Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
2 stars. It's books like these that makes me glad my goal for this year was to review and rate every book I read. Because last year, I would have just read it without reflecting on how I really feel about it, and I did not like these book. It in no way is the worst thing I have ever read, but I did not enjoy it and do not see myself continuing with the author or the series. I was excited for this book because the marriage in crisis is not a trope that is done that often, and is a favorite of mine, so I jumped at the chance to read it. And it was just not well done. I like Jeannie has an FMC, but I just felt like so bad for her, and Dylan was on my last fucking nerve. Like she gave up her entire life for him and he just treats her badly, especially when it comes to her relationship with his mom. But the most important thing was how bad the groveling was that really pushed me to not enjoy this. For one, it happens too late in the book for me, groveling starts about 60% through. Secondly, I felt there was like no progress made. For some reason, every aspect of the Plan Dylan created, which I did like, was ruined and some way. And I understand it might have been written that way to show how everything is not perfect, but I felt like we barely moved forward. Jeannie is still the strict parent and the main parent, and also still upended her life to be with him. And like he kinda helps with her getting closer to the WAGs on the new team and urging to start ice skating lessons, and like okay? And we did not see the progression at all. Only by the epilogue to both of them start therapy, and he gets help for her when it comes to childcare. And it takes him such a long time to put his mom in her place, and to discover she does care about his wife or his kids, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS AWFUL TO HER AFTER HER MISCARRIAGE. Like it just annoyed me and felt like a waste of time. I also felt like the scene where their son broke his arm because he went tubing in a weird way was so overdramatic (to be clear I am not a parent so maybe it was realistic) like you would have thought he was dying. I actually did like the Adam subplot, because like so rarely in these books someone like him is treated like a weirdo. It is creepy if you wait for someone for like decade, as they marry someone else (a wedding he attended) and after she had 3 children with this person, like to hold out hope was crazy. Oh, and I hated the ending where he gets injured and thinks he ended his career. Which like story wise, this pushing him into retirement would make a lot of sense, but IT DOES NOT PUSH HIM INTO RETIRE. I just really didn't like it. Like some of the smut was enjoyable (although I was edged with pegging and disappointed when it did not happen) and I think with a different story arch Jeannie and Dylan could have a more interesting marriage in crisis story, but I just thought it was poorly done. (P.S. this is like the first negative review I have written and do not to be mean, but I think it needed to be said)
Wow when I first started reading Unbreakable I knew that I was in for some heartache but also some laughs. The story has flashbacks of the beginning of Dylan and Jeanine’s relationship. We get to see how their story started but also where it now stood. I tend to always pick a side and in this circumstance it was just so hard to sympathize and not pick one. Dani Galliaro did an amazing job in providing each personality and allowing you to see how they felt through their eyes. I was and am rooting for them. To see how they built a relationship and nurtured it throughout was eye opening. It leads you to believe that relationships like anything else in life take time and dedication but it is a joint effort. Dylan gets traded to the Ohio Rusties and the family has to move from LA. They move to a new place and leave behind the support system of parents and to embark on a new journey. Dylan is in his 30’s one of the older players in the team. He isn’t well liked and it is mostly because he tells it like it is. Not only does he have to worry about the new team he is in and making sure that they are a cohesive team but he also has Jeanine to worry about. Starting in a new place with no support system is hard. I think in Dylans case it is even harder because the support system that one would think to count on, his mother, is one of the reasons his marriage is having issues. His mother is difficult and that is putting it lightly. But the thing I can appreciate about Dylan is how even though that is his mother he understands that her way of viewing things is not right. I loved that about him. You can tell that Jeanine and Dylan are having some communication issues but is the bond really broken or is it something that just needs to be glued back together.
Thank you to Sunnybabe PR and the author for the E-ARC of this book. I read a lot of hockey romance and I can say with confidence, I haven't come across one quite like this.
This is not your happy go lucky, run of the mill story. This story has depth and raw emotion in its depiction of a marriage in crisis.
The author is honest in her depiction of depression, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed by life. Marriage is hard and the author leans into this with an accurate potrayal of the evolution of marriage over time. This book details how complacent we can become and reveals the cracks in the foundation that can not only divide us, but rebuild us into something stronger.
I absolutely loved the way the author shows the cracks in Jeanine and Dylan's relationship over time. There is not one single event that caused their crisis, it became the accumulation of all the small things. I think this was so profound and true to life and any relationship.
This book is sweet, sexy, funny, and profound all at the same time.
This is not your happy go lucky, run of the mill story. This story has depth and raw emotion in its depiction of a marriage in crisis.
The author is honest in her depiction of depression, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed by life. Marriage is hard and the author leans into this with an accurate potrayal of the evolution of marriage over time. This book details how complacent we can become and reveals the cracks in the foundation that can not only divide us, but rebuild us into something stronger.
I absolutely loved the way the author shows the cracks in Jeanine and Dylan's relationship over time. There is not one single event that caused their crisis, it became the accumulation of all the small things. I think this was so profound and true to life and any relationship.
This book is sweet, sexy, funny, and profound all at the same time.
I was going with a 3 star but the extra star is because one part of the story is really powerful & spoke to me. If you're in that middle life stage where you're corralling young kids, making an income that actually sticks, navigating aging parents (who might be losing the plot) ANNNNDDD negotiating marriage, you're going to feel heard & seen by this book, much like I did.
This is the story of Dylan and Jeanine. Burning passion on sight leads to a shotgun wedding, followed by a devastating loss and them trying to hold it together. Fast forward, Dylan's team trades him to a worse team in Ohio (from LA) and they're stuck trying to rebuild a life & career in a new place with zero support. Needless to say, the fractures are going to topple the mountain.
What I loved - the author REALLY gets to the heart of the bumpy terrain that is life, with all its challenges. Kids that don't give you an inch, being a stay-at-home mom & carrying huge mental & physical loads, taking spouses for granted, disrespectful in-laws etc. The list goes on - but I felt like that line from "Killing Me Softly"; "I felt he found my letters & read each one out loud". Except, this is a fictional story - so they both pull a solid & do a bunch of hard work to salvage the relationship within a decent amount of pages. The story is also REAL; which means the supporting cast isn't always supportive. There are some non-fans of the MCs and tough relationships that the MCs have to learn to manage. It isn't always warm fuzzies and there's a fair bit of uncomfortable interactions with the extended characters.
What I liked less - I found myself wavering on Jeanine (FMC). She acknowledges that she has mental health issues but she felt a bit entitled and heavy-handed. When their son gets into an accident, she blames it fully on Dylan and shuts him out - and acknowledges later that maybe it was her own guilt of not having intervened. She had the option of getting a nanny & some help, but somehow that never gets taken up. I know it's really hard to place the blame equally between spouses, and I think the author really does try to level it out - but I just felt Dylan came out with the short end. There's also some gratuitous smut, which I could've passed.
We don't see enough of this marriage in crisis trope - and the author mentioned she was responding to her community asks on this particular topic, which I thought was sweet.Good effort, decent read - give it a shot, especially if the circumstances speak to you.
This is the story of Dylan and Jeanine. Burning passion on sight leads to a shotgun wedding, followed by a devastating loss and them trying to hold it together. Fast forward, Dylan's team trades him to a worse team in Ohio (from LA) and they're stuck trying to rebuild a life & career in a new place with zero support. Needless to say, the fractures are going to topple the mountain.
