Review: Broken Open by Lauren Dane

Title: Broken Open by Lauren Dane
Hurley Boys Series Book Two
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Beyond passion. And beyond their control…

Five years ago, Tuesday Eastwood’s life collapsed and left her devastated. After an empty, nomadic existence, she’s finally pieced her life back together in the small Oregon town of Hood River. Now Tuesday has everything sorted out. Just so long as men are kept for sex, and only sex…

Then she met him.

Musician and rancher Ezra Hurley isn’t the man of Tuesday’s dreams. He’s a verboten fantasy—a man tortured by past addictions whose dark charisma and long, lean body promise delicious carnality. But this craving goes far beyond chemistry. It’s primal. It’s insatiable. And it won’t be satisfied until they’re both consumed, body and soul…

The Review:

Broken Open is the second delectably steamy installment in Lauren Dane’s hot rocker Hurley Boys series. In this outing, deliciously tortured rancher/rock star Ezra Hurley and sinfully sexy widow Tuesday Eastwood give in to their searing passion and unexpectedly heal the wounds of their respective pasts.

The few glimpses of Ezra and Tuesday in The Best Kind of Trouble hinted at some kind of connection between the couple so it comes as no surprise that their relationship begins pretty much right away. These two share a sizzling attraction to one another and while they have danced around it for months, they finally are ready to explore their mutual lust. What Ezra and Tuesday both find surprising is how much they enjoy one another’s company outside of the bedroom. And this becomes a little tricky for Ezra as he tries to navigate the unknown: a real relationship.

Tuesday has had a difficult time moving on since the death of her husband. She disconnected from real life for a long time but through her close friendship with Natalie (from book one in the series), she has finally made a new life for herself. She has a successful framing and jewelry business and she has also indulged in a few short-lived, casual hook ups. Although she is very open to a relationship with Ezra,Tuesday does experience some guilt over the depth of her emotions and the strength of her desire for Ezra.

Ezra might have shaken his addiction to heroin, but he has been unable to let go of the guilt and shame of what his addiction did to his family and friends. Needing a complete lifestyle change after his stint in rehab, Ezra quit touring with Sweet Hollow Ranch and focused his energy on the family ranch, songwriting and studio work with the band. In the past few months, he has performed live with the band in a few small shows which really highlights how far he has come in his recovery. While Ezra is delighted at his surprising romance with Tuesday, it also makes him very uneasy as he tries to find the same balance in their relationship that he has found in the rest of his life.

Ezra and Tuesday’s relationship is mostly conflict free and it is very enjoyable watching them build their relationship. Their lives perfectly complement one another’s and their shared interests bring them closer together. Their social lives also intersect since Ezra’s brother is involved with Tuesday’s best friend and this provides them with added opportunities to get to know one another. While there are several scorching hot love scenes between Ezra and Tuesday, the novel mainly focuses around their deepening emotional bond and the impact this has for them as a couple.

Emotionally compelling, Broken Open is a beautiful novel of healing for Tuesday and Ezra as they find the courage and strength to open their hearts to the possibility of love despite their emotional baggage. The characters are multidimensional with believable obstacles to overcome. The storyline is realistic and Lauren Dane never shies away from difficult topics. The resulting romance is quite heartwarming and one that I highly recommend to old and new fans of the Hurley Boys series.