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Carolina Hearts #1
Unbroken
"Mom always told me there are two kinds of love in this world: the steady breeze, and the hurricane. Emerson Ray was my hurricane…"
Juliet McKenzie was an innocent eighteen-year old when she spent the summer in Cedar Cove—and fell head over heels in love with Emerson. Complicated, intense Emerson, the local bad boy. His blue eyes hid dark secrets, and just one touch could set Juliet ablaze. Their love was demanding and all-consuming, but when summer ended, tragedy tore them apart. Juliet swore she’d never go back, and she’s kept that promise… Until now.
Four years later, Juliet’s done her best to rebuild the wreckage of her shattered life. She’s got a great boyfriend, and a steady job planned after she graduates. Returning to Cedar Cove to pack up her family’s beach house to prepare it for sale, Juliet is determined that nothing will stand in the way of her future. But one look from Emerson, and all her old desire comes flooding back. He let her go once, but this time, he’s not giving up without a fight. And Emerson fights dirty.
A heartbreaking history. An unstoppable passion. Torn between her past and future, Juliet struggles to separate love from desire. But will they find a way to overcome their tragic secrets—together? And after so much damage has been done, can a love remain unbroken?
*This book contains adult situations and explicit content.*
Juliet McKenzie was an innocent eighteen-year old when she spent the summer in Cedar Cove—and fell head over heels in love with Emerson. Complicated, intense Emerson, the local bad boy. His blue eyes hid dark secrets, and just one touch could set Juliet ablaze. Their love was demanding and all-consuming, but when summer ended, tragedy tore them apart. Juliet swore she’d never go back, and she’s kept that promise… Until now.
Four years later, Juliet’s done her best to rebuild the wreckage of her shattered life. She’s got a great boyfriend, and a steady job planned after she graduates. Returning to Cedar Cove to pack up her family’s beach house to prepare it for sale, Juliet is determined that nothing will stand in the way of her future. But one look from Emerson, and all her old desire comes flooding back. He let her go once, but this time, he’s not giving up without a fight. And Emerson fights dirty.
A heartbreaking history. An unstoppable passion. Torn between her past and future, Juliet struggles to separate love from desire. But will they find a way to overcome their tragic secrets—together? And after so much damage has been done, can a love remain unbroken?
*This book contains adult situations and explicit content.*
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2013
About the author
Melody Grace
67 books2,586 followersNYT bestselling author of small-town romance. A new chapter in the Sweetbriar Cove series begins with Two Hearts - July 30th!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 867 reviews
March 14, 2013
“You see a hurricane coming, you run.” My mom told me, the summer I turned eighteen.
“You shut the doors, and you bar the windows. Because come morning, there’ll be nothing but the wreckage left behind.”
Emerson Ray was my hurricane.
I'm at a loss for words when it comes to this story. You will soon find out why.
So there is this girl, Juliet.
One summer, when she was 18 years old, she lost everything. More specifically, everything that mattered. Living in a semblance of reality, she finds herself gaping open and empty of the only things that grounded her. After that, the pretense just sipped back into her life and she was thrown into a spiralling of emotional breakdown.
I finally phased out the anti-depressants, but my panic attacks keep coming around. I can never tell when one’s going to hit. I’ll just be walking down the hallway to class, and suddenly, my heart will start thumping, and the world starts to spin. It’s like an iron band is wrapped around my chest, crushing me, and I’m so caught up in the panic, I feel like I’m going to die. Every time.
And then there is this boy, Emerson.
He pushed her away. Despite the fierceness of his love, and I'm not saying this lightly, he pushed her away for fear of not being enough. But she never knew the reason behind his decision. And they were both destroyed. Until she went back to where everything started.
“You’re mine,” he says again fiercely. “Not his, not anyone else’s. You can try and pretend you don’t feel it, but you do. You’ll always be mine.”
Emerson looks at me like I’m a goddess, like I’m water, and he’s been roaming in the desert for a thousand years in search of just one drop. Like it takes everything in him not to devour me right there
where I stand.
Like he sees my soul: raw, and damaged, and wanting. And he loves me all the same.
“You want a reason?” Emerson flares with anger. “Hell, try a hundred! We wouldn’t make it,
Jules, any fucking fool could see that. We were crazy to think we could even try!”
“You’re wrong.” I shake my head stubbornly. “I love you!”
“And what good does that do?” Emerson yells back. “Look at our parents, at your mom. You’ve
been telling me all this time how loving your dad destroyed her. Love drags you down, if it lasts at
all. All the good turns to shit in the end, and then there’s nothing left but misery!”
The knowledge I’m not enough for him to love.
Not enough for my mom to live for.
I’ll never be enough.
But Emerson doesn’t flinch, and when he looks back at me, his eyes are dead behind those velvet lashes, so cold in the way I’ve only ever seen once before.
The last time he left me.
A storm of emotion comes crashing around me, my heartbeat roaring in my ears. “You’re doing it again,” I whisper, gripped with a dread so cold I can’t feel my arms or legs. “You’re ending it.”
“Tell me!” I demand, so close now. “Tell me how you feel, for real this time. No lies! Because whatever happens, I’m yours. I’ll always be yours!”
This time, my words break through. I see the last defenses in his eyes come crashing down. With a growl, Emerson throws the box to the side and sweeps me into his arms.
“I love you.” Emerson chokes out, his voice thick with passion. “I never stopped loving you! Not
even when you were gone, not one single day.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2013
2.5 Disappointing Stars!
"My mom always said, there are two kinds of love in this world: the steady breeze, and the hurricane."
"Emerson Ray was my hurricane."
I was very very disappointed. The story wasn't anything great.
I knew what was going to happen in the first few chapters of the book.
Juliet is a girl who met a boy one summer in Cedar Cove...
On a family vacation with her mother meeting up with her family.
She falls madly in love with Emerson. He consumes her! She is willing to give up everything for him.
...they find out her mother had Cancer and she dies there.
4yrs later she returns to pack up the house they own on the beach because her dad wants to sell. She has a steady boyfriend of 2yrs..
All her thoughts are consumed on Emerson. The boy who broke her heart.
He was her 'one love'
"I couldn’t love another man like that, even if I tried. That part of me—the part that loved so recklessly, desperately, it was dead and gone."
Basically after she sees him the first time, the remainder three quarter of the book she's fighting her feelings.
But we all know he was going to choose Emerson over her 2yr boyfriend who was the safe choice.
It was kind of irritating that Daniel was ok that she kisses another guy and went back for her--->Looser!!!
Also it GRATES me that she is soo hung up! OH CRY ME A RIVER! WHATEVER!!! Ok yeah she was heartbroken but so is EVERYONE at some point in their lives. You put on your big girl panties and move on!!
It's different if he died or something! Juliet has some tough choices to make...
"I came to realize: maybe love doesn’t have to destroy you. Maybe it’s not all unbearable passion, and kisses that make you want to die. Maybe love can be that gentle breeze my mom told me about: strong, and sure, and true"
"Because I realize now, that’s the way it works. That if you’re lucky, you might get to fall in love so hard and so deep, that it changes you. That love seeps its way into every atom and molecule in your whole being, so that even if it’s over, or the two of you are forced apart, you’ll always carry the imprint of their soul with you, steady as a heartbeat. Forever"
This book has more internal dialogue then anything and so much time wasted describing surroundings etc.
I just felt this was an empty predictable read.
"My mom always said, there are two kinds of love in this world: the steady breeze, and the hurricane."
"Emerson Ray was my hurricane."
I was very very disappointed. The story wasn't anything great.
I knew what was going to happen in the first few chapters of the book.
Juliet is a girl who met a boy one summer in Cedar Cove...
On a family vacation with her mother meeting up with her family.
She falls madly in love with Emerson. He consumes her! She is willing to give up everything for him.
...they find out her mother had Cancer and she dies there.
4yrs later she returns to pack up the house they own on the beach because her dad wants to sell. She has a steady boyfriend of 2yrs..
All her thoughts are consumed on Emerson. The boy who broke her heart.
He was her 'one love'
"I couldn’t love another man like that, even if I tried. That part of me—the part that loved so recklessly, desperately, it was dead and gone."
Basically after she sees him the first time, the remainder three quarter of the book she's fighting her feelings.
But we all know he was going to choose Emerson over her 2yr boyfriend who was the safe choice.
It was kind of irritating that Daniel was ok that she kisses another guy and went back for her--->Looser!!!
Also it GRATES me that she is soo hung up! OH CRY ME A RIVER! WHATEVER!!! Ok yeah she was heartbroken but so is EVERYONE at some point in their lives. You put on your big girl panties and move on!!
It's different if he died or something! Juliet has some tough choices to make...
"I came to realize: maybe love doesn’t have to destroy you. Maybe it’s not all unbearable passion, and kisses that make you want to die. Maybe love can be that gentle breeze my mom told me about: strong, and sure, and true"
"Because I realize now, that’s the way it works. That if you’re lucky, you might get to fall in love so hard and so deep, that it changes you. That love seeps its way into every atom and molecule in your whole being, so that even if it’s over, or the two of you are forced apart, you’ll always carry the imprint of their soul with you, steady as a heartbeat. Forever"
This book has more internal dialogue then anything and so much time wasted describing surroundings etc.
I just felt this was an empty predictable read.
January 21, 2015
2 Stars!
This book didn't work at all for me. Other than 1 chapter, I didn't like the book.
The author talks about how she was before, how her old life was '4 years ago.' How she was with Emerson, how they loved and blah blah blah.. But she didn't show us how she was so how will we know if she's changed.. There is no old scenes with Emerson, about how fiercely they loved each other so then how the fuck will we know.
This book just didn't work for me.. 51% in and I wanted to dump it, But I don't do that.
This book starts off with a lecture about Hurricane type boys.. then Jumps to Juliet traveling down to Cedar Cove, a beachy holiday home type small town to pack up the beach house. She's remembering her mother, Her love Emerson and WHAT THEY HAD throughout the way.. She's remembering the past and getting all 'OMG OMG OMG WHAT IF HE SEES ME BACK'
She did not behave her age, she acted more like a 16yr old with a crush than a 22yr old who has a boyfriend..
Then she meets Emerson and 'EVERY CELL IN HER BODY CRACKLES WITH ELECTRICITY.' I'm like WOMAN o.O
I mean girl, firstly you have a boyfriend!! Who is extremely sweet. But you say that he doesn't get you.. WELL DUH!! You didn't tell him shit. You locked you 'OLD SELF' up and kept it away from the world.
You say you don't want to be like your Father and Sister, but according to me you pretty much were.
She is weird. I didn't like her one bit. She thinks more than she talks. And all she thought about was her mom, how hot Emerson is and her old life. And it was pretty irritating.
The amount she talks in her head is more than annoying, and all she talks about is his body and having sex with him, Which isn't even steamy or well written according to me. It was like Meh.
