Justin Molina has secrets. He’s served his time but remains a prisoner of his past, unable to forgive himself for failing his family when they needed him most. Justin’s grief is overwhelming, but he keeps silent and focuses on his goals. About to graduate college, he tries to keep his head above water—no matter how many times life keeps knocking him down. When he’s forced to register for a … poetry-writing class, Justin discovers putting words to his feelings might be exactly what his fractured heart needs to heal. Or is it the older professor with the bow ties and gentle smile who gives him a chance when no one else will?
Professor Foster Faraday Harding is a broken man. His divorce is final, and he’s reverted back to the safety of his books. Even his poetry no longer brings him joy; he’s sleepwalking through life. The raw emotion of Justin’s poetry awakens Foster to desires he thought long buried in the ashes of his marriage. When he discovers Justin is struggling financially, Foster offers him a solution that benefits both of them. Soon it’s Foster who’s struggling with emotions he can’t understand: Justin is his student. And a man. One crazy night years earlier doesn’t mean anything. Foster is straight.
After months of denying the growing attraction between them, an unexpected kiss changes everything. Justin and Foster are no longer only professor and student—they’ve become lovers, but the strain of hiding their relationship increases with each passing day. Words have the power not only to hurt but to heal the greatest pain. If Foster and Justin listen to what their hearts are saying, they might break through their silence and live their own love poems—together.
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A STORY THAT MAKES THE READER FEEL EMOTIONS
I received this book for free and am giving my honest and voluntary review
Foster is a professor at the college. Justin is a poetry student in Foster’s poetry class because he was late enrolling in his classes. They have a different view of each other albeit wrong. Foster feels as if he is an unlovable person because of his parents and his divorce and that Justin is a poser, a rich boy wanting to be a bad boy. Justin feels as if there is nothing in life for him because he failed his parents and he thinks that Foster is a hot older man with everything he wants. Both are wrong about their perceptions. Once they meet and begin to work together, they discover something about themselves; although they deny it and must overcome their self-destructive images of themselves.
Really enjoyed this low-angst, slow burn, age gap romance. I listened the audiobook, which was great except for Foster’s voice, which I thought was a bit too stiff and formal. Overall though, this was lovely.
College professor and student, check, first time, check, troubled past, check, family, check…this one ticked all the boxes for me. Will def be reading the rest of the books in the series.
Warning: a book hangover is most definitely in your future! Run, don’t walk, to download this book!
But seriously, snatch up this book and read it ASAP if you’re looking for a beautifully woven love story. I adore this book so much, it’s hard to put into words. Just kidding! The real problem is I could ramble on and on for days.
Justin and Foster are very different people in almost every sense of the word, not excluding their age difference, except they actually have quite a lot in common. The magic of this book is watching these two men each discover who they truly are, build each other up, and ultimately fall madly in love. And the poetry, of course. It’s rare to experience the vulnerability that Justin shows through his poetry; what a lovely and emotional addition to the story. Their love is a little messy, and they’re far from perfect, but isn’t that every relationship?
And I’ll say this with every Felice book – I loved the side characters! I can’t wait to read Justin’s friend’s book.
If my obsession with this book isn’t obvious, I highlighted half the book (and just read through my highlights with a huge smile on my face). Here’s one of my favorite lines:
“Like what you see, Professor? I rubbed my hands up and down my dance partner’s body, wondering what Harding had going on under his granny sweater.”
Really enjoyed it
When Justin walks into his poetry class, the last thing he’s expecting is to fall for his professor. His professor who wears bow ties and cardigans and has a soft-spoken manner, the complete opposite of Justin. But as Justin and Foster start working together, something about Foster’s sweet, straight-laced nature starts rubbing away Justin’s hard edges, the anger, the pain he holds deep inside him. But they can never be because it’s forbidden for a professor and his student to be together. And because Justin’s almost 20 years younger than Foster. And because Foster’s a divorced straight guy. Right?
Wow, just wow. Seriously, Broken Silence is one of the most beautiful, sweetest, tear-inducing stories I’ve read in a long, long time. It’s not super angsty or anything, but the way Justin and Foster fell in love, the way they healed each other, the way they GOT EACH OTHER, was just so swoony, so freakin awesome. I absolutely loved it. Loved them and their story. From their opposite natures to the very sweet, very perfect epilogue…sigh. I’m still sighing because I loved it that much. Professor/student forbidden stories are one of my favorite tropes, but honestly, this one seemed less like that and more like just a beautiful, sweet story with some seriously sexy times mixed in.
But let’s not forget in my ramblings, to tell you all about Foster and Justin, and how completely awesome they both are. Both of them had so many insecurities. Foster felt inadequate because of the almost 20 years he had on Justin, plus he’d never been with a guy fully before, and Justin felt insecure because he was poor, was an ex-con, and had nothing to offer the older, successful professor he first lusted after, then fell in love with. And the fact that they were in a forbidden relationship didn’t help either of their insecurities. That they fell in love, despite their differences, in spite of their differences, really was quite beautiful. That’s the word I’m going to use to describe this love story – BEAUTIFUL. Because that’s what Broken Silence is. It’s by far my favorite by this author, and I’ll not soon forget Foster and Justin and the way they fell in love.
Justin is a Poem in of himself:
He is Snarky to hide his pain.
He is Brilliant when he applies himself.
He is Broken from a former lover.
He is Loving to those he loves.
He is Traumatized by abuse.
Hardworking.
Regretful.
Worthy.
Foster was perfect for Justin and vice versa. They heal each other as they fell in love.
This was everything I’ve come to expect from Felice Stevens, complex multi faceted characters and a storyline that drew me in from the beginning. Great MCs and secondary characters whose stories I can’t wait to read. All in all a very enjoyable read.
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*
This book was beautiful. These two men need each other so much and it was endearing to watch them slowly fall in love.
Felice Stevens gave these two broken men a chance to see that they are way more than they believe themselves to be.
Justin has a past he’s not proud of and it made my heart ache to see him think so little of himself. He was going to school with a goal to help other kids so they wouldn’t make the same mistakes he did.
Foster was hurt by the woman he thought he loved. He doesn’t trust that he’s enough for someone like Justin.
When they meet in Foster’s class there’s a connection between them. Through poetry, these two broken men heal themselves and each other.
They fall in love slowly, and it’s easy to see how much they care for another, even as they fight it for as long as possible. Their love is beautiful and sweet and I loved watching them come to realize that they weren’t too broken for another person to love.
Wonderful, emotional, book with age-gap and opposites attract. Justin is an ex-con who is attending college is trying to live a better life but he’s hangups about his past. Foster is his professor and he’s still having trouble letting go what his ex-wife did to him. They both have losses, pain, and don’t know how to move on.
Once I started on the book I couldn’t put down. I truly believe you will enjoy this book.
Sweet, hot and touching, a lovely story
Book 1 in the Rock Bottom series, student/professor stories aren’t always my favorite trope, but I’ve enjoyed the previous books I’ve read by this author, and the blurb had me intrigued so I decided to give this a try. That Justin was a few years older than your typical college senior, plus his life experiences, meant he was far more mature than typical as well, which reduces the impact of the age gap with Foster, and was just one of the ways the author used to level off two characters who are very much a study of opposites at first glance.
Besides that fifteen year age gap, Foster was raised by wealthy, older parents and is wealthy himself, compared to Justin who is working multiple jobs just to try to make ends meet. And of course, Foster is professor to Justin’s student, but they have more in common than they think. Foster brings out a side of Justin he didn’t know he had—and can I just say, I don’t usually read poetry, but I really enjoyed the poems here, and loved how they were used to add depth to both Justin and Foster’s characters. Meanwhile, Foster is almost completely inexperienced when it comes to other men, so they switch roles and the more experienced Justin takes the lead in their sexual encounters. I loved the way they interacted and the balance the author brought out between the two.
The setup added tension to the story, first as Justin and Foster fight their initial attraction, and then later as they fear their relationship will come out and create trouble for them. As for secondary characters, there were a few here to help round out the story; I particularly loved Ross while being intrigued by Benny, and I hope we get their full stories and hea’s for them both sometime soon.
Sweet, hot and touching, and with those wonderful poems, this was a lovely story that was an entertaining and engaging read for me. 4.5 stars
B2B Kelly
3-1/2 stars. After being forced to take a poetry class he didn’t really want to take, Justin encounters Professor Foster Harding. The attraction between the characters I would say was a slow burn, nothing too intense about it. I loved Justin’s character. I loved how he worked hard to make things better for himself and his mother. He has his demons he had to concur, which he did in the end. Foster, professor, divorced, and kind of an introvert, in my opinion. His character fell a little short for me. The bad boy and the professor. I wished Foster’s character was a little more confident than he was, but I liked him well enough. While I usually love, love Felice Steven’s books, but this one fell a little short for me. I didn’t really find anything new here with the storyline, but it is a great low angst, opposites attract, professor/student read. It did leave me with a profound curiosity about Ross and I am hoping to read his story soon. While this one didn’t quite do it for me, it by no means will make me shy away from Felice’s next book, and I do recommend giving this one a try.
