Hmmmm. I struggle a bit with writing this review. Davina is a strong and smart woman who runs her own highly successful company. She also lost her husband not that long ago and is navigating the grieving process daily. Deke is a pro basketball player who Davina signs to be the face of her products. Deke is instantly smitten with Davina, working overtime to connect with her and forge some type of relationship despite the barriers she throws up.

I really did like both Davina and Deke as the main characters. They were easy to relate to. I enjoyed the interactions throughout the book with their friends and siblings. I think what I struggled most with that I didn't really feel the connection between Deke and Davina. He seemed so into her from the very beginning but I didn't feel their connection. I didn't get a sense of any growth of their relationship beyond the physical. I also felt like the first half of the book was kind of slow and dragged, but the second half was too fast and things were happening at a rapid pace. I wish I could have felt more of a connection between Davina and Deke. All in all I think this story was just ok for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Declan (Deke) is instantly attracted to Davina when he meets her at a work-related meeting. Unfortunately, Davina is still grieving her late husband who has passed away less than a year ago.

Despite that, Deke and Davina continue to keep in touch via email over the next few months. Deke is desperate for their relationship to move beyond friendship but is Davina ready to move forward? Read this to find out.

This was not just a book on romance in my opinion. There was a lot of airtime on grief and how it affects both our main characters. They also choose to deal with it in their own ways and as mentioned in the book, grief can come and go and hit you hard when you least expect it.

I loved those initial flirty emails and the eventual texts which they shared. It formed a strong foundation of friendship which allowed their relationship to grow further. The ending was a beautiful one reminding us that though we are broken, we can still find beautiful love.

You can always trust Shanora Williams to deliver angst and she delivered it plenty in Beautiful Broken Love. Deke and Davina are two broken souls and this is the journey of how they became whole again, with each other. The author twisted the metaphorical knife in my chest repeatedly and took me to the deepest part of emotional hell but the whole story carried a strong pull of hope and healing. It was slow burn but when the chemistry exploded, it was pure fire. They are both so amazing human being but their past are dragging them down. Guilt, pain, anger, sadness.. they had it all. But love swept off everything dark and they found HEA.

* friends to lovers
* sports romance ( NBA star)
* BIPOC characters
* angsty romance

Davina has lost her husband to cancer just few months ago. Her skincare brand is just getting successful and work is the only thing keeping her sane. Enter Deke Bishop. NBA star. The new face for her brand. And the man who is making her feel something other than the grief and guilt. Deke can feel Davina is still not at a place to give everything but he will be patient because she is someone special. And he knows trauma. But how long..

Deke has such a magnetic presence. He is confident and sexy and charming. This man walks and talks and oozes sex. You wouldn't know the NBA superstar is hiding so much pain. On the outside, he is living his best star studded luxury life. But inside, there is an emptiness. He is kind and hilarious and respectful and hard working. Davina has always fought against odds in her life. She feels she isn't deserving of love. She is stuck in past. It wasn't easy to come out of her self made prison. Deke was a force who hammered down her wall but it was a torturing journey. Davina pushed him away. She ran from her feelings. She retreats into her shell. It hurts me to see such a sweet and amazing and talented and heartwarming person to be in so much pain. She almost lost Deke. But she found the courage. They both had a lot of broken pieces. But together, they make a pretty picture.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

📖: Beautiful Broken Love- a standalone

✍️ By: Shanora Williams-I read The Other Mistress and gave it 5 ✨

📃 Page Count: 383 eBook

🗓️ Publication Date: 12/3/24 | Read 11/27/24

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Montlake, and Shanora Williams for this ARC🏀! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

🌎Setting: Charlotte, NC

Genre: AA Interests, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance

Tropes: workplace romance, celebrity romance, family drama, friends with benefits, mental health


☝🏾POV: dual, 1st person

⚠️TW: grief, death of loved ones, depression/anxiety, suicide-not H/h, parental neglect, child abuse/DV, cancer-just mentioned


🚺Heroine: Davina Klein-Roberts 32, owner of Golden Oil Company (GOC) a self-built skincare line. Husband Lewis died of cancer 7 mos. ago still wears her wedding ring and dragonfly necklace from him.

🚹 Hero: Declan "Deke" Bishop- 33, NBA player on Atlanta Ravens hired to endorse GOC.

