Cracked Open by A.N. Stauber

Two souls separated by a lie, only to return to each other a decade later.

Their foundation was a lie.
When Andi met Colby, she was sure he was the one for her. His reckless bad boy ways only pulled her closer. As an aspiring lawyer bartending her way through college, she was strangely drawn to him and his shady ways. She was certain he was the one for her—until he disappeared.
Dominic loved Andi with everything he had, but how could he be with her when she didn’t even know his name? His days undercover as Colby were some of the best—and most dangerous—of his life. However, once he made the bust, his life as Colby was over and so was his time with Andi.
Ten years later, their paths cross again. This time Andi meets Dominic as himself. Newly divorced and constantly spurned by love, will she be able to open her heart to him again? And can Dominic earn her forgiveness and win Andi back when their previous relationship was based on a lie?

My Review

This book was a tumultuous romance filled with happy, heartbreaking, and even taboo subjects. However, the couple was incredibly swoon-worthy, and the steamy scenes were scorching hot. I do love how this story ended.

This book has a warning at the beginning for mature content and possible trigger-inducing content.

Colby is an undercover police officer, maybe and maybe also a biker in an mc club. His current place is disgusting, but the bar nearby seems to lift his spirits, especially the cute bartender. The bartender’s name is Andrea. They go for a ride, and damn, is it hot.

However, the inner monologue between his true self and this Colby hints at what he is supposed to be doing and why he is using a fake name. I admit, albeit interesting, this could get confusing as both he and his alias have different personalities, thoughts, and responsibilities.

Andrea or Andi is a hell-raiser. She is wild, young, and restless, often making decisions on a dime. She seems to like Colby and wants to spend time with him. This book gets steamy as they can’t resist the attraction to each other.

I’m pissed at Colby, or should I say Dominic, for leaving her like that. Her pain and trauma are only touched on recently in a few chapters. Wow, this book is a small world for the characters, and her happy, messed-up life is about to become shattered once again.

This book is very tumultuous at times, but it does end happily. Although fast, I love that the relationship also has a timeline for the chapters.

If you would like to read Cracked Open by A.N. Stauber you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases.

If you like this book you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories Second Chance Romance, New Adult Fiction, and College.