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A review by bandherbooks
Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia
4.0
Star soccer player Peyton's boyfriend Reed shoves her down concrete stairs after she confronts about the steroids she found in his gym bag. The fall causes a bad injury to Peyton's knee, requiring a trip to the ER, surgery, and a chance she may never play soccer again. No one but Peyton's mother believes her normally loving, protective boyfriend could do such a thing.
Deciding not to press charges after Reed somehow passes a urinalysis test, Peyton's mother sends her to live with her uncle and twin cousins when Reed's scary, stalking behavior continues to increase.
A new school means Peyton can hopefully focus on rehabbing her knee without telling anyone about how it actually happened. Too bad she has the awfully distracting Owen, a super hot MMA fighter and fellow student at her new school, helping with her rehab.
Owen also has a secret, and while they try their best to be "just friends," their irresistible attraction leads to major drama.
I at turns loved this story and got mad at it. I loved Peyton's immediate break up with Reed, her insistence on keeping Reed away from her, and her mother's loyalty. A lot of readers apparently found Peyton whiny and childish, but I found her relatable and even mature beyond her years (for a teen). I was fine with her conflict over desiring Owen's hot body (and come one, his personality) but also of not getting involved with another fighter.
Owen toed the line between being perfect and 'unbelievable,' often crossing more into unbelievable territory. I wish there was a little more exploration of his character and backstory, but. But, hubba hubba, I'd want to be with him too.
My irritation with this story was the CONSTANT fighting throughout the story. Between Peyton's twin football playing, giant cousins, Owen, Reed, and the other testosterone-filled boys, hell even Peyton threatening a female rival, there was at least the rumbling of a fight every chapter. I found Peyton's "annoyance" with the fighting a bit trite, especially for someone who had just been massively injured by a "fight." I appreciated Owen's moral code, which was explained early on, but found his decision at the end a bit maddening.
That said, this is a riveting read and one that does address the domestic violence in an otherwise sensitive way. There is a great author's note at the end detailing Garcia's own experiences and a list of resources for those who need them, or just want to know about their options. You are not in this alone.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC!
Deciding not to press charges after Reed somehow passes a urinalysis test, Peyton's mother sends her to live with her uncle and twin cousins when Reed's scary, stalking behavior continues to increase.
A new school means Peyton can hopefully focus on rehabbing her knee without telling anyone about how it actually happened. Too bad she has the awfully distracting Owen, a super hot MMA fighter and fellow student at her new school, helping with her rehab.
Owen also has a secret, and while they try their best to be "just friends," their irresistible attraction leads to major drama.
I at turns loved this story and got mad at it. I loved Peyton's immediate break up with Reed, her insistence on keeping Reed away from her, and her mother's loyalty. A lot of readers apparently found Peyton whiny and childish, but I found her relatable and even mature beyond her years (for a teen). I was fine with her conflict over desiring Owen's hot body (and come one, his personality) but also of not getting involved with another fighter.
Owen toed the line between being perfect and 'unbelievable,' often crossing more into unbelievable territory. I wish there was a little more exploration of his character and backstory, but. But, hubba hubba, I'd want to be with him too.
My irritation with this story was the CONSTANT fighting throughout the story. Between Peyton's twin football playing, giant cousins, Owen, Reed, and the other testosterone-filled boys, hell even Peyton threatening a female rival, there was at least the rumbling of a fight every chapter. I found Peyton's "annoyance" with the fighting a bit trite, especially for someone who had just been massively injured by a "fight." I appreciated Owen's moral code, which was explained early on, but found his decision at the end a bit maddening.
That said, this is a riveting read and one that does address the domestic violence in an otherwise sensitive way. There is a great author's note at the end detailing Garcia's own experiences and a list of resources for those who need them, or just want to know about their options. You are not in this alone.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC!