Pretty Broken Things

A Forbidden Romance (Pretty Broken Duet, Book 1)

By: Kimberly Carrillo

Narrated by: Michael Joss, Phillipa Miller

I might be the most promising quarterback in college football today, but once I was just a boy desperately in love with the wrong girl, one I’d very much like to win back. She blocks me better than any player on the field, but to figure out my best play, first I need to understand how we got here.

We have been apart longer than we were together but we can’t seem to stop torturing each other. Every guy she touches or allows to touch her is like a knife right to my heart.

Not to be outdone, I play her game. No one will ever accuse me of giving less than everything. These are her rules after all, and I’ve always been competitive.

I thought her being my stepsister would keep us apart forever, but it’s the damage we did trying to resist each other that sealed our fate. And yet, despite the ways we’ve betrayed each other over and over, I can’t let her go.

What we have could almost be love if it didn’t hurt so much.

My heart, black and broken as it may be, will always belong to the girl with sad eyes. Are we damaged beyond repair, or do we dare try one more time?

This is book one of the Pretty Broken Duet.

©2023 Kimberly Carrillo (P)2025 Pink Flamingo Productions

I NEED BOOK 2, STAT

Off the bat, I couldn’t help but appreciate the depiction of ‘rich kids’ who still aren’t having all their needs met and the way Carillo seemed to really capture loneliness for these kids. If you enjoy indulging in some YA drama, I recommend this one, it’s got substance.

This was an addictive read, it gripped me early in. Imagine my delight when it crossed over with another world of Carillo’s, thought it contained some spoilers. (I was provided with books 1 & 2 by the audio publisher to read/review, but denied book 3. While I’m a smidge disappointed in the spoiler, I appreciate the update. Pretty Monsters Trilogy, FYI.)

GUYS! I NEED BOOK 2 LIKE I NEED AIR-OMFG.


YA.
Academy vibes.
V!rg!n heroine.
Rich kids.
“Pseudo-inc3$t.”
Football.
Domestic v|0lence.
Football.
Fresh starts.
Suspense.
SA.
Trafficking.
Vengeance.


Overall:
This read was excellent. It refreshed the sting of the rejection of Pretty Monsters 3 😂 , but honestly worth it. Addictive read.


Carillo really captured the moment a person changes into something else completely—and I am so very here for it. Well done!

4 stars.


🎧 Audio:
This is a fantastic production, excellent narrators and perfect overall sound quality.
5 stars. 🦩

The push and pull

The push and pull of this story is what really keeps you engaged. The characters are from to different worlds and it makes way for some misunderstandings. I enjoyed the story and the narrators do a great job. I look forward to the next one in the series.

Ack! What happens next!

This is the second series I'm reading/listening to written by Kimberly Carrillo. I am loving her books! I am completely immersed in the storyline and invested in the characters. It's great to see characters from the Pretty Monsters Trilogy! I did not want to pause the audiobook. The cliffhanger is brutal! I cannot wait for the next book of the duet!

The narrators were excellent! They had this audiobook rolling like a movie in my head. Perfection.

#TheFlockonTour #PinkFlamingoProductions

Can’t Wait for Part Two!

This is the first installment in the Pretty Broken Duet. Tessa and Ford’s story is emotional, filled with angst, secrets, and twists. Some scenes are intense, raw, and truly heart-wrenching. The supporting characters add depth and intrigue. As expected, the story continues in Pretty Broken Promises, and I can’t wait to listen to the next part. Michael Joss and Phillipa Miller did a great job bringing the characters and emotions to life. #PFPAudio

Tessa & Ford...

3.5 Stars
Pretty Broken Things is the first book in the Pretty Broken Duet. It is an enemies to lovers, poor boy/rich girl, sports, forbidden, step-siblings romance. This one is a roller coaster ride of emotions. It's action packed. You get steam, toxic families, and all the feels with a cliffy at the end that will have you screaming. I am interested to see where Tessa and Ford's story goes next in book 2.

Michael Joss & Phillipa Miller did a great job with this story and these characters.