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Love Me Harder
Not yet published
Expected 14 Feb 26He came home carrying ghosts.
She learned how to smile while living with hers.
Alexander “Shadow” Armstrong returns to his small coastal town changed by war—haunted, guarded, and convinced he isn’t meant for peace. Ashley Rockwell has spent years holding herself together with everyday routine, loyalty, and a heart that refuses to harden, even after a devastating loss.
When their paths collide, neither of them is looking for love.
But something about her, steadies him.
Something about him makes her feel safe in a way she never has before.
As attraction turns into something deeper, both must face the truths they’ve been avoiding—about grief, fear, and what it really means to let someone see your scars. In a town where everyone knows your name and secrets never stay buried, their connection will be tested by the past and by choices that could change everything.
LOVE ME HARDER is an emotional, steamy small-town romance about two broken souls finding comfort in each other, learning that healing doesn’t mean forgetting—and that sometimes love arrives when you least expect it, asking you to stay.
She learned how to smile while living with hers.
Alexander “Shadow” Armstrong returns to his small coastal town changed by war—haunted, guarded, and convinced he isn’t meant for peace. Ashley Rockwell has spent years holding herself together with everyday routine, loyalty, and a heart that refuses to harden, even after a devastating loss.
When their paths collide, neither of them is looking for love.
But something about her, steadies him.
Something about him makes her feel safe in a way she never has before.
As attraction turns into something deeper, both must face the truths they’ve been avoiding—about grief, fear, and what it really means to let someone see your scars. In a town where everyone knows your name and secrets never stay buried, their connection will be tested by the past and by choices that could change everything.
LOVE ME HARDER is an emotional, steamy small-town romance about two broken souls finding comfort in each other, learning that healing doesn’t mean forgetting—and that sometimes love arrives when you least expect it, asking you to stay.
219 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 14, 2026
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Weena Bernabel
4 books27 followersWeena Bernabel is a Dominican-American contemporary romance author whose stories are rooted in emotional depth, soulful connection, and the kind of slow-burn love that lingers long after the last page. A lifelong storyteller at heart, Weena always dreamed of writing her book—an idea that quietly followed her from high school notebooks to adult life, waiting for its moment to bloom.
It wasn't until she rediscovered her passion for reading and joined the vibrant BookTok community that she finally found the courage to write her debut novel, In Another Lifetime, finally.
With the support of her bookish besties and the unwavering encouragement of her closest friends, Weena poured her heart into crafting a love story that's both tender and powerful.
When she's not writing, Weena can be found with a cup of coffee in one hand, a book in the other, and her beloved dog Luna by her side. She believes in soulmates, second chances, and the kind of love that feels written in the stars.
In Another Lifetime is her first novel-but it certainly won't be her last.
It wasn't until she rediscovered her passion for reading and joined the vibrant BookTok community that she finally found the courage to write her debut novel, In Another Lifetime, finally.
With the support of her bookish besties and the unwavering encouragement of her closest friends, Weena poured her heart into crafting a love story that's both tender and powerful.
When she's not writing, Weena can be found with a cup of coffee in one hand, a book in the other, and her beloved dog Luna by her side. She believes in soulmates, second chances, and the kind of love that feels written in the stars.
In Another Lifetime is her first novel-but it certainly won't be her last.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 5, 2026
Hi, hello! 🥰
I wrote this book. Love Me Harder is a piece of my heart. I hope you feel every word the way I felt writing it. 🤍
I wrote this book. Love Me Harder is a piece of my heart. I hope you feel every word the way I felt writing it. 🤍
January 15, 2026
This book is so beautifully done. It shows how grief and pain can be so all consuming but yet there is always a light to be found in the darkness.
“I look out toward the fading sun and whisper to the empty room, “How can my little Star ever love al my shadows?”
Alex and Ash are so close to my heart. The way they let each other in, you can just see the rawness in each of their souls from their trauma and yet they both choose to stay resilient for one another.
“Two broken souls, stitched together by loss”
“Two people learning, slowly, that maybe love isn’t about forgetting the ghosts—but finding someone who’s willing to stand beside you while you face them.”
You even get your HEA that wraps up your heart after you have it gutted with emotions. LOVE LOVE LOVE this book 💜💜
“I look out toward the fading sun and whisper to the empty room, “How can my little Star ever love al my shadows?”
Alex and Ash are so close to my heart. The way they let each other in, you can just see the rawness in each of their souls from their trauma and yet they both choose to stay resilient for one another.
“Two broken souls, stitched together by loss”
“Two people learning, slowly, that maybe love isn’t about forgetting the ghosts—but finding someone who’s willing to stand beside you while you face them.”
You even get your HEA that wraps up your heart after you have it gutted with emotions. LOVE LOVE LOVE this book 💜💜
January 8, 2026
This is a book filled with lots of grief, and has a lot of topics that can be triggering. Please read the warnings before diving in!!
Alex and Ashley both have different experiences with grief and how they are processing it. Alex drinks and wants to avoid it all by blurring it out. Ash tries to be there for everyone and sometimes forgets herself in the process. When these two meet, it’s something instant. They both sense the loss, hurt, and ghosts.
They come together and end having a beautiful way to be each other heal and become a little more whole through their love.
Alex and Ashley both have different experiences with grief and how they are processing it. Alex drinks and wants to avoid it all by blurring it out. Ash tries to be there for everyone and sometimes forgets herself in the process. When these two meet, it’s something instant. They both sense the loss, hurt, and ghosts.
They come together and end having a beautiful way to be each other heal and become a little more whole through their love.
January 7, 2026
***ARC REVIEW***
What a beautiful story. It’s a quick read with short chapters. This story focuses on healing after a great loss and Learning how to live with the grief.
What a beautiful story. It’s a quick read with short chapters. This story focuses on healing after a great loss and Learning how to live with the grief.
January 8, 2026
Enjoyed this one!! Hit me in all the feels!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I started crying in the prologue and I don’t think I stopped until well after it was completely finished. You will experience a similar grief in completely different ways.. you will see two souls who found each other when they needed it the absolute most. This book exposes pain in its rawest form, in its lowest point. How healing is not a smooth straight path, it is covered in shadows that makes bumps, valleys, and mountains to climb seem never ending, only to happen upon the brightest star who lights the path showing you that it gets easier, just trust the light. She’s got you. On top of emotional destruction, You get obsessive all consuming touch her and you won’t see tomorrow love. Ending in the most purest form of soul deep love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Arc Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This book is beautifully written and incredibly moving. The author captures grief so authentically not as a straight path, but as something messy and painful, and yet filled with moments of light coming through the darkness. “The moon didn’t give me peace in the darkness it gave me her.” Alex and Ash are both broken, yet together they find healing and the courage to grieve alongside each other.
The love and compassion between them feel so real, especially given the trauma they’ve each endured. The emotions hit hard, and the way the author portrays grief resonated deeply with me. This story is emotional, powerful, and unforgettable I loved it!
The love and compassion between them feel so real, especially given the trauma they’ve each endured. The emotions hit hard, and the way the author portrays grief resonated deeply with me. This story is emotional, powerful, and unforgettable I loved it!
Review of advance copy received from Author
If you want a quick, small town, beach town, read then this book is for you! When two broken souls find each other when they are needed most. This book will have you sobbing and laughing. It touches on loss and how sometimes someone can be your light in the dark. This book is pure magic and I hope you love it as much as I do.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews