I’m a little embarrassed to say this is my first Shanora romance! I have fully immersed myself in her thrillers and still my jaw drops just thinking of the twists and turns of her thrillers.

But, oh my heart. I know Williams kills it with writing but I was not expecting such heart wrenching aches and pains in love that she tugged at us with in her latest romance.

Deke and Davina’s personal hardships aren’t lightly thought of and are even harder to let go and live from. These two do a dance of risks, compassion, and overcoming and it’s breathtaking.

The only thing that I was overcome with outside of D and D’s story was the wrenching personal story Williams shares at the end. I’m heartbroken but so, so thankful Williams was able to transfer the brokenness into such a loving experience for all.

Beautiful Broken Love by Shanora Williams is a heartfelt, emotional story about love, loss, and healing. Davina Klein-Roberts is still reeling from the devastating loss of her husband, Lew, but she's focused on growing her skincare brand to escape her grief. Enter Deke Bishop, a charismatic NBA star with his own pain to carry. Their chemistry is electric right from the start, with great banter and a connection that feels natural.

Both Davina and Deke are strong, successful characters, which made them a great match. It was especially touching to see how they supported each other through their struggles. Watching them slowly overcome their personal issues and find hope again was one of the highlights of the book. Their journey felt real, and by the end, I didn’t want the story to be over.

Overall, this is an emotional, beautifully written romance about second chances, and it definitely pulled at my heartstrings.

Oh, my goodness. What a beautiful book. Shanora, your writing never disappoints. Davina broke my heart, and I cried and suffered with her. And although Deje is all smiles, she also comes dragging her own painful story.

Both characters are perfectly written, with good backstories, real and compelling.

The story takes us through how they both get a second chance and how they both heal their grief, it has a good handling of the emotional side and touches well on the issues of depression, domestic violence and suicide.

I am delighted with the book, I highly recommend it.

This story won me over! It was Davina’s transparency as she navigated death and depression. It was Deke’s pursuit of her, unrelenting while he addressed his own traumas. It had a slow start but with each peeling back of the layer behind each character and their pasts the picture became clear. Once we got to the passion…it was HOT and was well with the wait. The characters were relatable. The story over all was beautiful. Would be interested in seeing what happens with this couple as well as Davina’s sister and Deke’s friend! Bravo Shanora! Thank you for creating and sharing this story with us!! 5 stars all the way around!

This was my first book by Shanora Williams and it will not be my last. The premise of the story caught my attention and the way the book was written it held my attention the whole way through.

When we meet Davina she is broken after having to say goodbye to her husband sooner than she thought she would and she believes she will not find love again so she just throws herself into her business. Deke is interested in her when he first meets her but he doesn't let it known right away and although she does admit he is attractive she feels it is too soon to move on so she doesn't want anything more from him than a professional relationship. The more they speak the more Deke breaks down her walls and tries to convince her to give him a chance.

The story goes on from there and we learn that Deke is also dealing with some heartbreak from his past so he understands grief and also knows that it's a process. I liked how their connection just seemed to flow so naturally and how the author showed that you can love again after loss and you don't have to feel guilty about it the way that Davina did in the beginning. It was also nice how patient Deke was with Davina and didn't rush her to be with him regardless of his feelings towards her. While there was some finesse when talking about the sensitive topics in the book there was also that grit and dirtiness when it came to the spicy scenes and I appreciated both writing choices in the book.

There was great character development for both Davina and Deke's characters and I enjoyed the rolls the side characters played in their lives as well. I enjoyed this book but I will say you should check your triggers because there is mention of depression, suicide, domestic violence and death at a young age.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Montlake for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

i was very excited to pick this one up! especially after I saw the tropes for the book on the author’s instagram page. i honestly feel a bit mislead.

this isn’t my first time reading this author, wanting mr. cane is still, to this day, one of my favorite age gap novels. so, obviously, i was excited when i saw that this book will be a friends to lovers, angsty romance. however, i wouldn’t categorize Beautiful Broken Love as friends turned to lovers. it was very insta lusty, Deke had the hots for Davina from their very first meaning, made it clear to her that he was interested. i need to mention that there’s no problem with a story starting like that, obviously. It’s just not what i signed up for. i also had issues with the story, the pacing was off, the characters weren’t delivering in the chemistry department. i feel like I’m being a bit hard on the book, maybe because my expectations were too high.

maybe this was just my luck and this one isn’t for me, but that doesn’t mean someone else won’t enjoy it.

thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review! <3

Ce livre ne sort qu'en décembre mais j'ai eu la chance de pouvoir le lire en avance!

Nous allons suivre Davina qui a perdu son mari, Lew il y a sept mois. Elle tente de se remettre de cette mort brutale tout en gérant son travail. Un jour, elle va faire la rencontre du basketteur Deke Bishop qui va la pousser dans ses retranchements et venir bouleverser...

C'est le premier livre de Shanora Williams que je lis et j'ai adoré la plume de cette autrice! C'est touchant, addictif et beau! Elle parle de sujet comme entre autre : le deuil, la reconstruction après la perte d'un être cher avec brio et justesse. Je dirais que le seul petit bémol et ce qui m'a empêcher d'avoir un coup de cœur ce sont les quelques longueurs au milieu du livre ! J'ai beaucoup aimé les personnages principaux qui sont clairement cabossés par la vie avec leur passé mais qui font tout pour s'en sortir et surtout ils s'aident mutuellement!

