Without order, without the rules, she’ll go mad. Amy has issues, but she’s organized her life in such a way that the Noise will never reach her again. No one understands it, understands her, except for the one who writes her messages with perfectly counted words. Equilibre, whose name is French for balance, made up of nine letters. Three times three. And he wants her. Forever. Note: This book … times three.
And he wants her.
Forever.
Note: This book discusses OCD and may trigger some readers. Please read with self-care in mind.
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Even more amazing than the original
The core of this story was originally released as Cocoon, in the Just Breathe anthology. It has been reworked, tidied up and given an extended epilogue to boot. I LOVED this story in it’s original format and this version is even better.
Deep, profound, thought provoking, intense and empowering, this is a book that doesn’t leave you when you’ve finished reading it. You think about it a little bit, and then some more, and then a LOT more after that. After contemplating and pondering on this WONDERFUL, FANTASTIC AND AMAZING story, it struck me just how unwittingly judgemental and bigoted we can be.
The heroine suffers from an OCD disorder that, at times, leaves her teetering on the edge of sanity. I found myself waiting for a white knight to rescue her from this and ‘cure’ her. Yep I judged her as needing to be changed in some way and my word has it made me hang my head in shame. Because what Amy needs, what all people in this situation need, is to be accepted for who they are and understood.
Amy doesn’t need ‘fixing’. Just because she doesn’t fit our societal preconceived notions of ‘normal’ does not mean that she isn’t perfect just exactly how she is. Thankfully she did find a knight in shining armour to save her, he saved her from the judgement and narrow-mindedness that stops us accepting others just as they are. Colton saw how imperfectly perfect Amy was, and matched it with his own wonderful imperfections.
This is a Jennifer Bene book, so of course there is a touch of darkness to be had. There is a frisson of fear and threat to be powered through, bad (misguided?) actions that are done with the best of intentions. Contained within the pages is a truly fantastic love story that touched both my heart and my mind, that spoke to me in a way few romance stories do. That left it’s gentle touch on my heart and soul. Bravo Ms Bene.
Wow! How can this be at the same time dark and the next moment sweet and heartbreaking as well. Love that even with all that need to be perfect and to have order in your life you still find your perfect other half, your soulmate. That gets you that understands you. Crazy Broken Love was/is the most perfect dark, sweet, heartbreaking read I have the privilege of reading. Amy and Equilibre are just the perfect broken couple. I love and enjoy reading their story. And if you had the chance on reading Just Breathe anthology when it was available I hope you enjoy the epilogue that was added to Crazy Broken Love. I sure did!
Crazy Broken Love is an apt title for this story, because in many respects the main theme of this book—finding love while dealing with a condition—is something intimately connected with those words, for good or ill. It is a truism in our world that a large part of society believes if you suffer from and illness or mental condition that you should be excluded from certain things that are a given for a ‘normal’ person. That to be allowed to engage in certain things will put the people involved, or others around them, at risk. And while there are cases where that is true, too often the decisions about what ‘broken’ people should be allowed to do are made by people who have no real grasp of what the illness / condition involves, and can be colored by bias’s that make the decision process completely unfair. That is certainly the case with Amy and Colton, and it is what makes this book so incredibly beautiful. It rips away one shroud to reveal another beneath it, and then it uncloaks that final layer with such tenderness and beauty that in the end you cannot help but be swept up in their love story.
There are so many themes in this book that touch me personally (I suffer from OCD), and so I have an inherent bias in how this story affected me, so forewarning given. Amy and Colton—our two main protagonists in this story—like many other people who suffer from some form of mental illness, are characterized as “broken.” But they are not. They are simply trying to cope and build their own lives while dealing with their conditions. They meet, they come together (yes, though the method may be somewhat unusual, in the context of the story it is so beautifully handled and makes sense given the conditions and situation), and they build a life together. It is an incredibly simple premise, but given how many ‘normal’ people would (will) find the process, manner, and ultimately the entire idea of their love to be “crazy” and/or unhealthy, the way in which the author builds the story to show how beautiful and empowering it can be is amazing.
This story won’t be for everyone. Some people are bound to find the premise implausible, the manner in which it takes place to be disturbing, and some will think it too farfetched to be realistic. All to be expected. Because that’s the way society thinks of people who manifest, suffer, and try to cope. That they should be denied by dint of their conditions some basic rights that normal people take for granted. Crazy Broken Love breaks through that wall. It rips open the fabric of those stigmata’s and shows us that love is possible between broken people, and that maybe, just maybe, they aren’t as broken as they may seem to outsiders.
Read this. Think on it.
Love it.
Because it is a perfect gem of a love story.
I absolutely loved this story from Jennifer.
Amy who’s had a illness that she’s struggled with pretty much her whole life. Always counting, thing’s have to be in order and sterilized if not then there’s chaos.
Equilbre (French) has a illness that thing’s have to be in three’s always counting in three’s. He wants to help Amy overcome her illness, so he does something that may help or set her back.
This book is about mental illness and about 2 people who struggle with it everyday there may be triggers, so be careful. I definitely would recommend reading it.
This book was different. The beginning (basically chapter 1) was hard to read for me, not because it was a trigger but because Amy’s OCD was meticulously described. Had me counting sentences as Amy only talked in sentences that divided by three. It gets dark and a bit more crazy when Colton is introduced into the story. Very well written as usual by this author. It took a lot of talent to be able to write the way Amy and Colton communicated. I received an ARC and voluntarily left an honest review.
I read this under the title “Cocoon” in the Just Breathe Anthology. It has been fleshed out (no pun intended) and it was definitely worth reading again. Here are my initial thoughts-There are a lot of cases when OCD can make people smile or laugh (I am thinking of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory knocking on doors). However, that is not the case in this story. Amy suffers from severe OCD and it is most definitely not funny. Jennifer Bene gives a very thought provoking look at the disorder and adds her drop (or three, or seven) of darkness into the story. Just when I think her writing can’t get any better, she surprises me with something like this.
This was a cute messed up story, but I expected nothing less from this Author. I was frustrated for Amy and annoyed by her doctor. Colton crossed so many lines and truly thought it was in Amy’s best interest. I couldn’t wait to see how their stories ended.
LOVED this book. What a great look inside the world of OCD. Both characters are believable and engaging and the story is riveting. The romance is epic and perfectly adapted to the characters.
This is a story about OCD. It really left an impression on me and it was hard to read at times. I never really realised how extreme it can be and how much it influences and actually takes over somebody life. There are being lived by their condition.
And I can’t tell how in aw I am with Jennifer writing in this story. Her counting was spot on. Yes, I counted.
But this book is in heart about being happy with who you are, no matter what other people think. You are perfect just the way you are.
I liked the intensity of this story with a young woman who suffers from OCD. The author wrote an interesting and compelling short story that literally puts you in her shoes trying to navigate her life with this disorder. The intensity increases as actions are taken which subject her to an even more terrifying situation. The idea of the varying faces of OCD is put to a test through the author’s words as the story plays out. This book puts the face of OCD on everyone’s mind and makes it human. The understanding she is given even as her life changes made this book emotional for me. Did I like what steps were taken to help her? Not totally because I thought it was pretty intense given she is already under so much stress. Did I expect anything less from this author? No. Because the author’s ability to see inside someone’s mind and make you feel for the character is what makes her writing so compelling. Great story.
This is a chilling glimpse of how OCD can be debilitating, with a fascinating insight on how the mind works. The story will lull the reader into a difficult story, before the twist that Jennifer Bene is so well known for comes into play. A beautifully written story that brings the highest of highs and lowest of lows, as Colton works to make a perfect life for Amy. 5 huge stars!
DENISE’S DREAMY REVIEW
Crazy Broken Love was something I truly wasn’t expecting. It’s a story more than just about love. It’s about finding that balance between knowing we’re okay and accepting how things are.
It’s intense, it’s deep, and it will touch you in a way that you don’t expect. It’s one of those stories where you think you know what’s going no, but then you don’t have everything in full color.
Our heroine, Amy, suffers from an OCD disorder, we learn that she’s always on edge and that small things can push her past her limit of insanity. But she’s learned how to cope with these things and when someone she “meets” gets her in a way not many people have. She doesn’t need fixing, but someone who understands her world and to be part of it, and Colton did.
