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New York Blades #9
Breakaway
They had it all planned out: college, marriage, happily ever after.
But it didn't quite work out that way...
Erin O'Brien was everyone's favorite in Ballycraig, while Rory Brady was the town's golden boy: the local lad who moved to America and became a professional hockey player. Rory promised to return to sweep Erin away to the life of her dreams in New York. But the bright lights and late nights turned his head and he never came back.
Two years later, Rory realizes he's made the worst mistake of his life. Heading back to Ballycraig, he's confident that all he needs to do is flash his winning smile and Erin will fall back into his arms. But Erin's moved on.
Racing the clock, Rory needs to prove to her that the man she fell in love with is still there. But can happy-go-lucky Erin risk it all and give another chance to the man who broke her heart?
But it didn't quite work out that way...
Erin O'Brien was everyone's favorite in Ballycraig, while Rory Brady was the town's golden boy: the local lad who moved to America and became a professional hockey player. Rory promised to return to sweep Erin away to the life of her dreams in New York. But the bright lights and late nights turned his head and he never came back.
Two years later, Rory realizes he's made the worst mistake of his life. Heading back to Ballycraig, he's confident that all he needs to do is flash his winning smile and Erin will fall back into his arms. But Erin's moved on.
Racing the clock, Rory needs to prove to her that the man she fell in love with is still there. But can happy-go-lucky Erin risk it all and give another chance to the man who broke her heart?
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 7, 2012
25 people are currently reading
1203 people want to read
About the author
Deirdre Martin
29 books580 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
New York Times Bestselling Author Deirdre Martin was six when she wrote her first "book,”a Peanuts parody. In addition to penning bad, maudlin poetry in junior high school and serving as the Arts Editor on her high school newspaper, she was also the Arts Editor at her college newspaper at the University of New York at Buffalo, where she earned her BA in English in 1985. While writing for the student newspaper there, she sold her first freelance magazine article and won a city wide play writing contest. Her play, Spin Cycle, about two lonely people at a laundromat, was subsequently performed in a theater space in downtown Buffalo.
Ater graduating college, Deirdre worked at a series of trade magazines before landing a job at Soap Opera Digest. While she says it was fun working in a place where she got to watch TV all afternoon, she longed to branch out, and after two years, left to begin freelancing full time. Over the course of her twelve year freelance career, her work appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Seventeen, YM, McCall's, Fitness, New Woman, Bride's, Bridal Guide, Inside Sports, Woman's World, Modern Maturity, Islands, Newsday, and the New York Times. In 1998, her first non fiction book was published: Investing for Retirement (Avon). She also contributed to Lifescripts for Managers, Lifescripts for Employees, and Lifescripts for the Self Employed. (MacMillan, 1999).
A fan of the romance genre and of soap opera ("If Dickens were alive today, he'd be writing for a soap," Deirdre maintains), she decided to try her own hand at writing a romance novel. The result, BODY CHECK, was published in March, 2003, followed by USA Today Bestseller FAIR PLAY in 2004, TOTAL RUSH in 2005, THE PENALTY BOX in 2006, and USA Today Bestseller CHASING STANLEY in 2008.
2008 also saw the publication of JUST A TASTE, which made The New York Times Bestseller List. Deirdre returned to the world of the Blades in 2009 with POWERPLAY. 2009 was also when she launched a new series, The Wild Hart Saga, centering around a large Irish American family who own a pub in Manhattan. The first book in the series, WITH A TWIST, was quickly followed by STRAIGHT UP in 2010, and there are plans for at least two more. But the New York Blades keep calling her back: her next book, ICEBREAKER, will be published in 2011.
A resident of Ithaca, NY, Deirdre enjoys hiking and biking with her husband, Mark Levine, co author of the financial bestsellers, Die Broke and Live Rich. When not busy lavishing affection on her beloved Newfie, Rocky, she also enjoys reading, baking, listening to music, yoga, photography, and hanging out with her friends from acting class. She's had the same best friend since she was ten and adores the color purple.
New York Times Bestselling Author Deirdre Martin was six when she wrote her first "book,”a Peanuts parody. In addition to penning bad, maudlin poetry in junior high school and serving as the Arts Editor on her high school newspaper, she was also the Arts Editor at her college newspaper at the University of New York at Buffalo, where she earned her BA in English in 1985. While writing for the student newspaper there, she sold her first freelance magazine article and won a city wide play writing contest. Her play, Spin Cycle, about two lonely people at a laundromat, was subsequently performed in a theater space in downtown Buffalo.
Ater graduating college, Deirdre worked at a series of trade magazines before landing a job at Soap Opera Digest. While she says it was fun working in a place where she got to watch TV all afternoon, she longed to branch out, and after two years, left to begin freelancing full time. Over the course of her twelve year freelance career, her work appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Seventeen, YM, McCall's, Fitness, New Woman, Bride's, Bridal Guide, Inside Sports, Woman's World, Modern Maturity, Islands, Newsday, and the New York Times. In 1998, her first non fiction book was published: Investing for Retirement (Avon). She also contributed to Lifescripts for Managers, Lifescripts for Employees, and Lifescripts for the Self Employed. (MacMillan, 1999).
A fan of the romance genre and of soap opera ("If Dickens were alive today, he'd be writing for a soap," Deirdre maintains), she decided to try her own hand at writing a romance novel. The result, BODY CHECK, was published in March, 2003, followed by USA Today Bestseller FAIR PLAY in 2004, TOTAL RUSH in 2005, THE PENALTY BOX in 2006, and USA Today Bestseller CHASING STANLEY in 2008.
2008 also saw the publication of JUST A TASTE, which made The New York Times Bestseller List. Deirdre returned to the world of the Blades in 2009 with POWERPLAY. 2009 was also when she launched a new series, The Wild Hart Saga, centering around a large Irish American family who own a pub in Manhattan. The first book in the series, WITH A TWIST, was quickly followed by STRAIGHT UP in 2010, and there are plans for at least two more. But the New York Blades keep calling her back: her next book, ICEBREAKER, will be published in 2011.
A resident of Ithaca, NY, Deirdre enjoys hiking and biking with her husband, Mark Levine, co author of the financial bestsellers, Die Broke and Live Rich. When not busy lavishing affection on her beloved Newfie, Rocky, she also enjoys reading, baking, listening to music, yoga, photography, and hanging out with her friends from acting class. She's had the same best friend since she was ten and adores the color purple.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
March 17, 2012
(HEAC Over In A Flash March Challenge)
This "second chance at love" addition to the "New York Blades" series didn't grab me like most of the others have done. I struggled to even like Rory and his arrogant tendencies. Erin seemed weak and an easy pushover. (For heaven sake, after years as a couple he called her long distance from the US to Ireland to break her heart.) He definitely needed to grovel more in my opinion. There were parts that still rang true to Martin's trademark sports-themed romance stories. Her dialogues are always delightful to read. Overall, this one just didn't feel up-to-par and was a bit of a disappointment.
This "second chance at love" addition to the "New York Blades" series didn't grab me like most of the others have done. I struggled to even like Rory and his arrogant tendencies. Erin seemed weak and an easy pushover. (For heaven sake, after years as a couple he called her long distance from the US to Ireland to break her heart.) He definitely needed to grovel more in my opinion. There were parts that still rang true to Martin's trademark sports-themed romance stories. Her dialogues are always delightful to read. Overall, this one just didn't feel up-to-par and was a bit of a disappointment.
May 24, 2012
Bummer, I always look forward to my sports romances and I have loved this series, but this one just fell flat for me. It was slow and I was bored, great cover though.
March 23, 2012
I think I’m still in shock. While I’ve not read a lot of books in this series, I have read a few, and I’ve enjoyed every one of them. This newest book? Not so much. There’s very few things I’m picky about in my romance novels, and I’m sorry to say Breakaway zeroes in on that one nitpick of mine.
Rory is the NHL’s first Irish-born hockey player, and he’s very good at his job. But the rest of his life is missing something – or rather someone. The girl he left behind in Ireland, Erin O’Brien. After his family moved to the United States and Rory finally made it in the NHL, and when he didn’t go get Erin as he’d promised, she eventually gave him an ultimatum – and Rory doesn’t do ultimatums. So he broke it off, and now two years later he knows he made the biggest mistake of his life. So he’s back in Ballycraig to win Erin back.
After a good crying-jag-pity-party time, Erin picked herself up and hasn’t looked back since Rory Brady broke her heart. He didn’t, however, destroy her dreams. Those are still going strong with Erin finishing her schooling online and finally taking steps to escape her mother working her like a slave at the family B&B. She’s always wanted out of Ballycraig to experience what the world has to offer, and just because Rory won’t be by her side doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Then Erin finds out Rory’s back. She tries not to let that fact get to her, but the man and his charm and his new-found earnestness in winning her over just might work.
