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La amante imaginaria
Este mes, me llamo Mary. Cada mes tengo un nombre distinto... Brandy, Honey, Amy... a veces, Joe ni siquiera se molesta en preguntar, pero siempre consigue excitarme con su cuerpo, con su boca y sus caricias. No importa cómo me llamo ni dónde me ha conocido, el sexo siempre es increíble y no dejo de desearlo durante las largas semanas que pasan hasta que vuelvo a verlo. Mi nombre real es Sadie, y una vez al mes, a la hora de la comida, Joe me lo cuenta todo sobre su último ligue; sin embargo, él no sabe que en mi mente yo soy la protagonista de todas las aventuras de una noche que va revelándome, y que estoy prácticamente obsesionada con nuestra imaginaria vida sexual. Sé que está mal y que mi marido no lo entendería, pero no puedo renunciar a nuestros encuentros aún... no, aún no.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
About the author
Megan Hart
246 books4,036 followersMegan Hart has written in almost every genre of romantic fiction, including historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, romantic comedy, futuristic, fantasy and perhaps most notably, erotic. She also writes non-erotic fantasy and science fiction, as well as continuing to occasionally dabble in horror.
--from the author's website
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
For Megan Hart, the nutritionist, click here
--from the author's website
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
For Megan Hart, the nutritionist, click here
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 964 reviews
October 8, 2012
Been thinking about this lately, and decided to revise my score down from 5*. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got at the book.
I'd have to re-read it to write an in-depth review, but here's a quick and dirty list of why I changed my rating.
1. It's an extremely negative treatment of disability. I originally loved the book so much because of Adam. He was more familiar to me than any other disabled character I've run across, and I loved seeing my own experiences and frustrations voiced by someone else. Unfortunately, the more I thought about it, the more I hated how he was treated by the story. Here's the most realistic disabled character I've seen, and he really is just a cheap plot vehicle there to make Sadie seem tragic. All these things he does that made me like him so much - asking for a divorce, yelling at the nurse, needling Sadie - weren't meant to show the depth of his character or a man resisting dehumanization by a million cuts, they were meant to make me feel bad that Sadie was stuck married to him.
2. Fuck Sadie. Seriously. Fuck that cheating, self-centered, self-pitying, patronizing bitch. She treats her husband like a burdensome patient then is not only surprised when he wants a divorce, she's offended by how ungrateful he is of how much she's done for him. What a prize.
3. Hart forgot to write a character arc for Sadie. Even though I hate the bitch, I might've enjoyed the story if she grew as a person. If Hart challenged, rather than reinforced, society's negative biases towards disability, this would've been an amazing read. But Sadie never faces her flaws. She doesn't learn anything from her actions. In fact, I have to assume that the book doesn't think she's flawed at all. "Of course she resents her burdensome husband, who wouldn't. Here. Have this able bodied husband replacement. You've earned it." It's all really too ableist for words.
4.
Honestly, this is an ableist abomination. It's sad that everyone seems to think Sadie's the victim in this story. She's the embodiment of every negative stereotype there is of disability. That's what makes this a depressing book.
Only thing giving this more than one star is Adam. I still love him.
I'd have to re-read it to write an in-depth review, but here's a quick and dirty list of why I changed my rating.
1. It's an extremely negative treatment of disability. I originally loved the book so much because of Adam. He was more familiar to me than any other disabled character I've run across, and I loved seeing my own experiences and frustrations voiced by someone else. Unfortunately, the more I thought about it, the more I hated how he was treated by the story. Here's the most realistic disabled character I've seen, and he really is just a cheap plot vehicle there to make Sadie seem tragic. All these things he does that made me like him so much - asking for a divorce, yelling at the nurse, needling Sadie - weren't meant to show the depth of his character or a man resisting dehumanization by a million cuts, they were meant to make me feel bad that Sadie was stuck married to him.
2. Fuck Sadie. Seriously. Fuck that cheating, self-centered, self-pitying, patronizing bitch. She treats her husband like a burdensome patient then is not only surprised when he wants a divorce, she's offended by how ungrateful he is of how much she's done for him. What a prize.
3. Hart forgot to write a character arc for Sadie. Even though I hate the bitch, I might've enjoyed the story if she grew as a person. If Hart challenged, rather than reinforced, society's negative biases towards disability, this would've been an amazing read. But Sadie never faces her flaws. She doesn't learn anything from her actions. In fact, I have to assume that the book doesn't think she's flawed at all. "Of course she resents her burdensome husband, who wouldn't. Here. Have this able bodied husband replacement. You've earned it." It's all really too ableist for words.
4.
Honestly, this is an ableist abomination. It's sad that everyone seems to think Sadie's the victim in this story. She's the embodiment of every negative stereotype there is of disability. That's what makes this a depressing book.
Only thing giving this more than one star is Adam. I still love him.
April 25, 2020
Losing my virginity hadn’t made me a woman, but almost losing my husband had. He could have died.
There are days I weep with gratitude that he didn’t. And then, there are days I wish he had.
Adam is a poet. His love for Sadie is pure and full of passion. They are young and his career as a famous poet is really taking off when tragedy strikes!
“A thousand poets could write for a thousand years,” he whispered, “and none of them would ever be able to describe how I feel about you.”
Sadie and Adam had a perfect love until fate intervened. Sometimes life isn't fair and bad things happen to good people. Broken is a heart wrenching story about life, love, hate, hope, and desire. This is by far the best story I have read this year.
Joe is beautiful, sexy, smart and successful. His stories entertain Sadie and allow her an escape from her drab life. Because Sadie is no longer living life. She merely exists.
Joe is also a man whore. His stories are insightful, exotic and far too honest. But what happens when his stories are no longer enough and Sadie starts to not only want the real thing, but CRAVE it?!!
Just because Joe and I never touched didn’t mean we weren’t having an affair. I knew it. I didn’t want to stop it. Frankly, I couldn’t stop it. The first Friday of every month, our lunches, his stories and the relief they gave me were a bright and shining thing in the otherwise gray palette of my existence.
I dissolved on the bathroom floor, giving in to magnificent and overpowering grief. I loved my husband but wanted to fuck another man. I wanted it so much it tore me apart and knitted me together over and over.
Broken will take you on an erotic journey via Joe's escapades. And it will take you on an emotional roller coaster as you experience every emotion possible right along with Sadie and Adam. The grief and pain, love and lust, guilt and hope!! I was in awe of this story and look forward to re-reading it again soon.
Broken is a must read!! So Read This Book!!!
I forgot to mention this in my original review. For those of you that have read Dirty, Elle makes a few appearance in this book, which was wonderful treat for me. Elle is one of my favorite female characters.
June 24, 2011
Opening line:"This month my name is Mary and apparently, I'm as contrary as the nursery rhyme"
Broken is one of the most amazing books I’ve read in a long time, and author Megan Hart, well wow, I’m just in love with her writing. Reading Broken felt like eating dessert or chocolate, as she has a way of making her words delicious. So perfectly descriptive and achingly beautiful, I only wish I could put my muddled thoughts into sentences the way she does.
This is a unique, very real and somewhat heartbreaking story that will definitely make you stop and think and although categorized as erotica I never felt that the sex scenes were gratuitous instead they seemed to help move the story along which lets be honest is a rare thing. Really, it’s unfortunate that this needs a label at all because it is just so much more the erotica or romance or even a tragic love story -yet it is also all of these.
Despite the complex subject matter I also think we could all find a piece of ourselves in Hart’s multi-dimensional characters. In fact I became so involved with the characters that I felt like I knew them and literally ached along with them. They also had me laughing, crying, sighing, feeling angry, surprised and more then once left me downright stunned. When an author can pull actual emotions out of me then yeah, she’s got a fan.
Sadie and Joe first met on their lunch break, two strangers each needing something from the other. Now over the course of their evolving friendship they continue to meet once a month on an atrium bench and over a bagged lunch Joe tells Sadie about his latest sexual conquest. As the reader we get to hear Joe’s erotic story in first person from his female companions POV (this month my name is Brandy etc…) Joe’s character is left vague in the beginning, because this is after all Sadie’s story however as she gets to know him better so do we, picking up tidbits about his life from his sensual accounts. This stranger that Sadie can’t stop herself from meeting, in the end becomes a fully rounded empathetic character.
Sadie knows that she’s deceiving her husband by living vicariously through Joe’s stories yet she hasn’t physically cheated and at this point it’s the one bright spot in her life helping her deal with a stressful, sleepless and for the most part crumbling marriage.
Sadie met Adam in college and while we do get a few flashbacks to them as young lovers and a general feel for who they were as a couple in and out of the bedroom I personally would like to have seen a bit more of their relationship before Adams skiing accident rendered him a quadriplegic and changed things forever.
Their relationship is complex and Hart is genius here at peeling back the many layers of a marriage that has persevered when so many would have failed. We get Adams seclusion, rage and utter frustration with his body and the world in general, Sadie’s loneliness, guilt, fear and coping mechanisms. I felt like a fly on the wall with this couple, yes it was uncomfortable to bare witness to at times, but also magnificent. I’m really not going to say much else here as this is worth discovering on your own.
This was an absolute pleasure to read and as Megan Harts newest fan girl I’ll definitely be coming back for more. Cheers!
Broken is one of the most amazing books I’ve read in a long time, and author Megan Hart, well wow, I’m just in love with her writing. Reading Broken felt like eating dessert or chocolate, as she has a way of making her words delicious. So perfectly descriptive and achingly beautiful, I only wish I could put my muddled thoughts into sentences the way she does.
This is a unique, very real and somewhat heartbreaking story that will definitely make you stop and think and although categorized as erotica I never felt that the sex scenes were gratuitous instead they seemed to help move the story along which lets be honest is a rare thing. Really, it’s unfortunate that this needs a label at all because it is just so much more the erotica or romance or even a tragic love story -yet it is also all of these.
Despite the complex subject matter I also think we could all find a piece of ourselves in Hart’s multi-dimensional characters. In fact I became so involved with the characters that I felt like I knew them and literally ached along with them. They also had me laughing, crying, sighing, feeling angry, surprised and more then once left me downright stunned. When an author can pull actual emotions out of me then yeah, she’s got a fan.
Sadie and Joe first met on their lunch break, two strangers each needing something from the other. Now over the course of their evolving friendship they continue to meet once a month on an atrium bench and over a bagged lunch Joe tells Sadie about his latest sexual conquest. As the reader we get to hear Joe’s erotic story in first person from his female companions POV (this month my name is Brandy etc…) Joe’s character is left vague in the beginning, because this is after all Sadie’s story however as she gets to know him better so do we, picking up tidbits about his life from his sensual accounts. This stranger that Sadie can’t stop herself from meeting, in the end becomes a fully rounded empathetic character.
Sadie knows that she’s deceiving her husband by living vicariously through Joe’s stories yet she hasn’t physically cheated and at this point it’s the one bright spot in her life helping her deal with a stressful, sleepless and for the most part crumbling marriage.
Sadie met Adam in college and while we do get a few flashbacks to them as young lovers and a general feel for who they were as a couple in and out of the bedroom I personally would like to have seen a bit more of their relationship before Adams skiing accident rendered him a quadriplegic and changed things forever.
Their relationship is complex and Hart is genius here at peeling back the many layers of a marriage that has persevered when so many would have failed. We get Adams seclusion, rage and utter frustration with his body and the world in general, Sadie’s loneliness, guilt, fear and coping mechanisms. I felt like a fly on the wall with this couple, yes it was uncomfortable to bare witness to at times, but also magnificent. I’m really not going to say much else here as this is worth discovering on your own.
This was an absolute pleasure to read and as Megan Harts newest fan girl I’ll definitely be coming back for more. Cheers!
February 6, 2013
Holy crap.
JSYK - if I don't love or like something a lot, I don't review it. Because....who has the time?
So, holy crap.
Last night, the kids were screaming, dinner was burning, homework wasn't getting done, and I was on the couch, glued to my kindle. And it's not like we had killers running around, jumping on trains while secret agents chase them. Oh no. A woman. Her quadriplegic husband. A man she meets for lunch.
And some of the BEST sex scenes ever committed to words.
My heart broke for this woman, how much she loved her husband, and how he couldn't touch her. How she longed to be touched. The depth of her sexual imagination. And at one point, I'm saying to myself....this can't work out. There is NO PLEASING END SCENARIO HERE!
I'm not giving anything away. I can't stop thinking about this book, but I have to stop thinking about it, because dinner is burning.
JSYK - if I don't love or like something a lot, I don't review it. Because....who has the time?
So, holy crap.
Last night, the kids were screaming, dinner was burning, homework wasn't getting done, and I was on the couch, glued to my kindle. And it's not like we had killers running around, jumping on trains while secret agents chase them. Oh no. A woman. Her quadriplegic husband. A man she meets for lunch.
And some of the BEST sex scenes ever committed to words.
My heart broke for this woman, how much she loved her husband, and how he couldn't touch her. How she longed to be touched. The depth of her sexual imagination. And at one point, I'm saying to myself....this can't work out. There is NO PLEASING END SCENARIO HERE!
I'm not giving anything away. I can't stop thinking about this book, but I have to stop thinking about it, because dinner is burning.
February 13, 2019
I can't say I liked this book, but I can't say I hated it ether. It did make me feel, thou. It made me mad, and in my book mad is better than indifferent any day (pun intended). I just have no idea how many stars I should give it, so I'm leaving it clear.
The book has a few problems for me.
The characters are completely underdeveloped. While reading the book, you have no idea who they really are. There is no way to emotionally connect with them.
Joe: How can I care for his sex stories when I know nothing about him? He is so emotionally disconnected that I could´t care less about the narration of his sex escapades. Reading about it was like watching porn, just strangers going at it.
Sadie: Who the hell is she? I know she is the main character and that she got a raw deal in life. But there is so much personal information missing about her that is was impossible for me to connect to her. All we get are facts.
Adam: OK, Adam is fine. Still, some more of him wouldn't have hurt.
*****SPOILERS ALERT*****
My main problem with the book (and the author):
It really angered me the resolution of the book, which is basically a carte blanche for Sadie who doesn't get to make the tough decision and instead it´s just handed to her. Isn't that nice? not to have to face our problems in life. So her husband dies and voilá, her problem is over, now she can move on, be happy and be with Joe without feeling guilty about it. I am sorry , but that is just not fair. She should have had to take control of her life herself and face the consequences. Ether leave her husband since he doesn't make her happy anymore, and thus feel like a selfish bitch, or just continue the way she was, unhappy and pitiful but free of guilt. Whichever, I don´t care as long as she is the one who decides how to live her life with the cards she has gotten. The writer took the easy way out with the dead of the husband. I am tremendously disappointed with Megan Hart and I don´t think I´ll ever read something else from her.
P.S.: It bothers me that this book is sold as romance. There is no romance here and I don't appreciate it when I am expecting something I paid for, and instead I get something completely different.
I think Megan Hart is just not the writer for me anymore.
There.
The book has a few problems for me.
The characters are completely underdeveloped. While reading the book, you have no idea who they really are. There is no way to emotionally connect with them.
Joe: How can I care for his sex stories when I know nothing about him? He is so emotionally disconnected that I could´t care less about the narration of his sex escapades. Reading about it was like watching porn, just strangers going at it.
Sadie: Who the hell is she? I know she is the main character and that she got a raw deal in life. But there is so much personal information missing about her that is was impossible for me to connect to her. All we get are facts.
Adam: OK, Adam is fine. Still, some more of him wouldn't have hurt.
*****SPOILERS ALERT*****
My main problem with the book (and the author):
It really angered me the resolution of the book, which is basically a carte blanche for Sadie who doesn't get to make the tough decision and instead it´s just handed to her. Isn't that nice? not to have to face our problems in life. So her husband dies and voilá, her problem is over, now she can move on, be happy and be with Joe without feeling guilty about it. I am sorry , but that is just not fair. She should have had to take control of her life herself and face the consequences. Ether leave her husband since he doesn't make her happy anymore, and thus feel like a selfish bitch, or just continue the way she was, unhappy and pitiful but free of guilt. Whichever, I don´t care as long as she is the one who decides how to live her life with the cards she has gotten. The writer took the easy way out with the dead of the husband. I am tremendously disappointed with Megan Hart and I don´t think I´ll ever read something else from her.
P.S.: It bothers me that this book is sold as romance. There is no romance here and I don't appreciate it when I am expecting something I paid for, and instead I get something completely different.
I think Megan Hart is just not the writer for me anymore.
There.
October 3, 2009
"Broken" by Megan Hart; Contemporary cross between romance and women's erotic fiction
Adam and Sadie and Joe
I've needed to write this review for some time now, as it's definitely a book I don't want to forget about. So much is left out of the typical back cover synopsis and the editorial review on it, that I believe it can really put a reader off and lead them astray for the wrong reasons. Contrary to all three names above, this is a book that only deals with the ethics of what is considered cheating, rather than cheating itself. In fact, all three of the participants in this love triangle act with the most honorable and moral decision making that any human could be expected to in the situation. None of us are perfect, but these three people's actions and ability to remain steadfastly faithful under extremely trying circumstances is to be admired. I really felt for and loved all three main characters.
Sadie, our heroine (written in first person), meets Adam, the love of her life, at a college frat party. Adam is handsome, charming and ultimately poetic. Sadie is completely captivated by him, and shortly thereafter she decides to sweep him off of HIS feet by uncharacteristically pursuing him in an oh so sweet and subtle way. Adam has a girlfriend at the time Sadie meets him, but without a ring on her finger, Sadie is convinced it couldn't possibly matter since she's certain that Adam is HER fate, and the man she's meant to marry. Fortunately, Adam completely reciprocates the instant chemistry and magical feelings, and the two fall in love and marry.
After five years of wedded and passionate bliss, Sadie's world comes crashing down when Adam breaks his neck in a skiing accident and is rendered quadriplegic. It's a tragedy that no "young and in love" couple should ever have to face. But Sadie so deeply loves Adam; he's her soul mate and knight in shining armor, so she faces the future and prepares to spend the rest of her life taking care of Adam and morphing their marriage into one that can maintain the true love they've always felt for each other. Unfortunately, sex, a HUGE part of any passionate and loving marriage is no longer feasible in the traditional ways that are so necessary to our existence, and Sadie and Adam's marriage begins to deteriorate. Adam also struggles (naturally) with the residual effects of going from a virile and fully functioning man to one imprisoned in his own body. He rejects analysis and hunkers down within himself, drowning in depression issues with few tools to overcome them other than the steadfastness of Sadie's love - not always a good substitute when one's spouse is also trying to come to terms with their own feelings.
Unfortunately, as strong and convicted as Sadie is, she is only human, and as time moves on, finding herself lonely and fully comprehending the ramifications of a life without basic, human touch! Something she never bargained for when feeling she could "deal" with Adam's disability for a lifetime. A lifetime is an awful huge commitment to never be "held" in a man's arms again, much less all the other losses associated with an injury as devastating as Adam's.
Seeking shelter from a sudden downpour one afternoon on her lunch break, Sadie finds a bench in an alcove and runs into Joe, likewise looking to stay dry. They sit and find compatability in friendly chat and eat their lunch together. Soon Sadie and Joe find themselves meeting at the bench on a Friday once each month, and begin to know each other more personally. Joe, a single man, slowly begins to open up and relate the stories of his sexual encounters as a bachelor to Sadie, and Sadie finds she absorbs them like a sponge. They somehow fill the void in her sexless existence, but she soon begins to struggle with moral and ethical conscience issues as her feelings grow in a natural progression in relation to Joe -- the type that force one to face whether they are "cheating in their heart" on the one they love.
This book was wonderful. I adored Sadie's journey, fell in love with Joe and Adam both, and found myself in the "what would I do were I in Sadie's shoes" so many times, I can't even count. I've often thought about those circumstances in my own marriage (being married to my own prince charming), and all I can say is that Hart writes Sadie in terms we can all both understand and relate to. Right up to the end of the book, all three characters are honorable and people any of us could admire, and under these circumstances, that's a pretty hard bill to sell, when there are absolutely two heros in this book for the reader.
Just a wonderful story that I would recommend to anyone. I felt it had a definite HEA based on the premise of the book, so don't let the unconventionality of it scare you off. For all of you that claim you love an "angsty" romance . . . well here you go! Another winner for Hart.
Erotic/romantica fiction with mainly conventional sexual situations; Some borderline (light) "unconventional" sexual scenes also graphically depicted (participants are not necessarily the main character's sexual scenes), some minor graphic language during sexual enocounters; Non-violent; Not recommended for anyone under 18 years of age
Adam and Sadie and Joe
I've needed to write this review for some time now, as it's definitely a book I don't want to forget about. So much is left out of the typical back cover synopsis and the editorial review on it, that I believe it can really put a reader off and lead them astray for the wrong reasons. Contrary to all three names above, this is a book that only deals with the ethics of what is considered cheating, rather than cheating itself. In fact, all three of the participants in this love triangle act with the most honorable and moral decision making that any human could be expected to in the situation. None of us are perfect, but these three people's actions and ability to remain steadfastly faithful under extremely trying circumstances is to be admired. I really felt for and loved all three main characters.
Sadie, our heroine (written in first person), meets Adam, the love of her life, at a college frat party. Adam is handsome, charming and ultimately poetic. Sadie is completely captivated by him, and shortly thereafter she decides to sweep him off of HIS feet by uncharacteristically pursuing him in an oh so sweet and subtle way. Adam has a girlfriend at the time Sadie meets him, but without a ring on her finger, Sadie is convinced it couldn't possibly matter since she's certain that Adam is HER fate, and the man she's meant to marry. Fortunately, Adam completely reciprocates the instant chemistry and magical feelings, and the two fall in love and marry.
After five years of wedded and passionate bliss, Sadie's world comes crashing down when Adam breaks his neck in a skiing accident and is rendered quadriplegic. It's a tragedy that no "young and in love" couple should ever have to face. But Sadie so deeply loves Adam; he's her soul mate and knight in shining armor, so she faces the future and prepares to spend the rest of her life taking care of Adam and morphing their marriage into one that can maintain the true love they've always felt for each other. Unfortunately, sex, a HUGE part of any passionate and loving marriage is no longer feasible in the traditional ways that are so necessary to our existence, and Sadie and Adam's marriage begins to deteriorate. Adam also struggles (naturally) with the residual effects of going from a virile and fully functioning man to one imprisoned in his own body. He rejects analysis and hunkers down within himself, drowning in depression issues with few tools to overcome them other than the steadfastness of Sadie's love - not always a good substitute when one's spouse is also trying to come to terms with their own feelings.
Unfortunately, as strong and convicted as Sadie is, she is only human, and as time moves on, finding herself lonely and fully comprehending the ramifications of a life without basic, human touch! Something she never bargained for when feeling she could "deal" with Adam's disability for a lifetime. A lifetime is an awful huge commitment to never be "held" in a man's arms again, much less all the other losses associated with an injury as devastating as Adam's.
Seeking shelter from a sudden downpour one afternoon on her lunch break, Sadie finds a bench in an alcove and runs into Joe, likewise looking to stay dry. They sit and find compatability in friendly chat and eat their lunch together. Soon Sadie and Joe find themselves meeting at the bench on a Friday once each month, and begin to know each other more personally. Joe, a single man, slowly begins to open up and relate the stories of his sexual encounters as a bachelor to Sadie, and Sadie finds she absorbs them like a sponge. They somehow fill the void in her sexless existence, but she soon begins to struggle with moral and ethical conscience issues as her feelings grow in a natural progression in relation to Joe -- the type that force one to face whether they are "cheating in their heart" on the one they love.
This book was wonderful. I adored Sadie's journey, fell in love with Joe and Adam both, and found myself in the "what would I do were I in Sadie's shoes" so many times, I can't even count. I've often thought about those circumstances in my own marriage (being married to my own prince charming), and all I can say is that Hart writes Sadie in terms we can all both understand and relate to. Right up to the end of the book, all three characters are honorable and people any of us could admire, and under these circumstances, that's a pretty hard bill to sell, when there are absolutely two heros in this book for the reader.
Just a wonderful story that I would recommend to anyone. I felt it had a definite HEA based on the premise of the book, so don't let the unconventionality of it scare you off. For all of you that claim you love an "angsty" romance . . . well here you go! Another winner for Hart.
Erotic/romantica fiction with mainly conventional sexual situations; Some borderline (light) "unconventional" sexual scenes also graphically depicted (participants are not necessarily the main character's sexual scenes), some minor graphic language during sexual enocounters; Non-violent; Not recommended for anyone under 18 years of age
September 22, 2018
Genre: Erotica
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Female
Rating:
Sadie Danning found her match in her husband Adam. But what she thought would be a long happy marriage screeched to a halt when their relationship was put to the test.
Joe Wilder started as a stranger in the park. Soon enough he became an outlet of her sexual frustration through his tale of sexual exploits. But as things started to become personal, they were heading towards complications neither of them were ready to face.
I first found this book when I first started reading a few years back. But then it got lost because I forgot the title and author name. I found it again about two years after and took me a while since then to finally get to it. All that wait was worth it though because this book left a mark in my heart.
Sadie and Adam were thrown headfirst into a difficult situation. It was sad seeing how it affected them as a couple and as individuals. I could understand what they felt and why they acted a certain way and there was really no right or wrong in this situation.
I adored Joe. He might seem like a periphery character but his role had impact. Even though he didn’t get a POV we get to learn about him through his story. And I liked how he was unapologetic of who he was inside.
Broken is not a romance but a love story nonetheless. It would appeal to readers who want an erotic story with depth.
🌹 💔 🌹 . . . (F)BR With Twinsie CC . . . 🌹 💔 🌹
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Female
Rating:
Sadie Danning found her match in her husband Adam. But what she thought would be a long happy marriage screeched to a halt when their relationship was put to the test.
Joe Wilder started as a stranger in the park. Soon enough he became an outlet of her sexual frustration through his tale of sexual exploits. But as things started to become personal, they were heading towards complications neither of them were ready to face.
“I thought I’d always be able to take care of you, Sadie. That you’d always need me more than I needed you. And now, you go out every day and live a life I have no part of, and I…I don’t know how you can not need me, anymore.”
I first found this book when I first started reading a few years back. But then it got lost because I forgot the title and author name. I found it again about two years after and took me a while since then to finally get to it. All that wait was worth it though because this book left a mark in my heart.
Sadie and Adam were thrown headfirst into a difficult situation. It was sad seeing how it affected them as a couple and as individuals. I could understand what they felt and why they acted a certain way and there was really no right or wrong in this situation.
“I know everything and nothing about him all at the same time.”
I adored Joe. He might seem like a periphery character but his role had impact. Even though he didn’t get a POV we get to learn about him through his story. And I liked how he was unapologetic of who he was inside.
It takes work and compromise to keep even an untested marriage strong, and ours was anything but untested.
Broken is not a romance but a love story nonetheless. It would appeal to readers who want an erotic story with depth.
🌹 💔 🌹 . . . (F)BR With Twinsie CC . . . 🌹 💔 🌹
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
August 15, 2009
This is a blisteringly hot sizzler of a novel that has a very unusual plot. There’s a lot of sex but it’s appropriate and what makes it appropriate is the very unique kind of writing. For the first 30 odd pages you get the impression that this is a sex with no story kind of book, but that couldn’t be further from the truth so pay attention from page one.
Told in the first person, Broken is the story of Sadie Danning whose once idyllic and just beautifully perfect life has been shattered in a way that I’ve never read before in Romanceville. In order to escape the hell that her life is she meets up with Joe Wilder for lunch on the first Friday of every month and he tells her about his latest sexcapades. Joe holds back nothing. Every vivid and lurid detail is described. As he’s telling his stories Sadie imagines herself to be the girl he’s doin’ the ol’ nasty with. Sadie’s dilemma is that she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place –does she continue meeting with Joe once a month to get her fix or does she drop him and do the “right thing”? But throughout the novel the author asks the question: What’s the right thing? And that’s a really hard question to answer because nothing in this book is black and white.
The story itself will throw you for a loop more than once and make you feel really conflicting feelings towards the heroine and the two heroes. There is some ménage and f/f/f and it all fits in well with the story. Some readers might think that the whole thing is just too depressing and that in essence there’s adultery involved even if it isn’t physical. I didn’t see it that way. This is your more serious kind of erotica that takes you waaaay out of your comfort zone, makes you feel gypped, at a loss, mad, hurt but also relieved, happy and, well, you name it, Hart runs the gamut of the emotional spectrum.
I can’t say I liked either of the heroes, they just suck you dry and beat you down emotionally. Joe is a bastard in every sense of the word and Adam is a selfish, ungrateful sonofabitch but Hart makes you understand why they are the way they are so you can excuse them all the while hating how they behave sometimes. As for the heroine, sometimes you want to smack her and say “just do it!” but then you think what if you were the other person? The guilt just eats away at you in this book but you feel so ripped up for her. It’s like whatever she does is wrong.
Megan Hart is a brilliant writer. She describes the mundane as something new and really makes you feel in a gut wrenching kind of way what it might be like to be the heroine. This is a very strong first person kind of writing where all the other characters are in the background but you can still appreciate them. I don’t think it would have packed as much of a punch if it wasn’t written in the first person. LuAnn McClane (though a completely different kind of writer) also writes in the first person where really there is only the one character but I didn’t like her writing. Hart puts your nerves on edge, gives you goosebumps (the bad kind), makes you catch your breath and gasp all at the same time. The sex scenes are very hot without being icky physically but they’re emotionally draining, sometimes mean spirited and at times very satisfying.
The ending of the novel has the heroine come full-circle and I thought it was very fitting, touching and rewarding. This was very tricky because it seemed that no matter how she’d end it the reader wouldn’t be happy so I was very surprised and thought she handled it exceptionally well. It brought closure and a new beginning. Not only do you get a good feeling at the end of the novel but you feel hope for Sadie where there was really only hopelessness.
If you’re looking for an emotional roller coaster erotic read that will pack a punch right to the gut and throw you off kilter as well, then pick up Megan Hart. When you're done though, plan for a nice happy-go-lucky, light Julie Quinn read after as a kind of vitamin C to kick start your system and make everything right again in Romanceville ;)
Told in the first person, Broken is the story of Sadie Danning whose once idyllic and just beautifully perfect life has been shattered in a way that I’ve never read before in Romanceville. In order to escape the hell that her life is she meets up with Joe Wilder for lunch on the first Friday of every month and he tells her about his latest sexcapades. Joe holds back nothing. Every vivid and lurid detail is described. As he’s telling his stories Sadie imagines herself to be the girl he’s doin’ the ol’ nasty with. Sadie’s dilemma is that she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place –does she continue meeting with Joe once a month to get her fix or does she drop him and do the “right thing”? But throughout the novel the author asks the question: What’s the right thing? And that’s a really hard question to answer because nothing in this book is black and white.
The story itself will throw you for a loop more than once and make you feel really conflicting feelings towards the heroine and the two heroes. There is some ménage and f/f/f and it all fits in well with the story. Some readers might think that the whole thing is just too depressing and that in essence there’s adultery involved even if it isn’t physical. I didn’t see it that way. This is your more serious kind of erotica that takes you waaaay out of your comfort zone, makes you feel gypped, at a loss, mad, hurt but also relieved, happy and, well, you name it, Hart runs the gamut of the emotional spectrum.
I can’t say I liked either of the heroes, they just suck you dry and beat you down emotionally. Joe is a bastard in every sense of the word and Adam is a selfish, ungrateful sonofabitch but Hart makes you understand why they are the way they are so you can excuse them all the while hating how they behave sometimes. As for the heroine, sometimes you want to smack her and say “just do it!” but then you think what if you were the other person? The guilt just eats away at you in this book but you feel so ripped up for her. It’s like whatever she does is wrong.
Megan Hart is a brilliant writer. She describes the mundane as something new and really makes you feel in a gut wrenching kind of way what it might be like to be the heroine. This is a very strong first person kind of writing where all the other characters are in the background but you can still appreciate them. I don’t think it would have packed as much of a punch if it wasn’t written in the first person. LuAnn McClane (though a completely different kind of writer) also writes in the first person where really there is only the one character but I didn’t like her writing. Hart puts your nerves on edge, gives you goosebumps (the bad kind), makes you catch your breath and gasp all at the same time. The sex scenes are very hot without being icky physically but they’re emotionally draining, sometimes mean spirited and at times very satisfying.
The ending of the novel has the heroine come full-circle and I thought it was very fitting, touching and rewarding. This was very tricky because it seemed that no matter how she’d end it the reader wouldn’t be happy so I was very surprised and thought she handled it exceptionally well. It brought closure and a new beginning. Not only do you get a good feeling at the end of the novel but you feel hope for Sadie where there was really only hopelessness.
If you’re looking for an emotional roller coaster erotic read that will pack a punch right to the gut and throw you off kilter as well, then pick up Megan Hart. When you're done though, plan for a nice happy-go-lucky, light Julie Quinn read after as a kind of vitamin C to kick start your system and make everything right again in Romanceville ;)
November 8, 2010
Megan Hart is a very emotional writer. When I pick up a book she has penned, I know many things before I even read the description. I know it will not be light and fluffy--I know it will probably not have a happy ending--i know there will be one or more tortured souls--I know there will be some smokin' hot sex--and finally, I know I am going to love it.
Broken is a heart wrenching story of a man and woman, very much in love. The man suffers a terrible accident that leaves him paralyzed from the neck down. Hart brought tears to my eyes as she describes the feelings the couple experiences--love-hate-jealousy-remorse-just to name a few. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it must be to have the person you love live with you and talk with you and physically be with you, but not able to really experience the life you live. How hard that must be for both parties involved.
Sadie needs an outlet, she needs someone to talk to and she finds her escape in Joe--a stranger who shares erotic stories of his one night stands with beautiful women. As Joe tells his stories, Sadie imagines herself as the women he speaks of.
Sometimes Hart surprises me with an unexpected ending. I thought Broken's ending was bittersweet. This was another emotional but fantastic book by Megan Hart.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
___________________________________________________
If you like this type of book, you might enjoy one of these groups. Check us out!
Menage Readers
Erotic Enchants
Bookie Nookie's Erotic Lending Group
Broken is a heart wrenching story of a man and woman, very much in love. The man suffers a terrible accident that leaves him paralyzed from the neck down. Hart brought tears to my eyes as she describes the feelings the couple experiences--love-hate-jealousy-remorse-just to name a few. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it must be to have the person you love live with you and talk with you and physically be with you, but not able to really experience the life you live. How hard that must be for both parties involved.
Sadie needs an outlet, she needs someone to talk to and she finds her escape in Joe--a stranger who shares erotic stories of his one night stands with beautiful women. As Joe tells his stories, Sadie imagines herself as the women he speaks of.
Sometimes Hart surprises me with an unexpected ending. I thought Broken's ending was bittersweet. This was another emotional but fantastic book by Megan Hart.
✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
___________________________________________________
If you like this type of book, you might enjoy one of these groups. Check us out!
Menage Readers
Erotic Enchants
Bookie Nookie's Erotic Lending Group
May 13, 2012
I'm not sure how to start except to say that a review can't possibly do this book justice. The blurb outlines one of the major parts of this story, but really can't explain the plot without giving the book away. The word 'husband' threw me off. I'm not one to enjoy erotica just for the sake of the taboo, and I was worried that this would downplay the importance of fidelity and trust in you partner or marriage. It doesn't.
I thought after the first chapter that I understood the gist of the story. I was comfortable with where it was going. I quickly changed my mind after starting chapter two and getting a punch to the gut when the story took a major turn. I quickly realized that Broken is not what I expected, AT ALL. As I kept reading, I kept on getting surprises. My emotions were all over the place. I got so ANGRY sometimes! Then I was crying too hard to see the words, then laughing and feeling so happy for these people. Then back to the anger, and it all felt so real! There was such depth to Sadie and I felt such a connection with her. For a short time, I lived her life.
"Our love, mad, bad, and dangerous to know...for a short time, we were broken, brittle, and fragile."
It's a story about love, first and foremost. It is also a story about sex, and how important our sexuality can be. It's a story about tragedy and guilt and one woman's desperate attempt to know herself. It's beautifully written and extremely honest. My heart hurt for all involved. This is one of those books that makes you both fearful and thankful, and a story I won't forget. This was my first book by Megan Hart, and I had heard good things. Now I know, and I will for sure be reading more by her. She writes a story that is truly captivating.
I thought after the first chapter that I understood the gist of the story. I was comfortable with where it was going. I quickly changed my mind after starting chapter two and getting a punch to the gut when the story took a major turn. I quickly realized that Broken is not what I expected, AT ALL. As I kept reading, I kept on getting surprises. My emotions were all over the place. I got so ANGRY sometimes! Then I was crying too hard to see the words, then laughing and feeling so happy for these people. Then back to the anger, and it all felt so real! There was such depth to Sadie and I felt such a connection with her. For a short time, I lived her life.
"Our love, mad, bad, and dangerous to know...for a short time, we were broken, brittle, and fragile."
It's a story about love, first and foremost. It is also a story about sex, and how important our sexuality can be. It's a story about tragedy and guilt and one woman's desperate attempt to know herself. It's beautifully written and extremely honest. My heart hurt for all involved. This is one of those books that makes you both fearful and thankful, and a story I won't forget. This was my first book by Megan Hart, and I had heard good things. Now I know, and I will for sure be reading more by her. She writes a story that is truly captivating.
April 28, 2014
***5 heartbreaking, happy, funny, sad and hot stars ***
Don't have enough words in my vocabulary to tell you how much I loved this book. Unique and different. It was like an adult version of Me Before You. That's the only book I can compare to.
***
Before I get on with my review I want to give a shout out to whom ever chose that stupid, distasteful and misleading book cover where a man has his hand on girls (emphasis on "girl's" not a "woman's" knee). Because of you I passed this book over and over again.
With that out of the way...
***
Have you ever thought about what marriage vows really mean? Like, really though about it?
From this day forward til dead us do apart is a freaking loooong time. A lot of things can happen beteen now and then.
We promise to love and to cherish each other, no matter what happens. You picture a happy life together. Sure, there might be some bumps in the road, but you feel confidant enough and think that you could handle those.
It all sounds nice. But what would you do if real shit would hit the fan? Have you ever though what those bumps could be? How much of yourself would you be willing to sacrifice? Would you truly be able to put your life on hold and dedicate the rest of it to your spouse? Day in and day out, moth after month, year after year...
I used to think that. I used to think I was a good person, that I would do the right thing. Before I read this book. This book gave me something to think about. Now I don’t know...
Saddie
She has been dealt a shitty hand in life and now finds herself at the crossroads. I'm not trying to diminish the fact that her husband wasn't having a blast either, but the story is told from her's pov, it's her journey and her struggles. Although, the scenes with him in it were heartbreaking to read.
I sympathized with her character, I tried to understand her, to put myself in her shoes, as best as I could. I struggled to chose a side, because I honestly didn’t know what I would do in her situation.
Her struggles were so heathfelt and not easy to read through. There were couple «What are you doing, woman?» moments, but then I though «Who am I to judge her?»
I don’t think I’ll spoil the story by saying that the ending was sort of a HEA. I mean, I understand how it would be considered as a happy ending, but for some reason, it left me sad. After everything that characters went through... Will any of them ever be happy again? I don't know, but I hope so.
Don't have enough words in my vocabulary to tell you how much I loved this book. Unique and different. It was like an adult version of Me Before You. That's the only book I can compare to.
***
Before I get on with my review I want to give a shout out to whom ever chose that stupid, distasteful and misleading book cover where a man has his hand on girls (emphasis on "girl's" not a "woman's" knee). Because of you I passed this book over and over again.
With that out of the way...
***
Have you ever thought about what marriage vows really mean? Like, really though about it?
To have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.
From this day forward til dead us do apart is a freaking loooong time. A lot of things can happen beteen now and then.
We promise to love and to cherish each other, no matter what happens. You picture a happy life together. Sure, there might be some bumps in the road, but you feel confidant enough and think that you could handle those.
It all sounds nice. But what would you do if real shit would hit the fan? Have you ever though what those bumps could be? How much of yourself would you be willing to sacrifice? Would you truly be able to put your life on hold and dedicate the rest of it to your spouse? Day in and day out, moth after month, year after year...
I used to think that. I used to think I was a good person, that I would do the right thing. Before I read this book. This book gave me something to think about. Now I don’t know...
Marriages fail all the time from lesser disruptions than the unexpected disability of a spouse. It takes work and compromise to keep even an untested marriage strong, and ours was anything but untested.This story is about a coupe, Sadie and Adam, who's marriage has been put to the test. It's like someone above got bored and decided to play a cruel joke on them. It's also about a man, Joe, who wants to be accepted for who he is. Who doesn't talk a lot but wants to be heard.
Saddie
She has been dealt a shitty hand in life and now finds herself at the crossroads. I'm not trying to diminish the fact that her husband wasn't having a blast either, but the story is told from her's pov, it's her journey and her struggles. Although, the scenes with him in it were heartbreaking to read.
I sympathized with her character, I tried to understand her, to put myself in her shoes, as best as I could. I struggled to chose a side, because I honestly didn’t know what I would do in her situation.
Her struggles were so heathfelt and not easy to read through. There were couple «What are you doing, woman?» moments, but then I though «Who am I to judge her?»
I don’t think I’ll spoil the story by saying that the ending was sort of a HEA. I mean, I understand how it would be considered as a happy ending, but for some reason, it left me sad. After everything that characters went through... Will any of them ever be happy again? I don't know, but I hope so.
August 8, 2011
Megan Hart writes erotic romance, but with so much seriousness and reverence...I hesitate to call it erotica. It can't be. Not the way she writes it. Sure, it's titillating, but it's so so much more.
I have never felt so much despair, rage, empathy, sadness, and longing for a fictional character before.
This is the story of a woman whose husband suffered an accident leaving him a paraplegic. Sure, his personal suffering is too much to even contemplate, but what happens to the wife? She must be strong, supportive, upbeat, financially responsible....all while never having the audacity to complain. To need human touch. To need comfort. To need to just be something other than constantly strong and responsible.
OH! So heartbreaking.
So, she starts these conversations that take place on the first Friday of every month on a park bench, in which she lives vicariously through the sexual escapades of Joe. Her bench mate. They never talk about anything other than his sexual conquests. Yet she knows she's being emotionally unfaithful, and she is unable to stop. She craves those stories. They are her lifeline to everything she is not supposed to need to want.
This passage from Sadie's visit to a massage therapist broke my heart (and it resonated with me, as some of the feelings of needing to always be strong, responsible and untouched were similar to my feelings when my husband was in Iraq for 15mos.):
"I let out a small groan when she hit a particularly tender spot on the underside of my wrist/ Her fingers pressed and kneaded and worked their way down toward my hand where she tugged each of my fingers. My hand in hers, my fingers closed and opened involuntarily as she massaged my palm and the back of my hand. She closed both hands over mine, holding it between them for a second of two before massaging between each of my fingers.
Emotion rushed into my throat with the force and bitterness of acid. When was the last time someone had held my hand this way, with such tenderness and care? when was the last time anyone had held my hand at all?"
I'm just astounded by the talent of this author. Far more realistic and resonant than anything I've read lately. I even love how she weaved characters from her previous novel "Dirty" into this one. She let us catch a glimpse into the lives of Dan and Elle without a corny epilogue. We see that Elle still struggles, still works out her problems, yet she's growing and flourishing.
Simply beautiful.
I have never felt so much despair, rage, empathy, sadness, and longing for a fictional character before.
This is the story of a woman whose husband suffered an accident leaving him a paraplegic. Sure, his personal suffering is too much to even contemplate, but what happens to the wife? She must be strong, supportive, upbeat, financially responsible....all while never having the audacity to complain. To need human touch. To need comfort. To need to just be something other than constantly strong and responsible.
OH! So heartbreaking.
So, she starts these conversations that take place on the first Friday of every month on a park bench, in which she lives vicariously through the sexual escapades of Joe. Her bench mate. They never talk about anything other than his sexual conquests. Yet she knows she's being emotionally unfaithful, and she is unable to stop. She craves those stories. They are her lifeline to everything she is not supposed to need to want.
This passage from Sadie's visit to a massage therapist broke my heart (and it resonated with me, as some of the feelings of needing to always be strong, responsible and untouched were similar to my feelings when my husband was in Iraq for 15mos.):
"I let out a small groan when she hit a particularly tender spot on the underside of my wrist/ Her fingers pressed and kneaded and worked their way down toward my hand where she tugged each of my fingers. My hand in hers, my fingers closed and opened involuntarily as she massaged my palm and the back of my hand. She closed both hands over mine, holding it between them for a second of two before massaging between each of my fingers.
Emotion rushed into my throat with the force and bitterness of acid. When was the last time someone had held my hand this way, with such tenderness and care? when was the last time anyone had held my hand at all?"
I'm just astounded by the talent of this author. Far more realistic and resonant than anything I've read lately. I even love how she weaved characters from her previous novel "Dirty" into this one. She let us catch a glimpse into the lives of Dan and Elle without a corny epilogue. We see that Elle still struggles, still works out her problems, yet she's growing and flourishing.
Simply beautiful.
September 26, 2018
5 Stars!
For the past four years, Sadie Danning has been living a life she didn’t expect. As circumstances changed, Sadie learned to cope and balance her career with marital demands, but it became quite a lonely and exhausting existence. A dutiful and loving wife, Sadie gave what she had and absorbed her loss gracefully in silence.
Though Sadie’s routine is dependent upon her husband’s needs, she allows herself an indulgence once a month at lunchtime. During this time, she befriends a man named Joe Wilder and becomes immersed in his stories. While not poking into her private life, Joe seems to be an open book in many ways and feels comfort in talking to Sadie as well.
Told in first person, the narrative flows well giving pause to the deep issues and feelings surrounding Sadie’s situation and the reprieve she craves. Additionally, as Joe recounts his sexual escapades, he is revealing so much about himself and hoping not to be judged. As Sadie and Joe share a unique intimacy yet also a sort of measured distance, they need each other for their own reasons.
There are so many vying emotions at play in this book and just when it seems like all will be resolved for these characters, it becomes a realistically complex plot. It was easy to relate to Sadie’s struggles and admire her persistence and loyalty. While at times she couldn’t completely empathize with her husband’s plight, it didn’t diminish his feelings or the situation. As for Joe, he wasn’t completely free of baggage, but Sadie provided a safe haven for him while he gave her time to forget.
With layers of lust, love, grief and doubt, these characters must find their new purpose while everything continues to change. There were angsty times when Sadie and Joe made certain decisions, but it did serve to enrich their characters with a healthy dose of vulnerability and soul searching.
Broken is about sacrifice, friendship, love and finding oneself. This book would appeal to those enjoy a thought-provoking plot with a range of genuine heartfelt emotions. I highly recommend!
*This was a (F)BR with Twinsie Hawkey!*
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
For the past four years, Sadie Danning has been living a life she didn’t expect. As circumstances changed, Sadie learned to cope and balance her career with marital demands, but it became quite a lonely and exhausting existence. A dutiful and loving wife, Sadie gave what she had and absorbed her loss gracefully in silence.
“I’d been content to circle him the way the earth revolves around the sun, dependent on him to lead me. What happens when the weaker becomes the stronger?”
Though Sadie’s routine is dependent upon her husband’s needs, she allows herself an indulgence once a month at lunchtime. During this time, she befriends a man named Joe Wilder and becomes immersed in his stories. While not poking into her private life, Joe seems to be an open book in many ways and feels comfort in talking to Sadie as well.
“Poor Joe,” I whisper. “They all want you but none of them know you.”
Told in first person, the narrative flows well giving pause to the deep issues and feelings surrounding Sadie’s situation and the reprieve she craves. Additionally, as Joe recounts his sexual escapades, he is revealing so much about himself and hoping not to be judged. As Sadie and Joe share a unique intimacy yet also a sort of measured distance, they need each other for their own reasons.
“I wished I had someone to talk to. It was difficult to mourn losing something I wasn’t supposed to have.”
There are so many vying emotions at play in this book and just when it seems like all will be resolved for these characters, it becomes a realistically complex plot. It was easy to relate to Sadie’s struggles and admire her persistence and loyalty. While at times she couldn’t completely empathize with her husband’s plight, it didn’t diminish his feelings or the situation. As for Joe, he wasn’t completely free of baggage, but Sadie provided a safe haven for him while he gave her time to forget.
With layers of lust, love, grief and doubt, these characters must find their new purpose while everything continues to change. There were angsty times when Sadie and Joe made certain decisions, but it did serve to enrich their characters with a healthy dose of vulnerability and soul searching.
Broken is about sacrifice, friendship, love and finding oneself. This book would appeal to those enjoy a thought-provoking plot with a range of genuine heartfelt emotions. I highly recommend!
*This was a (F)BR with Twinsie Hawkey!*
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
January 30, 2012
This book is one of the most intense, emotional, dark books I've read. Extremely erotic, extremely painful...I loved every page.
It is not a typical romance book - it is more a very intimate look inside Sadie and Joe's life...with an ending that is kind of happy. Amazing.
It is not a typical romance book - it is more a very intimate look inside Sadie and Joe's life...with an ending that is kind of happy. Amazing.
March 13, 2016
Pero qué libro, qué sorpresa, qué bonito!!!
Empecé el libro sin esperarme mucho de él, es más, en las primeras páginas me dije "ya tan pronto?? Va a ser todo sexo desde la primera página?" ; pero tan sólo unas páginas después, la historia da un giro inesperado.
A partir de ahí TODO es bueno. Me encanta la estructura utilizada y me hacía esperar ansiosa cada "viernes". No esperaba la historia en sí, sino la reacción a ésta por parte de los protagonistas (a los que lean el libro entenderan de lo que hablo). Y la tensión, porque... qué tensión!!!
Sadie y su fuerza me llegan al alma y entiendo su frustación y la justifico. Los hombres de esta historia, ambos con fuerte personalidad, también te tocan el corazón, porque la autora nos acerca deliciosamente con pequeños detalles cómo se sienten.
El final: doloroso, fantástico, maravilloso, esperanzador... Esas son las sensaciones contradictorias que a mi me han producido y tal vez, también a Sadie.
En definitiva, un gran libro que me ha conquistado y que me deja claro que he de leer mucho más de esta autora!
Empecé el libro sin esperarme mucho de él, es más, en las primeras páginas me dije "ya tan pronto?? Va a ser todo sexo desde la primera página?" ; pero tan sólo unas páginas después, la historia da un giro inesperado.
A partir de ahí TODO es bueno. Me encanta la estructura utilizada y me hacía esperar ansiosa cada "viernes". No esperaba la historia en sí, sino la reacción a ésta por parte de los protagonistas (a los que lean el libro entenderan de lo que hablo). Y la tensión, porque... qué tensión!!!
Sadie y su fuerza me llegan al alma y entiendo su frustación y la justifico. Los hombres de esta historia, ambos con fuerte personalidad, también te tocan el corazón, porque la autora nos acerca deliciosamente con pequeños detalles cómo se sienten.
El final: doloroso, fantástico, maravilloso, esperanzador... Esas son las sensaciones contradictorias que a mi me han producido y tal vez, también a Sadie.
En definitiva, un gran libro que me ha conquistado y que me deja claro que he de leer mucho más de esta autora!
June 29, 2011
I think I shall call this one the tale of two books because this is how I felt when reading Broken.
Let's start with the book 1 : The good book.
Sadie's relationship with Adam is broken. After a skiing accident leaves him paralyzed from the neck down, he retreats inside of himself and becomes a shell of the person he used to be. Sadie longs to be close to her husband, but intimate moments are few and far between.
This is the story that I truly enjoyed. I'm constantly fascinated with peeking in the windows of another person's life and seeing what I find. Watching the struggles of others reminds us that we're not alone in our personal battles. Everything that Sadie and Adam went through tugged at my heartstrings and their story was tragic and emotional. I loved to read about these two as a couple.
Then we move on to book 2 : The "didn't really care" book.
Because Sadie is missing something in her life, she finds herself a "safe" outlet to live out some of the fantasy she's lacking in her own existence. Enter Joe - the mystery man. Once a month, Sadie and Joe meet on a park bench, where he tells her stories of his previous encounters with women. As he's telling the stories, Sadie puts herself in the story and imagines it's her. The time they have together lasts for an hour only, just once a month. Sadie never cheats. She doesn't indulge herself with many thoughts of being with Joe, and never really considers leaving Adam.
To be honest, I skimmed most of Joe's stories. In my books, I want to connect with my characters. After the first three or so of Joe's "sexcapades" fell extremely flat for me (they felt like a bland narrative, not sexy at all), I skimmed every story afterward. We never really got to know anything about Joe, other than he provided an escape for Sadie. I gathered that was the point near the end when it turned out that Sadie was the only one who truly "knew" Joe after all this time, but it wasn't believable or endearing.
I think that Hart just isn't the author for me. This is the second book I've read by her, and while I liked this one quite a bit better than the other one, it still didn't hook me as much as I would have liked it to. Her books are tinged with sadness, but it's not even in such a way that you feel like you learned something new or are going to ponder the books for months to come, like the worlds some authors are capable of creating. I'm also not crazy that she adds in side characters and family members whose stories are not as connected as you'd like them to be. The reason for this, I think, is because the characters cameo in other books of Hart's, but since you're not reading these in a series order it feels strange and disjointed, like these people were just dropped into the book for no reason.
Did I like the book? Yes. I really did - just not enough to want to continue with this author. Two books is a fair enough shot.
Let's start with the book 1 : The good book.
Sadie's relationship with Adam is broken. After a skiing accident leaves him paralyzed from the neck down, he retreats inside of himself and becomes a shell of the person he used to be. Sadie longs to be close to her husband, but intimate moments are few and far between.
This is the story that I truly enjoyed. I'm constantly fascinated with peeking in the windows of another person's life and seeing what I find. Watching the struggles of others reminds us that we're not alone in our personal battles. Everything that Sadie and Adam went through tugged at my heartstrings and their story was tragic and emotional. I loved to read about these two as a couple.
Then we move on to book 2 : The "didn't really care" book.
Because Sadie is missing something in her life, she finds herself a "safe" outlet to live out some of the fantasy she's lacking in her own existence. Enter Joe - the mystery man. Once a month, Sadie and Joe meet on a park bench, where he tells her stories of his previous encounters with women. As he's telling the stories, Sadie puts herself in the story and imagines it's her. The time they have together lasts for an hour only, just once a month. Sadie never cheats. She doesn't indulge herself with many thoughts of being with Joe, and never really considers leaving Adam.
To be honest, I skimmed most of Joe's stories. In my books, I want to connect with my characters. After the first three or so of Joe's "sexcapades" fell extremely flat for me (they felt like a bland narrative, not sexy at all), I skimmed every story afterward. We never really got to know anything about Joe, other than he provided an escape for Sadie. I gathered that was the point near the end when it turned out that Sadie was the only one who truly "knew" Joe after all this time, but it wasn't believable or endearing.
I think that Hart just isn't the author for me. This is the second book I've read by her, and while I liked this one quite a bit better than the other one, it still didn't hook me as much as I would have liked it to. Her books are tinged with sadness, but it's not even in such a way that you feel like you learned something new or are going to ponder the books for months to come, like the worlds some authors are capable of creating. I'm also not crazy that she adds in side characters and family members whose stories are not as connected as you'd like them to be. The reason for this, I think, is because the characters cameo in other books of Hart's, but since you're not reading these in a series order it feels strange and disjointed, like these people were just dropped into the book for no reason.
Did I like the book? Yes. I really did - just not enough to want to continue with this author. Two books is a fair enough shot.
February 11, 2013
5 Heart breaking stars
Sadie's story broke my heart into tiny pieces.
The masterful writing kept me enthralled until the hopeful end.
It was wonderful to see Elle from Dirty, her storyline was perfectly interwoven with Sadie's.
Another emotional read from Ms Hart, but if you enjoy her books, this is a must read!
Sadie's story broke my heart into tiny pieces.
The masterful writing kept me enthralled until the hopeful end.
It was wonderful to see Elle from Dirty, her storyline was perfectly interwoven with Sadie's.
Another emotional read from Ms Hart, but if you enjoy her books, this is a must read!
May 7, 2012
Do you ever wonder how many different stories can be written? How many different ways can a person say the same thing. How do authors come up with new ideas, or even old ideas told in a different way? We all use the same words, have the same dictionaries, but why are some gifted with the ability to structure those words and stories so much more effectively than others; to evoke powerful emotions with nothing but the stroke of a pen or clacking of keys. Megan Hart is one of these writers.
I just finished Broken—literally, about two minutes ago—and right away sat to write a review. This story deserves so much more than I can do it justice. Broken is such an apropos title for this novel, so multilayered with meaning. Mostly, it fits perfectly because Megan Hart wields her words like a hammer and will literally chip away at your heart. It happens slowly, but before you know it your heart is shattered into a million pieces—broken. Then she sets about the arduous task of putting it back together.
I can’t go into too much detail because it will ruin the story, but this book was not at all what I expected and it didn’t end how I thought it would, but that’s okay. The novel is classified as erotica, and yes there are some pretty hot sex scenes—but even those weren’t at all what I expected. This is one of the few books where I can actually say the sex scenes end up being very necessary to the plot (again, I can’t say why without spoilers). Mostly, this is one of the most “real” and touching stories I’ve read. I definitely recommend it to everyone. I will leave off with a quote that I loved from the end of the novel. “There are many things I don’t know, but quite a few I do. I know you can’t be lost if you know where you are. I know that life is full of precious and fragile things, and not all of them are pretty. I know that the sun follows the moon and makes days, one after another. Time passes. The world turns, and we turn with it, and though we can never go back to the beginning, sometimes, we can start again.”
May 24, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
Aš visiškai nežinojau ko tikėtis iš šios knygos - čiupau ją nepasidomėjus, spontaniškai, ir likau maloniai nustebinta. Taip, prie ko prikibti tikrai yra, bet man patiko pati knygos mintis, skaitėsi lengvai, ji sukėlė begalę tiek teigiamų, tiek ir neigiamų jausmų. Taigi, pagrindinis knygos veiksmas - kartą per mėnesį vykstantys Džo ir Seidės susitikimai. Jie aistringi, gyvuliški, bet pateikti nevulgariai. Tačiau tuo pačiu metu mane Seidė ir trigdė - pati būdama psichologe, turėtų žinoti, kokiame giliame psichologiniame mėšle ji yra ir kreiptis pagalbos ar bent jau su kuo nors pasikalbėti. Na o Adamo elgesį bei pyktį, atsižvelgiant į esamas aplinkybes, tikrai galiu pateisinti ir suprasti. Grįžtant prie Džo, jo ir Priscilos santykiai man pasirodė laužti iš piršto. Anksčiau buvęs toks pastabus, atidus smulkmenoms, vyriškas, tikras mačo, staiga tampa vos ne mazgote. Taip pat užkliuvo vieta, kai Džo atvyksta pas Seidę į namus. Jie visada buvo tik du nepažįstamieji, kartu leidžiantys pietų pertrauką kartą per mėnesį, apie asmeninius (neskaitant sekso) dalykus šnekėti vengė, tai iš kur jisai sužinojo Seidės adresą? Na ir pabaigai, tai buvo erotinis romanas persipynęs su psichologiniu, o tai man paliko tik dar didesnį įspūdį.
Aš visiškai nežinojau ko tikėtis iš šios knygos - čiupau ją nepasidomėjus, spontaniškai, ir likau maloniai nustebinta. Taip, prie ko prikibti tikrai yra, bet man patiko pati knygos mintis, skaitėsi lengvai, ji sukėlė begalę tiek teigiamų, tiek ir neigiamų jausmų. Taigi, pagrindinis knygos veiksmas - kartą per mėnesį vykstantys Džo ir Seidės susitikimai. Jie aistringi, gyvuliški, bet pateikti nevulgariai. Tačiau tuo pačiu metu mane Seidė ir trigdė - pati būdama psichologe, turėtų žinoti, kokiame giliame psichologiniame mėšle ji yra ir kreiptis pagalbos ar bent jau su kuo nors pasikalbėti. Na o Adamo elgesį bei pyktį, atsižvelgiant į esamas aplinkybes, tikrai galiu pateisinti ir suprasti. Grįžtant prie Džo, jo ir Priscilos santykiai man pasirodė laužti iš piršto. Anksčiau buvęs toks pastabus, atidus smulkmenoms, vyriškas, tikras mačo, staiga tampa vos ne mazgote. Taip pat užkliuvo vieta, kai Džo atvyksta pas Seidę į namus. Jie visada buvo tik du nepažįstamieji, kartu leidžiantys pietų pertrauką kartą per mėnesį, apie asmeninius (neskaitant sekso) dalykus šnekėti vengė, tai iš kur jisai sužinojo Seidės adresą? Na ir pabaigai, tai buvo erotinis romanas persipynęs su psichologiniu, o tai man paliko tik dar didesnį įspūdį.
December 11, 2017
"I lived for the stories"-Sadie
This is an excruciatingly beautiful story of the cost in pain that one woman had to bear for her deep love of her lover, her spouse. Through this fully developed and honest character, the author opens the readers eyes to the traumas large and small, as well as, the overarching wholesale change in all aspects of our heroine, Sadie's life that happened in the blink of the eye. It was a devastating accident that stole the mobility of her husband and altered their relationship forever.
Sadie was no saint, yet most of the time she was patient. She never slept through the night, ever on guard for the well being of her "broken" husband, Adam. She withstood his moods, his despair, his rage, his meanness and prayed for the days when she could catch a glimpse of his former charm. She looked for ways to love him even sexually but...
There was one lifeline, a gorgeous storyteller, Joe whom she meets on a park bench. He regaled her with delicious salacious tales of his sexual conquests. The reader becomes Sadie as this author employs a clever literary plot device which makes these hot, hawt, hot diverse erotic stories not only an escape for Sadie but for the reader whose heart is breaking for the disintegration of Sadie and Adam's marriage.
Sadie begins to get to know Joe. She challenges him. She studies him. She falls a little in love with him and she feels as guilty as if she is having an affair. As a reader, I was torn. I am all in when it comes to fidelity. I could not find it my heart to judge her for her desire for Joe. Her need to have someone hold her in their arms again...someone to fill up the empty places inside.
I know my understanding of the type of pain Sadie suffered was enlarged by this book. I enjoyed the "funhouse" mirror point of view the author employed as Joe told Sadie his stories from the woman's perspective. As graphic and gripping the sex was described is how tender she treated the delicate layer of skin exposed by raw emotion. This mastery of the story is worth high praise.
My last comment is more about me and how I wish for more and more when it comes to a love story. I personally felt I was left standing whole but lonely and uncertain after reading the end. In my mind it was the real and right end for these characters...yet?
With all that said this is a work that should be part of your read list simply for the fact that it furthers the reader's understanding of what it means and what it takes to love someone through the worst life can give while trying not to lose yourself.
This is an excruciatingly beautiful story of the cost in pain that one woman had to bear for her deep love of her lover, her spouse. Through this fully developed and honest character, the author opens the readers eyes to the traumas large and small, as well as, the overarching wholesale change in all aspects of our heroine, Sadie's life that happened in the blink of the eye. It was a devastating accident that stole the mobility of her husband and altered their relationship forever.
Sadie was no saint, yet most of the time she was patient. She never slept through the night, ever on guard for the well being of her "broken" husband, Adam. She withstood his moods, his despair, his rage, his meanness and prayed for the days when she could catch a glimpse of his former charm. She looked for ways to love him even sexually but...
There was one lifeline, a gorgeous storyteller, Joe whom she meets on a park bench. He regaled her with delicious salacious tales of his sexual conquests. The reader becomes Sadie as this author employs a clever literary plot device which makes these hot, hawt, hot diverse erotic stories not only an escape for Sadie but for the reader whose heart is breaking for the disintegration of Sadie and Adam's marriage.
Sadie begins to get to know Joe. She challenges him. She studies him. She falls a little in love with him and she feels as guilty as if she is having an affair. As a reader, I was torn. I am all in when it comes to fidelity. I could not find it my heart to judge her for her desire for Joe. Her need to have someone hold her in their arms again...someone to fill up the empty places inside.
I know my understanding of the type of pain Sadie suffered was enlarged by this book. I enjoyed the "funhouse" mirror point of view the author employed as Joe told Sadie his stories from the woman's perspective. As graphic and gripping the sex was described is how tender she treated the delicate layer of skin exposed by raw emotion. This mastery of the story is worth high praise.
My last comment is more about me and how I wish for more and more when it comes to a love story. I personally felt I was left standing whole but lonely and uncertain after reading the end. In my mind it was the real and right end for these characters...yet?
With all that said this is a work that should be part of your read list simply for the fact that it furthers the reader's understanding of what it means and what it takes to love someone through the worst life can give while trying not to lose yourself.
June 18, 2018
1 star
CURIOSITY led me to read this book.
Before - I've known this for years but have no plan on reading because the cover made me think of a pervert trying you molest a teen. (that was during my non reading of blurb days)
Now - The blurb sounds interesting. And since some of my gr friends seemed to enjoy it, I decided to give it a go.
WRONG DECISION.
**** slightly spoilerish****
I know this is an erotica, but sex scenes already on chapter one? Okay, I'll take it. As the story progresses, I began to think what decent MARRIED woman will listen to a man she barely knew, talks about his sexcapades once every month? Even looks forward to their meeting as she envisions every single one of those scenes as her? - A person who is committing an emotional affair.
I hate Sadie for being so fake that she kept telling Adam she loves him when I, as a reader, don't see it. I see him more like a burden to her.
The story also lacks character development. I hope that instead of those long descriptive one night stands and Elle's session - which in my
opinion, wasn't really necessary... Instead, it should focused more on character building.
The ONLY REASON why I continued to read on was because I accidentally read somewhere that - pretty nice huh? that seems to be the only thing that kept me going on because I wanted to know how their relationship will turn out.
UNFORTUNATELY, INSTEAD of dealing with the complexity of the situation, the author decided
Everything after that just didn't make sense anymore. It felt like it was written by a different author.
Oh well, I don't want to dwell on it anymore because whatever it meant still wouldn't make me love this story.
As a matter of fact, this story pisses me off. Sorry.
CURIOSITY led me to read this book.
Before - I've known this for years but have no plan on reading because the cover made me think of a pervert trying you molest a teen. (that was during my non reading of blurb days)
Now - The blurb sounds interesting. And since some of my gr friends seemed to enjoy it, I decided to give it a go.
WRONG DECISION.
**** slightly spoilerish****
I know this is an erotica, but sex scenes already on chapter one? Okay, I'll take it. As the story progresses, I began to think what decent MARRIED woman will listen to a man she barely knew, talks about his sexcapades once every month? Even looks forward to their meeting as she envisions every single one of those scenes as her? - A person who is committing an emotional affair.
I hate Sadie for being so fake that she kept telling Adam she loves him when I, as a reader, don't see it. I see him more like a burden to her.
The story also lacks character development. I hope that instead of those long descriptive one night stands and Elle's session - which in my
opinion, wasn't really necessary... Instead, it should focused more on character building.
The ONLY REASON why I continued to read on was because I accidentally read somewhere that - pretty nice huh? that seems to be the only thing that kept me going on because I wanted to know how their relationship will turn out.
UNFORTUNATELY, INSTEAD of dealing with the complexity of the situation, the author decided
Everything after that just didn't make sense anymore. It felt like it was written by a different author.
Oh well, I don't want to dwell on it anymore because whatever it meant still wouldn't make me love this story.
As a matter of fact, this story pisses me off. Sorry.
July 17, 2014
4 stars
This isn't a book-it's an emotional Roller Coaster. I went through every emotion in the book, while reading. I was happy, sad, angry, sympathetic, sad, you know *blushes*, and SAD again. If you're looking for something hot and sweet don't read it. If you're looking for heavy duty angst and real-life story then it might be. So, despite this book being classified as an Erotica, it's definitely not one to set you in the mood. Unless that mood is a depressed.
The Premise
This book begins with the telling of a story we later learn Joe is telling to Sadie. It's a sexy story and we learn it's their ritual. Every first Friday of the month they would meet and talk. It might seem a budding romance...Until we find out Sadie is married. To Adam. The way the book is written, we gradually find out about Sadie's past and her current situation, about Adam, Joe, Sadie&Adam, etc., in between Joe's monthly stories. It becomes clear Sadie and Adam are having marriage troubles, have been having them since Adam's accident when he became paralyzed. It has changed them and their marriage drastically and though love is still there, other, darker emotions are too. And while Sadie's situation with Joe isn't technically an affair, it's emotional cheating for sure.
I'm still not sure whether I even like the plot and the characters, but I was absorbed by them all the same. Watching Sadie hurt Joe, Adam hurt Sadie, Sadie hurt Adam, Joe hurt Sadie was simply sad. The web of love, pain and lust was very present here. By the end I wasn't even sure how I wanted it to be resolved, I felt for them all. And while the ending was somewhat happy, more hopeful, it was, you guessed it, kind of sad too IMO.
Here is a quote that was simply painful...
“Admit it,” Adam said finally, his voice cracked from screaming. “You wish I’d died.”
I got to my feet. Again, I got in his face, giving him the aggression he was giving me. He couldn’t shrink away. I think he wouldn’t have, even if he could. “Yes,” I told him. “Sometimes I wish you had.”
We stared at each other for what felt like a very long time.
“So do I,” Adam said.
And two others that were hopeful...
"There are many things I don’t know, but quite a few I do. I know you can’t be lost if you know where you are. I know that life is full of precious and fragile things, and not all of them are pretty. I know that the sun follows the moon and makes days, one after another. Time passes. The world turns, and we turn with it, and though we can never go back to the beginning, sometimes, we can start again."
"There is only one truth of which I feel confident, one thing I know that nothing else can change.
This month, my name is Sadie."
This isn't a book-it's an emotional Roller Coaster. I went through every emotion in the book, while reading. I was happy, sad, angry, sympathetic, sad, you know *blushes*, and SAD again. If you're looking for something hot and sweet don't read it. If you're looking for heavy duty angst and real-life story then it might be. So, despite this book being classified as an Erotica, it's definitely not one to set you in the mood. Unless that mood is a depressed.
The Premise
This book begins with the telling of a story we later learn Joe is telling to Sadie. It's a sexy story and we learn it's their ritual. Every first Friday of the month they would meet and talk. It might seem a budding romance...Until we find out Sadie is married. To Adam. The way the book is written, we gradually find out about Sadie's past and her current situation, about Adam, Joe, Sadie&Adam, etc., in between Joe's monthly stories. It becomes clear Sadie and Adam are having marriage troubles, have been having them since Adam's accident when he became paralyzed. It has changed them and their marriage drastically and though love is still there, other, darker emotions are too. And while Sadie's situation with Joe isn't technically an affair, it's emotional cheating for sure.
I'm still not sure whether I even like the plot and the characters, but I was absorbed by them all the same. Watching Sadie hurt Joe, Adam hurt Sadie, Sadie hurt Adam, Joe hurt Sadie was simply sad. The web of love, pain and lust was very present here. By the end I wasn't even sure how I wanted it to be resolved, I felt for them all. And while the ending was somewhat happy, more hopeful, it was, you guessed it, kind of sad too IMO.
Here is a quote that was simply painful...
“Admit it,” Adam said finally, his voice cracked from screaming. “You wish I’d died.”
I got to my feet. Again, I got in his face, giving him the aggression he was giving me. He couldn’t shrink away. I think he wouldn’t have, even if he could. “Yes,” I told him. “Sometimes I wish you had.”
We stared at each other for what felt like a very long time.
“So do I,” Adam said.
And two others that were hopeful...
"There are many things I don’t know, but quite a few I do. I know you can’t be lost if you know where you are. I know that life is full of precious and fragile things, and not all of them are pretty. I know that the sun follows the moon and makes days, one after another. Time passes. The world turns, and we turn with it, and though we can never go back to the beginning, sometimes, we can start again."
"There is only one truth of which I feel confident, one thing I know that nothing else can change.
This month, my name is Sadie."
October 2, 2015
That the emotional infidelity was as real as if I’d gone to bed with him, and perhaps worse because merely sating a physical need was one thing but the inevitability of what was happening was something else, entirely.
