Review: If You Were Mine (The Cage Family #3) by Carrie Ann Ryan

If You Were Mine is an age gap, best friend’s little sister, tortured hero, small town romance featuring Dorian and Harper.

IF YOU WERE MINE (Cage Family Book 3) IS LIVE!
https://geni.us/IfYouWereMine

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.

MY REVIEW

Since the accident that took Harper's brother's life, and left his best friend, Dorian, seriously injured, Harper has been grieving. Not just for her brother, but for Dorian too, because he's distanced himself from everyone. She had thought they could lean on each other during this time, but it's not to be when he's not even around. Still, life is...moving on. She has her friends and her bakery, and she's trucking along. Then Dorian finally comes back to town. Except he's still not really present. He's fixing up his house, and he's brooding, and trying to recover from his injuries. Thank God Cages unite to get him out of his head, and living again. Now he just has to honor his promise to his best friend - and go be there for his sister, Harper.

Dorian hasn't forgiven himself for the accident, even though it wasn't his fault. He broke his promise to his best friend, but now that he's back, he's going to make good on it - take care of Harper, and try remember she's off limits, now more than ever. His family's here, he'll try to get to know his newer siblings even better, and keep his secret from coming out. There's no way he can fall in love right now, and definitely not with Harper, his best friend's little sister - sweet, too young for him Harper.

Brother's best friend with a twist, angst, pain and guilt, but lots of love to balance out all the heartbreaking emotions. Dorian and Harper go through it all, and while doing so finally let go and open up to each other. Once they do that, the freedom from all the pain allows them to heal and allow the love that had been building since that kiss. They grieve their brother and best friend, come to terms with him being gone, and celebrate that they have each other all while knowing Joshua will always be with them in their hearts. The Cage family has such an intense backstory with their father's indiscretions giving them even more siblings to blend into their family, thus even more chances for more support and of course, the fun, snarky shenanigans that all siblings have. I can't wait for the next sibling to fall in love now.