After reading the blurb for The Broken One, I decided to give new-to-me author Ruth Cardello's second chance-single mom romance a shot.  Imagine my surprise when I opened my copy and instead of reading about Heather and her daughter or Sebastian, the billionaire workaholic I am reading about a young girl named Judy and her bodyguards.  I thought for sure that I had gotten a mislabeled ebook.  Good thing that I decided to find out what happens with the precocious Judy because the story jumps over to Heather and Sebastian and Judy is a piece of what I am guessing is a larger picture within the "Corisi Billionaires" series.

Heather Ellis is all about her daughter, Ava, having adopted her when Heather's best friend died within hours of childbirth.  Heather is a loving, responsible woman who didn't know what she was agreeing to when she took on Ava, but she is all in just the same.  Sebastian is a man who had it all.  A wife he adored, a baby on the way, and a business starting to thrive when tragedy struck.  On his own, he threw himself into work, leaving his humanity behind.  The two have instant chemistry upon meeting so much so that it seeps from the pages, though they resist, each for their own reasons.

The story is equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful as Sebastian learns how to connect with his emotions again and Heather learns that being a mother can be one component of many in her life instead of the only one.   There's the right amount the push/pull of two people fighting their attraction without it edging into over-much.  The interactions between the couple alternate between sexy and emotional and the side characters of Sebastian's family and Heather's friends add depth and humor.   Sprinkled throughout are scenes with Judy from the beginning which adds a dimension of interest as to why it's there which, I believe will be added to as the plotline weaves through new couples.

I have read Ms. Cardello in the past but this new novel by her is awe-inspiring.  Sebastian lost his wife Therese five years ago and never recovered.  Heather became a single mother after her best-friend died and left her daughter Ava to Heather. One night as Heather and Ava is going home Ava loses her favorite stuff animal and is fretful about it. Sebastian finds the stuff animal and through social media  returns it back to Heather. This is so much more than a simple romance. Both leads are dealing with issues that has happened in their life especially Sebastian. There is also a mystery brewing. The story starts with a child name Judy who wants to know about her dad's side of the family and so the reader never get the answer to whom is Judy's family but the readers have an idea. Review on goodreads and amazon.com

Two separate stories: one is a standalone romance with a HEA while the other starts an ongoing adventure.

The main story is the romance between Heather and Sebastian, but first we meet Judy, a nine-year-old girl with a powerful father who is determined to unearth the secrets of her father's relatives for her school's family tree project.  These chapters are few, and aren't directly connected to the romance, but hints are given as to how the two stories connect and it's clearly set up for future books to explore Judy's family tree and how that relates to the couples being matched up.  In this book, the two story threads never cross paths.

Heather adopted her dying best friend's baby and is wholly devoted to her daughter.  Sebastian is on the other end of family happiness, having lost his pregnant wife years before.  Finding the missing toy belonging to Heather's daughter, and his undeniable attraction to Heather, finally forces him to deal with his grief and the prospect of moving on.  We also get to know the entire Romano family as Sebastian and his brothers run their hugely successful chain of takeover-the-town big-box stores. 

This was a lovely story, filled with honest emotions, strong family ties, and enough heat to light up your make your kindle sweat.  I really enjoyed the way the author had the characters openly examining all the parts of their arguments, realizing that there are better ways to communicate more effectively.  I was invested in these characters right from the start, and I highly recommend this book.  I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

When Heather’s search for her daughter’s lost Wolfie are unsuccessful she is running out of options so she decides to post her plea on social media with the hope that it will bear some results.    She wasn’t prepared for the sexy yet cold man that appeared at her door to turn her life upside down.

Even though its been years since Sebastian’s family passed away and the grief and guilt he feels make it seem like it was only yesterday.    When he finds a well used Wolfie he can’t resist picking it up and bringing it back to his office.    What started out as a way of appeasing his mother has started to be come complicated.

Both Sebastian and Heather have painful pasts which affect their current relationships but with the advice of her friends and his family they help heal each other.

Brilliant. Loved this book and a fab start to a new series. Totally recommend this and all of her books to read

I love stories about families and their mysteries! This is the first book in a series. The Corisi family has secrets and nine year old Judy is relentless in her determination to uncover the truth.

In the meantime, a young single mom has a dilemma. Ava her four year old daughter accidentally let go of her stuffed "Wolfie" and he flew out the car window. Now, no matter how much she has retraced their steps, she cannot find him. Ava is adopted and Wolfie is her dear companion. Without him all Ava wants to do is cry. What is a mother to do? Well, placing an ad on social media is one way to enlist the help of friends and try to retrieve this stolen treasure.

