What We Broke by Marley Valentine is an emotional MM romance that goes beyond the first stage of falling in love. Instead, it follows Leo and Jesse, an established couple facing unimaginable grief, a broken marriage, and the painful journey of rebuilding love after loss. With themes of family, therapy, and second chances, this book delivers a raw and heartfelt story.
What We Broke by Marley Valentine Genres: MM Romance, Contemporary
Buy Links:Buy on Amazon
If someone asked me to describe our love story, I would only need to use two words.
Before and After.
• • • •
When I met Leonardo Ricci, he was determined I would only be a fling, while I was certain he was my forever.
Seven years later, we're the perfect couple. Happy, married, and in love-in sickness and health, till death do us part.
At least until the unthinkable happens.
Now we can't look at each other. We don't sleep in the same bed. We can't even be in the same room. The loss is too great and the pain runs too deep.
But this man is the love of my life. I convinced him once, and I would be damned if I couldn't do it again. I would be damned if I couldn't fix what we broke.
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Another Marley Valentine book that hit me hard. I already loved Without You and knew I could expect strong writing, but What We Broke carries a heavier weight: here we follow Leo and Jesse, not at the start of their love story, but years into their marriage, when tragedy shatters their lives.
The story begins with heartbreak — the baby they were waiting for with so much hope is stillborn. That single moment destroys Leo and Jesse and reverberates through everyone around them: Zara, Jesse’s best friend and their surrogate, and Raine, their teenage daughter who quietly feels every crack in the family. But most of all, the focus is on Leo, who falls into grief, alcoholism, and self-destruction, pushing everyone away.
I have to admit, my feelings about him were complicated. At times Leo felt selfish, even cruel, as if he used pain as an excuse to hurt Jesse. Meanwhile, Jesse, always the caretaker, was left carrying the entire weight of holding the family together. Watching him ignore his own emotions and needs to keep Leo afloat was frustrating. One aspect I really appreciated, though, was the therapy sessions. They added depth and realism, showing how communication can become a lifeline in the middle of so much pain.
Despite the heavy theme, Marley Valentine’s writing is sensitive and captivating. I loved the flashbacks that showed how Leo and Jesse first met and fell in love; each scene from the past connected beautifully to the present, reinforcing how intense their story has always been. Raine’s perspective was also deeply moving, especially when we finally see her own struggles in the middle of so much loss.
Still, not everything worked for me. The reconciliation between Leo and Jesse felt rushed, and I wish Jesse had more space to express all his built-up hurt. I also wasn’t a fan of the solution for baby Lola’s room, while well-intentioned, it carried a weight that didn’t sit right with me.
Overall, What We Broke is a powerful, emotional read. It’s not a new favorite, but it’s a story that stays with you.
Final Rating: 4 stars!
Have you read What We Broke? I’d love to hear if you also felt torn between love and frustration with Leo and Jesse — share your thoughts in the comments!
