Fragile Heart

by Jillian Rink

Moving to Wyoming wasn’t part of my five year plan. Of course, neither was finding out my husband had a mistress. Or becoming a widow before the divorce was finalized. Really, nothing in the last six months has been anything less than a mess.

Desperate for a fresh start, I pack up my life and move to the one place I’ve ever felt myself: Creek Falls. And it works, too, when I manage the statistically impossible feat of finding my scent match.

I’ve never been the first option, the woman that everyone wants. And certainly not an Omega that’s prized and fawned over. But to have Caleb Taylor look at me the way he does, I’ll do just about anything. Even if that means facing the first man to ever break my heart.

Genres: Omegaverse, Second Chance, Why Choose, Romance, Fantasy, M F M, Westerns

432 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2025

Reviews

[Pene|ope • Reading Slump, Send Help]

Another rant.

Idk most might like this book but I can't enjoy a book where one MMC isn't redeemed after they've spent the entire book being an idiot. And it's sad because this would have been a wonderful book if he had been.

One MMC and the FMC had a secret summer fling at 19. They were SCENT MATCHES and fell in love with each other, but he cut it off after the summer and broke her heart because he's an idiot who didn't want to do long distance while she was at school.

Then he proceeded to form a pack with his buddies, fall head over heels in love with another woman, bond her, his pack had a baby with her, and then would. Not. Move. On. after she died. And 10 years after their fling, the FMC is back in his life. She also married, but because she's a ✨female MC✨ she was written to marry an asshole beta--not an alpha like she needed as an omega--and he cheated on her their entire marriage. I won't go into my pet peeve about how FMCs are rarely allowed to just be happy in any other relationship but with the MMC while (as shown here) the MMC so often has great relationships outside of the FMC. I digress.

Anyway, once she's back, this MMC can barely even stand to see her interacting with the people around him, doesn't even want her in "his bonded omega's" home, barely speaks to her until he decides he wants her way too late, yet has the audacity to get jealous at even the thought of her with other men (of course she had only ever been with him and her ex, while both MMC had been with many other people) or being with her ex in the past. Let's not forget this man ruthlessly cut her out of his life then lowkey resented her for moving on even as he got tattoos that symbolized her because he had actually loved her...right next to the tattoos that were for his ✨bonded omega.✨ (Did you know this woman was his bonded omega and he absolutely loved her? ✨ Bonded omega.✨ We'll hear about her and so many details of their relationship and his continued feelings for her on at least every third damn page in case it wasn't clear.)

This is exactly the type of book that makes me despise the love after loss trope, but the other MMC was so great that I thought things might change for the better. They didn't.

Even though the one MMC finally gets to fck her through her heat late in the book and leads her to believe he's ready for a relationship, he still can't even say that he loves her or even that he wants her to be his (no, it's just his packmate that wants her, not him). He gets wiggy and territorial and lowkey angry at seeing his son bond with her, EVEN AND ESPECIALLY AT 90% THROUGH THIS BOOK!!!

“You have never been the second option. Not ever. Not ten years ago and certainly not now.”

........the lie detector determined that was a lie.

She forgives him almost immediately because she's flattered that he came after her. Zero grovel except for one (1) forced conversation where he just told her everything she had to previously tell him she wanted to hear, without any actual actions to back up the fact that he wanted her now, before she was flinging herself into his arms.

I really need a level of grovel rating system in book blurbs from now on like y'all do for spice level, only it needs to reflect how comparable the grovel is to the asshole behavior we've been subjected to throughout the book. This would be a 0/5 for both his actions 10 years earlier and in the present.

[Kayla]

I technically DNF’d this book very early on and skimmed, It just made me so mad. The fact that Ethan and Brielle were scent matches and he was able to (later on) bond another omega? To me- that doesn’t make sense.

If this wasn’t an omegaverse and was just a “love after loss”, “second chance romance” I wouldn’t be so harsh but since I’m pretty picky on my omega books - this was NOT for me.

I also hate Ethan. I have enjoyed a lot of books with the “widowed mmc” trope, but he treated her like shit for most of this book and it pissed me off. The fact that he treated his SCENT MATCH like crap for like 90% for this book is insane to me. & he knew she was btw. She didn’t have any blockers or anything! Gahhhhh.

I did skip to the end to see what the grovel situation was like and it was definitely sub-par. Ethan is a lying liar who LIES “You have never been the second option. Not ever. Not ten years ago and certainly not now.” HOW?! She may have married somebody else after he dumped her but he packed up and BONDED a whole other omega. I’m confused?

[Maria]

Tropes:
🤠 omegaverse
❤️‍🩹 MFM
🤠 second chance
❤️‍🩹 cowboys/city girl
🤠 single dads
❤️‍🩹 scent matches
🤠 everyone’s a widow

Please, check the CWs and TWs before reading this.

Jillian Rink is a new-to-me author and I just know I can’t wait to read more from her!

The story was so beautifully written that I could feel all the range of emotions the characters were experiencing, and I truly loved every single one of them.
I appreciated that Ethan and Brielle took the time they needed to heal from their scars, and to finally be ready to move on. It wouldn't have been fair to anyone involved if they had rushed too much into their relationship.
Camden deserves a special mention, that little boy stole my heart!

I genuinely can't wait to get back to Creek Falls, especially for Emily’s book because I am a sucker for stories where the FMC is an alpha female!

Thanks to the author for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[C]

3.25⭐️

[Kimberlylovesreadingbooks]

Could have been a five star if it wasn't for the dead girlfriend trope 😭😭 Like if you haven't fully healed don't take it out on your girl. The ending I expected more grovelling tbh.

[Michellelovesreading]

⚠️⚠️Check all TW ⚠️⚠️

I haven’t read an omegaverse and a while. I definitely missed it

Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Ash]

Genre: Adult Omegaverse Romance
Pack Structure: Alpha-Omega-Alpha
Spice: 3/5 🌶️
*spice ratings are relative to similar books in the same sub-genre*

Please check the CWs and TWs for this one!

Tropes & Themes: MFM omegaverse romance, second chance romance, cowboy & pilot MMCs, single dads, small town, touch-starved MCs, everyone is a widow, outdoor sex, scent-matches, grief, love after loss, pining, angst, jealousy, secret / sentimental tattoos, forced proximity, and more.

Spoiler-free summary:
A decade ago Brielle had the best summer of her life, but at the end, the alpha she had been seeing cut it off, not wanting to go long-distance. In her heartbreak, she moved on, and so did he. Now, she’s a widow and absolutely not looking for love after being second fiddle in her awful marriage. However, when she moves back to small-town Wyoming, she’s shocked to find her scent-match, Caleb, who just so happens to be co-parenting his son with his packmate, Ethan, the man that broke her heart all those years ago.

Thoughts:
Fragile Heart is a beautiful story that balances the weight of grief with the freedom of choosing to love again. These characters are wounded but so inspiring in their journey. This is the first OV I’ve read where all the MCs are widows, and I thought that Jillian Rink handled these heavy topics with a lot of care. I felt very connected to the emotions of this story; the tension, angst, guilt, and longing.

I was incredibly excited for this cowboy romance omegaverse when Jillian first announced it, and I have to say it absolutely lived up to all of my expectations!

Brielle, the FMC, is trying to find her fresh start after her awful husband passes, so she returns to the Ranch where she was happiest. Ethan and Caleb are four years into their ever evolving existence after the death of their packmate and bonded omega. These alphas are just trying to survive fatherhood. None of these characters are looking for love, but biology has other plans.

The basic concept of this book is so engaging. I love that it made me think about grief and loss within the Omegaverse, and what these very real experiences might be like for alphas and omegas. I thought the characters were dynamic and very relatable. Lastly, I thought the love story itself was done so well that it made my heart ache in the best way. There were some incredibly sexy, moving moments and lines that had me swooning. I wanted everything for these characters from the start.

Definitely recommend for omegaverse readers that enjoy second chance romances and the delicious longing that comes with it.

[rissys.bookshelf]

~ Cowboy Omegaverse
~ Single Dad's
~ Everyone's a Widow

✨ My thoughts ✨
This book was everything I needed. It truly hit the spot. Once I started I couldn't stop. I love a good omegaverse and this was so good. All the MCs are working through grief. I loved reading their journeys. I love the found family in this book too. I loved the second chance romance too. A few chapters in I felt like this book was going to show what true love is like and I am so glad my gut was right. This book made me laugh. I also got a bit emotional. I can't recommend this one enough for those who love Omegaverse. I am so excited to see if we get more books in this world.

Fragile heart is a MFM Omegaverse romance. It is recommended for 18+. As always, please check trigger warnings before reading.

✨ I want to thank the author for the earc of this book. These are my own true thoughts ✨

[Crystal Rivera]

Ok Jillian, my heart.. what a story.. you had second chance blast from the past, you have widows and widowers, you have community, Omegas and alphas scent matching.. I loved it and pre-ordered the book to keep in my collection!

[Suzy100]

If this was your very first omegaverse book, you may never read another one. This book is missing the core components of an AOB world. Pack bonds seemed non-existent, the whole scent match storyline wasn’t clear and the loss of a bonded mate wasn’t very well told.

The story really had potential but could have used a good editor.

[Midnight]

I want to make some points before I give the review, so that if you haven't read it and are thinking about it, but looking at reviews to help you decide, these points might help. I tried to cover all the spoilers.

-Did NOT know there was a KID during the ENTIRE book. The two MMCs have a son from the omega that they used to have. The kid is in the story constantly and cock-blocks a few times. I don't particularly care for kids in my romances, and if I had known there was one in this one, I wouldn't have read it.

-This is a sad ass book. The FMC, Brielle, is sad because her husband was cheating on her, then died in a car accident. Things are worse for her when she decides to go heal at the ranch where the guy who broke her heart is, oh, and he has a kid from an omega he loved.
--The MMC Ethan is wallowing in grief still over the omega he lost four years prior and the loss of the packmate he lost shortly before that. He spends the entire book being mad at Bri for being his match and coming back into his life, while he spends his time still being upset over his other omega. All his chapters are him simultaneously wallowing in his lust for Bri while being angry at himself because the other omega is gone.
They spend most of the book upset.

-If you are hoping for bonding and all the fun feels that come with that, you are shit out of luck. Bonding doesn't happen until the VERY end, as in one of them doesn't do it until the epilogue.

-Ethan has sex with Bri but doesn't give her anything else. He treats her like an inconvenient piece of ass the entire time and barely has to apologize before she takes him back. Was his reasoning legitimate? NO! Grieving and feeling like you are cheating on your dead girlfriend does not give you an excuse to treat a different girlfriend like crap. And after he hurts her, his first idea was to kill himself and leave his child with one last parent, and leave Bri with that kind of hurt. Are you fucking kidding me? All he had to do was text her, call her, follow her, beg for her forgiveness, apologize...but no. He says he went to the house, and she was gone. That's it. When Caleb (the other MMC) asks why he didn't kill himself, he said he remembered what it felt like to find someone whom you loved after they did that, and he didn't want to scar them that way. Buuuuut everyone else? Just sorry for the people finding your dead body, not for the people you're leaving behind? Like the poor kid who lost his mom to suicide and his other father to a bull? Really? This guy needs therapy. Am I picking on people who commit suicide? No. But this guy showed no other signs of suffering from true depression. Sure, he was sad and grieving, but he did other things that showed he was trying to live on until Bri got there. Then he was moving on and holding himself back at the same time. I have no sympathy for taking the chicken shit way out when you aren't clinically depressed and in need of medication.

-Where's the nesting? All omegas need to nest before a heat or just do when they're feeling down. She never mentions the lights being too bright and needing curtains. She never mentions needing more pillows or blankets because the bed wasn't right. She never mentioned any of the things other OVs do. I like hearing about the odd stuffed animal they get attached to or how the walls have to be blue or whatever. It was a huge let-down. She also doesn't wear soft clothing, tote around a blanket, or anything like that. Has she no sensory issues? That's not OV either.

So yeah, if I had known any of that was in here, I wouldn't have bothered.

On with the review if you're still here.

The Plot
Bri decides to move to the same place she had her heart shattered in order to heal from...her heart being shattered...
She goes to her friend's farm to take some time off, but plans to move there permanently...
While there, she finds her ex-love who broke her heart. He's trying to heal from breaking up with her ten years prior, from his packmate dying from a bull, and his omega killing herself. Needless to say, it doesn't go over well when his packmate, Caleb, falls head over heels in love with her and is her scent match.
Bri and Caleb fall in love easily, and she ends up loving their little boy.
The whole town makes a big to-do about it, and there's some pointless harassment from some random guy who has nothing to do with the story later.
At the very end, she's had enough of Ethan acting like she doesn't exist and decides to leave. Ethan decides killing himself is easier than saying sorry, so he decides to do that. Caleb finds out and rushes home. Ethan is drunk instead, stating he didn't want anyone to find his corpse and be sad. Caleb convinces him to apologize. He does, and she forgives him, and all is well, and no one has bonded by the 90% mark.

The Romance
Bri and Caleb were cute and hot. He was moving on from losing his omega because he wanted to keep living. She decided Caleb was for real and they could be happy. Both of them forgot about the kid and Ethan.
There's a heat in this book, but it's super short and you barely see anything.
One weird thing about the sex scenes is how the orgasms aren't told or shown through most of the book. It just says it was building, then she's lying on his lap or whatever. I had to reread things until I got used to the author just white dress skippin it. Like "Oh, there was one, but we can't say it." But then they were mentioned at the end? It was irritating. She did the same thing with the fight scene, where she said the guy punched him, then "I've never seen alphas fight before," suddenly the guys were separated. Like...what? So what happened?!

The Characters
*Shakes head*
Man, I needed a spreadsheet for all the character names. There are no fewer than a dozen characters in this book, and most are secondary characters. I had to have a piece of paper next to me with lines and notes stating who was whose brother, which pack, and whose mama, and good grief. It made it more realistic for sure, but it was exhausting at the beginning.

FMC- Bri, whines a lot. I wish she had stood up to Ethan halfway through the book to talk shit out with him. She just kept magically hoping it was all going to work out, and it didn't. I didn't mind her points of view, most of the time.

MMC 1= Caleb was so sweet and sexy, at least he was putting in the effort
Brandon-the dead packmate
Kayla-dead omega
MMC 2 = Ethan- The guy trying to move on but refusing to allow himself to, while simultaneously ruining other people's lives. Why did no one force him into therapy after everything? Why didn't they force Kayla?

Melissa- Bri's friend she moved to Wyoming for, who is also an omega. She's sweet and a good friend, and related to one of the MMCs
Emily-An alpha who lets Bri live in her guest house, kinda a good friend, sister to one of the guys

Man, I don't want to bother with all of them. Just know there's a lot

Thoughts
A five-star book is a book I want to have at home to read over and over
a four-star book is one I liked, but can rent or kindle it if I need to read again
3 stars? That's a book I read and won't read again, and I may or may not have enjoyed it. some DNFs go here too
2 Stars- I read it but didn't enjoy it, or there wasn't enough to enjoy to where I would recommend it to anyone or I DNFed it
1 star= Hate it, don't want to talk about it.

I didn't enjoy reading this one after a while. There was so much negativity, and most of it came from an MMC. I get grief. I had someone in my life commit suicide. But I sure as hell didn't play someone like he did. She was giving it a go, and he had already broken her heart once and did it again. The sex scenes were weird because the orgasm kept being swept under the rug, but then mentioned later. Like one of the guys would say, he liked listening to her third one, but we never heard the first. So while there's a ton of sex, it wasn't that fulfilling. Plus, it's hard to enjoy when you know the guy is just going to leave. The kid made it awkward, and she was weird around him a lot of the time. There was no bonding! That's one of the awesome things about the OV, and there was none.

[Jenny From The Bog]

This was good. I liked Brielle and Caleb, and I liked them together. Camden was darling.

I struggled with Ethan's character. He spent the entire book being a self- centered jerk thinking of only his own feelings and how everything effects HIM. He didn't deserve Caleb as a pack mate, let alone Brielle as his omega.

[Madison]

This book was emotional 🥹 I was an anxious mess the whole time.

I knew it was a second chance romance but I didn’t realise the true extent of it, I can’t go into detail because I don’t want to spoil anything, but it just wasn’t for me.

There were a lot of things that I wish we knew more of and it almost felt like I’d missed another book with more information but this is the first.

The writing was good and the storyline was sad but it just wasn’t for me.

[Bose Néné]

Yeah...
I really don't know what to say.
The premise excited me and I was looking forward to it being executed in the OV universe but I really didn't like the outcome.
My main qualm is the lack of intense conversations or communication between our MCs. Stuff just kept happening and happening without substantial understanding of the why and how it affects the characters. It didn't make sense to me how characters can form such significant connections without insight into their partners.
I wanted more on the emotional front, more dialogue, just more... I feel like I don't have the words to describe it all.
Camden was a special baby ❤️ love that lil cutie.

[Mars Rads]

4.5 Stars

At first, I didn’t realize that this was an omegaverse. That’s not a bad thing. It actually shows that this book gave off different vibes from the typical omegaverse. This felt like a cowboy romance, which I love, with the added benefit of alphas, omegas, and betas. Who doesn’t love an alpha rodeo? This story was full of love, grief, yearning, and jealousy. It’s a second chance romance where all the main characters are suffering from loss and trying to find what life can be like. There were some times at the very beginning where I wanted more clarification on what had happened in the past, but as I kept reading I got what I was looking for and was able to fully understand these characters. I really loved all of the different characters in this book. Since this is book 1 in the series, I am, really looking forward to seeing what will happen next in this series and which character we get to learn more about.

The MCs had so much going on. The FMC, Brielle, had a lot of conflicting things happening for her. She was married to a beta husband who ended up cheating on her. But before they could officially divorce, he died. She had to deal with the funeral and his mistress. But the more we learned about their marriage, the more I really felt for Brielle. She needed the fresh start and going back to the place she had spent her best summer gave her that clean slate. I thought it was funny how it was like she was fresh meat with all of the men in town hitting on her. It gave a real small town feel. Ethan and Caleb had their own grief to deal with. It almost tore them apart when they lost half of their pack. But they had to keep it together for Camden, the cutest little kid there ever was. I appreciated how they stayed strong for him and how their families were such a big part in taking care of him. The side characters added so much to this story. I want to know more about Melissa and Emily. They were such entertaining characters and really added to the story.

This story had such a great feel to it. I love a good cowboy romance and it only added to it that it was an omegaverse. Cowboys, fated mates, heats, second chance romance, single fathers. This book had so much. There was some very good spicy scenes, but not too much that it felt that it was all spice. This book had me feeling so many feelings. I’m excited to see what’s next.

[mspotts]

3.5 stars

Oof this one was hard to rate. I gave it an extra half star because the writing quality was way above the usual omegaverse standard.

The good:
- The writing style was really immersive. Rink painted a clear picture of the town and the surroundings the story took place in.
- All the sensitive subject matters were handled with grace. Sometimes indie authors do too much with their characters' backstories and then their reactions don't match up to the trauma. That didn't happen here. It felt like a contemporary romance instead of omegaverse. Everything was so real, which leads to my next point..
- There was genuinely sad angst. Why choose stories rarely make me cry. This got me close to tears. There was a scene towards the end that made me gasp out loud and I had to stop reading... That's some powerful writing right there.
- An enjoyable grovel scene. Even if it didn't go on for nearly long enough, I was glad there was something
- Caleb; honestly, that man was a saint. He was the best character by far.


The bad:
- Miscommunication trope featured heavily in this plot but tbh it was more like 'no communication'. All they did was have sex when they should have been talking. There wasn't enough real courting.
- I wasn't a fan of Brielle. She needed to grow a spine and actually do something for once. Most times, things just happened to her. I hated how passive she was in the relationship with Ethan.
- I also wasn't a fan of Ethan. He was a stereotypical alpha male who couldn't communicate to save his life and didn't want to take accountability for his own mistakes until the very end.
- There were a lot of supporting characters but their relationship to the main cast wasn't well explained. I often got people's names and relationships mixed up.

Conclusion: I think this story had a really good foundation and I appreciate the author for doing something different in the genre, but ultimately, the romantic elements left me wanting.

[Caroline Miller]

DNF @53%

I so badly wanted to like this book. I actually think the author does a good job of portraying a FMC who is navigating complicated grief, and I like the setting pretty well. However, my big issue with this book is that it desperately needs editing. There are so many characters that are introduced that it is genuinely difficult to follow, although “introduced” is being generous. It’s more accurate to say that the author DOESN’T introduce the characters well, which is part of the problem. Names are just thrown at us left and right for all characters, big and small, and you have no idea who they are or how they fit into the story (if at all). It’s not even immediately clear if they are human or animal. For example, the characters Miranda and Leanne are mention in passing several times before you have enough context clues to figure out that they’re just minor characters who work in the same location as one of the MMC’s mom. I am still not entirely sure how all of the main characters are related. Brandon is Melissa’s brother but so is Ethan but Ethan never refers to Melissa as his sister? Emily is related to someone, and Beau is Caleb’s brother? I dont know because it’s not actually explained.

If you don’t believe me when I say this is beyond ridiculous, here are a list of the characters and names that are mentioned in the first 50% of the book:

Brielle
Caleb
Ethan
Camden
Kayla
Melissa
Olivia
Emily
Joan
Hudson
Faedra
Logan
Rose
Uncle Dominic
Violet
Brett
Brandon
Iris
Jude
Carter
Beau
Dahlia
Sam
Miranda
Leanne
Molly
Tristan
Alex
Calder
Betty
Violet
Devynn
Trish
Brody
Phoebe (horse)
Nyx (horse)
Daphne (horse)
Maple (horse)
Minth (horse)
Cottonwood (horse)
Marcus (dog)

[Anneliese Aufiero]

My first ARC!

My scale:
🌟 I will never get that time back. DNF
🌟🌟 Meh. Most likely won't DNF
🌟🌟🌟 Solid book. Won't recommend to everyone, but will recommend to the appropriate audience.
🌟🌟🌟🌟 SO GOOD. I will recommend this to everyone.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 This book is my personality.

First, a huge thank you. You’re one of the authors that I’ll always read when you release a new book.

The best thing about this book - they all had “regular” names. You don’t find that a lot in OV. That may sound silly, but I don’t want to have to concentrate on the pronunciation of a name.

My dislike about this book is that it seems as though there are too many characters. At times, I found it a little confusing to connect them all. That being said, they’re all integral, so I made it work.

Although I have very few triggers, I think the content warnings are fair. Nothing else jumped out to me.

It has some of my favorites - OV, cranky men, and the best group of friends.

Everyone loves a cranky alpha. The star of the show is Camden. He is the ultimate child. I wish my daughter acted like that when she was 4. Brielle was a standard omega with just enough pettiness regarding her ex.

OV is pretty predictable. Omega and alphas meet, scent match, fall in love, overcome obstacles, and hopefully a HEA. The same with this story. It is a sweet beach read - entertaining yet forgettable. It definitely made me smile.

Plot: 🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌟🌟


SPOILER
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Even though the ex Brett died, he can f*** all the way off.

[drea]

Thank you to the author for the ARC!

It had been a while since I'd read an omegaverse and I forgot just how much I liked them. This book may have had the best spice I've ever read in an omegaverse?? It was definitely hot as hell lmao.

I loved the small town setting and the cowboy/pilot love interests that we got with this book. They're not something I expect to encounter in omegaverses so I really enjoyed reading this book since I tend to gravitate towards those tropes. Let's not forget that they're single dads AND there's a second chance romance aspect mixed in. All of my favorite things in one book tbh. Topics such as grief, suicide, and death are a big theme in this book so that is something to keep in mind.

Although I really liked the relationship between Brielle, Caleb, and Ethan, their dynamics felt a little unbalanced for the majority of the book. Despite Brielle's prior history with Ethan, I think it took too long for their relationship in the present to develop and reach the level that Brielle was at with Caleb. The pacing of it all was just a little off for me.

This is also the first book in a new series however, there are a lot of side characters and clear appearances of characters from her other series. It felt pretty overwhelming at first and it was hard to keep track of everyone.

Anyway, I had a great time reading this and I would definitely be interested in continuing the series!

[Courtney]

⭐️: 4.5/5

Brielle moves to Creek Falls after losing her husband in an unfortunate accident. Now a widowed Omega, Brielle is trying to figure out how to move on from her tragic past. She moves to Creek Falls where she spent a summer during college. Brielle has history here; a history with Ethan, an Alpha, whose pack was widowed by their Omega. When Brielle finds her scent match in town, Caleb, who happens to be a part of that pack, it only seems to complicate things further.

💗Second Chance
💗 Cowboy MMCs X City Girl FMC
💗 Single Dads
💗 Scent Matches
💗 Widowed MCs

I loved Brielle, Caleb and Ethan’s story. I can always count on an omegaverse book to give me all the feels. Ethan and Caleb were the perfect contrasting MMCs for Brielle. Having the contrast between the Grumpy and Sunshine in the MMCs was everything. I loved seeing how both MMCs handlers their grief and brought that residual grief into their relationship with Brielle. I did get frustrated with Ethan and how he was dealing with the past, but everyone handles their grief differently. I loved the added element of the Single co parenting dads (I guess that’s how you would term it). My favorite part of single parent books is the development of the relationship between the new partner and the child. Brielle’s interactions with Camden were so beautiful and I loved their relationship. I can’t wait to read more of Creek Falls Universe.

[Jennifer Squillante]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book was quite the journey of healing and acceptance and love.

This is the second novel that I have read by Jillian Rink and I enjoyed it just as much.

This story follows Brielle, Caleb and Ethan as they navigate the pain of their past and how to break through it to get the future the deserve.

The pain that Ethan feels is palpable and radiates off the page. The struggle he has in learning how to move past the death of his previous omega and open his heart to a woman he had a connection with 10years ago was heartbreaking.

Caleb, his need to move on and find love and feel love is beautifully heartbreaking. While he is ready to move on, it is clear that he is the only one, that is left of his pack,and watching him be patient but also taking what he wants and deserves is regardless of how Ethan feels.

Brielle, all she wanted was love and she had it when she and Ethan met 10 years before the start of the book, but we find that Ethan pushed her away and she sought what she thought was love else where. Needless today, that didn’t turn out well, and when she returns to the small Wyoming town to figure out her life, her life become more complicated as she falls in back in love not only with the Alpha from her past, but also his pack mate.

I really enjoyed this story. Especially the Ethan/Brielle storyline. My one personal thing is that it took Ethan too long to get it together, but at the same time I understand, so. I am torn.

[ChocoholicReader]

Rating- 3.5
Heat- 3
Tropes- sweet omegaverse, MFM, fated mates, second chance romance, love after loss, single parent

Most omegaverse books fall into one of two categories- dark or pure fluff. Fragile Hearts is in a category of its own because, at its heart, it is about finding love after loss. Despite being a world with fated mates, their paths are filled with emotional landmines. Brielle’s complicated grief is very well written. She is more mourning the life she thought she had than she is the husband who mistreated her. Caleb and Ethan are both handling their grief in very different ways, and their reactions to Bri are just as different. However, I would have liked to have seen more of Ethan and Caleb’s life with their former omega to help make sense of their emotions. With what we know, it almost feels like it would have made more sense if their attitudes had been flipped. Caleb is all in the moment he meets Bri, but Ethan pushes her away because he doesn’t want to replace his dead omega. Ethan had loved Bri before ever meeting his former mate, and it is mentioned repeatedly that he struggled to accept moving on from Bri. Caleb, on the other hand, had no qualms about their first mating given he had not met Bri yet. I would think Caleb would have struggled with accepting the fact that loving Bri didn’t take away from the love he felt for his dead mate and Ethan would have been the one to accept Bri immediately since Ethan had always loved more than one woman.

[Justine Hickman]

🌟ARC Review🌟
Fragile Heart
By Jillian Rink
Releasing 01.09.2025
Thanks to the author for the Advanced Reader Copy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 | 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I was so happy to finally get the chance to dive back into the Omegaverse and with an ARC! The first book that will be taking place in Creek Falls because what’s better than two protective alphas? Two protective alphas in the middle of Wyoming on a beautiful ranch! Not to mention one may be a wildland pilot and they have the most adorable son! 🤭

First and foremost, I would like to thank the author tremendously for answering my SOS. Distracted reading really is not for me because I had my characters all mixed up! Whether they were siblings, pack mates, friends, I had no clue. We had so many important characters and despite the phenomenal writing, I could not get my head on straight 😂 So thank you Jillian for clearly explaining who was who!

Onto the actual book, I loved each and every character so much. Caleb was the obvious heart throb, he was so caring and you could tell he really was ready to move forward in life despite past trauma. Brielle was such a fun character and she truly needed to be shown what a true relationship means. Ethan was very reserved but I liked the difference between the pack members. It showed that their grief could be handled it different ways.

At about 85% though, I was reading as fast as I could. It was 12am and I could not put the book down. There was so much drama going on and I had no clue how this book was going to end. But not to worry, Pack Taylor turned out as expected and I couldn’t be more happy! I’m so ready for book 2 and 3 and however long this series goes!

[Julianne]

DNF - 22% .. This book gave me a headache.

First of all.. Jillian Rink is one of the few authors I actually follow and get emails when something new is released... but this book just wasn't it for me.. but for ONE reason.

There are SO many names. Trying to keep track of who is who is almost impossible. There is the female main character, 3 mmc's, a dead omega and packmate, the fmc's ex too, the child of the mmc's, the two childhood friends the fmc is visiting, the mother's of the mmc's, the fmc's city friend, the city friend's two girls, the city friend's packmates, each horse has it's own name and there are like 6 of them to remember who the hell it's referencing. Even the damn LAKE has a name of "Jenny lake" Why couldn't it be something, ANYTHING other than another normal name?

On top of being totally confused due to the exorbitant amount of names in the first 50 pages... The timelines also don't make a lot of sense whenever they are mentioned? I didn't care enough to go back and see if they were plot holes or if it was just how they were written and explained... but either way I was struggling to figure out what happened when.

I wish I hadn't been so distracted by the character names and timeline because I think the plot would have been pretty good.. but yeah. This book gave me a headache.

[JabberwockyStories]

Thank you to the author for a free e-ARC, this is my honest review!

Fragile Heart follows Omega Brielle, moving away after losing her husband (and also learning he cheated on her during their marriage). Brielle leaves the city to return back to Creek Falls when she runs into her first love, who is still grieving the loss of his Omega and raising her kid with his former packmate.

This story is a beautiful example of process grief in multiple ways! PLEASE look at trigger warning before reading this book to ensure it is for you!

I loved the characters and loved revisiting previous characters from the Serendipity Omegaverse! While the Creek Falls Omegaverse is a seperate series, I think reading the Serendipity Omegaverse gives you helpful insight into the structure of the A/B/O Politics that make up the governance in the story.

I found the timeline to be a bit choppy in paces where the time jumps suddenly and you're left wondering if you missed something. However, I think the love story and support each character had for one another made up for it! I look forward to returning to Creek Falls!

[BookishLatinaJenn (Jennifer)]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Fragile Heart" by Jillian Rink is a beautifully layered Omegaverse romance that blends small-town charm, emotional depth, and the irresistible allure of a second-chance connection. A huge thank you to the author for the ARC!

Brielle’s move to Creek Falls offers her a chance to heal after devastating life changes, but nothing could prepare her for finding her scent match with not one but two captivating alphas. Caleb, the firefighting pilot with a steady strength and gentle heart, and Ethan, the reserved cowboy whose quiet intensity speaks volumes, create a dynamic that is deeply emotional and utterly captivating. Add in a sweet, precocious child, and this pack is as endearing as they come. Cam is the true stand out. He's adorable.

Rink masterfully explores themes of grief, healing, and love while delivering all the cozy, heartfelt Omegaverse vibes. The high-stakes drama, undeniable chemistry, and a heartwarming ending make this an unforgettable read for fans of OV, cowboys, and second-chance romance!

Be sure to check the trigger warnings as some very tough topics are addressed.

[Danielle]

This is an omegaverse following Brielle (omega) who has been recently widowed. She spent a summer during college with a friend at their home in Wyoming and loved it there, now she wants a change of pace so she decides to go back there to start over. This puts her in the path of her scent match Caleb, who looks at her like she means everything to him. She will do almost anything for him to continue looking at her that way, even if that means facing down the first man to ever break her heart.

I really loved this one. This story deals with many heavy topics, so definitely check trigger warnings, but they were so well done. Grief was one major topic explored throughout the story and also looked so different for each character. This gives us a very realistic view into how everyone handles and deals with their grief differently. Normally I'm not one for second chance romances but I absolutely adored this one, probably because it was mixed with so many other tropes I love. It was also fun seeing some of Jillian's characters from other series come into play here and it gave us a little sneak peek into how they are doing after getting their own happily ever afters.

If you are looking for a really amazing small town, forced proximity, single dad's that are cowboys romance, I highly suggest you give this one a read.

[Britt ♡]

This was my first Jillian Rink book and it certainly won’t be my last!

I really enjoyed the storyline and characters. There was a very different dynamic for Caleb and Brielle versus Ethan and Brielle. There was a lot of trauma that everyone in the story had gone through, it was HELL for Ethan and Caleb to go through but I did like seeing the three of them healing together and helping one another. While Caleb seemed all in with Brielle from the beginning, Ethan had hella reservations and hurt Brielle a lot with his back and forth so for that, I think I preferred Caleb but I am glad they all came together because I am a sucker for a second chance romance. I loved Camden and his moments a lot. He loved Brielle from the beginning and I could feel their bond growing as the story progressed. I almost feel like the time jumps were a bit scattered though and it took me away from the story a bit. I also didn’t realize that Faedra has her own book! I definitely want to go back and read her story even knowing how it ends. I liked the setting a lot, you got some of the cowboy vibes with them working on/around the ranch.

Thank you, Jillian for the ARC!

[Carrie]

First, check triggers before you go into this one. The author does list them in the front of the book.

I'd give this 3/5 stars because ultimately it was a story about people overcoming past trauma, I absolutely ADORED the little boy (seriously stole the show at times) so I liked it but there were a couple things that were a little...eh.

There were a LOT of characters to keep track of which wasn't easy. Even between Brielle's closest friends (especially the ones in Denver) I was getting a little confused.

I do like a good second-chance romance and I like stories of people having to overcome past history or trauma but with both Brielle's ex and the guy's late omega, they both felt a little flat and I was a bit annoyed, especially with Caleb & Ethan (much more so Ethan). Their tie to their late omega seemed strange. Sometimes it was like they forgot about her and at other times, not. Ethan would lament his past with Brielle but then can't get over his late wife even though it felt like there wasn't a strong connection to her? I don't know. It was weird.

So ultimately, was it worth reading? Yes. Was it my favorite? No.

[Renée]

Ugh, this book 😍

I genuinely loved the characters. This was such a unique take on OV, IMO. The characters felt real in a way sometimes OV doesn't. There wasn't as much in the way of hierarchy about the A/B/O and they were just people, doing people things.

I'm a sucker for OV and small town romance. This combined all of my favorite cozy elements, and did it well!

As a childless-by-choice adult, I wasn't quite sure how much I'd like a child side character, but I really loved him and thought he was the perfect relief. He was portrayed so perfectly.

I was cheering on Bri, cried a couple of times, and just generally had a good time reading this one.

The only reason why I didn't rate this a five star is because I felt like some of the backstory into the torment of one of the MCs could have used a little more description, and that's likely a me problem! Otherwise, I think it was the perfect OV! Definitely recommend giving it a read if you love cowboy romance, small town, scent-matched OV, and second chance romance 🖤

Thank you, Jillian, for the ARC!