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A review by emilylovesbooks94
Broken by Colette Davison
5.0
“I don’t need saving,” Jag whispered harshly. “I don’t need protecting.” “But you do need to be held,” Michael said. “Let me hold you.” (my favorite quote from the book)
Jag is on the run. He has a list of rules to keep him safe as he hops from city to city working as a pole dancer. In his most recent stop, he auditions to work at Michael's club: Heaven and Hell. What starts out as just another job turns into steamy sex and a deep connection with Michael as Jag works through his troubled past.
I have conflicting emotions about Jag. He's been through so much; it makes me sick to think about some of the things he was forced to do. I can't even begin to understand his trauma, and I think that's why his reactions seem too extreme to me. For 60% of the book he's uncompromising in his secret-keeping and insistence that fooling around with Michael is casual. The way he shuts himself off from everyone else is upsetting to read about. His fear and loneliness are ever present and they affect his interactions with the world. In some ways, I found it hard to connect with him as a character because of the way he treats other people. He's never rude or hurtful, just closed off in a way that made it hard for me to know anything about him. Only after he started to trust Michael did I get any glimpses at the person he really is.
Michael, on the other hand, is an open book with his feelings. He's been unlucky in love--his husband passed away from cancer several years earlier. He has been struggling to find a connection with another man since then. I couldn't help but love Michael and hope for him to get his happily ever after. His interactions with Mac and the rest of the dancers at Heaven and Hell make it obvious what a good guy he is.
Michael and Jag are attracted to each other when they first meet. Michael's club has a no-touch policy, so Jag is ultimately the one to make the first move. After a night of incredible sex, Jag and Michael agree to a no-strings hookup for as long as Jag is in town. Even at this point I could tell there was potential for a strong romantic connection between these two. As Jag and Michael continue exploring their physical chemistry, the emotional bond between them starts to grow as well. There were several moments where I was hoping that Jag would open up to Michael, but it took a long time for him to let go of his fears and hesitations. Once Michael heard Jag's entire story, I loved him even more for supporting Jag without overwhelming him. It was so important for Jag to be able to solve his own problems and choose healing over fear.
All in all, I enjoyed reading Jag and Michael's love story. My main reason for giving 4 stars instead of 5 is that I wanted to explore more of Michael's past. I felt like this story was centered around Jag when I wanted it to be more equal between the two of them. I'm still very excited to read book 2 when it comes out!
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Jag is on the run. He has a list of rules to keep him safe as he hops from city to city working as a pole dancer. In his most recent stop, he auditions to work at Michael's club: Heaven and Hell. What starts out as just another job turns into steamy sex and a deep connection with Michael as Jag works through his troubled past.
I have conflicting emotions about Jag. He's been through so much; it makes me sick to think about some of the things he was forced to do. I can't even begin to understand his trauma, and I think that's why his reactions seem too extreme to me. For 60% of the book he's uncompromising in his secret-keeping and insistence that fooling around with Michael is casual. The way he shuts himself off from everyone else is upsetting to read about. His fear and loneliness are ever present and they affect his interactions with the world. In some ways, I found it hard to connect with him as a character because of the way he treats other people. He's never rude or hurtful, just closed off in a way that made it hard for me to know anything about him. Only after he started to trust Michael did I get any glimpses at the person he really is.
Michael, on the other hand, is an open book with his feelings. He's been unlucky in love--his husband passed away from cancer several years earlier. He has been struggling to find a connection with another man since then. I couldn't help but love Michael and hope for him to get his happily ever after. His interactions with Mac and the rest of the dancers at Heaven and Hell make it obvious what a good guy he is.
Michael and Jag are attracted to each other when they first meet. Michael's club has a no-touch policy, so Jag is ultimately the one to make the first move. After a night of incredible sex, Jag and Michael agree to a no-strings hookup for as long as Jag is in town. Even at this point I could tell there was potential for a strong romantic connection between these two. As Jag and Michael continue exploring their physical chemistry, the emotional bond between them starts to grow as well. There were several moments where I was hoping that Jag would open up to Michael, but it took a long time for him to let go of his fears and hesitations. Once Michael heard Jag's entire story, I loved him even more for supporting Jag without overwhelming him. It was so important for Jag to be able to solve his own problems and choose healing over fear.
All in all, I enjoyed reading Jag and Michael's love story. My main reason for giving 4 stars instead of 5 is that I wanted to explore more of Michael's past. I felt like this story was centered around Jag when I wanted it to be more equal between the two of them. I'm still very excited to read book 2 when it comes out!
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.