Break the Glass

by Olivia Swindler

Overnight, in a small town, careers, friendships, reputations, and futures are all on the line in a razor-sharp novel about scandals, secrets, and hard-earned dreams coming true. A small-town campus is rocked by scandal. Suddenly, four women find themselves in the crosshairs of an investigation that threatens to upend their lives. Lauren is the wife of a charismatic, now disgraced, university athletic director. To keep their marriage from crumbling, she’s cleaned up his messes before. This one she never saw coming. Nora is the director’s interim replacement. The groundbreaking career she’s worked for is on the rise. As wife of the English department’s dean, so is the scrutiny and the pressure. Anne is Nora’s wide-eyed intern, thrust unprepared into the chaos of a headline-making story. And there’s Alexis, an English professor in panic mode. Her own secret has always been safe. Until now. As the media descends, colleagues and friends begin to question everything they thought they knew about each other. Every one of them is getting caught off guard. And it feels like the whole world is watching.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller, Sports

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2023

About the author

Olivia Swindler was raised in Spokane, Washington, and lived and worked in France for over five years. She currently resides in Virginia with her dog, Luna. For more information, visit www.oliviaswindler.com.

Reviews

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a small-town’s Athletic Department is rocked by bribery and a money laundering scandal, four women will find themselves caught in the middle of a an NCAA investigation.

Lauren is the wife of the disgraced “Politician” disguised as the university athletic director, Sal. To keep their marriage intact, she’s cleaned up her husband’s messes before, but she didn’t anticipate this one.

Nora is the director’s interim replacement, trying to prove that she has earned this job and that she isn’t just a Title IX hire. It will be hard to fill her predecessor’s shoes-he was charismatic, and the media and Donors loved him.

Anne was hired as the latest “Intern” for the University, and she didn’t take the position because she was a sports fan, so she had no idea what she would be walking into on her first day on the job.

And there’s Alexis, an English professor with a secret. Was she one of the people who Sal convinced to “help” the athletes pass their courses?

I love football so, I was initially intrigued by the inside look at the Politics involved “behind the scenes” of a University Football program, but the secrets took to long to be revealed and I started to lose interest, despite the fact that the story rang true.

A big positive for me, was that as the investigation unfolded, it was GREAT to see these strong, fierce women SUPPORTING one another, instead of turning on each other, when the SECRETS came out!

Available Now

Thank You to Lake Union Publishing for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review.

[Laura Kershaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

There were a lot of positives to this book that I greatly enjoyed. The pacing was good and the perspectives switching gave a good amount of different views on the actions in the novel. The authors passion for the subject matter was clear and it’s a great second book that makes me also want to read her first one. I love that she took her first person experience and turned it into an awesome quick read that focused on strong female characters and different pictures of strength in the sports world.

I think there are a few things that will come with more experience, primarily in more character and sentence structure variety as well as perhaps a less clean ending (more mimicry of real life, less neat little bow at the end), but honestly these things didn’t bother me much because it was a quick read within a world I didn’t know much about which made it interesting.

Looking forward to see what else this author puts out! :)

[Tammy Lunsford - Escape to Books By Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scandal rocks a college town when the NCAA converges on Renton University with an investigation into their athletics. The Athletic Director, Sal, is fired. Now the fireworks start. This story is told from the point of view of our four main female characters who are involved in one way or the other with the university and/or this story. Lauren is the wife of Sal, and has always been the dutiful wife. She is shocked to learn of her husband's actions. Nora was the assistant AD, and she has now been promoted to the interim AD position. She is also the wife of the English Department dean, Nathan. She is about to be tested by fire. Not only is she is being thrown into the fire of an investigation with serious implications, but some do not think a woman is capable of doing the job. Anne was a new hire by Sal. Sal had recently hired her as the new intern. Poor Anne's first day on the job is the day this scandal breaks. She is about to be tested as well, as they try to please the masses. Finally, you have Alexis. She is an English professor who is quite frightened by all of this hullabaloo. You will have to read the book to find out how true purpose to this story.

I love college football, and when I saw the blurb about this book that revolved around the NCAA investigation and four very different women in starring roles. It sounded very interesting, and it was interesting. However, it was more slow burn than fast paced. Let me preface this opinion by saying that I did like this book. I just wished it had a little more pick me up. That being said, I still give it 4.5 stars because as the ending drew near, it really picked up steam and the drama intensified. The ending left me with a satisfied, smug smile on my face.

