3.5 stars out of 5.

Today I’m bringing you a review of “Broken Angel” by Kristy Gibs. For the most part, I enjoyed this book and I will read the second book in the series. However there were also some issues, which is why I only gave it 3.5 stars.

Purchase Link: Amazon

Synopsis

Is there ever a way to move forward when you feel like you have nothing to go to? How do you move on when the one person that meant everything to you and your entire existence is gone forever?

Angelina Owens was on top of the world, at 23 she was finishing up her master’s degree, her fiancé was weeks away from being out of the marines for good and in a few short months she was going to marry her high school sweetheart Matthew. Everything in her life was straight out of a fairy tale, until that tragic day that turned her world upside down.

Although a promise made to her late fiancé that no matter what happened she would move on, it was easier said than done. It took months before she found the strength to piece back her life. An unexpected man she met at a benefit for the fallen heroes gave her the spark she needed to get her life back on track.

Review

There are a lot of good things about this book that made me enjoy it and there are unfortunately, a few bad things that just really brought it down.

The Pros

• I thought the way the author tackled the hard issues of grief and depression were realistic and well done. The topics were sufficiently touched on without being dwelt on so thoroughly that it bogs the story down.
• I really enjoyed the two main characters. I love Angelina. Being someone who has dealt with crippling depression, I connected with her almost immediately. I have not suffered the devastating loss that she did, but I still connected with her. She’s pretty well-rounded, complex, and it was a pleasure to see her grow throughout the story. Wes is also pretty awesome. I enjoyed watching him and Angelina dance around each other, attempting to be friends when it was obvious to us, the readers, that there was more there.
• The supporting characters were great. Obviously, as supporting characters, we’re not seeing them as complexly as we see the main characters, but I felt they were significantly fleshed out and not flat.
• The plot line moved along steadily. It was easy to follow, it didn’t drag, and it was interesting.

Now, for the less pleasant cons…

Cons

• I was extremely disappointed with the intimate scene. Up until that point, there hadn’t been a whole lot of coarse language in the book, but they made up for it in the few pages of the intimate scene. I also felt like it was rushed and full of clichés. I don’t mind intimate scenes in romances. Hell, I read super steamy/erotica from time to time, but this one just totally turned me off and that really disappointed me.
• I felt like the ending was also a bit clichéd and seemed a little forced. I knew there was going to be some kind of conflict with the old girlfriend, but when I read it, I just felt like it was the same plot twist that almost every military romance novel has. I don’t want to give any spoilers away so I won’t say more but it was disappointing.
• Finally, I’m really hoping that the copy I was reading was an advanced reader’s copy, because some of the editing was just very poorly done, leaving an unprofessional look and feel to the book. If it’s an advanced reader’s copy, great. I hope all the spelling, punctuation, grammar, choice of word errors get cleaned up. If it was a finished copy, it really needs some professional editing help.

While this book definitely had some serious cons to it, I do like the characters and I did enjoy the book up until a certain point, so I will be reading the 2nd book in the series, “Broken Angel: Wes”. I do feel that it’s worth reading. Maybe the editing, the clichés, and the intimate scene won’t bother you like they did me. It’s a good book and a good story. It just falls a tad short of great. Check it out for yourself and see what you think!

** I received a free ARC of this title from the author. I was not compensated for my review. All opinions and conclusions are my own. **