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Broken Doll

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Lies. Betrayal. Two hearts broken. One on the path of revenge. The other finding their way.

HOPE
Make it out alive.
That was my only goal.
I succeeded.
But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to face the world.
Until Leo…
He’s shown me there is hope.
I can find happiness again.
There is a way.

LEO
They thought they broke me.
All they did was create a monster.
One who now has all the power.
Revenge is sweet, but it’s even better when it’s sought justly.
When all is said and done, they will answer for what they did to me, and to Hope.

Can two broken and battered hearts find refuge in each other, or are some wounds too deep to heal?
THIS BOOKS WAS WRITTEN UNDER A DIFFERENT PEN NAME - THE TITLE WAS BROKEN GLASS.

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 29, 2022

79 people are currently reading
507 people want to read

About the author

Ruby Wolff

23 books456 followers

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5 stars
120 (39%)
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87 (28%)
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28 (9%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
Profile Image for Kursed Reads.
801 reviews9,287 followers
August 17, 2022
Having lost her family in a house fire, at the tender age of eight, Hope Matthews is sent to live with her uncle Jack. Suffering at his hands for years, when she finally escapes, she lives her life like a wallflower. That is until Leo Masters enters the diner where she works.

Inexplicably drawn to Hope, Leo cares for her in a way she’s never experienced. Likewise, he has never allowed anyone or anything to dilute his focus.

Broken Doll is a heartbreaking love story forged through survival and healing. Raw and gritty, Leo and Hope’s story will put you through the wringer as you ride the roller coaster of emotions.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥1/2
Darkness: 🖤🖤🖤
Heat: 🌶🌶
Range of Emotions: 😩😭😌🫣😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}

🗂 Genre: Dark Romance

✨ Tropes: Forced Proximity, Survivors

🫦 Kinks: n/a

⛔️ Warning: The angst in this slow-burn will edge you to the point of combustion!

⚠️ Safety Squad: ChîId Abüsė (Flashbacks, Off Page), SėxûäI AssäûIt (Flashbacks, Off Page), ViöIencė, Forced Mîscarrïagė (Off Page), and others. There are many triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!

📣 Type: Broken Doll is a standalone.

🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
Profile Image for Danah.
271 reviews5 followers
August 30, 2022
storyline :
After escaping captivity as a child, Leo is haunted by the knowledge that he let go of a young boy he had fought so hard to protect. He and Jackson became fast friends after their ordeal, and they were adopted by a generous couple and eventually rose to positions of wealth and power. However, neither man could fully recover from their ordeal until they exacted their vengeance on their torturers.
Hope, a young woman he meets one day in a restaurant, appears to be just as broken as he is, so he decides to help her and follows her home after noticing that she is living in appalling conditions. Leo is determined to get Hope to open up about her own demons and struggles.

My thoughts ;
This book left me speechless and in a book slump to the point where I needed to take a break from reading because the journey of recovery for HOPE and LEO was tragically beautiful.
I highly recommend reading the "trigger warning list"'for this book because it has so many mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Anyway, the relationship between Leo and Hope was swoon worthy and beautiful, but with that being said, it took me some time to be convinced that they actually fell in love because he is helping and protecting her and that in books gets blurred because in this case the authors would throw in the "insta-love" or "insta-lust" trope and that trope is my least favorite, but it worked for me for some reason.

what i liked :
1. the hero is amazing
2. jackson
3. the journey to recovery,,, i just wish we had that happen first then them falling in love rather then recovery and love happening at the same time
4. so glad that author didn't go in graphic details about the abuse but you do get flashbacks of what she went through

what i hated/wanted ;
1. the heroine uncle .... i mean that shithead was the worst i read about
2. i wish we had more time seeing the heroine changing and slowly falling in love
3. i wish the heroine explained how she got away from her captor ...it was rushed

what to expect ;
1. a broken heroine ..... the title explain it
2. hero determined to save her and slay her demons







47 reviews
May 14, 2023
A good happily ever after fantasy

Is this the most realistic depiction of abuse and recovery? Not at all, but it doesn't need to be. It's a happily ever after fantasy after trauma and abuse. Real life wouldn't be half as easy in a lot of different ways, but people pushing for realism in stories often forget that they get to be unrealistic. They get to be idealized versions of reality. They get to be a world where everything goes well after everything falls apart. They get to be the naive fantasy tucked away in a jaded heart. They get to be something to hope for.

This isn't the book to sit down and help process trauma, this is the book to read when you need something to hope for. To dream of the light at the end.
654 reviews19 followers
October 22, 2023
It is soooo hard to find a traumatized fmc that isn't rushed into a sexual relationship with the man that helps her heal.

Leo was soooo freaking patient, he did everything he needed to SLOWLY let Hope open up to him and trust him. He NOT ONCE tried to start anything sexual with her and always asked what SHE wanted. This is definitely one of my favorite misery/trauma porn type books.

The plot was a little predictable toward the end but it was still super interesting and I enjoyed seeing how past trauma was faced and resolved so that the main characters could get their happily ever afters.

After spending her childhood/teenage years with her sexually abusive uncle, Hope was then sold to the buyer her Uncle "trained" her for. After 13 years in total being used against her will, Hope escapes to New York. While there she learns how to be invisible. Never make eye contact, keep your head down, don't get too close to anyone, not needing anything but life itself to keep her content. But that all changes when Leo happens to come eat at the restaurant she works at. Upon entering he knows there is someone there that he is being pulled toward. He may not be able to see Hope's face, but he knows that he is meant to help her. When she tries to run from him thinking her Uncle finally found her, and he sees where she lives, she takes her home. Hope is convinces Leo works for her Uncle and is just waiting to hand her over, but Leo doesn't act like any of the men she met before. She has a hard time figuring out if this is a trick to get her to trust him so she will break the rules, giving him an excuse to punish her or not. After all the time she spent learning the rules, and bleeding for them, old habits will be hard to break. But Leo is determined to help put together this broken doll, no matter how long it takes. As time goes on he realizes that healing her from her trauma is helping him heal from his, in more ways than one. But Hope can't fully heal until her past is dealt with, and when their pasts collide Leo is more determined than ever to finish what he started years ago.
Profile Image for Lindsey Davis.
595 reviews47 followers
July 29, 2022
This is a story that will definitely leave you without words and the author did a amazing job writing it. Hope has been through so much trauma and lives her life in a way that will break your heart. She’s in constant fair of her past coming back to haunt her and once she meets Leo she thinks this is what she’s been so scared about for so long. The past catching her and returning her to the horrors she faced. When Leo comes into the picture he is just drawn to her in a way that isn’t describable. He doesn’t let people in due to his past but for some reason with Hope he wants to care and protect her at any cost. This story is raw and tragic full of emotions that will having you flipping page after page to get to the end and find out how it all ends. With the twist in story it will have you thinking you know what’s going on but you will be amazed at the truth. I loved everything about this story and can’t wait to read more from this author.
Profile Image for kat reads.
346 reviews3 followers
December 14, 2024
Jesus the writing in this was not great. One second someone would be inside then the next they would be outside without telling us. One second they would be in a room with people then the next there just alone. One second there wearing something then the next wearing something totally different.
They will be having dialogue with a character in the kitchen in one sentence then the very next sentence they are walking into the cafe? Like when do you leave and how did you get there?
But other than that I did like the idea of the story. The traumatized broken female main character who is scared of her own shadow getting help and being healed by a rich alpha male. It just wasn’t that well executed. Also I thought the plot was not great either. I wanted more.

Also the surprise pregnancy? Just what she needed.
I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters but I did enjoy Jackson and his banter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ann.
1,938 reviews32 followers
November 16, 2022
A wonderful book that addresses a subject matter of childhood abuse for both Leo and Hope. Their paths cross by fate, allowing them to heal. Leo understands well how Hope has suffered and lives in fear. They each have darkness to exorcise. The author did a fabulous job of allowing me to understand the depravity they experienced without the gory details, which I very much appreciated. This is a must read!
Profile Image for Chelsea Cardenas.
383 reviews27 followers
August 31, 2022
This was the first book I read by this author and it was dark! I was hooked! Hope and Leo, my goodness, they went through so much. Both of them are broken, and I glad they got away. And sweet Leo, I love how he is with Hope. Ruby did a great job with this book, didn’t shy away from the hard subjects, and wrote an awesome book.
Profile Image for Ruqaia Abouelsoud.
86 reviews
January 6, 2024
2.25⭐️
I fr had to force myself to finish this. There were so many plot holes and writing mistakes i couldn’t overlook it like i usually do, things were very repetitive and unnecessarily drawn out, and i was overall bored. I liked the main characters tho. i felt that the trauma wasn’t properly dealt with and that they should’ve gotten therapy instead of hoping it goes away and being dependent on each other. i felt that they magically got better with time and each other but in reality, trauma like that needs to be treated. Also the plot was predictable, boring, and so slow paced. it also felt so unrealistic, especially the part where the villain basically tells them where he is and “allows” them to lead him somewhere, he also went down so easily for someone who has so much power (ik it’s fiction but this was just stupid). overall this wasn’t my favourite but it wasn’t too horrible ig.
15 reviews
August 14, 2023
The right amount of everything

This had everything! Heartache, sadness, revenge, happiness, laughter and just enough spice to keep it interesting.

Dark but not nightmarish. Mentions of assault, but respectfully done. Didn’t have a cringe moment through the bad times and scenes.

Leo’s protective alpha side is refreshing, and Hope isn’t a sad whiny damsel in distress. Jackson is probably my favorite in the book, because he’s a hot mess and funny.

Characters were written well enough that you know them, but they don’t over take the book. But I was left wanting Jackson to have his story told.

Overall a really great read.
Profile Image for Becca.
554 reviews17 followers
October 3, 2024
My Rating 4.5/5

My Thoughts: Leo is cold and only loyal to those who have proven their loyalty to him. He doesn't give outsiders the time of day. Hope is the mysterious quiet woman, who is aware of her surroundings but attempts to be invisible. She catches Leo's eyes and he is determined to figure out her story. Hope might be broken, but she's an incredibly independent FMC. These two both have traumatic upbringings. While Hope tries to stay hidden, Leo is persistent in getting revenge. This book had me hooked from the start. It is a page-turner that deals with heavy and triggering topics. I highly recommend checking out this book for all dark romance lovers.
Profile Image for Sarah  M.
34 reviews1 follower
April 23, 2023
This book started off pretty good but I caught myself getting bored. Hope and Leo both went through awful things in their childhood and it was nice to see them work through their trauma and grow. I just feet like there was this disconnect with the characters and I didn't get attached to team. I did however really enjoy Jackson.


Spoiler: I also really hate the surprise you're pregnant randomly thrown in at the end I feel like it didn't add anything and the poor woman is stilllearning how to live and now has to lean how to take care of a kid
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1,243 reviews3 followers
March 31, 2023
So good

A book about a man who has been abused but found a loving family after 6 years of hell. And it was a connection that he met a girl who had demons of her own and was held captive for 12 years. But little by little these 2 broken people find love. When someone threatens to take that away. This man will stop at nothing to keep his woman safe.
Profile Image for Rebekah Powers.
272 reviews4 followers
July 30, 2022
Ruby Wolff’s Best!

Broken Doll is two broken souls finding the light together through a shared trauma. The healing and intrigue in this book is Ruby Wolffs best wok I’ve read! Such a page turner!
Profile Image for Bailey Boughton.
347 reviews2 followers
July 31, 2022
dark and twisted

This book is twisted and amazing. It deals with real issues in a raw way. I could not put this book down
Profile Image for ashtyn.
61 reviews
March 31, 2023
a mix of it ain’t me babe by tillie cole & hunting adeline by hd carlton
so if you like those you’ll like this
Profile Image for Khlood.
1 review
June 8, 2023
This was book has my whole heart 💗🥹
Profile Image for bookishescape .
144 reviews6 followers
September 18, 2023
⭐️4,5/5
🌶3/5
Dark and delicious, love characters, love the way they bring the best out of each other♡
Profile Image for Sara Mcfadden.
783 reviews1 follower
May 20, 2024
heartbreakingly beautiful

Mind the TW. This book though heartbreakingly beautiful is beyond dark. I had to pause a few times but its tender moments are what will stick with you.
Profile Image for Bambieyes.
78 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2023
Intriguing & Amazing

I DEVOURED this book 📖
Happened on this book by chance and omg was I so greatful this book will keep you in a chokehold from start to finish….. it is a slow burn but it’s soooo worth waiting for, the plot is brilliantly written 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

This book is going from my kindle to my shelf no questions asked x
Profile Image for Rebecca Carsley.
534 reviews8 followers
August 29, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review

This is my first ever book by Ruby Wolff and OMG she has seriously won me over with this book. I can’t wait to read more of her books. This book literally grabbed me and pulled me in. I could not put it down.

This is Hope and Leo’s story and it’s not an easy one either. It’s dark, it’s brutal, and it’s heartbreaking. Both come from extremely abusive pasts. Leo escaped with his now best friend and adopted brother Jackson and was given a new life by two amazing people that took them in, and seeks vengeance for those who can’t get it for themselves. Hope managed to escape her new owner and her uncle and is now on the run hiding in plain site never looking at the world. She’s been trained to be and act a certain way and it has helped her to stay hidden. Until Leo sees her one day and can’t stay away, he takes her from her life and offers her a new one, one with him. These two will absolutely gut you with their stories and the connection they have not just between them but in their pasts will astound you.

This book is not for the faint at heart. It’s a must to be aware of TW if you have them because this is brutally dark, and darkness surrounds them both in different ways. But if you want a phenomenally written book about survival and coming back from the darkest places in your mind and soul, and of two people finally finding what it means to be happy and actually loved by someone then this is an absolute must read. These two will make you feel every single emotion possible and leave you so happy when they finally get their HEA.
2,090 reviews31 followers
June 30, 2022
When I finished this book, I was speechless, I had no words and to try to draft a review was not going to be easy. Leo and Hope are two broken souls, one hiding from the past and one in search of the person who destroyed his life. When Leo stumbles upon Hope he’s drawn to her and he can’t explain it, he wants to help her. Hope has been hiding from the one man who destroyed her life, broke her, and she thinks that Leo is there to return her to him. Little does she know Leo is just like her, broken, abused, angry and out for revenge on the man who did all this to him. The difference between these two is that Leo wasn’t alone he had Jackson, and Hope has been on her own. She’s scared and not sure what to think, she’s been programmed to act a certain way, she’s not sure how to handle the situation that Leo has put her in. I’m going to stop there, no spoilers, this is a story that is a must read, you can’t pass this up. Leo and Hope’s story is one for the ages, it’s compelling, gripping, heart breaking, gut wrenching, you will feel every emotion between them, it’s twisted and once you learn the truth everything you thought you knew will be blown out of the water. This has to be one of my favorite books by this author.
Profile Image for Veronica.
527 reviews13 followers
August 6, 2022
Let me start by saying check TW this is definitely a dark very raw book, BUT it was so good, definitely worth the read. This is my first book by Ruby Wolff and I will absolutely be checking out her other books. She pulled me in from the first chapter. I did not want to put this book down. I needed to know what would happen next.

In this book we meet Hope and Leo. They have both had awful things happen to them at a very young age. They both got away but not without being broken first. My heart broke for both of them. They both went thru horrific things that no kids should have to go thru. Especially Hope the one person she was supposed to trust betrays her in such a horrible way. She is completely broken and alone in the world until she meets Leo.

Leo is only after revenge and when he sees Hope something about her calls to him. I loved Leo so much from what he was doing to the patience he had with Hope. The way he helped her work her way to break out of all the things she was forced to do and way to act.

Ruby did an amazing job with this book, she did not shy away from tough subjects. I can not recommend this book enough.

Thank you Ruby for allowing me to read and review this book.
Profile Image for Jennifer Pierson.
11.7k reviews188 followers
August 30, 2022
Broken Doll is a brutal story that nearly did me in. There are a lot of triggers in it so please proceed with caution. Hope has gone through hell in her life, and seriously, I wanted to end people on her behalf throughout. She's trying to stay under the radar since she escaped brutal situations, and that's when she comes face to face with Leo. Leo has had his own share of trauma in his life, and maybe that's why he's drawn to Hope, but it changes him in the best of ways. He doesn't let many people in, but he finds he wants to take care of her & protect her from any other bad thing. Hope has big trust issues understandably, so it was hard for her to open up at all to Leo because her suspicious nature has kept her safe for a cool minute. This story destroyed my heart completely because it's simply unfathomable what people will do to other people in life as it can be so very dark & cruel in reality that's for sure. There are twists in the pages as well, but I needed to know if these two people who both have dark pasts could actually find something good in their lives so I read it in one sitting, and that's all I'll say about that. Anyway, if you can handle big triggers then hit those one click buttons but have some kleenex handy, and I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Profile Image for Rita.
369 reviews5 followers
July 13, 2022
Leo is tortured by his past after breaking free from being held captive as a young lad and when he broke free, he took with him another young boy he’d tried desperately to protect. Jackson and he became best friends and after being lucky enough after they escaped, to be adopted by a kindhearted couple they both become wealthy and powerful men in their own right, but he and Jackson swore revenge on their captors and torturers and they wouldn’t begin to heal until they got what they needed.

One day when he walks into a restaurant he sees a young woman, Hope, who he can tell is just as broken as he is, determined to help her, he follows her and seeing she’s living in squalor, takes her back to his home to try and help her. Hope has her own demons and struggles, but Leo is determined to get her to open up.

This book albeit has the lead characters suffering enormously, they have a powerful connection and this has a sweet love story intertwined. It’s about survival, recovery, reclaiming your life and finding that one person.

There are a few twists in the story that will definitely keep you page turning, I just loved this book - well done Ruby ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Cynthia Carpenter.
1,671 reviews15 followers
July 21, 2022
Leo and Hope take you on read that will make your heart bleed, your soul weep, pull every emotion, feeling out of you won't see oe expect any of it. Hope at the age of 8 lost everything. From that moment till many years later she was abuse, sold, and when she finds the courage she runs away and her life takes on a whole new meaning until she meets Leo. Leo has also had a hard life of abuse and other things, he and his friend Jackson when they escape the both end up for the better, but Leo also has a dark secret that only one person knows about, and than Leo sees Hope and from there he wants to help her. As their story unfolds they find out they have the same monster from the past. Will they be able 5o fix what is broken in both of them? What will they have to do to overcome everything? Will they be able to have a future or will the past get in their way? "Where there is hope there is light" Hope
This book totally blew my mind and left me utterly speechless. This book has everything you want and when everything is said and done it will have you wanting more. I so can't wait to read what she has next.
Profile Image for Shonna.
678 reviews34 followers
July 27, 2022
Whoah!!! What did I just read? Ruby Wolff has blown my mind with this story. I had no idea what to expect but it wasn’t this.

“Broken doll” has to be the most heart breaking yet captivating story I have ever read! This story is not an easy read it’s real it’s raw it’s heartbreaking but I just couldn’t stop reading it I was compelled right from the very first page.

Leo is a tortured soul he has a heartbreaking past which has damaged him but he survived it with his best friend Jackson and together Leo and Jackson vow to seek their revenge on those who did them wrong.

When Leo meets Hope he is drawn to her. He knows he has to help her and he will do whatever it takes to help this young woman who has suffered so much in her life and he will do whatever it takes to protect her.

This story was absolutely incredible to read. It does cover hard subjects but my advise would be to read it with an open mind and prepare for the ultimate ride of your life cos their is a lot of bumps along the way!

I will definitely be looking for for more stories from Ruby Wolff in the future.

I can’t recommend this story enough.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
FIVE STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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