Betrayed. Sold. Tortured. Now she’s fighting to rebuild her life.Detective Sapphire Hatcher was sold to human traffickers when she was sixteen. She was lucky. She was rescued, and now she has dedicated her life to saving others. When a criminal psychiatrist is brought in to work alongside her, she tries to ignore the way he makes her feel, but he won’t let her. Gideon Barlow travels the country …
Gideon Barlow travels the country working with police departments on the most depraved of cases. When he meets Sapphire, the attraction is instantaneous, but if he can’t help her realize that there is more to life than her job, she might end up losing not just her chance at happiness but her life as well.
↝ Trigger warning – mature content, issues of sexual assault/abuse, violence ↜
CRACKED SAPPHIRE is the first book in the Broken Gems series by USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe. Murder, mystery, suspense, and love in this thrilling romantic suspense! Each book in the series can be read as a standalone but reading in order is encouraged, a guaranteed HEA!
Other books in the series
Cracked Sapphire – Sapphire and Gideon’s story
Crushed Ruby – Ruby and Judah’s story coming April 6th 2020
Fractured Diamond – Diamond and Elijah’s story coming June 1st 2020
Shattered Amethyst – coming August 3rd 2020
Splintered Emerald – coming October 5th 2020
more
Why didn’t i read this sooner?
I know i liked the blurb,and bought it with the intention of reading it straight away.
But somehow i never got round to it…..shame on me!
Because it ís a good story,not dark in the way i’m used to,but still…
Sapphire and her sisters were sold by their parents when she was only 16 to human traffickers.
It traumatized her and her sisters,but they’re all free now,living together,supporting eachother.
All except the youngest,Emerald,that is…
Sapphire dedicates her life to fighting crime,living only to lock up as many criminals as she can.
But this latest case is slowly killing her…
With a new victim every few weeks,a victim that’s been cleaned of any traces by the murderer.
Giving them no clues as to who’s responsible.
Her boss decides to bring in a criminal psychiatrist,and from the moment they meet,Sapphire shuts him down.
Psychiatrists are bad news,they never help,and only make things worse.
Even though this one is very attractive,he makes her feel uncomfortable and she’s going to stay clear of him,thát’s for sure!
Gideon is intrigued by Sapphire,and he has been from the moment he learned who she is,and what she’s been through.
Meeting her only makes him want to get to know her more intimately ,but he knows he has to tread carefully.
The last thing he wants to do,is hurt her,but he’s a patient man,and she’s worth the wait.
In the meantime,the killer has taken another victim,and time is running out.
The knowledge they have to search close to home is a blow to Sapphire’s already low amount of people she trusts.
Only,somehow Gideon has become one of the few she dóes trust,and they seem to work well together.
Until it all goes horribly wrong…..and they both end up in mortal danger.
This was a fast-paced,well written,suspenseful story that kept me glued to the pages until the very end.
The way Gideon gently coaxed Sapphire to open up,to show the vulnerable woman behind the mask was beautiful to watch.
And the way she started to trust the new man in her life,the courage it took for her to show him her fears,as well as her desires,was a sight to behold.
The suspense built in a way that made me need to know more,to find out who that cold-blooded killer really was.
And it made me need to see he got caught in time,to see justice done.
It was also a story that makes me want to find out more about the other sisters…..
Love this cover
This takes romantic suspense to a whole new level.
This is the start to a brand new series and I will be looking forward to reading more.
It has so many twists and turns in here that you will be gripped from start to finish.
I highly recommend this author and her books
Really a good book
What a great read. This was such a emotional rollercoaster read. I loved the storyline, it was fast paced, interesting and made you not want to put it down. It was well written and well thought out. I loved it. I recommend it to all! I received it as a gift and this is my voluntary review.
Great book!! This has everything: mystery, suspense and slow- build to love. I highly recommend this book.
Ten years ago, Sapphire and her sisters were kidnapped and sold to human traffickers. Sapphire is now a cop working on a serial rapist and killer case. The killer leaves the bodies in a dumpster behind a movie theater. Never the same place. When Sapphire and her partner come face to face with the killer, they both get shot. While waiting for her partner to recover, a criminal psychologist is brought in to help. Gideon is the psychologist and he and Sapphire get off on the wrong foot from the beginning. There is just something about him that rubs Sapphire the wrong way. But Gideon will not let anything get in the way of finding the killer. The closer they get to the killer, the closer they get to each other. Will the killer get them before they get him?
First time reading this author and I was surprisingly thrilled at how good this was. The suspense will keep you hooked from page one. Sapphire is independent and prickly while Gideon likes everyone and just wants to help Sapphire. There was one part where Sapphire became a drama queen for no reason ( my opinion ). But she realizes her mistake pretty fast and apologizes.
The first one in this series and it kicks off the series perfectly. Sapphire and her sisters are sold off by her parents. They end up being separated and things happen. Ten years later Sapphire is living her life or at least trying too. She is now a detective with the local police force. She is investigating girls being taken right from their cars. I absolutely loved this storyline. I could not believe who it was that was doing it. It was down right shocking. But that is what Jane does blows you away with who the suspect is in a lot of her storylines. I absolutely loved reading about Sapphire and her story about how she overcomes what happened to her and being able to let someone in again. Her and Gideon’s story was off the charts interesting. I absolutely loved the banter between these two. You can easily see that there is chemistry between these two. but she fights it for all she is worth. Jane wrote another amazing story. I cant wait to read the rest in this series. She started off this series with one amazing book.
Another nail biting read from Jane paving the way for what I’m sure is going to be another thrilling series..
A fantastic edge of your seat read that leaves you guessing at every turn, just when you think your getting a grip on what’s happening your taken in a completely different direction .
A fantastically written book with a gripping storyline and strong characters this definitely has all the promise of a brilliant series .
Cracked Sapphire is my first book by this author, and I already downloaded my second! This book is haunting, mind blowing and I was completely invested. Sapphire and her sisters will be forever changed but I love the hope that seeps from the pages. The storytelling consumed me and I had to know how this was going to play out for Sapphire and Gideon. The title is perfect and can I just say that I will hug my parents even harder next time I see them because I am extremely blessed. This suspense will rock your world and keep you turning the pages because just when you think you figured things out the mystery gets more intense. Hands down one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time.
Tracey, Life Reads With Friends
This book will take you on an experience you won’t forget
You will love this suspense
Every time I open a Jane Blythe book, I do so with high expectations and she did not let me down in her newest release, Cracked Sapphire. The book is filled with triggers that many people will want to avoid, but NOT ME! I want to walk the dark side. I want to be disgusted and outraged…and I am. WOW. Jane can sure deliver the shock factor!
I have more than a full page of notes and I know I can’t share all my thoughts, so what do I do, other than encourage you to walk the dark side with me and find out for yourself.
Amelia…I felt something was coming, but not that. Truly frightening when I believe it can be all too true. Jane Blythe has a wonderful ability to weave ‘it can really happen’ with her fiction.
Jane’s character descriptions make them easy to visualize, bringing them to life…or in some case, death.
Now, let’s talk about the series character’s names. They are all precious gems, like the characters themselves. They have been put through a horrendous experience with human traffickers, but they are determined to have a ‘normal’ life. How they were saved was the first of many book surprises.
“I like you,” he drawled. “I like the strong ones; they always have a better chance of surviving.” What the hell does that mean? I have a feeling a twist is coming.
Sapphire has made it her mission in life to catch as many criminals as possible. She devotes her life to it. The only friends she has is her sisters. She keeps tight control of her emotions, feeling she has to be strong for them. Her life is her sisters, catching the bad guy, and then…death. No marriage. No children. But, that’s okay, until…
She doesn’t always play well with others, and definitely has no respect for shrinks. She sees Dr Gideon Barlow as a necessary evil, when he is assigned to work the serial killer case with her. Dr Barlow does like a challenge and he knows Sapphire will be a big one, considering he is immediately attracted to her.
Jane never ceases to amaze me with the depth of depravity her villains will go to to satisfy their itch. It’s not surprising that this villain is not a people person. The suspense level rises as he slips through their fingers. They had him, but…well, I can’t tell you what happens. And that makes their case even harder to solve, because, now he knows, they are hot on his heels.
I loved watching Sapphire grown and change, quit taking the blame for everything that happens, letting the ‘normal’ be a possibility.
Romantic suspense has a push/pull, give/take wrapped up in miscommunication. But, Jane Blythe has written a unique take on the issue of keeping the suspense alive, the problems coming in an original way. I didn’t find myself saying, “well, I knew that was coming.” She didn’t prolong the agony by creating the romance conflict we are all so familiar with and I LOVE IT! Kudos for handling the romance in such an awesome way!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Cracked Sapphire by Jane Blythe.
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Great read. It kept me guessing until the end. She had a horrible past but she kept going and helps others in times of need. She is strong, selfless, and determined but never lets people in. That’s where Gideon comes in and breaks down her walls. They have great chemistry. Highly recommended.
What an absolutely incredible story!! It was gripping and intense and thrilling. I can hardly wait to see what happens with the rest of this series as this was an amazing start! Kept me hooked and guessing from beginning to end.
This is my first book by this author and it will not be my last. This is written intensely and very gritty with words that will have you feeling the emotionally and humor throughout this book. This is a very dark read that will have you on the edge of your seat read.
I really enjoyed this first installment in the Broken Gems series. Can’t wait to read book 2.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thrilling new series! I read all in one go. Couldn’t stop reading till the very last page. Can’t wait to read book 2.
My favorite book hands down by Jane Blythe!! Sapphire and her sisters have endured atrocious acts that started at the hands of their parents, it will truly break you! I couldn’t have loved Sapphire more, she was ferocious and given what she’s dealt with the fact that she’s still standing says a lot. When Gideon is brought in to help her with a case things don’t go swimmingly lol but I loved getting everyone’s narrative. I can’t wait to get more from this series!!!
I have to say that from the very beginning I was totally invested in this story, I was incensed with what was happening, outraged and my emotions generally on full alert. A sign, to me, of a job well done by an author, to hook a reader in and make them feel this way is incredible.
This story is told in two parts; the first being briefer and about sixteen years old Sapphire Hatcher and her traumatic life-changing experience. The second is ten years later and Sapphire is now a detective and where she is teamed up with a criminal psychiatrist, Dr. Gideon Barlow, whether she likes it or not.
Going from quite a vivacious but stubborn teenager to a highly work dedicated, and still stubborn, policewoman Sapphire changes a lot and I believe it’s entirely understandable. In actual fact, it’s explained well in the story about coping mechanisms various kidnapping victims use to survive.
Gideon is a protective and caring character who I liked from his very first introduction into the story. As we get to know him better the liking only increases. Together with Sapphire, they have a chemistry that’s slow-burning but so worthwhile.
This story is told from multiple points of view but it really works, mainly because it is Sapphire’s point of view that tells the story with the other characters giving added insights. I enjoyed the way the killer isn’t predictable and there are plenty of dips and twists in the plot.
Reviewer: Robyn