Review: Breakaway by Heather M. Orgeron


Note: This ARC was provided by the author via Give Me Books Promotions in exchange for an honest review.


The sound of his hearty laughter gave me life. I felt the warmth deep in my chest and couldn't help the big grin that split my face as I stared at my beautiful boy, wondering if I'd ever become used to this. To the giddy elation at finally having his attention lavished on me. To the empty pit in my stomach that was a constant reminder that this could all be gone in the blink of an eye. And if that were to happen..a lifelong friendship would go right along with it.

It's three for three for Heather M. Orgeron. I discovered her writing by way of her debut release, Vivienne's Guilt, and then was gobsmacked by the complete turn-around with her sophomore offering, Boomerangers. She can do angst, heavier material and can clearly do lighthearted, comedic fare as well. With her third novel, she gives fans and readers a friends-to-lovers story that starts off as young adult (YA) before transitioning into new adult (NA) with a good balance of both drama and comedy. Breakaway, a term used in the sport of basketball--more often than not to describe a specific kind of rim that has a mechanism that allows it to spring back into place once it is pulled down for a dunk shot, but it's also been known as a synonymous term for "fast break"--is the tale of best friends since they were in the womb Colton Fowler and Alexis Mack and how their friendship evolved into...more.

She may have started off as Alex and their becoming best friends impossibly inevitable due to their own mothers being exactly that for years, but Alexis Mack has always been Colton Fowler's girl. Maybe not in the romantic and far more intimate sense growing up, but these two shared the kind of kinship that made even their respective parents think that fate meant for them to end up together. Allie fell in love with Colt but he had no clue she even saw him as anything more than her friend. When she finally became someone else's girlfriend, that's when Colt realized that he wanted the girl that was always his to be his and his alone. Except she was with someone else--a someone else he introduced to her. Now both in college, Colt and Allie are still as close as ever, but when Allie's boyfriend proposes to her, could it spell the end of that closeness, or will it finally spur Colt to take his shot at love?

I love how the title aptly describes the kind of relationship that Colt and Allie have. When they're slammed down by certain realities brought about choices they've made and decisions they've come by, they still manage to bounce back, stronger than ever. While Allie may have had feelings for Colt for much longer, there was no denying that once he saw her as more than a friend, he was genuinely in love with her. They're introduced in the story as thirteen-year-olds, and we get certain milestones until they go in different paths when Colt chooses to go to a college in California and Allie continues on at the college in their home state of Texas, just as they had always planned. The story picks up again when they're both twenty, and Allie is faced with a life-changing decision, one that already affects Colt. These two always acted their age, which I appreciated, so do expect doses of immaturity.

I liked how they had this strong group of supporting characters in the periphery of the story--from their respective families to the their closest friends, there was no shortage of memorable but non-spotlight-hogging friends. Well, okay, maybe Finley, aka Finn, was a bit of a scene-stealer, and Dean Ryan has me hoping he gets his own happy ending as well. It was most of that supporting cast of characters that brought the humor, and there were definitely times while reading that I couldn't stop the laughter bubbling out of me. The heavier stuff emanated from these two closest of friends not knowing how to communicate what they were thinking and feeling, but it none of it was what I would consider overly angsty. Orgeron's writing has resonated with me throughout all three of her currently available books. If you've never read her before, I recommend you rectify that lapse. Five-plus stars for Breakaway. ♥

Release Date: 09 November 2017

Date Read: 08 November 2017

Learn more about Heather M. Orgeron.

Purchase Breakaway on Amazon.

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