Review: Likable characters and good story. There were a few things I didn't like, but this one is worth the read.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 17, 2014
Review for Ramblings From This Chick BlogI have never read anything by Prescott Lane before, so I went into Perfectly Broken not knowing exactly what to expect. The blurb sounded really interesting though so I figured this was one to take a chance on. I ended up liking the story and the characters, and found it interesting enough to keep me turning the pages. There were a few things that I had a couple of criticisms about, but not enough to really detract from my enjoyment of this book.Peyton owns a pie shop that she named after her grandma in New Orleans. She wears baggy clothes and doesn't date or really think about guys. She spends time with her friend Quinn, talks on the phone with her friend Griffin who is also Quinn's brother, and she goes to therapy. Peyton believes that she is broken after a horrible event that happened in her past. One day when Quinn and her boyfriend Bret come into her pie shop, Bret's best friend Reed comes in as well. Reed and Peyton are instantly drawn to each other. But Reed is a player that is not looking for more than his next hook-up, and Peyton isn't about to be another notch for him. Reed begins to pursue Peyton, and after several attempts to get her to see him Peyton finally agrees to dinner. Reed and Peyton begin seeing each other, and Reed is determined to show her that she is special and is anything but a hook-up like the girls of his past. But not only does Peyton have a troubled past, Reed does also. With so much yet between them, can they possibly have any chance of a future together? What happens when the truth comes out? Can they find a way to trust each other and take the risk?I liked Reed. He was really great despite his flaws. I loved that he was who he was and didn't make excuses for being a man-whore. He openly admitted it and wasn't afraid to tell Peyton the truth. I also love how quickly and easily he gave that up for her. He was sweet and thoughtful, and I loved that he got her flowers to make her see that she was different and that he was paying attention to her. I also really loved that he would leave her petals behind even if she returned the flowers so that he was still letting her know he was thinking of her. I thought that he had a few issues though, and some of that was due to his past and his family. I could tell that it really bothered him being judged based on his family rather than himself. Peyton was a survivor. She might have thought that she was broken, but she really had a silent strength to her. She was a fighter and I loved that she didn't give up easily. She made Reed work for it and I loved that she made him prove himself. Reed and Peyton were really great together, and I thought that they were exactly what the other needed. They not only fit together, but they had really great chemistry and you could feel their attraction. But it was so much deeper than that, and I loved that they seemed to really understand the other.I did have a bit of a tough time getting used to the writing style with this book though. Perfectly Broken was written with multiple POVs. It was hard to get used to not only Reed and Peyton's POVs, but also those of some of the secondary characters. The change between POVs is what really confused me though as there was often little or no warning when it would switch from one character to another. It wasn't changed with each chapter, but often times in the middle of a chapter or even paragraph. I found it confusing and disjointed, and it really affected the flow of the story for me. No matter what was going on in the story at the time, it would distract me and really take me out of what was happening. I wish that it wouldn't have been done that way because I think that it really took away from the story and the characters. My other criticism was that I felt like the big reveal about Reed's past fell a little bit flat. It was alluded to most of the book and was made a big deal only to be kind of a let down. I felt like Peyton reacted really badly, and it was extremely judgmental and immature of her to handle things the way she did while never giving him a chance to really explain anything. I didn't understand that considering she had taken her own time and her own way to explain her past, and couldn't figure out why she wouldn't allow Reed to do the same. I also felt like Reed while patient and kind with Peyton was a little bit shallow and focused on the physical a bit too much. He might have been one way with her, but in his POV he was constantly thinking about how he could get her naked or have sex with her despite her wanting to wait. It just felt like he was one way to her face and then another way in reality. Its not like he ever acted on those urges or tried to push her, but it just felt like he wasn't really being true to his character at times. I also felt like he was a bit over-the-top and judgmental when it came to Griffin. His concerns were well founded and accurate, but he went about handling them wrong and I thought that he came off too heavy handed considering the length of time he had known Peyton. I also really did have some issues with Griffin. He might have helped Peyton when she needed it. But what kind of a friend helps her get through a horrible past only to date someone else and then expect Peyton to drop Reed and take a chance with Griffin because all of a sudden he says he loves her? Why did it take her finding someone else for him to ever say anything or try to be with her? I just didn't really buy that his feelings were true love or he never would have handled things like that. I also thought that what he did at the end was really selfish and it just proved to me that he cared about himself more than he had ever cared about her. She was much better off.I did like this story despite my issues with things, and I was really glad to see Peyton heal and grow as well as Reed. I think that they were great together, and I really enjoyed seeing their journey separately and together. I think that they were real and believable and I loved the ending of this story. It was really nice to get a conclusion and be completely satisfied with it. I also really enjoyed most of the secondary characters in this story. I absolutely loved Dr. Lorraine. She was a hoot and really cracked me up. I loved her no nonsense approach to her clients and the fact that she was so unconventional. I think that she really was able to reach Peyton because of how she was, and I will admit that she sort of stole the show for me! I would love to see more of her character with other clients of hers, I bet it would be a riot! Overall, I think that this story was easy to become invested in and is one that a lot of people will be able to relate to. Perfectly Broken was one that drew me in and had me turning the pages because I had to know what would happen. This one is definitely worth the read, and I look forward to seeing more from Prescott Lane in the future.**Review Copy provided by Author**