The story, the plot.. this book; it just didn't work for me. I had high hopes because of the summary and the cover and the title, but this book :\ WEIRD.
Note to myself..
This book didn't work at all for me. Other than 1 chapter, I didn't like the book.
The author talks about how she was before, how her old life was '4 years ago.' How she was with Emerson, how they loved and blah blah blah.. But she didn't show us how she was so how will we know if she's changed.. There is no old scenes with Emerson, about how fiercely they loved each other so then how the fuck will we know.
This book just didn't work for me.. 51% in and I wanted to dump it, But I don't do that.
This book starts off with a lecture about Hurricane type boys.. then Jumps to Juliet traveling down to Cedar Cove, a beachy holiday home type small town to pack up the beach house. She's remembering her mother, Her love Emerson and WHAT THEY HAD throughout the way.. She's remembering the past and getting all 'OMG OMG OMG WHAT IF HE SEES ME BACK'
She did not behave her age, she acted more like a 16yr old with a crush than a 22yr old who has a boyfriend..
Then she meets Emerson and 'EVERY CELL IN HER BODY CRACKLES WITH ELECTRICITY.' I'm like WOMAN o.O
I mean girl, firstly you have a boyfriend!! Who is extremely sweet. But you say that he doesn't get you.. WELL DUH!! You didn't tell him shit. You locked you 'OLD SELF' up and kept it away from the world.
You say you don't want to be like your Father and Sister, but according to me you pretty much were.
She is weird. I didn't like her one bit. She thinks more than she talks. And all she thought about was her mom, how hot Emerson is and her old life. And it was pretty irritating.
The amount she talks in her head is more than annoying, and all she talks about is his body and having sex with him, Which isn't even steamy or well written according to me. It was like Meh.
The story, the plot.. this book; it just didn't work for me. I had high hopes because of the summary and the cover and the title, but this book :\ WEIRD.
Note to myself..
Want to read
September 25, 2015
FREE on Amazon US today (9/24/2015)
FIRST 3 books in series are FREE!
Untouched is prologue to Unbroken.
Untamed is the prologue to Unafraid.
BLURB:
"Mom always told me there are two kinds of love in this world: the steady breeze, and the hurricane. Emerson Ray was my hurricane...."
Juliet McKenzie was an innocent eighteen-year old when she spent the summer in Beachwood Bay—and fell head over heels in love with Emerson. Complicated, intense Emerson, the local bad boy. His blue eyes hid dark secrets, and just one touch could set Juliet ablaze. Their love was demanding and all-consuming, but when summer ended, tragedy tore them apart. Juliet swore she’d never go back, and she’s kept that promise… Until now.
Four years later, Juliet’s done her best to rebuild the wreckage of her shattered life. She’s got a great boyfriend, and a steady job planned after she graduates. Returning to Beachwood to pack up her family’s beach house to prepare it for sale, Juliet is determined that nothing will stand in the way of her future. But one look from Emerson, and all her old desire comes flooding back. He let her go once, but this time, he’s not giving up without a fight. And Emerson fights dirty.
A heartbreaking history. An unstoppable passion. Torn between her past and future, Juliet struggles to separate love from desire. But will they find a way to overcome their tragic secrets—together? And after so much damage has been done, can a love remain unbroken?
http://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-Beachw...
FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day, I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 470 books)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
March 12, 2013
More reviews at: www.mybookmuse.com
To say I was hooked from the prologue is an understatement. Melody Grace's debut novel Unbroken is a heart-wrenching tale of love lost, love found, and that sometimes you gotta go through rain if you want to see the sun shine.
Meet Juliet:
It has been 4 long years since Juliet has set foot in the town of Ceder Cove. It's also been 4 long years since Juliet has seen Emerson.
Emerson broke Juliet's heart on one of the most painful days of her life. Since that day 4 years ago, Juliet has guarded her heart, entrusting it only to her 'steady breeze' Daniel. Daniel is studious, supportive and in love with Juliet. But her heart has always belonged to one man. And once Juliet returns to Ceder Cove to pack up her family's beach house, she comes face to face with Emerson again.
The chemistry between these two is fierce, passionate, and all consuming.
Over the course of reading Unbroken I started to really understand Juliet and the pain that she carried with her. So many things have happened to her that would break a person. And in many ways she is broken. She suffers from debilitating anxiety attacks, and for anyone that has had one, you constantly live in a state of fear. You avoid places and people and are constantly holding yourself back. For that, I immediately empathized with her.
It took me a little longer to warm up to Emerson. He is definitely a swoon-worthy specimen but some of his decisions left me shaking my head a little. It wasn't until events started playing out till I started really rooting for him.
Overall I really enjoyed Unbroken. The writing was gorgeous. I have so many quotes highlighted because Melody can capture the feeling of loss, and longing, and passion, so elegantly. I especially enjoyed the steamier scenes. The only complaint I have (and it's not really a complaint) is that I wished it was longer. I would love to have read more about Juliet and Emerson from the very beginning. But I have heard from a little birdy that we might be getting a prequel novella....fingers crossed, because I would love to see the intensity of their love from the start.
4 stars*
(I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review)
Playlist:
Don't You Wanna Stay- Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson
I really hate to let this moment go
Touching your skin, and your hair falling slow
When a goodbye kiss, feels like this
Don't you wanna stay here a little while?
Don't you wanna hold each other tight?
Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight?
Don't you wanna stay here a little while?
We can make forever feel this way
Don't you wanna stay?
To say I was hooked from the prologue is an understatement. Melody Grace's debut novel Unbroken is a heart-wrenching tale of love lost, love found, and that sometimes you gotta go through rain if you want to see the sun shine.
Meet Juliet:
It has been 4 long years since Juliet has set foot in the town of Ceder Cove. It's also been 4 long years since Juliet has seen Emerson.
Emerson broke Juliet's heart on one of the most painful days of her life. Since that day 4 years ago, Juliet has guarded her heart, entrusting it only to her 'steady breeze' Daniel. Daniel is studious, supportive and in love with Juliet. But her heart has always belonged to one man. And once Juliet returns to Ceder Cove to pack up her family's beach house, she comes face to face with Emerson again.
"Muscle memory, they call it; when you do something so many times, that it becomes automatic, beyond all rational thought. To be so close to him, and not reach out… Hold him… Kiss him. It takes all the self-control I have not to give in to the temptation.
I can see it in his eyes, Emerson feels it too. And he was never about the self-control"
The chemistry between these two is fierce, passionate, and all consuming.
"Open your eyes." Emerson‘s growl is sharp.
My eyes fly open—staring straight into his. My breath catches at the intensity of his gaze. It‘s burning, fierce, like it‘s taking everything he has not to tear my clothes off this very second.
"Say 'no'." Emerson‘s whisper is thick with desire.
I blink, my mind foggy and confused.
"Tell me 'no', and I'll stop."
Over the course of reading Unbroken I started to really understand Juliet and the pain that she carried with her. So many things have happened to her that would break a person. And in many ways she is broken. She suffers from debilitating anxiety attacks, and for anyone that has had one, you constantly live in a state of fear. You avoid places and people and are constantly holding yourself back. For that, I immediately empathized with her.It took me a little longer to warm up to Emerson. He is definitely a swoon-worthy specimen but some of his decisions left me shaking my head a little. It wasn't until events started playing out till I started really rooting for him.
Overall I really enjoyed Unbroken. The writing was gorgeous. I have so many quotes highlighted because Melody can capture the feeling of loss, and longing, and passion, so elegantly. I especially enjoyed the steamier scenes. The only complaint I have (and it's not really a complaint) is that I wished it was longer. I would love to have read more about Juliet and Emerson from the very beginning. But I have heard from a little birdy that we might be getting a prequel novella....fingers crossed, because I would love to see the intensity of their love from the start.
4 stars*
(I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review)
Playlist:
Don't You Wanna Stay- Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson
I really hate to let this moment go
Touching your skin, and your hair falling slow
When a goodbye kiss, feels like this
Don't you wanna stay here a little while?
Don't you wanna hold each other tight?
Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight?
Don't you wanna stay here a little while?
We can make forever feel this way
Don't you wanna stay?
March 13, 2013
2 1/2 Hurricane Stars
Sadly, I wasn't rocked like a hurricane from this book like I thought I would be. I found the story to be pretty predictable. I didn't care for the main character Juliet at all. Her internal dialogue was exhausting and sadly quite boring. I found the book to be a very wordy and I'm sad to say I did skim some pages.
Some things in the story like her internal dialogue felt like it went on forever while other things like Juliet and Emerson's interactions seemed to mostly consist of sex scenes instead of some much needed dialogue. There were also things in the story that struck me as odd: like her boyfriend talking to her family behind her back constantly and happily being dumped.
Here's the story in short: Juliet goes to Cedar Grove to pack up her family's vacation home. She is currently dating boyfriend Daniel of two years. She will be graduating college in a couple of months. Cedar Grove is where the love of her life Emerson lives. Although Emerson broke her heart four years prior she still holds a spot for him in her heart. A reader can pretty much guess what happens....and yes things happen pretty much that way.
I did love the beauty and description Juliet's vacation home as well as her mother's quote in the prologue.
This book did deliver an hea and doesn't end in a cliffhanger so that's something.
Sadly, I wasn't rocked like a hurricane from this book like I thought I would be. I found the story to be pretty predictable. I didn't care for the main character Juliet at all. Her internal dialogue was exhausting and sadly quite boring. I found the book to be a very wordy and I'm sad to say I did skim some pages.
Some things in the story like her internal dialogue felt like it went on forever while other things like Juliet and Emerson's interactions seemed to mostly consist of sex scenes instead of some much needed dialogue. There were also things in the story that struck me as odd: like her boyfriend talking to her family behind her back constantly and happily being dumped.
Here's the story in short: Juliet goes to Cedar Grove to pack up her family's vacation home. She is currently dating boyfriend Daniel of two years. She will be graduating college in a couple of months. Cedar Grove is where the love of her life Emerson lives. Although Emerson broke her heart four years prior she still holds a spot for him in her heart. A reader can pretty much guess what happens....and yes things happen pretty much that way.
I did love the beauty and description Juliet's vacation home as well as her mother's quote in the prologue.
This book did deliver an hea and doesn't end in a cliffhanger so that's something.
February 26, 2015
Favorite quote: ".... I had my heart broke so entirely, It took everything I had not to slash open my wrists just to make the pain stop"
Cover 4/5
Opening Okay! The Prologue is good, tons of melodramatic stuff and all.
Hero I hate him. First of all, abandoning a girl in her most vulnerable moment is a lame jackass move. And doing it again? There is not a redeeming quality in him. Sure he's hot and all, but other than that?
Heroine I hate her more than Emerson, keeps on saying how He destroyed her but comes back crawling to him anyway, leaving a perfectly good fiance, all broken up. please people, if your boyfriend doesn't go all alpha male on you, it doesn't mean He doesn't love you.
Other Characters I think Lacey would be the most reasonable in this book for me, and Daniel, Juliet's fiance.
Relationships First of all, I agree with Lacey, just because you want to jump a man, it doesn't mean it's love. Why the hell would you abandon a guy who's perfect for you just you saw your asshole of an ex?
I hate to say this but Jule has is messed up, not because of what happened to her, but because she just is. She keeps on saying that it's nothing, sure kissing the asshole who left you when your mom died is nothing, (That lame excuse doesn't cut it, If he let you go, you should have the dignity not to come back)
Dialogue Pathetic excuse that they love, and are meant for each other. I'm sorry I'm not fond of jackasses who leaves when it convenient for them and then when their actions caught up with them blames the other. I love Lacey's line because she speaks the truth.
The plot It's twisted that for sure, no woman/girl would do that to her self.
Scene the scene that got most of me, is the one where Jules ended things with Daniel, that was stupid as hell but not as stupid when she proceed to make out with Emerson after that, It was as if the man didn't hurt her.
Ending Pathetic excuse of redeeming Emerson! I swear, non of his actions were acceptable for me.
Setting Back to Beachwood. I love the setting because it reminds me that no matter how long and far you go, if there is a reason for you to go back, you will always go back.
Pace It's a bit fast for me, but that is not the reason I didn't like this, there's not much of in dept to the characters. I would have liked it more if the Author gave more background info that will make me sympathize with the hero/heroine.
Enjoyment 4/10. This book was fine, but when reading I want the book to touch some part of me, wanting to relate with the characters and all.
Recommendations N/A. I don't care about anything, I just don't want to recommend this to anyone.
Cover 4/5
Opening Okay! The Prologue is good, tons of melodramatic stuff and all.
Hero I hate him. First of all, abandoning a girl in her most vulnerable moment is a lame jackass move. And doing it again? There is not a redeeming quality in him. Sure he's hot and all, but other than that?
Heroine I hate her more than Emerson, keeps on saying how He destroyed her but comes back crawling to him anyway, leaving a perfectly good fiance, all broken up. please people, if your boyfriend doesn't go all alpha male on you, it doesn't mean He doesn't love you.
Other Characters I think Lacey would be the most reasonable in this book for me, and Daniel, Juliet's fiance.
Relationships First of all, I agree with Lacey, just because you want to jump a man, it doesn't mean it's love. Why the hell would you abandon a guy who's perfect for you just you saw your asshole of an ex?
I hate to say this but Jule has is messed up, not because of what happened to her, but because she just is. She keeps on saying that it's nothing, sure kissing the asshole who left you when your mom died is nothing, (That lame excuse doesn't cut it, If he let you go, you should have the dignity not to come back)
Dialogue Pathetic excuse that they love, and are meant for each other. I'm sorry I'm not fond of jackasses who leaves when it convenient for them and then when their actions caught up with them blames the other. I love Lacey's line because she speaks the truth.
The plot It's twisted that for sure, no woman/girl would do that to her self.
Scene the scene that got most of me, is the one where Jules ended things with Daniel, that was stupid as hell but not as stupid when she proceed to make out with Emerson after that, It was as if the man didn't hurt her.
Ending Pathetic excuse of redeeming Emerson! I swear, non of his actions were acceptable for me.
Setting Back to Beachwood. I love the setting because it reminds me that no matter how long and far you go, if there is a reason for you to go back, you will always go back.
Pace It's a bit fast for me, but that is not the reason I didn't like this, there's not much of in dept to the characters. I would have liked it more if the Author gave more background info that will make me sympathize with the hero/heroine.
Enjoyment 4/10. This book was fine, but when reading I want the book to touch some part of me, wanting to relate with the characters and all.
Recommendations N/A. I don't care about anything, I just don't want to recommend this to anyone.
March 14, 2013
4.5 Stars
Pretending like the past never happened is a recipe for disaster.
Towards the end of this book, I started thinking….Oh my, God. This totally reminds me of The Notebook! Don’t worry folks, it doesn’t really end like that, but as I look back, it totally was just like the movie…well, not all of it per se, but it did have a lot of similarities: Young summer love, that all consuming-can’t-live-without-you type ending in heartbreak, the mother who frowned upon the relationship, the safe-sweet-third-person-boyfriend who just couldn’t take the place of her first love, and of course, the scorching kiss in the rain. Just look at the picture above…isn’t it gorgeous? Honestly, I read this book fast. I couldn’t put it down.
There are two kinds of love in this world: The steady breeze, and the hurricane.
The steady breeze is slow and patient. You can count on a breeze, steady and sure and true.
But there’s nothing steady about a hurricane. It’s wild and breathless and all consuming.
Emerson Ray was my hurricane.
Juliet is headed back to Cedar Cove to pack up her family’s summer home and get it ready to sell. Going back to Cedar Cove is the last thing Juliet wants to do. She swore that she would never set foot to this place ever again. It brings nothing but heartache. Four years ago, not only did she have to deal with the death of her mother, but on the same day of her funeral, when she thought her heart couldn’t shatter even more, Emerson broke her heart.
Emerson looks at me like I’m a goddess, like I’m water, and he’s been roaming in the desert for a thousand years in search of just one drop. Like it takes everything in him not to devour me right there where I stand.
The relationship between Juliet and Emerson was an intense one. They made plans, four years ago, only for Emerson to suddenly call it all off. Juliet was beyond broken. She’s suffered from deep depression and panic attacks. Years of therapy and medication slowly brought her back to a life. She’s got a wonderful and supportive boyfriend in Daniel, and she’ll be graduating soon, though her career choice wasn’t her first choice. She headed for a safe life, the one she’s worked really hard for; she never wants to go through the heartache she felt that summer.
But what happens when she runs into Emerson, because lets face it, you know it inevitable. How will Emerson react to her return? How will Juliet react?
“You’re mine,” he says again fiercely. “Not his, not anyone else’s. You can try and pretend you don’t feel it, but you do. You’ll always be mine.” ~ Emerson
Emerson is in utter turmoil upon running into Juliet. There’s no doubt that these two still have strong chemistry, but the way Emerson treats her at their initial meeting was cold and cruel. I seriously wanted to smack the smirk off his face. Why is he so cold to her when it was he who broke it off? This question was the biggest issue in the whole story. I hated wondering about it and thus, couldn’t stop reading until I found out. Emerson loves her, still does apparently. He was a hard guy to like, initially, but he slowly grew on me. As for Juliet, I felt for her. You can tell by the first few chapters that she is just one hot mess. The meds, the panic attacks: I was very sympathetic for her. As for the cheating…well, don’t worry, it wasn’t as bad I thought it would be. She handled it very well. But what of Juliet and Emerson, will they take a second chance?
I really enjoyed this story: The possessiveness of Emerson, the chemistry between him and Juliet – it was hard to walk away from their story. Like I said, by the time it all ended, I was an emotional wreck…happy, but still a wreck. Definitely recommend :)
Pretending like the past never happened is a recipe for disaster.
Towards the end of this book, I started thinking….Oh my, God. This totally reminds me of The Notebook! Don’t worry folks, it doesn’t really end like that, but as I look back, it totally was just like the movie…well, not all of it per se, but it did have a lot of similarities: Young summer love, that all consuming-can’t-live-without-you type ending in heartbreak, the mother who frowned upon the relationship, the safe-sweet-third-person-boyfriend who just couldn’t take the place of her first love, and of course, the scorching kiss in the rain. Just look at the picture above…isn’t it gorgeous? Honestly, I read this book fast. I couldn’t put it down.
There are two kinds of love in this world: The steady breeze, and the hurricane.
The steady breeze is slow and patient. You can count on a breeze, steady and sure and true.
But there’s nothing steady about a hurricane. It’s wild and breathless and all consuming.
Emerson Ray was my hurricane.
Juliet is headed back to Cedar Cove to pack up her family’s summer home and get it ready to sell. Going back to Cedar Cove is the last thing Juliet wants to do. She swore that she would never set foot to this place ever again. It brings nothing but heartache. Four years ago, not only did she have to deal with the death of her mother, but on the same day of her funeral, when she thought her heart couldn’t shatter even more, Emerson broke her heart.
Emerson looks at me like I’m a goddess, like I’m water, and he’s been roaming in the desert for a thousand years in search of just one drop. Like it takes everything in him not to devour me right there where I stand.
The relationship between Juliet and Emerson was an intense one. They made plans, four years ago, only for Emerson to suddenly call it all off. Juliet was beyond broken. She’s suffered from deep depression and panic attacks. Years of therapy and medication slowly brought her back to a life. She’s got a wonderful and supportive boyfriend in Daniel, and she’ll be graduating soon, though her career choice wasn’t her first choice. She headed for a safe life, the one she’s worked really hard for; she never wants to go through the heartache she felt that summer.
But what happens when she runs into Emerson, because lets face it, you know it inevitable. How will Emerson react to her return? How will Juliet react?
“You’re mine,” he says again fiercely. “Not his, not anyone else’s. You can try and pretend you don’t feel it, but you do. You’ll always be mine.” ~ Emerson
Emerson is in utter turmoil upon running into Juliet. There’s no doubt that these two still have strong chemistry, but the way Emerson treats her at their initial meeting was cold and cruel. I seriously wanted to smack the smirk off his face. Why is he so cold to her when it was he who broke it off? This question was the biggest issue in the whole story. I hated wondering about it and thus, couldn’t stop reading until I found out. Emerson loves her, still does apparently. He was a hard guy to like, initially, but he slowly grew on me. As for Juliet, I felt for her. You can tell by the first few chapters that she is just one hot mess. The meds, the panic attacks: I was very sympathetic for her. As for the cheating…well, don’t worry, it wasn’t as bad I thought it would be. She handled it very well. But what of Juliet and Emerson, will they take a second chance?
I really enjoyed this story: The possessiveness of Emerson, the chemistry between him and Juliet – it was hard to walk away from their story. Like I said, by the time it all ended, I was an emotional wreck…happy, but still a wreck. Definitely recommend :)
March 27, 2017
Unbroken (BB 01), by Melody Grace: 2 “STILL Annoyed” Stars.
Want to know why, Unbroken (Beachwood Bay 01), by Melody Grace annoyed me? Read my review of Untouched (Beachwood Bay 00). Here’s a link: Click Me Baby
For information about my rating system, see my profile page.
Want to know why, Unbroken (Beachwood Bay 01), by Melody Grace annoyed me? Read my review of Untouched (Beachwood Bay 00). Here’s a link: Click Me Baby
For information about my rating system, see my profile page.
Want to read
February 19, 2013"Mom always told me there are two kinds of love in this world: the steady breeze, and the hurricane. Emerson Ray was my hurricane…"
This sounds promising.... *Grins*
March 13, 2013
2.5 Stars!
Did I read the same book as everyone else? This one just did not work for me.
The story was all over the place, the writing was too descriptive making the story drag, the dialogue was cheesy at times (especially the internal dialogue) and I felt no connection to the characters or the story.
So many pieces didn't add up. There was one flashback where we got a small piece of the past--when Emerson and Jules meet. But then no other flashbacks. I would have liked to have gotten more story of the relationship between Jules and Emerson--but we don't get anything.
The story starts with Jules returning to Cedar Cove--and as soon as she sees Emerson it's like they didn't just spend the last 4 years apart. It's like "what boyfriend? what life?" And then their time together was rushed....they sleep together one time and then he leaves Jules again....after he's taken her out on a date.
Jules acted like Emerson pushed her away and Emerson acted like Jules just left town. When you find out what actually went down I was shocked at how cruel Emerson was--despite the motives behind it.
I don't know--it was all a hot mess for me. Too much was left under-developed. The panic attacks, the history with Emerson, her mom's cancer, everything. It was all over the place. I can't even put it in to words.
I don't think I will be continuing on with this series.
Did I read the same book as everyone else? This one just did not work for me.
The story was all over the place, the writing was too descriptive making the story drag, the dialogue was cheesy at times (especially the internal dialogue) and I felt no connection to the characters or the story.
So many pieces didn't add up. There was one flashback where we got a small piece of the past--when Emerson and Jules meet. But then no other flashbacks. I would have liked to have gotten more story of the relationship between Jules and Emerson--but we don't get anything.
The story starts with Jules returning to Cedar Cove--and as soon as she sees Emerson it's like they didn't just spend the last 4 years apart. It's like "what boyfriend? what life?" And then their time together was rushed....they sleep together one time and then he leaves Jules again....after he's taken her out on a date.
Jules acted like Emerson pushed her away and Emerson acted like Jules just left town. When you find out what actually went down I was shocked at how cruel Emerson was--despite the motives behind it.
I don't know--it was all a hot mess for me. Too much was left under-developed. The panic attacks, the history with Emerson, her mom's cancer, everything. It was all over the place. I can't even put it in to words.
I don't think I will be continuing on with this series.
February 9, 2017
1 star - I did not like it. Like at all.
It's been a while since I rated a book with only 1 star. I really can't remember the last book that disappointed me so much.
I struggled a lot while reading it and I almost DNF it. My mother-in-law recommended it to me and I had high hopes I'll enjoy it. Thank God it was free on Amazon because I would have been sorry otherwise.
I can't even find words to describe how much I didn't like it. It's hard. Really.
So, the story dragged for too much, from the very beginning to the long-awaited ending we get to pity Juliet. This book is so FULL of angst and Juliet feels only pain and disappointment, when she's not busy about fantasizing about her first big love. She never got over him and now she gets another chance to see him again. Even if she went to college and met a good, sweet guy, Daniel, she still suffers from the biggest disappointment: he ended things and broke her heart. Like really bad.
I found SO many cheesy scenes. I rolled my eyes A LOT while reading it because I really couldn't connect to Juliet's thoughts, or actions. We get only her POV, some scenes from the past, 4 years ago actually. Oh and some of the dialogues got me really bored.
I kept on reading because I still hoped something will happen to rise my interest, but it only got worse, with all her panic attacks, her crying that never ended AND the "big surprise", which was not so big and not even close of making me understand, or forgive Emerson...
I'm really sorry for not being able to find at least one good thing about it. Maybe some of the hot scenes, but they were only a few, and felt too rushed and happening at a wrong time. They didn't really got a chance to speak their minds OR at least try to mend things.
I can't remember the last time I felt such a HUGE relief after finishing a book or sticking with a story that was definitely not my cup of tea.
It's been a while since I rated a book with only 1 star. I really can't remember the last book that disappointed me so much.
I struggled a lot while reading it and I almost DNF it. My mother-in-law recommended it to me and I had high hopes I'll enjoy it. Thank God it was free on Amazon because I would have been sorry otherwise.
I can't even find words to describe how much I didn't like it. It's hard. Really.
So, the story dragged for too much, from the very beginning to the long-awaited ending we get to pity Juliet. This book is so FULL of angst and Juliet feels only pain and disappointment, when she's not busy about fantasizing about her first big love. She never got over him and now she gets another chance to see him again. Even if she went to college and met a good, sweet guy, Daniel, she still suffers from the biggest disappointment: he ended things and broke her heart. Like really bad.
I found SO many cheesy scenes. I rolled my eyes A LOT while reading it because I really couldn't connect to Juliet's thoughts, or actions. We get only her POV, some scenes from the past, 4 years ago actually. Oh and some of the dialogues got me really bored.
I kept on reading because I still hoped something will happen to rise my interest, but it only got worse, with all her panic attacks, her crying that never ended AND the "big surprise", which was not so big and not even close of making me understand, or forgive Emerson...
I'm really sorry for not being able to find at least one good thing about it. Maybe some of the hot scenes, but they were only a few, and felt too rushed and happening at a wrong time. They didn't really got a chance to speak their minds OR at least try to mend things.
I can't remember the last time I felt such a HUGE relief after finishing a book or sticking with a story that was definitely not my cup of tea.
Want to read
February 19, 2013
This sounds really good and angsty! I don't like the cover though.. the guy on there does not look like a bad boy--like the blurb describes him. This book definitly needs another guy on the front...this guy looks wimpy.
September 4, 2019
It was a cute fluffy story that kind of bored me a little bit.
Unbroken is about the love story of Emerson and Jules. A little bit like Romeo and Juliet, since people try to split them away from one another. Yet, these two found a way back to each other. It was sweet to see them getting their happily ever after but I wondered if the drama was too much to begin with?
Maybe it's me.. or maybe it was work (because that is where I was listening to the audiobook) but I didn't really feel anything towards these two. They were okay characters that didn't really end up surprising me or anything. In some ways, the things that happened to them were a bit predictable. Doesn't mean that I enjoyed listening to some background noise yesterday - because I did. I really truly did (work was so boring).
Other than that, I enjoyed the twists and turns but it was still just an okay book for me. I might carry on to the next book of this series - I might not.
Unbroken is about the love story of Emerson and Jules. A little bit like Romeo and Juliet, since people try to split them away from one another. Yet, these two found a way back to each other. It was sweet to see them getting their happily ever after but I wondered if the drama was too much to begin with?
Maybe it's me.. or maybe it was work (because that is where I was listening to the audiobook) but I didn't really feel anything towards these two. They were okay characters that didn't really end up surprising me or anything. In some ways, the things that happened to them were a bit predictable. Doesn't mean that I enjoyed listening to some background noise yesterday - because I did. I really truly did (work was so boring).
Other than that, I enjoyed the twists and turns but it was still just an okay book for me. I might carry on to the next book of this series - I might not.
Want to read
March 12, 2013
I like the sound of this one!!
"Mom always told me there are two kinds of love in this world: the steady breeze, and the hurricane. Emerson Ray was my hurricane…"
BLURB --> Juliet McKenzie was an innocent eighteen-year old when she spent the summer in Cedar Cove—and fell head over heels in love with Emerson. Complicated, intense Emerson, the local bad boy. His blue eyes hid dark secrets, and just one touch could set Juliet ablaze. Their love was demanding and all-consuming, but when summer ended, tragedy tore them apart. Juliet swore she’d never go back, and she’s kept that promise… Until now.
Four years later, Juliet’s done her best to rebuild the wreckage of her shattered life. She’s got a great boyfriend, and a steady job planned after she graduates. Returning to Cedar Cove to pack up her family’s beach house to prepare it for sale, Juliet is determined that nothing will stand in the way of her future. But one look from Emerson, and all her old desire comes flooding back. He let her go once, but this time, he’s not giving up without a fight. And Emerson fights dirty.
A heartbreaking history. An unstoppable passion. Torn between her past and future, Juliet struggles to separate love from desire. But will they find a way to overcome their tragic secrets—together? And after so much damage has been done, can a love remain unbroken?
*This book contains adult situations and explicit content.*
March 13, 2013
3 stars
Four years ago, the end of summer changed everything, Juliet lost the two people she loved most, the only difference is one is still alive and haunts her till this day; she has to go back to Cedar Cove, to the house full of memories and hopefully put it all behind her. ”Emerson Ray was my hurricane,” and now she has the love of Daniel, her steady breeze.
The problem is as soon as she crosses the town border, it all comes back to her, every memory, every touch and all the feelings she’s worked so hard to hide. Like a storm brewing Juliet and Emerson, each trying to push the other away, to make them hurt as much as they hurt, until that line between love and hate is blurred and they’re back to where they began.
Juliet knows she can’t find closure with Emerson, until she ends it with Daniel. She is tired of hiding, and keeping her real self-hidden, pretending that the life she has now is what she wants, and not what she dreamed. She knows the only person who never judged her and understood her is Emerson
No matter how complete they make each other feel, history has a way of repeating itself and Juliet finds herself in tears
For me, this started off real good, I was hooked from the first page, but I started to lose interest. It could be because I’ve been reading so many other books with broken people and pasts that their story wasn’t as f’d up as I expected it to be. I wasn’t so sure about the characters, Emerson was an asshole, even though he had his reasons, it didn’t make up for it in his case. Juliet wasn’t as strong of a female lead as I usually like, her best friend Lacey I wanted to smack, and Daniel was too damn nice.
This was a total impulse buy and I’d liked it enough, don’t regret buying it, but I guess I may have hyped it up in my head more than I should. The version I got repeated the last chapter at the end, which confused the hell out of me, thinking the book was done, only to reread the same chapter, and after a couple pages, I realized it was a duplicate, but still skimmed through it just in case I missed something.
”My mom always said , there are two kinds of love in this world, the steady breeze, and the hurricane.”
Four years ago, the end of summer changed everything, Juliet lost the two people she loved most, the only difference is one is still alive and haunts her till this day; she has to go back to Cedar Cove, to the house full of memories and hopefully put it all behind her. ”Emerson Ray was my hurricane,” and now she has the love of Daniel, her steady breeze.
”I was done with reckless, I wanted safe and sure and true. Emerson made sure of that.”
The problem is as soon as she crosses the town border, it all comes back to her, every memory, every touch and all the feelings she’s worked so hard to hide. Like a storm brewing Juliet and Emerson, each trying to push the other away, to make them hurt as much as they hurt, until that line between love and hate is blurred and they’re back to where they began.
”You’re mine, he says again fiercely. “Not his, not anyone else’s. You can try and pretend you don’t feel it, but you do. You’ll always be mine.”
