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Souls of London #2
Broken
Reality and fantasy blend as Chad’s mental illness deteriorates…
Chad hasn’t had an easy life, with an abusive father and a mother who killed herself. Add to that Dion, the teacher he’s in love with, rejecting him, and a mental illness taking over his life: things are far from great—even if they feel great in the clutch of mania.
No matter how angry Jeremy is at Dion, he can’t turn his back on the broken boy on his doorstep.
Jeremy has a hard enough time dealing with Dion cheating on him, and he does not need the student in question to show up at his door. But Jeremy’s not heartless either, and he helps the beaten teenager.
It gets more complicated when Jeremy realises Dion isn’t over Chad—and then when Jeremy himself starts to care for Chad too. Can they figure out a way to make things work between them, amidst Chad’s deteriorating mental state and the deaths of two people close to him?
Chad hasn’t had an easy life, with an abusive father and a mother who killed herself. Add to that Dion, the teacher he’s in love with, rejecting him, and a mental illness taking over his life: things are far from great—even if they feel great in the clutch of mania.
No matter how angry Jeremy is at Dion, he can’t turn his back on the broken boy on his doorstep.
Jeremy has a hard enough time dealing with Dion cheating on him, and he does not need the student in question to show up at his door. But Jeremy’s not heartless either, and he helps the beaten teenager.
It gets more complicated when Jeremy realises Dion isn’t over Chad—and then when Jeremy himself starts to care for Chad too. Can they figure out a way to make things work between them, amidst Chad’s deteriorating mental state and the deaths of two people close to him?
373 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2016
18 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
T.T. Kove
81 books167 followersWrites queer romance, usually of the new adult, slice-of-life variety.
Find me:
www.acpress.co.uk
www.patreon.com/ttkove
Find me:
www.acpress.co.uk
www.patreon.com/ttkove
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 3, 2016
Having sex with your college teacher in the middle of the teacher’s lounge is probably not a good idea. Especially when he already has a boyfriend. Especially when you are kinda hallucinating all sorts of shit while it happens. But Chad has hardly lived a life best characterized as full of “good ideas.” Which is probably why he finds himself outside Dion’s, his teacher’s, apartment after being beaten up by his father. It might not be a good idea, but at that point he doesn’t have many kinds of ideas left. With everything in his life spiraling down to who-knows-where, Chad can only hope that Dion and Jeremy, Dion’s boyfriend (who is rightly pissed about that whole ‘cheating’ thing), can help him find a safe place to land.
I have some pretty mixed feelings about this book.
On one hand I really liked how Chad was written. The author really brought out the chaotic and sometimes manic shifts in moods that he experiences. Chad’s bipolar and suicidal problems were very well written. They were certainly not easy topics to tackle, or to read for that matter, but I really liked how the author didn’t half-ass it. It was dark and messy and as a result came off feeling real.
On the other hand all those shifts in emotions made this book exhausting to read. By the time we got to the end of the book, I was just done. I couldn’t read anymore. The downside of having all of Chad’s fluctuating emotions coming out as spot-on, realistic, is that I experienced every single of one of them as Chad did and I was left wrung out by not even the half-way point. Even when we did switch over to Jeremy’s pov–which did actually help a bit in stabilizing the story–I couldn’t seem to catch my breath because Chad was still there on page teetering from one side to the next in quick succession. Only we got Jeremy’s issues added to it. It was, like I said, exhausting.
I was also not really at all comfortable with the sex in this book. The way Chad pushes both Jeremy and Dion into sex with him (during his more manic periods) made me uneasy. But not nearly as uneasy as Chad himself doing these things when he is clearly not in a frame of mind to consent to anything. Add to it the whole teacher-student dynamic and I’m not sure that there was much in the way of fully-consensual sex in this book. Yeah, they all say “it felt good so of course I wanted it” after the fact…but I’m not sure that is enough for me.
Do I think this book is worth reading? Yeah, probably. Just you need to know what you are getting yourself into before you start. Especially when you are triggered by things like suicide and rather frank depictions of depression.
3.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
I have some pretty mixed feelings about this book.
On one hand I really liked how Chad was written. The author really brought out the chaotic and sometimes manic shifts in moods that he experiences. Chad’s bipolar and suicidal problems were very well written. They were certainly not easy topics to tackle, or to read for that matter, but I really liked how the author didn’t half-ass it. It was dark and messy and as a result came off feeling real.
On the other hand all those shifts in emotions made this book exhausting to read. By the time we got to the end of the book, I was just done. I couldn’t read anymore. The downside of having all of Chad’s fluctuating emotions coming out as spot-on, realistic, is that I experienced every single of one of them as Chad did and I was left wrung out by not even the half-way point. Even when we did switch over to Jeremy’s pov–which did actually help a bit in stabilizing the story–I couldn’t seem to catch my breath because Chad was still there on page teetering from one side to the next in quick succession. Only we got Jeremy’s issues added to it. It was, like I said, exhausting.
I was also not really at all comfortable with the sex in this book. The way Chad pushes both Jeremy and Dion into sex with him (during his more manic periods) made me uneasy. But not nearly as uneasy as Chad himself doing these things when he is clearly not in a frame of mind to consent to anything. Add to it the whole teacher-student dynamic and I’m not sure that there was much in the way of fully-consensual sex in this book. Yeah, they all say “it felt good so of course I wanted it” after the fact…but I’m not sure that is enough for me.
Do I think this book is worth reading? Yeah, probably. Just you need to know what you are getting yourself into before you start. Especially when you are triggered by things like suicide and rather frank depictions of depression.
3.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
September 19, 2018
Messed up
I’ve read several T.T. Kove books. They’re all a bit on the serious side. Nobody has a superficial issue, that’s for sure. I enjoyed most of the book. I had my own issues with the proposed solution Jeremy and Dion come up with to deal with the Chad situation. This is book 1 of their story. “Tangled” continues the story. 3.25 for Harriet.
I’ve read several T.T. Kove books. They’re all a bit on the serious side. Nobody has a superficial issue, that’s for sure. I enjoyed most of the book. I had my own issues with the proposed solution Jeremy and Dion come up with to deal with the Chad situation. This is book 1 of their story. “Tangled” continues the story. 3.25 for Harriet.
October 9, 2016
TT Kove always has me in tears. I cried big ugly tears for both Chad and his best friend, Wynn, the pain and loss they both went through was almost unbearable. While I liked Dion I absolutely loved Jeremy, it takes a really amazing man to do what he did. Just like with all the books I've read by this author the thoughts repeating in my head while reading is ' just because you can have kids doesn't mean you should' and 'having a baby doesn't make you a parent'. This book kinda ended up in the air, not a cliffhanger exactly but not a conclusion, and I can't wait for the next one. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 4, 2017
3.5* it was a hard read I'm not a fan of drugs or cheating but it was about so much more.
February 18, 2017
The writing style was good but the storyline was unbelievable in most places, especially when exploring Jeremy's feelings about the situation he finds himself in (he was the only likeable character, Dion was selfish and Chad was just irritating!) I wouldn't read any others by this author.
November 12, 2016
Totally FUBAR.... dnf at 37%.... cannot stand to read another sentence of this train wreck.
March 27, 2025
Very heavy read.
Lots of drug use, mentions of suicide, overdose, addiction and suicide. I definitely should have listened to the TW.
I only rated this 3 stars because the formatting made it difficult to read. The author using ‘ instead of “ when characters are speaking and without putting them in their own paragraphs had me having to double back to figure out who said what when since it didn’t stand out enough.
Several grammatical and spelling errors threw off the flow of the book and drove me to almost put it down.
The first ending barely qualifies as a HFN, maybe just okay for now. There is no discussion where the MMC realizes the things he experienced that he thinks are fine were actually major traumas. You never see him make up with his bestfriend(I’m assuming this happens in Wynn’s book or before it though) or make amends with Angelina’s son.
All in all, I’m glad I finished this book but I don’t think I will be continuing this series.
Lots of drug use, mentions of suicide, overdose, addiction and suicide. I definitely should have listened to the TW.
I only rated this 3 stars because the formatting made it difficult to read. The author using ‘ instead of “ when characters are speaking and without putting them in their own paragraphs had me having to double back to figure out who said what when since it didn’t stand out enough.
Several grammatical and spelling errors threw off the flow of the book and drove me to almost put it down.
The first ending barely qualifies as a HFN, maybe just okay for now. There is no discussion where the MMC realizes the things he experienced that he thinks are fine were actually major traumas. You never see him make up with his bestfriend(I’m assuming this happens in Wynn’s book or before it though) or make amends with Angelina’s son.
All in all, I’m glad I finished this book but I don’t think I will be continuing this series.
May 15, 2019
Broken
Well, I just finished reading this book and I don't quite know how I feel about it... it seems I should've liked it more. I feel bad that I already know I won't be reading this again.
It's a long, hard, complicated story, that's for sure. It's kinda slow burn as well, in a way. It also touches all sorts of hard topics like cheating, metal illnesses, drugs, abuse... It's a lot of things, all good and relatable. What I feel is not is a love story.
