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Broken (This #1)

by J.B. McGee (Goodreads Author)

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 2,152 ratings · 221 reviews

Gabby's life has been anything but easy. She is surrounded by friends who seem to have everything she doesn't: money, social standing, and happily married parents. While dealing with the loss of her mother, she experiences her first heartbreak. She commits herself to her studies and runs away from any emotions that aren't safe. Bradley Banks, a confident CEO and commercial...more

Kindle Edition, First, 143 pages

Published September 28th 2012 by Indie Author

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Jan 05, 2013 Erin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-blog-review, dnf-didn-t-like

*********2.5 stars*********
I'm wondering if maybe I read a different book than the other reviewers, because my reaction to it seems to be polar opposite. I had a really hard time getting through this book and I'm having issues rating it at all. I'm going to go through some of the issues I had with it, not to bash the author's work, but just to give other potential readers my honest look at what I felt was not a recommendable read.

The story behind Broken in and of itself wasn't bad, but the exec...more *********2.5 stars*********
I'm wondering if maybe I read a different book than the other reviewers, because my reaction to it seems to be polar opposite. I had a really hard time getting through this book and I'm having issues rating it at all. I'm going to go through some of the issues I had with it, not to bash the author's work, but just to give other potential readers my honest look at what I felt was not a recommendable read.

The story behind Broken in and of itself wasn't bad, but the execution left much to be desired. We have the heroine Gabby who suffered a heartbreaking break-up and possibly some abuse at the hands of a relative, so she's left untrusting and 'broken'. She doesn't want to open up her heart, especially since she wants to stay true to her promise to her mother that she'd stay chaste until marriage. All of these things would be fine for the story if it weren't for the fact that the heroine is over-the-top insecure, clingy, and so highly strung that she's crying within a few hours of meeting her dream guy Bradley because she decides they aren't meant to be. Insta-love romances are hard enough to pull off, but when you toss in overly dramatic emotions to the mix it just becomes eye-roll inducing. I just could not bring myself to like Gabby no matter how hard I tried, so by the end of the book I just didn't really care what happened. The lackluster personalities and dialogue for all of the characters didn't help matters, unfortunately.

The writing was very disjointed, with flip-flops between past and present as well as occasional slips into another character's POV. This may have worked if there were smooth transitions instead of the cut-offs in the middle of scenes, but really I didn't feel like the drawn-out look into Gabby's past relationship with Ian was even necessary. It took away from the time the reader could have spent getting to know Bradley, who was hardly in the story anyway. I wished that I could have felt more of a connection to him since he's supposed to be the man coming into Gabby's life to sweep her off her feet, because it was hard enough buying that a self-described womanizer would suddenly change his ways for a woman like Gabby. There wasn't anything about her personality that made me believe he'd suddenly abstain from sex and dedicate himself to her so entirely, so the relationship just held no spark whatsoever in my opinion and it left me feeling completely detached from their story. It's a shame because I feel like the concept could have been a great story, but this one missed the mark by a mile for me.

(less)

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Nov 21, 2012 Kim Person rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: purchased-to-read

Well I finally finished Broken and I have to tell you that Gabby is BROKEN!! Damn, that girl has been through it but is it more of her own making? She was "in-love" with her high-school boyfriend, Ian, her first boyfriend and the boy she crushed on for years! What Ian & Lindsay, Gabby's so call BFF, did would be enough to crush anyone? But this has literally BROKE Gabby to pieces - hence the name of the book? :)

Gabby attends a wedding with her sister Sam and that's where she first lays eyes...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Sofia Lazaridou rated it 4 of 5 stars

Gabby was betrayed by her ex-boyfriend and ex-bestfriend.Since then she cannot trust a man enough to start a relationship.She meets Bradley in a wedding and she knows that he is going to break her heart.He is hot and he can have any woman he wants and Gabby doesn't want to be used and throwed away.So she leaves him in the cold of the bath as we would say here in Greece(she abandons him at the wedding reception to speak english).She isn't able to get him out of her mind and neither has he.So he g...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Brandelyn Harris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gabby's life has been anything but easy. She is surrounded by friends who seem to have everything she doesn't: money, social standing, and happily married parents. While dealing with the loss of her mother and her first heartbreak, she meets her Bradley Banks, a sophisticated CEO who is challenged by his unfamiliar feelings for Gabby. Will he be her next heartbreak?

**************************************************

Um WOW is all I can say after reading the first installment in “This Trilogy!” I d...more Gabby's life has been anything but easy. She is surrounded by friends who seem to have everything she doesn't: money, social standing, and happily married parents. While dealing with the loss of her mother and her first heartbreak, she meets her Bradley Banks, a sophisticated CEO who is challenged by his unfamiliar feelings for Gabby. Will he be her next heartbreak?

**************************************************

Um WOW is all I can say after reading the first installment in “This Trilogy!” I devoured this 322 page novel in one sitting…..Yes, you heard me right ONE sitting! This novel will absolutely captivate you leaving you yearning to find out what happens next with Gabby! This story sucks you in leaving you reveling in the emotions of Gabby throughout the entire book!

Gabby’s life has not been easy by any means and it seems as though all her friends have everything that she doesn't. Gabby deals with so much heartache and loss throughout the book building walls that are nearly destructible! You will feel Gabby’s pain laugh with her and cry with her……and if you’re anything like me scream with her as well! You may even throw your Nook a few times (Yep I did that as well.) In comes Bradley Banks a CEO who will possess you the moment he enters! Mmmm that man is like sex on a stick! He is demanding and authoritative yet passionate, caring, and boy oh boy does he want Gabby! Can Bradley break down those walls Gabby has so carefully built to keep others out and work his way into her heart?!?!?

I CANNOT wait for the next book in “This Trilogy” to be released! This is one story that will possess you and leave you yearning for more! There is so much angst and emotion throughout this story! JB McGee is an amazing writer and I have to say Thank You for putting your stories out there for book addicts like me to read! That was one hell of a ride and I cannot wait till the next installment!!! If you are looking for a riveting romance that truly is a page turner then Broken is the book for you!

5 Stars

~Brandy~(less)

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Apr 21, 2013 Jojo Bungenaar rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this story and I loved the two main characters. This book has been very cleverly written. I loved how this was written in both the past and the present but it was in no way confusing. As some books show you a little bit of people's past this showed you quite a bit which enabled you to relate with the female lead. I would seriously recommend this book to anyone. I am so looking forward to the next one. This book deserves its 5 stars and more x

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Nov 29, 2012 Louise Chapman rated it 5 of 5 stars

J.B.McGee- Broken (this)

Broken is a fab book for those people that believe in romance. Broken is about a lady called Gabby who hasn't had the easiest life, hasn't had everything handed to her on a plate. And a Man Bradley who has money, social standing and confidence which Gabby lacks in. Bradley shows his confident side and manages to convince Gabby to be open. I will not say anything more, read it and you shall find out. The way the relationship becomes, changes is wrote in a way where you fee...more

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May 17, 2013 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-downloaded-to-kindle-to-read, dreaded-cliffhangers, sequel-needed, sexy-bad-boy, short-stories, stupid-girl

Well, Fuck a duck, of course my most brilliant review ever, (wink wink) just got deleted when I all I needed to add were two pictures. So, sorry but this is going to be brief now, and believe me, that actually really disappoints me because I had lots to say about this book. Maybe tomorrow I'll re-edit this but here goes.

I found this book on Fb accidently a while back. I really had been looking forward to it and wasn't aware this series was so long. Before I get going good I want to say this now...more Well, Fuck a duck, of course my most brilliant review ever, (wink wink) just got deleted when I all I needed to add were two pictures. So, sorry but this is going to be brief now, and believe me, that actually really disappoints me because I had lots to say about this book. Maybe tomorrow I'll re-edit this but here goes.

I found this book on Fb accidently a while back. I really had been looking forward to it and wasn't aware this series was so long. Before I get going good I want to say this now. I am not hating on this book and I am continuing the series. BUT, it wasn't what I was expecting.

Bradley and Gabby meet at a wedding. In between them getting to know each other every other chapter goes back and forth from the present to the past of her summer before Junior year. Gabby is badly damaged emotionally. She has had a traumatic childhood and been heartbroken by her ex, Ian. She doesn't give Bradley the time of day and ends up giving him the truth of it and leaving the wedding. Months go by. While this is happening we are seeing the storyline of what happened between her and Ian in high school.

I admit, in the begining the story line between Ian and Gabby just made me bored. I sometimes wanted to skip it all together. But knew if I skipped something important I would be lost, so I stuck with it. What really drove me insane was Gabby's inner thoughts. I understand all the stuff in her past really sucked, I'm talking big time, and I get that she is Broken, hence the title of the book, BUT, OMG she said the same thing over and over about how she was not good enough, her friends were so much prettier, had so much more money, blah blah blah. I will straight up admit, I almost put the book down and decided I was done. She was making me so damn depressed with the way she thought.

I'm really glad I stuck it out though. In the end, she ended up actually talking to someone about everything that had gone down with her andddd, we got some revelations with what went down with Ian slim ball and that alone made me want to keep reading the series.

Once again, I actually really was proud of my other review and this one no where near compares, but this is cutting into my reading time so,...I'm out for now and maybe will edit more tomorrow when I'm not so frustrated that I lost it. :((less)

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Dec 12, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

“I have more baggage than baggage claim. I'm damaged goods. I'm not good at...” she released him for a moment and fingered between the two of them “this.”

I had recently seen Broken come through on my Facebook news feed and decided to look it up on Amazon, as I had never heard of it. I was pleasantly surprised to see that J.B. McGee (a first-time author) had just penned this book and recently moved to the Georgia area and close to where I live. So, of course, I really wanted to check out this au...more “I have more baggage than baggage claim. I'm damaged goods. I'm not good at...” she released him for a moment and fingered between the two of them “this.”

I had recently seen Broken come through on my Facebook news feed and decided to look it up on Amazon, as I had never heard of it. I was pleasantly surprised to see that J.B. McGee (a first-time author) had just penned this book and recently moved to the Georgia area and close to where I live. So, of course, I really wanted to check out this author who was living in the same state!

The book revolves around Gabby and the struggles she has faced in life, especially with the loss of her mom, which is something I can definitely relate to. Gabby’s heart has been broken on more than one occasion, and she is extremely gun shy. She doesn’t want to go through the pain and suffering that she has experienced on more than one occasion. She doesn’t have a relationship with her father, and she doesn’t want to commit to anyone with fear of having her heart ripped out. But, you never know when love comes knocking on your door, and you have to open up to the possibilities that "this one" may be "the one!"

I liked how J.B. wrote Gabby’s character as she was so sweet, although timid, and I enjoyed the relationship she had with her older sister, Sam. Enter Bradley Banks into the picture, the confident and wealthy business man who is used to getting any girl he wants, and we have a sweet story about love and second chances.

Broken is written simultaneously between the past and the present, alternating back and forth. I wasn’t sure about this type of writing to begin with, but I really did end up liking it. As I got more involved and eager for each present chapter, I would then be taken back to the past in the next chapter…maybe it was just a cool-down period. Either way, I thought it worked well.

What I truly enjoy about first-time Indie authors is to see the progress of their FIRST book from the beginning to the end! And this is one book that is no exception. It’s almost as if I get to witness an author grow up and blossom right before my very eyes. Yes, there were some editing issues, especially when it came to the dialogue between characters. However, it still did not prevent me from enjoying this book and understanding what was happening. But again, a big difference in the writing from the beginning to the end as the dialogue seemed to flow much smoother. Nice job J.B.

I am anxious to see where Gabby and Bradley’s story goes in Mending and hopefully we’ll get a glimpse into Bradley’s past to find out how and why he became such a playboy. I’m also eager to learn more about Gabby’s non-existent relationship with her father and as well as her past, which has left her so “Broken.”

Broken was provided to me in return for an honest review. Thank you J.B.(less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Amber Chi rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 17, 2012 NovelJunkies rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

Broken is an emotional story about learning to love and trust after you have been broken. Gabby is a young college student who has gone through heartbreak. She has built up walls in hopes to numb the pain of her past. Nothing seems to go her way... Then she meets Bradley at a wedding. It was instant chemistry. The rest of the book is about Gabby trying to accept a loving relationship with Bradley.

"You make me greedy for you. I just can't get enough. I wish you would just accept it for...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars

loved this book.. I normally do not care for books that jump back and forth with dates but it worked for this book. I liked how the story was more true to real life than most books. Can't wait for the next one!!

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Nov 06, 2012 Drh rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book leaves you wanting more .....SO BEAUTIFUL !!!

Cant wait for book 2....!!!

Love it...

I really loved Bradley/Gabby's story it was a touching,romantic story of two people's journey to find their way to each other.

" Anything worth having is never simple or easy, Gabby ...."

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Jan 10, 2013 Marie Price rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely loved this book. It completely gripped me right from the beginning. The style of writing kept you guessing and I had to get Mending straight away. Would recommend this to everyone

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Dec 06, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Beautiful how the chapters go back and forth between past and present... Really get a feel for what causes her hesitance at the moment. The end is a little rushed but still a great lead into the next book.

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Jan 19, 2013 Kath rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2013

Sweet and loving story, can't wait to finish book two

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Mar 12, 2013 Tiffany rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was not one of my favorite books, but I did enjoy it. I really didn't like the back and forth between the past and the present. If you had to stop reading and pick it up later it could get very confusing. As far as the story line goes I thought it was good. It breaks your heart to think of all the things Gabby and Sam have had to go through. I'm glad Gabby is entertaining the idea of having a relationship with Bradley, he seems like he could be a nice guy. But only time will tell...

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Jan 14, 2013 iloveladyporn rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book goes from past to present tense. This is so you will know why Gabby is so "Broken". There were some paragraphs that were in the males (there are 2 important males in this book) POV but I didn't realize it so I had to reread the paragraph to make sure what was going on. It's heart breaking what happened to Gabby and part of her heart breaking story has yet to come out. I was sort of annoyed on how Gabby consistently said that things would not work out between her and Bradley before they...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Literati_Lit rated it 4 of 5 stars

“I have more baggage than baggage claim. I'm damaged goods. I'm not good at...” she released him for a moment and fingered between the two of them “this.”

I had recently seen Broken come through on my Facebook news feed and decided to look it up on Amazon, as I had never heard of it. I was pleasantly surprised to see that J.B. McGee (a first-time author) had just penned this book and recently moved to the Georgia area and close to where I live. So, of course, I really wanted to check out this author who was living in the same state!

The book revolves around Gabby and the struggles she has faced in life, especially with the loss of her mom, which is something I can definitely relate to. Gabby’s heart has been broken on more than one occasion, and she is extremely gun shy. She doesn’t want to go through the pain and suffering that she has experienced on more than one occasion. She doesn’t have a relationship with her father, and she doesn’t want to commit to anyone with fear of having her heart ripped out. But, you never know when love comes knocking on your door, and you have to open up to the possibilities that "this one" may be "the one!"

I liked how J.B. wrote Gabby’s character as she was so sweet, although timid, and I enjoyed the relationship she had with her older sister, Sam. Enter Bradley Banks into the picture, the confident and wealthy business man who is used to getting any girl he wants, and we have a sweet story about love and second chances.

Broken is written simultaneously between the past and the present, alternating back and forth. I wasn’t sure about this type of writing to begin with, but I really did end up liking it. As I got more involved and eager for each present chapter, I would then be taken back to the past in the next chapter…maybe it was just a cool-down period. Either way, I thought it worked well.

What I truly enjoy about first-time Indie authors is to see the progress of their FIRST book from the beginning to the end! And this is one book that is no exception. It’s almost as if I get to witness an author grow up and blossom right before my very eyes. Yes, there were some editing issues, especially when it came to the dialogue between characters. However, it still did not prevent me from enjoying this book and understanding what was happening. But again, a big difference in the writing from the beginning to the end as the dialogue seemed to flow much smoother. Nice job J.B.

I am anxious to see where Gabby and Bradley’s story goes in Mending and hopefully we’ll get a glimpse into Bradley’s past to find out how and why he became such a playboy. I’m also eager to learn more about Gabby’s non-existent relationship with her father and as well as her past, which has left her so “Broken.”

Broken was provided to me in return for an honest review. Thank you J.B.(less)

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Nov 26, 2012 Eleanor rated it 3 of 5 stars

Since I'm vacillating between 2 and 3 stars, I'll give the benefit of the doubt.
This is a good story about a college girl who've been hurt in the past by her boyfriend and her best friend. She was also hurt on some level by her father, but the extent of that is not yet revealed in this book (there are more planned, as it turns out.)
As in all stories, girl meets new boy. New boy wants her and is willing to do everything to help her and be with her.
This is all good and dandy, however, considering...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Jessica Van auken rated it 4 of 5 stars

{Broken}

I read this book in little over 2 hours, and must say that I was very happy that I chose to read this book. When downloading it, there are not alot of other reviews so I had nothing to help me with my decision.

I loved this book other than the fact that it seems to be written in the 3rd or 4th person, I have never loved that type of book but have gotten into a few of them.

The first in the series for this new and upcoming author, and I believe her first short story.

She grabs our hearts wit...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Lisa (A Life Bound By Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, books-i-own-kindle, e-books, 2012-read

JB!! Way to leave a girl hanging!! Read this one in pretty much 1 sitting. Interesting story & I like how it's been written in the past & present so we get a chance to see what really happened to Gabby. However there's so much more to the story & we only get a chance to catch glimpses of other trouble from her past. Full review to follow

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Dec 25, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Broken is the first installment in the This trilogy and is a lovely story of overcoming past hurts and taking a second chance on love. Gabby, a sophomore in college, is broken from a painful past and suffers from a host of issues: self-blame, self-image, self-worth, self-esteem, daddy issues, insecurity, and trust; especially trust from past betrayals. Gabby, both timid and shy, is inexperienced in love and a promise she made to her dying mother doesn't help her cause when it comes to finding an...more Broken is the first installment in the This trilogy and is a lovely story of overcoming past hurts and taking a second chance on love. Gabby, a sophomore in college, is broken from a painful past and suffers from a host of issues: self-blame, self-image, self-worth, self-esteem, daddy issues, insecurity, and trust; especially trust from past betrayals. Gabby, both timid and shy, is inexperienced in love and a promise she made to her dying mother doesn't help her cause when it comes to finding and keeping a boyfriend. But, then she meets Bradley at a friend's wedding, and the electricity between them is frightening to Gabby at least. All Gabby wants to find at the wedding is a little eye candy, which Bradley definitely fills the bill. Both Gabby and Bradley are commitment phobic; Bradley is a love 'em in the moment and leave 'em satisfied kind of guy, and Gabby has always been a serious relationship kind of girl. When the damaged meets the determined, only time will tell if Gabby can overcome her issues to take a second chance on love.

Broken alternates between Gabby's present and past giving the reader a true feel for why Gabby is so broken and damaged. I admired Gabby's strength and determination to honor her mother's dying wish, but then she also shows her weakness and vulnerability resulting from damage caused by her past, some of which was so traumatic, it has been blocked from her memory. I admit to having a difficult time with the weakness Gabby exhibited, but I kept reminding myself of what she has been through, and it helped me keep perspective on her character. At times I wanted to shake her out of what seemed like a self-pity party, but she isn't really self-pitying; she is just so damaged and self-deprecating that she tries to sabotage any chance of happiness she might have. She tries very hard to keep her guard in place over her mind and heart, but her body betrays her whenever she sees Bradley.

I love Bradley and definitely want to see more of him. He is willing to work as hard as it takes to win Gabby. His sincerity, patience, and determination to have Gabby at his side were endearing, but he doesn't do "relationships." This is new territory for Bradley, but he is definitely willing to try and learn when it comes to Gabby. With her older sister Sam on his side, Bradley is determined to right his wrong from his first meeting with Gabby and try to be the kind of man she is looking for. With money at his disposal, he will stop at nothing to win Gabby's trust and affection.

I really enjoyed Broken and look forward to reading Mending, the second installment in the This trilogy. I like how the story is told in third person omniscient so as to understand the thoughts of all the characters. The story line is good and it left me wanting to see where the trilogy will take Gabby and Bradley. With that said, there were a couple of issues I had with the book. The dialogue from multiple characters was contained in a single paragraph during the first half of the book, making it difficult to follow at times. This is nothing that some editing can't fix, and it was actually corrected in the second half of the book. I was also surprised at how Gabby, who hadn't really disclosed anything to her sister, became so comfortable with Bradley after just one date to be able to confide in him her innermost hurts. I would have liked for this to have been drawn out a bit more. This is a debut novel, and I believe the author is definitely on the right track with this series. I still have a few questions regarding Gabby's father that I believe will be answered in my next reading, and the author definitely left me wanting more of these characters. I will certainly be reading the next two books and can recommend it for a really good and fast read.(less)

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Apr 29, 2013 rhea bobis rated it 4 of 5 stars

It started a little bit slow for me but as I read further, I was so engrossed with the story that I couldn't put it down.

It's a story about taking second chance in love, acceptance, forgiveness, friendship and allowing yourself to be whole once again. Gabby is "broken", so broken that she built this strong walls around her and guarded her heart against men. Men like Bradley Banks. He's rich, gorgeous with the most piercing blue eyes Gabby has ever seen, successful and charming. Gabby couldn't se...more It started a little bit slow for me but as I read further, I was so engrossed with the story that I couldn't put it down.

It's a story about taking second chance in love, acceptance, forgiveness, friendship and allowing yourself to be whole once again. Gabby is "broken", so broken that she built this strong walls around her and guarded her heart against men. Men like Bradley Banks. He's rich, gorgeous with the most piercing blue eyes Gabby has ever seen, successful and charming. Gabby couldn't seem to comprehend what he has seen in her knowing that he could have any girls he want but why her?

“I have more baggage than baggage claim. I'm damaged goods. I'm not good at...” she released him for a moment and fingered between the two of them “this.”... Abby

Gabby was so devastated of what happened to her - she found her then boyfriend, Ian and her then bestfriend, Lindsey cheating behind her back. When she caught the two doing the "act", she found herself crushed into million pieces that even after 2 years she couldn't bring herself to opening up and getting into a new relationship. So when she met Bradley during his cousin's wedding, she tried all her best to ignore him despite the undeniable chemistry they have for each other. There was a time, I found Gabby exasperating because she became very emotional. I couldn't count how many time she cried tears in front of Bradley just because she couldn't let herself fall in love with him. She's hot & cold, playing "tug of war" of emotions towards Bradley that I want to shake her out of it.

What makes Bradley so lovable is the fact that he really cares about Gabby. I felt his sincerity when he said that he's willing to change for the better. Their first date? Wow, just wow! He swept me off my feet just like Gabby.

So I don't want to give away the story but I highly recommend this book. It's very engaging, real, poignant and has depth. However, I found the transition of the alternating POV's confusing but nevertheless, I still loved it.

The ending is "happy for now". There is still a part of Gabby's past that needs to be revealed. Their decision on the status of their relationship is acceptable for me so now I'll be jumping to the second book to satisfy my curiosity...hehe!

Grab a copy, don't think twice because it's so worth it...:)(less)

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Jan 16, 2013 Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: recommended-by-friends, i-own-it

3.5 stars

This is a story about heartbreak, trust and finding love. Gabby has reasons for shutting herself off from love, she has had a lot of heartache in her past and didn't want her heart to be broken again. She put up walls around her, fearing emotional attachment to a man who could break her. Then came Bradley Banks, charismatic and instantly attracted to Gabby. He pursues her but she walks away, unable to let down her self imposed fortress. Gabby has to learn to trust again, to feel again a...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

Every once in a while a book makes me feel a little bipolar. Let me explain…When I started reading, I quickly noticed that the book was written in alternating third person point of views. One minute you are getting Gabby’s thoughts and then it may switch to her sister or Bradley without much warning. I am not a big fan of this because it can get confusing and feel a bit impersonal. That being said, by the middle of the book, I completely forgot about this as I started to enjoy the story...more 3.5 Stars

Every once in a while a book makes me feel a little bipolar. Let me explain…When I started reading, I quickly noticed that the book was written in alternating third person point of views. One minute you are getting Gabby’s thoughts and then it may switch to her sister or Bradley without much warning. I am not a big fan of this because it can get confusing and feel a bit impersonal. That being said, by the middle of the book, I completely forgot about this as I started to enjoy the story line. It alternated between the present and her meetings with Bradley to her past relationship that broke her heart; I liked this because it helped me to understand Gabby.

Gabby is damaged. She doesn’t have a relationship with her father and has blocked out things that her father did to her as a child. Her mother, who sounded like a wonderful woman, died when she was in high school and all she is left with is her sister Sam. Gabby does not let her guard down often and when she did in high school, her heart was crushed into a million pieces. She has a lot going for her but has low self-esteem and doesn’t always see herself as others see her. She doesn’t think she is pretty and therefore cannot understand why a handsome man would be attracted to her.

I did not get to see enough of Bradley in this book to get a real clear picture on him but this is the first of three books and I am sure everything will be clearer in book 2! I do know he is a playboy and doesn’t do the whole relationship thing. He is successful in his career but wants to keep his personal life simple. He is also a guy that goes after what he wants and does not get rejected. There is also a kind, considerate side of him that made him very hard to resist.

When Gabby and Bradley meet at a wedding, they have instant mutual attraction, however, only one of them is willing to act on it. Gabby can’t let those walls down and she has a feeling that Bradley will expect more from her than she is willing to give. Gabby made a promise to her mother before she died to remain a virgin and she has every intention of keeping it. She is looking for the perfect guy, a prince charming per say, but she doesn’t realize that she actually needs to take a chance and let someone in to accomplish that. Bradley may not be her prince charming but she will never know if she doesn’t give him a chance.

I had some unanswered questions about Bradley’s past and why he lives such a playboy lifestyle and would like to know a little bit more about why he wants to give it all up for Gabby. This book was really about the first phase of a relationship and I am hoping to learn and feel more in the next book.

Overall, I found this to be a good book that I couldn’t put down. I can’t wait to read the next installment and find out what happens between Gabby and Bradley!
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Dec 16, 2012 Sugar and Spice Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'll be honest...It took me awhile to get into this one.....flipping between the past and present kinda confused me at times to the point where I was going....What? Who was that? When? That being said just stick with it...I did and was not disappointed. 3.5 stars from me.

This book is the story of Gabby and Bradley. Gabby struggles with issues she has faced in life like the loss of her mother, and a severely broken heart done by two people she thought she would always be able to trust. Gabby meet...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, romance

I went with three stars because it was a little more than OK but only slightly. I have to be honest - this book got so many good plugs on twitter and most of the book blogs I follow so I bumped it up on my TBR but I was disappointed. The story line was good but I feel like the book as whole lacked sustenance. Maybe because it was a short one (145 pages or so..) but it had really great potential and I feel like it just lacked.
Most of the book was told from Gabby's POV but every once in awhile a s...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Andie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gabby meets Bradley when he is an usher at a friends wedding. Electricity from their first touch..."this" thing between them needs to be explored. But for a girl broken by a douche of an ex....it's easier to go through the motions...not feeling and definitely not putting herself out there to get hurt ...again. Especially to a man who admits he didn't want to commit....ever! Gabby walks away leaving Bradley to stew about "this"...hot chemistry between them Bradley admits he wants "this" in his li...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars

It had a good story and it is a little different from what I normally read. I'll try to do this without any spoilers. Gabby has dealt with the loss of her mother, an horrific past that she doesn't really remember, and a crappy boyfriend. At first I thought she is just weak and I didn't really like her character but she grew on me. As you go through the story you see that she is trying to heal but it is a long road and hard work for her. Bradley is sweet but has an ego and I think he made me like...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-book-boyfriends

Love it!

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About J.B. McGee

J.B. McGee was born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina. After graduating from South Aiken High School, she toured Europe as a member of the 1999 International Bands of America Tour, playing the clairnet. While attending Converse College, an all girls school in Spartanburg, South Carolina, she visited Charleston often. It quickly became one of her favorite vacation spots. She met her husband, Chad...more

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“I have more baggage than baggage claim. I'm damaged goods. I'm not good at...” she released him for a moment and fingered between the two of them “this.”

“Well, I think you're dancing just fine, Miss Gerhart.” he smirked. He knew that was not what she meant, but he had hoped to lighten their mood. Maybe if he could get her to relax she would give him a chance.” — 16 people liked it

“I have tried to get you off my mind for the entire summer. I know that we don’t really know each other. I had to see if I saw you again, if I touched you again, if this, this feeling would still be here.” — 13 people liked it

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