Laura C’s review of Breakaway by Dierdre Martin
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 07 Feb 12
I am a Dierdre Martin fan in general, so I’m always pleased to see a new book from her. Her “New York Blades” hockey romances are a treat even for people who aren’t fans. There’s enough explanation of what’s going on for people to follow, but not so much it’s dull. But this book departs from the ice—and New York—following its hero, Rory Brady, back to his hometown of Ballycraig, Ireland, where he left the woman he’d once promised to marry. Rory wants Erin back, but Erin, and the rest of the town’s citizens, aren’t eager to forgive him.
People who know me know one of my pet peeves is romance wherein the heroine, a big city girl, finds love and happiness in a small town. Not to say it can’t be done well, but all too often I end up wondering how the same person who was happy in one life can possibly be happy in the other because the change isn’t adequately explained. That’s not the case in Breakaway at all. Instead, Erin has always wanted out of Ballycraig and her resentment of Rory’s betrayal of their love is compounded by the fact that they were supposed to leave together.
“Erin, I was your ticket out of here,” Rory said slightly smug.
“Oh, saving the life of your country girlfriend, were you?” Erin snarled. “Assuming that without you, I’d have never left. You didn’t think twice about dumping me, though, did you? So much for saving me. And PS—I didn’t need you to be my ticket out of here, you bloody jackass. Once you broke things off, I realized I didn’t need you to make my dreams come true. I actually should thank you for cutting me loose, because, in the end, it’s been a gift. Now, I do what I want to do for myself, without worrying about how to please or accommodate anyone else.”
“Except your mother.”
“I’m working on that, I told you. Some of us aren’t hardhearted: we don’t just pull the plug on those we love and walk away.”
Rory winced. “Touché.”
Rory knows what he wants when he comes back to town—to take Erin away with him. He’s also pretty sure she’ll agree to it. I must say, I had some trouble figuring out what she saw in him in the beginning. He seemed like a complete jerk. And, to be honest, he’ll never be one of my favorite of Martin’s heroes. But he did grow on me as the story went along and he figured out just how badly he’d screwed up and began to try more seriously to make amends.
This is a very sweet story when it comes right down to it without nearly as much angst as many of the books I’ve been reading of late, which is actually a relief. And it has the added bonus of being set in Ireland, which I love. Martin is never heavy-handed with dialect, but she has a great ear for it and everything rings completely true.
Grade: A
Summary:
Rory Brady was Ballycraig’s golden boy, the local lad who moved to America and became a professional hockey player. But he broke his promise to Erin O’Brien-and never went back for her. Now Erin has moved on, and Rory must race the clock to prove to her that the man she fell in love with is still there. But can happy-go-lucky Erin risk it all and give another chance to the man who broke her heart?
Other books in this series:
