Unbroken

by K.C. Beaumont

After a painful breakup with his son's mother, and raising a child for almost five years on his own, David McElroy meets Mark Reynolds, his little boy's new preschool teacher. Despite their ten-year age difference, David finally allows himself to let someone else into his life, and experiences the joy of finding love with the right person. With Mark's compassion and support, and through his son's gracious and resilient heart, David learns the true meaning of family, forgiveness, and peace, and how even when something breaks, love can make it unbroken.

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Contemporary, Short Stories, LGBT, Family, Childrens

26 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

K.C. Beaumont is a Yankee-Southerner hybrid which means she will hold open the door for you, but will most likely flip you off if you don't thank her. She is a full-time parental unit to two spastic male mini humans, and she occasionally exchanges her editing and proofreading skills for money when she's not slinging around boxes of office supplies for The Job That Pays The Rent. In her spare time, she's a wannabe fitness nut, an avid fiction reader, and a sometimes fiction writer.

Reviews

[GlamLawyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

That didn't work for me. Too much telling instead of showing. Sadly the timeline with going back and forth was confusing me.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure at first if I was going to like this story very much. It jumps around in time a lot and it took me a minute to figure out how it was all put together. In the end though I very much enjoyed it. The writing is superb and while this is about a m/m couple it's more about the meaning of family than it is about their romance.

The story is told in a series of memories as one man looks back on the life he's had after the birth of his son to the present time. He looks at his son Gavin as the greatest gift he could have had even though he had to struggle at first to raise him as a single father. Through his memories we are let in on how he met the man he eventually falls for and marries, and the important moments in his sons life all leading up to the wedding they're currently attending.

While the beginning threw me off a little, by the time I got used to the time jumps and how the story was being told I was hooked. I enjoyed this little family and the peek into their lives and what success looked like to them. This was very sweet and lovely!

[Bekah Keesler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short but well-written, beautiful story of one man struggling to live and love and be the best father and husband he can be. With few words, the author makes you love and cheer for all of the characters, and at the Gavin's graduation I found myself tearing up along with them, knowing that David's hopes and dreams had come true.

The only reason I did not give this story 5 stars was because of the fragmentation of the timeline - in the beginning I found it a bit confusing and distracting from the story, but then I figured out who everyone was and how the story was pieced together and it was fine. The ending wouldn't have been as spectacular if I hadn't read all these pieces of their lives, but I did find it difficult at the start.

Overall, the characters are well-rounded, loveable and I'm very happy to have spent an evening reading about their triumphs and struggles.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling, nail biting, inspirational, and true narrative of an Olympic class athlete who endured unbelievable atrocities and danger in WWII a as a member of the Air Force. Luck, fortitude and discipline stood him in good stead during 40 days of drifting in the Pacific, followed by two years in Japanese internment camps. A true life adventure that Hillenbrand describes in detail, without judgement, and without sparing details, weaves the courage and despair of Zamporini into a very readable, tense, intelligently told story.

[blub · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story with a great message. The delivery can be confusing since reader's are reading from David's POV, so readers are getting the present setting(what's happening his life at that moment) and a trip down memory lane/flashbacks (what happened through his life to lead him to where he is now). I have to admit at first I thought it was Gavin getting married and this was what caused David take a trip down memory lane but it still worked out the way the story was told.

[Melanie~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I think I've read it before but never marked it. It was a mostly pleasant look at the growth if a family that started with a gay man and his biological son by his wife from whom he was estranged seven months earlier.

The jumping around in time was a little difficult to follow at first, but once I'd sorted out what was happening, it was fine.

Nice cover.

[Sherry]

i enjoyed this book very much. it was very touching and heartwarming. it was one of the most emotional short stories that i have read. and that is what i look for in a great read. if it can touch my heart and make me cry or make me laugh or even make me angry then i know that it is a very touching book. Thank you, K.C. Beaumont.

[Alaska · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too perfect, too much telling without showing, too much "Look how we have serious problems in our life but can overcome them simply with the power of love". This short story bored me and will not leave any impression. The characters were one-dimensional and too smooth. The problems fabricated and told without much feeling.
Sorry, was not for me.

[Anke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, more like 1.5* It didn't work for me at all. The story itself was nice enough, after finally getting the snippets into the correct timeline. But these flashbacks were rather annoying, as they prevented the flow of the story. Additionally in my opinion the title didn't really fit.

[Alicia Nordwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the unexpected nature of the ending event but disliked the jerking around back and forth in the timeline. The writing within each scene was smooth, but I prefer a linear story. This was good, however, even with that disjointed feeling I was left with.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and enjoyable short story, but the back and forth timeline took me out of the story at times.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take the time to read this beautiful story.
Nicely written going back and forth along David, Mark & Gavin´s story.
I wish it was longer, I wish there was more David & Mark.

[Beth doesn't write enough reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very sweet!

[Helene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the message but the delivery was confusing. So many flashbacks that I ended up being confused as to wich storyline was "now".

[qx · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Beck]

To be converted to mobi

[T · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish there was a more detailed description of the events. It felt too little.

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable.

[Irissska · Rating 1 out of 5]

boring.

[Riayl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, but it read more like a summary than an actual story.