Beautiful Broken Love follows the story of Davina and Deke as they revisit both of their lives most significant loses while they explore their worthiness to pursue true romantic love. This book so beautifully captures both characters experiences with complicated grief as well as their own human experiences of loss. I appreciated reading a book that highlighted racially diverse characters in a romantic dynamic when so many popular romance novels focus purely on white protagonists. It was especially nice to relate to a main female character about her struggle managing her curly hair! That aside I really enjoyed the complex emotions this book presents regarding love and beginning a new romantic relationship. The author did a phenomenal job capturing the depth of emotions both characters displayed in their journeys to falling in love, pushing each other away and reflecting on how difficult it has been for them individually to hold space for the people they’ve lost. My feedback that took away a star for me is how fast the initial romance came on, I as a reader would have appreciated a slower build up. Their engagement in the physical/romantic relationship felt a bit sudden and unrealistic to myself as a reader. Additionally my only other critique would be that the language used to describe suicide should match what is currently recommended by mental health experts. I would highly recommend this read, beautiful love story emotional book! TW: DV, suicide, cancer, death, child abuse/neglect

Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✨ Arc Review ✨

Thanks so much to Netgalley for offering me the chance to read and review this beautiful story.

This was a very emotional read. Grief is very much present in this book. Davina recently lost her husband to cancer, and Deke is no stranger to loss, either. Actually, his feelings really got to me. Especially his anger towards his father. And I guess I'm not such a good, forgiving person, because I don't see myself being able to forgive in that situation.
Although, in their first interactions, it seemed to me that Deke came off a bit strong, and pushed Davina into doing things she wasn't emotionally ready to do, he learned from his mistakes and learned to let Davina set the pace and nature of their relationship.
This is definitely one of those "he falls first" situations. The typical guy who has women falling at his feet, but he's attracted to the one who wants nothing to do with him...in the begining. Her grief was still very fresh and it was very hard for her to allow herself to enjoy life without feeling guilty. Especially when there were people pointing fingers and yelling accusations at her.
Both of the MCs have emotional baggage/trauma connected to their parents and I loved the fact that they helped eachother navigate them and getting closer to healing.
There's also plenty of spice in this one.
I also loved the side characters and I'm very much excited to read Octavia and Javier's story. 🤩

All in all, if you love a strong FMC, and a determined MMC, if you love an emotional read peppered with spicy scenes, and don't mind shedding some tears, if you love reading about MCs who help each other overcome grief and traumas, who help eachother heal, then this book is for you. 😉

This novel explores of grief, healing, and the possibility of new beginnings. The characters were very well thought out and written to perfection.

Goodness the charm and chemistry was just jumping off the page with both Davina and Deke. I loved their intense connection and watching their romance bloom. And though there were many light moments throughout the story, there were also heavy ones too. Discussions of grief, both fresh and from long ago, were at times hard to read but seeing this couple work through the pain was completely worth it. This was really a beautiful story.

𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
4.5 ☆
-
Why was I just sitting on this gem 💎? Why was I delaying reading this gem? I have no clue, but my gosh. I devoured this book in 1.5 days! This is my first read by Shanora Williams, and I didn't know if I would enjoy this book, but as you can clearly see, I did. I enjoy a good second chance at romance where there is NO extra drama, cheating, or OW (other woman) involved. Sometimes, I just want a good, clean romance with plenty of spicy scenes. This book definitely delivers that, but it will also put your heart on a rollercoaster with the trauma both MC had to go through. But the love overcame.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬:
• Second Chance at Romance
• Black Romance
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Dec.3
Thank you, Netgalley, and Montlake for the eBook for my honest review.

#BookReview #Romance #SecondChance #BlackLove #MustRead #Spicy #EmotionalRollercoaster #LoveConquersAll

Make sure you have tissues- you will need them. Shanora Williams packs a punch in Beautiful Broken Love- she makes you sweat (just the right amount of spice), breaks your heart (dealing with grief) and manages to write an amazingly beautiful story. A five star read for me - I can’t wait to read more of her books.

Thank you NetGalley & Montlake for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first time reading Shanora Williams and I hope it is not my last. This is a very enjoyable read and I couldn't put it down. I really loved the characters. Each one I feel like had just enough depth and wonderful personalities.

Dear publishers,

Thank you for letting me read your book.

I really loved the cover! Also I was super exited to get into the story.

Sadly the book couldn't pick me up.. it was probably because of storyline

I have been a huge fan of Shanora Williams since Dear, Mister Black, so that is going back some years. Of course I was excited to see that she was releasing a new book and jumped at the chance to read it. It felt like coming home - the story was so beautifully written and reminded me of why I loved Shanora's books so much. The relationship between Davina and Deke was so perfectly written and I became so invested in their story that I didn't want it to ever end. I can't wait for everyone else to be able to read this, and I wish I was able to read it all over again for the first time.

BEAUTIFUL BROKEN LOVE-SHANORA WILLIAMS - ARC
Beautiful Broken Love is a heartwarming but also heartbreaking story of two people struggling with grief and their own self worth! When Vina and Deke work together there is something more there but can either of them give what the other needs and can they overcome their own struggles to get there?
I hope there is going to be a book two because Octavia and Javier need to happen they are all I can think about now the book is finished!
It's spicy
I loved it! Would recommend it to romance readers!
@rachaelmcreads

A tearful story that sweeps you away in deluge of emotions, yet ends on a hopeful tone.
Shanora touches your heart with beautifully penned story about grief and healing through love. It's irrevocable journey through pain process of losing loved one that triggers Davina Klein-Roberts into downward spiral of depressive anguish. Her salvation comes in form of Golden Oil Company, her creation. It's cathartic and immersive, an escape from her travails.

"Can you imagine half of your heart being ripped out of your chest? The other half keeps beating, but it’s damaged beyond repair, and not a damn thing can mend it."

Deke Bishop, a strapping NBA player is chosen to endorse her products and thus begins the side-by-side March of broken people who inadvertently become co-travellers on the trip out of pain.
The character development, the depth of their personalities, the intricately nuanced sentiments, is where shanora excels over her peers. This particular book stems from her own personal loss and it makes it even more poignant and relatable. None of us are immune to bereavement and struggles to cope with it. Some never recover from the black hole of depression, while others pick themselves up with difficulty, yet manage to carry on. Both are real possibilities.

"Grief is a bitch, and she likes to hit you where it hurts. I swear she’s Karma’s two-faced sister. "

This story let me ponder and consider my own place in the universe and the people who I'll leave behind when it's my time
Thank you shanora for writing a moving testimony and homage to your brother. He seems like a spectacular big brother. Hope you recover everyday.
5 stars for breathing in love, everyday

This was such a beautiful cover, it lured me in, the story was fast and fantastic, it had lots of spice and kept me turning the pages and reading way past my bedtime. I love her writing .

This book was emotional and a tough one to get through! I loved the journey that both Deke and Davina went through to their forever!

Davina and Deke both know loss. Deke saw something in Davina that spoke to him and he knew he had to have her but Davina fought the attraction at every turn because love only strikes once and for her it has happened. As these two journeyed through life together, they found a friendship but when the passion they had couldn’t be held back that passion lead to something Davina wasn’t sure she was ready for!

I loved the tenacity and strength of Davina. Shanora weaved a tale that put you right there with her. You could feel the emotions through the pages and wanted nothing more than to hold her and show her she wasn’t alone. I loved this story and the healing that these two found in each other!

I absolutely love this author and everything she writes. This book....I devoured like all of her others. Thank you so much for the ARC!

I haven’t read a book from Shanora Williams in years, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I ended up enjoying this emotional romance for the most part. The writing style just wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you to #netgalley for this #arc
I usually like Shanora William's books, but the writing on this one was kind of stereo typical in my opinion.
Davina's husband passed away, and she is trying to find a way to move on.
She throws herself into work trying to stay busy and get over her grief.
Soooo of course when she has a handsome basketball player endorse her brand we already know where things are headed. She feels guilty for falling for him, once she realizes that he is actually smarter than she thought he would be. I'm just not a fan of these predictable books.

Wow. I’m speechless… ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an absolutely amazing read. I’m absolutely stunned at how well this was written and love that you could truly feel the emotions the author was portraying.
It’s heartbreaking losing someone and sometimes we forget we need to keep going after. Reading Davina’s journey through loss and new found love really puts it into perspective.

I really loved the characters. Each one I feel like had just enough depth and pretty wonderful personalities. Especially Davina!

I wasn’t expecting this book to have any spice and was pleasantly surprised when it did. Would rate it a 🌶️🌶️/5 on the spice scale. I feel as the balance in the spicy scenes was perfect. Especially for readers who tend to like them on the shorter side but with enough detail to truly picture the event.

If you’re thinking about picking this one up, just do it!

Thank you NetGalley and Shanora Williams for giving me the opportunity to read this. I cannot wait to dig into more books by this author!

I DNF at 49%. Why the 3 stars then? The writing was solid and the characters both had a good support system of friends/family in their corner. The premise was good and I was think the grief of the FMC was handled well and respectfully. I did not finish the book because I don’t love the “athlete playboy” trope all that much. The MMC was a more layered character than first impressions implied, but he was too dismissive of the FMC’s boundaries.
I think there are a lot of people who will enjoy this book, but it wasn’t for me.

This is a love story that is emotional, heart breaking and beautifully written and crafted. I really enjoyed reading it for the themes of healing after a hard loss. The author was incredibly authentic in writing this and made it feel like it was real. Sometimes authors make it more dramatic than it really is and it is such a turn off but the author really handled it well. I also enjoyed the characters having really supportive relationships with their families and friends. This whole book felt realistic to me and it was completely refreshing.


Thank you to NetGalley, author Shanora Williams and publisher Montclair for an advanced reader copy for my honest review of this book that will be releasing on December 3, 2024

What a beautiful and dynamic story! I haven't been able to get Davina & Deke out of my head for weeks.

I have been a fan of Shanora's for years so I jumped at the chance to read this early and she has completely blown me away. I went in expecting one thing and I got even more.

Beautiful Broken Love is deep, touching, emotional, tragic and healing. You can tell this came from such a real and vulnerable place. Shanora's words and message shines through in the most incredible ways, you'll really want to sit with this story but devour each word at the same time.

Poignant, sexy, smart and breathtaking BBL is a new favorite for me!