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True Destiny #5

Not Broken

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Three hearts are stronger than the sum of their scars.

True Destiny, Book 5

Slade Saeter endured centuries of torture, longing for the day he could claim Magnus Tate and Sylvia Grimm as mates. Now freedom is his, but nightmares still plague this son of Loki, and he fears his lovers will believe him too fragile to bond.

Magnus never thought he could have the woman of his dreams, not when she was broken by his own father, her heart shattered by Thor’s infidelities and their ultimate divorce. But Slade’s determination gives him a glimmer of hope.

Never one to let anything keep her down for long, Sylvia has long since healed from her ex-husband’s betrayals. But accepting her own stepson as a bonded mate? While it’s something she can wrap her body around, her heart is another story.

As three war-weary, damaged hearts slowly find balance among them, they form bonds of surprising strength. But with danger descending upon them with the fury of a Valkyrie, time is the one thing they may not have.

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 16, 2014

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About the author

Dana Marie Bell

56 books1,936 followers
Dana Marie Bell wrote her first short story when she was thirteen years old. She attended the High School for Creative and Performing Arts for creative writing, where freedom of expression was the order of the day. When her parents moved out of the city and placed her in a Catholic high school for her senior year she tried desperately to get away, but the nuns held fast, and she graduated with honors despite herself.

Dana has lived primarily in the Northeast (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, to be precise), with a brief stint on the US Virgin Island of St. Croix. She lives with her soul-mate and husband Dusty, their two maniacal children, an evil ice-cream stealing cat and a bull terrier that thinks it’s a Pekinese.

You can learn more about Dana at:

http://www.danamariebell.com
http://danamariebell.blogspot.com

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5 stars
177 (42%)
4 stars
145 (34%)
3 stars
84 (20%)
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7 (1%)
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4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Marta Cox.
2,928 reviews210 followers
December 16, 2014
This is the latest offering by this author in her True Destiny series and mixes Norse gods with the paranormal. Brought up to date in a contemporary setting we follow the antics of these rather wilful characters. Add in some truly diabolical deeds and we are left with a head spinning fast paced book. This is a ménage but don't be put off as I think that anyone who has suffered as much as Slade Saeter has truly deserves a little happiness and now he has found it in the protective arms of Magnus Tate . The only thing left to do should be to claim Sylvia Grimm but the centuries of torment at the hands of Thor, Magnus's own father makes for a challenge but these two strong males are more than ready for that. As Slade heals his bond with Magnus strengthens but it's time everyone stopped tip toeing around him. Yes he has suffered debilitating injuries that not even his shifter abilities can totally heal but he is most definitely not broken ! The problem is though that Thor still has those loyal to him and danger is about to come right inside Sylvia's door. Wow there's lots going on in this book and quite a lot of characters to get to know. I hadn't read the previous book but managed to understand what was happening quite quickly . Although I have to admit the fact that these Norse gods use both their original names and more modern ones did give me pause at times and mean I had to remember which character was which. I had a vision of the author using a spreadsheet to organise just who her characters are or rather were! I also found myself trying to work out how to pronounce some of the more unusual names and that somewhat slowed the rhythm of my reading down . As. mentioned there are a lot of characters and hosting a party in this world must be a nightmare ! Step mothers, missing fathers,,divorces and sibling rivalry all add up to form a very complicated background and these beings have been fighting amongst themselves for centuries. I think this is most definitely a series best read in order and I regret that I hadn't already discovered this series. I'm not sure if I will get the next book as I prefer the authors shifter series but I'm sure many lovers of Norse mythology will enjoy this crazy mixed up world that Ms Bell has created.
I received a copy of this from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review
Profile Image for Eva Millien.
3,115 reviews43 followers
September 26, 2015
Three War-weary, damaged hearts find balance and form a bond of surprising strength but with war descending on them they may not have a lot of time in this gripping paranormal romance.

