“Grady and Sutton’s love story is one you won’t be able to forget. A childhood crush that turned into so much more. The journey. The angst. The heartache. This is Harloe Rae at her very best!” — LJ Shen, USA Today bestselling author“Tell me a happy something, Sutton.”I was only seven the first time Grady Bowen whispered those words to me. Cloaked by the black sky under a blanket of stars, it was … black sky under a blanket of stars, it was easy to get lost. He didn’t have any good memories of his own and needed to borrow mine. I would willingly give him anything.
Being infatuated with that boy was a beautiful curse. What could have been special didn’t get the chance to bloom. He’d never see me as more than his best friend’s kid sister. That was a hard lesson to learn, but not the most difficult.
Grady had always been struggling against the odds. Eventually he quit fighting and let his family’s reputation own him. Try as I might, those influences were beyond my reach.
He didn’t mean to break my heart. Or maybe he did. I shouldn’t have made it so easy for him. Either way, our wrongs against each other carved new lines between us.
I went four years without seeing Grady—each one more painful than the last. That distance did nothing to dull my feelings toward him. But things are different now. Most noticeably is Grady. I barely recognize this man he’s become. And that’s the way he intends to keep it. Not that it really matters.
Grady Bowen stopped being my happy something long ago.
more
This was such a good brother’s best friend second chance romance! This story definitely gave me all the feels and some! This was my first book by Harloe Rae and definitely won’t be my last, Sutton and Grady’s story was so sweet and refreshing to read. I love how each chapter started off with a happy something I thought that was so swoon worthy of Grady and Sutton to always ask each other to tell them a happy something. This is a definite angsty ALL THE FEELS romance you won’t want too miss !
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced complimentary copy of this book
It almost broke me…
You know that phrase…life isn’t fair!?! Of course you do. Well, Breaker is proof that sometimes the road to Heaven has more potholes than road. Bumpy does begin to describe Sutton’s road to happiness. Being in love with your brother’s best friend is hard especially when he acts like you aren’t worth the time of day.
This unrequited crush is crushing her. Her heart, hope, and happiness. Until a spark of hope turns into a blazing fire…As you know that blazing wildfires are dangerous and unpredictable, Breaker shows just how true and false that can be. Contradicting and yet true!
Their love is the stuff everyone wishes for.
Sutton has been in love with her brother’s best friend, Grady, forever it seems. He has always toed the line he knows he can’t cross, even though Sutton makes it almost impossible to resist her. Now that she’s home from college, she’s determined to get Grady to see things her way, do things her way. Does he have the willpower to continue resisting the girl who’s not such a little girl any longer?
Wow, this one was angsty and full of feels. Brother’s best friend romances can be tricky, but I think Harloe pulled it off very successfully. Sutton is strong, but Grady’s even stronger, and their journey is quite beautiful. If you love brother’s best friend romances, you should really 1-click Breaker today.
New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Brother’s Best Friend, Small Town
First Person, dual-POV
This is a standalone book with HEA.
“He smells of a hardworking man, that familiar mix of motor oil and fresh hay. I snuggle deeper while inhaling the scent of my dreams.”
by Sutton
WHAT HAS REALLY WORKED FOR ME
Addictiveness: 5/5 This was an easy read with lovable characters and a plot that kept me interested until the end. As addictive as chocolate!!!
Character: hero 5/5, heroine 5/5, secondary characters 5/5, growth 5/5, real 5/5 Multidimensional characters with depth that it was easy to feel their pain, happiness, sorrow and love.
Grady was an almost perfect hero. Really, his love for Sutton was undeniable and special. He was hot, hardworking, a great friend, an amazing son and a sweet boyfriend. He had baggage and it was hard for him to believe he deserved something good in his life, but when he embraced his relationship with Sutton, he was 150% in and he never made her feel anything but special.
Sutton was a special heroine. She knew what she wanted and she was not afraid of going after. Even better, when things seemed like almost impossible, she faced it and conquered it. She was beautiful, smart, an amazing daughter, a good sister, a great friend and a wonderful girlfriend.
So many amazing and important secondary characters here. Sutton’s entire family was great and had their moment to shine. Sutton’s best friend was sweet. Grady’s mom was another very well developed secondary character that had a huge impact on the story.
Villains.. antagonists… there was one major antagonist, that we could call a villain, that was well written and evolved pretty well in the story.
All characters were lovable, connectable and easy to understand!!!
Cover: art 4/5, title 5/5, color-font 5/5, buy 5/5 I’m obsessed with book covers. I love to find snippets of the stories within the art. I like this cover, the guy is sexy and I can totally see Gray, but it is a bit generic. It could be the cover of many other books.I like the title and I love the font used. I love the colors and the play with light and shadow. I would buy this book by its cover without needing to read the blurb!!!
Freshness: 4/5 It is hard to write something completely original in a contemporary romance. There are so many out there, that if feels like everything has already being said at least once. But the author wrote a family-friendship romance in a small town so well that if felt fresh. It offered me a few unexpected twists that kept me guessing until the end. As fresh as mint tea!!!
Plot: believable 5/5, conflict 4/5, dialogue 5/5, ending 5/5, enjoyment 5/5, opening 5/5, pace 4/5, setting 4/5, subplots 5/5, twists 5/5 Great opening for a cute ending. Very believable plot, with great dialogues and good pace. Interesting conflict, a couple of great twists with deep subplot. High level of enjoyment!
Romance: believable 5/5, chemistry 5/5, description 5/5, development 5/5, steam 4/5 This is a love story, not just romance. Love among friends, love of a true family, a brotherhood that goes beyond blood. But the romance was undeniable. The couple was crazy about each other and there wasn’t one moment of the story that I was unsure of their love for each other. They were young and the way they helped each other and overcome the huddles thrown in their way was very mature. Their chemistry was crazy and the smut was really hot. Forever romance!!!
Writing Style: 4.5/5 Wonderful characters, interesting plot concept, enchanting romance and good smut. Crafty writer!
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
I really loved and enjoyed the story but if I have to be picky…
I have to say we know what is coming from the beginning, even the villain is sort of easy to discover from the beginning.
MY THOUGHTS
I’m a character reader, I love well constructed characters that give me a variety of emotions making it easy to connect with them. Ms. Rae has created a whole town with so many cool people that I could see myself visiting.
Even though it says standalone, I’m really hoping Jace gets his own book. I love his family so much and I would love to see the manwhore falling.
I love to read love stories and this one is TRUE LOVE!!!
31.5/35 STARS – 4.5 STARS (between 31.5 stars and 33stars)
Addictiveness: 5 Character: 5 Cover: 4 Freshness: 4 Plot: 4 Romance: 5 Writing Style: 4.5
Action 2/5 Angst 3/5 Darkness 1/5 Humor 3/5 Romance 5/5 Suspense/Mystery 0/5
Would I recommend? Definitely! For everybody that wants a story about true love.
Would I re-read this book/series? I would reread it.
Would I read more from the author? I’m really looking forward to.
You MAY read this because you follow the author; you SHOULD read this because you like small town romance; you MUST read this for TRUE LOVE!!!
Second chance love story. This was a breathtaking story by Harloe and I just couldn’t put the book down. Who wouldn’t love Grady, I know I did love him and all his bad boys ways. He just happens to be a different breed of bad boy.
Every once in awhile I need a book that is full of feelings but lite on the angst. This book fit that perfectly. Sutton has been in love with Grady since the moment she met him at the age of 7. He was the kid who needed happy thoughts to get through his days. I’m not sure how horrible his childhood was but I can take a guess from listening to his struggles. And honestly I don’t know if I’d want to know. Sutton was the sweet innocent savor that he always needed, it’s no wonder he fell in love with her. Unfortunately he kept trying to push her away. Sutton had different ideas though and made sure she fought for what she wanted. Honestly I adored this book. It kept me turning the page, wanting to know and feel more. I will admit the book seemed a little rushed but I don’t think it took away from anything. These two have loved each other long enough they deserved their happiness. I’m sure Grady’s accident helped put things into better perspective for him as well. I also have to add that I loved Sutton’s unwavering commitment to Grady. He needed her to fight for him. He needed her strength to prove that he was right where he belonged, surrounded by people who loved him. This was my first Harloe Rae book and I don’t think it will be my last.
I knew before starting this that it would be my kind of book. I’m partial to a brothers best friend romance, if you throw in a broody broken hero I’m all over it.
Sutton has been in love with her brothers friend Grady all her life. She’s beyond infatuated even though she knows the chances of anything happening with Grady are slim, it doesn’t stop her hoping. When she decides to make a move and Grady knocks her back, she decides enough is enough and sets off to college. Four years later and she’s back home, her feelings haven’t changed and Grady is still convinced he’s not the man for her. I loved Grady. Especially at the beginning. He’s so broken and closed off, so convinced he doesn’t deserve to have anyone good in his life that he’s not even willing to give Sutton a chance. Sutton has to be one of the most stubborn women ever. She’s determined to break down Gradys walls and once she does, you see a different side to Grady.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a little too sweet for me at times (but that is just me) but it’s got everything I love in a romance. A troubled hero, a loyal and stubborn woman, an unbreakable connection and the chemistry between them is sizzling. This is definitely worth a read.
It will give you warm fuzzies, heart eyes and a million other feelings. You will want to both hug and throw your reading device. Curse Harloe Rae out, then hug her.
ALL THE FEELS
Where do I even begin with this storyline? It captured my heart from the minute Sutton walked across the yard the night before she left for college. I knew it would hold my heart in it’s hand and keep it there until the end and boy did it ever. The love story between Sutton and Grayson is so deeply seated that only the deeply disturbed can deny their connection. It is a very well written and I love how they ended up at the Thicket in the end with sweet Ollie. It was another homerun from Harloe Rae.
I hope Jace get a story, I have a feeling their is a story hiding in there somewhere dying to come out.
True love prevails every time
Sutton and Grady make your heart smile and your soul soar. Their story is one that you’ll enjoy the first time and love to revisit over again. They are the definition of soulmates. They experience so much more than normal and still manage to come out on the positive side. Well written and possibly my favorite of Harloe’s to date.I’m
This was a small-town sweet brother’s best friend romance. Breaker started out great and captured my interest. There were some really sweet, poignant moments. There was a lot of push and pull between the H & h. You could feel the chemistry between them but there were things holding Grady back from going for the one girl he didn’t believe he deserved. Sutton is relentless and sees past the front Grady tries to put up but she can’t force his hand. Will Grady ever wake up and grab his one chance at happiness? This book has a lot of potential but somewhere along the way, it just fell a little flat for me.
****ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.****
This book has a lot of feels and with it being a brother’s best friend romance i am truly in love with Grady. Sutton and Grady’s story is amazing and gives all the feels. This book had me laughing and gasping and swooning at all the right moments and had me wanting more!!!
This story has it all, brother’s best friend, small country life, gut-wrenching back story of a kid, a sweet love-struck girl/woman that saves the day, oh let’s not forget the lunatic who tries to end it all.
Grady Bowen is the boy who has had a life that needs a happy something, after his father’s incarceration, and his mamma’s addiction issues there is little hope that Grady will live a life of luxury but one of complications and misery.
Sutton Olsen fell in love with Grady Bowen at age 7 under the black sky under a blanket of stars where Grady would say “Tell me a happy something, Sutton.”
All I can say is WOW!
When you think about Love, do you feel you could love someone from a young age and those feelings never change? Well meet Sutton, she just may be able to answer that question for you.
Harloe Rae has written a story about a young man who has struggled all his life to be excepted, due to the past transgressions of his family. Should one suffer and never have the opportunity to ever be happy, just because his family (parents to be exact) were unable to be a positive influence in the community?
Grady is determined to prove society wrong about who he is, however at some point he is ready to throw in the towel. There is one person that, although she is younger, she has always been a positive force in his life. But she is away in college and he has not seen her in 4 years.
Will these 2 cross paths again before Grady reaches his lowest point. Does Sutton still feel the same about Grady? What is in store for these two?
If you are looking for a true well written love story that makes you crave a good old hometown love, then be sure this is at top of your Want to Read list. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
GAH, I sooo love me a best friend’s older brother romance and BREAKER did NOT disappoint. From the prologue alone, Grady had my heart gripped in a vice and did not let go. The heat, the chemistry – it. was. everything!
Overall Rating – .5
Major swoon alert! Grady you have stole my heart !
Sutton has loved Grady since she was a little girl and he was her big brothers best friend. Just before she heads of to college she offers him her virginity. He declines and the pain hurts Sutton.
Four years later, Sutton has finished college and is now heading home to live/work and is looking forward to seeing Grady again. When she sees him again, her deep feelings for him are still there and when they first see each other again, he’s still pushing her away, all while wanting her.
An accident brings them together when Grady realises he can no longer keep her at a distance and wants her to be his.
From their first kiss I was hooked for all things Grady and Sutton. Grady is that man who knows how to treat his lady – daily orgasms, his kindness and his caring nature for those he loves, but he is haunted by his parents mistakes and is judged for this when all he wants to do is turn his life around.
The story flows and what I love about this tale is that the main characters don’t have major drama between them, they know they will be together forever, it’s an outside force that tries to pull them apart. When that happened I ached for Grady and could feel both their pain.
I’ve read a few books of Rae now and she never fails to write a hero who will capture your heart. This story is about trust, friendships but mainly true love, which these characters ooze, you won’t be able to put this book down, I loved every page of it and that bonus epilogue was perfect.
.
*An ARC received for an honest review*
____________________
Overall Ratings;u2063
First Sex Scene -50%
POV – Duel
Hero –
Heroine –
Story –
Angst –
Steam –
Chemistry –
This was a no stop must keep reading have to know fall in love story beautifully tragic yet beautifully beautiful how that happens is pure talent – thank you for this read loved it
Beaker by Harloe Rae was a charming and sweet second chance romance with a bit of angst, but not how you would expect. Sutton has loved Grady for a long time. She is the good girl from a good family. The sun in Grady’s dark world. Grady is such a caring and devoted man. He does not believe he deserves a woman like Sutton. When she wants everything from him, he rejects hers. Four years later she is back. Can he still keep her at bay?
I absolutely loved Sutton and Grady and their “tell me a happy something” tradition. It was their something special. What they shared together was strong and deep. Sutton was sweet, caring and loyal. Grady broke my heart. He was a good man but saw himself as not worthy. She saw him for the amazing man he was. And yet they face obstacle after obstacle. Can they find their happily ever after or lose each other forever? A sweet and charming story about finding true and everlasting love.
Read and reviewed for Reviews From the Heart.
Happy reading!
Best Friends to Lovers
Second Chance Love
Broken Swoon Worthy Hero
Adorable Loving Heroine
Tragedy
A touch of Angst
Harloe Rae brought all the feels with this book. It kept a smile on my face and my heart a flutter.
Grady’s a broody broken man who comes from a dysfunctional home that left him feeling unworthy and unaccepted.
Sutton is a gentle soul who comes from a loving family who takes Grady under their wing at a very young age.
This book brought all the emotions. If you like a book with a broken swoon worthy hero and a persistent loving heroine this book is for you. It has a little bit of everything! Don’t miss out on all the feels!
Grady aka Gray is Sutton’s brother, Jace’s best friend. Her family has been more of a family to him than his own. He practically lived with them growing up. She’s loved him forever. Grady never crossed the line with his best friend’s sister even though the feelings were always there. He never thought he was good enough because of his upbringing. Now Sutton is back after graduating from college and he’s finding those feelings are getting harder to fight.
Sutton comes home to find Grady a different man, he’s more closed off. Life hasn’t been kind to him. He keeps paying for the sins of his parents. You can almost feel his despair through the pages of the book. It doesn’t take long for her to find the Grady she knew under the layers.
Now comes the hard part-getting Grady to realize and accept that he is a great person and is good enough. He has nothing to be ashamed of. He has grown up to be an amazing man.
I love the little pep talks that Sutton’s dad and mom have with Grady. They just seem to know what to say and when to say it to have the most impact on him.
Everyone wants a love as true as Grady’s and Sutton’s. Theirs is a rarity.