Break So Soft

This story continues where Cut So Deep left off and the roller coaster ride is far from over. We find out that Jackson, as well as Callie have been hurt by Gentry but neither one is at a point where they believe they can trust each other with the secrets. Can they find the trust in each other they need to survive the latest threat from Gentry? This book will gut you as you see the depths Jackson and Callie are willing to go for each other to help get over the terror that they experiences at Bryce Gentry’s sick and twisted hand. The ending was a big surprise and even though I have read books by Stasia Black before, this ending blindsided me. Great writing, great story, great characters all by one of my favorite authors.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest and totally voluntary review

A Former Beauty Queen Hopes To Put Her Crown Behind And Be Appreciated For Her Brain, But Instead Finds Herself A Pawn In A Deviously Dark Game Without Rules! Callie’s Story Will Have You On The Edge Of Your Seat As She Gets Caught Up Between Two Old Rivals And Doesn’t Know Who She Can Trust.

Trigger warning: includes sensitive issues such as non-consent.

From Cut So Deep, book one:

Calliope Cruise, twenty-two, once had big dreams. She is the rather unhappy victim of her good looks, however, along with some youthful mistakes. Her beauty and figure have the unfortunate consequence of men ogling her. Men and women alike either presume the worst in her or accuse her of trading on her looks. Her own parents don’t even give her the benefit of the doubt. She had done the beauty pageant circuit when she was younger, which only resulted in alienating her older sister. For years Shannon has judged her, but Callie can say little in her own defense. She hails from a small town and began pursing her dream of a career in robotics at her local community college. Catching a lucky break, she was accepted as a transfer student at Stanford, where she now has just a semester left to finish her robotics degree. But she gave up that dream when Charlie came along. Her two and a half year old boy is the joy of her life, but his arrival was unplanned, putting all her dreams on indefinite hold.

David Kinnock, forty-two, has suddenly decided he wants custody of Charlie despite never wanting to be his father. His wife Regina, in her late thirties, happens to have a nice trust fund and seems to have taken an interest in Charlie. If Callie cannot afford a good attorney, she might lose custody of Charlie altogether. As devoted as she is to her son, lawyers are quite talented at taking out of context, exaggerating, misrepresenting, misconstruing, and outright lying. And a good lawyer could tear Callie apart in court. A custody hearing is approaching. If she wants to win she needs to hire a good attorney, but that might just be wishful thinking.

Today Callie just hopes to make the rent. She lives with her sister Shannon, on whom she depends to help care for little Charlie, in the Bay Area just south of San Jose. With her legal bills stacking, rent, and student loan repayments, she needs to put her waitressing behind and earn a decent income. Some creative resume writing skills land her an interview for the personal assistant position of Gentry Technologies’ CEO – Bryce Gentry himself. Gentry Tech is a Fortune 500 company. They work primarily with government contracts – military applications of drones and robotics. The idea of working for the man who, along with Jackson Vale, is famed for developing a real-time reaction simulation algorithm while studying at MIT has her thrilled. Roughly thirty-one and a bachelor, Bryce’s incredible good looks are breath-taking and his gaze is magnetic, but her initial good impression doesn’t last long. Bryce Gentry is just like all the other men that have seen her as an object. And maybe worse. But with the custody hearing approaching, Callie has no choice but to accept the job no matter the unorthodox job requirements.

Jackson Vale, thirty-two, is the CEO of CubeThink. He is disciplined and controlled, and better with code than with people. They are a big player in commercial drones and have become a household name. He is most well-known for his accomplishment with ridiculousrobots.com – when he was only seventeen. Raised in the foster system, he had a hard time until he was taken in by his foster dad at age eleven. Mr. Kent had given him direction to channel his trouble-making tendencies, introducing him to robotics. But when his dad died during Jackson’s sophomore year in college, he fell into bad habits and spiraled out of control.

Bryce and Jackson have a history together. They met at MIT when Bryce was a freshman and Jackson a sophomore, and they did more than just create algorithms. They seemed to get into a bit of trouble together. They had a falling out, though, each going their separate way. Even in business, they manage to avoid one another for the most part, with Bryce focused on military applications and Jackson on the commercial side. It is known that Bryce’s ex-fiancée had been seen on Jackson’s arm, so one might easily deduce some tension lingers between the two. When Bryce arranges a very private lunch meeting with Jackson and orders Callie to attend without underwear, all sorts of questions logically arise.

Callie’s story is a deep, dark dive into a twisted game without rules. She has to battle her past and make peace with her sister while trying to make a good enough living to be able to afford to fight for custody of Charlie in court. The deck is stacked against her and she has nobody on which to rely. She soon finds herself torn between two men, neither of whom she can trust. This story starts out rather shocking, but be forewarned: it gets worse. Pushed in all directions, Callie is tested. She has a choice to make, and consequences she must learn to live with either way. Although the story concludes in book two, Break So Soft, it ends in a good place as the story transitions.

