Broken by Ami Spencer is a contemporary second chance, age gap romance about learning to rely on others and being brave enough to trust.
Callie Montgomery appears to have it all together. She runs a successful business that she inherited from her father after his retirement and is brilliant at what she does. She has a loving family who supports her and has managed to survive a divorce. She’s come a long way over the last decade and should be proud of herself. But all is not as it seems, she’s her own worst critic and hides truths to keep the people she loves and respects most, happy. That is until the only person to ever truly see her comes back into her life, then Callie finds it hard to hide what is really going on, even from herself. Because Jackie Taylor has always seen her, and Jackie has never been willing to let Callie hide.
Jackie Taylor thought she’d found her forever person, until one day she disappeared from her life. Now 12 years later she is back in Callie Montgomery’s orbit and realizes quickly that she never truly stopped loving her. Jackie knows that all is not what it seems when it comes to Callie, something is wrong, what else can she do but try to help? Because when the one that got away is still the one you want, there is no choice. All Jackie has ever wanted is for Callie to be happy and she is willing to help make that happen even if friendship is all that’s on offer.
With past hurts that need healing for both these women and obstacles to overcome, they will need to trust in each other and believe they are enough in order to be happy.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Broken is the perfect title for this book because this book does break you before it puts you back together. I love that the author made this book so raw and truthful. It tackles a lot of hard-hitting subjects and shows the effects left by them and I appreciated this so much.
Callie Montgomery suffers from debilitating panic attacks. She has anxiety that has taken a lot of years for her to learn how to live with. She is brave and brilliant, strong and courageous, but, anyone who suffers from or knows someone who suffers from anxiety will know that she can’t see it. Callie has dealt with feeling insufficient from an early age, her mother loathed her and made her believe she was worthless, and even though she escaped to her father’s loving home those thoughts have never left her. She has worked hard to overcome years of abuse and being taken advantage of, always thinking that others are better off without her regardless of what they say. My heart hurt for Callie, her struggles are so acute and raw. As someone who lives with anxiety but who also has a partner who suffers from it, I felt her struggles deep in my soul. Although she is managing to survive, she is so scared of letting people down, so she puts on her ‘brave face’ and puts one foot in front of the other in the hopes that it is enough. Spencer writes about the good the bad and the ugly when it comes to Callie’s survival, and it is hard to read but also absolutely true and wonderful to see.
Jackie Taylor is a loving nurturing caring woman. She sees strength in Callie after witnessing her during a panic attack and something draws her in. She wants to help and does, in any way she can, but most of all she just wants the woman she loves and cares about to be happy. Jackie sees Callie, she instinctively knows when she is hiding how hard she is struggling and knows when she is telling half-truths. But she also knows just how much to push Callie to acknowledge this and when to back off and give Callie the time she needs to work through her turmoil. I recognise Jackie as someone that I’ve both needed and been, she is such a relatable character and is perfect for Callie.
Broken is Spencer’s debut novel and I think it’s fabulous! She has written a book that addresses so many heartbreaking subjects but manages to still inject some humor and a lot of love and respect into it. It’s full of a lot of lovable characters which include Callie’s mama, the loving woman who treated her as her own and loved and nurtured her, helping to heal some of the unthinkable hurts left by her biological mother.
The thing I love most about this book is that even though it deals with a lot of hard-hitting themes, it shows you that given the right circumstances there is light and love to be found. It’s real and there are a lot of beautiful moments between the main characters, as well as some extremely hot scenes. it lets you see that even if life is hard, two people can still enjoy it because when times are good you have to grab them and roll with it.
Cons And Heads Up
There are a lot of triggers in this book.
Physical and mental abuse caused by a parent
Mental abuse caused by a spouse
Suicide attempt
Cheating from an ex-spouse
Scars both mental and physical left by the above
Abandonment from a partner and parent.
There are in detail descriptions for all of the above through discussion between the main characters, so if that triggers you then this book is not for you.
The Conclusion
Broken is a book about living life even if that life is hard. It is about healing yourself and allowing others to help you heal. It sheds light on the fact that there is no shame in relying on your partner and equally that it is ok to want to look after and protect the one you love.
Callie and Jackie get a second chance at a love they thought was lost. Their story is filled with anguish, but it is rarely caused by each other. Broken lets us see that it is ok to be broken, it’s ok to not be ‘fixed’ but if you find someone that can help you feel fixed, and you’re brave enough to let them in, then the results can be happiness that you did not believe possible.
This book will make you cry, it will hurt your heart and you will feel it deep in your soul. But if you give it a chance it will put you back together and leave you full of hope that even the saddest of stories can have a very happy ending.
Excerpt from Broken by Ami Spencer
She still remembered the evening she had been introduced to Jackie Taylor. She was twentyone, fresh from university, and back at home trying to work out her next steps, clouded by a fog of self-doubt and identity issues. Years were spent being her own person and then she was back, unsure as to how to move forward.
Her father, Barrett Montgomery, had spent years building up a highly respected and successful architecture company, designing some of the city’s most popular and admired buildings. He had never hidden his desire to have Callie come into the business, ever since she showed a talent for art and design. And once she was back, his arguments had only gotten more insistent. But Callie was still unsure. Everything in her hometown reminded her of darker times, times she was still clawing her way out of, and she wasn’t sure if she really wanted to commit to a life there.
Callie and her brothers were used to Barrett bringing home business associates or partners, but Jackie had joined while Callie was at university, and as such, they had never met. Until an evening Callie still thought of often. They had come straight from the office, and Jackie looked absolutely stunning in a tailored grey trouser suit, her cream silk blouse draping perfectly over her curves, enough buttons undone to show just enough skin to tease Callie’s immediately piqued attention.
She could still rock a power suit. Today’s example was dark grey with a white pin stripe running through it and a crisp pressed white shirt underneath it. She was dressing to make a statement. And boy, what a statement she was making.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number:9798836764388
Publisher: Indie Author
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