I've loved Kami Garcia's two series Beautiful Creatures and The Legion, but I hadn't tried any of her straight contemporary books yet. Now I know I have to go back and read them. Because this book, holy cow, I loved it so much! Another emotional read. Dealing with very tough topics just like the first two I reviewed in this post. This time we had an abusive ex-boyfriend. You had life or death health issues for a teen, there was just so much. And I loved the characters. Especially Peyton's cousins. And there was a line that I hope makes the final edit of the book, because it was one of the best lines I remember reading, it is so true:

"It’s impossible to understand how much you need someone until that person isn’t around."

And what is so great about this line, is that it is in reference to a friendship, not a romance. And that is exactly the way it hit me as well. With the friendships I've lost over the past few years, and how much I notice it when I need that person to be around, but they're not. This is one I'm definitely buying for my high school library. Highly recommended!

Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia

What it’s about:

Before, Peyton was a star soccer player with the perfect boyfriend, Reed. Now, she has a torn knee ligament, a scholarship on the line, and a shattered sense of self. No one believes Reed pushed her, causing her injury, and Peyton just wants to leave the trauma behind. Living with her uncle and twin cousins in their small, football-obsessed town seems like a great escape plan.

There, Peyton meets Owen—high school classmate and local MMA fighter. Though Owen is charming and gentle, Peyton is determined to repress her growing attraction. But when her old and new life collide, Peyton must reclaim the truth of her past in order to save her future.

My 411: If dramatic, young love angst makes your heart pitter-patter, make sure to pick this up! Peyton, my fellow half Cuban, has her heart set on getting that coveted soccer scholarship. It seems as though everything is going in the right direction until it all comes screeching to a heart-breaking stop. Exploring a sensitive topic while keeping it honest and raw is not easy, but Kami Garcia manages to deliver a story filled with hope, young love and life lessons. (See an interview on HEA with Kami Garcia.)

I'm going to say it.... BEST BOOK OF 2018! Maybe even the best book I've read even last year. This book stole my heart.

Beautiful Broken Hearts by Kami Garcia was gorgeous you guys. This was the first book I've read by this author and she blew me away.

Peyton and Owen.. You guys. I haven't found characters I have loved this much in a long time. I adored Owen. He was strong, sweet but didn't take shit from anyone. His secret, it broke my heart.

Peyton is running, more like limping away from a painful past. To continue her healing journey she moves in with her Uncle, which by the way is a total badass. Her cousins are a hoot too. I loved the secondary characters in this book. Some of my favorites.

This is definitely a younger character story but that didn't take away from the content. It was sad and scary all in it's own right. The story was chalked full of emotions and to broke my heart and put it back together again. This book made you believe in the good.

Kami Garcia wrote such a pivotal and moving story. She showed that your dreams can be taken from you and only you have the power to get them back. She showed love can be found in the most inopportune times and she showed that not everything and everyone is always what they seem.

So well written. This book will stick with me for a long time to come. 5 beautiful broken stars!

Slow build, strong burn, young strong willed character…check, check and CHECK! Peyton and Owen may be young but they are fierce and very likable.

We start out meeting Peyton, walking with her through her perfect day turned tragic, a turning point that will change her future inevitably. Her situation brought back memories of high school life, the he said she said of it all, the cruel things that kids say and do, it will really make you relate to what Peyton is going through.

When her mom decides it’s time for her to head south and stay with her uncle, Peyton is not sure what to think. Life in Tennessee is bound to be nothing like her life in DC but she really makes the best of it. I love that Peyton doesn’t put up with crap from anyone, we see that from the beginning and it’s a theme that is consistent throughout the story. She tells it like it is and she stands up for those that maybe aren’t strong enough to do it for themselves.

Meeting Owen, finding a new friend in him, is not what she expected. Just trying to make it through the next few months and go home, this guy is just a distraction right?

I can ignore Owen, but I can’t turn off my feelings for him.

Owen, this guy. He was hot and cold and for good reasons. He’s sweet and moody, strong yet weak but all in good ways. Owen is the type of guy that you want to have in your corner and on your side. He is strong, physically and emotionally. He acts so much older than he is, past experience has made him the man he is today .

