Review: Broken Juliet (#2, Starcrossed) by Leisa Rayven - Vilma Iris | Lifestyle Blogger

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Review: Broken Juliet (#2, Starcrossed) by Leisa Rayven

My Thoughts

A heart wrenching, addictive,
tumultuous finale
that packs all the feels.

5stars

Synopsis

broken juliet coverHow do you fix a love that’s been broken beyond repair?

For years, Cassie Taylor tried to forget about Ethan Holt. He was the one great love of her life, and when he failed to return her love, a part of her died forever. Or so she thought. Now she and Ethan are sharing a Broadway stage, and he’s determined to win her back. Claiming to be a changed man, he’s finally able to say all the things she needed to hear years ago, but can she believe him? What makes this time different from all his other broken promises?

Ethan knows he can’t change their tumultuous past, but if he’s going to have any chance of being with the woman he loves, he’ll need to convince Cassie that her future belongs with him.

Don’t miss this stunning conclusion to the unforgettable love story that captivated over two million fans online.

My Review

Leisa Rayven delivers a gut-wrenching finale to this angst-ridden tale of two star-crossed lovers. I had anxiously awaited this book, feeling the vigorous, impassioned push and pull between our two protagonists, Cassie and Ethan. I was addicted. Obsessed. I needed to see how the curtain would fall on their story. Whereas Bad Romeo was all about the angst between them, Broken Juliet was all about the emotions that raged inside them. The pain, the regret, the unfailing desire and love between them. We first saw a tortured Ethan—a hero who just couldn’t let go enough to accept the love Cassie offered. A boy who kept making mistake after mistake, who finally, broke his Juliet. So the story flips in this second installment and the focus shifts to seeing Cassie work through her own issues and figure out if she dare take Ethan back in her life. Would love be enough? Had Ethan really changed? Could she really open her heart up again only to risk its destruction again?

“This man represents so many things to me. He was my first true friend. My first love. First lover. The master of more pleasure than I knew existed, and the architect of more heartache than I thought I could endure.”

The story unwinds with a similar approach as book 1, with glimpses into the past to help us see just how Ethan broke Cassie’s heart their senior year. What actually happened to cause Cassie to hate Ethan so much? Ethan’s evolution is staggering. He’s a different man. He’s repentant, but determined. He’s vulnerable and open and communicative and every last thing he never was while they were together. Seeing the stark differences between past and present Ethan really demonstrated just how much he loves Cassie… how much work he put in to change… to be a man she deserved and could love.

“In the past, I thought I could be what you needed. But thinking and knowing are two different things. Now, I know. Let me prove I can love you the way you deserve.”

With every push, Cassie’s wall starts to crumble, dredging up all the feelings she’s tried so hard to bury. The desire… the physicality… the want… it’s all there. That’s no surprise, but the real question is whether the love they felt was sufficient to weather the unavoidable storms. Were his promises of never again and this time it’s forever, real?

Leisa Rayven does an impressive job of weaving a deeply evocative story with heartfelt ups and gut-wrenching downs. There’s just been something utterly addictive about this story, about these two people, that has me obsessed. I love the angst, the pain, the indecision, and the insistent, assidious love between Cassie and Ethan. Their relationship is volatile, brimming with equal parts love and antagonism, and as a reader, I just wanted their happy ever after all the more because of this dynamic. It’s a fantastic, must-read duology.

“We have this perfect rhythm, whenever we’re together, and that’s the essence of us.”

series goodreads 2

Reading Order and Links

bad romeo cover broken juliet cover

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