My newest book, Broken Beautiful Hearts, was a challenging one for me to write. It was inspired by a real incident in my life that I rarely share, but twenty-five years later it felt like it was time.

In high school, I found myself in a situation like the one my protagonist, Peyton Rios, experiences at the beginning of the novel. I was dating a competetive athlete who was taking performance-enhancing drugs. I had no idea and, like Peyton, I broke up with him as soon as I found out. Like Peyton, I also paid a price when my ex-boyfriend flew into a rage and I was on the receiving end. 

No one witnessed the incident. Luckily, my close friends believed me, but the mutual friends that my ex and I shared did not. People knew how much he adored me, how protective he was of me, and the way he always stepped in to help other girls. And he was that guy—before he started doping.

Some people thought I was lying while others assumed that I had misinterpreted the situation. I’m not sure how anyone could “misinterpret” that kind of situation, but I knew exactly what happened and I stuck to my story. But some people still didn’t believe me and it was really hard.

Looking back now, there are things I didn’t do that I should have done. I didn’t report the incident to the police. Later, when my ex-boyfriend started stalking me, I didn’t file a restraining order because, like Peyton, I thought it was “just a piece of paper.” How could it stop him? What I didn’t understand back then is that a restraining order establishes a pattern of behavior in case the person hurts you again. There were so many things I didn’t know.

After teaching for seventeen years, I believe that finding the right book at the right time can change your life—or save it. I hope Broken Beautiful Hearts will be that book for someone. I hope it gives them strength when they are feeling frightened and vulnerable. And I hope it will make other readers more likely to believe a victim of this kind of violence.

Books can break the culture of violence that has become so prevalent today. Words are always our most powerful weapon, don’t you think?

If you're in a situation or a relationship where you don't feel safe or if you just have questions, there are resources to reach out to and lots of ways to get help. Here are just a few:

www.loveisrespect.org
Has an escape shortcut in case you need to exit the website quickly.
You can also call them at: 1-866-331-9474 or text “loveis” to 22522

www.thetrevorproject.org 
For LGBTQIA+ relationship questions

You can also call them at: 866-488-7386 or text "Trevor" to 1-202-304-1200

Not sure if your relationship is healthy or unhealthy? Here's a quiz you can take to find out: www.loveisrespect.org/dating-basics/relationship-spectrum/

Learn more about Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month here: nrcdv.org/dvam/tdvam

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Broken Beautiful Hearts by Kami Garcia

Before, Peyton was a star soccer player with the perfect boyfriend, Reed. Now, she has a torn knee ligament, a scholarship on the line, and a shattered sense of self. No one believes Reed pushed her, causing her injury, and Peyton just wants to leave the trauma behind. Living with her uncle and twin cousins in their small, football-obsessed town seems like a great escape plan. 

There, Peyton meets Owen—high school classmate and local MMA fighter. Though Owen is charming and gentle, Peyton is determined to repress her growing attraction. But when her old and new life collide, Peyton must reclaim the truth of her past in order to save her future. 

With southern charm, underground martial arts, and red-hot chemistry, Kami Garcia’s second contemporary romance will steal your breath away. 

Start reading now.