Sunday, May 19, 2013

Review: Until I Break by M. Leighton

Title: Until I Break

Author: M. Leighton
Series: Book One in the Twisted Series
Published: May 14, 2013
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Author (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
My Rating: 4 Stars!

Book Description:

"I’m intrigued. Tempted beyond what I’ve ever been before. To know her, to open her up. To break her."

In love, sometimes what you fear most is exactly what you need.

Laura Drake is an author. She writes bestselling paranormal romances that continue to top the charts. She is sharp. She is confident. She is in control. 

And she doesn’t exist.

Samantha Jansen is the woman behind the wig, the woman most of the world doesn’t know exists. She is shy. She is insecure. She is nothing like her main character or her alter ego. She is scarred—deeply scarred—by a past she can’t let go of and a present she can’t make peace with.

Samantha’s dreams are consumed by one man, the broken hero from her books. Mason Strait is both her wildest fantasy and her most terrifying nightmare. 

When Samantha meets Alec Brand, a corporate consultant, it is as though Mason has come to life. Alec is handsome to a fault, as elegant as he is arrogant, and more intense than any man has a right to be.

Samantha is soon sucked into a world that mirrors the fiction she writes. Just like her main character, Daire Kirby, Samantha finds herself unable to resist the forbidden lure of Alec. And just like Daire, she also finds that she is faced with taking a chance on a man who could either set her free or destroy her.

The scale tilts toward destruction when Samantha finds out that Alec is as much a work of fiction as Mason. And he has scars of his own, scars that could ruin them both.


**This book may be read as a stand-alone, as the story of Alec and Samantha comes to a conclusion in this book**







My Thoughts and Review:

Ooo this book. This book is something else. It went way beyond my “comfort” zone but oh boy was it worth it.

Two very broken people, but in a way that I haven't read about before, finding and helping one another, all while fighting their own demons, passions and inner turmoil, well, there really is something beautiful about that. Even if that beauty is also filled with deep  seeded pasts and secrets way beyond the norm and definitely beyond the norm in this genre. To be honest, I wasn't expecting it. It took me by surprise, the content of this one. But in typical Leighton fashion, the author handled it wonderfully, honestly, with the raw and grit we have come accustomed to from her and I shouldn't have expected anything less.

Samantha and Alec, well, really, I'm not going to say anything about them, other than to understand them, to understand this story, you are just going to have to read it for yourself. I can't really explain the emotions of this story, it just isn't something I think I can do and give Leighton and the book credit they deserve.

I wasn't comfortable with a lot of the subject matter of the story, mostly because I don't practice it and I don't understand it, but Leighton made me understand why it was important to Alec and Samantha and I have to give her huge props for that, because it wasn't easy. Only a really gifted writer can do that and once again, I shouldn't have expected anything less from her, she has blown me away time and time again with her ability to get down and dirty (not pun attended) and tackle those hard to hear and sometimes hard to read matters that are so real and make her characters really stand out and become real people. 









*All Opinions are my own and I was in no way compensated for my review*

10 comments:

  1. I really thought we'd already explored all the possible ways for characters to be broken, so now you have me curious about that one.
    I love that Leighton's writing is so strong and convincing. This sounds great!

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  2. I know the subject matter you are talking about. I cannot say that I would be able to relate to BDSM as well, but I heard the author - thought it was her first book with it - did it perfectly to fit the story.

    I don't know if you heard about this, but because the author listens to her readers and got a bit of a blow back on this book.. she is yanking it from publication :( just to show readers that it's not about the money. Apparently there are a lot of people that couldn't understand their story.

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  3. I know Lily and I really am sad about that. I told her I was going to post my review anyways for those that did grab a copy before she pulled it. This is a different subject matter and one I am not comfortable with but I did like the love story aspect of it.

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  4. I haven't read any of her books yet, but I do have some and plan to read at least one in June since I'll be catching up on ebooks. I'm glad you enjoyed this even if there's content that you may not be comfortable with. That's definitely the sign of a good writer!

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  5. Ok I must be strong and finish her other series first before I buy these but between the synopsis and your stellar review..i want this!!

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  6. I've heard great things about this author. I like when books can really explore lots of different broken people and ways of life. Even if I'm not comfortable with some subjects I like to try to be open minded and read something new. Interesting that she is pulling this. Makes me want to read it even more!

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  7. I loved this book. I would have never considered reading it if Michelle wasn't the author. Though that kind of thing isn't for me, I thought she pulled it off wonderfully. I was sad to hear she is pulling it from publication.

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  8. Same here Ellen! I trust what she writes and she really did do a great job with this. I am sad more people won't be able to enjoy it now.

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  9. Wow I have to say your praise in spite of not being able to fully relate to the subject matter plus the author pulling it from publication has me SO curious to read this! Even if I can't read this, it's clear I need to pick up something by this author immediately. She sounds very talented. Thanks for your review!

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