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Cedar Creek #1
Bent Not Broken
Life has taught Ivey Jones early on that with trust come pain and betrayal. Out of survival she has created walls around her to keep anyone from getting too close. Though she lives in her dream house in the Rocky Mountains and loves being the owner of the town's quirky little bookstore Serendipity, her life is narrow and governed by strict rules that she never deviates from…until Cal Bennett enters her life.
For the past nine years Calvin “Cal” Bennett has stayed away from Ivey, thinking she deserved better than to be saddled with a single dad who has never been good at relationships. Until a few chance encounters show him what he’s been missing and he can’t stay away any longer.
Little does he know he’s got a fight on his hands that he might not be equipped to win. Shadows from Ivey's past lurk in the dark, ready to strike and bring her low once and for all. But Cal swears he will do whatever it takes to break through that wall of steel to win Ivey’s heart and keep her safe.
For the past nine years Calvin “Cal” Bennett has stayed away from Ivey, thinking she deserved better than to be saddled with a single dad who has never been good at relationships. Until a few chance encounters show him what he’s been missing and he can’t stay away any longer.
Little does he know he’s got a fight on his hands that he might not be equipped to win. Shadows from Ivey's past lurk in the dark, ready to strike and bring her low once and for all. But Cal swears he will do whatever it takes to break through that wall of steel to win Ivey’s heart and keep her safe.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2015
53 people are currently reading
572 people want to read
About the author
Julia Goda
42 books136 followersJulia Goda is the self-published author of the Cedar Creek Series and The Girl Series. Her novels touch on all kinds of different topics, but the things she tries to focus on no matter what are strong women and romance. When she’s not in her writing cave, spinning the tales that have been hounding her, she enjoys reading, drinking coffee, eating good food, and listening to rock music. Her current home is Vancouver Island, Canada, by way of Germany and the Albertan Rocky Mountains. She lives with her husband and two Labs to enjoy the beauty and wildness that is Pacific Northwest living.
Connect with Julia Goda
www.juliagoda.com
www.facebook.com/juliagodaauthor
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Google: www.google.com/+JuliaGoda
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/Juli...
Twitter: julia_goda
Connect with Julia Goda
www.juliagoda.com
www.facebook.com/juliagodaauthor
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/author/juliagoda
Google: www.google.com/+JuliaGoda
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/Juli...
Twitter: julia_goda
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
June 28, 2015
Book – Bent Not Broken (Cedar Creek #1)
Author – Julia Goda
Publication Date –April 17, 2015
Genre – Romance
Type – Companion Series
Cliffhanger – No
Rating – 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Complimentary copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
My Thoughts - Story
The first thing I have to share is that as soon as conversations started between Ivey and Cal, I felt like I was transported into a Kristen Ashley book. Not the story or writing style, just the “Alpha” male who uses the fewest possible words and the possessive words.
There were a few times I did find the story dragging but otherwise this was a cute book with good characters – especially Cal and his relationship with his son.
Also, the ending was a bit over the top and seemed rushed with the angst that happens to Ivey.
Re-Cap
Ivey finds Cedar Creek after running from an abusive past but keeps her past a secret from everyone around her. She doesn’t get too close to anyone until Cal forces his way into her life.
Cal chases and Ivey keeps shooting him down ---- but Ivey connects with Cal’s son and between the two guys…Ivey finally relents and tries to open her heart again.
Reason for Reading – Blog Tour
Story – 4 out of 5 Stars
Steam – 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Angst – 4 out of 5 Stars
Writing – 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Content Flow – 3 out of 5 Stars
HEA (Spoiler) –
Would Read More from Author? Maybe
Recommend To – Kristen Ashley fans of her possessive males
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
Author – Julia Goda
Publication Date –April 17, 2015
Genre – Romance
Type – Companion Series
Cliffhanger – No
Rating – 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Complimentary copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
My Thoughts - Story
The first thing I have to share is that as soon as conversations started between Ivey and Cal, I felt like I was transported into a Kristen Ashley book. Not the story or writing style, just the “Alpha” male who uses the fewest possible words and the possessive words.
There were a few times I did find the story dragging but otherwise this was a cute book with good characters – especially Cal and his relationship with his son.
Also, the ending was a bit over the top and seemed rushed with the angst that happens to Ivey.
Re-Cap
Ivey finds Cedar Creek after running from an abusive past but keeps her past a secret from everyone around her. She doesn’t get too close to anyone until Cal forces his way into her life.
Cal chases and Ivey keeps shooting him down ---- but Ivey connects with Cal’s son and between the two guys…Ivey finally relents and tries to open her heart again.
Reason for Reading – Blog Tour
Story – 4 out of 5 Stars
Steam – 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Angst – 4 out of 5 Stars
Writing – 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Content Flow – 3 out of 5 Stars
HEA (Spoiler) –
Would Read More from Author? Maybe
Recommend To – Kristen Ashley fans of her possessive males
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
July 28, 2017
3 Stars
Overall Opinion: This definitely had a Kristen Ashley feel. I don't think it quite made it there though. I thought the H was very similar to a KA hero as well as the small towns setting with good supporting characters, but there were some major issues with the pacing that I never get with KA (see below pacing section for specifics). I really had issues with the major drama being at 90% and then we get an epilogue. I hate that! We need some happy times between the drama and the epilogue IMO! Overall with the pacing issues and all the skimming I did, I would rate it "just ok" 3 stars.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Ivey and Cal's story. Ivey moved to the small town and opened a bookstore 9 years prior to the story to get away from a bad memory of being beaten up and almost killed by her ex. Cal has always been aware of Ivey, but never made a move because he didn't want to stick her with a single Dad. One day, Cal decides that enough is enough and starts to strongly pursue her. There are some issues with her past demons that they have to face, some sexy times, some sweet moments, and some drama...but they get their HEA ending.
POV: This alternated between Ivey's POV and 3rd person POV focusing on Cal (kind of odd IMO).
Overall Pace of Story: Not so great -- and my biggest complaint. I did have issues with the overly extensive inner dialogue. I felt like there were some chapters that I even could've gone without and it wouldn't have taken away from the story. I skimmed a good bit (especially between the interactions of the h and H), and I don't feel like I missed anything. The ending was too abrupt for me too.
Instalove: Yes. This was all over a not so long period of time, so I'd say it was instalove. It didn't feel like the type to make me annoyed though.
H rating: 3.5 stars. Cal. I just wanted him to communicate better! He really reminded me of a KA alpha in that he didn't let the h push him away when he had made up his mind that she was his. I also really liked his relationship with his son.
h rating: 3 stars. Ivey. I read quite a bit of reviewers say that they had issues with her. I personally didn't, because I understood her pushing the H away and I felt like she gave in pretty easily after he pursued her. I wouldn't say I loved her either. I did have issues with her being cold when she erected her walls at times.
Sadness level: Low. No tissues needed (even though it had some heavy themes).
Heat level: Moderate. They have some hot chemistry and scenes.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: No. No mentions of condoms, std status, or birth control (that I remember). I don't remember any mention of safe sex practices in past relationships either.
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had an abrupt ending with a jump ahead epilogue. In the epilogue there was some decent closure with a HEA ending.
How I got it: It was a freebie on Amazon
Safety: Safe with exception
Overall Opinion: This definitely had a Kristen Ashley feel. I don't think it quite made it there though. I thought the H was very similar to a KA hero as well as the small towns setting with good supporting characters, but there were some major issues with the pacing that I never get with KA (see below pacing section for specifics). I really had issues with the major drama being at 90% and then we get an epilogue. I hate that! We need some happy times between the drama and the epilogue IMO! Overall with the pacing issues and all the skimming I did, I would rate it "just ok" 3 stars.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Ivey and Cal's story. Ivey moved to the small town and opened a bookstore 9 years prior to the story to get away from a bad memory of being beaten up and almost killed by her ex. Cal has always been aware of Ivey, but never made a move because he didn't want to stick her with a single Dad. One day, Cal decides that enough is enough and starts to strongly pursue her. There are some issues with her past demons that they have to face, some sexy times, some sweet moments, and some drama...but they get their HEA ending.
POV: This alternated between Ivey's POV and 3rd person POV focusing on Cal (kind of odd IMO).
Overall Pace of Story: Not so great -- and my biggest complaint. I did have issues with the overly extensive inner dialogue. I felt like there were some chapters that I even could've gone without and it wouldn't have taken away from the story. I skimmed a good bit (especially between the interactions of the h and H), and I don't feel like I missed anything. The ending was too abrupt for me too.
Instalove: Yes. This was all over a not so long period of time, so I'd say it was instalove. It didn't feel like the type to make me annoyed though.
H rating: 3.5 stars. Cal. I just wanted him to communicate better! He really reminded me of a KA alpha in that he didn't let the h push him away when he had made up his mind that she was his. I also really liked his relationship with his son.
h rating: 3 stars. Ivey. I read quite a bit of reviewers say that they had issues with her. I personally didn't, because I understood her pushing the H away and I felt like she gave in pretty easily after he pursued her. I wouldn't say I loved her either. I did have issues with her being cold when she erected her walls at times.
Sadness level: Low. No tissues needed (even though it had some heavy themes).
Heat level: Moderate. They have some hot chemistry and scenes.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: No. No mentions of condoms, std status, or birth control (that I remember). I don't remember any mention of safe sex practices in past relationships either.
OW/OM drama: Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had an abrupt ending with a jump ahead epilogue. In the epilogue there was some decent closure with a HEA ending.
How I got it: It was a freebie on Amazon
Safety: Safe with exception
June 6, 2015
3 1/2 stars, After growing up in an abusive home and then moving away only to end up with a man who takes away everything from her Ivey learned to never trust and to protect herself above all else. Now nine years later Ivey has lived a guarded life, she has great friends and has her dream job but Ivey has held herself back in everything else. When a friend very publicly opens up to Ivey about how she feels about Ivey something clicks and makes Ivey question her decisions. Cal noticed Ivey right away when she moved to town but knew she was guarded and held himself back but when he see's Ivey's reaction to her friends public announcement and also how Ivey has treated Cal's son Cal knows he can no longer hold back and he has to claim Ivey.
Ivey always noticed Cal, all the woman did but now he seems to be everywhere she is and making her his business. When Cal makes his intentions and feeling known Ivey is scared but her friends words have woken her up a little to life so Ivey takes a huge step and agree's to Cal's plans. Ivey always noticed Cal but getting to know him she soon realizes he is better than she could have imagined and soon she finds him breaking down her barriers. But the pain from her path is a deep pain and Ivey will have to either open up completely to Cal or retreat back into herself, and when she makes her decision Ivey learnes what true heartache is. When Cal sets out to make it right they may have their happy ending till someone steps in to get their own revenge.
I liked this book Cal was a great possessive hero he was a great guy and a great father who was willing to help heal Ivy, Ivey only knew hurt but finds the strength to not only move past that hurt but let it go and finally live. This book has some errors but was written really well and is a book you quickly and easily get sucked into. I really enjoyed Julia Goda's writing style, some have said she reminds them of Kristen Ashley and I do see that but I did see differences as well. Ms. Goda did a great job creating this little community in the mountains that helped suck me in even more. Overall this was a nice book it dragged a little at times but I really enjoyed not only the characters but their story.
Ivey always noticed Cal, all the woman did but now he seems to be everywhere she is and making her his business. When Cal makes his intentions and feeling known Ivey is scared but her friends words have woken her up a little to life so Ivey takes a huge step and agree's to Cal's plans. Ivey always noticed Cal but getting to know him she soon realizes he is better than she could have imagined and soon she finds him breaking down her barriers. But the pain from her path is a deep pain and Ivey will have to either open up completely to Cal or retreat back into herself, and when she makes her decision Ivey learnes what true heartache is. When Cal sets out to make it right they may have their happy ending till someone steps in to get their own revenge.
I liked this book Cal was a great possessive hero he was a great guy and a great father who was willing to help heal Ivy, Ivey only knew hurt but finds the strength to not only move past that hurt but let it go and finally live. This book has some errors but was written really well and is a book you quickly and easily get sucked into. I really enjoyed Julia Goda's writing style, some have said she reminds them of Kristen Ashley and I do see that but I did see differences as well. Ms. Goda did a great job creating this little community in the mountains that helped suck me in even more. Overall this was a nice book it dragged a little at times but I really enjoyed not only the characters but their story.
May 4, 2015
This was hard to rate. On the whole, I liked it. But there were a few little things that got more annoying as the book went on.
The language was very dramatic and over the top in places, especially when talking about how scared the h was in the last part of the book. I get she was terrified, but sometimes less is more and sketching a picture and allowing the reader to fill in the blanks is better than pages of over the top descriptions for scared. The inner monologue of the h throughout the book was also a little too much - there was pages and pages describing her walls and why they were up - I think I got it after the second or third time. But then, to contradict that, she gave in to a relationship with the H with little resistance at all. It was a definite contradiction between what she was internally saying and then suddenly deciding to take a chance. And just to top off my issues with the h, I really, really didn't like how she treated Grant. I understand she was up front with him, but to blame him for his feelings was cruel and heartless. Her feelings didn't change; fair enough. You end it civilly and move on. But she didn't (end it civilly, that is), and then had the audacity to be surprised he was hurt when he found her in a relationship barely a week later. A little compassion wouldn't have gone astray.
One issue that kept pulling me out of the story - .
Others have mentioned this, and I will second it - this is almost (but not quite) like it is written by Kristen Ashley. Very, very similar writing style; from the descriptions of clothing and rooms, to the personality of the alpha H. The author also starts a chapter off in the present, to then go back and describe events that happened since the last chapter ended, something KA does a fair bit. She doesn't do the epilogue anywhere near as well as KA, though. It really just was a recap that started 2 years after the end of the book, but went back to describe in detail what happened immediately after the events that ended the story.
Having said all that - an enjoyable read, and definitely a good alternative if you are jonesing for some KA but don't want to re-read.
The language was very dramatic and over the top in places, especially when talking about how scared the h was in the last part of the book. I get she was terrified, but sometimes less is more and sketching a picture and allowing the reader to fill in the blanks is better than pages of over the top descriptions for scared. The inner monologue of the h throughout the book was also a little too much - there was pages and pages describing her walls and why they were up - I think I got it after the second or third time. But then, to contradict that, she gave in to a relationship with the H with little resistance at all. It was a definite contradiction between what she was internally saying and then suddenly deciding to take a chance. And just to top off my issues with the h, I really, really didn't like how she treated Grant. I understand she was up front with him, but to blame him for his feelings was cruel and heartless. Her feelings didn't change; fair enough. You end it civilly and move on. But she didn't (end it civilly, that is), and then had the audacity to be surprised he was hurt when he found her in a relationship barely a week later. A little compassion wouldn't have gone astray.
