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Fragile

by M. Leighton (Goodreads Author)

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 1,862 ratings · 208 reviews

Her heart, as delicate as glass. His love, as strong as steel. Can either survive life and death?

Hardy Bradford is an eighteen year old football phenomenon who has the girl, the school, the town and the future in the palm of his hand. His life is all mapped out for him, right down to who he’ll marry and how he’ll become a professional football player. It doesn't seem to m...more

Kindle Edition, 294 pages

Published April 2012 by M Leighton Books (first published January 1st 2012)

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May 11, 2012 Alexis ~*Too many books, not enough time*~ rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Mature YA Romance Lovers

Shelves: alpha_male, athlete-lover, boy_meets_girl_girl_meets_boy, discovery, his_pov, jealousy, mar-apr2012, strong_female_lead, tragedy-tragic, ya_mature-romance, unexpected-twist, emotional-read

Spoiler Free Review
4 STARS
Genre: YA Romance-Mature

"I don't want to die. I want to live. I want to live life with all its emotions, all its experiences. I don't want to miss anything. But i feel like i will. I feel like i'm living on borrowed time."- Miracle in Fragile

This book was simply Beautiful. Fragile is a story about love, love that endures all.

Hardy Bradford is the man. He's handsome, dating the pretty head cheerleader and is the starting quarterback for his school. While at the park with...more Spoiler Free Review
4 STARS
Genre: YA Romance-Mature

"I don't want to die. I want to live. I want to live life with all its emotions, all its experiences. I don't want to miss anything. But i feel like i will. I feel like i'm living on borrowed time."- Miracle in Fragile

This book was simply Beautiful. Fragile is a story about love, love that endures all.

Hardy Bradford is the man. He's handsome, dating the pretty head cheerleader and is the starting quarterback for his school. While at the park with his hot cheerleader girlfriend Cheyenne for a photo shoot Hardy walks off and settles under a tree opposite a bench. When Hardy overhears two girls talking he looks over and that's when he saw her Miracle St. James and her pretty green eyes. He could tell on sight that something was not right with Miracle she looks frail,under weight and bald. He watches her interactions with others and instantly knows she is a giving loving person. When his spying is interrupted by his girlfriend Cheyenne he is pulled away but not before making eye contact with Miracle and those pretty green eyes.

5 months later Hardy is sitting in class and once again finds himself looking into those pretty green eyes. Miracle St. James is now a new student in school and she is no longer bald and frail. In fact Hardy cannot keep his eyes off her much to the dismay of Cheyenne. Miracle and Hardy b/come friends altho he wants to be more than friends she is reluctant. Miracle has experienced lost and she is scared to watch another person walk out of her life b/cuz they can no longer handle the trials life brings.

This is my first read by M. Leighton and it will not be my last. I think she did an excellent job. I loved watching these two fall in love and i love how Hardy would not allow Miracle to think for a second that he would leave when the going got tough. Miracles outlook on life and appreciation for the small things makes you as a person reflect and see things different. She has to be one of the best female characters i have ever read about and i loved every second of it.

I consider this book YA Mature it does have some sex.

My Ratings
Characters- Lovable and Admirable
Writing Style- Good
Plot/Storyline- Genuine and Forthright
Overall- Enjoyable/A YA MUST READ(less)

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Oct 26, 2012 JB The Book Addict rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: wish-you-were-real

The first thought that comes to mind when I consider FRAGILE is sweet. From beginning to end, this was a charming, thoughtful, and sweet story. With Hardy's wonderful attributes, I never found him boring, simply swoon-worthy. And Miracle. She is exactly as you would expect with a name like that. She walks into Hardy's life and shifts his entire world. She wakes him from a deep sleep. His entire world was orbiting around someone else's dream and Miracle inspires him to strive for the life he want...more

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Aug 12, 2012 KarenH rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angst-level-starting-to-squirm, definitely-worth-your-while, disabled-sickness-addiction, excellent-love-story, heart-wrenching, keep-the-kleenex-close-by, keepers, quarterback-hero, sexy-with-a-capital-s-hero, smitten-hero, two-men-one-choice, vindictive-ex, young-adult

Hardy Bradford is a high school senior who, by outward appearance, has it all going on. Tall, with dark hair, light eyes and rockin' a 6-pk, he's the picture you see when you look up "swoonworthy". He's the quarterback "on fire"...the one being scouted most actively by the top colleges in the country; and his girlfriend of several years, Cheyenne, is the best-looking female on the planet. Although Hardy knows his future as a football pro is more for his father than for himself, and Cheyenne - ha...more Hardy Bradford is a high school senior who, by outward appearance, has it all going on. Tall, with dark hair, light eyes and rockin' a 6-pk, he's the picture you see when you look up "swoonworthy". He's the quarterback "on fire"...the one being scouted most actively by the top colleges in the country; and his girlfriend of several years, Cheyenne, is the best-looking female on the planet. Although Hardy knows his future as a football pro is more for his father than for himself, and Cheyenne - handpicked by his father as well - is NOT the girl of his dreams, he is content for now...until he meets Miracle St. James.