This all sounds great, and I looked forward to the story. What brought the whole thing down for me is the underlying nuance of what I call negativity. Even between friends, between mother and daughter, the tone for most of the book is just…negative. Now, I realize that some of the situations in this story would call for such a tone, but when it’s Erin and her friend Sandra, the things they say to one another just hit me all wrong. Even when jesting I didn’t care for the “big old cow” reference, as an example. I’d never call my best friend that, joking or not. Erin also falls into this pit when dealing with her mother, and, believe me, I know all about living with your mother and trying to please her. Erin does try to keep out of that pit, but she ultimately dives straight in. Those are a couple of the moments in the story I don’t like Erin much, especially when I totally sympathize with her. Of course, she’s got the same attitude with Rory, but in the beginning he does deserve it. Granted, he doesn’t do near enough groveling, another sore point for me, considering what he did to Erin, but he does attempt to change, whereas her attitude change toward him vacillates and takes a tad too long for me. Then there’s Rory and Jake, his best friend, whom he also left behind when he broke off with Erin. It’s guys, though, and it doesn’t take them nearly as long to forgive. Then there’s the entire town who go to work on Rory at his every turn. It’s just too much for me. There is only person in the entire book who Erin doesn’t get snippy with and that’s her father. He sees more than she realizes and assures her things will work out. This relationship I love, and I want more like it just to break up the monotony of that negativity vibe.
Another issue for me is Erin’s sudden lack of confidence in herself at the end of the book. When she runs – twice – I really have frustration over that. To me, it’s out of character. She’s living the life she’s always wanted, but she lets the old Erin call the shots. At this point, it’s Rory who gets all my good feelings. He doesn’t let Erin wallow in self-pity. He makes her face the problems and get over them. So now I’m faced with liking Rory over Erin, the total opposite of how I felt at the beginning of the book. Rory’s over-arrogance is gone and he’s the one who’s gained the confidence in their relationship. Erin’s sudden fright isn’t anything new in limelight situations, so that’s why I wanted her confidence to show, to allow her to take care of the problem in a much better way.
I know this book is going to work for a lot of readers. I’m glad. Especially because I usually do enjoy Ms. Martin’s stories, and I’m disappointed I didn’t enjoy this one. There are things in the book that do work for me. Despite their spitting at each other now and again, I like that Erin’s and Sandra’s friendship is a long and lasting one. Jake and Erin do some bonding over their mutual betrayal, Jake more so than Erin, but it’s nice to see. While I do like the change of pace from the hockey world to a point – I prefer the action on the ice – Ireland is the perfect place to take a respite. And most of these issues I mentioned do get solved by the end of the book, of course.
However, those few things just don’t overshadow those sore points for me to bring my review grade up. I felt irritated through most of the book due those things, thus my low grade. This will not, however, keep me from reading more of Ms. Martin’s books. I’ve had more positive and fun experiences than one like this, so I look forward to the next in the series to see what’s happening with those sexy hockey players.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
Rory is the NHL’s first Irish-born hockey player, and he’s very good at his job. But the rest of his life is missing something – or rather someone. The girl he left behind in Ireland, Erin O’Brien. After his family moved to the United States and Rory finally made it in the NHL, and when he didn’t go get Erin as he’d promised, she eventually gave him an ultimatum – and Rory doesn’t do ultimatums. So he broke it off, and now two years later he knows he made the biggest mistake of his life. So he’s back in Ballycraig to win Erin back.
After a good crying-jag-pity-party time, Erin picked herself up and hasn’t looked back since Rory Brady broke her heart. He didn’t, however, destroy her dreams. Those are still going strong with Erin finishing her schooling online and finally taking steps to escape her mother working her like a slave at the family B&B. She’s always wanted out of Ballycraig to experience what the world has to offer, and just because Rory won’t be by her side doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Then Erin finds out Rory’s back. She tries not to let that fact get to her, but the man and his charm and his new-found earnestness in winning her over just might work.
This all sounds great, and I looked forward to the story. What brought the whole thing down for me is the underlying nuance of what I call negativity. Even between friends, between mother and daughter, the tone for most of the book is just…negative. Now, I realize that some of the situations in this story would call for such a tone, but when it’s Erin and her friend Sandra, the things they say to one another just hit me all wrong. Even when jesting I didn’t care for the “big old cow” reference, as an example. I’d never call my best friend that, joking or not. Erin also falls into this pit when dealing with her mother, and, believe me, I know all about living with your mother and trying to please her. Erin does try to keep out of that pit, but she ultimately dives straight in. Those are a couple of the moments in the story I don’t like Erin much, especially when I totally sympathize with her. Of course, she’s got the same attitude with Rory, but in the beginning he does deserve it. Granted, he doesn’t do near enough groveling, another sore point for me, considering what he did to Erin, but he does attempt to change, whereas her attitude change toward him vacillates and takes a tad too long for me. Then there’s Rory and Jake, his best friend, whom he also left behind when he broke off with Erin. It’s guys, though, and it doesn’t take them nearly as long to forgive. Then there’s the entire town who go to work on Rory at his every turn. It’s just too much for me. There is only person in the entire book who Erin doesn’t get snippy with and that’s her father. He sees more than she realizes and assures her things will work out. This relationship I love, and I want more like it just to break up the monotony of that negativity vibe.
Another issue for me is Erin’s sudden lack of confidence in herself at the end of the book. When she runs – twice – I really have frustration over that. To me, it’s out of character. She’s living the life she’s always wanted, but she lets the old Erin call the shots. At this point, it’s Rory who gets all my good feelings. He doesn’t let Erin wallow in self-pity. He makes her face the problems and get over them. So now I’m faced with liking Rory over Erin, the total opposite of how I felt at the beginning of the book. Rory’s over-arrogance is gone and he’s the one who’s gained the confidence in their relationship. Erin’s sudden fright isn’t anything new in limelight situations, so that’s why I wanted her confidence to show, to allow her to take care of the problem in a much better way.
I know this book is going to work for a lot of readers. I’m glad. Especially because I usually do enjoy Ms. Martin’s stories, and I’m disappointed I didn’t enjoy this one. There are things in the book that do work for me. Despite their spitting at each other now and again, I like that Erin’s and Sandra’s friendship is a long and lasting one. Jake and Erin do some bonding over their mutual betrayal, Jake more so than Erin, but it’s nice to see. While I do like the change of pace from the hockey world to a point – I prefer the action on the ice – Ireland is the perfect place to take a respite. And most of these issues I mentioned do get solved by the end of the book, of course.
However, those few things just don’t overshadow those sore points for me to bring my review grade up. I felt irritated through most of the book due those things, thus my low grade. This will not, however, keep me from reading more of Ms. Martin’s books. I’ve had more positive and fun experiences than one like this, so I look forward to the next in the series to see what’s happening with those sexy hockey players.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
February 7, 2012
This review was posted at Under The Covers
This was a classic case of "This cover is so hot!" and then the book falls a bit flat. Having not read the previous books in this series I can say I wasn't lost and was able to enjoy this book as much as the story allowed me. Mostly because we are not in New York with the team, or even around hockey.
Nope, we are in Ireland. Turns out Rory Brady was a bit of an ass and a jerk. He left his hometown to go become a big NFL star and then dumped his high school sweetheart, Erin O'Brien. Erin has been devastated and has not been able to move on much with her life. And then Rory comes back for the summer with the goal of getting her back. You know what they say, you don't know what you have until it's gone and all that.
But here's my problem. Instead of Rory coming back and doing some serious groveling to get in her good graces again, he's very much so his regular self. He just expects Erin to fall back at his feet just because he came back for her. To take her away from the little town she's always wanted to leave behind. And in a way she does kind of give in to him easily.
The writing was good and I will probably try out some other books in this series or look out for the next one. I just think I picked the one that seemed to do a lot of talking in circles and going to the pub to get drunk. But it was a light and fast read.
*ARC provided by publisher
This was a classic case of "This cover is so hot!" and then the book falls a bit flat. Having not read the previous books in this series I can say I wasn't lost and was able to enjoy this book as much as the story allowed me. Mostly because we are not in New York with the team, or even around hockey.
Nope, we are in Ireland. Turns out Rory Brady was a bit of an ass and a jerk. He left his hometown to go become a big NFL star and then dumped his high school sweetheart, Erin O'Brien. Erin has been devastated and has not been able to move on much with her life. And then Rory comes back for the summer with the goal of getting her back. You know what they say, you don't know what you have until it's gone and all that.
But here's my problem. Instead of Rory coming back and doing some serious groveling to get in her good graces again, he's very much so his regular self. He just expects Erin to fall back at his feet just because he came back for her. To take her away from the little town she's always wanted to leave behind. And in a way she does kind of give in to him easily.
The writing was good and I will probably try out some other books in this series or look out for the next one. I just think I picked the one that seemed to do a lot of talking in circles and going to the pub to get drunk. But it was a light and fast read.