The four women characters are enough to make this story worth the read even if you are not a football fan. I loved these strong women and their fierceness to overcome.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a pretty accurate take on what it’s like to be a woman working in a college athletics department. I liked the multiple POVs.

[Derielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this novel!
Break the Glass follows four women as they traverse through a scandal that rocks the athletic department. I enjoyed seeing multiple perspectives of the same events, but felt like the 4 different POVs was a tad confusing. I would have loved to be able to become more invested into each women’s life. The multiple perspectives also contributed to a slower pace throughout.

I did find it incredibly cool that Olivia comes from the sports realm which informed her writing really well. While the ending wrapped up incredibly nicely, it fell somewhat flat compared to the build up of the investigation. We spend 97% of the book on the investigation to have the resolution be completed in just a few pages.

[Ashley Fleck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the pace of this story!! The plot unfolds in twists and turns so quickly. It had me reading late into the night. Even with the quick pace, the author developed deep characters and relationships that had me rooting for my favorites to succeed. I learned a lot about the academic sports world reading this book and felt encouraged and empowered as a female in my own world of work as well.

This is such a fun read with a good mix of scandal, drama, character development, and a resolution that left me feeling entertained and satisfied.

Thank you to the Publisher for the gifted early copy of this book!

[Nathalia Araujo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, such a good story! I liked the way the stories of each of the four women were connected, and how despite being so different from each other, they all managed to find strength within themselves, and later on in each other, to deal with all the challenges thrown at them. The ending left me with a great sense of comfort. Definitely recommend it!

[Susan Scribner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Flat characterization, four first-person narrators who are indistinguishable from each other, and predictable plot with deux ex machina resolution. Sometimes you get what you pay for on Kindle Unlimited.

[abby :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

yeah i’m cool, i finished my first audiobook…

i can honestly say i never saw myself as someone who reads audiobooks but for some reason when i saw that there was an audio version of this book offered on ku i decided i could test it out. i loved it!!! i could read as i was driving so now i’m hooked! i do think my interest in audiobooks will only work for mysteries or thrillers because they feel like a podcast where as a romance might make me uncomfy.

i made a goal for myself that i would explore the other genres of books that ku offers this year. i genuinely think i haven’t read a book before this one that wasn’t a romance. so i was doing so looking last night and saw this one and it seemed interesting enough. i love multiple pov’s in books and this one has four so i was drawn to the story. i really like sports so the overall plot of the book interested me too. i really like the storytelling this book had. it was on the shorter side so the pacing was really nice and i was interested for the whole time. the “mystery” wasn’t exactly thrilling but you still want to know what happened in regards to the fired athletic director and who he may have been involved with. it was very domestic and i appreciated that.

all the women had stories that were enjoyable in their own way. i will say that alexis really annoyed me, i’m not a huge fan of characters acting dumb when the obvious, smart choice is right in front of them. idk she just bothered me. nora was fun to read about, her journey wasn’t ideal but i liked seeing her succeed. lauren was sort of forgotten in the story but she really come through at the end and i liked her choices in regards to the evidence she found and what she did with it. and then there’s anne. i loved her. it was so fun to read from her perspective and i liked her friends and her working with graham. i just really found myself getting excited when the next chapter would follow her. she was a mini investigator and i loved that!!

for the audio experience i liked how each woman had a different narrator, it made the differences between them more noticeable then i feel they would’ve been if i had read the story with no voices! this was a fun surprise and if you’re someone like me who may want to listen to an audiobook but don’t want to be overwhelmed, this is a great place to start!

[Amanda Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Break The Glass" by Olivia Swindler was so good! Despite my disinterest in sports, this book has crafted a narrative that transcends the realm of sports, delving into deep themes and complex characters that completely drew me in.

The characters undergo significant growth and change throughout the story and I loved the diverse array of characters and perspectives! It brought such depth and vitality, which is often hard to come by in stories that focus solely on one point of view. Life is filled with countless unique stories, and I felt that this book captured that beautifully.

Their journeys add depth and emotional resonance to the narrative.

I also enjoyed reading a book outside my comfort zone!
Five stars for an amazing story written by an amazing person!

Félicitations Olivia! ♥️

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Somewhere there’s always someone who has to break the glass. Someone who removes the extinguisher from its case. Who puts out the fire. Who makes the final play. Meanwhile, the world is watching."

It's a chaotic morning at this university. Sal, the beloved athletics director is caught in a scandal. His assistant Nora is being promoted and she'll face a lot of adversity because she's a woman.

We follow several other women, including a professor at the uni and a grad student who just started her internship that morning!

The writing in this was really good. The problem for me is that I expected something totally different. I was expecting a dark academia mystery and this was just the politics of a big school and the focus on sports instead of academics. They mostly talked about sexism and honestly it got tedious.

I'm not particularly interested in sports but I do think it's an interesting time for this book. Given what is going on in women's sports these days that people are reluctant to discuss, I felt like focusing on sexism was.. a choice.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

[chris schultz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite.

Not my fav. The book did not hold my attention. Lots of characters and a SLOW moving plot. Each chapter was from a different character so it was choppy. Main story was set at a college where a woman was promoted to the position of athletic director due to a firing of the former athletic director. A scandal brewed and the new athletic director knew nothing about the scandal. As the scandal was investigated, the "bad people" were found out. I did enjoy the parts addressing the social constraints about how women are not always accepted into previously male held jobs in the sports world. But the overall story was a bit boring to me. Spoiler alert - the new athletic director's husband who was a professor / dept head was implicated in a student athlete cheating and bribery scheme along with former athletic director. Please check other reviews because maybe someone else has a different impression of the book!

[Misty Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars When I first started this book, I got a little nervous about the "sports" aspect but I think it was the perfect sports to scandal ratio. This was a very quick read and even though there were several characters to keep track of, I never had any issue distinguishing between them all. When so many people are involved, I always feel that character depth is lacking but I feel like the pace of the book helped me not focus on that too much. I was surprised that everything felt so giftwrapped at the end- I know a lot of readers need a clear, concise ending and Break the Glass offered exactly that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC

[Lauren Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia captures the lure and drama of athletics and creates a tribute to the power of women advocating for each other and rising above the fray when the integrity of those closest to them splinters. I found myself sympathizing with and cheering on Olivia’s characters - and understanding and squirming with the ones whose choices send the community into a spiral. Fast-paced, the narrative builds to a satisfying twist at the end.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fast-paced whodunnit centered around a scandal in the athletic department of a major university, so it was a fun read on the heels of college football's national championship. I liked that the book's chapters rotated among various perspectives, and I appreciated the author's (unsubtle) attempts to highlight the challenges and double standards women face in our society. That said, the ending felt rushed and improbable, there wasn't much suspense building to the "gotcha" moment, and the writing felt like it might be more geared to a YA or middle grade audience than adults.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corruption in the athletic department causes an upheaval that will affect not only Renton University but the lives of four women involved in that department. Lauren Higgins first learns of the scandal when her husband Sal is fired as in a predawn call from the president. Another early call to Nora Bennet lets her know she’s the new athletic director. Professor Alexis Baily is caught up because she’s been seeing the assistant football coach. And Anne finds out when she reports to the athletic department for her first day as Sal Higgins’s intern. Then comes the NCAA investigation into corruption and bribery. Now each woman will have to deal with their careers, their families and the media at the same time without knowing who at the University can be trusted. Their lives will get a lot more complicated before the investigation ends.

Told in the alternating voices of Lauren, Nora, Alexis and Anne, Break the Glass gives a realistic, captivating look into campus life. Olivia Swindler’s personal experiences make this novel shine! Each character is so well described that you feel you would know her if you saw her on the street. Break the Glass is deftly plotted with a conclusion that you won’t see coming. I cant wait to see what this talented author does next. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Olivia Swindler for this ARC.

[Kimberly Hess Morrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scandal at a university best kinda book! This focuses on the athletics department and corruption within, It is told from multiple points of view and gives the giving the reader a look into the problem, Thanks to netgalley for allowing me to review. Story was well written..

[Abby Smitley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Really enjoyed this one and how each person was connected. I did feel like something was missing in terms of suspense it felt like there wasn't a huge build up and then bam everything fell into place. Will definitely check out what else Olivia Swindler has written.

[Kelly Pramberger]

This is an example of the type of academia books I can devour. I liked Swindler's a lot. The characters were strong and interesting and the scandal was as well! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars!

