Broken

An Unlucky 13 Standalone

By: Andi Jaxon

Narrated by: Darcy Stark, Iggy Toma

Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

After years of drowning myself in parties, hookups, and pain, all it takes is one viral sex tape to be given a choice: Hide out on an island or lose my trust fund.

Having to share a room with the one man I let hurt me is my worst nightmare. I’m the broken shell of the boy he walked away from on the worst day of my life. I hate him almost as much as I hate myself.

This island was supposed to be a place I could rest, but instead, I’m running. From Asher Vaughn. From myself. From the scars on my heart that never healed.

It hurts to look at him and see all the things we never got to have.

How can I keep him at arm's length when he watches me the way he used to? When he touches me? When he calls me his?

We can’t be together, not off this island. The straight football star and the gay femme son of famous parents. The media would rip us apart and ruin his career.

I barely survived the last time he left me. Can I survive being deserted again?

Broken is a brother’s best friend, mm romance with some praise kink, and a broken boy in desperate need of love.

©2023 Andi Jaxon (P)2023 Podium Audio

Another broken heart

I swear every Andi book breaks me and puts me back together. Iggy and Darcy did an amazing job. This story had the perfect pitch and roll of a roller-coaster.

If you believe in destiny and not coincidence…

I will say there are parts that are slightly unrealistic, however if you believe in destiny and not coincidence and that things are meant to be, fate, kismet, etc… then you’ll love this book. The relationship between the two MC’s sucked me in and their love was very strong, I could feel it coming off the pages. The mc’s were also both lovable characters. Definitely give it a go. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Love Asher & Eli

Took my first visit to Black Diamond Resort and loved it! Both Eli & Asher were so unbelievably broken. Trauma ripped them apart as teenagers and circumstance kept them apart. A random sequence of events brought them back together. And then they both found themselves checked into the same room at Black Diamond Resort. My heart cracked open for both of them throughout this story. Loved both of them in different ways! What an amazing way to start this series! Darcy Stark (new to me narrator) & Iggy Toma did a phenomenal job narrating.

Struggled

I have loved everything so far from the author I have listened to. This one I struggled through.

Completely ridiculous story. Decent narration.

What in heck? This storyline is ridiculously stupid.

Suspended ALL that you know if you've ever worked in a hotel or resort industry LMAO. The author went waaaay off the deep end when plotting how to get the 2 in close quarters.
A reservation snafu??? OMG.. how stupid!! Does the author think readers are not worth a solid believable story?? There are so many other more plausible storylines she could have used that would have made sense.
As if a millionaire/billionaire would stand for any of it, of the front desk clerk would be the final answer.

Throwing in some severe mentally and emotionally topics such as cutting etc, without any forethought as to the YEARS of therapy needed for these things.

Just Ugh.
It's like this story was written by a high school student with no real world life experience.

I most feel as though the author should pay me back my credit I spent.
Yes, I could have stopped listening long before the end, but I was curious as to how she'd tie it all up.
More Ugh. I shouldn't have bothered.

Hard to finish this...but I did!

Yes...I get the title "Broken" kind of says it all for what we are in for...but I feel like the dramatics were a bit OTT for what this title was about. I have listened to other Andi Jaxon titles and I've enjoyed them...so with a heavy heart I must admit that "Broken" really turned me the f.@.ck off. I don't mind twink supporting characters - even enjoy them, especially if the are the best friend of a MMC. But when a MMC has features that are described as "soft" or "baby-like" it causes me to cringe. Even worse, an MMC that can be carried around like some damsel in distress it makes me wonder did I mistake this book for a mainstream historical romance? And to top all of my prior complaints the only skirt I want to see my MMC in is a kilt! This just killed any romance I would have felt listening to this. So the only thing left for me to enjoy is the story outside the romance and the performance. This is just my own hangup, some people might be fine with men wearing panties in their romance novels and that's fine! Whatever floats your banana boat or tickles your pickle and all that. I love Iggy Toma and he did not disappoint. This is my 2nd title that I've listened to Darcy Stark and I can say he truly is a strong performer but I have to speed him up to like 1.20 in Audible. I also felt that in this title he sounded waaaaay too OTT and dramatic than what would normally be called for - but I think that is just how Eli was written so...🤷🏾‍♀️ I also felt like in every other scene Eli was crying or expressing some type of despair so much that my empathy well ran dry or he was turned on by Asher.
I was impressed with how well both Toma and Stark flushed out the thinking and feelings of our heroes...I could feel the pain and longing...that scene in the beginning with Marcus was heart wrending. I haven't finished yet, maybe by the time I fiinish this I may think or feel differently about this title...

I finished 3/29/24 - The end message about the pearl was nice.

2 stars - I won't listen again