A Broken Kind of Beautiful: A Novel

By: Katie Ganshert

Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski

Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Sometimes everything you ever learned about yourself is wrong

Fashion is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for 24-year-old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she’s learned a sacred truth - appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows - so when it starts to unravel, she’ll do anything to hold on. Even if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be the new face of her stepmother’s bridal wear line - an irony too rich for words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white.

If only her tenuous future didn’t rest in the hands of Davis Knight, her mysterious new photographer. Not only did he walk away from the kind of success Ivy longs for to work maintenance at a local church, he treats her differently than any man ever has. Somehow, Davis sees through the façade she works so hard to maintain. He, along with a cast of other characters, challenges everything Ivy has come to believe about beauty and worth. Is it possible that God sees her - a woman stained and broken by the world - yet wants her still?

©2014 Katie Ganshert (P)2018 Katie Ganshert

Incredibly gorgeous story

Please do not miss this one. If you love stories of redemption and honest representations of how God often works in his people, through his people, and to draw the lost to Himself, this is not a book to miss. You will ache with Ivy, and you will ultimately love the story of Davis and Ivy, and Sara and Marilyn. Beyond Beautiful!

The narration is perfectly done!

Beautiful

This book was beautifully written and narrated. The characters are real and I can relate to each one on some level. I highly recommended this book!

Beautiful Inside and Out

Ivy’s story will break your heart... and put it back together again. Katie’s books always have a stunning depth that make her character’s redemption stories so moving and unforgettable.

I received a free copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Great author!

Typically not into novels but this pulled me in - going to grab another by this author right away!

Profound and moving

Profound and moving. It is not your typical superficial romance. It was fun to hear about South Carolina features like Spanish moss and 'lights out for sea turtles'too.

Beautiful story!

I have loved reading Katie Ganshert’s books in the past and this was no exception. She tells a beautiful story of redemption and restoration!

Lovely Listen!

I read the print version A Broken Kind of Beautiful back in 2014, and "re-reading" a favorite read via an audio book is one of my favorite things to do. The audio version of this gem of a novel did not disappoint. I'm picky about my narrators, but Stacey Glemboski does an excellent job. Her accents for each character are almost always spot on. I think it can be hard to get a southern accent just right (I've heard some atrocious ones), but Glemboski sounds authentic. She also does a great job with the male character voices as well, especially book-boyfriend-worthy Davis Knight. Her inflection and tones for all of the characters just made me remember how much I loved this story, and truly sometimes it felt like I was hearing the story for the first time all over again. If you enjoy audio books, this one is well worth your time. If you've read A Broken Kind of Beautiful already and fancy experiencing this story in a fresh way, I highly recommend the audio book.

Great Overall Story!

This was a wonderful book to listen to with a powerful message. I gave it four stars because it was VERY slow and quite gloomy in getting the story to its point. The end was worth it, though!

Wonderful Redemption Story!

I adored Katie Ganshert's other two books "Wishing on Willows" and "Wildflowers from Winter", so I was elated to read her newest book "A Broken Kind of Beautiful". I was slightly worried that I wouldn't enjoy it as much because it was about a model/modeling world. I am not a girly girl and I rarely wear makeup, but this book still resonated with me on a deep level. This is now my favorite of all three of her books! Katie has a way of developing characters and storytelling that makes it all come to life. It's so well written that by the end of the story you are disappointed it's over, because you feel like you personally know them. This is also a book of healing, hope, grace and mercy. God is close to those who are broken and He longs to redeem them. This is a wonderful book that has many applicable life lessons. You will not be disappointed.

A Beautiful Story of Brokenness and Redemption

Author Katie Ganshert has again written a novel that shares a beautiful story in a way that triggers thoughts, feelings, and discoveries of our own journeys. Her characters are so relatable that they quickly and easily become a part of our own lives for a time. Their experiences become something of our own. Their discoveries touch us deeply as we are there in the moment and in the aftermath.

Ivy, Marilyn, Sarah, and Davis each have their own brokenness. The means and repercussions of each form lives we can recognize and individuals we can love, so that the message of the novel is for us as much as for them. The revelations seem our own and last long after the novel itself concludes.

The narrator did a lovely and effective job of releasing the story in a way that pulls the listener in and carries them through. I highly recommend book, author, and narrator.

I did receive the audiobook from the author and I promised an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.