I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

The blurb on the cover of Broken by Betsy Reavley says "the most disturbing book you will read this year". I tend to be sceptical when a book has a claim that it is the best book ever or something similar printed on its cover. However, "the most disturbing book you will read this year" is probably an understatement. It is probably the most disturbing book I have read this decade.

In chapter 19, one of the characters says, "I felt like the driver who stops to look at a fatal accident on the motorway". That is a great description on how I felt reading this book. It was like an accident that I just could not look away from.

The author grabs your attention and makes you feel the story. You can hear what Annabel hears. You can feel what Annabel feels. It is a well written story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

It is NOT for the weak of heart and is recommended for people over the age of 18. It contains graphic scenes and intense acts of violence. Do not take this warning lightly.

The only word I keep repeating is ""wow".

Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 2/19/19.

Wow. What a roller coaster of a book. If you like well written stories that grip you from the very beginning until the end definitely pick up this winner of a book. Trust me. It won't disappoint. Happy reading!

I found this book such hard work unfortunately. Very repetitive and there just didn't seem to be a story to it.

3.5 stars!

I have gone around and around on how to rate Broken, and how to review it. Part of me wanted to rate it low because it's just so insanely dark and graphic and disturbing and because of that, difficult to read.

But, Betsy Reavley has done a superb job of writing both an unreliable narrator and surprising me with one of the biggest twists ever, so no matter how much I had to skim because her writing wormed its way so far under my skin it wasn't funny, it is an extremely well-written book. But - all my trigger warnings apply. All. Of. Them. Like, seriously. I'm saying it again, so you can't say you weren't warned.

Our main character, Annabel, is trying to find her way after being released from a mental institution. She finds her way to the Suffolk Coast, with the vague knowledge that girls have gone missing and turned up tortured and maimed beyond recognition. When she meets the handsome Jude, she starts to plan a new life, even while having disturbing and graphic dreams of pain and torture that she can't quite decipher. Is her manic depressive out of control? Or have the stories of the murdered girls affected her that much?

I can't say too much without giving the whole thing away, so I'm just going to send you back to those first two paragraphs. When this book flips the script, it's simultaneously mind-blowing and horrific. I've read some dark stuff and my tolerance for the twisted is pretty high, so I really have to give Ms. Reavley all the props in the world for finally giving me something that really tripped my "nope" meter!

Thank you so much to Ms. Reavley and Bloodhound Books for giving me the opportunity to read Broken in return for my honest review.

The book revolves around Annabel, a 23 year old who has recently been released from a psychiatric hospital into the care of her family. She has mental health problems, I think some sort of paranoia and delusions, which led to a violent episode but oddly she has just been released with a load of medication and no care from a psychiatrist or other health care expert. She feels strangely drawn to a place called Southwold on the Suffolk coast where the bodies of two murdered women have been found and takes a short holiday there alone. She meets a charismatic man called Jude who owns and runs a self-sufficient pot smoking commune of adoring women. He takes her there and over the next few months appears to groom this vulnerable young woman until at Christmas she agrees to abandon her home and move into Christie Hall. She is feeling much better in her own head, loves her companions and starts writing awful strange poetry as a release. The story starts to become interspersed with accounts of someone who has been tied up and abducted in the boot of a car but whose story is it? Are these Annabel's dreams? In some small ways this book reminded me of The Crow Girl and the way the mind conjures up memories. Oh, and then a third woman's body is discovered.
The first half of the book felt a little slow and drawn out. The second half rapidly turned into a complete horror nightmare. I can't say much more without giving spoilers except where mental health issues are involved, what is real and what is not can be very hard to discern. I have to point out there are a lot of graphic descriptions of rape, abuse and torture, and in view of this many readers will not finish or be comfortable with the book. If you have any sort of problem with this subject type then this is probably not a book for you. I would hate to see it get bad reviews due to readers not knowing what they are letting themselves in for. 4 stars for such a well written and great account of depravity and darkness. You may not like the book but you will not be in any doubt about what a great job the author has done. This is definitely one book that is going to get talked about!

Very different and unexpected. This story starts slowly and then it explodes. Annabel is an interesting character, tragic really.

To say that this gets dark is an understatement, it is truly horrifying. I am not squeamish, not even a bit, but I found this extremely graphic and intense. The writing, and detail, is excellent and grisly.

The way this story is weaves and flows is a bit unusual but works well. The conclusion - ugh, wow. This story will keep you thinking long after the last sentence - that’s a good thing.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bloodhound Books for a copy in exchange for a review.

This book comes with a warning for over 18s only... What did I just read? What the hell. Messed with my mind. This has to be Betsys darkest story yet. I got to a point where I nearly put the book down it was that grim, twisted and dark. But ofcourse I had to keep on reading to see what happened.

I managed to read most of this in a day. At first I was like ahhh this ain't so bad enjoying the book, but then towards the end it turned into pure horror and torture. It was so descriptive and dark that it made me feel sick and turned my stomach..

Broken is brilliantly written and highlights how much mental health can mess you up and take you to the darkest of places. A book you feel bad for enjoying as this has to be the darkest, twisted and grim book I have read ever. I think I need time to get over reading this one. Luckily I didn't have any nightmares! But my gosh, a book you cannot forget.

I awarded a well deserved four stars and would highly recommend. However, you have been warned about how dark and grim this book really is, a hard read towards the end.

Oh my! Where to start. What a trip. This is a novel that will compel and repell you all at the same time. It is a story of how far a fractured and tortured soul will go to be free of nightmares. If you can handle sensitive material you must read this book. It will shock you and amaze you. Splendid storytelling by Betsy Reavely.

First of all i have to address the extremely detailed disturbing parts of this novel, this should be an 18+ book only. I had a hard time reading through the end, it was so violent and twisted. It disturbed me more than i thought it would and i have read some pretty disturbing books. The first half of this book introduced us to some well thought out/well written characters that are easy to relate to. Its almost a love story with the undercurrent of something darker. You can kind of predict what is happening but when you turn that corner from love story to horror the book does a 180. This is hands down the most violent, detailed account i have ever read of the torture of a human being and its not easy to read its horrific and long, drawn out torture that is unimaginable. I had nightmares. There wasnt a happily ever after. The book lost one star from me for the first half being slightly slow and drawn out and for the fact that there are a few things left unaddressed in the book and i dont like when pieces that form t he book are simply missing.
If you have a weak stomach dont read this and dont read it alone at night.

Thank goodness this was a fictional piece of work. It's creepy, extremely creepy and I devoured it...

Annabel, a troubled young woman trying to put her life back together, decides to take a trip to the Suffolk coast to clear her head and get away from her mother. But when she arrives in the little seaside town, she discovers a series of grisly murders have taken place and police are searching for a twisted killer.

After a fateful meeting with a mysterious stranger, Jude, the course of her life changes and soon she finds peace in a world away from the misery she has known. But when Jude comes under suspicion from the police, and her idyllic world is threatened, Annabel’s happy existence starts to become a nightmare.

Going into this book, I was expecting the worst types of crimes there could be... It wasn't as severe as the description made it out to be but it was definitely disturbing that's for sure. The writing is spot on and the characters were great. I thought this was a pretty decent thriller.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #Broken
Pub Date: 18 Feb 2019

I want to thank NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.

This is a story about Annabel. She is being suffocated by her mother who in reality is just trying to protect her. Anna is a person who has been institutionalized for manic depression. This is why her mom is so protective of her. So Anna decides to take a mini vacation on her own, just to breath.
She goes to this little town and meets Jude. He is mysterious and has this huge estate of his own. Her mom thinks that he is the leader of a cult but once she meets him she feels differently.
Jude and Anna go on a vacation where he proposes and she wakes up in a basement.
This book takes us into the dark recesses of the mental illness. You will find that you do not know what is real and what is not. You will read this book and at the end you will be left wondering if what you just read was her dreaming or was it something else?
All I can say is that I will be reading this again and again. This has become my ultimate favorite book and I will be purchasing this for my bookshelf.

Annabelle is a trouble young woman and she decides to go for a trip
Only going away for her mother
When she at the site she comes under police suspicion .
I had an ARC from Bloodhound

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book




Annabel, a troubled young woman trying to put her life back together, decides to take a trip to the Suffolk coast to clear her head and get away from her mother. But when she arrives in the little seaside town, she discovers a series of grisly murders have taken place and police are searching for a twisted killer.

Ok- not really what I was expecting. The synopsis had me kinda thinking I was getting something else. It’s pretty violent and I’m kinda desensitized to that sort of thing. The author did capture the moment though with great descriptors and the book was well written. Three stars!

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review*

Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?
--Edgar Allan Poe

*Reader Warning* This book is full of triggers and not for the weak of heart. I’m not kidding!

Annabel has been fighting a battle with mental illness. Diagnosed manic depressive, she’s recently been released from a mental institution. Needing a fresh start away from the prying eyes of her family, Annabel goes on holiday to the coast of Suffolk. But little did she realize when booking her escape, this seaside village has been plagued with horrific deaths of young women. Not one easily put off by this news, Annabel opts to stay and meets a mysterious man, Jude, who befriends her and offers a chance to get away from her troubles and live within the confines of his “community”. As the days pass, Annabel is haunted by visions of pain and despair. Annabel must make a choice to either stay locked away within the safety Jude offers or fight off the nightmare her life has become.

After reading the blurb for Broken, I was intrigued and requested a copy. Dear Reader, this story is NOTHING like the blurb teases. Broken is a hauntingly horrific tale that will reach into the darkest corners of your mind and stay there. Rape, murder and madness abound in this graphic story, and I honestly am at a loss as how to rate it. My first instinct was I didn’t like it. But the author did such a good job in the depiction of the depravity done to Annabel that I had to stop and rethink how to review the book. Can I recommend? Not really. I do read a lot of dark erotica and disturbing accounts, but Broken was a little out of even my comfort zone. However, if you are a fan of torture porn and a story with lots of twists and turns, this may be right up your alley! Kudos to Betsy Reavley for creating a world that finally reached my “ick” warning.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I picked it up because the front cover seemed interesting, calling it the most disturbing book you will read all year. True, the book was very disturbing and could be enjoyable. However for me at least the back cover blurb ruined the "mystery/surprise" of the book. I knew what was happening from the beginning so was not at all surprised by the reveal. The first part of the book and the latter half are very different. I would rate is as a horror novel rather than suspense.

I'm honestly not sure what I just read. The book starts off slowly then picks up into what seems like a story of healing and love. You then begin asking yourself if the characters are what they seem or if one is a killer. Then it takes a horrific turn into a horror story. By the end it's still unclear what happened. This story is nothing like I expected from reading the blurb.

#Broken#Netgalley
Broken by Betsy Reavelry. I loved this book as I do most of Betsy’s books. This one after she decides to go away to Suffolk to clear her head she meets Jude, however he comes under suspicion of a crime, it’s onr of those books, that you sit back after and try to decide who the real enemy is. Are you your own worst enemy????? Or is it circumstances beyond your control. Because let’s face we all have options when we meet them to either continue with a friendship that could turn to much more.. the twist are really good well written and Farley fast paced book. I like the idea of a book that leaves you feeling if it was you who made the mistake and asks yourself who actually is your enemy. This one definitely feels like a book you can fully absorb yourself into and time passes so quickly that if you look at the time you didn’t realise how long you’d actually been reading it, time just slips away from you. It’s a extremely difficult book to put down. I recommend you read this book, and then sit back and really think. It certainly gives you food for thought. That’s what I call a good book.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were well developed. It had an interesting plot. I would be interested in reading more