En bref, une très belle romance !

This was a easy but emotional reading with loveable characters. It gives me Windy City Series vibes (which I adore!)
Having finished this book I have a lot of emotions around these two characters. Davina is clearly an extremely broken (quite rightly!) and rather vulnerable woman who I was so unbelievably proud of as the book went on. She deserved so much happiness, and whilst I was glad she got it, a lot of the experiences in the book felt a little...unrealistic. I'm not overly convinced that the Davina at the beginning of the book would've made the choices she did at the end, nor would I think she would be happy with the choices.
Deke was lovely and charming, he obviously cared deeply about D but I wished that he'd been more patient with her. If the book had been set a year later, I would've absolutely adored the relationship but it all felt a little too soon.

The miscommunication and conflicted near the end was SO frustrating and a little forced.

Overall, I loved these characters and this world. I want more of their love to shine through and wished the setting had been a little later so the relationship was more realistic.

Shanora is a beautiful writer and I hope to jump into some of her other books as soon as possible! I want a Javier and Octavia book!!

Me choca cuando en la sinopsis te hacen creer que habrá un poco de sufrimiento y al final resulta un instalove.


Se supone que Davina amaba a su esposo, pero no lleva ni un año muerto y al conocer a Deke queda prendada por el. Luego ella misma dice que duda de los sentimientos que tuvo por su esposo y posteriormente resalta que siente y ama más a Deke que al muerto.


Le iba a poner una calificación más alta hasta que llegó la escena se la cena del día de acción de gracias. No entiendo como la mamá de Deke perdonó e invito a ese monstruo y luego el propio D lo perdonó y abrazó, o sea el tipo era un golpeador. Golpeó a su esposa, a Damon y Deke, fue tanto el dolor de Damon que terminó suicidándose porque ya no podía con la situación y resulta que la señora retiró los cargos para que la basura pudiera ir al funeral, pero sorpresa porque unas horas después casi mata a Deke y ahora si se fue a la cárcel, sin embargo, años después la señora lo vuelve a invitar a su vida y a la de sus hijos ¿? Esa rata asquerosa debería estar lejos de ellos.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Shanora Williams delivers an emotional, heart-wrenching tale of grief and second chances in this beautifully written novel. Davina, still reeling from the loss of her husband, throws herself into her skincare business, Golden Oil Co., as a way to cope. When she meets NBA star Deke Bishop, sparks fly, but both are haunted by their own past tragedies. The chemistry between them is undeniable, yet Davina’s guilt over moving on adds depth to her emotional journey. This poignant story of healing, love, and hope will resonate with readers looking for a deeply moving romance with complex, relatable characters.

This is my first time reading this author and I’m not disappointed. The story was beautifully told. I really enjoyed the story and how she wrote the characters.

A beautiful emotional story. I was a huge fan of the fmc. She was so strong. If you love an emotional test spicy read, give this a read.

Thank you for my early copy of "Beautiful Broken Love." It is so beautiful to see love and pain and learn how to love again. I cry when the main characters learn to trust each other and fall in love.

Thank you to the Author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

Do check content warnings before this one.

But if you need a cry then this is the one for you. The pure emotion in this pulled at my heart.

Grief, guilt, love, family, friendship, and some unexpected spice this book had a piece of everything.

This built me up and broke me down made me laugh and made me cry.

Well done Shanora this really was broken beautiful love.

Wow, this book isn’t my normal go to, but wow I really enjoyed reading this! It had me hooked and emotional at times

Beautiful Broken Love focuses on Davina, the owner of GOC, and Declan (Deke), a renowned NBA player. The dual POV chapters provide a deep dive into the minds of both the main characters, allowing readers to experience their innermost thoughts and emotions as they navigate the complexities of their relationship, along with the relationships they have with their friends and family. Davina and Deke are both flawed yet endearing, making it easy to root for them as they face their struggles.

The novel explores the theme of grief in a profound way, showing how Davina and Deke each cope with their losses differently while trying to maintain their relationship. The portrayal of grief is nuanced, highlighting the unique ways it manifests in both characters and the impact it has on their lives.

This is a story that will make you feel a wide range of emotions—whether you're laughing, crying, or smiling, the author’s writing makes every feeling resonate deeply. Shanora Williams does an exceptional job of bringing Davina and Deke's emotions to life, making it easy to connect with their journey.

While the novel is undoubtedly a story of grief, it's also one of hope. Overall, I highly recommend this book and give it 4 stars.

This was such a heartfelt story. Deke was so in love with Davina and it showed from the moment he laid eyes on her. Shanora definitely has a way of pulling at your emotions and making you go through it with the characters. If you’re looking for a sports romance that focuses on the romance with Black characters, you’ll enjoy this book. Great job Shanora, I can’t wait for the next one.

I’ve just sat and read this in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down. Beautiful Broken Love is a well written beautiful story that hooked me from start to finish.

I was totally invested in the main characters and was so hoping they would find the happiness they deserved. The author pulled on so many emotions as she does so well.

I will definitely be recommending this story to my friends.

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. 😉