Juliet knows she can’t find closure with Emerson, until she ends it with Daniel. She is tired of hiding, and keeping her real self-hidden, pretending that the life she has now is what she wants, and not what she dreamed. She knows the only person who never judged her and understood her is Emerson
”…he sees my soul; raw and damaged, and wanting. And he loves me all the same.”
No matter how complete they make each other feel, history has a way of repeating itself and Juliet finds herself in tears
”Tell me how you feel, for real this time. No lies!”
For me, this started off real good, I was hooked from the first page, but I started to lose interest. It could be because I’ve been reading so many other books with broken people and pasts that their story wasn’t as f’d up as I expected it to be. I wasn’t so sure about the characters, Emerson was an asshole, even though he had his reasons, it didn’t make up for it in his case. Juliet wasn’t as strong of a female lead as I usually like, her best friend Lacey I wanted to smack, and Daniel was too damn nice.
This was a total impulse buy and I’d liked it enough, don’t regret buying it, but I guess I may have hyped it up in my head more than I should. The version I got repeated the last chapter at the end, which confused the hell out of me, thinking the book was done, only to reread the same chapter, and after a couple pages, I realized it was a duplicate, but still skimmed through it just in case I missed something.
March 7, 2013
This blew me away. The intensity, the romance, and hot hot Emerson. And I loved Juliet's raw honesty, her intelligence, and the the big reveal at the end. WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT!
I only hope there is more to come. I want to know what happens next with them.
I only hope there is more to come. I want to know what happens next with them.
March 21, 2013
Edit 22/3/2013: This book hit the USA Today Best Seller!!! so deserving!
"This is what they write stories about, I realize, as if from far away. All those books and movies and poems I've read, this is what they all were preparing me for, the day when a strange man smiles at me, and makes me forget who I am."
Ok you know those books where your heart breaks and I mean really breaks where every word you read breaks your heart a bit more and you actually stopped breathing and didn't realise until you had to turn to the next page, well this was one of those for me and I can only count on 1 hand how many books have done that to me and I love every second of them!!!
I never usually write reviews because im just not that great with words but when I get totally surprised by books that I LOVE i just can't keep my mouth shut. So Jules has a summer romance with Emerson but he breaks her heart and when you realise when he does it you will realise why she is so devastated about it. But 4 years later she has to go back to the town where her family's summer house is, to pack up the things as they are going to sell the house, but she runs into Emerson and one look and she is a goner (poor Jules) but he's always holding back you can tell through the book because he isn't the typical hero who says things that make you swoon really for the whole book you only know he loves her through Jules memories and the way they react to eachother when they are anywwhere near eachother. Now to pinpoint what I loved about this book hmmmm gosh well Jules inner thoughts where hillarious at the beginning, and also devastating, she tried so hard poor thing just didn't realise how deep she was in it until it was too late and the secret! OMG that made the whole book because you knew there was something and it made all the moments have so much suspense but then when it didn't go the way you thought it would I had to think to myself is that real is that really what's going on. But I could go on forever and never do it justice just read this book and you will see.
This is also a HEA!
"This is what they write stories about, I realize, as if from far away. All those books and movies and poems I've read, this is what they all were preparing me for, the day when a strange man smiles at me, and makes me forget who I am."
Ok you know those books where your heart breaks and I mean really breaks where every word you read breaks your heart a bit more and you actually stopped breathing and didn't realise until you had to turn to the next page, well this was one of those for me and I can only count on 1 hand how many books have done that to me and I love every second of them!!!
I never usually write reviews because im just not that great with words but when I get totally surprised by books that I LOVE i just can't keep my mouth shut. So Jules has a summer romance with Emerson but he breaks her heart and when you realise when he does it you will realise why she is so devastated about it. But 4 years later she has to go back to the town where her family's summer house is, to pack up the things as they are going to sell the house, but she runs into Emerson and one look and she is a goner (poor Jules) but he's always holding back you can tell through the book because he isn't the typical hero who says things that make you swoon really for the whole book you only know he loves her through Jules memories and the way they react to eachother when they are anywwhere near eachother. Now to pinpoint what I loved about this book hmmmm gosh well Jules inner thoughts where hillarious at the beginning, and also devastating, she tried so hard poor thing just didn't realise how deep she was in it until it was too late and the secret! OMG that made the whole book because you knew there was something and it made all the moments have so much suspense but then when it didn't go the way you thought it would I had to think to myself is that real is that really what's going on. But I could go on forever and never do it justice just read this book and you will see.
This is also a HEA!
March 13, 2013
I have to say I reallllly enjoyed this book it was extremely well written and not too much angst which is great when you just want a break from some of these crazy town books haha I really enjoyed Juliet and Emerson's story but I would have definitely like more of a look in their past I didn't feel like I got to experience there serious desperate love for each other because I was missing their whole past! I definitely felt how in love they were now but I would have loved to see how it began and how it progressed in the short months they were together! Also an epilogue would be great too because I'm a sucker for amazing futures lmao idk epilogues to me make the story complete like when you have an epilogue I feel if I think back on this story 10 years from now ill be like awe these characters are still together I know super corny hahaha But even so I truly enjoyed this book it was very good and kept me turning those pages! So amazing job to melody grace! & hey if you ever want to throw us a novella with there past I'd be more than happy to read it ... Just saying hahah :) everybody should go read this story ... Ready set NOW
March 19, 2013
4.5 Stars
Unbroken was such a good love story full of passion. Let me just say I need to find me an Emerson, that man is so passionate that he made me weak in the knees.
“You’re mine,” he says again fiercely. “Not his, not anyone else’s. You can try and pretend you don’t feel it, but you do. You’ll always be mine.” He eyes burn into mine demanding, and I know with a terrible clarity, that it’s true.
At just 18 Juliet falls fast and hard for Emerson. They spend a summer together so in love with each other. They are each other’s world, until everything is ripped away from them. 4 years has passed before Juliet and Emerson’s paths cross again. Their passion for each ignites but can it last.
“You’re my hurricane, Emerson Ray. I’ll always be yours.”
Unbroken was a fast read that never has a slow moment. I want more from Juliet and Emerson and the rest of the people we met at Cedar Cove.
Unbroken was such a good love story full of passion. Let me just say I need to find me an Emerson, that man is so passionate that he made me weak in the knees.
“You’re mine,” he says again fiercely. “Not his, not anyone else’s. You can try and pretend you don’t feel it, but you do. You’ll always be mine.” He eyes burn into mine demanding, and I know with a terrible clarity, that it’s true.
At just 18 Juliet falls fast and hard for Emerson. They spend a summer together so in love with each other. They are each other’s world, until everything is ripped away from them. 4 years has passed before Juliet and Emerson’s paths cross again. Their passion for each ignites but can it last.
“You’re my hurricane, Emerson Ray. I’ll always be yours.”
Unbroken was a fast read that never has a slow moment. I want more from Juliet and Emerson and the rest of the people we met at Cedar Cove.
March 14, 2013
2.5 stars. The heroine rambled. A lot. It was too predictable and how can someone be so friendly getting dumped.
March 13, 2013
So excited I got an ARC of this! Amazing characters and a wonderful story! A must read for all! Add it to your TBR now! :-)
January 3, 2015
*ARC given to blog for honest review*
5 “heart-stopping, life-changing, all-consuming” Kisses! (trust me, that will make sense after you read it!)
I am a happy happy girl right now. Why, might you ask? Oh that’s because I’ve just finished an awesome, rock your socks off, love it to the very last click of my kindle book. Unbroken is Melody Grace’s debut novel, part of the Beachwood Bay series – and I am ALL kinds of giddy about the upcoming books.
Yes…yes I am smiling :-) BIG time…
So, let���s dive into Juliet McKenzie and Emerson Ray. If I had to pick one word to describe them, it would be passion. Passion that knows no bounds. Passion that drives them in SO many ways. They’re just magnetic and you cannot deny that kind of force…and booooooy did I love every minute of that passion.
What else did I like about this story…the flashes of the past, giving you a taste of what happened but always leaving you wanting more. I had that yearning for information, I craved their story, the desire to understand them and what happened to them – almost to the point of frustration, but a good frustration!
Jules is 18 when she meets Emerson, the love of her life. He ruined her for anyone else and although she has a boyfriend (Daniel), she’s not really herself with him. She keeps a part of herself hidden, a part that only Emerson has seen and a part that she’s afraid to show Daniel for fear he won’t love her and accept her regardless. Daniel is who she “should” be with, but unfortunately not who she wants. Her family is anything but perfect, which is another aspect that she’s afraid Daniel won’t understand (and he doesn’t!) – her mom passed away the same summer she met Emerson, her dad is a drunk, failed writer and her sister is shallow with a side of gold digger.
“…and we could all finally stop acting like we were anything more than distant strangers living under the same roof, trying like hell to pretend to the world that everything was OK. Not that we don’t have practice. After all, pretending is what my family does best.”
I loved Jules…she’s damaged, better yet scarred, from what happened to her 4 years ago but she is still a very strong woman. She has a lot of walls built up to protect herself and rightfully so, having your world crushed down around you all in the span of one day would do that to anyone. Emerson is really her only weakness…and I can’t fault her for that, that boy is a force all on his own.
“I guess you never really know the danger, not until you’re the one left, huddled on the ground, surrounded by the pieces of your broken heart.”
Damaged though she may be, she’s still got spunk. I really felt a connection with her, she was very relatable and I never once was frustrated, mad or angry with anything she did – which is really a breath of fresh air for a heroine. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and do what she wants to do.
“Yeah, well I didn’t exactly have time, what with you pummeling a guy, pretending like you were going to make out with me, then judging every one of my life choices.”
Emerson is…a bad boy doing all the right things. He stepped up to take care of his younger siblings since his dad isn’t in the picture and his mom is…not fit to be a mom. He’s grown up a lot in 4 years, in all the right ways, making it that much more difficult for Jules to even try and deny that she still has feelings for him. He’s all tall and muscley and hot…how can you say no to that? Especially when you fell head over heels ages ago…she was done for before she ever stepped foot in Cedar Cove.
“Emerson. I don’t even turn right away, but I know he’s here, somewhere. I can’t explain it, but it’s like my body has a special radar, just for him. I would know him in a hurricane, in a snow-storm, if I was deaf and blind. My body knows him by heart.”
Thru the good, the bad and the ugly, their past, the desire, their connection never goes away. God, how awesome is that? Four years and even thru the pain of all those memories, they still see thru to the best parts of the special relationship they had. It makes me want to cry just thinking about it!
“But the worst part, I realize suddenly, is that however awkward and painful and miserable these last few minutes with him have been, I can’t bear for them to end. It’s fucked-up, I know, but being around Emerson, however painful, is better than not being with him at all. Never being around him again.”
I will give Miss. Grace credit, she tries to make you doubt Emerson, I never did. Believe me, there were times when I sat back and wondered…questioned….considered, but there is no way I was going to give up on that boy. He is just all kinds of perfect rolled up into a hot, lip smacking package of yumminess, and I was THRILLED to bits when Jules finally saw the light.
“Emerson looks at me like I’m a goddess, like I’m water, and he’s been roaming in the desert for a thousand years in search of just one drop. Like it takes everything in him not to devour me right there where I stand. Like he sees my soul: raw, and damaged, and wanting. And he loves me all the same.”
Good grief, where can I order an Emerson? I fell for him…hard, can’t quite tell you when or why, but it was a lot of all the right things put in this delicious combination and then next thing I knew, I couldn’t get enough. Oh and have I mentioned the über swoony lines that just flow out of his mouth…that’s just the icing on the sheer perfection that is Emerson Ray.
“I’m going to love you forever, Juliet McKenzie. And I’m going to spend every day proving you’re the only one.”
“Don’t ever think I don’t want you….I always want you Jules. Even when I hated you, even when I wished I’d never see your face again, I still lost my mind thinking all the things I’d do to you, if you came back….I’ll always want you, Juliet. It’ll be the fucking death of me, but I won’t ever stop.”
So back to Jules and seeing the light, finally
The things that still come back to me now are all the little details about them…how she has a blue jay tattoo on her right shoulder blade…
“A lasting reminder of all my dumb, fucked-up choices, and the road I swore I’d never take again.”
…and the fact that he named his boat after his pet name for her…Jaybird
Emerson coughs. “Well, I figured it suited her.” He gives me a devilish grin. “She was a stubborn bitch, but once I got my hands on her, she fell into line.”
Yeah…and surprisingly I didn’t want to smack him after I read that line…I actually found it endearing. Don’t ask, that cocky ‘I’m an ass hole with a heart of gold’ shit really gets me sometimes. Oh and what really gets me? The sexy, dominate cave man talk…and Emerson has that down to a “T”…
“You’re mine.” He growls, his breath hot against my face. My legs give way, and he holds me up, gripping my jaw so I have no choice but to stare up into his eyes. To lose myself in them. “You’re mine,” he says again fiercely. “Not his, not anyone else’s. You can try and pretend you don’t feel it, but you do. You’ll always be mine.”
Sounds like a plan to me – always yours Emerson, I promise ;-) So…as with most of the stories I love, they like to torture me and just because Jules saw the light, doesn’t mean she got to stay there. Remember how I mentioned the good frustration – cue that part right about now!
I ask for it…I know I do…and in the end I love it, but trust me…that is what I was doing internally…the entire time. Another thing I will reiterate – I. Never. Doubted. Emerson. :-) That’s all I’m sayin…that and of course you get your HEA and it’s sooooooooooooo good. Worth every torture sucking, pull your hair out frustrating page. All your questions get answered and it makes their ending so beautiful and so worth it.
So…this is a series…have I mentioned before I Love, Love, LOVE series. SO much. I get emotionally attached to characters…cause that’s how I roll, and I hate saying goodbye, so stretch out for as long as you want, you’ll never hear me complain. But I digress. NOW…do I want more of Juliet and Emerson…ummm….that would be a big fat YES PLEASE! But…I also want Lacey’s story. Lacey is Juliet’s best friend – loved her – but I didn’t get as much of her as I would have liked, which leads me to hope, pray and believe that we might get Lacey’s story in the near future, which would be a whole heaping load of awesomeness if you ask me.
I applaud Melody for a fantastic book, she’s got me hooked and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
5 “heart-stopping, life-changing, all-consuming” Kisses! (trust me, that will make sense after you read it!)
I am a happy happy girl right now. Why, might you ask? Oh that’s because I’ve just finished an awesome, rock your socks off, love it to the very last click of my kindle book. Unbroken is Melody Grace’s debut novel, part of the Beachwood Bay series – and I am ALL kinds of giddy about the upcoming books.
Yes…yes I am smiling :-) BIG time…
So, let���s dive into Juliet McKenzie and Emerson Ray. If I had to pick one word to describe them, it would be passion. Passion that knows no bounds. Passion that drives them in SO many ways. They’re just magnetic and you cannot deny that kind of force…and booooooy did I love every minute of that passion.
What else did I like about this story…the flashes of the past, giving you a taste of what happened but always leaving you wanting more. I had that yearning for information, I craved their story, the desire to understand them and what happened to them – almost to the point of frustration, but a good frustration!
Jules is 18 when she meets Emerson, the love of her life. He ruined her for anyone else and although she has a boyfriend (Daniel), she’s not really herself with him. She keeps a part of herself hidden, a part that only Emerson has seen and a part that she’s afraid to show Daniel for fear he won’t love her and accept her regardless. Daniel is who she “should” be with, but unfortunately not who she wants. Her family is anything but perfect, which is another aspect that she’s afraid Daniel won’t understand (and he doesn’t!) – her mom passed away the same summer she met Emerson, her dad is a drunk, failed writer and her sister is shallow with a side of gold digger.
“…and we could all finally stop acting like we were anything more than distant strangers living under the same roof, trying like hell to pretend to the world that everything was OK. Not that we don’t have practice. After all, pretending is what my family does best.”
I loved Jules…she’s damaged, better yet scarred, from what happened to her 4 years ago but she is still a very strong woman. She has a lot of walls built up to protect herself and rightfully so, having your world crushed down around you all in the span of one day would do that to anyone. Emerson is really her only weakness…and I can’t fault her for that, that boy is a force all on his own.
“I guess you never really know the danger, not until you’re the one left, huddled on the ground, surrounded by the pieces of your broken heart.”
Damaged though she may be, she’s still got spunk. I really felt a connection with her, she was very relatable and I never once was frustrated, mad or angry with anything she did – which is really a breath of fresh air for a heroine. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and do what she wants to do.
“Yeah, well I didn’t exactly have time, what with you pummeling a guy, pretending like you were going to make out with me, then judging every one of my life choices.”
Emerson is…a bad boy doing all the right things. He stepped up to take care of his younger siblings since his dad isn’t in the picture and his mom is…not fit to be a mom. He’s grown up a lot in 4 years, in all the right ways, making it that much more difficult for Jules to even try and deny that she still has feelings for him. He’s all tall and muscley and hot…how can you say no to that? Especially when you fell head over heels ages ago…she was done for before she ever stepped foot in Cedar Cove.
“Emerson. I don’t even turn right away, but I know he’s here, somewhere. I can’t explain it, but it’s like my body has a special radar, just for him. I would know him in a hurricane, in a snow-storm, if I was deaf and blind. My body knows him by heart.”
Thru the good, the bad and the ugly, their past, the desire, their connection never goes away. God, how awesome is that? Four years and even thru the pain of all those memories, they still see thru to the best parts of the special relationship they had. It makes me want to cry just thinking about it!
“But the worst part, I realize suddenly, is that however awkward and painful and miserable these last few minutes with him have been, I can’t bear for them to end. It’s fucked-up, I know, but being around Emerson, however painful, is better than not being with him at all. Never being around him again.”
I will give Miss. Grace credit, she tries to make you doubt Emerson, I never did. Believe me, there were times when I sat back and wondered…questioned….considered, but there is no way I was going to give up on that boy. He is just all kinds of perfect rolled up into a hot, lip smacking package of yumminess, and I was THRILLED to bits when Jules finally saw the light.
“Emerson looks at me like I’m a goddess, like I’m water, and he’s been roaming in the desert for a thousand years in search of just one drop. Like it takes everything in him not to devour me right there where I stand. Like he sees my soul: raw, and damaged, and wanting. And he loves me all the same.”
Good grief, where can I order an Emerson? I fell for him…hard, can’t quite tell you when or why, but it was a lot of all the right things put in this delicious combination and then next thing I knew, I couldn’t get enough. Oh and have I mentioned the über swoony lines that just flow out of his mouth…that’s just the icing on the sheer perfection that is Emerson Ray.
“I’m going to love you forever, Juliet McKenzie. And I’m going to spend every day proving you’re the only one.”
“Don’t ever think I don’t want you….I always want you Jules. Even when I hated you, even when I wished I’d never see your face again, I still lost my mind thinking all the things I’d do to you, if you came back….I’ll always want you, Juliet. It’ll be the fucking death of me, but I won’t ever stop.”
So back to Jules and seeing the light, finally
The things that still come back to me now are all the little details about them…how she has a blue jay tattoo on her right shoulder blade…
“A lasting reminder of all my dumb, fucked-up choices, and the road I swore I’d never take again.”
…and the fact that he named his boat after his pet name for her…Jaybird
Emerson coughs. “Well, I figured it suited her.” He gives me a devilish grin. “She was a stubborn bitch, but once I got my hands on her, she fell into line.”
Yeah…and surprisingly I didn’t want to smack him after I read that line…I actually found it endearing. Don’t ask, that cocky ‘I’m an ass hole with a heart of gold’ shit really gets me sometimes. Oh and what really gets me? The sexy, dominate cave man talk…and Emerson has that down to a “T”…
“You’re mine.” He growls, his breath hot against my face. My legs give way, and he holds me up, gripping my jaw so I have no choice but to stare up into his eyes. To lose myself in them. “You’re mine,” he says again fiercely. “Not his, not anyone else’s. You can try and pretend you don’t feel it, but you do. You’ll always be mine.”
Sounds like a plan to me – always yours Emerson, I promise ;-) So…as with most of the stories I love, they like to torture me and just because Jules saw the light, doesn’t mean she got to stay there. Remember how I mentioned the good frustration – cue that part right about now!
I ask for it…I know I do…and in the end I love it, but trust me…that is what I was doing internally…the entire time. Another thing I will reiterate – I. Never. Doubted. Emerson. :-) That’s all I’m sayin…that and of course you get your HEA and it’s sooooooooooooo good. Worth every torture sucking, pull your hair out frustrating page. All your questions get answered and it makes their ending so beautiful and so worth it.
So…this is a series…have I mentioned before I Love, Love, LOVE series. SO much. I get emotionally attached to characters…cause that’s how I roll, and I hate saying goodbye, so stretch out for as long as you want, you’ll never hear me complain. But I digress. NOW…do I want more of Juliet and Emerson…ummm….that would be a big fat YES PLEASE! But…I also want Lacey’s story. Lacey is Juliet’s best friend – loved her – but I didn’t get as much of her as I would have liked, which leads me to hope, pray and believe that we might get Lacey’s story in the near future, which would be a whole heaping load of awesomeness if you ask me.
I applaud Melody for a fantastic book, she’s got me hooked and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
January 27, 2014
4.5 stars
My list of book boyfriends I wish were real has just increased by one. And I loved Emerson because he wasn't picture perfect. In fact, there were times when I thought he was the biggest d-bag ever. That was what made him full of awesome.
