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A Woman Worth Healing : Waves of Heartbreak Duet - Book One
If I had known it was the last goodbye, I would have held on tighter and never let you go.
Haunted by insurmountable grief, Jennifer tries to come to terms with the loss of her son. Moving forward seems like a Herculean task that she is ill-equipped to deal with.
Until she meets Sawyer.
Struggling with a grief of his own, the last thing Sawyer expected was a searingly, intense connection to a broken woman who walked into his tattoo studio looking for a job.
As their lives become more entwined, and the heat between them rises. Will they be capable of riding the destructive waves that life batters against them?
Or are some heartbreaks too much to overcome?
A Woman Worth Healing is book one in the Waves of Heartbreak Duet. This beautiful, grief-ridden, steamy romance will have you reaching for a box of tissues while you eagerly turn the pages. If you want to learn more about tropes and possible triggers before reading, please visit the author's website nduneauthor.com.
Haunted by insurmountable grief, Jennifer tries to come to terms with the loss of her son. Moving forward seems like a Herculean task that she is ill-equipped to deal with.
Until she meets Sawyer.
Struggling with a grief of his own, the last thing Sawyer expected was a searingly, intense connection to a broken woman who walked into his tattoo studio looking for a job.
As their lives become more entwined, and the heat between them rises. Will they be capable of riding the destructive waves that life batters against them?
Or are some heartbreaks too much to overcome?
A Woman Worth Healing is book one in the Waves of Heartbreak Duet. This beautiful, grief-ridden, steamy romance will have you reaching for a box of tissues while you eagerly turn the pages. If you want to learn more about tropes and possible triggers before reading, please visit the author's website nduneauthor.com.
380 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2025
1 person is currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
N. Dune
9 books140 followersBritish author writing and reading steamy romance.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 1, 2025
I was warned I would need tissues. Now, I'm a bit hard-nosed so I didn't, but there is no doubt this is a beautiful, heart-rending story of bereavement after the loss of a child, mental health, healing, starting afresh and the love that can blossom between two lost souls just when they need it most. (And yes, Insta-love is a total thing and I'm here for it!)
The resulting book is a beautiful, powerful story of loss, healing and love, set within the Beyond The Tide world and probably, for my money, the one you should begin with if you want to try out this author's work.
NOTE: THIS IS A STAND ALONE BOOK I've read the others and they all stand strongly on their own within N. Dune's cleverly woven world but this one hits slightly different. It's the first time I've really read erotic scenes from this author and...
Holy hell... I mean ... yeah...
Okay, I'll back up. As a youngling erotic fiction author I was told to NEVER put grief, or mental health issues anywhere near a book with a lot of sex in it. Yes, really, and this is crazy because when it's done well, showing how characters can find healing in their own explosive way, then hell yes, mental health and grief belongs. Because that is LIFE, and without LIFE, erotica is just rutting, with no heart and soul behind it.
In this story, Jen has lost her 11 year old son (off screen) and we pick up her story a few months later, as she is reeling from his loss. She's also struggling with feelings of worthlessness due to her ex-husband's affair and break-up of their family home, which is directly linked to the loss of their son. She has to find a job to make ends meet whilst the house sale goes through, and ends up in Sawyer's tattoo studio, to begin work as a receptionist. Sparks between them fly immediately, and it's clear that Sawyer needs her as much as she needs his dominant care.
That's as much as I'm saying about the plot. Some might bristle at the amount of sex, but that's how these characters cope with their losses, and the author does it masterfully, so the spicy scenes never feel out of place or gratuitous. Instead there is heat, and heart, and delicious descriptions as we are taken inside the characters' heads.
Basically, I devoured this in two days, because I couldn't put it down!
The resulting book is a beautiful, powerful story of loss, healing and love, set within the Beyond The Tide world and probably, for my money, the one you should begin with if you want to try out this author's work.
NOTE: THIS IS A STAND ALONE BOOK I've read the others and they all stand strongly on their own within N. Dune's cleverly woven world but this one hits slightly different. It's the first time I've really read erotic scenes from this author and...
Holy hell... I mean ... yeah...
Okay, I'll back up. As a youngling erotic fiction author I was told to NEVER put grief, or mental health issues anywhere near a book with a lot of sex in it. Yes, really, and this is crazy because when it's done well, showing how characters can find healing in their own explosive way, then hell yes, mental health and grief belongs. Because that is LIFE, and without LIFE, erotica is just rutting, with no heart and soul behind it.
In this story, Jen has lost her 11 year old son (off screen) and we pick up her story a few months later, as she is reeling from his loss. She's also struggling with feelings of worthlessness due to her ex-husband's affair and break-up of their family home, which is directly linked to the loss of their son. She has to find a job to make ends meet whilst the house sale goes through, and ends up in Sawyer's tattoo studio, to begin work as a receptionist. Sparks between them fly immediately, and it's clear that Sawyer needs her as much as she needs his dominant care.
That's as much as I'm saying about the plot. Some might bristle at the amount of sex, but that's how these characters cope with their losses, and the author does it masterfully, so the spicy scenes never feel out of place or gratuitous. Instead there is heat, and heart, and delicious descriptions as we are taken inside the characters' heads.
Basically, I devoured this in two days, because I couldn't put it down!
June 8, 2025
I’ve started to write this review so many times and then I start all over again, I don’t think I have the words to do this book justice.
This book is utterly phenomenal. Nat.. I am in awe of how you have written this.
I had tears streaming down my face at so many points of Jen and Sawyer’s story. Truly I was an emotional wreck and my heart broke for these two over and over.
Jen has suffered an unimaginable loss and is struggling in every single way. A loss you cannot begin to imagine. Her money struggles lead her to a tattoo shop that’s looking for a receptionist, where you meets three amazing people who take her in.
Sawyer is too grieving his own loss. I personally felt such a connection to this character. I felt his pain. His was a loss I could, unfortunately, relate to and some of his thoughts and feelings could have been pulled from my own soul.
Jen and Sawyer’s connection is instant and their chemistry is undeniable, but Jen struggles with what this means for her and how to move forward in her new life.
Sawyer is the kind of MMC that I love!! He’s tall, tattooed, so protective and he cares for Jen in every way. He falls first and he falls hard.
A beautifully written book!
Thank you Nat for letting me read this. This story will be one that permanently stays with me.
This book is utterly phenomenal. Nat.. I am in awe of how you have written this.
I had tears streaming down my face at so many points of Jen and Sawyer’s story. Truly I was an emotional wreck and my heart broke for these two over and over.
Jen has suffered an unimaginable loss and is struggling in every single way. A loss you cannot begin to imagine. Her money struggles lead her to a tattoo shop that’s looking for a receptionist, where you meets three amazing people who take her in.
Sawyer is too grieving his own loss. I personally felt such a connection to this character. I felt his pain. His was a loss I could, unfortunately, relate to and some of his thoughts and feelings could have been pulled from my own soul.
Jen and Sawyer’s connection is instant and their chemistry is undeniable, but Jen struggles with what this means for her and how to move forward in her new life.
Sawyer is the kind of MMC that I love!! He’s tall, tattooed, so protective and he cares for Jen in every way. He falls first and he falls hard.
A beautifully written book!
Thank you Nat for letting me read this. This story will be one that permanently stays with me.
June 5, 2025
This is a beautifully written contemporary romance focusing on the emotional impact & how to move forward after the devastation of loss. Tissues will be needed!!
Jen is just about surviving day to day after her whole world has upended. Needing a steady job & seeing an advert for reception work at her local tattoo studio, she chances her luck. Sawyer, has also been dealing with his own grief is immediately captivated by Jen. Intense attraction & the need to protect hits him hard. It looks as though the job & all that comes with it may just be what she needs.
I loved the dynamic. Both MC’s are in their 30’s, having been through many things that life has thrown their way. They can’t help but gravitate towards one another despite a belief of not being deserving. Sawyer has a particular taste for dominance & turns out Jen likes that as well as a much more colourful sex life than she’s previously experienced (going forward, I will forever question what’s happened on the sofa of any waiting room I enter 😉)!
The friendship is so lovely between Jen, Sawyer, Clair & Rob. And I really enjoyed how things came to a conclusion. Definitely pulled a lot of emotions from me so it’s definitely a recommended read!! Go take a look!
Jen is just about surviving day to day after her whole world has upended. Needing a steady job & seeing an advert for reception work at her local tattoo studio, she chances her luck. Sawyer, has also been dealing with his own grief is immediately captivated by Jen. Intense attraction & the need to protect hits him hard. It looks as though the job & all that comes with it may just be what she needs.
I loved the dynamic. Both MC’s are in their 30’s, having been through many things that life has thrown their way. They can’t help but gravitate towards one another despite a belief of not being deserving. Sawyer has a particular taste for dominance & turns out Jen likes that as well as a much more colourful sex life than she’s previously experienced (going forward, I will forever question what’s happened on the sofa of any waiting room I enter 😉)!
The friendship is so lovely between Jen, Sawyer, Clair & Rob. And I really enjoyed how things came to a conclusion. Definitely pulled a lot of emotions from me so it’s definitely a recommended read!! Go take a look!
May 30, 2025
A heartfelt story about love, loss and grief.
Jen and Sawyer’s grief…it’s tangible. They’re both dealing with loss but they find light and eventually love in each other.
There is no correct way to deal with grief. To deal with it sometimes you have to sit in it and feel all of it. Most of us avoid that pain but in the end we all must feel it.
This book is heavy…or maybe it felt like that to me because it spoke to some of what I’ve been going through but even as much as it made me cry, I loved every minute. I felt their connection. I wanted to see them through the end. I wanted to see their happy ending because they so deserved it.
Bravo, Nat. I loved this. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story with me…and thank you for Sawyer’s dirty mouth. 🥵
Jen and Sawyer’s grief…it’s tangible. They’re both dealing with loss but they find light and eventually love in each other.
There is no correct way to deal with grief. To deal with it sometimes you have to sit in it and feel all of it. Most of us avoid that pain but in the end we all must feel it.
This book is heavy…or maybe it felt like that to me because it spoke to some of what I’ve been going through but even as much as it made me cry, I loved every minute. I felt their connection. I wanted to see them through the end. I wanted to see their happy ending because they so deserved it.
Bravo, Nat. I loved this. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story with me…and thank you for Sawyer’s dirty mouth. 🥵
June 4, 2025
An incredible beautifully written story. All kinds of emotions felt while I read this. This is one of those stories that leaves a lasting impression long after finishing. It was more than I could have expected in a book.
June 4, 2025
Do you love books that make you cry? Read this book
Do you love a strong protector vibe MMC? Read this book
Do you love an FMC finding her own strength? Read this book
Do you love a feline mischief maker? Read this book
Do you love a strong protector vibe MMC? Read this book
Do you love an FMC finding her own strength? Read this book
Do you love a feline mischief maker? Read this book
June 5, 2025
Rating: 5.0
Spice: 4.5
ARC review: This was an emotional one! I felt so sorry for Jennifer! That must be tough, losing a child. I do like that Sawyer was there for her. He was by her side trying to help her.. I enjoyed this book!
Spice: 4.5
ARC review: This was an emotional one! I felt so sorry for Jennifer! That must be tough, losing a child. I do like that Sawyer was there for her. He was by her side trying to help her.. I enjoyed this book!
June 24, 2025
Such an emotional story of trauma bonding and overcoming loss and sadness. On a mission to find some normalcy in her life Jen is set out to find a job to help get her by. She determined she’s ready. Entering the tattoo shop in her neighborhood to apply for a job, she finds herself in awe by the lovely tattooed man that comes out of the back! All her doubts come flooding in, if she’s making the right choice, if she’s ready for a job, if she can finally let go….
Please check the triggers, this one has a few and is pretty emotional.
Please check the triggers, this one has a few and is pretty emotional.
May 31, 2025
A slow burn, heart wrenching love story with quite a bit of heat. Have tissues nearby.
June 22, 2025
Happily heartbroken 💔 is a thing! Because 100% thats how this book has left me.
As a super emotional reader, the big ugly crier type, this book totally broke me. And I need everyone to read it too.
I adore this author. Nat has a fantastic ability to create the BEST most relatable characters and pop them into a story that always rips my heart out. And she has definitely done it again here.
I've read and loved all her other books, so when she gave me the opportunity to ARC read this, nothing can explain how excited I was. And WOW, these two just instantly drew me in as characters.
Think broken, grief ridden characters, heavily tattooed MC who melts your heart, super hot spicy scenes and the NEED for them to have a HEA and that's what you get here.
