Release Day Launch, Reviews, and Giveaway: Unbreak My Heart: Lauren Blakely
Lauren Blakely
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Release Date August 13, 2018
Experience all the feels in this unforgettable, second chance, standalone romance from #1 New York Times bestseller Lauren Blakely!
I didn't break her heart, and she didn't break mine -- we broke each other's.
I never stopped loving her, but time and distance played its cruel role in ripping us apart three years ago when she moved halfway around the world. Now after all those endless miles away, she's returned . . . but I'm not the guy I was before.
Beautiful, kind, and loving, she's the same -- my hope. The only one who can make a day better, who can make me feel again with one kiss, one touch, one night.
There's so much I have to put back in place now that I’m alone and on my own. Things I never wanted at the age of twenty-five. When I receive an unexpected letter that might hold the clues to everything I desperately need to understand about my family, I'm sure I have to follow it. But that means leaving her once more.
She says she'll come with me, and having her by my side will unbreak my heart . . . or destroy it.
That's the chance I have to take.
I didn't break her heart, and she didn't break mine -- we broke each other's.
I never stopped loving her, but time and distance played its cruel role in ripping us apart three years ago when she moved halfway around the world. Now after all those endless miles away, she's returned . . . but I'm not the guy I was before.
Beautiful, kind, and loving, she's the same -- my hope. The only one who can make a day better, who can make me feel again with one kiss, one touch, one night.
There's so much I have to put back in place now that I’m alone and on my own. Things I never wanted at the age of twenty-five. When I receive an unexpected letter that might hold the clues to everything I desperately need to understand about my family, I'm sure I have to follow it. But that means leaving her once more.
She says she'll come with me, and having her by my side will unbreak my heart . . . or destroy it.
That's the chance I have to take.
This is not a typical sexy, rom com from Lauren Blakely. Don’t get me wrong, it does have some flirty banter and fun. It’s also got some sweetness and swoon. But this one also has more heartbreak and emotional turmoil. It starts out in a pretty dark place for the hero who is stuck in a state of grief, loss, and numbness. Andrew is lost, struggling, and grasping for something to give him purpose. He feels alone, and now finds himself reaching towards the girl that got away. He and Holland were separated by circumstances years ago, but now she’s back in his life...at least temporarily. She is the one spot of light in his darkness. She is a nurse and thrives on fixing situations and saving people. She is sweet, funny, and caring, but smart enough to know it would be easy to lose herself in him again and understand that he is in a vulnerable state. Despite their unresolved feelings, they both are scared to love and lose again. They find themselves in a place "in between"-- between friends and lovers, past and present (and possible future), and pain and happiness.
This story centers around Andrew‘s journey to find answers, hope, and his own healing. It’s a process. It’s not easy and there is no clear-cut path. He struggles and questions. But every step he takes gets a little lighter as he begins to find what he was looking for and work towards figuring out what he wants, what he needs, and finding hope. And he has choices to make and his own issues to address before they could take steps towards moving on together.
This is a raw, painful, and emotional, but also a sweet, hopeful, and inspiring second-chance love story. I really felt for these characters, especially Andrew. He was a tortured hero just trying to acclimate to his new reality and find purpose. I enjoyed both the emotional undertones of the story and the more fun, flirty, and adventurous aspects too. Andrew had plenty of opportunities for growth and healing. And Holland was strong in her convictions not to be a crutch or substitute. I liked that it was not full of unnecessary relationship angst and drama, and dealt more with other issues. The bonds of the characters were well developed. Their interactions felt real and dynamic and they were not perfect. And the scenery in Tokyo added another dimension.
The story had some really good messages about paying it forward and living life to the fullest. I did enjoy the central love story, but it’s really more than ONE love story. And it’s not just about romantic love, but it’s also about self-love and family love. It took me through the full gamut of emotions. My heart hurt and my eyes got a bit misty at times. But I also smiled, and laughed, and connected, and felt hopeful. It truly seemed like I was sharing this journey of discovery with Andrew and Holland. And the entire experience and healing and progression of the characters was touching and beautiful.
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This was quite different than the fun, sexy rom-coms I’ve come to expect from Lauren Blakely. Unbreak My Heart has all the heart I expect, but went deeper and left me pondering purpose and happiness.
Andrew isn’t dealing with a major change in his life. He is lost and alone, going through the motions without purpose rather than facing his new reality. I was caught up immediately in his pain and grief. His plans no longer seem important and his loneliness is broken only by brief interactions with his distant sister and the woman who got away.
Andrew and Holland didn’t mean to break each other’s hearts, but that’s exactly what happened. Andrew has never really moved on and his most recent loss has him reconsidering what he wants. But though she is the same bright light he fell in love with without trying, he has changed. Though he wants to keep her near because she makes him feel better, he knows that keeping her close will either continue to help him, or break him completely.
As Andrew journeys to find answers and closure, I love the lessons he learns and his path through his grief. I read this shortly after my own family suffered a similar loss, which made his grief even more raw and real to me. I ha to read this slowly, as Andrew’s emotional state leapt off the pages and echoed the real life emotions around me.
This was a real, raw journey to find answers to some pretty big “why” questions. The side characters Andrew and Holland met added so much to the story. Kana’s addition particularly had me feeling hope long before Andrew saw it himself. This story was so much more than a romance: it is a story of healing, hoping, and finding purpose beyond yourself.
Andrew isn’t dealing with a major change in his life. He is lost and alone, going through the motions without purpose rather than facing his new reality. I was caught up immediately in his pain and grief. His plans no longer seem important and his loneliness is broken only by brief interactions with his distant sister and the woman who got away.
Andrew and Holland didn’t mean to break each other’s hearts, but that’s exactly what happened. Andrew has never really moved on and his most recent loss has him reconsidering what he wants. But though she is the same bright light he fell in love with without trying, he has changed. Though he wants to keep her near because she makes him feel better, he knows that keeping her close will either continue to help him, or break him completely.
As Andrew journeys to find answers and closure, I love the lessons he learns and his path through his grief. I read this shortly after my own family suffered a similar loss, which made his grief even more raw and real to me. I ha to read this slowly, as Andrew’s emotional state leapt off the pages and echoed the real life emotions around me.
This was a real, raw journey to find answers to some pretty big “why” questions. The side characters Andrew and Holland met added so much to the story. Kana’s addition particularly had me feeling hope long before Andrew saw it himself. This story was so much more than a romance: it is a story of healing, hoping, and finding purpose beyond yourself.
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
~Andrew~
“What else did you do while you were here?”
“You want me to fill in the last three years?” she asks, with a laugh.
“Kind of.”
“Besides missing you?”
I scoff. “You didn’t miss me that much.”
She stares sharply at me. “Did you miss me?”
“You know I did.”
“And I missed you. I thought about you a lot,” she says, her words soft and tender, thawing a cold piece of me.
“So we were sad sacks, missing each other,” I tease.
“Maybe we were. I mean, look. It was hard, but I had to focus on school and so did you. We agreed to that, and I think we both did that. But I also didn’t ever stop thinking about you.”
Her admission kick-starts another part of my engine. I reach for a strand of her hair because it’s almost impossible to not touch her at a time like this.
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A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 95 times, and she's sold more than 2.5 million books. In August she'll release UNBREAK MY HEART, an emotional new standalone romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter!laurenblakely.com/
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