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Full Hearts #1
Break In Two
Thirty-one year old Claire Hatley is running from Seattle having just discovered that her live-in boyfriend has traded her in for a twenty-two year old hostess. Devastated and alone Claire must make a fresh start. She answers an ad for a chef at a guest ranch just outside Colorado Springs and finds herself face to face with Cole Mitchell, quite possibly the sexiest man to ever ride a horse. Common sense tells them to stay away from each other, but their attraction is not to be denied. He gives her a glimpse of what love should be, but just as she starts to trust him, the past comes back to tear them apart.
Join Claire and Cole as they embark on the stormy love affair of a lifetime.
(Oh...and for those of you with husbands/boyfriends, please tell them “you’re welcome” from MJ.)
Join Claire and Cole as they embark on the stormy love affair of a lifetime.
(Oh...and for those of you with husbands/boyfriends, please tell them “you’re welcome” from MJ.)
420 pages, Paperback
First published November 6, 2013
334 people are currently reading
2912 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Summers
15 books880 followersPLEASE NOTE: MJ Summers also writes rom-com and women's fiction under the pen name Melanie Summers. For her latest releases and news, please visit her Melanie Summers profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Since 2013, she has written and published over thirty novels and three novellas. She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe and has had seven novels translated into Italian, German, and Czech.
Melanie lives on Vancouver Island, Canada with her husband, their three children who are far too close to being adults for Melanie's liking, and their two adorable dogs. When she's not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks on the beach near her house. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something—more like just staying until they turn the lights off.
*** GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE READER'S FAVORITE AWARDS FOR Resting Beach Face, SILVER MEDAL WINNER for The After Wife, and two-time BRONZE MEDAL WINNER for The Royal Treatment and Whisked Away.
Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Since 2013, she has written and published over thirty novels and three novellas. She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe and has had seven novels translated into Italian, German, and Czech.
Melanie lives on Vancouver Island, Canada with her husband, their three children who are far too close to being adults for Melanie's liking, and their two adorable dogs. When she's not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks on the beach near her house. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something—more like just staying until they turn the lights off.
*** GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE READER'S FAVORITE AWARDS FOR Resting Beach Face, SILVER MEDAL WINNER for The After Wife, and two-time BRONZE MEDAL WINNER for The Royal Treatment and Whisked Away.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 640 reviews
March 19, 2015
⭐️⭐️2 STARS⭐️⭐️
JUST PASS ME THE CRACKERS, WOULD YOU?
Break In Two wasn't necessarily bad, the setting was nice, I like that the author took the time to lay a nice set -up, but other than that and the fact that she did success at creating a smoking hot cowboy, there wasn't much for me in this "western romance".
This is a "girl leaves the city after bad break up" story. And honestly I liked the start, the heroine seemed to be just my kind of girl just then, she had on an attitude after her break up, and it was funny and maybe I was hollering "You go girl!" behind my Kindle. (I truly was.)
Spoilers ahead
After being cheated on, Claire, moves from the city to a new life in a ranch in Colorado, applying to a Restaurant Chef position.
She meets Cole, ranch owner and sexy cowboy extraordinaire. The golden american boy. He's a hard worker, a fair man, a well respected boss, a loved son and brother, and exceptional lover. Yes, that's quite the package.
(Crystal, I guess you may be right, but I shall come verify the exactitude of your statement myself.)
Long story short —and I'm not kidding, the following takes 55% of the book— they can't resist the attraction they have for each other, the Gods of insta-love having a heavy hand to play in that relationship.
—They go horse riding, they fuck, they work a little, they fuck, they fight, jealousy roar it's ugly head, they fight, douchebag ex shows his ugly head, she has an accident, they fuck, they go on a date, they work, they love each other so they fuck their heart out, promises of marriage are being told, let's throw in a casual fuck just to celebrate and an awkward first introduction to Cole's parents.—
STOP.
The story as it is could have easily ended there, there already was enough manufactured drama to annoy me, plot was inexistent, so I didn't really care what could happen next to Cole and Claire.
But this is where the second part begins : Cole's ex, stunning, gorgeous Gabriella shows up with... His baby!
OOOPS BABY. How original.
Yes, I was really shocked (NOT), I thought the fact that Claire so unsure of herself, being constantly aware of every female around her "cowboy", had enough on her plate in the insecure woman part. But no, throw in the gorgeous ex girlfriend, with a baby at that. Honestly I didn't understand Cole's behavior from now on. He literally proposed Claire not minutes ago, but is ready to reneged on his feelings and promises just because the ex shows up? Oh because of the baby, then?
Nope, still don't get it.
Claire decides to leave for London TO LEAVE COLE A CHANCE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH HIS SON.
WHAT? Can't he take care of baby with you? Can't you love your Cowboy now that he has a child?
(That's the advice Claire was in need all through the book. Should have it tattooed somewhere.)
Obviously not, because she does go to London where her sister lives. She meets a frenchman named Luc in the plane. She drinks a lot. She can't get over her love for Cole, cry me a river and all that.
Cole plays a douche card and sends her a text from Colorado making her believe he's moving on with gorgeous and stunning Gabriella, because you know, he wants Claire to move on, FOR HER SAKE. o.O
(Are we reading about 30 years old people, really?)
Anyway she tries to move on, but she can't, meanwhile in Colorado they all discover that Gabriella's baby is not Cole's. SHOCKER!!!
(The real father is Cole's cousin, Trey, drama-rama, welcome)
Cole goes to London to get his girl, they fuck, they, marry, they have kids, they fuck, THE END.
That is honestly how the story goes. At least that's the imprint it left to my brain. The first part really was SLOW, with no plot except for the 2 characters to get to know each other, they both acted like immature brats and it was annoying. Also, and it's a shame to say it but there was too much sex in this book!
In the middle of heartfelt moments, Claire would suddenly ask Cole about his previous girlfriends, they had to lay out all their ugly stories, I didn't really understand this. No I didn't get this need for revelations AT ALL.
The second part wasn't necessary in my opinion. All that drama, it was useless and drove the story to the pit.
(Sorry Shan, this wasn't a win for me, ;) )
JUST PASS ME THE CRACKERS, WOULD YOU?
Break In Two wasn't necessarily bad, the setting was nice, I like that the author took the time to lay a nice set -up, but other than that and the fact that she did success at creating a smoking hot cowboy, there wasn't much for me in this "western romance".
This is a "girl leaves the city after bad break up" story. And honestly I liked the start, the heroine seemed to be just my kind of girl just then, she had on an attitude after her break up, and it was funny and maybe I was hollering "You go girl!" behind my Kindle. (I truly was.)
Spoilers ahead
After being cheated on, Claire, moves from the city to a new life in a ranch in Colorado, applying to a Restaurant Chef position.
She meets Cole, ranch owner and sexy cowboy extraordinaire. The golden american boy. He's a hard worker, a fair man, a well respected boss, a loved son and brother, and exceptional lover. Yes, that's quite the package.
(Crystal, I guess you may be right, but I shall come verify the exactitude of your statement myself.)
Long story short —and I'm not kidding, the following takes 55% of the book— they can't resist the attraction they have for each other, the Gods of insta-love having a heavy hand to play in that relationship.
—They go horse riding, they fuck, they work a little, they fuck, they fight, jealousy roar it's ugly head, they fight, douchebag ex shows his ugly head, she has an accident, they fuck, they go on a date, they work, they love each other so they fuck their heart out, promises of marriage are being told, let's throw in a casual fuck just to celebrate and an awkward first introduction to Cole's parents.—
STOP.
The story as it is could have easily ended there, there already was enough manufactured drama to annoy me, plot was inexistent, so I didn't really care what could happen next to Cole and Claire.
But this is where the second part begins : Cole's ex, stunning, gorgeous Gabriella shows up with... His baby!
OOOPS BABY. How original.
Yes, I was really shocked (NOT), I thought the fact that Claire so unsure of herself, being constantly aware of every female around her "cowboy", had enough on her plate in the insecure woman part. But no, throw in the gorgeous ex girlfriend, with a baby at that. Honestly I didn't understand Cole's behavior from now on. He literally proposed Claire not minutes ago, but is ready to reneged on his feelings and promises just because the ex shows up? Oh because of the baby, then?
Nope, still don't get it.
Claire decides to leave for London TO LEAVE COLE A CHANCE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH HIS SON.
WHAT? Can't he take care of baby with you? Can't you love your Cowboy now that he has a child?
(That's the advice Claire was in need all through the book. Should have it tattooed somewhere.)
Obviously not, because she does go to London where her sister lives. She meets a frenchman named Luc in the plane. She drinks a lot. She can't get over her love for Cole, cry me a river and all that.
Cole plays a douche card and sends her a text from Colorado making her believe he's moving on with gorgeous and stunning Gabriella, because you know, he wants Claire to move on, FOR HER SAKE. o.O
(Are we reading about 30 years old people, really?)
Anyway she tries to move on, but she can't, meanwhile in Colorado they all discover that Gabriella's baby is not Cole's. SHOCKER!!!
(The real father is Cole's cousin, Trey, drama-rama, welcome)
Cole goes to London to get his girl, they fuck, they, marry, they have kids, they fuck, THE END.
That is honestly how the story goes. At least that's the imprint it left to my brain. The first part really was SLOW, with no plot except for the 2 characters to get to know each other, they both acted like immature brats and it was annoying. Also, and it's a shame to say it but there was too much sex in this book!
In the middle of heartfelt moments, Claire would suddenly ask Cole about his previous girlfriends, they had to lay out all their ugly stories, I didn't really understand this. No I didn't get this need for revelations AT ALL.
The second part wasn't necessary in my opinion. All that drama, it was useless and drove the story to the pit.
(Sorry Shan, this wasn't a win for me, ;) )
November 15, 2013
After 3 attempts, I just can't do it. I made it to 30% and had to skim just to get to that point. There is zero depth, zero connection, and the sex scenes are annoyingly overdone.
July 26, 2016
I have this bad habit of frequently checking out the kindle top 100 best sellers list on Amazon. Before I discovered Goodreads, that was one of my main ways of discovering new books to read, particularly for the cheap indie stuff. I always figured if a book was on that list, there had to be something going for it for so many people to be buying it, right? Now I have better resources at my fingertips (like stalking friends’ shelves!), but I still haven’t been able to break myself from looking at that damn Amazon list all the time. And it’s worked in the past too – I remember last year when I saw Thief on that list for the longest time, it’s what made me finally decide to read The Opportunist which I ended up loving. But in my overall experience, just based on what I’ve bought as a result of looking at it, that list is mostly shit.
This book was on that list for awhile. And even though it’s only been out a few months and is by an untried, debut indie author, it has almost 1,000 five star reviews. I figured the story must be fricken amazing.
What story? There was no story – well, not one with a point anyway. Girl moves from the city to a ranch, meets sexy cowboy, they have lots of bland, repetitive sex, The End.
The writing was awkward and very, very dull and at no point did I ever feel any emotion while reading this. The monotonous third person voice of this book combined with the one-dimensional, wooden characters and predictable, practically non-existent plot made this feel like a painfully long read. (And the constant random, crackhead jumping between Claire’s and Cole’s POVs – some of them in mid-paragraph! What?? – drove me fucking nuts. I’ve never read a book before that does that. Is this a thing or is it part of the shit writing? I’m not sure, so I’ll just say that I personally really, really hated it.)
If you’re looking for a sexy love story, there’s way better elsewhere. Maybe anywhere else. Once again, the sheer numbers of the 5-star Amazon reviews have steered me wrong. Someone help me to stop looking at that top 100 list!! (and I just checked – this book is STILL there! It’s 95 right now.)
This book was on that list for awhile. And even though it’s only been out a few months and is by an untried, debut indie author, it has almost 1,000 five star reviews. I figured the story must be fricken amazing.
What story? There was no story – well, not one with a point anyway. Girl moves from the city to a ranch, meets sexy cowboy, they have lots of bland, repetitive sex, The End.
The writing was awkward and very, very dull and at no point did I ever feel any emotion while reading this. The monotonous third person voice of this book combined with the one-dimensional, wooden characters and predictable, practically non-existent plot made this feel like a painfully long read. (And the constant random, crackhead jumping between Claire’s and Cole’s POVs – some of them in mid-paragraph! What?? – drove me fucking nuts. I’ve never read a book before that does that. Is this a thing or is it part of the shit writing? I’m not sure, so I’ll just say that I personally really, really hated it.)
If you’re looking for a sexy love story, there’s way better elsewhere. Maybe anywhere else. Once again, the sheer numbers of the 5-star Amazon reviews have steered me wrong. Someone help me to stop looking at that top 100 list!! (and I just checked – this book is STILL there! It’s 95 right now.)
June 9, 2015
No. No. Non. Niet. Nee. Jo. La. Ne. Nej. Nein. Ohee. Lo. Nei. Ni. Nai.
Ok, I can't think of any other languages to say no in. But you get the point.
All of the nope.
I DNF'd at 22%
I think the casual use of rape as a plot point to further a romance is what really put me off this.
The characters are shallow and one dimensional. I struggled to engage with the female main character and spent most of the time actively disliking her. There is no chemistry between her and the love interest.
The romance developed too quickly. Insta!love is not appreciated in most literature and it is definitely not appreciated in badly written literature. Which this is.
The plot is flat and overdone. A similar plot (putting aside that it's a PNR) is taken in How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf which gets it absolutely, 100% right. If the blurb of this book caught your attention? Go read How to Flirt instead and save yourself some pain.
Somehow the book manages to promote both misogyny and misandry. Which is a feat I have never seen accomplished before. I don't know whether to congratulate Summers or go on a book burning campaign.
And this was cheesy in the worst possible way. Like, this book should come with a box of crackers and maybe some grapes and little bit of salami to go with the sheer amount of embarrassing, cringe-worthy cheese that this book is made up from.
M.J. Summers has gone straight onto my Do-Not-Read list.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2014
Wow what a totally fantastic story.
I never heard of this author until she messaged me asking would I like to review her book. I am so so glad I said yes.
