Thank you to NetGalley for this E-ARC.

Wow. This book is beautiful. So well written. So enthralling. And so spicy. In a calm, nice way. Nothing that had me clutching my pearls. Just casually covering them. Nice spice.
I cried. Which I do to most books with any sad feelings. But in a beautiful way. It only slightly broke my heart.
It does have one of my least favorite tropes but it’s okay. I kind of knew it was coming.

Davina met her soulmate. The love of her life. And then he gets sick. And he doesn’t make it. She’s getting through life. Struggling a little. Doing her best.

She has a skincare company. And through that company, she meets Deke. A professional NBA player. What an interesting meet.

Deke has everything he’s always wanted. He’s rich. He’s signed to the NBA. He drives a black Ferrari. That’s all you need, right? Life complete? Wrong. Deke has some sadness too.
He is also enthralled by Davina.

It’s an interesting will they/ won’t they. With the most amazing spice. It’s well done spice. Spice I enjoyed reading.

Read this book. You’re welcome in advance.

This was a moving, emotional and captivating story.

Following the loss of her husband to spinal cancer, Davina is doing her best to carry on, growing her skincare business and taking each day a step at a time. She's not looking to move on or be attracted to the irresistible basketball player she just signed a contract with...

Deke, however, has other plans. There's nothing he can do to get Davina off his mind, and as they grow closer, email by email, he knows he won't ever be satisfied with just being friends. Does he have a chance, or is it just too painful?

This was a lovely read and had a bit of everything. Some of the terminology and phrasing threw me off, but overall, it was a great book that captured the pain and challenges associated with loss and finding yourself after it.

Wow, what an emotional experience I had while reading this book. I will forever cherish Beautiful Broken Love. There are no words that can express how I’m feeling.
I’m a huge basketball fan so it was an automatic read for me.

This book was a mixed of emotions, romance, depression domestic violence , amazing friendship bonds and family dynamics. This was absolutely perfection!
It was a beautiful love story that was well written.
It dealt with different stages of grief, which can be hard for anyone to read but the way Shanora writes it. You are just captured by the story and feel so connected to the characters.

I don’t want to ruin the book for anyone, but I will highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

This was a beautifully written and poignant love story. We meet Davina as she is navigating her grief of losing her beloved husband. The author did a good job exploring all the mixed emotions that we feel, the pain and loss, remembering the love and the anger too. From the moment Deke and Davina meet there is an obvious attraction but Davina is not ready. I liked how Deke became a friend first. One who despite still dealing with his own unresolved issues was there for Davina any way she needed him to be. Although there is red hot passion the love grows gently between them and I felt that this was more realistic. Knowing that this book came from the heart of the author only makes it even more special.

The title alone is a good indicator of the story you’re about to embark in! I was hooked from the beginning as I was introduced to Davina and Deek’s emotional journey!
Oh the journey this author created for these characters was mesmerizing and compelling!
Brimming with emotions, hot passion, this is a thoughtful and soulful story of grief and finding love again. So realistic and so relatable, once I started reading I was hooked! Even after I finished I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters.
A must read!

Davina recently lost her husband and has thrown herself into her own company to avoid dealing with the grief of losing her husband.
Deke, an NBA player who she gets as a spokesperson to represent her brand.
When Deke meets Davina, he immediately feels a pull toward her. The sadness in her eyes mirrors his own.
They start a friendship, and he becomes her confidant, the person she can speak to about her grief.
What I like about Deke is that he's very patient with Davina and never pushes her for more than she is ready for. He waited for her until she moved to take their relationship to the next level.
This is a tremendous love-after-loss romance. The author does a great job describing Davina's journey with grief, including all of the ups and downs.

The author does a great job portraying Davina's journey with grief. I felt the hero's Deke journey with grief was not given the same priority. We learned that he is also dealing with an uphill battle with brief through his POV, but I believe all that was pushed towards the end of the book, wrapping it up in a little bow, and I feel rushed. This book highlights the heroine's journey and her dealing with her loss and grief throughout most of this book; I wish the hero's journey had been highlighted more in the story to have an equal balance.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the arc for this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Davina, who lost her husband, is a woman from the first page who if filled with love because if she wasn’t would her grief be so immense? Her journey with Deke was a slow one in the context of the book progress but the reward to see her and Deke in end was so beautiful! Grief can last a lifetime and love doesn’t care about timing are two things I took away from this book.

The author portrayed a beautiful love story that was patient and understanding. Love growing in tandem with grief. I think a lot of people need to read this! A letter to those moving on with grief because at the end of the day, we all deserve happiness even after loss.

TLDR; beautiful story with deep emotional aspects. Be sure to check her trigger warnings before diving in ❤️

Thank you NetGalley, publisher, and Shanora for early access to this title!

Beautiful Broken Love by Shanora Williams is an emotional and heartwarming story about healing and second chances. Davina, a strong and determined woman, is grieving the loss of her husband while focusing on growing her skincare company, Golden Oil Co. When she meets Deke Bishop, a charming NBA star, for a potential endorsement deal, sparks begin to fly, but Davina isn’t ready to open her heart again.

The slow build between Davina and Deke feels genuine, as their connection grows through emails and texts before evolving into something deeper. Deke’s charm and patience make him an endearing character, and their chemistry is undeniable. Davina’s journey of grief and rediscovering hope is beautifully portrayed, making her a relatable and strong protagonist.

This book is an emotional rollercoaster with moments of heartbreak and joy. If you enjoy stories of love, loss, and finding the courage to move forward, this is a great read!

It's been ages since I've read a book from Shanora. When I saw this cover I thought it was gorgeous and then I read the blurb and knew I had to read it.

This book is about Davina and Deke. The story is touching, tragic, deep, emotional and healing. We have a broken heroine and a broken hero. Its also friends to lovers.

I really did enjoy this. It was so nice getting to read Shanora's words again

Beautiful Broken Love was a good read! Davina recently lost her husband and is still very much grieving but she throws herself into her company - Golden Oil Co. Deke Bishop is a hot NBA player who is about to have an endorsement deal with Davina's company. Deke is intrigued with Davina from the start but she's not ready for anything but friendship so she pushes back. They end up emailing, texting and Deke ends up breaking down some of Davina's walls but she's still hesitant. I liked Davina, despite everything going on in her life, she was strong and seemed like a great woman. Deke was charming. I liked the chemistry between them!

Such a beautiful story. Now I've discovered Shanora I will be reading so much more from her, Bravo!
It follows Davina who is grieving the loss of her husband whilst still working hard to expand her self-built skincare line, Golden Oil Co. She takes a chance to pitch a collaboration with NBA star Deve Bishop. He's very charming and Davina can't help but feel he's more than flirting with her. She isn't interested, trying to navigate her emotions and also what others would think of her getting involved so soon after loosing Lew's.
Deke is more than attracted to Davina, not knowing anything about her past when he discovers she has recently lost her husband, he reaches out to offer her a friendly shoulder, he understands grief and can't bear to see her cope alone.
Told in dual POV which I absolutely love. Their is plenty of spice and so well written too, its very hot but so appropriately done. Reading Shanora's acknowledgments was beautiful and totally understood as she was able to write this story with so much compassion and raw emotions.
Thank you NetGalley, Shanora Williams and Montlake for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

This was such a heartfelt story. After losing her husband, Davina throws herself into her skincare business. When she notices a star basketball player commenting about his dry skin, she sees an opportunity to promote her brand. She reaches out to Deke’s manager, hoping he might consider being an ambassador, though she doesn’t expect him to endorse her small company.

Deke doesn’t need the money, but knowing his sister loves Davina’s products, he agrees—thinking he might score some freebies for her. However, the moment he meets Davina, he’s captivated and eager to find ways to spend more time with her.

Davina, aware of Deke’s reputation as a player and put off by his confidence, isn’t interested in a relationship. Still grappling with her grief, she doesn’t reveal her husband’s death. Deke, unwilling to pursue a married woman, is caught off guard when he learns the truth. Having experienced grief himself, he offers his support, even if it’s just as a friend.

This beautifully written story captures love, healing, and the power of connection, making it truly unforgettable.

Hmmmm. I struggle a bit with writing this review. Davina is a strong and smart woman who runs her own highly successful company. She also lost her husband not that long ago and is navigating the grieving process daily. Deke is a pro basketball player who Davina signs to be the face of her products. Deke is instantly smitten with Davina, working overtime to connect with her and forge some type of relationship despite the barriers she throws up.

I really did like both Davina and Deke as the main characters. They were easy to relate to. I enjoyed the interactions throughout the book with their friends and siblings. I think what I struggled most with that I didn't really feel the connection between Deke and Davina. He seemed so into her from the very beginning but I didn't feel their connection. I didn't get a sense of any growth of their relationship beyond the physical. I also felt like the first half of the book was kind of slow and dragged, but the second half was too fast and things were happening at a rapid pace. I wish I could have felt more of a connection between Davina and Deke. All in all I think this story was just ok for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Declan (Deke) is instantly attracted to Davina when he meets her at a work-related meeting. Unfortunately, Davina is still grieving her late husband who has passed away less than a year ago.

Despite that, Deke and Davina continue to keep in touch via email over the next few months. Deke is desperate for their relationship to move beyond friendship but is Davina ready to move forward? Read this to find out.

This was not just a book on romance in my opinion. There was a lot of airtime on grief and how it affects both our main characters. They also choose to deal with it in their own ways and as mentioned in the book, grief can come and go and hit you hard when you least expect it.

I loved those initial flirty emails and the eventual texts which they shared. It formed a strong foundation of friendship which allowed their relationship to grow further. The ending was a beautiful one reminding us that though we are broken, we can still find beautiful love.

You can always trust Shanora Williams to deliver angst and she delivered it plenty in Beautiful Broken Love. Deke and Davina are two broken souls and this is the journey of how they became whole again, with each other. The author twisted the metaphorical knife in my chest repeatedly and took me to the deepest part of emotional hell but the whole story carried a strong pull of hope and healing. It was slow burn but when the chemistry exploded, it was pure fire. They are both so amazing human being but their past are dragging them down. Guilt, pain, anger, sadness.. they had it all. But love swept off everything dark and they found HEA.

* friends to lovers
* sports romance ( NBA star)
* BIPOC characters
* angsty romance

Davina has lost her husband to cancer just few months ago. Her skincare brand is just getting successful and work is the only thing keeping her sane. Enter Deke Bishop. NBA star. The new face for her brand. And the man who is making her feel something other than the grief and guilt. Deke can feel Davina is still not at a place to give everything but he will be patient because she is someone special. And he knows trauma. But how long..

Deke has such a magnetic presence. He is confident and sexy and charming. This man walks and talks and oozes sex. You wouldn't know the NBA superstar is hiding so much pain. On the outside, he is living his best star studded luxury life. But inside, there is an emptiness. He is kind and hilarious and respectful and hard working. Davina has always fought against odds in her life. She feels she isn't deserving of love. She is stuck in past. It wasn't easy to come out of her self made prison. Deke was a force who hammered down her wall but it was a torturing journey. Davina pushed him away. She ran from her feelings. She retreats into her shell. It hurts me to see such a sweet and amazing and talented and heartwarming person to be in so much pain. She almost lost Deke. But she found the courage. They both had a lot of broken pieces. But together, they make a pretty picture.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

📖: Beautiful Broken Love- a standalone

✍️ By: Shanora Williams-I read The Other Mistress and gave it 5 ✨

📃 Page Count: 383 eBook

🗓️ Publication Date: 12/3/24 | Read 11/27/24

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Montlake, and Shanora Williams for this ARC🏀! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

🌎Setting: Charlotte, NC

Genre: AA Interests, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance

Tropes: workplace romance, celebrity romance, family drama, friends with benefits, mental health


☝🏾POV: dual, 1st person

⚠️TW: grief, death of loved ones, depression/anxiety, suicide-not H/h, parental neglect, child abuse/DV, cancer-just mentioned


🚺Heroine: Davina Klein-Roberts 32, owner of Golden Oil Company (GOC) a self-built skincare line. Husband Lewis died of cancer 7 mos. ago still wears her wedding ring and dragonfly necklace from him.

🚹 Hero: Declan "Deke" Bishop- 33, NBA player on Atlanta Ravens hired to endorse GOC.

