Broken (Sins of Our Fathers, #1)

by Emma Luna

[glowstars]

At the start, the book gives off major Beauty and the Beast type vibes. This amused me because the week before I was beta-ing (is that even a word?) Emma’s actual Beauty and the Beast retelling. Despite knowing that something’s not quite right, Ava agrees to marry Grant in order to save her father. But, only hours after doing so, she falls for Ryder, Grant’s security advisor and closest friend. The story could turn into an epic love triangle but instead follows a shockingly dark path.

Ava has smarts, particularly as she’s grown up on the wrong side of town. That said, she can’t entirely see through the façade Grant presents at the beginning of the story. In fact, considering how clever she can be, it takes her far too long to realise what’s happening around her. Or maybe her love for and desire to save her father from death is enough to let her denial take over? That said, there’s a huge well of strength hidden behind her “I don’t give a damn and I will not bend or be broken” attitude.

Grant is a vile excuse for a human being. He’s spoilt and more cold and calculating than the people around him could ever believe. But, at the same time, he’s strangely concerned about the state of his soul and whether, in the end, it will be redeemable. Years of abuse and manipulation by his father have skewed his notion of the values of right and wrong, so much so that he’s consumed by ideas of punishment and revenge.

My feelings on Ryder are all over the place. He gives off an “I can save the world and I’m part of a bigger plan” vibe but at the same time manages to seem weak. He continues to fail to save Ava from her impossible predicament, allowing his dedication to his job, his father, and future plans to overshadow his humanity. It makes sense when you read the final few chapters of the book, but I’m not sure that’s enough to redeem him in my eyes. We shall have to see how he behaves in the sequel.

The story is incredibly painful to read at times. Grant’s every interaction with Ava is designed to break her and, in some respects, it would have been an easier read if she’d allowed him to do just that from the start. Watching a strong young woman resist his every attack, to hold her head high through his humiliations and deny him the one thing he desires above all else, only to see her shatter into a million pieces towards the end of the book is heartbreaking. When you consider that, throughout all of this, Ava is dealing with the pain of loving somebody who can never choose her or put her first, you have to wonder about the person she will come to be by the end of the duet.

Broken is a book about secrets and how destructive hiding the truth can be. I spent my time digging into the little things characters said and thought, trying to figure out what the deeper meanings were behind their actions because there’s always more than meets the eye. If you can stomach the dark content (and I know this one won’t be for everyone) then you’re in for an amazing read. I can’t wait to get my hands on the conclusion.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ BROKEN
* If you need a character to take your anger out on, Grant is the one for you!
* It’ll keep you second-guessing whether you read it right or if there’s something you’re not quite getting.