Sebastian Romano is the head of his family grocery business. An empire for sure. Losing his wife and daughter in accident five years ago still has him withdrawn from the world in general. Business is the only language he speaks now. Finding a derelict stuffed toy while he is surveying a piece of land he wants to buy brings back memories of his lost family. Little does he know this toy is his link to changes he never imagined.

This is an endearing and tender story of love, loss, and hope. The meaning of family and the support our love ones provide makes this one of the dearest stories I have read this year.

I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Thanks to the author for sharing a copy with me.

Well, I’m definitely in the minority here, but this didn’t work for me. This is a new to me author and I thought this would be a good start since this is the first book in the series. Unfortunately, I was lost immediately. There were so many characters mentioned in the first chapter, and I had absolutely no idea who they were. It sounds like they may be from other series? Then, the book starts to get into Heather and Sebastian, who were never mentioned in the first chapter. I made it to 20% hoping I could find out what was going on, and unfortunately, I didn’t get answers. And ultimately, I did not connect with the characters enough to continue. The writing was good so maybe it’s just my frame of mind. But, for me, it didn’t work and I chose not to continue for those reasons. 

* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to dive into the Corisi family again. I love all things Dominic Corisi. At first, I felt like Judy’s part of this story was confusing and too separate. But, once I understood where things were going, I loved that side part of the story. Sebastian and Heather have an incredible journey to love. I adored Heather and Ava. The way they became a family was so heartwarming, and their relationship was so sweet and funny. I loved that Heather did her best every day to be a good parent, but she recognized that she wasn’t perfect. Sebastian was a broken man, for sure. I felt his pain and grief. It was palpable. It made him come across as a major a$$hole, but underneath all that, he was a good person. The way Heather and Sebastian meet was so unique and sweet. Their attraction was evident from the start, and I enjoyed their back-n-forth. It took them awhile to figure things out with each other, and it was fun ride getting there. I am very excited for Judy’s quest to find more of the Corisi family. I think it will be a bumpy road, but worth it.

The broken one is a lovely romance, Sebastian lost his wife and unborn child  five years ago and has been grief stricken becoming a cold driven man. Single mum Heather has an adopted daughter who has lost her beloved cuddly toy. Sebastian ends up on their doorstep having found ‘Woolfie’ so starts a beautiful sparky relationship. 
Gradually we see Sebastian learning to love and live again and emerging as a really wonderful family man.
There’s a small side story within the book which I’m sure is going to lead into a brilliant series involving Sebastian’s Italian family.
My thanks to net galley and publisher Montlake for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

****The Broken One is book one in Ruth Cardello’s new series on the Corsi Billionaires.  As the story begins Dominic Corsi’s 9 year old daughter is researching her family tree.  Readers then are introduced to this book’s main characters, single mom Heather, her adorable adopted daughter, Ava, Ava’s favorite toy Woofie, and Woofie’s rescuer, Sebastian Romano.  Sebastian has closed off his emotions since his wife and unborn child were killed five years ago.  Heather hasn’t had a date since she became the caregiver for her deceased bestie’s child.  Woofie brings these two together.  Readers should enjoy their interactions.  The story is filled with humor, angst, and passion as any fan of Ms. Cardello knows.  When the story ends Judy still is searching... and readers will be searching for the next book in hopes of a revelation.

When you can't escape your past you embrace it. Welcome the fact that you can't change but you can open up your heart and let you family and love in. 

Ruth opened the doors and released some skeletons. She has a knack for bringing back my favorites and make us remember why we became fans. Dominic created a mini me. She is truly her daddies child and just want to bring a smile to his face. 

What an introduction to what will sure have us at the edge of our seat. More secrets that I am not even ready for.

This was a really cute story with likeable characters, I'm a sucker for single parents and this one did not disappoint!.

Ruth Cardello has new Series the Corisi Billionaire.  The book introduce us the family link to Dominic Corisi.  The first book is Sebastian's story.   
Sebastian's story was one of struggle, family, and love.  Sebastian suffer great loss which lead him to struggle to find his way back to the person he once was.  Sebastian was not even sure that could happen.   That is when Heather and Ava enter his life.  Heather is an amazing character with her strength and love for Ava.  To make the book even better you enter Ava sweet and loving.

I felt so much with this story.  You feel for Sebastian and his struggle.  You see how brave Heather is.  When the two come together it perfect love.  Together they awesome.


Sebastian and Heather were a great story to start the new series!!  Five star read.

“The broken man and the single mom, 4 stars”

 

Heather is a single mom trying to do the best she can for her little girl who has already lost so much. When her daughter loses her precious stuffed wolf, she does what any mom would do, makes a post on the internet asking for help finding lost wolfie. What she didn’t expect was for Sebastian to knock on her door. But when he does, she can’t help but want him, the only problem though is she has no time for a guy who doesn’t have it together. Will he be able to pull himself together in time or will he lose out on a chance at happiness with Heather and her daughter?

Sebastian once had it all only to have it all taken away. He threw himself into his job and never came up. When he stumbles upon a stuffed wolf, he wants nothing to do with it. But he had encouragement from his mother and like any good Italian boy he listens to her. What he didn’t expect was to want Heather and her daughter. The question is will be get it together before they walk away?

I liked The Broken One. I was pulled in from the start. Heather and Sebastian balanced each other well and I wanted them to have a happily ever after. I want to know more about Sebastian’s family and who they will love. The only thing I didn’t like is I wanted to know more about Judy which is probably going to be in the background throughout the rest of the story until the truth comes out. I just wanted more clues leading into it to give me some sort of idea to run on, that’s just me though.

I think if you take a chance on The Broken One you will enjoy it.

Plot-4/5

Characters-4/5

Heat-4/5

Writing style-4/5

Overall-4/5

Started out so confused but by the end got so invested! The bulk of the story revolves around Heather, a single mom to her adopted daughter, and how losing her stuffed animal brings Heather to meet a man named Sebastian. Heather is used to doing everything on her own as a single mother, and when her daughter loses her prized possession – a stuffed animal wolf – she posts on social media hoping that someone will find and return it. When Sebastian finds said stuffed animal, it takes him back to a dark place as it reminds him of a tragic event in his life, but through the powers of fate, his mother sees the post and makes him return it to it’s rightful owner, Heather. The relationship between Heather and Sebastian is like a train wreck – it seems that neither of them can say the right things at the right time and they both continue to dance around each other while going back and forth on taking things the wrong way. Intertwined with this story is a few chapters focusing on Judy, a nine year old girl who is researching her family history for school and refuses to give up on finding out the background of her father. While these chapters don’t really make sense in the bulk of the storyline, at the end, they make perfect sense and it’s that connection that got me hooked and highly anticipating the next book in this series!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Yes, yes, yes! Another new to me author! A new person to stalk!

This is the first book by this author that I have read and I am going to be looking for more!

This story of Sebastian and Heather is fantastic!

A lost stuffed animal and destiny at it's finest.  This story is heartbreaking, it's hopeful and with a dash of humor, it's going to give you all the feels!

I loved the bit of mystery with the alternate POV's, it's making me crave more from this series.

Heather is smart, independent and a bit quirky, just what I like in a heroine.  She is a single mom and she takes her job very seriously.  I admired how she spoke her mind, and wouldn't put up with any bad behavior from Sebastian.

Sebastian is a scarred fella.  He has been dealt with heartbreak of an unimaginable level and has tried to make his way forward the best way he can.  His family is trying to help him, but he needs the love of a good woman.

The mystery is intriguing and kept me guessing, I can't wait to find out more clues in the next stories in this series.

Now I can honestly say this can be read as a standalone because I have never read Ms. Cardello's stories before and this story grabbed me from the get-go and didn't let me go until the end and I want more!

The Broken One is a great start to a new series for Ruth Cardello. In this, she creates a world I definately want more of. Not only did I enjoy this stand alone story, but she left me intrigued about the rest of the family we got a glimpse of in this story.

Sebastian is a jaded businessman whose life changed the moment his wife and unborn child died. He didn't used to be this way, but he's learned he has to keep people at a distance, so he'll never feel that sense of loss again. He's managed to cope the best he can and is there for his family to help run their company, but on the anniversary of his wife's death, it is still hard on him.
That's why when he finds a stuffed animal at his jobsite, he almost throws it away.

When Heather sends out an SOS to the Internet Gods in search of finding her daughters Wolfie, that was thown from the window, she never expects someone like Sebastian to return it. Yes - he's all that and a bag of chips to look at, but his attitude was more than she could handle. 

But fate has a way of interveining. Well - more like a meddling mother. But she means well and her intentions are driven by love. 

This book has a fantastic story line. I laughed, I cried, I felt every emotion in between. I loved the family dynamics, the combustible chemistry and the perfect amount of sass against the traditional alpha male role. What's more is that I can't wait to here about Sebastian's family and I am certainly looking forward to stories about his brothers.

I really like this author. Each book that I read from this author is better and better. From the story to the chemistry, she pulls me in every time.

Ruth Cardello revisits her original Billionaires as her new spin-off series begins with The Broken One. Long lost family of her original heart breaker Dominic Corisi are now on the scene and Sebastian & Heather add some spicy-hot chemistry to the mix. This book has just the right amount of humor, awesome characters that will make you want to keep coming back for more and a story that make the pages fly by. I didn't want the story to end so I'm glad there will be more to come.

Heather's flirting skills need a little work, “full disclosure, I ditched my underwear in the trash.” He gave me an odd look..." Sebastian really has no shame, “have you ever effed on a desk?” he asked, standing." I liked this book, I liked Sebastian.