Amazon:http://amzn.to/Zc1xHD
Amazon UK: http://amzn.uk.to/Zc1xHD
B & N: http://bit.ly/1t9I8OE
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22848383-surviving-broken
RELEASE DATE: September 29th, 2014
BLURB
~ Sometimes you have to go through hell to find your heaven ~
Most women have a wish list when it comes to what kind of man they want to date. JC Mathews used a strict set of guidelines as a safety net to keep herself out of trouble and out of love.
On hiatus from the bright lights and speculative gazes of her career in the fashion industry, JC lets her guard down…only to the wrong man. After escaping Italy and the hands of her abuser, she returns to Malibu to recover. The last thing she expects to find is a large, gorgeous intruder swimming naked in her pool.
Reed Rider left Texas and his broken heart behind in order to settle his aunt’s affairs after her death. Seeking refuge from the California heat for a midnight swim in his neighbor’s backyard, he never expects to find the nude silhouette of a long-haired beauty standing at the water’s edge.
As their passion ignites and the pages of JC’s rulebook fade to grey, she unlocks her guarded heart to begin a new chapter in her life. When hidden truths are exposed and secrets unravel, will they survive the threats from their broken pasts?
REVIEW
Even the strongest of individuals can be broken; it doesn’t matter the strength within or the fortitude to not fall into that category. Brokenness can come at any moment and bring people to their knees. But it’s what those same people do after the fall that truly defines who they are and what they’re willing to fight through to make it out of the darkness.
In Beverly Preston’s Surviving Broken, book 4 in The Mathews Family Series, readers get JC’s story; she’s the youngest of Tess’ clan with the biggest personality, but she’s also the one with the most rules on how to live and love. The one who’s not willing to risk her heart for anyone but family because she refuses to be broken after someone leaves, like her mom was after her father passed away. But when her rulebook flies out the window and she finds herself falling for a sexy, broody Italian, it seems like she might fall right in line with the other Mathews’ kids and find her other half. But what happens with Luca Santini is not something JC is ready for and it’s definitely not a situation that she thought she would find herself in, so when she returns to the states humiliated and depressed, the farthest thing from her mind is meeting a man and feeling a connection with him, but if Reed Rider has anything to say about – that’s exactly what’s about to happen. Reed Rider has gone through his own personal hell and survived, so he definitely understands how JC feels, and he plans to help her heal and show her that she can give her heart to him, and he’ll handle it with care. How they work through everything together is beautifully written and how they help each other heal solidifies their soulful connection. They may have almost been broken by past events, but they learn to not let their past dictate their future, which is an extremely important life lesson.
What I love most about Beverly Preston’s writing is that she makes readers feel like we are a part of the Mathews family. She invites us in and shares their ups and downs with us. We laugh and cry with them. We feel every single emotion that is expressed because each character is meticulously developed so that readers understand the intricate workings of their psyches and the choices that they make. All of the situations dealt with in The Mathews Family series are realistically portrayed, and they explore issues that are universally experienced. The first half of JC’s book is difficult to experience because of the situation that she finds herself in, but Beverly Preston clearly understands the need to show what can occur to even the strongest of people, and she does a tremendous job of presenting such a difficult subject.
I loved Tom since book 1, but he comes through big time for his inherited family in Surviving Broken, which solidifies his awesomeness. From the very beginning, Beverly Preston has shown the importance of family for each and every Mathews, and they all come through for JC when she needs it most.
This series is truly a family affair, which is one of the reasons it appeals to readers and keeps me rereading all of their stories.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 poison apples
EXCERPT
Seconds after hearing the click of the front door shutting, his mouth was at her ear. His fingers slipped beneath the straps on her shoulder, lifting the dress above her head and tossing it on the end of the bed.
Spikes of sensual energy gathered between them. Reed nuzzled the rasp of his stubble into the sensitive spot on her neck and her skin came to life beneath his firm yet gentle touch. Tremors chased down her spine and desire ached between her thighs. Never in her life had JC been so completely in tune with the bodily forces filling her physically and emotionally.
A slight giggle dissolved into a soft gasp as one arm crossed beneath her breast, pulling her closer. Gooseflesh covered her body as his lips traversed the slope of her neck and shoulder, revisiting receptive areas he’d pursued the night before.
“I don’t understand,” she murmured. Reed pressed the shape of him, rearing and stiff, against the small of her back. Her head listed back against his chest, followed a soft ambiguous cry of need. “How do you do that to me?”
He turned her to face him, cupping the tender curve of her breast. “Darlin’, in few minutes, you’re not gonna give a damn.”
Heat.
Heat spread everywhere, engulfing her senses in flames of desire. Draping her wrists over his shoulder, she raised on her tippy-toes, searching for his lips. Reed resisted her fervent urges, pulling back, not allowing her the passionate kiss she yearned for. He stared into her eyes, capturing her spirit with his ice blue eyes. Zings of pleasure chased though her and JC feared she might melt before they even started.
Unspoken words drifted between them.
Reed’s unconditional acceptance disarmed her. He accepted her commitment phobias, occasional neurotic tendencies, her fears of love, her mishaps in life and bad judgments. He understood her implicitly and appreciated her exactly as she was.
Her heart pounded. Excitement and nervousness mingled through her emotions. Her eyes drifted shut as she leaned into his chest and his hands played over her slowly, tortuously igniting a new passion within. She quivered and stumbled, falling onto the chaise behind her.
He started toward her hungrily, but she shook her head.
“No?” he asked with a questioning grin.
“No.” She shook her head again. “This isn’t exactly how I pictured this. You make me too damn nervous.” She pointed toward the bathroom. “Can you please give me two minutes?”
He bent, securing her to the hide with his thigh between her legs, possessing her mouth with long, intimate licks of his tongue. “I’ll give you three,” he assured, releasing her from his kiss and sauntering into the bathroom.
JC leapt to her feet, pacing in circles in nothing more than her white cheeky panties. “What the hell is wrong with me?” Stopping midstride, she shook out her trembling limbs. “You can do this! Pull yourself together.”
She took a few deep breaths, trying to ward off the tension looming close the surface of her thoughts. Her limbs felt weighted and encumbering, restricting her body from its natural rhythmic flow of sensual language. He’s just a man. I’ve kissed dozens of men! You’ve already had sex with him. Don’t be chicken!
She bent over, tousling her hair through her fingers and flipped her head back, letting the long caramel layers cascade down her back in sexy loose pieces.
JC plopped onto the chaise, strumming her fingers on the hide. Yeah, but damn what a man!
Nestling back into the hide, she draped her hands above her head. Unable to find the right position, she fidgeted awkwardly. “This is not comfortable,” she grumbled. “Oh, my God. What is wrong with me?”
Irritated by her own anxiety and gracelessness, she flopped to the opposite end of the chaise. Her long legs and feet dangled over the arched back and her head hung over the foot of the lounge.
Sunbeams pushing through the glass door swept across her body. Her eyes drifted shut and she drew in a deep, full breath of air and then another. The scent of his skin lingered with the warmth of the sun, caressing her senses and calming her nerves.
She startled when Reed gently placed his hand on the outside of her thigh. His naked hip brushed against her skin when he sat beside her. Her eyes remained closed as the coolness from his hand slid along her waist to her breast, resting on top of her heart.
“I know…” she panted breathily. JC placed her hand over his. “Just feel you in here.”
“That’s right, darlin’”
“I don’t know why you make me so nervous.”
“Just relax.”
Feeling his avid stare burning through closed lids and the weight of his hand dip to her breast, she slipped her tongue across her lips sensually.
“You make me nervous too,”—his breath fractured—“JC.”
Her eyes opened when he called her by name.
“We’ll figure it out together.”
Feelings of passion and adoration flourished, stringing tightly around her heart. She nodded.
“Goddess,” he hummed, wiggling his brow. The back of his hand traced lazily over her jaw and earlobe. He leaned closer, nearly kissing her before halting. “You’re beautiful. Inside and out.”
No More Wasted Time (bk 1)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ujwsOJ
B&N: http://bit.ly/XXj8Br
Shayla’s Story (bk 2)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/Y34mt7
The Perfect Someday (bk 3)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1qrsCM5
About the Author
#1 Bestselling Author, Beverly Preston has been a stay at home mom for 21 years, although she prefers the title Domestic Engineer. Along the way, Beverly worked side by side with her husband Don, the love of her life, designing, building and selling custom homes. As her children begin to venture out on their own, she’s left to shed a tear—for a minute—wonder what’s next in life, and embrace the feeling of empowerment that surely must’ve been wrapped in a present she received on her fortieth birthday.
If Beverly isn’t at home riding her spin bike, you’ll find her spinning richly emotional and sinfully sexy romance stories.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest
GIVEAWAY
$50 Gift Card (1 Winner)
And one winner for each of the following:
Beverly Preston – Signed paperback of Surviving Broken
Jodi Malpas – One signed paperback of One Night Promised
AL Jackson – Signed paperback of winner’s choice (U.S. Only)
Raine Miller – Signed paperback of choice from any of my books
Gretchen de la O – One ebook of Almost Eighteen and one entire ebook set of the Wilson Mooney series
Julie Richman – Signed paperback of Bad Son Rising
Julie Prestsater – Signed copy of a Without You and a swag pack
Ilsa Madden-Mills – One ebook of readers choice
Renee Carlino – One ebook of sweet thing
Michelle Valentine – One ebook of Rock the Heart
Fairest Of All Book Reviews 