Slade was tortured for centuries, Magnus thought he could never have the woman of his dreams and Sylvia’s fighting her attraction to her stepson and the reader can’t help but get caught up in this emotionally gripping romance that captures the heart as Slade’s determination gives them all a glimmer of hope. The chemistry heats up every page and the sex scenes are scorching including m/m/f but the relationship is almost overcome by the all the emotional turbulence that these three have suffered and by the present situation. These strong, captivating characters grab your attention as they strive to reach for their chance at happily after and the fast paced, smooth flowing plot holds all the reader’s attention with suspense, excitement and romance.

The war is escalating and there are so many players with their own agendas that the excitement and action could come from any direction keeping everyone on their toes, with tension building from the possibility of betrayals and new alliances being made. Intriguing events draw the readers in and guarantee that they have to know what happens next and the well written scenes and details ensure that the readers can picture each and every event as it happens.

The fascinating dynamics of this world and the way that the author brings the prophecy into play not only keeps the characters guessing but the reader’s as well which adds mysticism and spice to the story while Dana Marie Bell also manages to keep the timeline flowing smoothly and full of never-ending excitement. Once again this series had me enthralled from the very beginning of the story and I can’t wait to find out what happens next as Ragnarrok looms ever closer.
Profile Image for Beth.
868 reviews76 followers
April 18, 2017
I wonder how the Samhain collapse affected these series. We probably won't get the next until all the rights revert to the author.

Which is a shame as I wanted to see the sparks fly between the Valkyrie & Heimdall. ;p

Again -- warning -- much smut to skim past, but engaging characters & interesting alternate premise.
Profile Image for Debrac2014.
2,424 reviews21 followers
April 25, 2017
Great take on Norse Gods! Wait! Where's the rest of the series! Don't leave me wondering about Val and Syd! And I want to see the babies!
Profile Image for Tina.
2,703 reviews16 followers
March 10, 2018
Slade has hidden his abilities for centuries. But he has taken one chance too many and faces the real possibility of death. Will his father be able to save him in time?
Not Broken by Dana Marie Bell is fifth in her True Destiny series. I really enjoyed Slade. He has more strength and courage than anyone we have met to date. He has survived and while he still bears the scars you can’t help but be impressed by him. I love that Ms. Bell have him two mates to love. She also gave us an opportunity to see Magnus outside of his twin. Magnus, who has loved Sylvia from afar for centuries. I love that together Slade, Sylvia and Magnus heal each other. They have all suffered but together they find their strength.

Ms. Bell has again given us a well written story that is full of love and laughter. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us as these characters continue to fight the good fight.

Five Shooting Stars
Profile Image for Jen.
32 reviews1 follower
December 17, 2014
Dana is probably my favorite author. Her books are so organic - the stories and relationships arise so naturally out of what has come before, and I have yet to catch her in a single continuity error, which is so rare. And I did enjoy Not Broken a lot, but for me it was not 5 star quality - at least not in comparison to many other books Dana has written.

Don't get me wrong - the relationship with Morgan, Sylvia and Slade was wonderful and the intimate scenes were smoking hot...Plus the interaction among all of those who support Kir and Logan was fantastic! (And man, talk about earworms!)

Relationships between characters are probably Dana's greatest strength as a writer, followed closely by her ability to showcase well-rounded personalities with just a few words.

All that being said, this book just seemed to be somewhat unfinished to me. When I hit the final chapter, I was very surprised because it seemed like there was so much unresolved.

I suppose the main reason I felt that way was due to how the big confrontation between the good guys/bad guys was different than expected (not bad - just different). I was expecting another confrontation to happen after that and it just didn't (and it didn't help that Samhain tends to stuff what amounts to about 20% of the book with promos about other books so it seemed like there were a couple more chapters to go - it's my one major quibble with their books).

I think another part of the problem is that Dana is far enough into this series that it is very difficult for the books to be considered truly standalone - a new reader might enjoy this book without having read the other four, but they won't truly understand and really get into this book without having done so. Perhaps that is really why I was unable to give this book a 5 star endorsement - I didn't take the time to re-read the previous books before diving into this one so my immersion wasn't as deep since I didn't remember all of the details.

