Title: Broken
Author: Megan Hart
Publishing Date: 2007
Genre: Contemporary (Erotic)
Rating: A-
Sensuality: Burning
Sadie Danning meets Joe for lunch the first Friday of every month. During their lunch Joe tells Sadie a story, an erotic story, about his encounter from his long list of his many one night stands. Sadie’s husband is a quadriplegic and she hasn’t had someone touch her for four years. When Sadie listens to Joe’s stories, she imagines that it’s her in the story with Joe. She is the one being caressed and held.
Sadie’s marriage is broken and she doesn’t know how to fix it. Ever since the accident that left her husband Adam paralyzed from the neck down, she has felt closed off from him and he from her. There is a wall between them that they can’t seem to get around. Sadie is a very lonely woman who doesn’t seem to know who she is anymore.
I find it very hard to give this book a grade. It is definitely not your typical romance since the heroine of the story is married and although, not physically cheating on her husband, she has inappropriate feelings for Joe. She still loves her husband, but it’s obvious to the reader that their marriage is not working. Sadie and Adam are not the same people they were when they were first married.
What I really liked about this book was how different it is from other romance novels. Each erotic story Joes tells, slowly reveals little pieces of who he is. This is the only way Sadie and the reader get information about Joe. The true strength is also how much emotion the author is able to convey to the reader. I really feel this book deserves a high grade because of the range of emotions and the strength of these emotions that the reader is forced to experience right along with the characters. Each character was portrayed realistically and no one character was singled out or vilified. The story itself is sad and poignant. Yet it does have a happy ending. I don’t know if it’s the happy ending I was looking for because someone does have to lose in the end, but I would still consider it a happy ending. This is not a light fluffy read. Ms. Hart has written a dark book but it is definitely worth a chance and I highly recommend it.
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13 comments:
I loved Broken, and I love Megan Hart's other books, too. Her writing is both hot and thought-provoking.
Hi Emjay! I haven't heard from you in a long time! It's nice to hear from you. I read Dirty a while back and was really impressed by Megan Hart's writing. I can't believe it took me so long to read another one of her books. She is fabulous and I am definitely going to read what ever else she publishes.
This is very interesting. I've read about this book before, and Megan Hart is somebody I've been meaning to read. I wonder if this is a good book to start with...
What do you think?
I've read Dirty & Tempted, and have this one yet to read. I love Megan's writing, and the emotion she evokes in me. You definitely have to be in the right frame of mind to read them though. If I wanted the traditional HEA, these won't work. Still, I recommend them.
CJ, I started with Dirty and would definitely recommend that one.
I've enjoyed what I read of DIRTY, but I haven't been able to finish it -- I get book anxiety sometimes, and it totally causes me to belly flop. I have really got to get my butt in gear and finish it! Megan Hart has been collecting fans everywhere like I collect dust mites and books...;-)
Thanks so much for this review, Jill. Having read Tempted, I know EXACTLY what you mean about how this book impacted you. I think Megan Hart writes a genre all her own. Yes, she writes contemporary erotica, but it's more than that. Very very thought provoking and poignant.
I think Megan Hart writes a genre all her own. Yes, she writes contemporary erotica, but it's more than that. Very very thought provoking and poignant.
Christine, I couldn't agree with you more. In bookstores her books are shelved in the romance section, but I think it could be shelved in women's literature too, because it is written in the first person and the ending is not the traditional "happy ending". It's not just about the relationship between the hero and heroine, but about the emotional growth of the heroine throughout the story too. Hart is definitely hard to categorize and that is one of the things I really like about her writing.
Carolyn Jean, I would start with Dirty. I liked that book too. I did review it. I am too lazy to look up the link. If you want to read it just do a search for Dirty or clink on the erotic link in my sidebar. You could also read Broken too. It is loosely connected to Dirty, but they do not have to be read in order by any means.
Amy, Don't give up on it! Of course everybody has different tastes so if it is not your thing don't sweat it!
Okay, I just ordered Dirty! Thanks for the tip.
I've seen so many good reviews on this one and yours is another one!
Like Rowena, I've seen tons of good reviews for this book, but I'm still hesitant to pick it up. I'm torn, because while I enjoy romance novels with a darker tone now and again, I'm not sure this one is for me.
I suppose I'm just going to have to read it to find out, aren't I?
Great reveiw!
This is one of my favorites and like you one of the reasons I liked it was because it was different. I felt sorry for Sadie and Adam and what they had lost. But also couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen with Sadie and Joe.
Holly,
I was like you too. I was hesitant to read this because I just knew it would make me cry and guess what - it did. But, I really enjoyed it. Sometime when you want to read something different because you are tired of the same ol' thing, I suggest picking this one up.
Leslie, One thing I really liked about this book was that Hart did not villify Adam. She was able to make all the characters human and they all had flaws.
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