GRR Reviews The Break-up (Full Hearts Series Book 5) by MJ Summers

The Break-up featured an abuser with tremendous power and a woman so beat-down (not physically) she's in a depression, and it took her bodyguard to bring her out of it, and he also became her romantic partner. The ending, while satisfying, could have been neater though.

To recap, Courtney Bennett had finally had enough of her husband, Brock McCain. They were the ultimate Hollywood power couple, but he holds everything. She is nothing without him. When he got too friendly with a young starlet, she left him, but the paparazzi were after her. She's holed up in a Colorado cabin with her bodyguard, Wes Young, trying to figure herself out, but there is no way out. She's 37 and a word from Brock and she'll be blacklisted for life. She'd have no money, no fame, and as an aging actress, no more beauty. And Brock's PR machine controlled the media and told everyone she's mentally unstable and taking a convalescence leave. But Wes slowly made her realize there is life after the breakup, even as Wes realized Courtney was no spoiled princess. He loved before, but military life, including twenty years as a jarhead, meant he had not loved for a long time. As Courtney learned how to stand up for herself, Wes needed to learn how to love...

There was definitely a darkest hour, but that was between Courtney (and Brock) with Wes being a distant third party, and there was no grand gesture. So while the bad man got his comeuppance, somehow the ending wasn't able to wrap everything up in a neater package. If that could have been done, I'd give this 5/5.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: Woman married to Hollywood power mogul was emotionally abused and distraught; can her bodyguard show her a better life and love?

Tropes: bodyguard, hot for boss, fling to a thing, disguise, scars

Overall Rating: 4/5