My brother’s best friend. The bad boy next door. My sworn enemy… Now he’s back to claim what’s his.For most of my life, Ben Hayes was the gorgeous bad boy musician next door. My brother’s heart throb best friend. Then, he was my boyfriend for six of the happiest years of my life. Until he dumped me on social media in front of millions of people, officially cementing his role as my worst enemy.… cementing his role as my worst enemy.
Three years later, Ben returns to our small beach town with an ego the size of California, a drinking problem, a movie deal that’s about to fall through, and a secret that only he and his dying father know.
I’m not the same pathetic girl I was when he broke my heart. I’m stronger now. I won’t let him break me again.
But it’s hard to resist those ocean-blue eyes, that sculpted, tattooed body, that smooth voice, that enormous… Well, you get the picture.
Every time he makes me laugh or swoon, my defenses fracture. The walls around my heart are crumbling fast. And Ben’s wrecking ball of a secret is about to deliver the final blow.
more
This book is full of drama, angst, secrets and regrets. Cassia Leo took things that are very present in today’s society and wrote a story I could believe happening. I could feel Ben’s regrets for the past. I had to give Charley credit for making Ben work for her forgiveness. She made him work hard. Cassia Leo kept me turning the pages from beginning to end. She even threw a surprise that I did not see coming, SO WELL DONE on that. I did not like Ben at first but when all was revealed I could understand him much better. In my opinion Cassia Leo wrote a believable story. In my opinion if you are a Cassia Leo fan she does not disappoint. In my opinion Break is worth reading. I received an ARC edition for my honest and voluntary review.
Break by Cassia Leo was a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-maybe something again romance and my first read by this author. I enjoyed this second chance romance that was at times infuriating, but also sexy and sweet.
Charley and Ben Hayes were friends and neighbors. Ben was her brother’s friend who she always crushed on. Then they were happy and in love, until the day he very publically dumped her and humiliated her. After that, Charley’s life was at a standstill, while Ben’s grows as a rock star and movie star.
But now Ben is back, but not the same man to who left all those years ago. Struggling with drinking, his life seems to be falling apart. But Charley is also not the same woman she was and she is determined to keep her heart closed off. But Ben had his reasons for what he did, even if Charley wants nothing to do with them. Can they find a way back to what they were or is it too late for them?
Charley was both strong and vulnerable. She loved Ben deeply and was devastated when he broke her heart. Ben almost had it all, but fame comes with a price. Doing what is right for the ones he loves is all that matters to him. But at their core, both were caring people who just had to find their way back.
Break by Cassia Leo was sweet, sexy and a bit emotional. It was not only a story about second chances but of family as well and one I enjoyed reading.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
I couldn’t put this book down from start to finish. It’s engaging, suspenseful and angsty.
Cassia Leo touch some very important issues in this book and I loved it!
Charley’s heartbreak is painful. What Ben did to her was hard. Very hard. She’s hurt and can’t seem to overcome everything she went through.
Ben loves Charley fiercely. She’s the love of his life and it’s time to make wrongs right.
Although I think he could have taken things in another way, he did what he thought it was better to protect Charley.
In the end, I found that no matter how much you want to hide some things thinking it’s the best way out, secrets never stay hidden long enough.
Trust and communication are the key to every relationship.
Well there’s no simple way to describe the feelings I drowned in whilst reading Break. It starts off like a classic second chance, contemporary romance but there’s so much depth to it. It’ll rock you to your core, shock and horrify you in places, and make you feel everything the characters do.
I’m desperately trying to explain how impactful and powerful this book is without giving anything away because I really think it’s something you should jump into blind. Leave any reservations or expectations here, and jump in head first with an open heart and an open mind, and let Cassia Leo take you on a heart wrenching journey of loss, grief, family, and love.
I will warn you, there are some scenes that readers may find distressing.
I seriously didn’t think Cassia Leo’s books could get better until this one!!
When Charley was eleven her family moved next door to Ben who became best friends with her older brother Mason. They older she got the more she fell for Ben. When she was fifteen the decided to take there friendship to the next level but hid it from her family for three years. She was there for Ben when his career finally took off and all the up’s and down’s also no the way until the day he broke up with her.
Ben has loved Charley since he was thirteen years old but didn’t want to mess up the friendship he had with her or Mason, his best friend. When Charley finds Ben one day hurt she helps him bandage his hand and when she is done he finally kisses her. He can’t deny his feelings he has had for her any longer. As they grow closer there love only grows stronger but when someone threatens to hurt Charley he will do anything he can to protect her even if it breaks her.
Ben and Charley have a love that only some people are lucky enough to have.
I seriously didn’t think Cassia Leo’s books could get better until this one!!
When Charley was eleven her family moved next door to Ben who became best friends with her older brother Mason. They older she got the more she fell for Ben. When she was fifteen the decided to take there friendship to the next level but hid it from her family for three years. She was there for Ben when his career finally took off and all the up’s and down’s also no the way until the day he broke up with her.
Ben has loved Charley since he was thirteen years old but didn’t want to mess up the friendship he had with her or Mason, his best friend. When Charley finds Ben one day hurt she helps him bandage his hand and when she is done he finally kisses her. He can’t deny his feelings he has had for her any longer. As they grow closer there love only grows stronger but when someone threatens to hurt Charley he will do anything he can to protect her even if it breaks her.
Ben and Charley have a love that only some people are lucky enough to have.
“Ben was my first everything. He taught me how to kiss. He taught me how to listen. He taught me how to love, not just him, but how to love life.”
“A picture is worth a thousand words, but yours are worth so much more.”
Ben Hayes was the boy next door. The love of Charley’s life. Their romance was everything Charley could ever want….until one day Ben turned her world upside down and destroyed her heart. 3 years will pass before Charley and Ben will be reunited. Charley is determined to stay strong and to not let Ben back into her heart. However, Ben has other plans. He’s not just there to spend time with his dying father. He’s there to right his wrongs and hopefully win back the girl of his dreams…..
Break is a second chance romance about first loves, the one who got away and owning up to your mistakes. From the moment I picked up Ben and Charley’s story, I was intrigued. I was so sad for Charley and everything that she went through when she lost Ben. In fact, I was so annoyed by Ben, that I was totally glaring at his name when it came up in the story. Of course, that all changed when I found out what Ben was keeping from Charley. I could see where he was coming from. He was young and at the time, he thought he didn’t have another choice and that by doing what he did, he could protect Charley. But, Charley ended up getting hurt anyways. And I think for Ben, knowing that he broke Charley was something he couldn’t live with. She was his everything and he was determined to find a way to get her back.
The road to happily ever after for Charley and Ben wasn’t an easy one. Ben had a lot of explaining and groveling to do. He had to prove that he was there for the long haul and that he would never hurt Charley again. I really appreciated that Ben took the time to get to know Charley again and that he tried to earn her trust back. That made their journey that much more satisfying. I loved watching Ben and Charley together. Their chemistry and love still strong despite all the time that passed. Neither one of them was perfect, but I think they tried their best. They were both still pretty young and still had a lot of growing to do. For me, it was fun watching them try to navigate their way through things and strive for their happiness.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I’m a sucker for a good second chance romance and this one hit all the marks for me. My only issue with this book was that I felt like things were a bit rushed toward the end. I can’t really give you specifics because I don’t want to spoil anything, but for me, there was a particular situation that I would have liked to have had fleshed out a little more/given more resolution. And of course, I would have loved to have seen a little more groveling from Ben Other than that, I thought Break was a great read and had a lot of fun getting lost in Ben and Charley.
4.5 Stars!
This was a superbly written story that has you laughing and crying, full of love and full of hate and leaves you wanting to fight for Second chances.
The glimpses back to the past where perfect for showing the Charley’s road through love and heartbreak and helping to understand where she was in the present.
I think Ben just broke my mold for Rock Stars! He was down to earth, persistent, sweet, caring, sexy and so protective.
Cassia Leo has a way of writing characters you get invested in, ones that feel so real it’s almost as if you know them. The secondary characters are as good as the primary – I love Allie and Michelle, they are the BEST Friends ever!
This is a perfect beach read…
I love Cassia Leo and I am in love with Break! Second chance romances are one of my favorite genres! When I first started I was not sure I was going to be able to finish it, but I got over that before the 2nd chapter was over! Ben and Charley were both very frustrating characters, but I think that made them a little more real. I wanted to smack both of the multiple times, but I did love them very much. If you like Cassia Leo you will love this one!!