I LOVED that Jen and Sawyer were older MCs, that he was a big softie tough guy and their super sweet connection / attraction. The vulnerability of Jen, the protective possessiveness of Sawyer was a brilliant combination, and I could not stop reading this to see how it ended.
I spent half this book in pieces, ugly crying, and the other half swooning.
This is yet another fantastic book by a brilliant indie author who really deserves more attention for her work.
All thoughts are my own. Thanks to the author for my gifted copy of this.
As a super emotional reader, the big ugly crier type, this book totally broke me. And I need everyone to read it too.
I adore this author. Nat has a fantastic ability to create the BEST most relatable characters and pop them into a story that always rips my heart out. And she has definitely done it again here.
I've read and loved all her other books, so when she gave me the opportunity to ARC read this, nothing can explain how excited I was. And WOW, these two just instantly drew me in as characters.
Think broken, grief ridden characters, heavily tattooed MC who melts your heart, super hot spicy scenes and the NEED for them to have a HEA and that's what you get here.
I LOVED that Jen and Sawyer were older MCs, that he was a big softie tough guy and their super sweet connection / attraction. The vulnerability of Jen, the protective possessiveness of Sawyer was a brilliant combination, and I could not stop reading this to see how it ended.
I spent half this book in pieces, ugly crying, and the other half swooning.
This is yet another fantastic book by a brilliant indie author who really deserves more attention for her work.
All thoughts are my own. Thanks to the author for my gifted copy of this.
June 5, 2025
I am a sucker for a grumpy MC. This is because he always falls first and hard for the FMC. Sawyer has a kind heart. It was truly shown by the way that he cared for Jen. He never put pressure on her but just let her know he was there and not letting go. It helped because in a way he could relate to loss and addiction.
I would never wish what Jen went through on anyone. My heart broke for her. Yet, I loved that N, wrote Jen as a "real" person that was going through trauma and that she was not "perfect". It did make her relatable and allowed me to connection with her on an emotional level.
OMG. I am not crying, you are crying. I thought I was utterly prepared for this book, but I was not. N showed just how amazing of a writer she truly is with this book. This book is a five star, must read!
I would never wish what Jen went through on anyone. My heart broke for her. Yet, I loved that N, wrote Jen as a "real" person that was going through trauma and that she was not "perfect". It did make her relatable and allowed me to connection with her on an emotional level.
OMG. I am not crying, you are crying. I thought I was utterly prepared for this book, but I was not. N showed just how amazing of a writer she truly is with this book. This book is a five star, must read!
May 21, 2025
Amazing book! This is my first N Dune book and I will certainly be reading more (especially Book 2 of this Waves of Heartbreak duet!) This book's overall tone is one of healing through shared loss, which leads to Jen and Sawyers HEA. I started this book, and it immediately grabbed me in and kept me reading to find out where the story went next. The characters are fully developed, and the topic of loss does not overshadow Jen and Sawyers romance.
I was a little unsure about reading this book because it deals with the loss of family members, specifically the loss of a child (pay attention to the trigger warnings). Keep some tissues handy, but don't miss this great story about a beautiful healing love !
I was a little unsure about reading this book because it deals with the loss of family members, specifically the loss of a child (pay attention to the trigger warnings). Keep some tissues handy, but don't miss this great story about a beautiful healing love !
June 5, 2025
I loved that this was such an emotional story! Both MCs are going through grief in different ways but both of them are so heart-breaking to read. The author did such a good job of really making you feel every moment and reliving memories too!
I loved that Sawyer was such an alpha, taking care of her and wanting to take care of her, seeing through what she was going through and also being able to empathise himself.
They went on a journey together and it felt like I did too, an emotional rollercoaster and it was fabulous; especially the STEAM! Plenty of that so thanks, haha!
If you love emotional reads with a deep connection and spice then this is the book for you!
I loved that Sawyer was such an alpha, taking care of her and wanting to take care of her, seeing through what she was going through and also being able to empathise himself.
They went on a journey together and it felt like I did too, an emotional rollercoaster and it was fabulous; especially the STEAM! Plenty of that so thanks, haha!
If you love emotional reads with a deep connection and spice then this is the book for you!
September 15, 2025
Oh my gosh! All the rooms are on fire with this story. What a fabulous, emotional tale of heartbreak, loss, love and understanding. I totally loved it!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews