A megtört szívű

Corisi Billionaires #1

by Ruth Cardello, Paulina Tamás (Translator)

A New York Times bestsellerszerzője, Ruth Cordello érzékiségtől és érzelmektől fűtött regényt alkotott. Milliárdos hőse életének talán legkockázatosabb vállalkozásába fog: megpróbál második esélyt adni magának a szerelemre...

Heather Ellis egyedülálló anya, aki bármit megtenne örökbe fogadott kislányáért, Aváért. Az egész internetet képes felforgatni jutalmat ígérő posztjával, hogy megtalálja Ava elveszett, kitömött játékállatkáját. De ki gondolta volna, hogy hirdetésére majd egy gazdag, szívdöglesztő férfi jelentkezik, tekintetében olyan mélységes bánattal, hogy Heather azonnal úgy érzi, törődnie kell vele? Ava szemében a férfi igazi hős, Heather számára viszont életre kelt fantázia, aki egyben komoly kockázatot jelent szépen felépített, boldog életére nézve...

Öt év telt el azóta, hogy Sebastian Romero, a milliárdos befektető, egy tragikus autóbalesetben elveszítette feleségét és meg nem született gyermekét. Élete most már csakis az üzlet körül forog. Érzelmeknek nincs helye benne. Mígnem belebotlik abba az átkozott játékfarkasba és a gyönyörű anyukába, aki tűvé tette érte a világhálót. Lassanként úgy tűnik, a férfi újra képes hinni a szerelemben, ám Sebastian élete, családja és múltja több titkot rejt, mint amennyit Heather elképzelhet. Sőt többet, mint amennyiről maga Sebastian tud. Vajon közösen felépítendő új életüket veszély fenyegeti, ha a titkokra fény derül?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Adult, Billionaire Romance, Erotica

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Ruth Cardello hit the NYTs and USA Today for the first time back in 2012. Millions of sales are evidence that her books are akin to potato chips, addictive from the first one. She has created a multi-series billionaire world with a combination of escapism and realism that has gained her a faithful following of readers.

What Kindle Reviewers write about her:

"Wow hot at every page. Heart stoping, fear raging, mind blowing wonderful."

"I'm a true fan of Ms. Cardello. I ran on to her first book a few years back and have been hooked ever since. I could go on and on about the story like of this book, but I'm not. All of her books are total page turners, unique, heart wrenching, and I love them all. There isn't two alike in the bunch and I feel like i know the characters personally. I personally read 97 authors books. And I buy every book they put out. This author is in my top 10. Great job and keep them coming."

"Love this series. Got me to start reading again. I look forward to the next book. Thank you for giving me the love of reading back."

Ruth Cardello was born the youngest of 11 children in a small city in northern Rhode Island. She spent her young adult years moving as far away as she could from her large extended family. She lived in Boston, Paris, Orlando, New York--then came full circle and moved back to New England. She now happily lives one town over from the one she was born in. For her, family trumped the warmer weather and international scene.

She was an educator for 20 years, the last 11 as a kindergarten teacher. When her school district began cutting jobs, Ruth turned a serious eye toward her second love- writing and has never been happier. When she's not writing, you can find her chasing her children around her small farm or connecting with her readers online.

Email Notice of New Releases: www.RuthCardello.com/Signup

You can find her on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/RuthCardello

Follow her at Twitter @RuthieCardello

If you'd like to email her directly, you may contact her via her website: www.ruthcardello.com

Lone Star Burn Series
Book 1: Taken, Not Spurred
Book 2: Tycoon Takedown
Book 3: Taken Home
Book 4: Taking Charge

Want to hear the song Charles proposed to Melanie with? https://youtu.be/SGZT5nVKfMs

The Legacy Collection
Book 1: Maid for the Billionaire (FREE on Amazon!)
Book 2: For Love or Legacy
Book 3: Bedding the Billionaire
Book 4: Saving the Sheikh
Book 5: Rise of the Billionaire
Book 6: Breaching the Billionaire: Alethea's Redemption
Book 7: (Novella) A Corisi Christmas

The Andrades:
Book 1: Come Away With Me (FREE on Amazon)
Book 2: Home to Me
Book 3: Maximum Risk
Book 4: Somewhere Along the Way
Book 5: Loving Gigi
Christmas Novella: A Recipe for Love (Maddy and Richard)

The Barrington Billionaires:
Book 1: Always Mine
Book 2: Stolen Kisses
Book 3: Trade It All
Book 3.5: A Billionaire for Lexi
Book 4: Let It Burn
Book 5: More than Love
Book 6: Forever Now
Book 7: Never Goodbye
Book 8: Reluctantly Alpha
Book 9: Reluctantly Rescued
Book 10: Reluctantly Romanced
Book 11: Loving a Landon
Book 12: Loathing a Landon


For a more complete list visit her website at www.ruthcardello.com

Reviews

[Vaishali • [V.L. Book Reviews] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating:3 stars to The Broken One

‘Uncle Jake says the secret to true genius cannot occur until one is willing to acknowledge that very little that is accepted as known actually is.
Mistakes often lead to incredible discoveries.’

