After five years of hell with an abusive husband, Natasha Hartford vows never to trust another man. Then she stumbles onto a murder scene and meets sexy, stubborn Homicide Detective Chase Brandon, a take-no-prisoners tough guy who’ll settle for nothing less than the truth. Sparks fly, but Chase’s suspicions and Natasha’s innate distrust block the way to happiness. The detective struggles with his … his own troubled past and is determined to find the truth behind the shadows dimming Natasha’s eyes. As more murders occur and a possible connection to her ex-husband appears, Chase fears her life is in danger. Natasha and Chase race to find the killer before he strikes again. Their survival depends on their willingness to overcome their mistrust of one another. Will they overcome their fears and find love again?
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I love good mysteries and thrillers and was expecting to love this one. Unfortunately, it just fell short for me.
Natasha Hartford is in the wrong place at the wrong time and quickly becomes a suspect in a murder. Chase Brandon is the homicide detective assigned to the case and the sparks between the two are immediate and steamy. Natasha is understandably slow to trust a man after finally getting out of an abusive marriage. And, Chase has his own demons in his past with his abusive father.
The plot of the story is pretty interesting, but the problems with the book detracted from my enjoyment. Brandon breaks every rule in the book because of his intense attraction for Natasha. And, Natasha is just continually annoying in her constant desire to leave safe places while she is being stalked by a murderer.
As the book (and most other police stories) say, “I don’t believe in coincidences”. And, Natasha just keeps turning up at crime scenes and yet seems clueless as to what is going on. My believability was stretched many, many times by this book. How many times does a seasoned Detective break the rules because he can’t fight his sexual desire? How many times does a timid woman, driven down by years of abuse, leave the safety of his protection because she wants to prove something? And, does a Homicide Detective really only have one case and devote 24/7 to it? Nope, not buying it!
I was expecting more mystery/thriller and not so much steamy sex and references to Natasha’s desirability. If this had been a “real” book instead of an audiobook, I would have been skimming through a whole lot of the book. As it was, I just tried to speed through it as much as possible.
Bill Nevitt does his usual wonderful job with his narration and that is mostly what kept my interest. I will admit that by the end of the book, I just didn’t care what happened. I never really got emotionally involved with the characters and just wanted to reach the end.
I was given the opportunity to listen to this audiobook by the narrator/author/publisher and chose to review it
Audible.
This is my first book by C. B. Clark and I found her while searching for new-to-me Romantic Suspense authors. I enjoyed the first part of this book and was drawn in by Clark’s compassionate depiction of a domestic violence victim trying to move on with her life and survive on her own. It opens with Chase & Natasha meeting at a crime scene; Natasha distrustful of men and Chase viewing everyone as a suspect. I struggled with the fact that Natasha repeatedly went off on her own with the thinnest justifications and that Chase didn’t act professional at all. It was OK, but didn’t wow me. I think it’s best enjoyed by those more interested in romance than mystery/suspense.
Bill Nevitt’s narration was great. I didn’t always connect with his voice for Natasha. It was gratingly whiny at times, yet that seemed apropros for her personality so not sure he should be faulted for it.
I received a free copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Broken Trust, my second read/listen from author C.B. Clark. A well-written & enjoyable mystery/romantic-suspense. Bill Nevitt’s excellent narration made the 10-hour 16-minutes pass very quickly. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. I definitely need to get more by this author & narrator. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
Broken Trust is a romantic suspense story by C.B. Clark. Never having read anything by this author, I did not know what to expect and I did enjoy the story. Fast-paced, edge-of-the-seat action, several wow I didn’t see that coming twists to the plot and of course, a romance kept the interest high. Some things were a bit unrealistic but then that is what fiction is all about, right? I like police drama stories and this one was worth the read. I listened to a complimentary copy of the audiobook and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own. Bill Nevitt did a great job narrating the story which made for an entertaining listening experience. Since many of my reviews are for books in the Christian genre, be forwarned there is adult language and content in this book.
Natasha Hartford shows up for a job interview at a successful publisher’s office, hoping to be hired as an illustrator for a children’s book series, but finds herself face-to-face with a hard-broiled cop. Even though he grills her repeatedly, thinking she’s a suspect, Natasha manages to stand up to him despite her fear of authoritative men.
Detective Chase Brandon knows the woman is hiding something—his gut is telling him she’s somehow involved—but he doesn’t think she killed the publisher. As the body count rises, clues in his investigation lead to Natasha and her abusive ex-husband. He thinks she could be the killer’s next target, so he sticks close to her, determined to not let the fragile, secretive woman under his skin.
Natasha and Chase had great chemistry. They’re both attracted to one another, but lies and distrust are constantly pulling them apart. Despite being horribly abused, both mentally and psychically, by her ex, Darien, she helped him and kept his secrets from the police, which definitely made her look guilty. Because of her compliance, I couldn’t connect with her, and I completely understand why Chase had a hard time trusting her. Luckily for Natasha, he had dealt with own share of abuse, and he understood the way victims sometimes acted and thought.
I really enjoyed the who-dun-it mystery. There were a few twists, multiple bad guys, police investigations gone awry, art theft, and romance. All that makes for a great romantic-suspense.
This is a really fun read.
4 Stars
C.B. Clark’s romantic suspense thriller, Broken Trust, is a fast-paced story that captivates the reader. Beautifully written, Clark expertly portrays the physical aspect and emotional repercussions of domestic violence. Her main character Natasha Hartford suffers psychologically from her ex-husband’s abuse, and she transforms from a meek victim into a strong-willed, oftentimes defiant, woman. Chase Brandon, the detective investigating the murders around her ex-husband, combats his own childhood demons as he falls in love with Natasha. The heated romance between the couple feels natural and the mystery they unravel has you on edge until the end. Broken Trust is a book definitely worth reading.