My Life in Shambles is an emotional and sexy new standalone contemporary romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Nordic King and The Pact.When Valerie Stephens made the resolution to say yes to new adventures, she never thought she’d end up in the tiny town of Shambles, fake engaged to one of Ireland’s top rugby players. But there’s a first time for everything.They say bad things … everything.
They say bad things happen in threes.
After my boyfriend broke off our engagement, I lost my apartment, and was laid off from my job, I can definitely attest to that.
They also say life is what happens when you say yes to new adventures.
So when my two sisters invited me to ring in the new year in Ireland, I decided to throw all caution to the wind and go for it. I was going to let “saying yes” be my new resolution.
Little did I know I’d spend New Year’s Eve having a hot and dirty one-night stand with Padraig McCarthy, one hell of a sexy Irishman. I also didn’t know that the brooding and intense sex god was one of Ireland’s top rugby players.
A rugby player with a proposition for me:
Come with him to his tiny hometown of Shambles and pretend to be his fiancé for a few days, just so that his ailing father can have some peace of mind.
It sounded simple enough.
It was anything but.
Not when a town gets up in your business, not when the media hunts you down, not when your past comes back in the picture, not when there are real hearts and feelings at stake.
Not when there are secrets that could break you.
They say life is what happens when you say yes to new adventures.
This is my life in Shambles.
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Karina Halle has become one of my top 5 unicorns for 2020. If it wasn’t for my crazy addiction for buying book boxes, I would never have found her. This is my third read of Karina’s and each story resonates with me in its own way. Each couple overcomes a problem and seeing how these characters overcome all the obstacles is so satisfying. The writing is phenomenal and the storytelling is magnificent. If you’ve ever doubted picking up a Karina Halle book.. don’t. She’ll pull you in just like she did me!
If you are looking for a lighthearted little read, this is not the book you are looking for. It’s angsty and gut wrenching—deliciously so—for anyone who is in the mood to dig deep.
This is a really beautiful story of people with real, painful, permanent problems. Not the usual contrived romance drama about secrets or miscommunications. These are problems that can’t be fixed and will challenge the commitment of the H and h. They are wonderful, complex characters that are sympathetic and easy to invest in. They’re supportive and comforting and good for each other. Their connection was deep from the first moment they met, and it didn’t take long for them to fall in love and bond while experiencing tragedy together. The h Valerie is particularly noble, and the H Padraig is vulnerable and broken.
The story is set in Ireland, most of it in a small, quaint village. The secondary characters are charming and believable and folksy. The epilogue is beautiful, exactly what I needed to feel closure.
This story is well written and will stay with you long after you finish reading it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.
“My Life in Shambles” by Karina Halle is an amazing and emotional love story that you must read. Once you pick up the book you will not want to put it down. The story sucks you in and it takes you for an emotional roller-coaster of your lifetime. You will not only fall in love with the two main characters of the story but the entire story itself. Highly recommend you give the book a chance and read for yourselves. I cannot wait to read another book from this amazing author Karina Halle.
Probably one of my favorite reads of 2019, not surprising since Halle is one of my favorite writers and has been since her first paranormal series. It’s not a simple romance by any means, instead being much deeper than even Halle normally writes.
Fantastic, flawed characters and a super interesting premise made this a read that I know I will re-read and never forget. The fact that it takes place in Ireland was just the icing on the proverbial cake. Adult romance readers need to read this book. You won’t regret it!
Plus the cover? I mean come on! It’s gorgeous.
This is a steamy, emotional read. Padraig and Valerie share a one night stand after meeting and having an amazing ability to read each other. Then things get complicated.
Padraig is an incredibly hot, super sensitive rugby star facing some challenging changes in his life. Valerie is a beautiful young woman who has already overcome some serious physical and emotional challenges that loses her home, job, and fiance in the same week. The bedroom scenes are very hot. But more importantly the scenes where they open up to each other, communicating their weaknesses, fears, and failures are the best. I love seeing them learn to support each other while growing personally. The emotional intimacy is extremely moving between these two.
The characters and their struggles feel real. There is a lot of emotion in this one but I do not want to give away details in this review. If you like deep, emotional books with some heat, this book is for you.
Sweet, easy read although a little slow in some places for me. Valerie and Padraig’s journey has it problems but in the end love is all that matters.
3.5 stars. It was a pretty good read, but I really didn’t feel any happiness. Even at the end when they come back together, I felt like there was a gray cloud. Valerie’s mother was absolutely awful, and she got let off the hook way to easily. I also felt like there needed to be a commitment to the Irish accent. If you’re going to write it, then use it every time.
This book is classic Karina.
It has the perfect amount of real-world drama, love, passion and steam, which is why I’m such a fan of hers to begin with. I’ve never been disappointed with anything I’ve read by her, though some are better than others, but this was yet another example of what a wonderful author she is.
Cards on the table, this book is sad. If you don’t like sad stories (even when they do end in HEA) then you might not enjoy it. But honestly, since when is life all happiness all the time?? Exactly. It’s not. That’s why I love reading books that deal with real issues like death and diseases, because even though it’s fiction, it’s relatable in a way. I love to read books (and watch movies and TV shows) where I can put myself into the shoes of the characters and think, “Man, what would I do if that was me? Would I react that same? How would I handle it?” Of course it can be heartbreaking to think about, but that’s part of the enjoyment in reading fiction. Transporting yourself into another world, and becoming a part of the story.
My favorite thing about this book (aside from the fact that it stars a hot-as-hell Irish guy, and is set in Ireland… and I LOVE all things Ireland) was the fact that there was no unnecessary whining or indecision from the herione. I loved Valerie for that reason. She was faced with a lot of heartache from Padraig, but **Spoilers** when he comes back for her, she doesn’t give him grief and have this whole internal tug-of-war about going back to him. Because she loves him, and obviously realizes that he came back to her for a reason.
SO many times authors make their heroines annoying as hell when it comes to their heros. They’re constantly going back and forth. I want him! I don’t want him. I love him! This is all too much. I can’t be without him! But maybe I should because for some reason I can’t get over his past even though I’ve already claimed to accept it a million times. It drives me nuts. Just pick a side! Either you want to be with him or you don’t!
This book got to the point, which I very much appreciated. It’s hard to explain, but it had the right amount of drama, the right kind of drama, and a sort of instalove that wasn’t insane or unrealistic. It all made sense, and overall it was a fantastic read.
I highly recommend this book if you like drama and stories that will have you tearing up! Which I definitely did at the end. And the sex scenes were super steamy, as per usual with Karina’s books. Hello, Padraig, the hung Irishman 😉
Applause to another dynamite read from Karina Halle! There’s a reason why she’s a consistent favorite of mine<3
Valerie decides on a bit of adventure- she lost her boyfriend, job and apartment why not. A girls trip with her sisters leads her to Ireland. Where she is propositioned by one of their top rugby player to come home with him and pretend to be his fiancé for a few days to appease his ailing father. Loved this book.
Just tore through this today and loved it!
Ireland is one of my favorite spots to visit, so the setting had me clicking “buy” without a second thought. I’m now a fan of Karina Halle’s. The love story between Padriag and Valerie was sexy, touching, heartbreaking and beautiful. If you want an escape (and fancy hot rugby players), this is for you.
Take me on an Irish Adventure!
This book had everything you would want in a romance and then some more. Karina Halle brought out her ‘A’ game with the story of Valerie, Padraig and their beautiful Irish adventure!
These words and thoughts came to mind as I read about their journey together.
Fate, for allowing two people who belonged together to find each other.
Sexy, because that’s how he makes her broken spirit feel.
Calm, what they give each other when things get tough.
Courage, when life tests your strength, you need to find it to make your way through any struggles, whatever they may be. The only way forward, if you can accept the challenges, is to face it together, with love and humor, especially when your life is in shambles!
Keep your tissues handy when you read this one. To wipe those tears of laughter, sadness and of course, joy. Sweet, steamy and poignant rolled up into a great romance read.
I absolutely loved My Life in Shambles. It had a lot of heart, complex, real characters, and a fantastically immersive setting. The characters were passionate, careening toward their inevitable fates despite their self-awareness. Beautifully written and satisfying right to the last page. Karina Halle
This book left my heart in shambles. First off, I adore the cover, it’s absolutely beautiful. Valerie and Padriag’s journey was filled with so much of everything, love, conflict, angst, and a generous helping of family drama and strained relationships. Their relationship did move quickly, but when you have similar familial issues, it’s easy to bond with someone who understands what you’ve been through. I can 100% relate to them and their feelings of inadequacy, just wanting to be seen and loved and heard by the people who are supposed to love them most in the world. Valerie’s decision to say yes to new adventures is something that’s inspiring, deciding not to live life in fear any more. Her devotion to Padraig despite his issues was heartbreaking at times. Padraig’s strength and decision to pick up the pieces and move on with his life after his world was shattered was a great reminder to get back up and live after you’ve been knocked down. This book is an absolute roller coaster in the best way possible, my review does not do it justice. Get some kleenex for the last few chapters.
A wonderfully steamy and emotionally satisfying romance.
I absolutely loved this book! Val and her hot and dreamy man had a chemistry that sizzles. They may have started off with a one night stand that lead to a rather interesting proposal by Paidrig, but it turned into so much more. I have an Aunt with MS too so this was hard for me to read at times. It was truly heartbreaking and devastating, and without ruining the story I understand a lot of his actions. The animosity between his father and himself was truly sad and I bawled at one point. I just loved them both so much and they inspire me and I am in awe of the pair of them. Well done Karina Halle, you blew this one right out of the park. It was everything.
Love, love, love it!
Beautiful story!
Great story, tough subject to tackle and it was done with subtlety and kindness. Well done
This is my favorite book of the year so far. I’m giving it 10 stars, which Goodreads doesn’t allow, but it was so good, that is what it deserves. This book was FANTASTIC!
The writing in this book was amazing. I could feel the seaside breeze in Shambles, I could picture Nan and Colin and even the Major. This book made me want to go to Ireland even more than I already do and Ireland felt like another major character in the book.
And Padraig, Lord this man. It’s hard to put into words how much I loved this man. He was sweet, rough, and made my heart hurt at times. The author wrote him so well, I fell in love with this Irish rugby player who was so much more than just that.
I also loved Valerie and her “yes” attitude even after her past and some of the things that she was dealing with in her life. That attitude served both her and Padraig well and it truly is a great way to live one’s life. Do yourself a favor and read this book!
This book was everything! Valerie was such a lovely character, so strong and brave. She was just perfect for Padraig. And he was stubborn, yep, but also lost and broken. Their story started in an unconventional way, but it was so beautiful and intense that I couldn’t stop reading it. I loved every word, every page, every chapter. This book stole my heart since the beginning and I think a little piece of my will stay forever in Shambles.