Justin and Foster were a great couple. They were student and professor, but they had pain and insecurity in common. I love that they helped each other to deal with their issues, and I found them to be likeable characters. The poetry was a very nice touch, and I found it touching and heartfelt. The intimate scenes were hot and heavy, and I liked that Justin got to be the one in charge in those moments. I loved the secondary characters, especially Justin’s mom and her neighbor and Foster’s friend Ross. I am very much looking forward to Benny’s story, because he just about broke my heart every time he showed up in this book. This is the start to what promises to be another great series from this author!
Broken Silence is a heartwarming story of opposites attracting beautifully. Of two men overcoming regret, loss, and pain as they work to change their futures.
Justin Molina is a 25 year old college senior who works several jobs to support himself and his mother. Filled with remorse for his past mistakes, he is determined to graduate and improve his situation. When he’s forced to take a poetry writing class to meet graduation requirements, he discovers that putting his feelings into words is therapeutic and helps him face his regrets. His sexy, new professor pushes Justin to explore feelings outside his comfort zone, and gives him an opportunity when others hold his past against him.
Foster Harding is trying to find himself after a failed whirlwind marriage. His ex-wife’s parting words and actions have him questioning himself. He’s filled with doubts and sees himself as a boring middle aged man with nothing to offer. Stuck in a rut, he’s even lost interest in writing poetry. And then, Justin Molina’s poems touch his heart and inspire him. Foster has only ever dated women, but now he finds himself drawn to his gorgeous, sensitive student. He knows it’s wrong to get involved with a student, but the attraction becomes undeniable and he’s counting the days until the semester is over.
In spite of Foster’s reservations about their age difference, he and Justin are wonderful together. Their chemistry is hot and their relationship outside the bedroom is truly lovely. They help each other overcome the shadows of the past that are holding them back. The way they encourage and build each other up is so heartwarming. As with all Felice Stevens books, the minor characters are full of personality and add depth to the story. It was a treat to see Benny from “Perfect” and Justin’s mom, Suzanne, and neighbor, Earline, were terrific.
Felice make it a habit breaking my heart with her stories. My first thought that this is a Professor – student story, should be sexy and steamy. But there are so much about Justin and Foster that I can relate to a real life.
It’s hard not to give a spoiler about the story. Broken Silence mostly telling about Justin, the ex-con student who fell hard for his proper Professor in poetry class. Seventeen years senior his age.
Foster wasn’t immune for Justin’s sexy charm, but he was just got a bad divorced and not ready to start a relationship.
But when you feel it, you feel it, right?
Broken Silence is a sexy professor – student with loads of heart wrenching feeling about the two of them, and the struggle to move on from whatever baggage they carried in the past.
I really enjoyed their interaction, the dance they danced around each other, the pull and push, the denial, the tug of war about right or wrong. Until finally, they cannot lied to their heart anymore, and let everything put in place naturally.
I enjoyed Ross, Benny, Justin’s parents, Foster’s friends and the potential stories that I knew Felice won’t let pass.
Cannot wait Benny and Gino’s story, and Ross and his sudden attraction to nature (?) story in the near future!
Justin and Foster will make you swoon!
This is one of the most beautiful books written by Felice Stevens. If you’ve read her books, you know how she can bring two broken souls together so seamlessly. In Broken Silence, she outdoes herself. Reading this book made me feel like I was in a dream. The world seemed to just fall away as I fell further and further under Justin and Foster’s spell.
Life has beaten both of them down and neither feels worthy of love. Justin’s fighting an uphill battle and Foster’s given up on love. There’s a spark of connection between them that neither wants to acknowledge but when it ignites into flames, they don’t have a choice. They have to give in to it. Lucky for us because these guys are scorching HOT! They’re also really charming and sweet. You can’t help but get lost in them.
And the poetry? It’s amazing. The poems Justin writes are so beautiful and emotional. A few of them actually made me cry.
There’s so much in this book that makes me want more – more of Justin and Foster, more poems, more sex and more love. I want more of Benny and Ross and whatever sexy hunk of man Ross is hiding. I need more of all of them.
5 Poetry in Love Stars
This one by the very talented Felice Stevens really resonated with me with its beautiful story, wonderful poetry, characters that came to life and a swoon worthy ending. May/Dec is also my favorite trope and I fell in love with both characters immediately. Justin, ex con, rough exterior, but a heart on the inside just wanting to be loved. Foster, Professor, closed off emotionally from a divorce that left his heart cold and bitter. Can Justin thaw his professor’s heart with poetry? Can Foster open himself up to the possibility of loving Justin? Find out if their beautiful romance comes together by 1-clicking now!
“I’d always been alone, living in silence….”
Justin, an ex-con with the burden of regrets he’d been carried after the mistake he did in the past. Learn his mistake and paid it, and now he’s trying to start a new life, to be a better person, graduate college and get a decent job. Closed himself from the world, stay under the radar, play safe, working three jobs to keep the cash flows, Justin has no time for himself. Joining the Poetry Writing class on the last minute has change his life, because he found out that writing has given him an outlet to express his feelings. And Justin’s words had caught Professor Harding attention and stir curiosity in him. What happen to this young man? What’s burden he’d been through? What had caused those sadness and regrets in his poems? And Foster want to know more….
But when the play of emotions enter the situations, will they survive the growing attraction that engulfed their already fragile heart?
Felice did it again. Her new book had hit my already softy heart and touched me so deep.
I thought that this book will full of angst, but apparently it’s turned out not that angsty but still I got tears in my eyes almost the entire reading because the story full of moments that touched my heart and the author know very well how to squeezed your heart without mercy.
I fall in love instantly with both main characters. Their strong and raw emotional connections was there since the beginning and strongly grow to the last page.
Both Justin and Foster carried their own baggage and have self-esteem issues. Add age gap issues and professor/student situation on their plate that could affect their future, Justin and Foster journey for happiness definitely was not an easy path to choose. And the way the author portrayed all these dilemmas was really deep and feels so real.
Great appreciation to all the poems the author wrote to complete the story that successfully brought tears to my eyes. Reading what Justin’s feels through his words are another things that made this book feels so special. His sadly beautiful strong words successfully broke my heart into pieces but at the same time it also warmth my heart.
Broken Pieces is a beautiful professor/student story that will not only break your heart but also put your shredded heart back together again with the warm you feels during the reading. You’ll cry, yes! But there’s also lots of things that will put smiles on your face.
Definitely another recommended read from Felice Stevens.
Last, but not least…
With Benny and Gino story on the progress, I want Ross story as well for next!
“You saved me, not only from the crappy way I lived, but from drowning in anger and self-pity. You give me peace. A place where I know I’m safe . And you give me your heart , which I don’t deserve.” – Justin
“You enabled me to learn about a part of me I kept hidden. It existed, but I had no desire to explore it further. Until you.” – Foster
Felice is one of my all time favorite authors and this book of course did not disappoint. I loved it. I loved the emotion of the words from the characters and the written words of Justin. I felt all of the emotions throughout this story
Justin is in college struggling to get by. Just living but not happily. His past is holding him hostage. He has a loving family if only he knew how to let go of the past and take all of their love and support.
Foster is a professor just going through life and not living his life until one day Justin’s poem strikes a cord within him and he sees something inside Justin that even Justin doesn’t see.
They are living in silence
Although their love affair is forbidden due to student teacher relationship there was no coming between the guys. It was great to see them develop the trust between each other and open their hearts to the future.
I loved Justin’s family and how they treated Foster as one of their own. I can’t wait to see what Benny and Ross go through to find their Hea because they very much deserve it.
The poems within this book made me so emotional and they are perfect for each other. Go on Justin and Fosters journey of finding love and their voices.
Beautiful, powerful, emotionally charged and filled with some wonderful poetry, this is a truly stunning romance from Felice.
Age gap, slow burn, opposites attract, professor/student, different side of the tracks, there are so many ways to describe this narrative but it’s ultimately about what’s on the surface not mattering at all when you find your perfect partner.
I adored prickly Justin, his past something which sat heavy on his shoulders every day, how he didn’t seem able to catch a break, how he opened up through the poetry which was grudgingly pulled out of him by Professor Harding.
And the Prof himself? Foster is a beautiful character, sheltered and alone in his youth because of parents who didn’t know how to deal with a child they hadn’t expected, to broken by his ex-wife’s trampling all over his heart but inspired and rejuvenated by Julian’s poetry and his passions.
This is a wonderful story and I adored it.
Now, Ross and Benny maybe please Felice?