Breaking Jess

by H.B. Moore, Heather B. Moore

What do a crooked detective, an upstanding psychiatrist, and a teenager who can’t remember killing her parents all have in common? Nine years of lies.

He hid her away from society so she couldn’t turn him in. But, in the end, he couldn’t hide her forever.



USA Today bestselling author H.B. Moore brings you the psychological suspense novel: BREAKING JESS

More thrillers & suspense novels by H.B. Moore:
Poetic Justice
Finding Sheba
Lost King
Slave Queen
The Killing Curse

About the author:
H.B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author, 6-time Best of State Winner, 4-time Whitney Award Winner, and 3-time Rone Award Winner. She's repped by Dystel, Goderich & Bourett

Genres: Contemporary, Suspense, Fiction, Audiobook, Crime, Thriller

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 2, 2018

About the author

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than seventy publications. She writes historical novels and thrillers under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women's fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt, the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in Utah. Heather is represented by Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.

Please join Heather's email list at: HBMoore.com/contact

Blog: MyWritersLair.blogspot.com

Website: HBMoore.com

Twitter: @heatherbmoore

Instagram: @authorhbmoore

Facebook: Heather B. Moore All About Books

Literary awards: 2019 Maggie Award Winner, 6-time Best of State Recipient for Best in Literary Arts, 4-time Whitney Award Winner, and 2-time Golden Quill Award Winner

Alternate Goodreads Page: Heather B. Moore

Reviews

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review update Nov. 2019--I listened to the audiobook and was still as enthralled as I was when I read it a year ago. The dual narration was excellent.

This is a suspense by Heather B. Moore do I need to say anything else? You do not want to start this book at night because you'll keep reading until you fall asleep (if you can) or until you finish the book. I did not want to stop reading this story. Yes, I say that EVERY TIME, but that's because the author is so good at keeping me engrossed in the story I HAVE TO KNOW what happens!

The chapters are told in alternating viewpoints of Jessica (Jess), a young woman who's been in a facility for the past 9 years for killing her parents, and Logan, the psychiatrist who takes over her care. This is when things get very interesting.

I hate when I can't say much in a review without giving anything away, but this is a great story which will hold your interest. The characters are well written. Logan is a wonderful and caring psychiatrist who only wants the best for his patients, and his receptionist/assistant seems very interesting. I like how the author describes her outfits.

I wasn't happy with the way the characters end up because I love happily ever after endings. I understand why it ended the way it did, but I still wasn't happy. I wish there had been a prologue showing Jessica a few years later. I know she's a fictional character but I want a truly happy ending for her.

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many layers to this compelling and suspenseful story! Jess is now a young adult, having spent the past years since the murders in a metal institution. Her brother gets her a new psychiatrist, which puts into motion the uncovering of secrets and memories of the past. The sense of anxiety and danger is at the surface as the real killer makes moves to prevent Jess from revealing what her mind is finally ready to face. It was fascinating to read the story from the first person perspectives of both Jess and Dr. Mayer. The pace was steady in the beginning, but built momentum as the climax approached through several twists and turns. What stood out to me was that the book didn't end there with a typical wrap-up. I loved that we got to see Jess's recovery and development after such a traumatic life experience and how Dr. Mayer was involved after his professional duties were over. Highly recommend to fans of suspense or thrillers!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

All you suspense fiction fans out there, grab this one and hold on for the ride. It was fast paced, intense and I COULD NOT set it down. I kept telling myself, "I'll just finish this chapter...", then I'd get to the end and think "What?!?!?!?!?! I need to know what happens next!" Then of course I'd continue reading and reading and reading...until my eyes couldn't be forced to stay open any longer and I fell asleep.

There are so many thoughts in my mind right now about this book but in all honesty if I say anything specific I'm afraid I'll give something away. Wowsers! There is a reason that H.B. Moore is a favorite author of mine! I'm hooked every time I pick up a book and I struggle to set it down until the last page. If you've read other reviews of mine for books by this author (under a couple different pen names) then you've heard me rant and rave about how much I love her writing, characters, stories, everything! So forgive me for another review where I've gushed about the same thing again, but I can't help it. It's the truth for me. If you've eyed her books and wanted to pick one up to try, just do it. Any of them are great. I love her suspense/thrillers and I love her historical fictions, her sweet contemporary romances. All of them! Grab them and join me in my fan girling!

Jess was such an intricate character. 9 years of lies surround her. Can she remember just enough to break free? Or will the one who caused the problem keep her trapped forever? There were so many characters in here that I really enjoyed. Some I wasn't sure what their thoughts were until the end and my initial reaction to those characters was they weren't good, but I was pleasantly surprised! You might be as well.

The ending may not be what you expect. At first I was a little frustrated because I was anticipating a certain ending but the further I read and the ending didn't happen the way I thought, the more I thought and processed why. The conclusion that I've come to, I like it! How's that for being frustrating to happy? I definitely recommend this book. Just be warned, if you pick it up, you may not want to put it down. You have been warned, so carve out plenty of time to read, or be very disciplined in being able to set it aside.

Content: I would consider this clean as it doesn't have any explicit sexual content or extremely graphic material. But I can see how some of the suspense/thriller aspects it will not appeal to all readers. It could have some triggers for some readers. A character is in a facility for patients with mental health, and the author does have different characters in the facility with different mental health conditions. There are a couple scenes of violence. Nothing overly graphic. There are a couple scenes where it talks about Jess's parents' murder, again nothing graphic, a small mention of blood. There is a mention of a couple having talked about sex but nothing happens or is on page. Some kissing. A kidnapping and some talk of drugs. A mild curse word was used a handful of times throughout. It is a suspense/thriller book but compared to many books of this genre is very mild.

I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Jaalah (reviewer for Getting Your Read On):
Breaking Jess was such a good read from start to finish. I found myself hanging onto the words in suspense- waiting for the next discovery in this engaging mystery. I thought I knew from the beginning what was going to happen (I’m good at guessing the who-done-it), but when the big climax did roll around, I was completely satisfied to find an ending better than I expected. H. B. Moore did more than just the perfect mystery, however. Readers are also provided with a realistic tale, intriguing and complex characters, and a twist of love that seems tangible and complicated. Through the whole book, I found myself waiting on edge for what was going to happen next to Jess and Logan, and as things began to play out, my poor husband heard every detail. That’s what constitutes a good book when you can’t help but share the story.

Content: mild swearing, some violence, implied sexual situation with no details

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[The Flipped Page (Susan K) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspense, with light clean romance.
This was more of a 3.5 for me as a reader. I loved the first 7/8th of the novel. Suspense, secrets, killer somewhere, and multiple layers of intrigue and characters involved in a killing 10 years in the past. Charles/Charlie, Jessica/Jess and the psychiatrist, his administrative assistant, and the other minor characters were intense, complex, and loved the multiple complexities in the story. Told from alternating points of view, it was interesting to see both Jess' thoughts and feelings and Logan, the psychiatrist, the story development was fast paced, and had some great plot twists. I just wanted a bit more from the ending, and won't give it away, but wanted more from Jess to see her come to her conclusion she did at the end. Maybe more from both of them at the end to see why and how they felt about how things turned out? Still a really intense and intriguing read. H.B. M has a way with telling a story that is always a great read.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hard for me to rate... It was fascinating and kept me totally interested from start to finish. Jess' life in the mental institution and her courage to keep trying to get better and find answers against all the odds made it easy to cheer for her. And Logan, the brave doctor who championed her and helped her fight an impossible battle - Wow! Very likable hero and heroine, with a very hatable sociopath villain. I understand why it ended the way it did, but I wasn't crazy about it. I'm hoping there is at least one follow-up novel to this one...

Source: Kindle Unlimited

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breaking Jess is a non-stop thrill ride! I almost read this book in one sitting, but I had to get up early the next day, so I had to stop. Even then I had a hard time putting it down. The characters are gripping and the scenes keep you at the edge of your seat. I was constantly guessing what would happen next. I kept reading and reading, worrying if it everything will work out in the end. The author does a great job of keeping a steady pace throughout the book. And oh boy, the bad guy was bad! Every time this person was on the page I cringed.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Logan's new psychiatric patient Charles asks Logan to take over his sister's psychiatric care, it blows open a murder case that was long considered solved. Nine years ago, Jessica Harper was accused of killing her parents--and she has no recollection of the event. When Logan goes to meet Jessica at the mental institution she has been stuck in for the past nine years, he quickly realizes that things might not be as they seem. Jessica has secretly started weaning herself off the medication she is forced to take, and she starts to remember things--things that make her realize she wasn't the only one at her house on the night her parents were murdered.

Wow! This was a thrilling read, with a very interesting plot and intriguing twists. I love seeing stories of people growing and becoming stronger, so I really enjoyed seeing that happen for Jessica. Clear out a few hours to read this one straight through if you can, because once you start, you won't want to put it down.

I read an ARC from the author. All opinions are my own.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating intense story about a woman wrongfully accused of the murder of her parents. A different genre from the author's typical romance and boy was it good. Very well written, fast paced with wonderful characters and a captivating story. I didn't know how it was going to end but really enjoyed the whole story.

[Lucinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took a star off because of the ending. Very engrossing.

[Taylor Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was unputdownable. It had everything I love in a book; mystery and romance.

[Donna Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I really enjoyed this story! I loved all the mystery and suspense. There were great characters that kept me sucked into the story. I found that I couldn't put it down.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Endings Not What You Want

Breaking Jess is a story of a girl who's incarcerated in a mental hospital for the murder of her parents. For the past 9 yrs she has had no memory of that ill fated night. Her brother who is also her guardian gets her a new psychologist. As he suddenly has been getting blackouts as well and is being treated by this same Dr. While Logan the Psychologist starts to treat both the brother and sister things start to get crazy and the mysteries start to unravel. Like a can of worms Jess's mind starts revealing bits and pieces or are those hallucinations and her brother is having his own out of the ordinary outburts. Though most of the twists of the story-line are predictable it still manages to keep you on tenterhooks for the next move. It's gripping and had me vested till the end.

Jess is intelligent and you feel for her character. You get both Jess and Logan's POV. Mental health and trauma are pretty well depicted and channeled in the plot. The ending was definitely not what I expected or wanted the path it took. But I guess the Author wanted it ethical and proper. So that was a bit disappointing. However all in all this is an engrossing and neatly tied up thriller. 

[Emily White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know that this book is generally classified as a thriller, but it read more like women's fiction to me. I loved the character development and the plot in general and the ending was definitely unexpected.
I have to agree with a few of the other reviewers though, who thought the ending left something to be desired and there were a few loose ends that I felt didn't quite get tied up, but it was truly an enjoyable read.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ARC that hadn't been through proofing yet with a note to forward any errors I might find. I'm a total grammar nerd but if there were any errors, I didn't notice because I got so caught up in the story that I had to keep reading the next page... And the next... Until I finished at 3:30 a.m. note to self - do NOT start reading a thriller by H. B. Moore after 4 p.m.
I don't want to give any spoilers, but this is about a girl who's incarcerated in a mental hospital because she doesn't remember anything from the night she killed her parents. It's also about her creepy older brother, the psychologist who ends up treating them both and his ex-girlfriend - a detective who doesn't mind breaking rules to solve a case.
I literally could not put this down, my husband had to take over cooking dinner because I was reading while I worked.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! I couldn’t put it down! Thanks!!!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fast paced and intense story. The characters were so well written and real, I know this is a story that will stay with me for a long time. The journey Jess goes through is very moving and emotional.

[Kim BookJunkie ~ Editor & Proofreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first 99% of this, but I was extremely disappointed by the ending. Huge letdown.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thriller from beginning to end. Jessica has lived in a psychiatric facility for the last 9 years. She was thought to have killed her parents. Her brother Charles is her guardian and comes to visit her once a week. Charles starts to blackout and seeks out a psychiatrist to talk with. Then he asks this same psychiatrist, Dr. Logan Mayer, to take over his sisters treatments in the facility. Jessica meets with Dr. Mayer and he sees things that don't add up. Enter in Logan's ex-girlfriend Gwen, who is a police detective and has decided to open up a cold case. Jessica's case. Working together they are able to solve the case but things get crazy along the way. This is a gritty tale. My only issue was the ending. I understand why it needed to happen but I really wanted it to end a different way. But it is a very well written book and kept me engaged the whole time.

[Lorieah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pretty much devour anything I get from H.B. Moore. I don't want to spoil anything, so all I'll say is that I DO wish this had ended differently, but it kept me hooked right from the first page until I was done.

I received an advance copy and this is my honest opinion.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breaking Jess is a wonderful psychological thriller. The main character has to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds in order to reclaim her independence, her memory, and her life. Fantastic story.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this listening to this book. It was very hard to put down. I could relate to Jess because I know what it feels like to be accused of a serious crime and not done what you were accused of. But to have you a family member turn on you who you trusted that would be so hard. This book won’t disappoint! If you love psychological thrillers then you will enjoy this! It has romance in it as well. I do wish it had ended differently but they all can’t be HEA’s. But it’s pretty close.

{I received ac audible copy in return for my honest opinion!}

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing writing! I was totally engrossed. There is so much that pulls on the emotions. I felt so invested in Jess and her story. An excellent suspense story.
Thanks for letting me read this one.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased the ebook version of this and have had it on my shelves for a while, but the author provided me a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. This is narrated by Steve West and Karissa Vacker who do an outstanding job narrating as Logan and Jess.

The thriller part of the story is pretty good, I didn't want to stop listening as it unfolded but I could have done without the romance. It was completely unnecessary in my opinion, and the end dragged a bit for me as the "thriller" was over and we switch over to mainly romance. I really enjoyed the medical/psychological thriller part of the book and would have prefered that it just end there, but that's just my opinion. There will be plenty of others that enjoy the romantic element to the story. As for the romance, I'm pretty happy with the way that ended up given the circumstances. I also really liked the way Jess developed from beginning to end. The ending really showed her character development and how far she's come as a person and how much she's overcome her ordeal.

On to the story itself, this follows Logan a psychiatrist who begins treating Charles for blackouts. Charles asks Logan to also begin treating his sister Jessica, who has been in a phyiciatric facility for the last 9 years for killing their parents. Jessica doesn't remember committing the crime and Charles has been her guardian, which may or may not be contributing to his blackouts as he seems pretty stressed out by overseeing Jessica's care. As Logan gets to know the brother and sister, he notices that something is not right between the two of them. At the same time his former flame Gwen happens to be looking into the case as some of the details just don't check out. Gwen doesn't do everything according to the book, which is why things didn't work out with Logan, however her unconventional ways have them looking into details of the case that might have been missed. This gets Logan asking Jessica questions about her memories which are coming back as she has decided to stop taking her meds and take back some control in her life. Her super controlling brother isn't very happy, and his own mental state begins to spiral out of control. As Logan and Jessica spend more time together and go through some traumatic events, something more than just a doctor patient relationship begins to develop between them. You have to actually read the book to find out what happens because I won't spoil it for you.

I really enjoyed the broad cast of characters and watching them develop as the story unfolds. If you've ever read H.B Moore's books before you will know that they are fairly clean with respect to violence, language and sexual situations. Things will be implied or mildly explained, but nothing graphic.

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Heather B. Moore's clean romances for years and since I have been on a suspense kick I decided to see how her other genres measure up. Let me tell you I was not disappointed!

I felt a mix of emotions as I was reading this novel: angry, heartbroken, and sickened at everything poor Jess had to endure, the entire ordeal unimaginable. I couldn't finish the novel quick enough, praying that the truth be made known and that justice would be served. The writing is perfection, the reader instantly pulled into the story, every page magnetic, pulling you deeper into this sad and twisted plot.

Though much of the twists and story line are predictable you become so vested in the story that you must find out what happens. I will say that the ending wasn't what I was expecting but I loved it nonetheless. I want so much to go into more detail but I do not believe in spoilers. All I can say is that Breaking Jess is a gripping story that captured my imagination and was a joy to read!

[Rachael Dorronsoro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book, it had some twists and turns and it really kept me flipping the pages late into the night.

Jess has been in the psychiatric ward for the last nine years, she was admitted for killing her parents, when she was 15. Her brother Charles comes to visit her every Tuesday, Jess doesn’t like his visits and doesn’t like the control he has over her. When Charles starts to have blackouts he goes to see a Psychiatrist, Doctor Logan Mayer. Charles asks Doctor Mayer to also see his sister.

Doctor Logan Mayer starts to see both siblings. He really wants to help Jess and before he knows it he is crossing lines he didn’t think he ever would. He is trying to find the truth and doesn’t know what to believe. This was definitely a story I couldn’t put down and I loved not knowing till the end what really happened.

[Janene · Rating 5 out of 5]

An emotional roller coaster ride

What I enjoyed and found interesting:

• This read was an emotional roller coaster for me. I really connected with Logan and Jess.
• There were twists and turns in this book that kept me guessing. I would come up with one theory about who was good and who was bad. Then my theory would be shot down.
• There was lots of suspense and some action.
• I liked that this story was told through the alternating views of Logan and Jess.
• The descriptions of locations and emotions were well done, easy to visualize, and to feel. I felt a part of the scenes.
• The author presented a well-crafted enjoyable story. It kept my interest from the beginning until the end.
• This was a clean read.

If you enjoy romantic suspense with characters you can connect with, you'll like reading this one.

[Louise Pledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I found myself walking around the house with a Kindle in my hand because I simply could not put the story down, even for a few minutes! And that's what happened with "Breaking Jess"! In fact, I did NOT put it down until I was done. I liked the way the story was told from two angles: Jess, the psychiatric patient and Logan, her doctor. One's emotions become involved in a big way, anywhere from sorrowful to angry. I admit I did have trouble going to sleep after reading it. It seemed more "scary" after the fact than when I was actually reading.

How I love everything that H.B. Moore writes, even though I have a hard time keeping up with her prolific authoring!

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had my doubts as to whether I would enjoy this book but having read books by this author before I was tempted to give it a try... I. Loved. It! It had so much depth to it and I really enjoyed that the audible version has two narrators. The story really pulled me in and engaged my emotions. It ended quite differently to how I had started to imagine it and yet I was entirely satisfied. This is a great read. Whilst addressing some deep issues - the whole premise of the book is in connection to a young woman in a psychiatric facility in relation to the murder of both her parents - it is not gory or depressing to the reader. It doesn’t shy away from the cause and effects but the book remains clean and intriguing throughout.
I can definitely recommend this book.

[M R · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wild ride with so many twists and turns that had me holding on tight. Couldn't stop reading until I'd finished it! Jess is locked up for a crime she can't remember committing, but as she starts to regain her memories with sheer determination and the aid of her handsome psychologist the dangers escalate. The characters were all amazing, even the creepy ones! I could picture this being a real news story. It sent tingles down my spine, especially the courtroom scene toward the end. Oh, and I loved how it ended. It was bittersweet but so realistic and necessary.

Highly recommend for fans of psychological thrillers and mind games.