…the way I feel when I’m with you feels like the opposite of every mistake I’ve ever made.

For such young people, they both have so much on their plates. Within a short amount of time they have this understanding of what the other needs and the level of that respect was refreshing. Pasts and presents collide, secrets are unleashed and hearts will break. Their maturity and strength throughout was amazing. I loved them together, a young fierce love bubbling under the surface, waiting to be let free.

Every heart can be broken. Some just break more easily than others.

A blurb like this sold me on the spot, I was ready to get all emotional. I had to say that the author didn’t choose the easy way. It was rough, very tough at times, dealing with issues like abuse or violence, about things the victims kept hidden to the world.

Peyton had a great future ahead, a fantastic boyfriend, things were good until there weren’t, turning her life into a nightmare. It wasn’t beating around the bush. When things got out of control, it was time to change from all the bullies and lies that destroyed her.

She was a very strong, witty and not giving a damn about what people think about her. Until that moment that almost destroyed her. When she came to this small town, at her uncle’s home, some things haven’t changed. And still they left some bullies to find new ones.

And the hero.. I think I had a crush on Owen. In a way I’ve connected much with him than Peyton. There was something so mysterious and intriguing about this character. Social but not too much and seemed to have a complicated life, adding more complications to Peyton’s mess.

I enjoyed their interactions and moments they shared, understanding each other’s scars and pain. However, if the storyline was well-rounded, raw, heartfelt, and showing a side about a subject you won’t usually meet in this kind of story, I had some difficulties to really connect with Peyton, and some twists coming a little too late for me.

In spite of those things, this story about two broken souls who have found each other and making their hearts beat beautifully was really moving.

*5 Stars*

ARC kindly received in exchange for an honest review.

This book was awesome. I really connected with the characters, and enjoyed getting to know them. And not just the main characters, the secondary ones too.

The depth of this story, and the truth of it, the fact that these things happen to people, really hits home. There are so many layers to this story, and to read the author note at the end, makes it even more personal.

Peyton was a strong female lead, I really liked her, and I loved Owen too. The twins were fab and Grace and Tucker were also great friends and added to the storyline.

I recommend this book, for sure. The many facets to it, and the realness to it, have you hooked and wanting to find out what will happen. Its high school, but its not. Its real life and serious issues as well. No one should have to go through what these characters go though, but seeing how they deal with it, learn and grow, is a really part of this story and how it all unfolds.

I won’t say much else, because the book speaks for itself. Well done Kami Garcia.

What a gem of a read I found in this book.

Seriously. This book, I couldn’t put it down. I refused to put it down until I had finished, even if it meant staying up half the night..

Kami Garcia is a new author to me, but after reading this, I will definitely be looking at more of her books. Especially if they are anything like this.

Peyton’s story is one of betrayal, hurt, healing and trying to move forward from a devastating ‘accident’. My heart broke for her. Her dreams on the brink of shattering before it had even began, even more so by being betrayed be people who were meant to be her friends.

Until she met Owen...

I loved Owen. I loved how he stood up for what he believed in and stood to protect Peyton. For someone at that age, he had a good head on his shoulders....

The only downside I have is, I just wish we got to have a look into his mind. I would’ve loved to have some of the book in his PoV. It didn’t take away the enjoyment I had of the book, I just think it would’ve given it that extra I was looking for.
I also thought the ending felt a bit rushed and didn’t have the closure I would’ve expected. Other than that, The plot and the characters made it an incredible read.

Holy crap. Kami Garcia is a genius.
I had quite a journey with this book. I liked it okay at first and then I didn’t like it and then I loved it, it was interesting.

Broken Beautiful Hearts has such a sweet, enlightening romantic story and I truly didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. I do have to admit I fell in love with Owen; he’s sweet, caring and funny, most of my love for this book is my love for Owen. He’s perfection in a book, the sweet things he said pulled on my heartstrings so tightly I wanted to cry, it was amazing. And I also hated Reed; he’s cruel, arrogant and annoying. I wanted to punch him the whole time, but Kami Garcia has such a beautiful writing style where you just feel like you’re part of the story that is so nice to read you can’t hate for too long.

Adding to the amazingness, I also found the characters very real, like they could actually be real people. I always find myself thinking a character couldn’t be a real person for whatever reason I find but with Broken Beautiful Hearts I could picture the characters being actual teenagers. They were funny and dumb and down to earth which just made this book more special.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone, but I do feel like young adults will relate and grasp it a lot better than anyone else. It’s an amazing book about the ugly and beautiful parts of life and a girl’s journey through them. I truly feel like there’s no going wrong with it.

I have been a fan of Kami Garcia ever since I read her Beautiful Creatures series and I've been meaning to pick up one of her contemporary books for a while now. I am very, very happy that I ended up loving this book. A lot.

Broken Beautiful Hearts is the story of Peyton and her journey of healing and finding strength, courage, and the true meaning of friendship. Peyton is a girl that went through a lot of things. Her father died in an explosion when he was deployed, her boyfriend turns out to not be the perfect guy but instead pushes her down the stairs, causing her to have a torn knee ligament that puts her future in danger, her friends abandon her, and she has a stalker. She has moments when she's scared that history will repeat itself with another boy, she has moments when she feels like she needs to hide what happened to hear for fear of being judged or be seen as that girl, the victim, but I also think she hides what happened because she's ashamed; like she should have seen it coming and prevent it in some way. I was very happy when her new friends show her that Reed was the one who should be ashamed, not Peyton. I also loved how Peyton learns to be strong, whether that means finding out what truly happened with her dad, or learning to accept and move on from what Reed did. She goes through a transformation. All of that is secondary to one important lesson: asking for help. I feel like that is the main theme of this book, learning how to ask for help when you need it, how not to be ashamed of something someone did to you, and it's an important lesson to learn.

Owen is a great guy, that has some secrets of his own. I liked Owen, mostly because he represented the courage that Peyton learns to have. He also has a reckless side, probably due to his childhood and his family situation, of which you learn more about as the story moves on. I liked how he doesn't push Peyton beyond what she's comfortable with, in their relationship, but he does challenge her to learn how to trust again.

This was a great story, just as great as I expected from Kami Garcia. I only wish Peyton had found that courage to trust again in herself and in others by herself. The pacing was great and there were a few surprises along the way that I didn't see coming. I just wish there was a book for Peyton's twin cousins, because I loved them.

All in all, I loved this book, and it showed me exactly why I love Garcia's books.

From the Publishers:

Her heart has to break before it can open.

When star soccer player Peyton Rios receives an offer from her first-choice college, senior year starts off exactly as planned. But when Peyton uncovers her boyfriend’s dark secret, she confronts him—and finds herself falling down a flight of stairs. Peyton’s knee—and maybe her dream of going pro—is shattered. Everyone is talking: Was she pushed, or did she fall? Peyton knows the truth, even if no one believes her.

He has to let someone in before it’s too late.

With her future on the line, Peyton goes to stay with her uncle in a small Tennessee town to focus on her recovery. Dating is the last thing on her mind—until she meets sweet, sexy Owen Law.

But Peyton doesn’t trust her heart, especially when she senses that Owen is hiding something. When their secrets are finally exposed, Peyton has to decide if love is worth fighting for.

My thoughts:

I actually chose this book because the author sounded familiar. I did not make the connection based on the topic or the style so I looked it up. Garcia is one half of the duo who wrote Beautiful Creatures.



Although I like a YA series as much as the next person, I did not continue reading the series. I just could not invest in the characters. This book and this genre for Garcia (YA romance, non-fantasy, contemporary, girl power) is much more enticing and broken and powerful and gripping. I could not put it down until I finished. It makes your breath go shallow.



What I appreciated about this book most, though, is the author's note at the end. In it, Garcia relays how Peyton's experience is similar to her own experience and urges readers to seek help if they need it. Perhaps this is becoming a pattern. Dr. Sonia Patel, author of Rani Patel in Full Effect does the same thing. In Patel's case, though, she is speaking as a professional. Garcia just speaks from her own story. I like that.