This story was addictive. I carried my kindle everywhere I went today so I could keep reading.
You know those books where you just wanna keep reading until it ends the way you want it to end... Well for me this was one of those reads. At over 400 pages this book was the ideal book for me to get lost in.
With quite a few twists, plenty of hot sex & a few moments of wanting to throw my kindle this is a book I highly recommend you read!!
I've read over 180 books this year & this little gem is certainly in my top ten. Cole certainly is one of my top boyfriends for this year.
I sincerely hope this author was busying writing more fantastic stories like this one.
I never heard of this author until she messaged me asking would I like to review her book. I am so so glad I said yes.
This story was addictive. I carried my kindle everywhere I went today so I could keep reading.
You know those books where you just wanna keep reading until it ends the way you want it to end... Well for me this was one of those reads. At over 400 pages this book was the ideal book for me to get lost in.
With quite a few twists, plenty of hot sex & a few moments of wanting to throw my kindle this is a book I highly recommend you read!!
I've read over 180 books this year & this little gem is certainly in my top ten. Cole certainly is one of my top boyfriends for this year.
I sincerely hope this author was busying writing more fantastic stories like this one.
August 15, 2015
Ha! I've read this! 4 stars for the hot cowboy! :D
January 22, 2014
Book – Break in Two
Author – M. J. Summers
Publication Date – November 5, 2013
Type – Stand Alone
Genre – Romance
Rating – 3 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Book provided by Author (Blog Tour) in exchange for an honest review.
Review
This was a long book and at times I was ready to put it down. Part one of the book drug on in my opinion and had too many sex scenes. I know, I know – there isn’t such a thing as too much sex, but I just found it repetitive and also found myself skimming over those parts.
I’m glad I didn’t give up though, because by the second part – I was engrossed. I wanted to know what happened next and kept making excuses to go somewhere quiet to see what happened with Claire and Cole.
There was one thing about the story that didn’t sit right with me though. I didn’t agree with how fast everything was resolved between Claire and Cole. I think Claire should have felt hurt and wouldn’t feel at ease being cast as the second fiddle. What if things happened different back at the ranch and Cole wasn’t set free? Claire didn’t think about that – in my eyes, Cole would have redeemed himself by going for Claire before the shit hit the fan…proving how important she was to him.
Overall it was a cute romance and story with a bit of angst and heartbreak.
Re-Cap
Claire just finds out that her lover, Antonio has traded her in for a younger, thinner model and she takes off to start over as a chef for a Dude Ranch. She’s not expecting the owner to be a gorgeous cowboy who seems just as mesmerized by her. The two try to keep it professional but the sexual pull between them is just too powerful.
Claire has some issues she must deal with first before starting a healthy relationship and they are self-esteem and trust. She still remembers how Antonio constantly put her down for her weight, her sense of humor and her looks. Plus how can she trust another man from not straying to younger girls. Cole takes this all in stride and does his best to make Claire feel as beautiful as he sees her – it doesn’t take long for these two to step up the relationship.
Just as everything seems to be picture perfect in Cole and Claire’s life and love, a surprise visit happens which puts a major glitch in their lives.
Will Cole and Claire make it through this obstacle? What about their HEA?
Wrap-Up
If you can get past the first half of the book, the second half is fast paced and full of emotions that will keep you engrossed.
Author – M. J. Summers
Publication Date – November 5, 2013
Type – Stand Alone
Genre – Romance
Rating – 3 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Book provided by Author (Blog Tour) in exchange for an honest review.
Review
This was a long book and at times I was ready to put it down. Part one of the book drug on in my opinion and had too many sex scenes. I know, I know – there isn’t such a thing as too much sex, but I just found it repetitive and also found myself skimming over those parts.
I’m glad I didn’t give up though, because by the second part – I was engrossed. I wanted to know what happened next and kept making excuses to go somewhere quiet to see what happened with Claire and Cole.
There was one thing about the story that didn’t sit right with me though. I didn’t agree with how fast everything was resolved between Claire and Cole. I think Claire should have felt hurt and wouldn’t feel at ease being cast as the second fiddle. What if things happened different back at the ranch and Cole wasn’t set free? Claire didn’t think about that – in my eyes, Cole would have redeemed himself by going for Claire before the shit hit the fan…proving how important she was to him.
Overall it was a cute romance and story with a bit of angst and heartbreak.
Re-Cap
Claire just finds out that her lover, Antonio has traded her in for a younger, thinner model and she takes off to start over as a chef for a Dude Ranch. She’s not expecting the owner to be a gorgeous cowboy who seems just as mesmerized by her. The two try to keep it professional but the sexual pull between them is just too powerful.
Claire has some issues she must deal with first before starting a healthy relationship and they are self-esteem and trust. She still remembers how Antonio constantly put her down for her weight, her sense of humor and her looks. Plus how can she trust another man from not straying to younger girls. Cole takes this all in stride and does his best to make Claire feel as beautiful as he sees her – it doesn’t take long for these two to step up the relationship.
Just as everything seems to be picture perfect in Cole and Claire’s life and love, a surprise visit happens which puts a major glitch in their lives.
Will Cole and Claire make it through this obstacle? What about their HEA?
Wrap-Up
If you can get past the first half of the book, the second half is fast paced and full of emotions that will keep you engrossed.
June 19, 2018
Cute and SMUTMAZING
Break In Two is the first book of the Full Hearts series. It was such a damn page turner but it also had a couple of flaws. Mostly just things that annoyed me - but hey! I read the book.
This book follows the romantic roller coaster of a relationship between Cole and Claire. They've had their fair share of terrible relationships so it was definitely cute, hot, and steamy to watch theirs blossom.
Claire just got dumped by her ex boyfriend - or did she? She found out that he was cheating on her for a while, yet she definitely believes he's be cheating on her a hell of longer and with different people. Tony, the ex, was a god damn douche and didn't deserve Claire one bit. He just wanted to be with her for her money - which was disgusting.
She ends up taking a chef job at a ranch far far, so far, away from Tony and her old life in Seattle. THANK GOD! In walk the sex god Cole, and damn! that man was so god damn swoon-worthy. Cole has definitely had his up and downs in relationships. He falls way too quickly and then gets his heart hurt in the end. The last women, Gabriella (aka "Gabby") did a number on him. However, Claire was definitely broken too because Tony definitely made her insecure - like the annoying insecure.
Throughout their friendship and working together - well, things definitely get steamy. Again, the smut was amazing in this book! I loved everything about these two because their connection and chemistry was on fire. Pure gold. Completely lovable. Until the day it wasn't.
Gabby comes back and with a baby - low and behold, it's not his. YET, Cole does the dumbest thing and keeps saying it his is baby. I honestly wanted to slap him because he wasn't thinking straight and it definitely put a strain on their relationship. Well, he definitely understand who he loved and what he lost the moment he fucked up and Claire left.
Of course it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Claire either. They definitely had to communicate better and rebuild their trust. I was so glad that they both realized their little mistakes - and his giant one - and got back together. Claire and Cole were beyond perfect for each other and that ending was so god damn cute!
