Broken

by Megan Hart

This month my name is Mary. My name is different every month-Brandy, Honey, Amy... sometimes Joe doesn't even bother to ask-but he never fails to arouse me with his body, his mouth, his touch, no matter what I'm called or where he picks me up.

The sex is always amazing, always leaves me itching for more in those long weeks until I see him again. My real name is Sadie, and once a month over lunch Joe tells me about his latest conquest. But what Joe doesn't know is that in my mind, I'm the star of every X-rated one-night stand he has revealed to me, or that I'm practically obsessed with our imaginary sex life.

I know it's wrong. I know my husband wouldn't understand. But I can't stop. Not yet.

"This is not a traditional romance but the story of a real and complex woman caught in a difficult situation with no easy answers...compelling, absorbing and enticing. " -Library Journal

• ISBN10: 0373605153
• ISBN13: 9780373605156
• Publish Date: 24 April 2007
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 8 February 2021
• Imprint: Spice
• Edition: Original ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[mitabird]

9/4/2020 - 3 stars

Broken was not at all what I expected. It's an emotionally draining (in a good and bad way) story about a woman named Sadie, her husband Adam, and Joe, a man she meets once a month who tells her stories of his sexual escapades. I was instantly drawn into Sadie's life and what she and her husband had to endure. I did end up skimming through some of the sex scenes; I wanted to keep reading the meat of the story. I recommend it.
4.5 stars

[Angie]

Even though it is Erotica, Broken is less about the sex and more about Sadie finding out who she is outside of being a wife and caregiver. Four years ago, her husband was in a skiing accident and became paralyzed from the neck down. He requires around the clock care, much of which Sadie does herself. She does have help for when she's at work or needs to go out. She's not completely selflessly devoted to her husband though. Every first Friday of the month she meets with Joe who tells her about one of his latest sexscapades. Sadie craves these stories, since she no longer has that physical connection at home.

I found Broken to be very interesting. It seems like whenever someone has to care for someone who is wholly dependent--whether that's an infant or an adult--the caregiver acts as if they don't ever resent the person they're caring for. Or they make others feel badly if they complain or want time to themselves. That is highly unrealistic. People have feelings, sometimes we're selfish, dedicating most of your time to someone else can be draining! Just admit it! Sadie does. It's hard on her, especially when her husband is angry with her "fussing." I don't blame her for wanting to get away for a little while. Her story was very honest. It's obvious that she does love her husband, and she doesn't mind doing for him what he can't do for himself, but who's there to take care of her?

There is a lot of sex in Broken. Almost every other chapter is one of Joe's stories, but they're from the woman's perspective and not his. This means it's actually Sadie's interpretation of the story, since she's inserting herself into them and there's no way for Joe to know what the women were thinking. I liked and disliked this. It's an interesting concept, but there was also this disconnect there and the scenes weren't very sexy. I know not all sex is sexy, but I felt like Sadie could have imagined them to be more so. I mean, she's taking these stories home to pleasure herself with! They should be sexier rather than awkward. Some of them were, but for the most part, Joe's partners were a bit off.

I did really like Broken. I completely believed Sadie's struggle with loving her husband and wanting to make things work between them, but also craving physical contact and time to herself. The ending was a bit of a cop-out though. It was also as if all of the decisions were taken out of Sadie's hands. I was glad for her on one hand, since she deserved a break. But it also felt too easy, since it was like she was let off the hook.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.