Can you remember the days and ways of childhood exploit and exploration? I can’t say, generally and honestly that I can - remembering my childhood is almost akin to plucking wisps of long-lapsed air, my memories spotty patches of remembrance, but the two peaks that my world pivoted on were freedom and fear. Not many do when life rolls us into gradual adulthood, and we lose our understanding of what being a child was like, and contingent on that, we forget what infantile life is like. A child’s struggle is as fundamental as our own, perhaps moreso. It’s so full of mountainous joy and powerful loss and very palpable fear. It might seem, to us, so small and partial for them to feel heartache after pining for a well-worn toy, hurt by being made to leave the sun at its peak, to sleep alone In the dark when every shadow manifests a shape. They, like us, have to find ways of navigating the bumps and grooves of uncharted pastures, only for them it’s so novel, so new, so refreshing with the condensed sight that sits on the edges of a small and growing world. We should know better because we have experience, but for them, it’s curiosity that speedwalks them into new situations, and hence unraveling this big world of new labor can come with equal parts trepidation and fear, therefore a whole lot more courage. Because our young? How brave they are.

“Only in school are we rewarded for being well behaved and quiet. Out in the world it’s the brave and daring who make a difference.”

‘One’s entire life could be changed forever with one misstep.’

This is what I loved about ‘The Broken One’ - it takes 4-year-old Ava’s misery and her mother’s desire to put a stop to that pain that escalates this story as one that individually brings back the sincere importance of youthful joy and grief. Accountant Heather Ellis is the sole carer and mother to her adopted daughter Ava. Heather, in a desperate attempt takes to social media to broadcast her daughter’s loss with a promise of a reward if Wolfie, Ava’s stuffed toy, is found. When a handsome but somber businessman reluctantly brings back a toy that fills Heather’s house with laughter and light again, her gratitude is immeasurable, but tapers once more when a less than welcoming Sebastian parts with his characteristic broody hostility.

“Nothing lasts forever. Nothing. No one escapes that lesson.”

‘Life was hard enough without looking across the breakfast table every morning at a man who didn’t know how to smile.’

Sebastian Romano , mirthless, pitiless, seemingly apathetic…call him what you like, but his past of chafing loss has refined this demeanor of hard, callous steel. It’s his family that he lives for because 5 years ago stripped him of his soul. This savage successor has dedicated his life and work to the Romano name. To him, there is no reason to debate life’s unfairness, because it is. Sharp edged and emotionally severe he’s firm in his philosophy of hard work and harsh consequence. Love is the root that deserves to be buried, no place in business or his life, it’s a feeling uninvited. Love does not firm up the backbone of a surviving, thriving business. Coarse tenacity does.

“When you love someone, their happiness is where you find your own. You have always been a good son. You were a good husband, but you are an awful widower.”

Being a single mum is trying, but Heather wouldn’t trade Ava for the world, and so she shouldn’t because she is an adorable credit. This first meeting however sparks questions in both Sebastian’s and Heather’s lives: is the past eating away Sebastian’s humanity enough for him to hate who he’s becoming? And can Heather sacrifice this amazing life with her daughter for a bit of happiness for herself? Sebastian is certain that joy can never wrap enveloping arms around him again, and Heather’s responsibility to her daughter will always outshine the fickle weavings of the unknown. As always, the prospect of risk will accompany the opening of a new door… let’s see if they both have the strength to keep it open.

’She was gifted at proving that life was full of surprises no matter how well I planned.’

‘Hoping for a happy ending only led to disappointment. But that wasn’t what I wanted Ava to believe. For her, I’d move heaven and earth to make the improbable happen.’

There are those stories that capture you in an unquestionable rapture, and what I mean by that is a reader wholeheartedly bypasses question because their heart, their mind, their senses and their personal reactions express complete likeability. Then there are those stories that carry a similar strength, but posses a cause for friction or dissonance because they seize both the alluring and problematic alike. And of course, there are those that our constitution will reject, because quite simply, you might not understand it, relate with it, align with it or your very distinct authority will clash with its symbolic representation. Now, The Broken One slides itself into the middle because I both found what was alluring and questionable. But still, it is awkward to pinpoint at times why a story doesn’t work, and I think it’s because you either might like the story and are frustrated by a disappointing result or, like me, you saw something of mighty potential but what still poses the question of ‘did I actually like this or not?

“Things don’t always go the way we hope they will, but I have to believe they work out the way they’re supposed to.”

I do appreciate the story that’s trying to be told but it was honeycombed with confusing plot lines and an even more confusing, dithering romance. I’m going to name a few points of concern for me: I’m sure that Sebastian and Heather had a real connection as the author makes their emotional afflictions well known, but I didn’t feel it, I didn’t feel the tangibility of their on-page bond, and in a contemporary romance the highlighter should be the romance. But with a developing romance that takes a slow-moving pace, which generally I wouldn’t mind if It had a reason to develop that way (and in this case, it did demand a slow pace), their interactions compound a mixture of making up and breaking up without the good appreciation to like the back and forth. Heather’s character didn’t have a well-defined shape, and because of that I was idly trying to pick through my thoughts. I liked the intention of the story, but is it enough to warrant a good rating?

