How do you fix a love that’s been broken beyond repair?
For years, Cassie Taylor tried to forget about Ethan Holt. He was the one great love of her life, and when he failed to return her love, a part of her died forever. Or so she thought. Now she and Ethan are sharing a Broadway stage, and he’s determined to win her back. Claiming to be a changed man, he’s finally able to say all the things she needed to hear years ago, but can she believe him? What makes this time different from all his other broken promises?
Ethan knows he can’t change their tumultuous past, but if he’s going to have any chance of being with the woman he loves, he’ll need to convince Cassie that her future belongs with him.
Don’t miss this stunning conclusion to the unforgettable love story that captivated over two million fans online
Broken Juliet by Leisa Rayven was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. After reading Bad Romeo I had one of those “Where have you been all my life?!” moments about Rayven. I have been calling her the Queen of Angst for a while now, and I knew if the conclusion of Cassie and Ethan’s story was anything like the beginning I would need the wine and Xanax handy. Broken Juliet was easily one of the best books I have read this year. Rayven did a masterful job of creating an emotionally charged and memorable story that stole my heart. The series as a whole has definitely been added to my all-time favorites list.
While Bad Romeo focused on the fact that Ethan broke Cassie’s heart, Broken Juliet actually showed us how he broke it. The story starts exactly where it left off with Cassie seriously contemplating giving Ethan one more chance. Once again the scenes alternate between the present and the past. Rayven does a fantastic job of ending each chapter at just the right place, leaving the reader frantically flipping through the pages to find out what happened next. The chapters work together seamlessly to give us a full picture of what happened between Cassie and Ethan and what the future has in store for them.
The Cassie we see in this book has some serious doubts to overcome. Her heart wanted Ethan, but as the title of the book suggests he had broken her. As we learned more details about their past, my heart was aching for her. Ethan didn’t simply hurt her. He crushed her. How do you learn to trust someone who has done that to you? Her struggle felt real and honest. I will admit that a part of me wanted to see her scream at him and maybe punch him in the face. Not terribly mature, but he would have deserved it. Cassie was such an intelligent and strong woman, and it was easy to empathize with her. Should she listen to her head or her heart?
Ethan. Oh, Ethan. Let me start by saying that I have always liked Ethan. I haven’t always liked his behavior, but as our hero I am a fan. In the present day scenes of Broken Juliet we saw a much different Ethan. He was remorseful and devastated over how he had hurt Cassie. Ethan was determined to win her back at all costs. I appreciated that he understood it would take time. His patience and genuine adoration for Cassie won me over. There was no doubt in my mind that she was his heart and soul. Once he truly let his feelings shine through, there was no stopping him. Some of those journal entries simply gutted me.
I cannot stress enough how perfectly Rayven married the past and the present in this story. Seeing what Cassie went through because of Ethan’s self-doubt was a difficult pill to swallow. The push and pull between them was exhausting at times. Their love was such an emotional rollercoaster, but somewhere in my heart I just knew that they belonged together. Not only did Cassie and Ethan have crazy chemistry (I thought my Kindle was going to catch on fire in some parts!), but they also had such a fun way of bantering and interacting with each other that was incredibly endearing. The connection between them was undeniable.
Rayven deserves a standing ovation for this book and the series as a whole. Her writing style is wonderful. Cassie and Ethan’s story drew me in from the very beginning and never let go. I enjoyed watching how they changed and grew from the first book to this one, especially Ethan. Love is never easy, and Cassie and Ethan are certainly proof of that. Broken Juliet was a delicious mix of angst, steam, and raw emotion that I felt on every single page. I can’t wait for Elissa’s book, and I hope we will see a little of Cassie and Ethan in there. Kudos to Rayven on another incredible story. This is one series you absolutely don’t want to miss.
*An advance copy of this book was received in exchange for an honest review.*
Like Misha, I was VERY excited about the release of Broken Juliet. I finished Bad Romeo feeling bereft. I just didn’t have enough background information on Cassie and Ethan to assess if it felt right, the two of them together or not. Well, now I know.
Like Bad Romeo, the story is parsed out to us through present time interactions, flashbacks, and journal entries. We are now really getting to the back-story as to how Ethan and Cassie ended up where they did, trying to forgive each others pasts and re-connect. Ethan and Cassie are just one of those book couples that are so good together and yet sometimes so bad to each other, but we need them in our circle of favorite couples. Once again, Leisa tugs at our heart strings and tests our sensibilities.
In all things pasts, in all the flashbacks, I found myself not liking Ethan very much. I didn’t feel this way in Bad Romeo and I’m not sure what changed. Makes some sense in that I didn’t understand how devastated Cassie was from their senior year together so now I get it. Ethan was terribly wishy-washy and it felt like he was stringing Cassie along. Committing to her, but not quite committing to THEM. Maybe I forgot what or how he’s been damaged in his life, but it became a little tiring. As for Cassie, she acquiesced to Ethan most of the time and she didn’t really push him. She was much more aware and considerate of his feelings then he was for hers. And as their time together at The Grove comes to a close, well, lets just say that Ethan was disappointing.
Fast forward 3 years. Boy, I need to see Ethan in a different light, I need to see him redeem himself. Leisa gives us just that. Ethan working his way back into Cassie’s heart. He experienced something that simply inspired to work on himself, to face down insecurities. When we are present time, we see that Ethan has done a wonderful job in working towards bettering himself. What Cassie and Ethan share is that all encompassing soul mate love. But, that kind of love often crushes us. BUT, these two deserve to find a happy place, together. The thing is, Ethan rejected Cassie and part of her feels vindicated by Ethans’ transformation (which is all for her), yet she’s also feeling like she’s not good enough for the new and improved Ethan. Its complex and maddened and rings oh so true. Its the human condition to be conflicted and Leisa does an amazing job giving us that, showing both sides not only of the story, but of the emotion.
Broken Juliet is an absolute must read for those who have read Bad Romeo – you need the rest of the story. It could go without saying but I’m gonna say it – If you haven’t started this two book series, what are you waiting for? This is a 5 Star book and a 5 stars series with comes with my highest recommendation. I’m very excited for what’s next from Leisa!
*An advance copy of this book was received in exchange for an honest review.*
Writing has always been a passion for Leisa, and even though she originally intended to be an actress, it wasn’t long into her time at drama school that she began writing plays.
Those plays were bad. Very bad. Well, her friends thought they were good, but that’s because they were always cast in them and any opportunity to be on stage was met with an obnoxious amount of enthusiasm.
Since then, she’s honed her craft, and several of her plays have been produced and toured throughout Australia.
These days, playwriting has given way to fiction writing, and Leisa’s debut novel, BAD ROMEO, will be available in a worldwide release through Macmillan Publishing in December 2014.
Leisa lives in Australia with her husband, two little boys, three cats, and a kangaroo named Howard.
(Howard may or may not be her imaginary marsupial friend. Everyone should have one.)
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