I just started reading and I couldn’t stop. Literally I devoured this book.

Catherine Bybee wrote such a magnificent journey about families, strong heroines with big hearts and relatable; heroes that would steal your hearts, a story that remains nuanced and subtle. Some parts that would resonate with readers. Moments of emotions that go right in the feels.

Brooke is a strong heroine portrayed with fragility, brave, sincere and caring. A woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and not willing to waste time after everything she went through. I’ve been moved by her history and how she became the woman she is now.

Luca and his daughter…All the swoons and love for them. He was just one of a kind. Damn my heart. Being the best father he can be for her daughter, always here when needed and protective as hell for the women he cares and loves.

Both were struggling with her own issues but managed to find their way when it fell apart. Acting like partners and communicating, supportive of the other, being each other’s rock in rough times. I was so in love with Brooke, Luca and his daughter Francesca.

I adored this first installment, a touching story full of unexpected turns for the main characters with so many wonderful people each of whom have for sure interesting stories to tell (I was thinking about Luca’s brother and sister).

Can’t wait to read more!

WHEN IT FALLS APART (The D’Angelo’s Book #1) by Catherine Bybee is the first book in a new contemporary romance series featuring the very tight knit Italian D’Angelo family who own and live above their restaurant in the enchanting setting of Little Italy in San Diego, California. Each book will feature one of the D’Angelo siblings and their HEA romances.

Brooke Turner has an on-line marketing career which works well with her partner who is a travel blogger as they travel more than they are home. Brooke receives a call from the hospital that her father is very sick and needs surgery. She just got him back on his feet after a lengthy recovery from a stroke and now she needs to leave again. This blows up Brooke’s relationship even though Brooke’s father was never much of a father, she still feels responsible to help him since he has no one else.

Luca D’Angelo is the eldest son of three children and a single father to a young daughter. Since the death of his father, he runs the family restaurant with the help of his mother, brother, and sister who all work there and live above the restaurant. When his mother talks to Brooke when she visits the restaurant and discovers she is looking for a place to rent, Luca’s mother rents the top floor apartment to Brooke. At first Luca is worried about this stranger living in the family building, but he soon learns of Brooke’s difficult life and current problems with her father and only wants to help.

They develop feelings for each other, and Brooke loves Franny, Luca’s daughter. They want to take it slow, but in Little Italy everyone knows everyone else’s business and the nonnas are always looking to match their loved ones. When Luca’s ex-wife shows up, will their fragile romance survive, or will it all fall apart?

This is one of those stories that pulls you right in and keeps you there until the HEA. Brooke is an amazing person despite her terrible upbringing. She is loving and always giving to her own detriment many times. Luca is the handsome Italian single dad whose momma raised him right and he is a chef. Who wouldn’t fall for that? The entire family, neighbors and secondary characters are brought to life with realistic and difficult situations that many of us have or will face in the future. The H/h in this story face each situation with maturity and open communication. I loved Luca, Brooke and Franny and the entire D’Angelo family.

I highly recommend this wonderful romance and I cannot wait for the next in the series!

4.5 Stars for When It Falls Apart ( The D'Angelos #1)
I was so excited when I heard Ms Bybee had a new series coming out and all I need to say is Brooke Turner and single dad Luca D'Angelo's story is the perfect start to this new series.
Brooke has returned to San Diego's Little Italy to care for her sick father but from the moment she returns she works out that this may not be the best move for her and meeting single dad Luca only adds to her issues. But there are plenty o0f good things to come out of this meeting including Luca's family showing her that the family you love are not always the family you are born into......
When It Falls Apart is an emotional read with wonderful characters, it has the perfect mix of passion, love and witty banter and I'm excited for what's coming next from the D'Angelo Family.

A MUST READ!
Catherine Bybee has got a great new series that YOU have got to read! Her writing just draws you in with her realistic storyline. So much was relatable to me as I read this story.
LOVED the main characters! Loved all the supporting characters except for one. If you read the story, you will know which one.
Reading When It Falls Apart had me laughing, smiling and crying….such a emotional and uplifting story.
I CANNOT wait to read the next book in the series! I’ve been musing on where Catherine Bybee will take the series. So many different ways to go!
When It Falls Apart is the first book in The D’Angelos series. Definitely a 5 star read for me!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Montlake and author, Catherine Bybee, for this wonderful opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are solely my own.

