Breaking Barriers follows Declan and Alex, two people carrying the weight of their pasts and trying to figure out what kind of future they deserve. Declan has sacrificed his dreams for family, building walls around himself while trying to find meaning in his work and his life. Alex is fiery, bold, and fiercely independent, but underneath that strength is a woman scarred by her own struggles and wary of letting anyone close. When their lives collide in what begins as a one-night encounter, they’re both unprepared for the connection that sparks. What starts as chemistry soon turns into something deeper, tangled with family ties, secrets, and the need to finally stop running from themselves and each other.

This book left me feeling a lot of things at once. I’ll be honest, at times I wanted to shake both Declan and Alex for being so stubborn, but I also couldn’t look away. The writing pulls you into their heads, showing not only the heat between them but also the doubts and scars they’ve carried for too long. Author Nikki Lamers has a knack for making the banter sharp and funny, then hitting you with a moment of raw vulnerability that catches you off guard. Some of the dialogue feels a little over the top, but in a way, it matches the heightened emotions of two people who’ve lived with walls up for years. I liked how messy and imperfect they were, because it made them feel real.

I liked the push and pull between independence and needing someone. Alex especially jumped off the page for me. Her mix of sass and fragility, the way she covered hurt with boldness, hit close to home. Declan, too, felt achingly human in the way he struggled between being the family protector and admitting he wanted more for himself. The book isn’t shy about showing both their flaws, and that’s what made their eventual growth satisfying. It’s not just a romance. It’s about forgiveness, breaking cycles, and finding the courage to build a life you actually want instead of one you think you’re stuck with.

Breaking Barriers is perfect for readers who want more than just a love story, who want to see characters wrestle with family, identity, and their own fears. If you like strong heroines, protective but flawed heroes, and romance novels that balance heat with heart, this one is worth picking up.

Pages: 352 | ASIN : B0F9Z4FQDS