One issue that kept pulling me out of the story - .
Others have mentioned this, and I will second it - this is almost (but not quite) like it is written by Kristen Ashley. Very, very similar writing style; from the descriptions of clothing and rooms, to the personality of the alpha H. The author also starts a chapter off in the present, to then go back and describe events that happened since the last chapter ended, something KA does a fair bit. She doesn't do the epilogue anywhere near as well as KA, though. It really just was a recap that started 2 years after the end of the book, but went back to describe in detail what happened immediately after the events that ended the story.
Having said all that - an enjoyable read, and definitely a good alternative if you are jonesing for some KA but don't want to re-read.
March 28, 2020
This book was recommended to me By a fellow Book Junkie. I was looking for a book With a Kristen Ashley feel and boy dis this come close. I loved every minute of this book. The story just pulls you in and makes you want to Devour it.
It had the awesome Alpha male and strong Heroine with a past that could bring to your knees. I was so proud of how strong she was. also you get to meet the cutest (alpha male in the making) 11 year old.
If you are looking for a book that can make you swoon, tear up both with happy and sad tears and show you the strength of friends this is a book for you.
It was beautifully written.... Can't wait for more from this author
It had the awesome Alpha male and strong Heroine with a past that could bring to your knees. I was so proud of how strong she was. also you get to meet the cutest (alpha male in the making) 11 year old.
If you are looking for a book that can make you swoon, tear up both with happy and sad tears and show you the strength of friends this is a book for you.
It was beautifully written.... Can't wait for more from this author
April 19, 2015
Overall Rating: 4.25 Rockin’ ★★★★
Overwhelming pain, agony and betrayal are the focus for the main characters in this beautifully written and well developed novel by Julia Goda. In Ms. Goda’s debut novel, we are introduced to Ivey and Cal, two souls that find a way to heal each other. They are bent but not broken and will work together to find their HEA.
Ivey Jones spent her early childhood watching her father beat her mother and then rape her repeatedly. When her mother checked out mentally, he turned his fist and punishment to her! Ivey finally escaped after high school and moved away to go to college. Free at last to be herself she lets her guard down and once more evil almost destroys her. Escaping once again from a brutal, abusive man she puts her past behind and strikes out for a new beginning.
Ivey drives half way across the country until she comes to a small rocky mountain community. The peace that she finds causes her to stay and put down roots. She has always wanted to own a bookstore and it seemed like fate when she saw the lease sign on the door. Ivy buys a home and opens a business, a bookstore called Serendipity. For nine years she has lived with walls built around her heart and soul, keeping the past in the past and not letting anyone inside. Everything changes when Cal stakes his claim!
Cal is a single father with a son that loves to visit Ivey’s bookstore. Since the first day he had laid eyes on her, he knew that he wanted more. But he had his own problems to deal with and felt like it would be a burden for Ivey to take on a ready-made family. She was beautiful, too good and didn’t need a man like him with all of his baggage. A man can only deny what he needs for so long and then he will do whatever it takes to claim his woman. It was time to claim Ivey.
Sometimes the past refuses to stay in the past and you can never really get away from it. Ivey’s past has come to collect and will destroy anything in its path to get what it wants!
Hero: 4.25 stars
Heroine: 4.25 stars
Steam: 4.25 stars
Plot: 4.25 stars
Cliffhanger: No
Would I recommend this book: Yes! This book is a romance filled with kinks and suspense that will keep the reader asking what will happen next. It has a hot hunky alpha male and a beautiful feisty heroine that will make you laugh and cry at the same time as they work together to find their HEA.
Would I recommend this author: Yes! Ms. Goda writes with heart, humor and a sense of what makes the world go round. Her characters are created with this same sense of love and laughter.
***Received an ARC of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review***
Bent Not Broken Julia Goda
Overwhelming pain, agony and betrayal are the focus for the main characters in this beautifully written and well developed novel by Julia Goda. In Ms. Goda’s debut novel, we are introduced to Ivey and Cal, two souls that find a way to heal each other. They are bent but not broken and will work together to find their HEA.
Ivey Jones spent her early childhood watching her father beat her mother and then rape her repeatedly. When her mother checked out mentally, he turned his fist and punishment to her! Ivey finally escaped after high school and moved away to go to college. Free at last to be herself she lets her guard down and once more evil almost destroys her. Escaping once again from a brutal, abusive man she puts her past behind and strikes out for a new beginning.
Ivey drives half way across the country until she comes to a small rocky mountain community. The peace that she finds causes her to stay and put down roots. She has always wanted to own a bookstore and it seemed like fate when she saw the lease sign on the door. Ivy buys a home and opens a business, a bookstore called Serendipity. For nine years she has lived with walls built around her heart and soul, keeping the past in the past and not letting anyone inside. Everything changes when Cal stakes his claim!
Cal is a single father with a son that loves to visit Ivey’s bookstore. Since the first day he had laid eyes on her, he knew that he wanted more. But he had his own problems to deal with and felt like it would be a burden for Ivey to take on a ready-made family. She was beautiful, too good and didn’t need a man like him with all of his baggage. A man can only deny what he needs for so long and then he will do whatever it takes to claim his woman. It was time to claim Ivey.
Sometimes the past refuses to stay in the past and you can never really get away from it. Ivey’s past has come to collect and will destroy anything in its path to get what it wants!
Hero: 4.25 stars
Heroine: 4.25 stars
Steam: 4.25 stars
Plot: 4.25 stars
Cliffhanger: No
Would I recommend this book: Yes! This book is a romance filled with kinks and suspense that will keep the reader asking what will happen next. It has a hot hunky alpha male and a beautiful feisty heroine that will make you laugh and cry at the same time as they work together to find their HEA.
Would I recommend this author: Yes! Ms. Goda writes with heart, humor and a sense of what makes the world go round. Her characters are created with this same sense of love and laughter.
***Received an ARC of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review***
Bent Not Broken Julia Goda
December 10, 2015
Reviews compared this to KA, my FAVORITE author hands down. And I have been in the mood for a strong alpha male so I thought I would give this a try.
I can see some (small) similarities to KA's characters and strong alpha type, but it just did not work for me.
There was too much inner dialogue. I did not feel connected enough to the heroine to really care about her situation. How she described her fears...there is no way she would have allowed Cal to be in her life.
The heroine likes to sleep around with different men for nine years this was repeated so much I started to roll my eyes. I got it the first 10 times she explained it!! The heroine said she lived a traumatic and then found herself in an abusive relationship. All this I felt was told to me. I did not feel it. I could not connect. When the heroine told her BFF about the past abusive relationship it felt scripted. Like she was telling her friend something she wrote down and was repeating. All the tequila and the beer she talked about consuming...I thought she was an alcoholic.
Then there were things the heroine said in front of the hero's 10 year old son that I thought was inappropriate. Ivey was telling Cal (the hero) what her plans were for the night in front of Cal's 10 year old son. "Macy and I are planning to get smashed tonight. Well, Macy is pregnant, so she can't, which means I'll have to drink her drinks for her in addition to mine, so she doesn't feel left out, which means I will be incredibly hung over tomorrow morning and won't want any food. I'll be in a crappy mood, 'cause I get crabby when I'm hung over and hungry so I won't be good company." And the 10 year old boy, Tommy replies by saying "Wow, you've got a lot going on." (loc 15%) What kind of person would talk like that in front of a little boy who is very impressionable??? What kind of man would want a woman who spoke like that in front of her son?!?!?
I wanted this to be good, but it was not for me.
I am not telling you not to read it. You may love it.
I can see some (small) similarities to KA's characters and strong alpha type, but it just did not work for me.
There was too much inner dialogue. I did not feel connected enough to the heroine to really care about her situation. How she described her fears...there is no way she would have allowed Cal to be in her life.
The heroine likes to sleep around with different men for nine years this was repeated so much I started to roll my eyes. I got it the first 10 times she explained it!! The heroine said she lived a traumatic and then found herself in an abusive relationship. All this I felt was told to me. I did not feel it. I could not connect. When the heroine told her BFF about the past abusive relationship it felt scripted. Like she was telling her friend something she wrote down and was repeating. All the tequila and the beer she talked about consuming...I thought she was an alcoholic.
Then there were things the heroine said in front of the hero's 10 year old son that I thought was inappropriate. Ivey was telling Cal (the hero) what her plans were for the night in front of Cal's 10 year old son. "Macy and I are planning to get smashed tonight. Well, Macy is pregnant, so she can't, which means I'll have to drink her drinks for her in addition to mine, so she doesn't feel left out, which means I will be incredibly hung over tomorrow morning and won't want any food. I'll be in a crappy mood, 'cause I get crabby when I'm hung over and hungry so I won't be good company." And the 10 year old boy, Tommy replies by saying "Wow, you've got a lot going on." (loc 15%) What kind of person would talk like that in front of a little boy who is very impressionable??? What kind of man would want a woman who spoke like that in front of her son?!?!?
I wanted this to be good, but it was not for me.
I am not telling you not to read it. You may love it.
May 3, 2015
3.5 stars
May 12, 2015
Although the similarities with KA is very apparent, I very much liked this book. What else is a girl to do when waiting for KA to release one!
March 30, 2016
A sweet small town setting with an over the top alpha H (which I adored) and a strong h. Overall, a really good book.
April 16, 2017
I'm settling for 3.5 stars
Ivey had the most horrific childhood at the hands of her revolting parents, and went on to endure this again at the hands of her boyfriend. If abuse is a trigger - you've been warned, the author doesn't pull any punches. Ivey gets away and starts a new, bland life - no relationships, very few friends, she trusts no-one, basically just existing in a bubble to shield and protect herself from anyone hurting her again. Till Cal. He barrels into her life both guns blazing, full of bossy alpha male attitude and knocks Ivey on her backside with his "all in - you're mine" attitude. Cal is hot, oh yes he is but is also an amazing dad. I loved Tommy - he's the sweetest mini alpha in the making.
Which leaves me in a bit of a quandry with rating this one. I really liked it, I did. BUT at times I thought I was reading a KA book, the writing was that similar. For example:
Hot possessive, growly alpha male - check (yes, I get there are a lot of posseessive alpha males out there but bear with me, yeah?)
Heroine that needs protecting - check (Ditto above)
Hero all in from the get to - check
Heroine pushing hero away - check
Heroine 1st person, Hero 3rd person - check
Lots and lots of KA similarities - check.
By this I mean .... h's name - Ivey (Playing it Safe), Mace (Rock Chicks), Cal (At Peace), Pearl Jam (Rock Chicks), book store (Rock Chicks), A Frame (The Gamble), Cal's a builder (The Gamble), Chocolate lab (Rock Chicks), etc, etc, etc. Ms Goda - you have a gem of a story here and for me this was spoiled by the KA similarities. You don't need them, this book would stand on it's own and do well without them.
For a debut this was bloody brilliant and would have been a 4.5 star read but for the problems I had with the similarities. I'm looking forward to more from the author and plan on reading the next in the series.
Ivey had the most horrific childhood at the hands of her revolting parents, and went on to endure this again at the hands of her boyfriend. If abuse is a trigger - you've been warned, the author doesn't pull any punches. Ivey gets away and starts a new, bland life - no relationships, very few friends, she trusts no-one, basically just existing in a bubble to shield and protect herself from anyone hurting her again. Till Cal. He barrels into her life both guns blazing, full of bossy alpha male attitude and knocks Ivey on her backside with his "all in - you're mine" attitude. Cal is hot, oh yes he is but is also an amazing dad. I loved Tommy - he's the sweetest mini alpha in the making.
Which leaves me in a bit of a quandry with rating this one. I really liked it, I did. BUT at times I thought I was reading a KA book, the writing was that similar. For example:
Hot possessive, growly alpha male - check (yes, I get there are a lot of posseessive alpha males out there but bear with me, yeah?)
Heroine that needs protecting - check (Ditto above)
Hero all in from the get to - check
Heroine pushing hero away - check
Heroine 1st person, Hero 3rd person - check
Lots and lots of KA similarities - check.
By this I mean .... h's name - Ivey (Playing it Safe), Mace (Rock Chicks), Cal (At Peace), Pearl Jam (Rock Chicks), book store (Rock Chicks), A Frame (The Gamble), Cal's a builder (The Gamble), Chocolate lab (Rock Chicks), etc, etc, etc. Ms Goda - you have a gem of a story here and for me this was spoiled by the KA similarities. You don't need them, this book would stand on it's own and do well without them.
For a debut this was bloody brilliant and would have been a 4.5 star read but for the problems I had with the similarities. I'm looking forward to more from the author and plan on reading the next in the series.
May 3, 2015
A beautiful book of healing
A true alpha a strong damaged h and a mini alpha male boychild and you have the skeleton of this book. The meat of the story really makes a reader on the search for an amazing HEA very satisfied.
The h had a terrible childhood.and young.adult life. Her grandmother was the only shining light in her life. She escaped and found her paradise in a small town in the Rockies. Her best friend opened her home and life to the h and the start of a journey toward healing. It took nine long years before she opened up her heart and H finally realized and went after what he wanted. He didn't back down, he didn't give up and he was richly rewarded. Loved all the secondary characters. Loved the hometown feel of this book. Will keep an eye at for more releases from this author.
A true alpha a strong damaged h and a mini alpha male boychild and you have the skeleton of this book. The meat of the story really makes a reader on the search for an amazing HEA very satisfied.
The h had a terrible childhood.and young.adult life. Her grandmother was the only shining light in her life. She escaped and found her paradise in a small town in the Rockies. Her best friend opened her home and life to the h and the start of a journey toward healing. It took nine long years before she opened up her heart and H finally realized and went after what he wanted. He didn't back down, he didn't give up and he was richly rewarded. Loved all the secondary characters. Loved the hometown feel of this book. Will keep an eye at for more releases from this author.
June 8, 2015
wow i am in love with this book!!!
I received this for an honest review... I have to say that it surprises me to find that this a debut author. I was instantly pulled into this story. I was so invested in this story that I could not put it down and this was read in one setting!! This author told a great story that pulls on your strings ALL OF THEM!!! I fell in love with Ivey and Cal's story. Cal is a single father and definitely a HOT ALPHA (my fave). Ivey moved to Cedar Creek 9 years ago and for her she is happy with her bootie calls in another town and her bookstore and house. Cal has been watching and waiting for Ivey for 9 years and has decided that he is not gonna wait anymore!! SWOON BIG TIME
This book is hot and sexy and just freaking PERFECT!!!! This book reminded me of Kristin Ashley and you love her stuff you will LOVE This book just like I did
I received this for an honest review... I have to say that it surprises me to find that this a debut author. I was instantly pulled into this story. I was so invested in this story that I could not put it down and this was read in one setting!! This author told a great story that pulls on your strings ALL OF THEM!!! I fell in love with Ivey and Cal's story. Cal is a single father and definitely a HOT ALPHA (my fave). Ivey moved to Cedar Creek 9 years ago and for her she is happy with her bootie calls in another town and her bookstore and house. Cal has been watching and waiting for Ivey for 9 years and has decided that he is not gonna wait anymore!! SWOON BIG TIME
This book is hot and sexy and just freaking PERFECT!!!! This book reminded me of Kristin Ashley and you love her stuff you will LOVE This book just like I did
July 17, 2015
5 star
I was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, secrets, suspense, betrayal, and heartbreak.
This is Ivey and Cal’s story. Ivey has solid steel wall around her feelings ever since her past almost completely broke her. She does not allow any man in. When Cal and his son decide she is going to be part of their family she thinks they are crazy. The more time she spends with the both of them the more her walls start to crumble. But there are people who will do anything to keep them apart. When secrets are revealed and feelings are hurt will that be the end? Or will the past come back for Ivey and take care of her before she can get a chance to have a great family?
I loved these characters and also the side characters. I felt I was able to connect with the characters and the story was a great read.
I highly recommend this book.
I was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, secrets, suspense, betrayal, and heartbreak.
This is Ivey and Cal’s story. Ivey has solid steel wall around her feelings ever since her past almost completely broke her. She does not allow any man in. When Cal and his son decide she is going to be part of their family she thinks they are crazy. The more time she spends with the both of them the more her walls start to crumble. But there are people who will do anything to keep them apart. When secrets are revealed and feelings are hurt will that be the end? Or will the past come back for Ivey and take care of her before she can get a chance to have a great family?
I loved these characters and also the side characters. I felt I was able to connect with the characters and the story was a great read.
I highly recommend this book.
August 8, 2015
Bent Not Broken is a 10++ fabulous story! If you're a fan of Kristen Ashley, I think you'll enjoy the style & story.
Ivey has been through the wringer, and she has major trust issues. But almost instantly, she recognizes Cal as someone she can trust. Subconsciously, because it takes a while for her to figure out that, hey, yeah, his actions SHOULD be pushing all my trigger buttons but they're not. Hmmm. *grin* The style & pacing of their story reminded me of KA, and it was a very good thing!
This story has it all, ALPHA alpha dude, sassy heroine, laughter, tears, heartache, healing - all done very well! Definite recommendation & I'll be checking out any other works by this author. : )
Ivey has been through the wringer, and she has major trust issues. But almost instantly, she recognizes Cal as someone she can trust. Subconsciously, because it takes a while for her to figure out that, hey, yeah, his actions SHOULD be pushing all my trigger buttons but they're not. Hmmm. *grin* The style & pacing of their story reminded me of KA, and it was a very good thing!
This story has it all, ALPHA alpha dude, sassy heroine, laughter, tears, heartache, healing - all done very well! Definite recommendation & I'll be checking out any other works by this author. : )
Read
May 1, 2015This would've been a sweet read except for the fact that it read exactly like a Kristen Ashley book. I mean exactly! The one words, the "baby's", maybe even the sex scenes, the KA-isms. I legit thought that I had got the authors confused for a moment. Maybe I'm seeing things or maybe the author's just a fan. I'm not sure so don't take my word on it until you read it. I also never read this author before so I was a bit turned off but I'll give the author another shot.
There is a HEA and its contemporary.
There is a HEA and its contemporary.
August 16, 2015
I could've rated this book 5 stars but I didn't because of Ivey I get that her past is really heartbreaking and she couldn't trust any man because of it but cal was amazing she was always snapping at him that alone was annoying me but overall I really liked this book but only because of Cal!! Can't wait to read the next book
August 9, 2015
Amazing!
This book. . . This story. . . Amazing. Hunky alpha male with a sweet heart devoted to his girl. It was everything I adore in a romance and watching Ivey and Cal's love unfold brought tears to my eyes several times. I can't wait to read more from her!
This book. . . This story. . . Amazing. Hunky alpha male with a sweet heart devoted to his girl. It was everything I adore in a romance and watching Ivey and Cal's love unfold brought tears to my eyes several times. I can't wait to read more from her!
December 3, 2015
I have never read this author before and it was a solid 4 1/2 ⭐️ book. I wouldn't have guessed it to be a debut novel.
just-not-for-me-stay-away-hell-no
March 30, 2016self note: just not for me.
Read
April 4, 2022DNF 35%
I just can't. I tried, thinking it would eventually get better. But, in my opinion, it doesn't.
The inner dialogue of our h is repetitive. She keeps going on and on about how bad her life has been and how she has to keep herself closed off from people, keeping her relationships with men as superficial as she can. Only doing a physical relationship, rather than actually letting them in.
Then we get to the scene where she finally, after 9 years, decides to open up to her best friend about her past and I know it makes me sound callous, but I just wanted to roll my eyes. By this point, I've already started skimming to just reading what was in quotation marks with little bits and pieces to get some context, because the h really drones on and on about how untrusting she is and blah blah blah.
Anyways. I was gonna stick it out and hope it got better as stuff actually started happening. Thinking maybe, at some point, the inner dialogue would stop being so damn repetitive. But then she says,
"I would come down the mountain just to pick up one of their fantastic desserts, like the hot fudge sundae or German chocolate cake. Becca's great grandparents were from Germany, and as everyone knew, Germans were famous for their cakes."
Um, first of all German chocolate cake is named after an American man named German, not the country Germany. Also, who is this everyone that knows that Germans are known for their cakes?
I know, I'm being ridiculous, but really. As someone who loves cake in general, and especially loves German chocolate cake, I googled that shit a while ago. So, reading this and something so simple being so wrong, I just got annoyed. I read a few pages after that, but being the weirdo that I am, I couldn't let it go. So, DNF.
I just can't. I tried, thinking it would eventually get better. But, in my opinion, it doesn't.
The inner dialogue of our h is repetitive. She keeps going on and on about how bad her life has been and how she has to keep herself closed off from people, keeping her relationships with men as superficial as she can. Only doing a physical relationship, rather than actually letting them in.
Then we get to the scene where she finally, after 9 years, decides to open up to her best friend about her past and I know it makes me sound callous, but I just wanted to roll my eyes. By this point, I've already started skimming to just reading what was in quotation marks with little bits and pieces to get some context, because the h really drones on and on about how untrusting she is and blah blah blah.
Anyways. I was gonna stick it out and hope it got better as stuff actually started happening. Thinking maybe, at some point, the inner dialogue would stop being so damn repetitive. But then she says,
"I would come down the mountain just to pick up one of their fantastic desserts, like the hot fudge sundae or German chocolate cake. Becca's great grandparents were from Germany, and as everyone knew, Germans were famous for their cakes."
Um, first of all German chocolate cake is named after an American man named German, not the country Germany. Also, who is this everyone that knows that Germans are known for their cakes?
I know, I'm being ridiculous, but really. As someone who loves cake in general, and especially loves German chocolate cake, I googled that shit a while ago. So, reading this and something so simple being so wrong, I just got annoyed. I read a few pages after that, but being the weirdo that I am, I couldn't let it go. So, DNF.
October 17, 2020
A generous 3 stars. It has the bones of a nice story, but it just didn't really work for me. Ivey was little too wrapped up in her own trauma, Cal was a good alpha with a few fuckups, but for like 85% of the book the drama was all internal conflict because Ivey is again, too wrapped up in her own trauma.
