Broken (Broken) by Kelly Elliott Review

Series: Broken #1
Publish: November 17th 2013 by Kelly Elliott
Format: ebook, 354 pages
Rating: 5 / 5

Synopsis: Layton Morris and his brother Mike grew up not knowing what it would be like to live in a normal home. With no running water or electricity in their home, no parents around to protect them, they quickly learned how to survive and depend only on each other.
When a tragic accident takes Mike away from Layton, and the only other person that he ever let into his heart walked away from him, leaving his heart shattered, Layton focuses all of his time and energy into the ranch he and his brother dreamed of. He makes a vow to himself to never let love in again. The last thing Layton needed or wanted was more heartache.
Whitley Reynolds grew up in a privileged home in upstate New York. When she landed the star football player in high school no one was surprised, not even Whitley. She dreamed of a life with Roger living in New York City and happily followed him there.
The first time Roger hit her for arguing with him about a dinner party, she forgave him. The more it happened, the further Whitley withdrew from her friends and family. One fateful day things go to far. Whitley makes a promise to herself and finds the courage to do the one thing she thought she’d never be able to do.
Fleeing with her best friend Courtney, Whitley was determined to put her past behind her and start a new life in the small town of Llano, Texas, where no one would ever find out about her past.
Will they both ever learn to trust and love again, or will their pasts come back to haunt them, keeping them both alone and...
Broken.

Review:
  Kelly Elliott has an outstanding talent to create stories which are extremely sweet and steamy at the same time. Okay her books are a little bit predictable but not so much. She can create exceptional situations and can make the same situation a bit different every time giving them a novel feel, atmosphere. There is little bit of a similarity between this series and her Wanted series. Both takes place in Texas with cowboys and loveable best friends, whom stir up the events. But there are plenty of differences between them. First of all that in this book there is an older cast and has a more mature and darker topic.

  Both of the main characters have a lot of emotional and physical scars. They come from very different worlds, backgrounds still they have a similarly hard past.
  Layton’s father left him and his brother so they had to grow up really fast and only could rely on each other. If it wouldn’t be enough he lost his brother and the love of his life left him, too. While Whitley has a beautiful and good childhood but her taste in boys is not the best. The man she chooses for husband slowly turned into a monster and completely broke her. They hit rock bottom and thought there is no way out they met.

  Their first meeting is not roses and love; they are constantly at each other throat. However these little disagreements and the banter between them turn into attraction somewhere along the line. They learn to love again with each other help and thanks to this they get over the obstacles. The sexual tension and the chemistry are palpable. It’s impossible to put down the books until the two main characters confess their feelings and take the road to emotional healing.

  The plot is built typically in Kelly Elliott style, makes a full circle. It’s a fluidly flowing story that sucks the reader in completely. It’s full of romance, amusing little events, emotional debates and a lot of pleasant moments in the company of a freshly formed circle of friends. Of course there is a lot of drama and a bad guy too. The author not only endears her characters but makes the reader an addict. I can’t wait to read the next book, however not because of Courtney and Reed but because I hope there is more Layton and Whitley in it too. Courtney and Reed behavior with each other makes it hard to like them.

  About the cast? There is an extremely sexy cowboy, who is a bit closed up in the beginning but slowly opens up and shows his true personality. He is really passionate, caring and sweet and all of this without losing his masculinity. I couldn’t help myself; I constantly smiled during reading his point of view.
  Then there is Whitley who is the perfect damsel in distress, but still a very strong and persistent character. She is really honest and loveable; it’s easy to relate to her.
  We also get a very detailed description about the secondary characters too. And they are the levers for the main characters, whom on the edge of giving up in the beginning of the story. Despite this Courtney and Reed couldn’t get along, in each other presence they act like completely different persons and most of time it’s an ugly change. I know it supposed to prepare their story but it’s not really appealing.

  I absolutely love this book and hope there are a lot of people who agree with me. A fantastic story, I can recommend it to anyone who likes light romantic books.

By Viki

Until July (Until Her) by Aurora Rose Reynolds Review

Series: Until Her #1
Publish: April 13th 2015 by Aurora Rose Reynolds
Format: ebook, 215 pages
Rating: 5 / 3.5

Synopsis: Wes Silver wasn’t looking for love, but when July Mayson literally knocks him on his ass during their first encounter, his world is turned upside down by the quirky blonde, and every moment with her makes him more determined to protect her.
July Mayson doesn’t understand the pull she feels toward the bad boy biker Wes Silver, but she knows being with him is like nothing she’s ever felt before. Now all she has to do is tell her overprotective father, Asher Mayson, that she’s found her boom.

Review:
  I absolutely loved Aurora Rose Reynolds's other books, and I was really happy when I found out that her Until series gets not one but two spin off serieses. Oh and after I read the expert from Until July I was sure I was going to love this book too. Unfortunatley I was a bit dissapointed. Her writing style was still the same but I was expecteng more from the story than I got.

  First there was the fact that the MC world and the way how the Maysons view the world and what's right and wahts not is not exactly goes together. Don't get me wrong there is a lot of similarities between the two 'lifestyle' for example the 'alpha maleness' or the hot temper. Still somehow it didn't feel right, how they found the same page. And usually both life styles really strong on their own I felt that either of them got developed well enough in this story. It was a bit lacking from both sides. I could get over this but honestly I was expecting a little bit more exitement and action from the story.

  July was generally a likeable character but not my favorite. She had her funny momnets and had a really soft heart but this clashed with her so called temper I couldn't find anywhere, oh and i felt she had no will power whatsoever. In the beginning of the book every time there was a conflict point Wes just went near her and she forgot why was she angry or disappointed and so and so. The end result was good but I still didn't like this trait of hers.
  Wes was the typical alpha male, even more protective and secretive than the previous generation of the Mayson boys. Sometimes his behavior simply pissed me off, but his bad boy charm and good looks made it possible to overlook his bad traits. I like the alpha males in books so for me it was a bonus point.
  We got to know a lot of new character thanks to Wes but not so deeply than I would have liked an for my greatest dissapointment the Mayson clan presens wasn't as constant either. Well, they're going get their own book but still.

  Overall, I liked the book but I think it could have been better, still congrats for the author. The next book is going to be Jax's and I can't wait. The short description of the other Mayson girls I already know the June's and April's story will be my favorite.
  Those who liked the original Until series going to live ths to, those who didn'r read it yet I recommend reiding that first, it's hard enough to follow the family tree after reading it. ;)

By Viki