I'll have to do that in the near future and re-read this story again - it may cause me to change my rating.

Regardless of that, I do think this is a really good book, with lots of the little details that make a good book into a superlative one and I highly recommend it.

Edit: (Jan 2015) I have since gone back and re-read all five books in this series and I must stand by my initial rating - while this is a good book, it is not Dana's best work. For many authors this would be five star quality but I know Dana is capable of even better so I'm going to hold her to her own standards.

2nd Edit (May 2015) - I just finished another re-read of all five books back to back and still agree with my original assessment of this book: while a great book and an engrossing read, it is just not quite up to Dana's usual standards. But then, almost all of Dana's work is at a 4.5 to 5 star level when compared to other authors.
Profile Image for Shiran.
361 reviews43 followers
January 16, 2015
3,5 stars

I love Dana Marie Bell, the woman has a twisted mind that keeps me in a constant state of "cold shower" and "laugh till you cry". Every book she writes is worth reading and I really do love that she can create such diverse and different worlds, full of amazing characters and fun stories... but this series has just gotten a bit too complicated for me.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this story, the characters were awesome and I liked the mystery of it all, the problem is that all the Nors God backstory and names have become so complicated that it's difficult to follow this series. Having said that I really enjoyed meeting the characters in this book. Slade, Magnus and Sylvia are awesome and I really liked their love story. Though for me Sydney stole the show. I can't wait to read her book, she reminds me of characters from Shelly Laurenston's Pride series.

I'll definitely end up reading the rest of the books in this series but I'm hoping DMB finds a way to clarify the stories because it's all just one confused mess right now. Though I'm not sure I'll ever get used to the incestuous element of the series :P
Profile Image for Heather.
2,993 reviews19 followers
December 12, 2022
Slade Saeter endured centuries of torture, longing for the day he could claim Magnus Tate and Sylvia Grimm as mates. Now freedom is his, but nightmares still plague this son of Loki, and he fears his lovers will believe him too fragile to bond.
Magnus never thought he could have the woman of his dreams, not when she was broken by his own father, her heart shattered by Thor’s infidelities and their ultimate divorce. But Slade’s determination gives him a glimmer of hope.
Never one to let anything keep her down for long, Sylvia has long since healed from her ex-husband’s betrayals. But accepting her own stepson as a bonded mate? While it’s something she can wrap her body around, her heart is another story.
As three war-weary, damaged hearts slowly find balance among them, they form bonds of surprising strength. But with danger descending upon them with the fury of a Valkyrie, time is the one thing they may not have.

Heather's Notes
So this story was ok, but I didn't really connect with the characters. There is a lot of other things going on. Also there is only 1 book left in this series and several more characters that seem to have storylines. I am beginning to think this author does not finish her series.
Profile Image for Laura Rose.
522 reviews3 followers
October 2, 2020
Great book

The story continues, but focus upon Frigg instead of Odin shows the depths of this story having two villainous camps. I love the family dynamics as well as the Norse mythology. Nick and Toni next, meow!
Profile Image for Robin.
426 reviews20 followers
June 17, 2015
Rating - 4.5*
One Word Rec.: Buy
Bell, Dana Marie; NOT BROKEN [True Destiny, #5]

Ebook; genre:{paranormal romance}, shelves: |author: Dana Marie Bell |
|Rating: 5* - Favorite, will re-read all the time = FANGIRLING HAS COMMENCED|
|paranormal, shifters: canine, other|
|paranormal, gods/myths: Norse|
|romance, f/m/m|

Personally, I don't enjoy giving "SPOILERS" as a rule, so I believe the general synopsis above or on the book flap if it's a hard copy should give you all the pertinent information you need. I do include the basics under synopsis though. If you'd like to know my overall thoughts & feelings regarding the book or author, please check the "Personal Opinion" section. Also, if this is a book in a series, under "Characters," you'll most likely find a fu-bo list. While reading, authors tend to introduce us to numerous characters and I find I wonder if they will get their own book, so I decided to include this with my review to be helpful. If the character has a fu-bo already out, it will be listed. I will try not to include "SPOILERS" if there are any. And now to my review:

General Synopsis:
This is the fifth book in Dana Marie Bell's [ True Destiny ] series, revolving around the Norse myths and legends, and focuses on the ménage romance between Magnus Tate (aka Magni), son of Thor, Slade Saeter (aka Sleipnir), son of Logan (aka Loki) and Sylvia (aka Sif), ex-wife of Thor.

Characters/Fu-bo:
Val
Toni
Nik
Sydney
Jörmungandr
Kye

Personal Opinion:
Lots of foreshadowing in this book, so we can look forward to at least 3 more books in the series! Things are heating up for Odin's Ragnarök, and I for one cannot wait until he's smashed into tiny pieces. There is a lot in flux in the series, we don't know what's going on with certain people, so you'll be a little troubled.

There was a bit with Vicente, but not as much in the previous books. Maybe not everyone is a fan. Still, I'm hoping my thoughts regarding him prove to be true.

We see more from Fredrica's (aka Frigg) POV, but to be honest, it just made me like her less.

There were two thoughts I had while reading this book, well one is a holdover from the previous books, which bothered me. 1) In Very Much Alive, Kir's last name was Tait, now, it's changed to Tate. Not a huge issue, but there none the less. 2) Where did Jeanne go? She was staying with Jordan, Logan & Kir because they didn't think she'd be safe alone right now, but in moves Sylvia (Sif), Fred/Thor's ex-wife and there isn't even a little interaction? I guess that bothers me a little.

Next up: Nik & Toni. I have suspicions and cannot wait!
Profile Image for Sarah-Jayne Briggs.
Author 1 book46 followers
June 30, 2015
(This review may contain spoilers).

Having read the previous books in this series, I was really excited when I realised this one was coming out. I haven't read it till now... but I pre-ordered it straight away.

It was cool to see Slade interacting with Magnus and Sylvia. I liked that Slade, despite having been put through hell by Odin (who I HATE with a passion) was still able to enjoy being around his mates. I really liked him and was glad to see he had the chance for happiness.

I liked seeing the very first scene in this book, where it's shown how early on Magnus and Logan cared about the people they're now with. I had a lot of sympathy for Sydney in this book, too. I especially liked her as a character and it was good to see that she found something she enjoyed doing and was good at, giving her more confidence. I found myself amused by her tiptoeing around Val... but also very much with an air of, 'Get on with it, girl!'

I was glad to see there was less familiar/cliched phrasing in this book. Fredrica really triggered my suspicions, though. I had felt sorry fot her... much less so now, considering she's trying to break up Kir, Logan and Jordan.

It was nice to see some of the other couples in this book and in particular Fenris and Jeff... who are probably my favourite couple. I have to say, though, the modern names make it really confusing to tell who's who. I think it would be helpful to have a glossary of character names... otherwise I keep finding myself trying to figure out which twin is which.

I did like the hints about the future relationships in this book. I'm especially looking forward to how things will go with Jormungand... and it was pretty awesome to see Hel and Hodr, too. I would have liked to see more of Slade's interactions with his father and brother, though.

I was disappointed that this book ended on a cliffhanger. It didn't feel entirely finished and although I was happy to see that Sylvia had some issues due to being attracted to a man who was technically her stepson, I felt they were over with especially quickly. I am hoping that the next book will be published sooner than this one was.
Profile Image for Leigh.
383 reviews1 follower
January 22, 2015
Full Review: https://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.c...
Slade has endured so much at the hands of Odin and his sick twisted ways. He is now recovering from the last amount of torture he suffered through. But thankfully, he is no longer alone. He was rescued by his family and his mates. First though he has to convince both mates to put aside anything else they may have thought and accept what they could have.

Magnus has always wanted Sylvia, even when she was married to his father Thor. But he never went after her for many reasons. One being that he and his brother were conceived during one of their fathers affairs when married to Sylvia. But now he has Slade, and Slade will not give up until he has his third mate.

To be honest, I would have been just fine with only Magnus and Slade having a relationship. The first part of the book is just them and damn were they hot together and so damn sweet. Slade was an unexpected surprise to Magnus but he is more than happy to have him as a mate. Magnus takes such good care of Slade as he recovers and I just loved them both.

When they finally convince Sylvia to join as their third mate, I was OK with it. But in my opinion, she was not really necessary to the mating. I liked her alright don’t get me wrong. I just feel she did not really add as much to the relationship as Slade and Magnus did. But it may just be that she is not as kick ass in my mind as the other women in the series. I’m not really sure.

Overall, this was another good book in the series. Dana Marie Bell is one of the few authors I still read that does MF books, since I am most definitely MM these days. But she grabbed me a long time ago with this series and another one she does. So I will keep coming back. The hilarious scenes she writes draw me in every time. Plus those love scenes, and the pretty awesome characters, etc.
Profile Image for Jess O. (From Jess to You).
1,437 reviews38 followers
January 3, 2015
"3.5 out of 5 stars! This novel takes over where "Morgan’s Fate" (Book 4 of this series) left off, based around Slade (Sleipnir-Loki's son) healing with the one mate he's found--Magnus (Magni-Thor's son)--while trying to win over his other mate--Sylvia (Sif-Thor's ex-wife)--with Magnus' help. The love triangle happens in the middle of the constant war going on between Kir (with his followers) against his parents.

This is the first novel I've read within this series so I liked how it kept me in the loop of who's who and what they are up to so I didn't feel lost. In addition, I liked how Slade, Magnus, & Sylvia's relationship grew throughout this novel."

Read more of this review and TWO teasers here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2015/01/made-grade-true-destiny-series-book-5.html
Profile Image for T.J. Fox.
Author 1 book14 followers
February 3, 2016
Normally I enjoy Dana Marie Bell’s writing, if for no other reason than it is generally pretty humorous. This one just didn’t do it for me for some reason.

After having read the whole thing and got to the end, I was still trying to figure out what was supposed to have happened because nothing really did. Sure, there are lots of sexy times going on in this as is typical of this series, but the story outside of that just really isn’t there. That and even the sexy times weren’t all that awesome. They were just kind of there.

Even the characters weren’t that great here. Both Slade and Syliva were these weepy, pitiful people, at least when they weren’t constantly giggling. Magnus was decent, but even he didn’t come close to the level of interesting that many other characters from previous books held.

It kind of feels like the author completely gave up on the larger storyline that runs through this series to focus on the steam, but failed to even reach the simmer stage.
Profile Image for Kayla.
136 reviews
June 22, 2015
I'm not gonna lie in this story the relationship boundaries in this story push the limit a little. I mean Sylvia is Magnus's ex-Step-Mom which takes time to digest and move past. However the relationship between the three does seem to work and the way they work out their problems is beautiful. I also love the introduction of the new characters an I can't wait to see how their stories play out as well!

I rate this 5 out of 5 stars.

Looking for more reviews and books? Check out my blog http://whenireadilive.blogspot.com/
Profile Image for Kathleen Kurdziel.
285 reviews4 followers
November 30, 2015
I thought this book was the weakest of the series by far. While I was glad to see that Slade, Magnus and Sylvia got together, the overall story just didn't seem to advance. We got the threesome (totally hot), Toni coming into her power and some foreshadowing about where the story might be going, but no real story. Except for the sex scenes, kinda boring.
Profile Image for whitney glover.
38 reviews
January 20, 2015
Finally

About time Slade got to find happiness. I couldn't have picked two better to love him and to deserve his love than Magnus and Sylvia. I love this series as much as I can't wait for each book I don't want it to end either. Definitely do not miss out on this one.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews