Broken Beautiful Hearts

Peyton Rios thinks that receiving a letter from her first-choice college to play Division I soccer is the start of a perfect day. But things go south after she confronts her boyfriend, Reed, about his use of steroids as a shortcut to becoming a professional mixed martial arts fighter. Reed loses his cool and pushes her down a flight of stairs, wrecking her knee and destroying their relationship. Soon after, Peyton’s mother insists that she move away to live with her uncle. The only things on Peyton’s mind are recovering from her injury and getting ready to play soccer in college, but her plans are derailed when she meets Owen, an MMA fighter like Reed who has his own secrets. Garcia’s suspenseful romance will keep readers turning pages, eager to find out if Peyton is vindicated and ends up with the right guy. Amid steamy moments and swoony descriptions of falling in love, Garcia (The Lovely Reckless) tackles a serious issue head-on, drawing from her own experiences with an abusive boyfriend. Ages 15–up. [em]Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Feb.) [/em]