Broken

Heaven and Hell Club, Book 1

By: Colette Davison

Narrated by: Piers Ryman

Can an older man make Jag break all the rules that keep him safe?

For the last few years, Jag’s life has been a living hell. His rules have kept him safe.

The Heaven and Hell Club was supposed to be another brief stop, but when the bereaved owner, Michael, turns his world upside down, Jag breaks one rule after another.

Being with Michael gives Jag a reason to stop running, but can he find the courage to stay?

Broken, the first book in the Heaven and Hell Club series, is a high angst, hurt/comfort romance with an age-gap relationship, pole dancing, and a HEA.

Trigger warning: Conversion therapy is mentioned and described in brief detail.

©2019 Colette Davison (P)2019 Colette Davison

and afterward many are strong at the broken places

After reading a steady stream of books from “my side of the pond,” I loved the Briticisms in this book. Between jumpers, bedsits, filter coffee, dual-carriageways and punters this book is about as firmly grounded in the British Isles as the Tower of London.

First, let's deal with a somewhat problematic premise. Jag is convinced he's running from a powerful family who are not above kidnapping him and subjecting him to yet another round of conversion therapy. To a normal person, it's unclear how Jag could still be so under the control of his family. He's now an adult. He has the ability to make a stink in the press. He can get a restraining order, no? But if we grant that premise; chalking it up to the views of a young man still deeply scarred by past betrayals and experiences, the rest of the story becomes a sweet variation on the hurt/comfort trope.

The relationship between Michael and Jag is all the sweeter because Jag insists it can't last. It's so clear to the reader that Jag's rules are unnecessary when dealing with a truly good and supportive man like Michael. But will the wounded and betrayed man-child with little sense of self worth be able to see that amid his fears? Oddly, Jag's almost paranoiac fears are manifested by him being unable to surrender control and it's quite interesting to see him taking control in the early sexual situations, while on some level, still being such a broken and brittle character at his base. That said, since “no strings sex” is one of Jag's early demands, there are plenty of scenes featuring hot action. And as the relationship becomes closer, the sex becomes sweeter but no less frequent.

Piers Ryman does a yeomanlike job in narrating this book. His character voices aren't as pronounced and his “voice acting” isn't as on display, as many of the more popular narrators out there. He mostly lets the story narrative and the character's inner monologues speak for themselves while still imbuing the character's spoken dialogue with regional accents and points of view. Initially this seemed a bit strange, but a few chapters in I was no longer noticing this as anything unusual.

While the plot's critical conflict seems a bit minor in retrospect, this is a quick enjoyable read. That it highlights an issue that still all too real in today's culture, (and the presence of an HEA ending) makes it a worthwhile one as well.

A beautiful hurt/comfort story

This is a beautiful story about Jag and Michael. I love their story so much. On the run for his life, Jag ends up working as a drancer in Michael's club, Heaven and Hell. He also falls in love with Michael and has to face his past and trust Michael if he wants to stay and be happy. I love Michael's patience with Jag, so gentle and caring, he's just who Jag needs.
Narrator Piers Ryman does a wonderful job and I highly recommend this book.

Sobbed my eyes out

4.5 Blue Roses
4 Blue Flames

I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my own request, and voluntarily leave this review.
This was such a nice surprise. I am totally new to this author/narrator duo. Let's just say, I added the narrator to my favorite narrator list.

Narrator Piers Ryman delivered a heartfelt love story about a deeply traumatized pole dancer. How he survived and escaped conversion therapy and by chance asked for work at a club where he meets Michael, the owner, and the rest they say is history.

I truly enjoyed an audiobook if I am either sobbing my eyes out or pissing myself laughing. This touched me so deeply, I think it's the fact that he is so lost and alone, and so in need of being loved by anyone, but too scared to stay and let himself have it. We have a kind of HEA, but it's going to continue as they fight the parents who sent him to therapy in the first place.

I do recommend this book, I see it part of a series, I will look out for it.

Happy Listening

Emotionally charged

This book was so emotionally charged it was hard to put down. It delves into a subject that is still a very real threat to the LGBTQ community and that should, in my opinion, be outlawed and made punishable if practiced.

I'm glad that Jag found someone to open up to and trust. It's often hard to understand how much courage it takes to put your trust in the hands of someone else and this book portrays that well. I love how he found Michael and that with the limited information that he shared, Michael was willing to take a chance on him and love him.

The narrator did an excellent job of voicing the characters and bringing their emotions forth. There were certain spots where the main characters were crying that he projected it so well that I was crying with them.

Overall the story was fantastic.

I was gifted this book by the author and leave this review freely.

This book is emotional It had me crying for Jag

Ok, How do you write an review for this ? Answer It is not easy without going into detail about it and I really hate to give spoilers for any audio .

This one talks about what a young boy went threw to get where he is now. He ran away from his home because of what they was putting him though just because he told them that he was gay. and how a guy helped Jag with some of the things so Jag can get passed it and stay in one place for longer then a few months at a time.

Just for once he want to be free…

A beautiful and emotional storyline with great characters. Both Jag and Michael are so easy to love and I found myself completely entranced in the story from the very beginning. The emotions are raw and real. I'd love to know more about Jag and Michael.

Piers Ryman did an exceptional job with bringing life to the characters. There were times I wanted to cry as the emotions were performed so powerfully.

Healing Love

I loved this story. Jag and Michael each broke my heart a little, and it made me happy to watch them slowly begin to heal each other. Jag's parents put him through so much that was horrifically traumatic, and he was doing all he could just to survive. And Michael was still grieving the loss of a partner who was his soulmate. These two fell quickly into lust and slowly into love. The story was sexy and beautiful, and the narrator's performance was perfection. I recommend this wonderful book, which is even more amazing in audio format.

Emotional

Emotional journey about a club owner and boy who has been through some series rough times. Its all about healing, trust and finding a way to build yourself up after being so broken. A little slow in parts but a good read and good narration.

Broken but not Shattered

Broken: Heaven and Hell Book #1
MMy Thoughts Confessions and Review:

Grief... It comes in many forms. Loss of a loved one, loss of self, loss of control, loss of peace of mind. All these losses are valid, and all can incite grief in one form or another. Because we are emotional beings we deal with these losses in a million different ways.

For twenty-year-old Jag, who had his youth, sense of self, and self-worth ripped from him and crucified in front of his very eyes he trusts NO ONE! He has become a wandering spirit in an abandoned house who manages to conjure enough energy once in a while to cause the house lights to flicker so passersby will see someone is still inside the house.
It isn't until Jag wanders into the dance and strip club, "Heaven and Hell" that things begin to change for the lost young soul.

Michael, owner of Heaven and Hell is awestruck by the beauty filling his club as the young man flips, twirls, and works the pole on his stage in the middle of his club, as he auditions for a place among Michael's other dancers. While Michael can see how haunted and closed off Jag is, he is also drawn to the spark exuding from the young man's soul. He hasn't felt a pull like this in the many years since he lost his partner and the love of his life. Michael couldn't ignore his draw to Jag anymore than a moth could to a flame, even knowing it may mean getting hurt in the end.

Hurt-Comfort themes are one of my favorites because they are filled with healing, compassion, and tons, and tons of love. However, when that theme encompasses both MCs it can be a slippery slope because it can come off feeling like an emotional game of tug-of-war to see who has/ had it worse and therefore needs the most comfort. No need for worrying over that here though, because Colette created a beautiful waltz rather than a tug of war and the only thing that changed was, depending on the need, who led the waltz. At times Michael needed to lead, and at others, it needed to be Jag who led for Michael. What made their waltz so beautiful and captivating for the reader was their chemistry, making their change in who would lead a seamless exchange.

I loved these characters, and I just wanted to wrap Jag in my arms and hug and kiss him and tell him he was wonderful and perfect just the way he was. The mark of an awesome author who can stir those kinds of feelings in this old momma's heart. The cast in the book is small, but the ones in the story are larger than life. I appreciated just how fleshed out each one was, and even more so through the audio which brought an extra dimension to each character. The pace was steady and never lagged. I thought the story ended nicely and I am anxious to start the next book.

The Story: 4.5🌟
The Narration: 4.0🌟
Sharonica Stars: 4.25✨

I received an audio copy of this book from GBP in exchange for an honest review.💐

Good book

"This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review."

I enjoyed the story and listened straight through. I will listen to more from the author and narrator.