As promised for my March 5th post, today I’m reviewing Their Shattered Hearts by Angie Cole, book one in the Cardinal Creek series, a contemporary romance.
Title: Their Shattered Hearts
Series: Cardinal Creek, book one
Author: Angie Cole
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 1, 2024
Blurb: A story of love, loss, and redemption unfolds in the rustic charm of Cardinal Creek, Texas. Will Deluca, a stoic firefighter and ranch owner, bears the weight of his wife’s untimely demise. His world once filled with warmth, now echoes with the silent grief of his two children and the unyielding Texas plains.
Enter Anna Samuels, a heart that’s seen its share of sorrow. Leaving Missouri’s memories behind, she hopes to find solace and new beginnings in the small Texas town. As a dedicated palliative care nurse, she embarks on a mission to bring comfort to families grappling with illness. Destiny leads her to Rockin’ D Ranch, where her path crosses with Will, a man whose rugged charm and piercing blue eyes hide a world of pain.
Amidst the rolling hills of Cardinal Creek, Will and Anna find their lives intricately entwined, linked by a forgotten encounter from their youth. Anna’s arrival sparks a glimmer of hope in Will’s heart, inspiring him to fulfill a promise to his late wife: to create a sanctuary for children with autism. Together, they begin to weave dreams of a brighter future.
But shadows linger in the corners of their newfound happiness. Anna grapples with a dark secret that threatens to destroy the life she has built in Cardinal Creek. As Will confronts his own fears, he risks losing the one person who could help him heal. In the face of adversity, will they find the strength to conquer their demons and embrace a second chance at love?
In “Their Shattered Hearts” fate, passion, and dark secrets collide. Join Will and Anna as they journey through the complexities of the heart, learning that sometimes, the path to happiness is paved with the courage to face the ghosts of the past.
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This book deals with grief since everyone in the book, from the hero and heroine to best friends and siblings, is facing the death of someone they love. It’s a heavy story, but there are wonderful moments of happiness.
Anna knows grief, having lost her parents in a horrible accident at a tender age. Then she loses her grandfather, the last of her living kin. Moving seems to be the best option to start anew now that she finds herself alone in the world, except for her best friend and her best friend’s mother, people she thinks of as her new surrogate family.
Will lost his wife in a car accident. He’s left to raise their two children, but trying to see beyond his grief is impossible. Unaware of the others who are missing Shelley (her best friend who happens to be Will’s sister, his brother Jon, their mother, and their children), Will is enclosed inside of himself, unable to reach out to anyone, and if he does, it’s in anger or hot-headed accusations.
I will admit it took me a bit to warm up to Will. I get that he’s suffering horribly, but he seems to think all the women in town want him for some strange reason, and he’s oblivious to everyone, even his own children. Grief can affect us all differently, and his pain makes him helpless.
As for Anna, she is hoping a geographic relocation will be the cure to escape her misery. I liked how the author chose various coping mechanisms for the many characters in the novel. Will’s daughter is being “helpful” which happens during these types of situations. His brother is drowning in drink. His sister is buried in work. Only his mother is the voice of reason.
Some might find the novel depressing, but I didn’t. I was curious how the author would handle this, and she did a great job of taking the characters from their black pit of pain to trying to reach for a straw of hope. The setting was perfect for the novel, taking place in Cardinal Creek, a small town where everyone knows everyone.
There is even a subplot with a horny doctor on the make, causing all kinds of trouble for everyone.
At four hundred pages, it’s long, and I think this could have been cut down to three hundred since I found Will and Anna having the same argument throughout the story. I think two good spats could have driven home the problems they faced.
Still, with that quibble aside, it’s a wonderful read of faith, hope, and love. I’m glad it’s a series because at the end I still wasn’t convinced Will had managed to put aside his jealousy. I think it’s something he’ll have to work on for the rest of his life.
It’s a great start to the series since the next book is about two other characters from this novel. I recommend you give it a read. Yes, it’s long, but the author handles a horrendous situation with tenderness and care, and even a good slap of reality. Do yourself a favour and get a copy.
Maggie Blackbird 