Broken News

After about 30 pages I almost stopped reading because of elements I generally don’t like reading (infidelity, homophobic slurs), but I decided I’d give it until 50 pages. Before I knew it the book was flying by and I was hooked. I was never fully in love with the characters (except Catherine) or buying into the relationship, but I just absolutely needed to know how the heck they got out of this mess. Definitely an enjoyable ride with solid twists and a satisfying conclusion.

lord what a great crazy story. Sara does an amazing job with the Haunting characters and twists and turns .

In a tough world of crime and underhanded dealings two men meet under false pretenses. Neither is innocent or particularly good, and each takes what they need from another. Between the sheets they burn hot, out of them they lie and deceive. But are people irredeemable when love finally finds them? This is a story of a crime boss who is willing to give up everything for love and a rent boy who can not betray the man he fell for.

Eric West rules with iron hand. Everyone fears and respects him. His marriage is a sham, and the only place he can indulge, Le Chateau, offers his favorite flavor. Small, delicate and delicious. One night with mysterious Will makes him come back for more, and his carefully constructed life begins to unravel. From passion comes possessiveness, then jealousy and anger that quickly turn into love that not even death can crush. Eric is sometimes in conflict with his desires and what must be done. His inability to love his wife that he married out of obligation, the crimes he commits for love should make him look very bad indeed. Except in moments of vulnerability, I saw a very lonely man who survived on his wits and cunning in the world where one misstep would get you killed. But for Will he will do anything, forgive anything and survive anything.

Talking about Will would be too much of a spoiler. He is not a downtrodden suffering man but one who took his life in his hands when the opportunity was offered. He is on the road to success, if only his heart doesn’t get in the way. Eric West is the criminal who will go down and he will make it happen except that what he thought appeared false, what he felt changed and he was left with self recriminations and a broken heart that was all of his own making. I loved how he slowly changed his mind and saw more in Eric than everyone else did. Their moments together started extremely hot, but as time passed carnal desire gave way to aching tenderness and affection.

In the middle of the lover’s trouble stood two women that showed that it’s not the circumstances that make the woman but the person herself. The juxtaposition between caring Catherine and angry Melanie was well written and made this a terrific read. There is but so much one can take before love turns into coldness, but only people themselves can turn it into hate. Love, passion, pain, blood and loss connect the characters and lead them to their happy ever after if they are strong enough to take the chance. I loved the difficult contrary characters, the dark overtones of the story and the sweetness between the men when life gave them a breather. This is not a fluffy story. It’s full of angst and tough choices, and I loved every page! I highly recommend it!

Will lived on the streets and did what he had to do to survive. He is an undercover reporter determined to get the dirt on mafia don Eric West. Eric is closeted and a mafia don who is unhappy with his life. He receives a whore for a gift for one night. Will is posing as a prostitute to get close to Eric. The problem is he may end up falling for Eric. Eric is already obsessed with Will and will do anything to keep him, even murder. This is a good read with plenty of hot sex, suspense and murder.

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

This was one fantastic, powerful, grab-you-by-the-feels, gritty, intense, raw, in your face with no apologies, gripping, fascinating, enthralling, smoking hot, dark, and totally awesome tale. Filled with secrets, betrayal, violence, murder, lies, and more twists and turns than a roller coaster, it pulled me in from the very first page, and I read it in one sitting because I just could NOT put it down. I’m looking forward to reading more books from this talented new-to-me author.

The activities which surround the head of a crime family are not for the faint of heart, and Sara Dobie Bauer explores the darkness in Broken News. Ms. Bauer doesn’t hold back, and while there is gorgeous, steamy sex and a soul-stirring romance, Broken News mainly focuses on this violent and gripping tale of deception.

Raised on the streets, Will did what he had to survive. After a brief escape for college, Will returns to the city with a plan to ensure he can leave that world behind forever. Posing as a high-end male prostitute, Will knows how to make himself irresistible to mobster Eric West. Putting the mafia king behind bars, and writing the tell-all novel, will solidify his future as a journalist.

Considering the violence, duplicity, and criminal activity which encompasses Eric’s life it’s no surprise the man would grasp any opportunity for a brief taste of pleasure, and one night of Will’s attention has him hooked. Unfortunately, falling in love with his male lover is just the start of Eric’s troubles, and the consequences are more than he’s bargained for.

As events unfold and both men’s true characters are revealed, I couldn’t help wishing for Eric to find some peace. While Will’s charade kept me wondering about his sincerity, there wasn’t a moment where I doubted Eric’s integrity. At every turn Eric does what he feels is the right thing. Even though this man is responsible for some truly heinous activity, he approaches it in a straightforward and honest way. Beneath the intimidating facade, Eric is a man who just wants to be loved.

Sara Dobie Bauer creates an entrancing world in this story. There’s a 1950ish, slightly dystopian feel, and without specifying a time period or location, I can easily picture it all. Vivid descriptions of the opulence of Miss. Catherine’s whorehouse. Lavish gowns, bespoke suits, and ritzy furnishings. Plus, a lack of modern devices adds to the sensation of an earlier time.

It’s easy to get lost in Sara Dobie Bauer’s novels. Thrilling adventures, lush details, and (best of all) creative characters with powerful connections. Broken News is another example of the unique and captivating worlds created by this talented author.

I’ll get right to the review. First, this is a very dark romance. I mean very dark. As stated in the blurb, Will wants revenge on Eric. Because the plot is so well done, I can’t say too much or I’ll give everything away, and my review will become one big spoiler after another. All I can say is the author did a great job with the twists and turns in this m/m mafia romance.

Character arcs? Well executed, but at a big cost to others. Still, both main characters came into their own. Did they deserve the ending the author wrote for them? That’s up for the reader to decide. Me? I’m sort of on the fence, because the two main characters are two bad asses LOL. Still, I loved this book.

As for the secondary characters, I really enjoyed Catherine and Melanie, both strong in their own right with great arcs. They are more than secondary characters. They have a big hand in the plot, and it was refreshing to see two female characters front and center.

The setting wasn’t quite there. I never had this sense of being somewhere. It takes place in the USA. But there isn’t a city. It’s only called “the city.” The main focus of the novel occurs in two places: Le Chateau (where Eric meets Will) and at Eric’s mansion that he inherited from his deceased father-in-law.

For the “Mafia” part, I didn’t feel it was quite “mafia” either. Readers hear about what Eric does, but he never is quite in mafia boss mode. Still, as I said, the writing is solid and so is the plotting, which enabled me to overlook this in the book.

The writing is top-notch. The author is very skilled in this area. I enjoyed her prose.

The romance is steamy and full of angst, push and pull, and lust. This was well done and brilliantly captured.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. As I said, it’s very dark. And there are NO heroes. Only main characters. But if you love dark romance, you’ll love Broken News. If you want true heroes, this isn’t the book for you.

I recommend this book. I always say “the darker, the better” and this is very dark. I hope the author does give these two a sequel. I’d like to see how their romance plays out and how they’ll feel about each other in a different time and setting.

Very different, but enjoyable read. Definitely worth a try.
I really loved the mood in this story, it’s very “film noir” and I could easily imagine it taking place during the years of the prohibition instead of in the present day. The writing style is fluent and has lots of great imagery and wording. The characters are all complex and intriguing, no one is quite what they seem which makes it challenging for the reader to figure out who will be backstabbing who or where the danger will be coming from. The MC’s had me going back and forth a little, they are both morally ambiguous and their relationship is built mostly on lies and half-truths. Still, there is something there. There are several beautifully written, very emotional moments throughout the story and the chain of events near the end is very suspenseful and surprising.