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Lakewood
Broken
Sinclair- I have a beautiful daughter, a new best friend who loves my kid as much as any aunt would, and the job of my dreams in Palm Springs. I’m really living my best life. I’ve finally escaped the demons of my past.
Or so I thought…
Kai-I followed in my father's footsteps and became a doctor. Now, I’m back in my hometown taking over the family practice he started when I was a boy. I had everything I could possibly want in life
except her…
When Sins past draws her back to her hometown and back to Kai, will he help her slay her demons once and for all, or will all her secrets and lies leave them both Broken
Or so I thought…
Kai-I followed in my father's footsteps and became a doctor. Now, I’m back in my hometown taking over the family practice he started when I was a boy. I had everything I could possibly want in life
except her…
When Sins past draws her back to her hometown and back to Kai, will he help her slay her demons once and for all, or will all her secrets and lies leave them both Broken
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2023
15 people are currently reading
1125 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 24, 2024
"You're Sinclair Grant, the girl who fights for what she believes in and sets fire to things that make her mad."
This book was heartbreakingly beautiful!
And that ending 😭😭😭
This book was heartbreakingly beautiful!
And that ending 😭😭😭
July 12, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! Make sure you read the tw/cw before you start reading. This book had me from from the beginning. I seriously read it in on sitting! You will feel all the emotions with this book. This book is spicy but it goes well with the story line. I highly recommend this book!
May 13, 2023
Be ready to hurt….. from both the heartbreaking story and poor editing
This story will break your heart. Prepare for the hurt. Also, know the editing is atrocious and gets worse as the story progresses. From missing words, repeated sentences, incomplete sentences that just stop, the list goes on and on. Sometimes I had to stop and really try to figure out what was being said, which really takes you out of the story. It reads like a rough draft honestly. It’s almost as painful as the storyline (only in a frustrating way) and the only reason I continued was that I was committed to seeing how things played out.
Back to the story…
What would you do if you were an 18 year old girl who had been abused in the worst ways all of your life, and told every single day by your abusive addict parents that you were filled with poison and you alone are the reason for all the pain in the lives of everyone you touched… and then you discovered you were pregnant? And the father is one of your best friends who has a future so bright you can’t bear to tarnish it. For Sinclair, that meant running and never looking back. It meant breaking her own heart and those of the people who chose to love her like family, because she was convinced it was the only way to keep her darkness from ruining them, and the only way she knew to protect her baby from that darkness. She didn’t just have voices whispering to her on occasion that she was poison and unworthy, she wholeheartedly believed the lies that had been violently thrust at her for her entire life. And for 12 years she does a good job hiding from her past and single handedly raising an amazing girl.
This is a heartbreaking story that definitely drew me in, even with the sloppy editing. You will feel her pain, as well as that of the people who love her. It’s easy to see how hard it must be to love someone so broken. No matter what they do to show her their love, to show her she is worthy, that damage runs deep. It’s become such a deeply ingrained part of her psyche that frankly, loving her isn’t enough. She doesn’t love herself. I love how perfect Kai is for her- he is relentless in his determination to be there, to prove he loves her, to protect her. It would have been so much easier to walk away, it would have hurt less than to be pushed away so many times, and be helpless to save the person you love. Sometimes in books, it’s very easy to be frustrated with the choices a character makes. Even when you know their trauma or past. Somehow this author managed to make me feel the pain from both POV, and even when I wanted her to just let Kai in, I never felt frustrated enough to become annoyed with the story. It felt real and authentic. My only complaint would be that I wish the ending had included mention of her finally getting therapy. It was mentioned by Kai that she should consider it, but I wish there had been follow through. The ending was wrapped up rather quickly, and there’s an event that hurts in that as well. Kai and Sinclair get their HEA together, but even that is tarnished with pain and loss of a close character.
Overall, an emotional and painful, but beautiful story. Definitely needs a good editor to clean it up.
This story will break your heart. Prepare for the hurt. Also, know the editing is atrocious and gets worse as the story progresses. From missing words, repeated sentences, incomplete sentences that just stop, the list goes on and on. Sometimes I had to stop and really try to figure out what was being said, which really takes you out of the story. It reads like a rough draft honestly. It’s almost as painful as the storyline (only in a frustrating way) and the only reason I continued was that I was committed to seeing how things played out.
Back to the story…
What would you do if you were an 18 year old girl who had been abused in the worst ways all of your life, and told every single day by your abusive addict parents that you were filled with poison and you alone are the reason for all the pain in the lives of everyone you touched… and then you discovered you were pregnant? And the father is one of your best friends who has a future so bright you can’t bear to tarnish it. For Sinclair, that meant running and never looking back. It meant breaking her own heart and those of the people who chose to love her like family, because she was convinced it was the only way to keep her darkness from ruining them, and the only way she knew to protect her baby from that darkness. She didn’t just have voices whispering to her on occasion that she was poison and unworthy, she wholeheartedly believed the lies that had been violently thrust at her for her entire life. And for 12 years she does a good job hiding from her past and single handedly raising an amazing girl.