🎭Side cast:

• Tisha Cole-Davina's BFF/secretary

• Whitney & Camille-Deke's sisters

• Octavia-30, Davina's sister & Abe-16, Davina's little brother-special needs

•Giselle Grace-Deke's model "gf"

• Javier Valdez-Deke's BFF/teammate, a widower w/ 3 yr old daughter Aleesa

• EJ McCoy-Deke's BFF/teammate

• Chester Hughes-Davina's billionaire investor in GOC

•Gloria Roberts-Davina's ex mother-in-law


🤔My Thoughts: I had trouble with Davina moving on so quickly, but everyone's grieving time is different. Deke wanted Davina from the first time they met and kept pursuing her. I loved Deke's relationship with his sisters Whitney and Camille. They told him the truth and gave him advice about Davina. She was confused about her feelings for Deke and Lewis but wanted to experience sexual desire again. Once Lewis was diagnosed, he pushed Davina away but gave his blessing for her to find love again.

Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
🌶️: Spice 5/5
😭: Emotion 5/5
❤️: Couple 4/5
⭐️: Rating 4/5

My thoughts 💭🥹
Grief. This novel is about grief and how beautifully two people grieving met and learned to let their boundaries down, and to just love on each other and allow themselves to fully soak in being loved on because they deserve. I went into this one blind. I knew I wanted to be introduced to Shanora’s catalog but didn’t know where to start. So I started with her newest. The authors note set the tone for this novel(please don’t skip it). As well as all of the posts the author has been posting to get everyone ready for PUB DAY! I cried yall. I cried last night and cried like a baby while finishing this book this morning. 😭 It was so good. Touched on so many relatable topics. I always say I’m never triggered by the books that I read, but I’ve learned there is a specific topic I’ve been reading about lately that triggers me in a bittersweet way and for that…. I’m giving this infinity ♾️ ⭐️’s.

This is the perfect holiday read as the story sums up on Thanksgiving Day.

Fave Quote: 💕
“We had a love like no other — a beautiful, broken love that healed us when we needed it most.”

Get this book when it comes out. It’s amazing 💕♾️😭

This was such a touching story. Davina’s husband died and since then she’s buried herself in her skin care line. When she see a star basketball player make a comment about his dry skin she sees an opportunity to get her business out there. Davina reaches out to Deke’s manager asking if he’d be an ambassador for them. Not really getting her hopes up that he would endorse her small company. Deke doesn’t need the money but he knows his sister loves her products and figures maybe he could get free stuff for his sister. But as soon as he walks into the meeting and meets Davina he wants to do whatever he can to spend more time with her. Davina has heard the rumors about Deke being a player. And his arrogance further confirms it. The last thing Davina is ready for is a relationship. So she doesn’t let Deke know that her husband has died. And Deke isn’t going after a married woman. But once he finds out about her husband he knows what grief is and wants to be there for her even if it’s just as a friend. This was a beautifully written story.

It’s been months since her dreams of forever were brutally shattered. Seven long months since her husband and soulmate, Lew, died in her arms, leaving her to carry on. Alone. And Davina Klein-Roberts still isn’t sure how to move forward.

To escape her anguish, Davina throws everything into work, pushing Golden Oil Co., her self-built skincare line, to become a viral success. Now she’s poised to clinch a major endorsement deal too. But it’s bittersweet without Lew by her side.

A meeting with Deke Bishop, the hot NBA star she’s courting for her brand, leaves Davina flustered. With his dimpled smile and warm handshake, Deke’s a natural pitchman. And he’s clearly interested—not only in her lotions.

Davina soon discovers that Deke’s more than just another player and carries his own pain. But as her feelings for him grow, so does her guilt. Will the pain of a future already lost keep her from embracing hope for a new one?

Such a beautiful story. The characters have a way of being relatable. You can almost imagine yourself in their world. I really love the author's writing style. Will recommend to others.

The way this story unfolds kept me invested all the way through. There’s something about the characters' journey that feels real—both the passion and the emotional depth. I’ve always been into basketball players, so that angle was a nice touch.

What I really appreciated was how the book didn’t just focus on the romance. It touched on new beginnings and self-belief, which made the characters' growth feel authentic.

The romance had the right amount of steam, with plenty of chemistry between the two. But it wasn’t just about the attraction; it was about how they supported each other and helped each other grow, which made their relationship feel much more meaningful.

It was a story that balanced both intensity and emotional growth in a way that kept me fully engaged. The mix of passion, personal growth, and connection made it a satisfying read.

Going into Beautiful Broken Love, I had no idea what to expect. Given the topics this book covers, it’s best to go in, knowing a little bit. The story follows Davina who after the death of her husband has buried herself in work. She’s even trying to get an NBA player to endorse her skincare company: Golden Oil Co.

From their very first meeting, Deke Bishop is instantly attracted to Davina and wants to know more about her. He is able to convince her to go out to dinner only to find out she’s married and to say he’ll accept her deal. From there, the two start to build a reluctant friendship as Davina has no interest in anything else. As the two spend more time together, it’s clear they both have feelings yet Davina is still grieving and has a lot to process.

