I was unable to review this book because of a conflict in my schedule. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused the publisher or the author of the work. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review for you and I look forward to reviewing for you in the future.

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This book was a great read about how addiction and ghosts in our closets can impact our lives. It was great to see Jackie and Kayla come together even with the adversity standing in between them. This is a quick and deep romance, enjoy.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆
The main story in this book is a romance between Kayla and Jackie. On the surface, the two women are opposites, but player Jackie finds herself wanting a relationship and Kayla gradually allows herself to develop feelings for Jackie. I have to admit that I struggled to get into this book and I felt that the central romance became monotonous after a while.

The romance between Kayla and Jackie is slow. Really slow. The story has been told before but maybe not with such intense, reflective characters. There is a lot of angst in this book, a great deal of talking, and all the usual miscommunications are here as well. I found the romance plotline a little tedious.

Part of the reason I failed to engage with the romance is that I didn’t warm to either Kayla or Jackie. Kayla is a little bit colourless. Jackie is a lesbian cliché and I didn’t feel she ever became more than a reformed playgirl. Both of these women feel like types rather than unique, interesting women and consequently, I failed to fully invest in their story.

There are a few subplots intended to add interest to this story. The first one didn’t work for me. Heather is introduced as a competing love interest for Kayla. Heather’s behaviour (especially in a professional workplace) isn’t terribly believable. And her existence seemed to bring out the worst in both Jackie and Kayla. A second subplot about domestic abuse manages to add depth to the story and reveals Jackie and Kayla at their best – both as professionals and as people. Like the Heather storyline, it feels exaggerated and sensational but it does add a layer of suspense to this story.

I enjoyed this read. I found both the central protagonists to be down-to-earth individuals. Even when facing their insecurities and fears, they handled them like other well-adjusted people in the real world -- with victories and setbacks in equal measure. This made them likeable and relatable.

I liked it that the author showed the characters' strengths and flaws, and how they complement each other and how they deal with the world at large. I also liked it that there were well-fleshed out secondary characters with a subplot of their own.

I'm not rating this book any more than 3-3.5 stars because while I liked the characters, I found the setting to be too 'domesticated', and thus, a little lackluster. That said, not all stories have to be high drama, and many relationships in fact do center around such a setting as in the story. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I feel that Kayla and Jackie's relationship could do with a little more spice. Still, a good read.

My review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2046222474

This is a romance novel. The two main characters are Kayla McCormick and Jackie Phillips. Kayla is a very conservative, quiet counselor and Jackie is a co-owner of a physical therapy business. Jackie is not looking for a long-term relationship and enjoys a very active social life. They meet at a club and have a nice evening of dancing, but Kayla is not looking for a relationship either. Jen, a colleague of Kayla, is a supporting character in this book and plays a rather major role in how Jackie and Kayla end up in a relationship.

The theme is not a new one. The first half of the book deals with Kayla and Jackie meeting and how they eventually get together. The second half of the book involves their handling of a variety of problems.

I felt the book was like a series of short stories thrown together to make a novel. As a result, it seemed disjointed. Usually, Donna Ford’s books are very tight, smooth novels, but “Unbroken” is just an average Ford romance.

I rate this book a 3 stars out of 5.

I was given this ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

My first and definitely not my last book by Ford. Ford has a really nice writing style which makes the reading better. Ford flows through her story with ease and keeps you hooked all the way to the end.

The two main characters of the book are Kayla who is a therapist with a real sweet nature but struggles to take risks. Jackie who is a physical therapists lives life to the full and takes lots of risks and women. The story at it's basic level has been done numerous times with the shy girl getting the play girl. But it is also different because their issues are not all their own. Kayla's best friend has a substance abuse husband who attacks Kayla's life to get to her. Jackie we discover had an abusive father and lost her mother at a young age. Jackie does not have relationships commitment is not in her make up. Kayla has to step out of her comfort zone to help Jackie.

I really got into the book at about 59%, you know the bit that Kayla catches Heather pawing Jackie. The story seemed to speed up then. It is a very sweet romance and an enjoyable read.

I gave it 3.5 stars because I did like the ending. Yes I would recommend this book. If you love sweet romance this is for you, Enjoy!!

*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1988943079


https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2DDJ6SV3J03FO/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I always get excited when I hear that Donna K. Ford has come out with a new book and I love when, through her books, you can see her progression as a writer. That being said I really enjoyed this book. The characters were complex and two dimensional, and I rooted for them to keep growing as people. As a romance this book stood out as having a complex subject matter, but the romance shown through. Would highly recommend this book.

This is a classic combination of the “quiet girl/player” and the “opposites attract” theme, but with a serious sub plot.

Kayla is a therapist, open hearted and caring but badly damaged by previous loss, she would love to settle down with a life partner, but is too hurt to consider looking. Jackie is the big brash confident and extrovert player.. except underneath it all is a woman scarred by childhood abuse.

When they quite literally collide the attraction is immediate, but Kyla runs a mile. She may think, wistfully, of the attractive woman she met, but she wont allow herself to make that call. Fate, however, has different plans, throwing them back together when Kyla needs a PT after a violent encounter, and the stage is set for a rather tumultuous relationship.

Kayla and Jackie are complex women with recognisable strengths and weaknesses but both wracked by their own fears. As usual Donna K. Ford has created real life women with classic characters that are people we can believe in and relate too. Their fears shape their behaviour and are founded on solid life experiences we can all empathise with.

The main subplot to the romance, of Kayla’s colleague Jen’s problem marriage and drug addicted husband, provides both the action that re-connects the main characters and the cause of their subsequent estrangement. At the same time Jackie is searching for her mum, or at least information about her, and the plot themes intertwine as the story progresses.

The issues of abuse, violence and addiction threads its way through the novel and grounds the romance into something more serious. While the romance remains the core story, the impact of addiction and violence on both women, and Jen and Jackie’s mum, is dealt with strongly as you would expect from Ford, who always intertwines a serious sub plot with her traditional romances.

Well written and expertly handled, the sub plots deepen the emotional integrity of the characters. The romance is slow moving, and the internal dialogue plays an important role, but while there is a lot of angst, it is well founded and well portrayed within the complex emotions of abuse survival.

I always enjoy Donna K Ford’s writing style and the balance she achieves between romance and the more serious issues she tackles, making them feel real for the characters rather than a bolt on for effect. Definitely on my recommended list this is a slow burn and thoughtful read that also has some seriously hot encounters.

I thought this was going to be the story of two women who each had reasons to back off commitment and how they got past it. It was so much more than that. Kayla and Jackie had difficult pasts neither had dealt with. How they dealt with these difficulties made this novel a very interesting read. They needed each other to become complete and happy but would they ever be able to see that. There was a fair amount of emotional intensity and it was so well written. Donna K Ford didn’t back away from the ugly truths of life but she also wrote some beautiful tender moments and love scenes full of joy. A wonderful read I can highly recommend.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for an honest review.

This was a really nice romance with a very serious subplot. Kayla and Jackie met unexpectedly at a bar. Kayla was immediately turned off by Jackie's flirty confident demeanor, but feelings develop after Kayla's spent weeks getting PT from Jackie. Their relationship develops naturally and both characters are extremely likable.
The subplot with Kayla's best friend Jen's addict abusive husband is a focal point in this book. Kayla was injured then stalked by him in an effort to help her friend. This is a touchy subject that Ms. Ford did a good job depicting in an objective and politically correct manner.
Overall this was a good read filled with romance, suspense, and steamy scenes.

Thanks to events in her past, Kayla lives a quiet, reserved and lonely life. Dragged to a bar by her best friend Jen, Kayla finds herself in a lip lock with a total stranger. She’s not a woman to act on impulse and here is this woman trying to charm her into a date. Jackie is the charmer, living her life with no strings attached. She makes it her mission to score a date with Kayla. Kayla is not so easily swayed.

This is a story of two women weighed down by personal baggage. Kayla struggles to allow herself to be happy while Jackie embraces all that life offers, smiling on the outside but emotionally guarded. I enjoyed watching these two dance the dance in the early stages of their relationship. Opposites do attract. Kayla is cautious to a fault and Jackie is patient. It was interesting watching Kayla begin to emerge from her shell under the loving attention of Jackie only to have Jackie shut down when faced with adversity.

This is an okay read with more telling than showing thanks to a lot of inner dialogue on the part of the mains. We are told there are sparks between the two but I didn’t feel the connection. The relationship didn’t have enough time to build before it was torn apart. I understand what the author was aiming for, damaged souls finding each other, recognizing that we have different triggers and different responses to those triggers but it all felt a little flat.

eARC received from publisher via NetGalley

The genre of lesbian romance is getting crowded these days and it's nice to come along to a book like this one that's well written. Jackie and Kayla are both professional, intelligent, complex, and intense women that I grew to really like despite their flaws. They're human after all and it's nice to see that even strong women like these two have issues and hang-ups but manage through them for their own happy ending. The author managed to deftly weave the sexual tension between them that made their intimate scenes breathtaking and intense. The sub plots also contributed to the layers of character development and kept me interested in their progression together as a couple. While there's nothing earth-shattering or ground-breaking here I still found myself riveted and invested in this story and these interesting women. Just a really nice romantic story.

This is a story of two people not realizing that when you hurt, it is best to not make the journey through life alone. Friendship and even love is a good thing. Jackie Phillips and Kayla McCormick both thought they had found their way to deal with the pain life has dealt them. Although the story layout seemed familiar because of the opposites attract theme, there was much to like about Kayla. What a warm and genuine person. Her interaction and support of her friend Jen is wonderful. She will be placed in a list of one of my most likable leading ladies.

The book was overly repetitive and for the life of me I just couldn't get completely into the story.

3 1/2 Stars. I really enjoyed Ford's last book Love's Redemption. I thought it was great, so I must admit this was a little bit of a let down when you compare them. Once I got to the end of this book, I realized I did enjoy the read, just not as much as I was hoping for.

The story is about Kayla, who is sweet but a little bit meek. She doesn't take many chances and is very careful when it comes to dating. Kayla is looking for a relationship, not a fling. When she meets Jackie, there is an immediate attraction. The only problem is Jackie is the opposite, she is looking for a night fling, not a romance. The closer they get, the more Kayla falls for Jackie. Do they stand a chance together, or will Jackie break Kayla's heart?

To be honest, I did not care for about the first half of the book. I have read so many books about a "player" who meets a "wants to be in a relationship person" and they have chemistry. Will this be the one person that can tame the "player's" ways? I must admit I am so sick of this storyline. Luckily, once the book kept moving, you got to see that Jackie was not really a player, just a hurt individual looking for comfort. Once the book kind of changed, I got more into it. There was also another side storyline that kept me on my toes and made things more interesting. So while this book did start of shaky for me, the more I read, the more I got into it.

Like I said above, Love's Redemption is still my favorite Ford book, and I absolutely recommend it. This book is a little more in the middle, but I think most people will end up liking it too.

An ARC was given to me from BSB, for a honest review.

Fun read. If you are looking for a nice easy romance with likable characters, this is a book for you. I really enjoy a book that brings out the true romantic in the story and keeps the pages turning. I recommend.

A fine standard romance, with two protagonists in Kayla and Jackie who had a strong, likable quality to their interactions. At several points, the plot became redundant and the tension that grew between the two women as they each grappled with complex histories had too little development, but the author augmented those plot frailties with compelling secondary character action-specifically the struggles of Jen and her abusive husband. Not the strongest release by Ms. Ford, but memorable enough.

2.5 stars

I really enjoyed a previous book by Ford, and so was looking forward to this. I remembered reading the blurb by the publisher about her experience as a counsellor and how that heavily influenced the characters. However, in this book, I think Ford has tried to step away from that and it has not been as successful.

Kayla is a therapist, but it really doesn’t factor into the story at all. Her life is fairly quiet and contained, but her best friend Jen is trying and struggling to leave an abusive, drug-addicted husband.

Kayla and Jen go out one night to a gay club, where they meet Jackie, who is clearly attracted to Kayla. Seeing that Jackie is a player, Kayla sidesteps several passes despite her own attraction to Jackie.

So when Kayla is injured during an incident at work, she is horrified to find that Jackie is the physical therapist contracted to help her recover. Can Kayla and Jackie deal with their own problems and face their growing attraction to one another?

Ford has created two potentially interesting characters, and places them in the vicinity and hopes that this will do the trick. However, there was so many changes in mood by the main characters early on that I found them a bit ‘tricky’ and not people I’d want to risk befriending. It made it hard for me to see why either of them would see past the obstacles to a relationship with one another.

Firstly, it grated on me that a professional therapist would voice such sexual come-ons in their professional environment. A player or not, this strikes me as highly inappropriate and not how you’d go about picking up another professional, let alone one with psychological training. This didn’t hold water for me. Secondly, Kayla blew hot and cold all and this made me question her logical thought processes.

But the real clincher for me was the character of Jen. I know she was designed to add obstacles for both the main characters, and to add dramatic tension to the plot, but I just found her too irritating to understand why she and Kayla would still be best friends. Surely someone with psychological training would spot a friendship stuck in a cycle of victim/rescuer mode that seemed to have no ending, and do something about it long before it go to this point. It just didn’t work for me as a plot device because of this.

There are things to like about this book, and Ford has some great ideas and obvious experience in a professional capacity that can come through on the page, which is great. However, this book needed more work to smooth over some of the inconsistencies in character and plot.

This book had all of the right components- strong likable characters , a good story and good development but there was something about it that I just couldn't get completely into the story. At times it felt a little repetitive and the struggle the two main characters had was a little too much hinted at without actually saying what the struggle is.

*i received a ARC from netgalley and the publisher for an honest review*