My name is Katie Beller, but the world, as of late, knows me as Bailey Swan, the love guru behind my bestselling book.Want the shortened version? Here it is: Love was stupid.A fake. A farceLove was broken. Women everywhere were eating up my advice and fighting back against fake love. My book started a relationship revolution. And I stood by my story. Until I met Charlie Bates.When I throw all my … story.
Until I met Charlie Bates.
When I throw all my own rules and advice out the window after a week-long rendezvous, I start to wonder just how real my words were. Maybe love might be just a little more complicated than I thought.
Maybe I’m the one who’s love broken.
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I consider myself a hip reader so I declare -this story is sooooo Fetch!! a seemingly normal rom-com with a good story line. What makes it different is the rendition. I use the word rendition , because it’s very theatrical in presentation. Full of slapstick comedy and perfect caricatures of the characters.
There’s an author – Bailey swan, aka Katie Beller who hasn’t yet come out of the author closet, so to speak . She attends the first book signing, outing herself, cause apparently the first book she wrote- Love Broken has climbed all charts and made her famous over night.
A story based on the juicy tales she hears moonlighting as a bartender has catapulted her to the Hot Author category. In the signing she meets Charlie Bates(as the motel), whose real name is Chase Green, like the colour . A hot, sexy, oh-so-swoonworthy model and they have wild passionate night(s) . He devours her doubts and pierces her impenetrable armour of rules that she has secured her heart in. Push comes to shove and they fall in love.
The story as I said is pretty ordinary, but JD’s writing is so slick and perfect blend of hearts and laughter, it makes it a fantastic read. I guarantee , it’ll hook you from 1st page to the last.
I note here that it’s art imitating life. We all have heard of so many instances of models behaving badly, models brawling, authors fighting over a model’s attention and the ultimate-> authors hooking up with models. It’s become a pretty common occurrence at every signing. Not that there’s anything wrong with it !! It’s funny how JD gives us newbie authors’ POV on their signing debuts.
When the first reader approached my table, she practically passed out telling me how much she loved my book and asked if she could hug me. I practically passed out because I had no idea how to respond. so it’s not only the readers who are nervous? ….wow !
#TheMoreYouKnow !
The comes the crunch part. The travails of instant fame and social media bane. The line between fame and infamy gets very blurred and when the shoe is on the other foot, it becomes a heavy rock tied around your neck. Very interesting turn JD has cleverly inserted at this point in the story. A simple tagline could probably read like this !
“It’s about a girl who doubts so much in life, she doesn’t know when it’s time to trust. To forgive when forgiving is needed.”
Love is Messy
Love doesn’t come with How-to manual.
Live isn’t identical
Love is actually customised. Created for each person differently.
I loved the story, the clichès, the cheesiness of it at some point, shattering of myths & issues of trust . JD’s writing style makes it a delight to read with perfect blend of passion and angst #HornyTears !!!
FYI- if you’re taking requests, next book make this Hot & Sexy model fall in love with a middle aged, slightly chubby blogger please !!
4.5 Katie the Belcher stars
Oh my…. I freaking LOVED Love Broken! It is another amazing story by JD Hollyfield!
Set in the “indie book world”; Love Broken tells the story of bartender/ newbie author, Katie, and cover model/ hockey player, Chase as they navigate their way through love, broken hearts, and insecurities to try to find their way to trust, happiness and, even, possibly a HEA. This story had me laughing out loud as much as it had my heart hurting and tears in my eyes…such an emotional ride. Add in the sizzling sexy scenes between Katie and Chase and Love Broken became a book that I just couldn’t put down.
JD Hollyfield is one of my all-time fave authors. She is a brilliant storyteller and always leaving her readers wanting more.
By the end of chapter one, I adored the heroine. By the end of chapter two, I was absolutely smitten with the Hero. I. Was. Hooked.
Ms. Hollyfield always gives me what I need in my books – excellent writing, a fun & interesting story, and amazing, easy-to-love characters. Not only did I love the main characters, but the secondary ones as well.
