Review: Break Me Like a Promise by Tiffany Schmidt

Break Me Like a Promise (Once Upon a Crime Family #2) by Tiffany Schmidt

No one is unbreakable.
All Magnolia Vickers has ever wanted was to follow father’s path as head of the Family Business. But new legislation is poised to destroy the Family’s operations in the black-market organ trade and Maggie’s recent behavior has wrecked the business-savvy reputation she’s worked her whole life to build.
She’s given an ultimatum: shape up or step aside.
Then Maggie messes up: she downloads a virus onto her father’s computer, and must sneak it off-estate for repair. When Alex, a tech whiz, uncovers the type of information on the machine, he offers Maggie a choice: her Family can give him a kidney, or he’ll irreparably scramble the data. Maggie agrees, but has no intention of keeping her promise or every seeing him again. That night Alex shows up at her Family estate with copies of confidential Family files and a shocking revelation—the kidney is for him.
The Vickers aren’t willing to let Alex out of their sight, so he moves onto their estate and Maggie is assigned to be his keeper. A task she resents and he enjoys making as challenging as possible. But procuring black market organs is becoming increasingly difficult, and as Alex’s health declines, she’s surprised to find herself falling for him.
Like it or not, Maggie must accept that if she wants to save Alex’s life and carve out a place in the new legalized organ business, she’s going to have to fight for both.

Publishes in US: June 7th 2016 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genre: ya retelling
Source: Earc from Bloomsbury via Netgalley
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not effected by the book being free.
Series? Once Upon a Crime Family #2
my review of 1st: Hold Me Like a Breath
my review of her other books: Send Me a Sign,  Bright Before Sunrise,

Buy it: Amazon IndieBound Book Depository Barnes and Noble

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    I wanted to read this one because I enjoyed Tiffany's writing in the first book in this series, and interested to see the dive back into the business of black market organs. I liked the characterization and romance in Hold Me Like A Breath and hoped for the same thing here even though it deals with a different main character and romantic interest. 

   I liked Maggie. Even though she is dealing with a lot of grief since her boyfriend Carter died. She kept it from everyone for a lot of reasons, some on her side and others his reasons, so most don't understand when she is overcome with grief since they didn't know about it. But she was strong and smart. She wants to take over the family business, but things are changing in the organ world, and she has been out of it for a while. But she tries to get back on the good side of her father, the businessman. But things just can't seem to go her way because she downloads a virus onto the computer and their privacy is at risk. 

    Then Alex comes into her life, and the two have chemistry. It makes things complicated because he is sick and needs her family's help, and she needs to recover herself once and for all. But she is put in charge of his care and she begins to realize more about herself, her perception, and the need of patients, which she always tried to dismiss, focusing on the numbers and politics.

    I really like the romance in this one it was a very slow build and I like their bantering and how much she learned from him spending time with them instead of focusing all on the numbers and that side of the business.


   The organ act plays an even bigger part in this than it did in the first one and Maggie has to make some tough choices as far as supporting her family are supporting the bill and then still fighting for Alex's chance at life that she inadvertently promised to him.

    The ending was good for me and I wasn't sure how they were going to play it in order for a HEA but I think it wrapped up well and I was satisfied.

Bottom Line: Liked it and the slow romance.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Would you give an organ to a stranger?