*ARC provided by publisher
July 24, 2018
Este no me gusto tanto, parece mas un libro para adolescentes, no es que los otros fueran una obra para premio nobel, pero no sé este no me gusto tanto, le faltaba madurar a los protagonistas
March 23, 2012
I really liked the first half of this book - it wasn't my favorite thing in the world, but it was a bit different from the normal boy-chases-girl plot, and was refreshing as a result. I loved the characters, I loved the fact that there were actually flaws (they weren't the usual she's-so-adorably-quirky and he's-so-broody-and-commitment-phobic), and they seemed real and human, but were still lovable. I LOVED that the two main characters had real friends and relationship other than just the two of them. Even when those friends and family members were flawed, I loved that the author took the time to put them in there because most of the time in romance novels, it's like both the hero and heroine spring, fully formed, out of their homes in time for the book to start and have never formed a close interpersonal relationship in their lives. As the best friends, Jake was okay, even if he didn't really seemed fully fleshed out, and I ADORED Sandra, even if she did do the doormat thing, because - heck - I have a couple of who are like her: totally ballsy and in your face most of the time, but when it comes to their love-lives, they're doormats. I understood her, even when she was annoying me.
The problem was, about 150 pages from the end, this realism got BO-RING. The book was great up until then, when (SPOILER - BUT NOT REALLY) After that it seemed like the author had to pack the next 150 pages with filler. Really... dull... filler. And as for the Big Misunderstanding that always occurs in romance novels... Well, it really seemed to come out of left field for me. I found myself wishing that the author had gone back and put a few of these thought processes into the characters' heads as the book went on so that it didn't seem so... jarring. As it was, Erin came off really immature, and I found myself wondering if she and Rory would make it in the long run.
On that note, as happens to me with a lot of romance novels, when I really looked at Erin and Rory, I didn't understand why they fell in love with each other -- particularly why Rory fell for Erin. Rory had his adorable moments (even if he was a jerk at the beginning, I'm a sucker for a guy with a David Beckham face and a great sense of humor), at least when he stopped being a D-bag and realized it might not be as easy to get her back as he thought it should be, but Erin? What was the lure that brought him back to Ireland just to get her back? Sure there was a lot of shared history and "you broke my heart, you doofus," but there just weren't a lot of scenes where I thought, "Oh, okay, I get it, that's why they love each other." In many romance novels, you know they love each other because the author tells you over and over that they do, but if you really look at the characters, they don't make sense together. I kind of felt that way with Rory and Erin - particularly at the end. Heck - I understood whey Erin and San were friends far more than I understood why she and Rory loved each other soooooo much. And yeah, it's been said by other reviewers, and I'm sorry, but he didn't grovel nearly enough. I love a book where the lovers are separated by a real thing where one of them seriously screws up (as opposed to a fake misunderstanding that keeps them apart for years, which is a lot more common in these books simply so the reader doesn't hate the characters), but it seemed like Ms. Martin sort of wasted a really good scenario. There was no emotional scene where Erin spelled out to him exactly what he'd put her through, or where Rory showed true fear that he might not get her back. Further, after the Big Misunderstanding at the end, there's no insight into Erin's thought processes or anything she might be feeling. In short, there was a decided lack of emotion, which I've come to expect from romance novels. In fact, if I'm reading a romance novel, it's generally because I want some freakin' emotional melodrama bordering on the soap-operatic, darnit!
I hate to give the book two stars because I did enjoy the first half of the book and the girl friendship between Erin and San was worth at least a full star alone, but again, the last 150 pages really ruined it for me. If Ms. Martin had stopped there, or had at least cut down on some filler while setting up the Big Misunderstanding a little better, it would have been 3 or even 4 stars. As it is, I found myself feeling like I wasted two hours finishing the last half of a book I didn't really want to finish.
The problem was, about 150 pages from the end, this realism got BO-RING. The book was great up until then, when (SPOILER - BUT NOT REALLY) After that it seemed like the author had to pack the next 150 pages with filler. Really... dull... filler. And as for the Big Misunderstanding that always occurs in romance novels... Well, it really seemed to come out of left field for me. I found myself wishing that the author had gone back and put a few of these thought processes into the characters' heads as the book went on so that it didn't seem so... jarring. As it was, Erin came off really immature, and I found myself wondering if she and Rory would make it in the long run.
On that note, as happens to me with a lot of romance novels, when I really looked at Erin and Rory, I didn't understand why they fell in love with each other -- particularly why Rory fell for Erin. Rory had his adorable moments (even if he was a jerk at the beginning, I'm a sucker for a guy with a David Beckham face and a great sense of humor), at least when he stopped being a D-bag and realized it might not be as easy to get her back as he thought it should be, but Erin? What was the lure that brought him back to Ireland just to get her back? Sure there was a lot of shared history and "you broke my heart, you doofus," but there just weren't a lot of scenes where I thought, "Oh, okay, I get it, that's why they love each other." In many romance novels, you know they love each other because the author tells you over and over that they do, but if you really look at the characters, they don't make sense together. I kind of felt that way with Rory and Erin - particularly at the end. Heck - I understood whey Erin and San were friends far more than I understood why she and Rory loved each other soooooo much. And yeah, it's been said by other reviewers, and I'm sorry, but he didn't grovel nearly enough. I love a book where the lovers are separated by a real thing where one of them seriously screws up (as opposed to a fake misunderstanding that keeps them apart for years, which is a lot more common in these books simply so the reader doesn't hate the characters), but it seemed like Ms. Martin sort of wasted a really good scenario. There was no emotional scene where Erin spelled out to him exactly what he'd put her through, or where Rory showed true fear that he might not get her back. Further, after the Big Misunderstanding at the end, there's no insight into Erin's thought processes or anything she might be feeling. In short, there was a decided lack of emotion, which I've come to expect from romance novels. In fact, if I'm reading a romance novel, it's generally because I want some freakin' emotional melodrama bordering on the soap-operatic, darnit!
I hate to give the book two stars because I did enjoy the first half of the book and the girl friendship between Erin and San was worth at least a full star alone, but again, the last 150 pages really ruined it for me. If Ms. Martin had stopped there, or had at least cut down on some filler while setting up the Big Misunderstanding a little better, it would have been 3 or even 4 stars. As it is, I found myself feeling like I wasted two hours finishing the last half of a book I didn't really want to finish.
April 15, 2012
Reviewed by Lisa. Given 3.5 stars at Fic Talk.
This was a little slow to start for me, but it picked up at about the 5% mark.
The dialogue was fun and a pleasure to read because I can relate to the phrases the author used – the story was set in Ireland – and also the food items talked about in this book, which may be a weird thing to say, but she mentioned MCVITIE’S DARK CHOCOLATE DIGESTIVES. End of story. Hah.
I was wondering when Erin would have gotten her book after I read about her in the Wild Hart series that featured the Irish-American side of the O’Brien clan. Rory Brady and Erin O’Brien were childhood sweethearts who had planned on getting married. They were basically the “it” couple from the time they were fourteen and fell in love. Everyone in the town of Ballycraig knew of them and knew them.
Rory – a supposed Beckham lookalike, but a bit bigger in the shoulder area (it’s all about the details, people) – up and left for America to attend college while he and Erin were already engaged and planning to be married. Erin’s had planned on departing to the States to be with him.
However, things didn’t work out as planned. Rory got all caught up with the limelight of college and playing for the NHL, and main team The New York Blades, that he got all pissy and ended things with poor Erin who was still stuck in Ireland.
That move left Erin with a broken heart and an emptiness that she didn’t know how to fill. That was all of two years ago and now Rory is back in Ballycraig and everyone and their grandmother, literally, knows that he’s back for Erin. He wants to make amends and he wants her back.
Never mind all that talk about coming home to help his Gran and coaching at a youth football camp. The man was on a mission to get the girl he foolishly let slip away back with him.
Along the way Rory had to deal with a town that was upset with him for what he did to their precious Erin and for the way he just gave up on his best mate, Jake, who was there when Erin fell apart and never left her side, to the point where he developed feelings for her and felt that with time she could grow to love him.
Luckily, the book didn’t focus on that aspect too much and didn’t make it some melodramatic love triangle. Erin wasn’t about to play two men, although she couldn’t deny that a small part of her was a tad bit delighted that she was so desired.
Also, there was Erin’s best mate, Sandra, who also stood by her friend and helped her move on. Although they all knew that there wasn’t really any getting over Mr. Rory Brady. But a person can try, can’t they?
I liked how just because he came back and tried to make up for lost time and for being such an ass that Erin didn’t just fall at his feet and take him back. She let him stew and realize that he had given up a good thing and that him breaking up with her that way really did hurt her more than he can ever imagine.
I also appreciated how Erin had grown a lot stronger and become more outspoken and independent. She was also a very good friend and daughter. The way she gave of herself and helped her mother out even though she had her own dreams that she wanted to pursue.
Again, at first I didn’t really think I was gonna like this when I first started reading, even though I had been
looking forward to this for awhile now. But I persevered, and after some time I finally got into it and ended up really liking Erin and Rory’s story.
I must say that this series is a such a delight to read! I’ve been following it from the very first one and I can’t say that I’ve been disappointed yet! Martin really knows how to write about sexy, athletic, attractive men! Such a great series. I’m already looking forward to the next installment.
This was a little slow to start for me, but it picked up at about the 5% mark.
The dialogue was fun and a pleasure to read because I can relate to the phrases the author used – the story was set in Ireland – and also the food items talked about in this book, which may be a weird thing to say, but she mentioned MCVITIE’S DARK CHOCOLATE DIGESTIVES. End of story. Hah.
I was wondering when Erin would have gotten her book after I read about her in the Wild Hart series that featured the Irish-American side of the O’Brien clan. Rory Brady and Erin O’Brien were childhood sweethearts who had planned on getting married. They were basically the “it” couple from the time they were fourteen and fell in love. Everyone in the town of Ballycraig knew of them and knew them.
Rory – a supposed Beckham lookalike, but a bit bigger in the shoulder area (it’s all about the details, people) – up and left for America to attend college while he and Erin were already engaged and planning to be married. Erin’s had planned on departing to the States to be with him.
However, things didn’t work out as planned. Rory got all caught up with the limelight of college and playing for the NHL, and main team The New York Blades, that he got all pissy and ended things with poor Erin who was still stuck in Ireland.
That move left Erin with a broken heart and an emptiness that she didn’t know how to fill. That was all of two years ago and now Rory is back in Ballycraig and everyone and their grandmother, literally, knows that he’s back for Erin. He wants to make amends and he wants her back.
Never mind all that talk about coming home to help his Gran and coaching at a youth football camp. The man was on a mission to get the girl he foolishly let slip away back with him.
Along the way Rory had to deal with a town that was upset with him for what he did to their precious Erin and for the way he just gave up on his best mate, Jake, who was there when Erin fell apart and never left her side, to the point where he developed feelings for her and felt that with time she could grow to love him.
Luckily, the book didn’t focus on that aspect too much and didn’t make it some melodramatic love triangle. Erin wasn’t about to play two men, although she couldn’t deny that a small part of her was a tad bit delighted that she was so desired.
Also, there was Erin’s best mate, Sandra, who also stood by her friend and helped her move on. Although they all knew that there wasn’t really any getting over Mr. Rory Brady. But a person can try, can’t they?
I liked how just because he came back and tried to make up for lost time and for being such an ass that Erin didn’t just fall at his feet and take him back. She let him stew and realize that he had given up a good thing and that him breaking up with her that way really did hurt her more than he can ever imagine.
I also appreciated how Erin had grown a lot stronger and become more outspoken and independent. She was also a very good friend and daughter. The way she gave of herself and helped her mother out even though she had her own dreams that she wanted to pursue.
Again, at first I didn’t really think I was gonna like this when I first started reading, even though I had been
looking forward to this for awhile now. But I persevered, and after some time I finally got into it and ended up really liking Erin and Rory’s story.
I must say that this series is a such a delight to read! I’ve been following it from the very first one and I can’t say that I’ve been disappointed yet! Martin really knows how to write about sexy, athletic, attractive men! Such a great series. I’m already looking forward to the next installment.
May 5, 2015
This was a pretty good book. Rory had grown up in Ballycraig with Erin where the were sweethearts. He and his parents moved to America when he was fifteen, but he still spent summers in Ballycraig. They had their plans all made for their future until Rory became a professional hockey player. Then the lifestyle sucked him in and he broke things off with Erin. Two years later he's finally figured out that he messed up and he wants Erin back.
Rory really bugged me at the beginning of the book. He had left Ballycraig behind, never coming back, even to see his grandmother. He broke up with Erin by phone, and totally blew off his friendship with his best buddy. He showed up in town driving a fancy car and behaved like nothing had ever happened, expecting to be treated the way he always had been. He was dead certain that a heartfelt apology will be enough to have Erin forgive him and get things back on track. I loved his surprise when his reception was less than welcoming by the townspeople, Erin told him to get lost, and his buddy Jake punched him in the nose. He finally started to get the idea that it wasn't going to be as easy as he had thought.
Erin had been devastated by Rory's actions and it took awhile for her to get over it. One thing she was determined about was that his departure wasn't going to stop her from following her own dreams. My early view of Erin was that she had built up her independence, her backbone and her sass. She has been working on getting her art history degree while at the same time helping at her parents' B&B. Her mother hasn't exactly been supportive of her plans, and has done everything she can to keep Erin at home. Erin isn't happy when she discovers that Rory is back. She feels that she finally has her life back in order and she doesn't want him tempting her into risking her heart again.
Once Rory got the idea that he was going to have to prove that he had changed, the story got a bit better. I really liked the effort that he put into showing Erin and the others that he had learned his lesson. He was determined to show Erin that he still loved her, so he kept trying in spite of her resistance. I liked the fact that Erin didn't cave in right away, but made Rory work for her forgiveness. I liked seeing them repair their relationship and begin to build their future.
In the later part of the books, the roles suddenly reverse and Erin turns into an insecure idiot. Things had been going very well between she and Rory until a chance meeting with a visiting New Yorker. Suddenly Erin is sure that she isn't good enough for Rory, and when a friend sees Rory in suspicious circumstances, Erin is certain that he's regretting their renewed relationship. She makes accusations of cheating, doesn't want to listen or believe his explanation, and flounces away in a huff. Even after she realizes she was wrong, she still has issues that reappear a short time later. I was really impressed with Rory at this point, because he understands what is happening and gives her what she needs to overcome her fears. I really liked the ending and the surprise Erin had for Rory.
The secondary characters were also really good. I loved Erin's friend Sandra. She and Erin had a great relationship and I loved how they were there for each other in times of trouble. Sandra was pretty blunt at times and some of the things she said were pretty funny. I also like Rory's friend Jake. He didn't have any trouble telling Rory off, but he was also there when Rory needed him. Erin's mom was also an interesting character. I didn't like her much throughout most of the book because of the way she treated Erin, but she did redeem herself somewhat by the end.
Rory really bugged me at the beginning of the book. He had left Ballycraig behind, never coming back, even to see his grandmother. He broke up with Erin by phone, and totally blew off his friendship with his best buddy. He showed up in town driving a fancy car and behaved like nothing had ever happened, expecting to be treated the way he always had been. He was dead certain that a heartfelt apology will be enough to have Erin forgive him and get things back on track. I loved his surprise when his reception was less than welcoming by the townspeople, Erin told him to get lost, and his buddy Jake punched him in the nose. He finally started to get the idea that it wasn't going to be as easy as he had thought.
Erin had been devastated by Rory's actions and it took awhile for her to get over it. One thing she was determined about was that his departure wasn't going to stop her from following her own dreams. My early view of Erin was that she had built up her independence, her backbone and her sass. She has been working on getting her art history degree while at the same time helping at her parents' B&B. Her mother hasn't exactly been supportive of her plans, and has done everything she can to keep Erin at home. Erin isn't happy when she discovers that Rory is back. She feels that she finally has her life back in order and she doesn't want him tempting her into risking her heart again.
Once Rory got the idea that he was going to have to prove that he had changed, the story got a bit better. I really liked the effort that he put into showing Erin and the others that he had learned his lesson. He was determined to show Erin that he still loved her, so he kept trying in spite of her resistance. I liked the fact that Erin didn't cave in right away, but made Rory work for her forgiveness. I liked seeing them repair their relationship and begin to build their future.
In the later part of the books, the roles suddenly reverse and Erin turns into an insecure idiot. Things had been going very well between she and Rory until a chance meeting with a visiting New Yorker. Suddenly Erin is sure that she isn't good enough for Rory, and when a friend sees Rory in suspicious circumstances, Erin is certain that he's regretting their renewed relationship. She makes accusations of cheating, doesn't want to listen or believe his explanation, and flounces away in a huff. Even after she realizes she was wrong, she still has issues that reappear a short time later. I was really impressed with Rory at this point, because he understands what is happening and gives her what she needs to overcome her fears. I really liked the ending and the surprise Erin had for Rory.
The secondary characters were also really good. I loved Erin's friend Sandra. She and Erin had a great relationship and I loved how they were there for each other in times of trouble. Sandra was pretty blunt at times and some of the things she said were pretty funny. I also like Rory's friend Jake. He didn't have any trouble telling Rory off, but he was also there when Rory needed him. Erin's mom was also an interesting character. I didn't like her much throughout most of the book because of the way she treated Erin, but she did redeem herself somewhat by the end.
February 25, 2012
This book was a hard one for me - I started off really not liking Rory. I think Erin should have been harder to get. Rory didn't seem to have done much to earn their forgiveness. I know that he changed, and that he was sorry, but still he shouldn't have gotten off so easy.
After Erin and Rory got back together, it just felt as if Martin was trying to think up reasons for the book to go on. Too many issues, and each issue was solved quickly. the whole Jake and Sandra romance was cheezy - one second Jake is in love with Erin, as he was for years and years. The next, he realizes there's something to Sandra. Sandra is acting like the typical battered wife, and all of a sudden she forgets her attachment to her husband (and we actually don't get to hear about a divorce being realized), and is again into Jake.
I was also annoyed with what Erin wrote in her note to Rory - how he'll see she's right after one season back in NY. The whole point of the story is that he realized, after a couple of seasons, that he wants her!
So the book was about 200 pages too long, and even before that, frankly annoying. [In general, these last two books in the series were kinda weak].
Rated 2 stars because after all is said and done, I still couldn't put it down until I finished it.
After Erin and Rory got back together, it just felt as if Martin was trying to think up reasons for the book to go on. Too many issues, and each issue was solved quickly. the whole Jake and Sandra romance was cheezy - one second Jake is in love with Erin, as he was for years and years. The next, he realizes there's something to Sandra. Sandra is acting like the typical battered wife, and all of a sudden she forgets her attachment to her husband (and we actually don't get to hear about a divorce being realized), and is again into Jake.
I was also annoyed with what Erin wrote in her note to Rory - how he'll see she's right after one season back in NY. The whole point of the story is that he realized, after a couple of seasons, that he wants her!
So the book was about 200 pages too long, and even before that, frankly annoying. [In general, these last two books in the series were kinda weak].
Rated 2 stars because after all is said and done, I still couldn't put it down until I finished it.
March 9, 2014
Love this series. I am sad I caught up. I want more books! I had fun reading this. Sweet story. Great characters.
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Spoiler
Note to Self:Ballycraig Ireland
Rory Brady(Irish,pro hockey player,pal1)+Erin O'Brien(new museum archivist trainee,sis,pal,25yo,art history,cousin),Brigid O(mom,B&B owner)+___O(dad,auto shop owner),Brian O(bro,ex-mechanic,IT tech)+wife,Fiona B(his grandma,widow),Sandra(new B&B worker,separated/divorced,pal)&Larry Jr.(LJ),Lucy,Gina,Oona(her kids)+Jake Fry(sheep farmer,pal1),Aislinn McCafferty(sheep farm owner)+Liam O(cousin,bartender),PJ Leary(author),Jackson Bell(football camp runner),Eric Mitchell(pro hockey player,pal1),Esa Saari(Finnish pro hockey player, pal1),Wendy Dann(literary agent),Lou Capesi(head PR hockey),Charlie O+Kathleen O(her aunt and uncle).
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Spoiler
Note to Self:Ballycraig Ireland
Rory Brady(Irish,pro hockey player,pal1)+Erin O'Brien(new museum archivist trainee,sis,pal,25yo,art history,cousin),Brigid O(mom,B&B owner)+___O(dad,auto shop owner),Brian O(bro,ex-mechanic,IT tech)+wife,Fiona B(his grandma,widow),Sandra(new B&B worker,separated/divorced,pal)&Larry Jr.(LJ),Lucy,Gina,Oona(her kids)+Jake Fry(sheep farmer,pal1),Aislinn McCafferty(sheep farm owner)+Liam O(cousin,bartender),PJ Leary(author),Jackson Bell(football camp runner),Eric Mitchell(pro hockey player,pal1),Esa Saari(Finnish pro hockey player, pal1),Wendy Dann(literary agent),Lou Capesi(head PR hockey),Charlie O+Kathleen O(her aunt and uncle).
September 22, 2014
This was book 11 in a series. I didn't feel lost at all. Was this the best book ever ? No, but it was funny and made me laugh and that is always a good thing. I was annoyed with Erin and Rory at different times. Rory being full of himself got kinda annoying after awhile. Yeah we get it you are a big shot in the NHL world. Get over yourself. Then Erin jumping to conclusions about things.The side characters were funny and helped move the story along. Will I check out the other books in this series? Probably.
March 27, 2012
Huh... I read one or two of D. Martin's books before and enjoyed them, and the storyline seemed intriguing enough for me to buy the book... But geez! Erin forgives Rory way too quickly, Rory is, simply put, a jack**, and I can't really understand why Erin even looks at him again, Jake and Sandra were just there for stuffing, and the whole storyline was a mess, IMO... I finished it, hoping that it would get better, but Martin seemed to keep adding little things and repeating herself over and over... So 2-2.5* for me, because I didn't hate it..
September 25, 2012
When I read bad reviews about this book, I thought, "Come on, it can't be that bad, it's Deirdre Martin's book!!" (and I love Deirdre Martin!!). But I was wrong, all throughout the book I kept thinking "what an ass!!" And in my opinion it absolutelly resumes what kind of man Rory is. I, like many others who've read the book, was left thinking that the heroine should have ended up with someone else (anybody but Rory)!
February 12, 2012
I like the series but this book just didn't do it for me. The fact that Rory plays for the Blades and Esa visited him in Ireland is all that ties this to the series. Darned shame that references to some of the other characters you've come to enjoy in the series just quickly pop in for a scene at the end. This just didn't feel like it belonged in the series. And taking it as just a standalone, unrelated to a series, it was just ok reading.
January 1, 2021
DNF
I couldn't keep reading it. I am not a fan of second chance romances and unfortunately, this one didn't appeal to me either.
I like the description of Irish small town, though it was not enough to make me read it. I tried to return a few times but I was doomed from the start.
I couldn't keep reading it. I am not a fan of second chance romances and unfortunately, this one didn't appeal to me either.
I like the description of Irish small town, though it was not enough to make me read it. I tried to return a few times but I was doomed from the start.
June 26, 2022
DNF.
By the time I got to the last 100 pages, I was so bored to tears. There was no real conflict or if there was any, it very underwhelming. Initially it was like everyone in town was gonna give the hero a hard time for coming back for the heroine after dumping her. But then it was superficial, kinda felt like everyone wasn’t really into protecting her and that it was a given that they would end up together. For people who were supposed to keep them apart, they kept throwing the two leads together. So since there was practically no conflict - heroine’s BFF and practically pushed for a reconciliation after a single chat with the hero 🙄 - it was boring.
Leads were also lackluster. Hero was a blustering dud who appeared to take it for granted that she would take him back. Heroine put up no real resistance at getting back together that their separation seemed like a petty fight. If the love and breakup had been as devastating as they kept saying it was, you couldn’t tell from her reactions.
DO NOT RECOMMEND.
By the time I got to the last 100 pages, I was so bored to tears. There was no real conflict or if there was any, it very underwhelming. Initially it was like everyone in town was gonna give the hero a hard time for coming back for the heroine after dumping her. But then it was superficial, kinda felt like everyone wasn’t really into protecting her and that it was a given that they would end up together. For people who were supposed to keep them apart, they kept throwing the two leads together. So since there was practically no conflict - heroine’s BFF and practically pushed for a reconciliation after a single chat with the hero 🙄 - it was boring.
Leads were also lackluster. Hero was a blustering dud who appeared to take it for granted that she would take him back. Heroine put up no real resistance at getting back together that their separation seemed like a petty fight. If the love and breakup had been as devastating as they kept saying it was, you couldn’t tell from her reactions.
DO NOT RECOMMEND.
April 12, 2018
Most of this book was about to buy the end maybe more like three. I’ll try another book by her but this one really didn’t do it for me.
December 11, 2024
Tye book was boring me, but I was wading through it. Until the "hero" returns. That guy is such a fucking asshole and an idiot i can't stand it!!!! A chapter with him in it and that was all i could take. Fuck the men in this book!
February 1, 2013
Breakaway, New York Blades #11, by Deirdre Martin
Grade: B-
“It wasn’t like a snog or anything. It was just one little kiss. No rockets and all that.”
Rory Brady loves his life playing professional hockey for the New York Blades and has almost the perfect life. The only thing missing is Erin O’Brien the girl he loved since he was fourteen years old and the one he broke up with two years ago. Rory knows he broke Erin’s heart and that he made the biggest mistake of his entire life by letting her go, so he’s back in Ballycraig, Ireland for the summer to get her back. But getting Erin back is proving to be much more difficult then Rory ever expected and he may have really lost her for good.
Erin O’Brien barely survived when Rory Brady broke her heart two years ago and she has just started to put her life together when he shows up for the summer in Ballycraig. Rory is very persistent but Erin doesn’t know if she could ever trust him not to hurt her again. Between helping her best friend out of an abusive marriage, Rory’s ex-best friend Jake courting her, helping her parents running their B & B and secretly trying to finish her art degree Erin doesn’t have the time or energy to deal with her feelings for Rory but that doesn’t stop the man from doing everything in his power to win her back for good.
I had no idea what to expect when I agreed to review Breakaway and was very worried that I would be lost because it’s the eleventh book in the New York Blades series and I have not read any of the previous books. I was pleasantly surprised that this book can be read as a stand alone and I immediately got caught up in the epic disaster that is Rory and Erin’s very long term relationship. I liked this book but I did have some big issues with it and there was almost to much stuff going on for me.
I hated Rory at the beginning of the book but loved him by the end where i loved Erin at the beginning and hated her at the end. Rory comes back to Ballycraig with a very cocky attitude and expects everyone to welcome him back with open arms. It takes him a while but Rory finally grasps how horrible he was to both Erin and his best friend Jake and how much he hurt them both. When he finally turns his attitude around and starts to make amends in when I started to change my tune about him. Erin on the other hand was great in the beginning and middle of the story. She’s a lot stronger then she used to be and starts to really stand up for herself but as the book progresses she turns into a self-conscious, timid girl with horrible self-esteem issues. She ruined the book for me and I almost stopped reading because I couldn't take her anymore.
I really enjoyed the writing in this book. As someone who has friends from Ireland and has spent a lot of time in Ireland I felt the dialogue was spot on. The way everyone interacted and teased each was so funny and the slang was used perfectly. I feel that some authors have books set in the UK but don’t use any slang, have their characters talk like Americans and then add in a few “doonas” here and there. I loved the way this book was written and it really kept me reading when I might have other wise stopped.
I didn’t love this book but I defiantly didn’t hate it. I think that if Erin hadn’t turned into a such a drag I would have enjoyed this book a lot more but towards the end it got very annoying and repetitive. I loved the writing so much that I am going to check out some of the early books in this series and hopefully the heroines are a little bit stronger then Erin O’Brien.n
Grade: B-
“It wasn’t like a snog or anything. It was just one little kiss. No rockets and all that.”
Rory Brady loves his life playing professional hockey for the New York Blades and has almost the perfect life. The only thing missing is Erin O’Brien the girl he loved since he was fourteen years old and the one he broke up with two years ago. Rory knows he broke Erin’s heart and that he made the biggest mistake of his entire life by letting her go, so he’s back in Ballycraig, Ireland for the summer to get her back. But getting Erin back is proving to be much more difficult then Rory ever expected and he may have really lost her for good.
Erin O’Brien barely survived when Rory Brady broke her heart two years ago and she has just started to put her life together when he shows up for the summer in Ballycraig. Rory is very persistent but Erin doesn’t know if she could ever trust him not to hurt her again. Between helping her best friend out of an abusive marriage, Rory’s ex-best friend Jake courting her, helping her parents running their B & B and secretly trying to finish her art degree Erin doesn’t have the time or energy to deal with her feelings for Rory but that doesn’t stop the man from doing everything in his power to win her back for good.
I had no idea what to expect when I agreed to review Breakaway and was very worried that I would be lost because it’s the eleventh book in the New York Blades series and I have not read any of the previous books. I was pleasantly surprised that this book can be read as a stand alone and I immediately got caught up in the epic disaster that is Rory and Erin’s very long term relationship. I liked this book but I did have some big issues with it and there was almost to much stuff going on for me.
I hated Rory at the beginning of the book but loved him by the end where i loved Erin at the beginning and hated her at the end. Rory comes back to Ballycraig with a very cocky attitude and expects everyone to welcome him back with open arms. It takes him a while but Rory finally grasps how horrible he was to both Erin and his best friend Jake and how much he hurt them both. When he finally turns his attitude around and starts to make amends in when I started to change my tune about him. Erin on the other hand was great in the beginning and middle of the story. She’s a lot stronger then she used to be and starts to really stand up for herself but as the book progresses she turns into a self-conscious, timid girl with horrible self-esteem issues. She ruined the book for me and I almost stopped reading because I couldn't take her anymore.
I really enjoyed the writing in this book. As someone who has friends from Ireland and has spent a lot of time in Ireland I felt the dialogue was spot on. The way everyone interacted and teased each was so funny and the slang was used perfectly. I feel that some authors have books set in the UK but don’t use any slang, have their characters talk like Americans and then add in a few “doonas” here and there. I loved the way this book was written and it really kept me reading when I might have other wise stopped.
I didn’t love this book but I defiantly didn’t hate it. I think that if Erin hadn’t turned into a such a drag I would have enjoyed this book a lot more but towards the end it got very annoying and repetitive. I loved the writing so much that I am going to check out some of the early books in this series and hopefully the heroines are a little bit stronger then Erin O’Brien.n
May 22, 2020
Fun read! A smart, contemporary romance set in Ireland. I enjoyed the heroine's strong resistance to the hero for the majority of the book. The fact that he had to win back her affections and that he had to work hard to do it made the journey enjoyable. In addition, both main characters had spirited and colorful friends that kept the side story going. A lot of worn-out romantic tropes in this one...but that's why I read em!
February 20, 2012
Breakaway is a Joyfully Recommended Read
Erin O’Brien dreams of getting out of her hometown of Ballycraig, Ireland. Not because she hates it there, but because she wants to see the world and all the art in it. Erin fell in love with Rory Brady at the tender age of fourteen. But, after years of bliss together, he broke up with her over the phone from the United States where he was set to become a big time hockey player. Erin’s dreams of a wedding and happily ever after were shattered leaving her barely a shell of her former self. With the help of her friends and all the citizens of her tiny town Emma was able to build herself back up and start over with new plans and those plans are about to take her out of Ballycraig just like she’s always dreamed.
Rory Brady is the first Irish born player in the NHL, which garners him quite a bit of publicity and hero worship from fans in the states and abroad. However, he doesn’t find many fans when he comes home to Ballycraig to make amends and get back the woman he loves. Rory has grand plans to win back Erin’s heart but he will have to go through his former friends to do it. Is this hunky hockey player man enough to withstand the naysayers and capture his woman’s heart all over again or has Erin extinguished the feelings she once harbored for him?
Breakaway is a smash hit! The eleventh installment of Deirdre Martin’s Blades proves this series just keeps getting better and better! It is impossible not to fall in love with Erin and Rory and Ballycraig. The depth of emotion that Ms. Martin has packed into this novel is outstanding. I just love Erin and Rory! Erin wants so badly to rebuke his offers of kindness but it’s difficult to ignore the feelings still lingering. I also love love love Rory! Here is a man who knows he was the biggest ass and he plans to make up for it. His attempts to woo Erin are downright adorable. There is a scene in Breakaway that is so hot and sweet it’s perfect.
Breakaway in many ways is so real. You have real people with real problems trying to survive in a hard time. A local tavern that oozes personality and controlling mams with their own agenda. There is a part that I was unsure about at first. Erin has all this confidence that she’s grown since the big break up but when she finally attains her dreams she begins to feel insecure. I didn’t like that but after thinking about it I know it happens all the time. Sometimes people fear their dreams and never act on them and then other times they get their dreams only to see them slip away because of doubt. I feel that Ms. Martin keeps it real with Erin. She is a conflicted woman and just because you are not confident in everything doesn’t make you less of a person.
Breakaway will take your breath away with its majestic romance, beautiful setting and remarkable writing. This one’s a must read and I’m Joyfully Recommending it!
Reviewed by Miranda
For Joyfully Reviewed
Erin O’Brien dreams of getting out of her hometown of Ballycraig, Ireland. Not because she hates it there, but because she wants to see the world and all the art in it. Erin fell in love with Rory Brady at the tender age of fourteen. But, after years of bliss together, he broke up with her over the phone from the United States where he was set to become a big time hockey player. Erin’s dreams of a wedding and happily ever after were shattered leaving her barely a shell of her former self. With the help of her friends and all the citizens of her tiny town Emma was able to build herself back up and start over with new plans and those plans are about to take her out of Ballycraig just like she’s always dreamed.
Rory Brady is the first Irish born player in the NHL, which garners him quite a bit of publicity and hero worship from fans in the states and abroad. However, he doesn’t find many fans when he comes home to Ballycraig to make amends and get back the woman he loves. Rory has grand plans to win back Erin’s heart but he will have to go through his former friends to do it. Is this hunky hockey player man enough to withstand the naysayers and capture his woman’s heart all over again or has Erin extinguished the feelings she once harbored for him?
Breakaway is a smash hit! The eleventh installment of Deirdre Martin’s Blades proves this series just keeps getting better and better! It is impossible not to fall in love with Erin and Rory and Ballycraig. The depth of emotion that Ms. Martin has packed into this novel is outstanding. I just love Erin and Rory! Erin wants so badly to rebuke his offers of kindness but it’s difficult to ignore the feelings still lingering. I also love love love Rory! Here is a man who knows he was the biggest ass and he plans to make up for it. His attempts to woo Erin are downright adorable. There is a scene in Breakaway that is so hot and sweet it’s perfect.
Breakaway in many ways is so real. You have real people with real problems trying to survive in a hard time. A local tavern that oozes personality and controlling mams with their own agenda. There is a part that I was unsure about at first. Erin has all this confidence that she’s grown since the big break up but when she finally attains her dreams she begins to feel insecure. I didn’t like that but after thinking about it I know it happens all the time. Sometimes people fear their dreams and never act on them and then other times they get their dreams only to see them slip away because of doubt. I feel that Ms. Martin keeps it real with Erin. She is a conflicted woman and just because you are not confident in everything doesn’t make you less of a person.
Breakaway will take your breath away with its majestic romance, beautiful setting and remarkable writing. This one’s a must read and I’m Joyfully Recommending it!
Reviewed by Miranda
For Joyfully Reviewed
March 27, 2012
Many a romance novel features an adorable small town, filled with people and places a reader might love to experience. Ballycraig, Ireland, the fictional setting of Ms. Martin’s latest New York Blades series, is not such a place. The people there, in general, are economically struggling, tend to drink too much, make self-destructive decisions, and are routinely nasty to each other. The town has little charm. I, like the heroine of Breakaway, Erin O’Brien, wanted to get out of there as soon as I possibly could.
Erin has lived her entire life in Ballycraig. She once had plans to leave, plans that fell apart when Rory Brady, the love of her life — they began dating when she was fourteen — broke his promise to marry her and bring her to New York City where he plays for the NHL. Rory smashed Erin’s heart so thoroughly it took her two years to recover. Even now, she, and the entire town, hates Rory Brady for dumping her. Now Erin is stuck working night and day for her demanding mother at their family’s B and B, and is determined to leave Ballycraig on her own. She’s been finishing up her degree — on-line — in art history, and as soon as she can, she’s moving to a city somewhere in Ireland, getting a job, and finally seeing the world.
Rory Brady, on the other hand, has just returned to Ballycraig after four years. He’s realized breaking up with Erin was the biggest mistake he ever made and he’s determined to win her back. He loves his life as a NHL star — he’s the only Irish-born player in the league — and he’s proud of all he’s accomplished. But, he believes there’s “a difference between achievement and contentment.” He won’t be content, won’t have all the success he wants, until he’s got Erin back and she agrees to be his wife.
I haven’t read the other books in the series, and as best I could tell, that didn’t matter. This is a stand-alone story, has nothing to do with hockey, and didn’t seem to have any parts that needed a back-story to make sense. Several of the books have been positively reviewed at http://www.likesbooks.com/; I’d hoped this too would be a good read. It wasn’t. It was, to steal a phrase from the book, “feckin rubbish.”
please visit All About Romance to read the rest of this review:
http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/boo...
Erin has lived her entire life in Ballycraig. She once had plans to leave, plans that fell apart when Rory Brady, the love of her life — they began dating when she was fourteen — broke his promise to marry her and bring her to New York City where he plays for the NHL. Rory smashed Erin’s heart so thoroughly it took her two years to recover. Even now, she, and the entire town, hates Rory Brady for dumping her. Now Erin is stuck working night and day for her demanding mother at their family’s B and B, and is determined to leave Ballycraig on her own. She’s been finishing up her degree — on-line — in art history, and as soon as she can, she’s moving to a city somewhere in Ireland, getting a job, and finally seeing the world.
Rory Brady, on the other hand, has just returned to Ballycraig after four years. He’s realized breaking up with Erin was the biggest mistake he ever made and he’s determined to win her back. He loves his life as a NHL star — he’s the only Irish-born player in the league — and he’s proud of all he’s accomplished. But, he believes there’s “a difference between achievement and contentment.” He won’t be content, won’t have all the success he wants, until he’s got Erin back and she agrees to be his wife.
I haven’t read the other books in the series, and as best I could tell, that didn’t matter. This is a stand-alone story, has nothing to do with hockey, and didn’t seem to have any parts that needed a back-story to make sense. Several of the books have been positively reviewed at http://www.likesbooks.com/; I’d hoped this too would be a good read. It wasn’t. It was, to steal a phrase from the book, “feckin rubbish.”
please visit All About Romance to read the rest of this review:
http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/boo...
April 16, 2012
I totally understand now why this book has this cover. It's because Deirdre Martin needed to sell books and the story sure as hell wasn't gonna do it.
It started off fine enough, if a little boring, with a girl having finally put her life together two years after her boyfriend dumped her to play in the NHL. Then this boy comes back with the hopes of winning her over and taking her back to America with him.
This is really when the whole story starts to fall apart.
You have an asshole hockey player come for his "victories" and isn't worried about trampling on a few toes to get them. Then this girl, who up until he showed up seemed like a strong female character, falls into a puddle at his feet just because he's starting to show her some attention again.
The best friend who was actively pursuing this girl totally forgives any past indiscretions and starts to act as if everything is hunky-dory.
Honestly it was disgusting the way everyone rolled over for this "great" hockey player just when he started showing them some attention. This, of course, after several pages describing how his past actions were unforgivable and how everyone was going to drive him outta town with their coldness.
And don't even get me started on the ending. I could spend days talking about how horrible that thing is.
I don't know what it is about these Irish books of hers, but I just can't get into them at all. It starts off fine enough, but I get bored reading about a town with nothing to do. I feel bad for the characters who Deirdre Martin decided to stick into that God-forsaken town.
Maybe it's time for Deirdre Martin to let go of this series and start over on something new.
Even the Hockey that I looked forward to reading about in her books has mysteriously disappeared. It's downright disappointing.
It started off fine enough, if a little boring, with a girl having finally put her life together two years after her boyfriend dumped her to play in the NHL. Then this boy comes back with the hopes of winning her over and taking her back to America with him.
This is really when the whole story starts to fall apart.
You have an asshole hockey player come for his "victories" and isn't worried about trampling on a few toes to get them. Then this girl, who up until he showed up seemed like a strong female character, falls into a puddle at his feet just because he's starting to show her some attention again.
The best friend who was actively pursuing this girl totally forgives any past indiscretions and starts to act as if everything is hunky-dory.
Honestly it was disgusting the way everyone rolled over for this "great" hockey player just when he started showing them some attention. This, of course, after several pages describing how his past actions were unforgivable and how everyone was going to drive him outta town with their coldness.
And don't even get me started on the ending. I could spend days talking about how horrible that thing is.
I don't know what it is about these Irish books of hers, but I just can't get into them at all. It starts off fine enough, but I get bored reading about a town with nothing to do. I feel bad for the characters who Deirdre Martin decided to stick into that God-forsaken town.
Maybe it's time for Deirdre Martin to let go of this series and start over on something new.
Even the Hockey that I looked forward to reading about in her books has mysteriously disappeared. It's downright disappointing.
August 26, 2016
I was really looking forward to this book. I didn't realize it was book 11 in a series, or I probably would have read all the other books while I was waiting for this one to come out. Anyway, I had been counting down the days for this book. But it just seemed to fall short for me. It was missing... something. Rory was not very smooth at all, and I thought he was kind of arrogant to come back and expect forgiveness and second chances without groveling a little. Also, I thought this was supposed to be a love story. I didn't feel emotionally attached to these characters at all. I thought all the scenes with Rory and Erin were cut too short. They needed to talk things out more, I don't think Rory understood just how devastated Erin was when he broke things off with her years earlier. Because if he did, I think he would have been a little more humble. Driving her around just didn't seem like enough. A few humble looks and heartfelt "I love you's" and she jumped back into his arms. I didn't trust him. As the reader you are supposed to see both sides of the story when you have both perspectives. But even I wasn't so quick to trust him. Something was just really missing in my opinion. He never gave much of an explanation to Erin about why he broke things off, and he never told her why he wanted her back.
It seemed like there were too many little side stories going on too. I got so tired of the story line with Erin and her mom. I wanted to read about Erin and Rory, not Erin and her mom, or Erin and Sandra or Rory and Jake. I got bored. I just wanted to finish the book. Thats never a good sign.
One thing I LOVED about this book was Sandra. I didn't love her whole victim thing, but I loved her spunk. My favorite scene in the whole book was when they were all at the pub and Miss New York fancy pants walks in and Sandra gives her a piece of her mind. HILARIOUS! It was exactly how I picture a snarky irish woman would be. So funny. Oh yeah, and I also loved the irish lingo. Some of the stuff they said cracked me up.
It seemed like there were too many little side stories going on too. I got so tired of the story line with Erin and her mom. I wanted to read about Erin and Rory, not Erin and her mom, or Erin and Sandra or Rory and Jake. I got bored. I just wanted to finish the book. Thats never a good sign.
One thing I LOVED about this book was Sandra. I didn't love her whole victim thing, but I loved her spunk. My favorite scene in the whole book was when they were all at the pub and Miss New York fancy pants walks in and Sandra gives her a piece of her mind. HILARIOUS! It was exactly how I picture a snarky irish woman would be. So funny. Oh yeah, and I also loved the irish lingo. Some of the stuff they said cracked me up.
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February 22, 2012This review posted at
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
3.5 Stars
This is book 11 in the Blade series. Erin and Rory were the perfect couple destined to be together. Or so that was the case before Rory moved to New York to play professional hockey and dismissed the people he cared for most back home. Two years have gone by and he is ready to acknowledge his wrong doing and fight (or beg if necessary) to reclaim the girl he has lost.
The main focus on this book was forgiveness. Rory leaving Erin all but destroyed her and she is not in any kind of hurry to go down that road again. She has worked really hard to further her education and try to move on and develop a life of her own.
Not only did Rory leave Erin, but he also wrote off his best friend, Jake. The town people hate him for all the pain he has caused everyone and he is not welcomed back with open arms. The story line that follows Jake and Rory is quite humorous. Ms. Martin does a great job in describing the emotions and feelings that not only Rory has in trying to make amends, but she really captures Erin’s feelings as well as the people who watched her hurting while trying to get over him.
I did miss the hockey element of the book. I think you come to expect at least a little of that in a sports themed romance. The team interaction in her previous books in this series added an extra spark that wasn’t there in this one. I also thought at times Rory was a bit too over confident, conceded even, in his attitude that everything he wants he will get. The story played right into that scenario.
All in all it was an enjoyable book in an amazing series.
Although Breakaway is a series book, you would have no problem reading it as a stand-alone.
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
3.5 Stars
This is book 11 in the Blade series. Erin and Rory were the perfect couple destined to be together. Or so that was the case before Rory moved to New York to play professional hockey and dismissed the people he cared for most back home. Two years have gone by and he is ready to acknowledge his wrong doing and fight (or beg if necessary) to reclaim the girl he has lost.
The main focus on this book was forgiveness. Rory leaving Erin all but destroyed her and she is not in any kind of hurry to go down that road again. She has worked really hard to further her education and try to move on and develop a life of her own.
Not only did Rory leave Erin, but he also wrote off his best friend, Jake. The town people hate him for all the pain he has caused everyone and he is not welcomed back with open arms. The story line that follows Jake and Rory is quite humorous. Ms. Martin does a great job in describing the emotions and feelings that not only Rory has in trying to make amends, but she really captures Erin’s feelings as well as the people who watched her hurting while trying to get over him.
I did miss the hockey element of the book. I think you come to expect at least a little of that in a sports themed romance. The team interaction in her previous books in this series added an extra spark that wasn’t there in this one. I also thought at times Rory was a bit too over confident, conceded even, in his attitude that everything he wants he will get. The story played right into that scenario.
All in all it was an enjoyable book in an amazing series.
Although Breakaway is a series book, you would have no problem reading it as a stand-alone.
March 5, 2012
Story line -In a small town called Billycraig
two Childhood sweet hearts who swear to get married after they are setteled in life are seperated because the guy finds he likes his single status too much, he dumps the girl when she asks him to make a decision....
[image error]
Characters -
Erin is currently studying in secret and being a slave for her mother. Rory breaks her heart but she gets over it or thats what they try to convey in the book but we all know she is a goner once he is back.
Rory- Realises his mistake and is back in a town where everyone hates his guts for what he did to his friend Jake and Erin. I personally hated this guy!
Jake - Has a crush on Erin
Sandra - Dumb
At the end i wondered if Erin never had thoughts like..
Well whatever..this book was a not very engaging, I felt Rory had it easy, too easy infact.
.where was the drama, the emotion. the grovelling? the only emotional scene in the book is between Erin and her Mom. 
Overall i would say the book had a nice story line but it got lost somewhere between Rory's big head and Erin's stubborn mom.
Did i mention i hate Rory?
two Childhood sweet hearts who swear to get married after they are setteled in life are seperated because the guy finds he likes his single status too much, he dumps the girl when she asks him to make a decision....[image error]
Characters -
Erin is currently studying in secret and being a slave for her mother. Rory breaks her heart but she gets over it or thats what they try to convey in the book but we all know she is a goner once he is back.
Rory- Realises his mistake and is back in a town where everyone hates his guts for what he did to his friend Jake and Erin. I personally hated this guy!
Jake - Has a crush on Erin
Sandra - Dumb
At the end i wondered if Erin never had thoughts like..
Well whatever..this book was a not very engaging, I felt Rory had it easy, too easy infact.
.where was the drama, the emotion. the grovelling? the only emotional scene in the book is between Erin and her Mom. Overall i would say the book had a nice story line but it got lost somewhere between Rory's big head and Erin's stubborn mom.
Did i mention i hate Rory?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2019
I love the fact the story is set in Ireland, but apart from names of towns, you wouldn't really know it was. I had hoped there would be descriptions of the setting.
There were a lot of issues with Rory for me. He wasn't a very likeable character and I was actually rooting against him and hoped Erin would find somebody better.
There were a lot of issues with Rory for me. He wasn't a very likeable character and I was actually rooting against him and hoped Erin would find somebody better.
February 9, 2012
Rory Brady is on his way back to Ballycraig, Ireland to get back his onetime fiancée Erin O’Brien. Erin and Rory had big plans for their future which would all come true once Rory went to America to play hockey in the NHL. What really happened was that Rory became too full of himself and left Erin behind physically and emotionally. Rory has since learned that his life is nothing without Erin. Unfortunately for him, Erin has learned that life can go on without Rory.
Rory comes back to a town where people don’t think too much of him, his best friend, who he also blew off, can’t stand him and pretty much no-one is on his side. He has a lot of work to do to get his love and his friends back.
Erin has been working for her mother and that has not gone well. She is getting her degree online and still plans to leave Ballycraig when she finishes her education. Rory’s return puts her in a tailspin because he makes her want the old dreams again but she can’t trust him anymore. Add in a good friend turned unwanted suitor and a friend with domestic abuse problems, and Erin is even less receptive to Rory’s charms.
Rory and Erin had a lot of love between them and the secondary characters were a big part of making the story enjoyable. I have read and own every one of Ms. Martin’s Blades/Wild Hart books. I enjoyed this book but found that it lacked a little of the romantic tension between the main characters that the earlier books had, maybe because it was set in Ireland and the pace is slower. Also, the lack of the hockey background may have made it seem softer. It was still a great book and I will pull it out and read it again just as I have the others.
Rory comes back to a town where people don’t think too much of him, his best friend, who he also blew off, can’t stand him and pretty much no-one is on his side. He has a lot of work to do to get his love and his friends back.
Erin has been working for her mother and that has not gone well. She is getting her degree online and still plans to leave Ballycraig when she finishes her education. Rory’s return puts her in a tailspin because he makes her want the old dreams again but she can’t trust him anymore. Add in a good friend turned unwanted suitor and a friend with domestic abuse problems, and Erin is even less receptive to Rory’s charms.
Rory and Erin had a lot of love between them and the secondary characters were a big part of making the story enjoyable. I have read and own every one of Ms. Martin’s Blades/Wild Hart books. I enjoyed this book but found that it lacked a little of the romantic tension between the main characters that the earlier books had, maybe because it was set in Ireland and the pace is slower. Also, the lack of the hockey background may have made it seem softer. It was still a great book and I will pull it out and read it again just as I have the others.
April 26, 2012
My biggest issue with this book is that Rory never got a swift kick in the balls. Emotionally or physically. He got off the hook too easily. All was forgiven without too much hassle. Almost like his mere presence was enough to soothe his past wrongs. As a reader it wasn’t enough for me. Apparently I’ve got more chutzpah than our beloved Erin O’Brien.
I will bow down to the fact that this plot is probably more realistic. Erin is obviously still in love with Rory, and to be honest the fact that he’s back does more to melt her than anything else. But it still doesn’t stop me from wishing for more. In real life fate rarely gives us the perfect words or situation for retribution. But isn’t that why I’m reading romance novels? People rarely have multiple-orgasmic sex with a professional athlete in the back of a Range Rover on a beautiful day in Ireland. Mostly because it’s constantly raining. If Martin can give me a sunny day in the Irish Isles she can give me a perfectly structured moment of understanding for Rory…Or at least one well tongued criticism that makes him see the light.
I liked Erin well enough. I thought that her issues with her mom were tidied up a bit quickly in the end. But ultimately I was simply bored by the book. It dragged.
Rating: 1/5 One egotistical Hockey Player plus One small town Irish Lass equals One bored reader…
I will bow down to the fact that this plot is probably more realistic. Erin is obviously still in love with Rory, and to be honest the fact that he’s back does more to melt her than anything else. But it still doesn’t stop me from wishing for more. In real life fate rarely gives us the perfect words or situation for retribution. But isn’t that why I’m reading romance novels? People rarely have multiple-orgasmic sex with a professional athlete in the back of a Range Rover on a beautiful day in Ireland. Mostly because it’s constantly raining. If Martin can give me a sunny day in the Irish Isles she can give me a perfectly structured moment of understanding for Rory…Or at least one well tongued criticism that makes him see the light.
I liked Erin well enough. I thought that her issues with her mom were tidied up a bit quickly in the end. But ultimately I was simply bored by the book. It dragged.
Rating: 1/5 One egotistical Hockey Player plus One small town Irish Lass equals One bored reader…
August 5, 2013
Unlikeable hero, no hockey talk despite being part of a series about hockey players, spineless heroine, etc.
This book really is not worth reading. First off, the book is a part of a series about the New York Blades hockey team players. Well this book has nothing about hockey in it except that Rory, hero, is on the roster back in the states. The story takes place in the small Irish town Rory is from which he blew out of when he made it big.
Rory is completely unlikeable. He is insanely arrogant and cocky and thinks himself incapable of being wrong. He returns to his hometown with every belief that he will be able to win back his best friend and his girl who he screwed over in the past. While there is something to be said about confidence, this character went far beyond that to the point that he was not a worthy hero.
The heroine, Erin, despite learning to stand up for herself since Rory dumped her she is still spineless when it comes to him which is frustrating. Her friend Sandra has a more interesting like and issues that Erin did.
The sex scene that did come up was crude which by itself is not the issue, to each their own and all, but in context of the characters (particularly timid Erin) it was all wrong.
This book really is not worth reading. First off, the book is a part of a series about the New York Blades hockey team players. Well this book has nothing about hockey in it except that Rory, hero, is on the roster back in the states. The story takes place in the small Irish town Rory is from which he blew out of when he made it big.
Rory is completely unlikeable. He is insanely arrogant and cocky and thinks himself incapable of being wrong. He returns to his hometown with every belief that he will be able to win back his best friend and his girl who he screwed over in the past. While there is something to be said about confidence, this character went far beyond that to the point that he was not a worthy hero.
The heroine, Erin, despite learning to stand up for herself since Rory dumped her she is still spineless when it comes to him which is frustrating. Her friend Sandra has a more interesting like and issues that Erin did.
The sex scene that did come up was crude which by itself is not the issue, to each their own and all, but in context of the characters (particularly timid Erin) it was all wrong.
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