Juliet spent one summer falling in love with Emerson. It was the perfect three months until the end when her mother died and Emerson harshly dumped her for no apparent reason. Four years later, Juliet is slowly still trying to put the pieces of her heart back together. She's in a relationship with Daniel, and it's finally time to unload the house at Beachwood Bay. Juliet goes back to pack it up and runs into a very different Emerson. It soon becomes clear that even four years apart can't diminish the spark these two have. It can only complicate it.
Unbroken brought on the feels. I spent 90% of the time listening to it massaging the tightness in my chest and yelling into the air. Gah - I LOVE books like that! When you get so involved in the characters' lives that you get genuinely angry or frustrated at the stupid choices they make. You bawl like a baby when sad things happen. You grin like an idiot when it all works out in the end.
Juliet's and Emerson's relationship was really insta-lovey. It was very "star-crossed lovers meeting in the night." Once I got past that, though, I was totally invested in what was going on with them. It was clear from the very beginning that Juliet was living an unfulfilled life. I was sure that, even though we didn't get Emerson's POV, he was equally unhappy. The big question that seeped in through the cracks in this book was, why? Why were these two apart when they should so clearly be together? And why was Juliet with someone else?
The back story is interwoven with the story in the present as Juliet reminisces about the summer she fell in love. As the details of what went so wrong with them are slowly revealed, it does nothing but bring up more questions. If Emerson was as in love with Juliet as he seemed to be, why did he break up with her? Why was he so mean about it? And why, for the love of Mike, did he decide that the day of her mother's funeral was the best day to do it? It's no wonder Juliet was so destroyed.
On top of that, I enjoyed quite a bit of loathing on Juliet's part for her father and sister. What horrid, selfish, messed up people. There's a scene where Juliet and Daniel have dinner at her sister's house with her and their father. It was so awesomely cringe-tastic. It was in that moment when I stopped being annoyed at Juliet for making the safe choice and not going after what she really wanted. How can anyone with such an awful support system be expected to reach deep inside and make the really hard choices? I think that was the turning point for Juliet too.
Melody Grace did a fantastic job of fleshing out her characters and not revealing their secrets too quickly. The heat between Emerson and Juliet was so delicious. They were amazing together. The audio version was very well done, too. I would definitely look for the next book in the series in audio format.
Loving the bookish feels the way I do, it turns out that Unbroken was the perfect book for me. It had just the right amount of secrets, angst and sexual tension. And, of course an HEA.
My list of book boyfriends I wish were real has just increased by one. And I loved Emerson because he wasn't picture perfect. In fact, there were times when I thought he was the biggest d-bag ever. That was what made him full of awesome.
Juliet spent one summer falling in love with Emerson. It was the perfect three months until the end when her mother died and Emerson harshly dumped her for no apparent reason. Four years later, Juliet is slowly still trying to put the pieces of her heart back together. She's in a relationship with Daniel, and it's finally time to unload the house at Beachwood Bay. Juliet goes back to pack it up and runs into a very different Emerson. It soon becomes clear that even four years apart can't diminish the spark these two have. It can only complicate it.
Unbroken brought on the feels. I spent 90% of the time listening to it massaging the tightness in my chest and yelling into the air. Gah - I LOVE books like that! When you get so involved in the characters' lives that you get genuinely angry or frustrated at the stupid choices they make. You bawl like a baby when sad things happen. You grin like an idiot when it all works out in the end.
Juliet's and Emerson's relationship was really insta-lovey. It was very "star-crossed lovers meeting in the night." Once I got past that, though, I was totally invested in what was going on with them. It was clear from the very beginning that Juliet was living an unfulfilled life. I was sure that, even though we didn't get Emerson's POV, he was equally unhappy. The big question that seeped in through the cracks in this book was, why? Why were these two apart when they should so clearly be together? And why was Juliet with someone else?
The back story is interwoven with the story in the present as Juliet reminisces about the summer she fell in love. As the details of what went so wrong with them are slowly revealed, it does nothing but bring up more questions. If Emerson was as in love with Juliet as he seemed to be, why did he break up with her? Why was he so mean about it? And why, for the love of Mike, did he decide that the day of her mother's funeral was the best day to do it? It's no wonder Juliet was so destroyed.
On top of that, I enjoyed quite a bit of loathing on Juliet's part for her father and sister. What horrid, selfish, messed up people. There's a scene where Juliet and Daniel have dinner at her sister's house with her and their father. It was so awesomely cringe-tastic. It was in that moment when I stopped being annoyed at Juliet for making the safe choice and not going after what she really wanted. How can anyone with such an awful support system be expected to reach deep inside and make the really hard choices? I think that was the turning point for Juliet too.
Melody Grace did a fantastic job of fleshing out her characters and not revealing their secrets too quickly. The heat between Emerson and Juliet was so delicious. They were amazing together. The audio version was very well done, too. I would definitely look for the next book in the series in audio format.
Loving the bookish feels the way I do, it turns out that Unbroken was the perfect book for me. It had just the right amount of secrets, angst and sexual tension. And, of course an HEA.
March 24, 2013
Find this review and many more here: http://bookfixation.blogspot.com/
Direct Link: http://bookfixation.blogspot.com/2013...
I'm obsessed with New Adult books. This one is definitely one of my favorites! This book was so awesome that I literally didn't stop reading until I was finished! I even skipped my afternoon class just to finish this and now I'm more behind than I already was but I don't care because this book was just epic and I loved it and I don't regret a second of it!
4 years after she left behind Cedar Cove and the boy who broke her heart more that it already was, Juliet goes back to pack up her family's beach house. She plans to do so without encountering her ex Emerson, she doesn't want her feelings for him coming back to the surface when she has a good future and boyfriend waiting for her back home. Of course she runs into Emerson and she finds it hard to deny her feelings toward him. It's hard to get over the kind of love that Juliet and Emerson had. I loved that Juliet was a character who didn't lie (much) to herself about what she wanted; we didn't get a bunch of chapters were she is denying her feelings so that was good! Oh, and Emerson! He was a jerk sometimes but soon you find out why he was that way. But omg was he hot??! HELL YEAH! He was fu**ing perfect!
Juliet and Emerson's relationship is one of the strongest that I've ever seen! It's epic plus hot and steamy. It's so full of passion, love and so much fierceness and I found myself wanting a relationship like that! You just had to keep reading to see what those two would do next! My favorite scene was the sailboat scene :) but that scene from the last episode was one of my favorites too, with the hurricane going on, Juliet and Emerson together... <3
I really enjoyed this story and I fell in love with not only Emerson but with all the characters and the whole story! I can't wait to see how Juliet and Emerson's story started from the beginning in Melody Grace's upcoming novel Untouched coming on May 14!
Rating: 5/5
Favorite Quotes:
“Fuck it,” he swears harshly and strides back towards me. He covers the distance in a few short steps, and I barely have time to think before he grabs me, lifting me up and slamming me back against the doorframe as his lips come crashing down on mine again.
Emerson looks at me like I’m a goddess, like I’m water, and he’s been roaming in the desert for a thousand years in search of just one drop. Like it takes everything in him not to devour me right there where I stand.
“I’ll always want you, Juliet. It’ll be the fucking death of me, but I won’t ever stop.”
Because I realize now, that’s the way it works. That if you’re lucky, you might get to fall in love so hard and so deep, that it changes you. That love seeps its way into every atom and molecule in your whole being, so that even if it’s over, or the two of you are forced apart, you’ll always carry the imprint of their soul with you, steady as a heartbeat. Forever.
“This is my favorite place in the world,” Emerson’s voice is low, thick with desire. “Right here. In you.”
Direct Link: http://bookfixation.blogspot.com/2013...
I'm obsessed with New Adult books. This one is definitely one of my favorites! This book was so awesome that I literally didn't stop reading until I was finished! I even skipped my afternoon class just to finish this and now I'm more behind than I already was but I don't care because this book was just epic and I loved it and I don't regret a second of it!
4 years after she left behind Cedar Cove and the boy who broke her heart more that it already was, Juliet goes back to pack up her family's beach house. She plans to do so without encountering her ex Emerson, she doesn't want her feelings for him coming back to the surface when she has a good future and boyfriend waiting for her back home. Of course she runs into Emerson and she finds it hard to deny her feelings toward him. It's hard to get over the kind of love that Juliet and Emerson had. I loved that Juliet was a character who didn't lie (much) to herself about what she wanted; we didn't get a bunch of chapters were she is denying her feelings so that was good! Oh, and Emerson! He was a jerk sometimes but soon you find out why he was that way. But omg was he hot??! HELL YEAH! He was fu**ing perfect!
Juliet and Emerson's relationship is one of the strongest that I've ever seen! It's epic plus hot and steamy. It's so full of passion, love and so much fierceness and I found myself wanting a relationship like that! You just had to keep reading to see what those two would do next! My favorite scene was the sailboat scene :) but that scene from the last episode was one of my favorites too, with the hurricane going on, Juliet and Emerson together... <3
I really enjoyed this story and I fell in love with not only Emerson but with all the characters and the whole story! I can't wait to see how Juliet and Emerson's story started from the beginning in Melody Grace's upcoming novel Untouched coming on May 14!
Rating: 5/5
Favorite Quotes:
“Fuck it,” he swears harshly and strides back towards me. He covers the distance in a few short steps, and I barely have time to think before he grabs me, lifting me up and slamming me back against the doorframe as his lips come crashing down on mine again.
Emerson looks at me like I’m a goddess, like I’m water, and he’s been roaming in the desert for a thousand years in search of just one drop. Like it takes everything in him not to devour me right there where I stand.
“I’ll always want you, Juliet. It’ll be the fucking death of me, but I won’t ever stop.”
Because I realize now, that’s the way it works. That if you’re lucky, you might get to fall in love so hard and so deep, that it changes you. That love seeps its way into every atom and molecule in your whole being, so that even if it’s over, or the two of you are forced apart, you’ll always carry the imprint of their soul with you, steady as a heartbeat. Forever.
“This is my favorite place in the world,” Emerson’s voice is low, thick with desire. “Right here. In you.”
July 6, 2014
Favorite Quotes:
“After all, pretending is what my family does best. Dad pretends he’s not a washed up academic with one failed book to his name and a taste for vodka martinis at four p.m. My sister pretends she cares about more than landing herself a rich lawyer husband with a country club membership and a six-figure bonus. My mom pretends she doesn’t regret throwing her life away on a charming British writer, or notice his late night “advising” students at the office, and the disdain in his voice whenever he does remember to stumble home. “
“Then he smiles, a flash of something true and reckless, so darkly beautiful I feel my heart stop all over again. This is what they write stories about, I realize, as if from far away. All those books and movies and poems I’ve read, this is what they all were preparing me for, the day when a strange man smiles at me, and makes me forget who I am.”
My Review:
This is undoubtedly one of the best books I have read in ages. It was well written and finely honed, with not one wasted sentence. I was interested and transfixed throughout. From the first paragraph to the last, this story had a constant thrum of emotion that was held and sustained on each page. The emotion varied in depth and intensity, and ranged from regret, grief, and despair; to passion, lust, and finally - satisfaction. I was brought to tears several times. At the least, either melancholia or anxiety were almost nearly always present. Our heroine, Juliet, suffers from panic attacks and self-doubt, she lives with the constant tension she has endured from her family - of not measuring up, never being enough. - which has carried over into all her adult relationships. She grew up and lived in a family more concerned with appearing to be a family, than with actually trying to be one. At age 18 she finds her first love and thinks he’s, “the one,” as she finally feels relaxed and accepted, so she is doubly devastated when it ends. Running into her epic love four years later proves she hasn’t deal with it as well as she thought, but the complications provide a second chance, and some smoking hot sex scenes. Epic love is an interesting concept, second chance at romance is a favorite theme for me, and toss in lots of steam… it was perfection! Melody Grace has a new fan girl!
“After all, pretending is what my family does best. Dad pretends he’s not a washed up academic with one failed book to his name and a taste for vodka martinis at four p.m. My sister pretends she cares about more than landing herself a rich lawyer husband with a country club membership and a six-figure bonus. My mom pretends she doesn’t regret throwing her life away on a charming British writer, or notice his late night “advising” students at the office, and the disdain in his voice whenever he does remember to stumble home. “
“Then he smiles, a flash of something true and reckless, so darkly beautiful I feel my heart stop all over again. This is what they write stories about, I realize, as if from far away. All those books and movies and poems I’ve read, this is what they all were preparing me for, the day when a strange man smiles at me, and makes me forget who I am.”
My Review:
This is undoubtedly one of the best books I have read in ages. It was well written and finely honed, with not one wasted sentence. I was interested and transfixed throughout. From the first paragraph to the last, this story had a constant thrum of emotion that was held and sustained on each page. The emotion varied in depth and intensity, and ranged from regret, grief, and despair; to passion, lust, and finally - satisfaction. I was brought to tears several times. At the least, either melancholia or anxiety were almost nearly always present. Our heroine, Juliet, suffers from panic attacks and self-doubt, she lives with the constant tension she has endured from her family - of not measuring up, never being enough. - which has carried over into all her adult relationships. She grew up and lived in a family more concerned with appearing to be a family, than with actually trying to be one. At age 18 she finds her first love and thinks he’s, “the one,” as she finally feels relaxed and accepted, so she is doubly devastated when it ends. Running into her epic love four years later proves she hasn’t deal with it as well as she thought, but the complications provide a second chance, and some smoking hot sex scenes. Epic love is an interesting concept, second chance at romance is a favorite theme for me, and toss in lots of steam… it was perfection! Melody Grace has a new fan girl!
July 19, 2014
That was one intense read. Whew! I'm still reeling from it all and I loved it!
Juliet & Emerson had a past. What they had & lost four years ago almost broke Juliet. She can't go back on that road again. She'll never survive it, if she did. So what was she doing driving to Cedar Cove? She told herself she had to. Someone had to pack up their beach house in preparation for sale. No one else cared but her. Or so she told herself until she saw him again. Emerson, her hurricane.
To describe Juliet & Emerson together as tumultuous, all consuming, explosive, wild & unpredictable is an understatement.
The drama. The romance. The angst. The passion. (And this one sizzles! It's hot, hot, hot!) I loved it all.
This book was shorter than most but it was oh-so-good! And I have Trish to thank for recommending this to me. You were right, I loved it! Can't wait to read the rest of the series! Loved Juliet's friend, Lacey & Daniel, too. Liked Brit, too, but I have no love for Carina.
A great read! I highly recommended this story. I suggest reading the prequel, Untouched, to have better insight of Juliet & Emerson's past & background.
Juliet & Emerson had a past. What they had & lost four years ago almost broke Juliet. She can't go back on that road again. She'll never survive it, if she did. So what was she doing driving to Cedar Cove? She told herself she had to. Someone had to pack up their beach house in preparation for sale. No one else cared but her. Or so she told herself until she saw him again. Emerson, her hurricane.
To describe Juliet & Emerson together as tumultuous, all consuming, explosive, wild & unpredictable is an understatement.
Emerson looks at me like I’m a goddess, like I’m water, and he’s been roaming in the desert for a thousand years in search of just one drop. Like it takes everything in him not to devour me right there where I stand.
Like he sees my soul: raw, and damaged, and wanting. And he loves me all the same.
“You’re mine,” he says again fiercely. “Not his, not anyone else’s. You can try and pretend you don’t feel it, but you do. You’ll always be mine.”
“I’ll always want you, Juliet. It’ll be the fucking death of me, but I won’t ever stop.”
I can tell, he doesn’t want to feel this way, like I’m a burden he has to carry, and although part of me has felt just the same, it fills me with sadness.
Is that what we are to each other now, the curse that can’t be broken?”
The drama. The romance. The angst. The passion. (And this one sizzles! It's hot, hot, hot!) I loved it all.
This book was shorter than most but it was oh-so-good! And I have Trish to thank for recommending this to me. You were right, I loved it! Can't wait to read the rest of the series! Loved Juliet's friend, Lacey & Daniel, too. Liked Brit, too, but I have no love for Carina.
A great read! I highly recommended this story. I suggest reading the prequel, Untouched, to have better insight of Juliet & Emerson's past & background.
March 16, 2013
Well, hello,
Unbroken
! This book is a little treasure of intense love and passion. Hot passion. Yep. Mmhmm...
Emerson, Emerson, Emerson. Say it with me now, Emerson. *sigh* Oh, that man. I want to grab him and never let go. Maybe throw in a pinch or two. Okay, lick, nibble...you get the idea.
Four years should be more than enough time to get over a breakup. That isn't true if your ex was/is the love of your life. Juliet thought she had successfully sealed the doors to her memories of that amazing and wretched summer. Returning to Cedar Cove awakens everything she thought was buried. Your heart never forgets, even when your mind begs it to.
Emerson and Juliet have a unique power over each other. They consume, absorb, and ignite each other. It's pretty freaking delicious, if you ask me.
I really liked this book. It was a quick read and pretty much addicting. Yeah, I kinda knew what was going to happen, but it didn't take away from me enjoying the journey to the end. I'm so glad I read it. I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Melody Grace.
Emerson, Emerson, Emerson. Say it with me now, Emerson. *sigh* Oh, that man. I want to grab him and never let go. Maybe throw in a pinch or two. Okay, lick, nibble...you get the idea.
"Tell me 'no'."Yeah, that's not happening. What's my other option?
Four years should be more than enough time to get over a breakup. That isn't true if your ex was/is the love of your life. Juliet thought she had successfully sealed the doors to her memories of that amazing and wretched summer. Returning to Cedar Cove awakens everything she thought was buried. Your heart never forgets, even when your mind begs it to.
Emerson and Juliet have a unique power over each other. They consume, absorb, and ignite each other. It's pretty freaking delicious, if you ask me.
"You're mine. Not his, not anyone else's. You can try and pretend you don't feel it, but you do. You'll always be mine."And that's about where I completely melted into a puddle of goo.
I really liked this book. It was a quick read and pretty much addicting. Yeah, I kinda knew what was going to happen, but it didn't take away from me enjoying the journey to the end. I'm so glad I read it. I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Melody Grace.
April 3, 2013
Ok, seriously...I couldn't get enough of Emerson. I absolutely loved him! Unbroken for me was a really great read. I loved the story, but fell in love with the characters. This is Melody Grace's debut novel and I have to say I'm pretty excited to see what she comes out with next!
Juliet was a character that I could relate to. I empathized with her. She had an unstable home life and I felt like she was searching for love and affection. She found that love in wild boy Emerson. However, Emerson isn't really wild. He's the backbone of his family. His home life was also chaotic and he was left taking care of his siblings. So, just as Juliet and Emerson are enjoying their relationship, her mother dies and they break up. The break-up was Emerson's doing, but he did have his reasons. Eventually, they find their way back to each other, under less than favorable conditions. But, true love can't be lost. I loved the passion they had for each other. I was rooting for their relationship the whole time.
Overall, Unbroken was a great example of what NA books are all about. There was just the right amount of steam, angst, and romance. I definitely recommend this one and can't wait to read the next book in the series!
Juliet was a character that I could relate to. I empathized with her. She had an unstable home life and I felt like she was searching for love and affection. She found that love in wild boy Emerson. However, Emerson isn't really wild. He's the backbone of his family. His home life was also chaotic and he was left taking care of his siblings. So, just as Juliet and Emerson are enjoying their relationship, her mother dies and they break up. The break-up was Emerson's doing, but he did have his reasons. Eventually, they find their way back to each other, under less than favorable conditions. But, true love can't be lost. I loved the passion they had for each other. I was rooting for their relationship the whole time.
Overall, Unbroken was a great example of what NA books are all about. There was just the right amount of steam, angst, and romance. I definitely recommend this one and can't wait to read the next book in the series!
March 7, 2015
"Mom always told me there are two kinds of love in this world: the steady breeze and the hurricane. Emerson Ray was my hurricane..."
Juliet McKenzie first love was explosive and all consuming. But little did she know that this sweet summer fling was the summer her entire world would fall apart. Beachwood seemed like the perfect place for a family vacation, if it wasn’t for her family. Dysfunction cursed her family, and the only one she could count on would end in tragedy.
Four years later, she returns to tie up loose ends. And even though she has moved on with her life, that one loose end has haunted her forever. Emerson, her first love. Would she see him? How would she feel? How would he feel?
A riveting journey into heartache and secrets’. A very emotional ride, but well worth it. Fantastic writing, hot steamy sex, and storytelling at its best.
I have read this entire series out of order, and it has not diminished the level of writing at all, it’s clear concise and you never feel like you’re missing anything. It’s amazing, in so many way, it flows right off the paper and into my soul.
I am a total Fan-girl to this author, why? Because her talent is unbelievabl
Juliet McKenzie first love was explosive and all consuming. But little did she know that this sweet summer fling was the summer her entire world would fall apart. Beachwood seemed like the perfect place for a family vacation, if it wasn’t for her family. Dysfunction cursed her family, and the only one she could count on would end in tragedy.
Four years later, she returns to tie up loose ends. And even though she has moved on with her life, that one loose end has haunted her forever. Emerson, her first love. Would she see him? How would she feel? How would he feel?
A riveting journey into heartache and secrets’. A very emotional ride, but well worth it. Fantastic writing, hot steamy sex, and storytelling at its best.
I have read this entire series out of order, and it has not diminished the level of writing at all, it’s clear concise and you never feel like you’re missing anything. It’s amazing, in so many way, it flows right off the paper and into my soul.
I am a total Fan-girl to this author, why? Because her talent is unbelievabl
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