Spotlight & Review for Broken Dreams by Cassidy K. O'Connor

Broken Dreams

by Cassidy K. O'Connor

Publisher:  Cassidy K. O'Connor

Release Date:  May 26, 2015

Genre: New Adult Romance

About the book:  

A twist of fate changes her life forever…
One dream put on hold to honor another…
Do second chances exist? Can dreams be reclaimed?

Twins, Isabelle and Ian are enjoying their senior year of high school with their whole lives ahead of them.

She is auditioning for Julliard and he has offers for soccer scholarships at any school he wants.

Only Isabelle knew he was planning to put off college and join the Army.
Tragedy strikes one day and Ian is killed. In her grief, Isabelle decides to put her dream on hold and honor his.

While deployed tragedy strikes again and she is injured.

Thinking her dreams of dancing again are out of reach she gives up on life. Is she strong enough to overcome her disabilities? Can the love she finds with her brothers best friend Conner be enough to help her reclaim her dreams?

Buy Links:  Amazon  *  Barnes & Noble  *  Kobo  *  Smashwords 

Excerpt:

Her yoga pants stop just below the knee and are loose enough I can pull them up pretty far on her thigh. I freeze; it’s the first time since the hospital that I’ve really gotten to look at her wounds.

“Hideous aren’t they?”

“Every mark, every line tells a story about someone you met over there. Each of these is a memory, this isn’t the way you would have wanted to keep them with you but that wasn’t up to you. They are your hero’s mark and you should be proud to show them off.”

Author Bio

I am a born and raised Floridian who loves to travel but never forgets where my roots are. I married my high school sweetheart, have 3 kids and a crazy dog. Travelling and reading are my two favorite hobbies. I love all things Ireland and have been lucky enough to visit twice. I hope to one day watch a Major League Baseball game in every stadium in the country.

Social Media Links

Website: www.cassidykoconnor.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cassidy-K.-OConnor/e/B00N044VCQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8474402.Cassidy_K_O_Connor
To friend me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cassidykoconnor
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/CKOConnor_Auth
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Fun Questions:

1. What's your favorite color? I feel most confident in red and it looks best with my coloring. This is also the color I associate with passion so I’m very drawn to it. My bedroom is a very deep red. I also love purple; ironically I rarely wear it though.

2. List 5 facts about yourself.
I played bagpipes all through middle and high school
I have 3 kids who are all musically and athletically talented.
I married my high school sweetheart and we’re still going strong after 15 years.
I love to travel. I’ve been to Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Scotland, England and France.
I’m a terrible homemaker! I work full time plus write on the side so I’m not a true stay at home mom but I still really suck at cooking and cleaning. My husband is much better at taking care of the house than I am.

3. What do you like to do for fun? With three kids I rarely have time to consider my own idea of fun. When I do get out it’s for fondue at Melting Pot, music concerts, bowling and mini golf. I used to read incessantly but since I started writing I’ve found there is no time for reading too!


Book Questions:

1. When did you start writing? Over the years I’ve written small things but never took it very serious. I met some Indie authors last year and learned so much about this DIY world. It was the first time I thought about writing for publishing. Knowing you don’t have to go through publishing companies and face rejections was eye opening for me.

2. Who are some of you favorite authors? What are some of your favorite books? Tessa Dare is by far my favorite and I love all of her books. I recently stumbled upon Barbara Devlin and have enjoyed her Brethren of the Coast series. My daughter is a huge fan of dystopian YA, I read everything she does so we can discuss them. For that genre I really enjoyed the Legend series by Marie Lu.

3. Who inspired you so start writing? Last year I was inspired to write a story for my hubby. He hates to read, I’ve tried buying him various genres but he never finished one. I decided to try writing a story I thought he could get through and maybe have it turn him on in the process. Amazingly he finished my story but sadly it didn’t inspire him to read anything else.

4. What genre's do you like to read that most? Historical romance is my favorite genre; I am in awe of anyone that can write it.

A heartwarming tale Broken Dreams by Cassidy K. O’Connor is filled with familial and romantic love, sacrifice, and hope.  Well-developed characters, a light touch of military action and plenty of emotional angst kept me glued to the pages from start to finish.  Reminding us that the human spirit is larger and more forgiving than our human bodies, Broken Dreams is both beautiful and sad at the same time.  A clean read I think anyone over the age of sixteen would enjoy, I highly recommend keeping a box of Kleenex by your side.

Ms. O’Connor does an excellent job developing Isabelle “Izzy” and Connor’s characters right from the start; the same age and friends since childhood because of Ian, Izzy’s twin, Connor and Izzy are looking forward to the last few weeks of their senior year, graduation and their plans for the future.  All of that changes when Ian is killed in a car accident and Izzy decides that brotherly love requires she sacrifices her dreams of attending Julliard and joins the Army in her brother’s place.  

As Connor reluctantly helps her family survive their tragedy and reluctantly supports Izzy in her decision to serve her country, the secret attraction they’ve always felt towards each other develops into something more, romantic love.  Only it's not enough to keep Izzy from following through with her decision.  Although it’s not a decision I would have made, I had to admire Izzy for her choice to serve for her brother and I admired Connor for pitching in and becoming a bigger part of Izzy’s family after Ian’s death.  He really understood what loving your best friend meant and intended to keep Ian’s family in his life no matter what. 

Ms. O’Connor also did a good job developing the secondary characters, mostly Izzy’s family, the friends she makes in the army and the members of the V.A. who become a part of her lifeline when she comes home injured.  Determined to help Izzy reclaim the young woman she was, Connor jumps right in and becomes one of her staunchest supporters during therapy.  He refuses to leave her side.  I especially liked “Dobs” her physical therapist and her younger sister “Bri”, who at first seemed a little bit selfish, but who really helps and pushes Izzy to regain what the war has taken from her.  Ms. O’Connor also does a good job discussing how PTSD affects younger veterans and about how STSD (Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder) affects those who spend a lot of time taking care of people suffering from PTSD.

Will Connor and Bri help Izzy regain her inner and outer strength for the challenges living after a war injury will require?  Will Izzy ever realize her dream of dancing again and maybe helping others dance too?  And will Izzy and Connor’s love stand the test of time?  You’ll have to read Broken Dreams to find out.  This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. O’Connor and it definitely won’t be the last; I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of her work.

My Rating:  5 out of 5 Crowns

 FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour for a fair and honest review.  I did not receive any compensation for my opinion of the reading material provided.