Review for Broken Dream by Callie Anderson

3.4

This is a good story with lots of angst. Unfortunately, I really hate the dual timeline here like I do in most books. I really wish authors would tell linear stories so the past had more of an impact. If I already know how they turn out and they're already reconciled by the time you reveal what broke them apart it just falls flat. I don't understand why so many authors lean on this storytelling. Anyways, Ethan and Leslie are your typical friends to lovers but he comes from an abusive home where is dad is the absolute worst and she is under tremendous pressure from her mom to become a world class dancer. I won't get too much into the weeds but the story is very entertaining and well told for the most part. As always with romance I want to root for the couple to end up together but i absolutely hated that they did here. When everything went down with Ethan's dad and Leslie lost her dreams and spent months in the hospital Ethan completely abandoned her. He didn't visit. He didn't call. He didn't respond to any of her messages. So when she's finally moving on he has the nerve to call and ask her not to go. She tries to get him to come with her but of course he refuses. He leans on the tired trope of not having anything to offer her and wanted to make something of himself before coming back to her. Of course that just means hanging around town, taking over everything is father built and occasionally fucking the girl Leslie was most jealous of. So 8 years later Leslie comes back and of course falls right back in bed with Ethan. They pick back up and she's happy. I'm happy for her. When Ethan's dad dies he becomes a completely different person. Again he starts being distant and pushing her away. I really hate MMCs who are pathetic cowards but it's so common I can usually over look it. Ethan takes it one step farther. Big spoiler here... Callie finds out she's pregnant amd wants to tell Ethan so Ethan has her meet him at a bar and he's already wasted by the time she gets there. He immediately blows her off to make a call and another guy comes over to apologize for his previous behavior. Ethan goes out of his mind with rage and starts pummeling the guy. Leslie is thrown into a table which ultimately leads to her losing the baby. Are you kidding me? How am I supposed to like Ethan, let alone want him to end up with Leslie when he is directly responsible for killing their baby? Ain't no way. No fucking way. You think Leslie is gonna stand her ground and not take him back but that lasts about a page before she goes running after him. Of course they get their HEA and go on to have a couple kids, but i was disgusted that she took him back. HE KILLED YOUR BABY!!!!! Ethan is absolute fucking garbage. The craziest part is that I was so blown away by that ending that I went and read a bunch of reviews and not one person seemed bothered by the fact that Ethan's temper cost them a child. What are we doing?