Broken by Evelyn Sola is live!
He swept into my life, like an unexpected storm. One minute I’m planning forever and the next, I’m left picking up the pieces. Three years have passed and now he’s back wanting to reclaim what once was. Can lightning strike twice or will they be left broken?
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Blurb
JULIA
I never saw Noah Weston coming. He swept into my life like an unexpected storm, but soon, he was everything to me.
Until tragedy struck.
One day I was planning the rest of my life with my soulmate, and the next I was picking up the pieces of a love so strong, it broke me apart.
It took three years to put myself back together.
Three years until I was ready to move on.
I’ll never forget it. The day he came back.
Can lightning strike twice? Maybe, but when I look into his eyes, all I remember are the last words he ever spoke to me.
The words that left me broken.
NOAH
I loved her before I knew her name. She was more than just my heartbeat. Julia Blake was a dream too good to be true.
When real life invaded the bubble we had created, I was left a broken man.
I survived, but I was dead inside. Half the man I used to be.
The half I needed had a new life without me.
Three years later, I’m back to reclaim what I’ve lost.
I’m back for her, only she wants nothing to do with me.
Review
“I’m broken, but I’m yours.”
3.5 stars
A heartwrenching second-chance-romance that is chock-full of feels.
Julia and Noah were college sweethearts who fell in mad, all-consuming love. They had a blissful year together where they barely left each other’s sides, dreaming of their future, before it all fell apart, leaving them both devastated.
Three years later, and Noah is back, and he’s inserting himself in Julia’s life in all the ways – he gets a job teaching at the same school as she does, and he even buys the house across the road. He is back, he is apologetic and he is full of endlessly swoony declarations, determined to win back his girl.
“I love you, Li. I’m going to tell you every day until you believe me. And when you do, I’m going to take away all the pain I caused you. All you have to do is give me one chance to make things right.”
We are thrown right into the drama with this one. The story is told entirely in the present, with glimpses back to moments of their initial romance, and we very quickly see that they are both still completely shattered by their break up. Noah is a desperate man who makes it clear he’s willing to do anything to get Julia back, but she was left utterly destroyed when they separated, and Noah certainly has a lot to make up for. She doesn’t make it easy on him, and so we get this intense, dramatic and emotional back-and forth where she fights to protect herself, and Noah unleashes near-constant heartfelt pleas for forgiveness.
“I love you, Li.” She stops midstep. She doesn’t turn around, but she stops walking. I take that as a victory and continue. “I never stopped. I made the biggest mistake of my life that day … I’m so sorry. Let me explain, please.”
Their breakup was pretty brutal, and so is the emotional turmoil as they figure it all out. It’s angsty and intense, but then, abruptly, the reconnection comes, and from that moment on it’s all blissful love, passionate sex and even more swoony declarations.
“We’re right here. The woman I fell in love with is still here, and so is the man you love … What we have is ours. Your heart, your body, your love. Those things belong to me, Li. You’ve always been mine and time apart won’t change that.”
It’s super emotional, and they still have a lot of issues to overcome from rebuilding the trust between them to their families and friends accepting their relationship, but Noah is one very determined man, and now that he’s got his girl back, he’s not prepared to let anything get in the way of that.
“I’m here, baby, and we love each other. That’s worth fighting for. I’ll never let you go again.”
It’s a dramatic ride from start to finish, and though the book is full of emotion, I didn’t feel this one as much as I was expecting, and I’m not sure why. I did find the story a bit repetitive – the first half of the book we see Noah fighting to win Julia back and they both say the same things over and over, and we see every little detail of it. The BOOM, they’re back together, and are declaring love, forever, and moving on from the past over and over, they have sex over and over, and again we see every little detail. I usually love seeing those little moments, but in this case it didn’t really progress the story and made it drag a bit for me because there was just so much of it – all very much the same.
I did enjoy seeing them come together and find their way forward, I just think it didn’t need to be as long as it was.
An unexpected highlight for me was getting to know Noah and Julia’s families. They are a big part of the story – both in the past and in the present – they bring some sweet and funny moments that were really appreciated in the middle of all of the heavy.
“I made an ass of myself … I heard from someone else that Li’s got a coffee date with some asshole tomorrow, and I confronted her about it. Told her that her body was mine.”
“Dude,” Greg says. “What the hell is wrong with you? You never say some shit like that to a woman. Even if you believe that, keep that shit to yourself.”
I really enjoyed this book. I was invested in Julia and Noah as a couple, and I’m a sucker for a second-chance-romance, so I was happy to see two people who have so much love for each other find their HEA. And bonus – there’s an epilogue which gives us a glimpse into the future, and provides great closure.
3.5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Excerpt
Copyright 2021 @Evelyn Sola
“Oh, really?” I take one shoe off and throw it at him as hard as possible. He manages to move before it makes contact. He’s not so lucky with the second shoe, and it hits him right on the shoulder. “Here! Take them! And for the last time, this is not our anniversary! You broke up with me, remember? This is a Friday night, and I planned on going out with a man I’m interested in getting to know and possibly fuck. Do you know why? Because I’m single!”
“Girl, watch your mouth. Don’t make me call your momma,” Mr. Hampton yells.
All the neighbors stare, waiting to see what we do next. Anger fuels my next steps as I stomp my way back to my house, but Noah and Greg are right behind me. A few of the neighbors have now stepped off their porch to stand on the sidewalk.
“You guys want a show?” I shout.
“Bring it, girl,” someone answers back.
“This is what I’m going to do with your anniversary flowers, you lying, selfish jerk.” I open the door and grab the arrangement. I walk to the middle of the street,
lift it above my head, and slam it to the ground with all the strength I can muster. The vase shatters in the middle of the street, the two dozen roses bounce on the pavement, and the water from the vase rolls down the concrete. “Happy fucking anniversary, you liar! Go to hell or go back to your racist parents. I don’t care which, just stay the fuck away from me, or I swear to God, that limp will be the least of your problems!”
“Leave my parents out of this! This is between us, and for the record, I haven’t talked to them in months.”
“Sure. You managed to buy a house on your teacher’s salary, right? That’s realistic considering you’ve had the job for two months. Maybe you used your nonexistent teaching bonus as a down payment? God, you’re a liar, and I hate myself for never seeing you for the dishonest person that you are!”
“Why do you keep calling me a liar? What the fuck do you think I lied about?” he yells.
“You lied about everything!” I scream so loud I can feel the vein in my neck pulsing. I take a step closer and point my finger in his face. “I love you, Li. You’re my world, Li. I want you to have my baby, Li. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Li.” I do a poor imitation of his voice as I scream in his face. “And you let me believe you were a struggling student just like me, not the son of millionaires. Everything about you is a lie. Our entire relationship was an illusion.”
“I meant all of that! I still want all of that with you, and I never told you I was struggling. We never even talked about money. Everything I said was true. Every feeling. I love you so much, it physically hurts to breathe sometimes.”
Q & A With Eveyln Sola
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
No, I didn’t. I’ve always been an avid reader, but I never aspired to be a writer. I never thought I had it in me to tell a story from beginning to end and keep it interesting. Then around 2016/2017, I started reading Fifty Shades of Grey fanfiction. After about a year of being a reader, I was persuaded by a couple of people to write my own stories, so I did, and I haven’t looked back since. Once I did that, it didn’t take much to convince myself that I can create my own characters and my own world.
Describe your typical writing day for us.
I try to do most of my writing in the morning. I’m fresher and more alert when I first wake up. I guess I’m what is known as that annoying morning person, but I have a fulltime job, which gets in the way of my passion. I try to do about an hour’s worth of writing before work and a few sprints during the day. My goal is to get two thousand word down each day. I don’t always make it, but that’s always my goal.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Other writers in the Indie community inspire me. From people who have been at it for years, to those who are just starting out like me.
How do you come up with your book titles?
All of my titles so far are one word. I try to find a verb that best captures the essence of the book.
Can you share with us something about the book that isn’t included with the blurb?
As you know, Broken is a second chance romance. One of my favorite romance tropes, by the way. The hero is the one who ends the relationship, and he shows back up three years later. He not only manages to get a job at the same place as the heroine, but he moves in across the street from her as well. He infiltrates her life in every way.
Do you listen to music when writing? If so, can you share with us some of the songs that inspired you or that you listened to while writing?
I don’t listen to music when I write. I always have the TV on, however, and it’s usually on Investigation Discovery.
Using only 3 words how would you describe Julia? Noah?
Julia is strong. I believe she’s a survivor. She’s also guarded. Noah is resilient, brave, and definitely a fighter.
What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
This is a story about two young people who find love until they are forced apart. It’s a story about family and the power of forgiveness.
About Evelyn Sola
A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find Evelyn with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come.
Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion and humor.
She currently lives in Chicago, IL with her husband and two daughters.
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