What I loved - the author REALLY gets to the heart of the bumpy terrain that is life, with all its challenges. Kids that don't give you an inch, being a stay-at-home mom & carrying huge mental & physical loads, taking spouses for granted, disrespectful in-laws etc. The list goes on - but I felt like that line from "Killing Me Softly"; "I felt he found my letters & read each one out loud". Except, this is a fictional story - so they both pull a solid & do a bunch of hard work to salvage the relationship within a decent amount of pages. The story is also REAL; which means the supporting cast isn't always supportive. There are some non-fans of the MCs and tough relationships that the MCs have to learn to manage. It isn't always warm fuzzies and there's a fair bit of uncomfortable interactions with the extended characters.
What I liked less - I found myself wavering on Jeanine (FMC). She acknowledges that she has mental health issues but she felt a bit entitled and heavy-handed. When their son gets into an accident, she blames it fully on Dylan and shuts him out - and acknowledges later that maybe it was her own guilt of not having intervened. She had the option of getting a nanny & some help, but somehow that never gets taken up. I know it's really hard to place the blame equally between spouses, and I think the author really does try to level it out - but I just felt Dylan came out with the short end. There's also some gratuitous smut, which I could've passed.
We don't see enough of this marriage in crisis trope - and the author mentioned she was responding to her community asks on this particular topic, which I thought was sweet.Good effort, decent read - give it a shot, especially if the circumstances speak to you.
Thank you SunnyBabe PR for the ARC!
This book was sooooo raw! Marriage is hard! No way around it. I loved the way this book captured a love story, but in a different way. This was a story on the premise of a long term marriage; ups, downs, miscommunications, struggles, happiness and everything (I mean everythinggg) in between! I went into this blind and almost DNFd it cause I was so confused that this wasn’t a typical love story but I’m sooo glad I didn’t! Be prepared this book is going to have you feeling all the emotions! If you’re married this was a book that really shows you that marriage is not easy and requires WORK from both sides at all times!
This book was sooooo raw! Marriage is hard! No way around it. I loved the way this book captured a love story, but in a different way. This was a story on the premise of a long term marriage; ups, downs, miscommunications, struggles, happiness and everything (I mean everythinggg) in between! I went into this blind and almost DNFd it cause I was so confused that this wasn’t a typical love story but I’m sooo glad I didn’t! Be prepared this book is going to have you feeling all the emotions! If you’re married this was a book that really shows you that marriage is not easy and requires WORK from both sides at all times!
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This story follows Dylan and Jeanine who moved from LA to Ohio for Dylan’s job in the NHL. The move was a lot harder on their marriage than they both expected. After 8 years, 3 kids and moving across the country, things became difficult for them. Dylan was struggling being on a new team and being gone a lot. Jeanine was struggling because she no longer had the support system she was used to. She was putting her kids first while Dylan was putting this job before their marriage. They were not taking the time to nourish their relationship. Long term relationships can be very difficult and your partner can really start to resent you if you aren’t constantly checking in and making sure their needs are met. This book shows how they navigate and fix their crumbling marriage.
This isn’t your typical romance book. It has real raw emotions from a couple who have been struggling to be heard and seen. This story truly broke my heart and had me sobbing while reading. It was upsetting and inspiring at the same time. It was very hard to read at some points and I almost didn’t want to continue because I could feel the pain that was radiating off the page. I really loved how Dani normalized marital issues, individual and couples therapy. I was really rooting for Dylan and Jeanine the whole way though. It really showed what can happen when two people love each other and want to fight for their marriage. This book was a great example of that.
Don’t worry this book also had its fair share of spicy scenes including primal play.
This isn’t your typical romance book. It has real raw emotions from a couple who have been struggling to be heard and seen. This story truly broke my heart and had me sobbing while reading. It was upsetting and inspiring at the same time. It was very hard to read at some points and I almost didn’t want to continue because I could feel the pain that was radiating off the page. I really loved how Dani normalized marital issues, individual and couples therapy. I was really rooting for Dylan and Jeanine the whole way though. It really showed what can happen when two people love each other and want to fight for their marriage. This book was a great example of that.
Don’t worry this book also had its fair share of spicy scenes including primal play.