‘It wasn’t that I didn’t trust anyone—just that I trusted myself and my instincts more. Having the rug pulled out from beneath my feet early in life had taught me the value of owning my own damn rug.’

Our two main leads know that life isn’t a sequence of happy montages, blissful smiles and sweet delight, but they’re split down the middle by paths chosen. Heather chooses life and and optimism, but Sebastian is overwhelmed in a sea of his own wretched acrimony. Heather draws happiness, Sebastian invites pain. Firmly rooted the shapes of loss, touching new territory invites fear, especially in the face of finding the right way to love through the asperity and malaise of finding purpose from pain.

“My name is Ava.” “Hello, Ava. My name is Sebastian,” he said in a decadently deep voice.
“Sebastian.” She said his name slowly. “My hero.”

“That’s a man who knows how to love. Some don’t.”

What the The Broken One by Ruth Cardello brings is an emotive, family oriented contemporary romance that describes the faltering life of a widowed man who believes he has nothing left to lose or to give, with a reason to redeem guiltless well-being when comes the opportunity to trade it with the habitual guilt that has thus had him flitting and filing through his mistakes with the vigour of a haunted man. This story also puts forward the philosophy of family loyalty and love - it’s not always blood that binds, but love that does. With a woman of substance who promises that though letting go of the dappled past isn’t always in the least bit a simple labor, the killing quality of old grief lessens when a choice is made in resistance. A story of familial values and familial love, grief and goodness, that describes the real struggle of the fetter’s of grief and the prospect of light flaming a promise through the end of every tunnel, when even light doesn’t feel like enough.

‘That doesn’t mean I don’t miss you. It will never mean I’ll forget you. What I’m leaving behind is the guilt.’


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Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews

[The Book Bee]

REVIEW: DNF AT 35%
"Brave doesn't mean never being afraid. Brave is being stronger than what scares you."

This one had all the makings of a great book. The synopsis was intriguing and the teasers pulled me in....it just had my eye. But for some reason, it didn't work out very well for me. It felt completely forced and disjointed, and that's not my favorite kind of read. I want smooth and entertaining, the kind that makes me think and want to turn the pages. This heroine was completely wishy-washy, but also pushing for scenarios and forcing contact when the Hero was a complete jerk. Was it cute? Yes, actually - it started out that way. Did I feel the magnetism....? No, not really. But something clearly kept pulling them together, and that was what I wanted to discover. Unfortunately, for me, I didn't make it far enough to make that discovery. sigh

This was a surface scratching kind of storytelling. The depth and emotion was written - unfortunately, I just didn't feel it. I could see that she was trying to give me that emotional impact, especially with Sebastian's (I love that name!!) history. That should have been a heart-tugging, emotionally powerful detail of the overall story arc, but I just didn't feel anything. I hate that I didn't feel it. I think, for me, the story was told to me instead of allowing me to experience it. It left me without a real draw towards the emotions that should have been weaved throughout this story.

By the time I got to 31%, I was already rolling my eyes about the seriously ridiculous way that Sebastian was acting towards Heather, and vice versa. His need to take care of her was awe-worthy, but the way it played out and the way it was told made me cringe. It just sounded so forced. Don't get me wrong, I'm allllll about the alpha that knows who his "one" is and in turn will move Heaven and Hell to get to and take care of her. Those kinds of stories are my kryptonite and I gravitate towards them - not gonna lie. I don't like a mushy man, but I do like a man in touch with his feelings. I love an alpha that will stop at nothing for his woman, but I don't like a ridiculous show of machoism without any basis. Is there a fine line between these sentences? I'm pretty positive there is, but I also like when an author can finesse that line and make me fall at the feet of their characters' love and undying devotion.

Overall, I felt the emotions were canned and the situations were one step beyond an eye roll. I know that sounds awful, but I started expecting the events before they happened, so it turned somewhat predictable, and not in a good way. Some of it was awkward at best, and it made it hard for me to get into the scenes, and other times I was like, ok. This is going somewhere. But that wasn't a consistent thought while I was reading this one. I still believe the actual storyline of this book can and is a really cute one, but I just don't think the execution of it worked for me. I am honestly sorry that this one wasn't going to get a recommend from me, but I couldn't even make it through to give it a starred rating. This is clearly a 'me' issue as many have loved this one.

~BEE

No giveaways for DNF reviews.

[Dora Koutsoukou · Rating 3 out of 5]

3💘🤔🤔s

While main characters were good tbe romance between them was not strongly developed as to convince me of their feelings.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK



The Broken One is the start to Ruth Cardello's Corisi Billionaires series and, I believe, is loosely a spin off of her Legacy Collection series. I enjoyed this story and I liked seeing Sebastian able to come out of his pain induced haze and start living again with the help of Heather and only minimal fumbling around the whole dating thing. Sebastian certainly had the habit of screwing up when it came to Heather but she didn't hold that against him too much. They made a cute couple and also had some amazing passion.

But they also had a lot of angsty moments and that's where things went a little south for more. There was a little too much back and forth between them where one moment they're flirting and the next Sebastian is saying something stupid that leads to Heather going off the rails and getting all rage-y at him. It became exhausting to read about and I just wanted to see more of the happy moments between them so I could feel the connections and love. Without those moments it had the "I love you's" feeling premature and not real.

I was also a little confused in the beginning when this book started off with Judy's POV but then the next chapter went right to the actual story with Sebastian and Heather with Judy no where to be seen for awhile. Her parts just didn't seem to actually fit in the book and it all felt very disconnected. I know there will be more to come from everything in her POV but in this particular story it didn't seem necessary.

Overall, this was a good introduction to the family and it has me excited to see what's going to come next for Sebastian's brother.

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I typically enjoy Ruth Cardello's books but I struggled with The Broken One. It's the first in her new Billionaire series but the prologue and the epilogue could have been blended with the rest of the novel a little better. I didn't see how either helped tell Heather and Sebastian 's story.

Sebastian turned into a ruthless business man even more so after the loss of his wife and unborn child. He doesn't need anyone but this family until he finds a missing stuffed animal.
I struggled to like his character at times. He was portrayed as a loner but jumped in when Heather needed help. A few chapters later he's running off to Italy only to find he can't live without Heather and her daughter and declared his undying love.

Heather is a single parent who has carved out a good life for her and her daughter. She has friends who watch out for her and support her. The issue I had with her is she was too wishy washy with Sebastian. I didn't like how he treated her but she kept reaching out to him. Despite her initial reaction, she didn't hesitate bringing him into her life.

The drama that was created lacked any angst. I had a hard time with the certain storylines. One being his business and the store takeovers. why someone would visit Heather to discuss his business. They didn't know it other. The storyline with her father was a bit disjointed for me as well. I still didn't understand why he contacted her only to berate her life choices.

Since this is the beginning of a series, I'm hopeful the storylines and character development may flow better in the later books. Show the reader how this book and their relationship blends with the prologue and the epilogue.

Review copy provided for a voluntary review.

[Syndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, I can not connect with The Broken One. This is my first read by Miss Cardello. I do not like the plot.
I feel the story ia not build focusing on the romance between Sebastian and Heather. The hero and heroine characters are build seperately. I can not feel the connection.

Even the sex scenes are minimum and feel cold. Maybe I am not get used to Miss Cardello's writing. Maybe I am just not getting the right vibe.

31 books into 2022. Not a lot of promising books so far.

2 stars

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great first read, from a new-to-me author.

A bit 'insta' between the H/h, but it made me giggle in parts and sigh in others.

I will absolutely be looking to read more from this author in the future.

[Christine Jalili · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and stayed up all night reading it. It’s interesting that there’s two stories in one, loved getting to know young Judy Corisi as she’s trying to figure out her family tree. The main story is of how Sebastian finds a stuffed animal ( Wolfie). This leads to him meeting Heather ( and her daughter Ava). But is he broken? He’s still mourning the loss of his pregnant wife. It’s an emotional journey for these two and I loved how they were better with each other, she makes him feel happy again. Laughed at how her friend Teri helps her with her advice. Loved the sense of family too. It’s a great ending that had me crying happy tears. I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy and I highly recommend this book.

[Melanie♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
Perhaps because I have not read RC's other series, I didn't get the Judy part of the story. Just left me confused. It could have been angst intense (good thing), but instead was angst light (only sometimes a good thing). Still an enjoyable read.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.



First Impressions
The Broken One is the first of the connecting series to the infamous Corisi’s, and in this series “Corisi Billionaires” we get the primary focus of the romance but we also have an overreaching serial plot which was quite interesting and I am eager to see more of what happens in this mystery that is slowly unfolding. This story also has some fun tropes such as ” Opposites Attract, Grumpy Sunshine” and I also loved seeing a unique attraction and the angst which builds between our hero and heroine. They had such a unique connection to each other and I was so intrigued by it all. I didn’t know quite what to make of it all here, because I just wanted them to be together and happy but yeah in this book it just doesn’t work out that way. We are dealing with some serious issues of loss of a loved one and a child (so fair warning before reading this book) It had the charm of seeing children being portrayed in the story and I have come to truly love this world that this author has created with the Corisi Family and the deeper one explores the world you might need a roadmap (Ruth Cardello does have a family map HERE ) If you are like me and love this series and want to make sense of all the connections.

Brave doesn’t mean never being afraid. Brave is being stronger than what scares you.”