[Gwendolyn Simonalle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warm and intimate, yet dramatic and sweeping. A small-town, family epic about the dynamics of power and secrecy. I was drawn in from the first and couldn't put it down.

[Kayla Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women in sports mixed with mystery 👏

[Jenni · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an ARC from a Goodreads giveaway.

This wasn’t my thing. I felt that the author spent too much time repeating the same things over and over and over again. I wish they would have developed the plot more…what exactly did Sal do? Who all was involved? What were the ramifications? What happened to the athletes that were connected to the tutors?

It also felt heavy on the “all men are mean to women, especially in sports” talk. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen, but every woman talking about how she’s having a harder time because she’s a woman felt heavy handed.

[Sharon Valler: Live Love Read Review · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is one of those unfortunate cases of “It’s not you, it’s me”. I didn’t realise that this book was about football and I loathe football!

Trying to put that aside though, I didn’t really feel that much happened in the story. A disgraced male’s position is taken over by his female deputy and everyone else is scared they’ll get found out too, even the ones like Alexis, who actually haven’t done anything wrong, are terrified! We know from society that a woman in a man’s world will struggle, but this really lacked substance for me; I was waiting for the plot line to develop and it didn’t really go anywhere, sadly.

2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Olivia Swindler and Lake Union for an ARC in return for an honest review.

[Reflections Professional · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Break the Glass' is a book about a college athletics scandal that seems like a kissing cousin to some that we have heard of in 'real life'. The author added the component of having the main character being a female Athletic Director; and the character being a female in a traditionally male-dominated career was certainly highlighted in the story. The story alternates viewpoints of multiple characters; all female, and all impacted by the scandal in some way.

I found the 'female Athletic Director in a male-dominated position' overly emphasized. While it was certainly important and an interesting viewpoint that we don't normally see; that particular theme was very emphasized and clearly drawn attention to - I found it a bit 'in your face', instead of being done more subtly and letting the reader notice this and related to it in their own way.

I frequently read fiction with multiple alternating viewpoints; but for some reason did have a hard time at times remembering which character was which, and how they were all connected.

Overall, this book was good, I was interested in how it resolved; but it wasn't one that I would likely recommend to people as a 'must-read'.

[Cynthia Rodrigues · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nora Bennet’s boss, Sal Higgins, has been fired from his position as athletic director at Renton University. She’s interim AD now, and she knows that she has to work harder to prove herself. Sal is accused not only of an alcohol addiction but also of asking professors for favours to get the athletes to pass their subjects.
Anne is an intern in the sports department. Hired by Sal, she finds herself beginning work on the day that Sal is fired, when the department is beset with chaos.
Alexis is a teacher in the English department. Her boyfriend, Beau, is the assistant coach. She and Beau are both questioned by investigators from the NCAA.
Lauren Higgins is blamed by her husband, Sal, for all his indiscretions. She also finds herself under the scanner of the NCAA investigators.

Break the Glass refers to the glass ceiling broken by Nora as she works in sports as athletic director, a male-dominated world. It’s also the glass behind which the fire extinguisher is encased, a reminder of the resolution to be brought about when disaster strikes.

The first chapter of the story began on a high. It brought out the fact that women have to work twice as hard but don't receive the appreciation. But after that, this book was a letdown.

The story is written in the first person past tense PoV of Nora, Anne, Alexis and Lauren. Four PoVs is too many, and we don’t find ourselves caring for any of them. There is nothing of note in any of the PoVs, no action or plot development that takes the story forward.
It doesn’t help that all four PoVs sound exactly the same with not much of a voice distinguishing one from another. Even the vocabulary and expressions used are exactly the same.
The four characters are flat caricatures, who take themselves far too seriously. Even the manner in which the resolution is arrived at is bland. One of the characters has a brainwave that hints at a resolution.

There was no point to Anne telling us that she was of Moroccan origin. The detail made barely any impact on the story and felt forced.

All the characters, major and minor alike, are somehow linked. Nora’s husband, Nathan, is the dean of the English department where Alexis teaches. Alexis’s boyfriend, Beau, is the assistant football coach, where Nora is the AD. Alexis’s cousin, Mason Pont, is the journalist who breaks the story. Joel Bonne, the president of Renton University, is a very dear friend of Lauren. Also, Lauren’s nephew Graham works in the University’s compliance department.

The narrative, more tell than show, is taken forward at various points throughout the day by the four PoV characters. It is interspersed with the occasional news report. There are grammatical errors which mar the reading experience further.

Even though this book was about football, the author didn’t describe a single game in a manner that would convey the excitement of watching a live match. It was all about the fans, the spectators, the buzz in the stadium.

I struggled with this book, wanting to set it aside several times. It was always more of the same. Nothing by way of plot progression, until very late in the book. For two-thirds of the book, it’s the slow investigation and how the characters react to it. The dialogues are a repetition.

I finally gave up at the 75 percent mark and jumped to the end.

[MiniMicroPup (X Liscombe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humble. Open. Introspective.
🇺🇸 Set at a university along the West Coast of the USA, spaning from summer to fall,
POV: We get the perspectives of four key characters: the newly appointed Athletic Director, an intern, an English professor, and the spouse of the disgraced former Athletic Director.


Mood Reading Match Up:
-A mix of academic intrigue and scandal mysteries.
-A contemporary fiction piece exploring the intersection of college athletics and academia.
-Low-key romance subplots, featuring young love and coworker romances.
-Themes revolve around sportsmanship, community spirit, authority, women in sports, toxic athletic cultures, and the power dynamics within the sporting world.

—
🐺 Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐕
✏️ Writing: Swindler’s narrative style positions the reader as a fly on the wall, privy to more information than any single character. So we get a comprehensive view of the unfolding events.

🫥 Characters: The portrayal of the characters is nuanced and relatable. The book offers a realistic depiction of female characters who are neither blindly loyal nor overtly resentful, but rather complex individuals navigating their circumstances.

🗺️ Worldbuilding: The author captures the dual nature of sports: the excitement and energy, as well as the toxic aspects. The balance between the appeal of sports and their darker underbelly is well represented.

🔥 Fuel: The story is upfront about the scandal, with suspense revolving around how it affects each character and the unfolding of consequences. If you’re looking for fast-paced on the field sports suspense this probably isn’t it. For me, that really worked because I would lose interest if it was heavy on the play-by-plays.

🐇 Pacing: The pacing is well-managed, with POV switches timed to maintain interest. It may feel slow for those seeking constant plot development or wild action, but it excels in thoughtful, realistic progression.

🎬 Scenes: Dialogues and character interactions are relatable and realistic, focusing more on internal and external dialogues rather than contrived scheming.

💭 Random Thoughts: The book offers gentle commentary on the complexities and controversies in academia and athletics, highlighting issues like funding, student pressures, and institutional rigidity.

Overall this story is a thought-provoking read that offers a candid look at the challenges and controversies within the world of college athletics, wrapped in a narrative of personal growth and discovery.

—

Content Heads-Up: Misogyny. Unemployment. Bribes and blackmail. Codependency (relationship). Mental abuse (relationship). Corruption (institutional, academic). White collar crime.
Rep includes: White and Moroccan-American characters.

Format: Digital from Lake Union and NetGalley (I received an advance review copy at no cost and am leaving this review voluntarily.)

“Reviews are my musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶 refined by my AI Bestie ✨”

[MB KARAPCIK · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Break the Glass by Olivia Swindler, a charming, college town gets disrupted by scandal, and the prestigious, award-winning athletic program may be on the verge of disintegrating. From the perspective of four different women, you learn what happened and the fallout from it. One woman is the wife of the fired athletic coach, another is a young professor with secrets, the next is a young woman fulfilling an internship requirement, and the other is the new athletic coach who takes on an unforgiving position after the original coach is fired.

When I first saw this book, I thought it sounded intriguing. I loved the college campus setting and the excitement of Division I football with all its drama and fanfare. I was looking for juicy secrets, outrageous reveals, and surprising outcomes. Unfortunately, it does not deliver those. Most of the book and its secrets felt underwhelming to me. I kept hoping that the shocking news would come from the last part of the book, but it felt sort of dry.

The characters feel very one-dimensional and merely surface. One character comes from a distinctive background, which I thought would make the character react in different, unexpected ways. After a few mentions of her background, they disappear into the book, never to be heard about again. I couldn't really find the motivation behind some of the scandals either except maybe greed. Some characters shared past associations, but I never saw why they were so shocking.

When all the secrets come to light, again, I felt underwhelmed and didn't really care. One scene where a few characters find out some important information by accident seemed very formulaic and manufactured. It was a little too perfect that they were in the right place at the right time.

I will commend the author on focusing on the female characters and presenting them as strong women. The story has a good premise, but the execution just feels too drab. I kept hoping for more scandal and more depth for the characters, but I felt disappointed with the results on the page.

Thank you, Lake Union Publishing, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! It was a pleasure!

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Break the Glass by Olivia Swindler is a highly recommended novel about four women and a small town rocked by a college athletics scandal.

When Sal Higgins is fired from his job as athletic director at Renton University after a news article accuses him of bribery and money laundering, chaos erupts across the campus. The plot focuses on four different women who are inextricably tied in some way to the scandal or the athletic department. They are now all concerned about their careers as an investigation begins.

Nora is now the interim athletic director, a position she has worked toward for years. She is also the wife of the English department’s dean, so she is being closely scrutinized. Lauren, the wife of Sal, is shocked and disgraced. Sal blames her for not cleaning up his mess and leaves. Anne's first day as a student intern in the athletics department is the day Sal is fired. Needless to say, her start in the department is one of pure chaos. Finally, Alexis is an English professor who is panicking because she taught many of the student athletes and is seeing the assistant football coach. Now she is being called in for an interview when an NCAA investigation begins.

Break the Glass is a fast moving, well-written exploration of the investigation. Anyone who has ever lived in a college town will quickly understand the emotions swirling around this scandal. Chapters alternate between the different points-of-view of the four women. This is a plot-driven novel, so extensive character development is lacking, but there is certainly enough to garner sympathy and understanding for the characters and their situations. There is enough action and intrigued to hold the interest of most readers, including those who aren't huge sports fans. 3.5 rounded up.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/1...

[Farah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a small town, where the athletes are king, a scandal involving the Athletics Director of the University has unexpected knock-on effects in the lives of a number of individuals living there. This book is about four women who find themselves at the centre of things.

One of them, as might be expected, is Nora, the second in command to the disgraced athletics director, Sal Higgins - viewed quite unfairly by many as simply a diversity hire, and treated accordingly, she is now under the microscope in way that Sal never was.

Nora's new assistant, Anne, is also uncomfortable in her newly-acquired role, not least because she was hired by Sal, and has very little interest in athletics. Anne had applied for the job simply because she was desperate to get an internship in order to complete her degree, and she hadn't bargained on finding herself in the midst of a media shitstorm on a subject on which she is far from an expert.

Alexis is an English professor, who wants to stay out of the spotlight for her own reasons. Though thanks to Sal's shenanigans, that may now be out of the question. And finally, there is Lauren, Sal's long-suffering wife, who has made all kinds of compromises in the past, order to salvage her marriage, but now finds that there is very little left to save...

The story is told from their four points of view, and is the richer for it. The characters are well-drawn, and their situations are interconnected but clearly differentiated. The author's emotional investment in the issues is palpable, and as campus politics interact with social mores and double standards, the four women will discover what they are made of in the ensuing fallout. Worth a read.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Karen Axnick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has an interesting motivation behind her writing: “she believes that through fiction we can grow and learn from one another, and hopes to create and foster hard, real-life conversations with her novels.”

Break the Glass certainly reflects that intention. This novel explores not only the imbalanced priorities of academics versus athletics in a university setting, but also the extreme attitudes towards women’s involvement in sports administration. I have no personal experience/knowledge of this bias, but the author has worked in a university athletic ticket office so there is an air of authenticity to the storyline. However, the emphasis on the above-referenced attitudes throughout the book began to bog down the pacing. It was not until the last few chapters that I felt fully engaged with the characters and the resolution of issues. I was a bit troubled by the ethics of one character who turned over evidence but neglected to mention her ill-gotten financial windfall.

Overall, this is an interesting exploration of a university scandal related to a corrupt, charismatic Athletic Director. The extent of the scandal revealed an alliance that resulted in the manipulation and exploitation of student athletes, faculty, staff, donors, and even family members. At the heart of the storyline is the promotion of a woman whose dream to be a legitimate Athletic Director is a bit tainted by her promotion through the dismissal of her predecessor and her need to prove herself deserving of the role.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.