Shattered Hearts

by Rebekah Bertram

Genres: Cowboy Romance

Paperback

Published August 26, 2026

About the author

I have always been a writer, but now I’m published!
Australia author who has been passionate about writing and reading since a young age, and now I’m publishing and enjoying the process of creating books to share with other book girlies!

Reviews

[Chy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Rebekah for the ARC!!!

Loved Laynie and Grayson's story, the best friends to lovers trope is always my favourite and I enjoyed their story

The way these two yearned for each other since they were young made me love them alot! Especially with Laynie being pregnant and Grayson having to step up and be there for her made it even better

Did find it ended very quickly and would love to see more of the end be extended

4 ⭐️

[Bianca Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to be gifted this beauty by the author. It’s such a great book with a best friend to lovers trope and an accidental pregnancy trope. I loved how much Grayson loves and adores Laynie even after finding out she’s pregnant. Loving the cowboy not a cowboy vibes who falls in love with the baker. I can’t wait to hear more about this gorgeous family!

[Tracy Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg absolutely love this book.
Best friends to lovers
With a lot of ups and downs in between
The ending so dam good
Greyson has my heart ❤️

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 4.5 ⭐️
ARC REVIEW
This is the second book in the beginnings of a great Aussie country series! Rebekah has skilfully written a beautiful, dramatic romance with loveable characters! I literally love every person in this story, except Scott. (He can go die in a ditch!) There was some great character growth for Grayson since the first book. He has matured and is so swoonworthy, but maybe I am biased because he is blonde!🤷🏼‍♀️ I love Laynie and that fact that she bakes and has has such a beautiful personality! I absolutely adore Sadie and I cannot wait for her and Holden's book next! I am also just dying to find out about Paisley and Cole because the banter is already there and I just now I will be kicking my feet for them!!🤭

PLEASE NOTE: This book is about pregnancy outside of marriage. While it is clean, it is not based on Christian morals and may not meet everyone's standards.

Things I loved the MOST:
🦋 The dedication! 🤌🏼
🦋 His nickname for her 🍪
🦋 His tattoos 😍
🦋 Whipped boyfriends club 🙈
🦋 Knox 🏍

Content guide:
Language - crap x17, holy crap, gosh x6, x2, heck x3, dammit, damn x2, unspoken curses

Sexual content
- lightly detailed kiss x3, detailed kiss
- not detailed kisses, head kisses and cheek kisses
- mention of a teen girl's boobs popping up overnight and a boy mentions he can see her chest (breasts); not sexual
- mentions about sleeping with someone
- not detailed mention of parent's s*x life
- a man walks in on a woman in a bathtub (not detailed) and proceeds to wash her hair; romantic, but not sexual

Other content
- mentions of being drunk
- a character suffers from anxiety and has attacks
- *minor spoiler* a character suffers an epileptic seizure
- FMC has to deliver her baby prematurely

[Roxy Vernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rebekah you have outdone yourself with Shattered Hearts. I was so very grateful to have been a beta reader for this one.

Well I have definitely read this one many times and it still warms my heart everytime I did a read of the drafts and final copy of this book. I absolutely loved the characters so much. Laynie and Grayson's story was just perfect and yes it did have some bumps along the way. From the emotional moments to the banter of this book, it was just perfect and absolutely a five star read for me. Watching both of these characters grow and end up together from being friends to lovers was perfect.

Can't wait to see what is next for this amazing series.

[Stacie Farrugia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book!!! Love love love!!

I couldn't put this down! In so many ways it was so relatable to my own life in many ways.

Thank you so much for allowing me to receive this ARC.

I can't wait to read Holden and Sadie's story.

[Claire Trill · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ ARC REVIEW ⭐️
I was given the privilege of reading Shattered Hearts by Rebekah Bertram. and I absolutely loved being swept into this Australian small-town romance.

What drew me in straight away was the combination of the friends-to-lovers trope, small-town romance, cowboy vibes and, most importantly, the fact that the story is set in Australia. It gave the story a really refreshing and relatable feel.

I personally loved how the story began with Grayson (Blondie) and Laynie (Biscuit) meeting for the very first time. Starting the story right from the beginning of their relationship made their connection feel so much more natural and allowed us to really see how their bond developed.

One of my favourite things about this book was that it wasn’t just the main characters who played an important role. Every character brought something meaningful to the storyline, and the way they all supported and looked out for one another was such a beautiful part of the book.

The family drama added another layer to the story, while also highlighting the love, respect and strong sense of community between the characters. I loved seeing how their relationships developed and how they were there for each other through the good, the bad and everything in between.

I also really liked that Rebekah incorporated two very familiar medical conditions, anxiety and epilepsy, into the story. It made the characters feel more relatable and added another layer of depth to their experiences. I thought these elements were handled in a way that helped us understand the characters on a more personal level rather than simply being something added to the storyline.

Another thing I really appreciated was that there wasn’t a typical third-act breakup. Sometimes that part of a romance can feel predictable, so I enjoyed that the story took a different direction. I also kept finding myself forgetting that Grayson and Laynie were still young because of the amount of adult drama and difficult situations they were dealing with. They had so much happening around them, and it made their journey even more interesting to follow.

If I had one thing that let the story down for me, it would be that I needed MORE of Grayson and Laynie. Just when I felt like their story was really beginning to unfold, the book came to an end. I definitely wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them yet! I would have loved to see more of their relationship and how they continued to navigate everything life was throwing at them.


I’ll definitely be waiting for the next story to unfold

I can’t wait to see what Rebekah has in store for us next!

[Charlene's Bookish Archives · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shattered Hearts was such a sweet, emotional cowboy romance that completely pulled me into Laynie and Grayson's story. There's something about a best friends to lovers romance where two people have secretly loved each other for years that gets me every time!

Laynie has spent nine years carrying feelings for Grayson while keeping them hidden because she's terrified of losing the friendship they share. When one unexpected night leads to a mistake that changes everything, her fear of losing him becomes very real. I could understand why she struggled with what happened and why she found it so difficult to face Grayson.

Grayson was just as heartbreaking because he's been keeping his own feelings hidden. Watching him realise that Laynie has been pulling away and then discovering the reason behind it, sets up some really emotional moments between them. The uncertainty, hurt, and fear of losing the person who means the most to you made their journey feel genuinely heartfelt.

I loved the Australian setting too. Honey Haven Ranch and the NSW countryside gave the story that gorgeous cowboy romance atmosphere, while the family dynamics and connections to the previous book made the world feel warm and welcoming.

What I especially appreciated was that this is a sweet romance with plenty of chemistry but without explicit spice. The romance comes through the emotional connection, longing, stolen moments, and the slow realisation that perhaps these two best friends have been exactly what each other needed all along.

Shattered Hearts is a heartfelt, swoony best friends to lovers romance filled with cowboys, family, secrets, emotional angst, and a whole lot of love. If you enjoy sweet cowboy romances where the feelings are strong even when the spice isn't, this is definitely worth adding to your reading list.

A beautiful reminder that sometimes the love you've been searching for has been standing beside you all along. 🤠❤️🐎

[Dilyn-Nate Gough · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ ARC REVIEW ⭐️
Thank you to Rebekah Bertram for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book pulled me in from the very first page! Shattered Hearts is the perfect follow-up to Unspoken Hearts, taking us along for Laynie and Grayson’s journey from best friends to lovers.

After an unexpected pregnancy sends their carefully made plans in a completely different direction, Laynie must navigate all the fears that come with facing motherhood alone—while she and Grayson try to figure out what their future, and their feelings for one another, truly look like.

Rebekah has written a beautiful story about the baker and her country boy navigating life, love and everything that follows a pregnancy announcement neither of them saw coming.

For most of this book, I wanted to scream, “JUST KISS ALREADY!” The tension, the longing and the pacing were beautifully written. I was completely invested in their story and constantly wanting more!

A heartfelt, tension-filled best-friends-to-lovers romance that was incredibly difficult to put down. 🤎

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an arc in exchange for an honest review

This was an emotional read for me. The way Rebekah was able to write the emotional turmoil of Laynie, the endless questions and worries she had going into this next chapter of her life with this unexpected pregnancy was incredibly well done. I haven’t read a book in quite some time where I had to keep stopping just from how raw it was making me feel.

You really feel for her characters going through their struggles and hard times. She makes them feel like they are more than just characters on a page, but real people. With so much depth written into each and every one of them.

I really enjoyed this story and the journey Bek was able to take me on through it. Making me wish that I was able to live in this little world that she has created!

I highly recommend this book and series if you are a fan of small town romances, close friendships, character development, real feeling characters and a world that you don’t want to leave behind.

[Rissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Rebekah for providing me with an advanced copy of this cute, wholesome story!

genre: contemporary romance
rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

🏍️my thoughts:
Overall, I thought this was a cute cowboy romance! I read the first 30% in just under an hour, and finished the whole book in under 10 hours tbh it was light read!!

I loved how we start off with how they met and when the FMC, Laynie, realized she had feelings for the MMC, Grayson. Some stories have the moments mentioned throughout the book, but I think that having it present in the prologue helped with understanding the plot starting in chapter one. I'm also obsessed with Grayson period because honestly who wouldn't want a man who thinks of you while he's grocery shopping and gets food for you? Laynie has nerves of steel keeping her feelings in as long as she did.

It did feel a little repetitious with them having feelings for each other and wanting to be together, but neither of them admitting it. And then when the feelings are finally expressed, they go through another repetitious round of Laynie not being sure that her bestfriend would stay. I can understand WHY she thought that way, but the conversations just felt copy and paste :/ And a few of the chapters felt like they were dropped off and could have been expanded a bit.

I highly recommend this story for those who love friends to lovers, guys who treat their friends amazing and the girl they like even better, and side characters who constantly try to get the main characters together.

[Abbie-Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

An incredible addition to The Ashwood Creek Series.

Shattered Hearts was such a beautiful and emotional read. I adored Grayson and Laynie's story so much. Friends to Lovers is one of my favourite tropes so I instantly knew this would be a hit for me.

The mutual pining and yearning these two did for eachother oh my gosh, my heart!! 🥹
Also the character development in Grayson was so amazing to see, him stepping up and being everything that Laynie and her baby needed just completely melted my heart.

Really hope we get even more glimpses of these two and their beautiful baby in future books because I just adored them so much. I am so excited to continue the series as it is released because the Lawson family is so special and I am hooked and completely invested at this point. Love them all so much! (Especially Cole 🤭 haha)

Thankyou so much to Bek for giving me the opportunity to ARC read this beautiful story.

[Tegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series!! It is just such a wholesome read and I absolutely love that we get to work through each character as they find love 🥹

In this book, we follow Laynie and Grayson, who have been best friends for years and have secretly been yearning for each other this whole time. Add in an unexpected pregnancy, plenty of pining and so much genuine love and this was such a lovely story to read.

I’ll be the first to admit that friends-to-lovers is not my favourite trope, so I struggled a little with that aspect, but this one was handled beautifully. The pining and the history between these two made it really easy to root for them.

Rebekah really knows how to write her characters as if they are completely real people and the stories feel like genuine real-life scenarios rather than something that is highly unlikely.

I’m loving this series and I absolutely cannot wait for the rest of the books!! 🥹💕

[Meghan Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review- This was such a fun, emotional read for me.

It was as though I was feeling everything the Laynie was going through. Her anxiety, her sadness, her anger, her happiness, and excitement. I could feel my heart rate increase and tightness in my throat multiple times through the story.

You could feel the connection between the two main characters right from the start of the book!

The small details and descriptions throughout the story helps to make you feel like you are there with the characters, I quickly became immersed in the story line.

As the story progresses you learn so much about each character, you just want to keep knowing more and I’m so excited to read the next book in the series!

If you love small town, best friends romance I suggest this book for a light, easy read! 💕

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book two in the Ashwood Creek Series so if you haven’t read ‘Unspoken Hearts’ go do that now!!

Rebekah has done it again! This book is sticky sweet and I’m convinced all the Lawson boys are as sweet as the honey in their farm.

This book follows Laynie as she discovers she’s pregnant after having a one nightstand. Laynie must now navigate becoming a mother and battle the feelings she’s had for her best friend since high school. Feelings that only grow the more Grayson proves he’s every bit the man her baby daddy isn’t.

Rebekah’s writing has you feeling every emotion these characters are going through, gripping your heart and having you emotionally invested in every beautiful character she has created. This one is definitely less cowboy (with a few sprinkles of it here and there) but still manages to keep just enough of the vibe going.

If you’re looking for a sticky sweet best friends to lovers then this one is for you!

[Dani💓 · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

best friends to lovers? Gimmeee moreee

Im so happy to be back in ashwood creek.
Although my typical kind of books include a lot of spice 🤭 it’s nice to occasionally read a closed door spice book to really bring me back to reality 😂

I loveeeddd Grayson and laynie, I was so excited when I found it the book was about them, because the tensionnn and the longing between them is insane, even seeing it from a different point of view in book 1! The way their relationship is written is done really well and getting to see it evolve over the years from childhood is so sweet!

As a pastry chef/baker myself, it’s really nice to see someone writing about the industry and all the work that is involved and the long hours you do to keep things running.

Sue me but I actually really like the accidental pregnancy/not my baby trope 🫣 and boy did Grayson step up!
Also that man would drop everything and come when she needed him 🥹
I can’t wait to read more about the rest of the crew in books to come!

Thankyou Rebekah for the arc!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

[CoffeeLovinRi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating/Recommend:
4.5⭐️• kisses only🫑 • Read it if you’re looking for a sweet romance! 🥰

Fav Quotes:

“But I’m not letting you slip away again. You’re mine, and I’m yours, and this baby is ours. You want that, and I want that.”

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book so much! It was such a smooth quick read. I read it in 24 hours. If you’re looking for a sweet romance to get cozy with I definitely recommend this one. Grayson and Laynie were so cute together and truly meant to be! The yearning between the two was through the roof. This is definitely a book where you will be yelling “TELL HER YOU LOVE HER ALREADY.”

Tropes:
- Best friends to Lovers
- Not His Baby
- Small Town
- Anxiety Rep
- Baker x Rancher
- Meant to Be

CW:
- language: no adult language
- spice: kisses only
- mentions of IUGR diagnosis in pregnancy & preterm birth, anxiety attacks, seizures, alcohol

[Sade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shattered hearts - ARC review -
I’ll start off by saying this book was ok and I know a lot of people will really enjoy it, but for me I felt like the book had so much more potential to be amazing in my eyes, it was a very basic story line. *

SPOILER ABOUT TO BE TOLD!!!! SO IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE IT LEAVE NOW!

* They’ve loved each other for a long time but didnt tell each other their feelings and remained best friends. She made a mistake and got pregnant with someone else’s baby but he’s only mentioned a few times. They end up being together and the mmc ends up taking role of dad and it ends.

I also found myself frustrated that they were walking on eggshells about telling each other their feelings, I get it adds to the suspense but for me I need abit more drama in a book to keep me gripped.

But overall it’s a good easy palette cleanser and easy read when you need it.

[Claire Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review

Shattered Hearts is Book 2 of the Ashwood Creek Series

Laynie & Greyson AKA Biscuit & Blondie

This story was beautiful and full of emotions.

Childhood friends to lovers and always ment to be.

One mistake led to a pregnancy and we went through Laynie’s emotional journey overcoming her fears of losing her bestfriend and never being able to have the love of her life with her Blondie. Plus we have all of the characters from book 1 and the chaos of that family dynamics.

Will they both face their fears and lean towards each other and find their true happiness.

Is this story spicy? No it’s not but I feel that it’s not needed in this story. I can’t wait for the next book as I love this family so much and want everyone to get their happy ever after.

[Becky_beksta (beks.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you Rebekah for the opportunity to read this as an arc and happy release day!

I will always love best friends to lovers but especially when set in a small town cowboy romance. It just hits different. Not to mention it's set in Australia, which makes it feel more relatable.

I loved how the book started when Grayson and Laynie first met. It gave us a snapshot into how their friendship has developed over the years and overall made their chemistry so much more. Also their nicknames for each other being Blondie (Grayson) and Biscuit (Laynie) is adorable and I love personal nicknames for each other.

I will admit I normally don't like unexpected pregnancy trope but Rebekah does it so well. Laynie has such a good support system around her and not to mention Grayson's willingness to step up.

Shattered Hearts had me hooked from the very first page and I couldn't put it down. Not kidding I finished it in about 3 hours. If you're looking for a binge worthy, sweet small town romance this book is for you.

[Cathy Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The characters were well written and kept me interested from the beginning. The MMC is the dreamy bestie of the FMC, each actually wants a deeper relationship with each other but are afraid to admit it to the other. The FMC in a desperate attempt to keep her loneliness at bay has a one night stand with a guy resulting in a baby she fears will end her relationship with her true love/bestie. It takes them a while but they finally find their way to each other.
The story is sweet and endearing. Definitely one I recommend reading

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible continuation in the Ashwood Creek series.

I am beyond thankful to have the opportunity to read this as an Arc reader. This was an incredibly emotional one for me. Laynie and Graysons story felt so real and raw. I absolutely adore Rebekahs writing and ability to make me full of tears.

I loved the Australian setting of this series and the dynamics. I cannot wait for the next instalment.

The dedication - I am not normally a BLONDIE FAN. But AM I CONVERTED?!??!?!?!

[Julie Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a best friends to lovers with plenty of yearning, look no further.

Laynie and Grayson give us so many moments, swoon worthy, tender and heartbreaking. It is a journey of emotions and growth for these characters, moving from friendship to more. As these two begin to realize they can have it all, and the one you need has been there the whole time.

Thank you to the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great read! I absolutely loved it! I loved Lainey and Greyson! Their story was so cute! Best friends to lovers and the emotional roller coaster of Lainey specifically trying to accept Greyson wanting to love her despite of the baby not his! I can’t wait for the next book in this series! It’s such a cute series!

[Felicia Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could feel the connection between Laynie and Grayson throughout the whole book! Grayson always had Laynie’s back no matter what and he proved that when she got pregnant with someone else’s baby! I love these two together! This was such a good book and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series!

[Emily Arriola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Shattered Hearts! I loved Greyson and Laynie’s relationship! This book had some of my favorite tropes, accidental pregnancy, not his baby, and cowboys!

Thank you to Rebekah Bertram for this ARC. All opinions are my own!

[Ashley’s Book Nooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful romance despite some dark moments.
Rebekah has a beautiful way of storytelling where you forget that you’re reading and just glide through the journey of Grayson and Laynie.
Cannot wait to see what’s next

[Shannon Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cried like a baby reading this. It was such an emotional read for me. But I absolutely loved it. Thank you for the arc!

[Heather Normand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it so much.

[Mattia Costelow · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.25