Ultimately, the thing I enjoyed about this book was how real these two characters felt. Davina was dealing with the grief of losing her husband but also trying to move forward. She was doing everything she could not to fall for Deke but it was inevitable. Deke was also dealing with some past trauma which we learn about throughout the story. Seeing the two lean on each other and figure out the best way to support each other was amazing.

Beautiful Broken Love was an emotional read for me even though I haven’t lost a partner. If you’re grieving or in the midst of grief, then I don’t think this book will be for you. However, if you read the author’s note, you’ll see why Shanora Williams chose to write this book and why it’s such an important story to her. I truly give her all the kudos in the world as it was no doubt incredibly difficult to write this story.

Given that this book comes out in December, it’s not the happy and light read you might be craving. Regardless, Beautiful Broken Love is a solid romance if you’re able to handle the content within.

This was my first Shanora Williams read and WOW, how did I not find her before. I am a FAN!

In this emotional story, we have Davina who lost her husband 7 months ago not taking time to deal with her grief. She goes on with life by keeping herself busy with her brand. That is when she meets Deke Bishop, as she is trying to pitch him to be the face of her brand. They instantly click and although Davina can see Deke is interested in more than her pitch, they end up exploring a friendship that late starts including benefits.

We get to experience Davina’s grief as she feels guilty over starting to have a glimpse of happiness having Deke around. She feels like she is betraying Lew when exploring intimacy with Deke. Her grieving process is so incredible well written that the words go beyond the book. It is purely magical!

Deke is a truly understanding man and can truly empathize with Davina’s feelings because of his past. It is also great how he then begins to process and embrace more of his own grief. Both of them help each other to heal and experience life more consciously.

The character development was top notch and even though the story was deeply emotional, it was beautifully written and captivating. I had to put my kindle down a few times to get in a good cry, that’s how good I was able to put myself in the story, so keep Kleenex around!

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for the opportunity of reading the ARC of the book.

Beautiful Broken Love by Shanora Williams is a sports romance that dives deep into finding love after grief. After losing her husband, Davina focuses all her time on her business and not much else. That is until she meets Deke, an NBA star who she is hoping will endorse her products! The problem is she can't keep her eyes off him!

I enjoyed this story so much. It was paced well. This was a very emotional story dealing with grief and healing. I loved reading about the fmc and her development throughout the story. I also really loved the fmc's sister. A great character and would love to read more about her.

The romance was beautiful. It had tension,  slow burn energy, and the spice was great! I can't wait to check out more of this author's work!

Wow!

Shanora is an absolutely amazing author who excels in writing stories that will capture your attention and make you want to read more of her work!

This is a highly emotional story with several trigger warnings that the author does warn about in the beginning. Read with caution if you are sensitive to these triggers. Deke and Davina have a beautiful but difficult story with a tremendous amount of grief and pain. You will embrace these characters and truly feel their despair and pain through the author's writing. It is one of those books that you will want to read in one sitting.

I loved the character development throughout the story and appreciated learning their backstories. Knowing some of Deke and Davina's past history can help readers have a better understanding of their present struggles with relationships and love. There are also several side characters that help bring everything together and I loved Deke and Davina's interactions with them.

If you are a Shanora Williams fan already, this novel will just make your love her and her writing even more!
I appreciate this author, NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this ARC in return for my honest opinion!

This was such an emotional story about two characters finding strength in each other as they navigate life after loss and all the struggles, grief and pain that comes with it.

Deke is an NBA star player, he's cool, confident and charming but he hides his pain and vulnerabilities behind the game he loves.
I really liked Deke straight away, he comes across as a player but he's a good guy who genuinely cares for others.

Davina is a strong independent business woman. She throws everything into her company to make it a success. I felt Davinas anguish and her guilt for trying to move on with her life without her husband, my heart hurt for her.

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Deke and Davina from the moment they meet you can feel it. They understand each other on so many levels, grief really brings them together.
Their journey even though it's painful and raw it's also beautiful and heartwarming to see them healing and finding the happiness they deserve. The spice was nice too. 😉

I am absolutely in awe of the talent that Shanora has. Every book, you can tell that she writes with her whole heart and soul. This one was no exception - the heavy topics were dealt with with such care that I can’t help but admire Shanora for everything she does. I love the comparison between love and grief and how comparative they are. These characters were flawed and that made me feel for them and root for them even more. This was a slow burn, but once it hit, it HIT in only a way Shanora knows how.

I liked this romance well enough, the characters were interesting and the relationship was believable, but it got very draggy in the middle and the sex scenes while streamy, just didn’t work for me.

Both Davina and Deke were very likable and relatable. Both have experienced the death of a loved one, Davina quite recently, and both are still dealing with their issues around that. Davina’s grief about her husband was still raw and it was compounded by the death of her father when she was very young. But she is a very strong woman, as evidenced by her success as a business woman. Deke’s life was also affected by the death of his brother when he was a teen, and even though his grief was there, it wasn’t as raw as Davina’s. The true extent of Deke’s grief wasn’t fully explored until the end of the book, which made it feel rushed and not as important as Davina’s grief.

The supporting cast of characters were great. I loved the sisters and brothers on both sides of the family. Also the friends and teammates of the main characters were very supportive and fun. I especially liked Javier and Octavia, who were the most supportive but who also were there to help the couple through their relationship.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, the author did a great job of showing how grief is a process that is different for everyone. I also appreciated how through Deke’s character we get an understanding that grief does lessen over time but never really goes away. But the second half of the book seemed to be mostly about the sex between these two and the plot seemed to stall out. The sex was also a bit more than I usually enjoy, too explicit for my taste, but that is just me. There are plenty of people out there that will love it. The writing was good and the banter between the characters was well done as well.

It you are looking for a contemporary romance that has some very steamy sex, but also deals with some heavy topics then this is a story you should take a look at. It is not exactly a sports romance, Deke is a professional basketball player, but it is not a main plot point.

This was wonderful and most definitely one of my favourite arc's so far. The characters felt SO real and I couldn't put this book down as I wanted to know desperately how the story would develop. Seeing Deke and Davina face their demons separately and together, felt so powerful and inspiring and I definitely shed a couple of tears towards the end. Heartwarming, real, intense but so so beautiful. A story about how love is the most powerful thing we have to give.

Beautiful Broken Love is a novel that pulled at my heartstrings! Shanora Williams penned here a poignant story about love, loss, grief, healing and second change at love.

Davina lost her husband a few months earlier, when Deke enters her life. This sexy NBA star player is the new face of her products and is instantly captured by her. The man is tenacious in his pursuit of her despite knowing about her loss.

I enjoyed that Deke fought really hard for what he wanted. It was beautiful to see him courting Davina with consideration and care, but also ardor. He knew what she could mean for him in his future. Their connection what that magnetic! Davina had more trouble opening her heart to Deke, going through an amalgam of conflicting emotions. Her grieving process was heartbreaking to witness at time, but also hopeful. This couple shared some emotional enounters as well as spicier ones. The progress of their relationship was captivating!

Shanora Williams truly knows how to hook you with a powerful story and engaging protagonists! That's what she did withBeautiful Broken Love which was sincerely incredible!

🌺🌸ARC Review🌸🌺

Beautiful Broken Love by Shanora Williams
🌸🌺🌸🌺🌸/5

This was my first book by Shanora Williams and it will not be my last. This book was beautifully written and tugged on the heart strings. The way this story portrays grief made me bawl my eyes out. I could not imagine going through was Davina went through losing her husband to cancer but just picturing it has my heart shattered. I completely understand her not wanting anything while her pain is so fresh and raw but I appreciate Deke coming in and supporting her through her pain. I feel as though Lew sent Deke to Davina to help. Deke having gone through trauma in the past with his dad helped round this story out and help the characters connect. This story is raw, heartbreaking, wonderful, and so much more.

This story comes out on December 3 and I highly recommend preordering this book!

Thank you Shanora Williams, NetGalley, and Montlake for a copy of this ARC!

Grief and love. Davina is mourning her husband and focused on her business when she meets Deke who has a tragic back story of his own. These two grow a relationship through working together and then a romance, It's a thoughtful look at people struggling with guilt about starting again. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

The exploration between grief and love in Davina and Deke’s story was organic and relatable. Davina recently lost her husband, and has thrown herself into her company to escape facing the severity of her grief. Deke, an NBA player, has his own journey with grief we learn more about as the book goes on.

I love when a hero meets the heroine, and immediately knows there’s something about her that he can’t let go. What started as Deke being a rep for Davina’s company lead to a friendship and eventual romance that allows both of them to open up about their respective healing journeys. They deserved an HEA. I’m glad they were patient when their grief caused them to lash out or shut down because we all deserve someone who will still be there for us in our moments of weakness.

I would’ve liked to see Deke’s grief journey a little more, as I felt like the book primarily focused on Davina’s journey. I felt that Deke’s issues were a bit rushed towards the end, given how long he’d had his feelings bottled up. However, I recognize that this book reflected the author’s grief journey with the loss of her brother and I appreciated her personal note towards the end.

Whether it’s contemporary, fantasy or thriller, this author is multi-talented! I hope this becomes a series because the author hinted at a couple that I am VERY invested in!