Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this book for an honest review

This was a great book that made me get emotional more than once, plus I could relate to so much as well when it came to certain things.

I also thought that this was written beautifully and had good character growth, I have instantly become a fan of this woman's writing and cannot wait to read more.

**Book Review: *Beautiful Broken Love* by Shanora Williams**

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*Beautiful Broken Love* by Shanora Williams is an emotional rollercoaster that will captivate your heart and leave you breathless. With a perfect mix of romance, heartbreak, and self-discovery, this book grabs hold of you from the very first page and doesn't let go.

The story follows two deeply flawed but incredibly compelling characters whose connection is intense and raw. Shanora Williams does an exceptional job of bringing them to life, making you feel every ounce of their pain, love, and growth. The chemistry between the characters is undeniable, but it’s their personal journeys—full of turmoil, vulnerability, and healing—that make their story so gripping.

Williams' writing is powerful and evocative, drawing readers into a world where love is messy, complicated, and often painful. But through it all, there’s a sense of hope and resilience that keeps you rooting for the characters, even when their choices seem difficult or frustrating. The pacing is perfect, keeping you engaged with both the romance and the emotional depth, as well as the moments of personal introspection that drive the story forward.

The twists and turns in *Beautiful Broken Love* are unpredictable and add a layer of suspense to the already compelling narrative. The way the author handles the delicate balance between heartbreak and healing makes this book feel incredibly authentic. The secondary characters also add depth to the story, enhancing the emotional richness of the plot.

What truly makes *Beautiful Broken Love* shine is its raw honesty. The book doesn't shy away from the messiness of life, love, and relationships, and it will stay with you long after you finish reading. It’s a beautiful, heart-wrenching exploration of love in all its imperfect forms.

This book is a must-read for anyone who loves passionate, emotional romance stories that are as beautifully broken as they are inspiring. Shanora Williams has created an unforgettable, five-star novel that will leave you with all the feels. Highly recommended!

Davina is still in shock after losing the love of her life, Lew. Her business is thriving but her personal life is in shambles. Deke is an NBA star that crosses paths with Davina for business and then can't get her out of his head. Davina is not ready to move on from her late husband but there is something intriguing about Deke that makes her interested in learning more.

The depths of emotion in this book are so real that it hurts. Williams does a beautiful job of describing grief and feeling torn between moving forward and staying in the past where you loved someone. This book could be triggering for someone currently in the grieving process. If you have a little distance from your grief or want to relate to someone going through it, this book will sit you firmly in those emotions in a beautiful way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC of Beautiful Broken Love.

Davina has thrown herself into her company since she lost her husband. Then she meets a man, a potential associate, who creeps into her heart, filling spaces she thought were long frozen. But she's not ready for a relationship yet, especially with an athlete, one who might have the chance of breaking her already broken heart.

Deke (Declan) too has his own pain, his own grief, and something in him recognizes it in Davina, even if he's not quite conscious of it at first. He didn't become a professional basketball player by giving up on the things he wants, and he's not about to give up on Davina's heart, even if he has to gently woo her, for a long, long time, long enough to help her see how beautiful they can be together.

As this story is about grief in more than one form, I could feel Shanora's grief in every word, her grief over the loss of her brother. It actually gave this sports romance a layer that not all sports romances have. And though Deke and Davina's story deals with a heavy subject, there are as many moments of light and healing, that it's not too heavy to fall in love with both the couple and their story. In short, this is a sports romance that's more than just a sports romance - it's a heartfelt, uplifting, and beautifully told love story with two perfectly imperfect characters who fall in love.

I went into this book blind sighted. I loved the romantic plot and all that angst. This is what happens in real life after all! Definitely recommend!

Davina and Deke's journey through their pain and the way they supported each other was genuinely moving. However, their romance felt rushed. While their bond was clear and their influence on each other's healing was undeniable, the "insta-love" dynamic made me wish their relationship had been allowed more time to evolve into something richer and more layered.

Ultimately, this book is utterly heartbreaking, filled with raw emotion and powerful grief. If you’re looking for a book that will break your heart then help you pick up the pieces, this is definitely the book for you!

A passionate and deeply reflective Black romance between a recently widowed entrepreneur and the basketball player who signs on to be the ambassador for her skincare brand. The work done in the character of Davina as she navigated her grief and also gave herself permission to love was impeccable. The way Deke loves on Davina and gives her the space to unpack her feelings for him while dealing with her guilt is beautiful. Deke’s character development was also spectacular, and I loved how Williams took the time to explore the true depth of Deke’s emotions in regard to the trauma in his background.

Really enjoyable pallette cleanser between Fantasy reads. The rance was magnificent and soul wrenching. Highly recommend!

This was it was a story that burrowed into the raw places of grief and emerged with a fragile, yet powerful, message of hope and love. Overall relationship blossomed slowly. The author didn't shy away from the complexities and messy realities of processing loss.

So... I cried, I cried a lot with this book, then I had to pause and go back to read, then pause again and on and on. Davina and Deck story really made me sad and happy at the same time and if you read the book you know why.. I think it's impossible not to like and moving after a loss isn't easy, personally the author really made a good job on that.
My first book from this author and I'm not disappointed

I found this to be a cute read about life, loss and moving on to love again. The characters were well developed and I did like the storyline which went along at a quick pace. I liked that all of the characters in the story had a part to play and I think that there maybe another couple in there that a book could be written about.

This was my first book to read from this author. The story is told in Davina and Deke's alternating POV. The writing was okay, but it was just very slow-moving. Davina has recently lost her husband and that aspect tugged at heartstrings but there wasn't much of her actually grieving so it felt a bit odd it was such a major aspect of the story.

I love everything Shanora writes and this one was no different! Her books always leave me with a book hangover and wanting more! I really appreciated the sensitivity with this one and it being a tribute to her brother. Amazing story as always!

This was my first book by this author and I’m so glad I gave it a read! The writing was so so good and the characters had me gripped from the very first page!

This is the first book I read by Shanora Williams and I was really impressed with her writing. This was definitely an emotional book but it was still a beautiful story. I didn't want to put this book down. I was hooked from the beginning until the end.

Davina recently lost her husband and is poring her life into her company when she meets Deke, an NBA player who will be representing her product.
Drake is also grieving so the last things these two are thinking about is a relationship. But when friendship starts to become more because of their chemistry will they let love win or will they just stay friends?

This book will have you going through all of your emotions but even though their dealing with trauma and grieving, this book will have you smiling and swooning as well. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Thank you for a copy of Beautiful Broken Love. While I really have enjoyed her previous books, this was just okay. I think I prefer her thrillers. Overall, the writing was good and the story was just okay.

What can’t Shanora do? She pulled me in with her thrillers but this?? Incredible. Such a beautiful book that deals with trauma and grief…blown away as always by Shanora and her writing!

A very poignant read. It was a heartbreaking, yet inspiring and captivating romance novel that takes the reader on a very emotional journey of grief and trying to stay afloat.

It was a little samey at times for me and I felt like that took a bit away from the book with regards to how much I was enjoying it. I wanted more and a for the story to flow a bit better than it did.

It was a good read and I enjoyed reading Williams for the first time but I felt the second half of the book wasn’t as strong as the first.

ARC provided by Montlake via NetGalley

While I found this story to be a bit heavy it was so beautiful! I loved the characters so much and how they developed as the story progressed. I haven’t stop thinking about this love story since I put the book down!

A woman grieving the recent loss of her husband and trying to keep her growing business afloat. Most of the time she seems like she's recovering just fine and then those moments of sheer loss hit her like a truck. That's Davina. Her husband recently passed away from cancer and she's still trying to navigate her new world without him there. She has her successful skin care business growing and has even developed a new brand partnership with a very popular NBA player.

As she meets Declan (Deke) to kick off their brand partnership, sparks start flying in all directions. They are very much into each other and want to explore things, but Davina is still processing so much from her loss. Thankfully, Deke knows his own loss and sees in her what others don't - the need of someone to be there.

As their friendship grows, so does the attraction and it starts to explode between them. I loved how casual this story felt, even with all the heavy emotional pieces that make up this book, it never felt rushed or filled with unnecessary moments. Every single interaction felt needed as I watched Davina's soul start to come back together and for her to realize it's ok to be happy, even when she feels like she should never move on from her husband.

Not to mention that Deke was about as amazing as a guy could get. Even though you know he's anxious to be with her, he understands how slow things really need to go if he wants to keep her and Deke is all in with Davina. He wants everything she has to offer and more.

Emotionally gritty with it's focus on lost love, but shines hopeful with the coming of a new chapter of love for these characters!