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thewitchybibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
I couldn't imagine the mental and emotional state that Kat would be in with everything she has gone through. Regardless if the pain and drama she's endured, she was a real fighter. The spark that her and Gavin have is undeniable and I love the banter and the passion these two share. Gavin is one of those amazing men that every girl dreams of and would be the one. But just not in the situation that these two are in.
Overall, this was one amazing tale of loss, devastating past, love and finding your way back to the one you are meant to be with. I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves some angst and passion!!!
eajohnston's review against another edition
5.0
From the synopsis of the book, I went into it thinking that it was just a typical taboo relationship book, but it was so much more than that.
Kat has had a rough life - growing up in and out of the foster care system, with a heroine addicted hooker mother. She has had to fend for herself her entire life and be the rock that only she leans on. Outside of her terrible life with her mother, she has had a worse time with her foster families. The thing I love most about this story is how we see Kat progress and grow up (even though she was already was more grown up than a normal 18 year old should be).
Gavin meets Kat one night when she is celebrating her "twenty-second" birthday at the bar and they immediately hit it off. Weeks later they come to find out that she is not only 18, but she is one of his students. Now this isn't one of the normal stories of a teacher falling in love with their students (gross). This is so, so much more than that.
Throughout the book, we see Kat struggling with her life. She gets an unconventional job to help pay for her house once her mother moves out. We see her deal with every kind of emotion possible. We also see the relationship between Kat and Gavin push and pull due to the circumstances. I really loved how their relationship was presented.
Something tragic happens in Kat's life and she finally has someone to depend on for the first time in her life. I love how she opens up and allows herself to let someone else take care of her for literally the first time in her life.
Then something happens that causes Kat and Gavin to break up - ugh. This I did not love, but the way it was handled was absolutely amazing.
Then we fast forward 4 years (which I actually thought would happen WAY sooner in the book based on the synopsis, but this doesn't start until approximately 85% of the way through the book). Gavin and Kat run into each other (I don't want to say anything else without giving it away). There is so much that I want to say, but I don't want to spoil anything.
I just absolutely adored this book. I loved both of the main characters and I really felt for Kat every step of the way in this book. Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2021. This was my first read for Laura Lee, but it will most definitely not be my last.
all_bookedup's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to the Smuthood and Laura Lee for letting me be a part of this tour.
I'll start off by saying I am confused. The blurb makes it seem that this book starts, things happen, and then suddenly it's 4 years later. But we don't get to 4 years later until we are 90% done.
Kat has been through a lot, in and out of foster care homes most of her life. Her mom is a heroin addict, she doesn't know who her father is. She went through something traumatic as a freshman in high school and now she uses alcohol and (mostly) sex to numb herself. On her 18th birthday, she meets Gavin in a bar. He is recently divorced. they go home, she sneaks out of his house. Fast forward to the first day of school, she realizes that he is her teacher.
Now, this is where I have an issue. Multiple times Kat mentions they live in a small town, and everyone knows everyone's business, yet Kat is constantly at his house, they are constantly in his classroom with the door shut, and no one notices? I believe once it was mentioned they went grocery shopping together (but I could be wrong). I just don't understand how they didn't get caught by anyone else. Also, Dylan was a little pushy throughout most of the book, practically begging, and almost forcing Kat to have sex. I did not like that at all!
Don't get me wrong this was a good book, I laughed at certain parts, and I got teary at certain parts, I felt so bad for Kat at certain parts. Watching the character growth of Kat was amazing. By the end of the book, I was her biggest cheerleader. This is still one that I will recommend.
briannawatsonxo's review against another edition
3.5
✿ likes:
• the writing style.
• it was easy to read.
• kat was a strong fmc.
• it didn't just show the good parts of a person - it also showed the not so good parts; the hard decisions, the pain & the bad experiences.
❀ dislikes:
• i didn't feel there was a connection between the characters. i personally feel like they weren't a good match.
• i didn't find myself connecting with the characters either.
• gavin has no personality outside of being a teacher, he was very bland.
• there were no "wow" moments.
overall this book wasn't terrible. & if the student/teacher trope is something you're interested in then you might like this book!
emgenneken's review
4.0
andiabcs's review against another edition
molly66's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
shirleycuypers's review against another edition
4.0
This book was provided by the author through Wildfire Marketing Solutions in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Laura Lee and Wildfire Marketing Solutions!
Beautifully Broken is a standalone Teacher/Student Romance about Kat and Gavin.
Beautifully Broken is the first book I’ve read by Laura Lee, so I didn’t know what to expect. From the very first chapter, I was really interested in both characters. I wanted to know more about them and why Kat was so weird and had these rules, etc. I really liked Beautifully Broken but I wish there was a trigger warning at the beginning or the end of the book or in the synopsis. Some people can get triggered by 2 of the things mentioned in this book: rape and miscarriage. But besides the trigger warning note, I really enjoyed reading this book!
Kat is such an interesting character. She has these rules for ‘dating’ and I wanted to know why. I think she’s a strong character because she’s been through a lot and she’s so young. I really liked Gavin from the moment I met him. Sparkles is just so cute and I really liked how he treated Kat. Some things were a bit predictable, but I really liked seeing Kat’s character development. I also thought Gavin was a bit stupid towards the end, but in the end it all worked out.
I’m a sucker for Teacher/Student Romance reads, and I think that Beautifully Broken was a good Romance read. I finished this book in one day, it was an easy read and I really wanted to know how the book was going to end. This isn’t a ‘simple’ Teacher/Student Romance, there are some heavy topics in this book too. If that’s something you like, then I recommend reading Beautifully Broken!
laurabenson's review against another edition
5.0
lowkeyreader's review against another edition
4.0