REVIEW: DNF AT 35%
"Brave doesn't mean never being afraid. Brave is being stronger than what scares you."

This one had all the makings of a great book. The synopsis was intriguing and the teasers pulled me in....it just had my eye. But for some reason, it didn't work out very well for me. It felt completely forced and disjointed, and that's not my favorite kind of read. I was smooth and entertaining, the kind that makes me think and want to turn the pages. This heroine was completely wishy-washy, but also pushing for scenarios and forcing contact when the Hero was a complete jerk. Was it cute? Yes, actually - it started out that way. Did I feel the magnetism....? No, not really. But something clearly kept pulling them together, and that was what I wanted to discover. Unfortunately, for me, I didn't make it far enough to make that discovery. sigh

This was a surface scratching kind of storytelling. The depth and emotion was written - unfortunately, I just didn't feel it. I could see that she was trying to give me that emotional impact, especially with Sebastian's (I love that name!!) history. That should have been a heart-tugging, emotionally powerful detail of the overall story arc, but I just didn't feel anything. I hate that I didn't feel it. I think, for me, the story was told to me instead of allowing me to experience it. It left me without a real draw towards the emotions that should have been weaved throughout this story.

By the time I got to 31%, I was already rolling my eyes about the seriously ridiculous way that Sebastian was acting towards Heather, and vice versa. His need to take care of her was awe-worthy, but the way it played out and the way it was told made me cringe. It just sounded so forced. Don't get me wrong, I'm allllll about the alpha that knows who his "one" is and in turn will move Heaven and Hell to get to and take care of her. Those kinds of stories are my kryptonite and I gravitate towards them - not gonna lie. I don't like a mushy man, but I do like a man in touch with his feelings. I love an alpha that will stop at nothing for his woman, but I don't like a ridiculous show of machoism without any basis. Is there a fine line between these sentences? I'm pretty positive there is, but I also like when an author can finesse that line and make me fall at the feet of their characters' love and undying devotion.

Overall, I felt the emotions were canned and the situations were one step beyond an eye roll. I know that sounds awful, but I started expecting the events before they happened, so it turned somewhat predictable, and not in a good way. Some of it was awkward at best, and it made it hard for me to get into the scenes, and other times I was like, ok. This is going somewhere. But that wasn't a consistent thought while I was reading this one. I still believe the actual storyline of this book can and is a really cute one, but I just don't think the execution of it worked for me. I am honestly sorry that this one wasn't going to get a recommend from me, but I couldn't even make it through to give it a positive starred rating. This is clearly a 'me' issue as many have loved this one.

~BEE

I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
This was a great book !
It all started with a stuffed animal, Wolfie.
Heather's daughter Ava lost her stuffed wolf.
Sebastian found Wolfie, and he returned the stuffed wolf to Heather and Ava.
What happens next is a story of 2 people giving love a chance.
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!
I can't wait for the next book in this series.

The Broken One by Ruth Cardello is book One in the Corisi Billionaires Series. This is the story of Heather Ellis and Sebastian Romano.
Sebastian lost his wife and unborn child which has left him harden and workaholic. One day he happens to find a stuff animal who his first impulse was to throw it away but there was just something about it that wouldn't let him to it. Then he happens to find out that a little girl lost it and is looking for it...this leads him to meet Heather. Heather is raising her daughter Ava alone and her daughter has a attachment to a stuff animal named "Wolfie". Ava didn't tell her mother at first that she had lost it but when the night came to put her to bed of course the stuff animal is missing upsetting Ava. Sebastian is hard to like at first but he slowly grew to become softer once he gave into love again and caring.

The story found our hero trying to cope with the loss of his wife and unborn child. Who would have thought a stuffed animal beloved by one child, would bring Sebastian Romano out of the dark into the light.
The Broken One a second chance at love story, written in the first-person narrative by Ruth Cardello was a good story with a great plot and well-developed character.

I have previously read books by Ruth Cordello and must say that I am a massive fan! Heather is an amazing character! With a huge heart and a wise head, she sucks you in from the first pages. You are rooting for some happiness for her at last, thinking that she deserves it! As a strong independent woman I think she resonates with many people who either want to be like her or who already are.

This emotional billionaire/single mom romance is filled with tender moments, laugh out loud dialogue, and plenty of tear-jerking moments. The kids in the book really bring the funnier, lighter moments to the story -- which help to balance out the sadder, melancholy moments, as our hero mourns his past losses. Heather is a delightfully spunky heroine, who's got her kid's best interests at heart. She may flee from potential heartache, but she's also not going to lose her head over a hot guy who runs charming one moment, and cold the next. And Sebastian has a lot of reason to mourn, but dude has got his emotions locked down so much, he's not even living. But a stuffed animal, and his meddling Italian family, make sure that he doesn't stay that way. A side plot that is clearly meant to be woven throughout future volumes in this series is left open-ended, and was a teensy bit distracting from the rest of the book, but I really enjoyed Heather and Sebastion's love story.

I'm a fan of Ruth Cardello, so I scooped this up day one since it was available in KU read and listen for free. This book was great - it did not disappoint at all.

At the beginning, Sebastian starts off as a cold fish, but with reason. He lost his wife and unborn child years before and he never really quite recovered. Enter Heather and her daughter, and a rogue wolf stuffed animal, and his heart begins to beat again. This was such a well-written story. Really has a lot of depth, and a broad range of emotions going from humorous to heart-breaking to swooney.

It was such a great listen, too. Brian Pallino and Summer Morton do a great job expressing emotion and bringing life to the words on the page. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this one! This is the first book I have read from Ruth Cardello and I look forward to reading more. I love Heather and Sebastian and absolutely adored their story. I can't wait for the next in the series!

The Broken One turned out to be so much more than I expected. Sebastian was broken after the death of his wife and unborn child and wanted to stay that way. He wasn't interested in having a relationship with another woman ever. But when he came across Wolfie, that started to change him. Sebastian is very angry and hurt at the loss of his wife and child, he wanted nothing to do with Heather and her daughter Ava. But there was something about Heather that kept him thinking about her. But can his deep hurt be healed enough to be the man Heather would need him to be?
The characters are fantastic and easy to follow. The plot development was absolutely perfect. I loved this book!

ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So much love to give!

The Broken One is the first book in Ruth Cardello's Coisi Billionaires Series. If you've read stories from this author before you'll most likely already know some of the characters that show up in this book. (OMG Abby as the strict mom!) To understand the family dynamics I would recommend reading some of her other books. Or if you'e like me you'll just eat up them all! I LOVED seeing how so much detail and groundwork was laid previously to connect these wonderful, intricate families.

Sebastian is the broken one. His life came crashing down around him the day he lost his wife and unborn child. He might has well have died with them given how lifeless his life has been since. When he comes across a stuffed toy something makes him return it to Ava. Both Ava and her mother Heather are delighted and thankful to have Wolfie back. Sebastian doesn't want to feel anything again but he can't help it once he meets those two.

This story is another delightful must read. The characters come to life and you not only meet the next generation, but also get to see where characters already dear to your heart are still growing and continue to develop into the best versions of themselves. Ruth Cardello has a way of making you see family in a whole new light. I can't wait to see where this journey takes us next!

ARC for honest review with no compensation received from NetGalley

The Broken One is book 1 in the Corisi Billionaires series by Ruth Cardello. Wahoo...more of the Corisi family and friends!

Judy Corisi has to do a family tree for school but the teacher tells her it’s only immediate family not all the people in her life. When she tells her Dad, Dominic he gets sad so she asks her Aunt Althea (both from the Legacy Collection series) for help to find her Dad’s family but what happens next brings us to the story of Sebastian Romano and Heather Ellis and an underlying story that looks to play out in the next book(s)...

Heather Ellis’s college roommate becomes pregnant and on her deathbed after delivery makes Heather promise to take care of her daughter Ava. She promises to raise Ava as her own. Now a business owner, single parent, no help from family she puts Ava first over everything but when Ava loses her favorite stuffed toy “Wolfy” their lives change forever...

