The Breakaway [Kindle Edition]

Michelle Davidson Argyle (Author)

Book Description

When Naomi Jensen is kidnapped, it takes her parents two days to realize she's missing. Escape isn't high on her list of priorities when all she has to return to is an abusive boyfriend and parents who never paid much attention to her. For the first time in her life she's part of a family -- even if it is a family of criminals. But she's still a captive. In a desperate attempt to regain some control in her life, Naomi embarks on a dangerous plan to make one of her kidnappers think she's falling in love with him. The plan works too well, and when faced with the chance to escape, Naomi isn't sure she wants to take it. 

What is Stockholm Syndrome?

Stockholm Syndrome is an emotional attachment to a captor formed by a hostage as a result of continuous stress, dependence, and a need to cooperate for survival. The Breakaway takes readers on a suspenseful roller coaster through this psychological phenomenon.

SEQUEL TO THE BREAKAWAY

Find the sequel/companion novel here on Amazon. Pieces is now available.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lush, literary, and multi-layered, The Breakaway is completely compelling. Michelle Davidson Argyle is a talent to watch!" ~Zoe Winters, author of Save My Soul

"With secrets layered upon deception, The Breakaway is a book that kept me up late into the night. It has that amazing quality that left me thinking about the characters long after I was finished reading." ~P. J. Hoover, author of Solstice

"Michelle Davidson Argyle is not only a writer of great skill, she is a writer with a very sharp and compassionate understanding of the human condition many of us fail to appreciate. I believed every word of The Breakaway. And you will, too." ~Jessica Bell, author of String Bridge

"An unflinching portrayal of a young woman's growing attachment to the criminals who kidnapped her, Michelle Davidson Argyle's The Breakaway will leave your heart broken, but your spirit hopeful. You won't be able to put it down until you've read every last word." ~Jennifer Hillier, author of Creep

"The Breakaway is a total mind-bender. This literary roller coaster ride of love, hate, right and wrong will leave readers riveted and breathless." ~Karen Amanda Hooper, author of Tangled Tides

About the Author

Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She loves the seasons, but late summer and early fall are her favorites. She adores chocolate, sushi, and lots of ethnic food, and loves to read and write books in whatever time she can grab between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She believes a simple life is the best life.

Product Details

• File Size: 540 KB
• Print Length: 304 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1936850613
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Rhemalda Publishing (April 28, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007YUZZ3G
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,720 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars New take on an old theme March 29, 2012

By Ashley L. Knight

Format:Paperback

The Breakaway

Michelle Davidson Argyle is one of those authors who, not unlike the elusive octopus, sucks you into her stories from the get go & doesn't release you until she's finished with you. That's why I relish reading her work & look forward to beginning her books with the fervor of a child gleefully racing toward an ornamented tree at Christmas.

Let's face it - there are thousands of books out there on the subject of kidnapping - most violent & horrific. This was dealt with delicate hands; ones only Michelle could encapsulate. The Breakaway snatches your attention instantly, throwing you headlong into Naomi's dilemma & strapping you down for a most unusual ride.
I must say that Argyle's new take was a refreshing change. People get sick and tired of too much violence and it was dealt with incredibly well in this book.
Engaging & exciting from the get-go, not only was the language well-paced, but it was beautifully descriptive - right down to the art that comes when pouring a cup of coffee. That's right, I said it - art in pouring coffee.

The dialogue between the characters was moving enough to make you feel as if you are the main character. The intensity between one of the kidnappers and Naomi was exciting & dripping with such anticipation, that I hoped it wasn't just Stockholm's Syndrome.
I did not foresee the ending and it was a nice way to complete something that could have been truly devastating to Naomi. The elements from her past life and new life were tied together beautifully leaving her with a wonderful new take on who she had become. I didn't understand the title until the last paragraph. I LOVE it when authors throw in that subtle touch!

As always, it was an absolute pleasure reading Miss Michelle's work & I eagerly await her next release - Bonded. I'm sure I'll be up until all hours of the night reading that one as well!

- Ashley L. Knight author of The Fins Trilogy

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Breakaway February 21, 2013

By Michelle@Book Briefs

Format:Paperback

Wow. This was an intense book. It deals with some very real and some may say controversial issues. Naomi is kidnapped and the whole story centers around her and her captors and the various relationships they have. This book is masterfully done. I think Michelle Davison argyle's writing is incredible.

Naomi is very brave. I felt so bad for her throughout the whole book. She had a pretty rough life, and then of course this happens and she is basically a prisoner. The story starts off with her capture, so you don't really have a chance to know what her normal life was like. Right away, she was scared and in emergency mode, which was great. But I didn't know what she was normally like. I didn't have a baseline. But that being said, the beauty in Michelle's writing style is that she reveals all of that information throughout the vivid flashbacks. We learned about Naomi's family and her relationships all through memories and flashbacks.

Like I said before, this book is very intense. My emotions were all over the place while reading the breakaway. Her captors were their own little family, which was something Naomi felt she was lacking. I thought the breakaway was a fascinating look into the psychology of captor/captive behavior.

The relationship aspect if the book was equally as intense. Naomi was no stranger to abusive relationships. (This poor girl..- I think that was my most common thought while reading) so I think it was a little easier for me to understand why she acted the way that she did. I do have to admit that I don't think I would make the same choices she did, but then again I guess I can't really understand what she was going through. The breakaway is an intense ride, but I really liked it. It was though provoking and very rough and real.

*Disclaimer-I got a copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated for my review

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome! July 3, 2012

By Jessica Ramirez

Format:Kindle Edition

Let me just start off by saying, wow. The Breakaway captivated me from the very beginning until the very end. It was heartbreaking, bittersweet, beautiful and real. Not that I have ever been in this kind of situation before but I might as well have been. I felt so in tune to the story and all of the characters in it.

As many of you have read from the summary above, this is a story about a kidnapping and finding love in an unlikely place. In psychology, Stockholm syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them.

I find Stockholm's Syndrome fascinating which is probably why I enjoyed this story.

The story starts off in a motel room where we meet our main character Naomi. She wakes up and is questioned from one of her kidnappers, Jesse. Who is surprisingly quite gentle for being a kidnapper. Naomi's words, not mine. Well not her exact words, but you get the gist. We then meet her other kidnapper, Eric, who is a lot more aggressive than Jesse is. If it were up to him, he would have had her killed right already.

What made me sad about Naomi was how her she wasn't leaving anything behind, her parents were absent most of her life and her boyfriend was an abusive jerk. So seeing as she had a crappy life before, me as a reader, did not think it could not get any worse. And I was wrong, sort of. It didn't get worse but it didn't necessarily get better. Her captors cared for her and loved her more than anyone ever has before. They paid attention to her and tried as best as they could to make her happy and comfortable. The only problem was they took away her freedom.

Right off the bat I felt a pull to Jesse. I loved his character and the overall depth of him. He had flaws and seeing him through Naomi's eyes, you can't help but to fall in love with him along with her. I also enjoyed the other three characters. There is Eric, Steve, and Evie. Which by the way, Evie is great. Her and Eric are brother and sister while Evie is a wife to Steve. With the exception of Eric(sometimes) I thoroughly enjoyed the characters. Their story is sad.

You also might find that this has a bunch of twists that I did not see coming, but you will have to read the book to find that out :)

I am letting you know again how powerful The Breakaway is and how deeply it has touched my heart. I know this is melodramtic but I do not think I can possibly wait until Febuary for the next book. I NEED to know what happens. A great story with even better charaters. You will not want to miss this!

More About the Author

Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She loves the seasons, but late summer and early fall are her favorites. She adores chocolate, sushi, and lots of ethnic food, and loves to read and write books in whatever time she can grab between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She believes a simple life is the best life.

You can find out more about Michelle at her author site: http://www.michelledargyle.com