For as long as I can remember, I’ve never had a place to call home. I spent my childhood gallivanting around the country, forced to tag along on whatever adventure piqued my parents’ interest. I never knew what one day to the next had in store for me, so I learned early on that forming attachments would only end in heartache–to people and places, but especially to the idea of permanency. For years they touted that our vagabond lifestyle was freedom in the purest sense, but that means very little when you have no say in where you go or how often you fall asleep in one city, only to wake up in another.
So it should come as no surprise that when presented with the possibility of settling down, I all but leapt at the opportunity. The day our family was approached by a charismatic man who spoke so passionately about a place free of worldly constraints, it felt like kismet. It was the embodiment of the simple existence I’d always longed for, so I was thrilled when we packed our meager belongings and ventured across the country to join their cause.
I’d thought we’d hit the jackpot, but beneath their pretty veneer was a darkness so impenetrable it leeched the hope from my soul before I could even understand the depth of what was happening. The sanctuary we were promised was nothing more than a prison, and the very people I should’ve been able to trust with my life had entrenched us in something that felt more inescapable with every day that passed.
Betrayal after betrayal, it becomes increasingly clear that my only means of escape is by doing the seeking outside help. It takes months of reconnaissance before I’m able to muster up the courage to actually act on the plan I’ve put into place, but my patience pays off, and the day finally comes when I’m freed from the cage I’ve been confined to for the better part of a decade. Unfortunately, my newfound freedom is short-lived. The shackles of my past are tighter than ever, and the only thing keeping me sane is the men who’ve come to mean so much to me…
Raiden–the detective who leads the charge when my captor’s day of reckoning finally comes.
Dayton–the veritable wall of muscle who sparks my anger for no other reason than to let me vent my frustrations.
Colsen–the calm and steady presence I desperately need in the midst of the storms raging around me.
Briggs–the man I never saw coming, but whose darkness matches mine in ways I can’t quite explain.
When simply getting out of bed becomes a test of mental strength, it’s them I turn to. After everything I’ve endured, I’d lost faith that good men still exist, but they’re constantly proving me wrong. Through every setback and roadblock, their loyalty never wavers, reminding me that I no longer have to face my demons alone.
As the case against my captors grows more precarious by the day, I take comfort in the life we’re building outside of the media frenzy that’s taking place. And though my future is unrecognizable from the one I had spent many sleepless nights envisioning, it’s far more than I could have ever hoped for. Regardless of how we came together, the bonds we’ve forged are unbreakable, and I’m certain we can withstand anything that comes our way.
This is a standalone, why-choose romance (mfmmm). This content is intended for readers 18+. A full list of trigger warnings is available on the copyright page.
M.K. Harper is a military spouse, just trying to escape life's chaos by getting lost in her own imagination. A mother of two and a full-time worker, writing has become a stress relieving outlet. Currently settled in Georgia after three years of living in Italy, M.K. is always looking forward to the next adventure.
I just love what M.K. Harper writes, the books are always so full of emotions, bittersweet feelings and they mend and break your heart at the same time. Absolutely beautiful. I´m only deducting half a star because this felt a bit too drawn out at times where I felt like the pacing could have been a bit quicker
First of all, I am genuinely happy to see M.K. Harper back after a four-year hiatus. As someone who has loved her previous work, especially Give Me Peace , I was excited to dive into Breakaway . While I enjoyed parts of it and I'm glad it finally made it into the world, I didn't love it as much as I hoped I would.
There are plenty of heartfelt moments throughout the story, moments of pure rage, and even some genuinely funny scenes. Briggs' banter is consistently entertaining, and Blue absolutely stole every scene she appeared in. And a special shout-out to Denvers, once again trying to save one traumatised woman at a time. I see you, good sir. Maybe next time he'll drink some of the "water" and end up in a harem himself. 😉🤷♀️📚
Andi
Honestly, this girl cannot catch a break.
From beginning to end, it's one traumatic event after another. You genuinely empathise with her and want to personally fight anyone who's ever hurt her. The problem is that eventually it becomes too much .
The biggest issue I had with this book is that it desperately needed another round of editing. Not because the writing is bad, but because someone needed to tell the author that Andi had suffered enough.
At times it felt like the story was operating under the philosophy of, "What else can we throw at this poor woman?"
Neglected by her parents. Raised in a cult. Years of abuse. Forced to remain undercover while authorities drag their feet. Kidnapping. Rescue. Pregnancy. Trials. Suicide & Murders. Custody battles. Revenge porn. An evil lawyer. An evil mother-in-law. A traumatic birth. Discovering her parents were alive and knowingly left her behind. More court cases. More family drama.
It just kept piling on.
Eventually, the emotional impact started to diminish because there was simply too much of it. The story would wander into another traumatic side quest before returning to the main plot, and by the end I felt exhausted rather than emotionally invested.
I also struggled with how well-adjusted Andi seemed despite everything she'd endured. I love a strong FMC, but there is a difference between strength and simply not processing trauma. By the end of the book we're expected to believe she's functioning as a mother of two, partner to four men, and productive member of society despite never really dealing with any of the psychological fallout.
And what bothered me most was that her personal ambitions seemed to disappear entirely. She had goals, dreams, and plans at the beginning of the story, but by the end her entire identity felt reduced to motherhood. Children absolutely change lives, but it felt like Andi sacrificed every single thing she wanted for herself.
The Hudson Situation
This is where the story challenged me and I found it difficult to continue.
There is absolutely no universe where social services would have allowed Andi to retain custody of Hudson under those circumstances.
She was deeply traumatised, had very little stability, and was semi-directly connected to the events surrounding his kidnapping and the deaths of his parents. I understand what the author was trying to do emotionally - giving two damaged people a family after everything they'd endured - but it stretched believability far beyond my limits.
Had Royce or Rita stepped in as guardians and Andi remained involved in Hudson's life, I would have bought it. Andi becoming his mother felt more convenient than realistic.
The Things That Really Frustrated Me
The traumatic birth was where I finally threw my hands in the air.
This woman had already suffered enough.
We really needed that too?
Then there was the revelation about her parents. After abandoning her for years, they still somehow felt like they got the easy way out. That entire situation left me incredibly unsatisfied.
But my biggest issue was the ending.
After everything Andi endured in that toxic little town, she stays.
Absolutely not.
No chance.
After all that trauma, all those memories, all that pain, I cannot imagine any reasonable person choosing to remain there. That decision drove me absolutely up the wall.
The Reverse Harem
As a huge reverse harem fan, this pains me to say, but I'm not convinced this story needed four love interests.
Briggs was easily the standout.
Raiden and Briggs carried the romantic side of the story for me, while Dayton and Col largely felt like extra bodies added to fill harem slots.
Raiden What detective allows his neighbours access to a key witness who is actively undercover inside a dangerous cult?
Raiden is objectively terrible at his job and is even worse at lying lol.
His relationship with Andi could have jeopardised not only her safety but the safety of the other survivors as well. It was completely inappropriate and put everything at risk.
That said, he genuinely worked hard for Andi and did more than most of the men to support her.
Briggs
The best MMC by a mile.
His character was by far the most interesting, and I wish the book had spent more time exploring his story. Instead, it often felt like his struggles were brushed aside despite being some of the most compelling material in the novel.
His dynamic with Blue was fantastic and honestly left me wanting a book focused on them instead.
The ex-fiancée drama also felt unnecessary. It appeared, created conflict, and then fizzled out without adding much to the overall story.
Dayton & Col
Neither worked for me.
Dayton was barely tolerable. Col brought almost nothing to the table.
Both felt more like background characters than genuine love interests, and by the end I still wasn't convinced either relationship had developed enough to justify their place in the harem.
If this had been a love triangle-like vibe focused on Andi, Raiden and Briggs, I honestly think the story would have been stronger.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I liked Breakaway .
I'm happy M.K. Harper is writing again, and there is a good story buried in here. Unfortunately, I think the book suffered from trying to do too much.
Too much trauma.
Too many plotlines.
Too many relationships.
Too many things going wrong simply because they could.
By the end, I didn't walk away thinking, "I'm so glad Andi got her happily ever after."
Instead, I walked away thinking, "Wow... that was a lot."
My feelings are mixed. Not bad, not great - just mixed.
What I did walk away wanting was more Blue and a future M.K. Harper Reverse Harem book starring Denvers as the resident silver fox.
I recently reread Give Me Peace and of course after finishing it, I had to stalk the author to see if she had any updates and lo and behold I discover that she had a new book coming out in just a few days!! *cue the squealing!!* and I knew I had to read it rightaway.
✨MFMMM ✨Pregnancy ✨Friends-to-lovers ✨Found family ✨FMC escaping from a cult ✨Protective MMCs
Andilyn grew up with parents that were drifters and negligible with her, constantly moving and looking for the next big thing to do when they got pulled into a cult. The leader of the cult targeted them for Andilyn’s heterochromia. “Because in their eyes, those with heterochromia are Harbingers. Tainted vessels that carry two souls–one pure, one demonic. And if you can’t expel the evil inside you after enduring countless years of Cleansing rituals, then you weren’t worth saving to begin with. A simple congenital disability that has absolutely no bearing on the sanctity of my soul has wrought me more pain and heartache than I ever could’ve fathomed.”
My heart ached for the trauma and pain Andilyn had to endure from the lack of care from her parents throughout her childhood and the torment the cult puts her through on top of that. That is, until she finds an opportunity to eventually escape from this cult. The men that will forever change Andilyn’s life slowly enters her life.
Raiden, the detective that was in the right place at the right time and Andi’s saving grace. Dayton, the high school teacher and football coach that provokes Andi any chance he gets. Colsen, the construction worker who brings calm and light in Andi’s disrupted and chaotic life. And Briggs, the tormented hero with a recent dark past that immediately claims Andi as his angel.
⚠️ Slight Spoilers Ahead ⚠️ (Not really any real spoilers—in my opinion— but just in case)
The guys and Andi develop a very organic relationship with one another and the guys don’t feel like they have the textbook personalities when it comes to reverse harem. They also have to navigate the dynamics of their relationship which I don’t typically see to this extent in a lot of reverse harems. I loved Andilyn’s soft but strong character. She retained her streak of independence while also learning to lean on the guys when she needed. However, I will say that I felt there was a bit of an imbalance when it came to the guys. While I loved all of them and they each brought something different to the table, Briggs definitely took a bit of the spotlight.
I think if maybe this were a duet, it could have focused more on an even slower build up with Andi’s relationship with each of the guys. I really think that we just needed more time with them to flesh out the story just right. There was also a lot going on plot wise that was weaved throughout the story, but never really led to anything explosive. It all had amazing potential if only it had more time to develop. Again, I really enjoyed this book the entire time, and I think it could have been even better if it was two books!
P.S. Loved Hudson’s addition to their not-so-little family!
P.P.S. There’s a character that pops up from from Harper’s “Give Me Peace”…
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to see what else M.K. Harper publishes in the future!
I was looking for a why choose when I came across this book. This was a new author to me and I’ve got to say I’m a huge fan! When I first noticed the page count of the book, I thought it would drag but it was so well written I actually felt myself wishing it was longer in the end. I felt all the emotions along with our FMC and MMCs. Their trauma and healing felt realistic and it made me cry more than once. Our FMC was so strong and the way she handled everything thrown at her with such fierceness was amazing. And the guys! I loved them all. A little annoyed with Col for a while but his story makes you see where he comes from and he finds his way eventually. Raiden gave up so much to make sure Andi never felt out of place and Dayton making sure she had a safe escape when she needed it… But Briggs!?!?! That man. Living in his own trauma and he stills pulls himself together the second he met Andi. He still struggles but the way he supported and loved her through everything made him my absolute favorite. Plus the way he loved the kids without question was everything. I think this will be one of those books that just sticks with me for a long time. It’s just a good freaking book.
I absolutely loved this story. Check your TW before you start. Andi was raised in a cult, but was never brainwashed herself. She was unfortunately kept there against her will and had such a rough beginning to this story. Thankfully it was shortlived, as it starts shortly before she escapes. She's taken in by Raiden, the detective on the case, who already feels to close. And she's quickly claimed by his neighbors, Dayton, Colsen and Briggs. Briggs quickly became my favorite with his persistent caretaker who won't leave her side. I'm not giving away spoilers, but I loved the found family that Andi was able to achieve. I never wanted to put the book down and each case of them coming closer and declaring their family bonds just left me swooning. I really loved their happily ever after.
I highly recommend reading this. When I hit chapter 3 I had a thought "holy shit I'm hooked already" by 50% I was sobbing hard. I just finished and now I'm sitting here knowing I M going to struggle with a book hangover here. I saw at the start how the author mentioned not publishing for 4 years and I can confidently state it was worth the wait. Bravo on a fantastic book. Great spice the plot was fantastic and I never got the sense like with some why choose where it was hard to distinguish the MMCs from each other. Thank you for a fantastic emotional read!!
Nothing against this book, really, but I just got bored. I think I’m at the stage where I need the suffering to be longer? Andi is definitely still suffering, but not in the same way as before.
I am a little bit disappointed in how quickly their relationships with her (except maybe Briggs) developed off-page. We had to be told that they all felt close to each other over the months of communicating, instead of getting to see how it developed as she was still actively within the cult.
Anyway, I might revisit this at some point, but I’m definitely more a series and not a standalone book girly
To begin with, the author added footnotes for the foreign language passages in this book. So thoughtful, I loved being able to just find the star at the end of the chapters versus using Google translate. This authors writing is so good considering the library of books is small at the moment. There were genuine laugh out loud moments and heartbreaking moments. The overall plot was highly enjoyable, even with tropes I don't typically enjoy. Definitely recommend reading
I’ve been waiting for MK Harper to write another book after loving Give Me Peace.
The premise of Breakaway is perfect. Cult, strong FMC, different personalities MMCs, etc. I loved the plot and the characters.
However, there was too much of everything else. Too much describing. The end dragged on 5 pages too long. It seemed repetitive to have the conversation and then have the narrator describe what they thought of felt.
I would give this 3.5 because in the end, I was kind of over it.
I read everything this author writes but this book was amazing. I read the preface and how the author struggled writing this book but after reading this I couldn’t tell. The story was perfectly written and the characters felt like people I would know in real life. I highly recommend reading this story just be prepared to go through so many emotions and feel connected to the characters.
Just wow. Yet another fantastic book with an amazing group of people. Your stories are so very heartwarming despite the trauma. Once again I couldn’t stop reading and once again I’m sure this will be read again. Loved the cheeky mention of the character s from your other book as well and glad FBI agent got promoted 🥳 however, when she is having an IV you wrote catheter and it should be cannula . Can’t wait for your next book please keep writing
If you're looking for a book that will make you feel everything while keeping you up all night then you need to read this one! The character building is top tier…you get so invested in their journeys. It’s a total page turner that beautifully balances heavy emotion with a plot that never slows down. I couldn't read it fast enough!
Definitely check the triggers life is definitely rough in this one. This is a story about true survival and how being strong is sometimes your only option. The dynamic in the group is great and each of the guys are so different which gives her something from each of them. Some twists I didn’t see coming and a beautiful outcome.
While it's predecessor remains my favorite of the two, this was an amazing story. Briggs is my favorite character, his growth was incredible. Everyone had trauma, so this is a story. My only note was that I wish the prologue had been more,showing and not telling, I wish we had seen several of those calls on page.
Stumbled across this book and so glad I did! I loved reading of Andilyn's journey along with sweet Hudson after gaining their freedom. I hope the author one day takes us back to these characters
Pregnancy from rape is a hard no for me. The author mentions an unwanted pregnancy in the warnings but the fact that it's from rape makes it a no for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.