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Brothers in Law #3
Building on Broken Dreams
From award-winning writer and bestselling author Lyndell Williams, a steamy romance that tests the boundaries of faith and yearning.
If Maryam Avery stays in New York for one more day, she will die.
Trapped in an abusive relationship with the manipulative and cruel Raad, she can feel her life closing in around her. After he chases her from her home and family, Maryam flees to Philadelphia, searching desperately for a new beginning, something to help rebuild her spiritually and physically.
When she meets the mysterious Adam, things are thrown off-kilter. A successful businessperson with his own past that he is fleeing from, he is everything that Maryam wants. But can she trust another man?
Doubt gives way to desire. They find themselves in a whirlwind romance, and for once, it seems like everything will work out.
Until Raad turns up.
HEA
No Cliffhangers
"Lyndell William’s romances open readers to diverse cultures, passion and deep emotions, making them root for love to prevail." Katara Johnson, Katara’s Cafe
Warning: This book contains strong language, sex scenes and elements of violence, racism, and sexual abuse.
If Maryam Avery stays in New York for one more day, she will die.
Trapped in an abusive relationship with the manipulative and cruel Raad, she can feel her life closing in around her. After he chases her from her home and family, Maryam flees to Philadelphia, searching desperately for a new beginning, something to help rebuild her spiritually and physically.
When she meets the mysterious Adam, things are thrown off-kilter. A successful businessperson with his own past that he is fleeing from, he is everything that Maryam wants. But can she trust another man?
Doubt gives way to desire. They find themselves in a whirlwind romance, and for once, it seems like everything will work out.
Until Raad turns up.
HEA
No Cliffhangers
"Lyndell William’s romances open readers to diverse cultures, passion and deep emotions, making them root for love to prevail." Katara Johnson, Katara’s Cafe
Warning: This book contains strong language, sex scenes and elements of violence, racism, and sexual abuse.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 14, 2020
51 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Lyndell Williams
17 books219 followers
Lyndell Williams is a USA Today Bestselling author. She is a cultural critic with a background in literary criticism specializing in romance. She is an editor, writing coach, and mentor. She has been published in peer-reviewed journals and writes for multiple online publications.
2021 recipient Fofky's Reader's Choice Award
2017 recipient Consuela Francis Award
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"Lyndell William’s romances open readers to diverse cultures, passion, and deep emotions, making them root for love to prevail." Katara Johnson, Katara’s Cafe
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 26, 2020
4.5 Stars
I'm really enjoying taking a peek inside a Muslim (interracial) marriage. This story has heart, humor and heat.
Highly Recommended: Read It!
I'm really enjoying taking a peek inside a Muslim (interracial) marriage. This story has heart, humor and heat.
Highly Recommended: Read It!
February 4, 2021
Happy endings give serotonin boosts!
Enjoyable romance novels with happy endings increases serotonin. It’s backed by science. (I did the experiment on myself!)
What more can I say that I haven’t said about how much I enjoy Lyndell William’s romances? There’s a special sweetness that they have, especially when featuring Muslim characters.
Though Building on Broken Dreams is part of the Brothers in Law series, it can be read as a standalone just as the previous books. If you’ve read the other Brothers in Law books though, you know that Adam was often the wild child of the group. So reading Adam’s story was guaranteed to be interesting. By the time we get to him, he’s calmed down considerably and is a practicing Muslim.
A big part of the reason why I enjoy William’s romance novels with Muslim characters is because she doesn’t try to make them seem like self righteous perfect Muslims nor do they show up as resentful of their religion. The things they do and their struggles are realistic. In Building on Broken Dreams in particular, the heroine Maryam is trying to start over from an abusive relationship in a new place. On the other hand Adam, the hero is still a fairly new Muslim who has also started over in a new place.
Not only are they both running from a past but problems arise too once they’re together. Also the flirting they do before they even get married is very cute! I especially noted it because the way Williams describes their flirting has Islamic undertones such as one moment when they both drink from the same cup, the same way the prophet Muhammad did with his spouses. It’s not a whole bunch of stiff movements with averting of eyes for fear of not lowering their gaze (which when done right can be amusing but it’s refreshing to get outright flirting too). Their flirting is realistic in that they’re definitely trying to be cognizant of not sinning but the sexual tension and mutual attraction is so obvious.
There’s so much juiciness and real life packed into this from touching on an interracial Muslim relationship, to abuse, and micro aggressions from non-Muslim family members and Muslim community members alike. There’s also love (obviously) but I think this is another time that Williams has proven that as skilled as she is at writing romance, she’s also immensely skilled at writing about loving platonic and familial relationships. Williams’ authorship of love extends far beyond sexual attraction and I think that’s something that really makes Building on Broken Dreams shine.
Plus I admit, I’ve read/gone through this book multiple times for simple joy and escapism. I usually don’t re-read because there’s so much to read for the first time but the fact that this book simply brings me joy from Maryam and Adam’s cuteness should tell you a lot of something!
Enjoyable romance novels with happy endings increases serotonin. It’s backed by science. (I did the experiment on myself!)
What more can I say that I haven’t said about how much I enjoy Lyndell William’s romances? There’s a special sweetness that they have, especially when featuring Muslim characters.
Though Building on Broken Dreams is part of the Brothers in Law series, it can be read as a standalone just as the previous books. If you’ve read the other Brothers in Law books though, you know that Adam was often the wild child of the group. So reading Adam’s story was guaranteed to be interesting. By the time we get to him, he’s calmed down considerably and is a practicing Muslim.
A big part of the reason why I enjoy William’s romance novels with Muslim characters is because she doesn’t try to make them seem like self righteous perfect Muslims nor do they show up as resentful of their religion. The things they do and their struggles are realistic. In Building on Broken Dreams in particular, the heroine Maryam is trying to start over from an abusive relationship in a new place. On the other hand Adam, the hero is still a fairly new Muslim who has also started over in a new place.
Not only are they both running from a past but problems arise too once they’re together. Also the flirting they do before they even get married is very cute! I especially noted it because the way Williams describes their flirting has Islamic undertones such as one moment when they both drink from the same cup, the same way the prophet Muhammad did with his spouses. It’s not a whole bunch of stiff movements with averting of eyes for fear of not lowering their gaze (which when done right can be amusing but it’s refreshing to get outright flirting too). Their flirting is realistic in that they’re definitely trying to be cognizant of not sinning but the sexual tension and mutual attraction is so obvious.
There’s so much juiciness and real life packed into this from touching on an interracial Muslim relationship, to abuse, and micro aggressions from non-Muslim family members and Muslim community members alike. There’s also love (obviously) but I think this is another time that Williams has proven that as skilled as she is at writing romance, she’s also immensely skilled at writing about loving platonic and familial relationships. Williams’ authorship of love extends far beyond sexual attraction and I think that’s something that really makes Building on Broken Dreams shine.
Plus I admit, I’ve read/gone through this book multiple times for simple joy and escapism. I usually don’t re-read because there’s so much to read for the first time but the fact that this book simply brings me joy from Maryam and Adam’s cuteness should tell you a lot of something!
November 8, 2020
The new Adam is less reckless more self aware
I have read all three stories presented in the Brothers in Law series from this new author presented to me this year. I find that overall I really like the stories. It has more to do with the fact that she is giving me real life couples with each new installment. The world we live in is not one skin color or one race or even one religion.
With this installment we follow Adam and his ckurtship and marriage to Maryam. I very much liked the reformed Adam, but missed his life to the reform. I thought with the prologue that was the beginning of seeing his life, but was not. We we get in the story time has pasted and we are more focused in the life of the woman he has selected to marry.
Maryam was different and strong. She was apart of and not apart of her Muslim community. She felt on the outside even with being raised within the community. There was blantend racisim within the communty that was suppose to be beyond that and all about Allah. I hurt for her and her journey to finding someone to love her.
I have to say this is book three of the series. I am still getting grammar errors and word reversal or incorrect word usage. I was expecting more.
I have read all three stories presented in the Brothers in Law series from this new author presented to me this year. I find that overall I really like the stories. It has more to do with the fact that she is giving me real life couples with each new installment. The world we live in is not one skin color or one race or even one religion.
With this installment we follow Adam and his ckurtship and marriage to Maryam. I very much liked the reformed Adam, but missed his life to the reform. I thought with the prologue that was the beginning of seeing his life, but was not. We we get in the story time has pasted and we are more focused in the life of the woman he has selected to marry.
Maryam was different and strong. She was apart of and not apart of her Muslim community. She felt on the outside even with being raised within the community. There was blantend racisim within the communty that was suppose to be beyond that and all about Allah. I hurt for her and her journey to finding someone to love her.
I have to say this is book three of the series. I am still getting grammar errors and word reversal or incorrect word usage. I was expecting more.
August 8, 2021
Title: Building on Broken Dreams
Author: Lyndell Williams
Publisher: L.W.
Series: Brother in Law Book 3
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Building on Broken Dreams" by Lyndell Williams
My Opinion:
'Building on Broken Dreams' was an excellent Muslim story that featured Maryam & Adam's in this thrilling story. It was so well-written how these two came together with all they had to go through to get to happiness. I enjoyed seeing how Adam pursued Maryam after their first meeting of meeting her. We find Maryam had problems because she was a black American, and Adams also had issues trying to get out of bad situations; however, they both were Muslims. The author did a good job telling this interracial relationship that was quite an emotional, complex, and dramatic journey with twists and turned all over the place. Be ready for an intense love story that will keep you turning the pages to see what was coming next for these two people. Also, I enjoyed seeing many secondary characters from the first two series[Brothers in Law series], Marcus, Simon, Quinn, Brandon, and Faisal, who brought a certain amount of excitement into the story. By the end, it was so good seeing Maryam getting a HEA with Adam being there right by her side.
Author: Lyndell Williams
Publisher: L.W.
Series: Brother in Law Book 3
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Building on Broken Dreams" by Lyndell Williams
My Opinion:
'Building on Broken Dreams' was an excellent Muslim story that featured Maryam & Adam's in this thrilling story. It was so well-written how these two came together with all they had to go through to get to happiness. I enjoyed seeing how Adam pursued Maryam after their first meeting of meeting her. We find Maryam had problems because she was a black American, and Adams also had issues trying to get out of bad situations; however, they both were Muslims. The author did a good job telling this interracial relationship that was quite an emotional, complex, and dramatic journey with twists and turned all over the place. Be ready for an intense love story that will keep you turning the pages to see what was coming next for these two people. Also, I enjoyed seeing many secondary characters from the first two series[Brothers in Law series], Marcus, Simon, Quinn, Brandon, and Faisal, who brought a certain amount of excitement into the story. By the end, it was so good seeing Maryam getting a HEA with Adam being there right by her side.
November 28, 2020
Maryam and Adam had both made their fair share of mistakes prior to meeting each other. Putting all doubts aside they embark on a new life together leaving the past where it belongs. Unfortunately, not everyone in their lives is willing to let them live a drama free life.
Maryam’s baggage of self-doubt and an ex that is so conflicted with his feelings for her that it borders on psychotic gave this story mystery and suspense. However, it is Adam’s background that has me drawn in. Privileged law school grad, that didn’t live up to his parents expectations, but followed his own path that led him to Maryam.
Be warned, there are scenes of violence that may be a trigger for some people. Although graphic, these scenes are necessary to show he state of mind of someone who could be so cruel.
This book has very nice character development and decent dialogue and deals with a community of people that are often misunderstood. The story is good, but I don’t want to give too much of it away.
This is my first book by the author, but I look forward to reading more by her.
Maryam’s baggage of self-doubt and an ex that is so conflicted with his feelings for her that it borders on psychotic gave this story mystery and suspense. However, it is Adam’s background that has me drawn in. Privileged law school grad, that didn’t live up to his parents expectations, but followed his own path that led him to Maryam.
Be warned, there are scenes of violence that may be a trigger for some people. Although graphic, these scenes are necessary to show he state of mind of someone who could be so cruel.
This book has very nice character development and decent dialogue and deals with a community of people that are often misunderstood. The story is good, but I don’t want to give too much of it away.
This is my first book by the author, but I look forward to reading more by her.
November 28, 2020
I received a free ARC from Hidden Gems for the promise of an honest review on Amazon.
Maryam and Adam's story was good. Was raising in the Islamic religion and she always felt like she did not belong because she was a dark skin black woman. She thought she was being courtes by Raad but his intentions were not honorable. Raad ends up chasing Maryam out of New York. She fled to Philadelphia where her aunt and uncle live. She meets Adam who has converted to Islam. They are drawn to each other but because of Maryam's past Adam has to work for her trust and affection. Maryam's past does come back to hunt her and Adam.
The story was good and flowed well. The author does touch on racial issues as Maryam is black and Adam is white. This is an interracial romance. The author does touch on family acceptance because Adam's family hasn't fully accepted him as Muslim when he was raise Catholic.
Maryam and Adam's story was good. Was raising in the Islamic religion and she always felt like she did not belong because she was a dark skin black woman. She thought she was being courtes by Raad but his intentions were not honorable. Raad ends up chasing Maryam out of New York. She fled to Philadelphia where her aunt and uncle live. She meets Adam who has converted to Islam. They are drawn to each other but because of Maryam's past Adam has to work for her trust and affection. Maryam's past does come back to hunt her and Adam.
The story was good and flowed well. The author does touch on racial issues as Maryam is black and Adam is white. This is an interracial romance. The author does touch on family acceptance because Adam's family hasn't fully accepted him as Muslim when he was raise Catholic.
November 30, 2020
This was a really interesting read for me as I’ve not read any other romance with this religion so it was refreshing in that way seeing other cultures. This does contain some scenes that might be triggering to some others so if you have issues with that then this book isn’t great for you. I felt this story takes you pretty deep to give you the understanding you need and to see why the characters are the way they are so I was drawn in early on in this book. It’s the first I’ve read from this author and I really enjoyed it and loved learning about Maryam and Adam’s story. I read this book as an ARC.
November 27, 2020
Wow, I love Adam and Maryam’s story. It really opened up my eyes to a lot of things I never new about the Muslim religion, relationships and community settings. It really was an emotional journey and plenty of laughter. I truly enjoyed their story especially since they both seem to have escaped into each other. Where they were able to find peace, strength, love and happiness as one. Above all I loved the journey they both were on to finding themselves amidst their past turmoil to lead them into a bright future.
October 27, 2020
Beautiful
I really enjoyed Adam and Mary’s story. Just like with the first two books and the intro to the Brothers-in-law it not only introduces you to a realistic couple but also many views that are taboo to talk about. I can’t wait to see which brother’s story is next in line. I will defiantly be reading these stories to the end. I just hope it’s not to long before the next one is released. The joys of reading.
I really enjoyed Adam and Mary’s story. Just like with the first two books and the intro to the Brothers-in-law it not only introduces you to a realistic couple but also many views that are taboo to talk about. I can’t wait to see which brother’s story is next in line. I will defiantly be reading these stories to the end. I just hope it’s not to long before the next one is released. The joys of reading.
February 28, 2023
1.0⭐️ DNF—Realized VERY early into reading this book, that it is not my cup of tea at this time. It became a bit tedious looking up and trying to grasp and understand some of the tenets of the Quran, and the teachings and beliefs of Islam as talked about by the major muslim characters in the book. From what I’ve read so far, I would have to assign a low rating. I understand that other readers may disagree. (BWWM-Muslim)
October 17, 2020
Enjoyable read
I really enjoyed this book. The character builds keep flowing dynamically. The storyline kept my attention throughout the entire book. By the time I got to the end of the book I almost hoped for more.
I really enjoyed this book. The character builds keep flowing dynamically. The storyline kept my attention throughout the entire book. By the time I got to the end of the book I almost hoped for more.
October 18, 2020
Wow!!!! Loving this series
Maryam & Adam’s story was so intense!!! I couldn’t stop reading. Every chapter had me on the edge of my seat yearning for more. Maryam went through so much to get to her HEA and Adam was the perfect man to show her the love she deserved. What a read.
Maryam & Adam’s story was so intense!!! I couldn’t stop reading. Every chapter had me on the edge of my seat yearning for more. Maryam went through so much to get to her HEA and Adam was the perfect man to show her the love she deserved. What a read.
January 12, 2021
PRETTY LAME
January 7, 2021
Good story
This was a good read. I was not pleased with the amount of and the deep description of sex that was protraded in the story. With that being said it was an interesting story.
This was a good read. I was not pleased with the amount of and the deep description of sex that was protraded in the story. With that being said it was an interesting story.
April 22, 2021
I've not read any of the "Brothers in Law" stories. Adam's story is my first. I'm happy to have started here because of Maryam. Maryam's experiences as a Black woman and especially as a Black Muslim woman. She doesn't have it easy and the insight into experiences as a Black woman and the burden she bears as a Black woman of Muslim faith within the "community" is disheartening. You feel for her and the burden she carries and the hardship she endures. You also get a moment of insight into what her children will endure as biracial children.
What is really crazy is she will carry the full burden and responsibility of her folly with Raad. He will walk away almost scot-free. His continuing behavior is what will bring him down. He was sick.
I love this writer and what she is bringing to romance using the Muslim-faith as a vehicle. I will always be a happy passenger on her creative journeys.
This story is a winner for me.
What is really crazy is she will carry the full burden and responsibility of her folly with Raad. He will walk away almost scot-free. His continuing behavior is what will bring him down. He was sick.
I love this writer and what she is bringing to romance using the Muslim-faith as a vehicle. I will always be a happy passenger on her creative journeys.
This story is a winner for me.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews