“Our future together, dim as it would become, was sealed by his blazing embrace and an exploding sky. But that’s the thing when you play with fire, someone always gets burned.” – Like Broken China by J.D. Thompson

(I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
 
Courtney Cook embraced a wild new love full of adventure when she met Matt. Her heart belonged to him in what seemed like a heartbeat the very day he walked into the coffee shop and swept her away. 10 years later, Matt and Courtney have two wonderful children but their marriage isn’t as wild and happy as it was hoped to have been. Matt’s addiction to gambling only continues to cause fractures in their relationship. With so many broken pieces, will Courtney be able to find the strength she needs to put her world back together?
 
I loved how realistic this book was. Sometimes happily ever after might not pan out and life might not always go as planned and that’s the kind of situation that we find our main character in. I love that we get to see both the present and back when she met the charming Matt. It gives us a chance to see what drew her to him and how things changed. Though everything in her wants to try to fix things, she realizes that some happily ever afters happen by learning what’s right for one’s self.
 
I found myself really appreciating this book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read books involving self-discovery.
 
This was definitely a 5 out of 5 rating from me. I loved it, hands down. 

(I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
 
Roxie Fisher feels like she hit rock bottom. No longer with a job, she moves back home and would rather not step foot outside unless necessary. With her parents terribly worried about how depressed she has become, her mother is thrilled to see Roxie has been invited to the Cupid Café and tries her very best to get her to go check it out. Aiden is a firefighter who aims to live life at its fullest. With a random invitation to the Cupid Café, he doesn’t take it seriously until he sees Roxie, who helped him and his late wife immensely before she passed away. Seeing the wall she built up for herself, his new resolve is to help her get back out there and living again, even if it means bringing down brick after brick.
 
I loved the idea of a seemingly magical café bringing couples together and I think it’s a great and unique way to make a series of standalones. Having read a book by Lori Sizemore before, I was really excited to read this one and was truly not one bit disappointed! Aiden is a determined character and I really enjoyed reading more of his backstory. I loved how even though he and Roxie are total opposites, they are perfect for one another. I did have a lot of trouble connecting to Roxie but grew to understand her a lot more when the plot unfolded. Depression is a really tough subject and I feel Lori did really well in portraying Roxie’s inner battle with it.
 
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this beautiful, well-written book and I highly recommend it!
 
I give it a 4 out of 5 rating!

    “‘No, I got it.’ Calder busted outside and ran to the door. But Susan was too quick, and for the first time that night she attempted to open the door herself. But the handle wouldn’t move; the door was broken just like the door on her dad’s truck. Calder came around and opened it from the outside.
     ‘Why is your door broken?’ she asked.
     ‘Because I broke it.’
     Susan frowned. ‘How did you break–?’      
   ‘Not how. Why. I broke it so that I could open it for you. As many chances as I get.’”
– The Simple Soul of Susan by Noel Branham                                              

(I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.)

Susan Combs knows who her soul mate is. The only problem is her love might not be reciprocated. Susan and Calder have lived next door to each other their whole lives and have quickly become close friends. Susan wants to stay home and take care of her father while Calder wants to move away and aim for bigger things. One day, she overhears a conversation that makes her realize she might not be in the painted picture that is Calder’s future. Determined to live her own life and do her own thing, she tries to brush him off but those eyes of his are hard to look away from and is that a sudden spark she sees within them?
 
I don’t remember ever smiling so much while reading a book. This story was so heartwarming and had so many cute moments; the characters and overall story are all just so quick to love. I loved how real the story felt. It was captivating. You see the characters grow right in front of you as they finally figure out what they want and who they want to be. At first, Calder really got on my nerves with how flirty he was with other girls and how nonchalant he seemed. He didn’t seem to realize what Susan was going through and in the end, after really understanding Calder and his reasons, I actually grew to like him the best.
 
Overall, this story is simply beautiful. It’s one I definitely plan on re-reading again and again.
 
This book highly deserves 5 out of 5 feathers!