In a home where obedience meant safety, perfection was survival.
Failure was unforgivable.
When she broke, everything did.
But for the first time, she could breathe.
Geraldine Dawson grew up under the rule of a power-hungry, narcissistic father. Control was hidden behind a manipulative mask. Appearances and wealth were everything. Love wasn't given freely-it was earned. Silence was demanded. His authority was quiet, but absolute. Geraldine's greatest rebellion was hating every second of it.
When she meets Lucas King, a fierce boxer who refuses to back down or play by anyone's rules, something dangerous begins to happen. Power starts to feel threatened. Perfection cracks. Threats and ultimatums are issued. Geraldine begins to question what she's been taught to accept as normal-and starts looking for a way out But, leaving isn't easy. And it comes with consequences.
As pressure tightens, anger explodes. Safety fractures. Violence and retaliation follow, and the damage reaches far beyond Geraldine.
Breaking Perfect is a character-driven psychological women's fiction novel about trauma, identity, and emotional survival under coercive control-where fear and desperation weigh the same, but only one can win.
What happens when silence is no longer safe?
If you're going to burn, burn for something real.
About the Author :
Elyse Heartwell takes everyday survival and turns it into stories that aren't afraid to bleed. Her writing is sharp, emotional, and unapologetically real-crafted for readers who crave the kind of fiction that leaves a mark.Her books explore survival, silence, and the kind of resilience no one claps for-only lives through.She's based in South Africa, where she runs EH Creative Studio and builds stories like bonfires, believing that healing isn't pretty-it's powerful.Breaking Perfect is her debut novel, written for anyone who's ever felt like too much and not enough at the same time.
Review :
"Breaking Perfect is a raw, emotional journey that pulls you deep into the messy, beautiful chaos of healing and self-discovery. Elyse Heartwell doesn't shy away from the hard stuff-grief, trauma, and the fragility of trust-and that honesty is what makes this story resonate." - Dayna Smith
"I really truly enjoyed this so much. It was absolutely amazing. It pulled on my heartstrings left and right." - Jurnee Mccarty
"Breaking Perfect hit me right in the chest. Geraldine's struggle to hold herself together while her world demands perfection felt painfully real, and Lucas is the kind of flawed, protective, emotionally complex love interest I adore. Their slow-burn connection is electric without ever rushing the healing. I finished the last page feeling wrung out in the best way." - Olivia Maroth
"Amazing! This book was so good. I loved the slow burn! Kept me drawn in the whole time. Absolutely thrilling." - Jessica
