Exquisitely well done debut book from Author M. Jay Granberry!

I loved it all!

A well developed Angst, twisted, emotionally driven story that had me hooked from beginning to end.
Such wonderful characters of Jake & Sinclair. We see all their goods and flaws taking place in Sin City which was the ultimate back drop for this story.

Loved the way the author gave us such depth in getting into the power of love and what it takes to overcome the past , and go forward in having a second chance at the future with the one you truly love.

Go grab this book! I'm looking forward to reading more of Author M. Jay Granberry.

*ARC kindly provided by The Next Step PR & Author for exchange for an honest review*

5 🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒popped!

One of my new favorite books! This author has such a way with words the pages flew by in no time! I can’t wait to see the next work by this author! This was such a joy to read!

Exquisitely Broken is an angsty second chance romance. He is from money she is from the wrong side of the tracks. He was smitten from first glance and convinced her to give it a shot. Then he messed up and she uses it as an excuse to break away even though it breaks her heart. Now four years later she is back in town and not the foster kid he first met. Can he convince her to let the past go and create a future with him? This book will twist you up and put you through a wringer before we get the answers.

I love the name of the female lead. One of my favorite shows.
Love is not always a storybook romance. There is a lot of work to be done. Push and pull, forgiveness and pain play a large part of a great relationship. Sinclair James is a famous rock star. It was not always that way. she did't have it easy but she managed to make it. Jacob Johnson was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Vegas business royalty. Opposites attract in this book. Young love, betrayal and heartbreak is paramount. It all comes back when they reconnect. That is when I fell in love with Sinclair. She was hurt and let it be known. No playing around. She was not expecting to see her ex so soon. Jake pretty much stalked her during their separation so he was more prepared for the meeting than she was but not by much. past mistakes and regrets make this story real and heartfelt. The journey to love was well written and will keep you reading and wishing for more.

An exquisite second chance romance.

"The opposite of love is not hate. Love and hate take the same kind of time. The same devotion. It's not over until the indifference kicks in."

Sin once loved him with everything she had. Her heart and soul was his. She even remade parts of herself to appease his needs. What did she get in return?
Betrayal, heartache and the means to make her a star.
Left broken and lost she funneled her pain into her music.
Each note the reflections of a tear.
Each stanza a broken piece of her once beating heart.

"I won't let her down, not in this. Before, I lost my way and steered us both into shark-infested waters, and we're still in survival mode. " - Jake
Jake let his jealousy and his possessive nature color his thoughts. In an unforgivable act of betrayal, he destroyed the one real thing in his world. Sinclair. Now he has been given a second chance.
Can Jake atone for his past?
Can Sin see beyond the betrayal?

This is Granberry's debut novel.
I want to start out with how much I loved the cast. The easy way they interacted with each other. The way their emotions were raw and uncensored just ... absolutely intense. (And Mom - hope you choke on the lack of oxygen up there.)
I hope we get more from these characters.
The story was easy to follow and easier to believe. We are presented with dual POV's which makes the 'time jumps' from past to present meld perfectly together giving the reader the perfect dose of angst, blended with some light suspense topped with a whole lot of groveling. And let us not forget how nuclear Sin and Luke are together.
There were a couple of scenes that I felt a bit "Huh?" after reading. I felt that certain people, as well as a few situations, needed a bit more. More detail or closure. They were introduced into the story as possible 'problems' (IMO) but then they seemed to be forgotten.
The kid? The parents? The Hotel fixer?
I did read an early comp copy so these issues may have been resolved.
Overall a wonderful first in what I am hoping will be a series.

Exquisitely Broken, A Sin City Tale 1, M. Jay Granberry

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance, multi-cultural interest

The story is told in three parts; today, four years in the past and ten years in the past. At times that was irritating, frustrating, there'd be something climatic happen then next page we'd be in a different time period. I don't really see another way of telling the story though, other than giving it all away at once, and that wouldn't make good reading ;-)

I wanted to know what happened to split them up, after all six years together is a long time. I know he cheated, Sin tells us that, but I wanted to know exactly what happened, why, how long etc. When I did find out what went down I was a bit confused. Why? Was it a one off or ongoing? Was that the only time? There had to be a reason, was Jake just getting cold feet? Was he just arrogant thinking he could do it just because? I feel that part of the book needed more work, more fleshing out.
It was such a huge part of them and the story but kind of glossed over. “oh, he cheated, right, on to next plot.” It wasn't treated with the awfulness cheating is, and Jake didn't seem to appreciate just how his actions affected Sin, it was as if he felt it was in the past, she should forget it. I'd always worry though, if he could do it once, he could do it a second time. It made Jake into a person I didn't really like, and it took a while for that to change.
Sin is so loyal to her friends, has worked hard for her success but her heart is still with Jake, she hasn't really got over their break-up, and now she's within his sphere again he wants her back. I was a bit undecided though, was her really worthy of her? I guess without knowing what went wrong I wasn't convinced it wouldn't happen again. Sin though is stronger now, and not just going to roll over.

We meet Jake's family too, his dad isn't so bad but his mum, what a piece of work she is. That's fine by me though, I just love a nasty character on a book, makes the story so much more interesting ;-) I did feel though that Jake needed to stand up to her more, to stand by Sin, to tackle his mum about her past actions and her current attitude.

There's lots going on in this story, some terrific characters and its a great debut read, but for me it needed a bit more – I needed to feel that Jake really regretted what he'd done. I felt he was sorry for it only in that he lost Sin because of it, not that he actually saw anything wrong in his cheating. There's an important difference there, and its the one that makes me certain it won't happen again.
I needed him to stand up to his mum too, to tell her to not interfere in his life, for him to stand up for Sin, rather than just let things play out and – kind of – apologise foe his mum after she's been her usual unpleasant self.
Stars: Four, a great debut read. A few parts that didn't work so well for me but I'll be looking out for M Jay's next book.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

I adore hate to love romances but not a fan of society or celebrity romances, but this pleasantly surprised me. I was entertained from page one, it wasn’t rushed, it was a good slow burn love story. I loved the ‘real’ responses to situations , you’ll shed tears , but it’s a lovely story and I’m glad I read it despite my reservations based on subject matter. Worth the read

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I loved Jake and Sinclair's story! It had heart, drama, and music. I think it wasn't rushed like some hate to love romances can be. Sin and Jake's story of finding their way back to each other was all consuming and I flew through the book!

I was given this ARC for an honest review of this book. I'm not a fan of celebrity/society type stories, but "Exquisitely Broken" was so well written you can't help but enjoy reading Sin and Jakes story. They met in college and had a karmic connection, spent six years together and one fateful night broke them apart. Four years later they come face to face at a meeting and it wasn't pretty. This story is of heartbreak, growing apart, forgiveness, growing back together and leaning what is important in life. It's an interesting read, enjoyable.

3 to 4

Well I read till it was done. Summer break is so good for reading!

Sin and Jake are too very strong characters with lots of flaws. I loved the plot of a second chance romance, but I felt that there really wasn’t any solid explanation of the choice Jake made. Yes he was jealous and thought she was cheating, but was there really a true reason to hurt her that bad? I got frustrated with his reasoning and how that the cheating wasn’t that bad. I like how Sin reacted so realistic and not a wrote script. Sin was real. I also felt the issues with Jake’s parents were not resolved. Jake never stood up to his mom about Sin. That moment to me seemed necessary. I was disappointed that it never happened.

The love story was great and the chemistry was out of the world good. I wish there was more backstory on the band and their struggles. The story was great but it just had somethings that were missing.

Received an ARC from the publisher.

"More than anything, I want to repent at the altar of Sin. Sink to my knees and beg forgiveness. Worship her body with my body."

I honestly can't tell you what it was that drew me to this book, it wasn't the author because this is her debut novel. Most likely it was the title, I'm very drawn to broken characters. I guess I was just lucky to find it, because it's amazing, and I'm so glad I didn't miss out. The author's writing style is very smooth and the characters just jumped off the page and into my heart. I'll most definitely be stalking her in the future to make sure I don't miss whatever is next.

Another thing that I'm drawn to is music. I really really enjoyed that side of this story. Broken hearts inspire the best lyrics and Exquisitely Broken was born from the ashes of her lost love. Sinclair (aka Sin) has been through hell, a few times. She's had to fight for everything. She wasn't raised on the rich side of the tracks, others might look down on her for that but that's their issue, not hers. She's not ashamed of her hard beginnings, it's made her strong and brought her best friend into her life. Their shared hardships and love of music made them the perfect team.

Vegas is her home but she's avoided it like the plague... because he's there. She ran from him but unfortunately, she couldn't get away from the love she felt for him, it followed her. It filled the pages of her songbook. It ran in rivers down her cheeks. Now, she has to go back to Vegas. She's hoping that the man and the love no longer have any power over her. Good luck with that, right?

I confess I didn't want to like him. There's a reason she left him, and I don't blame her. He hasn't forgotten her and he wants another chance. He doesn't deserve one. He's determined to prove to her that they are meant for each other. "Sin may not want to want me, but I live under her skin and flow in her veins just as she does in mine. Us is not a choice. It never was, it's inevitable."

Will she give him another chance at what's left of her exquisitely broken heart? Well, you'll need to one-click to find out. In the meantime, I'm over here with my fingers crossed that the author will call this book one in a series and either start or finish with Adam...sigh. The line forms here...

An emotional masterpiece of healing, feeling, forgiveness and love.

How would you react after a devastating betrayal? A betrayal perpetrated by your soulmate, the one you planned out your forever with. Is forgiveness too much to ask? What about a second chance?

Powerful and real, Exquisitely Broken tells the story of a betrayal in a relationship and a couple’s effort to move past or move on from it through tears, pain, effort and undying love.

This book was raw and emotional. It hits you right in the heart and will leave its mark. I loved every heart-breaking moment of it.

The world and its characters could not be more real. Their thoughts, feelings and actions are so human, so downright authentic.

I ached and shed tears for and with this couple. I understood and feel like I know them.

This book will resonate with those who have been betrayed, who have felt insecure and who want forgiveness or want to forgive but don’t know how.

The sentiments, reactions and emotions expressed in this book are vivid which makes this book too genuine and emotional to ever forget.

I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.