From What's Broken Audiobook By R. M. Demeester cover art

From What's Broken

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From What's Broken

By: R. M. Demeester
Narrated by: Hannah Fuerst
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Amanda and Matthew are on the cusp of their happily ever after. They have a stable marriage and a lovely daughter, and they are eagerly awaiting the birth of their second.

Tragedy strikes suddenly, and the couple’s picture-perfect life crumbles. Ivory, their firstborn child, dies in an accident. Not knowing how to deal with their pain, Amanda and Matthew blame each other for their loss and drift apart. They soon realize their relationship might not bear the burden, leaving their surviving daughter to cope with the aftermath of two grief-stricken parents.

©2019 R. M. Demeester (P)2021 R. M. Demeester Contemporary Contemporary Romance Romance
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Listener received this title free

this was so sad! heartbreaking story of grief & love & loss. it felt so realistic & the narrator did an incredible job. you really felt you were right there with the characters. a heavy read, but definitely worth it.

heartbreaking tale of grief & a couples marriage breakdown

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This is a very emotional story. I wanted to hate Matthew then I wanted to hate, Amanda. I definitely hate the girlfriend !! Matthew and Amanda lost a child, Which in my option is the worst, parents should never outlive their children.
This book hit every emotion, I was so sad, I was angry, I was happy and I cried. I will have to say R.M. Demeester hats off to you excellent book.

Excellent Book

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For a good chunk of this book, I really wondered who the hell would ever want to read this. Having just now read the summary (Audible version), it’s very misleading. All of the events in the summary happened before the story takes place. It’s entirely a back and forth drama between a couple who were once in love and are now getting a divorce. Which is why I wondered, who the hell would want to ever read this (or listen)?

I actually found an answer to that and I think it’s brilliant. Despite being a wedding officiant with 2 ceremonies under my belt, I’ve never been married. I always found the concept to be idiotic and outdated. Having been around people who’ve been married and divorced all my life, this story very all too real to me. That’s when I realized the perfect audience for the book.

I think this story should be mandatory listening for all starry-eyed couples who want to get married for the first time in their life. Tell them this is what they’re potentially in for if or when things don’t work, so choose your mate carefully.

Aside from newlyweds, I think this book could be an educational listen if you’ve never been married or divorced; somehow never known anybody who has been and you’re curious. ‘Cause this book really couldn’t be more accurate, if you ask me.

If you’ve made it this far and you’ve either been through a messy divorce, known somebody close who has or you’re the child of parents who have. Abandon hope all ye who enter here. This is not the story for you.

As for the narration, overall, the narrator did a good job of narrating. However, she really lacked in the voices department. I often found it difficult to tell which character was talking which led to confusion when the story changed perspective on me. The audio is free of any repeat dialogue, audible background noise, or other errors.

NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.

Baskerville Book Reviews

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losing a person is one of the hardest things to go through in life but losing a child is unimaginable. I can only hope and pray that I never feel that kind of pain. This book is about losing a child and the trials that a family goes through to get over the guilt and heartbreak. It shows how the couple ends up working towards a divorce and the nasty things that gets said. Glad it turns out for the better.

moving on

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The loss of a child is one of the most tragic things that can happen. How we deal with it can lead to even more heartbreak. Amanda and Matthew are in this situation, and this is their story.

R. M. Demeester has written with such emotion. The anger, pain, and sadness were so real. This story really touched my heart.

Hannah Fuerst’s narration flowed well. I had no problems following along.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

After a tragedy

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This was an okay read …
My first observances were that the author is big on telling and not very prone to showing. It made for a very slow-paced, dull-at-times read. I almost DNF’d it a few times but eventually, I did become invested in it enough to see it though.

I enjoyed hating Rebecca so the author does have some talent … I think if they either honed their craft and/or used a stronger editor, they’d put out a better end result.
At times I was distracted by instances of very poor grammar, such as “have went” and “hadn’t ate” for example, so again … they’re either not using an editor at all, or not using one who’s actually qualified.

I do admire the way they really wove in drama throughout this and I thought they did a good job of portraying grief and what it can do to a marriage.


Audio:
I hate to say this but … honestly the narrator was absolutely awful. She sounded robotic at times … sounded exactly like Siri (yes, iPhone Siri) other times … and as dull as that is to listen to, that is the least of her problems. For some reason, her voice was extremely pitchy at times … I was reminded of a prepubescent teenager, in that awkward voice-cracking stage. Or the teenager from ‘The Simpsons’, with the on & off high-pitched voice … it was truly painful to listen to. This isn’t someone who is in the right line of work at all.


Overall? I might be open to reading more from this author, though I’d hope their craft improves a bit and/or they hire a stronger / more-qualified editor.
I would absolutely NOT be open to listening to anything from this narrator, ever again. You couldn’t pay me to do it.


3 stars for the book itself.
1 star audio performance.

Awful narrator. Storyline but in need of editor.

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Listener received this title free

This is the first book I've read or listened to by this author, and I did not like it. The description at the book review site I got the promo code from suggested the story would take place after the death of the couple's young child and would show how this horrifically tragic event impacted their relationship, their family—as the wife is pregnant with their second child when this happens—and marriage. But that's not where the book actually starts. Instead, the book begins much later, when the new sister is already 8 months old; in fact, the first scene is the wife asking the husband for divorce. The book felt like an extended infodump, with very little action happening. This story is mostly told, not shown, and mostly in flashbacks. That's a very tedious way to present any story. The author needed to show us so much more, including what the couple’s relationship was like before the death, the pivotal scenes leading up to and including the young girl's death, and how the relationship between the parents fractured over time. To just be told about it does little to move the reader beyond what would be felt by common humanity or help us understand—and therefore appreciate—character. The parents acted nonsensically at times, and often in ways I found morally repugnant. While they were still separated, not yet divorced, both had sexual flings with others—the grieving mother having a sleazy booty-call affair with her boss (whom she believes to be married) and the husband moving in immediately with the woman who was his ex before his wife. Ewwww on both counts! Just not right. The narrator didn't help. She was either monotone or histrionic, with little middle ground. It grated on my last nerve quickly. This book should certainly come with trigger warnings, too. If you have experienced a child's death, have had prolonged grief, have had a contentious divorce, or have been cheated on, this book may very well trigger you. Not recommended.

TRIGGERS: child death, prolonged grief, contentious divorce, infidelity

Told, Not Shown; Needs Trigger Warnings; Immoral

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