Catherine Bybee tells a story that will comes to life as readers turn the pages. The story is full of heart and soul that readers will be able to connect with and wonder if their story is being told.

The D'Angelos story is one reader will be able to connect with and invest their heart in hopes of the ending we could all hope for in life. This is story will not disappoint. The story is as real as fiction can be with swearing and sex scenes. That being said the author has the ability to connect all aspects of the story that readers will be able to move though the story not wanting to stop.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of When it Falls Apart.

Grab some tissues.

#FirstLine ~ The wretched shriek of the telephone ripped the deep bliss of sleep instantly from her head and had Brooke shooting up off the pillow.

Such a sweet, and heartbreaking story, that tugs at the heart. This story will live in your heart long after you close the book. The characters are those that you can relate to and the struggles and triumphs are those that will resonate with readers. This would make a great buddy read and/or book club pick.

As someone who has taken care of a parent and is planning to care for elderly parents in the future, the main character’s experience really resonated with me. This novel does a great job of portraying the reality of caring for someone — the physical, mental, emotional, and financial toll. I commend Catherine for writing a book that manages to weave the complexities of that experience with the development of new possibilities. Life doesn’t arrange itself neatly!

This book also includes people dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic. It’s not tragic or depressing, but very real. People’s lives don’t magically go back to “normal” and there are ripple effects being felt even now.

I like that the love story between the two main characters begins organically — a person showing kindness to another, seeing someone who needs help, offering assistance without expecting something in return.

I suspect this is the beginning of a new series (those D’Angelo siblings sound like they’re up to something) so I recommend you read it before the other stories are published.

When It Falls Apart is a heartbreaking exploration in the heroine's attempts to juggle her personal life and career with the demands put upon her in caring for her aging parent. Brooke is trying to hold it all together but her life and career fall apart after her father falls ill. She has to pack up her life, put her father into assisted living, end a long-term relationship and try to pick up the pieces of her life. She never expects to find a support system in the crazy chaos of the family she's renting an apartment from. Or find her soulmate in the hot single dad.

I really liked Brooke as a heroine. She had a lot on her shoulders but handled it well. And Luca was so patient and attentive with her when it came to dealing with her father and showing her what a boyfriend should do for his girlfriend. (Seriously, her ex was a grade-A jerk.) Little Franny was absolutely adorable, and I appreciated how Luca and Brooke presented a united front when his ex-wife suddenly reappeared out of the blue.

However, what I didn't like about this book was the style of storytelling.

This book is 3rd POV dual perspective, but I found the transitions really choppy. We get the POV of both Luca and Brooke in the same chapter, sometimes with no clear break between whose view we are reading. I haven't read anything else by Catherine Bybee before, so maybe that is her writing style. But the majority of the books I read are dual POV, and the stories flow so much better with alternating chapters.

There were also a few POV sections with Mama Marie, which I enjoyed. I liked getting her insight to Brooke and Luca's relationship, and how she knew as soon as she met Brooke that she was the one for Luca. But I think those may have worked better as their own chapters when it comes to the flow of the story.

Despite the choppiness of the storytelling, I did enjoy this story and I will definitely check out the future D'Angelo books because I'm interested in what's to come for Chloe and Gio!

I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley and voluntarily left a review.

okay i have read every book by this author and she is my go to feel good contempary writer.. but this book..

THISSS BOOK
was perfection.
There were so many different layers to it. its not oh poor female character . It is so many heartaches for both character, growth and character development all over the place.. and LUCA.. I wish to marry him please!

This book tackled so many different issues such as: abandonment, terminal illness, unrequited feelings, horrendous exes, terrible parents, an amazing family, sweet second chances and so much more than that.

also this author added a touch of spice to this so if hearing that people have body parts isnt for you then skip this

I am so glad this will be a series

3.5 STARS
I am a huge fan of Bybee's romantic suspense works and was excited to read her new contemporary book. I adored the setting and secondary characters. The romance was less than stellar, but still enjoyable. Overall, it was a solid beginning and it has potential to be a great series.

I really enjoyed this read. I appreciated how realistic this story was. I follow Catherine on social media and know how much life imitates art. Brooke’s life isn’t going as planned. Her dad isn’t doing well and she has decisions she needs to make. Luckily for her, she has a best friend who she can lean on and a new home is found for herself and her dad. Her new home is unexpected but she immediately falls in love with the charm of the building, as well as the family surrounding it. The D’Angelos are a loud, loving bunch. They look out for each other. Brooke is unexpected and the chemistry between her and Luca was palpable. I adored their relationship and how he was there for her and she, him. This story was easy to get lost in and I found myself not wanting to put it down. Do yourself a favor and grab this read today!

Whew - Catherine Bybee knows how to write an emotional and poignant story that tugs your heart strings! This book kicks off a new series and I love the D’Angelo family! Luca runs the family restaurant and is raising his daughter with help from his family. Brooke moves to San Diego trying to deal with an aging father with health issues. Such a great story of family and love!

Definitely not one of her lighter reads - especially also being an only child with a father with health issues. Luckily, I have a Luca, not a Marshall. However, I could not put this book down and can not wait for the next one.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When It Falls Apart by Catherine Bybee
The D’Angelos #1

Feel-good family story set in San Diego that was the perfect story to read today. Thoroughly enjoyed watching Brooke and Luca find one another, communicate as adults should, and create a loving nurturing relationship.

What I liked:
* Brooke: creative marketing employee, works from home, responsible for older distant father with failing health, ready to find the fairytale although she might not know it
* Luca: chef, single parent, divorced, from a loving family, great father, wonderful book boyfriend, perfect for and with Brooke
* Franny: Luca’s eight-year-old daughter, abandoned by her mother, adds a LOT to the story
* Joe: Brooke’s father, distant till she was older, no filter, difficult but perhaps charming
* Luca’s family: Mari (mother), Chloe (brother), Chloe (sister) – wonderful, supporting, kind, loving and do hope to hear more about them in the future
* The Little Italy community and how it adds to the story
* Brooke’s friends – there for her at work and in her personal life
* Watching the relationship develop between Brooke and Luca
* Feeling that Luca and Brooke were both mature and deserving of one another
* The way Brooke was there for Franny and Luca when someone showed up that needed to be dealt with
* All of it really…except…

What I didn’t like:
* The difficult childhood that Brooke must have experienced
* The person that showed up trying to make trouble for Luca and his family

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Sweet, emotional, a little sexy, family drama, taking care of a parent, single parent: throw all of those in a bag, give it a shake, and you have a general idea of what Catherine Bybee gives us in When It Falls Apart. I am currently caring for my mother, so a lot of that part of the story hit home for me. This also has one of my favorite things - a big lovable family. This is the first book in the series, and I love how Bybee introduced these terrific characters without losing focus on the romantic couple. Brooke and Luca have such good chemistry. Everything isn't perfect, of course, but I really like that these two act like adults, a refreshing thing in romance these days. If you like stories with lots of family, a romantic couple you can't help but root for, and a sweet little girl, this is one you won't want to miss.

What an amazing and charming love story that will have you laughing, crying and not wanting the story to end. When her father needs surgery, Brooke Turner leaves her current significant other to take care of him. She is saddened to realize that their relationship is over as he will never support her during her time of need. She handles all of her father’s concerns including selling the condo she bought him and locating an assisted living facility that can handle his daily medical needs. When her dear friend takes her for a well-deserved rest in San Diego’s Little Italy, she meets the D’Angelo family. They have the close-knit family she had always longed for. The eldest son, Luca, has a young daughter, Franny, and is divorced from the wife who walked away from them when Franny was three. Renting the apartment above the D’Angelo restaurant opens up a brand-new world for Brooke. She is surrounded by the warmth of an extended family and slowly begins to fall in love with Luca. Is Luca ready to love again and can he give Brooke the family she has always longed for? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

I believe this book will touch many hearts of readers that are dealing with aging parents. A family drama involving the Italian family, the D'Angelos the own a restaurant with plenty of food, wine and love. Full of emotion and romance between Brooke and Luca. Add in Franny, Luca's young daughter, who her mother abandoned her, will pull at your heartstrings.

Brooke is in the process of putting her father in a nursing home when she eats at D'Angelo's. Brooke mention's to Luca's mom that she is looking for a place to live and low and behold there is a room available in this building. Brooke and Luca (head chef, single dad and oldest son) share instant chemistry.

This is a story that will grab you from the beginning and not let you go. Rich in emotion and the love of family. Get yourself a glass of wine and enjoy. Can't wait to read more of this family. I read through my kindle unlimited.

I received an advanced reader copy to leave an honest review of this book. I am a big fan of Catherine Bybee's works and am excited about the start to this new series. I love her writing style and the smooth flow of the books. This book did not disappoint on the romance front. Loved the relationship that were established both past and present.

This book follows Brooke and Luca. Brooke is recently single, helping her dad move into a assisted living center and uprooting her whole life for a fresh start. She has major relationship issues seeing as how her father she didn't meet until she was a teen and he was never there for her and her mother was not a good role model. Luca is the oldest of three in an Italian family, runs the family restaurant and is divorced with a young daughter. He is very much old world views when it comes to relationships. When Luca's mother rents out the top floor of their home to Brooke, Luca is skeptical at first. Brooke is not very open which is the way his Italian family operates. Slowly he begins to see the real Brooks and vice versa and a friendship (and eventually a romantic relationship) blooms. However soon Luca's ex is back to try to win him and his daughter back although Luca senses ulterior motives. Brooke isn't sure she can trust that Luca won't go back to her.

This book was so great...I loved the dynamic of all the relationships: the family, Brooke with her dad, with Franny (the daughter). There is just so much to this book. It has great heart to it but you will still get that romantic feel and fall in love with the characters.

I recommend reading the acknowledgement at the end also. It is amazing to see the inspiration for this book for Bybee and how close to home this hits for her.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first in a new series, and I am really looking forward to reading future installments, as I am already invested in this family. I love romances set in restaurants with broody, sexy chefs... so this was always going to be good plot-wise, but I am also a big fan of the very talented Catherine Bybee – which made this a definite win-win!

Brooke has to make a difficult decision when her father needs help, and her boyfriend refuses to be patient. She ups sticks and moves to San Diego – not back to her father's dreary hometown, but close enough to be there for him.

Luck (and a somewhat interfering possible mother-in-law) gives Brooke the opportunity to live in a small, top floor flat above an Italian restaurant. Now she finds that she is being adopted by the family, especially Luca's young daughter, Franny, and it feels good. Brooke and Franny have something profound in common, and that link between them is a beautiful bond. It is always important that along with the passion of the main characters, the child is not neglected – that is dealt with so organically here, that it enhances the progress towards love of Luca and Brooke.

Knowing that we are going to get more goodness, more sass, and more family from this new series is very gratifying!

WHEN IT FALLS APART is the first book in The D’Angelos series. I was drawn in from the very first page, unable to put the book down until the last. The author did a terrific job of making the characters seem real—a few of which I really didn’t like!

Mainly set in San Diego, the locations, the scenery, and the beautiful weather are wonderfully described. When Brooke and Luca unexpectedly meet in his family’s restaurant, little does he know what his kindness will lead to. There is an instant attraction, but neither will initially own up to it. But when they do, look out!

Brooke’s dad has to make peace with where life has taken him: both where he lives and his health issues. He should be appreciative that Brooke drops everything and always comes to his rescue since he never came to hers when she was growing up. Her ex-boyfriend doesn’t like the fact that her dad comes first, and feels the older man’s behavior is selfish no matter what Brooke is dealing with. Luca is so different from her ex and she can’t believe she put up with his behavior for so long. In addition, her best friend is always there for her, and I loved their friendship.

I liked the family dynamics of the D’Angelos as well as how all of the neighborhood of Little Italy is there for one another. Brooke soon feels embraced by all. Luca’s daughter is a wonderful addition to the story, and I love how she and Brooke bond. His ex-wife is very unlikable. I’m so glad that the D’Angelos and Brooke are always there to make things better for their family unit. There’s romance and a terrific love story along with rich family interactions–all of which make for an enjoyable story. The next book in the series is coming soon. I look forward to reading BE YOUR EVERYTHING, which is Chloe’s story.

💭 When it falls apart is a wonderful start of a new series. The author is well known for her immersive story telling, where flawed characters find their lows and highs throughout this world that she created.

Many of her stories are very reliable and this one did not differ from her past ones.

Brooke is going back to her hometown, where life is not what she was expecting. Having to deal with an ailing father and meddling mother, she needs to take a breather.

And that break is found in the arms of a single dad, Luca.

Luca’s family is bigger and welcome Brooke with open arms.

I loved all these secondary characters’ interaction and how the meaning of a real Italian family is shown through them.

Big family gathering, delicious food and always there for each other.

A beautiful story about a second chance at love and life that will warm your heart.