Summary
Our story begins with our heroine, Heather, who is a single mother with her daughter who she treats as her own as her friend wasn’t able to care for her. Heather has built her own business and she and her daughter live quite comfortably. But then one day, her daughter loses her stuffed wolf on the road, and Heather is willing to do what it takes to find the lost wolf for her daughter and even puts out an ad for a reward in finding it. Then we get transferred over to our hero, who found the lost stuffed animal at a job site but is mourning the loss of his late fiancee and their unborn child. Sebastian has never been able to get over the grief that consumed him with the loss of the woman he loved. But when his family finds the ad for the lost stuffed animal, they push Sebastian out the door and onto Heather’s doorstep. Their first meeting while it starts with instant attraction, it ends with a door slam in Sebastian’s face. And Sebastian will need to learn to overcome his emotional struggles and learn to live again and adapt to adjusting to two new people in his life. He is drawn to Heather, who doesn’t stand for poor treatment and sets healthy boundaries, and while their relationship is rocky at times, they also find a beautiful healing love worth all the struggle to find something worth fighting for.

What I Loved
What an amazing story that just won my heart so quickly. I couldn’t seem to get enough of this one here, there is something about Ruth Cardello’s writing that just speaks to me in such a beautiful way and works so well. She is so easy to get into and I love the way in which she writes billionaire romance, for some reason, in the way that she writes it, is just my catnip. I really appreciated what we get with this story. And even though angst romance isn’t always my mood, it so worked in this one. I think because we are seeing a character that is struggling with the grief of his girl that passed and I so connected with that (personal experience) And I just related so well with our heroine. I was hooked in the way that his family stands by him, and supports him no matter what. Seeing the romance built between Sebastian and Heather was so endearing in some moments. His connection to Heather and her daughter was adorable and the way he bonds with them and learns to deal with his grief and letting go of the past and embracing the present was quite satisfying. There were so many quiet intense moments that bond Sebastian and Heather and it’s these types of moments that just build so beautifully in this author’s writing.

Happiness doesn’t just happen. It’s a decision. Like anything else, it needs to be tended and protected. Negative people had no place in the new life I’d built for myself.

What I Struggled With
Not much. The angst was a bit drawn out on this one, and felt too short and could have used more length to delve into the more challenging aspects

Overall View
I found The Broken One to be a tender, poignant romance that feeds the romantic heart digs into the human aspects of loss, and transforms the reader with such delectable sexy goodness you won’t be able to put this one down.

[♡ Rhianna ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 75%

This is so forced that it hurts. I got pretty far into it so I give myself props for putting up with this forced and awkward relationship. I just can't see it getting any better in the next few chapters. Oh well :/

[Somia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Single mom Heather Ellis would do anything for her adopted daughter, Ava, so when her beloved Wolfie (the stuff toy given by her birth mother) goes missing, she posts an online reward for anyone who found the stuff toy. When it’s returned by a smoking hot and emotionally scarred Sebastian Romano – Ana finds herself a hero and Heather – a man who gets her blood heated. It’s been five years since billionaire developer Sebastian lost his wife and unborn child in a tragic accident, and since then apart from with his family he has kept his walls high up, refusing to risk his emotions and heartache.

The back and forth between the main characters didn’t work for me and I didn’t feel a rich connection between the two.

Heather’s dad I could have done without, as a character.

This had the hallmarks of being a fab read, but despite the emotion clearly written on the page, I didn’t feel my heartstrings being pulled or my emotions ensnared – even a tiny bit.

I should have loved this but I really didn’t. It’s wasn’t horrible but it just didn’t engage me.

Acquired via KU.

[Marie Vasquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored these characters! Heather Ellis, little Ava and Sebastian Romano were so easy to fall in love with ♥️.

The Broken One was such a sweet romance about overcoming loss and finding that reason to move forward in life. Sebastian’s reluctance to break away from losing himself in work was quickly and easily whittled away by Heather (without her even trying). She was highly independent and self sufficient and was comfortable in the life she built for her and Ava and a broody (and HIGHLY sexy) man in a suit was not going to change that. She never hesitated to give him a piece of her mind and put him in his place. That boldness only endeared her more in his eyes.

Throw in a meddling bestie and close knit Italian family...them being together was inevitable and the perfect start to their happily-ever-after.

I would’ve given this five stars, but I was a bit puzzled by the “mystery” aspect of the Corisi family. Not enough was hinted to as to why is was part of the story. I can guess but it just felt like fodder thrown in the mix. I actually could have done without it in this book...but I’m curious as to how it plays out. So 🤷🏻‍♀️ that curiosity could explain its presence in the story. I am still interested as to how that all plays out in the series.

[zaraa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

as you can probably tell from my recent updates, i'm not having a good time here.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Tami Schafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG Ruth has done it again! The part about wolfie being lost then found and all the share to find him had me crying! I was one of those that shared the hunt for Wolfie post! Can't wait to see where Judy's hunt leads! Heather and Sebastian had me on page one of their story., Ava well what can one say other then what a fierce young lady. I really hope we get more of them all in the next book! These families all around just pull you in! Through tragedy can come new hope and new life just never give up on love!

[Caz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've given this a B+ for narration and a C- for content at Audiogals; it should probably be 4 stars here because the narration is so good, but the story was so 'meh' I can't bring myself to round up!

The Broken One is the first in Ruth Cardello’s Corisi Billionaires series, and I chose to listen to it mostly because I’d enjoyed listening to Brian Pallino in Avery Flynn’s Tomboy and wanted to listen to him again. Reviews of this book were mixed, but I’m pretty much all about the narrator, so I decided to give it a go; in the end, while the narration is excellent, the story was distinctly ‘meh’.

Having read the synopsis, I was surprised to see that none of the characters featured in the story were named “Corisi”. Which seemed odd, as that’s the series title. I was even more confused when I started listening, because the entire first chapter is about a little girl called Judy who has been told she has to re-do her school project – a family tree. According to the blurb, the main characters in this novel are called Sebastian, Heather and Ava; Judy talks to her Aunt Alethea and mentions Uncle Alessandro… but there’s no mention of anyone called Sebastian, Heather or Ava. I thought I’d requested the wrong book, or been sent a copy that had been marked with the wrong title! (It’s happened before). As the chapters progressed (Judy turns up again in the middle and then right at the end) it became clear that there’s an overarching plot that seems to do with Judy’s desire to find out her family’s secrets, but the framing device just didn’t work. Maybe it worked better in print, where it’s easier to flip pages or jump to the next chapter, but in audio it’s not so easy to do that; I didn’t know if, by skipping to the next chapter, I’d miss anything important (I wouldn’t have, as it turned out), so I had to stick with it until the story “proper” began in the next chapter.

Said story follows a well-trod, predictable path. Heather Ellis is the single mother of a four-year-old girl named Ava, having adopted her following the death, shortly after Ava’s birth, of her mother – who was Heather’s best friend. Her decision caused a rift in Heather’s relationship with her father, who didn’t agree with it, but Heather, a successful accountant running her own business, loves Ava dearly, has a support network of good friends and is happy with her lot.

Sebastian Romano lost his wife and unborn child in a car accident five years earlier and still feels that loss keenly. He went off the rails in the aftermath and drowned his sorrows in copious amounts of booze, but now he only allows himself to get shit-faced once a year, on the anniversary of their deaths. The rest of the time he’s a stone cold sober bastard; a ruthless businessman who cares only for expanding his family business, because it’s his way of making sure they’re all (his mother, father and three brothers (the youngest of whom is actually his cousin but adopted brother) ) taken care of and provided for.

But Sebastian’s emotionless life is sent into upheaval the afternoon he finds a stuffed toy in the parking lot of one of his stores, on – of all days – the anniversary. He can’t stand to look at it; reminded again of everything he’s lost, Sebastian later tells his assistant to get rid of it… although as luck would have it, she hasn’t found time to do that before Sebastian’s mother tells him that she’s seen a post on social media in which a woman is offering a $100 reward for the return of her daughter’s favourite toy.

I don’t need to elaborate more on the plot – we all know where this is going. But I had a number of problems with the story, the biggest of which was the total lack of chemistry between the leads. Sebastian has a talent for putting his foot firmly in his mouth around Heather, and behaves like a complete dickhead towards her the first couple of times they meet, so I wasn’t quite sure why she kept agreeing to see him. (Oh –wait; he’s hot and rich… or maybe she just sensed his man-pain?) To be fair, he’s really good with Ava at least, so he does earn some points there, and he does (sort of) redeem himself when he at last realises he’s not been living for the past five years, he’s merely been going through the motions and decides to rejoin the human race and do better than he has been doing. The problem there though, is that he races off to Italy to do his soul-searching and doesn’t even bother to tell Heather he’s going – so it serves him right when she calls him one evening only to wake him in the middle of the night!

Sebastian is your typical alpha-male-with-a-tragic-past-that-has-turned-him-into-a-human-iceberg, and honestly, his behaviour when he found the stuffed toy was so over the top it made me laugh rather than feel his pain. And Heather is nothing special. She’s not remarkable – lots of single mothers hold down good jobs and love their kids to bits – she’s not awful, she’s just… there; and despite her background (her mother walked out when she was very young, and she’d learned to shield herself from hurt by leaving before she could be the one left) I was irritated by her MO of walking away instead of talking things out.

Then there’s a weird moment when the owner of the business Sebastian is about to buy out comes to Heather to ask her if she can put in a good word – which had me rolling my eyes, because, really? And there’s a sub-plot about Heather’s dad – from whom she’s been estranged since adopting Ava – which seemed tacked on and rather pointless. (Spoiler – this happens late on, but they agree to meet so Heather can introduce him to Ava and when they do, he practically ignores Ava and continues to tell Heather she did the wrong thing. So why did he agree to meet with her at all?)

The only thing that kept me listening to this was the narration, which is excellent. Brian Pallino (who also records under another, very well-known name) is my current voice crush and does a great job with his characterisation of Sebastian, bringing a cold snarl to his voice in the earlier parts of the story where he’s abrupt to the point of rudeness to his brothers (who snark back and don’t take any of his crap) and to his employees (who have to suck it up). As the story progresses, we can hear him “thawing out” as his deep, slightly gravelly tone gradually becomes warmer and takes on a softer quality around Heather and Ava. His pacing and differentiation are excellent and he’s one of the best (if not THE best) of the current crop of powerhouse male narrators when it comes to performing female characters convincingly.

My eyes tell me I haven’t listened to Summer Morton before (I don’t have anything by her in my audiobook library), but my ears tell me otherwise; her voice sounded very familiar, so I’m wondering if she records using another name as well. Whatever the case, she also delivers a well-paced, well-characterised performance, giving adorable voice to Ava and lowering her pitch in order to portray the male characters. Both sex scenes in the book are related from Heather’s PoV, and Ms. Morton does her best to inject some degree of heat into them, but the material she’s given to work with is dull and uninspired, and her efforts were, sadly unsuccessful. And that can be said about the whole book. Both narrators do their best to create an emotional connection between the characters, but if it’s not there to begin with (and it isn’t) then they’re fighting a losing battle. Two such talented performers deserve better material than this.

This review originally appeared at AudioGals .

[Mahima · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have read Ruth's books before and I must sat she never fails to impress me.

The story is about giving love another chance especially when you have already fallen bad the previous time. I loved Heather for being strong and kind. Her character is so perfect.❤️

Sebestian is full of himself. I don't blame him for being cautious and guarded all the time but in the end it's his reluctance that brought happiness to all.

I personally didn't like Erica being too much involved in her best friend's love life. It's okay to guide and support but to message your best friend's boyfriend pretending to be 'his girlfriend' was not good.

Rest everything was really sweet. Highly recommended.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

The Broken One by Ruth Cardello is a well written, well paced and heartfelt read.
I enjoyed the storyline, it held my interest from start to end and I loved watching the relationship between Sebastian and Heather unfold.

Overall, The broken One is a great start to the Corisi Billionaires series and I'm looking forward to reading more.

Buy HERE~
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Broken-One-Cor...

*Thank you to the publisher via netgalley for the ARC <3*

[Isha Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

And the legacy continues ...


The Corisi adventures began with a domineering rogue and his surprise Cinderella. To be perfectly honest Dominic and Abby were the start of my love affair with author Ruth Cardello. Six years later and numerous favorites more and my heart still belongs to this unforgettable couple. The Broken One allowed me to revisit a few of my favorite characters, while introducing a new generation and reacquainting hearts with a few overlooked facts. This time around it's Sebastian and Heather who have hearts skipping a beat. These strangers are the key to unraveling an emotion packed past and the start of a long overdo healing process. With a captivating backstory, a heartstopping romance and a crew of adorable matchmakers, Cardello reminds me why I continue to adore her talent now and hopefully years into the future.

[Dilushani Jayalath · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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.

Actual Rating = 3.5 stars

[Romance Between The Sheets · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Broken One was a sweet romance that had lovely moments for these two lonely souls.

This has a lovely Epilogue that gives you all the happy ever after feels which I was thankful for.

Sebastian was for me a hard to love character with all his hang-ups. He was a master in the erotic moments though which made this very enjoyable.

Heather and Ava were my favourite part of this whole story, their history and how they became a family and Heather's immense love and loyalty to this beautiful child made my heart sing.

At times I just found Heather and Sebastian's connection not strong enough and their inability to communicate made this sometimes frustrating but I am happy I kept with them. Sebastian's family was another surprise that helped keep me entertained.

[Erin Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - 4 star review of The Broken One by Ruth Cardello

I know you will find this hard to believe but this is my first book by Ruth Cardello. To be truthful, this book was an emotional roller coaster of a story that I found hard to read.
The Broken One is an apt title for this book which was full of loss, pain, angst suffering and sadness. It is a book that will shatter you and hopefully put you back together as Sebastian Romano takes a leap of faith and attempts to capture love with Heather Ellis and her beautiful daughter Ava.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Bette Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book!! For me it was like seeing an old friend as the author returns some of the characters I fell in love with in her Legacy Collection series. While it has ties to that series of books these are all new characters and can easily be enjoyed without having read the previous books. Although if I were you I would grab those too! The author also seems to have returned to her previous writing style that I have been missing in some of her recent work. With this book we get new set of fresh and intriguing characters, a big boisterous Italian family, a passionate and delightful romance and just a bit of mystery. I for one can not wait to read more about the Romano family and discover what ties they may have to the Corisi family. I definitely recommend this book to everyone.

[The Sassy Bookworm]

[Kathy Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sebastian Romano was broken and wanted to stay that way. Through a stuffed animal named Wolfie, he was forced into opening his broken heart. Terrified and angry at the loss of his wife and child, he wanted nothing to do with Heather and her daughter Ava. Yet as they were thrown together by a seemingly innocent stuffed animal, Sebastian found himself beginning to feel again.
Ruth has written a beautiful story of finding love the second time around and is an excellent beginning of the Corisi Billionaires.

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This was my first Ruth Cardello book and this will not be my last book. This book was pretty good for audio books. I liked having it in the background while I was working. It was pretty low angst and sweet story line, some parts were draggy and boring, but overall, I liked it.

There’s a ton of books offered on KU with audio, you kind of have to search for them, but I’m enjoying these options. Had it not been for my Kindle Unlimited membership I probably wouldn’t have picked up the audio version of the book.

I really liked the narrators. I found them pleasant and I like the pace they were reading at.

Heather is a single mom, love my single mama books. She’s pretty tough, out going and knows what she wants. She wants sex. But she doesn’t really know how to go and ask for it. I liked Heather but she kind of annoying me at times. I found her a little too harsh towards our Hero, Sebastian.

Sebastian is a widower and he’s very angry in life. I thought the introduction of the characters took a long time. From the moment Heather’s kid lost to he puppy to the moment Sebastian brought it back took forever in my opinion. The characters didn’t actually meet for a bit and that kind of irritated me.

I felt like if you had a recipe for a book this book had it all. Long character introductions. The side characters giving the main characters advice on every issue and the meet-cute to the lust to the breakup to the makeup. It was all there. So was this an out of ordinary story? No, but was it an easy read for me to listen to? Yes. Sometimes it’s nice to have these kind of books on audio.

[Jennie Fortna · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC for honest review with no compensation received from NetGalley

The Broken One is book 1 in the Corisi Billionaires series by Ruth Cardello. Wahoo...more of the Corisi family and friends!

Judy Corisi has to do a family tree for school but the teacher tells her it’s only immediate family not all the people in her life. When she tells her Dad, Dominic he gets sad so she asks her Aunt Althea (both from the Legacy Collection series) for help to find her Dad’s family but what happens next brings us to the story of Sebastian Romano and Heather Ellis and an underlying story that looks to play out in the next book(s)...

Heather Ellis’s college roommate becomes pregnant and on her deathbed after delivery makes Heather promise to take care of her daughter Ava. She promises to raise Ava as her own. Now a business owner, single parent, no help from family she puts Ava first over everything but when Ava loses her favorite stuffed toy “Wolfy” their lives change forever...

Sebastian Romano, billionaire developer who lost his wife and unborn child years ago has shut off all emotions. When he find a dirty, sticky stuff toy at his soon to be building site, he tells his assistant to throw it way but then sees a post on social media of someone offering a reward for its return...what happens next will change the the lives of Heather, Ava and Sebastian...forever.

Tears, sadness, chuckles, second chances, healing, an emotional read which keeps you turning the pages to see if they find their HEA and answers to Judy’s family tree???

[Bookjunkie_Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Ruth Cardello ARC and I was excited to get one from NetGalley. The blurb peaked my interest and when I received it in my kindle app, I devoured it right away.

I've read a lot of romance in my lifetime and I've also read about something being returned to the owner and they fell in love after one meet... but this is the first time I've read about a toy being returned to a kid... I'm a huge romantic sap and I saw a lot of possibilities as I turned the book page after page.

I must admit, at first I thought I downloaded a defective ARC... I was confused at the first couple of chapters... and then I realized that this book is also a part of another story.

Although it's a wee bit fast paced for my liking, because honestly, who blurts out about not wearing underwear on a first lunch date, and only on a second meeting—but somehow it still works. It's part of the heroine's quirkiness...

It's angsty and swoony and sweet and most of all, it centers on family. It's definitely something you'd want to read after a long days work...

[Rohina]

DNF @ 63%

After quite a few failed attempts, I've come to the conclusion that Ruth Cardello's books are just not for me.

I was interested in The Broken One because of the blurb. I'm a sucker for single parent romances, so this one was right up my speed. While I did go along with the story and was more than halfway into it I just couldn't do it anymore.

There were a few things that didn't work out for me and I've listed them out:

1) Writing Style:
The writing style was less show and more telling. Sebastian's history was emotional and had the potential to hit you in the gut, but I failed to feel anything towards him or his past. It's like one of the out-of-body experiences where you understand what is going on but you are unable to register or connect with it.


2) Lack of Connection with the Leads:
Sebastian and Heather's proximity felt unconvincing, forced to be exact. I've said this before and I'll say it again, I love a good alpha male who knows what he wants and goes for it, but there is being alpha and then there is being "alpha". I didn't care much for Sebastian's version of alpha.



3) Wishy-washy Female Lead:
Heather was not of my favourite characters. I held up until over half of the book and she just irritated me with her attitude.
I love my female characters flawed. I love that they can be indecisive, and not make up their minds. I think there is a fine line between not being sure and being wishy-washy with every single decision you take.
With Heather there was too much uncertainty. The constant push and pull between her and Sebastian did not work in this books favours.



I tried to hold out and finish the book, but at the 63% mark I just couldn't do with any of the characters.


PS. Since this is a DNF there will be no rating.



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