Broken Beyond Repair: A Sapphic Celebrity Ice Queen Romance

Written by Emily Banting

Narrated by Angela Dawe

GOLDIE WINNER 2023: THE ANN BANNON POPULAR CHOICE BRONZE AWARD

GOLDIE FINALIST 2023: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE LONG NOVEL

WINNER OF THE LESFIC BARD AWARD 2022: ROMANCE

WINNER OF THE LESFIC BARD AWARD 2022: COVER DESIGN

WINNER OF THE QUEER INDIE AWARDS 2022: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

An age gap, celebrity ice queen romance that will pull at the heart strings — even the icy ones!

Sydney MacKenzie, personal assistant to the rich and famous, is looking forward to a well-earned break to go travelling in her beloved VW camper van, Gertie — that is, until Gertie cries off sick. When her boss calls in a favour, one that will pay Sydney handsomely and put Gertie back on the road, she can’t refuse.

Internationally renowned actress Beatrice Russell — adored by her fans and despised by those that know her — is splashed across the tabloids, all thanks to her broken leg. She limps back to her palatial English country estate to convalesce for the summer, where she finds herself in need of yet another new assistant.

Enter Sydney, who doesn’t take kindly to the star’s demands, attitude, or clicking fingers — much less her body’s own attraction to the gorgeous diva. If not for that, and Gertie’s worn-out engine, she would leave tomorrow. Or so she tells herself.

As the summer heats up, the ice queen begins to thaw, and Sydney glimpses the tormented woman beneath the celebrity bravado, drawing her ever closer to the enigmatic actress — sometimes too close.

Can Sydney reach the real Beatrice and help heal her wounds before the summer ends and she returns to filming in the States, or is the celebrity broken beyond repair?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sapphfic Publishing
• Release date: Jul 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9781915157102

Reviews for Broken Beyond Repair

[Jude · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Broken Beyond Repair is a delightful celebrity romance, with an ice queen in her ivory tower and a younger woman who isn’t impressed with either money or rudeness.

Sydney wants to be a writer but works as a PA to celebrities. Her new assignment is with movie star Beatrice Russell, a 51-year-old British actress, who broke her leg on a stunt. Beatrice has encountered a long string of incompetent PAs and keeps trying to test Sydney. Sydney, being the best, slowly charms her way into Beatrice’s heart.

Both MCs are endearing and relatable each in her own way. There are several good side characters, my favourite is Beatrice‘s child Alex. Being a teenager isn’t easy for anyone, being the teenage child of a famous actress makes it even harder. Alex’s journey towards finding himself, and finding his way back to his mother is one of the best arcs of the story.

Is Sydney too good to be true? Yes, though she is supposed to be the best, isn’t she? Is Alex too wise for a teenager? Also yes, though teenagers and children can be surprising IRL as well. Broken Beyond Repair is the definition of a feel-good novel and Angela Dawe’s wonderful narration makes it feel even better. I have to admit that I wondered why the author went with this specific narrator, since most of the characters are British and Dawe’s an American. Admittedly, she excels at accents but so do the British narrators I know. That said, she does a fantastic job and deserves all the praise.

I also want to point out something that I wasn’t sure about but that Neen Cohen, author (check out her debut novel The Void) and fellow reviewer, addresses perfectly in her own review: one of the most important side characters is Sydney’s ex Sam; part of why Sam is her ex is that he transitioned and Sydney keeps saying she’s a lesbian and he’s all man. I felt the author dealt with the situation in a sensitive manner. Things are more complex than Sydney seems to think, though, and you should watch Neen’s review on YouTube for a more in-depth analysis.

All in all, I had a great time listening to the audiobook and I look forward to the next book in the series, Reality in Check. 4.5⭐️

Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): JudeintheStars.com

[Abigail Palad · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

5+++ out of 5 ⭐️
Emily Banting's "Broken Beyond Repair" marked the beginning of my reading escapade this year—and what a captivating start it was! This gem of a book easily earns a well-deserved five stars from me. From the first page, it wrapped its words around my heart, as if written—exclusively—for me!

The initial read left me smitten, but experiencing the extraordinary Angela Dawe's narration took my adoration to new heights. Each moment spent listening to the book felt like an affecting and luscious dance with the characters and their emotions, making this cherished story even more delightful and unforgettable! ?

[DaisyTeragram · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

More than I expected
I really liked this story. I listened to the audiobook. Angela Dawe is amazing, as always. It's a fun book, although not without trauma and more serious topics. It's hard to judge the writing with an audiobook, but I didn't hear any errors. I wasn't a fan of some of the sex scenes because I thought they were a little too much too soon, especially the first one, but they didn't make me love the story less. It's a very British story, but definitely understandable to this American. There's a lot happening in this book, and it makes for a very entertaining story. I liked all the characters, main and supporting.

[renata teofilo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very pleasant book, with the usual ice queen/younger woman trope. The narration is marvelous, add much more nuances gor the story.