I became accustomed to grief when I was just a little girl. I experienced it, absorbed it, and tried to build a shield around myself, so I would never suffer through it again. But then I lost the one person who I can’t live without, and now my whole world has fallen apart.
He’s dead, and I wish I was too.
There is just one little problem.
Them.
My adopted brother and his childhood best friend.
They've always been my protectors, always looked after me when I needed them most, and always put my needs before theirs. So, despite all of my efforts to let myself drown, they won’t let me.
I thought my heart was fractured beyond repair. However, it turns out you just need someone who is happy to bleed for you as they pick up the broken shards.
Zack Royton and Max Foster were always meant to be mine, I just never imagined they were meant to be each other’s too.
Love is what got us into this mess, and now it’s become the only thing that can get us out of it.
I wanted them when I knew I shouldn’t.
I took them when I knew it was wrong.
And now I need them if I ever hope to survive.
Fractured is a polyamorous romance story, part of the Black Hallows world. It can be read and enjoyed as a standalone, but contains MAJOR spoilers for the rest of the Black Hallows universe.
-dark taboo romance -mmf why choose -adopted brother -brothers best friend -grieving together -bi awakening
damnnnn was this a rough one for this crew!! & it almost made everything worse for linc & asher as well for me 😭😭😭 my poor babies!! but them all coming around & not getting jealous & just accepting of their feelings took time! i'm so proud of my girl lils, she really went thru it but then took it upon herself to better herself as well & her men should be so proud! ugh!! i love them!!
I loved seeing all these characters one last time. Lily and Max and Zack burned up the sheets and these pages with their chemistry. I wanted a bit more emotional connecting, but there was no doubt that the three of them belonged together. Logan's absence was everywhere, but he would have cheered for each of every one of them to get their HEAs.
I am writing this on approximately three hours of sleep because G.N. Wright decided my heart didn't need to be in one piece anymore. I’ve been with Gabby since the beginning, and being on her ARC team is an honor, but also... my therapist might need a word. After Ruthless absolutely destroyed me, I was terrified to start Fractured. I knew it was going to hurt, and I was right. It’s that beautiful, gut-wrenching kind of ache.
While this is technically a standalone, do yourself a favour and read the series. You need the history. You need to understand the weight of these cameos and the history of this family to truly feel the impact of Lily’s healing. I actually did a full reread of the previous five books this week before this hit my inbox, and being back in my favourite world reminded me why Gabby’s writing is so flawless.
HOLY HELL, THE SPICE. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ It is unhinged. There is a specific line near the end that says: “Just because we will worship you, doesn’t mean we won’t punish you as our little slut,” and I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing. The chemistry between Lily, Zack, and Max is explosive. It is raw, it is filthy, and it is exactly what this story needed to show their visceral connection.
Watching Zack struggle with his moral compass and his self-understanding was so incredibly raw. It can't be easy to be in your 30s and realize you aren’t straight—that you are actually deeply in love with your best friend of twenty years AND the girl you’ve spent your life protecting.
Max is the gold standard of protectors. He was there for Lily every single day for a year while she was drowning. He also is so amazingly supportive. And can we talk about his dirty freaking mouth?!
This book isn't driven by outside drama; it’s about healing and getting back up even when you wish you had been buried with them.
"Death is painful, but grief is so much worse.”
Watching Lily cope and learn how to live again after her loss was done amazingly well. The writing is real. Gabby shows the struggle and doesn't shy away from the hardest parts of grief. Watching them all pick up those broken shards together was everything.
Seeing our beloved characters again was the icing on the cake, but I did NOT expect to fall for Jace as hard as I did! His growth after everything he has been through in this series is massive.
I am not ready to be done with these characters. I feel like they are old friends and as we learned in this book, goodbyes are never easy.
Gabby, thank you for this ARC. I’ve already bought my physical copy because this is a permanent "shelf trophy."
I was kindly given this ARC as part of her team and I was beyond thrilled to read the next installment of Black Hallows.