Sebastian Romano, billionaire developer who lost his wife and unborn child years ago has shut off all emotions. When he find a dirty, sticky stuff toy at his soon to be building site, he tells his assistant to throw it way but then sees a post on social media of someone offering a reward for its return...what happens next will change the the lives of Heather, Ava and Sebastian...forever.

Tears, sadness, chuckles, second chances, healing, an emotional read which keeps you turning the pages to see if they find their HEA and answers to Judy’s family tree???

It's my first book by the author and I'm glad that i choose to read her. This book's the first in a new series and there are a few characters that apparently were in other books as well but i felt like it's safe to read it as a stand-alone. It's an interesting story, i liked the writing, it's rich and the characters grow a lot throughout the pages. their interactions are funny for the reliable situations and the honesty and openness it's a fresh breeze to this love story. There are many hot moments between them as well and overall it's a great enjoyable read.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Broken One is the first book in the Corisi Billionaires Series and what it an emotional journey it was! Ruth Cardello has managed to deliver a great story full of relatable characters that will have you rooting for then until the very end.

At the beginning of the story we are introduced to Heather Ellis, who happens to be a mother to four-year-old, Ava and owns an accounting business. As a single mom, Heather has to juggle her career, but she always puts her daughter first not matter what. Having met Ava’s mom in college, they became good friends and roommates. She was there when Ava was born and when Brenda died right after. Heather never imagined herself as a young mother, but took Ava right away and she is not a proud mom to her adopted daughter. But even though she might seem to have everything in order, there are things that she has struggled with since she was younger. It’s her non existent relationship with her parents that makes her want to give Ava the family she didn’t have growing up. It is the minute Ava loses her favorite stuffed animal, Wolfie, that everything changes forever. Who knew that posting an online reward would change the course of her life? When the stuffed animal is returned to her, the mysterious stranger leaves quite the impression on her and makes it her mission to try to get to know him. Neither one expected to have the chemistry that they have right away, but as the two start to get to know each other, they realize that they have to move on from their pasts in order to create a future together.

Sebastian Romano has accomplished a lot in his lifetime. His family business has grown so much ever since he took over and brought him to billionaire status. Yet no matter how much money he has, he’ll never get his wife and his unborn child back. No matter what he keeps telling himself, every year he has to mourn their loss and that has prevented him from moving on with his life. As the oldest, he has been the provider for his family and it’s a task that he has taken very seriously. This has made it difficult for him to give love a second chance, that is until he stumbles across the stuffed animal and finds out about the online reward that gets him interested in the owner. She is everything he wasn’t expecting her to be and he likes that about her. She brings life to him and when he starts to fall for her does he start to think about making peace with his past. Now it’ll be up to him to convince Heather that she might just be the one for him, before it’s too late.

I absolutely loved reading this book! I was a bit confused at the beginning, Judy’s chapter felt a bit odd especially since she is not part of the book itself. Although we get two more towards the end, I’m curious to see where everything is going to connect in the future. I loved the characters, Heather has strong opinions and is very independent to which Sebastian loves that about her. On the other hand, Sebastian has a strong hold on the family business and is a big softy when it comes to Heather. He is overprotective and it shows throughout the story. He might have lost his way after he lost his wife, but he is willing to change for her. This was such an emotional journey for both of them and it was nicely developed. I found myself swooning over the characters and the ending was just perfect. I cannot wait to read what happens next in the series. I would highly recommend checking out this book and any others by the author. :)

I absolutely loved this book!! For me it was like seeing an old friend as the author returns some of the characters I fell in love with in her Legacy Collection series. While it has ties to that series of books these are all new characters and can easily be enjoyed without having read the previous books. Although if I were you I would grab those too! The author also seems to have returned to her previous writing style that I have been missing in some of her recent work. With this book we get new set of fresh and intriguing characters, a big boisterous Italian family, a passionate and delightful romance and just a bit of mystery. I for one can not wait to read more about the Romano family and discover what ties they may have to the Corisi family. I definitely recommend this book to everyone.

I'm so in love with The Broken One. You fall head over heels in love with Heather and Ava. I love this mother-daughter duo. Ava is such a sweetheart. Once you get the background of Heather and Ava how can you not fall for them both. Then there is Sebastian. He comes off arrogant, unemotional, unfeeling at the beginning. But you know there is more to him hiding. I love that little push he gets from his family. There is just so much underneath the man that is Sebastian. I love the chemistry between Sebastian and Heather. This is a sweet read filled with a little laughter, a dash of sadness and a whole lot of love with new beginnings. I loved everything about this one.

Amazing start to this new series. It starts with Judy, a girl trying to find her father's relatives for a family tree project, this story is an ongoing one and I hope to read more in the following books from the series. Then we have Sebastian, a man that lost everything he loved her pregnant wife, then we meet Heather, a single mother posted a reward for her daughter's favorite stuffed animal. Sebastian finds it and goes to return it, then everything changed. This book has other characters from previous books, but it's a new series so it can be read as a complete stand alone. There are some hilarious scenes and some truly deep emotional ones as well.

When I first read a book by Ruth Cardello (Das Dienstmädchen des Milliardärs/Maid for the Billionaire) I did quite like it even though it wasn’t the best love story I’ve ever read. I especially didn’t like the 50 Shades of Grey-thing it had going in the beginning. But the blurb of The Broken One sounded really good, so why not give the author another try? And this time I was not disappointed.
One of the best things about this book is actually not a „thing“: it’s Ava. Heathers adopted daughter is one of the most adorable children ever. I also liked that she wasn’t just a way of getting the whole story started and then be pushed to the side, always being looked after by people other than her mother. In The Broken One, Ava is actually quite often getting in the way, delaying dates and makes Heather’s life that much more complicated.
The family generally plays an important role, both in Heather’s and Sebastian’s lives. Heather tries to raise Ava in an environment as happy as possible even though the contact with her own family is not very good. Sebastian, on the other hand, has a big and loving family that supports him. He is still struggling with the fact that his wife and unborn child died but at the same time really cares for the little family unit of Heather and Ava.
I really liked that Sebastian and Heather actually talked to each other. When they realize that they’ve made a mistake they apologize and talk it over. But they also discuss topics like their hopes and wishes, their pasts.
In addition, this book is really funny in this awkward, blurbing-out-whatever-is-going-through-one’s-mind way. And in the same way, Heather and Sebastian talk about sex which often makes things embarrassing. However, I’m a big fan of talking about sex in whichever way works best for the couple so that’s a big plus in this book.
All in all, I’ve got to admit that I am quite surprised how well I liked this book. Heather and Sebastian, as well as other people in the book, were really likeable, Ava is a pleasure to read about and it’s quite funny.

I want to give this more than 5 stars! I love Ruth Cardello's writing and this book was a major hit. Although you don't need to know any of the books in her other series to love The Broken One, having that history makes this story extra special. Judi's portion alone is something to love.

While Heather is alone and raising her adoptive daughter, she does have friends that support her and give her love that she longs for from her family. Little Ava is completely precious and heartbreaking when she loses Wolfie. Who else would bring the stuffed animal back but what seems to be the Big bad Wolfe himself...Sebastian Romano. Sebastian is heartbroken after the loss of his wife and unborn child and has shut himself off to others in so many ways that he doesn't even know how to interact with Heather and Ava once he returns Wolfie. But there is something there between these two that is completely undeniable.

I loved the pace of this book and the unraveling of the romance with Heather and Sebastian. These two give you hope for love when someone feels it is a complete lost cause. I fell for the Romano family and cannot wait to read other books in this series. The mystery surrounding Judi's mission is interesting and I cannot wait to see how it comes back to Dominic Corisi.

Thanks NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC.

An enjoyable read, this was my first for this author. I enjoyed the storyline and really liked the main characters. It was well paced and held my attention the whole way through. I will definitely be checking out more of this authors books.

In "The Broken One" by Ruth Cardello we meet Heather, her adopted daughter Ava, and a broken man Sebastian. When their lives collide, both have to think whether they have a future together.
I liked this book. Cardello writes about tragedy, friendship, new possibilities and hope. I was rooting for Heather and Sebastian from the start and really enjoyed how Ava was portrayed. Not many people know how to write children well. I am definitely curious about Sebastian brothers and can't wait to read their stories.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.