I’m beginning to realize I might need to adjust my stance on YA contemporaries.... Broken Beautiful Hearts is that good! I loved Peyton and her ENTIRE FAMILY, Owen was fantastic, the setting was superb and the plot was riveting. This book deftly dealt with really difficult topics in a timely manner that was so respectful to the audience - it did not talk down, demean, belittle, or preach. It was gritty, real, and honest. This made perfect sense after reading the author's note alluding to her personal history with some of the topic matters and I'm glad that she included that. I loved this sense of family highlighted in the book, I loved Peyton's fierce independence (as well as her growing maturity as she learned there is no weakness in accepting help), I loved the different nuances and intricacies in EACH relationship. And even I loved the plot twist that almost made me drop my kindle (and shattered my poor little heart too). I'm a little jaded when it comes to Young Adult contemporaries, but now I'm convinced I must give the genre another try - starting with Kami Garcia's The Lovely Reckless. Broken Beautiful Hearts is absolutely outstanding. 5 out of 5 wine glasses.

BROKEN BEAUTIFUL HEARTS has captured my heart and has a tight grasp on it right now. I'm still savoring the emotions felt from reading this book. I loved it!

BROKEN BEAUTIFUL HEARTS - this title was all I needed to decide to read this book. I didn't know much about this book going in. I knew that it was a young adult contemporary by an author whose books I've enjoyed in the past, but that is pretty much it. And I'm glad that I didn't read the synopsis and went in not knowing what to expect.

Wow!! I loved everything about this book. I enjoyed the experience of reading it, especially Peyton and Owen's friendship, and yes, their attraction to each other. And then falling in love with each other - especially when it is the one thing Peyton's not ready for.

I couldn't get enough of "The Twins" - their brotherly banter, playfulness, and protectiveness - and the need to be put in the places more than a time or two. Having Peyton in their lives is good for them too. I looked forward to finding out what kind of trouble they were going to get into next.


I've read number of books about dating violence and it never gets any easier. But with BROKEN BEAUTIFUL HEARTS, it was important to see Peyton (and her mother) take immediate action which in life and in books is rarely the case. She spoke up for herself and stood up for herself - even when she had everything to lose. Peyton is fierce - it's who she was before and who she is after.

Favorite Moments:

That First Kiss.

Favorite Quotes:

"Barn party isn't a term I heard a lot in DC."

" . . when a boy looks at you like he's drowning and you're the only person who saw him fall in, it feels like forever."

"A ring is for fighting, not quitting. Sometimes you fight with your fists and other times, with your will."

BROKEN BEAUTIFUL HEARTS is a new favorite - a book I plan to read over and over again. I would recommend this book to fans of Katie McGarry's books and fans of young adult contemporary, in general.

Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia is a full length, stand alone, YA, contemporary romance novel.
Meet Peyton, she´s in her senior year at high school, a successful soccer player, a popular teenager.
Her boyfriend Reed has changed. From nice to mean and controlling, violent stalker.
When he pushes her down a flight of stairs she can´t believe it, and neither her friends.
To escape the gossip she moves to her uncle and his twin sons. She attends college and physical therapy. Her future as soccer player and college sholarship are in the stars now.
Then she meets Owen. Owen is a good guy with his own issues and secrets. He helps her heal and slowly they trust each other and then become more than friends. But her old and her new life collide.
Peyton is the typical teenager, carefree, a bit annoying with a great social life. I started reading and was hooked from the beginning. The writing is great and I love the story and the pace.
I liked reading about the pains of growing up, finding herself and the twists and turns the author delivered. I give 4,5 beautiful stars.

Peyton has just been offered a scholarship to her number one college choice to play soccer. She is super excited about the news, but then a fall down the stairs puts her scholarship in jeopardy. No one believes that her boyfriend pushed her, not even her best friend, and her mother decides it is best for her to live with her uncle and cousins during her recuperation. Then Payten becomes friends with Owen, an MMA fighter, and even though Payton doesn’t want to start a relationship, she can’t deny the attraction. Will Payton be able to heal in peace or will her ex track her down?

Broken Beautiful Hearts is a stand-alone novel that will please both male and female readers alike. Although there is a lot of information about soccer and MMA fighting, readers do not need to be fluent in these subjects to enjoy the greater story. Some readers may call this a romance, yet just like the sports sections, it is more than that. Peyton must wrestle with many relationship questions and decide if she wants to keep to the standards her father taught her. A great read that should be added to everyone’s TBR list.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Broken Beautiful Hearts was my first Kami Garcia book. I'll hold for gasps and sounds of shock and disbelief. I know, I know. And no, I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't have a really good reason for not reading any of her earlier books, besides the fact that I couldn't get into Beautiful Creatures, even though I loved the movie. So, I finally gave this book a chance and I have to say that I absolutely loved it. I am so happy that I have finally read on of her books. It was so good and I really enjoyed her writing style.

My number one thing that I loved is that I don't have a whole lot in common with Peyton, but I was able to relate, understand, and connect with her so well. I mean I didn't play sports in high school, I don't watch MMA, I'm really not a sporty person at all. I haven't gone through anything traumatic. Right off the bat we don't have much in common that I could relate to, other than being strong, independent, sassy women. Yet still I was able to relate to her. It really is all thanks to Kami Garcia's writing. She is seriously such a good story teller and she really got in the minds of her characters.

I also really loved that nothing in this story felt rushed, or not thought all the way through. It had such a great pace and made complete sense. Here is the best proof I have that not only is Kami Garcia's an amazing author, but that this story is an addictive read: This book is over 400 pages, yet I read it in 3 days. I stayed up one night until 11am reading it. YEA!

My favorite part of this book was definitely the romance. It is red hot! Kami Garcia was able to do something very tricky in this book. Peyton has gone through something very traumatic with a boyfriend not too long ago, but she is able to love and trust again. Now, I know there are many books out there that deal with that same subject, but were they done well? Better question, were they done this well? From the minute Peyton meets Owen she is attracted to him, so I knew she was going to eventually fall for him, but the fall was done so well. I didn't find a single part of their romance rushed. Especially for someone with a traumatic past. She tried not to fall for Owen, but she could see that he and her ex were not the same. She also had a lot of great male role models to remind her that not all guys are the same either.

I think that is something else I really loved about this book. It isn't just a great romance. It is story saying that bad things happen to people every day, but how you choose to deal with them is what matters. You can choose to be a victim or you can choose to be a survivor. I absolutely LOVED the romance in this book, but I loved even more that Peyton was able to overcommon her issues in life. She was finally able to see the bright side of things and get over the things holding her back from being happy.

Overall:
I highly recommend this book to any one who loves a steamy romance. I also highly recommend this book to anyone who wants more than just a romance in their books. This story has such a good positive message about overcoming what holds you back in life and to choose to be a survivor. If you're like me and you've never read a Kami Garcia book before, I demand you try this one. There aren't enough great things I can say about this book. Absolutely stunning!

GUYS! This has to be one of the BEST contemporary YA romances that I have ever read. Ever.



This novel was the best blend of everything I love in a non-fantasy YA. It broke me and it fixed me and I fell in love. I truly could have just read it again right after I finished.

Got I admired Peyton in this book. She was strong and beautiful and I loved every minute that we had with her. Her journey was a journey of strength and perseverance and I getting to experience her speaking out and standing strong was a sight.

Also Owen was a sweet treat. As fas as long interested go, he did it for me.

Then there was the story. It was compelling and strong and a story of fighting for yourself.

Kami weaves a story that you will fall for. Writing about abuse is a scary thing. Reading it is even scarier. Kami talked so many outcomes that abuse victims deal with and it was a ride that I wanted to be on page after page.

UGH. Just so good. Heartbreaking and beautiful.

I enjoyed Beautiful Broken Heart as it was an honest portrayal of one young woman's struggle and journey of self discovery after a traumatic incident with a loved one. I thought this story was poignant, sweet and heartwarming. The underlying feeling of hope and a second chance after difficult circumstances was a prevalent theme which I enjoyed. I had a tremendous amount of respect and affection for Peyton after everything that happened to her and admired her strength and fortitude to continue. This was a great story!

When Peyton's future at playing collegiate level soccer is in jeopardy after a violent incident with an ex, she decides to escape the drama (and trauma) to live with her uncle and cousins. But when she meets a boy with a secret, an unintended attraction and connection is formed. But can she fully move forward to her future when she is forced to reconcile the truth of her past?

I enjoyed this story alot. The extended cast of characters were great and engaging. Furthermore I rooted for Peyton from the get go and thought Owen was a genuinely sweet and sexy hero. I enjoyed his story as much as Peyton's journey and while I did want more and an epilogue at the end it left a smile on my face and butterflies in my stomach. Bravo! 4.5 stars! ~Ratula

Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia is contemporary young adult novel about picking yourself back up after being broke and battered, and finding your happiness afterwards.

Peyton Rios’ life is coming together. The stars are aligning and all is good in the world. However, that all changes in the blink of an eye when her MMA boyfriend, Reed, pushes her down the stairs in a fit of rage and she breaks up with him for using steroids. However, when she tells people what happened, no one believes her. Soon she’s dealing with threats and Reed hounding her to be reunited. To keep her safe, Peyton’s mom sends her to her brother’s home in Black Water.

Once in Black Water, Peyton lives with her uncle Hawk and her twin cousins, Christian and Cam. She also slowly begins to make new friends like Grace, but especially with Owen, a local MMA fighter and fellow classmate. Their attraction is palatable even as Peyton tries to fight it and say they’re just friends. As for Owen, he has his own backstory and would love to get deeper into his character, but he was a strong and steady support to Peyton, as well as a contrast to Reed.

Broken Beautiful Hearts is an enjoyable story about finding yourself after feeling like you’ve lost your way or purpose in life. Peyton as a character is strong and though she struggles at first at Black Water with trusting people and her own decision-making, she begins to find her way. Ms. Garcia writes a well-paced and compelling story, and adds an element of mystery into the story as well.

Overall, Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia is both entertaining and thought-provoking with topics like abuse (physical and substance) and grief, as well as what happens when something as life-changing as an injury or illness effect your life or future (as seen with Peyton and Owen). I would recommend this novel and can’t wait to read more by Ms. Garcia.

(I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)

Following an accident, Peyton's friends will turn against her and she will have to go live with her uncle Hawk and her two cousins, Christian and Cameron in another city. This is of course only temporary, just to get in shape for football and especially to let time go for everything to be quiet again and for the threats to stop.
Peyton is great, she’s strong, determined, she’s very good at football, and especially what I admire in her is her strength of character, she’s hurt but still she goes up the slope, whether painful or not she tries to forget and move on.
Owen is nice, he doesn’t open up too much to others but he likes Peyton, he does MMA and he will also help Peyton get back on her feet. Owen also has problems but totally different from those of Peyton, he will have to open up and learn to trust.
As you may have guessed, the attraction between these two is quite explosive. Peyton has difficulty staying away from Owen, but she doesn’t want to get back into a relationship with a fighter, but the attraction is stronger than anything and Owen is not Reed.
Christian and Cameron, the two twin cousins of Peyton are adorable, they are very protective of her, they are both American footballers and they don’t want the boys approaching Peyton. Which will inevitably generate lots of funny situations since Peyton knows how to defend her alone and does not need his cousins to overprotect her. I loved these two, they are really adorable and a bit crazy anyway.
There are inevitably many other characters that I don’t speak of to leave you a little suspense.
I loved this book, it deals with a subject that particularly affects the author since she announced that it was partly lived. I liked that Peyton sticks to her story and she doesn’t lie even though it would have made her life a lot easier.
I loved the relationship between Owen and Peyton, she is slowly evolving, they have trouble admitting their feelings, especially Peyton but Owen knows how to do it with her. They are made for each other but they need to get to know each other and to trust each other.
The family relationship between Peyton, Christian and Cameron is also very important in the story, I think without them, Peyton's life at Black Water would have been a lot sadder.
Quick word: A story that will carry you away and you will not be able to stop until the end.