Unbroken Circle

by Mary Griggs

Sallie Lee Hybart doesn’t see many strangers at her diner counter. Pennington, Alabama, is a town the interstate passed by, so newcomers are rare. But this one looks familiar.

Janet Bouton has nothing and no one. Her life has been stripped down to the clothing on her back. Counting out her meager change to pay for a stick-to-the-ribs meal, she is hoping to escape the diner unrecognized. She shouldn’t have come back...but no place else on earth was familiar.

An act of kindness sets a chain of events in motion and pulls Sallie Lee and Janet together, but the past has the power to tear them apart. There are still people in Pennington who remember Janet too well. Small town memories have had a lot of years to simmer, and love may not be the recipe for happiness.

Mary Griggs’ debut romance novel unites a lost soul and a determined survivor to create a passionate story that readers will remember long after the final page.

Genres: Lesbian, LGBT, Romance, Lesbian Romance, Lesbian Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2011

About the author

Mary Griggs spent over ten years running bookstores for Borders Books and Music before turning her attention toward nonprofit management. Currently, she is a partner in a non-profit consulting firm with offices in Oakland, California and New Orleans, Louisiana. She is ecstatic to announce that her first novel, Unbroken Circle, has been published by Bella Books.

Reviews

[Pin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people story with heartwarming, satisfying ending.
This well-written debut story kept me engrossed until the last page with interesting plot and well-defined main characters. I'm looking forward to reading author's new book - Crash Stop.

[susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth will come out.

You know I get tired of reviews that say oh th author should do this and that. Write your own book.
1. Sara Lee and Janet knew of each other when they were younger. Yes Janet had a crush on Sara Lee. But they never ran in the same crowd. Yes Janet best friend was Sara Lee's sister.
2. Remember Sara Lee said nobody would tell her what happened when she returned home. So she didn't know the whole story. I liked that her sister keep th news articles that Sara Lee found.

I thought this was a great book. I liked how Janet the one who got a raw deal was able to come home to find out the truth and find love in th one place that had causes her great pain done to her. Well done mary I would definitely recommend this book.

[Serena · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not written for me. I know there are some good Reviews, but I could not get through it from the beginning. It was difficult to read through to the end. The intimate scenes were good, but overall it just lacked perfection for me. I did not feel the love, chemistry and passion in the story. Good sex scenes are IMPORTANT, but there must be more then just good sex. Too bad I didn't get it, I was looking forward to reading this book. Maybe I had too high expectations. Therefore I do not think I can help other readers with my review. If the story appeals to you then you just have to try it, and you might find something that I apparently missed. The reason I did not like the book, is a reason that I should look for within myself, not as a failure of the writer.

[MJSam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good first novel by Griggs and I'd read more of her stories. I enjoyed the love story between Janet and Sallie-Lee and the reveal of their shared history and how the relationship between them helps Janet to overcome her past. The only real quibble I have is that Sallie-Lee has to read newspaper clippings to remember what the 'scandal' was, which seems implausible since a) it involved someone she knew and who was best friends with her sister and b) it happened in a small town, so it wouldn't be something she'd be likely to not know or would forget. The ending is also a little pat, but that still that doesn't stop this from being a good book with an interesting premise.

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely not the best story I've ever read, and one of a handful of books on my lesbian romance novel reading quest that features an incredibly creepy/uncomfortable relationship paradigm.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

✔Sapphic Book Bingo Challenge 2026 🌈✨: Main Board - Published Before 2015

4 stars. This was just the right amount of angst that I love. Poor Janet. My goodness has she been through some traumatic shit. I just wanted to hug her and shield her from the world. She’s just gotten out of prison after 15 years for a crime she can’t even remember if she committed or not and returns to her hometown. She stops by the local diner owned by her high school bestie’s older sister Sallie Lee. Once Sallie Lee recognizes her and realizes that she has nowhere to go she lets her stay with her. I thought this book was so good and heartbreaking but also romantic.

Janet has a lot that she has to work through and I feel like the disagreements and misunderstandings that she and Sallie Lee felt real and were completely understandable. Their chemistry was great and wow was I not expecting this to get as hot as it did. The sex scenes felt very tender and cathartic and I loved that. I thought the writing was really good. My only complaint is that I felt the ending was a bit rushed and I wish we would’ve gotten to see Janet take a step towards going to therapy but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Spice: ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥/❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥
Content Warning: Mentions of past sexual assault and abuse of MC, MC recounts being used as sexual leverage while in prison against her will, Violence

[Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

This book is by far the best book I’ve read in ages. It has everything you could want in one book. Drama, love, suspense, tragedy and a great ending. Say no more - just read it, but don’t start late at night, otherwise you won’t get to bed. Would highly recommend.

[Margaret L. Hedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

I loved Unbroken Circle. Great book. It’s true, when you give someone a hand up, everyone benefits. Loved this book.

[Anne Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Food, Friendship, and Love, mix in some drama and resolution from the past, equals a satisfying read. A book that kept me up past my bedtime a few nights in a row.

[Dide · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story, pretty troubling when you allow your imagination take on the gravity of the storyline. I truly wish there are real people who would take such leap of faith...at least I hope I can be one.