In this book:

At the close of Cut So Deep, Callie struggled to find herself after her resignation at Gentry Tech and its aftermath. Along with the loss of custody, Callie had lost her grounding. Though she couldn’t face Jackson, she agreed to accept his job offer so long as he respected her wishes and they never crossed paths. Her new job at CubeThink and the work she did to rebuild her confidence helped her move forward eventually. With baby steps. With a new lawyer and a plan, she hopes to regain custody of Charlie. And while Shannon had blamed Callie for everything, they eventually seemed to find a truce.

As this book opens, two months have passed. Callie left Gentry Tech and began work at CubeThink about three months ago. It has also been about three months since Charlie was taken away. She now has supervised visits with him once per week. She worries because he doesn’t seem to be well-adjusted to living with David and Regina. Her lawyer tells her to keep hanging tight for the results of the drug test and a new hearing. Separately from that, she is forcing herself out of her comfort zone to prove that she cannot be defeated. At work she made friends, and she often joins them after hours. But once or twice a week for the last few weeks she takes things further. She transforms herself, creating a new persona. It is easier to push herself that way, to act things out when playing a character.

Siren Callie, the vixen, prowls the clubs looking for action. She is a far cry from the relatively inexperienced Callie of just a few months ago. But she chooses who and where, and finds safety in public places. With enough effort, she can screw away those awful memories and reclaim her life.

Jackson Vale is a patient man, or at least he is trying to be. Calliope is the only woman that ever really saw him, and his world opened up when she came into his life. She didn’t care about his money or his fame. She didn’t want anything from him but his company. He wishes he knew what happened but has to respect Callie’s wishes and not press. Knowing Bryce, it was bad. He has given Callie a wide berth, but her actions have become reckless and out of character. It has to stop. There are better, safer ways to accomplish what she needs. Even if she doesn’t want him anymore, he can no longer sit back and watch a train wreck.

This is now Callie and Jackson’s story, as Jackson gets his own point of view here and there. Jackson is also a victim of Bryce, and can sympathize with what Callie is experiencing. He participates in BDSM, something he hinted at previously. As Master Sin he worked through some of his own past issues. Though not a sadist, the power exchange gives him the control he craves. He thinks it might help Callie get past whatever happened, and accordingly introduces her to his club. The lengths he will go for her are rather remarkable. But Callie isn’t ready to open up, and as long as she keeps secrets from Jackson there is only so much he can do to protect her.

Here Callie is decidedly different from the somewhat naïve and innocent Callie of book one. She is spiraling, and all Jackson can do is try to be there to catch her. It is hard to watch her push him away and refuse help. But Bryce Gentry has not forgotten the pair, and he has plans of his own. Callie faces another choice – an impossible choice – with unthinkable consequences. The couple eventually earns a happy ending.

There is plenty of angst throughout the story. There are steamy moments as well as dangerous ones. Great chemistry eventually develops again between Callie and Jackson, but it takes patience. Callie is too much in her own world of pain for much of the book to really sense and give in to their connection. The plot seems to overpower the relationship and it doesn’t feel quite as personal as one might hope.

The former beauty queen hopes to put her crown behind and be appreciated for her brain, but instead finds herself a pawn in a deviously dark game without rules. Callie’s story will have you on the edge of your seat as she gets caught up between two old rivals and faces an impossible choice. This story is well-written and plot-driven. It is complex, layered with mystery. Thoughtful and intelligent details give an authentically tech vibe. The characters are carefully crafted and unique. The story is written in first person in Callie’s POV, with several chapters in Jackson’s POV. I rate this book four stars.

I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

This is a dark read and continues where Cut So Deep left off. You definitely need to read the first book in order to understand what’s going on and why. Although this book starts off slow once it gets going it gets good. Callie’s story is heartbreaking but so worth reading and what an ending! I can say I was surprised.

Gut wrenching and empowering
Break So Soft by Stasia Black is another amazing read. It was impossible to voluntarily put down. As Callie and Jackson’s story continues from Cut So Deep, the plot thickens keeping this reader on the edge of her seat sweating bullets anticipating what will happen next. It seemed as though I felt everything they felt, and I felt a lot reading this book.
I love Stasia Black’s writing as she combines witty dialogue, humorous inner thoughts of characters, realistic emotions, interesting characters who are strong – men who are alpha protectors and women with sass and grit, great bad guys you hate then can’t wait to see their demise, and so well put together. I could go on and on because there’s absolutely everything to love about this book!
Overall, this book is worthy of 5+ stars. I can’t wait to read more Stasia Black books.