The Best Kind of Broken

Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this from NetGalley for review. Overall, I found it to be one of those New Adult stories that while entertaining, tries a little too hard to be something it is not.

The story follows Pixie and Levi. As cutesy as the name "Pixie" implies, it works here. It is a nickname for the protagonist Sarah and is oddly appropriate. Pixie and Levi have a history of being best friends, although apparently something caused them to be estranged.

The story begins with them both working summer jobs at an inn owned by Pixie's aunt. They also live at the inn, in a wing where they are the only two boarders. They share a bathroom and that is where the fun begins. The book opens with an hilarious exchange between the two, an ongoing fight that establishes several things: their open disdain for the other, the obvious sexual tension between them, their badly disguised love for each other, and the longing they both have to get past their problems and move on.

The story alternates between Pixie and Levi's point of view. This works nicely; it gives us a glance into their personal demons and thought processes. There is an event that has caused both of them extreme pain and left them despairing, each for their own reasons. The plot is basically their journey to get beyond the event.

There are the usual plot devices - the sassy best friend, the perfect boyfriend that somehow isn't perfect, the knowing/winking aunt and cook who work to put the main characters together. It is predictable. It is true to the New Adult genre in its descriptions and foregone conclusions.

The dialogue is really what makes the book so entertaining. While it doesn't really set the story apart from others in this genre, it does make it fun to read. What makes this book mediocre is the way it attempts to chart a journey from self-blame and grief to acceptance. There is a bit of a twist on it, but it is not really enough to justify the effort to turn this into a story with a real message.

So while this book makes a valiant attempt to comment on grief, it mostly just entertains with the comedic banter between the characters. It isn't overbearing or preachy. It is light and fun and mildly pensive. All in all, I liked it very much. I would place it above the average books of its type and recommend it for a light, romantic read. It was a nice way to spend an evening - and it made me laugh out loud.

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