Breaking Hailey (Shadows of Obsession)
HAILEY One evening, two years’ worth of memories lost. Under the pretense of recovery, my father sends me to an elite boarding college, but soon, my memories start rushing back, and it’s obvious I’m not at Lakeside to heal. I’m here to hide. Navigating the scattered past to decipher the threat lurking in the shadows is hard while I’m kept in the dark and even harder when he steals my focus. Crude, arrogant, and threatening, he draws me in, and the closer I get, the less I understand. Waking up without memories is terrifying, but remembering the time I lost is infinitely worse. CARTER Guilty by association, Hailey Scarlett Vaughn deserves pain. The moment I see her, I want to wrap my fingers around her neck and squeeze... No matter how big the temptation, I need to extract a key hidden in the depths of her mind first. A key to my father’s freedom. Hailey’s a pawn in a complex game of revenge. A tool in my hands, but as she starts to remember, I realize we’re both tangled in an intricate web of lies that tightens every day. The harder I push to break her, the faster she breaks me. TROPES - Dark academia vibes - Amnesia - Age gap - Mafia - Plot & Spice Heavy - Enemies to lovers - OTT Morally grey MMC - She's a cop's daughter Breaking Hailey is set in the same universe as Broken Rules and Broken Promises. You don't have to read the Broken Duet before diving into Breaking Hailey. However, some characters from the Broken Duet will make an appearance in this book.
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Book Accolades
Why You'll Love This
I am truly at a loss of words. This book has made me speechless and that rarely happens. I am literally sitting here as I write this review trying to decompress and comprehend what I just read and I am wondering how I will be able to keep it together until the release of book 2 in April. Breaking Hailey is a Dark Romantic Suspense that is told in a Dual POV. This book follows Hailey who is the daughter of a cop and wakes up in a hospital bed after being a coma for 9 days with no recollection or memory of the last 2 years. In an effort to keep Hailey safe, she is sent to a remote college where she meets Carter, or as Hailey knows him as Nash. Now Carter is in the mafia and his father informs him that his younger sister killed herself and blames her death on her boyfriend. But how is Hailey and Carter connected? Carter is told Hailey plays a role in his sisters death. So Carter is sent to the same college as Hailey under the alias of Nash to "break" Hailey. But instead of breaking Hailey, Carter falls in love with Hailey and his new mission is to keep her safe. 📚 Book Tropes: - Enemies to Lovers - Mafia x Cop's Daughter - Heroine with Amnesia - Morally Grey/Over The Top Possessie and Jealous Hero - Tragic Past - Dark Academia - Slow Burn - Small Age Gap - Virgin FMC - Lots of Secrets and Lies - Forced Proximity Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars Spice: 🌶🌶🌶 💭 My Thoughts: I've been rendered speechless and I need more people to read this book so I have someone to theorize on what the heck is going to happen. I knew less than 20% into this book that this is going to be an all time favorite and a 5 star read. I was hooked from the first page. This book kept me on the edge of the seat and my mind reeling on what secret was going to come out next and what lie was going to be told next. I loved Carter and Hailey. I love how they come from two different worlds. Hailey is a cop's daughter. Carter is part of the mafia. They are destined to hate each other. And Carter tried. He tried so hard but let's face it, he was doomed the second he saw Hailey in person. And I'm a sucker for a man who has a tough exterior but melts to straight mush for the woman he loves, and boy did Carter turn into a puddle for Hailey. Don't even ask me if I recommend this book because the answer is 1000% YES! If you love a book with suspense that will keep you guessing what is next with dark academia vibes this book is for you. But I do suggest you read the trigger warnings first. This is a dark romance with very dark topics that may be triggering for some. But if those do not bother you than you are about to read one of the best books!
Try a new author, they said. You might like it, they said. Nope. Because it didn't simply like Breaking Hailey. None of that. I'm obsessed. Infatuated. Every detail consumed me with the same passion that Hailey puts into her journal. And Carter? The right hand of Chicago's mafia boss, a 26-year-old with daddy issues, asked to go back to college to keep an eye on the daughter of a police officer. Badass and swoony. The guy you should stay away from but simply can't. This might have started with the intention to break Hailey, but their pull is too hard to ignore. The more he gets to know her, the more he feels protective of her, even when Hailey can't remember the last two years of her life. This book is goooood. I didn't mind the cliffhanger, but I do need (like I need air) to know what comes next.
I was already firmly planted in the I.A. Dice can do no wrong camp, but this book…this book solidified that belief wholeheartedly! This book was different than some of the other books she has given us. It was dark. It was gritty. It has suspense, angst, drama and so much tension you could cut it with a knife. The chemistry between Hailey and Carter was absolutely on fire! The action and suspense kept me turning the pages, begging for more. The amnesia aspect was done so well and kept the story such a mystery that I was dying to know what happened. And that ending! I need more STAT!
Ok so this was my first read by this author and it definitely won’t be my last! I was so sucked into the mesmerizing story that I completely forgot a cliffhanger was coming. There is so much attention to detail, so many moving parts and so much emotion packed into this book. I don’t have the words to describe how much I love this and can’t stand the wait for book 2.
I didn't even know that could be a thing either but here we are. Its a slow burn as in, it takes a while to get to the "full show" stuff. But the chemistry is fast and the early thoughts the two characters have about each other keep your brain occupied while they're not doing much in reality
AMAZING BOOK SO OBSESSED. From the moment I started this book I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for the second book
Goodness what a good book. Dark and twisty and spicy and goodness is Carter *chefs kiss*. Yes it ends on a cliffhanger but it's well worth it.
Summary Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Spicy rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3.5/5 Fluff rating: 💖 1/5 💀 Multiple trauma triggers in this book - sensitive readers check before reading Tell me what I did to hurt you Ms. Dice! What did I do to make you hook me in like that, become emotionally attached to Carter and Hailey, invested beyond a normal/ healthy level and then drop me off the edge of that cliff hanger!? This book was absolute fire 🔥 a dark romance with a mystery/ suspense plot, A morally grey MMC to die for. Secret enemies to lovers with mafia and amnesia thrown in. And finally an FMC who’s insecure but still likeable, not self depreciating or a ‘pick me’ girl. And comes in to her own with a filthy, possessive and worshiping MMC. I have loved this authors work for a long time now but I think this is possibly the best thing I’ve ever read from her. I hated going to work because I had to put the book down. I really felt like I had to physically tear myself away. This author is so underhyped it hurts my soul Oh and the spice was dark and absolutely rocking when it got going 🫠🔥🌶️ Give me the next one immediately please.
Hailey's dad is a cop. Carter is part of the mafia. After an accident, Hailey loses 2 years worth of memories. Her father sends her to a remote college after waking up from a coma. There she meets Carter. He is there to try and find out what she remembers and to break her... Ohhhh what a story!!! I loved every minute of reading this book! Hailey and Carter are so good together. 𝑻𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒐, 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒉𝒆𝒓... 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕. I.A. Dice wrote a compelling, dark and suspenseful read. The characters are great, plot is very good and I.A. had me screaming for more! I NEED BOOK 2 NOW!
I saw this booked reviewed on tik tok and thought I’d give it a go.. So glad I did!! But now I’m waiting for the next book Slow burn but the possessiveness is mouth watering gotta love a praise kink
Honestly book was great! Devoured this in a single sitting. I’m usually a good plot guesser but I did not see this one coming. Writing was great and flowed so so well. Characters are very well done and I loved everything about them. I love hailey and Carter and I need them back together and working overtime to get back the time they’ve lost! And putting the pieces together of what actually happened pre-crash. Books full of mystery and we are still none the wiser as to what had actually occured. I loved hailey although she annoyed me at the end by running. She’s feisty when she wants to be and vulnerable when she needs it. I loved her back and forth with Carter. Carter is a delightful individual and I loved everything about him. Alex - glad he’s gone, jenson - glad he’s gone, haileys dad - he has to go next, officer Matthew’s he gotta go too - something shady about him we are gonna find out in the next book maybe. As my final note I don’t think carters sister unalived herself if she is really gone. Officer Matthew’s or haileys dad did it or Rhett has locked her away because of Alex. There was no funeral and no mention of gravestone for her. The plot is plotting on this book go read it!