#BookReview: Not Broken by Meka James

Blurb
They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger...

Calida Jokobi doesn’t see it that way. Surviving an abusive relationship with a sadistic, manipulative man changed her. She has spent the last two years carefully constructing her new persona with two goals in mind: to keep the remaining pieces of her heart safe and her deepest secrets buried. One man puts it all at risk.

Malcolm has been a part of Calida’s life for as long as she can remember. A friend. Her first teenage crush. Now he's asking for something she swore she'd never give again: her heart.

Calida must decide if she should risk the fragile façade she’s created and give Malcolm the chance he’s asking for.


They say love can heal all wounds…

Malcolm Frankel wants to prove to Calida it’s true. She survived a hell most people couldn’t fathom. He’s been by her side fulfilling whatever role she needs him to play. All except the one he wants most. It took nearly losing her to make Malcolm realize he couldn’t keep denying his feelings.

He knows no one goes through an ordeal like that and comes out unscathed, but the closer they get, the more he learns just how deep Calida’s wounds go.

She’s the only woman he’s ever loved, and Malcolm is ready to put his own heart at risk for a chance at mending hers.


My Review
Two years after surviving an abusive marriage, Calida is still a mental prisoner to her past. However, her best friend's brother, Malcolm, who has been by her side all this time, is determined to show her the kind of unconditional love she deserves.


From the very first page of the book, I found myself engrossed with Malcolm and a grand gesture he makes to get Calida to see him as more than just a friend and with Calida who hints at the darkness that still lies within her. I was drawn in by Calida's story and the sheer force of Malcolm's love. He is the kind of guy you read about and wish he were real. There is a cast of secondary characters in the form of their families whose mix of personalities added an extra layer of reality to the story. Calida's 1-year-old child had me giggling and remembering my experience with raising toddlers. One of my favourite characters is Calida's sister who I hope gets a story at some point.

The one thing missing for me was a question that never got answered. As the blurb says, Malcolm was Calida's first crush, and Malcolm seems to have been in love with her for a long time. Given this, I didn't get how they never got together before. It would have been nice to see that aspect of the story.

The sex scenes were hot! At the end of the story, we see a positive transformation in both her and Malcolm. I thoroughly enjoyed Calida's journey of healing, learning to love again and accepting that she deserves love.

It's been a while since I read a book I didn't want to put down. This story was a good balance of emotion, humour, and spice. I definitely recommend it.

My rating: 4 to 4.5 stars

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