For me this was a little too dark! There are disturbing topics which in itself is not an issue but I didn’t really like the characters which meant I wasn’t enjoying the book for what it was. This was my issue not the authors writing as the reviews are well deserved. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Warning: this book may contain triggers for some readers.

This was a very different book to read, definitely not like anything I've read before. Payton has lost everything, absolutely everything in her life and is desperate. So desperate that she decides to turn to the adult film industry to make money. Not wanting to start at the bottom, she signs a contract to be trained by a retired adult film star after which she believes she'll be able to earn the money she needs.

The moment Axel sees Payton he knows she's different than every other girl that has come to him for training. Almost immediately, he treats her differently. Rules are broken, barriers are crossed and friendships begin to form. Through it all, Payton tries to remember the reason she is with Axel while Axel tries to forget what he is supposed to be teaching her.

This book puts the adult film industry in a very real light. The author doesn't sugar coat how rough the industry is and what the statistics are for girls who begin making films. When Axel finally begins teaching Payton, he is a cold sadistic bastard but what Payton fails to realize is that all Axel is doing is showing her what the adult film industry is truly like.

When Payton's reason for needing money finally comes to light, you're going to want a box of tissues nearby because it is a tear jerker for certain! It was definitely far from anything I was expecting!

I loved, loved, loved the ending of the book but wish the author would have spent a little more time on that portion of their lives before the book ended. I wanted more, so much more!

I'm also hoping that at some point we get Reese's story because there's definitely a story there.

The porn industry is no joke and this book doesn't paint it in a pretty light but outlines its grittiness . Very believable characters and a story that grabs you long after the book is finished

**Contains spoiler**
Unfortunately, Breaking The Girl was a really rough read for me. Written in both Axel and Payton’s POV, the story, itself, didn’t hold true for me. Add some very disturbing and harsh scenes, it took a lot for me to finish. I think I pushed myself to complete the story just to see where it would go. Call me curious.
I’m not sure I can even summarize the story. So many things hit the wrong nerve with me and had me taking deep breaths that it’s hard for me to put into words. I can normally read “dark” books and look at them with an open mind. But, Axel had me really upset. I wasn’t sure, from the beginning, if I was going to like him or not. I gave him Kudo’s in the beginning, then I hated him and then, about three-quarters of the way into the story, I liked him again. God’s gift to woman, to me, he was not. There were times that I just thought that he was conceited, egotistical and inhumane. Then he showed signs of kindness. I think he was just as confused as Payton.
Payton didn’t do much to endear me to her either. She was needy and needy female characters leave a bad taste in my mouth. She wasn’t being honest, she knew the rules and she made every attempt to break them. No matter how many times Axel tried to warn her away from the business, she just kept pushing back until he gave her what she wanted. Then, she didn’t like the way he treated her. When everything he told her would happen, happened, she ran.
Then there was Axel’s best friend, Reece. A man of the law does not, under any circumstances, help you commit murder and arson, assist you in covering up an assault and a rape … no matter how good a friend he is. Yes, I know this is fiction, I know that it’s a story but, some things have to be true to life. He just didn’t ring true for me.
I also had some timeline and consistency problems. I do enjoy both POV’s in a story. I like knowing what the other is thinking and their possible motives for their actions. But, it took so long for Payton’s past to come out, that I kind of had it figured out by then. Not exactly what happened, but who Ben was.
The ending was beautiful and I really wished M. C. Webb showed us this side of both Axel and Payton. They both turned out to be loving and caring people with bad upbringings. I honestly think that if I saw this side of them earlier in the book, I would have enjoyed them more. But, I would have still had a problem with the brutality of the story. I’m just wondering if Payton was just a little more honest with Axel, more up front with him as to why she was trying to enter the industry, if things would have been different.

This took me a little while to get into, but once I did I started to really enjoy it. It's well written and easy to read and a good story line. I haven't read anything like it before.

This book was nothing like what I expected. This was a damn good book!!! Anytime a book has me yelling at the characters, that is a good thing. The two main characters Axel and Payton are so far apart as their experiences is a good backdrop to the story. The character development is outstanding and it keeps you hooked until the last page. What brings the two main characters together may be what causes a rift in this relationship. There is a rape scene that is a bit shocking and for some it may be a bit to handle. Do not let the fact that this book s set in the porn industry when deciding to read. It is a book worth reading. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read the advanced copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Breaking the Girl by M.C. Webb

Alex Stone is a star maker – well, of women that want to make it in the adult movie industry, that is. He has made it big in the industry and knows what it takes to be a star but is jaded, tired and ready to get out completely when he is talked into taking on the training of Payton. Payton needs money and feels that without an education or real skills her best chance is to be in the movies, porn movies. As jaded as Alex is he sees right through Payton’s naiveté and tries to dissuade her from pursuing what she seems to think will make her life more secure.

Payton and Alex had secrets and issues to deal with. Alex came across cold at points but did warm up and grow through the story. Payton really did have a one track mind that did not allow her to really see what her future would be if she continued on the course she set for herself.

This is a dark, gritty, sometimes painful read with graphic scenes that include a disturbing rape and violence. That said, this is a book that made me care not only for Payton and Alex but also for the supporting characters. It made me feel and think and hope that the two would find a healthy way forward with their lives. And, I am now VERY curious about Alex’s friend Reece and wonder if he might show up in a future book – I would definitely like for him to ;)

Thank you to NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for the copy of this book. This is my honest review.

