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Review: Broken Wing by Judith James
Filed in Judith James , Review , The HEA Lover Posted on June 17, 2010 @ 6:15 am
8 comments
Format Read: Print
Number of Pages: 350 pages
Release Date: November 1st 2008
Publisher: Medallion Press
Formats Available: Paperback, Ebook
Purchasing Info: GoodReads, Amazon, Book Depository
Book Blurb:
Set during the chaotic beginnings of Napoleon’s rule, this saga tells the story of Gabriel St. Croix, a street survivor searching for a place to belong. Abandoned as a child and raised in a brothel, he has never known friendship or affection. Hiding physical and emotional scars behind an icy façade, his only relationship is with a young boy he has spent the last five years protecting from the brutal reality of their environment. But all that is about to change. The boy’s family has found him, and they are coming to take him home.
Sarah Munroe blames herself for her brother’s disappearance. When he’s located, safe and unharmed despite where he has been living, Sarah vows to help the man who rescued and protected him in any way she can. With loving patience she helps Gabriel face his demons and teaches him to trust in friendship and love. But when the past catches up with him, Gabriel must face it on his own. Becoming a mercenary, pirate, and professional gambler, he travels to London, France, and the Barbary Coast in a desperate attempt to find Sarah again. On the way, however, he will discover the most dangerous journey and the greatest gamble of all is within the darkest reaches of his own heart.
My Thoughts:
Warning this might be the longest review ever…I promise to wake you up when I’m done. Oh and it might be a little tiny bit spoilery, but I’ll keep it as vague as I can!
It took me a while to finish this book. Why? Because halfway through it I had the strange thought ‘Ah, if it ended there it would be a HEA…could be nice!’…after that I had a hard time picking it up again not knowing what drama was going to ruin it all! (but it always does, you know!) Lol But let’s start at the beginning…
We meet Gabriel at a brothel in France, broken inside, desperate at the idea that the little lost boy he’s been protecting for years will soon go back with his family who is coming to take him back. This is the kind of hero I love,tortured and broken hero! He’s been through hell since he was abandoned as a babe in the street. Ever since he’s been living in a brothel and contrary to the little boy he protected, Gabriel has been a whore since childhood…no one was there to protect him. My heart was breaking when I saw how desperate he was , in the last 5 years, the little boy was the only reason he had to live. There are a few scenes where he cut himself to feel alive, heart-wrenching I tell ya! (Look at the bandage on his arms on the cover!)
Sarah has been looking for her little brother since he disappeared, when she hears he’s been in a brothel for 5 years she is afraid of the worst. She’s coming to Paris to take him back, she never thought she would have to take his protector with him, but the little boy won’t leave without him. They agreed that he could work as a companion to the boy for a year and come back with them to England. For the first half of the book, Gabriel will slowly come back to life, he’s learning to trust again and he’s fighting his own demons.
Sarah is known as the Gypsy Countess, she left her husband 5 days after her (arranged) wedding, started wearing pants and embarked with her pirate of a cousin on his ship to find her brother. She is happy this way, she doesn’t care what people think of her, she will still dress like a man and do whatever she wants. (that’s my girl!)
It felt like a standard Historical romance, a really good one! I loved how the heroes fell for each other gradually. Sarah didn’t throw herself at Gabriel, she tried for months to help him feel at home, she became his friend. Did I tell you that Gabriel is gorgeous? Well I am telling you now! Friendship slowly turned into love…but then it had to end! Bahhhh
The second part of the book, is an adventure! Sarah’s cousin has been training Gabriel to become a ‘privateer’ so he could have a living. This is where thing changes…Gabriel wants Sarah but he feels that he needs to make a fortune for himself to deserve her. So he leaves on a mission… It felt like 2 different books, I didn’t say I didn’t like the 2 parts though! It’s just that this was a complete different story, we embark on an adventure with pirates, slavers, murders…we follow Gabriel in many countries. I won’t tell you what happens but let’s say poor Gabriel is not very lucky. We only see Sarah again nearing the end, years later. This part was mostly about Gabriel. This is something different from usual Historical Romances, we don’t know what Sarah is doing, we’re following the hero.
Of course when you’ll see the rating I gave this book you’ll guess how this book ends *wink*. This was an amazing book, I just wish I had not felt like stopping halfway through it. The heroes and secondary characters are adorable, I laughed a lot with le Chevalier, he’s pretty funny and it helped lifting my spirits when the book started to become very depressing.
All in all (because it seems I can’t write a review without saying that, go figure!) it is a great book… it is a mix of historical romance and adventure with a great cast of characters! It’s nothing I’ve read before and It’s going on my keeper shelf!
I give Broken Wing 4 1/2 bookies
*shakes reader* Wake up sleepy head! I’m done, thanks for staying until the end 😉
***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.
I bought this book myself.
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I've read another novel by Judith James and she has great writing skills and feel for the time periods 🙂 This one sits on my shelves too and I love the sound of Gabriel. If there is one kind of hero who pushes my hot button then it's a broken and tortured one. When a historical mood strikes me I'll be sure to pick this one from my shelves 😀
@Leontine Is it Libertine's Kiss you read? I have it from NetyGalley and I'm hoping to read it soon =)
Gabriel really is tortured…at first he made me think of Daemon from the Black Jewels trilogy Yummy
Hi Pattepoilue:
Lovely review of Broken Wing. I have this one in the stacks (a blogger friend talked me into it)lol Every so often I pick it up and think to myself, okay I must read this one and haven't yet.
I hear it is an emotional story though, many, many bloggers LOVE this story.
Thank you for sharing!
@Lea Thank you =) I decided to read it after reading KristieJ's review of it. I loved her review and decided I should try it too. I am very happy I decided to.
It is an emotional read and it deals with very dark matters, but it wasn't too depressing because there was always a character to make humor or help break the tension. I'm sure you will enjoy reading it =)…when the will strikes you to read it 😉
@pattepoilue – He made you think of Daemon from the BJ series o-0 Oh girl, you just major triggered me to read this book. I LURV Daemon *sigh* Even if Gabriel only reminds you at first of Daemon I so want to read BW a bit more LOL
It was HIGHLAND REBEL I read by Judith James 🙂
@Leontine Ohhh another Daemon fan? I Love Daemon too! Gabriel reminded me of me, he might not be exactly the same but I thought about him when reading. Broken and abused the both of them. *sigh* I wanted to hug them both
I will check out Highland Rebel =)
Great review. A book with pirates, you know I haven't read one in quite a loooong time. I might have to pick one up soon. 😉 Thanks for the review
@Melissa I haven't read many pirate books, I'm a bit prejudiced about these books I think lol. But this one was a good surprise =) I hope you enjoy it as much as I did