Summary

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes a bittersweet romance about the power of love in the face of heartbreak and loss.

Brooke Turner has always had a complicated relationship with her father. But when his health takes a turn for the worse, she drops everything to care for him. He’s her dad, after all, and he needs her. What Brooke doesn’t anticipate is the unraveling of her long-term relationship and a cross-country move to San Diego’s Little Italy.

Luca D’Angelo is the oldest of three children and a single father to a young daughter. When his mother rents the top floor of their house to Brooke, he’s angry. Who is this beautiful stranger with no ties to the neighborhood? Can she be trusted in such close proximity to his family?

As Luca learns of Brooke’s difficult journey with her ailing father, his heart softens. And Brooke, who witnesses Luca’s struggle as a single parent, develops feelings for him, too. But when it all falls apart, will love heal their wounded hearts?

Review

When It All Fall Apart, is the first book of two in The D’Angelos series by Catherine Bybee. This book will takes us through the journey of Brook and Luca.

If you never have had to be in Brooke’s shoes, than you will never understand the weight on your shoulders to make decisions for a parent that has fallen ill. Depending on the relationship you have, it can either be wonderful or in Brooke’s case, a struggle. She didn’t know her father until she was a teenager. He can be challenging at times and with no one other than her, she is left to care for all his needs. Despite their complicated relationship, all they have is each other. After experiencing this latest turn in his health, Brooke decides the best option for them both would be to relate across the country to San Diego.

Things start to look up for Brook when she is offered a place to rent with the D’Angelo family. It gives her a chance to get settled in and be available to help her father. Everything seems to be going well until Luca D’Angelo sees this stranger living with his family and has reservations about trusting her. With assurance from his mother, he eases back and slowly gives her a chance.

As Luca warms up to Brooke and learns about her struggles with her father, he becomes less rigid. As she witnesses his own struggle as being a single dad, their walls begin fall and they find comfort with one another.

When Luca’s past comes and challenges their present, we watch their journey get tested and see if their love is strong enough to keep them whole.

I loved everything about this book. I didn’t want to put it down. There is something special about books surrounding strong families that pull you in and keep you close. You get love, a great family and forgiveness to give it great depth.

Dealing with aging parents is such a sensitive subject that can be complicated. I loved how Catherine captured how so many people feel. That decision to put a parent in a home comes with many emotions depending on the relationship. The relationship between Brooke and her dad was already complicated but the added layer of this new transition in life and the affects emotionally and physically really grab at you.

Beyond that aspect of the book, there are so many of laugh out loud moments with her dad. He has such a great sense of humor. Much attributed to his age with that I don’t care mentality really made me smile.

The fierce loyalty of the D’Angelo family just made you want to be a part of their family. All of them brought collectively something special to the book that complimented the storyline and made you want to not book put the book down. I really just want to pull up a chair and have Sunday dinner with them.

The next book, Be Your Everything will share the journey with Chloe and Dante. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with these two. This is the pair that was wished upon for their destiny when they were young from their mothers so they better live up to it. Here’s another series to add to that list.

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