Breaking
As a free standing book, I generally enjoyed this. One of the issues I did have though is the supposed badassery of Conrad. This book is much more tell than show. Even with dual third person POV, there's very little where you see Conrad as the cold man he's supposed to be. He repeatedly fights his attraction to co-alpha Archer. The primary relationship issue (aside from the lies of a hitman) is two alpha men in one relationship. How can you have 2 tops or 2 bottoms in a male/male relationship? It's an interesting change from the usual more defined relationship (top/bottom or switches). I waffled a whole lot while reading this as to whether I liked it. I liked everything about [b:Falling|23521523|Falling (Fall or Break, #1)|Barbara Elsborg|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415572537s/23521523.jpg|43124611], even Conrad's cold love for Malachai. It might be easier to read Breaking without having seen Conrad before. He starts Breaking in a very different life position then he ended on in Falling. The juxtaposition of his physical limitations and recovery with his former/current alpha maleness is a tool. And I feel ambivalent about it. I feel ambivalent about the whole book. And so I don't know who to recommend it for.
The external conflict and hitman side effects in this story make it significantly more action-packed than the previous book. I suppose this could be romantic suspense, which I don't think the first would be considered.
The sex is hot. There's a scene where the alphas are fighting for dominance, and I'm not sure how I felt about the consent in that moment. It ultimately worked out, but I wanted to kick Archer at times. I had one moment in particular where I was mad at the character, and, frankly, the author for writing it.
""Was he gay?""
""Bisexual. That wasn't enough for me. I didn't want part of him. I wanted all of him. He had a girlfriend but he hadn't committed to being het. I thought I had a chance.""
Oh, hai, bi-erasure moment. Grr.
I did like this book. I just spent more time uncertain of that than I like. And I'm sorry this review is as rambling as my thoughts were while reading it.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
