diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.cpp b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.cpp
index 1d7e2ab3..16af6245 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.cpp
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.cpp
@@ -125,6 +125,20 @@ void XMLCALL ChapterHtmlSlimParser::startElement(void* userData, const XML_Char*
     self->boldUntilDepth = std::min(self->boldUntilDepth, self->depth);
   } else if (matches(name, BLOCK_TAGS, NUM_BLOCK_TAGS)) {
     if (strcmp(name, "br") == 0) {
+      // flush word preceding <br> to currentTextBlock before calling startNewTextBlock
+      EpdFontFamily::Style fontStyle = EpdFontFamily::REGULAR;
+      if (self->boldUntilDepth < self->depth && self->italicUntilDepth < self->depth) {
+        fontStyle = EpdFontFamily::BOLD_ITALIC;
+      } else if (self->boldUntilDepth < self->depth) {
+        fontStyle = EpdFontFamily::BOLD;
+      } else if (self->italicUntilDepth < self->depth) {
+        fontStyle = EpdFontFamily::ITALIC;
+      }
+
+      self->partWordBuffer[self->partWordBufferIndex] = '\0';
+      self->currentTextBlock->addWord(self->partWordBuffer, fontStyle);
+      self->partWordBufferIndex = 0;
+      
       self->startNewTextBlock(self->currentTextBlock->getStyle());
     } else {
       self->startNewTextBlock((TextBlock::Style)self->paragraphAlignment);