Beautiful Broken Mess, Broken series by Kimberly Lauren

Jace Riley’s close connection with his identical twin brother, Jaxon, is put to the test when he tries to choose between keeping his promises and following his heart. Is this girl that still haunts his dreams, even after four years, really worth it? Jace can’t help but wonder if he made a huge mistake all that time ago when he let her walk into someone else’s arms, especially since that someone was his twin.

Audrey Mills often wonders at what point she should throw her hands up in defeat and allow all of the horrible circumstances of her life to overtake her. Despite the demons she has faced, however, something inside her won’t give in. When she leaves her small town in Texas to attend college in California, Audrey runs into the one guy who could make her or break her. But is the past they share too painful for them to overcome?


We meet the characters in the first part of this series, in Beautiful Broken Rules. But we don't get to find out everything. We only see it from one perspective and unfortunately, that isn't the real one, so to say. The truth is another. One we get to find out, thanks to the second Riley brother. The events take place throughout four years, told in two POVs. Audrey's and Jace's.

Oh, the Riley brothers! The Riley twins! 

In Beautiful Broken Rules we met Jaxon Riley, the bad boy twin. The wild one. The reckless one with a devil-may-care attitude. 

In the second part of the series, Beautiful Broken Mess we get to know his twin, the calm one, better. Jace is always the one to think over everything, to ponder things because it matters to him what others think and especially the consequences of his actions. He's not one to drink and to sleep around, like his brother. At least, he didn't used to be. But he changed, he matured and developed as a character by the end of the story.

Audrey. Boy, was I wrong about her! In Beautiful Broken Rules, she was presented as the scorned ex. The bad guy. Turns out, she's only a victim herself. Because her childhood and parents were less than stellar, she did everything she could to get out of there. She worked at first, then met Jace but because of a huge misunderstanding and hurt feelings, she got into a crazy relationship with Jaxon. Neither of them was happy and they didn't care about each other. Of course, this changes, once Audrey finally confesses and tells the Riley brothers everything. 

This book made me smile. It made me laugh. Growl. It made my jaw drop. It made me melt and swoon. I, for one, like it when the feelings I have while reading a book, change. I like it when it keeps me on my toes and smacks me when I'm not even expecting it. And that happened a few times. 

But the story isn't just about Audrey and Jace. It's about Audrey's best friend, Lane. It's about Jaxon and Em. It's about Cole and Quinn. It's about Jace's friend, Max, the hot tattoo artist that made me laugh and swoon. Yes, I've fallen for him from the first line. 


 "If this asshole fucks up, please come find me. I'm ready to propose to you, run away with you, let you have my babies, kneel down and kiss your feet daily, babe." ~ Max

Yes, Jace fucks up. But does he make up for it! It may involve some singing that leaves everyone stunned ;)


"I've walked passed so many pennies in my life, never bothering to pick them up because none of them were ever appealing to me. Then one day, I literally crashed into the most gorgeous penny I'd ever seen, so I picked her up off the ground, wiped away her tears, and became mesmerized by her every movement. Stupidly, I let that penny get away from me, and I've regretted it ever since. You were my lucky penny, Audrey, and I've been dreaming about you for years." ~ Jace

Who knew pennies could be a form of romanticism? 

Suffice it to say, this one is just as good as the first. I've loved Jaxon and I love Jace. I can't wait to see what's going to be Lane's story!

***ARC provided by author for honest review***
 

You can buy Beautiful Broken Mess on November 12 on Amazon UK and US.

You can find Kimberly Lauren on:

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http://www.kimberlylauren.net/

https://twitter.com/KimLaurenAuthor