Originally Published: 12-04-2019
Breaking Good is the 4th book in the Rags to Riches Series by Madeline Ash.
Book Details
This is where Stevie Case and Ethan Rafters get their story!
If you’ve read book 3, You for Christmas, you’ll know that Stevie is sisters to Regan, who’s the main character that book.
This story isn’t much longer than book 3, with 250 pages.
This story is a “one that got away” story, a Byron Bay story, a contemporary romance, and a story about characters that have mental issues that play a part of the storyline.
While the timeframe of the story is right after Christmas, it’s not a Christmas story. But it is classified as a Holiday Romance on Amazon. Just to keep up hopping!!
This is an easy read, even though it deals with a prevalent issue.
The character Ethan, has severe ADHD. And this plays into the storyline and how both characters deal with things.
There is one sexy scene in the story. But there’s very few details in them. It’s nice to see that it was left up to our imagination a bit.
There was no violence nor swearing in the story.
Due to the author being an Australian, there’re Aussie wording and phrases that are added to the storyline.
This story follows right after book 3 in timeline and events.
The characters are in Byron Bay for holidays, staying for 3 weeks and book 3 happens right at Christmas whereas this one is right afterwards.
Book Summary
Stevie and Ethan went to high school together. And there was drama happening between them then. To the point that she decided to sleep with him just as she graduated.
She did not expect to get pregnant.
So when Felix asks her to come with him when he takes off, she finds out that she’s expecting. And it’s Felix that becomes her support and anchor.
So then the story jumps forward to just after Regan shows up. They’re in Byron Bay for holidays and due the fact that she’s a single mom, she needs to make this trip a paid for trip and has to work during the day.
What she never counted on was running into Ethan again.
Why? She thought he was dead.
Their chemistry is still there and it’s still off the charts.
But he doesn’t know that he has a son, Zach.
She finds the courage to tell Ethan about Zach. After she’s done reeling from finding out he’s alive and doing well.
And after she tells Zach, the story becomes about them adapting to being a family as a family unit and not as a single mom or a single man.
Yes, his issues with ADHD play a factor in his self confidence and such. And she’s not without her own issues. Just like a good romance, you’ve got layer of things the characters have to work on throughout the story.
Yes, the story does end happy, with them figuring out how to be a family and trusting each other. The ending of the story has time passing while that happens.
Conclusion
I did enjoy this story. The characters were endearing, sassy and so interesting. You couldn’t help but fight for them too as you read the story.
You also saw just enough of Felix and Regan to know how they are doing in this book.
This is definitely a story worth reading! Don’t forget to check out the other books in this series.