4 Stars

I decided to read this book because it sounded intriguing and different from what I usually read. It is an emotional story about a former porn star still involved in the adult industry. It is a dark, gritty story about two people with secrets who are forced to do whatever it takes to survive.

Axel Stone started in adult films at a young age and is now training young women to learn how to have sex on screen and become porn actresses. Axel meets Payton when he is asked to train her. From the moment they meet, Axel senses that Payton is different from all the other women he has met. Payton’s shyness and sincerity are what draw Axel to her. She is intriguing and refreshing and she affects him like no one else ever has. There is a physical and emotional connection between them and Axel tries to warn Payton about working in this soulless industry. He feels protective of Payton and tries to talk her into going home and choosing another career but she will not listen to him.

Axel is burned out, has a bad attitude and he is not an easy person to like. Sadly, he has never known love or kindness. He expects the worst from everyone because that is all he has ever known and as the story unfolds, it is easier to understand what shaped Axel into the man he is today. Addison is a breath of fresh air in Axel’s stifling, unfilling life. He wants her, yet he is afraid of the feelings she invokes in him. My problem with this story was I had a difficult time connecting with Axel, although he does redeem himself. This is a highly charged, emotional story with a lot of passion.

This book is not for everyone. It is in part about the porn world so of course it has graphic sex scenes. It also has some wonderful warm and loving scenes as Alex and Payton fall deeply in love with one another. Alex, though hardened by the life he has led, grows and softens throughout this book. We learn what made him the man he has become and we watch him struggle to leave that all behind. Warning: there is a violent scene near the end that includes a rape that is not easy to read. That being said, I believe that the book is well written and worth reading.

I read this book in under 24 hours, it's very readable and gives the reader an insight into the porn industry. There are some extremely uncomfortable scenes, one of which is brutal but as hard as some bits were to read I couldn't actually put it down. It was hard not to let the main characters get under my skin and start to care about them. I'd not normally go for a book for this genre but I'm glad it did, its story with stay with me. Thank you to the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book. I expect it will be a hit once it's released next month.

I am not quite sure what possessed me to read this book to review, but I am actually glad that I read it. While it is a weird subject - the porn industry - it surprised me in two ways: First, because it was actually "warm" at the ending, as the Author allowed the male main character to grow, really grow up, and give him ,as well as her, a stable environment in which both of them could heal from their past trauma.
Two, because it was actually a lot better written (and more honest) than 50 Shades of Grey. It is graphic, not for the sensitive soul whatsoever, but if you are willing to look beyond the obvious, you can see a bit of true romance. Surprisingly not a bad read.

Warning: Not Clean At All! Trigger Warning! Adult only!

Honestly, I really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. Loved parts of the story, not so much for the entirety. I read the first several chapters, but then skipped the bulk of the book and caught up in the end. Unfortunately I felt that the rape scene was unnecessary to the story and a distraction not to mention highly implausible in that context. But I appreciate the opportunity to read the book, with Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

*I received a copy of this book for free via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I believe this story should come with a warning, or disclaimer in the beginning so that readers can choose to pass or continue. It contains a very traumatic scene towards the end that some readers may not be able to handle.

This story is about Axel, a guy who has worked in the porn industry for many many years. He has become tired of it, hating his job and basically wanting out. So instead of filming, he trains the new girls for filming.

At the beginning, you get a taste of this hate as he signs a contract with a girl and prepares to go on vacation to get away from it, but even though he thinks he will actually have this vacation, a new trainee ends up coming with him.

Payton Knight is an innocent little girl who has been through some trauma in her life and uses the opportunity to film porn as a means of making money to make a life for herself and Ben. She doesn't know at all what she is getting into, and Axel tries to warn her but she doesn't listen.

This story is a journey to their happily ever after and the harsh truths of the porn industry.

I did enjoy this story, at times I wanted to strangle Payton. At other times I wanted to hug her. The author has a way of pulling us deep into the minds of the characters and letting us feel the broad variety of emotions that they feel as the words unfold.

It does contain sex scenes, but they are very traditional vanilla, cookie cutter scenes. Honestly I skimmed them.

I would recommend this book, however be warned about the graphic traumatic scene.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for giving me this opportunity to review this book.

Breaking the Girl - An Unbroken Girl
A powerful and sometimes painful story, reminiscent of work by author Colleen Hoover, this is the twisted story of two people, both with traumatic childhoods difficult to overcome and achieve any sort of normal life. This story contains triggers relating to rape, violence and family disruption.
The lovely Payton is homeless having dropped out of college for reasons related to family loss and trauma. The pain she has suffered over the previous year is almost incalculable. Approached with an opportunity that seems to be a lifeline, she has come to be trained by Axel to be a porn star. Her hope is to make enough money to build a life for herself and Ben. She is a virgin, not at all aware of the reality of acting in the pornography industry.
Axel is a young porn star who began acting in porn films at the age of 16 and he has had enough. He is limiting his work to training new actresses and approaches this activity in an unemotional, objective manner, working less and less in his planned separation from this disgusting activity. He has become hard yet hurts inside at the loss suffered by many of his former trainees.
Getting out is not straightforward and the ones who make money from his activities are not at all willing to take the financial loss.
Character development is strong and the characters likable although as the reader, I sometimes wanted to throttle each of the main characters, at different times. This author has a story to tell that is woven around several contemporary social issues. I appreciate the opportunity to be an advance reader for the publisher via NetGalley.