If you haven't read the series, um where have you been?! Stop reading this review and go read it because unfortunately it will contain some spoilers.
You have been warned...
G takes us back to Black Hallows and I was so happy to return, however the previous book ended and it was devastating. Arrow straight to my heart.
Taking place almost a year after the death of the much loved Logan Royton, the family are struggling with their grief and how they are all dealing with it differently. The story mainly revolves around Lily who is/was Logan's twin, Zack, the beautiful Billionaire adopted brother, and Max, Zack's best friend.
I want to state this is a taboo romance, ok, be cool and open minded.
Ahem, It's a battle of desire, grief and unspoken love. It's a bi-sexual awakening, a lot of bi-panic, sexual tension, YEARNING, and extremely spicy. As a MMF rather than a MFM I was rather delighted. If you know me, you will already know this is a bit of me. Throw in the dominant men with disgustingly, filthy mouths... Yes. Dead 🫠 🥵
I'm sure at this moment G is just trying to break us into submission. The tears were flowing and I was an absolute mess (Lincoln and Lily - if you know you know) so mission completed G. I am fully at your mercy.
Thank you G, I have absolutely adored the whole Black Hallows series and I'm hoping maybe, there will be more... Or a next gen? Because nothing would fill me with joy than Asher losing his ever loving shit when it comes to his daughter dating a certain teddy beheading pyromaniac 😏
What a rollercoaster of a goodbye to the Black Hallows series! Seriously, I blubbed, I screamed, and I sweated my way through this book.
Black Hallows fans know going into this that it is going to hurt (iykyk) but because this rich world and these characters have been so utterly gripping and real, we come back on our knees every single time.
It goes without saying that there are massive spoilers for the series going into this one. It is book number 6 in the series. It follows Lily, Max, and Zach one year on from the events of the last instalment, and oh boy, what a mess it is. I was already crying by chapter five.
Mixed amongst all that grief and sadness though, is a beautiful but hard and real story of finding light each day, even if that is just the small and mundane. It shows a journey of hope amongst the pain, plus living and loving in the shadow cast by losing such a foundational person. G.N. Wright absolutely hits the nail on the head with those themes and they a beautifully navigated.
Scattered amongst those heavy moments are absolute shenanigans that had me chuckling aloud. A new fave from the core group arose from their persistent comedic timing. It all added much needed levity to the darkness, something that Wright has excelled at through all her works.
Getting to the point; this is a romance after all. It's a spicy meatball romance. But let’s face it, we boarded the Gabby bus for that exact reason...AND IT SERVES, as always. Thanks to this installment, I have officially added "only one cave" to my list of favourite microtropes. 😏
Infinite stars. Just get on this series immediately and see me after class to compare notes!
🖤 One phrase: grief, healing, and filthy poly chaos that hurts so good.
This sounds like the kind of book that absolutely destroys you and then makes you thank it for the privilege. A grieving heroine held together by her adopted brother and his best friend, with all that pain slowly twisting into love? Yeah. That is already a dangerous setup. What makes this one special is that it seems way more focused on healing, emotional survival, and learning how to live again than on big outside drama, and honestly that kind of heartbreak always hits harder. Based on the series listings, this is Black Hallows book 6, and reader notes make it very clear the emotional payoff lands even harder if you already know this world.
My favorite part is easily the emotional shape of it. Lily, Zack, and Max sound messy in the best way. Grief, bi awakening, protectiveness, taboo tension, and that slow acceptance of loving each other without jealousy? I get why people are losing sleep over this one. And from what you shared, the spice is absolutely not here to play either.
✨ Tropes & vibes 🖤 dark taboo romance 💔 grief and healing 🔥 MMF poly romance 👬 adopted brother tension 🫶 brother’s best friend ✨ bi awakening 😮 protective men with dirty mouths
📖 Read this if you like 🖤 emotionally wrecking romance 💔 stories about surviving grief 🔥 poly books with real connection 📚 series worlds that make the feelings hit harder
This fully sounds like a cry, clutch your chest, and immediately buy the trophy copy kind of book
I'm going to start this review by saying that if you haven’t read the other 5 books in the Black Hallows series yet, I do strongly encourage you to read them before reading Lily, Zack, and Max‘s story. Not just because it contains spoilers for the rest of the series, especially book 5, but also because the series as a whole is simply amazing.
But let's get into Fractured. I love me a Gabby Bi-Awakening story, and this one did not disappoint! The taboo of Lily and Zack being adopted siblings (no blood relation whatsoever) and combining that with the chemistry and history that Max and Lily have, and Zack having his bi awakening and seeing Max in a different light, just hit different.
Adding to that everything that the characters went through in the last book - I shall not reveal too much in case you haven’t read the books, but let’s just say they are all grieving the same person, someone extremely close and important to all of them, but especially Lily - it was truly heartbreaking and healing to see not just Zack accepting his sexuality and opening himself up to finding love in a frowned upon situation but to also see how all of them deal with their grief and how they start to heal slowly throughout the book. From Lily drowning herself in alcohol and not letting anyone help her for the first year to finally opening herself up to not just her grief and anger but also to her other feelings and the feelings of the people around her, and realising that she is hurting the people around her and herself with the way that she is grieving.
What you can expect from Fractured: ❤️ Bi-Awakening ❤️ Grief ❤️ Best Friends to Lovers ❤️ Adoptive Brother ❤️ Dark Taboo Romance ❤️ MMF ❤️ Brother’s Best Friend ❤️ Grieving Together
Even though this book was an emotional rollercoaster, it felt good to step back into Black Hallows. This will forever be one of my favorite series. After the tragedy in Lincoln's book, it was heartbreaking to see how Lily was doing emotionally and watching her cope with the lost of her twin. Between that and Zachs struggle to mentally deal with certain life altering events that take place throughout the course of this book. She definitely makes you feel all the things.
I loved how everyone comes together and is like one giant family. How they all support and are there for one another. I didnt realize how much I missed these characters until I read this book. Between their personalities and all the interactions together. Of course I was estatic for the parts with Lincoln and Asher (even though they were highly emotional). Those two will forever be my favorites.
Amongst all the heartbreak, the chemistry was off the charts. On top of telling an excellent story, G.N. Wright knows how to incorporate the spice. The scenes between Lily, Max and Zach were 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶. I simply could not get enough.
I felt like this was a good end to a phenomenal series. I'm happy she decided to make their story into a full book and that we finally got a conclusion to the rest of the Roytons with Zach and Lily. Of course I can't forget about Max. He's practically part of the family and now one of my favorites.
Fractured by G.N. Wright is a polyamorous romance set within the Black Hallows world. While it can be read as a standalone, it contains major spoilers for the wider series. Told through an emotional and deeply raw lens, the story explores grief, healing, and the complicated nature of love when it refuses to fit inside conventional boundaries.
Lily learned to live with grief from a young age, building walls to protect herself from ever feeling that pain again. But when she loses the one person she can’t live without, those walls shatter, leaving her desperate to disappear along with him.
There’s just one problem—she’s not alone. Her adopted brother and his best friend refuse to let her fall apart. They’ve always protected her, always put her first, and now they won’t let her drown in her grief. As they pull her back from the edge, Lily begins to realise her heart may not be beyond repair after all.
Zack and Max were always meant to be hers—she just never expected they were meant to be each other’s too.
Love may have broken them, but it might also be the only thing that can save them.
At this point, just consider me a full-on Gabby worshipper—her books never miss, and she always leaves me absolutely feral for her boys.
Lily’s grief hit me hard. The way her loss is written feels so raw and real, and it was incredibly easy to connect with on a deeper level. The dynamic between her, Zack, and Max is complicated, messy, and a little chaotic—but it works. Not just works, but feels inevitable… like they were always meant to find their way to each other, even if Zack is the only one struggling to see it.
Zack was easily my favourite. Watching him wrestle with his feelings while trying to stay true to his moral compass made him the character I rooted for the most. His internal battle added so much depth to the story.
There’s also this irresistible forbidden love element woven throughout that just makes everything more intense—and the spice? Absolutely unreal.
At this point, I don’t even hesitate anymore if G.N. Wright writes it, it’s an automatic 5 stars for me.
Fractured absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way. This book is raw, emotional, and so deeply layered with grief, healing, and love that you can’t help but feel everything alongside these characters.
Lily, Zack, and Max completely stole my heart. Lily’s journey especially hit hard watching her navigate her grief and slowly find herself again was both heartbreaking and beautiful. You can feel her pain, but also her strength, and that growth felt so real.
Zack and Max?? I’m obsessed. The way they love her, support her, and also deal with their own struggles added so much depth to the story. Their dynamic together was intense, emotional, and honestly just perfect for this kind of story.
And the chemistry between all three of them?? INSANE. It’s messy, complicated, and not always easy but that’s what made it feel so real and so consuming.
Also… let’s talk about the spice 🌶️ because WOW. It was intense, emotional, and fit the story perfectly without taking away from the deeper themes.
What I love most about this series is how it makes you feel EVERYTHING the heartbreak, the healing, the love, the family bonds. It stays with you long after you finish.
G.N. Wright truly never misses, and this book is just another reminder why she’s one of my auto-buy authors.
I finished this and immediately needed to take a day to collect my thoughts. All good I promise!
I have loved Zack since the first time he appeared on page. He is extremely loyal, takes incredible care of his family and is hot as heck!
Max blew me away, had my jaw on the floor 97% of the book and had me sweating. In control Max is my favorite!
Lily, oh sweet Lily. I kept wanting to reach in the book and hug her. She had every reason to go through her rollercoaster of emotions. She lost her world. Seeing her put herself back together, was so beautiful to read.
Put these three together and you have legit dynamite. I love them soooo much. They are soooo perfect together!
My heart was still soooo broken from everything with Logan. I felt Lily’s pain through the entire book. I cried tears of sadness, tears of happy and tears of relief. Ok more like sobbed. But this book healed my broken heart. Logan forever, never forgotten.
Despite my tears, this was the SPICIEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ! I did not expect the spice that Gabby gave us. My brain short circuited multiple times. I think my jaw is still on the floor!
Gabby poured her heart and soul into this series. Thank you for these characters. Thank you for allowing us all to embark on this beautiful journey. Mostly, thank you for the Lily, Asher and Lincoln moments. I wanted and needed these so badly. I loveeee this series so much.
🖤DARK Taboo Romance 🔥MMF 🖤Adopted Brother 🔥Brother’s Best Friend 🖤Bi-Awakening 🔥Grieving Together
This book made me FEEL and truly relate. As someone who suffered from severe social anxiety, couldn't leave my flat and had to basically relearn just how to live like a normal human... I related so hard to Lily. The way Gabby truly represented how this really feels, the small steps you have to take and how sometimes it doesn't go the way you planned, but you get up and brush yourself off and try again later. I've said it before and I'll say it again, she knows how to write mental health struggles, she makes you feel represented, truly seen. She may have ruined me and made me cry a multitude of tears, but she also put those pieces back together again with little kisses and sweet words (and a hell of a lot of spice). Zack and max both have filthy mouths and together? Holy hell, lily is one lucky woman. I adored seeing zack let his guard down and not be in charge for the first time in his life, he let max lead 🥵🥵
It was so good to go back to Black Hallows, see my girl Elle, my superman Linc (always my favourite) JACE 💕. I'll never forget this series and am blessed to have received this as an advanced reader copy. I urge you all to read this series (actually anything Gabby writes, you won't regret it)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Holyguacamole… this one wrecked me in the best possible way 😭
Prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster because G.N. Wright does not hold back. The way these characters crawl under your skin, make a home in your heart, and then completely shatter it!
Fractured was heartbreakingly beautiful, raw, emotional, and impossible to put down. I was so happy to be back in this world, soaking up every moment… but also absolutely gutted knowing this is the last time we’ll be here.
And can we talk about the emotional damage to the characters and to us as readers... Because why was I crying almost immediately. I barely stood a chance. I even had to reach for my emergency “book wine” stash 🍷
Also… brothers best friend trope?? Say less. I am weak for it. And obsessed with it! Add in tension, chemistry, and all those quiet, loaded moments and I was completely gone. And the spice... Hello 😍🔥 chef’s kiss perfection. It hit just right intense, emotional, and beautifully woven into the story. G.N. Wright captured everything, the longing, the heartbreak, the love, the chemistry and every single moment felt so real and so deeply felt.
Thank you for such a stunning, emotional, unforgettable installment in this series. 🖤✨
🖤 MMF Romance 🖤 Stepbrother 🖤 Brother’s best friend
⭐ 5/5
Lily, Max and Zack
This romance is a why choose between a girl, her stepbrother and his best friend. Settled in the world of Black Hollows, we see old acquaintances and how life treats them. We witness with Lily how she loses her twin brother and what that did to her. So griefs the loss and spirals. The only one to help her is Max, her brother’s best friend. Meant to be a distraction from her real desire, her stepbrother Zack. We see Lily from the worst of grief to back to a life. Max is protecting and supporting her all the way. And we have Zack, the one who struggles with his feelings the most of the book. His conflicting feelings towards Lily and his confusing moments with his childhood best friend Max. It took them a lot along the way to a happy end. Overcoming fears. Angst of disappointing the family. What people may think or how they will look at you. But Zack finally got there and came clean. So did Lily. Emotional talks, spicy moments and standing up for who you love. Beautiful happy end.
I’m a serious fan of author G.N. Wright. Her writing style just registers on a soul deep level with me every time I read one of her books and this one really hit me in the feels when I needed it most. I have been in a reading funk for the first time in my life in over two decades and I’ve barely read any books in over four months. Also dealing with grief, I didn’t expect this one to capture my attention the way that it did because nothing else has, but this one just came at the perfect time. I shed tears, I felt raw and exposed, and I also felt all the hotness that was steaming off the pages! This was written exceptionally well and will be one I’ll never forget. The entire Black Hallows series is forever my favorite series and this just wrapped it up so beautifully.
THANK YOU G.N. Wright for writing this series!!! ♥️
I'm pretty sure Gabby enjoys collecting our tears, and she got a ton from me with Lily, Max and Zack's story. I was an emotional hot mess while reading their story, but I freaking love, love, love, loved it! I'm a sucker for her stories and always keep coming back for more, heartache and all!
Fractured brings us back to the world of Black Hallows (yes, please!) and I would highly suggest reading that series before jumping into Fractured...because, although it can be read as a standalone, it contains MAJOR spoilers if you haven't, not to mention that Elle King is one of the best FMC's ever written.
I swear I'm not trying to play favorites in this MMF, but Max is moving up in my top book boyfriend list. I literally could not love this story more, it's perfect. It's dark, delicious, heartbreaking, healing and I must have it on my shelf!
It was so good to be back in this world im gutted this is the last time we will be here!! Ugh this one hurt I wasn't expecting to cry In chapter one! You must at least read Ruthless Rebel before as there will be a major spoiler for that book in this and also this one defo won't hit as much if you haven't read that one. Plus it's MM and some MMM so why wouldn't you! I still haven't forgiven Gabby for the events of Ruthless Rebel, but yeh this one hurt alot.
She did make up for it with all the spice we got between the 3 of them it was so hot!! I love Zack & Max! Lillie was so broken and I loved the way they were always there for her despite their own greif. And add it the taboo element of Zack being her adopted brother this was just an enjoyable read despite also making me cry haha. Spice and tears what more could you want from a book.
If you haven't read the black hallows world yet I defo recommend picking them up!
I didn’t realize how much I needed Lily, Zack, and Max’s POV after book 5. This book was everything and more. I was legitimately heartbroken all over again after reading the prologue. The way Gabby captured Lily’s grief was heart wrenching. It wasn’t just her sadness, it was how the entire family was grieving and trying to heal 🥺. Lily’s conversation with Lincoln nearly broke me 😫. The chemistry between the three of them was insane🔥🔥🔥. Gabby wasn’t playing when it came to the spicy scenes. The spice was so so hot and there was a LOT of it and nearly every combination you could think of 🥵🫠😮💨. This was such a heartbreaking but also healing journey for all the characters from this series. I love them all so much! Don’t sleep on this series!
I don’t even know where to begin! I was completely floored by Lily, Max and Zack’s story. I knew this was going to be gut wrenching but a single line took me out! Tears instantly ran down my face. My heart goes out to these characters, especially after everything that happens in the Black Hallows series.. Now let’s talk spice….. It burned through the pages it was so hot. These 3 are definitely top tier! Dare is say, GN Wright’s best spice to date! I am so sad I had to say goodbye to these characters! Read this EPIC finale to the Black Hallows dynasty!
What can I say I love the Black Hallows family and didn't put this one down.
It was nice that there wasn't really any action or any suspense it was just purely the three of them building their relationship and dealing with the emotional trauma of the last book.
I would have liked to have seen a bit more talking about things between them especially Max and Zack as it was such a change from their established relationship.
Overall it was just nice in the end for them to have their happy ending and catch up with everyone else.
Spoiler free review Fractured is technically a stand alone but it will be better if you read all the Black Hallows books first. Because it takes place after Ruthless Rebel there will be major spoilers if you read this first.
A good chunk of this book I found myself crying more then not cuz Lily’s grief was just so heartbreaking, that I could feel it in my soul. Within the utter devastation this family had suffered is a love story that puts the pieces back together. Even tho I cried my eyes out I loved this book. Loved seeing how Lily, Zach & Max healed each other & found there way to their well deserved HEA
I’m always happy to go back to Black Hallows, I don’t want to say goodbye to these characters but I know we must.
-Adopted brother/sister -Brother's best friend -MMF -Bi-awakening -A WHOLE LOT of healing (past grief/traumatic event)
I honestly didn't think we could top Ruthless Rebel but I was proven wrong. HIGHLY recommend reading from the beginning. I love Max, Zack, and Lily and am so glad that a book was made to tell their story. It also gave us a look at how everyone else in the Black Hallows universe are growing as well.
If I could rate this series infinite stars I would.
This book was everything I didn't know I needed. So much grief, loss and love. I adored Lilly's story and having scenes from the OG crew (still love Jace the most).
The spice was heat turned up, give me a fan level.
Taboo and fictionally wonderful..... fingers crossed Cassie/Kennedy and Cash get a next generation spin off! Would love to see Asher handle that trio
This book was taboo, emotional, and absolutely heartbreaking in the best way. Every moment feels raw and real, and the stakes between the characters hit hard. Watching everything finally unravel and come together in this last installment was both painful and beautiful.
If you’ve followed this series from the beginning, be prepared, Fractured will wreck you and put you back together again. An amazing, unforgettable ending to a truly addictive series.
What a perfect title. This book about broke me because it's about one of my favorite characters twin, and it's right after he died. Lily is fractured and doesn't know how to go on without Logan, and is blaming everyone. Max and Zack are trying to help, but she is having none of that. This story will make you cry, make you smile, make you feel good and has a lot of heat as well. I adored Logan, still sad..... but it was nice getting this book
Taboo, Spicy…amazing. Lily’s story was sooo good and I love love loved her growth from where things left off in the last book of the Black Hallows series. Zach and Max amazing. They had tension and so much emotion.
I was still reeling from the emotions of Logan and felt all the grief every character talked about.
Gabby you’ve done it again….spicy with storyline!! Applause! So good!
our FMC has 2 boyfriends, who are also boyfriends i mean i don't think it gets better than that😝 the smut in this book is so good its should be illegal