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Connor Family #3
Where the Heart Heals
An unbreakable friendship. A brutal secret. A love born from heartbreak.
Marnie
Sebastian’s always been Marnie's knight in shining armor, but their love is far from a fairytale. Especially because Sebastian doesn’t know how badly Marnie wants to dance with him. But when she decides to dance with someone else, soon she finds herself on the shoals of the worst night of her life and Marnie knows there’s only one man who can save her…
Are these two destined to endure this storm together? Or will the secrets they keep destroy them both in more ways than one?
Sebastian
All Sebastian has ever wanted is Marnie for as long as he can remember, but destroying their friendship out of selfishness isn’t a risk he’s willing to take. But when that selfishness becomes the reason Marnie finds herself in a terrible situation, the only thing Sebastian can do is spend the rest of his life trying to atone for what happened…even if it means confessing the truth.
Can Marnie find it in her heart to forgive Sebastian for what he’s done? Or will their love break before it’s even begun?
Tropes and other info:
Friends-to-lovers
Right person, wrong time
One bed
Teach Me
Virgin FMC
Inexperienced Bisexual MMC
Small town
Mental health rep
It was always you
Accidental pregnancy
A 'f*ck it' moment
Dual POV
Third-person
Spicy open-door scenes
Marnie
Sebastian’s always been Marnie's knight in shining armor, but their love is far from a fairytale. Especially because Sebastian doesn’t know how badly Marnie wants to dance with him. But when she decides to dance with someone else, soon she finds herself on the shoals of the worst night of her life and Marnie knows there’s only one man who can save her…
Are these two destined to endure this storm together? Or will the secrets they keep destroy them both in more ways than one?
Sebastian
All Sebastian has ever wanted is Marnie for as long as he can remember, but destroying their friendship out of selfishness isn’t a risk he’s willing to take. But when that selfishness becomes the reason Marnie finds herself in a terrible situation, the only thing Sebastian can do is spend the rest of his life trying to atone for what happened…even if it means confessing the truth.
Can Marnie find it in her heart to forgive Sebastian for what he’s done? Or will their love break before it’s even begun?
Tropes and other info:
Friends-to-lovers
Right person, wrong time
One bed
Teach Me
Virgin FMC
Inexperienced Bisexual MMC
Small town
Mental health rep
It was always you
Accidental pregnancy
A 'f*ck it' moment
Dual POV
Third-person
Spicy open-door scenes
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 20, 2025
2 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Jenni Simonis
9 books38 followersJenni Simonis, an award winning writer, has been crafting stories since she was a young girl. Whenever school supplies were bought for the year, she always snuck in a few extra thick spiral notebooks for to fill with her tales. The pile grew over the years. eventually turning into digital notebooks and then a tablet.
Before finally succumbing to her passion of writing romance novels, she spent years working in the newspaper industry in Texas. There, she won multiple awards, both individually and as part of larger team projects.
Jenni lives in the Pacific Northwest of the United States with her husband, son, sister, and several pets.
Before finally succumbing to her passion of writing romance novels, she spent years working in the newspaper industry in Texas. There, she won multiple awards, both individually and as part of larger team projects.
Jenni lives in the Pacific Northwest of the United States with her husband, son, sister, and several pets.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 28, 2025
Honestly more of a 2.5 for me
I was so excited for this book, I had previously read ménage with the devil and even though it’s a different trope I thought I would still enjoy the writing style. Unfortunately, this book was not it for me. I literally skipped through chapters because I hate to DNF a book. The verbiage was so adult for people who were supposed to be kids at the be of the book, and it just drug out. I really wanted to like this one.
I was so excited for this book, I had previously read ménage with the devil and even though it’s a different trope I thought I would still enjoy the writing style. Unfortunately, this book was not it for me. I literally skipped through chapters because I hate to DNF a book. The verbiage was so adult for people who were supposed to be kids at the be of the book, and it just drug out. I really wanted to like this one.
November 18, 2025
Loved this story of best friends Sebastian and Marine. Not only is her best friend but he is her hero of sorts even though being the hero might mean a change for the both.
Great book, Jenni, really love the Connor Family books as everyone gets involved in the story not just the main leads. Another 5 star read.
Great book, Jenni, really love the Connor Family books as everyone gets involved in the story not just the main leads. Another 5 star read.
November 26, 2025
An unbreakable friendship. A brutal secret. A love born from heartbreak.
Sebastian’s always been Marnie's knight in shining armor, but their love is far from a fairy tale. Especially because Sebastian doesn’t know how badly Marnie wants to dance with him. But when she decides to dance with someone else, soon she finds herself on the shoals of the worst night of her life and Marnie knows there’s only one man who can save her…
Are these two destined to endure this storm together? Or will the secrets they keep destroy them both in more ways than one?
All Sebastian has ever wanted is Marnie for as long as he can remember, but destroying their friendship out of selfishness isn’t a risk he’s willing to take. But when that selfishness becomes the reason Marnie finds herself in a terrible situation, the only thing Sebastian can do is spend the rest of his life trying to atone for what happened…even if it means confessing the truth.
Can Marnie find it in her heart to forgive Sebastian for what he’s done? Or will their love break before it’s even begun?
YOU'RE MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!!! Please read and pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book. There is some content and scenes in this book that are not suitable for all readers and could be triggering for others. Always remember that your mental health comes first at all times.
Tropes: Friends-to-Lovers, Right Person/Wrong time, One Bed, Teach Me, Virgin FMC, Inexperienced Bisexual MMC, Small Town, Mental Health Rep, It Was Always You, Accidental Pregnancy, A 'F*ck It' Moment, Dual POV, Third-Person, Spicy Open-Door Scenes, Infertility,
Where The Heart Heals is the 3rd book in A Connor Family Novel Series by Jenni Simmonis.
Marnie has always known that Sebastian would be there for her and have her back and she's always felt as though he was her knight in shining armour. But they both know that their love is far from being a fairytale.
When at a dance, Sebastian is oblivious to how badly Marnie wants him to ask her to dance. But, when he fails to her, she ends up dancing with someone else. With that one single decision Marnie finds herself thrown into the deep end of the worst night of her life and Marnie knows without a shadow of a doubt that there's only one man who could possibly save her...
Sebastian has only ever wanted Marnie for as long as he could remember, but he's not willing to risk the friendship they've built over the years out of selfishness, and it's not a risk that he's willing to take, he's not willing to risk losing Marnie for anything in the world.
When Sebastian learns that his selfishness is the very reason that Marnie ended up in a horrible situation, he realizes that the only choice he has left is to spend the rest of his life spending the rest of his life trying to make amends to Marnie for what happened...even if that means that Sebastian is forced to confess the entire truth to Marnie.
Are Marnie and Sebastian going to be able to endure the storm? Will the secrets they've both kept hidden in their own dark shadows destroy each of them in more than one way? Will Marnie be able to forgive Sebastian for everything that he's done? Will their love break completely before it's had its chance to bloom?
I fell in love with both Sebastian and Marnie, their friendship and their love story. I loved how Sebastian was Marnie's best friend but in Marnie's eye's he was also in a lot of ways Sebastian was also her hero. Although, Sebastian being Marnie's hero meant that changes for them both, and not all changes come for the best before they can get better.
I love how when it comes to the Connor Family everyone gets involved, not just our main characters, and honestly, I think that it really helps bring our main characters closer in the end. I also think having all the characters involved helps to bring them all together in the end.
I love the Connor Family Series and I can't wait to see what's next for the family. I have fallen in love with the way Jenni develops her characters, gives them room to grow through the stories, and the character arcs that each character is given through each novel.
Sebastian’s always been Marnie's knight in shining armor, but their love is far from a fairy tale. Especially because Sebastian doesn’t know how badly Marnie wants to dance with him. But when she decides to dance with someone else, soon she finds herself on the shoals of the worst night of her life and Marnie knows there’s only one man who can save her…
Are these two destined to endure this storm together? Or will the secrets they keep destroy them both in more ways than one?
All Sebastian has ever wanted is Marnie for as long as he can remember, but destroying their friendship out of selfishness isn’t a risk he’s willing to take. But when that selfishness becomes the reason Marnie finds herself in a terrible situation, the only thing Sebastian can do is spend the rest of his life trying to atone for what happened…even if it means confessing the truth.
Can Marnie find it in her heart to forgive Sebastian for what he’s done? Or will their love break before it’s even begun?
YOU'RE MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!!! Please read and pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book. There is some content and scenes in this book that are not suitable for all readers and could be triggering for others. Always remember that your mental health comes first at all times.
Tropes: Friends-to-Lovers, Right Person/Wrong time, One Bed, Teach Me, Virgin FMC, Inexperienced Bisexual MMC, Small Town, Mental Health Rep, It Was Always You, Accidental Pregnancy, A 'F*ck It' Moment, Dual POV, Third-Person, Spicy Open-Door Scenes, Infertility,
Where The Heart Heals is the 3rd book in A Connor Family Novel Series by Jenni Simmonis.
Marnie has always known that Sebastian would be there for her and have her back and she's always felt as though he was her knight in shining armour. But they both know that their love is far from being a fairytale.
When at a dance, Sebastian is oblivious to how badly Marnie wants him to ask her to dance. But, when he fails to her, she ends up dancing with someone else. With that one single decision Marnie finds herself thrown into the deep end of the worst night of her life and Marnie knows without a shadow of a doubt that there's only one man who could possibly save her...
Sebastian has only ever wanted Marnie for as long as he could remember, but he's not willing to risk the friendship they've built over the years out of selfishness, and it's not a risk that he's willing to take, he's not willing to risk losing Marnie for anything in the world.
When Sebastian learns that his selfishness is the very reason that Marnie ended up in a horrible situation, he realizes that the only choice he has left is to spend the rest of his life spending the rest of his life trying to make amends to Marnie for what happened...even if that means that Sebastian is forced to confess the entire truth to Marnie.
Are Marnie and Sebastian going to be able to endure the storm? Will the secrets they've both kept hidden in their own dark shadows destroy each of them in more than one way? Will Marnie be able to forgive Sebastian for everything that he's done? Will their love break completely before it's had its chance to bloom?
I fell in love with both Sebastian and Marnie, their friendship and their love story. I loved how Sebastian was Marnie's best friend but in Marnie's eye's he was also in a lot of ways Sebastian was also her hero. Although, Sebastian being Marnie's hero meant that changes for them both, and not all changes come for the best before they can get better.
I love how when it comes to the Connor Family everyone gets involved, not just our main characters, and honestly, I think that it really helps bring our main characters closer in the end. I also think having all the characters involved helps to bring them all together in the end.
I love the Connor Family Series and I can't wait to see what's next for the family. I have fallen in love with the way Jenni develops her characters, gives them room to grow through the stories, and the character arcs that each character is given through each novel.
November 5, 2025
Riding off the back of the previous stand alone, brings the story of Sebastian and Marnie..Sebastian has always been Marnie's go-to guy, and Marnie’s been Sebastian's long-standing crush but their love story is no joke, with a foundation of unbreakable friendship and a secrets that are just plain heartbreaking with a love born from a chaos.
I felt like will these two find happiness or will the secrets they keep rip them apart at the seams? I felt this story was a little drawn out compared to the previous books, even though each book is great, exploring many different relatable elements that people face and how they persevere. Highlighting small town charm, Friends-to-lovers, deep losses, and mental health themes. The Connor family series although standalone are all extensions of themselves and worth the reading journey.
December 4, 2025
Where the Heart Heals - Jenni Simonis
I adore this authors writing and the world building. I love this family and I can’t wait to read the other books in this series. I loved Sebastian and Marnie and I’m so happy they got the family they wanted and deserved. They were the perfect example of friends to lovers and that it’s always been you tropes. I can’t wait to see what else this author writes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Out of 5 Stars ⭐️
🌶️/ Spice Rating ☀️
# of Pages 🌙 369 pages
Release Date 🌟 11/20/25
Format 💫 Gifted Digital Copy
Series 🌙 Connor Family, #3
Genre/Tropes ✨ friends to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, found family, it’s always been you,
Favorite Character ☀️ Sebastian
Favorite Line 🌟 “Love, I’ve wanted to marry you for years. In fact, I’m still having a hard time believing I’m not dreaming right now.”
I adore this authors writing and the world building. I love this family and I can’t wait to read the other books in this series. I loved Sebastian and Marnie and I’m so happy they got the family they wanted and deserved. They were the perfect example of friends to lovers and that it’s always been you tropes. I can’t wait to see what else this author writes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Out of 5 Stars ⭐️
🌶️/ Spice Rating ☀️
# of Pages 🌙 369 pages
Release Date 🌟 11/20/25
Format 💫 Gifted Digital Copy
Series 🌙 Connor Family, #3
Genre/Tropes ✨ friends to lovers, childhood friends to lovers, found family, it’s always been you,
Favorite Character ☀️ Sebastian
Favorite Line 🌟 “Love, I’ve wanted to marry you for years. In fact, I’m still having a hard time believing I’m not dreaming right now.”
December 5, 2025
I absolutely adored this book! Simonis has this amazing way of weaving emotion and warmth into every page. The characters are so relatable and real. I laughed, cried and smiled right alongside them. The romance is swoony without being over-the-top and the small-town setting is cozy and charming, making it the perfect book to curl up with.
What really stuck with me, though, was the way the story handles healing and second chances. It’s heartfelt without ever feeling preachy. If you’re looking for a feel-good romance that tugs at your heartstrings and leaves you with that warm, satisfied fuzzy feeling, this is absolutely worth picking up.
What really stuck with me, though, was the way the story handles healing and second chances. It’s heartfelt without ever feeling preachy. If you’re looking for a feel-good romance that tugs at your heartstrings and leaves you with that warm, satisfied fuzzy feeling, this is absolutely worth picking up.
November 23, 2025
Broken Book Therapist Reviews
Such a sweet conclusion to this generation of Connors. (Spoiler- the bonus chapters made me cry.) This family goes through so much and always manages to find love and happiness and healing amongst themselves. Despite obstacles and pain, they each get their happily ever after without having to crumble, and even when shaken, they support one another. And do a real great job of helping each other communicate because lets be honest, most of us are not this ready for life this young, but they figure it out!
Such a sweet conclusion to this generation of Connors. (Spoiler- the bonus chapters made me cry.) This family goes through so much and always manages to find love and happiness and healing amongst themselves. Despite obstacles and pain, they each get their happily ever after without having to crumble, and even when shaken, they support one another. And do a real great job of helping each other communicate because lets be honest, most of us are not this ready for life this young, but they figure it out!
November 27, 2025
This book is one to read, it was a bit harder to get through due to some of the topics, but, worth pushing through.
If you have triggers you will want to for sure read the trigger warnings for this novel. Here are some of the triggers that may be difficult for you and others: death of loved ones, car accidents, over coming depression, sexual abuse….
Amazing storyline and characters to follow. If you enjoy spice this book has lots of spice.
What I loved about this book is the strength these characters had to overcome obstacles and be major supports to one another. Very heartfelt.
If you have triggers you will want to for sure read the trigger warnings for this novel. Here are some of the triggers that may be difficult for you and others: death of loved ones, car accidents, over coming depression, sexual abuse….
Amazing storyline and characters to follow. If you enjoy spice this book has lots of spice.
What I loved about this book is the strength these characters had to overcome obstacles and be major supports to one another. Very heartfelt.
November 21, 2025
*I received a copy of this book as an ARC. This review and thoughts are mine alone.*
Rating: 4⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Sebastian and Marnie are best friends, but could they be more?
This was a good story. It felt long at certain points, but I did enjoy the characters and the friends to lovers trope is a fave for me.
I love everything Jenni puts out so this was not an exception!
Rating: 4⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Sebastian and Marnie are best friends, but could they be more?
This was a good story. It felt long at certain points, but I did enjoy the characters and the friends to lovers trope is a fave for me.
I love everything Jenni puts out so this was not an exception!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews