Review: Reviewed for Scandalicious Book Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 27, 2014
See the full review at Scandalicious Book Reviews...[...]Last year I read and reviewed First Position by Prescott Lane. Now she is back with her second published book and after reading it, I can confidently say that Prescott Lane is indeed, a very talented writer. She has the ability to hook you in only a few short pages into the story. I actually spent some time contemplating that. There are certain authors that I think are just blessed with this gift of storytelling. Their words seem to flow effortlessly as their stories unfold and not one thing pulls me away, their delivery and editing are flawless, and I think you can agree, that is not always the norm in the self-published world. This is an indie author to watch, people, because what she does is magical.Peyton Mayfield is the Perfectly Broken heroine in Prescott Lane's latest release. A beautiful and shy girl, once upon a time young and vivacious, now content to live her life as inconspicuous as possible. It tells you right in the plot summary that she has endured years of trauma therapy so I hope that makes it obvious to the reader that she has been brutally victimized. I feel it is important to point this out in case this type of violence is a trigger for anyone as she does recount the brutal attack she endured. Peyton is not the type of girl that is stunningly gorgeous and acts all aloof about it. Personally, I am tired of those type of characters. Peyton goes out of her way not to be noticed and therefore has no clue how anyone could be interested in her when she intentionally keeps herself hidden under baggy clothes. Like so many women, Peyton believes she is at fault for her attack and is content to live a quiet and unassuming life running her pie shop and spending time with her best friend Quinn. Peyton considers herself damaged goods and has resigned herself to the fact that no one will find her desirable once she shares her ugly past."You can try a whole lot of different kinds of pies and never be satisfied. So you just keep trying them all. Or you can wait for that one special kind of pie that can satisfy you with just one bite... So the question is - are you just looking for variety, or are you willing to hold out for the real deal?"Reed Langston, hails from a wealthy New Orleans family and willingly embraces his bad boy reputation. Reed is a professed player but you quickly come to realize that is the shield he hides behind. No one can hurt you if you don't let them in. As you peel back the layers you find a man with his own broken pieces. He is restless, not sure what he is looking for anymore. The casual hook ups provide little lasting relief, he is at odds with his father over their tumultuous relationship and his best friend and wingman has happily settled down into a committed relationship. What Reed isn't expecting is to have his life turned completely inside out by a pair of baby blue eyes and a piece of Devil's Food Chocolate Praline pie. I cannot rave enough about Reed Langston. This is a man, who for all intense purposes you would expect to be a complete jerk, and he is not. Reed is patient and kind and gentle and did I mention patient? I mean, patient as a Saint. See what I did there? New Orleans. Saints. Anyway, for a man that is used to having all of his needs satisfied, it is never about him. He is focused solely on romantically pursuing Peyton and he listens to her. Really listens. He is never greedy or pushy with his desires and always respects Peyton's demands. He puts her first and is protective and jealous of anyone he identifies as a threat. He knows when to back off and give her space and even when she pushes away, he pushes back. All this before he even knows what lies in Peyton's past.The secondary characters are top rate and brilliantly written. One of my favourite's has to be Dr. Lorraine, Peyton's therapist. Hell, I'm pretty sure I would seek therapy if this woman was the one delivering the advice. She is unconventional in her methods and provides a lot of humour. I knew I loved her from the get go while she is encouraging Peyton to reclaim her sexuality and go get laid but when she calls a raging witch from Reed's past a C U Next Tuesday, she solidified her idol status in my eyes. I can't even quote the awesomeness of what Dr. Lorraine said because she drops the 'C' bomb too many times. Peyton's best friend Quinn is the feisty, outgoing, speak your mind, stereotypical Southern woman whose love for fashion is unparallel. As superficial as Quinn may come across, she loves Peyton with all her heart and is an incredibly supportive, overprotective best friend. Bret, Quinn's boyfriend and Reed's best friend, is the link that brings them all together. I would feel I was leaving someone out if I didn't mention that both Reed's mother and Peyton's grandmother are strong inspirational women in their own rights. All the character's in this book are fantastic... well except for Reed's father and the bed buddy, but Dr. Lorraine told you all you need to know about her up above.Beautifully Broken IS a beautiful story about healing, trusting and learning to love because love IS patient, love IS kind, and love will cause many a tear to fall."You can be as rough as you want in bed, but just be gentle with my heart."