Jennifer Bene never ever disappoints and I’m used to reading everything dark and twisted by her, but this book just show how talented she is as a writer. Of course, there is a tiny touch of darkness, but overall, it’s moreso about knowing you’re not perfect, accepting it, and finding someone who loves and accepts you for exactly who YOU are.
Amazing job, Bene! I cannot wait to see what she has in store next!
Five dreamy stars:
This story was originally released last year in the Just Breathe Antholgy. I had a chance to read it then, and was beyond moved by the story. It has continued to hold a place in my heart since then, and when Jennifer Bene decided to re-release it with some added material and an epilogue I knew I had to read it. The added content and the epilogue was everything I could have wanted it to be!
OCD – just three little letters. The same number as in the word Amy. The same number that Amy’s OCD is stuck on. Everything she does, everything she says, her whole world is stuck on that number. It has taken everything from her-or so she thinks. Enter Equilibre, or Colton, as he introduces himself to Amy. His number is seven. The number of letters in his name. The number his OCD is stuck on. Can these two broken people find peace together? Find out in this fantastic, emotion-inducing short story by Jennifer Bene. It is dark in a way that is, once again, different from anything I’ve read by her. I was held captive by the story, by the numbers, and by the perfection that make up these two broken people. The beauty of it all will stay with me for a very long time.
This book and its amazing characters will definitely stay with me for a long time.
The story is both raw, dark and intense while also being sweet and heartbreaking at the same time. Ms. Bene did an outstanding job with writing and describing how someone with severe OCD acts and lives. After so many heart wrenching struggles Amy and Colton had to deal with, the ending was absolutely perfect. It left a big smile on my face and made me really proud of Amy and Colton.
I received a copy of this book from the author and I’m voluntarily leaving my honest review.
This was a beautiful story about two damaged souls. Due to their problems they just have each other to understand each other. The author does a great job at describing not only their troubles but also their relationship and on how to ovecome it. Such a great love story, I can highly recommend it!
I found this to be an incredible read for which I feel the author took appropriately delicate care of a mental issue that affects so many. Colton and Amy are two broken characters suffering through their issues and trying their best to come out on the other side together. The story itself had a great pace to the read that kept me engaged the entire time I was reading it and pulled on my emotions like no other.
A great story that showcases Amy’s struggle with OCD.
Everything must be clean, counted, and in the perfect place or there is too much noise.
Is there anything else that can calm or worry the noise, or will she be alone and by herself forever.
Maybe Equilibre can help, but sometimes you think you are doing the best thing, and it ends up still being wrong.
Can they overcome everything and find peace together, or will OCD continue to rule their lives?
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a better understanding of what it’s like to live with OCD.
This is a fabulous story, that will take you through the struggles and trial of somebody suffering from OCD. I don’t want to give this story away. Amy never goes out of her house and only have friends online like Equilibre(Colton).
One day things change and she meets him and he seem to be able to help her and calm her. This story is quite intriguing and unique. I honestly reviewed an arc copy.
I received a copy of this book from the publsiher/author to reivew.
Without order, without the rules she’ll got mad. Amy has issues, bue she’s organized her life in such a way that the Noise will never reach her again. No on understands it, understands her, except for the one who writes her messages with perfectly counted words. Equilibre, whose name is French for blance, mad up of nine letters. Three times three. And he wants her. Forever.
Crazy Broken Love is amazing. You will devour this book. It deals with the main OCD and may hold some triggers for some readers so be sure to heed the warning. This is one of those books that are hard to review and not give away something. I love how Jennifer Bene is not afraid to tackle any subject and while I have not personally dealt with OCD I feel like she has done an amazing job with the characters dealing with her OCD and I thought it was beautifully written. This book is not super long and you will devour it in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down and I have to say that I absolutely loved the ending to this book. Go get it and enjoy. I know that I sure did.
Their reality
OCD stripped down and presented in all it’s controlling intricacies. Though there might be beauty in order the price you pay in other areas might be great. Amy finds a soulmate in Colton who is also ruled by the same compulsions. Thru a betrayal, thru different variations of thier OCD they find a common ground, trust, love and a way to live with each other and their habits. This story will pull you in, twist your heart and open your eyes.