cover image Broken Down

Broken Down

Amanda K. Byrne. Radiodemon, $2.99 e-book (208p) ISBN 978-0-9860990-4-5

The predictable but tender second entry in Byrne’s Hidden Scars contemporary series treats difficult situations, particularly caring for a person with an addiction, with empathy and without judgment. After drummer Eric Jones dies of an overdose, his brother, Shane, lead singer of their band, the Thieves, decides he needs a break from the rock-star life. He evades the Los Angeles paparazzi and flees to Portland, Ore., and his ex-girlfriend Krista Conner. Krista has her own struggles: she’s trying to get her freelance graphic design business off the ground and is also taking care of her brother, Riley, who’s fresh out of his third stint in rehab. As Shane and Krista develop a newer, better romance, Krista must decide when and how to tell Shane about the abortion she had after their first breakup. A handful of supporting characters, including Sara and Taylor from Hidden Scars, provide background and emotional context for Krista and Shane, but the story is a mostly closed environment where the only people who matter, and the only people readers really learn about, are the central couple. (BookLife)