Unbreak My Heart (Fostering Love #1) by Nicole Jacquelyn

Pages: 368
Release Date: 7th June 2016
Publisher: Forever
Series: Unbreak My Heart by Nicole Jacquelyn
Other books in series: Change of heart
Buy: Amazon
Add: Goodreads

Synopsis...
If you're Kate Evans, you keep your friend Rachel, bond with her kids, and bury your feelings for her husband. The fact that Shane's in the military and away for long periods helps—but when tragedy strikes, everything changes.

After Rachel, pregnant with her fourth child, dies in a car accident and the baby miraculously survives, Kate upends her entire life to share parenting duties. Then on the first anniversary of Rachel's death, Kate and Shane take comfort in each other in a night that they both soon regret.

Shane's been angry for a year, and now he feels guilty too—for sleeping with his wife's best friend and liking it... liking her. Kate's ability to read him like a book may have once sent Shane running, but their lives are forever entwined and they are growing closer.

Now with Shane deployed for seven months, Kate is on her own and struggling with being a single parent. Shane is loving and supportive from thousands of miles away, but his homecoming brings a betrayal Kate never saw coming. So Kate's only choice is to fight for the future she deserves—with or without Shane...

My Thoughts

Where do I start? Nicole Jacquelyn really knows how to tug on your heart strings! So we start with the Kate, a singer and the heroine in the book who is best friends with Rachel, Shane's wife. We get a little flashback at the beginning of the book of the dynamic between Shane and his wife Rachel, and and it is then you can sense the disdain Shane has towards Kate. This leads to a love-hate relationship which we later find out is a result of the frustration of having a forbidden attraction towards her . Nevertheless, this does not affect Rachel and Kate's friendship.You sense Rachel feels in debt and a whole lot of gratitude towards Kate and her secret that she is keeping from Shane which is revealed later in the story leads you to understand why.

When Rachel passes away Kate decides to take up full responsibility of Shane's four kids especially with Shane going on deployment. I absolutely loved Kate's character who took big sacrifices in order to look after children who are not her own, who is also kind, forgiving, and nurturing. Personally I felt she was almost too forgiving and felt that she should of let Shane suffer longer for how he mistreated her and who questioned her good intentions.

"Where are my children?" she asked, her eyes foggy from medication.

 "They're in Calif --"

Her arms tightened around out daughter as if she was afraid I was going to snatch her away.

"Get out."

"Katebear, I'm so sorry."

"I hate you," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears, "1 wish you were dead because then I can have my children back."

I stumbled away from the bed horrified, and watched as she fell asleep as if I'd never been there.

Jesus Christ, what have I done?

.*SNIFF SNIFF* . This hospital scene really got to me and was literally the release  of emotions from previous events as it is the first time Shane really understands the damage he has done on his relationship with Kate and her trust.

I know I am really making Shane sound like a A hole but honestly that was how I felt for some parts of the book, but then he goes on a path of redemption and you can't help but think that Shane and Kate are meant for each other.

'I'd pushed her aside for so long that there was no foundation to build on. Just a mess of shattered pieces that I'd crushed with a sledgehammer every time she'd grown closer than I was comfortable with.'

You cannot help but love Shane's character as you see the changes he makes even though it was difficult for him at the start. Despite his bad choices and actions you can't help but empathise with him as he is a father unable to spend much time with his children because of his military duties,  ultimately leading him feeling jealous of Kaye's relationship with his kids which he seems to have lost after Rachel had died.

'I wanted to be nothing. I wanted to find my blank spot and stay there so my chest didn't feel like it was breaking open each time I inhaled.'

 GOD.. this book was an emotional , gut wrenching roller coaster, and I often found myself wanting to cry, swoon , and shout in frustration all at the same time. The strong emotional connection which both the heroine and hero have leads you to forget the negatives and the past struggles their relationship has had and you end up hoping that there relationship survives through the hurdles.

I have been looking for ages for books that would move me, make me feel what the character is feeling as I read every word and this book did definitely not disappoint. Jacquelyn's writing is just so beautiful and well crafted, She knows just the write words to use to make you feel like you are constantly at your edge of your seat, anticipating what will happen next - I read this book in one sitting and I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND YOU READ THIS if you like books with slow burn, second chance romance and a happily ever after.

My rating:

**5 Stars**