A Broken Us

About This Audiobook

Amy Daws delivers a raw, crackling contemporary romance that dares to ask what happens when future plans shatter. *A Broken Us* follows Claire, a whip-smart event planner whose meticulously orchestrated life takes a sudden detour when she receives life-altering medical news. The tension crackles as she grapples with the news while navigating a fractured relationship with her fiancé, who can’t seem to grasp the gravity of her world imploding. Daws excels at balancing high-stakes drama with ribald humor, particularly in Claire’s inner monologue—a stream of consciousness that’s equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking. The chemistry between characters isn’t just sizzling; it’s volatile, making every heated argument feel like foreplay and every tender moment feel hard-earned.

Narrator Emma Lysy elevates the experience with a performance that’s equal parts sassy, soulful, and snarky. Her Claire is a standout—a woman whose resilience is undercut by vulnerability, and Lysy nails the emotional whiplash with precision. The production values are polished but never sterile, allowing the humor and heartache to breathe. This isn’t a love story that punches below the belt; it’s one that reminds you love can be both the wound and the balm, even when the world feels broken."

"review": "I went into *A Broken Us* expecting another saccharine rom-com, so Emma Lysy’s performance first hooked me with her razor-sharp delivery of Claire’s biting wit. Lysy doesn’t just narrate this story—she *performs* it, giving Claire’s sarcasm a razor’s edge and her vulnerability a tremble that hits like a gut punch. The pacing is relentless; Daws doesn’t waste time on meandering subplots, which keeps the emotional stakes sky-high. That said, the fiancé’s emotional flatlining occasionally grated—his refusal to step up felt less like a flawed character trait and more like a narrative convenience to amp up the drama.

Where Daws shines is in the messy, human moments: Claire’s drunken breakdown at a wedding venue, her dry one-liners during a meltdown, and the slow, grudging realization that love isn’t always enough. The audiobook’s standout is Lysy’s ability to shift tones in a heartbeat—from laugh-out-loud snark to quiet devastation—without ever tipping into melodrama. If you’re craving a romance that doesn’t flinch from real-life ugliness while still delivering the feels, this one’s a knockout. Just don’t expect a neat resolution; life’s rarely that tidy, and neither is this book."

"tags": ["contemporary romance audiobook