This is completely different from what I have expected it should be. And then somehow, from the beginning, it takes me to a completely different perspective than what I have suspected in the first place. The struggle, and the ideas that this story presented is so much so close to reality that I think on some point, it my taken a darker edge to what it is supposed to be.
The love that is in the story, somehow cannot be discern by a few sentences and paragraphs written. You have to immerse yourself in the overall situation and the difficulties that the main character has struggled with. I guess many readers would turn their backs on in reading this one because of the fact that this is so real and close to reality but me, I admired the struggle and how beautiful it is in the end.
When did the fear go away, when would I stop longing, when would I cease wanting something that was wrong?
Sadie is as much as brave as she is a coward. My mind only focused on her and the aspects of her life, her journey into something beautiful to only be shattered by an experience that completely changed her life. When faced with something like it, I’m sure you would also face the same thoughts she’d had. Her relief that he was alive, and so many ways, wished that he had died.
“It’s just easier to keep doing the same thing. Play the same part, that’s all.”
I think I like that I’ve never been into Joe’s head. The mystery that surrounds him keep it that way and that, I am thankful. His thoughts, his intentions, of why he kept to the first Friday of the month lunch meetings, why he did what he did, and everything else. I’ll never know and I’m not even curious. It’s what appeals him to me, actually.
Adam is Sadie’s husband. He has charmed me by how Sadie had described him how they’ve met. And after the incident that kept him completely crippled, he changed into a completely different person with only his pride left of him. His struggles of how he had become was all realistic, the thoughts he may had and the feelings he had to bottle up, his aggression and everything else in his life.
I’m actually torn of wanting Sadie to decide differently and yet, sometimes I want to push her in another direction at times. The things that she had to put up with left her completely broken.
The meetings with Joe were something I was excited and dreaded about. Excited that he will tell another story, and what difference that story from the last one and the others he had already told. How the Author managed to completely develop that character in such a way that I am completely engaged. And then dread, because of how it affects Sadie’s psyche and then I also became a different character each and every time.
The turn of events that leads up to the climax of the story and eventually the ending were unexpected. I didn’t know how Sadie will continue with her relationship and Joe had become something unexpected, what with not really being in his head, I don’t know how he would be acting or he will be there still. But I must say, I like how everything it turned out, not just because it ripped my heart out for Sadie and for everything that she had gone through, but on how it ended into something beautiful and open for possibilities. I must say “the end is actually not the ending you expected it to be but a start to something beautiful”.
It’s easier to keep being what you are, even if the only person who expects you to be it is yourself.
October 6, 2010
Wow. Just..... wow.
Broken is an amazing book that defies description and categorization. It is not your typical erotica, nor can it be classed as romance, though it certainly contains elements of each. It is a complex and layered novel that is so much more than any synopsis could possibly represent.
Broken is the story of three people - Sadie, her husband Adam, and Joe. But this is not a love triangle story.
Sadie and Adam meet in college and fall in love in the sweetest way. They marry and have their whole lives to look forward to, until a tragedy shatters their existence and turns their entire world upside down in the most heartrending way.
Sadie, desperately needing some relief from what has now become her existence, meets Joe. Strangers, they fall into an unspoken agreement that sees them meeting on the first Friday of every month. There, Joe will tell Sadie the story of his latest sexual encounter. Having had sexual intimacy in her marriage brutally taken away from her, Sadie imagines she is Joe's sexual partner in each story.
Sadie remains desperately in love with her husband and, although she never cheats on him, is agonized that meeting with Joe is a form of emotional betrayal. For Sadie, life has become the ultimate no win situation.
Broken is told in the first person from Sadie's point of view, and wouldn't be as powerful any other way. I didn't feel any of the limitations often found in first person narrative because the story is written in such a clever way.
Even though Sadie was not present in any of the sexual encounters Joe describes, these are written in the first person from the female's point of view - a different character each time. We therefore get a different 'feel' each time. Joe, who begins as a complete stranger, also reveals more of himself in each encounter, so we get to know him at the same time as Sadie. The writing is so clever there is no way of knowing how much of the story comes from Joe, and how much from Sadie's imagination.
There is a whole critical element in this novel that I have not included because I don't want to diminish the powerful impact on the reader.
Broken is such an apt name for this novel. It is achingly sad, confronting and real - and different from anything I have ever read.
I didn't find the sex gratuitous or kinky (although there is one f/f/f/m scene), but an integral part of the broader story, which is so much more than just the sum of these scenes.
Broken will not be for everyone, but on the strength of this novel, I can see Megan Hart becoming one of my favorite authors.
Broken is an amazing book that defies description and categorization. It is not your typical erotica, nor can it be classed as romance, though it certainly contains elements of each. It is a complex and layered novel that is so much more than any synopsis could possibly represent.
Broken is the story of three people - Sadie, her husband Adam, and Joe. But this is not a love triangle story.
Sadie and Adam meet in college and fall in love in the sweetest way. They marry and have their whole lives to look forward to, until a tragedy shatters their existence and turns their entire world upside down in the most heartrending way.
Sadie, desperately needing some relief from what has now become her existence, meets Joe. Strangers, they fall into an unspoken agreement that sees them meeting on the first Friday of every month. There, Joe will tell Sadie the story of his latest sexual encounter. Having had sexual intimacy in her marriage brutally taken away from her, Sadie imagines she is Joe's sexual partner in each story.
Sadie remains desperately in love with her husband and, although she never cheats on him, is agonized that meeting with Joe is a form of emotional betrayal. For Sadie, life has become the ultimate no win situation.
Broken is told in the first person from Sadie's point of view, and wouldn't be as powerful any other way. I didn't feel any of the limitations often found in first person narrative because the story is written in such a clever way.
Even though Sadie was not present in any of the sexual encounters Joe describes, these are written in the first person from the female's point of view - a different character each time. We therefore get a different 'feel' each time. Joe, who begins as a complete stranger, also reveals more of himself in each encounter, so we get to know him at the same time as Sadie. The writing is so clever there is no way of knowing how much of the story comes from Joe, and how much from Sadie's imagination.
There is a whole critical element in this novel that I have not included because I don't want to diminish the powerful impact on the reader.
Broken is such an apt name for this novel. It is achingly sad, confronting and real - and different from anything I have ever read.
I didn't find the sex gratuitous or kinky (although there is one f/f/f/m scene), but an integral part of the broader story, which is so much more than just the sum of these scenes.
Broken will not be for everyone, but on the strength of this novel, I can see Megan Hart becoming one of my favorite authors.
January 13, 2013
Okay, holy hell, I loved this book...I'd give it 6 stars if I could! It has been a while since a book really got me as much as this one has. The story is so totally different than anything I've ever read. The characters are so much deeper than most I've read. The complexity had me in tears over and over, and I don't cry easily in a book. Thanks to everyone who recommended it to me...
June 5, 2022
2.5 STARS⭐
~~A LOoooNG REVIEW AHEAD~~
As a romance reader, this is my worst fear came true. I didn't think there was a romance book out there which would ruin romance for me. But omfg there is. It's this book. Broken by Megan Hart.
I can't believe it.
I don't have much to describe this nightmare of a heroine -the protagonist- is.
I'm gonna tell you the premise of the book. And then just paste all the dialogues/quotes from the book some from Sadie's {h} POV which will let you know everything i hated in this woman.
So, Sadie is married to Adam who four years ago got into an accident where he suffered a C-5 level spinal cord injury that put him in a coma for three weeks and left him without sensation or voluntary movement from the shoulders down. He was thirty-six. In simple words, he is paralyzed from the neck down.
First day of each month, Sadie meets Joe, who is a player. Who tells explicit erotic stories of his different conquests every time they meet. Sadie lives vicariously through these stories so much so that she says Joe is a slut incapable of being unfaithful to anyone. She is a jealous and judgementalbitch woman here because she lusts after him but don't want to acknowledge that much.
Have you got the gist of this now? Okay.
So from here, we'll address Sadie as "Bitch" because she is so fond of calling people names , i can't help but reciprocate.
Beaware, the following quotes/dialogues are taken from the book itself to show you how much i hate this bitch and how horrible she is. I thought of writing my thoughts about this woman but she is already self aware about so many things i loathe in her that i don't have to do anything but quote her own monologue.
As you can guess, Rachel is the current girlfriend of Adam. And that's how she met Adam i.e her future husband.
Speaking in regards of the accident.
I don't have to say anything.
Like i said, she is stating her case beautifully.
Nah, this isn't the time she is masturbating alone, her husband Adam made an effort here and he is watching her touching herself as per his command because the poor guy can't really do anything else, but well, this is her response.
Bitch, I'm pretty sure if you weren't his wife and it wasn't your "job" to play a role, then you would definitely be in those friends list who aren't real.
I agree, buddy.
See, guys? I don't have to say anything about Sadie at all, when she and the characters of this book states pretty much all i wanna convey. So you all can't really blame me for exaggerating.
That doesn't sound like an excuse AT ALL.
Ofc you would bitch, Sassy is the name of the only woman from one of the Joe's conquests that i absolutely loved. She understood and took care of Joe instead of labeling him a manwhore without feelings. Even Joe liked her and kept in contact with her. I wonder why YOU don't like her, bitch.
Thank you for tell us what part of your husband was beautiful. Oh and the context here if you wanna know is: She is cutting off all his hair atm.
Again, this speakes volumes.
Okay.
At this point after all this i just wanted her to get a fucking divorce so she can go fuck herself or anyone who wants to fuck her and Adam can be with someone who truly loves him. The "one true love" we read in books? I wanted that for Adam.
Or better yet, i hoped Sadie would just kill Adam so it would become maybe a lil bit interesting atleast. A murder twist.
But nah she did none of those things and even refused to get divorced when HE HIMSELF asked for it. Go figure.
I agree, Adam. I fucking agree.
Ah! So this was what you needed to not seek pleasure somewhere else? A new start with your husband? Is that it?
Context? Adam died. And this is the first time in the history of my reading life that i have never experienced any emotion over a character's death. Even if it is predictable, i still cry, or gets choked up to see a character die but no not here. There was only ONE emotion throughout reading this book and that was : Hate.
Is this you indirectly tell me not to judge you? Sorry bitch, the ship has sailed long ago when you decided to be the protagonist of this book and i read your tale from the beginning. Judgement is all i have left for you. I'm sure you would understand?
Context? : This is her sleeping with Joe freely "letting go of the shame" now that Adam is dead.
THE END
Epilogue: HFN with Joe
Two questions you are probably wondering and even if you're not, I'll tell you :)
1) So if you hated the book/Sadie from the very beginning, why did you continued the book?
Good question. I could've DNFed way before hitting the 40% mark itself and i would've but the thing is before reading the book, i read 3-4 top reviews which were praising this book so much that they made this seem like a suspenseful story which will shock you at some point. So most of them didn't want to "give much away" so that it won't spoil. I guess i was waiting for that "twist" which will explain everything that has happened and which somehow really justify Sadie's actions. I had hopes this high because i have read a few spectacular books where you hate the protagonist so much but the ending or the twist leaves you speechless and makes the book epic.
And that's why i didn't DNF.
2) Why is this book a nightmare come true for me as a romance reader?
Okay, you know the romance books we read almost all of them ends in a same way where the MCs get married or plans to get married? The point being : all of them have HEA. That is a known necessity for every romance reader. So we are all satisfied to see that by the end of this journey of our two MCs, they'll finally be together. We close the books and by that HEA epilogue we are happy and content to imagine all the good things they'll have in the future because they'll get married or be together forever.
Now imagine if you have to think that what if she gets sick in the future? Will he be there for her? Would he still love her? And only her? There's absolutely no need of cheating of anykind too. And because you know your MCs the answer is : obviously yes.
Think, what if he had an accident in the future and he became disable or handicapped? Will she be there for him? Would she still love him? And only him? There's absolutely no need of cheating of anykind too. Now you know your MCs and love your FMC so the answer here will be : obviously yes.
I think you get my point. And this is why, This book, this heroine had this potential to ruin all the happiness of me reading a romance. Because she is a character too. She is the heroine here. Like many others I've read. And she proves everytime she talks the answer to all the aforementioned things will be maybe not. and that scared me. What if this is the reality? And is this what happens or will probably happen to all the couples i have read?
I remember a book The Amendment and thank god books like this exists which shows the exact opposite reaction of the heroine like Sadie here.
P.S : Whoever said men are the ones who have only sex on their mind all time clearly haven't met Sadie.
P.PS : Some of you might say that I'm making this worse than it is but guys, THIS IS worse than it is. And that's why i didn't presented my crude thoughts, instead i pasted that bitch Sadie's thoughts and monologue which reflects what i wanted to say. For me, Sadie's action were reflecting and indicating from every angle that Adam's disability is a freaking burden for her.
You might not find this as bad as i did but that's why i hated this book and many others didn't.
Rant REVIEW ENDED
~~A LOoooNG REVIEW AHEAD~~
As a romance reader, this is my worst fear came true. I didn't think there was a romance book out there which would ruin romance for me. But omfg there is. It's this book. Broken by Megan Hart.
I can't believe it.
I don't have much to describe this nightmare of a heroine -the protagonist- is.
I'm gonna tell you the premise of the book. And then just paste all the dialogues/quotes from the book some from Sadie's {h} POV which will let you know everything i hated in this woman.
So, Sadie is married to Adam who four years ago got into an accident where he suffered a C-5 level spinal cord injury that put him in a coma for three weeks and left him without sensation or voluntary movement from the shoulders down. He was thirty-six. In simple words, he is paralyzed from the neck down.
First day of each month, Sadie meets Joe, who is a player. Who tells explicit erotic stories of his different conquests every time they meet. Sadie lives vicariously through these stories so much so that she says Joe is a slut incapable of being unfaithful to anyone. She is a jealous and judgemental
Have you got the gist of this now? Okay.
So from here, we'll address Sadie as "Bitch" because she is so fond of calling people names , i can't help but reciprocate.
Beaware, the following quotes/dialogues are taken from the book itself to show you how much i hate this bitch and how horrible she is. I thought of writing my thoughts about this woman but she is already self aware about so many things i loathe in her that i don't have to do anything but quote her own monologue.
I should be ashamed of asking Rachael to give me some of the condoms she was so proud of displaying when I knew I meant to use them to seduce her boyfriend. But when you’re mad, bad and dangerously in love many things seem excusable that normally wouldn’t.
As you can guess, Rachel is the current girlfriend of Adam. And that's how she met Adam i.e her future husband.
He could have died. There are days I weep with gratitude that he didn’t. And then, there are days I wish he had.
Speaking in regards of the accident.
the mental infidelity was as real as if I’d gone to bed with him, and perhaps worse because merely sating a physical need was one thing but the inevitability of what was happening was something else, entirely.
I don't have to say anything.
Just because Joe and I never touched didn’t mean we weren’t having an affair. I knew it. I didn’t want to stop it.
Like i said, she is stating her case beautifully.
I came, but alone, and at the last minute it wasn’t Adam’s face I saw between my legs, but Joe’s.
Nah, this isn't the time she is masturbating alone, her husband Adam made an effort here and he is watching her touching herself as per his command because the poor guy can't really do anything else, but well, this is her response.
It’s easy to learn who your real friends are after an accident like Adam’s. There were those who visited, and those who didn’t. Most did not, and those who had in the beginning no longer did as often.
Bitch, I'm pretty sure if you weren't his wife and it wasn't your "job" to play a role, then you would definitely be in those friends list who aren't real.
“And I think you’re being a judgmental bitch,” said Joe.
I agree, buddy.
See, guys? I don't have to say anything about Sadie at all, when she and the characters of this book states pretty much all i wanna convey. So you all can't really blame me for exaggerating.
If he’d asked me, I could have told him the truth, all of it. He didn’t ask, and so I didn’t tell.
That doesn't sound like an excuse AT ALL.
I HATED SASSY. I wanted to rip out every single blue hair from her head.
Ofc you would bitch, Sassy is the name of the only woman from one of the Joe's conquests that i absolutely loved. She understood and took care of Joe instead of labeling him a manwhore without feelings. Even Joe liked her and kept in contact with her. I wonder why YOU don't like her, bitch.
Adam was not a beautiful man. His features were too bold and asymmetrical for beauty, his eyes deep-set and nose crooked from an old break. But his hair was beautiful, the color of autumn, all deep browns and bits of red, and rare, gleaming strands of gold.
Thank you for tell us what part of your husband was beautiful. Oh and the context here if you wanna know is: She is cutting off all his hair atm.
I was superwife. He needed everything done for him. It was a job, a duty. A role, and I did it without complaint.I was there because it was my job as his wife to know what was going on with his health.
Again, this speakes volumes.
I didn’t want to see Adam when I got home, but there was no real choice in that, either.
Okay.
At this point after all this i just wanted her to get a fucking divorce so she can go fuck herself or anyone who wants to fuck her and Adam can be with someone who truly loves him. The "one true love" we read in books? I wanted that for Adam.
Or better yet, i hoped Sadie would just kill Adam so it would become maybe a lil bit interesting atleast. A murder twist.
But nah she did none of those things and even refused to get divorced when HE HIMSELF asked for it. Go figure.
“Quit trying to make it all about you. I’m so fucking tired of you trying to make this about you.”
I agree, Adam. I fucking agree.
the new start with Adam had left me not needing Joe’s stories.
Ah! So this was what you needed to not seek pleasure somewhere else? A new start with your husband? Is that it?
“I’m glad to have my life back, too,”
Context? Adam died. And this is the first time in the history of my reading life that i have never experienced any emotion over a character's death. Even if it is predictable, i still cry, or gets choked up to see a character die but no not here. There was only ONE emotion throughout reading this book and that was : Hate.
Right and wrong, good and bad, the lines are blurred when it comes to matters of the heart. Anyone who has never felt that has no right to judge, and anyone who ever has won’t have to.
Is this you indirectly tell me not to judge you? Sorry bitch, the ship has sailed long ago when you decided to be the protagonist of this book and i read your tale from the beginning. Judgement is all i have left for you. I'm sure you would understand?
Context? : This is her sleeping with Joe freely "letting go of the shame" now that Adam is dead.
THE END
Epilogue: HFN with Joe
Two questions you are probably wondering and even if you're not, I'll tell you :)
1) So if you hated the book/Sadie from the very beginning, why did you continued the book?
Good question. I could've DNFed way before hitting the 40% mark itself and i would've but the thing is before reading the book, i read 3-4 top reviews which were praising this book so much that they made this seem like a suspenseful story which will shock you at some point. So most of them didn't want to "give much away" so that it won't spoil. I guess i was waiting for that "twist" which will explain everything that has happened and which somehow really justify Sadie's actions. I had hopes this high because i have read a few spectacular books where you hate the protagonist so much but the ending or the twist leaves you speechless and makes the book epic.
And that's why i didn't DNF.
2) Why is this book a nightmare come true for me as a romance reader?
Okay, you know the romance books we read almost all of them ends in a same way where the MCs get married or plans to get married? The point being : all of them have HEA. That is a known necessity for every romance reader. So we are all satisfied to see that by the end of this journey of our two MCs, they'll finally be together. We close the books and by that HEA epilogue we are happy and content to imagine all the good things they'll have in the future because they'll get married or be together forever.
Now imagine if you have to think that what if she gets sick in the future? Will he be there for her? Would he still love her? And only her? There's absolutely no need of cheating of anykind too. And because you know your MCs the answer is : obviously yes.
Think, what if he had an accident in the future and he became disable or handicapped? Will she be there for him? Would she still love him? And only him? There's absolutely no need of cheating of anykind too. Now you know your MCs and love your FMC so the answer here will be : obviously yes.
I think you get my point. And this is why, This book, this heroine had this potential to ruin all the happiness of me reading a romance. Because she is a character too. She is the heroine here. Like many others I've read. And she proves everytime she talks the answer to all the aforementioned things will be maybe not. and that scared me. What if this is the reality? And is this what happens or will probably happen to all the couples i have read?
I remember a book The Amendment and thank god books like this exists which shows the exact opposite reaction of the heroine like Sadie here.
P.S : Whoever said men are the ones who have only sex on their mind all time clearly haven't met Sadie.
P.PS : Some of you might say that I'm making this worse than it is but guys, THIS IS worse than it is. And that's why i didn't presented my crude thoughts, instead i pasted that bitch Sadie's thoughts and monologue which reflects what i wanted to say. For me, Sadie's action were reflecting and indicating from every angle that Adam's disability is a freaking burden for her.
You might not find this as bad as i did but that's why i hated this book and many others didn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2010
I knew that this book contained some heart-break- but my god, there I was at 2am sitting in bed bawling my eyes out. I don't think I have read such a harrowing story for years.
I did like the way a few of the characters from the previous book turned up in this book, made it feel familiar even though the heroine is a different person.
Again- like Dirty- this starts of quite light-hearted but then wham!
I liked the way it turned out- but did think she was going to blow it.
I was going to read Deeper- but had to have a break as everytime I think about the storyline I feel like tearing up again. Brillaint writing about a very difficult situation.
I did like the way a few of the characters from the previous book turned up in this book, made it feel familiar even though the heroine is a different person.
Again- like Dirty- this starts of quite light-hearted but then wham!
I liked the way it turned out- but did think she was going to blow it.
I was going to read Deeper- but had to have a break as everytime I think about the storyline I feel like tearing up again. Brillaint writing about a very difficult situation.
May 24, 2017
3,5
Ya lo había leído y no me acordaba, pero al poco de empezarlo supe que ya había pasado por mis manos, aún así decidí releerlo.
La historia me gustó, la forma de escribir de la autora te atrapa y te hace querer seguir leyendo. Pero, a pesar de que es una buena historia, no le doy más puntuación por algunas cosas. Al terminarlo, había algunas cosas que no me quedaron claras si eran ciertas o no. Por otro lado, me dio la sensación de que apenas conocía a Joe, eché de menos saber más de él, del de verdad, que tuviera algún tipo de interacción más real con ella.
Ya lo había leído y no me acordaba, pero al poco de empezarlo supe que ya había pasado por mis manos, aún así decidí releerlo.
La historia me gustó, la forma de escribir de la autora te atrapa y te hace querer seguir leyendo. Pero, a pesar de que es una buena historia, no le doy más puntuación por algunas cosas. Al terminarlo, había algunas cosas que no me quedaron claras si eran ciertas o no. Por otro lado, me dio la sensación de que apenas conocía a Joe, eché de menos saber más de él, del de verdad, que tuviera algún tipo de interacción más real con ella.
July 11, 2014
"From the first time you laughed with me, all those months, and all those stories," Joe said quietly. "They were all you, to me. All of them were you."
It took a few chapters to understand the complexity of this story. This is an erotic novel with a strong story line. Sadie is a married women whose husband due to an accident is a paraplegic which left the couple broken. Sadie meets Joe on the first friday of every month for lunch to listen to his stories of his latest sexcapdes imaging herself as one of girls in his countless stories.
I cried over Adam and Sadies relationship and what they were both going through. I loved Joe's character and how he was trying to find himself in a different way than Sadie was trying to find herself.
It took a few chapters to understand the complexity of this story. This is an erotic novel with a strong story line. Sadie is a married women whose husband due to an accident is a paraplegic which left the couple broken. Sadie meets Joe on the first friday of every month for lunch to listen to his stories of his latest sexcapdes imaging herself as one of girls in his countless stories.
I cried over Adam and Sadies relationship and what they were both going through. I loved Joe's character and how he was trying to find himself in a different way than Sadie was trying to find herself.
December 3, 2016
Read #2: December 2, 2016:
One thing I never noticed in my previous readings is how talented of a writer Megan Hart really is. Very good. I loved this story even more the second read. Heartbreaking and sexy. What a weird mixture.
Read #1: September 18, 2012:
I often find myself still thinking of this book even after not having read it for months and months. To me, that's the sign of a good book.
One thing I never noticed in my previous readings is how talented of a writer Megan Hart really is. Very good. I loved this story even more the second read. Heartbreaking and sexy. What a weird mixture.
Read #1: September 18, 2012:
I often find myself still thinking of this book even after not having read it for months and months. To me, that's the sign of a good book.
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