out and decides its time to cut Ben loose.
Newly divorced Ben, who is a proud gym owner is somewhat depressed after his failed marriage but his brother Roman (a cop and a proud member of the lgbtq2s+ community) does not let Ben mope around for long. In fact, his brother and their friend a therapist named Andrew, want Ben's help to run a group therapy for people who have experienced trauma. Ever the skeptic, Ben is reluctant and not a fan of therapy but he does help out his friend and agrees to have the group therapy at the gym twice a week. With the gym now being very busy Ben needs help and is looking to hire a new employee. That is when Colby walks into Ben Price's life.
Colby a DV victim, has recently fled from his abusive ex. With no place to go or anyone to turn to, he stumbles upon Ben's gym and sees the poster for the job. This is when the story of our MCs begin.
Bruised but Not Broken is about two people with traumatic pasts who some how found each other and became each other's support, friend and eventually lover.
Verdict:
This is my second read by Nicole Dykes, my first read was Hostile, a book which I very much enjoyed. I saw that she had a new book coming up and well because I enjoyed Hostile, I decided to give this a chance. Unfortunately, this one was not as good as Hostile. It was a fast-paced, light read with not much angst and fast-paced romance, where I failed to feel the connection between Colby and Ben. I think whenever authors try to cover trauma or abuse in general as a theme, its not an easy task to do. If I am reading about characters with trauma, I want some depth, angst, deep feelings and the connection to be established. Ben is fresh out of a 10 year marriage and is immediately taken by Colby who is gay and fresh out of an abusive relationship. And while I appreciated that the author made them become friends first, the romance was still fast-paced. Again, Ben the sweet caring "straight" guy who has never been with a man is down for gay sex quickly and ready to go raw. It just didn't feel realistic. I am sad to say it, because I really did enjoy Hostile and I had the same hope for this book but sadly that was not the case.
The MCs were really sweet tho, especially Ben. He cares about everyone and everything. Colby was also sweet but again their connection...I did not feel it. I did like Ben's brother Roman, Ben's friend Andrew and Ethan. The gym seemed like a safe space for the characters, so that was nice to see.
Roman's book is next, and its about him and Summer's friend, Brooks. Will I check it out? That remains to be seen.
Overall, this was a fast-paced, easy read. It does touch upon topics like trauma and abuse so do be aware. I wish this was as enjoyable as Hostile...but oh well.
This is the first book in a new series by an author I really like. It's a gay for you, with a small age gap great story. This book has wonderful characters, is wonderfully written, and one hell of a storyline. Ben has only been with one person his whole life, so he never really had a chance to explore his sexuality and when he met Colby it doesn't take long for his attraction to begin. I can't wait to read the next in this series!
Not everyone heals the same way. Some people need a group some need one on one time with a new friend. I adore how Nicole shows us different ways to heal from past trauma while not being angsty the entire time. Great read looking forward to more from this set if amazing people.
I want to start off by saying I love everything Nicole Dykes writes. That being said this was not one of my favorites. I loved the idea behind the trauma support group but it felt like Ben, Roman and Colby constantly talked about it in a negative light.
Ben being a forever protector takes immediate care of Colby when he comes in bruised and bloody and sets him up with a job and a place to stay. I thought that was great and that Colby began to trust him. I did think it was odd that Ben bought him a tv and kept offering a phone when Colby should have been really working to take care of himself after his experiences with Christopher.
Overall a good read but there was just a connection that was missing for me that I usually have for a Nicole Dykes book.
Ben being a forever protector takes immediate care of Colby when he comes in bruised and bloody and sets him up with a job and a place to stay. I thought that was great and that Colby began to trust him. I did think it was odd that Ben bought him a tv and kept offering a phone when Colby should have been really working to take care of himself after his experiences with Christopher.
Overall a good read but there was just a connection that was missing for me that I usually have for a Nicole Dykes book.
"I don’t see him as a victim. I see him as a strong man who had the courage to get out of a bad situation."
Colby's personal journey is pictured beautiful and raw, I love books where the focus is more on the personal journey and growth than the romantic relationship. Ben and Colby are so good together and the talks they have are very respectful. I am definitely going to continue with the Serie.
Colby's personal journey is pictured beautiful and raw, I love books where the focus is more on the personal journey and growth than the romantic relationship. Ben and Colby are so good together and the talks they have are very respectful. I am definitely going to continue with the Serie.
Ben and Colby meet at Ben's gym when Colby is escaping an abusive relationship. Ben becomes the hero and gives Colby a place to stay, and work. As Colby heals mentally, emotionally and physically, Ben is there for him and they fall for one another. This is a great story of survival. Things may seem bad, but they are good people out there to help lend a hand.
I read Stalked But Not Afraid book two in this series first. So, I had a better perspective going into this book as I was familiar better with Roman, Ben’s brother. However, each book can be read as a standalone novel. Just be warned as each book in this series does deal with trauma in some form. However, no graphic details are provided and there are HEAs for each of the featured characters.
This book felt even more emotional. Due to the trauma and Colby was healing from. Not that Ben was dealing with his own personal emotions. For majority of the story Ben and Colby did not connect on an intimate level. So, this allowed me to become even more invested in them as individuals before they became a couple. Those moments really meant so much more when they happened.
This book felt even more emotional. Due to the trauma and Colby was healing from. Not that Ben was dealing with his own personal emotions. For majority of the story Ben and Colby did not connect on an intimate level. So, this allowed me to become even more invested in them as individuals before they became a couple. Those moments really meant so much more when they happened.
Completely obsessed with Nicole’s writing. I fell in love with Colby and Ben so much. It was emotional raw and heartwrenching, they have both been through a lot in their life’s and Ben is such a kind caring man, watching him fall for Colby was everythingggg.
My heart went out to Colby so much, I love love love that Ben was there every step of the way to help him and be there when he needed him most,
I am SO EXCITED for romans story!!!
My heart went out to Colby so much, I love love love that Ben was there every step of the way to help him and be there when he needed him most,
I am SO EXCITED for romans story!!!
Another amazing MM Romance from Nicole Dykes! I'm always excited when Nicole releases a book. This book was a bit different than her past ones. Loved the vulnerability that was incorporated into this story & it's characters. It's not easy to write about past traumas but Nicole did an amazing job with it in this story! Loved Ben & Colby. So glad this book is part of a series. Looking forward to Roman's story in book 2.