Overall, I seriously can't wait to dive into the next book!
Break In Two is the first book of the Full Hearts series. It was such a damn page turner but it also had a couple of flaws. Mostly just things that annoyed me - but hey! I read the book.
This book follows the romantic roller coaster of a relationship between Cole and Claire. They've had their fair share of terrible relationships so it was definitely cute, hot, and steamy to watch theirs blossom.
Claire just got dumped by her ex boyfriend - or did she? She found out that he was cheating on her for a while, yet she definitely believes he's be cheating on her a hell of longer and with different people. Tony, the ex, was a god damn douche and didn't deserve Claire one bit. He just wanted to be with her for her money - which was disgusting.
She ends up taking a chef job at a ranch far far, so far, away from Tony and her old life in Seattle. THANK GOD! In walk the sex god Cole, and damn! that man was so god damn swoon-worthy. Cole has definitely had his up and downs in relationships. He falls way too quickly and then gets his heart hurt in the end. The last women, Gabriella (aka "Gabby") did a number on him. However, Claire was definitely broken too because Tony definitely made her insecure - like the annoying insecure.
Throughout their friendship and working together - well, things definitely get steamy. Again, the smut was amazing in this book! I loved everything about these two because their connection and chemistry was on fire. Pure gold. Completely lovable. Until the day it wasn't.
Gabby comes back and with a baby - low and behold, it's not his. YET, Cole does the dumbest thing and keeps saying it his is baby. I honestly wanted to slap him because he wasn't thinking straight and it definitely put a strain on their relationship. Well, he definitely understand who he loved and what he lost the moment he fucked up and Claire left.
Of course it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Claire either. They definitely had to communicate better and rebuild their trust. I was so glad that they both realized their little mistakes - and his giant one - and got back together. Claire and Cole were beyond perfect for each other and that ending was so god damn cute!
Overall, I seriously can't wait to dive into the next book!
October 16, 2015
2 Stars
DNF @10%.
I really wanted to like this one. The writing was actually pretty good, but the two main characters were already having sex at 9%-10%. For me that part just came out of nowhere. I need some sort of romantic build up first. I didn't quite feel connected to the characters either. This may be an enjoyable read for some, but it didn't work for me unfortunately.
*ARC graciously provided in exchange for an honest review*
DNF @10%.
I really wanted to like this one. The writing was actually pretty good, but the two main characters were already having sex at 9%-10%. For me that part just came out of nowhere. I need some sort of romantic build up first. I didn't quite feel connected to the characters either. This may be an enjoyable read for some, but it didn't work for me unfortunately.
*ARC graciously provided in exchange for an honest review*
November 16, 2013
4.25 STARS!!!
That is it!! I am packing it up and moving to Colorado. I need to find me a cowboy. Cole is the panty-melting star of this book!
The first thing I did when I turned the last page was to message this to one of my blog partners: “I finished, and I have a HUGE smile on my face.” I can’t get over just how much I enjoyed this book and how much it surprised me. It was not what I was expecting at all, but more than I could have asked for.
Usually it will take me a few chapters to get into a book. It’s like I need to make friends with it or something. But not with Break in Two!! I was hooked from the beginning and in love by chapter 2. I really didn't want to put it down. I started this at night thinking I’d read just a few chapters and then looked down to realize that 3 hours flew by. It certainly is a page turner!
I really love MJ Summers’s writing style. It's refreshingly smart. The story is told in the third person and while I tend to favor those in the first person, I liked the story from this POV because of the way MJ Summers incorporated internal monologues for Claire and Cole. I simply adore it; it’s quite witty and entertaining. It's done very well and never used to the point where it becomes annoying – there was a nice balance.
MJ Summers is phenomenal at creating sexual tension and having the reader feel it. She made me feel exactly what Claire and Cole were feeling. It’s hard not to become attached to these characters. And, just when I was feeling a bit complacent in my relationship with Claire and Cole, thinking there has GOT to be more….. Holy hell did I get the MORE I was looking for. The MORE slapped me in the face and left me stunned. MJ Summers throws some very nice curve balls into the mix.
What I loved most about Cole and Claire's story is they acted like the ADULTS they are. No whining or immature bull crap and no chest-beating-leg-peeing alpha male insecurities… protective yes, leg peeing no. I read every type of romance novel, even the ones that can make you uncomfortable, but sometimes I just need a straight up romance. Break In Two is a straight up romance with SUPER HOT SEX!!! It is chock full of heart melting romance, rock hard abs, and drool-worthy sexiness. I swear my mouth was hanging open while I was reading the hawt hawt hawt sex scenes. Cole registers off the HOT-o-meter. But for all the hot sex, there really IS a great romantic and emotional story here so don't let all my talk of hot sex fool you. It is full of witty banter and filled with enough angst to keep me teetering on the edge.
It’s a great read that I definitely recommend. It will have you laughing, tearing up, and hot under the collar.
(ARC provided in exchange for an honest review)
That is it!! I am packing it up and moving to Colorado. I need to find me a cowboy. Cole is the panty-melting star of this book!
The first thing I did when I turned the last page was to message this to one of my blog partners: “I finished, and I have a HUGE smile on my face.” I can’t get over just how much I enjoyed this book and how much it surprised me. It was not what I was expecting at all, but more than I could have asked for.
Usually it will take me a few chapters to get into a book. It’s like I need to make friends with it or something. But not with Break in Two!! I was hooked from the beginning and in love by chapter 2. I really didn't want to put it down. I started this at night thinking I’d read just a few chapters and then looked down to realize that 3 hours flew by. It certainly is a page turner!
I really love MJ Summers’s writing style. It's refreshingly smart. The story is told in the third person and while I tend to favor those in the first person, I liked the story from this POV because of the way MJ Summers incorporated internal monologues for Claire and Cole. I simply adore it; it’s quite witty and entertaining. It's done very well and never used to the point where it becomes annoying – there was a nice balance.
MJ Summers is phenomenal at creating sexual tension and having the reader feel it. She made me feel exactly what Claire and Cole were feeling. It’s hard not to become attached to these characters. And, just when I was feeling a bit complacent in my relationship with Claire and Cole, thinking there has GOT to be more….. Holy hell did I get the MORE I was looking for. The MORE slapped me in the face and left me stunned. MJ Summers throws some very nice curve balls into the mix.
What I loved most about Cole and Claire's story is they acted like the ADULTS they are. No whining or immature bull crap and no chest-beating-leg-peeing alpha male insecurities… protective yes, leg peeing no. I read every type of romance novel, even the ones that can make you uncomfortable, but sometimes I just need a straight up romance. Break In Two is a straight up romance with SUPER HOT SEX!!! It is chock full of heart melting romance, rock hard abs, and drool-worthy sexiness. I swear my mouth was hanging open while I was reading the hawt hawt hawt sex scenes. Cole registers off the HOT-o-meter. But for all the hot sex, there really IS a great romantic and emotional story here so don't let all my talk of hot sex fool you. It is full of witty banter and filled with enough angst to keep me teetering on the edge.
It’s a great read that I definitely recommend. It will have you laughing, tearing up, and hot under the collar.
(ARC provided in exchange for an honest review)
November 21, 2013
for starters I loved the length of the book.. now to the real stuff!!! I CANNOT EAT STRAWBERRIES THE SAME ANYMORE LOL !JK
I'm not sure what to say I really loved the book...I had a really good laugh reading this book!! its funny,sexy, and shocking!!
Claire was dealt a real shitty hand when it came to love and knowing whose there for you..she is a 5'4 31yr old chef who had a boyfriend(tony) who cheating on her with one of her employees and her friends knew about it and didn't tell her.. he made he feel unwanted and very insecure half the time ( i like the name fuckwit I thought it was a nickname for the longest lol) she moves to Colorado and meets her new boss Cole (who is Sexy as just wow) he owns the ranch that she will be working at.. pretty much since she first gets there there is sexual tension by the load and f course they feel it but they try and be professional about it.. well a broke refrigerator later things heat up for the two of them..so Tony is insane if he thinks he can just come and take Claire away from her new home and job with lies flying thru his teeth.. stfu!! lol....and then I thought we lost Claire for good (better luck next time you dear!) I like his mother Mary because she see's through ppl BS and she speaks her mind .. at the same time I'm happy Claire put her in her place without being rude about it..that was interesting..Ben and Alicia(Cole's brother and sister-in-law) are really nice and they treat Claire like old friends.. so all hell breaks loose and everyone is confused and anxious b/c Gabby(Cole's ex) comes back in the picture w/ a surprise of course good grief I think I would have did the same as Claire and the way she acted.. but then I'm not too sure nothing like what they were going thru ever happened to me.. I did feel like I was there tho and I'm glad that Claire didn't fall completely for Gabby BS..I felt bad for Trey(one of the cousins).. I mean shit Gabby played a very interesting game and wasn't gonna get caught...ahh she must not have met Cole's mother(pfft yeh she did lol) but she did some damage to a certain point..(Cole and Claire are having major problems and Gabby is happy about it) honestly I loved Luc like he told it how it was and didn't get offended, jealous or anything when him and Claire spoke about Cole or about how arrogant he was.. he was blunt and told it like it was and never got mad (he's perfect lol)Claire should live in England hmm or Colorado ...of course my vote was England because I want to visit lol I loved this book !!!
I'm not sure what to say I really loved the book...I had a really good laugh reading this book!! its funny,sexy, and shocking!!
Claire was dealt a real shitty hand when it came to love and knowing whose there for you..she is a 5'4 31yr old chef who had a boyfriend(tony) who cheating on her with one of her employees and her friends knew about it and didn't tell her.. he made he feel unwanted and very insecure half the time ( i like the name fuckwit I thought it was a nickname for the longest lol) she moves to Colorado and meets her new boss Cole (who is Sexy as just wow) he owns the ranch that she will be working at.. pretty much since she first gets there there is sexual tension by the load and f course they feel it but they try and be professional about it.. well a broke refrigerator later things heat up for the two of them..so Tony is insane if he thinks he can just come and take Claire away from her new home and job with lies flying thru his teeth.. stfu!! lol....and then I thought we lost Claire for good (better luck next time you dear!) I like his mother Mary because she see's through ppl BS and she speaks her mind .. at the same time I'm happy Claire put her in her place without being rude about it..that was interesting..Ben and Alicia(Cole's brother and sister-in-law) are really nice and they treat Claire like old friends.. so all hell breaks loose and everyone is confused and anxious b/c Gabby(Cole's ex) comes back in the picture w/ a surprise of course good grief I think I would have did the same as Claire and the way she acted.. but then I'm not too sure nothing like what they were going thru ever happened to me.. I did feel like I was there tho and I'm glad that Claire didn't fall completely for Gabby BS..I felt bad for Trey(one of the cousins).. I mean shit Gabby played a very interesting game and wasn't gonna get caught...ahh she must not have met Cole's mother(pfft yeh she did lol) but she did some damage to a certain point..(Cole and Claire are having major problems and Gabby is happy about it) honestly I loved Luc like he told it how it was and didn't get offended, jealous or anything when him and Claire spoke about Cole or about how arrogant he was.. he was blunt and told it like it was and never got mad (he's perfect lol)Claire should live in England hmm or Colorado ...of course my vote was England because I want to visit lol I loved this book !!!
February 8, 2017
***I was provided a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for honest feedback.***
When Claire finds out that her long-term boyfriend has been cheating on her, she packs up her car and heads from Seattle to Colorado Springs. She leaves behind her cheating boyfriend and her job at a fancy restaurant in the city, escaping her past and taking a job as the chef on a ranch/resort that lets tourists experience a cattle drive.
Before she even makes it out of her car, Claire and her sexy new boss, Cole, have their eyes set on one another. Apparently, the application of lip gloss and a hair tie, using a rear view mirror, do things to a man! In no time, these two are bumping nasties.
Things seem to be nauseatingly sweet for quite a while. You'll have to wait for anything eventful to happen. I get it. They're in love and they have LOTS of sex. Beyond that, I'm wasn't sure there was a point to most of the middle, other than to occupy your time with unnecessary pages.
About halfway to three quarters of the way through, Cole's ex shows up and things finally get interesting. Seemingly overnight, Mr. Perfect turns into the most inconsiderate A-hole. Glimpses of this side of his childish temper are seen earlier, but he really gets out of hand when his manipulative ex comes to town. Of course, Claire is spineless and just forgives these infractions with virtually no work on his part. (Eye roll)
I liked the story, but had a few issues with the execution. Mainly, the book seemed to drag on and on. I love a great sex scene, but this book proves that you can get too much of a good thing. There must have been tens, or even hundreds, of pages of gratuitous sex scenes that didn't add to the story or character development. It got old. I found myself skimming and rolling my eyes a lot because I was just so tired of it.
The excessive amount of pages dedicated to unimportant details was even more apparent in contrast to the relatively few pages detailing major plot twists, etc. After reading detailed accounts of who is wearing what, how their make-up is done and what's cooking for dinner, pivotal conflicts are resolved in a paragraph or two.
It is incredibly frustrating to have suffered through a huge betrayal with the heroine, only to have it forgiven with a simple apology, which happened more than once. Where is the outrage and iron will? Maybe I'm a bit sadistic, but I think the Hero should be made to suffer more and grovel when they screw up!
Overall, I liked this story, but didn't love it. I give it 3/5 stars.
When Claire finds out that her long-term boyfriend has been cheating on her, she packs up her car and heads from Seattle to Colorado Springs. She leaves behind her cheating boyfriend and her job at a fancy restaurant in the city, escaping her past and taking a job as the chef on a ranch/resort that lets tourists experience a cattle drive.
Before she even makes it out of her car, Claire and her sexy new boss, Cole, have their eyes set on one another. Apparently, the application of lip gloss and a hair tie, using a rear view mirror, do things to a man! In no time, these two are bumping nasties.
Things seem to be nauseatingly sweet for quite a while. You'll have to wait for anything eventful to happen. I get it. They're in love and they have LOTS of sex. Beyond that, I'm wasn't sure there was a point to most of the middle, other than to occupy your time with unnecessary pages.
About halfway to three quarters of the way through, Cole's ex shows up and things finally get interesting. Seemingly overnight, Mr. Perfect turns into the most inconsiderate A-hole. Glimpses of this side of his childish temper are seen earlier, but he really gets out of hand when his manipulative ex comes to town. Of course, Claire is spineless and just forgives these infractions with virtually no work on his part. (Eye roll)
I liked the story, but had a few issues with the execution. Mainly, the book seemed to drag on and on. I love a great sex scene, but this book proves that you can get too much of a good thing. There must have been tens, or even hundreds, of pages of gratuitous sex scenes that didn't add to the story or character development. It got old. I found myself skimming and rolling my eyes a lot because I was just so tired of it.
The excessive amount of pages dedicated to unimportant details was even more apparent in contrast to the relatively few pages detailing major plot twists, etc. After reading detailed accounts of who is wearing what, how their make-up is done and what's cooking for dinner, pivotal conflicts are resolved in a paragraph or two.
It is incredibly frustrating to have suffered through a huge betrayal with the heroine, only to have it forgiven with a simple apology, which happened more than once. Where is the outrage and iron will? Maybe I'm a bit sadistic, but I think the Hero should be made to suffer more and grovel when they screw up!
Overall, I liked this story, but didn't love it. I give it 3/5 stars.
Read
January 5, 2014Not going to rate this one since I didn't finish it... Claire and Cole were cute together and very hot.. but this book is pretty long and they got together way to soon in my opinion for the length of the book. The story started out with Claire finding out here douchy live in boyfriend was leaving her for a much younger girl ( Claire was 31 or 32 and new chic was 22).. so she leaves Seattle and moves to Colorado to be a chef on a dude ranch that is doing a make over on itself ..wants to attract higher end clients with a 5 star restaurant.. Cole owns the ranch and hires Claire.. sparks right away and they hit it pretty quick. From there it was just sex sex sex. Now don't get me wrong, I love a book with lots of hot sexy scenes and this book had them in spades.. but, cant believe I'm saying this... there were too many sex scenes. Never really could build on a connection with them other than his cock and her hooha going at it constantly. No real story going on besides them having sex. I will say the writing style was good and there were really no grammatical errors that I saw and the book did have potential to be good.. but for me, it just never got there. Now that being said, since I think this author does have potential, I think I would still check out her next book and see how she does in the future.
September 8, 2014
I was given the honour from the author in reading this book as an ARC which I very much appreciated. I have not come across this author before and when my friend Philomena said the author would like for me to read and review honestly too, I jumped at the chance as it sounded very much like something I'd enjoy. I wasn't wrong either, it kept me transfixed all of today.
Tuesday's I get most of the day to myself, so I threw a casserole in the slow cooker and sat and read. I even carried my Kindle to the kitchen whilst waiting for me cheese toastie to cook for lunch, how sad am I!!
I was able to sit and finish it until the family started to arrive for their meal. Then spent the last hour finishing it.
I loved Cole, I didn't like Gabriela though, thought she was nasty and very selfish. But of course, we learn how Cole had to try to make things right with her despite..............
read it and find out!
There is some sexy cowboys, some hot sex, but above all else, there is a strong story, which is the basis of everything else.
Mj Summers is what I would call a 'strong' author, meaning, she really weaves an indepth story that is not just about falling in love or he loves her and she doesn't him and they get together at the end, no, its much more than that. The story has depth, meaning and unexpected things happen that leave you shouting WHAT!!!
I really really loved this book, I will be looking out for this authors books on a regular basis.
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read and review it.
Tuesday's I get most of the day to myself, so I threw a casserole in the slow cooker and sat and read. I even carried my Kindle to the kitchen whilst waiting for me cheese toastie to cook for lunch, how sad am I!!
I was able to sit and finish it until the family started to arrive for their meal. Then spent the last hour finishing it.
I loved Cole, I didn't like Gabriela though, thought she was nasty and very selfish. But of course, we learn how Cole had to try to make things right with her despite..............
read it and find out!
There is some sexy cowboys, some hot sex, but above all else, there is a strong story, which is the basis of everything else.
Mj Summers is what I would call a 'strong' author, meaning, she really weaves an indepth story that is not just about falling in love or he loves her and she doesn't him and they get together at the end, no, its much more than that. The story has depth, meaning and unexpected things happen that leave you shouting WHAT!!!
I really really loved this book, I will be looking out for this authors books on a regular basis.
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read and review it.
Want to read
November 9, 2013Oh I live in Colorado Springs so this one I'm going to have to check out ~ of course synopsis got me!
August 7, 2015
I love these characters! Cole and Claire are fun and funny and tear up the sheets! They are quick-witted and play off of each other, creating the funniest banter I've read in a while.
This story is long-ish (over 400 pages) and by the time I had gotten to 39%, the characters had been through the normal hullabaloo and it could have ended, leaving us with another enjoyable-for-the-moment-but-ultimately-forgettable book. And I wondered what could fill the rest of this story?
Oh, boy. I don't want to give spoilers...but it's so HARD! Let me just say that from about 60% I spent the rest of the time GLUED to my Kindle with my heart confused about whether it wanted to be in my throat or in the pit of my stomach. I REALLY felt for these characters and I was sad, pissed, and honestly a little worried that there were going to be some really stupid decisions made. There was one particular scene
There were a few times when I was cussing Cole and a few times when I was cussing Claire. But mostly I felt bad for Claire. I understood her insecurities and defeatist attitude. For someone whose confidence was just starting to blossom, she was hit with a whammy that would make any woman flounder.
Break In Two is told in 3rd person narrative and it not only gives the perspective of Cole and Claire, but we are treated (briefly) to the thoughts and motivations of some of the secondary characters like Cole's mother, the odious Antonio, The sexy, outspoken Frenchman, Luc Chevalier (who needs his own book! Hint Hint, Ms. Summers), etc. But don't worry that it detracts from the story or gets boring-- the other characters' details aren't long and drawn out or tedious. They are relevant and add a lot to the book.
On this topic about 3 person POV--for most of the book there seemed to be a lot of switching from Cole to Claire, like from paragraph to paragraph. In a lot of books the author will tell one MC's POV, for a while then switch, but it's an obvious switch. This book seemed sort of jumpy about it. But I can't complain too much about that because I always love and appreciate dual POV's--and I'll take 'em anyway I can get 'em. Also...I was a little tired last night... but I HAD to finish, so maybe I missed something in my tiredness, but I'm wondering why Ben and Alicia's son is named Jake Jr. ??? Oh, well, it was late, and I'm easily confused.
This book kept me highly entertained. It was erotic and funny then it made me sad and mad--my emotions were all over the place and that deserves 5 stars for sure.
This story is long-ish (over 400 pages) and by the time I had gotten to 39%, the characters had been through the normal hullabaloo and it could have ended, leaving us with another enjoyable-for-the-moment-but-ultimately-forgettable book. And I wondered what could fill the rest of this story?
Oh, boy. I don't want to give spoilers...but it's so HARD! Let me just say that from about 60% I spent the rest of the time GLUED to my Kindle with my heart confused about whether it wanted to be in my throat or in the pit of my stomach. I REALLY felt for these characters and I was sad, pissed, and honestly a little worried that there were going to be some really stupid decisions made. There was one particular scene
There were a few times when I was cussing Cole and a few times when I was cussing Claire. But mostly I felt bad for Claire. I understood her insecurities and defeatist attitude. For someone whose confidence was just starting to blossom, she was hit with a whammy that would make any woman flounder.
Break In Two is told in 3rd person narrative and it not only gives the perspective of Cole and Claire, but we are treated (briefly) to the thoughts and motivations of some of the secondary characters like Cole's mother, the odious Antonio, The sexy, outspoken Frenchman, Luc Chevalier (who needs his own book! Hint Hint, Ms. Summers), etc. But don't worry that it detracts from the story or gets boring-- the other characters' details aren't long and drawn out or tedious. They are relevant and add a lot to the book.
On this topic about 3 person POV--for most of the book there seemed to be a lot of switching from Cole to Claire, like from paragraph to paragraph. In a lot of books the author will tell one MC's POV, for a while then switch, but it's an obvious switch. This book seemed sort of jumpy about it. But I can't complain too much about that because I always love and appreciate dual POV's--and I'll take 'em anyway I can get 'em. Also...I was a little tired last night... but I HAD to finish, so maybe I missed something in my tiredness, but I'm wondering why Ben and Alicia's son is named Jake Jr. ??? Oh, well, it was late, and I'm easily confused.
This book kept me highly entertained. It was erotic and funny then it made me sad and mad--my emotions were all over the place and that deserves 5 stars for sure.
November 5, 2013
Full review to follow!
I loved this Break In Two! Claire is not the average weak heroine and Cole is...perfect! Hello cowboy Cole!! This book has hilarious banter, hot sex, and just enough angst to keep you coming back for more. Or in my case, enough to keep you from putting it down at all. This book is the perfect sexy weekend read.
I loved this Break In Two! Claire is not the average weak heroine and Cole is...perfect! Hello cowboy Cole!! This book has hilarious banter, hot sex, and just enough angst to keep you coming back for more. Or in my case, enough to keep you from putting it down at all. This book is the perfect sexy weekend read.
April 24, 2017
Read it for the second time today and loved it even more (06/19/14). Well deserving of the five stars I give it. All I need now is my very own sexy cowboy; clothing, hat, belt, boots optional. :)
December 2, 2013
sorry I actually need a storyline, got 60% through it and gave up
March 19, 2016
This is an absolute horrible read!!! 95% of the sentences begin with "he" or "she" which is totally ridic! I could not get past chapter 7 due to all of the he/she usage.
January 14, 2019
Add this one to my very small dnf list.
I got 30% in before I just couldn't. The main character is whiny and dwells too much on silly things. She calls herself old at thirty-one, constantly compares herself to other women (because everyone is competition), is immature and petty, on and on. That whole " How dare some other woman be more attractive than me in the vicinity of my boy toy, I hate her!" mindset is so ridiculous and harmful.
Besides throwing herself pity parties and constantly telling her love interest that she is not attractive, fishing for compliments, she intentionally blows things out of proportion and has dramatic fits in his place of business. Super mature.
Not to mention the usual "one conversation between adults could solve all these problems" plot that is so overused and says little about not only the writing itself but the lack of real story. I won't even get into the overuse of useless action paragraphs, like opening doors, brushing teeth, dressing and undressing, etc.
I tried, I really did, but I can't get into this one.
I got 30% in before I just couldn't. The main character is whiny and dwells too much on silly things. She calls herself old at thirty-one, constantly compares herself to other women (because everyone is competition), is immature and petty, on and on. That whole " How dare some other woman be more attractive than me in the vicinity of my boy toy, I hate her!" mindset is so ridiculous and harmful.
Besides throwing herself pity parties and constantly telling her love interest that she is not attractive, fishing for compliments, she intentionally blows things out of proportion and has dramatic fits in his place of business. Super mature.
Not to mention the usual "one conversation between adults could solve all these problems" plot that is so overused and says little about not only the writing itself but the lack of real story. I won't even get into the overuse of useless action paragraphs, like opening doors, brushing teeth, dressing and undressing, etc.
I tried, I really did, but I can't get into this one.
June 15, 2018
I absolutely loved this story. The Romance. The witty comebacks and jokes of Claire. The sweet loving attitude of Cole. The little bit of drama but not over the top drama. I absolutely loved it, couldn't put it down. I do wish the wedding would've had a scene though and that we have a little more at the end about them together. Jumped right from them getting engaged to 4 years later. But still LOVED IT!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2016
This was a nice book. I found some parts wonderful and others meh. With that in mind I can say I thought Cole was wonderful. He was kind and patient and always tried to do the right thing even if it was difficult. That doesn't mean he was perfect but it does mean that he tried.
What I liked: Cole is a wonderful character. Flawed in some ways but always tried to do what was right. Romantic as sin as well. He didn't care about what others thought only what was right. A strong character that carried the book far. The book had some great descriptive writing and the pasts of the characters that was strongly defined shows how the characters were shaped into who they were. The loyalty of Cole is wonderful to see. He truly stands by those he loves and what he believes is right and wrong. At times the heroine was enjoyable. I also liked the easy banter between Cole and Claire. The story overall was a good one and the writing and prose in how it was told was good. The second part of the book was amazing.
What was difficult: Claire's constant whining and her insecurity issues. I understand that you had a bad relationship but not everything is about the past. It can't completely define everything and each time something isn't going how you want you can't run and retreat or hide in your insecurity. Sometimes she was so insecure it was sad. We are all insecure but we don't take it to that extreme. Claire's wanting to run away when things weren't what she wanted or expected was not one that helped me get endeared to her. She took things to extremes. Also and this is hard for me to say because I do love a great romantic sensual book but here sometimes the sex detracted from the story. The first part of the book drug on a little bit.
I enjoyed the story and reading how it would turn out. The story is about overcoming the scars of the past to open up your heart and let love and trust for someone fully in.
What I liked: Cole is a wonderful character. Flawed in some ways but always tried to do what was right. Romantic as sin as well. He didn't care about what others thought only what was right. A strong character that carried the book far. The book had some great descriptive writing and the pasts of the characters that was strongly defined shows how the characters were shaped into who they were. The loyalty of Cole is wonderful to see. He truly stands by those he loves and what he believes is right and wrong. At times the heroine was enjoyable. I also liked the easy banter between Cole and Claire. The story overall was a good one and the writing and prose in how it was told was good. The second part of the book was amazing.
What was difficult: Claire's constant whining and her insecurity issues. I understand that you had a bad relationship but not everything is about the past. It can't completely define everything and each time something isn't going how you want you can't run and retreat or hide in your insecurity. Sometimes she was so insecure it was sad. We are all insecure but we don't take it to that extreme. Claire's wanting to run away when things weren't what she wanted or expected was not one that helped me get endeared to her. She took things to extremes. Also and this is hard for me to say because I do love a great romantic sensual book but here sometimes the sex detracted from the story. The first part of the book drug on a little bit.
I enjoyed the story and reading how it would turn out. The story is about overcoming the scars of the past to open up your heart and let love and trust for someone fully in.
January 21, 2014
Break In Two by M.J. Summers is one of those books where you devour the first 75% because it's sooo good and you can't get enough and then you notice that the book is rapidly drawing to a close, so you slow down. Find other things to do in between chapters because you are in no way ready for it to end. This kinda bites when you're reading on a deadline so you can review the title. I really wanted to draw out the last chapters in this book.
Claire left Seattle to move to Colorado and work as a chef at a dude ranch. Her boyfriend cheated on her (repeatedly) and she was done. She gets to Colorado and discovers that her new boss, Cole, is THE hottest thing since the sun winked into existence! The attraction is mutual and it grows exponentially despite their trying to be professional. Once the flood gates of lust are opened these two start to fall in love with each other in a big way. Claire has issues left over from the recent betrayal of her last relationship, but they are working on it.
When I read the blurb about the pas rearing it's ugly head, blah blah, I assumed it was Antonio showing up. WRONG - there was much larger shit storm on the horizon and it was one I did NOT see coming. There are many angst filled moments in this book and it was kinda cool how the arguments between the two seemed real and not staged. He flings out insensitive comments that he normally would NEVER say when not pissed off and she turns into a screaming banshee. So been there done that - thanks MJ for making the characters believably real for me. It hurt my heart a little more but made the read all the more worth it.
Claire left Seattle to move to Colorado and work as a chef at a dude ranch. Her boyfriend cheated on her (repeatedly) and she was done. She gets to Colorado and discovers that her new boss, Cole, is THE hottest thing since the sun winked into existence! The attraction is mutual and it grows exponentially despite their trying to be professional. Once the flood gates of lust are opened these two start to fall in love with each other in a big way. Claire has issues left over from the recent betrayal of her last relationship, but they are working on it.
When I read the blurb about the pas rearing it's ugly head, blah blah, I assumed it was Antonio showing up. WRONG - there was much larger shit storm on the horizon and it was one I did NOT see coming. There are many angst filled moments in this book and it was kinda cool how the arguments between the two seemed real and not staged. He flings out insensitive comments that he normally would NEVER say when not pissed off and she turns into a screaming banshee. So been there done that - thanks MJ for making the characters believably real for me. It hurt my heart a little more but made the read all the more worth it.
April 18, 2014
This book was picked for me as part of a challenge...and I must say thank-you to my mystery picker! This is probably not a book that would have come to my attention otherwise, and despite a few issues I had with it, I really enjoyed it.
Break in Two is, as its name might suggest, broken into 2 parts. In the first we meet Claire, who is fleeing a bad breakup and a cheating ex, and Cole, her sexy new cowboy boss. The first section of the book takes up about 60%, and most of this is spent on the characters getting to know each other...and then getting to know each other intimately. Intimately in a variety of ways...and then more ways. Herein lies my first issue with the book. I honestly feel like this could have been about 100 pages shorter, and most of that could have been trimmed from the sex scenes in this first part. Now, I love a good sex scene as much as the next smut reader, but sometimes...enough is enough! In the second part, Cole's past comes back to haunt him and the lovers are torn apart. One of the things I loved about this plot is the fact that it wasn't the heroine's insecurities or some stupid misunderstanding which lead the two to part...it was an actual event. Really, Claire did the only thing she could have done. But that's just my opinion of course. And this makes the HEA even sweeter and more satisfying when it does happen.
Regardless of my issues, I found the author's style easy to read and the plot held my interest for the most part. Deserving of 4 solid stars for me.
Break in Two is, as its name might suggest, broken into 2 parts. In the first we meet Claire, who is fleeing a bad breakup and a cheating ex, and Cole, her sexy new cowboy boss. The first section of the book takes up about 60%, and most of this is spent on the characters getting to know each other...and then getting to know each other intimately. Intimately in a variety of ways...and then more ways. Herein lies my first issue with the book. I honestly feel like this could have been about 100 pages shorter, and most of that could have been trimmed from the sex scenes in this first part. Now, I love a good sex scene as much as the next smut reader, but sometimes...enough is enough! In the second part, Cole's past comes back to haunt him and the lovers are torn apart. One of the things I loved about this plot is the fact that it wasn't the heroine's insecurities or some stupid misunderstanding which lead the two to part...it was an actual event. Really, Claire did the only thing she could have done. But that's just my opinion of course. And this makes the HEA even sweeter and more satisfying when it does happen.
Regardless of my issues, I found the author's style easy to read and the plot held my interest for the most part. Deserving of 4 solid stars for me.
February 9, 2014
I'm not surprised that some readers weren't able to get past the 60% mark. Most of the interesting plot points take place in part 2 of the book. Despite the length of part 1 it does lack depth. For all of the back and forth between Claire and Cole, it really doesn't go past the superficial skin of their relationship. And although the book is predictable, overall it's an enjoyable read. Boy, is the first part long going though, and it seems that its length was just to offer up some steamy scenes, but she missed the boat on adding some depth to the relationship. The steamy scenes get tired and repetitive rather quickly, and although I'm kind of over the BDSM thing (with certain exceptions, and which this book is not), the vanilla erotica scenes in this got to be BORING and that was the problem I was having with part 1. What helps saves this is Cole's hotness, but frankly part 1 lacked tension and I had to plod through to get to the interesting parts. I'm happy that Ms. Summers didn't fall into all of the conflict cliches we read in this genre, but characters like Luc Chevalier were underused.
Overall, I was disappointed. Is the end worth slogging through the beginning? I'm still undecided.
Overall, I was disappointed. Is the end worth slogging through the beginning? I'm still undecided.
June 21, 2015
Cole is a hot, hot cowboy who runs a dude ranch with his brother. He is family oriented, loyal and honest (oh and did I say hot?). Claire is a chef running from a disastrous relationship to a new dream job on Cole's dude ranch. She has lost her confidence in her self and her beauty. Romance and a lot of sex ensues until the old live in girlfriend shows up with a baby in tow. Can there be an HEA?
I felt that this book was realistic in depicting the feelings of the characters and the sex was hot and sexy, but not kinky. An overall good romance read.
I felt that this book was realistic in depicting the feelings of the characters and the sex was hot and sexy, but not kinky. An overall good romance read.
November 8, 2013
A great mix of reality, fantasy, and fun... The opening grabs you because it is something we've all been through and can relate to and from there, it sweeps you off your feet into a wonderful story we all hope for and some of us are lucky enough to get... the book will put a smile on your face for sure!
July 23, 2015
A very hot and steamy read. Cole is one sexy cowboy. Claire has just come out of a four-year relationship and vows not to rush into another. Some readers may find a struggle with the plot though. I found myself skimming to the end because the romance in this one just didn't hold my interest. I would pass on reading the rest of this series.
November 18, 2013
WOW- got this on a whim and thought it would be a quick read. yes it was a quick read, buy only because I could not put it down. Loved this story! Great book, great love and heardship. Love the ending!!!!!!!!!!!!
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