“Sometimes, it feels like my life has become a revolving door of living the same day over and over again, and the moments when I actually feel alive have become just that—only moments.”
From the outside, Evie Hale has the perfect life: a successful writing career, lots of friends, and the perfect fiancé.
She has what everyone else wants—the most that anyone could reasonably ask for—and yet, it isn’t enough, and she’s not quite sure why.
Evie manages to stuff it down—to quiet the part of her inside that’s screaming something is wrong until she runs into Adrian—a small and seemingly insignificant part of her past who evokes something in her she hasn’t felt in a long time.
With a wedding looming near and everyone’s eyes and expectations weighing heavily on her, what will she do?
Author's Note: Broken Reverie is the second book in the Broken series and can be read as a standalone. If you would like to read Ruby's story first, pick up Broken People.
Known as the (mostly benevolent) Queen of Angst, Elle Mitchell writes new adult contemporary romance ranging from shades of grey to morally pitch black with a hint of taboo. A mix of plot and spice, her books follow flawed, relatable characters as they rage against the machine or struggle against the darker parts of humanity and themselves. They’re messy—like real life—and emotional.
She can’t promise that all her books will depict what a healthy relationship should look like at every turn. She rejects purity themes. The best she can do is promise an eventual HEA when it’s all said and done.
When she isn’t reading or writing, it’s unlikely you’ll find her anywhere. She’s probably at home with her family, minding her own business.
I got this as an ARC and I totally loved the characters in this book. The book just felt very nostalgic. This book also made your heart race, it made you mad, sad, happy and everything in between as well. Im usually not big on a certain trope in this book, but the author approached it in a real way and it added to the plot, it didnt make you not want to read it. Spice was on point, not over kill but just the right amount. You got to bond with the characters even more and they deal with real issues that some books just skip over to get that "everything is rainbows" feel.
All in all - 4.5 stars but I cant give half stars on here.
So I have never read a “Cheating book” but let me just say ….this author did an AMAZING job with this I was not once uncomfortable or anything. It was done so perfectly and so REAL! My heart was racing in some scenes and crying in others. Oh my goodness every step every curveball your not seeing but it fits perfectly nothing felt rushed or unrealistic. The ending 🥹whewww I need a day or two just to be rid myself of the book hangover I now have 😆❤️
This book is easily now in my top 5 reads that I’ve read since getting out of my slump in September. ✨Arc review but 100% my honest opinion✨
I am in love with Evie. She is such an interesting, fun character, and her development was beautiful.
You watch her really find herself and learn that she can be happy too. This book probably won't be for everyone but wow! And the writing style is chefs kiss.
I really enjoyed the story so I wish the author would break away from telling me what happened and show me. I want to experience the story and she just refuses to do that. Evie is hard to like which i like. Garrett is controlling but ultimately the best person in the book. Adrian is a weirdo. No way around it. I read the 1st book in the series as well and they're very similar. Both women end up with the guy that I don't think they actually wanted. This book ends with Evie confessing her love to Garrett but still ends up with Adrian. It's an odd choice as the author but I like that it's different. I just wanted more at least of Evie and Adrian because I didn't feel their connection at all. They had 1 encounter 6 years ago and she never thought of him again. Then suddenly she runs into him and they consume each other. We don't get enough of them together or how things turn out between them.
To say that main character, Evie, is unique and different is putting it mildly. Not someone I'd have as a friend. However, that is not what bothered me the most. It is her actions toward her fiance' and knowing how she'd hurt him and she didn't care.
Storyline is solid and it seems like two lost and different people found each other, Evie's soulmate, Adrian, is just as self absorbed and thinks only of himself as well. They deserve each other and the story kept the reader involved and interested in their ending. In the end Adrian proved to have a heart as he helped children Evie never deserved to be treated by her parents and sister the way she had been her whole life.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
In this second book Evie is having doubts about marriage, she feels like Garett is trying to change her in order to fit in his idea of ideal wife. She is a strong, confident woman that does not look blindly for man's approval. I like that she is not afraid to stir things up, to fight for herself and not let anyone talk down to her. I consider this book to be a steamy love triangle worth reading. I also liked that characters from the previous book popped up in this book. I missed Ruby and Jake.
This was my first read from this author. The story pulled me in instantly and I am just sorry that I haven't read the first book. I really liked Evie from the start and I loved that the story was written in the first person point of view which is a deal breaker for me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Broken Reverie by Elle Mitchell is a fast-paced novel focused on Evie Hale, a free spirit who is on the cusp of having it all—success in her career and a wonderful fiancé. Instead of feeling joyous, Evie is feeling the loss of her care-free and wild spirit and the pressures from her family and fiancé to change herself to become a little more docile and acceptable. Is that just part of growing and maturing? Or is Evie trying to fit expectations that just aren’t made for her? When an expected visit from her past shows up in her present, Evie has to face those questions head-on.
I really enjoyed Evie’s narration and perspective; she is a character that I initially didn’t think I would be able to relate to because I’m a self-proclaimed “granny at heart” and have never been as free as Evie, but everyone (especially women) can relate to the feeling of outside pressure that you need to be more or different in some way to be your “best”. Evie is funny and irreverent and brings a light-hearted tone to the difficulties she is facing. She is a flawed character and that makes her interesting and relatable. Her fiancé Garrett is well-written as a someone who clearly loves Evie but is ultimately trying to change her into who he wants as a partner. He isn’t necessarily even aware of how much pressure he is putting on her to be different, or aware that perhaps they just aren’t right for each other if he wants her to change so much about herself. The love they have for each other overshadows every red flag they both have, and I have absolutely lived that out in my relationships, as well. Adrian Lucas, the man from Evie’s past that shows up unexpectedly, is a little less developed as a character than Evie and Garrett but brings all the spice that I want in a romance! He is unapologetically going after what he wants, and he is strong enough in his own character to allow Evie to be unapologetically herself, even when it hurts him.
The overall concept of having that outside pressure telling you that you need to change a vital part of who you are really resonates with me. I think women everywhere can relate to that pressure no matter the circumstances or context. So many of us have that pressure from partners or family or work or just our culture at large telling us that something about us is wrong and therefore makes us wrong. Evie’s struggle with that pressure and how it makes her feel and wondering if it’s normal or not was so relatable—I have had those struggles and seeing such a strong character wrestle with that and still be so strong in herself was empowering.
I loved the spice in this book. You know from the first chapter that there is tension with Evie and Adrian and it delivers! Even for being a fast-paced story, it still felt realistic to me and not forced. The only parts that felt a little forced was discovering that Adrian was a sky-diving instructor but Evie’s reaction to that made me laugh out loud because I was thinking the same thoughts! Adrian also seemed a little too willing to blow up Evie’s relationship; even with the understanding that Evie was unhappy and that being with Garrett wasn’t right for her, I just don’t enjoy cheating. Ultimately I felt satisfied with how it all played out, but cheating always reads as problematic for me.
I really loved the fast pace of this story and how quick of a read it was. It is the perfect book to read by the pool, on a weekend stuck inside, or when you just need a light and spicy read. I would recommend this to all readers who love romance and spice and who (like me) have heavy, dense series on their TBR—this book is perfect to break up the drama on your TBR. I will definitely be looking for the other books in the Broken series to read more! If there are more books about Evie in the future, I’ll be excited to read those as well. 3.5/5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I read this in an author book exchange for an honset review but all opinons are my own
I read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it so when I saw she had a second book coming out about Evie I was really excited to read it.
This book is written in the main character Evie's POV. Evie is newly engaged to her longtime boyfriend Garett and is currently planning their wedding. She is having doubts about marrying Garett because she feels like Hes trying to change her to fit into this mold of a perfect wife when really there's no such thing as a perfect wife. Evie is a very strong confident female, and you can see as you read through the book how she's changed a bit being with Garett So, when and old friend comes back into her life she has to ask herself if she is doing the right thing by marrying Garett.
Thoughts This book is a quick read, I read it in about two days. Evie is a lot different than Ruby (a character from the book before this one) so it was nice to read it because I was scared Evie was going to have the same problems as Ruby. It was nice to see Ruby pop up throughout the book and see how her and Jake ended up. I would consider this book a love triangle, which aren't usually my favorite trope to read which is why I rated the book three stars. Besides that, the book was written very well, it was very descriptive (which I love), it had plot twists and you get to read about Jake and Ruby as well see Evie's story play out.
I definitely recommend this book especially if you love steamy love triangles! I want to say a huge thank you to Elle Mitchell for letting me read your books!!! Age ratting: 18 and up If haven't yet check out the first book because you're really missing out! Broken People
The second book in the Broken duet and it’s centred around Evie and her newly engaged status. Since getting engaged, Evie has started to notice changes in her fiance Garett. First it started with the clothes she wore, or how she conducted herself in public. But then it became him expecting her to give up the job she was dreaming of and being the reporter picked to follow the new elections in the run up to a new Governor being selected.
When Garett goes away for work, Evie finds herself at a meeting with a surgeon who’s offering to do pro bono work on disadvantaged kids with illnesses that they can’t afford treatment for, entranced by some eyes that seem familiar but that she can’t place.
And then she finds herself in a compromising position with Mr.Eyes and has to make a decision. A lot of people don’t enjoy the cheating trope. I really do, I like the different circumstances that lead the characters to make these decisions and when you see all the things that lead up to Evie making the decision she does, you can’t help but feel for her.
As the wedding approaches and truths come to light, Evie learns who the mystery man is and where she knows him from. Will she fix things with Garett and walk down the aisle? Or will she throw caution to the wind and blow up her life and her relationship?
Broken Reverie is the second book I’ve read by Elle Mitchell. She does an amazing job of creating flawed, unapologetically real characters. I’m not a fan of books with a cheating trope but I felt this book addressed it in a very realistic way and didn’t romanticize the cheating.
Evie is definitely not put together. She’s promiscuous but that’s not all that she is. She’s like that one friend who is outrageous and does the things you’d probably only think about yet you have a soft spot for her because she’s fiercely loyal to her friends. It was captivating to read her journey and how she traverses and forges ahead on her own broken road.
Personally, I didn’t totally get why Aidan would be interested in her. I wish there would have been more time given to his backstory and why as a doctor, he’d be so open to dating a bit of a train wreck. It would have been nice to know what he saw in her and how he was able to be a accepting of her, flaws and all.
Overall, a really gritty, intriguing story that doesn’t shy away from the messy parts of life.
Another raw, and real read from Elle Mitchell. This is my second story from this author as part of this series and while the two can be read alone, reading them consecutively would work best.
The author describes her characters are 'morally grey' and I can't think of a better description than that. If you're easily offended or morally superior to the rest of us mere mortals, you may have a difficult time with these books. If however, you love stories that are angsty, raw and full of all the feelings, give this book a try.
As much as I loved this book, I couldn't quite give it 5 stars. Some of the dialogue was a little stilted and there were lots of typos, hopefully these are repaired before the book goes to final print.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Drowning under the weight of her fiancé’s expectations, Evie is having second thoughts about their impending wedding. She is feeling the weight of everyone’s expectations of her, but doesn’t know what to do.
Adrian, a past hookup, comes back into her life as part of a work assignment. He is unapologetic in his pursuit of her and makes no secret of his intentions. Evie quickly finds herself torn between the two men.
Elle’s characters are morally gray, flawed, raw, and real. They are so easy to relate to. I enjoyed Adrian and Evie’s story and how well they fit together. I loved the closure we get in the epilogue and it definitely made me cry. I’m glad Garrett and Evie were able to part ways on a better note.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book has my heart tied up in strings! It made me laugh at points it made me cry. the characters are so clearly heartfelt and I adored our main character so much I’d like to be her friend tbh! It could’ve gotten 5 stars if it was 3rd person as I don’t deal well with first person. I also feel like possibly a bit more spacing between the chapter number and the start of the the chapter, as they felt a bit too cramped! Overall I liked it but it could’ve been a bit better!
Elle Mitchell has done it again. I have loved this series and I loved Ruby so much, but Evie is my girl. Realizing she was molding herself to fit what other people wanted her to be is something I had come to realize over the years and I hated it. I wanted to be me. Unapologetically me. And to be accepted for who I was. I was so proud of Evie for finally accepting she was important and for re-taking control of her life. I can’t wait to see what else Elle has in store!
4.5☆ Awww Evie. First I wish I could give you a hug. I wouldn't say I enjoyed her story, because it was so heartbreaking what all happened. Even if yes partly her fault... But still, the things that happened after the fact...was completely wrong. But I enjoyed watching her come back to her true self. No more trying to fit in a mold for someone else. She's a wildfire that shouldn't be contained. The ending was beautiful. As always, Ellie knows how to grab hold of her readers and make them feel every single emotion these characters feel.
Always trying to fit in with what everyone else expects of you or thinks that you should or shouldn't do can break you. Even family! Evie tried to be what everyone else wanted but after a while she knew it wasn't what she wanted. Then when she finally gives in and does something that she wants to do she feels like she doesn't deserve anything good. Self sabotaging at its best. Eventually she gets her happy ending even though her family doesn't approve. Highly recommend!
This is the story of “if I’m too much go find less”. Evie has a big personality and at one point had immense confidence. Without even realizing it, Garrett slowly chokes the life out of that confidence. Slowly dimming her light to fit into the appropriate box.
Adrian was a one night (day) stand in a college laundromat. They meet again by chance and Evie slowly realizes everything she has given up and how many personality changes she has made just to appease others.
Elle does it again and makes me an emotional mess. This book had me raging one min and sad the next. Another relatable character to me. Loved having Ruby and Jake in here too from book 1. So much heart break yet they still had their HEA. Definitely recommend but check TW.
I’m sad I finished I want more and that’s how you know it’s a good one! The fmc is a free spirited woman just trying to be her authentic self and I love that! This author does some awesome work and I can’t wait to read more from her!
LOVED. Elle literally wrote a book that basically summed up my 2021, except It took me way longer, and no sexy human to help heal the hurt. I loved Jake from broken people but you couldn’t not devour this story. It felt like reading one of the best 90’s movies ever.
I absolutely love any of Elle Mitchell’s work. Every book she writes is a five star read for me and I must buy. If she writes it I’m buying!! so the story was exactly that a five star must read
I think every woman can see a little bit of Evie (FMC) in themselves and the feeling of having to “tone it down”. I love that she is unapologetically herself. I would have liked to learn more about the MCs back story, but I all around really enjoyed this quick read.
Her writing is so skilled at evoking emotions out of you and putting you in the characters state of mind.
This book had a trope I don't usually read. But the reason I loved this book so much is because this was real.
Just like Evie, people in relationships fall out of love, they're pushed into being a version of themselves they don't recognize anymore. A lot of people stick this feeling out until they realize years later how miserable they are.
Evie didn't just up and decide one day she wanted someone else, it was a step by step process that she honestly tried to fight. Everything that happened was 100% needed for her mental health.
Also, this book kicks off with some amazing spice and that's always a win.