What We Broke

By: Marley Valentine

Narrated by: Joe Arden, Teddy Hamilton

From USA Today best-selling author, Marley Valentine comes a brand new, marriage in crisis, hurt/comfort, standalone, gay romance.

If someone asked me to describe our love story, I would only need to use two words.

Before and After.

When I met Leonardo Ricci, he was determined I would only be a fling, while I was certain he was my forever.

Seven years later, we’re the perfect couple. Happy, married, and in love–in sickness and health, till death do us part.

At least until the unthinkable happens.

Now we can’t look at each other. We don’t sleep in the same bed. We can’t even be in the same room. The loss is too great and the pain runs too deep.

But this man is the love of my life. I convinced him once, and I would be damned if I couldn’t do it again. I would be damned if I couldn’t fix what we broke.

©2023 Marley Valentine (P)2023 Marley Valentine

so good, but a gut punch

this book was so good. I love the back and forth of present day and past. this can be tricky but I think the author did a really good job of this. My heart strings pulled. my stomach in knots at points. but the love of the characters, all of them, and never giving up on one another just made it so good. I do love that it was realistic in that nothing was perfect at the end but everyone figured out how to move forward. I also love the cameos from Withou you: Julian and Deacon.

OMG

This story was so heartbreaking and heartwarming attje samwtine this story gave me all the feels. Teddy and Joe are excellent narrators and I love anything they read definitely worth the credit I felt all the emotions like I was right there with me very well written.

The content and subject matter of this book EXCELLENT!

Often times we that have not experienced events like these personally can only read and imagine tragedy like this. Most of my friends are gay, and have gone through tragedy like the event in this book. I cried for our boys and their family. I also can imagine the hardship of being asked for a divorce with my friends. I’ve lived a Disneyland life but I felt and hated and loved for the characters each in their own way. Excellent story, and of course the narration is perfection. I recommend this book but bring tissues!

Great book!

Stellar cast of characters with awesome performances by Joe Arden and Teddy Hamilton. This was a heavy read that did not have a glimpse of light until the last hour. Don't forget to bring your tissues .

Great story. Emotional.

I enjoyed the book a lot. I thought the first scene was handled really well because it's a heavy scene. I could feel the connection between the two men, so good job author. I don't like it when authors do the jumping back and forth between present and past. Just write the darn book so that we see how great things were and now here we are. Must you jump back and forth? The two men were great characters. I hate stuff with kids in it, but it was okay. The kid wasn't in it too much.
Overall, if you're looking for an emotional book, this one might hit the spot. The narration was good too.

So much feeling.

Beautiful story. its sad, its happy, its got all of the emotions. Marley Valentine's writing is outstanding. the narration is so perfect for this book. the emotion that Joe Arden and Teddy Hamilton put into their performance really brought this book to life. its a beautifully told story.

Beautiful story

There are few books that I read/listen to that make me cry but this one did - more than once. It’s a beautiful, emotional story and the narration is perfection. It does cover serious subjects but as someone who has experienced some of these events, it rings very true.

Daughter raine was overall one of the best characters showing her parents that love trumps everything.

Could’ve done a better job switching between then and now parts. Other than that the story was great.

Beautiful story

Brilliant narration. The story when read at times was not always what I connected with but the narrators brought this family to life in a sad and beautiful way.

Joe & Teddy bring healing and hope

This was a re-listen for me. Jesse and Leo are close in my heart because of the painful reality that is portrayed in this story by Teddy Hamilton and Joe Arden. Each of them gives depth to two men who are lost in grief and trauma, and are so desperate to fix it for each other. Losing an unborn child is possibly one of the most heartbreaking and harrowing experiences to hear; Marley Valentine writes it with care.

Joe, as Leo, breaks my heart repeatedly because his grief is consumed by the trauma he has felt his whole life— he doesn’t “fit” into the family that biologically, his husband has with Zara and Raine. He feels his family would be better off with him out of the picture, and Joe’s choice to be emotionally vacant and unresponsive to Jesse’s desire for him to “be better” is so devastating.

Teddy gives one of his best performances in this story. Jesse is, characteristically, the fun loving family man. He is good at the relationships in his life and has swept Leo off his feet time and time again. But this is a battle he cannot win without having to dig into his own pain. Teddy is easygoing as Jesse, and equally so emotional when the scene calls for it. Towards the end of the book I continuously had a lump in my throat because his portrayal is so REAL.

This book is HIGHLY recommended but please check your CWs. 🫂