Francesca

by Carrie Ward

Francesca has just been trying to survive.

After her mother’s death, survival meant keeping the house together, protecting her grandmother, and staying one step ahead of the man who made their lives a living nightmare. It meant keeping her head down, asking for nothing, and expecting even less.

Then they stepped in.
Her three best friends, Ryan, Christian and Jamie.

What started as protection became something more. Something consuming. Something none of them expected. And something none of them are willing to walk away from.

But can Frankie survive knowing they’d destroy everything—including themselves—to keep her safe?

Genres: Romance

ebook

Published June 15, 2016

Reviews

[RomanceReader92 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Francesca is the first book I’ve read by this author, it is a standalone why-choose polycule romance.

The story starts with Francesca (Frankie) our fmc who is 17, she is in her last year at high school and living a tough life, but don’t get it twisted she has so much love around her. From her grandma who she lives with and cares for and her three best friends and neighbours Christian, Ryan and Jamie. Frankie also lives with an extremely abusive father dealing with substance abuse issues. Christian is their landlord, Ryan is going to college as an incredibly gifted baseball player and Jamie is working for his father who runs a local gang.

I loved how realistic the author made her characters. It was realistic for the landlord in his 20’s to think he could fix the situation with money, it was also realistic for the 17 year old to runaway believing it would solve everyone else’s issues. It’s hard to talk about this book without giving away spoilers but watching the characters on their journey as individuals as well as together was beautiful. I particularly had a soft spot for Jamie who himself was dealing with an abusive and neglectful home life. Watching as they all navigated pain, grief, loss and anger whilst also fighting for their own happily ever after together was what stood out to me most. After feeling that they had to fight their battles alone I liked how they realised they were stronger together.

I loved this book so much and can’t wait to see what the author comes out with next. If you like why-choose romance (swords crossing), grumpy/sunshine vibes I think you’ll like this one.

I received this book as an ARC from the author. This review was given freely and is my honest thoughts. Please check trigger warnings as some heavy topics are mentioned

[Kay Selina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first why choose novel and it did not disappoint. I love love loved the plot, loved how all of the men were severely protective of Francesca. She’s a very strong woman and loves all three of them just as fiercely. Jamie happens to be my favorite character. He’s covered in tattoos, has beautiful eyes and he’s one of the toughest characters I’ve read about in a long time. I love him!!!

[RollTide.Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

heartwrenching, gripping, spicy, romantic suspense...also why choose!? I definitely binged this in less than 2 hours

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ not just your basic why choose, this was elevated and had suspense!
🌶️🌶️🌶️beautifully feral and sweet
📄Pages: 336
📚Format: gifted eARC

Thank you Carrie Ward for this eARC. It was a pleasure reading this book and I'm so glad I met you in our Booksta community! This is my honest, voluntary review.

Y'all when I say I loved this. It was so good. It gave me Emily Rath Pucking Around vibes, but less the hockey and add even more romantic suspense, which I absolutely LOVE. This was such a unique read.

I immediately connected with Jamie and with Frankie. I loved the way each character was espoused and had their own identities. I was almost equally invested in all the characters (but let's be real, I wanted to be Frankie, the FMC!).

A beautiful, heartwrenching and heartwarming story. Why choose. Beautifully spicy and conversationally written, which I am ADDICTED TO and LOVE in my novels. I binged this fast and it got me out of my reading slump (which I continue to always read through). It was refreshing and lovely.

I found myself so attached in such a short period of time, and I'm still speechless over it. I love feeling all the feels. An easy 5 stars. Thank you again Carrie.

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[Bitzreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I received an ARC copy of this book, however a opinions are my own)

Francesca’s life is not always easy, since her mum passed, taking care of her grandmother and staying away from the one person who hurts her, however all this is helped by her three neighbours and friends, Ryan, Christian and Jamie. 

Firstly I will say that I love Jamie and no harm should ever become of him ever! But I also like Francesca, Ryan and Christian. Together they all have great chemistry and the steamy scenes are amazing. There is also plenty of them despite being a slow burn to start. Especially between two of the men phew, also will never look at daisy chains the same again. 

This story will take you through a range of emotions, with so many heart-warming moments and then some really anger inducing ones, I do think there is one thing I just can’t forgive Francesca for even though I do love her and it doesn’t change that it is still there a little. At some points though my heart broke for all of them and I defiantly shed some tears at quite a few points. The story stays close to the group. But surrounding the group there is trauma and obstacles have to get through both outside and within the group. This is really tense at time and does keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Overall I think the story progressed well and was well paced, it is short and would be easy to read in one sitting whilst still feeling meaty. I was defiantly pulled into the story and couldn't stop reading. I think anyone who is just looking for a sometimes casual sometimes tense read will enjoy this book. 

[Lilac Rivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked it up expecting a spicy why-choose romance, but what I got was a story that had way more heart than I anticipated. Every character felt like they were carrying their own baggage, and seeing them slowly learn how to lean on each other instead of facing everything alone was probably my favorite part of the book.

What really worked for me was that none of the relationships felt rushed. Each connection brought something different, and I found myself understanding why Frankie needed all three of them in her life. The found-family vibes were honestly just as good as the romance.

There were definitely moments that made me angry, moments that broke my heart, and a few that had me grinning like an idiot. By the end, I was completely attached to these characters and wasn't ready to let them go.

If you're looking for a why-choose romance with emotional depth, loyal friendships, protective love interests, and plenty of feelings mixed in with the spice, this one is absolutely worth picking up.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic poly romance! It had heart and excellent tension throughout. The relationship dynamics, which included an MM pairing within the quad, were superb. Jamie, Ryan, and Christian were the perfect men for Francesca. They were supportive and protective and each was swoon-worthy in their own ways. Christian with his quiet command, Ryan with his puppy dog devotion, and Jamie, my personal favorite, with his jagged edges and deep emotions. Francesca was emotionally scarred yet willing to risk it all to save her men. The ploy was supremely compelling and I blew through the book quickly. The spice was delicious and the ending perfect. I can’t recommend this novel enough. It had the perfect blend of plot, spice, and emotion. ⁣
⁣
Tropes⁣
Second Chance⁣
Why Choose w/ a Sword Crossing Pair⁣
Yearning⁣
Protective MMCs⁣
Spicy⁣

[JennPetito]

Francesca was my first why choose romance, so please know I entered this situation as a beginner with questions.

This was a quick, emotional read with friendship, trauma, found family, protective men, and enough drama to remind everyone that fictional teenagers should probably not be responsible for fixing adult-sized problems.

Frankie’s story is heavy at times, so definitely check the trigger warnings, but I liked the focus on survival, loyalty, and finding people who will stand beside you when life is doing the absolute most.

This was a fast read and a good slump-buster. I can see readers who love protective romance, messy emotions, and found family really enjoying it.

Thank you to author Carrie Ward for providing me with an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

[Sammlxlibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a whirlwind of a story from start to finish! I absolutely loved it. The emotion and depth reading Francesca is amazing. I'm so glad I went into the world of Francesco blind, I didn't know what to expect.

My heart sank so low reading through then I picked it back up - such a roller coaster. Like i said previously the emotion is top tier. It's been a long time since I felt these emotions while reading. Then saying out loud what is going on here! 🥵🤣

If you enjoy spicy romances please give this a read I definitely recommend.

[The Bookworm Hermit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when a book grips you from the beginning and drags every emotion out of you. This is a why choose MMFM. Francesca is struggling to make ends meet with her grandmother while her dad is a loser (putting it pg) and in the duplex next to her are the three guys who would do anything to protect her. This is such a real life story that you could find anywhere but this one ends on a HEA. Carrie Ward brings such amazing characters to life.

[Gwendolyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoy the concept of the story, I unfortunately found it to be lacking and overall slow. That being said, I did enjoy the characters and the plot line.