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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
2.5 stars
I got this book by this completely unknown to me author because I have recently developed a fascination with amnesia in romance novels. Always interested in how it gets deployed etc. and how well I think the author handles the concept.
This was ok.
Mason is an agent with some government agency where he goes under deep cover. His most recent recent mission has taken him deep for two years.
His wife Denise was also a member of the same agency and worked as his partner. But now she is with a private security company and is despondent because she misses him so.
As the book begins, Mason was been tortured and thrown out of a truck with no memory of who he is or his past. But he is still a spy with a spy's instincts. He doesn't know his own name so he takes the name of Jack. And he somehow intuits how to make contact with is handlers.
Fearing he has been compromised or made into some kind of sleeper agent a la The Manchurian Candidate, he is swooped up by the agency, head shrunk and placed on constant surveillance. And Denise is called in to meet with him. She is thrilled to know her husband is back but terrified and sad that he doesn't recognize her at all.
Jack/Mason knows what is happening as doesn't care. He wants to interact with people and try to gt his memory back. But it is obvious there was something critical his mind hiding that even the torture couldn't break out. And then he meets Denise. His ex-partner and, as he is told, a married woman. He doesn't recognize her, but he is immediately attracted to her. Even though their closeness could be chalked up to their being partners in a dangerous business, he wonders if they were ever more? But he shies away from that thought, since it is obvious she is a happily married woman whose husband is currently on a mission (snerk).
So yeah, the set up is interesting and the conundrum the author sets for Denise and Mason is also very interesting. She knows he is her husband and understands the attraction they feel but can't act upon it or tell him anything. Jack/Mason feels something for her but refuses to mess around with a married woman.
There is a medical hoo-hoo hand-wavy conceit behind why they just don't tell him who he is. Apparently if they try to prod his memory he'll have a completely psychotic break and lose his mind and they'll lose whatever important intel his mind has shut down to protect.
Yeah. That's what I said.
Anyway, the rest of the book is Denise being sad that he didn't magically remember her while they spend more time together and she can barely keep herself from jumping him. Jack/Mason is tortured because he thinks he is lusting after a married woman. Also there is a lot of background spy stuf going on.
I like that Jack/Mason finally does figure out who is he so he and Denise can get to boning. And not because he suddenly remembers but because for a group of spies, Denise and all the rest can't lie for shit. And Jack/Mason puts two and two together plus he get tiny little deja vu type memories.
In the end the big villainous scheme was kinda ludicrous honestly and I couldn't help but laugh a bit. All of this for that Wile E. Coyote scheme?
And finally, this is a second book in a series but read like a 5th or 6th given all the names, back info and established relationships of all the supporting characters that are thrown at us immediately. I felt like I was already supposed to know all these people and their situations.
Anyway, a pleasant way to spend some time but not the best rom suspense and felt a little try hard with all the dangerous rich men littering the landscape.
I got this book by this completely unknown to me author because I have recently developed a fascination with amnesia in romance novels. Always interested in how it gets deployed etc. and how well I think the author handles the concept.
This was ok.
Mason is an agent with some government agency where he goes under deep cover. His most recent recent mission has taken him deep for two years.
His wife Denise was also a member of the same agency and worked as his partner. But now she is with a private security company and is despondent because she misses him so.
As the book begins, Mason was been tortured and thrown out of a truck with no memory of who he is or his past. But he is still a spy with a spy's instincts. He doesn't know his own name so he takes the name of Jack. And he somehow intuits how to make contact with is handlers.
Fearing he has been compromised or made into some kind of sleeper agent a la The Manchurian Candidate, he is swooped up by the agency, head shrunk and placed on constant surveillance. And Denise is called in to meet with him. She is thrilled to know her husband is back but terrified and sad that he doesn't recognize her at all.
Jack/Mason knows what is happening as doesn't care. He wants to interact with people and try to gt his memory back. But it is obvious there was something critical his mind hiding that even the torture couldn't break out. And then he meets Denise. His ex-partner and, as he is told, a married woman. He doesn't recognize her, but he is immediately attracted to her. Even though their closeness could be chalked up to their being partners in a dangerous business, he wonders if they were ever more? But he shies away from that thought, since it is obvious she is a happily married woman whose husband is currently on a mission (snerk).
So yeah, the set up is interesting and the conundrum the author sets for Denise and Mason is also very interesting. She knows he is her husband and understands the attraction they feel but can't act upon it or tell him anything. Jack/Mason feels something for her but refuses to mess around with a married woman.
There is a medical hoo-hoo hand-wavy conceit behind why they just don't tell him who he is. Apparently if they try to prod his memory he'll have a completely psychotic break and lose his mind and they'll lose whatever important intel his mind has shut down to protect.
Yeah. That's what I said.
Anyway, the rest of the book is Denise being sad that he didn't magically remember her while they spend more time together and she can barely keep herself from jumping him. Jack/Mason is tortured because he thinks he is lusting after a married woman. Also there is a lot of background spy stuf going on.
I like that Jack/Mason finally does figure out who is he so he and Denise can get to boning. And not because he suddenly remembers but because for a group of spies, Denise and all the rest can't lie for shit. And Jack/Mason puts two and two together plus he get tiny little deja vu type memories.
In the end the big villainous scheme was kinda ludicrous honestly and I couldn't help but laugh a bit. All of this for that Wile E. Coyote scheme?
And finally, this is a second book in a series but read like a 5th or 6th given all the names, back info and established relationships of all the supporting characters that are thrown at us immediately. I felt like I was already supposed to know all these people and their situations.
Anyway, a pleasant way to spend some time but not the best rom suspense and felt a little try hard with all the dangerous rich men littering the landscape.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A view years back I read two books in the Stark Saga series by J. Kenner. And I absolutely adored those books. Somehow I never got to reading the third book in the series. But it has been on my TBR for a long time. So when I saw a sign up for ‘Broken With You’, the second book in the Stark Security series, I knew I wanted to read this book. And I was super excited to hear I got approved for an ARC shortly after.
Although ‘Broken With You’ is the second book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. There are some characters that apparently where in the other book, but I never felt like I missed something important while reading this book. And I loved ‘Broken With You’ from the beginning till the very end.
In ‘Broken With You’ we meet Denise. Denise is married to her true love Mason, and she is really happy. But Mason has been on a secret assignment for almost two years, and Denise is afraid he is never coming back to her. But then one day, Mason returns. Unfortunately he doesn’t remember anything.. Not his name and certainly not who Denise is. And now Denise can’t even tell him who she really is.
The romance in this book was just so good. I loved reading about Denise and Mason. The chemistry between them was flying off the pages. It was both heartbreaking and toe – curling good to read about these two. And the thing I liked the most about this read was the fact that the romance was good, but there was also a lot of suspense.
Denise’s character was fun to read about. But Mason’s was my absolute favorite. He woke up without any memory of who he was and what he was doing. And instead of freaking out he kept on trying to find out more. And although he felt an instant connection with Denise, he kept trying to want to do the good thing because he just felt he was a person who didn’t take another guys woman. I loved that about him.
After finishing ‘Broken With You’ I definitely can’t wait to read more by J. Kenner.
Although ‘Broken With You’ is the second book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. There are some characters that apparently where in the other book, but I never felt like I missed something important while reading this book. And I loved ‘Broken With You’ from the beginning till the very end.
In ‘Broken With You’ we meet Denise. Denise is married to her true love Mason, and she is really happy. But Mason has been on a secret assignment for almost two years, and Denise is afraid he is never coming back to her. But then one day, Mason returns. Unfortunately he doesn’t remember anything.. Not his name and certainly not who Denise is. And now Denise can’t even tell him who she really is.
The romance in this book was just so good. I loved reading about Denise and Mason. The chemistry between them was flying off the pages. It was both heartbreaking and toe – curling good to read about these two. And the thing I liked the most about this read was the fact that the romance was good, but there was also a lot of suspense.
Denise’s character was fun to read about. But Mason’s was my absolute favorite. He woke up without any memory of who he was and what he was doing. And instead of freaking out he kept on trying to find out more. And although he felt an instant connection with Denise, he kept trying to want to do the good thing because he just felt he was a person who didn’t take another guys woman. I loved that about him.
After finishing ‘Broken With You’ I definitely can’t wait to read more by J. Kenner.
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Hero wakes up in a hotel room remembering only a ten digit number that turns out to be a phone number in LA. After he calls it, and learns he's been undercover for two years, he's swept up in a race to regain his memory so he can get vital information. Along the way, he's reunited with a woman he believes is his partner at the agency. But where are these erotic dreams with her coming from? She said he's married. Were they having an affair? Why does she have the name Mason tattooed on her wrist? And now turns out she's 16 weeks pregnant and he's the father?
I loved this twisty, suspenseful story & highly recommend it.
I loved this twisty, suspenseful story & highly recommend it.
Broken with You is the second book in the Stark Security series. It is seriously brilliant!
This book had me on the edge of my seat all the way through and I barely managed to put it down to sleep.
The story of Denise “Denny” Marshall and Mason Walker is a bit heartbreaking but at the same time truly beautiful. Mason is an undercover agent for the government who has been deep undercover for two years. All of a sudden he wakes up in a motel not knowing who he is or where he is. All he remembers is a telephone number.
The story had me intrigued straight from the start and had me guessing all the way through.
I cannot recommend this book enough! You NEED to read it!
This book had me on the edge of my seat all the way through and I barely managed to put it down to sleep.
The story of Denise “Denny” Marshall and Mason Walker is a bit heartbreaking but at the same time truly beautiful. Mason is an undercover agent for the government who has been deep undercover for two years. All of a sudden he wakes up in a motel not knowing who he is or where he is. All he remembers is a telephone number.
The story had me intrigued straight from the start and had me guessing all the way through.
I cannot recommend this book enough! You NEED to read it!
A love felt even from the shadows
When I started "Shadow of You" I wasn't prepared for the twists and turns that happened in this book. I can't imagine going through that, finally getting your husband back and he has no clue who you are. Denise is so incredibly grateful Mason is okay, but he's not her Mason he's Jack. And Jack feels incomparably drawn to this beautiful creature he's dreamt of, but trying to keep to the man he believes himself to be. I think Denny did what any woman in her situation would do, have what you can in that moment. I wasn't expecting the devious person behind the plot. I was positive it was someone else. I just wish we could have gotten a sneak peek farther into the future.
When I started "Shadow of You" I wasn't prepared for the twists and turns that happened in this book. I can't imagine going through that, finally getting your husband back and he has no clue who you are. Denise is so incredibly grateful Mason is okay, but he's not her Mason he's Jack. And Jack feels incomparably drawn to this beautiful creature he's dreamt of, but trying to keep to the man he believes himself to be. I think Denny did what any woman in her situation would do, have what you can in that moment. I wasn't expecting the devious person behind the plot. I was positive it was someone else. I just wish we could have gotten a sneak peek farther into the future.
I went into this book blind and even though I didn’t read any of the Stark books, I understood who was who.
Denise (Denny) works for a private security company. Her husband Mason has been undercover for the past 2 years for the government and she misses him.
When she gets the call that he’s been retrieved, but has lost his memory of her, she has to play by the rules and not tell him who she is.
I thought this was a good storyline. Started slow and then the last 30% it all came together. I will look out for Liam’s story!
I received this ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.
Denise (Denny) works for a private security company. Her husband Mason has been undercover for the past 2 years for the government and she misses him.
When she gets the call that he’s been retrieved, but has lost his memory of her, she has to play by the rules and not tell him who she is.
I thought this was a good storyline. Started slow and then the last 30% it all came together. I will look out for Liam’s story!
I received this ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.
J. Kenner hooked me with her Man of the Month series, and since then I’ve been meaning to read more of her work. With so many of her books being connected, I was unsure where to start. When a new series started, I decided to take the leap. Thus, I jumped into the Stark Security books. The first book, Shattered With You, hooked me, and I was left desperate for book two. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as crazy about Broken With You as I’d hoped to be.
There is no doubt in my mind that the second book in the Stark Security series is an addictive read, as I happily devoured it in no time at all. Although I devoured it, I did not love it. It had me hooked, I was curious to see how things played out, but it felt like something was missing. I was never shocked in the ways I expected, the action never reached the point I’d hoped for, and the emotion failed to hit the right spots. It had the potential to be a great read, but it missed the mark in the end.
Therefore, as much as I wanted to round this three-point-five-star rating up, I couldn’t bring myself to do so. I had to round my rating down, as it wasn’t quite all I’d hoped it would be. Time that could have been spent sucking me deeper into the story were spent on references – and as curious as it has made me about other J. Kenner books, it meant this one was lacking.
Overall, Broken With You was an addictive read but it didn’t quite do all I had been hoping of it.
There is no doubt in my mind that the second book in the Stark Security series is an addictive read, as I happily devoured it in no time at all. Although I devoured it, I did not love it. It had me hooked, I was curious to see how things played out, but it felt like something was missing. I was never shocked in the ways I expected, the action never reached the point I’d hoped for, and the emotion failed to hit the right spots. It had the potential to be a great read, but it missed the mark in the end.
Therefore, as much as I wanted to round this three-point-five-star rating up, I couldn’t bring myself to do so. I had to round my rating down, as it wasn’t quite all I’d hoped it would be. Time that could have been spent sucking me deeper into the story were spent on references – and as curious as it has made me about other J. Kenner books, it meant this one was lacking.
Overall, Broken With You was an addictive read but it didn’t quite do all I had been hoping of it.
See the full review at HarlequinJunkie.com - An HJ Top Pick!!
With enough emotion to rip out your heart and the right amount of sexiness and intrigue to ramp up the excitement, Broken With You has to be one of my favorite J. Kenner novels to date.
It’s difficult to know where to begin with this book, there was so much going on–and so many things I can’t mention for fear of giving away important plot points. But boy was J. Kenner in the zone here. Broken With You can be read as a standalone even though it’s book two of this spinoff in the Stark Universe, but I would highly recommend reading the super short prequel Shadows of You (which is currently free on most digital platforms!). It’s basically just a couple of scenes with our heroine, leading up to the events of this book. Read More
With enough emotion to rip out your heart and the right amount of sexiness and intrigue to ramp up the excitement, Broken With You has to be one of my favorite J. Kenner novels to date.
It’s difficult to know where to begin with this book, there was so much going on–and so many things I can’t mention for fear of giving away important plot points. But boy was J. Kenner in the zone here. Broken With You can be read as a standalone even though it’s book two of this spinoff in the Stark Universe, but I would highly recommend reading the super short prequel Shadows of You (which is currently free on most digital platforms!). It’s basically just a couple of scenes with our heroine, leading up to the events of this book. Read More
Stories about amnesiacs have always intrigued me. I've always wondered (not that I want to go through it, mind you) what it would be like to forget everything. To wake up to a world that was strange to you and inhabit the body of a stranger. To see these people around you that you're supposed to know, have a connection with, and feel and remember nothing at all. Broken With You did far more than intrigue me. It was sexy and intense and grabbed me by the guts, holding me in its thrall until the very end. My heart went out to these characters and I was crossing my fingers and toes that they would get a happy ending.
So what was it about?
❥ Denise's husband has been on a covert job and she hasn't seen him for two years. She's lonely and misses him. She's worried and her former employer won't give her much in the way of comfort. Until one day, her prayers are answered... or are they?
❥ After going deep on his last job, Mason wakes up not knowing who he is, where he is, or how he got to this point. However, he's still got his wits about him and is able to get in contact with the right people. A threat to national security is stuck in his mind and the memory cannot be forced. So although he is introduced to his wife, he can't be told she's his wife, that they're married, or anything else about his past.
❥ Mason can't help his attraction to Denise, but he tries very hard to fight it. Denise does everything she can to help him and fight against her instincts when it comes to the man she loves.
❥ The threat Mason is supposed to remember hits close to home and it's a race against time to save the world!
I loved how Mason was still drawn to Denise without remembering who she was to him. The author did an incredible job of describing the confusion associated with amnesia and how it effects the people who love the person who doesn't remember them. I felt Denise's pain and disappointment and I loved that although she was suffering, her love for Mason was so strong that she was there for him regardless. I loved getting insight into Mason's feelings and his struggles. Nothing beats dual perspectives. Getting to meet the people who make up Stark Security only makes me want to know more about them and I'll definitely be staying tuned for their stories!
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So what was it about?
❥ Denise's husband has been on a covert job and she hasn't seen him for two years. She's lonely and misses him. She's worried and her former employer won't give her much in the way of comfort. Until one day, her prayers are answered... or are they?
❥ After going deep on his last job, Mason wakes up not knowing who he is, where he is, or how he got to this point. However, he's still got his wits about him and is able to get in contact with the right people. A threat to national security is stuck in his mind and the memory cannot be forced. So although he is introduced to his wife, he can't be told she's his wife, that they're married, or anything else about his past.
❥ Mason can't help his attraction to Denise, but he tries very hard to fight it. Denise does everything she can to help him and fight against her instincts when it comes to the man she loves.
❥ The threat Mason is supposed to remember hits close to home and it's a race against time to save the world!
I loved how Mason was still drawn to Denise without remembering who she was to him. The author did an incredible job of describing the confusion associated with amnesia and how it effects the people who love the person who doesn't remember them. I felt Denise's pain and disappointment and I loved that although she was suffering, her love for Mason was so strong that she was there for him regardless. I loved getting insight into Mason's feelings and his struggles. Nothing beats dual perspectives. Getting to meet the people who make up Stark Security only makes me want to know more about them and I'll definitely be staying tuned for their stories!
Blog | FB | Twitter | IG | Tumblr | Pinterest | BookBub