I'm so in love with The Broken One. You fall head over heels in love with Heather and Ava. I love this mother-daughter duo. Ava is such a sweetheart. Once you get the background of Heather and Ava how can you not fall for them both. Then there is Sebastian. He comes off arrogant, unemotional, unfeeling at the beginning. But you know there is more to him hiding. I love that little push he gets from his family. There is just so much underneath the man that is Sebastian. I love the chemistry between Sebastian and Heather. This is a sweet read filled with a little laughter, a dash of sadness and a whole lot of love with new beginnings. I loved everything about this one.

Amazing start to this new series. It starts with Judy, a girl trying to find her father's relatives for a family tree project, this story is an ongoing one and I hope to read more in the following books from the series. Then we have Sebastian, a man that lost everything he loved her pregnant wife, then we meet Heather, a single mother posted a reward for her daughter's favorite stuffed animal. Sebastian finds it and goes to return it, then everything changed. This book has other characters from previous books, but it's a new series so it can be read as a complete stand alone. There are some hilarious scenes and some truly deep emotional ones as well.

When I first read a book by Ruth Cardello (Das Dienstmädchen des Milliardärs/Maid for the Billionaire) I did quite like it even though it wasn’t the best love story I’ve ever read. I especially didn’t like the 50 Shades of Grey-thing it had going in the beginning. But the blurb of The Broken One sounded really good, so why not give the author another try? And this time I was not disappointed.
One of the best things about this book is actually not a „thing“: it’s Ava. Heathers adopted daughter is one of the most adorable children ever. I also liked that she wasn’t just a way of getting the whole story started and then be pushed to the side, always being looked after by people other than her mother. In The Broken One, Ava is actually quite often getting in the way, delaying dates and makes Heather’s life that much more complicated.
The family generally plays an important role, both in Heather’s and Sebastian’s lives. Heather tries to raise Ava in an environment as happy as possible even though the contact with her own family is not very good. Sebastian, on the other hand, has a big and loving family that supports him. He is still struggling with the fact that his wife and unborn child died but at the same time really cares for the little family unit of Heather and Ava.
I really liked that Sebastian and Heather actually talked to each other. When they realize that they’ve made a mistake they apologize and talk it over. But they also discuss topics like their hopes and wishes, their pasts.
In addition, this book is really funny in this awkward, blurbing-out-whatever-is-going-through-one’s-mind way. And in the same way, Heather and Sebastian talk about sex which often makes things embarrassing. However, I’m a big fan of talking about sex in whichever way works best for the couple so that’s a big plus in this book.
All in all, I’ve got to admit that I am quite surprised how well I liked this book. Heather and Sebastian, as well as other people in the book, were really likeable, Ava is a pleasure to read about and it’s quite funny.

I want to give this more than 5 stars! I love Ruth Cardello's writing and this book was a major hit. Although you don't need to know any of the books in her other series to love The Broken One, having that history makes this story extra special. Judi's portion alone is something to love.

While Heather is alone and raising her adoptive daughter, she does have friends that support her and give her love that she longs for from her family. Little Ava is completely precious and heartbreaking when she loses Wolfie. Who else would bring the stuffed animal back but what seems to be the Big bad Wolfe himself...Sebastian Romano. Sebastian is heartbroken after the loss of his wife and unborn child and has shut himself off to others in so many ways that he doesn't even know how to interact with Heather and Ava once he returns Wolfie. But there is something there between these two that is completely undeniable. 

I loved the pace of this book and the unraveling of the romance with Heather and Sebastian. These two give you hope for love when someone feels it is a complete lost cause. I fell for the Romano family and cannot wait to read other books in this series. The mystery surrounding Judi's mission is interesting and I cannot wait to see how it comes back to Dominic Corisi.

Thanks NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC.

An enjoyable read, this was my first for this author. I enjoyed the storyline and really liked the main characters. It was well paced and held my attention the whole way through. I will definitely be checking out more of this authors books.

In "The Broken One" by Ruth Cardello we meet Heather, her adopted daughter Ava, and a broken man Sebastian. When their lives collide, both have to think whether they have a future together.
I liked this book. Cardello writes about tragedy, friendship, new possibilities and hope. I was rooting for Heather and Sebastian from the start and really enjoyed how Ava was portrayed. Not many people know how to write children well. I am definitely curious about Sebastian brothers and can't wait to read their stories.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Broken One is an absolute perfect title for this story. The author has an amazing ability to write stories that grab you by the heartstrings and yet have you laughing with the very next sentence. She writes such beautiful stories of family, strength, and loyalty and of course a romance with all the sighs in just the right places. Sebastian and Heather’s story is one I won’t forget for a long time because there is such a heartbreaking brokenness to Sebastian that it took not only Heather to bring him to himself again but also a very special little girl named Ava. The conversations between Heather’s best friend, Erica and her assistant, Terri are off the charts hilarious! I shed tears and had lots of laughs while reading this wonderful story of a second chance for a very deserving hero!

This is also the first book in what appears to be another hit series for this author!

I received an ARC from Netgally for an honest review, which I have provided.

Eagerly anticipated this book; and it did not disappoint! I loved the whole series before. And to get a new twist coming into the family was fantastic!
I found the love story between Heather and Sebastian beautiful and InStyle with the Italian family stories from other books. I look forward to the next book and finding out the secrets buried in the Corisi family
Congratulations to Ruth Cardello on another addictive read

Italian men seem to be recurrent theme in many NA novels and I am certainly enjoying it. A story f second love with a cute lil kid also? It certainly had it charm although the story was much more fast paced than the normal books I love. Still it was a nice change with a sweet romance to keep it going. I was a bit confused on the Judy side story and even at the managed only to grasp a bit of it but I’m guessing I should read the previous books in order to actually understand full story. I would definitely love to read the rest of the Romano brothers stories when they are up and know what happens to Ava when she finally gets her sibling.

This is the first of the Corisi series by Ruth Cardello and boy did it start of sweet then blooming into a hot, passionate story. I loved how she brought these two together yet there was a bit of well hesitancy between them. Both are nervous when it comes to love again but having little Ava was a hoot seeing them well accomodate her. Heather may be a single mom but when it comes to love she was hillarious when and what to say when it comes to Sebastian. Now Sebastian is one brokenhearted man and seeing him learn to live again with Heather and Ava was beautifully done. All in all being the first book in this new series Ruth Cardello is starting off good and there is more in the Romano family cannot wait.

"I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own."

This book was so good.  The characters were so good and Ava was a sweetheart.  It was so cute the interactions with Wolfie.  Heather and Sebastian were perfect for each other.  It took awhile to get it right, but they finally did.  The little side story with Judy was a little confusing, but I think it will resolved in the next book.  It will be interesting to see what develops.  Again. I very good book that I recommend.  I got this book from NetGalley for an honest review

Single mom Heather Ellis would do anything for her adopted daughter, Ava. Even post an online reward for anyone who found the girl’s lost stuffed animal. When I started reading I couldn't put it down.Ruth Cardello is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book.

I’m a sucker for a book like this, heartbroken lost man who just needs the right woman (one with an adorable child) to bring him back to life.  Perfect amount of tension and angst (or as I like to call it argh what are you both doing !) lovely read that will leave you content, happy and wanting your own Sebastian 

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

If you love a good man whose heart has been broken and just needs the right woman to put it back together, you’ll enjoy this book. It’s clear from the start that our hero, Sebastian, is a good guy who has experienced a lot of loss, and it’s hardened him in a major way. Seeing him slowly rediscover the man beneath the surface was great, and really the foundation of the book.

The story follows Sebastian, the head of his family business. He was once married with a baby on the way, but a car accident changed his life immensely. Now he is cold and a bit ruthless, providing for his family by being a workaholic. When he finds a stuffed animal on the side of the road, it brings back a lot of bad memories, but he finds himself returning it to its owner. He is immediately taken by the child’s mother, but he’s no longer the guy who wants a wife and child so he messes up their interaction. What follows is a series of run-ins where Sebastian and Heather dance around whether or not they’re going to pursue the attraction that sparks between them - and if Sebastian is ready to move forward.

There’s a lot to like about the story; the writing is solid, the characters are likeable as a whole, and I felt the chemistry. Sebastian definitely got on my nerves a few times, and his whole hot then cold act got old quickly, but I never truly disliked him. It’s a slow burn in that these two take a while to truly move forward. I’m not sure exactly what the plan is for the “Judy” chapters, but it definitely threw me off when beginning the book. I assume we’ll learn more about that as the series continues. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC. I enjoyed reading this new-to-me author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

It was one step forward then two steps back with Heather and Sebastian's relationship. One of them always did or said something after a perfect get together to spoil what had just happened. Boy, once they figured it out though, they were full steam ahead.

🐺 How many wolves can one little girl raise while her mom tames a wounded widower?
4.5🌟stars
💕This romance had lots of family-time warmth, heat and some very lovable characters.  Single mom Heather's meet-cute with stunning Sebastian was unusual, all thanks to her adorable adopted daughter and her companion stuffed wolf.  The length of the story was good, the dual POV gave a good insight into the couple's emotions and motivation, and the author peopled their world with  just enough secondary characters.  I especially liked Heather's neighbor Erica and her small, noisy tribe!  

Perhaps most important, the story gave Heather, and more particularly Sebastian, reason and room to grow emotionally and chance opening their hearts.   I thoroughly enjoyed their story, especially when Ava got involved.  

There are some chapters, including the first, that seem to be from a different book entirely!  I thought I had picked up the wrong book when I started the story and it did not jive with the book's blurb!  Apparently these chapters draw Sebastian Romano and his family into a bigger drama that will run throughout the series.  It teases and draws you in to learn more, but I would not call it a cliffhanger.  I personally steer away from books that end with a cliffhanger and this story does have an HEA.  

Thanks to Montlake Romance and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book;  this is my voluntary and honest review.

The Broken Ones by Ruth Cardello a five-star read that will pull your heart strings. This is the first novel in the Corisi Billionaire series, and I can’t wait for the rest, I don’t want to say anything about this story as you really need to devour it yourself, its just that good. I haven’t read this author previously, but they will definitely be a one click author for me in the future. Wolfe story will pull at those heart strings even more than the rest of the story and that is a great story overall.

This book did not disappoint!!! I absolutely loved Heather and Sebastian. They were perfect for each other and their characters definitely made me smile a lot. This was a funny story with heartbreaking moments but it was also sweet and had everything I look for in a romance story. I devoured this story in one sitting. I look forward to reading more books from this author and I will definitely be recommending this one to my family and friends.

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Hmm. I'm not sure what to write about this one. I will say that the beginning, and the scenes with Judy confused me - I'm still trying to see how they will all fit with the bigger picture, but I had to keep checking to make sure I was reading the right book.

I was also a bit thrown off by the trajectory of Sebastian and Heather's romance. While the attraction is clearly there, there is enough animosity to make it seem like they would never get together. It then progressed very quickly, to the point that I thought Cardello forgot a chapter or two. My head was spinning with how the story ended because I just didn't feel that there was enough development in their relationship.

I'm interested where she takes this series...

This is my first Ruth Cardello book and I loved it!  It is mostly a fun, thoughtful romantic comedy with a tiny side dish of intrigue.

A cute but well loved stuffed animal named Wolfe is lost and found, bringing together an independent single mom (Heather) and a grieving widower (Sebastian).  I don’t know who the “Broken One” refers to because they both have issues.  Despite having an instant attraction to one another these two have a rocky initial courtship.  Heather tends to shut down when she perceives her independence or integrity questioned.  She has had to be strong to survive being abandoned by her own mother at an early age.  Sebastian still feels guilty about pursuing something lasting with Heather because he hasn’t dealt with the pain of losing his wife and their unborn child.

Somehow, they manage to make things work.  And Ruth Cardello makes it work, too!  You would think that the subject matter might be weighted down with all the pain and introspection of the storyline.  However, she makes it a lot of fun.  The main characters are good people with inherent wit and humour and great survival instincts.  Heather’s friend, Erica, for instance, ever the helpful bestie, gifts Heather a box of one hundred prophylactics.  These find their way into the most hilarious scenarios that had me laughing out loud in public places.  How do explain to curious onlookers that you’re laughing about a box of condoms?  You don’t - but it’s also almost impossible to wipe the stupid smile off your face!

Heather and Sebastian’s story is complete without a cliffhanger.  The INTRIGUE that I mentioned is supplied by a tidbit of a plot where a young girl from a wealthy and secretive family is searching for information about her father’s family tree.  What this has to do with Sebastian and Heather remains to be seen ....