A bold, socially-conscious contemporary romance novel that explores everything from race, culture, and social status in the midst of an emotional love story between people with darkness in their pasts. The characters in this story just broke me down and built me back up while reading it. Beautiful!

Andra Lawler lives an isolated life on a horse ranch her family owns in Montana. Though her life seems lonely, Andra finds that the only time she feels free from the anxiety and panic attacks that plague her are when she is out on the ranch with the horses.

Nearly five years earlier in college Andra was kidnapped, drugged, and assaulted. With the details of her attack splashed across the headlines, Andra has never been able to escape it. Andra’s pain makes others uncomfortable. Even her own family doesn’t know quite how to treat her after those horrible events.

When Andra needs help to train her foals, she hires a Haitian-Creole cowboy from New Orleans named LJ Delisle. LJ has always loved horses, but opportunities to train them are scarce in New Orleans. When he makes the decision to pursue this opportunity and leave behind his ailing mother, he never expected to meet someone like Andra.

As LJ slowly breaks down Andra’s walls through his care of the horses, his excellent home-baked goods, and his affable disposition. But LJ has his own dark past he is working to hide. And the people in their small town don’t fully accept him.

Their friendship develops slowly—they are two damaged souls who may be just what the other needs to heal. But as things between them become more solid, an emergency in New Orleans causes LJ to return home. Andra is learning to trust men again, but has she healed enough to leave the safety of her family homestead and follow LJ?

This book wrecked me in a beautiful way. This is not your average light-hearted romance. If I’m honest, I don’t even know if I’d put this in the romance category, though it certainly fits there. I felt this book was so much more!

There is a darkness to both Andra’s and LJ’s stories. These are two individuals who have taken a beating by life. The themes of this book are authentic and handled with dignity and raw authenticity. Everything from the challenges they face being an interracial couple to Andra’s assault, to living through the trauma of something like Hurricane Katrina were told in a way that showed the struggle and the reality, without being unnecessarily salacious or provocative. These are examples of the sort of struggles that may underlie many people. Some we don’t even know.

One interesting thing about LJ was the way he seemed good-natured, fun, and light. And he is those things. But because that is what he presents to the world, many may not look deeper and see the full experience of him as a person. The pain, shame, strength, and vulnerabilities he carries.

Andra was another wonderful character. I though the author did a truly fantastic job showing how trapped she is psychologically by what she has gone through. How those around her experience both the desire to help her heal, but also the fear that they don’t understand how to approach her. This leads her to feel even more alone.

But let’s end as the book does with the theme being healing, love, and accepting others fully. A beautiful message for a beautiful book.

Thank you Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.

I ADORED this book! I couldn't read it fast enough. Both Andra and LJ had something terrible happen to them. They'd both tried to move on, but the trauma was always there. Both had very different ways of recovering. LJ is the kindest, gentlest man and yet his size was intimidating to most. I enjoyed the way he took care of Andra, but didn't baby her. Both had very different backgrounds but their friendship took hold and I enjoyed watching things transpire. I liked the way Michelle brought to light real events and the way in which she told this story. It was heartbreaking but endearing and sweet at times, too. It was a beautifully written story and I can't recommend it enough! Please do yourselves a favor and don't miss this book!

A Haitian-Creole cowboy from New Orleans comes to work on Andra Lawler’s family ranch in Montana. How different can their lives be? Can they overcome all the obstacles in their way and find happiness? There is much for them to overcome but doing so could bring them so much happiness.

I love the setting of the beautiful ranch. I could hear the quietness of the ranch while picturing the ranch hands hard at work mending fences, breaking horses, and doing all their other chores. It is a place of comfort, peace, and family.

LJ comes to the ranch to work and the first thing he sees in Andra. The attraction between them is felt instantly and Andra is frozen with panic. Their relationship has many obstacles the least of which is their different skin color and different upbringings. Andra’s dad sets the tone for the things to come for these two and I instantly knew it wouldn’t be easy for them. I loved how LJ took his time with her but didn’t treat her as being fragile or breakable. He flirted, he spent time with her, but he understood that he needed to tread lightly or he’d scare her away.

Unbreak Me pulled me in with the sweet story of LJ and Andra while bringing to light how difficult being together can be for some people. There are real-world problems mixed in with the fear of opening your heart within this book.

<b>3.5 Stars</b>

Reading's been tough for me lately. Not much catches or keeps my attention. Hell, I tried to start 2 other books after this one and DNF'd with in 15 minutes.

I really liked Unbreak Me. It was a moving story, filled with many heavy topics. Having a son who dates interracial, I was able to connect to LJ and Andra on a more personal level and understand some of the struggles, feelings, and prejudice they both faced.

For me, LJ made this book. I adored the hell out of Andra, but I absolutely FLOVED LJ. His nature with both Andra and the horses really endears a reader to him. His gentle soul will quickly win you over, leaving you devouring the pages.

Do know that this book tackles racism, prejudice, kidnapping and sexual assault, and the survival/destruction of Katrina, focusing on the Ninth Ward.

Sometimes you discover a book and it surprises you in the best way possible. For me, this was one of those books. After reading Andra and L.J.'s story my heart is lighter but my mind is full. I thought that this was such a beautiful and powerful romance. The storyline is a cleverly crafted blend of touching romance, harsh realism and timeliness. The characters and their story are very complex. Each has a painful past, has endured trauma and now they carry with them the baggage that resulted from having survived to tell the tale. These issues and raw emotions weigh heavily into the story and you can easily see that they have played a huge part in shaping who they are and how they see and deal with the world. There is so much here that will make your heart ache at the unfairness and injustices but also bright, shining moments of the good things in the world that give us all hope to keep going and maintain the belief that things will get better. This is not always an easy read simply because it often strikes too close to home to be so. In my opinion though it is so worth every moment of unease to experience such a memorable and moving romance.

A quiet gem…

I heard cowboy and, of course, I pounced immediately. What I received was a man who was that and so much more in a layered story that will be with me for a while…

LJ was an intriguing character. On the outside, he was full of laughter, always ready for a dirty joke or a teasing comment. Underneath his go lucky exterior, however, was an insightful, caring man who loved fiercely and protectively, and was completely aware of the often harsh world he lived in. He also knew his way around the kitchen, was straight up cowboy sexy and had a southern drawl…

Andra could have been the spoiled rancher’s daughter but instead she was a down to earth and hard-working former rodeo queen. Her fairytale life was altered forever by an assault that she still dealt with, the trauma rearing its ugly head whenever it wanted. Hiding, buried in work, she kept herself aloof from a world that refused to let her move on. LJ was a breath of fresh air as he treated her not as a victim but as a survivor. A flesh and blood, normal woman…

LJ ruffled her feathers and everything else, as his presence stirred up emotions and feelings in herself, and others, that opened up Andra’s eyes as well as my own. Their relationship, their love, opened up a powder keg of conflicting priorities and racism that bubbled just under the surface. The author schooled me, and Andra, on these harsh realities through the devastating simplicity of it all…

With Wyoming and New Orleans as beautiful backdrops, their journey was in parts an education but also a testament to the resilience and power of humanity and love. A new author to me, she has left me with a story I won’t soon forget…

3.5 stars
This was a very ambitious story mixing pain, loneliness, racism, interracial relations and love. We have two people who are drawn together against all odds and they are the one safe haven for them.
They have to overcome parents, small-town minds and the internal pain they still have from their own demons.
An interesting idea.

I was a little hesitant with this book simply because it hinted at dealing with triggering subject matter(Spoiler alert, it does). Andra works on her father's ranch and hasn't really left the ranch since she came home from collage after a tragic event that happened to her, which has left her super Leary of men and a somewhat shut-in,
LJ is huge for his size and add in the fact that he is black and from Nawlins is not stopping him from being a horse whisper. Not one to be discourage, he goes against Andra's father's wishes and everyone else and tries to befriend Andra. First time reading this author and she did a great job with world building and accuracy(this is after hurricane Katrina). I didn't like how some senece played out and how I felt they were a little long, but
I did, however still enjoyed the book, despite the fact that I did drag for me a few times. But I like the build up romance between Andra(short for Casandra) and LJ. I liked the way LJ treated her which was normal and everyone else treated her differently because of what happened to her.
At times this was a heavy read but other times it was light and fun and you find yourself coming out of Andra's shell with her and LJ was super sweet and very likable.
Overall I enjoyed this book very much

Michelle Hazen creates a beautiful love story between two characters that come from very different backgrounds.
It wasn't the beautiful background of Montana or New Orleans that stole my heart but the romance between the two characters that just made me weep!

Hazen weaves a true raw, heartbreaking, and beautiful love story that folds across these pages so effortlessly. I just fell completely head over heels for the big creole cowboy ;). L.J you can come over anytime and make me one of your famous cakes <3.

The author definitely broke me heart a few times but only to have my heart back together :). This was my first novel by Hazen and can't wait to see what is up Hazen's arm in the future :).


Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

4 strong stars!

Publication date: 8/13/19
Published to GR/IG: 8/12/19

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and Michelle Hazen for the opportunity to read and review this book - a great read!

Andra lives a very solitary life on her family ranch. An assault when she was younger left her broken and susceptible to panic attacks. Her overprotective father keeps most men away from her. When they needed help in training horses, Andra interviewed and hired LJ, from New Orleans, even though he gave her a panic attack when they first met. LJ hates that Andra is lonely and starts teaching her how to cook and laugh. However, LJ is black in this white world and no one, especially Andra's father, lets him forget that. When LJ's mother in New Orleans becomes sick, LJ returns home to take care of her. Will Andra ever fit into his world or him into hers?

Set in the backdrop of New Orleans 10 years after Hurricane Katrina, this book is eye-opening to the devastation and bigotry that exists there. Along with the whole race discussion, this would be a great book club read. A little too much sex detail but besides that - a stellar read!

I picked this up several times and unfortunately, I just never got into it. The writing was fantastic, it just didn't grab me the way I hoped.

Tirelessly relevant. Heartbreakingly real. Hazen pulls no punches when it comes to speaking the truth. Unbreak Me is a celebration. Andra and LJ plow though the stereotypes of life to find a love that endures. These characters are proof that power comes from within. A powerful life lesson.

I have read many of Michelle Hazen's books and love her style of writing. While her stories have sexy scenes, there is also a lot of depth to the stories. Characters with dark pasts or challenges to face. She weaves a tapestry of emotions together - humor, pain, despair, hope, anger, betrayal, love, faith - that make the stories compelling. Unbreak Me managed that as well. Two unlikely characters - one who is fighting for a better life, the chance to do what he loves, all while having to leave the mother and his community that he loves and face misperceptions about him because of the color of his skin. The other suffered unspeakable horrors at the hand of a kidnapper/rapist, and while she escaped and is back home, everyone treats her differently and broken. This unlikely duo forge a friendship that defies the odds and pulls on the heartstrings. LJ and Andra found their way into my heart and made me want them to find their happy ending, despite his sick mother, her stubborn father, a community that wasn't ready to accept them as a couple. Once I started reading I didn't want to put the book down. When I finished, I was sorry to have reached the end wanting more of Andra and LJ (and their parents who are characters in their own rights). Definitely worth reading.

Unbreak Me by Michelle Hazen is an inter-racial love story between two troubled souls. LJ Delisle, our hero, is a Haitian-Creole horse trainer from New Orleans, who arrives at a horse ranch in Montana to apply for a job. Andra Lawler helps run the ranch with her father and brother, and she is the one who trains most of the foals. When LJ arrives, he notices Andra calmly handling the horse she is training, and recognizes how good she is. When he walks to meet her, he accidentally causes her to fall, and she goes into a panic shock.

Though her father tries to run off LJ, Andra sees that he is just the person who can help her train the horses, especially after she puts him through the tests and the horses seem to love LJ. Both Andra and LJ have issues in their lives that causes them grief, and working with the horses alleviates the pain of their past. LJ lived with his family when Hurricane Katrina destroyed the area he and his family and friends lived; even years later, with little money, they live in terrible conditions. Andra is closed off from socializing with the people on the ranch, even partially her family. 5 years earlier, she was kidnapped and abused, though she managed to escape; but she still is haunted by nightmares, and suffers severe anxiety panic attacks. Andra is very uncomfortable dealing with people, especially knowing the local townsfolk still stare at her.

What follows is a friendship between LJ and Andra, as they work together. LJ is very charming, and goes out of his way to help Andra relax and try to enjoy things, such as his wonderful cooking and boastful laugh. She begins to enjoy his company and even laugh more. When LJ learns more about what happened to her, he finds it hard to control his anger, as he has come to care for Andra, even if her father wants him out. When their relationship begins to escalate into a possible romance, LJ is afraid to push her, worrying about her attacks. When his mother becomes ill, he leaves to go back to New Orleans and help care for her. Andra will take it upon herself to travel to New Orleans to talk LJ to come back, and meet his mother and friends while staying there for a bit. When her father calls her home, the question is will LJ and her find a way to fulfill the love they have for each other, especially with all the obstacles surrounding them?

Unbreak Me was very well written by Hazen, with the story covering a number of issues, such as; racism, sexual assault, anxiety, panic attacks, aftermath of Katrina and family. It was also a love story of two unlikely people who faced slim odds in finding a way to stay together, despite the complications. Unbreak Me was a very good story, which I suggest you read.

Holy Hannah. This book just knocked my socks off.

A dynamic mixture of sweet, heartwarming romance set against gritty, honest, and thought-provoking real world trauma, Unbreak Me was incredibly compelling and impossible to put down. I was fascinated and heartbroken and swooning like crazy - sometimes all at the same time. This story was incredible, and important, and I suspect it will be sticking with me for quite some time.

I loved the tone of the storytelling. I loved how Ms. Hazen opened my eyes to a world I have no first-hand experience with, but didn't make me **feel** like I was being educated. I was being drawn in immediately. I was given these characters who were so lovable and relatable and just...wonderful. And then I was given all the ways the world had hurt them. And it **resonated** in a way I can only attribute to the masterful way this author handled the storytelling. She opened my heart, shook it up a bit, and then pieced it back together in a way that feels a little raw and tender from the journey it took, but completely satisfied all the same.

I loved this so much. The balance between lighthearted flirty romance and heavier emotional punches was just right for me. Sure, it was heartbreaking - but the feel of that didn't outweigh the joy of experiencing LJ and Andra falling in love, and it definitely didn't diminish the fierce love I have for both of these characters (and frankly, LJ's mama). It was layered, and nuanced, and perfectly written. I didn't even see this book coming, and it absolutely bowled me over! ~ Shelly, 5 Stars

Unbreak Me is a blistering romance; searing and brutal and yet tender and sweet.  There are moments of gentleness that will melt you – but much of the book is a bruising indictment of a legal system that allows rapists to go free, and the government structures that caused the levées to break during Katrina.

A newcomer to Wild Falls, Montana, Haitian-Creole cowboy LJ Delisle accidentally frightens Andra Lawler, the co-foreman and boss’ daughter at the ranch where he’s applied for a job by showing up in the stable early for his interview. It turns out Andra placed the ad without her father’s knowledge; she thinks they desperately need more trainers to handle the horses from weaning to saddle breaking so she can take more time out to train them for riding purposes, but her dad disagrees about hiring more people.  There’s a reason why Andra’s father doesn’t want to hire another man onto the ranch, a reason that Andra can’t bring herself to share at first; in the meantime, she desperately needs help training the latest batch of foals, and LJ’s good nature and determined work ethic are marks in his favor.  When he breaks a troublesome colt to lead rope handling, she hires him on the spot.

The enigma of Andra is one LJ becomes determined to puzzle out – and he chooses to do it with baking.  This extends to preparing the evening meal together; they’re so comfortable in the kitchen that LJ offers to teach her how to cook, an offer which Andra reluctantly accepts.  For the first time in ages, the relaxed meal planning and food preparation she and LJ do together allows Andra to enjoy spending time with a man who’s not a blood relative. Soon LJ learns the reason why; Andra’s still living on the ranch and with her father, self-isolating thanks to a panic disorder resulting from the sexual assault she suffered in college and the media circus that happened after she pressed charges and went to trial. The assault has left her mistrustful of all men- everyone, that is, but LJ.

Soon, LJ is making plans to ignore his musical gifts and stay in town, and his relationship with Andra is heating up.  But with his beloved mother’s health in question, he’s forced to confront the nightmares of his past and return to the Ninth Ward. Will he stay in New Orleans, or return to Montana and Andra’s arms?

A warning for those going into this novel unprepared; it’s no lighthearted romance.  Unbreak Me wrestles with many heavy matters, such as the racism heaped upon LJ by both the very white Montana world to which he moves and the racist system of life post-Katrina in New Orleans. The disapproval Andra and LJ face from her father as an interracial couple is very well-handled, as is the racist nightmare and deeply scarring trauma that was Hurricane Katrina. Andra’s rape is also discussed quite heavily in a brutally honest, frank and heartbreaking way, as Andra tries to figure out how to reconnect with her own sexuality after her trauma. But at the novel’s center is a warm romance about two people who need to heal, and the way their love for one another causes the hope for salvation to bloom to life.

I liked Andra and LJ, who are both fully-fleshed-out characters worth rooting for who make sense as a romantic couple, and the way they listen to one another and work together for their happy ending is appealing.  I liked Andra’s best friend, and all of LJ’s friends, and his refined mother.

There are a few problems with the book that kept it out of DIK contention, though. Sometimes, the angst the narrative serves up is excessive; as you can tell from the above description, there’s a lot of trauma in LJ and Andra’s lives.  On top of this, LJ’s mother is dying of lupus that they can’t afford to treat, and this last additional chunk of misery heaped on them both ends up feeling too soapy to be believed.  And while New Orleans post-Katrina is portrayed with accuracy, LJ’s offhanded comment that victims of the disaster, caught in a cycle of poverty and government lackadaisy, are somehow to blame for their own misery because they have defeatist attitudes didn’t wash with me.  He does say that it’s right that they blame their bad luck for their problems but I thought it was odd of him to think after what he’d been through.

However, Unbreak Me works in a visceral way. It will find its way into your nerves and your mind and make you fall in love with its characters – but the romance, like many others, proves to be a complicated one.

Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Visit our Amazon Storefront

I really enjoyed this book. Took me a while to get into everything, but once I was hooked, I had to know everything.

This book was powerful. It took on topics including racism and sexual assault. I thought she wrote both sides of the story really well, and both characters each had their story told. She also took true events and stories, working them into fiction, which was thoughtful and brought this book to life.

This unlikely pairing, with the odds against them, were such a beautiful couple and I adored how sweet they were to one another and how strong their connection is. They also get so steamy, which is great because you are just rooting for these two to get together!

Thank you, Berkley Romance for the ACR!

New Orleans Ward 9 and a Montana horse ranch--how can two different locations make a great setting for a romance? LJ and Andra are the two people from different places with different backgrounds and trauma which affect their emotions. Well told story with some real facts thrown in. Read, discuss, what are your thoughts?

Well-written with good character development, but the story just didn't grab my attention as much as I'd hoped. I think I'm also ready for a break from reading about people with such difficult issues to overcome. I read enough to know I can recommend it to some of my customers who I think would enjoy it.

This was such a moving story. I couldn't get enough of it! The characters were fully flushed and grabbed straight onto my heart. Lovely read!