Three Chicks and Their Books: Release Blitz: Broken Dreams by Callie Anderson

Cover Design: Sarah Hansen / Okay Creations

Photo Credit: Franggy Yanez Photography

Release Date: April 27, 2017

Synopsis

Ethan is the boy who climbed into my bedroom every night.

He's everything I love.
Laced with everything I despise.

He's every happy memory.
And every shattered dream.

He's my everything.
But he broke every part of me.

I'm supposed to hate him.
But I can't.
I don't know how.

3.5 stars
Review by Lisa Kane

Leslie first laid eyes on Ethan when she was a child. His family had just moved on next door and the first thing she saw and heard was Ethan’s father slapping and yelling at his mother. Ethan ran out the door, Leslie called to him and told him to climb up to her bedroom. This was the start of their relationship. Ethan’s father, Jerry was a powerful, dangerous man who had the police force in his back pocket. Years of abuse followed. But Leslie and Ethan grew closer and friendship turned to love. Leslie’s life revolved around her dream to be a great ballerina. Her mother was obsessed with her training and Leslie’s hopes to go to Julliard were about to be realized. Only what happened the night of her graduation party killed her dreams for her career and for her and Ethan.

I didn’t know it then. But Ethan would be the first boy I ever loved and the first one to break my heart.

Eight years later Leslie has come home. Her father suffered a heart attack she needs to see him. She hasn’t seen or talked to her mother in all that time. When her dreams of being a dancer died, so did her relationship with her mother. Of course it’s only a matter of time until she sees Ethan again. Finding out that he still lives in the same town means a run in with him is inevitable. All these years later and her anger towards him hasn’t lessened. Not really.

Anger and hatred boils through my veins as the hurt of his betrayal threatens to resurface.

Most of the story concentrates on both their past and the present. How they got to where they are at now, why Leslie finds it hard to forgive Ethan and is still stuck; unable to connect with anyone new but unwilling to risk her heart again with him.

Some wounds don’t ever heal. I’ll learn to live with them. There are some bumps in the road you can never overcome, so you learn to turn yourself around and find a new road.

I have to admit I adored Ms. Anderson’s previous stories. I had a difficult time with Ethan’s character. He blows hot and cold, and his excuses just don’t cut it with me. The author is a talented writer and her words flowed as their story progresses. I just couldn’t connect with Him-I wish I had felt more invested in their story.

Sometimes you need to hit rock bottom, shatter your dreams in order to create new ones.