Broken at Love

Broken at Love

By Lyla Payne

3 out of 5

Synopsis
When a knee injury ends twenty-year-old Quinn Rowland’s pro tennis career, he’s not only dumped by his hot Russian girlfriend but ordered to attend college by his disinterested billionaire father. A rich kid who’s not used to being disappointed by life, Quinn and his sociopathic half-brother Sebastian create a frat house game intended to treat girls how they see them—as simple game pieces to be manipulated for their pleasure.

College sophomore Emilie Swanson knows Quinn’s reputation—after all, he did send one of her sorority sisters into therapy earlier in the semester—but the game and his charm bring them closer together and soon she starts to believe there’s more to Quinn than people think.

But what if the more is something darker than a game of toying with emotions and breaking hearts?

Quinn and Emilie might be falling for each other, but there are secrets he’s not ready to tell—and lifestyle changes he’s reluctant to make. She willingly stepped on the court, but if Emilie finds out she started out as nothing as a pawn in Quinn and Sebastian’s twisted game, she might never forgive him.

To his surprise, Quinn finds that he might finally care about someone more than he cares about himself…even if that means letting Emilie walk away for good.

Review
Game. Set. Match.
At Whitman University, ex-tennis pro Quinn and his half-brother Sebastian rule their frat house. They hold legendary parties that coincide with the biggest games in the Tennis calendar. They're exclusive and invitation only.
What only the frat-brother know is the parties are also the background for a sinister game, which always ends in a broken heart. This time round, Emilie is the target...

You know exactly what is going to happen, there are no surprises in this plot, but is still an enjoyable read.
The characters are all fun; it's refreshing to read about two characters that come from rich families, rather than the over-used one rich, one poor background.
Both characters are broken. Quinn has lost everything, his tennis career, his Russian girlfriend, and more. I felt a lot of sympathy for him, and the book was very much in tune with the issues of his past.
Emilie's pain... you're a long way into the book before you find out that there was darkness in her life. But Emilie is a lot further to recovering and uses this sad moment of her life to drive her on to do more.

The first half of the book, I was hooked, I was excited, I was thrilled that I'd found something that was surely going to be a 5 star. But it didn't deliver.
Oh, it was enjoyable, otherwise it wouldn't have 3 stars. But it left me feeling 'meh'.
The plot goes where it needs to go. But the characters - I just want to slap every single one of them at one point or another. Quinn needs to grow some balls. Ruby, the best friend, is incredibly inconsistent. And Toby, the guy who adores Emilie, but feeds her to the sharks.
Then there's Emilie. Sure, she's great for the first three-quarters of the book. But then she decides (no spoiler here) that she loves Quinn; that she realises he has issues, and that she's going to see them through no matter what. Oh, and then the next scene she decides not to bother. And then repeat. Grow a bloody spine, girl!

As for the plot, it is enjoyable if you suspend logic. But as I was already pissed at the characters, the plotholes gaped before me.
Mainly, the game. Yes, it is original and Ms Payne should be proud of that. But it's a secret? How? How can it possibly be a secret when Quinn has hurt so many girls? I'd expect gossip like this to spread like wildfire, especially when he uses the same technique each time.

Ok, slightly heated review over.
If you would like to see for yourself, I believe it is currently free to download from Amazon.

Goodreads link
Amazon.co.uk