Shouldn't Have You

Fractured Connections, Book 2

By: Carrie Ann Ryan

Narrated by: Maxine Mitchell, Joe Arden

Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's Summary

I've been many things in my life: daughter, friend, student, lover, wife…and now, widow. Getting past those labels and finding who I could be without them was the hardest thing I've ever done.

Then I became friends with Brendon Connolly.

Every time I look at him, I see a past, I see a present, and I’m afraid if I look too hard, I’ll see a future.

~~~

I've known Harmony Wynham since before she got married. Before she lost everything. I didn’t know that one day she wouldn’t be just my friend but the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

Only I don't think that can happen.

Not when every time she looks at me, she sees what she lost, and I can only see what I can't overcome.

I love her, even though I shouldn't. Somehow, we need to find a balance.

Because if we don't, walking away will be the hardest thing I've ever done - even if it's the only thing I should do.

©2019 Carrie Ann Ryan (P)2019 Carrie Ann Ryan

Harmony and Brendon are beautiful.

Carrie Ann Ryan brings forth a stunning ode to dealing with grief and moving forward. Harmony and Brendon's struggles are something we all go through. Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell bring Brendon and Harmony to life.

Loved this Book!!

This story is the second of the series it is Brendon and Harmony’s book. This was a wonderful read! It’s a page turner and keeps the reader interested from beginning to end. Harmony is a widow of Brendon’s best friend Moyer and now him and Harmony are close friends. They depend on each other for many things just as friends often do. However they both deny what others have began to notice as of lately they don’t want to see each other as more than anything but friends. The story keeps you engaged and dying to know how everything will turn out for them and if they will give in or keep their distance. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!!

The narrators were amazing as well they were perfect for this story and did an excellent job!

Heartwarming story of two people finding their way

Harmony has had a rough go of it the last few years first with the accidental death of her husband, Moyer, and then with the suicide of one of her best friends, Allison, a few months earlier, it's time for things to start going her way, don't you think! Well, I for one do and I couldn't be happier with the person that helps her move on to happier times.

Brendon had a rough childhood but was adopted into a wonderful family with Jack and Rose as his loving parents, even though he was always ready for the worst to happen and he'd have to go back to living on the streets. Thankfully that never happened and now he is co-owners of the Connolly Brewery which was left to him and his brothers after Jack's passing.

This is a friends-to-lovers story but it is much more than that, it is a story about moving on after the loss of a spouse. I have to say that not only did Carrie Ann Ryan do a fantastic job with this story you can tell she put her whole heart into it. I can't even imagine how hard it must have been for her to write it especially after loosing her husband last year. My heart breaks just thinking about it. This story will pull at your heart strings with each journal entry and the way Harmony and Brendon both navigate their way around this new relationship that is forming between them. You may shed a few tears but I wouldn't consider this a tearjerker.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book which was released before the eBook and let me suggest if you are able to listen to it grab a copy from Amazon or Audible because the narrators, Maxine Mitchell and Joe Arden, did an amazing job with bringing this story to life.

Shouldn't Have You is the second book in the Fractured Connections Series and although each of the books can be read as a standalone I would highly suggest you read them in order because each of the these books have all the same key players in them it's just the stars of the books that are different. Happy Reading!!!

frustrating at best

I was completely frustrated with both main characters lack of initiative and length of time it took them to act on their feelings. They had two prime examples of how short life is in the loss of two people they loved, and still they wanted an act of congress before they acted on what was in their hearts????? I'm glad this isn't the usual for this author, because this really disheartened me with all the denials. Her body of work is much better than this. I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest review. The male narrator was great. but the female narrator seemed too peppy and upbeat for this subject and not a good fit.

enjoyed

I enjoyed this story but it felt like there was some of the story missing. Very well narrated.

This made me smile and feel good while listening

I really enjoyed this story. It made me laugh and smile. The whole situation would be tough to get over and move on. Luckily these two have an amazing group of friends/brothers to give them a little push. The characters really are what drew me into the story. Heartbreak followed by trust and self doubt. I enjoyed both Brendon and Harmony. The rest of the crew really makes me want to get the rest of this series. They are fun, loving and all have their own issues.

Overall this story made me feel good while listening. The characters made me laugh and care about them. Both of those are a recipe for me wanting more from this crew.

I did listen to this on audio. Maxine Mitchell and Joe Arden Rocked this story.

Love this!

This was a awesome story so much emotion and the narrators were perfect! Can’t wait for the next story.

Love, front and center.

I enjoyed this story of second chances and trying hard to move on. Harmony went on 2 blind dates. One worse than the other. Brendan had been close by on both accounts. Then they decided to take a chance on each other. It was awesome, until Brendan’s past threatened his future. It all worked out. I really and truly loved this story and this series. A definite recommendation from me.

Awesome book

Book 2 of Fractured Connections Series
This book begins right after the first book with Brandon and Harmony doing there friendship/dating dance.
Harmony is a widow and after her husband died she went on autopilot for a while but now she’s trying to date with little success.
Brendon was harmony’s husbands bff until one day at a traffic lights everything changed. He still struggles with what happened and after Harmony started dating Brendon has been struggling with his feelings.
This book has such heartbreaking moments especially between Harmony and Brendon after they get together and try find out what they mean to each other.
This is first honest book I’ve read about heartbreak from losing a spouse and bff.
I absolutely love this series and the narrators are amazing. I love the duo of male and female voice but would have loved if they had narrated together each taking separate male/female voice instead of each taking a chapter but still Carrie Ann Ryan really has great taste in narrators.
Can’t wait for more.

Deeply moving love story told by amazing narrators

I think the author did an amazing job writing Harmony and Brendon’s story. They go from friends to lovers so sweetly and gradually. I loved how they teased each other and the trust and friendship that grew between them. There’s some angst, but nothing too heavy despite the grief over losing Moyer that both Harmony and Brendon still struggle with. Those scenes especially made the characters seem so relatable, like genuine people and not perfect fictional beings. The long-awaited moment where Harmony and Brendon finally started to open up to each other and act on their feelings was as wonderful as I’d hoped for. She’d not like me for saying so, but I love Harmony’s inner strength.

The secondary characters, siblings and friends of the MC’s, are absolutely great. The whole gang is definitely growing on me, though Dillon is still by far my favorite, the youngest sure, but so insightful, levelheaded and utterly lovable, no doubt thanks to those romance novels he’s been reading!

Narration: Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell did a fantastic job with the narration. Loved their performance! Their voices and reading styles match really well together and for me, theirs just are the voices of the Carrie Ann Ryan universe. I hope they’ll do this entire series.

Amazing

This is such a beautiful story that deals with loss and the ways that we try to rebuild after that. The characters had me cheering them on from the first page hoping that they would get their happy ending. I’ve been lucky enough to listen to many of Carrie Ann Ryan’s books and they are just magnificent from start to finish and this one definitely carries along with that streak