From NYT bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan, continues a brand new series where second chances don’t come often, and overcoming an unexpected loss means breaking everything you knew.Harmony Wynham has been many things in her life: daughter, friend, student, lover, wife…and now, widow. Getting past those labels and finding who she could be without them was the hardest thing she’s ever done.Then … done.
Then she became friends with Brendon.
Every time she looks at him, she sees a past, she sees a present, and she’s afraid if she looks too hard, she’ll see a future.
Brendon Connolly has known Harmony since before she got married. Before she lost everything. He didn’t know that one day she wouldn’t be just his friend but the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
Only he don’t think that can happen.
Not when every time she looks at him, she sees what she lost, and he can only see what he can’t overcome.
He loves her, even though he shouldn’t. Somehow, they need to find a balance.
Because if they don’t, walking away will be the hardest thing she’s ever done—even if it’s the only thing he should do.
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GAH! What an amazing book! Shouldn’t Have You by Carrie Ann Ryan is book Two in the Fractured Connections Series. I love friends-to-lovers and this is one of the best yet! Expertly written, this story will give you all the feels! FIVE HUGE STARS!!
This is a sad but beautiful series. Harmony lost her husband to a terrible accident 3 years ago. Her friendship with Brendon kinda took a backseat after her husband’s death. But after they came back together after losing a mutual friend their friendship became very strong! I love this series and all the characters. My heart broke for Harmony and all she went through. But she is a very strong, even though she hates that word, person. Brendon went through hell as a child until Rose and Jack took him in. The stuff he went through was so sad. He is a fantastic person and deserves a happily ever after. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
Whew! Talk about emotional. This book is a complete roller coaster of heavy emotion that pulls you right in. Grief, trauma, love, strength and healing are all woven so tightly into Brendon and Harmony’s story giving it a depth that really takes ahold of your heart and makes it a book that sticks with you.
Harmony and Brendon are both battling some serious demons. Between the loss of her husband and his friend, the loss of another mutual friend, and Brendon’s traumatic childhood there’s A LOT of baggage going on. So much so that at times things to slow down a bit too much as the same reasons for why they shouldn’t have feelings for each other are rehashed again. That said the love these two have *happy sigh* it is unbelievably beautiful.
Could not put this book down! Brendon and Harmony had me from start to finish. Their story is heartfelt and deep. Two people start as friends, Harmony marries a third friend and unfortunately fate steps in and takes him away. These two try and come to terms in their own ways while fighting the attraction the feel for each other. This book is now one of my favorite Carrie Ann Ryan’s!!!
Harmony and Brendon have been through horrible loss. Brendon is still trying to deal with his childhood. This is a very emotional story. It’s very different fromCarrie AnnRyan’s other books. There is a lot of depth to this storyline. It’s personal and messy just like real life. The writing is superb!
I received an advance review copy for an honest review.
Shouldn’t have you is the second book in the fractured connections series. This is Harmony and Brendon’s story. Harmony lost her husband a few years prior and is trying to move on. Harmony and Brendon have been friends for a long time but drifted apart when they lost a loved one. They have recently reconnected and Brendon is looking at her in a new light. Will they risk their friendship for a chance at happily ever after? I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the next one.
4 1/2 STARS!
An emotional journey of healing and finding love again after loss! With the second book in the Fractured Connections series, we get Harmony and Brendon’s stories. She lost the love of her life and has been trying to figure out who she is now that the person she was and the future she had planned has been shattered. He still suffers from the scars of his childhood, but is determined to bring his recently reunited family forward in their journey with the bar. They were friends who drifted apart and are now friends again at just the right moment when each of them needs a support system. Only when feelings start to become stronger than friendship, neither of them knows how to react. The characters were both very compelling and the story line was ripe with emotion, heartache, and that glorious road towards a new normal and a new happily ever after. I really enjoyed it and look forward to more in the series!
Harmony Wynham had her world pulled out from under her in the blink of an eye when she lost her husband to a freak accident at 25. He was the love of her life, her soul mate, the person she just knew she was going to be with forever … and then he was gone. She went through the motions like everyone expected her to, and now she’s to a point where she’s trying to figure out who she is without him.
Brendon Connolly was childhood friends with Harmony, then he was friends with her husband. He was there when her world ended. Now another tragedy brought them back into contact and it’s been great. They talk, they laugh, they enjoy each other’s company, they reminisce about Moyer … and then things start to change. How can he be feeling more than friendship with the past that they share? Is this allowed? Does she feel it too?
Somehow this series just keeps getting better! This story is full of heart and emotion. I was sucked into these characters from the first page to the last. They are real people with real, serious scars just trying to do their best.
This book almost did me in. The beginning was so emotional, so full of pain, for both of the main characters, I had to walk away for a bit. I knew I would finish the book, but had to come to terms with the feelings their story brought out in me. This isn’t a light hearted summer read. This is a book filled with pain, and hurt, but in the end, it’s all about their survival and strength.
Harmony has had an amazing life. Until she lost her husband in a freak accident. But she is moving on with her life, coming to terms with what her life is now, figuring out who she is on her own again. She knows it’s time, but she isn’t sure what steps to take, or where she wants them to lead.
Brendon’s childhood was rough. Even as an adult it haunts him. It’s shaped who he is, how he deals with life, and how he sees himself. He has issues, but he lives with them, deals with them. He is a survivor, a fighter, even if he doesn’t see himself as such.
This book isn’t a typical romance. It’s more about their journey to each other, overcoming hardships, becoming who they need to be. Reading this book, you can tell the author put a lot of herself into this story, because of the sheer level of emotion, the beauty and purity of their connection, despite everything that could have kept them apart. It’s an amazing story, one that kept the tears close, but also brought a smile to my face. Brendon and Harmony were perfect together, and their story is one that will stick close to my heart!