The first time Hardy lays eyes on Miracle she is sitting on a park bench. He is mesmerized by her emerald green eyes, her sweet smile, her seductive voice. Does her skin feel as soft as it looks, he wonders. Hardy is oblivious to anything but this beautiful girl in front of him until Cheyenne walks up and asks him if he is "into bald chicks now." The spell is broken and he walks away...but he doesn't forget. Five months later, Hardy is ecstatic when he discovers Miracle is now attending his school. Like a moth to a flame, he is drawn to her beauty...her sweet disposition...her joy in experiencing the little things in life that most people take for granted. Unfortunately, everything good that is Miracle is overshadowed by everything bad that is Cheyenne...and Hardy feels no remorse when he kicks Cheyenne to the curb. Yeah!!!

What follows is a touching story about two young people who are fortunate enough to find their lifelong soul mate in each other. The question is...how long is lifelong? Miracle had been diagnosed with cancer the year before, but treatment had been successful and she was clean; however, as the result of high med dosage, chemo, etc, she lost a kidney. Now tests on her surviving kidney are indicating problems...

Hardy is probably the best YA hero I have come across to date. He realizes early on that Miracle is the love of his life; and, while a few of his decisions are probably not too smart (like knocking her ex unconscious with little forethought) he is completely exonerated of any wrongdoing in my book. Miracle holds his heart; therefore, her happiness and well-being are foremost in his mind and affect every decision he makes. At one point Miracle calls Hardy her hero, and he realizes that is exactly what he wants to be...her protector, her lover and her savior...forever. But while Hardy envisions forever to mean he and Miracle sporting white hair & playing with their grandchildren, the heartbreaking truth is that Miracle might not live to see her 19th birthday. My heart went out to Hardy...he had so much conflict at home to contend with, his scholastic future was unclear, Cheyenne kept trying to break him down...yet despite all that, he stayed focused on Miracle and his quest to fill her life with happiness.

Please don't think you can read this story without shedding a tear. If you can, then you are probably made of stone.

Staring deeply into her eyes, Hardy prayed that all he felt for her would show, that she could see what he couldn’t find the words to say. When her lips curved into a tremulous smile, he cupped her face in his hands and pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. Hardy whispered, just loud enough for Miracle to hear, “Someday I’ll marry you, Miracle. And maybe someday after that, I’ll deserve you.”

Although Fragile is told in 3rd person with an insight to only what Hardy is thinking, I felt like I knew Miracle just as well. The author, M. Leighton, must have poured her heart and soul into creating Hardy & Miracle because they were living, breathing people from the first page to the last. The dialog flowed smoothly and all characters used to build the story were thoroughly fleshed out. Best of all, I was told nothing and experienced everything. That is the make-it-or-break-it issue for me when I read a book and Ms. Leighton's presentation kicked ass! Indie authors rock!

5 ++ stars!

Hardy Bradford
(less)

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Apr 25, 2012 Ren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Originally posted at A Little Bit of R&R Reviews

The book is told in Hardy's POV. Hardy is the school's star football player and dates a shallow cheerleader named Cheyenne. At first glance, it looks as if he has everything a teenager could ever want. That is until he sees Miracle for the first time. Hardy first notices Miracle in the park with her younger sister, Mila. Hardy notices that she is bald and a bit frail, he's taken aback by her pleasant demeanor. He wonders what she has been throu...more Originally posted at A Little Bit of R&R Reviews

The book is told in Hardy's POV. Hardy is the school's star football player and dates a shallow cheerleader named Cheyenne. At first glance, it looks as if he has everything a teenager could ever want. That is until he sees Miracle for the first time. Hardy first notices Miracle in the park with her younger sister, Mila. Hardy notices that she is bald and a bit frail, he's taken aback by her pleasant demeanor. He wonders what she has been through in her life and how she could be so peaceful. Seeing her that way makes him reevaluate his own life.

Fast forward a few months. Hardy hasn't seen Miracle since that time in the park so he was surprised to see her in class. He wants to get know her better but his girlfriend, Cheyenne, gets in the way every time. Hardy is pleased to learn that he has his favorite class with Miracle, and no Cheyenne. Miracle and Hardy are assigned to work on a photography assignment together. This gives Hardy the in to get to know her better. After spending time together, he's convinced that he has never felt so strongly about another person in his life. Someone unexpected turns back up in Miracle's life and Hardy is determined to keep her.

Will Hardy continue down the path that his father wants or choose to follow his heart? Wherever it may lead.

How do I begin to tell you how much I loved this book? Paranormal romance is usually my go-to genre. When I get to a story like this, where the issues are so real, it really gets to my heart. Hardy is a big sweetie and I loved reading the book from his point of view. He was determined to show Miracle how much he cared for her. Miracle was hesitant about being with Hardy, boys had a hard time staying when they learned their girlfriend was sick. Oh boy, the things that Hardy did for that girl...swoon! After everything Miracle went through, she still saw the good in everything. Even in the meanie, Cheyenne. This book kept me captivated from the very first page. The sacrifice he made for her was beautiful. Did I mention I cried my eyes out?! But it was a happy cry :-) (less)

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Aug 31, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-reads, stay-with-me-forever-books

5 Stars

Not many books leave me with a big goofy grin after finishing the read. I had one with Fragile. M. Leighton has managed to write a sweet and tenderhearted romance that I simply LOVED and could not put down.

I love books that make me sigh and that are about dreamy romances. It is one of the reasons I read... a lot! Do I think real life romance is like this? Um.... no! Books are meant to take us away and I love delving into a good love story. I love being in love with love! Yes, I am being a...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Scott-robert Shenkman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Damn!

Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!

Damn!

This book made me cry like a girl, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Not sad tears, though there is obviously some sadness, given the subject matter, but tears of happiness. Because the story was so incredibly beautiful.

Yes, there is insta-love here. Like, love at first sight love. But there has to be, because Hardy is living under the threat that Miracle’s cancer could return at any moment. And he falls hard. In fact, I d...more

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Dec 11, 2012 WovenMyst rated it 3 of 5 stars

In Fragile, readers watch as Hardy the all-star football player, with every step of his life planned, breaks free of his restraints and forges his own path. M. Leighton gives Hardy a miracle in the form of Miracle St. James just when he realizes his life doesn’t have to be made of pointless rituals and shallow friends. Miracle is a kidney cancer survivor who believes that her life may not be long and plans to fulfill every task on her bucket list. As Hardy discovers Miracle's caring, care-free p...more In Fragile, readers watch as Hardy the all-star football player, with every step of his life planned, breaks free of his restraints and forges his own path. M. Leighton gives Hardy a miracle in the form of Miracle St. James just when he realizes his life doesn’t have to be made of pointless rituals and shallow friends. Miracle is a kidney cancer survivor who believes that her life may not be long and plans to fulfill every task on her bucket list. As Hardy discovers Miracle's caring, care-free personality, he comes to learn what it means to truly feel love for another person.

Fragile is not Leighton’s best story, but there are reasons that make it a worthy read. It’s not often that male leads actually see below the surface of their romantic interests, and make mature decisions about them. Hardy is an easy character to follow because he knows that his ex-girlfriend, Cheyenne, is a vindictive mean girl with no shame. He sees more than Miracle’s sickness, but her actions that make her someone he can truly care about. Leighton does an excellent job when it comes to dialogue between characters. Hardy and Miracle speak easily with each other, bantering back and forth to keep the story light in light of the background fear of Miracle’s sickness coming back.

The story’s plot is a little uneven in terms of intensity and pacing. Fragile seems to be more about relating Miracle’s story, than focusing on Hardy. His family problems are major, but they’re pushed to the background in lieu of Miracle’s insecurities and delicateness. She’s a kidney cancer survivor who puts others before herself, she believes life’s too short to hold grudges, but a person doesn’t have to be a cancer survivor to have that kind of outlook on life. Hardy takes in every little action she makes and puts her on a pedestal, but he never praises himself for going for what he believes in or standing up for himself.

Reaching the conclusion is a bit of an anticlimactic experience. There’s no breath of relief or ecstatic shout of joy. Leighton seems to write very mechanically in Fragile, plotting the story without deviating far from reality. Fragile isn’t as tragic or sad as the premise would have readers believe, but it is a light read for any reader to enjoy.

Candace Hawkins(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Zoe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, romance, below-the-belt

“You're the stuff dreams are made of, Hardy Bradford.”

I thought the book had a good premise, but I found it hard to engage with the writing. Too much telling and not enough showing. There was some clever banter, and sweet lines, and a lot of drooling. I didn't like the running commentary Hardy had on Miracle for everything she said and did.

Hardy is well-off but isn't living his own life. He has a future career he doesn't want and a girlfriend he doesn't like. Why? Hardy's father wants Hardy to...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: athletes-football, fiesty-heroine, genre-young-adult, humorous, virgin, own-kindle

Hardy Bradford believes in rituals, his father has drilled them into his head. As a rising Quarterback entering his senior year, the one ritual he can't wait to break is to end his long term relationship with popular cheerleader Cheyenne. Her vapid, self-absorbed attitude has become even more warring on him. With his rambling thoughts swirling around his head he comes across the most beautiful sight he has ever seen, a young girl his age whose every breath and little reactions to things burrow t...more Hardy Bradford believes in rituals, his father has drilled them into his head. As a rising Quarterback entering his senior year, the one ritual he can't wait to break is to end his long term relationship with popular cheerleader Cheyenne. Her vapid, self-absorbed attitude has become even more warring on him. With his rambling thoughts swirling around his head he comes across the most beautiful sight he has ever seen, a young girl his age whose every breath and little reactions to things burrow there way into his heart, he is immediately mesmerized by her.

It has been five months since Hardy has seen her, but he still thinks about her often. When the girl walks into his chemistry class he finally gets to attach a name to her, Miracle St. James. His luck continues to grow when he finds himself partnered with him in photography class and a delicate friendship is made. Hardy has never come across someone so genuine and full of appreciation for everything she does as he has with Miracle. When his girlfriend sees her as competition though she goes out of her way to make sure Miracle knows her place, revealing something very private that sends Hardy reeling and changing his rituals in a dramatic way.

Miracle is used to people walking away once they realize she is a cancer survivor, but she feels like she is on borrowed time and chooses to look the other way instead of letting it bother her. She is afraid of what Hardy wants to offer, his promises of staying by her side have her wishing it were true but she is also scared about if her kidney fails where it would leave him in all this.

I thought this was a powerful story. I laughed, cried, and cheered for Hardy who finds himself becoming the man he wants to be and releasing those outside pressures that have been slowly chipping away at him. The story is told from Hardy's POV which I liked a lot because he is conflicted with his feelings and frustrated that Miracle is not as hard to read, he fumbles but the one thing he never wavers on is his commitment to her. Passionately written, well worth reading.(less)

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Oct 24, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, review-on-blog

Wow, what a sweet sweet story. Fragile reminded me of A Walk to Remember and Blue Sky Days- and not just because they dealt with cancer, but because they all had beautiful writing, and even more beautiful characters that really appreciated the beauty around them. Fragile helps puts things in perspective. I enjoyed reading Fragile. It warmed my heart. Sometimes you just need to read about some great people finding each other.

Not that Fragile is all happy-go-lucky. Not at all. The main character,...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, received-to-review, contemporary, romance

Hardy seems to have every teen boys dream. He is the star quarterback of his high school team. University scouts are checking him out and he is on track to be a professional football player. He is dating the head cheerleader. He comes from a successful family. He lives in a nice house and has his own car.

With all that many would consider success, he wants more. He wants to be with someone he can love. Not someone selfish like his girlfriend. He wants to live his own dreams and not follow the pat...more

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Oct 07, 2012 BeegPanda Panda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, adult-ya, alpha-male, hero-cant-live-without-heroine, horrid-ow, innocent-naive-heroine, humour, possessiv-jealous-heros, sweet-hero, sweet-heroine, tear-jerkers, tugs-on-heartstrings, football-hero

Book review Including possible spoilers : Fragile by M Leighton (Contemporary YA)

It's seldom that a book touches me enough to warrant a FULL 5 stars. If 10 stars were a valid rating, I used it for this book.

There's is NOTHING I would change about this book, simply because perfection cannot be improved upon.
The title already is relevant to the story.
We have a summary at the beginning of the book. For ONCE I don't have to google a blurb or summary by the time I get around to reading a book on my t...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Dani GR Motherfuqqer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Full review also at:
My Blog

Awesome love story. I'm rolling on a wave of serious love right now. Every girl want's a love like that. I don't care what female you are and i don't care the circumstances you've lived, all women want romance, even if they've given up on it. This book will give you lots of romance and love and happiness.
This book is a pretty quick read but it's worth whatever time and money spent getting it. It's one of those warm your heart stories. So for the cynical buttheads, s...more Full review also at:
My Blog

Awesome love story. I'm rolling on a wave of serious love right now. Every girl want's a love like that. I don't care what female you are and i don't care the circumstances you've lived, all women want romance, even if they've given up on it. This book will give you lots of romance and love and happiness.
This book is a pretty quick read but it's worth whatever time and money spent getting it. It's one of those warm your heart stories. So for the cynical buttheads, stay away from this. It has a fantastical happy ending and you will just roll your eyes and state that love doesn't happen like that and point out every flaw. Don't ruin it for me bitches!
This book begins with the hot/popular/football guy, Hardy, hanging out with his attention whore bitchface girlfriend. Yeah I said it and I was being nice. He realizes in that moment that he's been deluding himself into thinking that being with her equals love. He begins to grasp all her flaws including her superficial attention whore tactics, her bitchy attitude, and her seflish need for popularity.
He takes a moment away from her and walks out to the nearby park. As Hardy is walking through the park he hears a couple of girls talking not too far from where he is. He hears a voice that gives him chills and her words enthrall him. She's not selfish or mean and is enjoying the small things in life. He tries to put a face to the voice and is having a hard time getting a look at her. His girlfriend with the impeccable timing shows up as he's trying to get a look and snidely asks him what he's doing. She notices him looking at a girl and rudely mentions the girl with no hair. The bald girl hears them and in that moment he see's her face and instantly falls. He feels bad for what his skanky girlfriend said and wants to go to the girl but looks up to see her and the younger girl walking off in the distance. From that moment on he's a changed person.
Oh, the things that hoebag, Cheyenne, the see you next tuesday girlfriend, does to keep her man! She's a well written villain because by the end of the book you hate the bitch with a passion. The fact that she's such a bitch to someone with a medical condition and is so heartless can be infuriating whenever she makes an appearance in the story.
Hardy, well......now. I would give my left boob for a man that romantic and amazing and awesome and fantastic and thoughtful and sweet and caring and gentle.
Anyway, Hardy see's the bald girl in school coming into class and immediately knows it's her even though she has a full head of hair. He's instantly revived and energized thinking of ways to talk to her and get to know her. Cheyenne is the last person he's thinking about but eventually he gets rid of her stank ass. That was a whooo hoooo moment in the book. He learns the bald girls name is Miracle. He gets to spend time with her in his photography class. His evil girlfriend invites her to an outing in hopes of humiliating Miracle and the slutball succeeds in doing that.
Hardy gets rid of Cruella, starts spending time with Miracle and soon realizes he's in deep. He learns Miracle is sick. Oh my God, I can't tell you anymore because I'm going to get all emotional. But anyway, it's a fantabulous book. Everybody should read it. Love the storyline, the writing style, and the character development. Fantastic! Go read the damn book. Enjoy!(less)

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Apr 09, 2012 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, contemporary-ya

A master of the paranormal, M. Leighton has made a seamless transition into contemporary young adult romance. Fragile is the beautiful love story of Hardy and Miracle and it is mainly written from Hardy's perspective, which is one of the things I LOVED about the book. I haven't read a romance that is mostly from from a male's POV, and Michelle did an excellent job capturing Hardy's voice. I also really enjoyed seeing Miracle through his eyes, and I think that I'm even more in awe of her because...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Lorraine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fragile
Hardy Bradford; eighteen a senior, football jock and the most gorgeous and sexy girlfriend (Cheyenne)in school. He wasn’t happy, something was missing. He thought about breaking up with Cheyenne
his girlfriend of 4 years. He realized she wasn’t what he was looking for. But what was he looking for?

“Just a few more months he thought”

One day in the park Hardy came across a tiny framed girl, porcelain skin and delicate features.
He was mesmerized with her. She seemed to be happy and content wi...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Tough Critic Book Reviews rated it 2 of 5 stars

Knowing how much time an author puts into a book makes it hard not to write a good review, but Fragile just wasn't for me. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was written in third person. I don't purposely avoid these types of books, but lately it seems that everything is written in first person; maybe I'm just not use to it. I'm also a huge non-fan of instant love. Hardy falls for Miracle way too quickly. I know that love at frist sight fiction is suppose to be romantic, but I'll...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Ellen Ramey rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young Adults - Adults

Recommended to Ellen by: The Autumn Review

Simply. Beautiful. Oh, that we all were so blessed:) Ms. Leighton, if you do not continue writing in this genre we will all be very disappointed. Your gift is tremendous:)

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Apr 14, 2012 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

Breathtaking.
Genuine.
Heartfelt.
Brilliant in a quiet and meaningful kind of way.

This may contain some mild spoilers...so fair warning :)

This is M. Leighton's first Contemporary Romance and what a lovely debut! It's a beautiful love story between a girl named Miracle who has a potentially life-threatening illness, but has not let herself be defined by it and the 'boy-next-door', quarterback-type, Hardy, who has lived his life trying to make everyone else happy and longs for something more.

Miracle...more

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Dec 10, 2012 CJ rated it 1 of 5 stars

I purchased this book due to recommendations and I do like a nice contemporary YA that is told with the male as the central character. This one is not told from his POV though, it is told third person. But this one did not work for me, as I did not like Hardy. I find this amazing as most of the other reviewers raved about how wonderful Hardy was and how he is some super boyfriend. I guess my issue with Hardy started right at the beginning when he stayed with his first girlfriend for so long, moa...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Tess rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: utopya-con-2013

I dub thee M. Leighton the new queen of SWOON in the land of My Pathway to Books! OMGosh!!!! I seriously don't know what else to say besides OMGosh!!!! I literally read this book from cover to cover! My kindle died right smack in the middle of it and I almost died inside until *insert happy music here* I realized I had my cloud reader on my computer so I rushed over and finished the other half on here! It is an understatement to say that this book was captivating! I really wish I could give it m...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Lis (The reader lines) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-of-light-read, arc, heart-breaking

Enter here for a chance to win a paperback copy of this book.
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Fragile by M. Leighton is one of those books you want to read when you read the summary. I know that you can think it will make you cry. But let me tell you, that yeah, it will make you cry but possibly in a very good way.
I was really happy when I realized the book was told from Hardy point of view. I love male POV, and Hardy wasn’t the exception. You can find a young boy with young problems, and...more Enter here for a chance to win a paperback copy of this book.
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Fragile by M. Leighton is one of those books you want to read when you read the summary. I know that you can think it will make you cry. But let me tell you, that yeah, it will make you cry but possibly in a very good way.
I was really happy when I realized the book was told from Hardy point of view. I love male POV, and Hardy wasn’t the exception. You can find a young boy with young problems, and dreams, and the trouble that means to want something that your dad doesn’t approve.
Hardy’s life was that typical false life, till Miracle appears.
I honestly think that his crush on her was too fast, but he can’t help it, and that first apparition of Miracle deserves all.

Miracle is sweet, and cute and strong.
I was really wrong about her. I thought that because she is sick, she will be sad and depressive, but it was all the way around. Miracle is a girl you would love to be friend with.
And then is Cheyenne, Hardy’s ex-girlfriend. She was the bitch of the story. That girl you easily hate with all your guts.

But that was also a "one-point-more" for this book. This time the boy doesn’t give up with the girl he loves.
It doesn’t matters what his father thinks, doesn’t matter what his classmates think, all that matters was stay with Miracle, and protect her from threats of life.
Even though this book was so, so sweet I was thrilled to discover how exciting turns the end, and I don’t mean it has tons of action or a big drama. I mean, this book goes to be sweet, to be hot.
Just then I realized that M. Leighton was also the author of The Wild Ones, a +18 book with a lot of good critics. So, this woman really knows how to write romance and scenes of passion.

The fact that Fragile had a very good hot scene doesn’t make it less YA, it was just perfect.
I almost never liked to read Romance, but Fragile taught me never judge a book by its genre.
This book is an amazing love story everybody has to read.(less)

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Apr 16, 2012 Tessamari ♥Many Waters...♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites-ya, highly-emotional, new-adult-mature-ya

A Strong Four Stars

**Sigh** Yes, I have a dumb grin on my face. I got my HEA and I'm a happy camper. For the most part, the story was ridiculously sweet and emotional, but it did have some cheesy moments. Hence the four star rating.

Hardy made a wonderful hero. I mean, how can a story go wrong with a sensitive hot jock playing hero? Hardy's character was pretty stereotypical in the beginning. He's the high school quarterback; He was dating the all too stereotypical cheerleading captain. And, to...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Belinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-school, truly-madly-deeply-in-love, sports, bittersweet, heavy-drama, hot-leading-men, must-reads

Wow be prepared to whip out your closest tissue box for this book.

This book was joyous, heartbreaking and a truly beautiful read. I loved the way Miracle saw the world, and how she saw the good in even the worst people. She is everything we all wish we could be, if we took the time to see past our own selfish wants and needs. Her character was one of my favourite protagonists/heroines in a long time. At first glance, I snidely thought her name was corny, but now I know it fits her character perf...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Ivanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, romance

Hardy Bradford seorang bintang sepak bola, terkenal, dari keluarga yang terpandang di kota, punya pacar yg setara dengan dirinya. Namun sejak dia melihat Miracle gadis lembut yg baik hati, Hardy baru merasa perasaan dia yg sebenernya. Hubungan dia jalani dengan pacarnya yg dia ga suka dengan setiap tindakan yg gadis itu lakukan. Hardy semakin yakin dengan perasaannya untuk Miracle setelah gadis itu masuk di sekolahnya. Miracle di kerjain oleh pacar Hardy yg nyebapin Hardy ilfil sama dia. Dan di...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

Sigh . . . Pardon me for a moment while I just sit and ruminate in the glow of happiness that is surrounding me after finishing this book. Loved it! I have yet to find a book written by Leighton that I haven't loved. She has a way with the written word that draws me right into the heart and minds of her characters. She is able to write so that I can truly experience the emotions of the characters. And for this book I just ended it feeling at peace with the rightness of the universe. If ever ther...more Sigh . . . Pardon me for a moment while I just sit and ruminate in the glow of happiness that is surrounding me after finishing this book. Loved it! I have yet to find a book written by Leighton that I haven't loved. She has a way with the written word that draws me right into the heart and minds of her characters. She is able to write so that I can truly experience the emotions of the characters. And for this book I just ended it feeling at peace with the rightness of the universe. If ever there was a happily ever after, this was it. Ahhhhhhh. . . .

So, specifics:

Unlike the other books by Leighton that I have read, this book is not a paranormal/fantasy type book. This is straight young adult contemporary romance fiction. But like her other books, Leighton creates a swoon worthy male protagonist and an excellent match for him with her heroine. Unlike most romantic books that I read, this book is almost entirely told through the perspective of the man, Hardy. This can be a tricky thing for a female writer to focus all her energy on a male perspective, but Leighton does this beautifully. Not being a man myself, I can't completely judge whether or not this is an authentic male voice, but as a reader I was able to fully buy in to his views as being those of a man. And ultimately that is the most important thing. If I can accept Hardy as legitimate while I'm reading, then Leighton has succeeded as a writer, in my opinion.

Hardy is a stereotypical high school jock who has it all. He is the star quarterback of the football team, dating the gorgeous lead cheerleader, looking forward to a promising future as a potential pro player. But he isn't happy. At all. But like so many kids do sometimes, he just continues on living this life created for him because he doesn't have a reason or the courage to break free of it. All of that changes when he encounters Miracle. When he sees Miracle initially she is in the midst of chemo treatments for kidney cancer. Although her head is bare Hardy immediately notices her beauty and her joy for life. He can't stop thinking about this girl. But he continues living his life.

When Miracle shows up at Hardy's school a few months later, now with a full head of hair, Hardy is completely mesmerized. And so begins his slow path into her life. He definitely has some things to work through, a jealous and shallow girlfriend, an overbearing and abusive father, his own concerns about whether or not Miracle is even interested in his attentions. But Hardy works through all of this to find a way to make this relationship happen.

I won't go into great detail about the specifics of the plot. It is better to experience them gradually as you read. I will say a few of the things that I loved about the book and the one thing that kept this from being absolutely perfect (but still very amazing!). I loved Hardy. True . . . he does fall head over heels in love very quickly. But it seems believable. His emotions seem pure and honest, and while it might be a little alarming if my own child fell into that sort of intense (SO INTENSE) emotional bond with another person during high school, in the course of the story it feels right. Hardy is a master with words. He weaves the story of his love for Miracle throughout this novel, and it just makes my heart melt over and over again. Does any guy out there really say those sorts of things to his love? I don't know. I don't care. I'm just glad that I was along for the ride while Hardy expressed his devotion to Miracle. He remained devoted to her through everything, the good and the bad. I had a strong suspicion that he was going to give Miracle the wouldn't-it-be-amazing-if-your-boyfriend-ever-did-this-for-you gift at the very end of the novel. Viewing the whole thing objectively, it is probably true that the whole thing was entirely too convenient. (view spoiler) But, hey, I don't mind suspending belief a little bit for a great story. And this is a great story.

The romance between Miracle and Hardy was super sweet. Leighton always manages to make me smile with the romances of her novels. And I smiled through this one a lot. It is always smile worthy when someone who has been through so much in life, already experiencing the disappointment of a boyfriend who left her when he couldn't handle her illness, finds someone who is so willing to do anything for them. I think one of my favorite scenes was when Hardy kissed Miracle's scar. She was so self-conscious about it and didn't want anyone to see it, and he managed in that one act to take away her fear and make her see that she was beautiful, scar and all. Beautiful.

If I had to pick one issue with this book it was that Miracle was just too perfect. I can't think of any flaw in her at all. She approached life with the perfect amount of joy and awe. She treated everyone kindly, whether they deserved it or not. She always had the right things to say and the right things to do. A lot of this probably had to do with the fact that she was being viewed almost entirely through the lens of Hardy's thoughts. Hardy could see no wrong in her, so as a reader I couldn't either. I'm not exactly wishing ill of her. I just think that she would have been even stronger of a character if she wasn't so amazing in every single situation. It would have been a bit easier to relate to her. Nevertheless, this was a minor issue in the book, and I still enjoyed her as a character despite this problem.

So this is another wonderful M. Leighton book that I recommend. It is a romance that will keep me smiling throughout the day today, I'm sure, and it is one that I will probably choose to re-read another time. I can't stop smiling. Yea!(less)

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Jul 25, 2012 ~Christina's BookReviews~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Tonight, you got your miracle. The day I saw you, sitting with Mila in the park, I got mine."

M. Leighton weaved a beautiful story with an amazing 100% swoon-worthy guy. Hardy Bradford is the new hottie on the block!

Hardy Bradford has life all planned out. He is a great football player, had a popular beautiful girlfriend, friends, and a bright future. But Hardy soon realizes is that he doesn't want any of the above. The football scholarship, the popular girlfriend, and bright future as a footbal...more Tonight, you got your miracle. The day I saw you, sitting with Mila in the park, I got mine."

M. Leighton weaved a beautiful story with an amazing 100% swoon-worthy guy. Hardy Bradford is the new hottie on the block!

Hardy Bradford has life all planned out. He is a great football player, had a popular beautiful girlfriend, friends, and a bright future. But Hardy soon realizes is that he doesn't want any of the above. The football scholarship, the popular girlfriend, and bright future as a football player isn't his dream. Its someone else.

His dream comes in the form of a sweet green eyed beauty. With just a glimpse of her in the park Hardy is forever changed. Months later when she walks into his classroom Hardy knows that he would do anything to get to know her. Miracle St. James is his miracle.

Miracle St. James has a different view of life. She has been through alot in life and has learned to value every moment she has. Good and Bad. She doesn't let anyone ruin her. Not a jealous upset girlfriend, not an angry father, but most of all, not a sickness.

As Hardy starts to hang around Miracle he finally is able to stop living for others and live for himself. With Miracle he can be truly himself. Not someone his father wants him to be. Miracle understands him. Miracle can read him like a book. Miracle shows him the value of life and how to be a better person. Hardy would do anything to protect her and show her that he loves her more then anything in his life. She is his dream come true.So when Hardy is faced with the ultimate test he is dead set on protecting and saving the one person that it would hurt to lose. But will it all in vain? Will Hardy have to deal with the lose of his "Miracle"?

I cannot express how much I loved this book! Many people will compare it to A Walk to Remember and even with its similarities, this book will bury itself into your heart. It is mostly about Hardy and his journey and is told from a 3rd person point of view. You will fall in love with him and will melt with each word and each gesture of his. It might be an insta-love, and although I dislike those books, this story is so much more. This is about a guy finding the real meaning on life, not only through love but through the eyes of someone that values life and all its good and bad.

I highly recommend this book to any romance reader,any A Walk to Remember fan and any person that just wants to read a good book about love and life.

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Oct 23, 2012 Trini rated it 5 of 5 stars

What an emotionally epic romance! I loved every sentence of this book. It was such a strong love story with beautiful characters. And, I’m sad that it ended so quickly.
From the very beginning the attraction between Miracle and Hardy seemed very natural and pivotal. Once they set eyes on each other their lives collide and take on a new path, a hopeful one. The way Hardy sees Miracle and falls in love with her is almost dream like. But, reality quickly sneaks in with his list of his responsibiliti...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Shannon Murphy rated it 5 of 5 stars

First and foremost I stayed up until 2am to finish this book and had to be at work at 7:00 am so Im working on very little sleep and it was sooo worth it!

Im a huge fan of M. Leighton and all her paranormal books, but with this book ,has shot her to the top of one of my favorites authors list. Fragile was such a real book. Every word from the first word to the last word was real. Dont get me wrong I love the paranormal but there is something to be said for a book that has none of the paranormal a...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fragile is the story of Hardy Bradford and Miracle St. James. Hardy is a brilliant football player with a beautiful cheerleader girlfriend. Life is perfect for him, right? Not exactly! Hardy is under a lot of pressure to please his controlling, abusive father by getting in to college and carrying on with his football career. He’s not happy with his shallow, mean girlfriend. He meets Miracle and his entire world gets turned upside down.

Miracle St. James is sick. She’s been through a lot in her sh...more Fragile is the story of Hardy Bradford and Miracle St. James. Hardy is a brilliant football player with a beautiful cheerleader girlfriend. Life is perfect for him, right? Not exactly! Hardy is under a lot of pressure to please his controlling, abusive father by getting in to college and carrying on with his football career. He’s not happy with his shallow, mean girlfriend. He meets Miracle and his entire world gets turned upside down.

Miracle St. James is sick. She’s been through a lot in her short time and has been hurt by people she should’ve been able to count on to be there for her. She doesn’t need the complication of adding a new person in to her life who is just as likely to let her down. She needs to keep her distance from Hardy because the more she’s near him the harder it is for her to remember to stay away from him. But can she stay away from him? Nope!

I enjoyed reading Fragile. It was a sweet story of Hardy realising that his perfect life wasn’t so perfect after all and fighting for what he wanted. It was also the story of Miracle learning to trust again and let someone in to her life to love her, quite literally, in sickness and in health.

Hardy was a handsome, romantic thoughtful guy who would stop at nothing to make Miracle realise that he wouldn’t let her down and take off when the going got tough. He did all he could to reassure her that he was in it for the long haul. Miracle, after all she’d been through, took time to really appreciate the little things in life and didn’t really let things bother her, after all, they were insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

I liked the way the author took her time to show Hardy and Miracle falling in love, it made it seem very realistic. The scene in the conservatory towards the end was just lovely, so sweet and exactly how Miracle deserved things to be. And as for the final major thing that happened I saw that coming before it happened but it was still a wipe-away-a-tear-or-two moment for me.

One negative that I have is that I wasn’t keen on the name Miracle. I just didn’t like it. It seemed kind of a harsh sounding name when I had to read it a few times on most pages. Other than that though Fragile was a sweet book that I would recommend to fans of YA contemporary romance.(less)

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Apr 15, 2012 Lindsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, my-top-books-of-2012, read-in-2012

I was excited for Fragile to come out and actually won it from Courtney Cole. My excitement was well placed! Fragile was an amazing story. I loved both Hardy and Miracle. I adored Miracle's strength and outlook on life. I admired how she could find the good in people, even when they don't deserve to be looked at as a good person and I admired the way she looked at everything around her with... open eyes. She appreciated life, what she'd been given in the life, the time she had and...well, life i...more

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About M. Leighton

I was born and raised in the United States, and I’ve lived in several of the fabulous fifty. Though I currently live in the deep South, I spent much of my childhood up North and hope to return there one day. A few other things about me: I believe that sometimes you have to look really, REALLY hard to find the good in people, but it's there. I believe that I'm shrinking (I swear five years ago I wa...more

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Books by M. Leighton

For the Love of a Vampire (Blood Like Poison, #1)

Destined for a Vampire (Blood Like Poison, #2)

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Quotes from Fragile

“Someday I'll marry you, Miracle. And maybe someday after that, I'll deserve you.” — 16 people liked it

“Tonight, you got your miracle. The day I saw you, siting with Mila in the park, I got mine.” — 12 people liked it

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