Also, not digging the fact that every other chapter was some sort of stream of consciousness poem about, you guessed it: Ivey's trauma.
Also, not digging the fact that every other chapter was some sort of stream of consciousness poem about, you guessed it: Ivey's trauma.
May 24, 2015
I’m a huge Kristen Ashley fan so when I heard there was a new book out with a KA feel to it I just had to check it out. It was a story line I usually love. A wounded heroine finding her way past tragedy, plus an amazing single Dad H that is awesome book boyfriend material. As with a lot of these stories, the way Ivey, our h gets hurt is hard to read so if you have triggers, you need to beware.
I loved Cal. He was hot, possessive but in a good way, definitely an alpha but with a sweet and tender side that was swoon worthy. He was a wonderful Dad to his cute as a button mini alpha in training son, Tommy. He wasn’t perfect which meant he did a couple of dumbass things (no cheating, just not thinking things through), but when he screwed up he admitted to it and he apologized. Everything he did was for his woman and what he thought would be best for her. This is like my dream alpha book boyfriend.
I liked Ivey, I just didn’t love her. She had a horrific upbringing, then went through one of the worst experiences a woman can go through – not a rape, but just as bad if not worse. She survived, moved away and opened her own business. Nine years later, she’s still so screwed up in her head she hasn’t really gotten past everything and she wasn’t even trying. Obviously she finally woke up, but I had a hard time connecting with her.
So what didn’t I love? I heard this book had a Kristen Ashley flavor to it, but it went a little beyond that. Some of the characters and situations seemed really familiar to me. A majority of the names in the book can be found in a KA book, even Cal’s cabin reminded me of The Gamble. Cal’s entire character including speech patterns could be a lot of KA heroes. I liked the story line a lot, but I don’t want to spend a book thinking of which character or element is from another authors work. It was too close for comfort.
I’m torn. This was a great story that without all the KA references, I would have awarded 4 stars. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to get past the feeling I’ve read it all before. I’m not saying she plagiarized from KA, but I think she went too far in her attempts to give it a KA flavor. That being said, I loved Cedar Creek and the characters and I’m probably going to read the next one in the series. I just hope it’s got less KA references and more Julia Goda.
Laurie’s Rating: 3 uncomfortably familiar Stars
I loved Cal. He was hot, possessive but in a good way, definitely an alpha but with a sweet and tender side that was swoon worthy. He was a wonderful Dad to his cute as a button mini alpha in training son, Tommy. He wasn’t perfect which meant he did a couple of dumbass things (no cheating, just not thinking things through), but when he screwed up he admitted to it and he apologized. Everything he did was for his woman and what he thought would be best for her. This is like my dream alpha book boyfriend.
I liked Ivey, I just didn’t love her. She had a horrific upbringing, then went through one of the worst experiences a woman can go through – not a rape, but just as bad if not worse. She survived, moved away and opened her own business. Nine years later, she’s still so screwed up in her head she hasn’t really gotten past everything and she wasn’t even trying. Obviously she finally woke up, but I had a hard time connecting with her.
So what didn’t I love? I heard this book had a Kristen Ashley flavor to it, but it went a little beyond that. Some of the characters and situations seemed really familiar to me. A majority of the names in the book can be found in a KA book, even Cal’s cabin reminded me of The Gamble. Cal’s entire character including speech patterns could be a lot of KA heroes. I liked the story line a lot, but I don’t want to spend a book thinking of which character or element is from another authors work. It was too close for comfort.
I’m torn. This was a great story that without all the KA references, I would have awarded 4 stars. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to get past the feeling I’ve read it all before. I’m not saying she plagiarized from KA, but I think she went too far in her attempts to give it a KA flavor. That being said, I loved Cedar Creek and the characters and I’m probably going to read the next one in the series. I just hope it’s got less KA references and more Julia Goda.
Laurie’s Rating: 3 uncomfortably familiar Stars
July 3, 2015
Bent Not Broken
By Julia Goda
3.5 Stars
Ivey Jones is unlike anyone else in the small town of Cedar Creek.
While most of town has spent generations there, Ivey found their small piece of calm in an effort to run from her abusive past. After running to protect herself, Ivey opens a small bookstore and builds emotional walls so high, no one has been able to break through.
Until Cal Bennett got tired of waiting for her to see him.
“Promise you what? I asked, though I didn’t really want to know. “Promise me to be open and let what happens happen.”
Turns out, Cal can be a persistent man and doesn’t mind pushing Ivey’s buttons to get her to see she’s been hiding from not only her past, but truly enjoying the life she’s escaped to. Like most of our favorite Alpha Males, he won’t take “NO” as an answer and all but forces Ivey into spending time with him and his young son, Tommy.
“Like a freakin’ clairvoyant-pain-in-my-ass”
I liked the premise of this story…I mean who wouldn’t want to own a bookstore??? But I felt like I was skimming through some of the chapters. While the actual story was fantastic, some of the dialogue was hard to wrap my head around. I don’t know any other way than to describe it as “preachy.” I wanted the dialogue to feel more real, rather than a long, drawn-out, preach/rant. It was as if all of the internal dialogue was spoken out loud…
Aside from that, I actually did enjoy Ivey and Cal’s story. I liked that Cal was Alpha but knew that he was working with someone who was fragile. I LOVE that Ivey realizes she’s been shut-out on her own and finds the strength to overcome everything that has happened to her.
Hallelujah to finding a female character that wants to save herself! All too often this genre relies on our strong male to save the day, sometimes you just need to know that your heroine can do the ass-kicking.
“I wanted to believe this was real. It felt too good not to want this to be real. Please let this be real.”
So long as you can look past some of it’s quirks, this is definitely worth picking up.
By Julia Goda
3.5 Stars
Ivey Jones is unlike anyone else in the small town of Cedar Creek.
While most of town has spent generations there, Ivey found their small piece of calm in an effort to run from her abusive past. After running to protect herself, Ivey opens a small bookstore and builds emotional walls so high, no one has been able to break through.
Until Cal Bennett got tired of waiting for her to see him.
“Promise you what? I asked, though I didn’t really want to know. “Promise me to be open and let what happens happen.”
Turns out, Cal can be a persistent man and doesn’t mind pushing Ivey’s buttons to get her to see she’s been hiding from not only her past, but truly enjoying the life she’s escaped to. Like most of our favorite Alpha Males, he won’t take “NO” as an answer and all but forces Ivey into spending time with him and his young son, Tommy.
“Like a freakin’ clairvoyant-pain-in-my-ass”
I liked the premise of this story…I mean who wouldn’t want to own a bookstore??? But I felt like I was skimming through some of the chapters. While the actual story was fantastic, some of the dialogue was hard to wrap my head around. I don’t know any other way than to describe it as “preachy.” I wanted the dialogue to feel more real, rather than a long, drawn-out, preach/rant. It was as if all of the internal dialogue was spoken out loud…
Aside from that, I actually did enjoy Ivey and Cal’s story. I liked that Cal was Alpha but knew that he was working with someone who was fragile. I LOVE that Ivey realizes she’s been shut-out on her own and finds the strength to overcome everything that has happened to her.
Hallelujah to finding a female character that wants to save herself! All too often this genre relies on our strong male to save the day, sometimes you just need to know that your heroine can do the ass-kicking.
“I wanted to believe this was real. It felt too good not to want this to be real. Please let this be real.”
So long as you can look past some of it’s quirks, this is definitely worth picking up.
July 9, 2015
When you build a wall so strong around your heart it's going to take someone pretty special to break it down.....
Ivey had moved to the small town of Cedar Creek to leave behind a life that she thought had broken her.
An abusive father, a suicidal mother and the man she considered the love of her life.
What happened to her was enough to break the hardest of people but 9 years later she had a lovely house and a little bookshop, friends who were special to her but she also had to live with the nightmares that she tried so hard to bury.
Ivey has decided never to love again, instead settling for friends with benefits to satisfy her needs.
When one of these fwb decides he wants more, it's too much for her and she tells him the arrangement is off.
What she never considered was that one day, a man she has seen around for years would come into her shop to pick up his son and change her life for good.
Cal lived with his son Tommy. There was no mother, she abandoned them both when Tommy was a baby. He had lived the last few years much the same as Ivey. A few hook ups here and there, no one special.
For years though he had been wanting one woman but held off, why he didn't make his move sooner was something he regretted now.
As soon as he decided Ivey was the one she didn't really have a choice in the matter, he wasn't going to let her say no. Little did he know that the walls he had to break down would be some of the most painful he had ever encountered.
When she finally gives in to his persistence she realises he is not like the men in her past, he will do anything to love and protect her from whatever he needs to.
When ghosts from her past threaten to turn her back into the frightened woman she once was, this is exactly what he has to do.
Cal and Tommy love her and want her to be part of their family and nothing is going to stand in their way.
This was a really beautiful book about being loved and cherished the way every woman should be.
Ivey had moved to the small town of Cedar Creek to leave behind a life that she thought had broken her.
An abusive father, a suicidal mother and the man she considered the love of her life.
What happened to her was enough to break the hardest of people but 9 years later she had a lovely house and a little bookshop, friends who were special to her but she also had to live with the nightmares that she tried so hard to bury.
Ivey has decided never to love again, instead settling for friends with benefits to satisfy her needs.
When one of these fwb decides he wants more, it's too much for her and she tells him the arrangement is off.
What she never considered was that one day, a man she has seen around for years would come into her shop to pick up his son and change her life for good.
Cal lived with his son Tommy. There was no mother, she abandoned them both when Tommy was a baby. He had lived the last few years much the same as Ivey. A few hook ups here and there, no one special.
For years though he had been wanting one woman but held off, why he didn't make his move sooner was something he regretted now.
As soon as he decided Ivey was the one she didn't really have a choice in the matter, he wasn't going to let her say no. Little did he know that the walls he had to break down would be some of the most painful he had ever encountered.
When she finally gives in to his persistence she realises he is not like the men in her past, he will do anything to love and protect her from whatever he needs to.
When ghosts from her past threaten to turn her back into the frightened woman she once was, this is exactly what he has to do.
Cal and Tommy love her and want her to be part of their family and nothing is going to stand in their way.
This was a really beautiful book about being loved and cherished the way every woman should be.
May 7, 2015
Ivey Jones spent her early childhood watching her father beat and rape her mother repeatedly. When that didn't seem to be enough for him, he started beating Ivey as well as her mother. When her mother became mentally unstable, Ivey got all of the beatings. Ivey finally escapes after high school and moved away to attend college. Free at last to be herself she lets down her guard and evil almost destroys her again. Escaping again from an abusive man she puts her past behind and strikes out for a new, hopefully brighter beginning.
Ivey drives half way across the country and finds a small rocky mountain community where she at last finds peace. Ivy buys a home and opens a business, a bookstore called Serendipity. For nine years she has lived with walls around her heart and soul to keep the past in the past. But sometimes the past refuses to stay in the past. Ivey’s past always gets in the way and will destroy everything in its path to get what it wants.
Cal is a single father with a son that loves to visit Ivey’s bookstore. Since the first day he laid eyes on her, he knew that he wanted to know her better. He has his own problems and feels like it would be to much of a burden for Ivey to take on a ready-made family.
Overwhelming pain, agony and betrayal are the focus for the main characters, with a good measure of light heartedness thrown in, in this beautifully written novel by Julia Goda. This book is a romance filled with twists and turns that will keep any reader asking what will happen next. I do need to add a note that there is some X rated subject matter that may not be approved of by some people. I ran into this "feature" about half way through the book. I also would have been more impressed with the story without all the f-bombs liberally sprinkled throughout the story. Still I recommend this book as the storyline of a broken person being healed is very good.
Ivey drives half way across the country and finds a small rocky mountain community where she at last finds peace. Ivy buys a home and opens a business, a bookstore called Serendipity. For nine years she has lived with walls around her heart and soul to keep the past in the past. But sometimes the past refuses to stay in the past. Ivey’s past always gets in the way and will destroy everything in its path to get what it wants.
Cal is a single father with a son that loves to visit Ivey’s bookstore. Since the first day he laid eyes on her, he knew that he wanted to know her better. He has his own problems and feels like it would be to much of a burden for Ivey to take on a ready-made family.
Overwhelming pain, agony and betrayal are the focus for the main characters, with a good measure of light heartedness thrown in, in this beautifully written novel by Julia Goda. This book is a romance filled with twists and turns that will keep any reader asking what will happen next. I do need to add a note that there is some X rated subject matter that may not be approved of by some people. I ran into this "feature" about half way through the book. I also would have been more impressed with the story without all the f-bombs liberally sprinkled throughout the story. Still I recommend this book as the storyline of a broken person being healed is very good.
July 17, 2015
5 Stars!
Great book. This is a new author and for a debut novel, she totally knocked it out of the heart. This book was sweet, sexy, fun, emotional, intense, and quite suspenseful. From the first page, this book captivated me. Full of passion and steam, you will get a great love story with attention to high details. This book will grab and devour you by the end.
This is Ivey and Cal's story. Ivey is a broken woman who has closed off her heart. After surviving years of abuse by men who should have loved her, she is weary of men and needs to maintain control in her life. It is the only way she knows. Enter Cal. Cal has always wanted Ivey but thinks he is too broken for her. Until it changes. All it took was one moment for these two to connect and now Cal will settle for nothing less than everything, good and bad, from Ivey. Ivey can only resist for so long. Cal is determined to make her his. Get ready for an explosive love story.
These two were great together. Wow, Ivey tore at my heartstrings at times, making me want to reach in and give her a hug. I was glad she took a chance and only gave a little resistance. She needed that push from Cal. And Cal... yep I swooned hard the entire book. Sure he made mistakes along the way but he well for made up for them. And his son stole the show. He and Cal were quite a pair and gave it their all. I loved their determination and perseverance.
And I will note that I did love this book despite the many similarities to KA. I am a huge KA fan so noticed right way but there is still a lot of uniqueness to this story. We all love a good alpha male and that's what this author gave us. I am super excited for book two!
I highly recommend this book.
Blog Tour---> http://reneeentress.blogspot.com/2015...
Great book. This is a new author and for a debut novel, she totally knocked it out of the heart. This book was sweet, sexy, fun, emotional, intense, and quite suspenseful. From the first page, this book captivated me. Full of passion and steam, you will get a great love story with attention to high details. This book will grab and devour you by the end.
This is Ivey and Cal's story. Ivey is a broken woman who has closed off her heart. After surviving years of abuse by men who should have loved her, she is weary of men and needs to maintain control in her life. It is the only way she knows. Enter Cal. Cal has always wanted Ivey but thinks he is too broken for her. Until it changes. All it took was one moment for these two to connect and now Cal will settle for nothing less than everything, good and bad, from Ivey. Ivey can only resist for so long. Cal is determined to make her his. Get ready for an explosive love story.
These two were great together. Wow, Ivey tore at my heartstrings at times, making me want to reach in and give her a hug. I was glad she took a chance and only gave a little resistance. She needed that push from Cal. And Cal... yep I swooned hard the entire book. Sure he made mistakes along the way but he well for made up for them. And his son stole the show. He and Cal were quite a pair and gave it their all. I loved their determination and perseverance.
And I will note that I did love this book despite the many similarities to KA. I am a huge KA fan so noticed right way but there is still a lot of uniqueness to this story. We all love a good alpha male and that's what this author gave us. I am super excited for book two!
I highly recommend this book.
Blog Tour---> http://reneeentress.blogspot.com/2015...
April 20, 2015
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ivey Jones has learned early on that trust comes with pain and betrayal. So she put up walls to keep anyone from getting too close in order to survive.
As the owner of Serendipity a quirky little bookstore and dream house in the Rockies,she has kept strict rules never to deviate from them.
Calvin "Cal" Bennett is a single dad who has never been in a good relationship. A few chance encounters with Ivey shows Cal what he's missing.
Can these two overcome shadows lurking from Ivey's dark past?
Or will Cal come thru to break all of Ivey's walls down and steal her heart.
I couldn't put this book down. I was gripped from page one. If this is Julia's debut novel i honestly couldn't tell its very well written and flowed very well.
Cal is obviously a take charge kind of guy and when he sees Ivey he just knows he has to have here. Of course his eleven year old son Tommy helps his dad out by encouraging his dad to go after her.
When I read about Iveys past i had tears running down my face. The things she suffered thru not only as a child but in her first real relationship had my heart breaking.
All of the secondary characters really adds to the story and honestly I wish I had a friend like Macey. She was always there for Ivey and encouraging her to break her walls down and just go for the relationship with Cal.
What i didn't see coming was the curve ball thrown in there towards the end.
There was a few things Cal could of have done differently when it came to how he found out about Iveys past but then he again he was fiercely protective of Ivey since really getting to know her.
All in all this was a wonderful five star story and I look forward to reading more from Julia.
Review written by Heather
Ivey Jones has learned early on that trust comes with pain and betrayal. So she put up walls to keep anyone from getting too close in order to survive.
As the owner of Serendipity a quirky little bookstore and dream house in the Rockies,she has kept strict rules never to deviate from them.
Calvin "Cal" Bennett is a single dad who has never been in a good relationship. A few chance encounters with Ivey shows Cal what he's missing.
Can these two overcome shadows lurking from Ivey's dark past?
Or will Cal come thru to break all of Ivey's walls down and steal her heart.
I couldn't put this book down. I was gripped from page one. If this is Julia's debut novel i honestly couldn't tell its very well written and flowed very well.
Cal is obviously a take charge kind of guy and when he sees Ivey he just knows he has to have here. Of course his eleven year old son Tommy helps his dad out by encouraging his dad to go after her.
When I read about Iveys past i had tears running down my face. The things she suffered thru not only as a child but in her first real relationship had my heart breaking.
All of the secondary characters really adds to the story and honestly I wish I had a friend like Macey. She was always there for Ivey and encouraging her to break her walls down and just go for the relationship with Cal.
What i didn't see coming was the curve ball thrown in there towards the end.
There was a few things Cal could of have done differently when it came to how he found out about Iveys past but then he again he was fiercely protective of Ivey since really getting to know her.
All in all this was a wonderful five star story and I look forward to reading more from Julia.
Review written by Heather
July 6, 2015
As soon as I started reading Bent Not Broken, I knew I wanted to read more. This book is written from the points of view of the two main characters, Ivey and Cal. I loved both of these characters, even though Ivey frustrated me on more than one occasion.
This story starts with lots of questions; questions that I was asking myself. I wanted to know what happened in Ivey’s past which made her doubt her own self-worth. These questions also kept me turning the pages because I wanted to find the answers.
Cal is your typical alpha male but with a few differences that made him unique and lovable. I loved the way he wanted to protect Ivey and how he cared for his son as a single father. There were also plenty of minor characters to love and to hate.
It took me a while to discover the significance of the title, but when I did, I realised it was the perfect title for this book.
However, there were two things that detracted from my enjoyment of this book. There were times when I felt that the story dragged as the author communicated Ivey’s inner thoughts and feelings when I wanted the story to move forward. I also thought the epilogue was too long. It moved back and forth in time and I wondered if some of it should have been in an additional and final chapter of Bent Not Broken.
I gave Bent Not Broken 4 stars and I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.
Written by Karen from A Thousand Lives Book Blog
This story starts with lots of questions; questions that I was asking myself. I wanted to know what happened in Ivey’s past which made her doubt her own self-worth. These questions also kept me turning the pages because I wanted to find the answers.
Cal is your typical alpha male but with a few differences that made him unique and lovable. I loved the way he wanted to protect Ivey and how he cared for his son as a single father. There were also plenty of minor characters to love and to hate.
It took me a while to discover the significance of the title, but when I did, I realised it was the perfect title for this book.
However, there were two things that detracted from my enjoyment of this book. There were times when I felt that the story dragged as the author communicated Ivey’s inner thoughts and feelings when I wanted the story to move forward. I also thought the epilogue was too long. It moved back and forth in time and I wondered if some of it should have been in an additional and final chapter of Bent Not Broken.
I gave Bent Not Broken 4 stars and I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.
Written by Karen from A Thousand Lives Book Blog
June 13, 2015
After reading the blurb for this one I was immediately intruied and could not wait to dive in. I am a sucker for a romance when the hero swoops in and saves the woman. That for sure was this type of read. This is my first book by Julia Goda and I was very impressed. I loved the plot, with different twists and turns. The characters were likeable and the chemistry was great!
I will admit the story did start off slow for me, it took a little to pick up some steam for me before I become 100% fully inceated in the book. But once I was in, I was in. I loved all the characyers even the secondary ones added a great mix to the book. It was filled with some drama and angst, which yes I am a sucker for!!
Most of all for me this is a book about healing and being able to move on from a past where unthinkable things have happenend. Being independent and also once again believing you deserve better. Ivey litterally worked her way in to my heart, I felt for her to the point there were times I was on the verge of tears. She is someone I was rooting for to get her happily ever after!!
I would recommend this story for sure. It has everything I look for. Great characters, an amazing plot that keeps you guessing, hot chemistry, and of course some drama and angst!!! I look forward to reading what Julia has to come next in the future for sure!!
I will admit the story did start off slow for me, it took a little to pick up some steam for me before I become 100% fully inceated in the book. But once I was in, I was in. I loved all the characyers even the secondary ones added a great mix to the book. It was filled with some drama and angst, which yes I am a sucker for!!
Most of all for me this is a book about healing and being able to move on from a past where unthinkable things have happenend. Being independent and also once again believing you deserve better. Ivey litterally worked her way in to my heart, I felt for her to the point there were times I was on the verge of tears. She is someone I was rooting for to get her happily ever after!!
I would recommend this story for sure. It has everything I look for. Great characters, an amazing plot that keeps you guessing, hot chemistry, and of course some drama and angst!!! I look forward to reading what Julia has to come next in the future for sure!!
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