Carrie Ann Ryan never ceases to amaze me with how indepth she writes and the feelings she has flowing from her characters.
This book is about Harmony who is a widow and Brendon who are friends but become so much more . The only thing is the feelings they have that it shouldn’t be happening and that makes it hard to accept to not fight it .
I have been in Harmonys shoes. Losing a spouse is not easy at all then finding love again , not easy at all and what we get with this story shows everything I went through and even more.
Thank you for writing this .
A heartfelt, emotional story that will have you appreciating all you have in your life. This was my first story by this author and will not be my last. Harmony and Brendan went through a lot, both personally and as friends, each conquering their own demons before finally finding their final pieces of happiness. The story is so very relatable that you cannot help but think about your own life and all of the what if’s. If you are a fan of a heart tugging friends to lovers story then this is perfect for you.
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
This is the second book in the Fractured Connections series but it can be read separately. This book focuses on Harmony and Brendon. They’ve been friends for a long time. Harmony’s husband worked for Brendeon and they were best friends before the husband’s death.
These two have so much pain from life circumstances. It has to be hard to work past them on a daily basis. You can only put one foot in front of the other and push though – because the alternative – isn’t worth it.
This friends to lovers romance won’t disappoint. These two have quite an inner struggle before either can believe they’re worth the risk. It’s a slow build but once they make that decision all bets are off. If you’re a fan of this trope you’ll enjoy this one.
As with all stories from this author this is a quality read. The characters are well drawn, it’s well paced and long enough that it feels substantial. As with all books from this author there is no problem reading this as a standalone, although it does feature characters from other books, most notably Breaking Without You. This book deals with grief and loss and the grieving process so is not an overly ‘happy’ read but it does come out the other side of the grief with a HEA.
The emotional feel that you get from this newest friends to lovers romance will have you tearing from the start until the end. Falling for your best friends widow has never been so full of pain and the author is able to include the heartfelt moment that Brendan and Harmony goes through in this definite must read that you will love!
Shouldn’t Have you is book two in the Fractured Connections series and each is said to be read as a standalone. It does explain the background of the secondary characters and Harmony/Brendon’s background so that you are not left out reading this story, but I feel (and this is my opinion only cause I like reading standalone books in order to get the full connection) if you read book one (on different characters) you get the full emotional connection as it explains all characters background as a lead into this series. I truly enjoyed this book and still felt a connection to these characters and think you will to if you happen to make this your first read in the series.
Harmony is slowly trying to move on after the death of her husband, Moyer and it isn’t easy. Then more loss happens, and she needs to be the stronger one in the bunch since she has already experienced this the first time around. The Connolly’s are back and old friendships resume. Brendon and Harmony were friends first and then Moyer’s best friend later in life while she was married. They both have guilt over the death of Moyer and are still grieving this loss years later. A reconnection between these two starts to blur the friendship lines and this causes a bump in the road. They know they shouldn’t explore where this is heading further, but the others can see what these two are to blind to see, that they are meant to move on from the past and explore being an item.
Your heart aches for their loss and experiences that were endured in the past. Being that the story is told from a dual POV allows you to experience all emotions and allows you to understand the hurdles moving on causes each of them. While falling for your best friends’ widow may not be best for all I believe it was meant for these two characters and that Moyer would agree. You will see the Fractured Connection between the other characters as well, but you will see that they have a bond and while it wasn’t easy, they are going to do everything they can to remain close and move forward. This story will help others who may have experienced some of these issues and while it may not have been easy to write for the author, I’m hoping it was therapeutic for not only her, but for others as well. It is ok to move on and each person deals with a loss a different way. There is no right or wrong way to move on. This story will pull you in from the beginning to end and oh these Connolly boys (men now) just keep getting better and better. Excited to see where the next one goes!
5 Stars
Wow, just wow! This story is full of so much emotion and feeling, while giving us just enough smiles and laughter. These characters are stripped of all their outer appearances and we see their hearts and souls, bared to us and one another. Brendon and Harmony go through a gamut of emotions and come out at the end the people, and the couple, they are meant to be!
Cara – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
I’m not sure if I ever read a book that felt more real to me. It showed how sometimes you have the right person in front of you but just can’t see her/him for what they are and mean to you. I loved the way the story progressed and how they slowly started to be aware of each other. They’re both damaged and have to fight to keep their heads above the water but with the help of their friends and family they manage to be strong and present.
This story was a beautiful slow burn that made me really happy at the end.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
This is a very beautiful friends to lovers romance. Harmony and Brendon’s story is a poignant and powerful. A touching tale of love, friendship, loss, grief, guilt, letting go, embracing the future and the courage it takes to risk your heart. I really enjoyed this realistic romance that has plenty of heart.
I was nervous going into this story because of the theme. This is a hard emotional punch, and as disclaimed at the very beginning – personal to the author.
What happens when your partner is taken early into your lives together? How do you move forward? This story explores how Harmony navigates getting back into dating a couple of years after she’s been widowed. Her longtime friend, Brendon, was also her husband’s business associate and friend and was there when he died. Can these two continue to hold one another up and move forward from that tragedy, perhaps as more?
While a heavy read, packed full of real and deep emotion, this is a great friends to lovers romance with a HEA. Recommend!
This is the second book in this awesome series, and is Harmony and Brendon’s story. These two have been friend since childhood, and after Harmony is left a widow, and she starts to navigate around the dating scene, their friendship grow and develops into friends / lovers scenario. This is a beautifully written story which is an emotional roller coaster ride throughout, which had me totally enthralled and intrigued. I look forward to reading more from this talented author, whose work I highly recommend for all.