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What It's Like To Be Broken
Marrying my husband was the worst mistake of my life.
Until it drove me to Athelwood.
Walking into a country tavern and getting sucker-punched in the face is just the cherry on top of yet another failed divorce attempt. But turning it into a dinner invite, a new job, and new friends? That’s a nice slice of abundance in my otherwise secluded life.
Nick Wilder didn’t have to help me – or even care. And his beautifully rugged demeanour betrayed him when he let his smile slip out beneath the gumtrees.
We were only supposed to be friends. Nothing more, nothing less. But months of broken-hearted confessions, too many almosts, and one steamy night as friends with benefits I’m screwed.
Because I’m in love with Athelwood. And I’m in love with the man who runs it.
What It’s Like To Be Broken is a dual POV, strangers to friends to lovers, spicy, small-town romance – A spin-off of Erin’s hit debut novel, Reckless Omission.
Scroll up to PRE-ORDER your copy today!
Until it drove me to Athelwood.
Walking into a country tavern and getting sucker-punched in the face is just the cherry on top of yet another failed divorce attempt. But turning it into a dinner invite, a new job, and new friends? That’s a nice slice of abundance in my otherwise secluded life.
Nick Wilder didn’t have to help me – or even care. And his beautifully rugged demeanour betrayed him when he let his smile slip out beneath the gumtrees.
We were only supposed to be friends. Nothing more, nothing less. But months of broken-hearted confessions, too many almosts, and one steamy night as friends with benefits I’m screwed.
Because I’m in love with Athelwood. And I’m in love with the man who runs it.
What It’s Like To Be Broken is a dual POV, strangers to friends to lovers, spicy, small-town romance – A spin-off of Erin’s hit debut novel, Reckless Omission.
Scroll up to PRE-ORDER your copy today!
- GenresFound Family
497 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 22, 2026
5 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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January 21, 2026
˚.༄ Thank you to the author Erin Page and team for the provided eARC in exchange for an honest review! 💌 ꒷·˚ ༘
5 ⭐️
This book was literally everything I needed and everything didn’t know I needed. Did I stay up late for this because I just couldn’t put it down once I started? Absolutely. Did I regret it? Absolutely not, 10/10 would do it again. This was easily five stars for me, I loved everything about it. I want to go back to Athelwood already, help!! 🥴🤭
Lucy is such a sweet and caring person and I was so mad that she couldn’t escape her divorce any sooner. Her difficulties felt so real and I always had to think about the injustice she was facing. I loved seeing her come out of that shell that she was put in and standing up for her own values and dreams. I hope she gets every sunset she wishes for, because she deserves them all. 🫶🏼
Nick is such a sweet grump who’s actually not really that grumpy once you get to know him. He’s guarding himself after his hard past and I was so glad that he found Lucy at the same time she found him. These two belonged to one another and it was just so wholesome seeing their friendship deepen and develop into more than what they initially agreed on. I also loved that he didn’t forget about his past but instead dared to live on with it and overcome his fears and thoughts. I can’t even imagine how much that might’ve cost him. My heart ached for him, that’s for sure. 🥹❤️🩹
And let. Me. Tell. You. The dragonflies??? I’m about to cry again just thinking about all the little details. 😭😭 (I don’t even care that they’re supposed to be hibernating in winter, GIMME MORE!! 🫠)
I loved that Lucy and Nick were good at communicating and that their love was messy and raw and imperfect. They said the wrong things sometimes, they made mistakes and then they made up for it. But that just made their story even more enjoyable and relatable.
I have to admit, I had all the feels while reading this masterpiece: I giggled like a maniac at 3am alone in bed, shed a few tears because I just couldn’t help myself and got my heart put back together, even though it wasn’t broken. I adored these two and can’t wait for the other couples we’ll get to in the Athelwood Series! 🥰
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓:
🌞 (about to be) divorced FMC
❤️🩹 tavern owner MMC
🌞 slow burn
❤️🩹 strangers to friends to lovers
🌞 found family
❤️🩹 grief rep
🌞 grumpy x sunshine
❤️🩹 so much healing
🌞 dual POV
❤️🩹 small town
🌶️ rating: 2.5/5 - a good amount!
5 ⭐️
This book was literally everything I needed and everything didn’t know I needed. Did I stay up late for this because I just couldn’t put it down once I started? Absolutely. Did I regret it? Absolutely not, 10/10 would do it again. This was easily five stars for me, I loved everything about it. I want to go back to Athelwood already, help!! 🥴🤭
Lucy is such a sweet and caring person and I was so mad that she couldn’t escape her divorce any sooner. Her difficulties felt so real and I always had to think about the injustice she was facing. I loved seeing her come out of that shell that she was put in and standing up for her own values and dreams. I hope she gets every sunset she wishes for, because she deserves them all. 🫶🏼
Nick is such a sweet grump who’s actually not really that grumpy once you get to know him. He’s guarding himself after his hard past and I was so glad that he found Lucy at the same time she found him. These two belonged to one another and it was just so wholesome seeing their friendship deepen and develop into more than what they initially agreed on. I also loved that he didn’t forget about his past but instead dared to live on with it and overcome his fears and thoughts. I can’t even imagine how much that might’ve cost him. My heart ached for him, that’s for sure. 🥹❤️🩹
And let. Me. Tell. You. The dragonflies??? I’m about to cry again just thinking about all the little details. 😭😭 (I don’t even care that they’re supposed to be hibernating in winter, GIMME MORE!! 🫠)
I loved that Lucy and Nick were good at communicating and that their love was messy and raw and imperfect. They said the wrong things sometimes, they made mistakes and then they made up for it. But that just made their story even more enjoyable and relatable.
I have to admit, I had all the feels while reading this masterpiece: I giggled like a maniac at 3am alone in bed, shed a few tears because I just couldn’t help myself and got my heart put back together, even though it wasn’t broken. I adored these two and can’t wait for the other couples we’ll get to in the Athelwood Series! 🥰
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓:
🌞 (about to be) divorced FMC
❤️🩹 tavern owner MMC
🌞 slow burn
❤️🩹 strangers to friends to lovers
🌞 found family
❤️🩹 grief rep
🌞 grumpy x sunshine
❤️🩹 so much healing
🌞 dual POV
❤️🩹 small town
🌶️ rating: 2.5/5 - a good amount!
January 22, 2026
Lucy and Nick’s story really played havoc with my emotions. His sometimes stark grief over his loss drew plenty of tears. The support his group of friends gave him made me smile and sigh, grateful he had people who cared about him and knew him so well. Lucy drew my sympathy too. She was just looking for love, but repeatedly got kicked in the teeth as she picked men who didn’t want her nor saw a future with her. Her wealthy soon to be ex husband had basically gutted her life and left her isolated and broke.
Her despair over her situation was the reason Lucy ended up in Athelwood in the first place. She came to Nick’s notice after she had been sucker punched by a woman she didn’t even know. The kindness shown to her that night brought her back a few weeks later after another upsetting run-in with her ex. She and Nick made a real connection when they exposed all the pain they were trying to deal with internally to each other, thinking that they would never see each other again.
But fate had other plans for these two. Lucy found a job with Nick’s father no less, a job she desperately needed in a town where everyone seemed friendly and accepting, unlike those she was forced to deal with in the city. At first Nick was horrified by this turn of events, but he soon discovered that she brought the light back into not only his dad’s life, but his too. His group of friends, his found family, readily accepted Lucy too, enfolding her into the group with ease. Of course they also noticed the attraction between Nick and Lucy, the one they were not ready to acknowledge, as well as the sparks and deeper feelings that followed. Lucy and Nick’s relationship was filled with messy emotions, lots of spice and heated confrontations too. Yet, there was also a gradual healing, the lessening of pain and the dawn of new love, even if they were afraid to acknowledge it for a time.
The author brought these characters to life, with vibrant and distinct personalities, flaws and idiosyncrasies that only made them more endearing. Their story was very emotional, almost rawly so at times, and thoroughly captivating. I became extremely invested in Lucy and Nick’s getting a well deserved happily ever after and this author gave them just that. This book might have had me in tears at times, but it left me with a big smile on my face and a quiet joy in my heart.
This book has my full, unreserved recommendation.
Her despair over her situation was the reason Lucy ended up in Athelwood in the first place. She came to Nick’s notice after she had been sucker punched by a woman she didn’t even know. The kindness shown to her that night brought her back a few weeks later after another upsetting run-in with her ex. She and Nick made a real connection when they exposed all the pain they were trying to deal with internally to each other, thinking that they would never see each other again.
But fate had other plans for these two. Lucy found a job with Nick’s father no less, a job she desperately needed in a town where everyone seemed friendly and accepting, unlike those she was forced to deal with in the city. At first Nick was horrified by this turn of events, but he soon discovered that she brought the light back into not only his dad’s life, but his too. His group of friends, his found family, readily accepted Lucy too, enfolding her into the group with ease. Of course they also noticed the attraction between Nick and Lucy, the one they were not ready to acknowledge, as well as the sparks and deeper feelings that followed. Lucy and Nick’s relationship was filled with messy emotions, lots of spice and heated confrontations too. Yet, there was also a gradual healing, the lessening of pain and the dawn of new love, even if they were afraid to acknowledge it for a time.
The author brought these characters to life, with vibrant and distinct personalities, flaws and idiosyncrasies that only made them more endearing. Their story was very emotional, almost rawly so at times, and thoroughly captivating. I became extremely invested in Lucy and Nick’s getting a well deserved happily ever after and this author gave them just that. This book might have had me in tears at times, but it left me with a big smile on my face and a quiet joy in my heart.
This book has my full, unreserved recommendation.
Review of advance copy received from Author
What It’s Like to Be Broken is one of those books that sneaks up on you quietly… and then suddenly you’re emotionally wrecked at 2 a.m., staring at the wall, thinking about dragonflies and second chances.
Lucy is on the brink of divorce after seven years of a marriage that hollowed her out. She doesn’t plan on going anywhere—she just keeps driving, trying to outrun the weight of her life, until she ends up in the tiniest town imaginable: Athelwood. A place that feels strange, slow, and oddly grounding. From negotiating with a koala on a cliff to getting punched at a bar on her first night, nothing about Athelwood makes sense—except the way it makes her feel.
That feeling starts at The Tav, where she meets Nick.
Nick is everything her husband never was: gentle, attentive, quietly kind. After Lucy gets punched at his bar, he patches her up, feeds her, and insists she rest instead of driving away in shock. There’s no agenda, no expectation—care. And that alone tells you how starved Lucy has been for basic tenderness.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Lucy doesn’t just want love—she’s been chasing the idea of it her entire life. She married fast, stayed when she should’ve left, and accepted an open marriage when betrayal should’ve been the end. Jake became her escape, her sense of belonging, until that too disappeared. Somewhere along the way, Lucy stopped being Lucy and became someone’s wife, someone’s almost, someone’s placeholder.
Athelwood gives her space to breathe again.
Nick, meanwhile, carries a grief so deep it’s stitched into everything he does. His loss isn’t revealed all at once, but when it is—it hits hard. The dragonfly symbolism woven throughout the story is one of the most beautiful and subtle motifs I’ve read in a long time. It doesn’t scream for attention, but once you notice it, it never lets go. Healing, presence, permission to move forward—it’s all there, quietly hovering.
What I loved most about this book is that it doesn’t rush healing or romance. Lucy and Nick mess up. They fight. They hurt each other. Sometimes they say the wrong thing. Sometimes they retreat. But what matters is this: they always come back to the conversation. Even when things get physical, even when emotions run high, the story never lets intimacy replace communication. That felt real.
Lucy isn’t a perfect FMC—and honestly, I appreciated that. There were moments I wanted her to let go of the past faster, to stop clinging to Jake, to stop doubting herself. But that’s the point. Healing isn’t linear. Growth is messy. And Lucy’s journey isn’t about becoming “better” for Nick—it’s about becoming whole for herself.
Nick, on the other hand, is quietly devastating. A man who loved deeply, lost brutally, and is terrified of wanting again. Watching him allow himself to hope—to choose something new without erasing the past—was incredibly moving. His found family, especially the way his friends and father show up without judgment, adds so much warmth to the story.
By the time the book reaches its final stretch, it’s no longer just a romance. It’s about reclaiming identity. About choosing yourself. About understanding that being broken doesn’t mean you’re unlovable—it just means you’re human.
This book reminded me that what’s broken doesn’t need to stay broken. Sometimes, it just needs time. And the right place. And the right person to sit beside you while you figure it out.
Lucy is on the brink of divorce after seven years of a marriage that hollowed her out. She doesn’t plan on going anywhere—she just keeps driving, trying to outrun the weight of her life, until she ends up in the tiniest town imaginable: Athelwood. A place that feels strange, slow, and oddly grounding. From negotiating with a koala on a cliff to getting punched at a bar on her first night, nothing about Athelwood makes sense—except the way it makes her feel.
That feeling starts at The Tav, where she meets Nick.
Nick is everything her husband never was: gentle, attentive, quietly kind. After Lucy gets punched at his bar, he patches her up, feeds her, and insists she rest instead of driving away in shock. There’s no agenda, no expectation—care. And that alone tells you how starved Lucy has been for basic tenderness.
As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Lucy doesn’t just want love—she’s been chasing the idea of it her entire life. She married fast, stayed when she should’ve left, and accepted an open marriage when betrayal should’ve been the end. Jake became her escape, her sense of belonging, until that too disappeared. Somewhere along the way, Lucy stopped being Lucy and became someone’s wife, someone’s almost, someone’s placeholder.
Athelwood gives her space to breathe again.
Nick, meanwhile, carries a grief so deep it’s stitched into everything he does. His loss isn’t revealed all at once, but when it is—it hits hard. The dragonfly symbolism woven throughout the story is one of the most beautiful and subtle motifs I’ve read in a long time. It doesn’t scream for attention, but once you notice it, it never lets go. Healing, presence, permission to move forward—it’s all there, quietly hovering.
What I loved most about this book is that it doesn’t rush healing or romance. Lucy and Nick mess up. They fight. They hurt each other. Sometimes they say the wrong thing. Sometimes they retreat. But what matters is this: they always come back to the conversation. Even when things get physical, even when emotions run high, the story never lets intimacy replace communication. That felt real.
Lucy isn’t a perfect FMC—and honestly, I appreciated that. There were moments I wanted her to let go of the past faster, to stop clinging to Jake, to stop doubting herself. But that’s the point. Healing isn’t linear. Growth is messy. And Lucy’s journey isn’t about becoming “better” for Nick—it’s about becoming whole for herself.
Nick, on the other hand, is quietly devastating. A man who loved deeply, lost brutally, and is terrified of wanting again. Watching him allow himself to hope—to choose something new without erasing the past—was incredibly moving. His found family, especially the way his friends and father show up without judgment, adds so much warmth to the story.
By the time the book reaches its final stretch, it’s no longer just a romance. It’s about reclaiming identity. About choosing yourself. About understanding that being broken doesn’t mean you’re unlovable—it just means you’re human.
This book reminded me that what’s broken doesn’t need to stay broken. Sometimes, it just needs time. And the right place. And the right person to sit beside you while you figure it out.
January 23, 2026
What It’s Like to Be Broken is a beautifully written, emotion- wrecking, soul-healing story about two emotionally broken people carrying heavy pasts and learning that they don’t have to carry them alone.
Lucy is such a sweet, deeply caring character, and I loved watching her grow into someone who learns to stand up for her dreams and the life she wants for herself. Her struggles felt painfully real, and there were moments that genuinely broke my heart as I rooted for her to finally find the love that always seemed just out of reach. Nick, on the other hand, is the ultimate sweet yet sexy grump — guarded, closed off, and shaped by a difficult and gut wrenching past, yet far softer once you truly get to know him. Seeing Lucy and Nick find each other at exactly the right moment was incredibly rewarding. Their connection felt natural and wholesome, and watching their friendship slowly deepen into something more than what they originally agreed to was so satisfying.
I especially loved watching Nick come to terms with his grief — not only through Lucy, but through his friends and the community around him — realizing that grief doesn’t have to be all-consuming and that he doesn’t have to face it alone. The town of Athelwood itself was such a warm, welcoming presence, embracing Lucy in a way that made this story feel even more heartfelt. The group of friends were ones that you would love to have as your own. This book tackles heavy, broken topics like love, loss, grief, family, loneliness, self-worth, and self-esteem with so much care and honesty. The characters know they need to heal and want to, but trusting someone enough to hand over those broken pieces feels almost impossible. Watching them do it anyway — with hesitation, fear, and hope — was incredibly moving.
Nick and Lucy’s story is a powerful second-chance romance, filled with emotion and quiet beauty. It’s a reminder that even the most broken hearts can find someone willing to help pick up the pieces and heal together.
Lucy is such a sweet, deeply caring character, and I loved watching her grow into someone who learns to stand up for her dreams and the life she wants for herself. Her struggles felt painfully real, and there were moments that genuinely broke my heart as I rooted for her to finally find the love that always seemed just out of reach. Nick, on the other hand, is the ultimate sweet yet sexy grump — guarded, closed off, and shaped by a difficult and gut wrenching past, yet far softer once you truly get to know him. Seeing Lucy and Nick find each other at exactly the right moment was incredibly rewarding. Their connection felt natural and wholesome, and watching their friendship slowly deepen into something more than what they originally agreed to was so satisfying.
I especially loved watching Nick come to terms with his grief — not only through Lucy, but through his friends and the community around him — realizing that grief doesn’t have to be all-consuming and that he doesn’t have to face it alone. The town of Athelwood itself was such a warm, welcoming presence, embracing Lucy in a way that made this story feel even more heartfelt. The group of friends were ones that you would love to have as your own. This book tackles heavy, broken topics like love, loss, grief, family, loneliness, self-worth, and self-esteem with so much care and honesty. The characters know they need to heal and want to, but trusting someone enough to hand over those broken pieces feels almost impossible. Watching them do it anyway — with hesitation, fear, and hope — was incredibly moving.
Nick and Lucy’s story is a powerful second-chance romance, filled with emotion and quiet beauty. It’s a reminder that even the most broken hearts can find someone willing to help pick up the pieces and heal together.
January 22, 2026
⭐️ BOOK REVIEW — What It’s Like to Be Broken
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
This book is messy, heartfelt, and quietly addictive — a small-town romance about rebuilding your life, finding your people, and falling for the one man you absolutely weren’t supposed to.
Characters:
🌿 FMC — fresh out of a disastrous marriage, emotionally wrecked, and desperate for a fresh start
🍺 Nick Wilder — rugged, kind, quietly protective, and the owner of the tavern that changes everything
Vibes:
• strangers → friends → lovers
• small-town healing energy
• forced fresh start
• friends with benefits → feelings
• hurt/comfort
• found family
• emotional + spicy
What the story gives:
After yet another failed attempt to escape her awful marriage, the FMC ends up in the tiny town of Athelwood — and literally gets sucker-punched the night she arrives. Somehow, that disaster turns into a dinner invite, a job, and a group of people who actually care.
Then there’s Nick Wilder — the man who runs the tavern, didn’t have to help her, but absolutely does anyway. What starts as friendship turns into late-night confessions, almost-moments, and one very not-so-platonic night that wrecks every boundary they tried to set.
She falls in love with Athelwood.
She falls in love with Nick.
And suddenly, staying broken isn’t an option anymore.
What I Loved:
• Nick’s quiet, steady, emotionally safe MMC energy
• the FMC’s healing arc feels real and earned
• small-town found family vibes done RIGHT
• friends-to-lovers tension that actually hurts
• emotional depth mixed with spice
• dual POV that adds vulnerability to both sides
Final Vibe:
Tender, emotional, and deeply comforting with just enough spice to keep things messy.
What It’s Like to Be Broken is about escaping a toxic past, finding your footing again, and falling in love where you least expect it.
I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it if you love small-town romances with hurt/comfort energy and big feelings.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
This book is messy, heartfelt, and quietly addictive — a small-town romance about rebuilding your life, finding your people, and falling for the one man you absolutely weren’t supposed to.
Characters:
🌿 FMC — fresh out of a disastrous marriage, emotionally wrecked, and desperate for a fresh start
🍺 Nick Wilder — rugged, kind, quietly protective, and the owner of the tavern that changes everything
Vibes:
• strangers → friends → lovers
• small-town healing energy
• forced fresh start
• friends with benefits → feelings
• hurt/comfort
• found family
• emotional + spicy
What the story gives:
After yet another failed attempt to escape her awful marriage, the FMC ends up in the tiny town of Athelwood — and literally gets sucker-punched the night she arrives. Somehow, that disaster turns into a dinner invite, a job, and a group of people who actually care.
Then there’s Nick Wilder — the man who runs the tavern, didn’t have to help her, but absolutely does anyway. What starts as friendship turns into late-night confessions, almost-moments, and one very not-so-platonic night that wrecks every boundary they tried to set.
She falls in love with Athelwood.
She falls in love with Nick.
And suddenly, staying broken isn’t an option anymore.
What I Loved:
• Nick’s quiet, steady, emotionally safe MMC energy
• the FMC’s healing arc feels real and earned
• small-town found family vibes done RIGHT
• friends-to-lovers tension that actually hurts
• emotional depth mixed with spice
• dual POV that adds vulnerability to both sides
Final Vibe:
Tender, emotional, and deeply comforting with just enough spice to keep things messy.
What It’s Like to Be Broken is about escaping a toxic past, finding your footing again, and falling in love where you least expect it.
I really enjoyed this one and definitely recommend it if you love small-town romances with hurt/comfort energy and big feelings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
What it's like to be Broken is one of those rare diamonds of a book that smacks you in the face with feelings and has you questioning your life choices and wanting to move to the hills and escape (well... move back in my case).
From the opening page I was hooked, more invested in Lucy's life than her probably, and not once did I lose that sense of longing and then cheering for her to turn everything around and start to live her life, for her.
And Nick.... oh Nick - if there was ever the most perfectly broken MMC to walk the earth, then he is it. His pain and loss is so beautifully written that Lucy wasn't the only one trying not to fall in love.
Erin has created the perfect balance of small town Australia with haunting moments of loss and betrayal that meld together seamlessly into a story that you'll find hard to put down.
All Lucy wants is a divorce and to be free from her cheating ex-husband whose left her destitute and hurting, free to move on with her life and love for another - but when all her hopes and dreams crumble to ash, she finds herself driving aimlessly through the Adelaide Hills and that's when she finds Athelwood.
Nick has been dealt a rough hand, an immeasurable loss hanging on to him, it's claws deep as he tries to navigate running his pub and pretending to his friends he's ok.
These two should never have met - but they do and what follows is a beautiful story of healing and finding something unexpected in the most unlikely of places.
This one has
- found family
- strangers to friends to friends with benefits
- second chance
- grief and loss
- small town romance
- betrayals and finding yourself
- soft and stoic MMC
- he falls first
- competent and sassy FMC
- the most incredible pub in Australia
you won't want to miss it. I read this one prior to official publication.
From the opening page I was hooked, more invested in Lucy's life than her probably, and not once did I lose that sense of longing and then cheering for her to turn everything around and start to live her life, for her.
And Nick.... oh Nick - if there was ever the most perfectly broken MMC to walk the earth, then he is it. His pain and loss is so beautifully written that Lucy wasn't the only one trying not to fall in love.
Erin has created the perfect balance of small town Australia with haunting moments of loss and betrayal that meld together seamlessly into a story that you'll find hard to put down.
All Lucy wants is a divorce and to be free from her cheating ex-husband whose left her destitute and hurting, free to move on with her life and love for another - but when all her hopes and dreams crumble to ash, she finds herself driving aimlessly through the Adelaide Hills and that's when she finds Athelwood.
Nick has been dealt a rough hand, an immeasurable loss hanging on to him, it's claws deep as he tries to navigate running his pub and pretending to his friends he's ok.
These two should never have met - but they do and what follows is a beautiful story of healing and finding something unexpected in the most unlikely of places.
This one has
- found family
- strangers to friends to friends with benefits
- second chance
- grief and loss
- small town romance
- betrayals and finding yourself
- soft and stoic MMC
- he falls first
- competent and sassy FMC
- the most incredible pub in Australia
you won't want to miss it. I read this one prior to official publication.
January 24, 2026
Hmm from where to start putting my thoughts into words...Firstly, this was another amazing read from Erin. I love small town romance and this book had everything I needed to read the past days.
This story is mainly centered around Lucy, whom we see in Reckless Omission and honestly I didn't like her in that book but she got her redemption. A small summary is that after a shitty court day for her divorce she roams with her car and ends up in a small town, where after one eventful evening she decides to return there and restart her life until the finalization of the divorce. Through Erin's writing we get to be in her shoes, to feel what she feels, the choices and decisions she must take in order to finally be who she had dreamt of being growing up, to finally value herself more than the others and remember the happiness in the little things. Athelwood is giving her all of that plus the romance that she deserved.
Nick is handsome, grumpy, heartbroken with grief and thinks he doesn't deserve a second chance in love, well until Lucy walks into his bar and turns everything he knew and believed upside down (Erin still I fail to see the part where we hate Nick hahaha)
This book has everything you are looking for from heartbroken heroes to sassy secondary characters, who you cannot bypass as they are major keys to the story. Beautifully described sceneries and locations, cozy vibes throughout the story, a slow burn (equal to Emily's Mclntire books trust me when I say this one 🤭🤭) that will keep you on edge until they finally let go and be together. Character development along the way and of course crossover from Reckless Omission (I love Jake 😜💙) where some scenes finally made sense.
I general i loved every page of this book and definitely I will read all the next ones 💙
Thank you for the arc opportunity, till the next one 💙
This story is mainly centered around Lucy, whom we see in Reckless Omission and honestly I didn't like her in that book but she got her redemption. A small summary is that after a shitty court day for her divorce she roams with her car and ends up in a small town, where after one eventful evening she decides to return there and restart her life until the finalization of the divorce. Through Erin's writing we get to be in her shoes, to feel what she feels, the choices and decisions she must take in order to finally be who she had dreamt of being growing up, to finally value herself more than the others and remember the happiness in the little things. Athelwood is giving her all of that plus the romance that she deserved.
Nick is handsome, grumpy, heartbroken with grief and thinks he doesn't deserve a second chance in love, well until Lucy walks into his bar and turns everything he knew and believed upside down (Erin still I fail to see the part where we hate Nick hahaha)
This book has everything you are looking for from heartbroken heroes to sassy secondary characters, who you cannot bypass as they are major keys to the story. Beautifully described sceneries and locations, cozy vibes throughout the story, a slow burn (equal to Emily's Mclntire books trust me when I say this one 🤭🤭) that will keep you on edge until they finally let go and be together. Character development along the way and of course crossover from Reckless Omission (I love Jake 😜💙) where some scenes finally made sense.
I general i loved every page of this book and definitely I will read all the next ones 💙
Thank you for the arc opportunity, till the next one 💙
January 26, 2026
A complete MASTERPIECE. There truly aren’t enough words to capture how extraordinary this book is. It made me laugh, cry, rage, swoon, and root with my whole heart for these characters.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
Lucy and Nick complement each other in the most beautiful, aching way. Both are lost in their own way, but once they finally let their walls fall, they discover they can’t and don’t want to function without one another.
Lucy has endured so much, and all she’s ever wanted is a connection that feels real. After escaping her divorce, she stumbles into Athelwood, and watching her light return, watching her claim her worth, her voice (literally screaming at the top of her lungs), her dreams... is nothing short of breathtaking.
And Nick… where do you even begin. The grump you’ll want in your pocket at all times. His past has every reason to make him guarded, but Lucy slips right past every defense. She shows him that even after heartbreak, life can still be soft, joyful, and full of possibility. And fair warning: the mouth on this man is the cherry on top of an already perfect sundae.
Erin has a way of pulling this story together to make a masterpiece. The little details: the koala 🐨, the dragonflies, the bonfire, the pinky promises, that knockout will make you say “Oh my goodness… Lucy, are you okay?”
This book made me feel everything and then some. I cannot wait to see what Athelwood has in store next, because there is so much more to uncover.
Thank you, ERIN, for gifting us this masterpiece. And yes… Nick has officially claimed the number‑one book‑boyfriend spot. Move over, Jake ... I’m so sorry.
This lovely story includes:
🧡 Small Town Charm
🧡 Found Family
🧡 Strangers to Friends to Lovers
🧡 Friends With Benefits
🧡 Mutual Healing
🧡 Divorcee x Widower
🧡 Slow Burn
🧡 Dual POV
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
Lucy and Nick complement each other in the most beautiful, aching way. Both are lost in their own way, but once they finally let their walls fall, they discover they can’t and don’t want to function without one another.
Lucy has endured so much, and all she’s ever wanted is a connection that feels real. After escaping her divorce, she stumbles into Athelwood, and watching her light return, watching her claim her worth, her voice (literally screaming at the top of her lungs), her dreams... is nothing short of breathtaking.
And Nick… where do you even begin. The grump you’ll want in your pocket at all times. His past has every reason to make him guarded, but Lucy slips right past every defense. She shows him that even after heartbreak, life can still be soft, joyful, and full of possibility. And fair warning: the mouth on this man is the cherry on top of an already perfect sundae.
Erin has a way of pulling this story together to make a masterpiece. The little details: the koala 🐨, the dragonflies, the bonfire, the pinky promises, that knockout will make you say “Oh my goodness… Lucy, are you okay?”
This book made me feel everything and then some. I cannot wait to see what Athelwood has in store next, because there is so much more to uncover.
Thank you, ERIN, for gifting us this masterpiece. And yes… Nick has officially claimed the number‑one book‑boyfriend spot. Move over, Jake ... I’m so sorry.
This lovely story includes:
🧡 Small Town Charm
🧡 Found Family
🧡 Strangers to Friends to Lovers
🧡 Friends With Benefits
🧡 Mutual Healing
🧡 Divorcee x Widower
🧡 Slow Burn
🧡 Dual POV
January 29, 2026
ཐི༏ཋྀ Small Town
ཐི༏ཋྀ Found Family
ཐི༏ཋྀ Strangers > Friends > Lovers
ཐི༏ཋྀ Friends With Benefits
ཐི༏ཋྀ Mutual Healing
ཐི༏ཋྀ Divorcee x Widow
ཐི༏ཋྀ Slow Burn
ཐི༏ཋྀ Dual POV
ཐི༏ཋྀ Australian Setting
ཐི༏ཋྀ MCs over 30
WILTBB is the amazing first book in The Athelwood romance series from Australian author Erin Page, who also wrote Reckless Omission (which I was also obsessed with). There is some cross over with characters so read them both 😉 since they are both fantastic.
Lucy is a one time socialite who is divorcing her cheating husband. He had insisted on an open marriage, until he found someone else. Driving aimlessly around one day to destress she finds herself in the small town of Athelwood, at the tavern co-owned by Nick. Slightly grumpy, reserved but handsome as hell, he's grieving from past tragedy.
Broke until the divorce is settled she takes a job in the tavern and becomes roomies with Nick's Dad. As Lucy gets to know Nick's inner circle of friends and family she is instantly welcomed and feels like she has finally found a home. And in Nick she has found a friend, someone here in her new hometown to be completely honest and open with. Friend to friend, pinkie swear. They're both hurt, grieving, broken - but they recognise it in each other and are healing, together. Even when they say stupid things, do stupid things, they have each other's back and communicate really well. There are some top notch spicy scenes and when Nick growls "mine" ... 🥵
The settings and characters feel so Australian, it's that laid back and down to earth charm. The friends/family group chats are a great insight into the other characters too. I really look forward to learning more about them all in future stories.
Thank you so much to Erin Page for the advanced copy, although I was late so I read it on Kindle Unlimited and you can too!
ཐི༏ཋྀ Found Family
ཐི༏ཋྀ Strangers > Friends > Lovers
ཐི༏ཋྀ Friends With Benefits
ཐི༏ཋྀ Mutual Healing
ཐི༏ཋྀ Divorcee x Widow
ཐི༏ཋྀ Slow Burn
ཐི༏ཋྀ Dual POV
ཐི༏ཋྀ Australian Setting
ཐི༏ཋྀ MCs over 30
WILTBB is the amazing first book in The Athelwood romance series from Australian author Erin Page, who also wrote Reckless Omission (which I was also obsessed with). There is some cross over with characters so read them both 😉 since they are both fantastic.
Lucy is a one time socialite who is divorcing her cheating husband. He had insisted on an open marriage, until he found someone else. Driving aimlessly around one day to destress she finds herself in the small town of Athelwood, at the tavern co-owned by Nick. Slightly grumpy, reserved but handsome as hell, he's grieving from past tragedy.
Broke until the divorce is settled she takes a job in the tavern and becomes roomies with Nick's Dad. As Lucy gets to know Nick's inner circle of friends and family she is instantly welcomed and feels like she has finally found a home. And in Nick she has found a friend, someone here in her new hometown to be completely honest and open with. Friend to friend, pinkie swear. They're both hurt, grieving, broken - but they recognise it in each other and are healing, together. Even when they say stupid things, do stupid things, they have each other's back and communicate really well. There are some top notch spicy scenes and when Nick growls "mine" ... 🥵
The settings and characters feel so Australian, it's that laid back and down to earth charm. The friends/family group chats are a great insight into the other characters too. I really look forward to learning more about them all in future stories.
Thank you so much to Erin Page for the advanced copy, although I was late so I read it on Kindle Unlimited and you can too!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book is about having so many broken pieces that need healing, while being absolutely terrified of letting someone in to help with that process. I loved how it tackles so many heavy, broken topics—grief, loss, abuse, loneliness, self-worth, self-esteem, and more. The characters know they need to heal, and they want to, but letting go of those broken pieces long enough to trust someone new feels almost impossible.
Lucy comes crashing into town and instantly connects with everyone around her. She has such a loud, strong personality, yet she’s deeply vulnerable in ways she doesn’t let many people see. Her heart is visible right away, and I loved that about her. All she wants to do is help others, and she brings so much life into Athelwood and into her friends’ lives. In return, they bring just as much life into Lucy.
Nick… poor Nick. He’s surrounded by darkness, just trying to survive each day. He carries so much loss and grief and clings to it like a lifeline. The guilt of losing his family, combined with the guilt of even thinking about moving on, keeps him stuck in a painful cycle. All he needed was a small spark to help light his way out of the darkness.
Lucy and Nick coming together was beautiful. Their relationship was built on something real and raw—friendship. They were allowed to be broken together, using pieces of themselves to help heal each other.
I truly loved this book. My only small con is that I didn’t realize Jake has his own book, and I feel like reading it might help better understand his parts of the story. I haven’t read it yet, but I definitely plan to.
Highly recommend if you love emotional, character-driven stories about healing and hope. 💛
Lucy comes crashing into town and instantly connects with everyone around her. She has such a loud, strong personality, yet she’s deeply vulnerable in ways she doesn’t let many people see. Her heart is visible right away, and I loved that about her. All she wants to do is help others, and she brings so much life into Athelwood and into her friends’ lives. In return, they bring just as much life into Lucy.
Nick… poor Nick. He’s surrounded by darkness, just trying to survive each day. He carries so much loss and grief and clings to it like a lifeline. The guilt of losing his family, combined with the guilt of even thinking about moving on, keeps him stuck in a painful cycle. All he needed was a small spark to help light his way out of the darkness.
Lucy and Nick coming together was beautiful. Their relationship was built on something real and raw—friendship. They were allowed to be broken together, using pieces of themselves to help heal each other.
I truly loved this book. My only small con is that I didn’t realize Jake has his own book, and I feel like reading it might help better understand his parts of the story. I haven’t read it yet, but I definitely plan to.
Highly recommend if you love emotional, character-driven stories about healing and hope. 💛
January 24, 2026
More than 5 Starts!
Small town romance with two raw heartbroken main chracters that both find healing and love in the most unlikely situation.
This book is beautifully written and will make you cry, kick your feet, get frustated with characters because you are rooting so hard for them while also laughing out loud at the brilliant inner dialogue and snarky witty remarks from the characters.
My Absolute favourite qoute is "This is us. Raw. Messy. Broken, but getting there" sums up the book perfectly.
This book is about second chances as Lucy is going through a horrible divorced after years of even a worse marriage and after going for a way to long drive to clear her head she ends up in a small town that feels like its in the middle of no where she meets Nick who suffered a horrible loss few years ago.
Nick shows her kindness in that one night that she had not experience in a long time. After an additional night in Athelwood due to small town hospitally Lucy leaves with a lighter heart- a feeling she will find herself drawn to again in a couple of weeks.
Both characters are full of insecurities and makes a lot of mistakes as they learn to deal with loss and heartache and slowly rebuilding themselves again. They fight, make mistakes, friendzone eachother, give heartbreaking confessions and hard truths and pinky promises that makes for two broken souls to start to heal together and heal themselves in the process.
This book really suprised me in the best way possible, this is my first book from Erin page and i love her already and can not wait for the second book in this series as i loooove the friend group so much and i am really hoping it will be about who i want it to be....
Small town romance with two raw heartbroken main chracters that both find healing and love in the most unlikely situation.
This book is beautifully written and will make you cry, kick your feet, get frustated with characters because you are rooting so hard for them while also laughing out loud at the brilliant inner dialogue and snarky witty remarks from the characters.
My Absolute favourite qoute is "This is us. Raw. Messy. Broken, but getting there" sums up the book perfectly.
This book is about second chances as Lucy is going through a horrible divorced after years of even a worse marriage and after going for a way to long drive to clear her head she ends up in a small town that feels like its in the middle of no where she meets Nick who suffered a horrible loss few years ago.
Nick shows her kindness in that one night that she had not experience in a long time. After an additional night in Athelwood due to small town hospitally Lucy leaves with a lighter heart- a feeling she will find herself drawn to again in a couple of weeks.
Both characters are full of insecurities and makes a lot of mistakes as they learn to deal with loss and heartache and slowly rebuilding themselves again. They fight, make mistakes, friendzone eachother, give heartbreaking confessions and hard truths and pinky promises that makes for two broken souls to start to heal together and heal themselves in the process.
This book really suprised me in the best way possible, this is my first book from Erin page and i love her already and can not wait for the second book in this series as i loooove the friend group so much and i am really hoping it will be about who i want it to be....
January 11, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ARC Review
“What It’s Like To Be Broken” by Erin Page had me all up in my feelings from page one.
Lucy’s going through this messy a** divorce that basically rips her whole life apart, so she just hops in the car and ends up in this cute little Aussie town called Athelwood. That’s where she meets Nick and his whole ride-or-die crew who basically adopt her on the spot. (Friend goals)
The way grief hits both of them is so real and different, and that’s what got me.
Lucy’s grief is like… chaos. She’s angry, sad, numb, lost all of it at once. It’s this huge wave that keeps knocking her down because she’s not just losing a husband, she’s losing the future she thought she had. She runs away to escape it, but it follows her anyway, and watching her slowly start to put herself back together felt so honest.
Nick’s dealing with his own heavy stuff (no spoilers, promise) and his grief is quieter, more locked-up. He’s this broody sweetheart who can be a total dick sometimes when the pain bubbles up, but underneath it he’s hurting bad. Seeing how their different kinds of brokenness slowly line up and help each other heal was beautiful. Like, grief isn’t the same for everyone, but having someone who gets it makes all the difference.
The middle dragged a little for me some parts felt like they were going in circles with the inner thoughts and that’s honestly what kept it from being a straight 5 stars. But by the end? I was done for. I fell so hard for Nick and Lucy, and the whole Athelwood gang made me wish I could just move there and be part of their found family.
Book drops January 22, 2026 and I’m already dying for book 2.
January 23, 2026
Another beautifully written, emotionally wrecking, soul-healing story from Erin Page. She truly broke me down and then stitched me back together while telling Lucy and Nick’s story.
Two very differently broken souls, brought together by the universe, learning how to face their trauma and—so painfully slowly—find love again. Erin is truly the queen of the slow burn.
Lucy, once the wife of a wealthy socialite, is in the middle of a messy divorce, recovering from a friends-with-benefits situation gone wrong, and completely lost when it comes to who she is outside of her old life. After one particularly awful divorce meeting, she gets in her car and just… drives. That drive leads her to the small town of Athelwood.
Athelwood starts with trouble, but quickly becomes something else entirely—home. The people. The place. The vibe. And most importantly… Nick. What begins as a friendship turns into something deeper, built on honesty, vulnerability, and shared heartbreak. As if the universe knew these two broken souls needed each other to heal.
Lucy and Nick tell each other everything. They see each other. They find comfort in one another long before they’re willing to admit their feelings, because falling in love again feels complicated, risky, and almost unfair after everything they’ve been through. But slowly—so slowly—they become more than friends, open their hearts, and dare to love again.
Following their journey had me rooting for them from page one… while also yelling at my book to JUST KISS ALREADY. Emotional, raw, tender, and deeply satisfying—this story stayed with me long after the final page.
A must-read slow burn with heart, healing, and hope.
Two very differently broken souls, brought together by the universe, learning how to face their trauma and—so painfully slowly—find love again. Erin is truly the queen of the slow burn.
Lucy, once the wife of a wealthy socialite, is in the middle of a messy divorce, recovering from a friends-with-benefits situation gone wrong, and completely lost when it comes to who she is outside of her old life. After one particularly awful divorce meeting, she gets in her car and just… drives. That drive leads her to the small town of Athelwood.
Athelwood starts with trouble, but quickly becomes something else entirely—home. The people. The place. The vibe. And most importantly… Nick. What begins as a friendship turns into something deeper, built on honesty, vulnerability, and shared heartbreak. As if the universe knew these two broken souls needed each other to heal.
Lucy and Nick tell each other everything. They see each other. They find comfort in one another long before they’re willing to admit their feelings, because falling in love again feels complicated, risky, and almost unfair after everything they’ve been through. But slowly—so slowly—they become more than friends, open their hearts, and dare to love again.
Following their journey had me rooting for them from page one… while also yelling at my book to JUST KISS ALREADY. Emotional, raw, tender, and deeply satisfying—this story stayed with me long after the final page.
A must-read slow burn with heart, healing, and hope.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Lucy is finally on her path to freedom. She’s fighting through divorce proceedings to leave her narcissistic nepo billionaire husband. She’s ready to give up a life of privilege for some peace and quiet. After a particularly rough legal session, Lucy drives to the middle of nowhere and finds a cute little town.
Nick has been grieving for years. He doesn’t know anything else. His friends try to encourage his happy / joking personality to come out and are often left disappointed. They worry and to be honest Nick worries about himself. Then one day an absolutely out of place stranger gets punched in his small town bar and Nick’s life gets turned upside down.
—-
It’s a classic hallmark romance with some well crafted layers. If you have read the author’s first book, you can better understand the overlap and character depth but that’s not a requirement.
I enjoyed having a vast group of supporting characters with their own complex dynamics. This protected the story from falling fully into all of the classic tropes. The tropes are where I struggled the most as this isn’t my preferred genre. (She has a name for her vagina and internally references it). The main characters are emotionally confused most of the time and as a reader so was I. There were a few technical elements that could be smoothed out.
Overall a comfy read! I’m interested to see where the next book focuses.
I was privileged to receive an ARC of this book and have been honest in my review of it. I did not receive anything in exchange for my review.
Nick has been grieving for years. He doesn’t know anything else. His friends try to encourage his happy / joking personality to come out and are often left disappointed. They worry and to be honest Nick worries about himself. Then one day an absolutely out of place stranger gets punched in his small town bar and Nick’s life gets turned upside down.
—-
It’s a classic hallmark romance with some well crafted layers. If you have read the author’s first book, you can better understand the overlap and character depth but that’s not a requirement.
I enjoyed having a vast group of supporting characters with their own complex dynamics. This protected the story from falling fully into all of the classic tropes. The tropes are where I struggled the most as this isn’t my preferred genre. (She has a name for her vagina and internally references it). The main characters are emotionally confused most of the time and as a reader so was I. There were a few technical elements that could be smoothed out.
Overall a comfy read! I’m interested to see where the next book focuses.
I was privileged to receive an ARC of this book and have been honest in my review of it. I did not receive anything in exchange for my review.
January 22, 2026
I don’t know that I have words that are adequate for this story. I can tell you I loved it, but I’m still not sure that that is enough.
If you read Reckless Omission, you got glimpses of Lucy, our FMC. And perhaps she wasn’t painted in the best light for Jake’s story. But in WILTBB? She gets her whole redemption story and makes you fall in love with her through it.
In this book we get an FMC who has to find herself post divorce. This means going from a very wealthy “don’t lift a finger” type of lifestyle, to one where she is very much “average” and fending for herself. She has to learn who LUCY is. And honestly? As a former divorcee, I felt her story with my whole soul.
Next we get an MMC who lost his wife tragically and is just relatively grumpy presenting. He’s just really guarded, guys. Give him a chance. But oof, when Lucy starts breaking down those walls of his brick by brick? LOVE IT.
Then we have the friend group who is glorious. Marty who is everyone’s favorite grandpa personality. And everyone is there to just step in and love each other, and lift them up whenever they need it.
Honestly, this book was emotional in the best way possible and had this Grinch’s heart growing about 10 sizes by the end. So if you like swoony stories, Australian settings and characters, MCs who fail at pinky promises, a fierce friend group that is there for you through it all, and a couple of characters that heal through their pain - definitely pick this one up. Erin tells one hell of a story and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
If you read Reckless Omission, you got glimpses of Lucy, our FMC. And perhaps she wasn’t painted in the best light for Jake’s story. But in WILTBB? She gets her whole redemption story and makes you fall in love with her through it.
In this book we get an FMC who has to find herself post divorce. This means going from a very wealthy “don’t lift a finger” type of lifestyle, to one where she is very much “average” and fending for herself. She has to learn who LUCY is. And honestly? As a former divorcee, I felt her story with my whole soul.
Next we get an MMC who lost his wife tragically and is just relatively grumpy presenting. He’s just really guarded, guys. Give him a chance. But oof, when Lucy starts breaking down those walls of his brick by brick? LOVE IT.
Then we have the friend group who is glorious. Marty who is everyone’s favorite grandpa personality. And everyone is there to just step in and love each other, and lift them up whenever they need it.
Honestly, this book was emotional in the best way possible and had this Grinch’s heart growing about 10 sizes by the end. So if you like swoony stories, Australian settings and characters, MCs who fail at pinky promises, a fierce friend group that is there for you through it all, and a couple of characters that heal through their pain - definitely pick this one up. Erin tells one hell of a story and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
January 23, 2026
I went into What It’s Like to Be Broken knowing it would be a 5-star read.
But this book?
This book leveled me.
From the very first pages, I felt anchored to Lucy in a way that was almost uncomfortable, like watching someone quietly unravel while pretending they’re fine. Her pain, her exhaustion, her desperation to just breathe again felt achingly real. This story doesn’t rush healing or romanticise survival. It sits with the mess. It lets the hurt exist.
And Nick… oh Nick. One of the most beautifully broken MMCs I’ve ever read. His grief is heavy, ever-present, and written with such tenderness that you feel it in every quiet moment. He isn’t loud or dramatic. He’s steady, gentle, and trying his best to keep moving forward while carrying something unimaginable. Watching him allow himself to feel, to hope, to want again absolutely shattered me.
What Erin Page does so masterfully is show that love doesn’t fix you. Lucy and Nick don’t save each other, they meet each other where they are, cracks and all. Their connection grows slowly, honestly, and with so much care. Every moment between them felt earned.
Set against the backdrop of a small Australian town that feels both grounding and healing in its own way, this story becomes more than a romance. It’s about reclaiming yourself. About choosing to live again. About understanding that being broken doesn’t make you unlovable, it makes you human.
This book hurt. It healed. It stayed with me.
And it is, without question, a 6-star, unforgettable read.
But this book?
This book leveled me.
From the very first pages, I felt anchored to Lucy in a way that was almost uncomfortable, like watching someone quietly unravel while pretending they’re fine. Her pain, her exhaustion, her desperation to just breathe again felt achingly real. This story doesn’t rush healing or romanticise survival. It sits with the mess. It lets the hurt exist.
And Nick… oh Nick. One of the most beautifully broken MMCs I’ve ever read. His grief is heavy, ever-present, and written with such tenderness that you feel it in every quiet moment. He isn’t loud or dramatic. He’s steady, gentle, and trying his best to keep moving forward while carrying something unimaginable. Watching him allow himself to feel, to hope, to want again absolutely shattered me.
What Erin Page does so masterfully is show that love doesn’t fix you. Lucy and Nick don’t save each other, they meet each other where they are, cracks and all. Their connection grows slowly, honestly, and with so much care. Every moment between them felt earned.
Set against the backdrop of a small Australian town that feels both grounding and healing in its own way, this story becomes more than a romance. It’s about reclaiming yourself. About choosing to live again. About understanding that being broken doesn’t make you unlovable, it makes you human.
This book hurt. It healed. It stayed with me.
And it is, without question, a 6-star, unforgettable read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5
What It’s Like To Be Broken, written by Erin Page, is a dual POV, strangers-to-lovers, spicy, small-town romance. It is also a spin-off of Erin’s debut book, Reckless Omission.
The book follows Lucy as she prepares for a divorce from a loveless marriage. Just trying to get away from it all, she drives and drives straight into a small town called Athelwood. There's nothing like getting sucker punched while trying to have a drink at the local tavern. To her rescue is Nick. Nick becomes someone she didn’t know she needed.
Both Nick and Lucy are an unlikely pairing. Nick, holding on to the anger and grief of losing his family, and Lucy, looking for love in all the wrong places. Together, they both heal and explore a new type of love. It isn’t clean cut - it's messy, that's for sure. And it is completely relatable. I loved Lucy’s journey of self-discovery and Nick’s journey of strength and hope.
I felt for Lucy. All she wanted was a divorce from her creep of a husband, but because of the laws in Australia, she is required to wait a year. Personally, I would lose my mind! My heart broke for Nick. I have a best friend who lost the love of his life and a child. I was in my feels this entire book. Erin did a fantastic job creating characters that you can relate to and care for.
Thanks to Erin Page for gifting me an eARC of What It’s Like To Be Broken. I am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What It’s Like To Be Broken, written by Erin Page, is a dual POV, strangers-to-lovers, spicy, small-town romance. It is also a spin-off of Erin’s debut book, Reckless Omission.
The book follows Lucy as she prepares for a divorce from a loveless marriage. Just trying to get away from it all, she drives and drives straight into a small town called Athelwood. There's nothing like getting sucker punched while trying to have a drink at the local tavern. To her rescue is Nick. Nick becomes someone she didn’t know she needed.
Both Nick and Lucy are an unlikely pairing. Nick, holding on to the anger and grief of losing his family, and Lucy, looking for love in all the wrong places. Together, they both heal and explore a new type of love. It isn’t clean cut - it's messy, that's for sure. And it is completely relatable. I loved Lucy’s journey of self-discovery and Nick’s journey of strength and hope.
I felt for Lucy. All she wanted was a divorce from her creep of a husband, but because of the laws in Australia, she is required to wait a year. Personally, I would lose my mind! My heart broke for Nick. I have a best friend who lost the love of his life and a child. I was in my feels this entire book. Erin did a fantastic job creating characters that you can relate to and care for.
Thanks to Erin Page for gifting me an eARC of What It’s Like To Be Broken. I am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4⭐️
Both of these characters have been through so much. This is a story of them trying to survive in a world that is not what they thought it would be.
TROPES:
Small Town
Found Family
Strangers > Friends > Lovers
Friends With Benefits
Mutual Healing
Divorcee × Widow
Slow Burn
Dual POV
Australian Setting
MCs over 30
Lucy: Going through a divorce after 7 years of marriage. She was thrown into a life of money but as soon as the certificate was signed she started realizing that her husband was not the person she thought he was.
Nick Wilder: Lost his wife and unborn child in a car wreck a few years back. Owns a tavern and just trying to get through each day. He went from the laughing and loving friend to moody and dark. There is nothing that could bring him out of the darkness.
The first time Lucy and Nick meet is when she is lost after a hard meeting. She pulls up to a tavern to get something to eat. She gets out of a fancy car and wearing a pink power suit. As soon as she sits at the bar another female comes over and punches her right in the face.
Some how Lucy was brought into his friend group the next day. After that they never think they will see each other again. It only takes one more bad meeting for Lucy to run back to Nick and Athelwood. Lucy found herself again there.
You will go through the journey of them questioning themselves about what they deserve and who they are. They become each others friend to friend secret keepers.
This book would have been at least a 4.5 or higher if:
* The first 100-120 pages could have been put into 30.
* There is flash backs to when Lucy and Jake were hanging out when they were younger. We already knew they had a friends with benefits arrangement. I didn't feel like it added anything else to the story.
Thank you Erin Page for the early copy. Above is my honest thoughts.
Both of these characters have been through so much. This is a story of them trying to survive in a world that is not what they thought it would be.
TROPES:
Small Town
Found Family
Strangers > Friends > Lovers
Friends With Benefits
Mutual Healing
Divorcee × Widow
Slow Burn
Dual POV
Australian Setting
MCs over 30
Lucy: Going through a divorce after 7 years of marriage. She was thrown into a life of money but as soon as the certificate was signed she started realizing that her husband was not the person she thought he was.
Nick Wilder: Lost his wife and unborn child in a car wreck a few years back. Owns a tavern and just trying to get through each day. He went from the laughing and loving friend to moody and dark. There is nothing that could bring him out of the darkness.
The first time Lucy and Nick meet is when she is lost after a hard meeting. She pulls up to a tavern to get something to eat. She gets out of a fancy car and wearing a pink power suit. As soon as she sits at the bar another female comes over and punches her right in the face.
Some how Lucy was brought into his friend group the next day. After that they never think they will see each other again. It only takes one more bad meeting for Lucy to run back to Nick and Athelwood. Lucy found herself again there.
You will go through the journey of them questioning themselves about what they deserve and who they are. They become each others friend to friend secret keepers.
This book would have been at least a 4.5 or higher if:
* The first 100-120 pages could have been put into 30.
* There is flash backs to when Lucy and Jake were hanging out when they were younger. We already knew they had a friends with benefits arrangement. I didn't feel like it added anything else to the story.
Thank you Erin Page for the early copy. Above is my honest thoughts.
Review of advance copy received from Author
What it’s Like to be Broken by Erin Page
🌟 5 / 5
🌶️ 4 / 5 (3+ open door scenes)
Erin Page’s second novel should not be missed! The slow burn between Lucy and Nick is worth the wait.
What an intro! Lucy Cunningham is married to Daniel (getting divorced), but in love with her best friend, Jane’s, twin brother, Jake. There’s a lot of characters to meet in the first seven chapters, but it was somehow easy to keep track of them all.
Nick Wilder is a co-owner of a small town tavern in the Adelaide Hills. They meet after Lucy steps into the tavern, only to be punched in the face by another patron. Nick provides first aid to Lucy – what a meet cute!
We soon learn that Nick is a widower. He is still feeling broken from the loss of his wife. Lucy is struggling with the impact of a loveless marriage finally coming to an end. She feels broken too.
Lucy and Nick become friends, neither immediately ready for a relationship. Slowly but steadily they fall in love, finding each other in their grief and heartbreak.
I’m not usually a fan of a romance over 350 pages – and at 497, this is definitely over – but Erin made it work. This book is an absolute gem, and I will be going back to read Erin’s first novel, Reckless Omission ASAP.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book. I was not incentivised to read or review.
🌟 5 / 5
🌶️ 4 / 5 (3+ open door scenes)
Erin Page’s second novel should not be missed! The slow burn between Lucy and Nick is worth the wait.
What an intro! Lucy Cunningham is married to Daniel (getting divorced), but in love with her best friend, Jane’s, twin brother, Jake. There’s a lot of characters to meet in the first seven chapters, but it was somehow easy to keep track of them all.
Nick Wilder is a co-owner of a small town tavern in the Adelaide Hills. They meet after Lucy steps into the tavern, only to be punched in the face by another patron. Nick provides first aid to Lucy – what a meet cute!
We soon learn that Nick is a widower. He is still feeling broken from the loss of his wife. Lucy is struggling with the impact of a loveless marriage finally coming to an end. She feels broken too.
Lucy and Nick become friends, neither immediately ready for a relationship. Slowly but steadily they fall in love, finding each other in their grief and heartbreak.
I’m not usually a fan of a romance over 350 pages – and at 497, this is definitely over – but Erin made it work. This book is an absolute gem, and I will be going back to read Erin’s first novel, Reckless Omission ASAP.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book. I was not incentivised to read or review.
January 4, 2026
After finishing this book, I had to sit with it for a bit before putting my thoughts into words. It left me feeling all the things!
This is a beautifully written story about two broken hearts healing together and finding their way forward. Nick and Lucy are both healing in their own ways, and while their past circumstances differ, they form a steady friendship that slowly grows into more. The banter and tension between them were top-tier. The slow burn was very slow but absolutely worth it!!
The side characters truly add so much to the story. From Marty and Jane to the entire friend group (Misha, Luke, Theo, Joe, Jas, and even little Haley), they fully embrace Lucy and show up for her in the best ways. Lucy fit into their group so well and immediately started doing things to help them. They all became inseparable and I loved seeing them stand up for her.
Erin’s writing is detailed, emotional, and completely captivating. From start to finish, I was hooked. The characters are raw and real with messy emotions. The story captures grief, joy, doubt, love, and growth so beautifully. I highly recommend adding this book to your TBR! I’m already excited for more from the Athelwood series.
This is a beautifully written story about two broken hearts healing together and finding their way forward. Nick and Lucy are both healing in their own ways, and while their past circumstances differ, they form a steady friendship that slowly grows into more. The banter and tension between them were top-tier. The slow burn was very slow but absolutely worth it!!
The side characters truly add so much to the story. From Marty and Jane to the entire friend group (Misha, Luke, Theo, Joe, Jas, and even little Haley), they fully embrace Lucy and show up for her in the best ways. Lucy fit into their group so well and immediately started doing things to help them. They all became inseparable and I loved seeing them stand up for her.
Erin’s writing is detailed, emotional, and completely captivating. From start to finish, I was hooked. The characters are raw and real with messy emotions. The story captures grief, joy, doubt, love, and growth so beautifully. I highly recommend adding this book to your TBR! I’m already excited for more from the Athelwood series.
December 26, 2025
“𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘺 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺��𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 f̶u̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘭.”
I've been so pumped for this one!
What It’s Like To Be Broken by Erin Page had me on an emotional rollercoaster; one minute I’m angry, next I’m laughing, then I’m all teary eyed!
Meet Lucy, stuck in the chaos of a messy divorce. She hits the road and finds herself at The Tav in Athelwood. Enter Nick, a total broody sweetheart who’s got his own baggage; seriously, he can be a total jerk too!
This book is a wild ride of healing and feels; you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll feel like you’re right there with them. It gives you all the vibes: slow burn, small town, MCs over 30, Aussie setting, found family, and so much more!
Now I’m hanging out, begging for book 2 already because I need to know what comes next. I want so much, but trust me, if I share, it’ll spoil your read.
If you’re in the mood for a book that packs an emotional punch and has a happy ending, add this one to your TBR or preorder the eBook, ready for release on January 22, 2026!
I've been so pumped for this one!
What It’s Like To Be Broken by Erin Page had me on an emotional rollercoaster; one minute I’m angry, next I’m laughing, then I’m all teary eyed!
Meet Lucy, stuck in the chaos of a messy divorce. She hits the road and finds herself at The Tav in Athelwood. Enter Nick, a total broody sweetheart who’s got his own baggage; seriously, he can be a total jerk too!
This book is a wild ride of healing and feels; you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll feel like you’re right there with them. It gives you all the vibes: slow burn, small town, MCs over 30, Aussie setting, found family, and so much more!
Now I’m hanging out, begging for book 2 already because I need to know what comes next. I want so much, but trust me, if I share, it’ll spoil your read.
If you’re in the mood for a book that packs an emotional punch and has a happy ending, add this one to your TBR or preorder the eBook, ready for release on January 22, 2026!
January 1, 2026
Grief is such a weird word. How can one word encompass so many different feelings - but such a universal experience? Grieving the loss of a partner, a family, a life that you thought you would have sends you through an ever revolving, evolving range of emotions.
What It’s Like To Be Broken is a beautifully written story that really shows you what grief is like. How it’s not just the sadness and the grey and the numbness. But also the shakiness, the anxiety, the way it cuts you down to your very core and makes you ask the question - will I make it through this?
This book also shows you the good - how it feels when you start to emerge on the other side, when the spark starts to come back.
This is a beautiful story about love, loss, growth, friendship and family. Nick and Lucy start off as genuine friends. I want to tell you all about what I read but I don’t want to spoil anything - so all I will say, if your heart has ever been hurt, broken, bruised, in any way - through the loss of a loved one, the ending of a relationship, the disappointment of a life you thought you’d have - give this book a go and you might feel a little more healed at the end.
What It’s Like To Be Broken is a beautifully written story that really shows you what grief is like. How it’s not just the sadness and the grey and the numbness. But also the shakiness, the anxiety, the way it cuts you down to your very core and makes you ask the question - will I make it through this?
This book also shows you the good - how it feels when you start to emerge on the other side, when the spark starts to come back.
This is a beautiful story about love, loss, growth, friendship and family. Nick and Lucy start off as genuine friends. I want to tell you all about what I read but I don’t want to spoil anything - so all I will say, if your heart has ever been hurt, broken, bruised, in any way - through the loss of a loved one, the ending of a relationship, the disappointment of a life you thought you’d have - give this book a go and you might feel a little more healed at the end.
January 22, 2026
4.75/5 ⭐️
3.5/5 🌶️
This was such a heartfelt, emotional read and I loved every moment of it. From page one, I was immediately drawn into the storyline. One minute I’m chuckling, one minute I’m in my feels; it was such an emotional rollercoaster of love, loss, and grief, showed growth of the characters, and the importance of family and friendship. The characters are relatable and real. They have flaws. There’s grief and both main characters display their grief differently. Healing and growth takes time and it was such a beautiful journey. If you’re into slow burn small-town romances with MCs who are Aussies over 30, that overcome grief with mutual healing…holy moly, then this will be right up your alley. I’m absolutely in love with the Athelwood gang and their found family. I’ve been trapped in all of my feels since finishing the book.
Tropes, CW, etc
-Small town
-Australian setting/Adelaide Hills
-Found family
-Strangers to friends to lovers
-Friends with benefits
-Mutual healing
-Divorcee x Widower
-MCs over 30
-Slow burn
-Dual POV
-Explicit spice
-Grief
-Cheating spouse
-Death of a spouse
-Almost 500 pages
3.5/5 🌶️
This was such a heartfelt, emotional read and I loved every moment of it. From page one, I was immediately drawn into the storyline. One minute I’m chuckling, one minute I’m in my feels; it was such an emotional rollercoaster of love, loss, and grief, showed growth of the characters, and the importance of family and friendship. The characters are relatable and real. They have flaws. There’s grief and both main characters display their grief differently. Healing and growth takes time and it was such a beautiful journey. If you’re into slow burn small-town romances with MCs who are Aussies over 30, that overcome grief with mutual healing…holy moly, then this will be right up your alley. I’m absolutely in love with the Athelwood gang and their found family. I’ve been trapped in all of my feels since finishing the book.
Tropes, CW, etc
-Small town
-Australian setting/Adelaide Hills
-Found family
-Strangers to friends to lovers
-Friends with benefits
-Mutual healing
-Divorcee x Widower
-MCs over 30
-Slow burn
-Dual POV
-Explicit spice
-Grief
-Cheating spouse
-Death of a spouse
-Almost 500 pages
January 30, 2026
Book Review: What It's Like To Be Broken by: Erin Page
This book was so good! I discovered Erin last year and boy am I glad I did! This book is everything! Up until the wee small hours of the morning because I just couldn’t bring myself to put the book down… ABSOLUTELY! I highly recommend this book you’re not going to be disappointed!
I loved Lucy what a backstory she had I felt for you. She’s so sweet and when she fully blossoms it’s a sight to behold. I was rooting for her and jumping up and down when everything came into place.
Our toasty marshmallow MMC Nick will steal your heart! He is so guarded and rightly so. When these two found each other I loved watching their friendship grow. So satisfying!!!
This book is raw, real, and messy! It shows that it’s ok to be imperfect and a mess it made it all the more sweet. You’ll be on an emotional roller coaster and you won’t even be sorry about it!
I can’t wait for more from the Athelwood Series
💁♀️ Pending divorced FMC
💁♂️ tavern owner MMC
🔥 slow burn
❤️🩹 strangers to friends to lovers
🧑🧑🧒🧒 found family
⛅️ grumpy x sunshine
❤️🩹 healing grief
✌️ dual POV
🏘️ small town
This book was so good! I discovered Erin last year and boy am I glad I did! This book is everything! Up until the wee small hours of the morning because I just couldn’t bring myself to put the book down… ABSOLUTELY! I highly recommend this book you’re not going to be disappointed!
I loved Lucy what a backstory she had I felt for you. She’s so sweet and when she fully blossoms it’s a sight to behold. I was rooting for her and jumping up and down when everything came into place.
Our toasty marshmallow MMC Nick will steal your heart! He is so guarded and rightly so. When these two found each other I loved watching their friendship grow. So satisfying!!!
This book is raw, real, and messy! It shows that it’s ok to be imperfect and a mess it made it all the more sweet. You’ll be on an emotional roller coaster and you won’t even be sorry about it!
I can’t wait for more from the Athelwood Series
💁♀️ Pending divorced FMC
💁♂️ tavern owner MMC
🔥 slow burn
❤️🩹 strangers to friends to lovers
🧑🧑🧒🧒 found family
⛅️ grumpy x sunshine
❤️🩹 healing grief
✌️ dual POV
🏘️ small town
January 3, 2026
First book of the new year, and it was a great choice. This was the first book from Erin that I’ve read, and it certainly won’t be the last. So appreciative of the advance copy from the author.
Athelwood was like coming home - I see why Lucy fell in love with the town and everyone in it.
As her divorce from Daniel, asshole nepo-baby galore, drags out their loveless marriage, Lucy just wants an escape. She wants to be done and doesn’t even know where to begin picking up the pieces of her life. An aimless drive and sucker punch in a small town tavern changes everything.
Nick and his friend group are the epitome of “found family”. Loyal, tight night and downright amazing in every way, I’d love to be adopted by them as well. They take Lucy in and never look back.
The emotions are raw, and the traumas real. Seeing the MCs navigate loss and refinding themselves and what it is to fall in love made for story I couldn’t get enough of. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. Have a feeling Athelwood is a place I’ll continue to come back home to.
Athelwood was like coming home - I see why Lucy fell in love with the town and everyone in it.
As her divorce from Daniel, asshole nepo-baby galore, drags out their loveless marriage, Lucy just wants an escape. She wants to be done and doesn’t even know where to begin picking up the pieces of her life. An aimless drive and sucker punch in a small town tavern changes everything.
Nick and his friend group are the epitome of “found family”. Loyal, tight night and downright amazing in every way, I’d love to be adopted by them as well. They take Lucy in and never look back.
The emotions are raw, and the traumas real. Seeing the MCs navigate loss and refinding themselves and what it is to fall in love made for story I couldn’t get enough of. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. Have a feeling Athelwood is a place I’ll continue to come back home to.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book will literally have you in you feels. I started off and was just so heartbroken because Lucy was losing everything, in the middle of a divorce where she gave up everything to become who he wanted her to be. I have never ever in my life wanted to puch a character as much as I did her "soon to be" exhusband, he gave new life to the term douch nozzle, but I dont know if that could accurately describe him since he was as useless as a douche without the nozzle just the bag.. ifykyk!:). What do you do when your broken, and feel lost, you drive until you find a place that feels like home, not exactly what she had in mind but thats how it happened, she fell in love with the town and a special guy in it! This book had me laughing, to crying,and everything in between. Between the pleading with the koala to move to, the emotions that leave you up all night just staring wondering. Two people with very different grief that they are carrying in very different ways. It was an amazing book and I cannot wait for more! it was truluy amazing!
Review of advance copy received from Author
5⭐️ 3🌶️
Everyone should have a friend group like these two! The kind that accepts you in every stage of life; lifts you up and supports you on your hardest days, laughs with you and sometimes at you, they will have your back no matter the circumstance. This book is such a beautiful portrayal of love after loss, and the journey of grief and moving forward to find happiness once again. Sometimes you lose someone, sometimes you lose yourself. Keep going. Keep pushing. Fight for the happiness that Nick and Lucy find.
Nick and Lucy are everything right in the world, and we need more people like them and their friend group. Marty is old man perfection. Daniel is a boiled crayon. His fall from "grace" was everything I hoped it would be. I've always loved dragonflies, and this book made them even more beautiful.
Thank you, Naughty Nook PR and Erin Page for this advanced copy! This book was so good, and it will live in my mind rent free for a long time. I can't wait for Erin's next book!
Everyone should have a friend group like these two! The kind that accepts you in every stage of life; lifts you up and supports you on your hardest days, laughs with you and sometimes at you, they will have your back no matter the circumstance. This book is such a beautiful portrayal of love after loss, and the journey of grief and moving forward to find happiness once again. Sometimes you lose someone, sometimes you lose yourself. Keep going. Keep pushing. Fight for the happiness that Nick and Lucy find.
Nick and Lucy are everything right in the world, and we need more people like them and their friend group. Marty is old man perfection. Daniel is a boiled crayon. His fall from "grace" was everything I hoped it would be. I've always loved dragonflies, and this book made them even more beautiful.
Thank you, Naughty Nook PR and Erin Page for this advanced copy! This book was so good, and it will live in my mind rent free for a long time. I can't wait for Erin's next book!
February 9, 2026
What It’s Like To Br Broken by Erin Page
A beautiful story of two hurting people connecting as strangers into a friendship into so much more then just lovers. I enjoyed Nick Wilder (34) & Lucy Carter (33) story. From the group chats, the great group of friends who allow a stranger in and adopted her as if she had always been. How honestly she also helped the people and town as well bring a new breath to the ones who needed it most. My heart broke for the pain and guilt that Nick carried but Lucy helped him the most in so many ways. They helped each other. This was slow burn these two had a lot of emotional things to work through but boy when the friends with benefits hits this country boy sure is fun.
—𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘹 𝘪𝘵; 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦.—
Midlife 30’s Characters
Slow Burn
Small Town Australia
Found Family/ Friends Group
Stranger to Friends
Friends With Benefits
Divorcee x Widower
Mutual Healing
A beautiful story of two hurting people connecting as strangers into a friendship into so much more then just lovers. I enjoyed Nick Wilder (34) & Lucy Carter (33) story. From the group chats, the great group of friends who allow a stranger in and adopted her as if she had always been. How honestly she also helped the people and town as well bring a new breath to the ones who needed it most. My heart broke for the pain and guilt that Nick carried but Lucy helped him the most in so many ways. They helped each other. This was slow burn these two had a lot of emotional things to work through but boy when the friends with benefits hits this country boy sure is fun.
—𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘹 𝘪𝘵; 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦.—
Midlife 30’s Characters
Slow Burn
Small Town Australia
Found Family/ Friends Group
Stranger to Friends
Friends With Benefits
Divorcee x Widower
Mutual Healing
January 19, 2026
What It’s Like To Be Broken by Erin Page
Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice - 🌶️🌶️.5
I was completely swept up in this captivating Small Town Romance. Deeply invested in this emotional roller coaster that had me laughing one minute, frustrated and wanting to shove loafers in places I shouldn’t name and reaching for the tissues.
Lucy and Nick are two strangers from different walks of life. When they cross paths they form an unlikely connection, finding comfort in one another and start the healing process from their own past experiences of heartbreak and loss.
Erin’s writing is so beautiful that it will undoubtedly have left a lasting impact on me for years to come. It's raw, powerful and relatable.
I would like to thank Erin for this fantastic opportunity. I received this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend reading and eagerly await more to come of this series🤞🧡
Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice - 🌶️🌶️.5
I was completely swept up in this captivating Small Town Romance. Deeply invested in this emotional roller coaster that had me laughing one minute, frustrated and wanting to shove loafers in places I shouldn’t name and reaching for the tissues.
Lucy and Nick are two strangers from different walks of life. When they cross paths they form an unlikely connection, finding comfort in one another and start the healing process from their own past experiences of heartbreak and loss.
Erin’s writing is so beautiful that it will undoubtedly have left a lasting impact on me for years to come. It's raw, powerful and relatable.
I would like to thank Erin for this fantastic opportunity. I received this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend reading and eagerly await more to come of this series🤞🧡
January 21, 2026
I first want to start by saying WOW, just WOW! Erin Page took a very relatable story and made you feel as though you were going through all the ups and downs as though you were in Athelwood yourself. I have to be honest and say that I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this one because of the way it started. I felt as though it was going to be a “woe is me” rich people's problems type of story, but boy was I so so so wrong. The dynamics that are woven between the friend group in Athelwood are so wholesome and down-to-earth that it’s hard not to fall in love with each and every character. Nick, oh my heart, Nick and the tragedy that surrounds him just broke my heart into a million pieces and I found myself just wishing I could crawl into the pages and wrap my arms around him and give him the biggest squeeze. Lucy came into his life and just flipped his world upside down, but honestly, it’s exactly what he needed. Lucy was a little harder for me to connect with, but I feel like it’s because she reminded me so much of myself, and I didn’t want to accept that.
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