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Before We Break
Noah:
Love is a death sentence.
It took my parents. Now it’s taken my brother, too, leaving me a single guardian to a little boy who needs so much more than I have to offer.
To add insult to injury, Clio Marsden, the beautiful distraction across the hall, shows up at the wrong place at the right time, making herself essential to me. Now she’s my fake fiancee in a meddlesome town that runs on rumors.
It turns out there’s a lot more to Clio than sunshine and optimism. Beneath the warm smiles and compassionate heart, Clio’s damage lies dormant, keeping her tethered to the past that shaped her. I can’t be the man who sets her free, even if she’s becoming impossible to ignore.
My nephew loves her, the whole town loves her, but I’m determined to be the exception.
Clio:
Two truths and a lie…
My favorite color is coral.
I absolutely love being a teacher.
And I hate Noah Weston.
Two years ago, I drove halfway across the country to find my long-lost sister. In the process, I found a home. Willow Valley is the epitome of small-town charm, complete with meddling neighbors and a grumpy landlord with molten eyes and a chip on his shoulder the size of Kentucky.
One minute he’s threatening to evict me, and the next I’m wearing a ring on my left hand and slow dancing in the town square. As time goes on, I realize we’re not so different after all.
Aunt Penny, rest her soul, would say we’re two sides of the same coin.
But with my heart on the line, I can’t afford to call heads or tails.
Love is a death sentence.
It took my parents. Now it’s taken my brother, too, leaving me a single guardian to a little boy who needs so much more than I have to offer.
To add insult to injury, Clio Marsden, the beautiful distraction across the hall, shows up at the wrong place at the right time, making herself essential to me. Now she’s my fake fiancee in a meddlesome town that runs on rumors.
It turns out there’s a lot more to Clio than sunshine and optimism. Beneath the warm smiles and compassionate heart, Clio’s damage lies dormant, keeping her tethered to the past that shaped her. I can’t be the man who sets her free, even if she’s becoming impossible to ignore.
My nephew loves her, the whole town loves her, but I’m determined to be the exception.
Clio:
Two truths and a lie…
My favorite color is coral.
I absolutely love being a teacher.
And I hate Noah Weston.
Two years ago, I drove halfway across the country to find my long-lost sister. In the process, I found a home. Willow Valley is the epitome of small-town charm, complete with meddling neighbors and a grumpy landlord with molten eyes and a chip on his shoulder the size of Kentucky.
One minute he’s threatening to evict me, and the next I’m wearing a ring on my left hand and slow dancing in the town square. As time goes on, I realize we’re not so different after all.
Aunt Penny, rest her soul, would say we’re two sides of the same coin.
But with my heart on the line, I can’t afford to call heads or tails.
Paperback
Published September 14, 2026
About the author
Willa Kay
14 books266 followersAuthor of heartwarming small town contemporary romance, Willa is a voracious reader turned writer living in Kentucky. Originally from Canada, she's a photographer by day, and a mom of two, married to her partner for 16 years. Willa's books blend small town swoon with delicious spice, and complex characters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
October 7, 2026
We got a glimpse about Clio and ill say i was wrong when we first saw her in beautiful surrender. Reading her story was emotional her running away as a teen pregnant. Now shes older much wiser and moved into the apartment of Noah a grumpy tattoo artist who now is rasing his nephew since his brother is in jail. They butt heads or more Noah does since Clio is so nice and sweet towards him. Now they sorta told a white lie so they wouldn't take Auggie. Now they are fake dating. 🤣
We see the ups and downs the fake turn into a real relationship. Them turing into a small family. Family trips, Noah stepping into a father role and stepfather role. 😭😭😭 we also got a little 3rd act breakup that made me want to hit Noah. Im glad his siblings showed him he could be happy. It was a perfect ending. And the brother is possible the next story!
No ow/om drama, no cheating, secondary characters, drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶
Prologue
32fmc/33mmc
Deaf side chara (child)
Grumpy sunshine
Fake dating
Coping with Grief
Teen Pregnancy
Discussions of child abuse (past)
Miscarriage (on page, brief)
Infertility related to endometriosis
Alcohol consumption
Drug addiction and overdose
Brief discussions of death including a motorcycle accident, overdose, and cancer
Pegging
Hea
Epilogue
We see the ups and downs the fake turn into a real relationship. Them turing into a small family. Family trips, Noah stepping into a father role and stepfather role. 😭😭😭 we also got a little 3rd act breakup that made me want to hit Noah. Im glad his siblings showed him he could be happy. It was a perfect ending. And the brother is possible the next story!
No ow/om drama, no cheating, secondary characters, drama, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶
Prologue
32fmc/33mmc
Deaf side chara (child)
Grumpy sunshine
Fake dating
Coping with Grief
Teen Pregnancy
Discussions of child abuse (past)
Miscarriage (on page, brief)
Infertility related to endometriosis
Alcohol consumption
Drug addiction and overdose
Brief discussions of death including a motorcycle accident, overdose, and cancer
Pegging
Hea
Epilogue
August 26, 2026
This review and more can be found on my Bookstagram & Booktok @ Ambeeandink!
Thank you so much to Willa Kay for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Tropes:
💕 Small Town
🌼 Fake Engagement
💕 Grumpy x Sunshine
🌼 Plus Size FMC
💕 Neighbors to Lovers
🌼 Single Mom x Guardian
Before We Break absolutely wrecked me in the best way. I went into this expecting to love the romance and the spice, and trust me, THE SPICE WAS SPICING, but I did not expect Clio’s story to hit me as hard as it did.
Clio constantly feeling like she is “too much” hit so unbelievably close to home. Watching her carry her trauma, her endometriosis, motherhood, and all of the emotions that come with them while still trying so hard to be the best mother she can be made me love her even more. She isn’t perfect, but she loves so deeply, and I felt so much of myself in her.
And then there’s Noah. NOAH. The way this man takes care of Clio without making her feel like a burden absolutely melted me. Watching their relationship grow while they both worked through their own trauma was equal parts beautiful, emotional, and ridiculously hot. Noah is absolutely going on the book boyfriend list because where do I order one???
The endometriosis representation alone made this book incredibly special to me. Seeing the pain, exhaustion, fear, and emotional toll of living with endo represented with so much care made me feel genuinely seen. There were so many little moments where tears came to my eyes, because looking at Clio’s struggle with endo was like looking in a mirror.
This book gave me healing, motherhood, trauma, a man who CARES for his woman, endometriosis representation, and enough spice to have me questioning whether I should be reading it in public.
Noah and Clio have my entire heart.
Thank you so much to Willa Kay for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Tropes:
💕 Small Town
🌼 Fake Engagement
💕 Grumpy x Sunshine
🌼 Plus Size FMC
💕 Neighbors to Lovers
🌼 Single Mom x Guardian
Before We Break absolutely wrecked me in the best way. I went into this expecting to love the romance and the spice, and trust me, THE SPICE WAS SPICING, but I did not expect Clio’s story to hit me as hard as it did.
Clio constantly feeling like she is “too much” hit so unbelievably close to home. Watching her carry her trauma, her endometriosis, motherhood, and all of the emotions that come with them while still trying so hard to be the best mother she can be made me love her even more. She isn’t perfect, but she loves so deeply, and I felt so much of myself in her.
And then there’s Noah. NOAH. The way this man takes care of Clio without making her feel like a burden absolutely melted me. Watching their relationship grow while they both worked through their own trauma was equal parts beautiful, emotional, and ridiculously hot. Noah is absolutely going on the book boyfriend list because where do I order one???
The endometriosis representation alone made this book incredibly special to me. Seeing the pain, exhaustion, fear, and emotional toll of living with endo represented with so much care made me feel genuinely seen. There were so many little moments where tears came to my eyes, because looking at Clio’s struggle with endo was like looking in a mirror.
This book gave me healing, motherhood, trauma, a man who CARES for his woman, endometriosis representation, and enough spice to have me questioning whether I should be reading it in public.
Noah and Clio have my entire heart.
September 26, 2026
I ATE IT UP! Имах нужда от любовен роман с екстра любов, екстра болка и екстра обрати. Всеки един герой в тази книга ми остава в сърцето завинаги!
Определено ще е в бъдещите ми препоръки. ❤️
Определено ще е в бъдещите ми препоръки. ❤️
October 15, 2026
Quintessential bad boy who rides a motorcycle and has a leather jacket. Hot. I enjoyed the different dynamics we got in this, I definitely can’t wait for the next book. Why do I feel like Jonah is going to kill me with how emotionally destroyed he is 😭
I liked Clio’s backstory and how resilient she has had to be. Enter Noah, a seeming jerk, but he drives a motorcycle, duh. In all seriousness, he knows the girl he likes has a thing for lucky pennys and “drops” a bunch around town so that she can find them. 😭
I loved their little family that they made, Lexie and Auggie raise this a whole half point because they were just the sweetest. Fun for this to be based in KY, even if a fictional small town.
I liked Clio’s backstory and how resilient she has had to be. Enter Noah, a seeming jerk, but he drives a motorcycle, duh. In all seriousness, he knows the girl he likes has a thing for lucky pennys and “drops” a bunch around town so that she can find them. 😭
I loved their little family that they made, Lexie and Auggie raise this a whole half point because they were just the sweetest. Fun for this to be based in KY, even if a fictional small town.
October 12, 2026
Take a shot every time they mention wonderwall by oasis
September 8, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨|🌶️ 🌶️
I really loved this one. It’s a bigger book, but it genuinely didn’t feel like it — the pacing worked really well and there was enough happening with the romance, family dynamics and heavier storylines that I stayed invested the whole way through.
Clio was probably my favourite part. She was so wholesome and sunshine-y, but I loved that the book showed how sometimes that happiness can be surface level. There was a lot more going on underneath, which made her feel really relatable. I also LOVED having a plus-size FMC who was actually happy and comfortable in her body. Her body wasn’t something she needed to overcome before she could be loved.
Noah is absolutely the grumpy asshole of this grumpy/sunshine pairing. 😂 I loved him, but my GOD he frustrated me sometimes. Underneath all that grumpiness though, there was obviously a man carrying a lot, and watching Clio slowly break through those walls was worth it.
Their chemistry and banter were great, and fake engagement is always going to get me, but the biggest love for me was actually the family storyline. Auggie completely stole my heart, and I thought Lexi’s storyline was really well handled. There was so much more emotional depth here than I expected.
And then there was the spice. 🌶️👀 My favourite scene? The 8” …. IYKYK. 😂 And this ALSO included one of my weirdly specific favourite microtropes. Immediate bonus points from me.
Overall, this gave me the banter and romance I wanted while still having a really strong emotional story underneath it. Funny, wholesome, spicy and heartfelt without the longer page count ever feeling like a slog.
I really loved this one. It’s a bigger book, but it genuinely didn’t feel like it — the pacing worked really well and there was enough happening with the romance, family dynamics and heavier storylines that I stayed invested the whole way through.
Clio was probably my favourite part. She was so wholesome and sunshine-y, but I loved that the book showed how sometimes that happiness can be surface level. There was a lot more going on underneath, which made her feel really relatable. I also LOVED having a plus-size FMC who was actually happy and comfortable in her body. Her body wasn’t something she needed to overcome before she could be loved.
Noah is absolutely the grumpy asshole of this grumpy/sunshine pairing. 😂 I loved him, but my GOD he frustrated me sometimes. Underneath all that grumpiness though, there was obviously a man carrying a lot, and watching Clio slowly break through those walls was worth it.
Their chemistry and banter were great, and fake engagement is always going to get me, but the biggest love for me was actually the family storyline. Auggie completely stole my heart, and I thought Lexi’s storyline was really well handled. There was so much more emotional depth here than I expected.
And then there was the spice. 🌶️👀 My favourite scene? The 8” …. IYKYK. 😂 And this ALSO included one of my weirdly specific favourite microtropes. Immediate bonus points from me.
Overall, this gave me the banter and romance I wanted while still having a really strong emotional story underneath it. Funny, wholesome, spicy and heartfelt without the longer page count ever feeling like a slog.
September 19, 2026
Loved this so much
“I love you. Even if you can’t bring yourself to love me back.”
This is how you start a series. I was hooked. The cuteness of the kids, the grumpy sunshine of it all, the quirky townhall meetings...I mean I was invested from the beginning.
I loved Noah and Clio. They were funny and hot together. They really built a little family unit. The coffees, the pennies...ugh he was a swoony ahole. Auggie and Lexi stole my heart. I hope to see them more as the series goes on. Lexi's side story had me in tears. I hope to see Hunter too.
This book had everything I look for. Banter, cuteness overload, fun and interesting side characters, a big found family feel, spice, tugging at my heartstrings, a grand gesture or two, and an amazing hea epilogue. It even had a nice set up for book 2(I am so excited).
“I love you. Even if you can’t bring yourself to love me back.”
This is how you start a series. I was hooked. The cuteness of the kids, the grumpy sunshine of it all, the quirky townhall meetings...I mean I was invested from the beginning.
I loved Noah and Clio. They were funny and hot together. They really built a little family unit. The coffees, the pennies...ugh he was a swoony ahole. Auggie and Lexi stole my heart. I hope to see them more as the series goes on. Lexi's side story had me in tears. I hope to see Hunter too.
This book had everything I look for. Banter, cuteness overload, fun and interesting side characters, a big found family feel, spice, tugging at my heartstrings, a grand gesture or two, and an amazing hea epilogue. It even had a nice set up for book 2(I am so excited).
September 7, 2026
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love Willa books and you will have to pry them from my hands because they always hit!! I loved this story!!
Noah the perpetual grump that feels love is a weakness and Clio the single mom doing it in her own that always seems to have a smile and kindnesses for all.
Noah needs Clio to help keeps his nephew so he purposes a fake engagement, and Clio agrees if he will teacher to date. An agreement meant to be broken! The fake need steal quick as their feeling grow but when the past comes back will it break them….
#beforewebreak #willakayauthor #risareads221reviews
I love Willa books and you will have to pry them from my hands because they always hit!! I loved this story!!
Noah the perpetual grump that feels love is a weakness and Clio the single mom doing it in her own that always seems to have a smile and kindnesses for all.
Noah needs Clio to help keeps his nephew so he purposes a fake engagement, and Clio agrees if he will teacher to date. An agreement meant to be broken! The fake need steal quick as their feeling grow but when the past comes back will it break them….
#beforewebreak #willakayauthor #risareads221reviews
September 9, 2026
So I liked the dynamic.
Love all the representation. Endometriosis, a deaf person and ASL, Queer and miscarriage…. Teenage pregnancy…. Addiction and more
It was a really good mix of just… normal people. With their struggles and how they cope.
I really liked the FMC. I also loved how she was written. Just a bubbly person, who loves everything whimsical and everyone nice. But you’d never guess that she also has a traumatic past.
I liked her relationship with her daughter.
Now, I have mixed feelings on the MMC.
I get where he is coming from, but I have to say that he was just rude in the beginning.
I really liked how he stood up for the kids AND how open he was about his sexuality.
The story overall was interesting, the pacing a bit fast… but that third act break up just kinda ruined it for me.
I thought it was so dramatic and also kinda childish… I don’t know. I didn’t like it at all.
I also felt like it lacked some depth at certain times.
I still am very appreciative and lucky to have been chosen for this ARC!
I truly loved getting to know these characters and Willa‘s writing.
Love all the representation. Endometriosis, a deaf person and ASL, Queer and miscarriage…. Teenage pregnancy…. Addiction and more
It was a really good mix of just… normal people. With their struggles and how they cope.
I really liked the FMC. I also loved how she was written. Just a bubbly person, who loves everything whimsical and everyone nice. But you’d never guess that she also has a traumatic past.
I liked her relationship with her daughter.
Now, I have mixed feelings on the MMC.
I get where he is coming from, but I have to say that he was just rude in the beginning.
I really liked how he stood up for the kids AND how open he was about his sexuality.
The story overall was interesting, the pacing a bit fast… but that third act break up just kinda ruined it for me.
I thought it was so dramatic and also kinda childish… I don’t know. I didn’t like it at all.
I also felt like it lacked some depth at certain times.
I still am very appreciative and lucky to have been chosen for this ARC!
I truly loved getting to know these characters and Willa‘s writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2026
This was the cute cosy romance story that I needed right now. It ticked all the boxes for me, a curvy FMC in her 30s with insecurities and baggage and a broody MMC with a hard shell and a secretly gooey interior!
Did I cry at parts, yes. Could it be because I’m a postpartum mum running on fumes, yes, but it’s also because I could relate so much to some of the insecurities and worries of Clio.
I will be most definitely tuning in for book 2 in the Willow Valley series.
Did I cry at parts, yes. Could it be because I’m a postpartum mum running on fumes, yes, but it’s also because I could relate so much to some of the insecurities and worries of Clio.
I will be most definitely tuning in for book 2 in the Willow Valley series.
September 18, 2026
☀️🖤 She Was Never Too Much for the Right Person 🖤☀️
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars | 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Chili Peppers
Before We Break absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way. ❤️
I went into this expecting to love the romance, the fake engagement, the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and, let's be honest, the spice.
And THE SPICE WAS SPICING. 🌶️👀
But what I wasn't expecting was just how deeply Clio's story would affect me.
Clio Marsden is sunshine wrapped around a whole lot of pain.
She's kind, compassionate, funny, optimistic, and constantly trying to be there for everyone around her. But underneath that warmth is a woman who has spent far too much time feeling like she's "too much." She's carrying grief, trauma, motherhood, physical challenges, and so many emotions while still trying to be the best mother she can be.
And I loved her.
I loved that she wasn't perfect.
I loved that her happiness wasn't portrayed as proof that she had never been hurt.
Sometimes the sunshine is the part of ourselves we choose to show the world even when there's so much happening underneath.
That made Clio feel incredibly real.
I also LOVED having a plus-size FMC who is comfortable and happy in her body. Her body isn't something she needs to fix, change, or overcome before she can be loved. She is worthy of love exactly as she is, and I appreciated that so much.
And then there's Noah.
NOAH. 😂🖤
This man is the grumpy asshole to Clio's sunshine, and I loved watching those two clash.
Noah has convinced himself that love is a weakness and that everyone he loves will eventually leave him. After everything he's been through, he's built some serious walls around himself, and sometimes I wanted to reach through the pages and shake him.
But underneath that grumpiness is a man who cares deeply.
And watching Clio slowly bring that softer side of him to the surface was EVERYTHING.
Their fake engagement gives them the perfect excuse to spend more time together, but obviously neither of them is prepared for what happens when the fake relationship starts feeling a whole lot less fake.
The banter was fantastic.
The chemistry was 🔥🔥🔥.
And the spice?
Yeah.
The spice was absolutely worth the wait. 🌶️🌶️🌶️
There is one scene involving eight inches that I am simply going to say...
IYKYK. 😂👀
But what made the romance work so well for me wasn't just the chemistry.
It was the way Noah cared for Clio.
There is something about watching a man take care of a woman without making her feel like she's weak, incapable, or a burden that gets me every single time. And Noah does this in some incredibly meaningful ways.
One of my favorite parts of the entire book was watching him care for Clio during an endometriosis flare.
That scene hit HARD.
The endometriosis representation throughout this book was one of the things that made it so special for me. The pain, exhaustion, uncertainty, and emotional toll were handled with so much care, and I appreciated seeing something that is often misunderstood given the space and seriousness it deserves.
And Noah's response to Clio's pain made me want to hug this fictional man and then immediately ask where I could order one. 😂
He doesn't make her feel like she's a problem to solve.
He simply shows up.
That's Noah at his best.
He shows up.
For Clio.
For Auggie.
For the people he loves.
And speaking of Auggie...
THIS CHILD. 🥹❤️
Auggie completely stole the spotlight for me.
Noah unexpectedly becoming guardian to his four-year-old deaf nephew adds an entirely different layer to the story, and I loved watching their relationship develop. Noah is trying to figure out how to be responsible for a child while dealing with his own grief and trauma, and watching him learn how to be there for Auggie was incredibly sweet.
And the fact that he learns ASL for him?
UGH.
That man.
I also loved that Clio's relationship with her daughter, Lexi, was such an important part of the story. Their relationship felt loving, open, and genuine. Clio isn't just a romantic heroine. She's a mother, a teacher, a friend, a woman dealing with her own history, and someone trying to build a good life despite everything she's been through.
The family storyline ended up being one of my favorite parts of the book.
There is so much more emotional depth here than I expected going in.
Grief.
Motherhood.
Trauma.
Healing.
Family.
Love.
Learning to accept care without feeling like you're giving up your independence.
And two people who have been hurt in very different ways slowly learning that maybe love doesn't have to end in loss.
I also appreciated that the heavier storylines didn't overwhelm the romance. This is a bigger book, but honestly, it never felt like one to me. There was always something keeping me invested, whether it was Noah and Clio, the family dynamics, Auggie, Lexi, the small-town chaos, or the emotional pieces of their individual stories.
The fake engagement was obviously a huge selling point for me because I am ALWAYS going to show up for that trope. 😂
But I loved that the fake relationship was also a vehicle for these two to actually see each other.
Noah sees that Clio's sunshine isn't the whole story.
Clio sees that Noah's grumpiness isn't the whole story.
And somewhere along the way, they stop pretending.
There are definitely bumps along the way, but I thought the challenges added complexity to their story rather than feeling like drama for the sake of drama.
And that epilogue?
I AM NOT SAYING ANYTHING.
But as someone who loves Titanic, I will simply say... Willa Kay knew exactly what she was doing. 😂❤️
This was my first Willa Kay book, and it absolutely will not be my last.
I came for the grumpy/sunshine romance and the fake engagement.
I stayed for Clio, Noah, Auggie, Lexi, the emotional depth, the healing, the representation, the family dynamics, the banter, and yes, that very spicy spice. 🌶️
Before We Break gave me a romance that was funny, wholesome, emotional, and incredibly hot, but underneath all of that was a story about two people learning that being loved doesn't require them to be less of themselves.
Clio was never too much.
She just needed people who understood how much she had to give.
And Noah?
He needed someone willing to see the man underneath all those walls.
I'm so glad they found each other. ❤️
Thank you to Willa Kay for the gifted advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars | 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 Chili Peppers
Before We Break absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way. ❤️
I went into this expecting to love the romance, the fake engagement, the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and, let's be honest, the spice.
And THE SPICE WAS SPICING. 🌶️👀
But what I wasn't expecting was just how deeply Clio's story would affect me.
Clio Marsden is sunshine wrapped around a whole lot of pain.
She's kind, compassionate, funny, optimistic, and constantly trying to be there for everyone around her. But underneath that warmth is a woman who has spent far too much time feeling like she's "too much." She's carrying grief, trauma, motherhood, physical challenges, and so many emotions while still trying to be the best mother she can be.
And I loved her.
I loved that she wasn't perfect.
I loved that her happiness wasn't portrayed as proof that she had never been hurt.
Sometimes the sunshine is the part of ourselves we choose to show the world even when there's so much happening underneath.
That made Clio feel incredibly real.
I also LOVED having a plus-size FMC who is comfortable and happy in her body. Her body isn't something she needs to fix, change, or overcome before she can be loved. She is worthy of love exactly as she is, and I appreciated that so much.
And then there's Noah.
NOAH. 😂🖤
This man is the grumpy asshole to Clio's sunshine, and I loved watching those two clash.
Noah has convinced himself that love is a weakness and that everyone he loves will eventually leave him. After everything he's been through, he's built some serious walls around himself, and sometimes I wanted to reach through the pages and shake him.
But underneath that grumpiness is a man who cares deeply.
And watching Clio slowly bring that softer side of him to the surface was EVERYTHING.
Their fake engagement gives them the perfect excuse to spend more time together, but obviously neither of them is prepared for what happens when the fake relationship starts feeling a whole lot less fake.
The banter was fantastic.
The chemistry was 🔥🔥🔥.
And the spice?
Yeah.
The spice was absolutely worth the wait. 🌶️🌶️🌶️
There is one scene involving eight inches that I am simply going to say...
IYKYK. 😂👀
But what made the romance work so well for me wasn't just the chemistry.
It was the way Noah cared for Clio.
There is something about watching a man take care of a woman without making her feel like she's weak, incapable, or a burden that gets me every single time. And Noah does this in some incredibly meaningful ways.
One of my favorite parts of the entire book was watching him care for Clio during an endometriosis flare.
That scene hit HARD.
The endometriosis representation throughout this book was one of the things that made it so special for me. The pain, exhaustion, uncertainty, and emotional toll were handled with so much care, and I appreciated seeing something that is often misunderstood given the space and seriousness it deserves.
And Noah's response to Clio's pain made me want to hug this fictional man and then immediately ask where I could order one. 😂
He doesn't make her feel like she's a problem to solve.
He simply shows up.
That's Noah at his best.
He shows up.
For Clio.
For Auggie.
For the people he loves.
And speaking of Auggie...
THIS CHILD. 🥹❤️
Auggie completely stole the spotlight for me.
Noah unexpectedly becoming guardian to his four-year-old deaf nephew adds an entirely different layer to the story, and I loved watching their relationship develop. Noah is trying to figure out how to be responsible for a child while dealing with his own grief and trauma, and watching him learn how to be there for Auggie was incredibly sweet.
And the fact that he learns ASL for him?
UGH.
That man.
I also loved that Clio's relationship with her daughter, Lexi, was such an important part of the story. Their relationship felt loving, open, and genuine. Clio isn't just a romantic heroine. She's a mother, a teacher, a friend, a woman dealing with her own history, and someone trying to build a good life despite everything she's been through.
The family storyline ended up being one of my favorite parts of the book.
There is so much more emotional depth here than I expected going in.
Grief.
Motherhood.
Trauma.
Healing.
Family.
Love.
Learning to accept care without feeling like you're giving up your independence.
And two people who have been hurt in very different ways slowly learning that maybe love doesn't have to end in loss.
I also appreciated that the heavier storylines didn't overwhelm the romance. This is a bigger book, but honestly, it never felt like one to me. There was always something keeping me invested, whether it was Noah and Clio, the family dynamics, Auggie, Lexi, the small-town chaos, or the emotional pieces of their individual stories.
The fake engagement was obviously a huge selling point for me because I am ALWAYS going to show up for that trope. 😂
But I loved that the fake relationship was also a vehicle for these two to actually see each other.
Noah sees that Clio's sunshine isn't the whole story.
Clio sees that Noah's grumpiness isn't the whole story.
And somewhere along the way, they stop pretending.
There are definitely bumps along the way, but I thought the challenges added complexity to their story rather than feeling like drama for the sake of drama.
And that epilogue?
I AM NOT SAYING ANYTHING.
But as someone who loves Titanic, I will simply say... Willa Kay knew exactly what she was doing. 😂❤️
This was my first Willa Kay book, and it absolutely will not be my last.
I came for the grumpy/sunshine romance and the fake engagement.
I stayed for Clio, Noah, Auggie, Lexi, the emotional depth, the healing, the representation, the family dynamics, the banter, and yes, that very spicy spice. 🌶️
Before We Break gave me a romance that was funny, wholesome, emotional, and incredibly hot, but underneath all of that was a story about two people learning that being loved doesn't require them to be less of themselves.
Clio was never too much.
She just needed people who understood how much she had to give.
And Noah?
He needed someone willing to see the man underneath all those walls.
I'm so glad they found each other. ❤️
Thank you to Willa Kay for the gifted advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This was my first Willa Kay book and it wont be my last! This was a fun, emotional, character driven book.
Clio is such a ray of sunshine, and I love her so much. She's a strong and compassionate woman who built a life for her and her daughter, despite all of the hardships she went through in the past. Despite every bad thing that has happened to her, her personality never dulled. She had every reason to be cynical about the world around her, yet, she remained soft and caring. Very admirable. I especially loved that her storyline is centered around grief, and how she was able to overcome her struggles with it. Not that you can ever "overcome" grief, but the way she was able to start living her life again in a way that she deserved to, was what I loved!
I love the relationship that she has with her daughter as well. They're so much alike, and how she raised her is a direct reflection of her as a person, full of love and sunshine!
I think that's why her and Noah are the perfect match, and the reason why Noah was so attracted to her. She was everything he wished he could be. She brought out the sunshine that was buried in him. Noah, like Clio, had a rough past. Unfortunately, it's what made Noah hard to the world around him. He put up walls so thick, that he forgot what it was like to enjoy life. I loved how Clio was able to bring out his softer side.
The relationship between Noah and Auggie blossomed beautifully as well. You slowly start to see his walls lower for that kid, and he's such a great uncle to him. He learned ASL for him!!! UGH.
Not only is the romance between Clio and Noah was to die for, the smut was AMAZING and well done. The smut scenes never felt off, and they only pushed their storyline further, and added to the attraction between them. It never felt like filler for their relationship, which I appreciated. And it was SO HOT.
Also, the epilogue... I think that was the most creative way to write that. It truly gave me butterflies!
With that being said, a few things seemed a bit off to me. Starting with the pacing toward the end of the book. I feel like a lot happened in such a short amount of time, and with how the book was going, I really wouldn't have minded a few more chapters to round out those events.
And the events that took place at the end, it didn't make the story unbelievable, but if they were left out, I feel like it would've had more of an emotional impact for me toward the end of the book, or like I said, if there were a few more chapters to round them out more.
Overall, this was a great, heartwarming story. Though heavy at some times, Willa Kay added the perfect amount of humor to balance it out.
-Small town
-Plus size FMC
-Bisexual MMC
-Grumpy x sunshine
-Single mom x single uncle
-Endometriosis rep
-Deaf/ Hard of hearing rep
-Neighbors to lovers
Thank you Willa Kay for the gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Clio is such a ray of sunshine, and I love her so much. She's a strong and compassionate woman who built a life for her and her daughter, despite all of the hardships she went through in the past. Despite every bad thing that has happened to her, her personality never dulled. She had every reason to be cynical about the world around her, yet, she remained soft and caring. Very admirable. I especially loved that her storyline is centered around grief, and how she was able to overcome her struggles with it. Not that you can ever "overcome" grief, but the way she was able to start living her life again in a way that she deserved to, was what I loved!
I love the relationship that she has with her daughter as well. They're so much alike, and how she raised her is a direct reflection of her as a person, full of love and sunshine!
I think that's why her and Noah are the perfect match, and the reason why Noah was so attracted to her. She was everything he wished he could be. She brought out the sunshine that was buried in him. Noah, like Clio, had a rough past. Unfortunately, it's what made Noah hard to the world around him. He put up walls so thick, that he forgot what it was like to enjoy life. I loved how Clio was able to bring out his softer side.
The relationship between Noah and Auggie blossomed beautifully as well. You slowly start to see his walls lower for that kid, and he's such a great uncle to him. He learned ASL for him!!! UGH.
Not only is the romance between Clio and Noah was to die for, the smut was AMAZING and well done. The smut scenes never felt off, and they only pushed their storyline further, and added to the attraction between them. It never felt like filler for their relationship, which I appreciated. And it was SO HOT.
Also, the epilogue... I think that was the most creative way to write that. It truly gave me butterflies!
With that being said, a few things seemed a bit off to me. Starting with the pacing toward the end of the book. I feel like a lot happened in such a short amount of time, and with how the book was going, I really wouldn't have minded a few more chapters to round out those events.
And the events that took place at the end, it didn't make the story unbelievable, but if they were left out, I feel like it would've had more of an emotional impact for me toward the end of the book, or like I said, if there were a few more chapters to round them out more.
Overall, this was a great, heartwarming story. Though heavy at some times, Willa Kay added the perfect amount of humor to balance it out.
-Small town
-Plus size FMC
-Bisexual MMC
-Grumpy x sunshine
-Single mom x single uncle
-Endometriosis rep
-Deaf/ Hard of hearing rep
-Neighbors to lovers
Thank you Willa Kay for the gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I am absolutely wrecked after finishing this story. Willa... this is one of the most amazing stories I've read all year. This is my first read of your stories and 110% will not be the last. I am just... dumbfounded and speechless.
Clio, a ray of sunshine in every situation, has always been told she is too much. And let's be real for a moment... a good look at a single mom of a teenager who has an open, honest and beautiful relationship with her daughter. Yes, they have moments of "angst," but they are truly there for each other and it was such a wonderful part of this story. She has trauma, physical ailments (endometriosis) and is tackling it all while moving to a new town, teaching in the preschool and dead set on love is not in the cards for her. But she's okay with it.
Noah... he's grumpy... a storm cloud to her ray of sunshine. But deep down, he truly cares, he just doesn't know how to all the time, because he's resigned himself that everyone will leave him and no one will love him. He's Clio's landlord, the tattoo artist in town who lives about the tattoo shop. He's also a newly minted guardian of his 4-year-old nephew, another new part of his life that is just as confusing as the rest. He's going to do his best, no matter what. When he's off to preschool, they learn that Clio is his teacher and she is fluent in ASL, which is important because Auggie (nephew) is deaf.
The way these two meld together is an amazing sight to see. Their chemistry is off the charts and they both have love for their respective kid in their life.
He shows up for her in some of the best ways, but he still isn't convinced that things can go right for him. You just want to reach in, squeeze the crap out of him and set him straight. I was rooting for both of them, obviously, but I wanted to scream into the world and knock him out of his insecurities.
As someone who has suffered from a miscarriage, this quote absolutely broke me: "I failed her." The words burn like acid on my tongue as tears gather behind my eyes. Noah grips my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look at him. "Listen to me. You did not fail her. You're the reason she's going to be ok. You are her anchor in the storm." My chest constricts as I stare into his green eyes. "Let me be your anchor now. You've been so strong all day, baby. Give me your burdens."
Thank you again, Willa, for this ARC opportunity. I look forward to many more reads from you!
TL:DR
⭐️ 5/5
🏠 Small town
💍 Fake engagement
☀️ Grumpy x sunshine
🖤 Tattoo artist MMC
🚌 Preschool teacher FMC
🧍♀️ She's his tenant
🩷 Single mom
💙 Single guardian
💞 Plus-size representation
🫶 He nicknames her princess
🖊️ He tattoos her
💦 Toys are teammates
❤️🩹 Emotional healing
✅ Third act breakup
💙 Bisexual representation
🌶️ 4/5
Clio, a ray of sunshine in every situation, has always been told she is too much. And let's be real for a moment... a good look at a single mom of a teenager who has an open, honest and beautiful relationship with her daughter. Yes, they have moments of "angst," but they are truly there for each other and it was such a wonderful part of this story. She has trauma, physical ailments (endometriosis) and is tackling it all while moving to a new town, teaching in the preschool and dead set on love is not in the cards for her. But she's okay with it.
Noah... he's grumpy... a storm cloud to her ray of sunshine. But deep down, he truly cares, he just doesn't know how to all the time, because he's resigned himself that everyone will leave him and no one will love him. He's Clio's landlord, the tattoo artist in town who lives about the tattoo shop. He's also a newly minted guardian of his 4-year-old nephew, another new part of his life that is just as confusing as the rest. He's going to do his best, no matter what. When he's off to preschool, they learn that Clio is his teacher and she is fluent in ASL, which is important because Auggie (nephew) is deaf.
The way these two meld together is an amazing sight to see. Their chemistry is off the charts and they both have love for their respective kid in their life.
He shows up for her in some of the best ways, but he still isn't convinced that things can go right for him. You just want to reach in, squeeze the crap out of him and set him straight. I was rooting for both of them, obviously, but I wanted to scream into the world and knock him out of his insecurities.
As someone who has suffered from a miscarriage, this quote absolutely broke me: "I failed her." The words burn like acid on my tongue as tears gather behind my eyes. Noah grips my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look at him. "Listen to me. You did not fail her. You're the reason she's going to be ok. You are her anchor in the storm." My chest constricts as I stare into his green eyes. "Let me be your anchor now. You've been so strong all day, baby. Give me your burdens."
Thank you again, Willa, for this ARC opportunity. I look forward to many more reads from you!
TL:DR
⭐️ 5/5
🏠 Small town
💍 Fake engagement
☀️ Grumpy x sunshine
🖤 Tattoo artist MMC
🚌 Preschool teacher FMC
🧍♀️ She's his tenant
🩷 Single mom
💙 Single guardian
💞 Plus-size representation
🫶 He nicknames her princess
🖊️ He tattoos her
💦 Toys are teammates
❤️🩹 Emotional healing
✅ Third act breakup
💙 Bisexual representation
🌶️ 4/5
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is a long one, so buckle up!
First off, I want to thank Willa Kay and team for the opportunity to be on the ARC team for this book, I was so excited to learn that I was going to be getting the ARC, and boy this book did not disappoint me at all! I absolutely loved it! This book literally had me hooked on the first chapter, it was that good! One of the reasons that I decided to try and apply for the ARC team is the endometriosis representation, as someone who has JUST been diagnosed this year, but has been dealing with the symptoms for far longer, it was absolutely amazing to see endo being represented very realistically. The other reason is because I actually remembered to put the ARC application in before the deadline, lol. Before I get into the review portion of this post, I also wanted to let you know about the trigger warnings:
TW: Coping with Grief, Teen Pregnancy, Discussions of child abuse (past), Miscarriage (on page but very brief), Infertility related to endometriosis, Alcohol consumption, Drug addiction and overdose (off page, briefly mentioned), Brief discussions of death including a motorcycle accident, overdose and cancer.
If any one of these things triggers you, please put your mental health first when deciding to read this book, some of these themes are heavy and it’s okay to not read a book if it is going to trigger you <3
Noah Weston – a broody tattoo artist with an empty apartment above his studio that he is looking to rent out to someone but also gained custody of his four-year-old, deaf, nephew Auggie (who is literally the MOST adorable character in this book!) after his father is arrested. Who decides to be in a fake engagement with Clio, a year after they meet and she moves into the apartment across the hall, to help give his nephew a better life.
Clio Marsden – a literally ball of sunshine, who is a single mom to her teen daughter, Lexi, and Auggie’s teacher, agrees to the fake engagement but makes him sign a contract 😉 to help make sure that she does not get hurt when the agreed upon date comes. But what will happen when real feelings start to emerge, will they be able to work through their past or will the whole situation make them break in the worst possible way? I guess you’ll just have to get yourself a copy and find out!
I will say one of my favorite parts of this book was the way that Noah took care of Clio when she was experiencing a flare up from the endo, that part made me cry, I need to find a man like that! The other is that I LOVED the bonus epilogue – I am a huge fan of the movie Titanic, so I’m just gonna leave that there, this is a no spoiler’s review!
Spice Level: 3
Happy Reading!!
First off, I want to thank Willa Kay and team for the opportunity to be on the ARC team for this book, I was so excited to learn that I was going to be getting the ARC, and boy this book did not disappoint me at all! I absolutely loved it! This book literally had me hooked on the first chapter, it was that good! One of the reasons that I decided to try and apply for the ARC team is the endometriosis representation, as someone who has JUST been diagnosed this year, but has been dealing with the symptoms for far longer, it was absolutely amazing to see endo being represented very realistically. The other reason is because I actually remembered to put the ARC application in before the deadline, lol. Before I get into the review portion of this post, I also wanted to let you know about the trigger warnings:
TW: Coping with Grief, Teen Pregnancy, Discussions of child abuse (past), Miscarriage (on page but very brief), Infertility related to endometriosis, Alcohol consumption, Drug addiction and overdose (off page, briefly mentioned), Brief discussions of death including a motorcycle accident, overdose and cancer.
If any one of these things triggers you, please put your mental health first when deciding to read this book, some of these themes are heavy and it’s okay to not read a book if it is going to trigger you <3
Noah Weston – a broody tattoo artist with an empty apartment above his studio that he is looking to rent out to someone but also gained custody of his four-year-old, deaf, nephew Auggie (who is literally the MOST adorable character in this book!) after his father is arrested. Who decides to be in a fake engagement with Clio, a year after they meet and she moves into the apartment across the hall, to help give his nephew a better life.
Clio Marsden – a literally ball of sunshine, who is a single mom to her teen daughter, Lexi, and Auggie’s teacher, agrees to the fake engagement but makes him sign a contract 😉 to help make sure that she does not get hurt when the agreed upon date comes. But what will happen when real feelings start to emerge, will they be able to work through their past or will the whole situation make them break in the worst possible way? I guess you’ll just have to get yourself a copy and find out!
I will say one of my favorite parts of this book was the way that Noah took care of Clio when she was experiencing a flare up from the endo, that part made me cry, I need to find a man like that! The other is that I LOVED the bonus epilogue – I am a huge fan of the movie Titanic, so I’m just gonna leave that there, this is a no spoiler’s review!
Spice Level: 3
Happy Reading!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
¿No les ha pasado que entran a leer una historia esperando encontrar una historia típica pero cuando la leen se encuentran con una historia estupenda? pues, eso me paso a mi con este libro, No tengo nada malo que decir de él, me encantó de principio a fin y Noah y Clio se volvieron mis favoritos.
La historia empieza cuando Clio y su hija se mudan al pequeño pueblo de Willow Valley para empezar de nuevo, y conocen a Noah que les alquila el apartamento donde viven, al principio su relación es de “me caes bien pero a la misma vez no” pero mientras más lees, vas viendo cómo Clio y Noah se van acercando, vez como Noah se va preocupando mas y mas por Clio y su hija. Su romance fue de lo más lindo y las escenas spicy fueron ESTUPENDAS.
Yo llore con este libro, si, lloré a lágrima VIVA, hay escenas tan bien escritas con temas un poco fuertes que SENTÍA que estaba con ellos mientras todo pasaba, muy pocos libros me hacen sentir así y que bueno que este, siendo el primer libro que leo de la autora me hizo sentir y mucho.
Es un libro que se lee rápido pero no es ligero, así que revisen las advertencia de contenido antes de leerlo. Fue una gran libró, una gran historia y ya quiero saber MUCHO más del segundo libro.
********
Has it ever happened to you that you start reading a story expecting a typical plot, but when you read it, you discover a wonderful story? Well, that’s what happened to me with this book. I have nothing bad to say about it—I loved it from start to finish, and Noah and Clio became my favorites.
The story begins when Clio and her daughter move to the small town of Willow Valley to start over, and they meet Noah, who rents them the apartment where they live. At first, their relationship is a “I like you, but at the same time I don’t” kind of thing, but the more you read, the more you see how Clio and Noah grow closer, and you see how Noah becomes more and more concerned about Clio and her daughter. Their romance was absolutely lovely, and the spicy scenes were AMAZING.
I cried while reading this book—yes, I cried my eyes out. There are scenes so well-written, dealing with somewhat heavy themes, that I FELT like I was right there with them as everything unfolded. Very few books make me feel this way, and I’m so glad that this one—being the first book I’ve read by this author—made me feel so much.
It’s a book that’s a quick read but isn’t light—so be sure to check the content warnings before reading it. It was a great book, a great story, and I can’t wait to find out MUCH more in the second book.
📌 I received an e-arc, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.
La historia empieza cuando Clio y su hija se mudan al pequeño pueblo de Willow Valley para empezar de nuevo, y conocen a Noah que les alquila el apartamento donde viven, al principio su relación es de “me caes bien pero a la misma vez no” pero mientras más lees, vas viendo cómo Clio y Noah se van acercando, vez como Noah se va preocupando mas y mas por Clio y su hija. Su romance fue de lo más lindo y las escenas spicy fueron ESTUPENDAS.
Yo llore con este libro, si, lloré a lágrima VIVA, hay escenas tan bien escritas con temas un poco fuertes que SENTÍA que estaba con ellos mientras todo pasaba, muy pocos libros me hacen sentir así y que bueno que este, siendo el primer libro que leo de la autora me hizo sentir y mucho.
Es un libro que se lee rápido pero no es ligero, así que revisen las advertencia de contenido antes de leerlo. Fue una gran libró, una gran historia y ya quiero saber MUCHO más del segundo libro.
********
Has it ever happened to you that you start reading a story expecting a typical plot, but when you read it, you discover a wonderful story? Well, that’s what happened to me with this book. I have nothing bad to say about it—I loved it from start to finish, and Noah and Clio became my favorites.
The story begins when Clio and her daughter move to the small town of Willow Valley to start over, and they meet Noah, who rents them the apartment where they live. At first, their relationship is a “I like you, but at the same time I don’t” kind of thing, but the more you read, the more you see how Clio and Noah grow closer, and you see how Noah becomes more and more concerned about Clio and her daughter. Their romance was absolutely lovely, and the spicy scenes were AMAZING.
I cried while reading this book—yes, I cried my eyes out. There are scenes so well-written, dealing with somewhat heavy themes, that I FELT like I was right there with them as everything unfolded. Very few books make me feel this way, and I’m so glad that this one—being the first book I’ve read by this author—made me feel so much.
It’s a book that’s a quick read but isn’t light—so be sure to check the content warnings before reading it. It was a great book, a great story, and I can’t wait to find out MUCH more in the second book.
📌 I received an e-arc, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.
September 14, 2026
If you like down to earth, genuine characters with real life issues, flaws and all, than welcome to Willow Valley and the Willa Kay-verse. I fell in love with every character in this story and I'll definitely be checking back in for future books.
Jumping right in, this story had me invested almost immediately! I loved the chemistry between grumpy Noah and sunshine newcomer, Clio. They clashed in the best ways and I laughed so much reading Clio's sassy attitude getting the better of her. Not to mention getting a front row seat to Noah's ice melting away under her ray of sunshine.
These two were like oil and water but when Noah needs a fake relationship to help keep his guardianship of his nephew, the close proximity forces their walls down and the fight to deny their attraction finally implodes. The banter, the spice, the sweet family moments and romance were all top tier and had me swooning all over the place. They had a few bumps along the way to the HEA but it had purpose and gave the story more complexity and originality.
Not only where our MCs perfection but the side characters were also amazing. Auggie will steal your heart and Lexi will having you rooting for her turn as the FMC of her own story. I'm already crossing my fingers for Quinn and Jonah too.
Highly recommend! One of my favorite reads of the year! Thank you to the author for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Favorite Bits:
🖤 Auggie and Lexi were great supporting characters
🖤 The perfect blend of romance and spice!
🖤 The hints of the next couple/book!
SAFETY INFO:
Jumping right in, this story had me invested almost immediately! I loved the chemistry between grumpy Noah and sunshine newcomer, Clio. They clashed in the best ways and I laughed so much reading Clio's sassy attitude getting the better of her. Not to mention getting a front row seat to Noah's ice melting away under her ray of sunshine.
"You radiate warmth and light, ad when you smile ... God, Clio. Your smile moves me. If I could find a way to live in it, I'd stay there forever and die a happy man."
These two were like oil and water but when Noah needs a fake relationship to help keep his guardianship of his nephew, the close proximity forces their walls down and the fight to deny their attraction finally implodes. The banter, the spice, the sweet family moments and romance were all top tier and had me swooning all over the place. They had a few bumps along the way to the HEA but it had purpose and gave the story more complexity and originality.
Not only where our MCs perfection but the side characters were also amazing. Auggie will steal your heart and Lexi will having you rooting for her turn as the FMC of her own story. I'm already crossing my fingers for Quinn and Jonah too.
Highly recommend! One of my favorite reads of the year! Thank you to the author for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Favorite Bits:
🖤 Auggie and Lexi were great supporting characters
🖤 The perfect blend of romance and spice!
🖤 The hints of the next couple/book!
SAFETY INFO:
September 15, 2026
🥀"My eyes travel lower to the floral tattoos on his hip bones, drawing my attention to his... nope.
Stop objectifying your landlord, Clio Marsden. Your very hot, very muscular, walking work-of-art landlord."🥀
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage.” — Lao Tzu 🤍
When I grow up, I want to be just like Clio! 😂 I love her so much! 😍
She’s officially one of my all-time favorite FMCs 🩷 I adore how strong, feminine, and confident she is. She’s never ashamed of her curves and fully embraces who she is 🥹 I also love what an amazing mom she is and the relationship she has with Lexi. They always support each other, love each other unconditionally, and know they can count on one another 🥰
Despite everything Clio has been through, she never gives up 💛 She keeps fighting for herself and her daughter, and even after all the hardships she’s faced, she still manages to smile, find joy in the little things, and spread that happiness to everyone around her. She’s truly a ray of sunshine ☀️
And then there’s Noah… our grumpy, unhappy man 🥺 His past traumas have made him bitter and guarded, but underneath it all, he would do absolutely anything for the people he loves 🥰 I love how wholeheartedly he commits to the things—and people—that matter to him. The way he constantly reminds Clio how beautiful and amazing she is, and just how obsessed he is with her? 🫠 I loved every second of it ❤️
I also absolutely adore Lexi and Auggie 🫶🏻 Their relationship is so sweet, and they’re both such wonderful characters 🫶🏻 Auggie is such a kind, intelligent, and adorable boy 🦕💙 My heart broke for Lexi because she went through so much at such a young age 😥🎬✨
And the relationship between Clio and Noah? SO GOOD 😭❤️🔥 I loved watching it evolve from enemies-to-lovers to fake dating into something deeper, until they became each other’s “forever person.” ❤️🩹 There was one point where I was practically yelling at Noah, telling him he was making a huge mistake and needed to fight for Clio and their relationship 🫣
I honestly lost count of how many times I cried while discovering these characters’ stories, but I also laughed so much because of the banter between Clio and Noah. Their chemistry and dynamic were everything 💖
I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for the next books in the series! 📚🏡😍
Highly recommend if you love:
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Single mom
✨ Small town romance
✨ Plus-size FMC
✨ Bisexual MMC
✨ Grumpy & sunshine
✨ Fake dating
✨ Found family
📖 Before we break by Willa Kay (ARC) 🍓🏡🥀
Stop objectifying your landlord, Clio Marsden. Your very hot, very muscular, walking work-of-art landlord."🥀
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage.” — Lao Tzu 🤍
When I grow up, I want to be just like Clio! 😂 I love her so much! 😍
She’s officially one of my all-time favorite FMCs 🩷 I adore how strong, feminine, and confident she is. She’s never ashamed of her curves and fully embraces who she is 🥹 I also love what an amazing mom she is and the relationship she has with Lexi. They always support each other, love each other unconditionally, and know they can count on one another 🥰
Despite everything Clio has been through, she never gives up 💛 She keeps fighting for herself and her daughter, and even after all the hardships she’s faced, she still manages to smile, find joy in the little things, and spread that happiness to everyone around her. She’s truly a ray of sunshine ☀️
And then there’s Noah… our grumpy, unhappy man 🥺 His past traumas have made him bitter and guarded, but underneath it all, he would do absolutely anything for the people he loves 🥰 I love how wholeheartedly he commits to the things—and people—that matter to him. The way he constantly reminds Clio how beautiful and amazing she is, and just how obsessed he is with her? 🫠 I loved every second of it ❤️
I also absolutely adore Lexi and Auggie 🫶🏻 Their relationship is so sweet, and they’re both such wonderful characters 🫶🏻 Auggie is such a kind, intelligent, and adorable boy 🦕💙 My heart broke for Lexi because she went through so much at such a young age 😥🎬✨
And the relationship between Clio and Noah? SO GOOD 😭❤️🔥 I loved watching it evolve from enemies-to-lovers to fake dating into something deeper, until they became each other’s “forever person.” ❤️🩹 There was one point where I was practically yelling at Noah, telling him he was making a huge mistake and needed to fight for Clio and their relationship 🫣
I honestly lost count of how many times I cried while discovering these characters’ stories, but I also laughed so much because of the banter between Clio and Noah. Their chemistry and dynamic were everything 💖
I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for the next books in the series! 📚🏡😍
Highly recommend if you love:
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Single mom
✨ Small town romance
✨ Plus-size FMC
✨ Bisexual MMC
✨ Grumpy & sunshine
✨ Fake dating
✨ Found family
📖 Before we break by Willa Kay (ARC) 🍓🏡🥀
September 23, 2026
✨ ARC Review ✨ – Before We Break by Willa Kay - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I may have been a little late getting to this one because, well… life be lifin’ 🤷♀️ But Noah Weston may have just stolen my heart.
Honestly, I need to know where this quaint little town is because apparently it’s where all the dreamy, slightly broken-but-still-good men are hiding. And I need directions. 😂
Noah is an absolute grump. He’s a hot, tattooed tattoo artist who takes a chance on Clio, a single mum new to town, by giving her the apartment above his shop at a really good price.
Of course, he immediately decides he needs to stay away from her and proceeds to be an ass from day one.
Or was he? 👀
Because underneath that cold, grumpy exterior is a man with a massive soft spot for Clio. Once their fake-dating arrangement starts cracking that exterior, we get to see the beautiful, caring man underneath… and yep, Noah had me completely gone.
And the tension between Noah and Clio? 🔥🔥🔥 These two are constantly goading each other, and honestly, the chemistry is REAL.
Clio is pure sunshine. She was a teen mum, is now a teacher to the cutest little kids, and lives above Noah’s tattoo shop as his tenant/neighbour. She’s strong, caring and so easy to love. I also really appreciated how her endometriosis was represented throughout the story.
And then there’s Lexi. 🥹
Clio’s teenage daughter and her mum’s absolute mini-me...with all the sass to match. Watching Lexi grow throughout the story, seeing her work through everything life throws at her and watching her bounce back was such a beautiful part of the book.
But honestly, it was her relationships that got me.
Her relationship with her mum, with little Auggie, and especially with Noah. Watching those connections grow and seeing the different sides of her with each of them just completely melted me.
And Auggie… 🥹 He absolutely stole the show too. The cutest, smartest little four-year-old, and his character was handled so beautifully, including his deafness.
The relationships between all of these characters are what made this book feel like so much more than just a romance. There was so much heart in this little found family, and I was completely invested in all of them.
And the EMOTIONS in this book? Nearly took me out. There were moments where I genuinely felt like I needed to put the book down and recover.
Also, a little PSA: maybe don’t read the spiciest scene of the book while sitting at work on your break when apparently EVERYONE has suddenly decided they need to be in the same space as you.
Trying to keep a straight face while reading that scene was basically a full shift of work by itself. 😂🫠
Another small-town romance, another slightly broken man who has completely wormed his way into my heart.
Noah Weston… you win. ❤️
I may have been a little late getting to this one because, well… life be lifin’ 🤷♀️ But Noah Weston may have just stolen my heart.
Honestly, I need to know where this quaint little town is because apparently it’s where all the dreamy, slightly broken-but-still-good men are hiding. And I need directions. 😂
Noah is an absolute grump. He’s a hot, tattooed tattoo artist who takes a chance on Clio, a single mum new to town, by giving her the apartment above his shop at a really good price.
Of course, he immediately decides he needs to stay away from her and proceeds to be an ass from day one.
Or was he? 👀
Because underneath that cold, grumpy exterior is a man with a massive soft spot for Clio. Once their fake-dating arrangement starts cracking that exterior, we get to see the beautiful, caring man underneath… and yep, Noah had me completely gone.
And the tension between Noah and Clio? 🔥🔥🔥 These two are constantly goading each other, and honestly, the chemistry is REAL.
Clio is pure sunshine. She was a teen mum, is now a teacher to the cutest little kids, and lives above Noah’s tattoo shop as his tenant/neighbour. She’s strong, caring and so easy to love. I also really appreciated how her endometriosis was represented throughout the story.
And then there’s Lexi. 🥹
Clio’s teenage daughter and her mum’s absolute mini-me...with all the sass to match. Watching Lexi grow throughout the story, seeing her work through everything life throws at her and watching her bounce back was such a beautiful part of the book.
But honestly, it was her relationships that got me.
Her relationship with her mum, with little Auggie, and especially with Noah. Watching those connections grow and seeing the different sides of her with each of them just completely melted me.
And Auggie… 🥹 He absolutely stole the show too. The cutest, smartest little four-year-old, and his character was handled so beautifully, including his deafness.
The relationships between all of these characters are what made this book feel like so much more than just a romance. There was so much heart in this little found family, and I was completely invested in all of them.
And the EMOTIONS in this book? Nearly took me out. There were moments where I genuinely felt like I needed to put the book down and recover.
Also, a little PSA: maybe don’t read the spiciest scene of the book while sitting at work on your break when apparently EVERYONE has suddenly decided they need to be in the same space as you.
Trying to keep a straight face while reading that scene was basically a full shift of work by itself. 😂🫠
Another small-town romance, another slightly broken man who has completely wormed his way into my heart.
Noah Weston… you win. ❤️
Review of advance copy received from Author
Where do I even begin? This was a beautiful, magical, intensely emotional, revealing, healing, heartbreaking, and insightful story. I am always in awe of stories that can have me giggling one minute, crying my eyes out the next and swooning over him secretly drawing her just a couple pages later. And the heat? Lordy! *fans face* Top quality.
Clio is a single mom and teacher.
Noah is a single guardian and tattoo artist.
They met when she moved to his town. He is her landlord. They are neighbours. She is sunshine. He is not. The walls are thin, things can be heard. And then circumstances stance and they end up in a fake engagement situation. So, a contract is drafter. Dates and outings are arranged. Terms are questioned. Popcorn is eaten. Secrets are share. Other *things* are eaten. Hearts are broken. Tears are shed. Hope gets the chance to grow. We all cry. And then cry again. It is brilliant.
Clio is all kinds of joy & light. She has many scars from life - both physical and emotional - but has worked so hard to make her life good and give her baby girl safety & joy. Now it is time for her to have someone to work hard for her, for her safety, for her joy. Hers is not an easy journey. It is filled with tears and pain and wounds being reopened. She is worth every tear you will shed & pain you will feel while you walk through it with her.
Shane is an incredibly kind and caring man who hides behind his Mr. Mad demeanor. Life has not been kind to him and his family. He has some heart & mind scars of his own and is terrified of adding to them. His fear does cause him pain and he ends up having to face his past and make tough choices if he wants a different future. He is worthy & deserving of love and you will be cheering every step he takes towards believing this for himself.
And I would be remiss if I did not mention Auggie and Lexie, the kid and teen stars of this story. I love them and everything they are. They both have their own individual difficult to walk through and each is handled with such authenticity and care. They both own my heart.
I am so thankful that Willa chose to share her writing gift with us. My life is better having her words and characters in it. My heart is more whole, my mind feels safer and my soul is stronger.
I received this as an ARC which had exactly zero influence on my review. I am just grateful beyond grateful for the advance copy.
Clio is a single mom and teacher.
Noah is a single guardian and tattoo artist.
They met when she moved to his town. He is her landlord. They are neighbours. She is sunshine. He is not. The walls are thin, things can be heard. And then circumstances stance and they end up in a fake engagement situation. So, a contract is drafter. Dates and outings are arranged. Terms are questioned. Popcorn is eaten. Secrets are share. Other *things* are eaten. Hearts are broken. Tears are shed. Hope gets the chance to grow. We all cry. And then cry again. It is brilliant.
Clio is all kinds of joy & light. She has many scars from life - both physical and emotional - but has worked so hard to make her life good and give her baby girl safety & joy. Now it is time for her to have someone to work hard for her, for her safety, for her joy. Hers is not an easy journey. It is filled with tears and pain and wounds being reopened. She is worth every tear you will shed & pain you will feel while you walk through it with her.
Shane is an incredibly kind and caring man who hides behind his Mr. Mad demeanor. Life has not been kind to him and his family. He has some heart & mind scars of his own and is terrified of adding to them. His fear does cause him pain and he ends up having to face his past and make tough choices if he wants a different future. He is worthy & deserving of love and you will be cheering every step he takes towards believing this for himself.
And I would be remiss if I did not mention Auggie and Lexie, the kid and teen stars of this story. I love them and everything they are. They both have their own individual difficult to walk through and each is handled with such authenticity and care. They both own my heart.
I am so thankful that Willa chose to share her writing gift with us. My life is better having her words and characters in it. My heart is more whole, my mind feels safer and my soul is stronger.
I received this as an ARC which had exactly zero influence on my review. I am just grateful beyond grateful for the advance copy.
October 15, 2026
A coffee shop, an apartment, a contract, a bad dream, a discount, a tatoo, and a sketchbook. ✏️
.
This book had me IMMEDIATELY invested from the dedication, and that pink map of Willow Valley!? Obsessed. 😍
.
New to town, Cleo stumbles into a coffee shop and meets Noah. A handsome tattoo artist with an apartment for rent who claims love is a death sentence. But after a tragic turn of events, Noah is granted custody of his 4 year old, deaf nephew and who better to play the role of his fiancé, for a social services visit, than the beautiful teacher who lives across the hall and is fluent in sign language. 🩷
.
Before We Break is a small town, dual pov, single mum, grumpy x sunshine romance packed full of heartwarming, and pantie-melting, brilliance. It has enemies to lovers, a fake engagement, and a bisexual MMC to die for! The curvy and wonderfully whimsical FMC is an absolute delight! I absolutely INHALED this book and read the entire thing in one day!🤭
.
Willa Kay has done it again, and I am more desperate than ever to get my hands on everything she has ever written! I have no idea where to even start with this review!? My notes from immediately after finishing this book just say,'OMG! Easy 5 stars!! This book had me SOBBING! Wow! Incredible! Gimmie book 2 NOW!'. Everything about this book is so wonderfully written, and every single character stole my heart. I was captivated. Noah is a DREAM, Cleo is an angel, Lexi and Auggie are absolutely precious, Aunt Penny is such a warm presence, Jonah feels devastatingly relatable -all of the sibling relationships are so REAL-, and Quinn is delightful! Chapter 35 had me crying my eyes out, the chapter with the 8 inch...(IYKYK) was GLORIOUS and that epilogue!? My heart will indeed go on... The spice was DELICIOUS and is perfectly balanced with some absolutely GORGEOUS tender moments. This is one of those books that I will refuse to stop talking about for a long time, could easily write another 3 paragraphs about, and HIGHLY recommend. 🌟
.
Please do make sure to check the trigger warnings for this book, your mental health matters!⚠️
.
✨️'Do you really think I'd look at you at your scars and whatever it is you've endured, and think you're anything less than perfect?'
✨️'and in that moment, I'm positive even the sun must be jealous of her radiance.'
✨️'I need you more than I need air. I can't fucking breathe without you.'
.
This book had me IMMEDIATELY invested from the dedication, and that pink map of Willow Valley!? Obsessed. 😍
.
New to town, Cleo stumbles into a coffee shop and meets Noah. A handsome tattoo artist with an apartment for rent who claims love is a death sentence. But after a tragic turn of events, Noah is granted custody of his 4 year old, deaf nephew and who better to play the role of his fiancé, for a social services visit, than the beautiful teacher who lives across the hall and is fluent in sign language. 🩷
.
Before We Break is a small town, dual pov, single mum, grumpy x sunshine romance packed full of heartwarming, and pantie-melting, brilliance. It has enemies to lovers, a fake engagement, and a bisexual MMC to die for! The curvy and wonderfully whimsical FMC is an absolute delight! I absolutely INHALED this book and read the entire thing in one day!🤭
.
Willa Kay has done it again, and I am more desperate than ever to get my hands on everything she has ever written! I have no idea where to even start with this review!? My notes from immediately after finishing this book just say,'OMG! Easy 5 stars!! This book had me SOBBING! Wow! Incredible! Gimmie book 2 NOW!'. Everything about this book is so wonderfully written, and every single character stole my heart. I was captivated. Noah is a DREAM, Cleo is an angel, Lexi and Auggie are absolutely precious, Aunt Penny is such a warm presence, Jonah feels devastatingly relatable -all of the sibling relationships are so REAL-, and Quinn is delightful! Chapter 35 had me crying my eyes out, the chapter with the 8 inch...(IYKYK) was GLORIOUS and that epilogue!? My heart will indeed go on... The spice was DELICIOUS and is perfectly balanced with some absolutely GORGEOUS tender moments. This is one of those books that I will refuse to stop talking about for a long time, could easily write another 3 paragraphs about, and HIGHLY recommend. 🌟
.
Please do make sure to check the trigger warnings for this book, your mental health matters!⚠️
.
✨️'Do you really think I'd look at you at your scars and whatever it is you've endured, and think you're anything less than perfect?'
✨️'and in that moment, I'm positive even the sun must be jealous of her radiance.'
✨️'I need you more than I need air. I can't fucking breathe without you.'
Review of advance copy received from Author
I love when a story starts with a map, I don't care how shitty or detailed it is and I don't care about genre. Maps are the bestest.
I discovered Willa Kay when I became an ARC reader for one of her other books, and have since read a bunch of her work. I'm ashamed to say I briefly forgot how much I like her writing and stories; the start of this book felt like settle into my favourite chair with a comfy blanket.
This was a very enjoyable book, but it doesn't compare to Oak Ridge for me. I was glad to see some of the characters from there too. I liked how each character has complex backgrounds and things they were working on. I do wish this had extended to the children too.
I would like to know more about Noah and Clio interests and intricacies as well. It's a great thing when you get interested in characters and want to know everything about them but I can never tell where the line is from not fleshed out enough to me being annoying about it and wanting to know everything.
I feel like some parts were skipped and it would've been better for flow to add or extend some scenes (some detailed below). The pacing felt a little stop and a go at some points because of that. I liked the grand gesture, though I personally would have like some more grovelling or proof he's changed/committed.
I liked the bi rep and snorted when Noah we find Noah's Harry Styles-esque abdomen tattoo, even if he is blond and has a good reason for it. The pegging scene was both hot and sweet, the only downside was that it was so brief.
A short conversation with Lexi about how she feels about Noah and having a little brother through August would've been nice, in the same vain as they discussed Clio dating again.
Seeing Noah and August develop their relationship more would've been nice.
It's very hard to have children in books because their not items or pets, but they're not adult friends either, so I understand the difficulty of decided how much time to spend on them as characters, I just wanted a little more. The decisions the adults are making have to take into account more than just themselves, which they think about but don't actually seem to discuss with them.
If you want a sweet love story between single guardians that focuses on the adults, with a smattering of smut, this is great!
Thank-you Willa Kay for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
I discovered Willa Kay when I became an ARC reader for one of her other books, and have since read a bunch of her work. I'm ashamed to say I briefly forgot how much I like her writing and stories; the start of this book felt like settle into my favourite chair with a comfy blanket.
This was a very enjoyable book, but it doesn't compare to Oak Ridge for me. I was glad to see some of the characters from there too. I liked how each character has complex backgrounds and things they were working on. I do wish this had extended to the children too.
I would like to know more about Noah and Clio interests and intricacies as well. It's a great thing when you get interested in characters and want to know everything about them but I can never tell where the line is from not fleshed out enough to me being annoying about it and wanting to know everything.
I feel like some parts were skipped and it would've been better for flow to add or extend some scenes (some detailed below). The pacing felt a little stop and a go at some points because of that. I liked the grand gesture, though I personally would have like some more grovelling or proof he's changed/committed.
I liked the bi rep and snorted when Noah we find Noah's Harry Styles-esque abdomen tattoo, even if he is blond and has a good reason for it. The pegging scene was both hot and sweet, the only downside was that it was so brief.
A short conversation with Lexi about how she feels about Noah and having a little brother through August would've been nice, in the same vain as they discussed Clio dating again.
Seeing Noah and August develop their relationship more would've been nice.
It's very hard to have children in books because their not items or pets, but they're not adult friends either, so I understand the difficulty of decided how much time to spend on them as characters, I just wanted a little more. The decisions the adults are making have to take into account more than just themselves, which they think about but don't actually seem to discuss with them.
If you want a sweet love story between single guardians that focuses on the adults, with a smattering of smut, this is great!
Thank-you Willa Kay for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
August 31, 2026
Thank you to the author Willa Kay for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
I been wanting another book from Willa since I devoured her other books especially in the Whispering oaks ranch series. This book follows Clio which is Callie’s sister from beautiful surrender and Noah aka Mr grumpy pants tattoo artist. Clio and Noah needed each other and they came into each others lives at the right moments.
Let’s also give it up to Clio being a single teen mom carrying everyone else’s weight along with her own. She put on her smiling and sunshine personality for everyone and Noah saw right through that. Clio went through a lot in her past with being a teen mom and grief and loss and leaving her sister among other things. She had it rough but she fought tooth and nail for what she needed. I especially loved that she was plus sized like myself I love to see that represented in books. She wasn’t afraid of her curves as well as her sexual side once she got it on with Noah. Also can we give it up for her relationship with her daughter Lexi and how she handles her daughter having feelings and a relationship with a guy from her school.
Noah also had it rough. Mr tattoo artist who had a rough childhood losing his parents and almost his brother and having to pick up the pieces and raise his nephew Auggie who was adorable might I add. Noah was a cynic on love and didn’t think it would do him any good. Lord knows man can never think he deserves the best when he sees what’s right in front of him. Also the bisexual representation was lovely and gives him extra points in my book. The tattoo down man who also though the “ only one time to get it out our systems” would work and he was sadly mistaken.
I will say that I wasn’t a fan of the third act breakup. I can see why it happened but it does not make the story any less compelling. And the side characters were lovely. Noah sister and their nephew along with Clio daughter and Quinn. I hope she gets a book next also.
In all this is a must read for the summer and can’t wait for everyone to devour this book just like I did.
If you love:
Small town
Fake engagement
Grumpy/Sunshine
Neighbors to lovers
Plus size FMC
Single Mom x Single Guardian
Then this book is for u.
I been wanting another book from Willa since I devoured her other books especially in the Whispering oaks ranch series. This book follows Clio which is Callie’s sister from beautiful surrender and Noah aka Mr grumpy pants tattoo artist. Clio and Noah needed each other and they came into each others lives at the right moments.
Let’s also give it up to Clio being a single teen mom carrying everyone else’s weight along with her own. She put on her smiling and sunshine personality for everyone and Noah saw right through that. Clio went through a lot in her past with being a teen mom and grief and loss and leaving her sister among other things. She had it rough but she fought tooth and nail for what she needed. I especially loved that she was plus sized like myself I love to see that represented in books. She wasn’t afraid of her curves as well as her sexual side once she got it on with Noah. Also can we give it up for her relationship with her daughter Lexi and how she handles her daughter having feelings and a relationship with a guy from her school.
Noah also had it rough. Mr tattoo artist who had a rough childhood losing his parents and almost his brother and having to pick up the pieces and raise his nephew Auggie who was adorable might I add. Noah was a cynic on love and didn’t think it would do him any good. Lord knows man can never think he deserves the best when he sees what’s right in front of him. Also the bisexual representation was lovely and gives him extra points in my book. The tattoo down man who also though the “ only one time to get it out our systems” would work and he was sadly mistaken.
I will say that I wasn’t a fan of the third act breakup. I can see why it happened but it does not make the story any less compelling. And the side characters were lovely. Noah sister and their nephew along with Clio daughter and Quinn. I hope she gets a book next also.
In all this is a must read for the summer and can’t wait for everyone to devour this book just like I did.
If you love:
Small town
Fake engagement
Grumpy/Sunshine
Neighbors to lovers
Plus size FMC
Single Mom x Single Guardian
Then this book is for u.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW
★★★★
I absolutely LOVED Clio. She's sunshine in human form, and I loved all the little things that made up her personality, from her bright colours to her hype girl playlist and the way she's always helping everyone in her community. Clio's been through a lot and has had to make some really difficult choices, but despite everything she's experienced, she still chooses to see the best in people and in life.
Noah's journey with Auggie was another part I really enjoyed. Even with everything going on with his brother, he steps up for Auggie and takes on a role he never expected to have. Watching him go from "I'll never fall in love" to having to rethink his entire future and learn how to be there for a child and the woman he loves was such an interesting part of his character development.
The push and pull between these two was SO much fun to watch. Give me all the sunshine x grumpy and "I hate you, but secretly I'm completely in love with you" energy. I loved seeing Noah care for Clio in all the little ways, especially when he would do things/take care of her behind the scenes without her even knowing. Those little moments said so much about how he actually felt about her.
I also really appreciated the more serious topics explored throughout the book. I love when romance books aren't afraid to tackle heavier subjects, and I thought it was great seeing such a diverse group of characters and getting to experience their different struggles. And of course, getting to see so many familiar faces from the interconnected series was such a treat!
The only thing that kept this book from being a 4.5 for me was the final stretch. There was A LOT packed into the last 20ish chapters, and while I didn't mind the darker or heavier themes themselves, there were so many major developments happening one after another that some moments felt a little rushed, and I wished they had more time to breathe.
That said, I still really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, especially Clio, and I had so much fun watching her and Noah navigate their relationship. The grump x sunshine dynamic, the emotional moments, the found-family/community feelings, and all the familiar faces made this an enjoyable read ❤
★★★★
I absolutely LOVED Clio. She's sunshine in human form, and I loved all the little things that made up her personality, from her bright colours to her hype girl playlist and the way she's always helping everyone in her community. Clio's been through a lot and has had to make some really difficult choices, but despite everything she's experienced, she still chooses to see the best in people and in life.
Noah's journey with Auggie was another part I really enjoyed. Even with everything going on with his brother, he steps up for Auggie and takes on a role he never expected to have. Watching him go from "I'll never fall in love" to having to rethink his entire future and learn how to be there for a child and the woman he loves was such an interesting part of his character development.
The push and pull between these two was SO much fun to watch. Give me all the sunshine x grumpy and "I hate you, but secretly I'm completely in love with you" energy. I loved seeing Noah care for Clio in all the little ways, especially when he would do things/take care of her behind the scenes without her even knowing. Those little moments said so much about how he actually felt about her.
I also really appreciated the more serious topics explored throughout the book. I love when romance books aren't afraid to tackle heavier subjects, and I thought it was great seeing such a diverse group of characters and getting to experience their different struggles. And of course, getting to see so many familiar faces from the interconnected series was such a treat!
The only thing that kept this book from being a 4.5 for me was the final stretch. There was A LOT packed into the last 20ish chapters, and while I didn't mind the darker or heavier themes themselves, there were so many major developments happening one after another that some moments felt a little rushed, and I wished they had more time to breathe.
That said, I still really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, especially Clio, and I had so much fun watching her and Noah navigate their relationship. The grump x sunshine dynamic, the emotional moments, the found-family/community feelings, and all the familiar faces made this an enjoyable read ❤
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review
Before We Break by Willa Kay
5⭐️
This was my first Willa Kay book and I’m so incredibly happy about that because this book was incredible! It had heart, emotion, love, heartache, trauma, devastating loss, and most of all, hope. I laughed, cried, blushed, screamed, and kicked my feet a million times while reading. I felt such a strong connection to each character because Willa created them with real personalities, flaws, emotions and depth. Although there is a HEA, this story was truly heartbreaking at times and wrecked my soul reading about everything that the characters went through.
Clio is such a strong, passionate, and determined woman who has built a life for her and her daughter despite the hardships, trauma, and loss. She radiates sunshine and joy as best as she can even though she’s hurting. She’s an amazing mom and her compassion and love brought tears to my eyes.
Noah is a troubled and cynical man due to his experience with addiction in his family, loss, and grief. This led him to building walls to protect his heart and keep everyone around him at arms length. Watching Clio, Lexi, and Auggie slowly crumble those walls and show Noah that he’s deserving of love and family was beautiful to see. I’m so glad he came to his senses in the end.
Overall, this book, although very heavy at times (which I loved), was such a wonderful read that made my heart physically ache and was so incredibly heartwarming. I would highly suggest reading it if the topics aren’t triggering for you!
☀️ Small town
☀️ Fake engagement
☀️ Plus size FMC
☀️ Single mom x single guardian
☀️ Tattoo artist x Preschool teacher
☀️ Grumpy x sunshine
☀️ Neighbors to lovers
☀️ Endometriosis rep
☀️ Deaf/Hard of hearing rep
🌶️ He takes care of her
🌶️ Toys are teammates
🌶️ He rides a motorcycle
🌶️ Mutual self pleasure
🌶️ Finishes in his pants
🌶️ He tastes her on his fingers
🌶️ He loves to eat
🌶️ Pegging
🌶️ “Just once”
🌶️ Face ride
🌶️ He washes her hair/body
🌶️ He rips her clothes
Thank you to Willa Kay for the gifted eARC!
Before We Break by Willa Kay
5⭐️
This was my first Willa Kay book and I’m so incredibly happy about that because this book was incredible! It had heart, emotion, love, heartache, trauma, devastating loss, and most of all, hope. I laughed, cried, blushed, screamed, and kicked my feet a million times while reading. I felt such a strong connection to each character because Willa created them with real personalities, flaws, emotions and depth. Although there is a HEA, this story was truly heartbreaking at times and wrecked my soul reading about everything that the characters went through.
Clio is such a strong, passionate, and determined woman who has built a life for her and her daughter despite the hardships, trauma, and loss. She radiates sunshine and joy as best as she can even though she’s hurting. She’s an amazing mom and her compassion and love brought tears to my eyes.
Noah is a troubled and cynical man due to his experience with addiction in his family, loss, and grief. This led him to building walls to protect his heart and keep everyone around him at arms length. Watching Clio, Lexi, and Auggie slowly crumble those walls and show Noah that he’s deserving of love and family was beautiful to see. I’m so glad he came to his senses in the end.
Overall, this book, although very heavy at times (which I loved), was such a wonderful read that made my heart physically ache and was so incredibly heartwarming. I would highly suggest reading it if the topics aren’t triggering for you!
☀️ Small town
☀️ Fake engagement
☀️ Plus size FMC
☀️ Single mom x single guardian
☀️ Tattoo artist x Preschool teacher
☀️ Grumpy x sunshine
☀️ Neighbors to lovers
☀️ Endometriosis rep
☀️ Deaf/Hard of hearing rep
🌶️ He takes care of her
🌶️ Toys are teammates
🌶️ He rides a motorcycle
🌶️ Mutual self pleasure
🌶️ Finishes in his pants
🌶️ He tastes her on his fingers
🌶️ He loves to eat
🌶️ Pegging
🌶️ “Just once”
🌶️ Face ride
🌶️ He washes her hair/body
🌶️ He rips her clothes
Thank you to Willa Kay for the gifted eARC!
September 14, 2026
Before We Break by Willa Kay
⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5)
I enjoyed Clio and Noah's small-town fake-engagement romance.
Clio is pure sunshine, but not in an obnoxious way. She will give Noah grief (see: every town meeting ever) and isn't naive to the darker side of life, having been a teen single mom and currently being in the throes of grieving her Aunt Penny. A lot of times, I feel like sunny characters are given optimism in place of intelligence or wisdom, but that isn't the case here. I love that Clio is plus-size without it being her entire personality; she still feels sexy and desired, which is important to show. And her relationship with her teen daughter, Lexi, stayed on the right side of being close and growing up together without sacrificing parenting for friendship.
I love me a grumpy, wounded man, and Noah certainly delivers. While he and Clio both had hard upbringings, his experiences hardened him, making him believe that love doesn't exist. I loved watching him change his mind as he slowly fell for Clio, revealing his hidden vulnerability. He supports not only Clio but also Lexi. There are some really beautiful scenes with Noah and Lexi that definitely had me tearing up. He is such a natural caregiver, doing his best for his nephew, Auggie, and helping Clio through flare-ups of her endometriosis.
The real scene-stealer was Auggie. He is the sweetest little preschooler and the heart of the story, bringing Clio and Noah together when Noah becomes his guardian. He is Deaf/HOH with cochlear implants, and while I can't speak to the authenticity of that aspect of his story, I appreciated the discussion around him being able to turn off his "ears" whenever he wants and the importance of learning ASL from a member of the Deaf community.
The heart and heat are balanced well, with some great banter thrown in. The emotional beats hit especially hard for me—be sure to check your trigger warnings!
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC.
⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5)
I enjoyed Clio and Noah's small-town fake-engagement romance.
Clio is pure sunshine, but not in an obnoxious way. She will give Noah grief (see: every town meeting ever) and isn't naive to the darker side of life, having been a teen single mom and currently being in the throes of grieving her Aunt Penny. A lot of times, I feel like sunny characters are given optimism in place of intelligence or wisdom, but that isn't the case here. I love that Clio is plus-size without it being her entire personality; she still feels sexy and desired, which is important to show. And her relationship with her teen daughter, Lexi, stayed on the right side of being close and growing up together without sacrificing parenting for friendship.
I love me a grumpy, wounded man, and Noah certainly delivers. While he and Clio both had hard upbringings, his experiences hardened him, making him believe that love doesn't exist. I loved watching him change his mind as he slowly fell for Clio, revealing his hidden vulnerability. He supports not only Clio but also Lexi. There are some really beautiful scenes with Noah and Lexi that definitely had me tearing up. He is such a natural caregiver, doing his best for his nephew, Auggie, and helping Clio through flare-ups of her endometriosis.
The real scene-stealer was Auggie. He is the sweetest little preschooler and the heart of the story, bringing Clio and Noah together when Noah becomes his guardian. He is Deaf/HOH with cochlear implants, and while I can't speak to the authenticity of that aspect of his story, I appreciated the discussion around him being able to turn off his "ears" whenever he wants and the importance of learning ASL from a member of the Deaf community.
The heart and heat are balanced well, with some great banter thrown in. The emotional beats hit especially hard for me—be sure to check your trigger warnings!
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC.
Review of advance copy
I am so happy I had de chance to recive this book as an ARC. I discovered Willa Kay early this year, and I can honestly say that she was one of the best discoveries I have made. I can't explain how much I love the way she writes and creates her characters.
I absolutely loved everything about this book (it's very hard for me not to like something Willa writes 😂), but I especially loved the way the relationship between the two main characters develops.
I also really loved the way Clio's relationship with her daughter is shown, and how, when her daughter needed her the most, Clio supported her without hesitation.
Clio is strong, bold, brave, and independent, and I think all of that comes through really well in the story. This book also deals with some very sensitive topics, and I really liked the way they were handled.
The side characters have really good stories too, and the way the whole town gets involved in everything is annoying and adorable at the same time. 😂
I also really love how Willa connects her characters and their stories with her previous books. The Willa Verse always gets me. 🥹💕
But I think one of the things I enjoyed the most about this book was everything it made me feel and think about.
This is a love story that made me cry and reflect at the same time. It made me think about how many times we have walked away from amazing things simply because we didn't feel capable or because we didn't think we deserved them.
And I think that is one of the biggest messages I take from this story: sometimes we are the ones building the walls that stop us from accepting the good things life has to offer.
And Noah… well, Noah really needed someone to remind him that he deserved to be loved too. That love is worth the risk, even when there is a chance that things might go wrong. Because loving someone, even when you know you might end up hurt, will always be an act of courage. 🥹
Willa Kay has a very special way of writing characters who are broken but keep trying. Characters who are scared, who make mistakes, and who have to learn how to let other people into their lives.
I absolutely loved everything about this book (it's very hard for me not to like something Willa writes 😂), but I especially loved the way the relationship between the two main characters develops.
I also really loved the way Clio's relationship with her daughter is shown, and how, when her daughter needed her the most, Clio supported her without hesitation.
Clio is strong, bold, brave, and independent, and I think all of that comes through really well in the story. This book also deals with some very sensitive topics, and I really liked the way they were handled.
The side characters have really good stories too, and the way the whole town gets involved in everything is annoying and adorable at the same time. 😂
I also really love how Willa connects her characters and their stories with her previous books. The Willa Verse always gets me. 🥹💕
But I think one of the things I enjoyed the most about this book was everything it made me feel and think about.
This is a love story that made me cry and reflect at the same time. It made me think about how many times we have walked away from amazing things simply because we didn't feel capable or because we didn't think we deserved them.
And I think that is one of the biggest messages I take from this story: sometimes we are the ones building the walls that stop us from accepting the good things life has to offer.
And Noah… well, Noah really needed someone to remind him that he deserved to be loved too. That love is worth the risk, even when there is a chance that things might go wrong. Because loving someone, even when you know you might end up hurt, will always be an act of courage. 🥹
Willa Kay has a very special way of writing characters who are broken but keep trying. Characters who are scared, who make mistakes, and who have to learn how to let other people into their lives.
Review of advance copy received from Author
WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE MY HEART HAS BEEN RIPPED OUT OF MY CHEST.
5 million/5 ⭐️
Ya'll. I read a lot of books. Like a lot. And it's not often that I find a book that makes me feel like this one did. I went through every single emotion known to mankind while reading. I couldn't put it down. And when I was finished I almost cried again because what do you mean it was over?
I'll be completely honest. Noah pissed me tf off in the beginning. To the point where I actually hated him. I kept thinking THIS is supposed to be our beloved MMC?! This man who is so damn rude?! There is absolutely no chance in hell. Then we get to know him. We get to see him with Auggie. Learn the discreet, yet really sweet and meaningful gestures he's been doing for Clio and you can't help fall in love with him.
And Clio. She is a girl after my own heart. She has put everyone over herself to make them happy that she forgot she was allowed to be happy too. I just wanted to give her the biggest hug every few pages 😢
And that third act breakup. Usually I hate them. I mean we all know there has to be SOMETHING that happens right? And normally it's all miscommunication and blah. But this. THIS!!! This was absolutely gut wrenching. I could literally feel my heart drop to my feet. But the makeup 🥵 oh the makeup was so worth it.
If you are looking for a book that will rip your heart out, fix it in front of you, then put it back in your chest...this is it. Willa, you did an amazing job with this book (honestly girl who hurt you and where can we find them. Asking for a friend 👀). I need more. So much more. Looks like I have another backlog to read through!
Thank you so much again for this ARC!
Happy Reading 🌻
5 million/5 ⭐️
Ya'll. I read a lot of books. Like a lot. And it's not often that I find a book that makes me feel like this one did. I went through every single emotion known to mankind while reading. I couldn't put it down. And when I was finished I almost cried again because what do you mean it was over?
I'll be completely honest. Noah pissed me tf off in the beginning. To the point where I actually hated him. I kept thinking THIS is supposed to be our beloved MMC?! This man who is so damn rude?! There is absolutely no chance in hell. Then we get to know him. We get to see him with Auggie. Learn the discreet, yet really sweet and meaningful gestures he's been doing for Clio and you can't help fall in love with him.
And Clio. She is a girl after my own heart. She has put everyone over herself to make them happy that she forgot she was allowed to be happy too. I just wanted to give her the biggest hug every few pages 😢
And that third act breakup. Usually I hate them. I mean we all know there has to be SOMETHING that happens right? And normally it's all miscommunication and blah. But this. THIS!!! This was absolutely gut wrenching. I could literally feel my heart drop to my feet. But the makeup 🥵 oh the makeup was so worth it.
If you are looking for a book that will rip your heart out, fix it in front of you, then put it back in your chest...this is it. Willa, you did an amazing job with this book (honestly girl who hurt you and where can we find them. Asking for a friend 👀). I need more. So much more. Looks like I have another backlog to read through!
Thank you so much again for this ARC!
Happy Reading 🌻
September 12, 2026
Thank you so much Willa for the ARC!
Wow what a book, I absolutely cannot recommend enough, if you love the grumpy sunshine trope this one’s for you, it’s the absolute epitome of the trope.
Clio is a Preschool Teacher and Single Mom to Lexi her 16 year old daughter and Noah is a Tattoo Artist, Single Guardian to his Nephew Auggie and Clio’s Grumpy Landlord. They agree to become fake fiancés to help each other out, but after a while it begins to feel not as fake as they once thought.
This book really pulled on my heartstrings, there was so many emotional moments throughout, both main characters had been through a lot in their lives and seeing them come together was so nice to see.
Clio is such a good FMC, she was so sweet, caring and incredibly selfless, even after everything the world had put her through she was still so incredibly positive, I loved her! And her bond with Auggie Noah’s Nephew was the cutest thing ever!
And Noah, what a man, the way he’d drop absolutely everything not only for Clio but for Lexi as well and he was an unbelievable support system to them both, even though he’d convinced him self he’d never be able to love someone, he loved them both from the start and you can tell from his actions alone!
If you read this book you’re also going to absolutely fall in love with auggie, he’s a cute, cheeky little boy with a heart of gold. And his bond not only with Clio but Lexi too was to die for, they were really both like each others siblings they never had.
The book also had both deaf representation, as Auggie was deaf and used cochlear implants, and endometriosis representation, as Clio suffers with endometriosis. I feel both topics were touched on really well and added real life issues into the story which really added depth to the characters.
Cannot recommend enough! 5 Stars⭐️
Wow what a book, I absolutely cannot recommend enough, if you love the grumpy sunshine trope this one’s for you, it’s the absolute epitome of the trope.
Clio is a Preschool Teacher and Single Mom to Lexi her 16 year old daughter and Noah is a Tattoo Artist, Single Guardian to his Nephew Auggie and Clio’s Grumpy Landlord. They agree to become fake fiancés to help each other out, but after a while it begins to feel not as fake as they once thought.
This book really pulled on my heartstrings, there was so many emotional moments throughout, both main characters had been through a lot in their lives and seeing them come together was so nice to see.
Clio is such a good FMC, she was so sweet, caring and incredibly selfless, even after everything the world had put her through she was still so incredibly positive, I loved her! And her bond with Auggie Noah’s Nephew was the cutest thing ever!
And Noah, what a man, the way he’d drop absolutely everything not only for Clio but for Lexi as well and he was an unbelievable support system to them both, even though he’d convinced him self he’d never be able to love someone, he loved them both from the start and you can tell from his actions alone!
If you read this book you’re also going to absolutely fall in love with auggie, he’s a cute, cheeky little boy with a heart of gold. And his bond not only with Clio but Lexi too was to die for, they were really both like each others siblings they never had.
The book also had both deaf representation, as Auggie was deaf and used cochlear implants, and endometriosis representation, as Clio suffers with endometriosis. I feel both topics were touched on really well and added real life issues into the story which really added depth to the characters.
Cannot recommend enough! 5 Stars⭐️
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