Shattered

Broken Souls #3

by Rin Sher

One text and I was curious.
One conversation and I was intrigued
One revelation and I was Shattered.

The mysterious stranger I was texting should never have been her—my best friend's little sister, and the one girl I couldn't have.

Behind the screen, she was the one who kept my world from falling into darkness when everything seemed to be collapsing around me. My sunflower.

But in the light of day, she was my ruin. I couldn’t be with her.

In a moment of desperation, I irrevocably changed our lives.

Years later, when I've buried the past and am focused on being the best single dad to my son, I find myself face-to-face with my past once again.

Little by little, she starts lighting my world again, stirring up long since dormant desires. She says we’re not those same teenagers anymore.

But she’s still my best friend’s little sister.

She’s still my sunflower.

455 pages, Paperback

Published July 3, 2024

About the author

Originally from down under, Rin now resides in a frozen wonderland where she spends her time writing stories that are sure to tug at your heartstrings.
Rin's books are raw and do not shy away from addressing hard, real-life struggles that many readers can relate to, along with flawed and believable characters who manage to fall in love under various situations.


STALK ME!
Website: https://www.rinsherauthor.com/

Newsletter: https://rinsherauthor.us21.list-manag...

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/rin.sher

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_rin_...

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rinsherauthor

Facebook group: https://m.facebook.com/groups/7621909...

Reviews

[C.L. Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart broken and healed

This story will break your heart in ways you're not expecting. So, be prepared for that going in. But it is definitely a story you don't want to miss.

It's full of friendships, love, family, hardships, and heartbreak. But the HEA makes it all perfect!

[Hope · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's an okay read. Do check the tw before starting. I thought the mmc not apologising all while fmc and her brother was apologising to him ( for what he actually screwed up) was kinda messed up imo.

[Memorymaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
Neil didn't realize the person he formed a text relationship with was his best friend's little sister but when he finds out, it ruins his friendship with both of them. To make matters worse, a one night stand with another girl makes him a father-to-be. Years later, Neil has picked up the pieces and is perfectly happy being a single dad. But when his past comes knocking on his front door, he finds it hard to resist Sienna a second time. But keeping their relationship a secret from her brother is making them both feel guilty, and when tragedy strikes, their hearts are shattered once again - and they might not be able to fix it this time.

Title: "Shattered”
Author: Rin Sher
@author_rin_sher
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4/5

Tropes:
Best friend's sister
Forbidden love
Found family

Mindy's Thoughts:
Cinnamon roll MMC who is hot and wears glasses? Sexy single dad? Extra spicy scenes? Angst for days? Sign me up! This interconnected standalone in Rin Sher’s Broken Souls series brings all the good stuff and will make you feel all the emotions. Don't be fooled by the teenage drama in the beginning because when it fast forwards, things get heated up quickly! Make sure to read the trigger warnings though because this one has some dark stuff too.

Triggers:
Drug abuse
Mention of sexual assault
Domestic violence
Overdose
Death

[Cheryl O'Harney · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the world around him is falling apart, Neilex seeks solace and empathy from the mysterious stranger he’s been texting. For months he’s been growing closer to the girl he affectionately calls sunflower, however the girl in question Sienna is the one girl he can’t have. Not only is Sienna his best friend’s little sister, she’s sixteen, three years younger than him. She was sunshine to his midnight rain only now the peace he’d felt by simply texting her was ruined. And all it took was a moment of sheer desperation for him to shatter their connection and change his life forever.

Years later Neilix is a hardworking single dad just doing his best to move forward from the past and be the best father he can to his son when he gets a surprise visit from the past. Sienna’s no longer the sweet sixteen year old he once knew, she’s all woman, and coming face to face with her again stirs up feelings he’d thought lay dormant. The pair might not be the same people they once were, but one thing’s for sure, she’s still his sunflower, she’s also still the little sister of one of his best friends. Can Neilix and Sienna put past hurts behind them? Is the connection they once had still there, and can they move forward as a couple?

Join them on their journey as they take something that was once shattered and make it whole again. “The Butterfly Effect” is a figurative expression of how one event can go on to have significant consequences over time, and it plays a monumental part when it comes to the premise of this story. Prepare to be gutted to the core, Neilex and Sienna’s story isn’t an easy one, there are delicate subject matters which the authors executes with the grace and sensitivity deserved, overall smashing the whole storyline well out of the ballpark.

I’m not sure what’s next from this author, but I’ll be there for it.

𝔸ℝℂ 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕞𝕪 𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨.

[Sarah Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖."

This is the third book in Rin's Broken Souls series and can be read as a standalone. This may be my favorite book because our tortured hero Neilix just pulls at your heartstrings and doesn't let go. I will say this book felt sweeter, and the slow burn worked so well with the story.

As a teenager, Neil formed a bond with a girl behind a screen that he felt he could relate to and truly understood him as a person. He felt safe and seen by his Sunflower. But when it gets revealed who she is, his life gets shattered.

Now, four years later, he's a single father living in the city trying to get by day by day. But then the girl who got away shows up on his doorstep wanting to rekindle their friendship. Is it worth it to mend his broken heart, or will Neil close the door on that chapter of his life?

I absolutely adored Neil and "Sunflower's" relationship so much. She was the light to his darkness. But to see their friendship crumble and the way Neil handled it broke my heart. When they reunite again, I was rooting for their sparks to reignite, and Rin did such a fabulous job weaving their poetic journey through turmoils and tribulations to reach their happy ever after.

Their were so many emotions to experience throughout this book, so be prepared to have your heart put through the wringer and put back together again.

[Savanna Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhh be still, my heart! What a journey this book took me on! So many emotions and feelings. And ohhhh man the spice was SPICY even though it was technically a slow-burn, when it started it was pure 🔥! Absolutely adored Neilix and Siennas story. I flew through this book because I just couldn’t put it down! Highly recommend this for a full of emotion yet very juicy read ❤️❤️❤️

[Lauren * · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neilix and Sienna

This was a sweet second chance romance. I was angry a little at Sienna in the beginning but I realize she was only a teenager. The last 25% really got me emotional even knowing what was going to happen from reading the other books. I will say you should read the others to really enjoy this one

[Brooke A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series doesn’t get enough hype in my opinion. I’ve read all three now and have loved them all. I do think this was her best yet. It had twists and turns I wasn’t expecting. It was heartbreaking but overall has the sweetest HEA. I recommend this series 100%!!

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read by Rin Sher. She is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Shattered definitely didn't disappoint and I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out!

[lisa_lou_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. book

This was my first time reading anything from Rin Sher, and wow she has me hooked.
Sienna and Neilix will tear your heart out, but Rin will put it back together.
This was a beautiful book of young crushes, tragedy and forgiveness.
Well done Rin, I can’t wait to go back and read the first two books.

[CK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply amazing. This book will gut you. The book twists and turns and then the forever surprise in the book that completely gutted me. Amazing story. I’m new to rin and I’ll be stalking her now!

[Tara Arriola · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series reminds me of my dad. When I was growing up, he always said that people judge you by the people you hang out with. Who knew that one persons' action (or perceived action) will have a lingering effect on everyone around him. We met Neil in Book 1 (Wronged) but this is his story of the effects on his life and those around him.

During the most trying time of his life, a text message of hope and love becomes a lifeline for him. The only issue - he doesn't know who is sending them. But he is not sure it matters right now. Human connection is what he needs, and this is the only way he is getting it.

This story of love, loss, and pain hurts so hard it shattered me.

[Echo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the continuation of this world! Another book by a lovely author I devoured in 1 day!

[Jenn Hope Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

angsty, heartbreaking and beautiful

Shattered by Rin Sher is the third book in the broken souls series but can be read as a standalone. The way the series is written they kind of can be read in any order.
This is a childhood “friends” ( there’s a twist here) to reconnecting few years later, best friends sister, damaged/broken hero who happens to be a single dad to an adorable son! This story starts the same as the others on the night back in high school where all their lives changed. This is a slow burn and has a lot of heartache and tough times but of course Rin patches all things back together! I really enjoyed Neilix and Siennas story to HEA! I loved the twists, the secrets and of course since I love pain ( in books) I loved the heartache she put these two through.

[Vivien R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wrecked me in the best way. It does have a happily ever after but it takes a while to get there. Neil has been texting a girl he doesn't know, but she knows who he is. He starts to develop feelings for her when he finds out that she is his best friend's sister. And that means she's off limits. After both their worlds are turned upside down, they meet again four years later to try and reconnect. But is it too late for a second chance at happiness? I was hooked from the first chapter. I couldn't put the book down because my heart ached for Neil and Sienna and I had to find out what happened next. This a slow burn with lots of heartache but the payoff is rewarding. This story was so good I can't wait to read more by this author.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another banger!!

Neilix and Sienna might just be my favourite couple in this series! Neilix’s story in the beginning made my heart hurt, and watching him get his happily ever after was the sweetest reward!

[catb.x0x0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughout all three books in this series, Wronged, Wrecked and now Shattered, my heart broke over and over for all of this group of five guys whose lives were completely devastated as the consequence of events that were utterly out of their control. In Shattered, we get Neil’s story and how the events of that one tragic night as a teenager created a domino effect that left him lonely and shut off from the world for many years until Sienna’s sunflower personality forced him to open up his heart again.

[Michelle C · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Sunflower. Neilix forms a bond with a girl he is texting, not knowing who it is. She is his Sunflower, the bright spot in his life and he needs it after some things that happen to one of his best friends. It tears his world apart and Sunflower is the only thing helping him to keep going.
He finally finds out who Sunflower is and it stuns him. Shakes his world and he ends up hurting the person who means the most to him.
I don’t want to put out any spoilers so I’ll leave it at this. Neilix makes some mistakes but he does reconcile with Sunflower and wow they still have chemistry.
This book will take you on a rollercoaster ride so be ready. Thank you Rin for the ride.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shattered is book #3 of the Broken Souls series by Rin Sher. This is my first book by this author. The story is a slow burn with a steady pace. The pages are filled with angst and emotional turmoil. Neilex is texting a mysterious stranger who turns out to be his best friend's little sister, Sienna. He is quiet, shy, and unsure of himself. His home life is not the greatest. Having a best friend like Jason is a lifeline in his bleak homelife.

I started the Broken Souls series with book #3, Shattered and I believe all of the books are centered around an occurrence that happened in book #1 -Wronged. I was still able to follow the story, but when I read Wronged there will be a few spoilers.

...last night, I had felt the effects of everything shattering around me—my life, my family, my friendships, and the trust of the first girl I had ever given my heart to—and it was all too much.

I really enjoyed Shattered. There was a twist that I never saw coming at about 80% in. I would have like a bit more content after the twist as I couldn't imagine how the main characters could achieve their HEA. There was a quick and clean wrap up to achieve that.

My heart broke for Neilex. He really had such a tough hand delt to him. After his life was shattered, he became closed off and a loner. He just couldn't get a break. Sienna was amazing. Mature, vibrant, intuitive and loving. She had a bit of growing up to do but really came through for Neilex.

She doesn’t understand that it was losing her along with everyone else in my life all at once that made me this way.

Now onto the beginning with book #1 in the Broken Souls series, Wronged.

#AuthorRinSher #BrokenSouls #Shattered #Wronged #NeilexAndSienna #Angst #HEA

[Mistys Bookish Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌻 ARC Review 🌻

Tell me something no one else knows…

This is the third book in the Broken Souls series, but can absolutely be read standalone. I enjoy knowing the other characters already, but it isn’t necessary at all in this read. And this book was my favorite so far!

What happens when you unknowingly fall for your best friend’s little sister? When life was bleak at home and in the town he lived in, Neilix had one lifeline - a girl he called Sunflower 🌻 because that was her favorite flowers and they made her so happy. Not knowing the true identity of his lifeline began a chain of events that led Neilix all alone - isolated from his friends, as he was already isolated from his family.

“She may be a sunflower, but she also bathes me in light, setting everything inside me ablaze.”

Sienna searches out Neilix in adult life in attempt to form a friendship with the man that broke her heart and it turns out he is completely irresistible as a single dad. Of course there’s drama to read and trials to unfold as they make themselves part of each other’s lives again in secret.

Rin does such a great job forming their bond once again through texts - which I personally love to read in a book.

“We can be different people here in this dark room. I don’t have to see her mournful eyes while I hide my shattered soul.”

I loved this tortured story where once again one of the Broken Souls gets his HEA.

[sincity_bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

How much can happen to one person? I kept asking myself that question while reading this book, but the reality is - when it rains, it really does pour.

"𝘼 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.
𝘼 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 . . . 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚’𝙨. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣"

Neilix is your average teen boy with a group of friends that grew up together. A terrible incident shatters all their lives in different ways causing a Tsunami like effect across them. Shattered is Neilix's story.

“𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”

Oh my dear, sweet Neilix. I cried while reading this one. It has lots of personal notes for me but also just squeezed my heart more than once. When the MMC comes from a broken home and just can't catch a break in life, it gets you right in the feels. He didn't have the love and attention he needed so when a mystery "penpal" known as Sunflower starts texting him, he's all in. Rash decisions lead to questionable choices and now everyone must face the consequences.

"𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍, 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔."

I went into this book completely blind. Rin Sher is a new-to-me author so I had no idea what to expect. I did however, learn this is her third book in the series and I fully intend on going back and reading the first two. Each book follows a different friend and how the terrible incident caused a ripple effect in each one of their lives. With that being said, you can absolutely read this as a standalone.

[Cheryl Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Broken Souls series and can be read as a standalone.

Neilix is a quiet sensitive 19 year old as this book begins. He has his group of friends and although he doesn't get much attention at home (he has a demanding older sister), he has his best friend Jason and Jason's family treat him as one of their own.

Sienna is Jason's 16 year old sister and has a crush on Neil. She starts texting Neil without revealing her identity and they strike up an online relationship.

An event occurs which has a tremendous impact on the group of friends leaving them floundering. Things go downhill for everyone from then on.

This is an account of how a single incident can derail many people's lives and how the different people come out at the other end - or not.
This is an emotionally raw story covering sensitive subjects which were handled very elegantly by the author.

[Bee . • ° ★ . • . * ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

FMC came across as desperate and childish, but she was still only a teenager at 16 when the story started. Even if 4 years passed between past and presents events , the author should've made them older.

MMC was just...there . Looking as exciting as soaked white bread. I didn't buy into their connection. 4 years later, out of nowhere, just just decided to visit him and start a new friendship? After reacting like she had in the past? And then their relationship goes from 0 to 100 to the point it gave me whiplash. And Jason was a stupid character. What happened to him did phase me in the least. I guess at this point I'm just tired and I want to move on from this series.


This is a standalone, but if you've being reading the series, you already know what's going to happen in this book, so I was just waiting for the drama to happen.

I won't continue to read this author's work, it's definitely not for me. Too much telling and not enough showing.

[Merrit Townsend (always1morebook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 3 in the Broken Souls series/. Each story is a standalone set in an interconnected world. They can be read in any order but I do suggest starting from the beginning.

-Hidden identity
-Second Chance
-Time jump
-Single Dad
-Texting
-Tragedy

"𝘼 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.
𝘼 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩.
𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 . . . 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚’𝙨. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣"

This book starts with an incident that breaks 5 friends snd changes their lives. Add in a secret and an unexpected surprise and that is where this story begins. Filled with emotion , heartbreak and forgiveness, this book will keep you reading until you finish. This is Sienna and Neilx's story. Through the tears and tender moments, I fell in love with these characters. I know you will too.

[Sara Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book in two days, just like I did with book one. Sadly I just didn’t connect with these characters like I have with the past books.

The story wasn’t bad, it was nice to see how that night impacted the others in the group but it also didn’t feel as heart breaking as the first two books.

I think I was hoping to feel shattered when I read this and I wasn’t. Though if this is the last book of the series it wasn’t a bad ending to it.

[Kenadhe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was unsure about this book. It is not the first one I have read by this author but it is the first one in this series. Though I do not feel like I needed to read the others to follow along with this one I did go back and read the first two after I finished this one. About 100 pages in I did not love the idea of the characters being together. I pushed though and I did start to hope for them to get their happy ending. I am glad that I stuck with the book and loved the ending.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gah, my heart! Rin is one of those authors who can make you feel all the things. This was a beautiful addition to the broken souls series and I loved it so much. Neilix and Sienna were perfect for each other and I loved seeing their relationship develop. The texting aspect was cool and unique. Definitely recommend and I can't wait for the next one!! Mase next..????

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when I thought no one could top the other 2 men in this series, Neilix comes along! What a sweet soul he was and what a mess his life became. I loved the relationship between him and Sienna and I thought they were perfect together. I cried and swooned. Another great one by Rin Sher!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully heartbreaking this story this was! It sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions, but I loved every minute. Poor Neilix just had one thing after another going wrong for him, but I'm so happy it worked out for him in the end. Highly recommend just like the others in this series! <3

[Amanda Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

I really loved Wronged and I was excited to see the other characters and how the events of that book impacted them but this book left me confused and lost most of it unfortunately