Book Review: Anything But Broken by Joelle Knox

Title: Anything But Broken
Series: Hurricane Creek, Book 1
Author: Joelle Knox
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided by author
Published: August 25, 2015 (self-published)

After five years, tragedy brings Hannah Casey back to Hurricane Creek to bury what’s left of her family. She’s flunking out of college, haunted by scandal, and the only person who cares is Sean Whitlow, an irresistible bad boy with a soft spot for her. The problem? He’s her dead sister’s ex.

Sean doesn’t bleed red, he bleeds motor oil. During the week, he struggles to turn his auto repair shop into a profitable business. But when Saturday night rolls around, he’s the reigning stock-car king of the local race track. He doesn’t know how to lose–or how to walk away and leave Hannah alone with her grief.

Between her grades and her wealthy family’s dark secrets, Hannah’s barely holding her life together. And the last thing Sean needs is to get tangled up with another Casey girl. As the attraction between them spins out of control, they’ll either find a love with no limits–or go up in flames.

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Reviewed by: Babs

Why I Read This Book: I’m a big Kit Rocha (aka Moira Rogers) fan so it was a no-brainer I’d read their new book.

In a Nutshell: I liked this one a lot. Definitely a different feel from the authors’ Beyond series and paranormal romance books.

What I Liked: I liked that Sean wasn’t in college too. It seemed like to me he was happy with his decision to race, stay in the town he grew up in, and have the auto shop. He was confident about his path in life.

Hannah was a mess and I like the story didn’t shy away from that. It was clear to me from the beginning she had a lot of issues.

The story really worked for me because it seemed to me Sean didn’t go all alpha male and try to fix all Hannah’s problems or hand her the solutions. He did point her in a better direction and show her options. But I think he just wanted to support her, make sure she was safe.

What I Didn’t Like: I’m still not entirely comfortable with how Sean was with Hannah’s sister before. I don’t think that part was addressed entirely to my satisfaction. I get it was years ago but I think I needed more acknowledgement of Sean’s past relationship.

Overall Impression: I’ve been reading New Adult here and there. I got a different feel with this book from others I’ve read. A little more mature maybe but still clearly New Adult? I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next in the series. There’s a great setup for another couple in the series in this book.

This is also not a different wrapper on another Kit Rocha or Moira Rogers book so don’t read this if you’re expecting that! Sexy times are still hot but toned down—not so explicit or erotic and there aren’t any paranormal or dystopian elements.

Bab’s Rating: