Fractured by A.L. Maruga
18+ Contains Adult Content
Fractured is an erotic horror that follows Cordelie, who walks in on her boyfriend cheating on her with her childhood best friend. Heartbroken, she starts to lose herself and those around her. When she has the chance to sign up for an anti-Valentine’s app, she does. One night, no names, no mercy and hidden identities. A night for Cordelie to live out her fantasy, to be chased through the woods and be devoured by a mystery masked man. This could be what she needs to get over Noah once and for all. The only thing is that Cordelie thinks she’s meeting a stranger, but she is wrong. Cordelie has been stalked long before she signed up for the app; now he controls the rules, and he won’t let her escape. This is a toxic love story that does not have a happy ending.
I also want to apologise if this review was all over the place. I have the beginnings of a migraine, which means my head hurts and my vision is very fuzzy, but I needed to get this written up as it’s nearly the end of February.
He was the villain in my story, and not the white knight he tried to convince me he was. We knew, we just didn’t want to believe he would hurt us.
•Toxic Love •Love to Hate •Stalker •No HEA •Lovers to Enemies •Unhinged MMC •Primal •Erotic Horror
•Murder •Cheating •No HEA/HFN •Kidnapping •Captivity •Dub Con •Non Con •Attempted rape •Barebacking •Drugging – Date rape drug •Forced Proximity •Forced Captivity •Stalker •Gaslighting •Voyeurism •Restraining by various means •Praise •Humiliation/Degradation •Spanking •Choking/spitting/gagging •Somnophilia •Odaxelagnia •Dacryphilia •Salirophilia •Forced Orgasms •Orgasm Denial •Primal •Breath Play •Knife play •Anal •Sadism •Masochism •Manipulation/coercion/blackmail •Abusive power and control •Physical, mental & emotional abuse •Bullying •Drug use •Drug overdose •Sexual assault on page •Other woman drama •Friendship betrayal •Vivid profanity •Antisocial personality disorder •Sadisitic personality disorder •Narcississtic behaviour •Extreme jealousy & possessive behaviour by MMC •Grief/loss •Depression •PTSD/Trauma/Anxiety •Blood Violence •Serious injury •Death of multiple secondary characters •Morally black MMC
Well thats a list and a half of triggers, haha.
I read this book in one sitting, I was hooked and kept turning the pages…well, my page turner did because I was comfy under my blanket reading with my Kindle on its stand :D. Everything around me ceased to exist while I was reading this book. This book was character-driven, and I have many thoughts on these characters.
“Have you missed me the way I’ve missed you, sweet baby girl? Does this heart miss mine?”
The FMC Cordelie walks in on her boyfriend and best friend having sex, which breaks her. Cordelie is the good girl who constantly doubts herself. She is always thinking that she isn’t good enough, that everything is her fault, if she had been a better girlfriend, Noah wouldn’t have cheated, etc., etc. Noah’s excuse for cheating was that Cordelie is too good for him, he has this darkness inside him that he didn’t want to taint Cordelie with, and so he banged her best friend in a more primal way, compared to the making love he does with Cordelie. After being caught, obviously Cordelie breaks up with Noah and ends her friendship with Josslyn. Noah, knowing he can’t have Cordelie, decides to stay with Josslyn. Josslyn then spreads vicious rumours about Cordelie, which doesn’t help her anxiety and self-esteem. Noah may be with Josslyn, but he is in love with Cordelie and is obsessed with her. Josslyn is a bitch to Cordelie, which I imagine is because she feels threatened, since she knows Noah loves her.
“Did you wear this sexy dress for me, Cordelie? Did you want to get my attention, ’cause, baby, mission fucking accomplished. I haven’t been able to keep my eyes away from you all night.”
I hate Josslyn; she is such a bitch. How the fuck are you going to be best friends with someone for years and then sleep with their boyfriend! Then not only that be an absolute douche canoe to said girl! Josslyn should have been on her hands and knees begging Cordelie for forgiveness. Obviously, it takes 2 to tango, and it wasn’t just Josslyn; Noah is also massively in the wrong, but it’s worse with Josslyn; she was her best friend. Josslyn may have been a grade A bitch, but she didn’t deserve what happened to her.
“You were always full of yourself, Joss. You don’t scare me or anyone else. As for your nasty boyfriend…” I raise my knee and land a whack to her heaving stomach, before shoving my other elbow into the middle of her back. “Keep him the fuck away from me. I don’t want to catch any of the diseases you two are sharing.”
I really felt for Cordelie while reading this book, and by the end of it, I was so proud of her. Gone was the scared, anxious girl and in her place was a warrior. Noah kind of got what he deserved in the end, but I mean, the dude was messed up, yet I still felt this pull to him. I know what the fuck is wrong with me. The way he kissed his fingers and waved bye at Cordelie had me just melting, and it shouldn’t, but it did, haha. My favourite side character was Faye, that girl is a proper best friend! She had Cordelie’s back and was there for her. I wish Cordelie had gotten the night she dreamed of when she signed up for the anti-Valentines app, but hey, I have high hopes that my girl will live out her sex dreams now that she can.
Noah’s eyes meet mine, his gaze searing into me even from a distance. His hand rises to his lips, and he kisses his fingers and waves them at me, and my throat closes tightly with the gesture. It’s something he used to do whenever we parted here on campus for our own classes. He always sent me off with a finger-kissed goodbye.
I enjoyed the writing style. This is the 2nd book of A.L. Maruga’s that I have read, I think. I loved the first book I read by her so much that when I saw ARC openings on BookSirens, I ran and signed up for this. I don’t sign up for many ARCs through BookSirens anymore, as I get most of mine from the authors now, but I have notifications on for A.L’s ARCs now. I think I have now found another auto-buy author.
Help is finally coming, but it’s too late. I already saved myself.
Overall thoughts
I really enjoyed this; it wasn’t a HEA, but I liked that. I really liked the ending. I liked the characters, even though I hated Josslyn; I liked that I hated her, if that makes any type of sense whatsoever, haha. It means the book was written well for me to have strong feelings about her. It was a quick, easy read that flowed well. If you like dark, unhinged MMCs who are toxic, and FMCs who are clawing their way back from a dark place, you will like this book. It is out now, and I recommend it.
Thank you, BookSirens & A.L. Maruga, for the ARC.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
