Member Reviews
It is no secret that I love Jay Crownover’s writing. I adore her broken heroes and take-no-crap ladies. The relationships she writes are a thing to shoot for.
This book is no different.
Jay Crownover weaves these small intricate details that make all the difference in books such as these.
Della, the take charge this is my world woman, is a force to be reckoned with. She will not let anything stand in her way of making sure her product line launches successfully. And Crew is the same way. He won’t let anything come between him and his family. No matter how misguided the intention.
The two of them together are explosive and even more so when you add the attraction neither one of them can deny. Della and Crew both try to resist each other but there is no denying fate. (Or whatever it is you want to call it.)
Crew seemed determined to enjoy the little mini vacation that Della’s job afforded him but the looming danger was never far from his mind. The ease of his relationship with his sister was adorable to watch and reminded me so much of my own relationship with my siblings. He was going to do a good job but was not willing to sacrifice his sister in the process. He wanted to make it right and recognized that he had a problem and that he needed help. That was epic to see. He really grew a lot in a short of amount of time and Jay Crownover made it so that it wasn’t too quick. It seemed viable, the amount of time.
Della needed more of a push to grow. She needed to hear how Crew was affecting her life from various sources before realizing that he was meant to be in her life. In one way or another. Crew’s sister getting involved seemed like such a sisterly thing to do, I thought it was hilarious.
There was ample evidence that neither Crew nor Della had the perfect childhood they portrayed. But that didn’t stop them from getting that happy ever after. It was the cutest thing. And something one should read when little eyes are not near.(Wink Wink)
Unbroken kicks off what I think will be a GREAT new series from Jay Crownover. In this story we meet Crew, a rodeo guy on a downward spiral and Della, a wealthy girl trying to get her father's attention. Crew owes money to a Vegas bookie and will do anything to get out of the debt. Turns out, his manager already signed him up for a way: the face of Della Deveraux's newest line of products.
Crew is so damaged. He views himself as the black sheep of his family and has been hiding his troubles from them. Crew has a lot of pride and feels that he has to fix everything himself. Della is brilliant and enjoys working for Deveraux Beauty but her father never seems to appreciate anything she does. When he finally lets her have her own product launch, Della is going to move mountains to make sure its perfect. She judges Crew pretty much right off the bat. About 1/2 way through the story, I was getting some Pride and Prejudice vibes: he has too much pride, she has too much prejudice...Its cute.
These two have some smoking hot chemistry. They are total opposites but that is kind of what makes them explosive. The end is a bit rushed, but this is a novella so its to be expected. I really loved Della and Crew and am excited to get Crew's siblings' stories! Unbroken is a great start to the Loveless, Texas series and I am very excited to go back!
Unbroken is a novella in the Loveless Texas series by the talented Jay Crownover. I love when my favorite authors start a new series and Jay knows how to write sexy, smart, broody, bad boys from all walks of life. And now we can add cowboys to her list! Crew is a rodeo star who lost everything and is forced to take drastic measures to save his name and keep his family safe. Turns out that means becoming the face of a men's hair and skincare line. He's ruggedly handsome and sexy, but he's not sure about this. Della's company needs this. She has something to prove and she's going to make Crew into the perfect looking man. But after spending some time with him she realizes he's already good looking, interesting and sweet and doesn't really want to change him. Once he's allowed to be himself Della can't believe how good he looks. What a natural he is and she can't resist him. He's nothing like the men she usually falls for and that's the point. He makes her want to be different. She makes him want to be better. Crew is sexy, sweet and knows how to use his words to charm Della. She's gorgeous, smart and very good at what she does. This is the perfect opposites attract love story that I quickly read in one sitting. Looking forward to seeing more of Crew's brother, Case.
A wonderful novella to kick of a new series by Jay Crownover. This was my first book by the author and I am now a fan for life! I loved the characters, the trials they face and that they're polar opposites. I can't wait to read more about the Lawton family and this book is a must-read, especially if you love rodeos and cowboys!
Unbroken, is the prequel novella to the Loveless, Texas series and it serves as our introduction to the Lawton family.
Crew Lawton is a rodeo star but is at risk of losing his job when his addiction starts to get the best of him. When his debts become too big, he must play the good boy by becoming the face of Della Deveaux’s new male skincare line. When it comes to these two it seems as though opposites really do attract! What happens when their attraction and chemistry come to a boiling point?
I really wish this had been a full length novel. I think we would have been able to really get to know these characters better, especially Crew. I feel as if his personality didn’t quite match with what we were told over and over again about his addiction problem. I love him regardless but had the story been a little longer we could have seen him grow away from it a little better instead of it feeling so rushed. Crew and Della’s love story happened so fast, I know it’s a novella but I wish we could have had more story so we could be able to have more faith and belief in their love.
Although this novella wasn’t my favorite, I am very excited to see what comes with the rest of the series. I’m very interested in each of the Lawton siblings and can’t wait to see how their stories play out. I hope we get glimpses of Crew and Della in the future as well.
Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.
Unbroken is the perfect title for Crew Lawton and Della Deveaux’s story because both of them refuse to surrender regardless of how lost or lonely they seem to be, and while they clearly come from two different worlds, they teach each other how to find a balance, not only between their differing personalities but also when it comes to learning to live between the two worlds that exist, which by all means is easier said than done, but it also appears to be essential for these two stubborn souls to find a way to be together.
Despite the instantaneous attraction that exists between this cowboy and businesswoman, both of them have their own issues to sort out, and, in Della’s mind, her vision for her family’s company’s new ad campaign is not a reckless and carefree country dweller, and to be honest, Crew doesn’t see himself in the role either, but both of them are stuck with each other and have to do what needs to be down in order for Crew to payoff his gambling debt and Della to prove to herself and to her father that she has what it takes to run this company.
But what happens when these two let down their guard and take off their respective masks illustrates an inevitable connection - one that might just be worth risking it all, as long as Crew can clean up the mess he’s in and Della can find a way to prove just how capable of a business woman she is while also claiming something just for herself…the problem is…both Della and Crew need to get out of their own way in order for everything to work out.
Jay Crownover is one of my absolute favorite romance authors, so when I read that she was introducing readers to a brand new series with the release of Unbroken, I couldn’t wait to enter the new world she created and see exactly what Loveless, Texas, had in store for Crownover’s characters and her readers. And while not much time is spent in the small Texan town, the fact that we meet the Lawton siblings and gain insight into exactly who they are and what they stand for, I cannot wait for Justified.
Unbroken has a little bit of everything within its pages - there’s sexual tension, witty foreplay, internal diatribes, and a mix of suspense, drama, and realizations, which makes Crew and Della’s story a great way to introduce everything that Jay Crownover’s new series will deliver to readers in the upcoming releases.
4 Poison Apples
Riding high on his fame from the rodeo circuit, Crew Lawton has been taking risks that are haunting him with a vengeance. The fame and fortune that Crew experienced on his rise to stardom was also the catalyst that is now forcing the bronco rider to face his mistakes. With gambling the current addiction, Crew finds himself endangering those he loves due to his substantial debt to some very shady characters.
With a timeline quickly closing in, the answer to Crew’s dilemma comes in the most unexpected form. Della Deveaux comes knocking on Crew’s door during the most inopportune time. As the head of an upscale men’s skincare line, Della has come to give Crew a well deserved push where her business campaign is concerned. With Crew’s face as the marketing core of a newly developed campaign, Della knows that the rodeo star can catapult sales for the line like no other model.
Fueled by her own desperation, Della knows that her future with her father’s company is riding on Crew’s performance in the campaign. The two immediately clash and nothing can prepare the cowboy for New York City life. As the two spend more time together, their immediate attraction is only fueled by the intensity of their circumstances. So much is riding on the success of this men’s line, but Crew and Della can’t seem to ignore the pull that they feel when in each other’s presence. Where will their choices lead on the road to fame, fortune, and risks?
