What is more dangerous than a man in love? A man in love who feels betrayed...
Marc and Alex have been best friends since childhood. When Marc was fourteen, tragedy struck, and he found himself suddenly orphaned. Having no living relatives, Marc moved in with Alex and his family, who happily opened their hearts and their home to him.
Five years have passed since the tragedy, and Marc’s love and devotion for his best friend has only intensified… some would say, to an almost obsessive level…
Alex’s life is suddenly turned upside down when he is forced to make an impossible decision. Alex quickly learns that Marc’s love for him goes much deeper than just friendship. Alex begins to wonder, just how far is Marc willing to go in the name of love? And more terrifyingly, how dangerous is a man in love, who feels… betrayed.
Fractured Love is a dark story of unrequited love, torment, and murder.
Matthew Dante is a Canadian Indie Author who writes MM Dark Romance and MM Contemporary Romance. He is an avid reader, world traveler, lover of all things Marvel and DC, and a romantic at heart.
You can follow Matthew on: Instagram at MatthewDanteBooks Facebook at Matthew.dante.73
Not what I expected at all going in- Lmaoo Turns out the feeling was not mutual, it was one sided which I hate, I'm not really a fan of the writing, some of the conversation felt pretty amateurish ngl, but what surprises me the most is that I'm siding with Marc the psychopath more than Alex..
Like come on Alex you have a guy who was willing to murder someone for you HERE HOW COULD YOU NOT WANT HIM BACK!!!
REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fractured Love by Matthew Dante is an amazing new thriller about Marc, a boy tragically orphaned, who is taken in by the family of his best friend Alex. Marc is finally safe from his father’s abuse. As the boys grow so does the love and devotion Marc has for Alex. But where is that fine line between love and obsession. Are there any limits to how far Marc will go for Alex in the name of love? And more frightening, what happens when he think that that live has been betrayed? ⠀ ⠀ Giving this book five star is still not doing it justice. The author admits to being new to the thriller genre, but with his first effort he has mastered it perfectly. The plot is intriguing and flawless and the pacing has the reader flying through the page, each overflowing with suspense. The characters are crisp and complex. I picked up this book at bedtime and was so hooked I could not stop until the final page. In my opinion, this book could stand proudly beside any thriller on the bestseller list. This is an absolute must-read for any fan of the genre. If he continues to produce work of this caliber, Matthew Dante will be a name to remember. ⠀
This turned out to be different than what I had thought the book would be in the beginning. That's not to say it's a bad thing, I enjoyed the book, so I recommend it. Marc will have you twisted up over how you feel about him. At least he did me...and Alex. And, this may be exposing my dark side, but I kind of, sort of, was really wanting them to be together. Yep, I was hoping for a case of Stockholm. Seriously, he may have been crazy, and I didn't like when they were violent with each other, but Marc was dedicated to Alex. I mean, okay, it may have been a bit unhealthy, but I believe he really did love him. There's more I want to say, but I don't want to give any spoilers. So, I'm just going to give a few possible trigger warnings. There's violence, murder, loss, obsession, this is not a light sweet romance story. If that's what you want, look elsewhere, but if you want a bit dark and twisty, you'll probably like this.
Dnf @ 4%. Maybe if I listened to text to speech instead of reading, the editing and writing wouldn't bother me. It's not terrible (like Fallocaust) but is enough for me to give up when there are so many books out there just waiting to be read.
Loved this book so much. Actually, I’ve read this authors other works and this was unexpected. I like all the books this author has written, but this one came out of left field. Wicked is the only word I can use to describe it. Marc and Alex, what can I say? I had high hopes for this pairing from the get-go, But I was not prepared for this. Sometimes true love isn’t meant to be… Or is it? I am begging for a sequel. Do you hear me Mr. Dante? Begging! Pick this one up. What fun it is.
Marc Bodin at the age of fourteen escapes from an abusive father, due to a tragic accident. Now, without any family he’s alone but good neighbors, Emily and Ned Sanders, take Marc into their home. Marc is no stranger to the Sanders, he’s been best friends with Alex Sanders, for several years. Emily has always had her suspicions about Marcs father. She was more than elated to take Marc into her home and always loved both boys equally.
Marc was very different from Alex. He always stayed to himself, didn’t have friends and would just rather stay home. He was often bullied by others and Alex was always there to protect him. Alex was outgoing, competed in sports, very charming and social, made friends easily and liked to flirt. Alex and Marc often flirted with each other, but it never went too far. Through it all they remained best friends.
Now both Marc and Alex are nineteen and making their plans for college. As always there’s another party to attend. Alex, once again, asks Marc to go with him. As always Marc turns down the invitation. He’s just not the partying type and always winds up in the background. He would just rather stay home and enjoy a movie night. But Alex talks Marc into going, making Marc believe he will keep Alex out of trouble and also be the designated driver. The party leads to a confrontation and Marcs feelings are crushed. He makes his way to the pool and meets Ashley. She tells Marc her story and gives him a sound piece of advice.
When Alex and Marc are ready to leave the party, it’s not without a hook-up for Alex. When things start to go wrong, Alex has no idea what he’s gotten himself into and his world turns upside down.
Matthew Dante delivers something different from what he has written so far. “Fractured Love” is a low-key, psychological, dark theme, thriller, that’s fast-paced. I use the term “low-key” because in comparison to many of the “dark theme” stories that I’ve read this one is not as gritty and shocking. I think, with Dantes debut in this genre, it’s actually a good start with potential.
One thing Dante does well is bringing a very in-depth look at Marc and Alex, who have very different personalities and feelings. Marc always seems to be one step ahead of Alex. Alex has to figure out how best to get out of a horrific situation.
Matthew Dante has peaked my interest with “Fractured Love” and I’m curious to see if he has plans to build on this novel and take it further.
So I've been doing what I usually do when I'm on Instagram. You know.. scrolling and checking posts. Until one day I came across this book. And then I've seen people saying how good it is.
Then the teasers and the recommendations kept coming. And the author released the next 2 books. So what's a girl supposed to do? I've been eyeing this baby for quite some time now. 👀
So I read it. How much did it take me? It must have been 2 hours. I literally devoured this thing without even stopping for a break. And trust me, I do take breaks.
This is different from what I usually read. This is a story of obsession, love, devotion, stalking, pain and transformation. Alex and Mark, the two main characters, get to experience all the above.
I can't believe how their friendship..no fuck that. I can't believe how THEY went through all these phases. They were friends and then Mark developed deeper feelings for Alex in a not so healthy way.
Mark did extreme things but then Alex did extreme things as well. I honestly cannot say who's wrong and who's right. I cannot pick sides. Yes Mark was over the top with the whole "kidnapping" thing but Alex was not better. He made no effort to understand Mark and then he used him in the most unfair way.
They were both right and they were both wrong. If that makes any sense. Mark let his obsession take over and couldn't see what was the good thing to do. To him only Alex mattered. He wanted him to see how much he loved him and how much he had done to ensure his happiness.
Alex let his fear blind him. He was just so "shocked" by that new face of his friend that he completely forgot who Mark truly is. He couldn't see behind his intense behaviour and when he finally realised how much Mark loved him then he did the only thing he shouldn't have done. He used his feelings to trick him.
And all these put them both in agony and pain. Because they just couldn't lower their voices and make an honest conversation without BUTS.
I'm seriously flirting with the idea of starting the second book right fucking now because you can't just give me that ending and expect me not to go immediately to the second book 😭.
It’s hard to write two different voices and have them actually sound different when you’re reading them. Matthew does this so well. It was easy to differentiate between Marc and Alex.
I love the way Marc is written. He’s a logical guy. Everything he processes is in this way. The way he was genuinely flummoxed when Alex tried to escape. The way he reasons out his actions. The many nuances of Marc are divine.
Alex was a sunshine boy, and I got this sense—even though it was never said plainly—that Alex knew something of what he was in for with Marc. Perhaps not to the extent of what happened, but like, he knew there “was a crocodile in the water” kind of thing and he liked to play with that edge of danger. I could be wrong, but that’s my suspicion. Then we maybe had some moments for Alex of “be careful what you wish for”, lol, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I LOVE when something about the writing makes me suspect things … even when I end up being wrong because that tells me I’m seriously invested if I’m coming up with theories.
I had no idea what was going to come my way in this book because there were so many possibilities. And then I LOVED what did happen. I can’t say of course because it’s worth it to be surprised on this one, trust me. But you keep going further and further down the rabbit hole right to the very last page.
It’s left on such a deliciously dark note. You get a nice HFN, but you know darkness is ready to descend.
I absolutely loved this book. As much as the “lighter” books about these dark sorts are fun, I love fiendish books like this one, where we get to dig deep into a psyche like Marc’s where it can take some seriously sinful turns. The obsession. The cold logic. And the people who fall for these sorts (Alex). We get to explore this question: If we are exposed to darkness when we are very young, how are we supposed to know how to separate ourselves from it?
And: Do we want to when it’s the only thing saving us from the ones who hurt us, and helping us to protect those we love?
What intricate and marvelously designed writing. Definitely hopping right into the next one. This is a MUST-READ series.
The story started off really nicely yet with a slight bit of drama but the journey to the end was filled with contemplating actions, incredible scenes and intriguing characters. It is not what I expected and it is hard to describe anything without spoiling it but am enamoured with Marc and his insidious ways that he shows his care for Alex. This is not a sweet and cozy story but a thought provoking look into the mind of a possible psycho and the mind games they play. A surprising ending and well worth the effort to read, a first for me by this author but it will not be the last as I am drawn to the dark mixed with the disturbed that they have written so well.
I was given an ARC of Fractured Love in return for an honest review. This book didn't start off brilliantly for me but it did become a very interesting story which kept me reading. We start off at the scene of a house fire and I think that this chapter should have had a lot more urgency. There is a man burning to death and I think that I should have felt the tension as the firefighters fight to rescue the victim. This would have been a great start for the story. We quickly move beyond this though and we are next faced with the main characters who are now several years older. This is where the true story starts. Marc and Alex are long time friends and when Marc's father dies in a fire he moves in with Alex's family. The boys are very close but, for the main part, they do not act on their feelings. Marc supports Alex but he is always in the background -Alex is the star. I really don't want to give anything away but when love becomes obsessive that is when the danger starts. This book ends with a reasonably HFN but it is not the end of the story. I don't know how many books will be in this series but I know that I will read the next book because I want to know what happens. Three and a half stars rounded up to 4.
This read had me hooked from the first few pages- and wow! That ending- superbly done 😱
I’m not going to offer spoilers -the blurb sets up this story beautifully. It’s best read as a “jump in immersive experience” Allow that tension to build until you too will have your kindle in a death grip of anticipation.
Fractured Love is a well paced and thought out novel that starts with a slow simmer of unrequited love between best friends, to a boiling cauldron of action, suspense, and plot twists about obsessive love.
Congratulations Matthew Dante on an awesome read -I want to give it so much more than the 5/5 stars 👏👏👏👏👏
We get lots of romances with possessive main characters and enjoy those, but this book makes you stop and think about how unhealthy those relationships could really be if we stopped and analysed them critically. Alex and his family take Marc in after his family tragedy and the boys are close. It won't be long,however, before you start to detect some warning signs and after that, buckle up for an intense, dark ride. Great, believable characters and excellent writing make this a must read book and hopefully, series.
I really enjoyed this book it was wonderfully dark, which I like to read. This story gripped me from the start. I can't wait to read the rest in the series.
This book was not what I expected it to be. It was slow going at first, but once the ball started rolling, holy crap this had me at the edge of my seat. There wasn’t a lot of steam, but it checked all my boxes on angst, suspense and obsession.
The author’s backstory on Marc and Alex really did them justice. You got to see their relationship and when the obsessive behavior began, but not only that, you get to see that there is so much more to Marc than what meets the eye. I feel like in these types of stories there’s never enough context to understand why the characters were driven to do what they did. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement.
I’m excited to read the second book, it sounds equally as stalker and obsession like and the first book left you with a cliffhanger.
First time reader of Matthew Dante, and honestly I don’t know how to feel about it. I understand it’s a dark m/m obsession (let’s call it what it is cuz it’s definitely not romance). I am unsure as to whether or not I’ll continue the series, mostly due to the writing style. It felt like one long statement rather than a cohesive story. You didn’t get descriptors for characters or settings other than “black hair, blue eyes, chair in the corner etc” a lot of grammatical errors and way to many exclamations used when they were unnecessary, especially in character dialogue, it made it seem that the characters were just constantly yelling at each other. Character “thoughts” where not italicized so it made it difficult to tell whether or not the character was in his thoughts or if the story randomly changed to a POV instead of “outside narrator”. All in all it would probably make a great Saturday TV Lifetime Network movie. As for a novel however, it falls short.
Hello a step in a different direction for romance! I adored this book and the suspenseful plot. Both Marc and Alex had huge personalities however Marc often times hid his from Alex. This was dark and honestly I was rooting for Marc in some twisted way. I think this ended on a happily for now but would also tip toward a cliffhanger. Don't go into this book expecting a fairytale love story; go into this book knowing you are getting a suspenseful plot, interesting and intriguing characters, and a twisted ending. By far, my favorite book from Matthew Dante!
The novel begins as a story about unrequited love between two young gay men, best friends since childhood, but it goes so much further than that and gets so much darker, and these disturbing twists make Dante's novel a highly successful thriller. Fractured Love (Fractured #1) is a rollercoaster ride of thrills, punches to the gut, and eyes bugging out of your head that you will enjoy to no end. And yes, you will ask for more. And get it. What is the dark nature of obsession, and how far will someone go to protect themselves when they feel betrayed? Read this captivating novel by Matthew Dante and find out. I did, and I loved every second of the seductive nightmare ride.
This book got me all twisted and holding my breath until the very end! The story was thrilling, the characters were vivid and their development took me by surprise more than once. I am very excited for book 2🖤🖤🖤
This was exciting read. The writing style lacks in fluidity but it makes it up big time in suspense and delicious thrill. This author sounds so promising because holy cow this plot was twisted and amazing but you can tell the author needs more work. No need to go into what I loved because there was plenty hence the five stars despite the following things that I wished he had done better:
- The writing was a bit choppy and some parts repetitive in the beginning. The transitions weren’t smooth from one POV to the other
- I wish he had described their chemistry and intimacy a bit more in detail. The whole book is about Marc’s passion and obsession. For all that passion, there was very little shown. Their first time together would have been a huge for Marc and it was just skimmed upon and no details. I know sex is sex but when you write a book about obsessive love, sex is a huge part of it. So please, details! It’s all in the details. It would have helped the reader feel more connected with the MCs.
- For all it’s repetitive parts, the book felt just a bit too short. It needed alittle more time between Alex and Marc, dialogues that build upon their complex relationship.
That being said, I love how realistic it was and nothing cheesy or just unexpected. Both characters behaved the way you would think they would in their positions. I can’t wait to read the next book and shamelessly rooting for Marc.
Alex and Marc have been best friends since 6th grade. Marc lost his mother to cancer and his father in a fire. Alex’s family took him in and they were close. Alex was very flirty and self absorbed, so much so that he didn’t see how much Marc loved him. Marc has many secrets, his love for Alex just a small one.
Ok first I need to say I had a few issues with the book. #1...there was lots of repeated words in paragraphs and on pages that kinda slowed the story down. Also it was mostly telling not showing also threw off the flow of the book. Having said this, I actually liked the premise of the story. It’s very original and a good thriller. There is a lot of twist and the ending left my chin on the floor in shock. Well done! This is a very good dark story. So if that’s your thing ( I happen to like dark stories) I do recommend this and I will be looking at other books by this author.
Fractured love is thriller about Marc and Alex who are best friends. Marc has been in love with Alex for a long time, but it seems Alex doesn't really 'notice' Marc other than being his best friend. Things take a turn for the worst when Marc kills in front of Alex. Marc then abducts Alex keeping him locked in a cabin for 2 days. I enjoyed this story and some of it kept me on the edge of my seat. I do wish the author showed more of Marc's back story and his abuse, because I could not connect to Marc at all. I also did not believe Marc loved Alex. What Marc did was not love, Marc was obsessed with Alex. At least that is how it read to me. I also guessed the ending, though that was still well done. An enjoyable read, and I am looking forward to book 2. So over all I rate it 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I enjoyed the overall story but did feel there were some things that could have been explored more deeply which would have made it even better. On a few occasions there was also some clumsy repetition of words which jarred and interrupted the flow as I was reading. That being said, this would not stop me reading the next book or anything else by this author.
WOW! This book was amazing! The writing, the characters, the story, the obsession, the love. This book has it all. Highly recommend if you love MM dark romance/obsession type stories. This book will have you biting your nails until the end. If you are looking for a Jane Austin type book, this is not for you! This book is dark, fast-paced, and shows us the darker side of love and betrayal.
I just couldn't finish it as much as I liked the plot and MC's. It was the writing for me. It totally kept pulling me out of the story. It must be a weird quirk of mine or something but the author never combined words. It was all "did not" vs "didn't." Even when it was in a conversation, it didn't seem realistic people would always use the full words.