Already Broken

by J.P. Murray

Anderson -- artist, drunk, broken Trent -- lawyer, bored, empty When Trent first lays eyes on Anderson DiMaggio at a silent auction, it's like the world comes to life. The artist is covered in paint, his arms moving like branches in a breeze as he creates one of his trademark pieces. The color and texture of the painting, almost hap-hazard in style, speaks to something deep inside Trent. Now the bored lawyer can't get the reckless painter off his mind.
Anderson has a stormy past and demons lingering. But the tall man in the crowd with dark eyes has become a new fixation, maybe stronger than the past that still haunts him. Old scars run deep, but if he can see past his pain, maybe he could find something worth living for.

Can a lonely, broken man learn to love again? Or will his demons keep him in the darkness that controls him? Already Broken is a gay love story including the themes of mental health, suicide attempt, and dealing with loss. It is intended for readers over eighteen.

234 pages, Paperback

Published February 14, 2021

Reviews

[Linz · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book from this author and it won't be my last. Loved this book and it had me in tears. Anderson is grieving after losing his boyfriend. He is utterly broken. I really felt his grief. Hi best friend Phil tries to help him as much as he can but the one thing I did not like was him telling Anderson, it's been a year now that he's gone you need to move on. Really??? When does grief have an expiry date after losing someone you love???? Anderson is having a really hard time and is deeply depressed. Enter Trent. Instant attraction. He is so good for Anderson and really tries to be there for him and does save his life 2x. Trent comes to know what the reason behind it but we never see Anderson go into the details about losing his boyfriend. That kind of left me upset. I wanted to know the background story of his first love.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story. You couldn’t help but be drawn in by Anderson who is so heart broken that he’s virtually given up on life, and the author showed us his pain with a compassionate reality. Trent was drawn to him and he was also realistic in that he couldn’t deal with Anderson’s pain all the time.
I really enjoyed this book and would have given it 5 stars if not for a couple of niggling things. Firstly how did Anderson’s partner die? Not totally necessary to know I guess but it would have helped both me and I think Trent to understand Anderson’s grief. Secondly there were a number of proof reading errors, with missing or wrong words and incorrect names in a couple of places. Not enough to stop me reading the book but enough to notice. Having said all that I would still recommend reading this book.

[Latecia Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

**First Time Reader** This was real good. It shows how depression can take over your life but with a little outside help from friends and therapy you can get through it. Good thing Anderson had the right people around him. He is a marvelous artist but dealing with some deep rooted issues that he's not able to deal with alone. Trent catches his eye and vice versa...both are called to each other. Trent recognizes Anderson need for help and along the way he falls for the troubled young man. I was so glad he didn't give up on him. This was a very emotional story that had some serious themes mixed in with a sweet romance between souls that were fated for one another. Nice!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read and really gave a great inside look into the struggles with mental health. I enjoyed this M/M read and found it to be a sweet and fantastic read. I felt the emotions the characters were feeling, so laughed and cried with them. It was a great slice of life story that I enjoyed and am looking forward to more by this author.

I give this a four out of five stars.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a fast read...kind of. Short chapters, not a lot of drama. Got right to the point. Felt it was longer it might've been better.

[Annemarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish that this story had gone a bit further and had Trent meeting and getting with Anderson. Maybe pulling Anderson out of his depression and starting a relationship.

[Tena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful. Touching. Intense. (Needed a little bit more editing.)