When I heard Jay Crownover was writing a new series centered around Texas, I immediately had to uncover what the series would be about. Diving into this novella was definitely a ride full of suspense and tendrils of romance. After diving into Unbroken, I can honestly say I am so excited to uncover more in this series that is sure to be a favorite of Crownover readers everywhere! Unbroken is the perfect tease for what is sure to be a delicious ride to Loveless, Texas!!
Rarely do I read a novella, but the blurb for UNBROKEN demanded I give it a chance and I am so glad I did! I’ve read Jay Crownover before and know that she builds dynamic worlds that draw you in and make you feel like you are living in them, UNBROKEN is no exception. Cowboy romances are my favorite and I am a super fan of Lorelei James, the queen of cowboy romance, so when I say Jay Crownover did a superb job with her first cowboy romance, it means I really liked UNBROKEN!
UNBROKEN is a opposites attract romance with a feisty heroine, a down on his luck but determined cowboy set in a small town with intriguing family dynamics that I can’t wait to learn more about. I cannot wait to visit Lawless, Texas again!
Unbroken by Jay Crownover, starts this brand new series off with a BANG! From the start, we're immediately brought the action as we sit on the edge of our seats, biting our nails in anticipation!
Crew Lawton I would say is the bad boy of the Lawton siblings. A famous rodeo star whose got himself into some deep trouble. He's got charm and swagger but his downfall is his gambling addiction which has caused him to owe a lot of money to someone he should not.
This brings us to Della Deveaux, her father wants Crew's face for her new product line. Della doesn't care much for a southern boy, she's a city girl through and through but even she could not resist Crew's sexiness. Crew hates the very idea of having to work with Della but he can't let this opportunity pass him by. He's looking at hefty amount of money that would finally make his debt paid in full.
Though things between Crew and Della are not a piece of cake at the beginning, their chemistry is undeniable. They are two opposites who attract. Two people who are very judgmental of one another... That is until they begin sending time together. Once those sparks fly, you best get out of the way!
Unbroken was so much fun to read and a wonderful start to an all-new series by Jay. I'm a sucker when it comes to reading novellas because I always end up wanting more. This proved to be the case once more as I'm now looking forward to Case's book next!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Forever Yours through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*
I’ll be honest. Jay Crownover is an author that I’d love to say I’ve read everything she’s ever written, but I’m nowhere near close to completing her back list, and at the rate she’s releasing new books, I feel like it’s a losing battle. That being said though, everything I HAVE read, I’ve loved and enjoyed, so it’s a battle I’m willing to try to win.
Unbroken is the introductory novel to Jay’s new Loveless, Texas series that centers around the Lawton family. Crew Lawton is the black sheep of the three Lawton siblings. A big time rodeo star, he’s gotten himself into a bit of a jam with his gambling issues, and in order to get out of them and protect his family he enters into a contract to be the new face of an upscale, men’s skincare line, even though it’s completely not his thing, and his contact Della Deveaux positively hates him on sight.
I started this one and finished it in one sitting. It’s a novella, so it’s a quick read, but I was completely swept up in the story and these characters. This book was sweet, steamy, and full of suspense. I loved seeing Crew’s growth as a character and his turn away from the “dark side” of life, and how Della truly brought out the best in him. And Della become so much more of a person, rather than a lonely individual who only cared about one thing in life, which was work. Together these two were absolutely a solid, united front and I’m excited and hopeful that we’ll get little glimpses of the two of them in the other books in the series.
This is definitely a series that I will be continuing with, and I’m looking forward to reading both Crew’s siblings stories.
I think part of the reason I ended up liking this novella, is because I really didn’t like the first 10%. I had no interest in a hero who has ruined his life through addiction and self-pity. Plus the opening scene in this book is super graphic. Those things combined with Ms. Crownover being a new-to-me author made me put the book aside for a few days. Surprisingly, when I picked the book back up, the fun characters and intense emotions in this story won me over. I am really glad I came back to it because I think I’m hooked on this new series!
As I mentioned, Crew is a washed-up rodeo star with a gambling problem and finds himself in a ton of debt. Della is a picture perfect, buttoned-up, businesswoman, leading her father’s beauty ad campaigns. Her father hires Crew to be the face of their new men’s skincare line.
This book had all the fun opposites attract moments. Della and Crew weren’t truly adversarial, they just came from entirely different worlds. Della surprised me because I thought she would be icy, but she was really just reserved and cautious. I liked her a lot. And although this is a novella, Ms. Crownover didn’t cut any words on the love scenes. They were really romantic.
I really like how the action was wrapped up and I am completely intrigued by the Lawton siblings. I can’t wait to read Case’s book! He sounds super sexy.
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
Crew Lawton is in a lot of trouble. His gamblings debts are out of control and his family is threatened. He really doesn't have much choice but to take the offer his loanshark throws in front of him.
Della Deveaux just wants to sell product and Crew is the guy that supposed to help her create the image she's looking for. Only Della gets a whole lot more than she bargained for with Crew. He does something to her that she must pursue, even though they couldn't be two more different people.
Unbroken was at times brutal and at times romantic and sweet. I loved how Della and Crew come together especially the help from Della's father. From the opening pages, Unbroken sucked me right into the story, surprised me with a few things and left me wanting more! Loved it! Great start to the series.
Comme vous le savez sûrement, chaque nouvelle parution de Jay Crownover est synonyme de fête et j'avais hâte de découvrir cette nouvelle saga. Il s'agit de la saga Loveless, qui se focalise donc sur cette petite ville du Texas et où la famille Lawson ( enfin une grande majorité) réside. Unbroken est donc le prequel de cette saga et nous permet de découvrir l'univers des cowboy avec Crew, le frère de Case et Kody. J'ai adoré découvrir cet univers et cette novella m'a donné très envie de découvrir le tome 1 qui sortira fin juin. Sachez que si vous tenez absolument à avoir cette novella en version broché, il suffira de commander Colorado Cowboys de Sara Richardson . Pour ma part, cette édition est déjà dans ma bibliothèque.
Crew Lawton est un personnage très complexe que nous allons découvrir en position très délicate dès le prologue. Cette tête brûlée n'en a toujours fait qu'à sa tête et les mauvaises décisions se sont enchaînées. Il est désormais pieds et poings liés ( au sens propre comme au sens figuré) et il va devoir pactiser avec le diable alias Dante Vargas pour tenter de s'en sortir. Il a une carrière brillante et il est devenue une star incontestée du rodéo mais son destin va basculer quand une certaine addiction va tout envoyer valser. Crew a tout pour lui mais pourtant sa vie est creuse et vide de sens. On sent qu'il aime sa famille mais qu'il a honte de leur faire subir ce qu'il leur impose. Il a ce sentiment d'impuissance qui pourrait lui coûter justement son frère et sa soeur . Nous allons découvrir que le père Lawson aura un impact crucial sur sa vie et son estime de soi mais son rôle ne va pas s'arrêter là et les tensions sont encore très vives. Case est le sheriff de Loveless et il met tout en oeuvre pour ne pas perpétuer les sales habitudes familiales , ce qui explique donc que Crew ait dû mal à se confier à lui. Quant à Kody , c'est une sacrée bonne femme que j'ai terriblement envie de découvrir car son potentiel est plus que prometteur. Ce que j'adore déjà dans cette saga est le fait qu'on sent que cette famille n'a pas encore offert tout son potentiel et que ses diverses histoires vont évidemment retenir notre attention.
Crew est donc un personnage que j'ai adoré découvrir car il n'est pas lisse . Bien au contraire, il a des failles énormes mais il se pourrait qu'il parvienne enfin à prendre du recul quand il va se mettre à travailler avec Della. On a l'impression que pour la première fois de sa vie , il a envie de bien se comporter pour démontrer aux autres qu'il n'est pas le sombre crétin qu'il a jusqu'alors été. Le fait de le découvrir , d'apprendre à le connaître et le voir tenter de surmonter les épreuves qu'il s'imposent lui même est très intéressant. Il est cet homme sublime mais on va aussi le découvrir très à l'aise avec Della alors que leurs mondes sont à des années lumières. Cela nous prouve qu'il est capable d'une grande adaptation et qu'il pourrait s'en sortir s'il acceptait qu'on lui vienne en aide. Ce n'est pas que sa virilité en pâtisse car elle sera un atout pour une certaine reconversion professionnelle mais on sent qu'il ne va pas en jouer. On a donc dès lors envie que le destin cesse de s'acharner sur lui et lui ouvre une porte de sortie vers une vie plus "apaisée" et épanouie. Saura t-il se sortir indemne des embrouilles?
Della Deveaux est une héroïne que j'ai également trouvé très attachante. Même si elle évolue dans le grand luxe et dans l'univers des cosmétiques, elle ne se complaît pas dans sa vie de petite fille riche. Tout comme Crew, il faudra aller au delà des apparences pour découvrir ce qu'elle cache. Elle a des idées assez arrêtées et on pourrait penser qu'elle va tomber dans les stéréotypes mais ce serait mal la connaître. Très professionnelle, elle n'hésite pas à relever ses manches pour se salir les mains et faire aboutir un projet qui lui tient très à coeur. Son père Max est à la tête d'un empire mais on va vite se rendre compte que leur relation n'est pas des plus épanouies ni des plus épanouissantes. Quand son univers va donc entrer en collision avec celui de Crew, on s'attend à des étincelles, des tensions et des incompréhensions mais le dialogue va vite passer entre eux et ils pourraient se rendre compte qu'ils ont plus de point commun que prévu. J'ai adoré les scènes où nos deux protagonistes entrent en scène car on a face à nous une évidence et on espère qu'ils vont ouvrir les yeux. Leur carrière et leur passé pourront ils leur permettre de continuer à tisser ce lien?
Bref, Unbroken est un prequel parfaitement réussi dans le sens où Jay Crownover nous met l'eau à la bouche tout en nous proposant une histoire intéressante avec des personnages passionnants qu'on a envie de découvrir. Si vous avez aimé la saga Wild Men, je ne doute pas un seul instant que vous allez adorer cette nouvelle saga qui nous plongera au coeur de l'action, des relations tendues et d'un bonheur éventuel au bout du chemin.
I love Jay Crownover’s writing, and several of her complex, layered and hard-fought love stories are some of my all-time, top favorite books. In Unbroken, Crownover takes on a different type of hero—cowboys—as she lays the groundwork for what promises to be an exciting, sexy and intriguing new series. She definitely whetted my appetite for the Lawton siblings, and I can’t wait to get back to Loveless, Texas.
No one does an opposites-attract romance quite like Crownover. Time and time again, she pairs seemingly ill-matched heroes and heroines, and challenges them to find a way to make sense of their attraction and then to fight for their happily ever after. In Unbroken, Crew and Della couldn’t be any more different, but despite those differences, they’re powerfully drawn to each other in a way neither has ever felt before. Sizzling chemistry wasn’t all this couple shared, though. In each other they both found more than either of them bargained for, but also something they both desperately wanted.
Having read much of Crownover’s previous works, going into Unbroken, I was curious to see what she’d do with a hero so unlike her tattooed bad boys or her dark, dangerous anti-heroes and a setting so distinctly different. Full of emotion, raw desire and a splash of suspenseful intrigue, I devoured Unbroken, and I’m at the edge of my seat, ready and waiting to ride back into the Lawton family’s lives in Lawless, Texas. Unbroken by Jay Crownover gets 4.5 smooches from me!
~Danielle Palumbo, Red Cheeks Reads
Review and release Day Blitz can be found on *Milky Way of Books*
A quick read about Crew and Della, two character who will probably be in the upcoming new series by Jay Crownover! A rodeo star and a fashion owner will clash and fall for each other, as danger lurks around. I like Crew and Della; they have their strong points and their weaknesses but they were so realistic I could help but ship them!
This book was good, but I felt it was missing a spark that I usually feel with this author’s books. I’m hoping it’s because it was a novella and those aren’t always my favorite, but I’ll still be giving the first full book in this series a read because I want to see where it goes.
Wow.
The first few pages really sets the scene of the desperation in every action Crew carries out throughout this book. I am not one for dark reads, and while the story as a whole is not, the prologue alone, is raw, gritty and leaves a feeling in your stomach you can’t shake.
I love a man who isn’t perfect. I know so many books are bringing in more real characters than the fantasy perfect man but this guy has messed up. And messed up bad.
Della, is such a fun character! I love to see when characters grow and change as the story continues. While we don’t see much of her stuffy ways, it is believable. Which makes her courage to step out and be sexy, for him, enthralling.
I am always harping on connection, and these two have it! I feel sexy when I read it. I feel the butterflies like I was being looked at. I love Jay Crownover for being able to bring that experience to the reader.
The only thing I didn’t like about this book, was now I am wanting Case and Kody’s story.
Crew Lawton is a gambler, on top of a rodeo star. When a bad bet puts him in a bind, he knows he has to do whatever it takes to pay off his debt and keep his family out of his problem.
Della Deveaux has a lot to prove to her father. She has worked in the family business trying to get his attention, but always seems to go to the background when she thinks she has his eye. Her latest project is the project she’s been working since it’s infancy and her biggest hope for making her father proud.
When she learns her father signed Crew Lawton to be the face of her new men’s skin care line, Della is disappointed - the rough around the edge (but sexy as hell) cowboy is light-years away from the vision she had for the marketing campaign. Crew isn’t a skin care kind of guy, and can’t believe his manager signed him up for this gig. But as he travels with Della and learns what the line means to her, he decides he can put his best foot forward in the hopes they each get what they need out of the partnership.
Della and Crew are a bit of an odd couple. From opposite backgrounds, they just fit. Each is driven - Della wants to get her father’s attention, while Crew is trying to keep his family safe. I loved watching as these two learned how to combine what they want with what they need, as well as how to let go of what is not important.
Things happen quickly in Unbroken. There was constant movement, between the main characters, from their respective storylines, and from the unexpected. I loved the way their differences played together as they got to know each other in all their travels. They challenge each other in ways they could not have foreseen - and I loved watching their journey!
This was a fun novella and a taste of who the Lawton’s are in the upcoming Loveless, Texas series from Crownover. I love her take on cowboys, as we saw in the Getaway series, and I can’t wait to see her take on more traditional cowboys in this series.
I received this book for free from Netgalley and the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 stars. Unbroken is the first book in the new Loveless, Texas series from Ms. Crownover. This is Della and Crew's book. Della's father runs the family skin care company she works for and has hired a new face for her advertising campaign for their men's line without consulting her. Crew is that face. He is a rodeo champion who has gotten himself into trouble with gambling. He owes a huge amount of money to some pretty bad guys who are willing to go after his family if he doesn't pay up fast. They have him throwing his rodeo matches, ruining his career, so that they can bet on his opponent and make money off him. He is miserable and desperate. So when he finds out his agent signed him up to model for Della's company, he decides to go through with it for the money. When Della and Crew meet, both are skeptical of each other as they are polar opposites. Della is an uptight city girl to him and Crew is a country bumpkin ladies man to her. But as they spend time working together for Della's campaign, the two of them find opposites attract. Crew has to face his demons, see if his luck can turn around and if he can get the girl.
I liked this book, but I do think it was a bit of a slow start. I enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first half. It definitely took me awhile to feel the chemistry between Della and Crew. At first, there seemed to be too much telling and not showing, which made it hard to connect to the story. But I liked them both after I got to know their characters. They were total opposites but were just what each other needed. I just found the book a little slow. For a novella, it felt long and a little tedious at times. Still, I liked the story and the setup for the new series. I really am looking forward to Crew's brother and sister's stories. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to more from this new series and Ms. Crownover!
Short and sweet. I liked the characters and the premise was good. Just the right amount of suspense and sex. The banter was enjoyable and the sexy times were hot. Will I go on with the series? I’m undecided right now. I wasn’t crazy about his siblings.