Once Broken

by D.M. Hamblin

Jackie Martin develops abandonment issues when her dad dies suddenly when she is ten years old. As a teenager, those abandonment issues translate into an attraction to illusive men, particularly, Tony Salvucci. After a seven year on and off relationship, Jackie becomes pregnant and is immediately abandoned by Tony. As a single mother, Jackie has two First to raise her daughter with her self-esteem unscathed by her father’s abandonment; Second, to see Tony suffer for his abandonment. Once Broken follows Jackie’s story over a span of forty years. Set in Metrowest Boston, Once Broken is an inspirational story about love, hate, forgiveness vs. revenge and living one's life moving forward, no matter how painful the past.

Genres: Contemporary

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2016

Reviews

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are books that make your spirit soar from page one and there are books that tug on your heart. This book takes you on a deep emotional journey through more than three decades in a woman's life. A powerful book. Remarkably vivid and well written. The reader is drawn into the life of Jackie and then Tony and then gets every single aspect of the life they lead.



If you are a fan of the hit show 'This is Us' you MUST buy this book. This is a book about forgiveness, second chances, renewal and the power of love. A tear jerker, a heart warmer, a book that will challenge your thinking and enrich your soul.



My Rating: 5 stars



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[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Jackie Martin was a typical middle child, lost in the shuffle.’

Author D.M. (Denise) Hamblin has experienced the life changes that exude from her novel ONCE BROKEN. Her academic studies in communications at Boston University’s School of Communications – her goal: public relations – terminated when she abruptly became a single mother. She endured being on welfare in order to complete her education and become a paralegal, all the while successfully raising her daughter including private schools while returning to her childhood passion for writing. Success as a paralegal accompanied by marriage, gaining a husband and two stepdaughters was followed by building two legal industry businesses, only to be disrupted again by suffering from Lyme disease, and once recovered she returned to writing. ONCE BROKEN, her debut novel reflects aspects of her life: twenty years from the first manuscript to the polished product has only made her writing more sensitive.

Open the pages of this fine novel and it becomes obvious that this is an author with a solid future. Though the story covers the span form 1970 to 2009, The initial chapter opens in 1993 with the effusive flavor brings light into an otherwise potentially dark life: ‘Radiant in her white wedding gown, as if this were the first time she would be wed, Carmella Russo was not a traditional blushing bride. Camouflaged behind a lacy white veil, her blazing hazel eyes sparked against her apricot skin. Her heart replete with vengeful satisfaction, Carmella rejoiced. Soon I, not Jackie, will be Mrs. Tony Salvucci. Vince Russo, slumped next to his daughter in the white stretch limousine, looked older than his sixty-two years. His wrinkled complexion reflected the toll paid for his heavy smoking, excessive drinking, and the degradation of tolerating the tantrums of the women he lived with. Vince decided it was a dismal day for a wedding. It’s pretty symbolic of this union—Tony and Carmella! Vince prayed the rain would wait until after they entered the church. Carmella would erupt should her wedding attire become the least bit soiled prior to her grand entrance. The limousine turned into the semicircular driveway approaching St. Catherine’s Church. Emerald-green lawns and stately blue spruces scattered among the tall oaks enhanced the elegance of the large stone church, despite the gray shadows and blackened sky. As the car came to a stop, Vince glanced at the threatening clouds. Turning back, he took his daughter’s hand as she confidently stepped from the car. Tony Salvucci leaned against the wall in the vestibule, tapping his foot. His best man, Luke Jackson, stood next to him. Tony’s height, wavy ebony hair, and steel-blue eyes remained striking, even with the ensemble Carmella had chosen for him—a brown tuxedo, white shirt with brown-trimmed ruffles, and a baby-blue cummerbund and bow tie. The white-rose boutonniere on Tony’s lapel provided the only sophistication. Carmella’s fashion sense had never left the 1970s, which did not flatter Luke either. The best man stood almost a foot shorter than Tony and had cobalt eyes, blonde curls, and scattered freckles.’

Denise succinctly crops the plot in her synopsis: ‘ONCE BROKEN is set in Metro Boston between 1970-2009. It's a story about a single mother, Jackie Martin, who has two objectives: First to raise her daughter, Gina with her self-esteem unscathed by her father’s abandonment; Second, to see her daughter’s father, Tony Salvucci suffer for his abandonment. Both objectives come to pass. With lots of twists and turns and memorable characters, Once Broken is an inspirational story about forgiveness vs. revenge and living one's life moving forward, no matter how painful the past.’

This debut novel signals the arrival of an artist with a fine flair for finding the beauty in life we often ignore because of the traumas we face. The characters are well developed, the storyline echoes the lives of many, and Denise’s manner of molding the back-story, the plot arc, and the dénouement are the touches of a remarkable author.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once Broken by D. M. Hamblin
Book subject sounds interesting and I wanted to give this new author to me a try.
1993 wedding of Camilia and Tony.
Story goes back in time as it catches us up with the present day. Jackie and Gina on their way to the mall...jackie had once loved Tony and knows he's getting married...Tony is Gina's dad.
Tony's father stuck up for him no matter what bad things Tony had done.
Like how Jackie lives with the decisions she made in her life and have a bad feeling as to what really happened to her intended...
Happy to learn the grandparents want the child in their life...
Medical emergency gives them all a chance to stand back and think of what's going on and get it all in order.
What I like about this book are many things: music and lyrics of the time when I was growing up also, locations of places visited as I live or have been to the same ones-magical, the career Jackie decides on and why-so brave! So many hidden treasures: charms, needlework, picnics.
Unpredictable, scary, romantic, sex scenes, travel, just an all around great read. Can't wait to read more from this author as she gets her point acrss without a lot of drama. Love how it follows their lives through the teen to adult years and those older-well rounded family life. Feel so much closer to this author after reading her bio as we have gone through so many of the same things in life.
Received this review copy from the author via Goodreads and this is my honest opinion.

[Janice Spina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once Broken is a story about love lost, found, lost and found again. It is a tumultuous journey through the lives and loves of Jackie and Tony.

This tale is heartbreaking as the author takes the reader along through the tough times and happy times that take place when the two characters meet, fall in love and then break up, reconcile, then - well you need to read this book to find out what happens to this tragic couple. Sometimes people don’t grow up. That is Tony’s sad fault. He was spoiled as a child and always got what he wanted from his father. All through his life he expected everyone to give him everything he requested even when he was in a relationship. It was all one-sided. Will he ever learn that life is not like that?

The author has poured her heart into this story. You will feel the pain of the characters and shed tears for them. If you enjoy romance you will love this book.

[Vera Credit · Rating 5 out of 5]

You gotta read this!

While having some truly hilarious moments it also carries with it a very strong message for anyone who's struggling with leaving the past where it belongs and realize that all of us are responsible for paving the road in which we travel. Some of us are lucky and get a second chance . Do yourself a favor read it .

[Jeannie Zelos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once Broken, D.M. Hamblin

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance,

So, there were things I enjoyed about this story and...parts I hated.
I loved the way that the past felt so real, the little touches like the music and settings that really brought me back to the 70's, my teen years. I so admired Jackie in the way she raised Gina, didn't whinge about Tony, just got on with being mother and father to her, providing a happy and stable home.
What I found so hard though was the way she was so infatuated with tony, made excuses, returned to him again and again it seems, and I just couldn't see why? The guy is a jerk, a selfish, spoiled only child who thinks everything should go the way he wants, and anyone blocking it is wrong.
I need to like my leads, and to be honest I hated Tony. Really really didn't like him, and thought Gina deserved a better father, and Jackie a better man. Usually I love characters like Carmela but in this instance although she was wonderfully unpleasant I couldn't see why on earth Tony was attracted to her.

The way the story was told too didn't quite suit me, I like dialogue based books where the plots are shown, not ones where the story is largely told, by way of narrative or a characters inner musings. That's a very personal issue though, not a criticism of the story. We all like different things.

I did like the drama in it, if only Carmela had some redeeming features that made me see why Tony wanted her, and if he'd had a shred of pleasantness about him I could have really enjoyed this story. I didn't really feel it was a romance as I understand it, most of the book was romance gone wrong, and for me that wasn't really satisfying. As it was its one that was an OK read for me, however it might just be this story, not the author's style, that didn't suit and I'm intrigued by her next book which is on KU, so I've downloaded that to try.
Stars: Three. Will be great for some readers, a five star read but which didn't make that for me.

[Belle Ami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once Broken is a charming romance that spans forty-four years of an on again off again love story. If you enjoy a nostalgic look at the past decades this is a fun read. The author describes nicely the changing times, music and styles of the years as they unfold.
Jackie Martin, the heroine, is always one step ahead of disaster as she struggles to come to terms with the early loss of her father and the struggles of growing up without him. Of all the men in the world, she falls for a man, who is the epitome of self-absorbed and selfish, Tony Salvucci. Handsome and spoiled from the get-go he’s immature and incapable of accepting responsibility for his actions, but he’s charming and she falls for him. The years fly by, and Jackie becomes a single mother, puts herself through school and struggles to get over Tony.
When life hands you a bunch of lemons, add sugar and this is just what Jackie does as she matures into an independent woman that the reader will cheer for. I think one of the strongest points that come across is that people change. They grow, and they learn from their mistakes, which is a central theme of the book. The happy ever after in this book is very satisfying and watching the two main characters change through the years is well worth the read.

[Julie Failla Earhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

First published, according to Amazon, in 2016, author D.M. Hamblin contacted me in 218 to review her debut novel, “Once Broken.” I don’t remember what drew me to this story. Perhaps it was the revenge element; perhaps it was the forgiveness element. It doesn’t really matter at this point.

When Jackie Martin was ten years old, her father died suddenly and her once sturdy family life fell apart. For whatever reason that I couldn’t understand, Jackie was not allowed to go to the funeral home nor attend the funeral. This is the root of her abandonment issues, which she suffers from until she is approximately in her forties.

In high school, she falls for Tony Salvucci. Her clinginess results in their breakup, but Jackie has fallen in love…for life. The two come together and breakup almost as often as the seasons change. Jackie is always plotting on how to get revenge with Tony; most of the time she wants him to feel the same pain as she has. Finally, she sees Tony for the man he truly is and learns to move on with her life.

I love the bones of this story. They are great. But one Hamlin employs more tell rather than show, which gets in the way of the plot. I can’t help but feel that this story is more autobiographical than fiction, but writers must write what they know. This would have been a much different book had Hamblin shown the action instead of describing it, “Once Broken,” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

[Colleen Driscoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once Broken is a heartwarming story of a woman’s journey of love, sacrifice, and forgiveness. Traumatized at a young age by her father’s death, Jackie Martin is infatuated with the boy of her dreams. The spoiled, self-indulging boy, Tony, toys with her feelings and abandons her when she becomes pregnant. Their rocky relationship continues as Tony travels in and out of Jackie and her daughter’s life. While Jackie matures and pursues a promising career, Tony makes one disastrous mistake after another. Many years later, the two reconnect on the one common thread they share—their daughter. D.M. Hamblin shows the importance of forgiveness throughout the story.

Hamblin’s characters are relatable and realistic. The dialogue, for the most part, is natural and flows and the detailed descriptions place the reader in the scene. The storyline is enjoyable, but the large amount of head hopping distracted from the story. I look forward to reading more of Hamblin’s books.

[Diann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me and compared to Liane Moriarty's writings. I found that intriguing. I would say the book is less contemporary fiction and more in the Romance genre. There are twists and turns, but fairly predictable. Instead of story-telling, it is more plot-telling. It lacked nuance. (Spoiler Alert: For example, the amount of time explaining the death of the boyfriend was just a few sentences. He made a traffic stop, a tire came off another vehicle, he was hit by the tire and killed instantly. Then we hear of how she went into deep depression for several months, but nothing about how she dealt with it or how other aspects of her life were instantly changed, e.g. the house they were buying or the wedding that needed to be canceled.) If you like romance novels, I would recommend this as one of the better in the genre.

[Sheila Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forgiveness

You get this one beautiful life to live, this book takes you on a life of one woman's journey. You will see her as a young child dealing with issues of loss and confusion. You will see her grow and change into a young woman falling in love and see her deal with heartbreak.
I honestly loved this book, it shows that many of us are human we make mistakes some are of huge magnitude. Some are small and can be easily fixed with " I am sorry". And some of the mistakes we make leave ever lasting scars. I read another book by this author and that's what prompted me to check out this one. I am glad I did.

[Charles Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jackie Martin felt abandoned after her father died when she was ten. As she grew older she became attracted to flawed men, leading to a relationship with Tony Salvucci, who abandons her after she become pregnant. She raises her daughter alone, determined to salvage her self-esteem and get revenge against Tony. Once Broken by D. M. Hamblin follows Jackie’s life over forty hears, as she learns the meaning of love and forgiveness, and how to live for the future regardless of the problems of the past.
A moving book that will, in places, move you to tears. I give it four stars.

[10914 Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story with a well-developed plot. The characters are strong and complex. The beginning of the book started off with good writing and a good flow. My only suggestion is to break the story up into two books and further develop the second half of the book so that it can stand alone on its own. Another suggestion is to do a closer edit to catch some minor typos and grammatical errors. Overall, such a good read!

[Lili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragic but true.

When I started reading this I was so angry as I too had a child without her donors help and thank God I had good family and friends. I raised a beautiful woman and her father never knew her, but this story is one of forgiveness and grace. I was given this book by the author but the others by her will be purchased all on my own. Enjoy, I did!

[Barbara Tobey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The forgiveness and moving on with life were some of the positives. The biggest negative for me was having one's heart broken again and again by the same man. After the first few times, I was ready to give up on the book. I did continue on and appreciated the growth of many of the characters.

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real life feels

This was a great story about real life. Made you feel so many emotions. Tony seemed flakey and I wanted to tell and scream at him but understood him too. Jackie what a strong woman. Great read

[Christi Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It read more like a documentary with dialog than a novel. The descriptions were of name brands or titles from the era, but other descriptions felt superficial. A good story about forgiveness, but I like to be able to feel, smell and sense more. I couldn't with this one.

[Denise A. Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought the writing was a little juvenile but story kept you going til the end.

[Michelle Broecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give stars

I really Love her books...can't wait for more of her work....would recommend her to any one who's a chic-literature fan

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thoroughly consumed by this story during the reading of this book. It's not my typical fare and thought I would pick this up as a light summer read. It IS a good summer read but there's a lot of substance to explore here. The primary characters, and many of the secondary ones, are very well developed particularly given the length of the novel. The reader is quickly invested in their lives.

I would recommend Once Broken for any book club. There's a lot of fodder for interesting discussion: the progress of women's rights/visibility from the 1970s-Present, the human need for revenge and the human capacity for compassion. As a history hobbyist I really enjoyed the textural details D.M. Hamblin included from sipping Riunite in the '70s to giving up smoking in the '80s to cell phones in the '90s to 21st century texting. All the cues set times and places vividly, and I am old enough that the visuals prompted fond memories of my own. (along with a few fashion choices I now wince at.)

If you want just a taste of the author's style, flip all the way to the back of the book and read the one page memorial D.M. Hamblin left for a former colleague and friend. It's a reminder that we need not look to celebrities or captains of industry or politicians for inspiration, we can find plenty of that in the imperfect lives of ordinary people around us, and most probably in ourselves.
That, ultimately, is the message I took away from Once Broken.

A really excellent first novel and I look forward to the author's next!

[Christi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Split-decision

In all honesty, I really liked this story. It was kind of long-winded and really veered around sometimes, but it was a good story. There were a couple of things thst kept me from giving it a higher rating. First, the dialogue in the book was painful. It truly made me want to throw my Kindle against a wall. It's stilted and unnatural and just plain silly in spots. It wouldn't have made such an impact if the book wasn't so driven by it - but it was. The other thing that hindered my enjoyment was the editing. Quotation marks are all over the place and misplaced/misused words frequently popped up. This seemed to be more of an issue in the last quarter of the book. I would love to give the storyline a higher rating, but the book itself just fell short for these reasons.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, even though I sometimes was frustrated that Jackie fell for Tony over and over. But I guess their love was meant to me. The obvious editorial errors detracted from the story a bit for me, but not enough to lower my rating.