🍷🍷🍷🍷 #Review of Behind the Broken by Chloe C. Peñaranda

Title: Behind The Broken

Series: Behind Darkness Duet 1

Author: Chloe C. Peñaranda

Format: 361 pages, Kindle Edition

Published: February 13, 2024 by Lumarias Press

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N 

Source: Courtesy of Author

Reviewer: Crystal

Rating: 🍷🍷🍷🍷 / 🌶️🌶️

A darkly heart-wrenching, swoon-worthy contemporary romance debut from Chloe C. Peñaranda. Book one of the Behind Darkness duet will leave you on the edge of your seat for the sequel to Rhett and Ana's tension filled, emotional story.

No one expects an angel to buy a ticket to hell. 

I would have lived my life the righteous way, but my path of vengeance forced me to become the monster my uncle wanted to create. When I lie my way into playing bodyguard for the senator’s daughter, I don’t expect our fires to cross or to become addicted to the blaze. Anastasia Kinsley burns the ice that froze my heart years ago, but I need to find the will to resist. Chained up in the devil’s playground, I won’t let myself lose again.

When the devil came I couldn’t resist. 

As the daughter of a hopeful new president, my life often doesn’t feel like my own. When my father assigns me a bodyguard during the run-up to the election, I’m determined to make sure they both see exactly why I don’t need their protection. But Rhett Kaiser is . . . unexpected. He ignites a match in me I didn’t know I held, and the closer we get, the more I’m drawn to use it to discover what lies behind his icy exterior.

Crystal's Thoughts:

Ana is the daughter of a senator running for president. She appears to have it all. Wealth and prestige. But beneath the surface she is floundering with who she is and where her life is going.
Rhett thought that he escaped the criminal underbelly of the world. Until his uncle had his fiancé murdered right in front of him. Now he bides his time, plays the part of vigilante until the day comes that he can seek his revenge.

When word comes that Rhett's uncle might have a hand in the price that is on the senator's daughter's head, he poses as her new bodyguard. What neither Ana or Rhett expected was the sizzling hot attraction that burned between them, or the lengths that Rhett's uncle would go to to have Rhett back under his thumb...

"Good girl."

As Chloe C. Peñaranda's first foray into contemporary romance, I was impressed! Behind the Broken held my attention throughout. The world was interesting, the plot immersive, and the characters captivating.

I loved how the relationship between Ana and Rhett built from advisories, to friends, to eventually lovers. The slow burn was delicious! I was also enjoyed their character growth in general. Each had their own personal demons to overcome in order to be who they wanted to be for each other.
The action and intrigue kept the book moving at a steady pace while the "who done it" kept me guessing. I can't wait to read the sequel to this duet!

"No one is perfect to everyone, but everyone is perfect to someone."

Tropes to Look For:
☑️ Bodyguard Romance
☑️ High Stakes
☑️ Forbidden Romance 
☑️ Obsessed/Morally Grey MMC
☑️ Vengeance & Redemption 
☑️ Criminal Underbelly
☑️ Dark/Scarred Past
☑️ Fake Relationship 
☑️ Political Maneuvering
☑️ Slow-Burn
☑️ Cliff-hanger