Fractured (Caged #5) by Amber Lynn Natusch

From goodreads: I thought about watching from afar, hidden by the nearby trees or headstones, so I could avoid the onslaught of grief I was sure to be bombarded with. It was cowardly, but I was certain that when faced with the totality of my own grief, I would crumble under the weight of any extra. He was always so strong both physically and emotionally – I selfishly wished for his strength in that moment. If I couldn’t be strong, then I would at least be honorable and bear my pain publicly, for all who loved him to see.

It was by my actions that he was about to be put six feet under, and I owed it to him to be there.

“Ruby…” she sang.  “Open your eyes Ruby.”  Without hesitation I did.

I’m not sure what to say about this book except I think it’s the best one in the series! Trying to get a handle on all my thoughts and feelings to describe how much I love this book is proving to be a challenge because I’m not sure where to start. How do I describe everything I love about it without it coming across as one big run-on sentence? There are so many details to this book that I had to go back and re-read it because I didn’t want to miss a single thing. I took notes, I highlighted certain passages and I even tried to read this book slowly (clearly that didn’t happen) but most importantly, I lived in Ruby’s world.

“My fear and my ego drove me to believe that you chose to leave me.  I could not find you…my failure was more than I could bear, but my heart never believed you would abandon me.  You are mine…”

First, let’s start with the prologue…what is it about Amber Lynn Natusch and her prologues? Talk about pulling you in immediately! I had absolutely no idea where this prologue would take me and lets just say, I enjoyed going into this knowing very little.  If I loved all the books in the series before, I’m now seriously obsessed with Fractured, all the characters in this story and Amber.  And no, I am not a stalker but a professional fan-girl thank you very much.

He was my balancing force and I was his.  The more we gave into it, the stronger it pulled.  Something greater than the two of us was at play, placing us in each other’s lives.  It was a destiny – divine intervention.  Troubles would always plague us, but nothing could separate us. Not anymore.

Fractured is wrapped-up tightly in mystery that’s Scarlet related.  That mystery gave me heartburn and it only generated more questions that needed answers.  And as much as I love Scarlet and her sassy ways, she sometimes causes too much trouble which gives me an anxiety attack!  Enough about her…

I had lived in a state of black suspension from that moment on.  No sense of time or place or existence, lost in a perpetual tunnel of night. There was no escape.  Scarlet had warned me several times that she wasn’t to be trifled with, that her retribution would be epic.  A liar she was not.

Ruby is still Ruby but in this book she evolves and finally learns to trust.  She’s still the same compassionate, witty and sarcastic heroine but her need for trust and love are much greater.  She’s more open to the risk of being vulnerable and she’s no longer running.  It was refreshing to see her talk about things that plagued her mind no matter how overwhelming it felt to talk-it-out.  Can I get an amen?

Say hello to Anger Management 101!  We get to see the angry side of Cooper and Sean.  Oh my word, I was not expecting that at all.  Not only was I okay with Coop being angry but his level of hotness when up quite a few notches.  Like Ruby we see Coop evolve and after all the drama he’s been through, it was nice to see him finally come into his own.  I love Sean for the mercurial angel he is, but there’s a reason he becomes so fiercely angry with Ruby (let’s call it misplaced anger) and it was absolutely EPIC!  I’m being vague on purpose and trust me when I say, you’ll love it!

There were so many beautiful (emotional) details in this book that touched me in a way I never anticipated.  The scene with Peyta  broke my heart because it tackles a dark subject matter that hits a little too close to home but while it’s not a huge focal point of the story, it’s handled with grace and dignity.  So not only does Amber tackle Peyta’s issue, she also tackles the issue of death with closure and that’s something anyone can relate to.  And Ruby needs this closure but Sean comes through and shows her support and tenderness that will move you to tears.  I had a lump in my throat and I was overwhelmed by the sadness that Ruby felt.

He soothed me to sleep, muttering in a language I couldn’t understand and didn’t need to.  His love was apparent regardless.  With me clutched in his arms I eventually fell asleep, and for once, the nightmares stayed away.

To say that there are different layers to the story is a complete understatement but it’s not distracting in the least bit.  These layers give Fractured a certain level of profoundness that will stay with you.  I was emotionally invested in all the characters, probably more so than before and the new characters that were introduced (Alice, Jan and Becky) made their way into my heart as well.  I wanted to talk to anyone who would listen about the emotional rollercoaster I experienced only a few days ago and it’s not all heartbreak…I found happiness too.

My final two cents: Fractured is by far the best book in the series.  This is a story that’s written exceptionally well, rich in characters filled with depth and it’s a book you’ll not soon forget.