A Fragile Season: An Angsty but Sweet Friends-to-Lovers Romance

by Aubrey Whitten

She walked away from a broken marriage and into her best friend’s arms...but her husband isn’t ready to let her go.

ERIN

When my husband suggests an open marriage, I refuse. I’ll do anything to keep our family together…except that. But when he sneaks home late one night, I can’t deny the truth anymore. My marriage is over.

The only person I can turn to is Callan. If I set aside my pride and ask my childhood friend for help, my daughter and I have a chance for a fresh start. Of course he says yes. He’s always been my shoulder to cry on…and as the quiet days together on his farm stretch into weeks, I can’t help but see this steady, hardworking man as so much more.

But isn't it too soon to fall in love again?

CALLAN

I finally admitted to myself I was head over heels for Erin the day she married another man. But I’d never dare to risk my friendship with the woman who’s always stood by me. I did the right thing. I kept my mouth shut.

Now, Erin’s on my doorstep, and having her so close is stirring up feelings neither of us can ignore. My dream of making her mine—and continuing my family’s legacy with her by my side—might actually come true. Then her husband turns up, vowing to fight for their marriage, and I know this is my last chance. It’s time to speak up.

But will Erin choose me…or him?

A Fragile Season is the first book in the standalone series, The Wolcotts. This book explores sensitive themes that some readers may prefer to avoid, including recovering from a past partner's infidelity, separation, and the grief of losing a friend to cancer prior to the story beginning. Detailed content guidance is available on the author's website.

Genres: Friends To Lovers, Forced Proximity, Divorce

232 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 14, 2026

About the author

Aubrey Whitten writes contemporary romances with an Australian twist. She has a soft spot for flawed characters searching for second chances and crafts stories with warmth, humor, and romantic moments. Aubrey lives in the sunniest part of Australia and juggles writing around a busy day job and the chaos of her small but mighty family.

Reviews

[Capt.]

TBR: love the blurb. fmc moving on from cheating. my kind of angst 🤝

[Tmstprc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story, likable main characters. Cheating ex finds his karma.

[Snafuzled · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was sweet! It’s one of my favorite tropes… awful, cheating husband and wife moving on and up.

This husband was a special kind of ass. He’s a psychiatrist so he knows just how to twist the knife mentally to his wife. He’s not ‘attracted to her’ anymore and wants to open the marriage up. 🚩🚩🚩

She moves out and forward relatively quickly with her long time bff, who has been in love with her forever. Add in an Australian ranch, sweet kid, and suffering ex. Manna to my soul.

Quite good for my angst friends!

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. The story line was **chefs kiss**
Erin and Cal were couple goals and the comeuppance for the cheating ex husband so satisfying

[Danny Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story was sweet. I just couldn't get into the writing style. The MMCs were rot your teeth adorable with each other. And it was nice with unrequited love coming from the H. It's usually the other way around. The ex husband of the h was vulgar and got great comeuppance.

[Marty H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book!

Quick read! Enjoyed how the h got the guts to leave her cheating husband and find love again. I hate when books have doormat heroines, which this one didn’t.

[Jennifer Creese · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like that she shot down the open marriage idea. I also really like that as soon as cheating was confirmed she left and that decision was final. This was a quick sweet read. Cal was a wonderful man for her and Matilda.

[VoraciousReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. Matilda wasn’t “sweet”, "stubborn" and “confident”; she was a spoiled brat. 😒
2. A two star book. The extra half star was for Jeremy getting what he deserved. 😊
2.5 stars

[PrettyInPinkRita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aubrey Whitten is one of my new favourite authors.
I originally found her on Wattpad.

Trigger warning ( off page and mentioned as a event that happened in the past of a very close friend passing from cancer.. that Erin ( h) helped with her palliative care)
When the story begins Erin is married to Jeremy, a self-absorbed psychiatrist.
We quickly find that Jeremy is as awful as he appears.
The story opens at a restaurant where Jeremy asks Erin for an open marriage.
At first Erin pleads and tries to be a better wife. ( Don’t worry for those who don’t like doormat wives.. this lasts for a very short time).
Jeremy is very late one day in picking up their sweet toddler Matilda from playgroup. That’s when we find out where ( and with who) he’s been with.
This is the wake- up call that Erin needed.
She takes Matilda and leaves Jeremy and files for divorce.
Erin has a childhood friend named Callan. Callan has been in love with Erin most of his life.
Erin and Matilda go to Callan’s family farm.
This is when Callan and Erin both come to realize and express what they mean to each other.

Jeremy of course finds that living without Erin ( who has done everything for him and was the perfect wife ) is not the grand experience he thought it would be.
Jeremy tries to make things difficult forever in and Callan but in the end, we get a beautiful story for Callan and Erin and Matilda.

I can’t wait for Cole’s story ( Callan’s brother).

Beautiful story Aubrey Whitten! Thank you.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheating Doesn’t Pay

Usual cheating husband, usual wife starting over. I liked all the supporting characters.

The cheating husband Jeremy was an egotistical, self centered, self absorbed man. Cheaters usually are.

Erin was the usual wife who THOUGHT she had a good marriage - until she didn’t. She was strong enough to walk away with their daughter Matilda.

Matilda was adorable! Loved her spunky, brave personality.

Callan “Cal” was a true blue friend to Erin first, a loyal, loving romantic partner second and eventually Erin’s husband. He gave Erin and Matilda a safe place to land when they needed to leave Jeremy. Cal was the best dad to Matilda - especially since her biological father Jeremy did not prove to be. Cal loved Matilda as his own.

Enjoyable. Quick read. Would like to see a bonus epilogue a few years later.

Looking forward to the next book about Cole, Callan’s brother.

[kall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please read the trigger warnings for this one, mentions of grief and loss

This book was a quick read and I devoured it in a day, I really loved reading his book. First for me from Aubrey Whitten but definitely be checking out her previous works and adding to my TBR When Erin's husband suggests an open marriage, she flat out refuses and calls on her best friend Callan for support.

Loved Erin had a backbone and didn't put up with his antics!! Also really enjoyed the relationship between Erin & Callan, it was a super sweet read with unrequited love, childhood best friends to lovers and small town vibes

Highly Recommend!!

[Maria Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I really enjoyed this book ,I'm into the cheating grovelling books and in this book Jeremy wants him and Erin to have a open marriage because he says he's not attracted to her anymore ,Erin and her daughter gets invited to go stay with her childhood friend cal who has Loved her forever ,I loved she dsnt fall for her husband excuses and the more time she spends with cal the more she sees him in a new light,I loved cal and Erin and I'm so glad this story really flowed with no boring parts ,cals family were great and I loved the ending an for some a HEA

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long wait for love

This is a heartwarming tale of two best friends, a cheating husband, divorce and finally forever love. Ms. Written has done an excellent job creating this story.

The characters are substantial. Cal is strong and patient. Everyone needs a Callan in their life. Matilda is so cute and an important part of the plot. Erin has been beat down in her marriage but as the story goes on she gains more confidence and overcomes her past.

This is a good book to read especially if you need some warm fuzzies.

[SC Girlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book but she was a doormat

I’m glad she found someone new and ended up happy. But, it was awful to see this woman who let herself disappear. I’ve been through loss and I never let that happen. I struggled to empathize. Sympathize…yes. Empathize…no. I just don’t connect or like women like that. I would have seen the writing on the wall three years earlier. But still a good story

[Readstoforget · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one quite a lot. The ex husband is an asshole but our FMC actually has a backbone and when she says no to the open marriage she means it. Finds out not long after that he went ahead and explored his options anyway and booked it right outta there. Love that. The new H is just divine. Definitely recommend.

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

3-3.5 ⭐️ for this fairly soapy but simultaneously suuuuuuuppppper sweet romance. The FMC’s husband is an OTT narcissistic dick who surfaces in the story at various points. The romance is between our scorned FMC and Cal, who is her deceased childhood best friend’s brother-in-law. The ex has some appropriate and satisfying comeuppance, while the two MCs indulge in a sickly sweet HEA.

[Namjooning · Rating 1 out of 5]

Her worst work

This author is pretty talented and I’ve loved her other stories but this has to be her worst work yet. Erin just was way too focused on the wrong things throughout the entire book. There are points where you can tell the author tried to bring things back to focus but it just fell flat and left more confusion. What a waste of time

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheating = h's husband wants an open marriage, h refuses, husband cheats anyway. h leaves him and gets new H.

New H is childhood friend of h who is and always has been head over heels for the h. The H is so yummy and a golden retriever/cinnamon roll for the h.

Husband gets the karma he deserves.

[Micha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read. I loved that when Erin was done, she was done! I get so annoyed sometimes when authors make the h waffle but this wasn’t the case. I’m happy the cheater got what he deserved. I just felt bad for his daughter who doesn’t have a relationship with him but at least she has the best step dad ever! 🥰

[I’m a Paula too… Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only one complaint..

This absolutely could have been five stars but… Erin wasn’t divorced so she cheated too. I know that’s not what we’re supposed to think, but she wasn’t divorced yet, and still married, even though the cheating husband did it first.

Who I did love were the daughter, Matilda or Til, and the man Erin ended up with, Callan or Cal. Cal had an accident as a boy, and he has major scars on his face. TIL was a little scared of him at first, but then she decided he was a pirate! I loved the relationship these two have, it’s just wonderful.

KU read, and this was really, really good. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series about the brother Cole, whose wife Lila passed away young. Lila was Erin’s best friend too, so we know a little about what happened, but not much. This family is easy to love, in spite of their issues after Lila passed. I’m hoping there will be a new life for Cole…

[Jess]

Well, there is so much gaslighting from the cheating ex-husband.
I wasn’t really feeling any of the characters, but I liked the plot. Was ok overall.

[Rom Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story filled with believable characters and small town charm.

I enjoyed the ending and everyone gets what they deserve.