From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Kami Garcia comes a red-hot romance that will break your heart and put it back together again. Her heart has to break before it can open.When star soccer player Peyton Rios receives an offer from her first-choice college, senior year starts off exactly as planned. But when Peyton uncovers her boyfriend’s dark secret, she confronts him–and finds herself … confronts him–and finds herself falling down a flight of stairs. Peyton’s knee–and maybe her dream of going pro–is shattered. Everyone is talking: Was she pushed, or did she fall? Peyton knows the truth, even if no one believes her.
He has to let someone in before it’s too late.
With her future on the line, Peyton goes to stay with her uncle in a small Tennessee town to focus on her recovery. Dating is the last thing on her mind–until she meets sweet, sexy Owen Law.
But Peyton doesn’t trust her heart, especially when she senses that Owen is hiding something. When their secrets are finally exposed, Peyton has to decide if love is worth fighting for.
An Imprint Book
“Garcia has become synonymous with a certain breed of drama-filled, compulsively readable romance.” —Bustle
”Something wonderful happened to me as I read this–I fell in love. Genuine, shattering, deep, heart-pounding love. Thank you, Kami Garcia, for Peyton and Owen. We need their story.” –Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places and Holding Up the Universe
”A slow burn that squeezes your heart so tightly you can’t breathe . . . until it explodes, and you’re left with a beautiful story that will draw you back again and again.”–Abbi Glines, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Field Party series and the Rosemary Beach novels
”Kami Garcia knows the anatomy of the teenage heart–what makes it race, what makes it break, and what makes it mend. Sexy, gritty, and romantic–Broken Beautiful Hearts is a must-read for anyone whose heart has been broken and dared to love again.”–Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author of the Dorothy Must Die and Stealing Snow series
“A heartbreaking novel of shattered dreams, broken hearts, and finding new paths forward. Broken Beautiful Hearts is deliciously sexy, dangerous, and heartfelt. You’ll root for Peyton to open her heart, despite the risk, and try to get all the things she wants. Kami Garcia has weaved a story that lingers in your heart long after it’s done.” –Dhonielle Clayton, coauthor of the Tiny Pretty Things series and author of The Belles
“Kami Garcia never fails to impress with her amazing characters and captivating romance ” –Cora Carmack, New York Times bestselling author of Losing It
“Kami Garcia knocks it out of the park with this compelling, emotionally gripping story. A strong female lead, complex characters, and a tender melt-your-heart romance make Broken Beautiful Hearts one of my favorite reads of the year ” –Elle Kennedy, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Off Campus series
“With an absorbing storyline that feels both raw and real, and a compelling heroine with a backbone, Kami Garcia’s Broken Beautiful Hearts kept me riveted to the very end.” –K.A. Tucker, USA Today-bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths Series and Until It Fades
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I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Peyton is our main character. She is super excited when she gets accepted to the school she has dreamed of going and playing soccer. She is excited to share the news with her best friend, Tess, and her boyfriend, Reed. A night at a party turns dangerous when she discovers Reed’s secret. She finds herself at the bottom of a set of stairs with not only her knee shattered but possibly her dreams of playing soccer. When she tells people, Reed did it, no one believes her. When threats become too dangerous, her mother sends her to Tennessee to stay with her uncle and her twin cousins. While there she meets Owen. And he changes everything she believes about how guys are.
I never played sports, so I figured I really might not get into this book, But I ended up enjoying it.
(3.75 STARS)
BROKEN BEAUTIFUL HEARTS was an enjoyable read. Owen and Peyton have so much on their plates for kids so young and come into each other’s lives at the perfect time. I think the similarities between her life before and after her injury were necessary to prove not only to her but to the readers that two people in the same situation can make two very different choices. When Owen’s secret was revealed, my first that was that there’s no way that was the whole story and OH BOY! Was I correct. At 80% the other shoe dropped and that was the moment the meaning behind the title clicked. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
This is one of the best books I have ever read. The story line is amazing and I love all the characters
4.5 Stars
A compelling and relevant YA contemporary with great characters and a swoon-worthy romance. I really enjoyed it and look forward to additional contemporary YA stories by this author.
I won this book off of Goodreads for my honest opinion.
This was my first book written by Kami Garcia. I will say, I am not usually a fan of young adult (this is placed in Peyton’s senior year of high school) however I enjoyed this book. The characters seemed mature for their age which helped me enjoy the story.
Peyton has a very bad breakup with her boyfriend Reed who is a MMA fighter. He goes into a rage and pushes her down a set of stairs which ruined her knee. She is a soccer player. The sad thing is that no one believes her when she says that Reed pushed her. She was being harassed so bad that her mother deemed it necessary to send her to her Uncle Hawk’s until she graduates. She moves there and meets all of her cousin’s friends and finds herself meeting Owen. Owen ends up helping her with her PT. She doesn’t want to get close to another MMA fighter. But Owen is just so sweet. He also has a secret that he is keeping from everyone.
The book is a sweet story of young love, endurance, courage, and the power to rise above. This young adult novel is really a good read and you’ll find yourself smiling when you turn the last page.
I’ll admit, when I first saw this book and read the blurb, i wasn’t sold. I wasn’t convinced that I would like it. But then I saw someone on goodreads post how much they loved it, so I decided to give the sample on amazon a try. I ended up being hooked by the sample and had to know what happened next! Needless to say, I ended up reading the whole thing on my kindle app on the computer without ever turning on my kindle, and let me just tell you, I HATE reading on my computer. It NEVER happens. So for me to be so entranced with a book that I willingly read it on the computer…well…it’s THAT good. I literally couldn’t put this down. I’ve never read a book by this author before, but based on this book alone, I’m definitely willing to get her other books a try.
I loved Peyton’s cousins. They were hilarious. I loved their banter, with each other as well as Peyton. I especially loved how protective they were of her. I also loved Owen. I liked how they became friends first, but how feelings started to build for them, leading to “just friends”, and only being “just friends” with each other. There were definitely secrets that both Peyton and Owen kept from each other, and when those were revealed, I was literally sitting there in shock.
Needless to say, I was on the edge of my seat to see how things would play out. I thought the author did a great job with the suspense element of Peyton’s ex. I knew things would all come together but it was a matter of when and how.
Honestly, this book was beyond amazing and I’d totally recommend it to anyone/everyone!
Broken Beautiful Hearts is a brilliantly woven love story. That has this underlying meaning. Sometimes in life, we choose the wrong people. For whatever the reason, you believe them, you trust them. Then something huge happens. That just turns your whole life upside down. But trying to move past it, and having to figure out, that the relationship doesn’t define you.
Peyton has had it a bit rough, after losing her father. She finds solace in a boy (so not going to call him a man) She truly loves him. But he has a breaking point, one that almost ruins her life. Through it all, she struggles with the loss of her father, struggles with the loss of something else, and then trying to regain some normalcy. And she finds that in Owen. Owen is this fantastic character; he’s so full of love. That you just can deny their connection.
I loved the other characters as well; they bring this lightheartedness to a story that is so heavy. You just needed them. I know that this story hits close to Garcia. I just want to say that I’ve been a similar situation. Some of the things “the boy” would do, would remind me of someone. And that sickening feeling would creep it’s way back. Even after so many years. But Peyton’s character shined. She was very strong willed and wasn’t going to let someone just walk all over her.
Overall, of course Five Boundless Stars
*5 Stars*
ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.
This book was awesome. I really connected with the characters, and enjoyed getting to know them. And not just the main characters, the secondary ones too.
The depth of this story, and the truth of it, the fact that these things happen to people, really hits home. There are so many layers to this story, and to read the author note at the end, makes it even more personal.
Peyton was a strong female lead, I really liked her, and I loved Owen too. The twins were fab and Grace and Tucker were also great friends and added to the storyline.
I recommend this book, for sure. The many facets to it, and the realness to it, have you hooked and wanting to find out what will happen. Its high school, but its not. Its real life and serious issues as well. No one should have to go through what these characters go though, but seeing how they deal with it, learn and grow, is a really part of this story and how it all unfolds.
I won’t say much else, because the book speaks for itself. Well done Kami Garcia.
I enjoyed Beautiful Broken Heart as it was an honest portrayal of one young woman’s struggle and journey of self discovery after a traumatic incident with a loved one. I thought this story was poignant, sweet and heartwarming. The underlying feeling of hope and a second chance after difficult circumstances was a prevalent theme which I enjoyed. I had a tremendous amount of respect and affection for Peyton after everything that happened to her and admired her strength and fortitude to continue. This was a great story!
When Peyton’s future at playing collegiate level soccer is in jeopardy after a violent incident with an ex, she decides to escape the drama (and trauma) to live with her uncle and cousins. But when she meets a boy with a secret, an unintended attraction and connection is formed. But can she fully move forward to her future when she is forced to reconcile the truth of her past?
I enjoyed this story alot. The extended cast of characters were great and engaging. Furthermore I rooted for Peyton from the get go and thought Owen was a genuinely sweet and sexy hero. I enjoyed his story as much as Peyton’s journey and while I did want more and an epilogue at the end it left a smile on my face and butterflies in my stomach. Bravo! 4.5 stars! ~Ratula
I have long been a fan of Kami Garcia, and when I saw the synopsis of this book, I had to read it. It’s not your typical YA contemporary romance, it has a great deal of substance and depth.
Peyton is a smart, intelligent, and strong girl. She lost her father in the Middle East, but she doesn’t let that stop her ambitions. She is so excited when she gets her acceptance to the school she has dreamed of going and playing soccer. She is eager to share the news with her best friend, Tess, and her boyfriend, Reed (who happens to be Tess’s brother). A night at a party turns dark when she discovers Reed’s secret. She finds herself at the bottom of a set of stairs with not only her knee shattered but possibly her dreams of playing soccer. When she tells people, Reed did it, no one believes her. When threats become too dangerous, her mother sends her to Tennessee to stay with her uncle and her twin cousins. This decision will change her life.
As I wrote earlier, Peyton is so strong. Instead of backing down, she stood up for herself despite the consequences both mentally and physically. She has a wonderful support system in her mother, uncle, and cousins. When she becomes friends with Owen, she has an even bigger supporter. There are feelings there between the two of them, but of course, she is hesitant to get into any kind of relationship because of Reed. I loved that because it made the book more realistic.
Owen was a sweetheart. He was a lot like Peyton. He didn’t back down from anything, no matter what it was or the obstacles he had to overcome. That is what made them so perfect for one another. He showed her not all guys were like Reed.
This book dealt with something that unfortunately I think a lot of girls encounter…abuse. What was so heartbreaking was Reed wasn’t that guy at the beginning. I don’t want to spoil anything, but something made him grow into the monster that wouldn’t let Peyton go, and that something is an issue our society deals with as well. I thought Kami Garcia did a fantastic job of illustrating how those two issues go hand-in-hand. I think that this book will give girls courage to speak up and get the help that they need, and maybe offer help to young men like Reed. He was a villain in the book, but he didn’t start out that way. Garcia did a rare thing…she gave some humanity to the villain. Great informative read!
***Read and Reviewed by Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews***