”The world breaks everyone and afterward, many are strong at the broken places.” -Ernest Hemingway

The Broken Places was unlike anything I have read from Mia Sheridan before – or from anyone, for that matter. Coincidentally I was just at a book fair here in Finland listening to another writer talk about her book which dealt with drug addiction and also watched a documentary about it just last week so this book continued those teams. The Broken Places takes place in San Francisco and it follows two detectives who try to solve the gruesome deaths of drug-related victims, and that drug is unlike anything they have seen before. Or is it..?

In my opinion Mia Sheridan – whom I mostly know as a contemporary romance writer – is also a very skilled writer of suspense. I kept turning the pages and reading just that “one more chapter” again and again because I needed to know what had happened; also, our two leads, Lennon and Ambrose, were such wonderful characters, and their backstories were so heartbreaking, that I was very much emotionally invested in it all.

A truly remarkable read – and one which I’ll be thinking for a long time of after reading, for sure.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5
Spice: 🌶️.5/5

The Broken Places is a standalone mystery/suspense romance between an inspector/detective and an FBI agent. I'm pretty conflicted rating this one. The beginning was really slow until about 60-70%. But then it hit the ground running and I was immediately sucked in. I didn't really feel connected to the characters until 60-70% and honestly considered stopping about 30% in. Some people probably would've stopped reading but I'm glad I stuck around and gave it a chance. But just due to how slow it started off, it unfortunately dropped slightly in rating.

Now on to the actual content of the book. This one is DEEP! The Broken Places dives into such difficult topics. PLEASE read trigger warnings prior!!! My heart hurt reading some of it. The amount of trauma the characters went through is absolutely heart wrenching. This is a story about love, loss, and healing. I enjoyed the ending but I wish there was more. I feel like "back, forth, back, forth" was also overused. I'm sure there was a reason to keep repeating it.

*Thank you to Netgalley, Montlake, and Mia Sheridan for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed are solely my own.

Book Review: The Broken Places by Mia Sheridan

This book is about inspector Lennon Gray who is investiagating a hallucinogenic drug that is forcing homeless people to violently turn on each other.
This is not my typical genre, but I recognized the author's name from some highly rated books, so requested the arc.

This was a tough one. Technically the writing was good. It was fast paced and didnt drag. But the content was not for me. It wasn's just the hard to read scenes. The romance gave me the major ick. The lying, the bending rules.. it just didn't feel right.
There are a TON of triggers for this book, which would honestly keep me from recommending to most people.

The one bright spot for me was the way the author talked about grief in regards to the death of a loved one. It was so poignant and relatable.

This has re-iterated that these types of books aren't for my tender-hearted soul... despite who the author may be.

Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for the arc. This title is expected to release December 1

2 stars from me.

🤍Book review 🤍

The Broken Places
A Novel
by Mia Sheridan

The Broken Places is a gripping and thought-provoking story that masterfully blends mystery, psychology, and the complexities of trauma.
The story starts with the investigation led by Lennon and Ambrose, tackling dark and brutal realities with authenticity and sensitivity.
This novel is a powerful exploration of the human condition, showcasing the resilience and strength needed to face trauma. Through its compelling characters, it highlights the many ways people cope with hardship, while also emphasizing the importance of compassion, understanding, and grace in the healing process.
Mia delivers a poignant message of hope, reminding us that no matter the circumstances, everyone is worthy of love, trust, and healing. The Broken Places is not only an engaging mystery but also a deeply emotional story that resonates long after the final page. Highly recommend for those who enjoy thought-provoking, character-driven narratives.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own

I love Mia Sheridan books, this one was unfortunately hard to get into for me though. The talk of SA right off the bat was also a little triggering, this book just wasn’t for me. As I said, I love Mia’s writing and archers voice is one of my absolute favorite books. This just wasn’t the right fit for me.

I was honestly hoping this one would have me hooked but it didn’t. It was missing something in the story. I also wish that the book didn’t start with the talk about SA. It should have been spoken about at some point but not the first thing you read.

I love Mia Sheridan as a romance author, but unfortunately I've found her thriller/suspense books to be lacking. this was slow and just not super engaging for me.

4.5 stars - Wow! My first thriller/crime by Mia Sheridan and it was amazing! The emotional heart strings are there like in her romances but with a more heartbreaking aspect. Drug users, homelessness, abuse (definitely check triggers) - someone is feeding on trauma in a series of murders. Amazing twists! A story that sucks you in and has great main characters.

Lennon is an investigator who has seen the worst of the city she serves. She's on a new case when she is forced to take on a partner, Ambrose, an FBI agent. Together, they investigate the use of a new drug that pushes it's users into weird and dangerous role-play.
This is a romantic suspense. I haven't read a lot of Mia Sheridan's books, because so far I hadn't been a huge fan of her books, but I feel like this one was very different from the others (at least from the ones I've read). I usually love me a good romantic suspense. However, this felt more like a detective/police procedural novel with some romance thrown in... so I never really got invested into the story. Also, be ready to suspend disbelief, as what is uncovered during the investigation seems very far-fetched.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book had me at a chokehold till the very last word. The Broken Places by Mia Sheridan was a fascinating tale of suspense, angst and heartache. The story can be shocking and disturbing a lot of time as the author expertly portrayed the anguish and danger of addiction and mental health issues. But what made this a compelling read is the constant flow of hope, love and redemption. Lennon and Ambrose are on a journey that will test their intelligence, resilience and above all, their own flaws.

Inspector Lennon Gayle isn't still accustomed to the gore and ugliness of murder. Specially not the ones associated with addiction and homeless people. But a serial killer is on lose. A new purple pill laced with hallucinogenic drugs is always found at the crime scene. FBI has sent Agent Ambrose to help with the case but it's all a game. He has his own reasons to be here. Can they stop the killer before that person eliminates the whole homeless population in San Francisco? And at what cost?

Please read the triggers because this book is very honest with serious issues like addiction, mental health, trauma, abuse and poverty. The author also gave it a bit futuristic vibes with the experimental treatments and trials. Lennon is a very sweet soul. Her empathy makes her stand apart from a regular cop but it could be a bad thing too. From the moment Ambrose appears, I could feel he has more than what meets the eyes. He has been through the deepest parts of hell and he will do anything to support the project that helped him to get out of the hell. He has this calm, controlled, sharp and dominating presence that made Lennon trust him. Their attraction was a factor too. But the mind games and power plays by the killer won't be easy to beat. Ambrose has to make Lennon believe in an almost impossible project so that she would help him to take down the killer and save people. The invisible strings were beautifully placed. It was fast paced and raw and intriguing. And I love how the romance played a complimenting and enhancing role.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

Mia Sheridan is one of those authors who can literally write anything and make it a masterpiece. I have loved her romance and thriller side of writing. With this story being a little different I still enjoyed the ride. This story was weaved so perfectly where I could not predict a thing. I love how this story is so different than what I have read before, which is so Mia style. I loved the characters and their chemistry. I was hooked from the very beginning! This is why Mia Sheridan is one of my go to authors! Thank you Net galley for a complimentary copy!

Wow! What a story. So many twists and turns. A highly emotional, slightly romantic, extremely suspenseful story set in the most rundown areas of San Francisco. Apart from the drugs, the prostitution and the violence surrounding the murders being investigated by Police Inspector Lennon Gray, there’s also one more thing they have in common. A certain drug, in tablet form, is always left at the scene of the tragedy, with the initials BB on it. Now it seems the FBI have taken an interest, as Agent Ambrose Mars partners up with Lennon to investigate the how’s, the who’s and the why’s, and to try and catch the violent killer instigating these murders. Not for the faint hearted, the story goes into some in-depth scenes of violence, rape and abuse. Even the police struggle at some of these scenes. Who can Lennon trust? When things take a turn for the worse, Lennon has to decide how far she’ll go to solve these crimes. I’ve got to say I was hooked from the first page, this book had everything I love in a suspense novel. Told in multiple POVs throughout, but mainly from our two main characters perspective. A full five star read for me. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️
The Broken Places stands as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, illustrating the many ways people cope with and heal from trauma. Some even find ways to overcome it, and that journey is truly beautiful. While trauma is complex, society doesn’t always provide the resources needed for recovery, and recognizing this is crucial.

Mia leaves us with an important lesson: compassion, understanding, and grace are essential. For those dealing with trauma, there is always hope, love, and trust in the world—qualities you absolutely deserve—and healing is within reach. This serves as a reminder that no matter the circumstances, everyone is worthy.

I love Mia Sheridan's writing. This book was so good. Almost police procedural which I enjoy. Lots of secrets, lots of lies, but it all came together and flowed well. I really enjoyed the characters and their histories.

This was such a dark read that I wasn't prepared for it. It's about the underbelly of San Francisco set in Tenderloin district with murders of drug users and prostitutes.

We have Lennon who is partnered an FBI, Ambrose to investigate these murders. They have an attraction to each other and there's some romance between them. I felt the romance needed more development and it felt more like they were using each other for company.

The murder mystery was interesting and I enjoyed the POV of Jett. Though it was pretty obvious who Jett was, I didn't not see how he became who he was.

I think the story has some interesting ideas of how to rehabilitate trauma and to come out of it.

Thank you to the publisher @netgalley for a copy of the book.

3.5 stars

I really liked the who done it part of this story. I couldn’t guess the bad guy until the very end which is always a plus. I think that some parts of this were a bit far fetched. Specifically the scene at the end. And while I liked the characters, I wished for more details about them. The mystery was definitely the highlight of the book. You kind of think you know who the killer is and where the story was going, then something happens to prove you wrong.I felt like overall the story was good but could have been more in depth.

I was so excited to dive into The Broken Place because the premise had me hooked right from the start. Mia Sheridan always knows how to create intriguing setups, and this one was no different. Unfortunately, the writing felt slow at times, and it was hard to stay fully engaged.

The main characters were fine, but they didn’t leave much of an impression on me. While their journeys had emotional moments, I wanted to connect with them more deeply. Overall, it was a decent read, but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. A solid 3.5 stars.


Thank you to the publisher for this Arc, this Arc was provided in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t read a ton of thrillers these days but I do usually enjoy Mia Sheridan’s. This one unfortunately wasn’t my favorite. I found it slow and kind of depressing. You really have to suspend your disbelief to enjoy the second. Half of the book and I had trouble doing that.

I was interested to know the answers but it took so long to get there and was unbelievable in the end.

Lennon and Ambrose are forced to work together to solve a case about a new drug, but will their own feelings get in the way of it?

This story was fast paced and mostly enjoyable. I liked where it ended.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

THE BROKEN PLACES By Mia Sheridan ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was kind of an ExPEriaNCe for me. I want to say that I just sat back and enjoyed the twisty, turning ride... but honestly, it was so much deeper than that for me and I came away feeling a little raw, but also uplifted somehow. It was so much more than a psychological thriller! It is a striking glimpse into the pain and trauma our fellow humans experiance and an exploration into healing it.

**If you have any triggers, I will encourage you to check the trigger warnings listed for this one because some of the material is very hard to read.**

I think the thing that stuck out to me the most was the undercurrent of compassion and humanity that flowed through the story. This is some heavy material, you know? I definitely felt the pain and the trauma that was explored within these pages and I also saw Lennon and Ambrose's soft heart towards the experiances that clearly mirrored Mia's heart.
I don't think that it was a coincidence that I stumbled upon a podcast on the 'Tube at the same time that I read this book and WHOA. Did that really cement some big emotions onto my heart during this read. It is a podcast very similar to "The Fringe" podcast in this book. Exploring the lived experiances of some of society's beautiful souls that have had to live their life on the harder and more broken sides of life.

This book was beautifully written. It flowed effortlessly and it never felt stilted or confusing, even with the various timelines and points of view. Mia has such a talented way of weaving her suspense stories and giving us just enough without giving too much. I greatly esteem her writing ability and the way she pulls you in and keeps you invested. That's something I can always count on her books to do!

All of that said, I am seeing chatter about the believability of the things explored in The Broken Places, and I feel a little sad that so many were caught up on that. Think about how often we are willing to suspend our belief in order to read a meet-cute? C'mon. Nannies don't get an all-expense paid trip around the world with a stunningly handsome single billionaire very often, people. But we gobble that up. I honestly don't think you have to suspend your belief THAT much to read about hallucinogens in relation to trauma. You know what I mean? It's fiction. It's a wild story. But it's not that out there. So don't let the "This is not realistic" reviews sway whether you read The Broken Places. This was a fantastic book and I bet you won't actually guess the ending. 😉

Thank you Mia Sheridan and Netgalley for a chance to read this novel before the release date in exchange for my honest review. I deeply appreciate it!