What’s the perfect recipe for an emotional MMM romance?One autistic coffee shop owner, one morose mug maker, and a mostly cheerful police detective.Fie Morogh Russell goes off to war with a broken heart and returns with a shattered spirit. He hermits away in Bideford, Devon, making mugs, with his service dog, Haggard, for company. Post-traumatic stress turns every memory into a minefield, and … stress turns every memory into a minefield, and life is dismal with one or two rare exceptions.
Davet Heuse drags his younger brother to Bideford for a new start. Both autistic, the two siblings have fought hard to enjoy freedom by the seaside. While Davet runs a coffee shop from his tiny house, his brother pursues his dream at university.
Detective Sidney Little has transitioned from military service to the police force easily. His unrequited crushes and his estranged father are the only points of frustration in his life. He hasn’t quite figured out how to deal with either problem.
When a tragic accident brings Davet’s world crashing down around him, can Fie and Sid help him through the pain of loss?
In this May-December romance with a twist, three men struggle through one obstacle after the other to somehow find themselves in love on the other side.
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Emotional, brilliant, and thought provoking.
All the feels and then some! Poly relationships in books can be tricky to pull off under the best of circumstances without having an odd man out–someone who doesn’t quite fit or isn’t a necessary part in the relationship. Despite that, Dahlia Donovan makes it look like a walk in the park, and she does it with style, giving us a three-man relationship with the May-December trope as an added bonus.
AT WAR WITH A BROKEN HEART is a relatively quick read, but there is a ton of story packed into its just over 200 pages. Each of our three main characters has his own story to tell, each different from the others, but they become wonderfully interwoven as Fie, Davet, and Sidney become more and more important to each other. The book is filled with emotional ups and downs, and the angst level is high, but we also get some terrific banter and well-timed moments of levity to lighten the load.
One of my favorite things about this author’s books is the richness of the characters. While the focus is on Fie, Sid, and Davet, all the characters come to life. Love them or hate them, and we get a mix of both, they feel so real that they practically leap off the page, and they bring an emotional roller coaster with them. I felt Davet’s anguish and grief, Fie’s struggle with PTSD, and Sid’s hurt over a family member’s betrayal. To sum it up, I absolutely loved these guys, and when they hurt, I hurt. When they were done wrong, I got mad.
This story is about the building of a polyamorous relationship, but make no mistake, it’s so much more than that. It’s a story of friendship, family, love and loss, seeing the world a little different than most, and finding those missing puzzle pieces to make our life complete.
A lovely story of friendship and love (with good coffee!) conquering fear, hate and guilt:-)
This was a good story, with an unusual plot that was mostly MMM romance plagued by some unsympathetic parents and the wrenching past experiences of heroes Fie, Sid and Davet. But the author cleverly added a mysterious tragedy in their present which, effectively, starts the ball rolling on their relationship. The ravages of PTSD and survivor guilt are sensitively depicted and autistic Davet’s acceptance and support from customers and friends is touching.
It does get steamy eventually, but I liked that the three spent time easing into the physical side of the relationship to ensure that Davet, much younger than the two war veterans, was ready and comfortable with the way things developed. The cast of secondary characters had a wide range, from Sid’s bossy female colleague Jacinda, to Davet’s horrible parents, Fie’s boisterous, supportive family, and the denizens of their small Devon town.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
In my top 10 in 2019
This is probably one of the best books I’ve read for a long time, one I couldn’t put down before I finished reading it! This was a new author to me, and I am so excited to read more from her. it was so beautiful writing <3
I needed tissues for this wonderful emotional read that has amazing characters, who love and respect and understand each other’s difficulties.
Simply Excellent. This is a gay polyamorous romance wherein each of the three men in the relationship have different reasons to be broken, and the author does an excellent job of showing all the warts yet also showing how they heal each other. Truly an excellent romance, even without my next points.
One of the three men in question is Autistic, as is this reader. And this is one of the better representations of Autism I’ve ever seen in a novel. The author understands Autistics in such depth that she either is Autistic herself or has a very close relationship with an Autistic – I’ve never known anyone else to understand us this deeply. Her discussions of meltdowns and personhood in particular sound identical to what many Autistics describe, including myself.
Overall a truly remarkable work, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Dahlia creates heartfelt stories that stay alive in your soul well after you read the final word.
I love Dahlia’s characters, they’re flawed and human. They make me laugh and cry and feel awkward every time and I always wish their story wouldn’t end. Every time.
Fie and Sid and Davet are a beautiful mess together. Fie with his PTSD, failed hero complex and hatred of socializing and Sid with his hero complex and family drama and Davet… Oh delightfully awkward Davet. To me his autism made him more relatable – more human. His social misunderstanding and literalness I could relate to. And taking a relationship of three and NOT making it lewd. I just love this.
What an emotional and beautiful story.
The defined character make up of these three men stole my heart. The secondary characters were great too.
All three main characters have their own past and future and throughout this story it’s all revealed.
This story is so amazingly naturally written it felt so real. You’re going to feel it all.
Prepare to laugh, cry, swoon, and fall in love. – By Cat
4.5 stars
Heat Level: 3.5
A beautiful healing love story, not like anything else I’ve read!
I loved these characters. They are all broken in there own way and definitely have their own quirks but they fit so well together. I loved Davet and the fact that he’s proudly autistic. The first half of this book broke my heart. It’s tragic and complex and the writing by Dahlia is exceptional! There is so much detail and insight into the autistic mind. As the mother of a gifted autistic son, I loved this approach and I feel I have a little more insight into his mind and emotional wellbeing from understanding Davet. This book is an emotional journey to healing and finding a path through grief. Excellent writing and great depth in the characters, I will hold this story in my heart for a while. Cue book hangover I highly recommend At War with a Broken Heart!!
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What an emotional story this was, and stunningly written. The constantly blowing breeze of comfort and uncomforted throughout this story was so palpable.
The wonderful defined characters of these three men stole my heart, also the secondary characters were wonderfully developed. There are despicable ones who will not be named.
There is Davet, the youngest of the three, owner of Coffee First coffee bar and autist, Fie mug maker, ex military, owner of Haggard his service dog and Sid from the same military service as Fie, now working as police detective and owner of humor and good mood.
They all live in the same small village. And all three are more than attracted to each other.
After a horrible tragedy Davet is left with grief and hurt and the three men are getting closer and closer.
All three have their own past and future and throughout this story it’s all revealed.
This story is so amazingly naturally written it felt familiar and close. So all feelings felt close.
The clear language all three men spoke was fantastic, the no nonsense, straightforward and everybody-just-shut-up attitude, it was delicious and satisfying to witness.
Three men all with their own explicit characteristics finding solace, love and space with each other was more than beautiful.
Thank you lord for clear language! Thank you lord for having each other’s back, through thick and thin. The humor was masterful, witty, sarcastic and at times endearing.
Some deeply emotional lines punched so hard into my guts a spontaneous cry was the only thing to do. Excellent development of life’s, family history and environments. The story has a plot with hard and soft edges, goshh it made my laugh and cry. I adored the men and the whole story immensely.
Read and reviewed for LesCourt ARC team
At first, I wasn’t really sure where this book was going, but as the book went on I started getting into it. I thought that these three men’s relationship was unique in a caring and supportive way! I enjoyed reading about an autistic man coping through life and facing challenges with the support of two others. I also liked the mystery that surrounds the book and thought that the author did a great job forming it along with the relationship! Overall a pleasant and sweet story to read!
Davet and his younger brother moved to Bideford, in Cornwall to be away from their abusive parents. Davet runs a coffee shop and Fie goes every day for his coffee before starting in his pottery shop. Sid is a local police officer who also frequents the coffee shop, mostly when Fie is there too. All three men have crushed on each other for several years. When Davet is dealt a devastating blow, Fie and Sid have to rally round Davet, to keep the younger man from crumbling. Can they really make this work, the three of them?
I was warned, you know? Warned that I would need a box of tissues, for this one and boy did I need them!
Davet’s blow is shocking in it’s extreme, and it broke my heart for him. But also, for Fie and Sid, watching their man ( and they WERE a three, even before they voiced it!) fall apart around them and not really being able to help. BUT Davet’s parents turning up galvanised them into doing what DAVET needed, rather than what they thought they should be doing, if that makes sense?
It’s mmt overly explicit for a three way book, but that’s not needed here. HERE it’s about three men falling in, and acting on that love, even if it takes a tragedy for them to see it. That loves shines right from the start and it really is a joy to watch them fall, almost one after the other, like dominoes!
All three men have their say, so we get it all. We get Fie’s dawning realisation to what Davet might feel for him, and how he deals with his survivors guilt, or not most days. We get Davet’s heartbreak, but equally his joy when they finally give in to each other and how HE deals with everyone and everything in his own way. And we get Sid and his internal wrangling with himself over his relationship with his dad, and whether the three of them can REALLY be together.
It’s full of Ms Donovan’s witty one liners, quirky characters and her damaged and tortured men. Ms Donovan’s boys do like to play with their food and I’m so glad we got a little food fight here!
I started this book at 10.15pm, after a long busy shift at work, full of a nasty cold. A few pages before sleep, is the lie you tell yourself and the next thing you know, it’s 2.30am, your head is pounding, and you’ve ran out of book.
So, it can only get . . .
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This was a lovely, thought-provoking story of loss, love, and learning to live again. It’s heartfelt and poignant, and definitely made me feel. And I appreciated how delicately certain situations were handled in this book.
MMM can de tricky, especially if there’s already an established couple bringing in a third, but that was not the case in this book. Even though 2 of the men had a bit of history, that had no impact on what was developing between the 3. I very much enjoyed seeing them build a relationship together.
I liked all three of the characters, they each were so different yet fit so well together. Fie and Davet are both quite vulnerable, and they pulled at my heartstrings for different reasons. Sidney was what I’d consider the anchor of the trio- who, even with his own troubles, was the calm in the storm.
At War with a Broken Heart was an engaging, endearing, compelling story. It was thoughtful, a bit melancholy, but overall really enjoyable.
An insightful and emotional story.
I felt that for a romance the amount of actual sex was very little. The hands-off response to an autistic person were angering. The fact that the older men thought there war experience was a problem in sex was questionable. Relationships are affected by war and PTSD, but regular is not.
Dahlia Donovan’s At War with a Broken Heart is a contemporary MMM romance that will have you feeling all the feels. Angst and the pain of loss, humor and comfort, romance and finding happiness together…. this story delivers a bit of it all. Fie, Davet, and Sidney are amazing characters who struggle and overcome. I loved them together and needed to see their happily ever after.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.
When started the book I wasn’t too sure if I was liking it too much. I accepted to read this ARC without reading the blurb, just accepting that i enjoyed MM romance, even more MMM romance.
When started the book I wasn’t too sure if I was liking it too much. I was having a hard time wrapping my mind around what 2 alpha males had in common with someonebwith autism. As I kept reading I began to enjoy the storyline, their story, their histories and their relationship. More of Davet’s personality emerged as well as his humor and the fact he was high functioning in terms with his autism. He along with his 2 partner’s understood his limitations in social situations and they dealt well it with Davet’s best interest in mind always. He also expressed himself very well and succintly when needed. Their relationship made sense when all this put together and as long as they are happy who is anyone to judge what love looks like? No one, that’s who!