I have to admit it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to read a book in one sitting, but Catherine Bybee’s When It Falls Apart had me fully immersed in the story. From the first chapter, I knew I was going to be hooked.

When Brooke’s life is turned upside down with her father’s health and break up with her boyfriend, she moves to San Diego from Washington in hopes of getting the help her father needs but also to start fresh in a new place.

There she meets the wonderful D’Angelo family at the Italian restaurant they own in “Little Italy”. Mari, the matriarch of the family offers her a place to stay above the restaurant. When she meets single dad Luca D’Angelo, the oldest son, he is not happy that his mom rented to a stranger, but after meeting Brooke that quickly changes. I loved this family and their support of Brooke and what she is going through with her father. I loved the development of the relationship between Luca and Brooke and the bond she formed with his daughter Franny.

This was such a heartfelt story and I absolutely loved it. I can’t wait for more of the D’Angelos!

I adored this book.
Catherine Baybee became one of my favorite authors during the pandemic and when I saw she was releasing a new series I fangirled her. This book didn’t disappoint me. Single dad, messy family, and a sting heroine that’s strong but flawed.
The Perfect read!

I really enjoyed this book! There were so many parts of the story that made me want to just jump into it and become a part of it.

Brooke was in a crummy relationship with a guy who just wasn't everything that she needed. When her somewhat absent father needs her, she goes to him to help because she values family. Brooke ends up moving to a new city to be near her father while he is in an assisted living facility recovering from medical issues. There she meets Luca D'Angelo, a single, hot Italian father of a sweet girl named Franny. Luca and Franny live with their extended family in a building that contains their family restaurant. There is definitely a spark between Luca and Brooke, but there is also drama when his ex-wife returns to try to see their daughter who she abandoned.

These characters are charming and inspiring! Brooke relates to Franny so well because of her own childhood experiences and the relationship Brooke has with the rest of the D'Angelo family is cozy and sweet. Family is a major theme in this story, and I really appreciate the interactions and respect between all the characters. Hard work and honesty are also shown in every chapter. My only warning is that this book may make you very hungry!

Catherine Bybee is an auto-read author for me. I really love reading her work. This book is no exception and I highly recommend it!

Bybee never disappoints. I love this book, the characters and the story so much. It was such a
sweet, light and a simple romance read. However, after reading the acknowledgment I think it was fictional, nonfiction? 😂 I
The MCs were so fun and loveable. And I really loved how Luca was portrayed as a little old fashioned. Moreover, that ending and the epilogue was everything I could ask for!!

P.s: I’m really really excited to read Chloe and Gio’s story already.

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐𝘵 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘈𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 is a sweet romance between Brooke, a daughter upending her life as she knew it to take care of her father and Luca, a sexy Italian chef who's the only parent to his lovely daughter.

- ~ -

The story's main theme is family. What it means to have been surrounded by one since birth and even sometimes the dysfunctionality of it. And what it means to love, to be loved and to form your own family.

Brooke and Luca were as sweet as they come. A bit of a slight instant attraction and confession but it worked for them. The D'Angelos family is close-knit, boisterous and incredibly loving. Also, the pure affectionate relationship between Brooke and Francesca? Might make you sob with its warmth.

I did like the author's connection to the story. This way you know the relationship between the father and daughter was a struggle but the love was genuine which also showed in the story.

Lastly, I'm really excited for the next book in the series which I'm 99% sure is about Chloe and Dante.

- ~ -

3.89 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

This novel actually took me a while to really get into it. I’m not sure why but I felt like the story took a long time to settle and to build. I was teetering on not finishing it but once I got through the first handful of pages, things started to pick up and it was quite pleasant. You have Brooke who is taking care of her father after a stroke and after effects. She picks up her life and relocates from Seattle to San Diego living in Little Italy renting from a family who owns an Italian restaurant. It is from that restaurant that she meets the owner’s son, Luca and his absolutely wonderful daughter Franny. And let me tell you, every time there is a single-parent romance, there is no chance of not falling in love with the kid. Franny is full of energy and love and I’m not lying when I say her cuteness just bleeds through the pages :) She is immediately drawn to Brooke and vice versa. Through various encounters, Luca finds himself seeking out Brooke more and more. It may not sound as exciting but the relationship that they have with each other and the progress of it is actually done smoothly even though it may seem like they’ve barely met, it doesn’t feel rushed. Luca is honest and after raising Franny as a single parent, he was sure he was done but found himself wanting a forever. And yes, he was such a sweet talker. Haha. There were funny moments and so many moments that had you swooning. The thing about this story is that the relationship between the two seemed very domestic and you didn’t need a lot of dramatics to keep the story going. As the saying goes, sometimes less is more. The relationship Brooke has with her father could also be questionable to some. I could see why some people might ask why Brooke is doing what she is in regards to her father but this is actually done quite well. I have seen something similar to this type of father-daughter relationship and it’s never easy but when you know that there is still someone to love you, it makes all the difference. I love that after everything, it showed Brooke’s strength and really just how mature someone could be to move forward and past all of the painful history. Something worth reading about.

Brooke feels like her life is crumbling around her and so breaks up with her boyfriend, moves to San Diego and comes across a lovely Italian family where her life drastically improves as she begins rebuilding her life. However, not without a few hiccups along the way!

I really enjoyed the story and loved the characters! The only reason this isn’t a five star read for me as I felt that some of the plots could have been developed further. For example, I loved the relationship between Brooke and her dad and felt that this could have been further built on. The main storyline is fantastic, I just think the side stories could have given more.

I loved every single character, they were so well written and the conversations between everyone came across really natural as though you were listening in on conversations as opposed to reading them.

A fab read, I would highly recommend.

4.9 Stars

Brooke + Luca

Brooke is 36 years old and she just broke up with her boyfriend and moved from Seattle to San Diego to be close to her sick father.
She found an assisted living place for her dad and for herself, she found a cute little apartment on top of an italian family restaurant.
Luca is the oldest of three kids of that italian family. He's also the cook in the restaurant and single dad to eight year old Franny.
Luca would love to find someone to be happy with and to maybe give his daughter some more siblings with. But Brooke is not looking, right?
And then there's the matchmaking grandma Mari who wants to see her family happy again...

Let the fun times begin...

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO BROOKE + LUCA?
WILL WE GET A HAPPY END?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! 😎

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That was so adorable!
I have to admit that this was my very first Catherine Bybe book!
And I loved it! I was a bit unsure at first. I kinda wanted to throw the book out the window after reading the first sentence. I don't know why, but I just don't love 3rd person POVs. I want to be in the story. I want to be the hero or heroine and that's just so much easier in first person. BUT - I still read this and I really enjoyed it!

This book was so sweet and adorable and so full of family and love and happiness. But of course we have some heartbreaking moments too.
I just adored that our couple didn't have those typical romance novel misunderstandings and lies and omissions and whatnots. It was so perfectly mature - they just talked about everything. I wish every romance book did that! LOL!
I loved reading this.
I loved the whole restaurant/neighborhood/community vibe - I soo need to see this on TV one day!
The people, the location. This just needs to be on a screen!
Can't wait to read Chloe's and then Gio's story!

► WHEN IT FALLS APART was such an adorable + fun + sweet + foody + family-y + just beautiful love story - I loved reading it! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Luca - this one is mine!

This is a heartwarming family drama with romance mingled in it.

Brooke Turner wasn't really getting along with her father but when she received a phone call that her father is in need of help after suffering from a stroke. Brooke moves into San Diego Little Italy and she moves into a small apartment. Meanwhile Luca D'Angelo, a single father of a daughter was curious about the woman who moved into his mother's owned apartment. Initially he didn't really get along with Brooke but later on, the two becomes friends and embark on a romantic relationship.

From start to finish, it was interesting. The author's style of writing drew the reader into the story making the reader feel like they are part of the story. The slow development of romance between Brooke and Luca was interesting to read and I actualy enjoyed reading this book. Luca is an overprotective father who has a tumultous divorce while Brooke also broke up with a boyfriend before she moved in to look after her father. Though the ending was expected, I rooted for both Luca and Brooke. This is the first book of the D'Angelo series and I cannot wait for the second book! Worth five stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Oh man, I just loved this book! Such a fantastic read and the family restaurant - I was drooling! I’m looking forward to the rest of this series!

This is good bittersweet emotional story. A story about parent/child relationship, loyalty and new beginnings. I enjoyed it and I love to read more from this author.

Well paced and interesting, this story is low angst and I felt totally invested in the characters. Brooke was having a really bad time- her father was sick and her boyfriend was not interested in being supportive. So she moves to help her father settle into an assisted living situation and at that time, meets with Luca, a chef with a quintessential Italian family. I absolutely loved the family and especially, the dynamics between the siblings and the matriarch. I hope we get more from each of these family members!

The romance is so sweet. I absolutely love when the main characters are always completely with each other- even arguments are handled in a mature way. Franny, Luca's daughter, is adorable and while there are serious themes throughout the story (especially when it comes to parental issues), the story has moments of levity too. Well rounded with fantastic characters, I really look forward to another story in this world. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an early copy.

This is a sweet story about family and a daughter trying to do her best to help her aging father. Their relationship has been strained at times, but she cares for her father and is his only means of support. She meets the D'Angelo family and they help to support her in ways she rarely had. Family can help to get one through the hardest of times.

I flew through this book. The characters felt real and believable. The D'Angelo family was so special. I would love to count them as friends in my life. I look forward to reading more about them as the series continues. I will definitely recommend this book to my friends.

I have posted my review to Goodreads, StoryGraph, and on Instagram @cherrypurlsmerry.

The story
Brooke is an only child whose only real family is the father she met as a teen. When she gets a call that he needs her, her partner Marshall is unsupportive. Brooke ends up packing up her life to be with her father. But living in her father’s condo is unbearable. Since he has to move into assisted living anyway, it’s time for a change and Brooke finds a way for them to move to San Diego as a compromise.

My thoughts
I loved all the parts of this story where Brooke finds family, acceptance and love in San Diego. But there are also many parts of this story where she is solely responsible for an elderly parent both financially and emotionally, and this is portrayed so realistically. This is the first Catherine Bybee book I have read, but it won’t be the last.

I love a good book that makes you feel good and this is a book just like that. A book with romance, friendship, family and just life in general. It is such an easy book to read yet it has so much in it, great characters and about moving on with life, love and friendship.

This is a book that anyone can read with ease and enjoy. It is a perfect women's fiction and a great read.

When you open a book and start reading you don’t realize how much of the book could be related to your own life...That’s what this book did for me. I can relate to Brooke in a lot of ways. Makes the story more powerful for me.

Brooke Turner has become the caregiver for her ailing father and when she gets a late-night call saying her father has been hospitalized and she needs to authorize surgery that he needs because he is not able to give permission himself, she drops everything and goes to her father. She did not ask to be his primary caregiver, but as she is his only child, then it falls to her. She did not realize at the time how this one phone call would change her life forever.

Luca D’Angelo is the oldest son of a family who owns an Italian restaurant, that he works as a chef, along with his mother and two siblings. Plus, he is a single father of a young daughter and when Brooke saves Franny from a mishap in the restaurant, he did not know that fate and his mother would be changing his life too.

Once I started, I could stop with this book until I finished. It is a heartwarming family drama with romance and sexual tension between Brooke and Luca. You can feel the heat and heart of this book jump off the pages and into your heart. You will learn a little Italian and when Catherine starts describing the wonderful, they are cooking your mouth will water with wanting to taste them. Franny will steal your heart, as she becomes important to Brooke, and you will want to become a part of the D’Angelo family, just as Brooke does when she moves into the 4th floor apartment in the D’Angelo empire. She never thought a man would become so important to her and bring her everything she ever wanted.

Well done Catherine Bybee!! I cannot wait to see who is next to fall in love, in the D’Angelo family. Will it be Chloe or Gio...This first book is a winner to start off the series.

Thank you, Catherine Bybee, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and give my honest review of this wonderful book.

Very sweet story. Charming characters, great setting, i felt that the story was strong and flowed very well. Sat and read on a lovely sunny day in May, and it really left me with a sense of happiness at the ending. On an end note, reading this book made me very hungry, just listening to the dishes they were having on family dinners made me really want to move to an Italian community myself.

5+ Stars for this emotional read!

Ms Bybee has a way of drawing me into her stories that I cannot put the book down and I always end up reading into the wee hours of the morning. The banter between the characters is very realistic and the situations are everyday things ... like looking after your elderly parents and parents leaving their kids behind. There are lots of heavy subjects in this book, but it was kept light with the adorable little Franny. This book made me laugh, cry and swoon! I can't wait for the next book in the series!

I felt so sorry for Brooke ... her father left when she was young and never bothered with his visitation rights. He was more interested in finding his next wife. Two years ago he had a stroke and Brooke put her life on hold to look after him. He just got living on his own again and he has another health crisis ... and Brooke starts all over again. Her father wasn't there for her, but he expects her to be there for him. Luca is the head of his strong Italian family. He runs the family restaurant with the help of his mother, brother and sister and they help him with is daughter Franny. Franny's mom took off for greener pastures when Franny was very young and Luca is glad that she's not in his little girl's life. But when his mother rents the upstairs flat to a complete stranger, he is livid ... he doesn't want a stranger in their family home. Once Luca gets to know the mysterious Brooke, his life will never be the same.

I received an early copy courtesy of Montlake through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

#netgalley #whenitfallsapart publication date 21 June 2022

A beautiful love story about a woman named Brooke who leaves to look after her sick father. This story gave me all the feels and I love Franny. Highly recommend this book 5/5 stars

San Diego is already dreamy, but add in an Italian neighborhood, family drama and hottie love and you’ve got this book. This was a quick contemporary romantic read.