I couldn't feel any love between these 3 men, not even by the end. Not even between the two men who already were in a long, committed relationship prior to meeting their third soul... and yet it might be the more realistic MMM story I've ever read.
No matter.
Keep reading 📖
Well, I just finished reading this book and I don't quite know how I feel about it... it seems I should've liked it more. I feel bad that I already know I won't be reading this again.
It's a long, hard, complicated story, that's for sure. It's kinda slow burn as well, in a way. It also touches all sorts of hard topics like cheating, metal illnesses, drugs, abuse... It's a lot of things, all good and relatable. What I feel is not is a love story.
I couldn't feel any love between these 3 men, not even by the end. Not even between the two men who already were in a long, committed relationship prior to meeting their third soul... and yet it might be the more realistic MMM story I've ever read.
No matter.
Keep reading 📖
February 14, 2017
This is a very powerful read. Three men whose lives become woven into an unlikely relationship. Dion is Chad's teacher. He knows there is something wrong but had no clue what it is not how to help. He cares very deeply for Chad. Chad has had a rough life. Riddled with so much pain, he clings to the only person who seems to care. Jeremy is Dion's boyfriend. His love for Dion and his concern for Chad lead to the three learning to be there for each other. What a great start to a series.
March 6, 2017
If you read the blurb as it currently stands, you've basically read the book. There really isn't much more to it. A week after reading it, I can remember the events, but barely recall the characters' names. It all feels so fuzzy.
Chad is bipolar. This is not a spoiler; it should be obvious from chapter one. He has an episode and screws his teacher Dion, who doesn't say no but doesn't say yes. Chad proceeds to have episodes while going between his friend's house (whom he also has sex with) and school. Mentally things deteriorate. Etc. Etc.
I was sort of annoyed reading this book, because it wasn't about what the blurb says it was. I mean, yes, the book followed the blurb to the T, but it wasn't about three men building a life together or Chad dealing with his mental state. It was about Chad *finding out* about his mental state. The moving-in bit was the epilogue. The book was not a three-way romance in any way, shape, or form; it was three individual relationships. (Sort of. The Jeremy/Chad bit was more than slightly rapey both ways.)
I read this book halfway thinking more would happen, and halfway just because I wanted to know what drama would happen next. I mean, I liked the writing, I found the characters interesting and engaging. The setting was awesome. Wynn was my favorite, totally, him and his sarcasm.
This just feels incomplete and disjointed. I might read the next part just to see what happens, but really, it should have been part of this book.
Chad is bipolar. This is not a spoiler; it should be obvious from chapter one. He has an episode and screws his teacher Dion, who doesn't say no but doesn't say yes. Chad proceeds to have episodes while going between his friend's house (whom he also has sex with) and school. Mentally things deteriorate. Etc. Etc.
I was sort of annoyed reading this book, because it wasn't about what the blurb says it was. I mean, yes, the book followed the blurb to the T, but it wasn't about three men building a life together or Chad dealing with his mental state. It was about Chad *finding out* about his mental state. The moving-in bit was the epilogue. The book was not a three-way romance in any way, shape, or form; it was three individual relationships. (Sort of. The Jeremy/Chad bit was more than slightly rapey both ways.)
I read this book halfway thinking more would happen, and halfway just because I wanted to know what drama would happen next. I mean, I liked the writing, I found the characters interesting and engaging. The setting was awesome. Wynn was my favorite, totally, him and his sarcasm.
This just feels incomplete and disjointed. I might read the next part just to see what happens, but really, it should have been part of this book.
February 6, 2017
Bipolar Disorder is very complex mental illness that is not often spoken about but it exists. This story accurately portrays the symptoms from the person's POV with how they feel and think which makes it very confusing, but that how it is in a person's mind through the research conducted. Chad is suffering this disorder, but he is not aware of it nor the people around him. They just assume he is on drugs, which he does take that only worsen the symptoms. Chad in a mania episodes jumps his professor, Dion, into an act of intimacy, and his Professor is in a relationship. Later after quitting school and satisfying his libido with his friend Wynn he goes home to his abusive father and beaten to an inch of his life. Not sure where to go he heads to Dion's place where he meets Jeremy, Dion's boyfriend. Jeremy knows who Chad is but cannot turn him away, he care for him and starts to feel protective of Chad. Dion and Jeremy are pulled into Chad's life when Chad is sent to hospital right after he witness's Wynn's boyfriend dead in a tub, the boyfriend having suicidal thoughts. Chad's aunt makes everyone aware of Chad's disorder and helps everyone become aware of it. Chad jumps on Jeremy in bed in the book. And while Chad is becoming stable on medication, its Jeremy who brings up a triad with him, Chad and Dion.
August 12, 2016
I am loving this series of broken men.
This again is a dark book dealing with bi polar. I think the three Mcs are brilliant together. There is much confusion between them while Chad isn't diagnosed. And this is due to how the disease shows itself with him. Throughout the book you just want to mother, love and nurture him.
Dion shows his caring side throughout the book with how he trays to help Chad from the start. But first as a teacher and then as a friend and hopefully more.
Jeremy I think felt this situation the hardest due to him not really knowing Chad apart from when he was having episodes. He had to try and find a way to keep Dion and help Chad. He was very conflicted to start but when he began to have feelings for Chad he came up with a solution to try.
I love the writing style of these books. The men are broken but can be helped/fixed by friends and lovers around them. They are written as strong men trying to fight for a place in the world.
I am now waiting with baited breadth for the continuation of this book.
I received this book free for an honest review.
This again is a dark book dealing with bi polar. I think the three Mcs are brilliant together. There is much confusion between them while Chad isn't diagnosed. And this is due to how the disease shows itself with him. Throughout the book you just want to mother, love and nurture him.
Dion shows his caring side throughout the book with how he trays to help Chad from the start. But first as a teacher and then as a friend and hopefully more.
Jeremy I think felt this situation the hardest due to him not really knowing Chad apart from when he was having episodes. He had to try and find a way to keep Dion and help Chad. He was very conflicted to start but when he began to have feelings for Chad he came up with a solution to try.
I love the writing style of these books. The men are broken but can be helped/fixed by friends and lovers around them. They are written as strong men trying to fight for a place in the world.
I am now waiting with baited breadth for the continuation of this book.
I received this book free for an honest review.
September 7, 2016
I loved the story about Chad but I never really felt the love or affection between Chad and Dion. I didn't like how Dion could tell Jeremy that he loves Chad but couldn't come out and tell Chad himself. Jeremy was an overall awesome character and I loved how kind hearted he was toward Chad even though he didn't have to be. Throughout the story we switch between Chad and Jeremys POV where it's Chads Pov for a 7 chapters and then Jeremys for 7 chapter's. I really like how TT Kove has multiple chapters for one character and switching off that way because I can get bored easily when you're in one person's head and they're just repeating the same thing over and over throughout the whole story. I wish we could've gotten into Dion's head so we could know what he was thinking at times. Hopefully we get his pov in book 2.
Most of the story was a little on the depressing side so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who gets sad from books easily but the overall story for me was really good. 4.5 stars
Most of the story was a little on the depressing side so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who gets sad from books easily but the overall story for me was really good. 4.5 stars
February 4, 2017
This took me much longer to read than most books take me. There wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, other than the mental state/subject matter of the main character. Some of the phrasing/writing felt awkward to me, however, that could be because of the American vs. British English. There were some repeated phrases/thoughts throughout the book, but I think they were more for literary effect than they were accidentally repetitive, showcasing the state of the character's thoughts. I've known some people with similar disorders and/or circumstances and so the story felt all the more real to me, which made me have to take breaks during reading. I enjoyed it even through the feels. I would like to see how they work it out and how the story progresses.
January 30, 2017
This was a moving, and very thought provoking read. Chad is a disturbed individual who has a one time fling with his teacher, Dion. However, Dion has been living with his boyfriend, Jeremy, for two years. Eventually, both Dion and Jeremy begin to care about Chad, and they decide to have Chad move in with them. There's a bit more complexities to the plot line,which pulled me in, and I like the way that the author portrayed bipolar disorder and psychosis. It was nicely written, and handled well. The characters were supportive of Chad, except his father who was a drunken jerk. I did enjoy reading this even through the parts that I found difficult to handle. Excellent read.
February 10, 2017
I'm going to have to think about this...
October 13, 2016
Broken is definitely a heavy read as part of the story is told through Chad's point of view as he experiences the mood swings and delusions brought on by bipolar disorder. Alcoholism and depression also haunt other characters in the story. I am invested in the characters though and want to see how this plays out in the next book. I also would love to read a book about Chad's friend Wynn who is fighting his own demons.
August 12, 2016
This was the first book I've read of this series. I stumbled across it this morning and the others didn't interest me .. This book was ok .. and while I skimmed most of it .. I'm intrigued enough to read the next one when it comes out!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews