Review: The ultimate underdog story!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 2, 2014
I have been waiting on this character to have his own book since falling in love with him in the third book of the Moreno Brothers series by this author. By just the small glimpse of his life I got through the other characters I knew he held such depth and intensity in his personality.Brandon Billings didn't have any easy life growing up. Watching his dad abuse his mother was rough on him and left him the shy and quiet kid everyone stayed clear of. Only Sophia Moreno could befriend him and bring him out of his shell. I loved getting a look back at their relationship before we met them in Sweet Sophie. He developed a crush on her but sadly for him she had always loved her childhood sweetheart Eric. After he joined the Marines and came home on leave they had a moment, a kiss that was everything to him and a momentary distraction for her that broke his heart. I hated seeing just how broken he was by that and how it changed him. I always wondered why the Moreno men seemed to dislike him so much until an incident at her house deemed him a bit of a problem for her to watch out for. As if that wasn't enough he faces more devastating circumstances when he loses his parents and becomes a cold detached machine, unfeeling and just going through the motions in life. When he meets Regina he tries to keep his distance but something about her calls out to the broken parts of him and makes him want to open up again finally.I have to say I was completely stunned to find out who Regina was to him. When he first comes across her in an airport in transition back to his base he deems her a daddy's girl princess. Immediately writing her off as spoiled and not for him it's not until he has to see her everyday on base that he starts to change his feeling about her. Meeting her character brings a mysterious event from her past into the forefront and gives a look into what her character will face as the story continues.Regina's character was intense and very emotional. She's got a great job and she seems to have her stuff together but she's hiding a secret about herself that she has tried to keep hidden for years and doesn't want Brandon to know. The connection these two ultimately have was shocking, exciting and very enlightening for both characters. From this revelation comes a form of closure I think Brandon needed for both himself and Regina. Honestly I didn't really connect with her especially when she faces her demons and sucks Brandon into them. It broke my heart for him to have to go through that after watching him suffer throughout his life.The relationship between Regina and Brandon while intense and a little crazy was sweet and showed a side of him I was really hoping to see. Watching him change throughout his various stages in life was an amazing character experience. I felt every emotion for him I could possibly feel for a character and haven't rooted so hard for a guy to catch a break in all the books I have read. Behind his very stoic demeanor in everyday life he possessed a tender kindness behind closed doors I had no idea he was capable of until he met Regina. While her character irked me a bit I loved how she helped him overcome everything and they both grew together. It was very rewarding for me and I know fans of both the Moreno series and it's spin off Fate will be shocked and excited to get their hands of Brandon! Breaking Brandon lived up to it's name in every way possible. I highly recommend the Fate series and it's companion the Moreno Brothers books for anyone who loves their men intense and devoted and their females flawed but amazing!