Cate Hamilton has survived living in a tent by the river, being orphaned by a drug-addicted mother, living out of her dead mother's VW beetle, and an abusive relationship. Cate is a survivor, but it doesn't mean she is without scars. Some visible, but most locked away inside of a fragile vault constructed from years of stubborn determination and grit.

Until now, Lance Barstrom was her biggest mistake. Despite the law stating he cannot be within one hundred yards of her, he is still controlling her life. He has promised to destroy anyone who touches her before he kills her. He has never broken a promise—she has the scars to prove it. No one has ever tempted her to test Lance's promise until James Payne shows up at Razzle, chaperoning his kid brother on his twenty-first birthday.

Beyond superficial attraction, Cate feels her guarded heart beat a little faster when he smiles. His manners and kind demeanor are the opposite of what she has ever known and she is intrigued. For the first time in almost a year, she tests out the reach of the law and accepts an offer to dance. A dance that catapults Cate onto a path full of tough decisions and risk, only now it isn't just her life in danger.

It might be her biggest mistake yet.

When the Boughs Break is a slow-burn, dark romantic suspense novel with a long road of heartache, trials of love and dedication with a much deserved happily ever after.

Content Warning: This novel touches on the tough subject of child neglect and abuse, domestic violence, psychological abuse, drug use and an instance of rape in a memory.