If You Were Mine

The Cage Family, Book 3

De: Carrie Ann Ryan

Narrado por: Ryan West, Callie Dalton

The last words I said to my best friend were “I trust you”. Then the world went dark, and I nearly lost everything.

While my best friend’s little sister lost even more.

I promised him that I’d take care of her—but if he knew my current thoughts when it came to Harper, he’d have never trusted me.

She’s too young for me. Too bright to my shadows. And too tempting.

Now I’m stuck in our small town, and I can’t escape her. I’d rather hide in my cabin, restoring what was once lost. Only Harper won’t let me.

I’ve already held onto more secrets than my family knows. I don’t know if I can keep what I feel about her secret too.

She sees beyond my scars and anger, and I know she hides her own just as tightly.

When one kiss changes everything, there’s no going back—even if it shatters everything in our wake.

**If You Were Mine is an age gap, best friend’s little sister, tortured hero, small town romance featuring Dorian and Harper. Each book can be listened to as a complete standalone. An HEA is guaranteed!**

©2025 Carrie Ann Ryan (P)2025 Carrie Ann Ryan

Amazing best friend’s little sister romance

I received this as an arc/alc from the author and I’m voluntarily leaving my honest review.

This was an amazing best friend’s little sister romance. It was as always by this author an extremely well written book that really packed an emotional punch starting right from the beginning. I loved everything about this story from the all the characters, the setting and of course the steam. Dorian and Harper were such a great match, they had such incredible chemistry. I also loved how this story set up the next book, I for one can’t wait to read Hudson’s story.

Audiobook review: I liked listening to this story but it was my favorite narration ever. The female narrator did a great job portraying Harper’s vulnerability and also her strength. I didn’t like the male narrator as much. But when the story was as amazing as it was I was able to get over the narration not being my favorite.

great

I enjoyed this. I found it was good and that Carrie Ann knows how to write a great story. Totally with reading. I will be reading this again that is for sure. I really did enjoy it.

... the ultimate heartbreaker.

Emotion runs deep while temptation burns bright. Dorian and Harper are at the center of the ultimate heartbreaker. If You Were Mine, dives into an abyss of longing. From the pain of loss to the fire of attraction, Ryan pushes the senses to the limit. The soul bleeds and the heart melts.

Emotional and touching

If You Were Mine by Carrie Ann Ryan is the next book in The Cage Family series and gives us Dorian’s story. This can be read as a standalone, however, I highly recommend the entire series so far. This is a small-town romance with age-gap, best friend’s little sister, and tortured hero that was emotional and touching. Dorian and Joshua are best friend and have always been there for each other. When tragedy strikes, Dorian and Harper are left with grief and so much loss.

A year later, they are still trying to find their new normal and work through their grief. Dorian had always promised to look after Harper, but he has been dealing with his own healing and grief. Now he is back home and they are drawn to each other, however, they are each dealing with their loss in their own way. I loved how protective he could be and how caring she was. But Dorian has secrets that hold him back.

I also loved how the Cage family is still trying to find their way together and their witty back and forth. They are really coming together and I loved how they were there for Dorian and Harper. Their journey was not easy, but their connection and chemistry was undeniable. I loved this story and highly recommend it.

Happy reading!

4.5 stars!

The prologue alone already had me in my feels! Harper Wellesley lost her brother in a tragic airplane accident that left Dorian Cage injured. Dorian was her brother's best friend. Dorian felt so protective of Harper, having promised her brother that he would take care of her. So when the attraction he felt toward Harper started to amp up, he felt all kinds of guilty. But, I feel like the only way they could get through the grief was to surround themselves with each other and the ever-complex Cage family. Then the author delivers a plot twist. Of course she did! Didn't expect that at all! Yet, it made sense why Dorian was so determined to refurbish the house that was left only to him, and why later on, he was willing to let it all go.

Callie Dalton and Ryan West were amazing narrators. The characters and their personalities really shone through their voices.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this review.

Loved!

Dorian and Harper's story is about a tragic loss, a promise to his best friend and an unexpected love that grew from that promise. Harper has always crushed on Dorian but since she was his best friend's younger sister, Dorian kept his feelings for Harper hidden. Now that his best friend is gone, will the guilt of falling for Harper be too much for Dorian and Harper to have a HEA.

I absolutely loved Doran and Harper and how their relationship grew. Great narration by Ryan West and Callie Dalton.

I Wish He Were Mine

If You Were Mine is book 3 in the Cage Family series and follows Dorian as he falls in love with his best friend's little sister, Harper.

Dorian is his mother's favorite son. But it comes with a price. Only one other person knows the secret he has kept for years, and he is now gone. So when he ends up at Cage Lake everyone is surprised. Especially when he starts fixing up an old home. Why?

Harper is the local baker for Cage Lake. She has built up her business on her own. Yes, the Cages helped her get started but she has worked hard to pay back the loan. She has had a crush on Dorian since she was a teenager. Her brother, and Dorian's best friend, has never warned her off of him, nor has he ever warned Dorian off of Harper. But he is her brother's best friend.

When the family shows up in Cage Lake for one of their monthly family dinners that is required by their father's will, everyone is chatty. Everyone wants to know how Dorian is doing since the accident. He is obviously rebuilding his strength, but if they only knew the demons he was battling.

Even with family around, Dorian and Harper find time to spend together. They are growing closer and their chemistry is off the charts. But she is his best friend's little sister. And she is eight years younger than him. He should not be having feelings for her.

But when mother nature threatens to tear these two apart, will these two survive another devastating blow?

This story is an emotional one. There is heartbreak beyond belief. There is love. There are secrets that never should have existed. But what it all comes down to is family. Dorian's family will be there for him always. And for Harper too. They have all thought of her as their little sister for years, so now she really is their little sister.

It was such a nice change of pace to listen to Callie Dalton and Ryan West in my ears. It seems like I have been listening to the same narrator over and over, so I truly enjoyed new voices in my ears. Both of these narrators are easy to listen to and become their characters. Truly enjoyed this audiobook.

Lots of emotions!

This started with a tragedy, completely heartbreaking 😢. Dorian went through
h%%l, literally, surviving a plane crash while losing his best friend. He’s bitter,
hurt - both physically & emotionally, and just a shell of himself. When he escapes to Cage Lake to be by himself, he starts spending time with Harper, whose brother was the one who died. There’s lots to get through…secrets, brutal emotions, and love. And Lucky! Her awesome golden retriever. I very much enjoy this very large family. Also, I loved listening to Ryan West as Dorian. He’s got such personality. Callie Dalton also does a great job

Absolutely loved it!

I really enjoyed this one! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention the entire time. I loved getting to see Dorian and Harper come together and figure things out. It is a great forced proximity, best friend's little sister story and one that comes after they have both lost and are grieving. Dorian is the lone survivor from the plane crash that his best friend was piloting. Dorian had feelings for Harper prior to but had never made a move due to their age gap and her being the little sister to his best friend. He promised to take care of her and so when he escapes to family's small town to continue his recovery from the crash, he checks in on her. This story definitely has it's layers with the mutual grief between the two of them and trying to heal as well as the rest of the connections and things going on. Dorian is dealing with all of the repercussions of the plane crash and all the aftermath of it and being the lone survivor. This one doesn't pick up right after the crash but it is still a big part of the story. I really enjoyed seeing these two come together and support each other and in that process finding their happy ending! This story flowed so well and easily and was a smooth read. I loved it and really loved these two characters and can't wait to see what's coming next for the rest of the Cage family.
The narrators did a fantastic job with the story and characters and bringing them to life.

I enjoyed Dorian & Harper’s journey!

I’m loving learning about these Cages! But Dorian and Harper have had a major tragedy in their lives. They are each moving forward in life, but they have been impacted in different ways. They were a good fit for one another. I loved watching them fall! I loved how the narrators brought the story to life. They were easy to listen to and I was very quickly sucked into the story. Do yourself a favor and grab this book!