Review: Jax Who? This time it's all Jace!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 6, 2013
I'm going to start this review by telling you how I felt before I actually read Beautiful Broken Mess (Broken, Series #2). I loved the first book, Beautiful Broken Rules (Broken, Series #1)...everything about it. Jax, Em, their story and the angst that came with it. Jace, Jax's twin brother seemed to be almost a non-entity when I read it. You know, that character that is there but doesn't really effect the plot or stand out. Now, here are my thoughts after reading Jace's book...Holy smokes! Jax who? I totally and completely fell in love with the quieter, gentler twin. Kimberly Lauren made me forget every preconceived notion I had about all of the characters after the first book. I hated Audrey in the first book. She was simply an evil girl trying to ruin Em's happiness. Talk about judging someone before the facts are revealed. It actually made we wonder how many times I have incorrectly condemned someone in my life because of how a situation appeared.BBM actually begins with the gorgeous twins in high school. One angry and self destructive, while the other has assumed the role of protector. Jace loves his brother Jax fiercely. His every decision since his dad died has been made with Jax's well being in mind. Jace makes a decision one night that will affect not just his life, but a girl and the brother he loves for many years to come.Audrey is a girl beaten by life and the person supposed to protect her. She meets a gorgeous boy one afternoon, and he plants a seed of hope in her miserable life. I had a feeling I knew what was coming (if you've read the first book, you will probably figure it out too) but it was such a heart wrenching part to read. Mentally, I was having a constant conversation with the three characters that went something like this..."don't do it, Jace", "oh no, Audrey", "wth, Jax"...you get the picture.The story switches to the same time frame as Beautiful Broken Rules, except it comes from Jace and Audrey's points of view. I have to tell you, Kimberly Lauren showed her exceptional talent as a writer from here on out. She took the familiar story from book one and turned it into a totally different one. I'll try to explain it. Think of looking at a picture, then seeing the same picture from a different angle. She changed the angle of the story and changed my perspective and opinions without telling me what to think. The writing was so subtle that before I knew it I loved the characters I once despised, and I resented others that I felt sorry for before.The angst and frustration levels run high in this book, so if you are a lover of tension, miscommunication and stubborn characters, Beautiful Broken Mess is your kind of book. Misunderstandings run amok and missed chances will make you want to choke someone. I loved every "I want to pull my hair out" minute. ;)I will tell you that reading Beautiful Broken Rules first is a MUST! To truly get the dynamics of Jace, Jax, and Audrey's relationship, you have to read their present first then go back to their beginning. Jace and Audrey's story is a everything I want in a romance. It is tragic, beautiful, courageous. It makes you laugh, cry, and hold your breath praying the two star-crossed lovers win in the end. Oh, and I bet you will be saying "Jax who?" at the end just like I did. <3 <3