Broken Wings

by D.G. Torrens

Two people who have both suffered tragic losses in their young life; both of them avoiding love for completely different reasons. Joshua, a soldier in the British Army, a bomb disposal expert and the very best at what he does. Angelina, an editor for a local newspaper and writer in her spare time. Both of them focused on their careers.
Brought together unexpectedly, they fall unconditionally and irrevocably in love with one another. All is perfect in their lives until Joshua is unexpectedly posted to Afghanistan for six months. Angelina's worst fears are finally realized. Joshua has to go, it's his duty as a soldier, but the pull in his heart is strong and he leaves her behind with a heavy heart.
Angelina is devastated and prays for his safe return. Until one day, a few weeks into Joshua's deployment, there is a knock on her door that changes her life forever.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Military Fiction, Ebooks, Novella

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2013

About the author

D.G. Torrens is a celebrated UK & USA bestselling Author/Poet with an impressive literary portfolio. With 25 published books to date, the author continues to captivate readers across genres.

Beyond her novels, D.G Torrens has contributed four short stories to multi-author anthologies, including “Love Letters to Water,” with all proceeds benefiting charity. Her literary journey began with the unexpected success of her first book, “Amelia’s Story”, which has been downloaded over 500k times worldwide. Originally penned for her daughter, this true-life story resonated with readers, propelling her into the spotlight. Securing a literary agent, who landed the author a three-book deal with Audible for the entire Amelia Series & most recently A foreign rights deal.

The author is currently penning book 26 -THREE FOR A GIRL due for release in 2025 (Autumn)

D.G Torrens has recently co-directed and co-produced her first documentary film titled: Birmingham A City Rooted in Talent, (due for broadcast 2026). The documentary film won Best Documentary 2024 at the Birmingham Film Festival Awards.

The author is represented in the USA by Hershman Rights Management (HRM Literary Agents)
D.G. Torrens subsequent works span diverse genres, from military romance to romantic suspense, domestic thrillers, contemporary romance novels, and poetry collections.
Her impact extended to the airwaves, where she served as a weekly Headline Reviewer on BBC Radio WM 95.6 FM during 2014/15. Discussing daily headlines with thousands of listeners, she navigated the challenge with grace and wit.

A quote from the author:
“It can be quite daunting discussing the day’s headlines knowing thousands of people are tuning in... You never know when you are going to mess up! Thankfully, with lady luck on my side, I managed to wing it! “

A quote by D.G. Torrens:
"Dream it, believe it, and think it into existence."

D.G. Torrens lives by the motto, "The child first and foremost."

Quote by D.G. Torrens: "Not everyone will understand your journey what matters is that you do."


All Titles by D.G. Torrens:

ONE FOR SORROW (Domestic Thriller)
TWO FOR JOY (Domestic Thriller)
Amnesia (Domestic Thriller)
The Poppy Fields (Book #1) Military/Romance
The Poppy Fields (Book #2) Military/Romance
The Poppy Fields (Book #3) Military/Romance
Tears of Endurance (Book #1) Romantic Drama
Whispers from Heaven (Book #2) Romantic
Drama
Broken Wings (Military/Romance)
A Soldier's Fear. (Military/Romance)
FINDING YOU - (Romantic Suspense)
Amelia's Story (Book #1) Autobiography
Amelia's Destiny (Book #2) Autobiography
Amelia The Mother (Book #3) Autobiography
Forbidden (Book #1) Hamilton/Sharma series
Dissolution (Book #2) Hamilton/Sharma series
Unforeseen (Book #3) Hamilton/Sharma series
Love In Times of War (Boxed set collaboration)
Military Boots (War Anthology)
Heart and Mind (Contemporary Poetry)
ABYSS (Thought provoking poetry & prose)
SONDER (Thought provoking poetry & Prose
Midnight Musings (300 quotes)

Short Stories:
Brumology Anthology (Catacoombs behind the green door)
Love Letters to Water Anthology: (The Man behind the Falls)
Love Letters to Water Anthology: ( The Golden Temple)

Author website: dgtorrensauthor.com
Twitter @torrenstp

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave this my best shot, but had to give up at 25%. The dialogue sounds like something from those old black and white films from before the war. All stilted language and calling each other by their names all the time. (there were some pages where the name 'Angelina' appears three times!!) Does anyone actually say things such as:

'I cannot stay, Angelina: I have not got much time left so please come here.'

or this, when Angelina (and I came to hate that name!) had broken down one evening and waves down a strange car so that she can get a lift home - rolls eyes here... DUH!!!!

'Thank you yes please, that would be great. My car died a death about half-a-mile up the road. And as you can see, it's pretty dark out here. My mobile phone is flat so I could not call anyone either.'

I gave up when Joshua "enamoured by this imperfect clumsy beauty" sitting next to him proceeds to ask her about the faded scar on her eyebrow!!! GET REAL Joshua!

And of course Angelina tells him; '..it just catapulted me back to a time I would rather forget. I was in a tragic car accident as a passenger just over three years ago....'

I'm sorry - do people really talk like this?

The story had far too many info-dumps, great wodges of unbroken text that did little to draw me in and the SPaG was clunky and needed a decent proofread. E.g:

'I'm sorry. You know how much I hate our goodbyes.' She reached for an envelope from the mantelpiece an handed it to him, 'Remember, do not open it,' he kissed her once more and then headed out the door.

[Emma Stockwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the premise for this story is a good one, I am sick of seeing exclamation marks all over the place. There are far too many and this suggests that the author has not learned properly when to use them, or she needs to sack her editor. This lack of attention to the author's grammar makes one feel as if one is reading a story written by a novice or GCSE student! (notice use of exclamation mark IS appropriate here.!) Also, strangely, the conversations narrated in the book between Joshua and Angelina are written in such perfect English that it's impossible to believe that this is a real conversation between two people, as no one speaks perfectly like this in real life. For example, instead of '"it is.." the author could have used 'it's" which is far more believable!

I am not being unkind here as I'm sure that many other readers have noticed this..

Thank god there was no sign of what seemed to be D.G Torrens catchphrase, "Going forward.." as this was laughably and consistently present during both Amelia's Story books.

The story lines are fine, the characters a little washy but still fairly believable but come on Miss/Mrs Torrens..a little more attention to your grammar please?

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much. It was such a truly sweet and loving and sad at times story of a girl that had already lost one love in her life. Then when she finally gives in to falling in love again it is a wonderful time for them both. They both was afraid of giving their hearts to anyone for very different reasons but fell hard in love. When Angelina got word that Joshua was MIA and presumed dead she fell to pieces and even her best friend could not bring her out of such a deep depression. I don't want to give anything away but some things do happen for a reason and this story was such an awesome love story even with the sad parts and all the fear. I sure wish it would have been a little bit longer but D.G. Torrens knew what she was doing with the ending. I loved this book very much and would recommend it to anyone that loves to read a good heartbreaking yet at the same time happy love story. Thanks Dawn for the honor of being able to read this book. It was a great story and you did a great job with it. :)

[Valerie Clarizio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broken Wings is a beautiful story of a second chance at love for the heroine, Angelina. Your heart will bleed for her as she goes through the journey of letting go of her past love and finding the strength to let someone in her heart again, then the near-loss she suffers again.

This second true love comes out of nowhere and once Angelina opens her heart to Joshua, she falls head over heels as does he. Things go great until Joshua is deployed to Afghanistan. Angelina fears for his safety, and as it turns out, rightfully so. Joshua is a bomb disposal expert. Things do not go as planned on his mission. I’ll stop here as to avoid any major spoilers. But know that Angelina is at risk of a broken heart again.

This story will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions: happy, sad, hope, healing, and forever love.

[Gloria Antypowich · Rating 5 out of 5]

The haunting reality of Broken Wings stayed with me for days after I’d read it.

Twenty six year old Angelina Ferria has experienced more pain than most people do in a lifetime; a tragic childhood followed by shattered hopes and dreams when her fiancé had been killed in a car accident three years earlier. She’s certain she has no more room for pain, no room for a relationship.

Joshua Allen is a Bomb Disposal Expert in the British army. He has served in Afghanistan and saw his childhood friend and comrade die when their group was attacked by insurgents only two weeks before they were due to return home to England. He has watched his friend’s wife struggle to deal with the devastation of losing her husband. He is haunted by his own loss. He has vowed to not get involved until his tour of duty is over.

But fate intervenes and when Angelina and Joshua meet, it isn’t long before they are head or heels in love.

When he is sent to Afghanistan for another six months, they are both paralysed with fear and anxiety. Angelina clings to his promise that he will return. Joshua realises how much more he has to lose as he leaves this time. He can barely stand to leave, but he must go.

There is so much detail and richness in Torren’s writing that I felt she must have known intimately the terror of waiting each day, the pain of loss, the tragedy of war, and I felt it with Angelina.

The ending was sadly shocking; an example of the life that many real life couples are faced with as a result of the war in Afghanistan.

Broken Wings really touched me in the heart. Don’t miss this great read.

[Elise Stokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Not suitable for readers under 18)

I have read several of D.G. Torrens's powerful and moving war poems on her blog and expected Broken Wings to be no less deep and poignant. It lived up to expectation.

Angelina is a young woman who had tragically lost her fiancé. She had become a recluse, of sorts, until she meets Joshua. Naturally, she is horrified when she discovers this dashing man whom she is drawn to is a bomb disposal expert for the British army. Angelina overrides her fear, however, and allows herself to be swept up into a whirlwind romance, which ends days later with Joshua returning to his post. Three excruciating months elapse before they are together again. Upon his return, Angelina learns that Joshua's next assignment is in Afghanistan. Not long after his deployment, what every man, woman, and child who has a loved one in armed forces fears happens-- there is a knock at Angelina's door.

Through her writing, D.G. Torrens shows her passion and respect for the men and women who risk their lives to serve their country and protect life and liberty. She pours all of that empathy, esteem, and her heart into this beautiful tribute to love, sacrifice, and the enduring human spirit. The end of this heart-wrenching love story brought back the emotions I had experienced when reading the end of The Little Princess, another war story about a strong, persevering female who wouldn't give up, either. If you're looking for more than just another boy-meets-girl romance, Broken Wings fills the bill.

[Aaron Lazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Broken Wings is a sweet story about a young woman struggling to heal after a dreadful loss who meets British bomb disposal expert Joshua, also dealing with terrible trauma from wartime events. Both characters have closed themselves off from relationships and life, and are trying to heal when they happen to meet. That's when the sparks fly!

The telling of their mutual need and affection is quite endearing. I enjoyed the themes of friendship, healing, love, and the strength with with Angelina dealt with her past and present losses.

Also quite intriguing was the story when told from Joshua's POV. His wartime experiences seemed authentic, such that I suspect this author may have a good source for the material.

If you're looking for a romance with a dramatic twist, try this.

A nice story for YA or adult romance fans, a fast read.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an Army wife, I found the subject of this book very close to my heart. Broken Wings tells of a couple who fall in love in the midst of his deployment. After the death of her fiancé, Angelina doesn’t want to fall in love again. Joshua, a soldier in the British Army, is seeking to stay free of the difficulties of a relationship while still in the Army. But once the two meet, there is no denying their feelings, despite the fact that he’s up for another deployment.

A very sweet story of love, especially the letters that are exchanged between the two. One of my biggest pet peeves in reading stories about the current war are the inaccuracies. While I don’t have first hand knowledge of the British Army, she is spot-on in the emotional turmoil deployments cause on both sides of the relationship. An excellent book, and I highly recommend it!

[Katheryn Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Broken Wings is a wonderful, emotional story about a woman, Angelina, who meets a British solider, Joshua, and despite the fact that he’s about to go back on duty overseas, they fall head-over-heels in love. However, when Joshua discovers he’s being sent to Afghanistan as a bomb disposal expert, all Angelina can do is hope that he comes home safe.

This story had all the elements of a great romance: lots of passion, heartache and tension. In addition, the author dealt extremely well with the loss and difficulties that come with war, both those going to war and those left behind. I especially liked the love letters that were written by the hero and heroine while he was away on duty.

If you’re looking for a great romance story, I would highly recommend Broken Wings!

[Lori Henrich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angelina promised herself that she would never fall in love again when her fiance Daniel was killed in an automobile accident. She never expected to change her mind until she met Joshua. Joshua came into her life and swept her off her feet and they fell in love. Only problem is that Joshua is a solider in the British Army and has a few more deployments to handle. Angelina is so afraid he will never come back to her, but throws caution to the wind and allows herself to love him with all her heart.

This is a touching story. I enjoyed the flow although some if felt kind of awkward to me.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. Angelina and Joshua's story was very believable. How often to two people get a second chance at true love. Their story was very poignant. I was a little disappointed at the end the way it abruptly ended. There needed to be more substance to that final chapter and perhaps an epilogue letting the readers know what happen to the couple. Definitely worth the read though.

[Paul Rega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broken Wings is a poignant love story that has been relived over and over again by many couples struggling to maintain a balance between love and sanity, as the result of the war in Afghanistan. This story will touch your heart like no other, as Torrens weaves a passionate tale reminiscent of the great love stories of the past, where a love affair is threatened by the atrocities of war.

[Julie Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read romances but as I'd read other stories by this author I was tempted.

It was well written, with believable characters and a storyline that was both poignant and sweet.

I don't give spoilers but will say that this story is worth a look, especially for those who enjoy romance novels.

[Silvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lovely short book...to short for me. That is one of the reasons I only gave it 3 stars. The other is the abrupt ending!! It simply stopped!! At the very least I was expecting an epilogue.
However this book made a nice quick break between longer reads

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story dragged on and on. I finished it because it's not a bad story, and I did want to know what happened. It was just too slow for me.

[Brucewayne Ccy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book worth reading. It grabs hold of my attention since page one and gets the adrenaline going till the last page. There is regret after reading Broken Wings!

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good book

You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA

[Shelly Sybert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Broken wings

Each day brings its own challenges, but for the two characters of this book those challenges are about opening up, accepting, and moving forward with these challenges.

[Laura of Lurking · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. I was hoping for an in depth recovery and love story. What I got instead was a story of two people who'd sworn off love meeting and falling for each other. Plot-wise there was a lot of back and forth, waiting for letters, and it wasn't until near the end that any traumatic event occurred.

I felt the female protagonist was a bit of a cardboard cut out, which, when she did have emotions, were more suited to a teenager in their first relationship, not a grown woman who'd already had a serious relationship.

I would call the writing mediocre, there were many things that quickly got on my nerves. Many of the words were unnecessary, reducing the emotions present an distracting from the story. Some scenes also have multiple point of view shifts, leaving me confused as to whos thoughts I was "hearing".

It was only the compelling idea of the plot that kept me reading, but I found it unfulfilling, almost as an afterthought. The book ended too soon in my opinion, I wanted to see more of the recovery, or at least an epilogue some time later.

[Angel **Book Junkie** · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely breathtakingly, amazingly, inspirational, brilliantly written. Everyone needs to take a second to read this Free Amazon Read (well it was when I got it) I normally steer far from "war" books because they break my heart and this one did that and more! I loved the characters and the story :)

[Delta]

free on Amazon today, 01-17-14

[Michelle Holland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would of been a four or five star but the ending ruined it, It felt rushed and I just wished it had an epilogue.

[Alison]

kindle 147 (chic Lit)