This is a heartbreaking story that definitely drew me in, even with the sloppy editing. You will feel her pain, as well as that of the people who love her. It’s easy to see how hard it must be to love someone so broken. No matter what they do to show her their love, to show her she is worthy, that damage runs deep. It’s become such a deeply ingrained part of her psyche that frankly, loving her isn’t enough. She doesn’t love herself. I love how perfect Kai is for her- he is relentless in his determination to be there, to prove he loves her, to protect her. It would have been so much easier to walk away, it would have hurt less than to be pushed away so many times, and be helpless to save the person you love. Sometimes in books, it’s very easy to be frustrated with the choices a character makes. Even when you know their trauma or past. Somehow this author managed to make me feel the pain from both POV, and even when I wanted her to just let Kai in, I never felt frustrated enough to become annoyed with the story. It felt real and authentic. My only complaint would be that I wish the ending had included mention of her finally getting therapy. It was mentioned by Kai that she should consider it, but I wish there had been follow through. The ending was wrapped up rather quickly, and there’s an event that hurts in that as well. Kai and Sinclair get their HEA together, but even that is tarnished with pain and loss of a close character.
Overall, an emotional and painful, but beautiful story. Definitely needs a good editor to clean it up.
March 30, 2023
I met the author at the Barnes and Noble in Palm Springs and was happy to support her efforts by purchasing the book
Listen. She had a story to tell. It was a pretty interesting story and the character development was solid. I was offended by the gratuitous sex and distracted by the many grammatical and typographic errors…including the one on the back cover….”Palm Spring”
I didn’t stop reading it, but did skip through the many (many) sex scenes so it was a quick read. To be fair, I’m not much of a romance reader so maybe this is just part of the genre?
Read it or not. Not life changing either way.
Listen. She had a story to tell. It was a pretty interesting story and the character development was solid. I was offended by the gratuitous sex and distracted by the many grammatical and typographic errors…including the one on the back cover….”Palm Spring”
I didn’t stop reading it, but did skip through the many (many) sex scenes so it was a quick read. To be fair, I’m not much of a romance reader so maybe this is just part of the genre?
Read it or not. Not life changing either way.
July 13, 2023
FMC is Sinclair who runs away from all of the abuse and terror of her life. The editing can get to you but the story line and her character growth, she gets through 12 years of fighting her darkness but wow.. no spoilers also all the steam/spice!
November 5, 2023
I’m not a person who cries reading books but this one had me close. This book was AMAZING! It pulled my emotions out in ways I didn’t think could be done (in a good way). The plot had twist and turns. At some parts my mouth was wide open. There were secrets that made me scream, ‘No f***ing way!’ Sinclair is a protective, strong, independent woman who has trauma. Kai is sweet, handsome, loving and won’t give up so easily. Noah is protective. Cal is a lovable trouble maker along with Tess with smart mouths. Dani and Mai are ride or die friends. I LOVED all the character names. The spicy scenes were SPICY! I was upset at the end but won’t give spoilers. I recommend this book to lovers of twist and turns, secrets, spicy scenes, and ‘NO WAY’ moments!
February 11, 2023
Fantastic job, my friend!!! This is Chrystal's debut novel, and it was excellent. I only recently started reading adult romance (last 2 years or so), that being said, it is a much darker read than I normally read. This book is also slightly more graphic, so I read it a little slower than I normally would have, I only read this book at home.
I loved the dynamics between Sinclair, and Kai, and all of the other "family" in this book. Sinclair is a single mother trying to make it in Palm Springs when she gets a call that her estranged mother has passed... she decides to go home to deal with everything only to have her past come rushing back.
Kai was Sinclair's best friend growing up, he was broken hearted when she ran away. Now she's back. Can he trust her again and risk his heart?
This book is all about found family and finding your own way in the world.
I loved the dynamics between Sinclair, and Kai, and all of the other "family" in this book. Sinclair is a single mother trying to make it in Palm Springs when she gets a call that her estranged mother has passed... she decides to go home to deal with everything only to have her past come rushing back.
Kai was Sinclair's best friend growing up, he was broken hearted when she ran away. Now she's back. Can he trust her again and risk his heart?
This book is all about found family and finding your own way in the world.
April 7, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is a great debut novel. It isn't for everyone as there are a lot of triggers and a lot of sex scenes however the story is well worth the read. If you enjoy dark romances this book is for you. I liked most of the characters and I liked the dynamics between Sin and Kai. They had chemistry that sizzled right off the pages. Broken is chalked full of emotion and evokes many emotional responses. I was invested from the beginning of the book and it held my attention right to the last page. I can't wait to read more books by this author as they release. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dark romances.
January 29, 2024
The past isn’t so easy to run from
Sinclair ran away from her pretty horrific past for 12 years before it managed to come crashing back into her life. I adored Kai as a character and the warmth his family brought I this story. Sin is relatable but there were so many times I wanted to shake her. There’s a lot of lies and mistrust toward people that don’t quite deserve it. I didn’t want to put this story down, but it is quite a bit dark and there is a lot of repetition in the story telling.
Sinclair ran away from her pretty horrific past for 12 years before it managed to come crashing back into her life. I adored Kai as a character and the warmth his family brought I this story. Sin is relatable but there were so many times I wanted to shake her. There’s a lot of lies and mistrust toward people that don’t quite deserve it. I didn’t want to put this story down, but it is quite a bit dark and there is a lot of repetition in the story telling.
January 3, 2023
Absolutely loved the book! I was immediately sucked it. The author writes in a very real way. I loved all the characters and how different they were. The emotion in the story is truly felt. I think it's one of the first times some has written the 🌶🌶scenes correctly. None of the fluffy nonsense. All around great book with a great cast of characters. I can't wait for more, if there's more to come. Highly recommend
April 30, 2023
emotional
I will be honest this book was hard for me to get into right away but I believe it’s because it’s not my usual go to type of story. However, once I was in I was hooked. Sinclair Grant is an amazing character who reminds me a lot of myself. The story was beautifully told but Chrystal I will never forgive you for that ending! Heart shattered!!
If you love second chance romances and friends to lovers books this is for you.
I will be honest this book was hard for me to get into right away but I believe it’s because it’s not my usual go to type of story. However, once I was in I was hooked. Sinclair Grant is an amazing character who reminds me a lot of myself. The story was beautifully told but Chrystal I will never forgive you for that ending! Heart shattered!!
If you love second chance romances and friends to lovers books this is for you.
September 21, 2023
Agggg! Didn’t see that coming! No spoilers! This will suck you in. Take you on a trip of emotions and leave you… well read it and you will find out! This is smut. Not a fantasy romance story. It will make you sweat, blush and leave you wanting more. Sin and Kai have a story like no other and you will feel what they feel. It’s real and it is raw!
December 11, 2022
This book was amazing. So so hard for me to put down that I ended up finishing it faster then I thought. I loved the emotion the author put into this book. I absolutely loved every minute of reading this book and I highly recommend this book.
April 2, 2023
I can’t believe this a debut novel! Chrystal has such a confident voice as an author and I LOVE bringing back single mom heroines. This book has everything. It’s spicy. It’s sentimental. And it should be everyone’s next read.
July 28, 2023
Such an amazing romance book that you don’t want to put down. Needless to say the story of Sinclair had me on edge and kept me up all night until I finished it. It has a dark side with a beautiful twist❣️ I’m so proud of you Crystal!
December 20, 2023
This was my introduction into reading romance. And oh boy, what an introduction. It was an emotional roller coaster from begging to end. Chrystal does an amazing job painting a mother's love for her child and the balancing act of a parent who also just wants to let loose sometimes.
December 17, 2022
Great book! The author sucks you in with her style of writing.
January 2, 2023
I LOVED this book!! I couldn’t put it down, the characters, the storyline and the 🌶🌶🌶🌶 amazing! Highly recommend!!!
January 5, 2023
This book was amazing! Can’t wait for the next one! Made me cry, laugh, and scream in anger. Great characters! Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down! Read it in one session!
November 8, 2023
God this! THIS! I was so broken over Sin and Kai! My heart broke and then was partially put back together. I just ughhh I have all the feels I don’t know how to explain and say all the things.
April 8, 2025
You can't keep running
You ran because you didn't have a choice. Sinclair had a horrible childhood so when she fell pregnant she knew that she couldn't stay. She hurt Kai her best friend and broke his heart. She promised that she never would come back but her mother has died. She hoped that she could leave quickly but Kai has complicated things.
She has to be honest about their daughter but she is afraid that she will lose her. Can she trust Kai with her heart or is it too late for them?
A good read
You ran because you didn't have a choice. Sinclair had a horrible childhood so when she fell pregnant she knew that she couldn't stay. She hurt Kai her best friend and broke his heart. She promised that she never would come back but her mother has died. She hoped that she could leave quickly but Kai has complicated things.
She has to be honest about their daughter but she is afraid that she will lose her. Can she trust Kai with her heart or is it too late for them?
A good read
March 30, 2025
I am terrible at reviews...
This book kept my attention. It's a great when I can find books that can keep my attention because of my ADHD. This book makes you mad, happy, sad, and hopeful with some steamy scenes mixed in.
This book kept my attention. It's a great when I can find books that can keep my attention because of my ADHD. This book makes you mad, happy, sad, and hopeful with some steamy scenes mixed in.
January 2, 2023
Relatable characters… Miller captured that sense of complicated childhood that sometimes is heavy to bear until we revisit the old ghosts. Great first book! Super saucy!
February 21, 2023
Fantastic read. Miller created a great world of characters that can go anywhere in later books. This tragically good story had me feeling so many emotions. I can't wait to see what is next!
March 23, 2023
Chrystal has done so well with this debut! I loved Kai, he's just a nice guy through and through! What a great second chance love story.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews