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Shattered #1
Shattered Hearts
NEVER FALL FOR A COWBOY... Desperate. Determined. Fragile.After escaping an abusive relationship, Amanda finds work on a remote farm in rural Minnesota. Eager for a fresh start, she tries to will her nightmares away. She also tries to stop daydreaming about her hot boss's hard, chiseled body. His abrasive personality is off putting, but he's sure easy on the eyes. Stubborn. Proud. Protective. Hardworking and hard-headed, Nate is determined to save his family's farm from financial ruin. The last thing he needs is some city girl getting underfoot. Sure, Amanda is a breath of fresh air. She's also the prettiest little thing he's ever seen. But Nate doesn't do romance. So why can't he stop thinking about her? *This is a full-length, standalone novel that contains explicit adult situations.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 13, 2014
105 people are currently reading
898 people want to read
About the author
Octavia Wildwood
27 books68 followersOctavia Wildwood writes steamy romance serials. She loves getting lost in the lives, minds and hearts of the characters in her books! The best way to contact Octavia is through the comments section of her blog.
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August 26, 2014
This is actually a 4.5 stars book, but as we all know we can't use 1/2 stars on Goodreads.
I really enjoyed this book. The books starts off with Amanda having a flashback of her abusive past. She is planning to leave LA and start over at Minnesota working on a farm to escape her past and try to overcome her memories. I like Amanda as she admits that she is not perfect and has some issues. She understands that she is damaged not due to anything she done, but still has to try and move on by changing her thinking.
“Surviving and thriving were two very different things”
“A walking zombie, a vacant shell of a person – that’s what I was reminded of”
“For a while I’d believed I was terrible at everything, useless and worthless and unlovable. I guess if you’re beaten down enough times, eventually you realize it’s easiest to stay there on the ground”
Once Amanda arrives she meets Maggie who co-owns the farm with her brother Nate. They are trying to move on from the sudden death of their parents death. Nate is the overprotect big brother who is a little bit of a rude jerk to Amanda to start with. This is because he has the weight on the entire farm (or world) on his shoulders and he’s trying to run the farm and looking out for his baby sister. He is a sweet jerk even in the start. Maggie is the opposite of Nate, she is the most friendly and bubbly person and she and Amanda become fast friends. As time goes one Nate comes to see how Amanda belongs on the farm as she’s good with Penny the horse who is skittish due her previous owner being abusive. She and Nate become friends, I love it when it’s not instalove (well it is inta attraction!) Both character are likeable and you get the development of the characters. Some people may feel that Amanda makes too much of her abusive past and does not more on fast enough and find her annoying because of that. I do not feel like this. I like that she has the issues to overcome and she is not able to move on straight away. The book is well written and the pacing of the storyline is good too. However the ending is quite abrupt (due to this being a part 1 rather than a book 1) This is a nice, quick, easy read, you will be done in a couple of hours.
I really enjoyed this book. The books starts off with Amanda having a flashback of her abusive past. She is planning to leave LA and start over at Minnesota working on a farm to escape her past and try to overcome her memories. I like Amanda as she admits that she is not perfect and has some issues. She understands that she is damaged not due to anything she done, but still has to try and move on by changing her thinking.
“Surviving and thriving were two very different things”
“A walking zombie, a vacant shell of a person – that’s what I was reminded of”
“For a while I’d believed I was terrible at everything, useless and worthless and unlovable. I guess if you’re beaten down enough times, eventually you realize it’s easiest to stay there on the ground”
Once Amanda arrives she meets Maggie who co-owns the farm with her brother Nate. They are trying to move on from the sudden death of their parents death. Nate is the overprotect big brother who is a little bit of a rude jerk to Amanda to start with. This is because he has the weight on the entire farm (or world) on his shoulders and he’s trying to run the farm and looking out for his baby sister. He is a sweet jerk even in the start. Maggie is the opposite of Nate, she is the most friendly and bubbly person and she and Amanda become fast friends. As time goes one Nate comes to see how Amanda belongs on the farm as she’s good with Penny the horse who is skittish due her previous owner being abusive. She and Nate become friends, I love it when it’s not instalove (well it is inta attraction!) Both character are likeable and you get the development of the characters. Some people may feel that Amanda makes too much of her abusive past and does not more on fast enough and find her annoying because of that. I do not feel like this. I like that she has the issues to overcome and she is not able to move on straight away. The book is well written and the pacing of the storyline is good too. However the ending is quite abrupt (due to this being a part 1 rather than a book 1) This is a nice, quick, easy read, you will be done in a couple of hours.
March 25, 2014
Absolutely loved this book!! It drew me in from the get go. It was truly a good story.
July 9, 2017
I enjoyed this story of Amanda and Nate. Amanda is trying to recover from an abusive relationship in where she is taking her anger out on Nate her new employer. She's getting the anger out but it's aimed against her new found love. The ending of the book gives you a short excerpt from book 2 Shattered Dreams and it has been 3 years and the book still has not been released. I can't wait for it to come out to see he it ends for the couple.
July 16, 2017
OMG what a captivating read.
I was looking for something different and stumbling across this one. The courage of the main character was very relatable to my past. It had everything from love, anger, courage and hope all rolled into one book. The ending will leave you wanting more. I can't wait to read the second book.
I was looking for something different and stumbling across this one. The courage of the main character was very relatable to my past. It had everything from love, anger, courage and hope all rolled into one book. The ending will leave you wanting more. I can't wait to read the second book.
September 19, 2017
I just couldn't connect with this book. There were typos and the scenes jumped so much it was sometimes hard to follow. I couldn't connect with any of the characters, there was no development and I felt very let down with how Nate found out about her past relationship. This was a miss for me.
December 8, 2017
Fast read of what I categorize as "garbage books" - not for you if you are looking for anything beyond mindless entertainment
February 6, 2019
Good
I liked the book
It was the perfect way to pass the afternoom
Love the characters and enjiyed the romance
I liked the book
It was the perfect way to pass the afternoom
Love the characters and enjiyed the romance
September 4, 2019
2.5*
A good storyline, but not executed as well as it could have been.
A good storyline, but not executed as well as it could have been.
February 15, 2022
A good enough romance, Though its not my favorite or preferred genre.
September 29, 2016
Really?? The connection happened so quickly. She kept tearing up whenever he was a nice guy. So he had to always ask how she cared. Gosh! Couldn't finish it. Nope.
July 29, 2021
All reviews posted at Tales of Love, Life and Murder
This was a nice story and not as clichéd as I expected. The way it opens with the Amanda being on the run and Nate being presented as a gruff man of few words, I really thought this was going to be boring and predictable but was in for a nice surprise.
There’s more to the story and more depth to the characters than I expected. The story is told solely told from Amanda’s point of view and I think it would’ve added a lot to see some of this unfolding from Nate’s perspective, especially because of how cagey the author was about Amanda’s past. It’s understandable that she isn’t immediately comfortable telling Nate about the abuse she suffered at the hand of her ex but she didn’t share it with the readers either, which annoyed me. We find out when she tells Nate and that’s a missed opportunity.
Those would have been the perfect times to change POV and know what Nate was thinking and how he was feeling but we didn’t get that at all. I realize dual POV is kind of a niche thing and not everyone does it but Amanda’s POV would have been more engaging to readers had we been privy to her thoughts. Giving readers that insight even when she won’t share it with other characters would have added another dimension to the story.
That said, I don’t want to give the impression that I didn’t like it because this was an interesting story with good characters and I enjoyed it. These characters just didn’t pull me in as so many others have, though. I’m almost always sad when books end but I was okay with it here because I wasn’t invested enough in anyone to want more.
This was a nice story and not as clichéd as I expected. The way it opens with the Amanda being on the run and Nate being presented as a gruff man of few words, I really thought this was going to be boring and predictable but was in for a nice surprise.
There’s more to the story and more depth to the characters than I expected. The story is told solely told from Amanda’s point of view and I think it would’ve added a lot to see some of this unfolding from Nate’s perspective, especially because of how cagey the author was about Amanda’s past. It’s understandable that she isn’t immediately comfortable telling Nate about the abuse she suffered at the hand of her ex but she didn’t share it with the readers either, which annoyed me. We find out when she tells Nate and that’s a missed opportunity.
Those would have been the perfect times to change POV and know what Nate was thinking and how he was feeling but we didn’t get that at all. I realize dual POV is kind of a niche thing and not everyone does it but Amanda’s POV would have been more engaging to readers had we been privy to her thoughts. Giving readers that insight even when she won’t share it with other characters would have added another dimension to the story.
That said, I don’t want to give the impression that I didn’t like it because this was an interesting story with good characters and I enjoyed it. These characters just didn’t pull me in as so many others have, though. I’m almost always sad when books end but I was okay with it here because I wasn’t invested enough in anyone to want more.
May 6, 2014
Shattered Hearts by Octavia Wildwood is the first in the Shattered series. It takes place in Minnesota.
Amanda is running away from her past. She had been in an abusive relationship and finally got the courage to leave. In doing so, she had to leave her family, too and she did miss her two younger brothers. She had run to southern California but has now decided to take a job on a ranch in Minnesota. She knew nothing about ranches and animals; but thought she was a quick learner. Minnesota would be where she would get her life back, right?
Nate is working the ranch and taking care of his little sister. He wants nothing more than for her to go off for college next year with no money problems. He is trying to keep Maggie’s world together as his parents would have wanted him to do. Their deaths in a car accident are still a major source of sorrow for both Nate and Maggie.
Amanda answers an advertisement of a job in Minnesota. After calling Morgan, she knew the decision to try was the right one. Amanda and Maggie get along really well; but she isn’t the only one Amanda needs to get along with. She has to work with Nate. Can she do this? Will her past continue to haunt her or will it follow her to Minnesota?
Amanda is running away from her past. She had been in an abusive relationship and finally got the courage to leave. In doing so, she had to leave her family, too and she did miss her two younger brothers. She had run to southern California but has now decided to take a job on a ranch in Minnesota. She knew nothing about ranches and animals; but thought she was a quick learner. Minnesota would be where she would get her life back, right?
Nate is working the ranch and taking care of his little sister. He wants nothing more than for her to go off for college next year with no money problems. He is trying to keep Maggie’s world together as his parents would have wanted him to do. Their deaths in a car accident are still a major source of sorrow for both Nate and Maggie.
Amanda answers an advertisement of a job in Minnesota. After calling Morgan, she knew the decision to try was the right one. Amanda and Maggie get along really well; but she isn’t the only one Amanda needs to get along with. She has to work with Nate. Can she do this? Will her past continue to haunt her or will it follow her to Minnesota?
April 17, 2016
Tittle: "Shattered Hearts" by Octavia Wildwood
Rating:3/5 stars
*New Adult
*Contemporary
****Caution may contain some spoilers****
~This book was ok....It deals w/how to cope w/an abusive relationship. How to move on even when you feel broken. How to deal w/pressure as well. There were A LOT of things I am not alright w/which were the reasons why sometimes I got angry w/the characters. At times it felt dragged too but it wasn't that bad. It would of gotten four stars but close to the ending killed it for me. The way how the characters started acting irritated me. The main character was annoying me all the time when she kept comparing her ex w/Nate. Even when she knows he is not like that she still did it.
The twins were awesome and Maggie (the sister) was adorable. The neighbors in the small town were amazing. Thats actually what I did like. Its free on Kindle.
Rating:3/5 stars
*New Adult
*Contemporary
****Caution may contain some spoilers****
~This book was ok....It deals w/how to cope w/an abusive relationship. How to move on even when you feel broken. How to deal w/pressure as well. There were A LOT of things I am not alright w/which were the reasons why sometimes I got angry w/the characters. At times it felt dragged too but it wasn't that bad. It would of gotten four stars but close to the ending killed it for me. The way how the characters started acting irritated me. The main character was annoying me all the time when she kept comparing her ex w/Nate. Even when she knows he is not like that she still did it.
The twins were awesome and Maggie (the sister) was adorable. The neighbors in the small town were amazing. Thats actually what I did like. Its free on Kindle.
April 27, 2014
Hate seems so FINAL
But let me explain I hate a one dimensional story. Introduce me to all the characters not just the heroine. Who by the way was the most skittish and most irritating lead I've read about in some time. The things these kids accomplished at their age was astonishing and ridiculous. SN: I didn't like another book by this author therefore I need to compile a list of authors to NEVER read. She would make the top 5.
But let me explain I hate a one dimensional story. Introduce me to all the characters not just the heroine. Who by the way was the most skittish and most irritating lead I've read about in some time. The things these kids accomplished at their age was astonishing and ridiculous. SN: I didn't like another book by this author therefore I need to compile a list of authors to NEVER read. She would make the top 5.
May 27, 2014
Short but very cute!
I liked this book. I wish that instead of having volumes of books they put them all in one so I could read forever and find out everything that happens!! it's like watching an incredible movie in theaters and it stops half way through and you have to come back in a month to see the rest! but nevertheless her writing was good and the story deff got my attention! :):)
I liked this book. I wish that instead of having volumes of books they put them all in one so I could read forever and find out everything that happens!! it's like watching an incredible movie in theaters and it stops half way through and you have to come back in a month to see the rest! but nevertheless her writing was good and the story deff got my attention! :):)
August 17, 2014
It's interesting
It's interesting
I wouldn't go as far to say that this story was hook, line, and sinker for me. In fact, I'd say this book was intriguing. I found Amanda's story was detailed and entertaining but I felt like the chemistry between her and Nate was rushed and lacking. I do want to continue the series because I feel like the story is not done. So I think it's worth it.
It's interesting
I wouldn't go as far to say that this story was hook, line, and sinker for me. In fact, I'd say this book was intriguing. I found Amanda's story was detailed and entertaining but I felt like the chemistry between her and Nate was rushed and lacking. I do want to continue the series because I feel like the story is not done. So I think it's worth it.
April 27, 2016
Amanda - ran away from her life in the city to work on a farm
Nate - owns and runs farm after his parents die in a tragic accident.
Maggie - Nate's sister and is responsible for hiring Amanda.
If not for a few references to an abusive relationship, this could have been a young adult novel. I understand they are in their early twenties, but I imagine them around 18 (not sure why). I will continue the series but not in a big rush to do it.
Nate - owns and runs farm after his parents die in a tragic accident.
Maggie - Nate's sister and is responsible for hiring Amanda.
If not for a few references to an abusive relationship, this could have been a young adult novel. I understand they are in their early twenties, but I imagine them around 18 (not sure why). I will continue the series but not in a big rush to do it.
April 19, 2014
It was OK...
It was OK...
For a free book on my Kindle, I really can't complain. The storyline was good, there just wasn't much chemistry for me. There were some grammatical errors that were really obvious, but it was a nice sweet story.
It was OK...
For a free book on my Kindle, I really can't complain. The storyline was good, there just wasn't much chemistry for me. There were some grammatical errors that were really obvious, but it was a nice sweet story.
May 19, 2014
SHATTERED HEARTS
SHATTERED HEARTS
I was really beginning to get into the story and enjoying it. Then got to the end and realized that it was in two parts. I looked it the title and realized that it was in two parts. My mistake.
SHATTERED HEARTS
I was really beginning to get into the story and enjoying it. Then got to the end and realized that it was in two parts. I looked it the title and realized that it was in two parts. My mistake.
May 30, 2014
Short but loved it
at first I thought this book was a little to much sexual but it actually is pretty good I liked how mate could put up with her mood swings he loved her and I knew it I wish the other book was already made and it would be free
at first I thought this book was a little to much sexual but it actually is pretty good I liked how mate could put up with her mood swings he loved her and I knew it I wish the other book was already made and it would be free
February 9, 2015
I would say this book although short had a fair amount in it, it was well written and as the story progressed so did the characters it made for an interesting read, I'll be reading the rest in the series too
January 22, 2015
In depth drama and romance
Enjoyed reading from beginning to end
Could have left out some of the sexual innuendos but still excellent .liked that she came back from a bad experience.
Enjoyed reading from beginning to end
Could have left out some of the sexual innuendos but still excellent .liked that she came back from a bad experience.
August 1, 2016
This is a fun, easy read. She brought the characters to life so it felt like I was right there with them. The hardships that they endured was brought out realistically in the characters so the reader could actually feel their emotions. I felt this was a well written, short read of a book!
August 3, 2016
A young woman escaping a VERY abusive relationship and horrid family life. She winds up on a farm where a hot cowboy and his sister help her heal. Penny the horse is therapeutic for her, too. This woman has emotional issues, so if you can't handle that type of thing don't read this book.
April 18, 2016
Good quick read
I enjoyed this over a rainy weekend. It was a good read. Some of the situations had a lot of build ups and quick resolutions that left me a little unsatisfied. I recommend it if you are looking for a quick read.
I enjoyed this over a rainy weekend. It was a good read. Some of the situations had a lot of build ups and quick resolutions that left me a little unsatisfied. I recommend it if you are looking for a quick read.
April 27, 2016
Good book, worth the read
Charming story. The writer did a good job relating how battered victims suffer internally and how hard it is to trust when or if you get away from the abuser. Compassionate and caring lover to save the day.
Charming story. The writer did a good job relating how battered victims suffer internally and how hard it is to trust when or if you get away from the abuser. Compassionate and caring lover to save the day.
March 31, 2014
I really disliked this book. I feel like the author never made concrete descions & the build up didn't do it for me. I never felt truly connected to anyone, but Penny.
July 7, 2014
cute short story.
Read
April 3, 2014Really great book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews