Perfectly Broken

Peyton Mayfield, who runs a New Orleans pie shop, plans to stay out of the dating scene forever; ever since she was raped several years before, she's felt fundamentally broken and uncomfortable with the idea of intimacy. Not knowing why the lovely young woman is so reluctant, architect Reed Langston is determined to coax her out of her shell. His sometimes alarming persistence pays off, and their relationship deepens steadily. Reed, always quick to move on to the next liaison, is surprised to realize he wants to stay with Peyton, while she finally decides she's ready to open up again. However, their relationship is thrown into jeopardy by jealousy, clingy exes, and friends who would rather be lovers. Lane (First Position) piles on the drama in this overly long soap opera, relying on too many external obstacles to slow down the obvious happy ending. Reed comes off as a possessive and possibly dangerous stalker, while Peyton jumps to conclusions with too little information. However, the underlying message of a survivor's hope, healing, and inner strength is welcome and well written. (BookLife)