The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler (ARC Review)

Dementia...aka Alzheimer's...really does = "the Devil" or "el demonio".  What a HORRIBLE disease this is!  I personally have had fairly little experience with this terrible disease, but I've heard some awful stories!  We new a lady who it attacked so fast, we didn't even know.  We knew her for years, and one day we saw her with her husband and she honestly had no idea who we were!  In fact, she looked scared that we were talking to her.

My great-grandmother who will be 94 next month, was diagnosed with dementia a few years ago.  I unfortunately haven't been to my country of origin, Germany, to visit her, but my brother visited a couple of years ago, and he stayed with her for a couple of days throughout his visit.  Every single time he saw her, she didn't remember him!

So anyway now to my review...since you maybe wondering "What does this have to do with your review?"

From Goodreads:

When all signs point to heartbreak, can love still be a rule of the road? A poignant and romantic novel from the author of Bittersweet and Twenty Boy Summer.

Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.

Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?

Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?

Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.

My Thoughts:

This was my first ever Sarah Ockler book!  I've had her previous novels on my wishlist for about as long as each of them has been available, however, just hadn't gotten the chance to read them!  Bloggers and readers should know what I'm talking about! lol

Anyway, Sarah has a gift!  And I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this book, thanks to Edelweiss.

Jude was such a great character.  She pretty much had to grow up really fast, over a short period of time, as soon as she found out the terrible news that new father was suffering from Alzheimer's.

That disease, or "el demonio" as she refers to it as, changed her life.  It both ruined her, and her family, but also in one sense may have given her a gift.  The power to speak up for yourself, and also meeting a young man whom her sisters and her made a pact to avoid (his entire family in fact) due to past issues, not involving Jude.

Emilio Vargas...what a dream boat!  No seriously! A bad boy biker, with tan skin and lovely rippling muscles...yeah, like I said...dream boat!!!

Overall rating:

This book is a favorite of mine! Such a great story!  It's got everything I look for in a book!  Plus it takes place in the summer, which is always a nice touch for me! I just love that feeling of reading about summer in a book, maybe because it is so relate able to the climate where I live, where currently it is scorchingly hot!

I recommend this one to fans of Simone Elkeles!  I honestly think you all will appreciate this book, because the writing style and character reminded me a bit of Simone's books!

Highly recommend it also to contemporary romance fans!  It's a great young adult novel!

Check it out on May 21st, when it hits stores.  You can get your copies at Amazon or Barnes and Noble! (Barnes is already shipping out, it looks like!)

Thanks everyone! :)

The Romance Bookie :)