Broken Dreams by Corinne Michaels is live!
I loved this book! A fun, emotional, swoony and sexy friends-to-lovers, fake dating romance between two widowed single parents. I was so completely wrapped up in this story, and I loved every moment!
Amazon | Paperback
Audio coming 2 December (Narrated by Sebastian York & Kit Swann)
Blurb
What could possibly go wrong fake dating the gorgeous single dad in a small town?
The answer, you fall for him.
It started out perfect. Grady Whitlock needed a plus one for his business meetings, and I needed a date for a wedding.
We had a plan. It was a good one.
Until it wasn’t.
I was not supposed to have feelings for him. I was not going to let my heart race when his soulful blue eyes stared into mine. No way should I have noticed his smile or the dimple on his right cheek or his strong arms when he held me close. I especially wasn’t going to melt when I saw him play with my daughter.
Most of all I was not going to sleep with him.
Nope. None of that was supposed to happen, but it does.
Now I find myself dreaming of him every night. Wishing we were really a couple because the way he kisses me doesn’t feel as if it’s pretend.
But we’ve both watched our dreams shatter, and I can’t handle another broken heart.
Review
5 stars!
I loved this book! A fun, emotional, swoony and sexy friends-to-lovers, fake dating romance between two widowed single parents. I was so completely wrapped up in this story, and I loved every moment!
This is the second book in the Whitlock Family series, and while it could be read as a standalone, it’s set in the same world as the Arrowood series, so we see a bit of that family, and it’s a genuine crossover with the Rose Canyon series. If you’re a Corinne fan, you’ll be in cameo heaven, and I loved seeing so many beloved characters again.
Grady Whitlock is a former military pilot, now a single dad to an adorable three-year-old son. It’s been three years since his wife died, and he has left the military and returned to his home town to be near his siblings and give his son the stable, settled life that he’s dreamed of. And part of his plan to do that includes staying away from relationships.
We first met Addison in [book:Help Me Remember|61028316] (Rose Canyon, #1) when she was newly widowed, and during the course of that series she packed up her life and her baby girl and moved to Sugarloaf for a fresh start. She’s created a great life for herself and little Elodie, and after three years of grieving, she feels ready to get out there and find love again. But entering the dating pool is not as easy as it sounds.
Grady and Addison meet because their kids attend the same pre-school and have become instant best friends. They’re also tied together through friends and family (as is the case in a small town). When Grady realises that he needs to be seen as a stable ‘relationship man’ in order to woo an investor into his new business, and he learns that Addy needs a date for an upcoming wedding, he proposes that they pretend to date. Bonus that it gets their well-meaning, matchmaking friends and family off their backs.
It’s a great set-up, made all the more awesome because Grady and Addison share an instant connection as friends, but they’re also wildly attracted to each other. They’re honest from the very beginning about how they’re feeling and what they want, and they know they want different things. But the fake dating gives them plenty of opportunity to spend time together, and the chemistry becomes harder and harder to ignore… until they can’t.
“Sometimes I wish this wasn’t fake. That all of this was real.”
“There is nothing fake about desire.”
“No?”
“Want me to show you?”
Holy freaking hell, this book is SO freaking steamy! Grady is bossy and a little bit wild in the bedroom. He’s a filthy talker, is supremely confident, and man, he delivers in all the ways. Addison is shy, but Grady shows her things she’s only dreamed of, and the two of them are on fire together. The sex leaves both of their worlds are well and truly rocked, which just makes their situation all the more complicated.
It’s friends-with-benefits, but not. They’re pretty much in a real relationship, but not. They say and do all of the right things, and God, Grady is a dream partner – caring, supportive, funny and so, so damn hot. They both know they’re developing real feelings for each other, but given their circumstances, they’re also holding back.
Addison rests her hand on my chest, right over my heart. “Hope is what keeps us going forward. Don’t ever lose it, Grady.”
“And what do you hope for?”
She pulls her lower lip between her teeth for a second. “Love. I hope for love.”
I wish I could be the one to give it to her.
It’s not easy, but it’s never angsty, because they’re completely honest with each other every step of the way. The emotion is beautiful as they are both coming out of their grief and moving on with their lives in a realistic way – putting their kids first while figuring out what they want and what they need. They talk about all of it, and it’s such a beautiful journey for both of them.
I want this man. I want this man to want me – forever.
I love these characters so much. I love their easy banter and the way they so deeply care for each other and their children. I love that their stories and their feelings are realistic, I love that there’s no unnecessary drama, and I love that they find their way to each other without too much heartache. It’s beautiful and heartwarming, and I was swept up in all of it as they both get the happy ending that they deserve.
“You love me?” …
“More than I ever knew I could. More than I ever wanted to. I love you … and I was a fool to ever think I could stop myself.”
Along the way, there are lots of fun little moments between them, their friends and families. I loved catching up with characters from previous books, and I loved getting to know Grady’s siblings better, and I’m so looking forward to continuing on with this series.
This is a gorgeous read, and a fave for 2023.
5 huge stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Whitlock Family
Forbidden Hearts (#1) (Asher & Phoebe)
Review
Buy: Amazon
Broken Dreams (#2) (Grady & Addison)
Review
Buy: Amazon
Tempting Promises (#3) (Rowan & Charlotte)
Review
Buy: Amazon
Forgotten Desires (#4) (Carson & Brynlee)
To be released 6 June
Pre-order: Amazon
Meet Corinne
Corinne Michaels is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.
Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed–reading and writing were her escapes from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.
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