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pause_theframe's review
5.0
The Story:
Finley has the perfect life, well perfect for her. Committed to a man who loves 'us,' an irreplaceable entity that came to fruition when the two met at university. They have been inseparable since.
Soon after meeting, they entered a commitment, that we might say is similar to marriage, but they don't believe in the 'old' sacrament, so they just commit fully to the 'us.' Each moment spent together makes the bond stronger. They understand each other, everything about them and their lives intertwines. Finally, they decide that a family is the next stap in making the 'us' a true bond.
However, life has something else in mind. Fin receives an unexpected jolt, when she heads to her GP appointment. Her whole life and self are ripped apart. She doesn't know what to do next. The only thing she knows is that 'us' will never be the same again. So she does what she knows best, and runs.
A few weeks and thousand miles later Fin finds herself in London, creating a new life for herself, far away from the pain and temptation that is the 'us.' She does as anyone does when they hurt - hide the emotions away, puts on her brave face, meets cute Brits and forges a new Fin.
However, she can't seem to commit to the new her. Something, deep inside, keeps pulling her home. No matter how hard she tries, what she does or he does, Fin can't seem to forget what it was like to be us. She feels the urge to be with her true love, but will it ruin or make her?
What Did I Think?
This book is fantastic. It reaches out and touches on some of the important relationship issues and feelings, that touch most of our lives, but we don't want to discuss.
You find yourself comparing some of the situations and emotions to times in your life, which instantly attaches you to the character, making you love her. Your heart cringes for the main characters, and is undoubtably ripped out for the issues that they have to face.
I like the depth of characters and how really Daws has made them. You truly get to know enough about all of them, especially Fin, to be able to feel as though she's your best mate, and you are right alongside her, holding her hand through all the good, bad and ugly that she goes through.
More than once, I found my self angry, moved to tears or happy - right along with the characters. It is not often that you can really feel a book, but this is one such book.
The pace is excellent, not leaving you to longer on any event or issue long enough to get bored, but still sticking with it long enough to give the details to make it real. I like this, as it means the story is fast paced, but not so much so that It loses its plausibility.
OVERALL: I would highly recommend this book to anyone. Specifically, it would be a good book to anyone who has gone through or is going through relationship issues, oh wait that's all of us. So, trust me, grab a copy of this brilliant book and indulge in the hidden gem that is Fin and her life.
ajsmitherz226's review
5.0
With a three year old and one year old, I don't have much time to read this days, but boy am I glad I took the time to read this book. It was so refreshing to read a romance novel that I could relate to. The characters were so well constructed and lovable. Amy is such a wonderful author, I felt every emotion right along with the characters. This is the second novel I have read of hers and I will be quick to sweep up books she writes in the future.
notinjersey's review
5.0
I was lucky enough to read the ARC of this book and I loved it! This is the kind of fiction that I enjoy. It’s a love story but also a story of friendship and family and it is written in a way that makes it very hard to put down. Finley runs away to London, but she is American, which means that unlike the main characters in many other chick lit set in England, I found Finley relatable. Her personality was likeable and the reader can empathize with the way she feels and why she leaves Brody. The friends that Finley finds in London are hilarious and enjoyable to read, especially Frank, a tall, redheaded gay man who Finley quickly becomes close friends with. Amy Daws has a way of writing that draws you in and lets you be a part of the world of her characters.
jen286's review
2.0
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
After reading and loving Becoming Us, the first book in this series and seeing how it ended I was pretty sure I wouldn't like A Broken Us as much. I was sure I would start hating Fin though I was hopeful the author would write it in a way that that didn't happen. Unfortunately that is exactly what happened. After falling in love with Brody in book one I really don't understand how Fin could do everything she does in this book. I just didn't get her and she made me angry. She was just all poor me the entire book when she is the one who caused all the problems. She is the one that wouldn't let Brody in. She is the one who is so upset with herself. She is the one that could have saved herself her heartache, but she didn't and she wouldn't listen/talk to anyone about her problems so she stayed poor, poor Fin for the whole thing. It was annoying.
So at the end of the first book we have the doctor giving Fin some bad news. We don't find out what it is, but she decides that she has to end it with Brody. Even though they have been together for a long time, are planning a life together, she is just going to break his heart into a billion pieces and not even tell him why. Oh, I hated that. I can't stand when people make decisions for other people. Like they can't decide what they want for their own lives. Like you know better. Oh, not good.
So Fin breaks Brody's heart and runs off to stay with her friend in London. She is all heartbroken and sad, but she makes some incredibly stupid decisions in this book. She was just soooo annoying! I didn't understand her at all. Really the issue is that it is not a problem with Brody it is a problem with herself. She is unhappy with herself so she tries to tell herself that it is all because of Brody that she is doing this. Ugh.
So she runs off to London and almost instantly meets a new hot guy and starts making out with him. But not completely into it since she is still so in love with Brody. Yeah. So in love that she just makes out with a near stranger cause that makes sense. She was just too all over the map for me in this read. She was horrible. And she just kept hurting Brody over and over again.
Oh then we have the completely contrived meeting of a family with an adopted daughter and realizing that omg! People can love each other as parents/children even if they are not biologically related?!? It was this great shocking thing to her which made me want to bang my head against the wall. Fin wasn't so stupid in the last book. She didn't seem to have so many insecurities. They were hinted at a time or two, but Brody helped her with that. Maybe that is the real issue - I didn't understand how the character I spent a book reading and getting to know suddenly turned into the person in this book. It just didn't make sense. If she had a bad past or something had happened to her then maybe I could have been more sympathetic to a desperate spiraling out of control situation, but with Fin I just didn't get it. It was too much.
So yeah this book was definitely not as good as the first one for me. You do get a happy ending, but getting there was very frustrating to read. I wish we would have gotten a few chapters from Brody's point of view just to see what he was thinking/feeling at certain times. That might have helped. But overall I wish I would have skipped it. It just made me not like the characters as much as I had after the first book.
*Note: After reading this book/writing this review I was informed by the author that this was actually the first book released in the series. She went back and wrote the prequel, Becoming Us, after this one. Which is interesting. I wonder how I would have enjoyed this story had I read it first. If I hadn't fallen in love with the characters already and didn't have that happy couple in my head. I'm still going to leave my review as is since I read it thinking this was the second book, but just wanted to include this note.
After reading and loving Becoming Us, the first book in this series and seeing how it ended I was pretty sure I wouldn't like A Broken Us as much. I was sure I would start hating Fin though I was hopeful the author would write it in a way that that didn't happen. Unfortunately that is exactly what happened. After falling in love with Brody in book one I really don't understand how Fin could do everything she does in this book. I just didn't get her and she made me angry. She was just all poor me the entire book when she is the one who caused all the problems. She is the one that wouldn't let Brody in. She is the one who is so upset with herself. She is the one that could have saved herself her heartache, but she didn't and she wouldn't listen/talk to anyone about her problems so she stayed poor, poor Fin for the whole thing. It was annoying.
So at the end of the first book we have the doctor giving Fin some bad news. We don't find out what it is, but she decides that she has to end it with Brody. Even though they have been together for a long time, are planning a life together, she is just going to break his heart into a billion pieces and not even tell him why. Oh, I hated that. I can't stand when people make decisions for other people. Like they can't decide what they want for their own lives. Like you know better. Oh, not good.
So Fin breaks Brody's heart and runs off to stay with her friend in London. She is all heartbroken and sad, but she makes some incredibly stupid decisions in this book. She was just soooo annoying! I didn't understand her at all. Really the issue is that it is not a problem with Brody it is a problem with herself. She is unhappy with herself so she tries to tell herself that it is all because of Brody that she is doing this. Ugh.
So she runs off to London and almost instantly meets a new hot guy and starts making out with him. But not completely into it since she is still so in love with Brody. Yeah. So in love that she just makes out with a near stranger cause that makes sense. She was just too all over the map for me in this read. She was horrible. And she just kept hurting Brody over and over again.
Oh then we have the completely contrived meeting of a family with an adopted daughter and realizing that omg! People can love each other as parents/children even if they are not biologically related?!? It was this great shocking thing to her which made me want to bang my head against the wall. Fin wasn't so stupid in the last book. She didn't seem to have so many insecurities. They were hinted at a time or two, but Brody helped her with that. Maybe that is the real issue - I didn't understand how the character I spent a book reading and getting to know suddenly turned into the person in this book. It just didn't make sense. If she had a bad past or something had happened to her then maybe I could have been more sympathetic to a desperate spiraling out of control situation, but with Fin I just didn't get it. It was too much.
So yeah this book was definitely not as good as the first one for me. You do get a happy ending, but getting there was very frustrating to read. I wish we would have gotten a few chapters from Brody's point of view just to see what he was thinking/feeling at certain times. That might have helped. But overall I wish I would have skipped it. It just made me not like the characters as much as I had after the first book.
*Note: After reading this book/writing this review I was informed by the author that this was actually the first book released in the series. She went back and wrote the prequel, Becoming Us, after this one. Which is interesting. I wonder how I would have enjoyed this story had I read it first. If I hadn't fallen in love with the characters already and didn't have that happy couple in my head. I'm still going to leave my review as is since I read it thinking this was the second book, but just wanted to include this note.
kaitlin_durante's review
4.0
Talk about feels.
This book took all the feelings to another level.
Man I love Brody in all his alpha-y goodness.
This book took all the feelings to another level.
Man I love Brody in all his alpha-y goodness.
nannyf's review
3.0
Actual rating 3.5
Mmmm I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book. I have rated it 3.5 stars as it is written well and it flows well. However I'm not totally convinced by the storyline.
I will explain as best I can why I feel this way, and it is somewhat personal. I can't say too much as it would spoil the story though. Many years ago I was in the same situation that Finley finds herself in, yet I would never have dreamed of making the choices she does in the story. So no matter how well the story is written I just cannot resign myself to what she does throughout due to the decisions she makes.
However, as I said at the top, the story is written well. I love the relationship Finley has with her roommates in London. These are genuine relationships and I'm sure everyone who has close friends will recognise how well written they are. I love the character of Brody, and if I'm honest I felt closer to his character than I did of the one of Finley.
I like the way the author writes, I just couldn't resign myself to the subject matter I'm afraid. However this is my own personal opinion based on my history and my rating shouldn't put anyone else off reading this book.
Mmmm I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book. I have rated it 3.5 stars as it is written well and it flows well. However I'm not totally convinced by the storyline.
I will explain as best I can why I feel this way, and it is somewhat personal. I can't say too much as it would spoil the story though. Many years ago I was in the same situation that Finley finds herself in, yet I would never have dreamed of making the choices she does in the story. So no matter how well the story is written I just cannot resign myself to what she does throughout due to the decisions she makes.
However, as I said at the top, the story is written well. I love the relationship Finley has with her roommates in London. These are genuine relationships and I'm sure everyone who has close friends will recognise how well written they are. I love the character of Brody, and if I'm honest I felt closer to his character than I did of the one of Finley.
I like the way the author writes, I just couldn't resign myself to the subject matter I'm afraid. However this is my own personal opinion based on my history and my rating shouldn't put anyone else off reading this book.
ruby7moon31's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
whatcha_listening_to's review against another edition
3.0
3 Meh Stars
I wanted to love this book… but it’s the same narrator as book one… I don’t know what it is about her voice; I just played it on 2.5x speed. I wanted to listen through because well I paid for it.
I loved Brody throughout this whole book. But I find he isn’t the same Brody described in the later books (which I read first and LOVED). But he is the one of the reasons I fought through the narrator’s voice. It’s not a bad book if you liked book one, you will like book 2.
Fin… I have a love, hate relationship. I just found her character to be selfish and maybe a little immature. No I am not heartless I get her struggles but she didn’t anyone in either. And that is what I don’t understand. She has this huge wonderful support system that would fall all over themselves for her, and she didn’t even give them a chance.
I don’t like one darn thing she did in this book. Well except when she is with her sister. Those were the best and saddest parts of the whole book for me.
Now please don’t think I didn’t like the book because I liked parts of it. I am not scared to give a lower star rating if I didn’t like the book.
I fully believe it was the narrator for me, and maybe that I didn’t really like Fin’s character as a whole, but honestly the rest of the book is aces.
I <3 the stuffing out of Frank!! As well as the rest of the crazy cast.
*All my Reviews are 100% honest and my own.*
I wanted to love this book… but it’s the same narrator as book one… I don’t know what it is about her voice; I just played it on 2.5x speed. I wanted to listen through because well I paid for it.
I loved Brody throughout this whole book. But I find he isn’t the same Brody described in the later books (which I read first and LOVED). But he is the one of the reasons I fought through the narrator’s voice. It’s not a bad book if you liked book one, you will like book 2.
Fin… I have a love, hate relationship. I just found her character to be selfish and maybe a little immature. No I am not heartless I get her struggles but she didn’t anyone in either. And that is what I don’t understand. She has this huge wonderful support system that would fall all over themselves for her, and she didn’t even give them a chance.
I don’t like one darn thing she did in this book. Well except when she is with her sister. Those were the best and saddest parts of the whole book for me.
Now please don’t think I didn’t like the book because I liked parts of it. I am not scared to give a lower star rating if I didn’t like the book.
I fully believe it was the narrator for me, and maybe that I didn’t really like Fin’s character as a whole, but honestly the rest of the book is aces.
I <3 the stuffing out of Frank!! As well as the rest of the crazy cast.
*All my Reviews are 100% honest and my own.*
bookaddict1975's review against another edition
4.0
🎧 Audio Review 🎧
I knew once I listened to this book I would end up loving Brody. I actually felt so bad for him in this book because he didn't have any idea what was going on and even once he found out it was insulting to him. I was glad to see these two work things out and realize that love is all they need to be happy. I enjoyed getting to know the other London friends in this book. Leslie was hilarious. Can't wait to start her book. I will admit this series might have a little more drama than I like in my books but I'm still really enjoying it!
The narration was again just ok, nothing stands out positive or negative for me.
I knew once I listened to this book I would end up loving Brody. I actually felt so bad for him in this book because he didn't have any idea what was going on and even once he found out it was insulting to him. I was glad to see these two work things out and realize that love is all they need to be happy. I enjoyed getting to know the other London friends in this book. Leslie was hilarious. Can't wait to start her book. I will admit this series might have a little more drama than I like in my books but I'm still really enjoying it!
The narration was again just ok, nothing stands out positive or negative for me.