This story is filled with lots of humor that had me laughing out loud. And also with plenty of emotion and heart-warming moments that squeezed my heart. And let’s not forget the scenes that were super hot that made the girly parts tingle.
Katie and Chase were SO good together. Their chemistry was smokin’ hot. The witty banter was highly entertaining and watching their relationship grow was just… *sigh* … sweet and beautiful.
And then, of course, there was also delicious angst – the lies, the omissions, the broken trust. But with the author’s expert storytelling, she ends up making everything all better in the end, leaving me with a big smile on my face and my heart feeling full.
This well-written story has plenty of laughs, perfect amounts of passion and lots of charm. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. LOVED IT!!
As with all the female characters in Jessica’s books, Katie is a member of the hot mess express. She is quirky, funny and her own worst enemy. And what’s not to love about hot hockey playing model Chase. Together they created an hilariously angsty back and forth that I could not put down.
A Top Read of 2018!
Amazing Romantic Comedy with lots of emotion!!!!
When I have a hard time writing a review, that usually means I loved the book, and I’m trying to come up with the right words to adequately express what a wonderful book it is. Hopefully, I can clearly express how very much I loved this book and the characters. So, here goes….
Katie Beller admits she is broken at love, and she readily admits that she might always be this way. She doesn’t understand love at all. However, she is hiding a huge secret. She has written a book on love that is a bestselling book, but under the name of Bailey Swan. She has no desire to share that news with the public. She finally agrees to take part in a book signing where she meets Charlie Bates, one of the cover models in attendance. He will completely turn her world upside down and challenge her own rules of love. He is totally not her type. He’s too perfect. Katie thinks he would never see anything in her because she is average. During that week, he shows her that he is more than just a pretty face, and he makes her feel like she might just be better than average.
After that week, she decides to not follow her own advice and really get to know Charlie who is Charlie Green. Both will see that love is not perfect. They will learn at times, it’s messy and painful, and it can also be a thing of beauty.
“Love isn’t defined by one specific interaction or emotion. There’s no rule book on it. No to-do list to make sure you’re doing it right Don’t bother trying to Google ‘how to make all the right moves while in love.’ That shit doesn’t exist. Nor do the warning signs about how scary it is. How it’s messy, never to the point, and it makes people crazy. But then again, if it doesn’t, then you’re probably not in love.”~Katie
Oh my gosh, Katie is a girl after my own heart! She is different, and I mean this as a compliment in every sense of the word. She is an enigma…with all her newfound fame, she remains humble. She is a tough cookie and has erected strong walls around her heart, yet there is a softness to her. Her heart is fragile. She is brutally honest about others, yet not with herself. For her to be such a success, she never feels like she is good enough. There will be times you will laugh so hard when you hear the things that come out of her mouth!
Charlie is the whole package…sexy, witty, and has a great sense of humor which makes his banter with Katie hilarious. Yet, with all those characteristics, he is flawed, and that made me love him more. He adores Katie, and not a moment passes that he doesn’t make sure that she knows that she is anything but average!
I have read titles by J.D. Hollyfield before, and I loved them. Yet, this one is by far my favorite. The way she wrote this book was truly magnificent, from the characters to the tone in which she wrote it. This wasn’t just about a couple falling in love but a book about love itself. Love is different for all of us. There are all types of love, but all of them “lead to a love that’s beautiful, passionate, and worthwhile.” What a wonderful concept!
My Rating:
3.5
Favorite Quotes:
I don’t have a great literary background story for you on how my book hit the big time, or any “awe” love story that pushed me to write it. To be honest, I’m a bartender at a local hole in the wall in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and I just get to hear and see a lot of shit.
What I didn’t expect was a cult-like following of women to read my book of words and start a hateration on dead-beat men.
I don’t dance. Mainly because I don’t know how to, so this game of who can make who jealous more, quickly starts blowing up in my face, since I look like I’m having a seizure over trying to get hot and heavy on the dance floor.
My love got so messy, it should have come with a cleaning kit. To say it was a bit turbulent at times was an understatement.
My Review:
No matter how carefully I shop, I often come home with a new carton of eggs only to later notice an obvious fissure in one of them. Love Broken was my twelfth J.D. Hollyfield read, and my least favorite of the otherwise crack-free dozen. I started off with a smirk and high expectations, anticipating writing up another 5-Star review for the crafty author I had previously experienced to be cleverly amusing, but my smile and projected rating started to slip, bounced a bit, then plummeted with a grimace for an uncomfortably long stretch while I actively sighed, before finally resuming to a habitable level again shortly before I ran out of pages and optimism.
My chief source of consternation was my lack of appreciation for the irritable main character of Katie, and all the brooding, conflict, and angst she mired herself with. I had adored previous readings of Ms. Hollyfield’s amusing work and had aspirations of liking this one as well, so I expended a considerable amount of energy while endeavoring to find some admirable traits in the cowardly Katie. However, other than her witty snark and euphoric sexual chemistry with the cut, buff, and swoon-worthy character of Charlie/Chase, I found Katie rather tedious and exasperating; the annoyingly cranky and immature type of personality I actively avoid in real life. Katie was bitterly insecure, bitingly bitchy, irresponsible, and tiresomely stubborn. I couldn’t fathom why the besotted Charlie/Chase would bother with her, other than the explosive sensual gymnastics they performed. Sizzle and snap! They scorched the sheets!
Don’t get me wrong. Love Broken was not a bad book, just not as balanced or engagingly entertaining as I have come to expect from the talented wordsmith. Despite the periodic sparkles of clever humor, I read with a darkening sense of personal disappointment that blossomed into dire discontent, which then morphed into disenchantment and near despair, but I ended on a higher note of relief with the desirable destination of a satisfying HEA conclusion. Could I have possibly added more d-words to that sentence?
4.5 Stars
While I have read other books co-written by this author, this is my first book to read written all by J.D. Hollyfield. What a good story this one was!
Bailey Swan is a best seller author who has agreed to go on her first tour with book signing. Although a bartender by day, she has remained anonymous by writing under this pen name. Nervous as all get out, she heads out for her first signing.
Charlie Bates is a NHL athlete who also is a cover model traveling to book signings on off season from hitting the puck around the ice. Women flock to him at signings, offering up their bodies, smothering him with unwanted touches, anything to get recognized by this hunk of a man.
When he makes a mad dash to his hotel room to avoid the gang of groupies chasing him through the hotel, he lands at the wrong door. Begging and pleading for the person who answered to let him in to escape.
Bailey wrote the book that has changed so many women’s take on what Love is, what their relationship is all about. She has a back bone stronger than anyone and is not letting this hunk of a model sway her from believing that there is only ‘fake love’.
When these two broken souls meet, the sizzling that goes on, is hotter than bacon frying on a griddle!
But can the lies and the words spoken ever be forgotten? Or will these two be destined to be single forever?
#BookBistroBlogApproved
Can we stop for a moment. A romance author hooking up with a hockey player/ cover model… Golden Ticket Idea!! Holy Moley!! This is only the second by this author and I don’t know why I haven’t read more. I lived for this story, fell inlove after the second chapter. There is so much genuine humor that had me laughing out loud because of some of the stuff that Katie says and Chase does. But there is also a profound amount of realism. Katie’s self doubts and personal worries are relatable to any woman, deep down we all worry about the same problems she does and i lives reading it through her eyes. There was so much angst I was left breathless, like my heart was being squeezed and the chemistry between them blew me away. I am in-love complete and totally!
-Mackenzie
4.5 stars
Love Broken is the ideal “insecurities rule my thoughts” romance. Justifications, judgements, and stereotypes rule the thought process of this heroine. In short she is just as flawed as you and me!
***(Pardon this tangent, I swear there’s a point.) I once heard on the radio that a popular pop star divorced his wife once he saw The Notebook. His excuse was that they did not and would never have that kind of love. As a romance enthusiast, we can get pulled into the hype too. You may not openly compare your spouse or significant other to the Heroes but it happens. So when Katie/Bailey compares the stereotypes to the hunk of a cover model, I’m sure a few people will nod. When she puts herself in that plain Jane role, even more will nod. When she compares her life to those around her, there won’t be a single reader that isn’t doing the same to some extent. So again, that popular musician divorced his wife because of a love story that was epic and in his eyes he couldn’t live up to it.
What I love about this book, Love Broken is the entirety of the last chapter acts as a reset button for all those falling into that trap. It’s a wake up call. It’s a reminder. It’s a beautiful expression of the magic of love.
It’s also the best conclusion we readers can hope to get…everyone dies. Just kidding, I had to see if my hopeless romantic rant scared you off.
Love Broken is realistic and true. It’s flawed and it’s funny. It’s “perfect.” And you will get swept up in the romance of it all!
reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
Everyone knows Katie as Bailey Swan who writes romance novels. While at a conference and freaking out she meets a male model who goes by the name Charlie Bates. Katie isn’t one to believe in love at first sight because of issues from her past but everywhere turns Charlie (Chase) is right there. Chase wants Katie but she can’t see how someone like him would be interested in her. Katie has to let down her guard but there are a lot of obstacles they will have to overcome.
What can I say about this book. I totally loved this book from the very beginning. Katie and Chase’s chemistry was undeniable from the very beginning even though Katie didn’t want to admit to it. There definitely a lot of laugh out loud moments in this book which made me love this book even more. I can’t wait to read more from this author!!!
Love Broken was a crazy emotional sexy ride. I enjoyed reading this story and meeting these characters. The reading of this story in first person point of view was entertaining. My favorite character was of course Katie and Chase but of course I loved Dex and Kristen, and just to throw it in there Katie’s assistant Amy is pretty cool too. 😉
I enjoyed the Love descriptions throughout this book, because in the end Love is a crazy ugly beautiful messy sort of thing, and we all deserve to know it in some way.
I am trying to find the accurate words to write this review, but I am a little stumped on what those words should be, so just bare with me. This is a different kind of romance book. I honestly don’t think I have read one quite like it, if I am being honest. This book isn’t all sunshine and roses, it’s more of, the best way I can put it is, the other side of love. It’s the words of a broken love. This story to me was a bit of a slow burn, ya you had the attraction as soon as the eyes meet, but both hero and heroine did some soul searching, which took time. But as the saying goes, ” Slow and steady wins the race. ” It was well developed, and was a definite page turner.
Love Broken is a story of a girl, who gives up on love, because she believes most love is fake love, in better terms, it’s not what it should be. To Katie, true love is all consuming, gut wrenching, can’t live with you kinda love. And she is clapping back at fake love, by giving advice to women like her. As a bar tender at a hole in the wall, she takes time off to go on a book tour, even though it’s not really her thing.
Charlie Baits is the hot cover model for a lot of romance books. He is the guy that most women swoon and drool over. He also enjoys and loves hockey. If he had to choose between hockey and being a book cover model, hockey would win every single time. With that being said he will do what he has to, to make his dreams come true.
On her first book tour Katie “Bailey” has a little too much to drink and heads up to her room. Hungry as a bear, she orders pizza. After hearing a noise at her door, she opens her door to a dang fine male specimen pushing his way into her room. And that fine specimen of a man is not carrying a pizza. After being chased by a bunch of women, Chase thinks he is at his room when he pushes through the door, only to come face to face with a woman he has never meet. Wanting to wait it out until the group of women leave, Chase and Katie quickly learn a lot about one another. And Chase specifically likes what he sees. His persistent pursuit of her, has her questioning her own beliefs, questioning herself.
I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend this book to someone who is on a journey of learning who they are, To people who believe in finding there true soul mate.