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A review by ggbookrecclub
Breakaway by Anastasija White
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It’s official, Breakaway is my favorite Anastajia White book. While all the books in the Sinners on Ice series are entertaining, Breakaway was incredibly thoughtful. Set yourself up for success, pull on your comfiest hoodie, put TTPD on in the background, and settle in, because you’re not getting up until you finish this book. I went into this book knowing the tropes and expecting it to be a cute and flirty accidental marriage book. Like whoopsie, we got drunk in vegas and guess what, we’re married? And that’s how it started, but the emotional arc these characters went on? You’ve got to be kidding me. Every time I thought I had a piece of the puzzle solved, the answer was something slightly different and made the story just THAT much better.
You could nickname Neveah “The Bolter,” because once she saw the engagement ring her boyfriend was hiding she knew he wasn’t the one. You know when it’s time to go. What makes it messy is they both lived and worked together. Not great. She now gets to find a new place to live and avoid the guy who will stop at nothing to try and get her back.
Roman plays professional hockey and his mother is back in Belarus. He’s incredibly focused on the game and doesn’t need speculation surrounding his personal life interfering with his contract. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that incorporated a second language so well. We got cute Russian nicknames, conversational bits, and when he’s flustered he makes a comment that he’s too upset to focus enough to carry on a heated conversation in English. This book also utilizes footnotes so you don’t have to either guess or pause to google what he’s saying to understand the translation.
I will say, this book was a bit of a slow burn but once that heat hit, it was spicy. She’s been attracted to him since they first met and assumes he doesn’t feel the same way considering he won't make a move. Also, there are multiple mentions of Neveah’s sexual preferences in the most casual, conversational way-it was very refreshing. There was no build up, big reveal, or hesitancy to share. It just was what it was. More books should take this approach, please, I’m begging you.
In all seriousness, there are a lot of heavy and heartbreaking topics in Breakaway. Death of a sibling, etc. Anastasija White included a very thoughtful list of possible trigger warnings in the forward, including how they were a part of the story(on or off page, mention of, etc.). Both these characters experience emotional growth through sharing their past experiences. Being vulnerable is hard. I also loved that both characters were, I don’t want to say broken, but maybe tarnished? They were both overcoming past trauma. They were able to share without dumping and making it the other’s problem. I have high hopes that this couple actually made it past the epilogue.
You could nickname Neveah “The Bolter,” because once she saw the engagement ring her boyfriend was hiding she knew he wasn’t the one. You know when it’s time to go. What makes it messy is they both lived and worked together. Not great. She now gets to find a new place to live and avoid the guy who will stop at nothing to try and get her back.
Roman plays professional hockey and his mother is back in Belarus. He’s incredibly focused on the game and doesn’t need speculation surrounding his personal life interfering with his contract. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that incorporated a second language so well. We got cute Russian nicknames, conversational bits, and when he’s flustered he makes a comment that he’s too upset to focus enough to carry on a heated conversation in English. This book also utilizes footnotes so you don’t have to either guess or pause to google what he’s saying to understand the translation.
I will say, this book was a bit of a slow burn but once that heat hit, it was spicy. She’s been attracted to him since they first met and assumes he doesn’t feel the same way considering he won't make a move. Also, there are multiple mentions of Neveah’s sexual preferences in the most casual, conversational way-it was very refreshing. There was no build up, big reveal, or hesitancy to share. It just was what it was. More books should take this approach, please, I’m begging you.
In all seriousness, there are a lot of heavy and heartbreaking topics in Breakaway. Death of a sibling, etc. Anastasija White included a very thoughtful list of possible trigger warnings in the forward, including how they were a part of the story(on or off page, mention of, etc.). Both these characters experience emotional growth through sharing their past experiences. Being vulnerable is hard. I also loved that both characters were, I don’t want to say broken, but maybe tarnished? They were both overcoming past trauma. They were able to share without dumping and making it the other’s problem. I have high hopes that this couple actually made it past the epilogue.