Review: Beautiful.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 19, 2013
3.5 stars... In this follow up to Beautifully Broken by Amanda Bennett, the story picks up from where the other left off. This is the heart warming yet heart- wrenching story of Gray and Bennett. They had already endured so much in Beautifully Broken. I wasn't sure how much more they could take on their relationship and themselves.I want to mention first thing that in Breaking Beautiful Amanda took more time in capturing this story. I felt so much more invested this time around. Like I could really get a sense of the feelings that Gray and Bennett held for each other.  I enjoyed how their relationship evolved and matured.  Maybe, this was because it was book two and I knew the characters. Whatever the case, the story's flow was more fluid. The gaps were smaller.  There were still instances where we had to assume a consequence or event occurred within the story. It did not necessarily take away or dilute the story. You just had to come to your own conclusions about some minor things. This book wasn't as intense as the first but it was more heart warming. Raylon's presence was still there and ugly but not as fervently.This time around, Amanda Bennett added a lot more `hot' factor to the story as well. Gray and Bennett definitely explored each other a lot this time around. Of course, their relationship was more defined in Breaking Beautiful than it was in Beautifully Broken.  I definitely see this author turning up the heat in her future writings.I also found that this time around, Hannah and Theo, the couple's best friends had more of a presence and you see something deeper developing between them. They certainly have a story to tell. Hannah and Theo were also much more concrete in their support for Bennett. They were more inclined to stand up for her directly, rather than in the background waiting for Bennett to be hurt physically or emotionally an then pick up the pieces.Amanda Bennett is still relatively new to the literary world. With each book she has written, I see growth and maturity.  Her style of writing is evolving and for the better.  Her characters and stories have energy and life to them. I look forward to reading more from her. I am most excited to read book #3 in the Broken series, titled Hearts Un-broken. It is set to release May 2013. Also, be on the lookout for her new book Misguided Heart. Coming to us on Valentine's Day.