🎭Side cast:

• Tisha Cole-Davina's BFF/secretary

• Whitney & Camille-Deke's sisters

• Octavia-30, Davina's sister & Abe-16, Davina's little brother-special needs

•Giselle Grace-Deke's model "gf"

• Javier Valdez-Deke's BFF/teammate, a widower w/ 3 yr old daughter Aleesa

• EJ McCoy-Deke's BFF/teammate

• Chester Hughes-Davina's billionaire investor in GOC

•Gloria Roberts-Davina's ex mother-in-law


🤔My Thoughts: I had trouble with Davina moving on so quickly, but everyone's grieving time is different. Deke wanted Davina from the first time they met and kept pursuing her. I loved Deke's relationship with his sisters Whitney and Camille. They told him the truth and gave him advice about Davina. She was confused about her feelings for Deke and Lewis but wanted to experience sexual desire again. Once Lewis was diagnosed, he pushed Davina away but gave his blessing for her to find love again.

Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
🌶️: Spice 5/5
😭: Emotion 5/5
❤️: Couple 4/5
⭐️: Rating 4/5

My thoughts 💭🥹
Grief. This novel is about grief and how beautifully two people grieving met and learned to let their boundaries down, and to just love on each other and allow themselves to fully soak in being loved on because they deserve. I went into this one blind. I knew I wanted to be introduced to Shanora’s catalog but didn’t know where to start. So I started with her newest. The authors note set the tone for this novel(please don’t skip it). As well as all of the posts the author has been posting to get everyone ready for PUB DAY! I cried yall. I cried last night and cried like a baby while finishing this book this morning. 😭 It was so good. Touched on so many relatable topics. I always say I’m never triggered by the books that I read, but I’ve learned there is a specific topic I’ve been reading about lately that triggers me in a bittersweet way and for that…. I’m giving this infinity ♾️ ⭐️’s.

This is the perfect holiday read as the story sums up on Thanksgiving Day.

Fave Quote: 💕
“We had a love like no other — a beautiful, broken love that healed us when we needed it most.”

Get this book when it comes out. It’s amazing 💕♾️😭

This was such a touching story. Davina’s husband died and since then she’s buried herself in her skin care line. When she see a star basketball player make a comment about his dry skin she sees an opportunity to get her business out there. Davina reaches out to Deke’s manager asking if he’d be an ambassador for them. Not really getting her hopes up that he would endorse her small company. Deke doesn’t need the money but he knows his sister loves her products and figures maybe he could get free stuff for his sister. But as soon as he walks into the meeting and meets Davina he wants to do whatever he can to spend more time with her. Davina has heard the rumors about Deke being a player. And his arrogance further confirms it. The last thing Davina is ready for is a relationship. So she doesn’t let Deke know that her husband has died. And Deke isn’t going after a married woman. But once he finds out about her husband he knows what grief is and wants to be there for her even if it’s just as a friend. This was a beautifully written story.

It’s been months since her dreams of forever were brutally shattered. Seven long months since her husband and soulmate, Lew, died in her arms, leaving her to carry on. Alone. And Davina Klein-Roberts still isn’t sure how to move forward.

To escape her anguish, Davina throws everything into work, pushing Golden Oil Co., her self-built skincare line, to become a viral success. Now she’s poised to clinch a major endorsement deal too. But it’s bittersweet without Lew by her side.

A meeting with Deke Bishop, the hot NBA star she’s courting for her brand, leaves Davina flustered. With his dimpled smile and warm handshake, Deke’s a natural pitchman. And he’s clearly interested—not only in her lotions.

Davina soon discovers that Deke’s more than just another player and carries his own pain. But as her feelings for him grow, so does her guilt. Will the pain of a future already lost keep her from embracing hope for a new one?

Such a beautiful story. The characters have a way of being relatable. You can almost imagine yourself in their world. I really love the author's writing style. Will recommend to others.

The way this story unfolds kept me invested all the way through. There’s something about the characters' journey that feels real—both the passion and the emotional depth. I’ve always been into basketball players, so that angle was a nice touch.

What I really appreciated was how the book didn’t just focus on the romance. It touched on new beginnings and self-belief, which made the characters' growth feel authentic.

The romance had the right amount of steam, with plenty of chemistry between the two. But it wasn’t just about the attraction; it was about how they supported each other and helped each other grow, which made their relationship feel much more meaningful.

It was a story that balanced both intensity and emotional growth in a way that kept me fully engaged. The mix of passion, personal growth, and connection made it a satisfying read.