Review: If You Were Mine by Carrie Ann Ryan
The Cage Family series has been hitting all the right notes for me, and If You Were Mine might be my favorite installment yet. Carrie Ann Ryan leans hard into emotional healing, found family, and the messy, tender work of choosing someone even when the past keeps trying to anchor you in place. And she does it with two characters who absolutely shine on their own and set each other on fire when they’re together.
Harper and Dorian: A Pair Built from Loss, Loyalty, and Longing
From the very first chapter, it’s clear Harper and Dorian have been orbiting each other for years. Their connection isn’t sudden—it’s been simmering beneath layers of grief, guilt, and circumstances neither of them chose.
A tragic accident shattered both their worlds: Harper lost her brother, and Dorian lost his best friend. He walked away with scars and secrets. She walked away with a grief she’s been carrying alone. And both of them have spent the past year patching themselves together in private ways.
What works so well here is how Carrie Ann Ryan doesn’t rush their healing or their romance. This isn’t insta-love; it’s a slow, careful unearthing of feelings they both tried to bury.
Harper quickly became one of my favorite FMCs in the series. She’s sunshine with an attitude—sweet, bold, and unafraid to challenge Dorian when he tries to hide behind his shadows. Her resilience and quiet strength ground the entire story.
Dorian, meanwhile, is every inch the tortured hero—scarred in every sense, weighed down by promises he made and secrets he’s kept far too long. He’s grumpy, closed-off, loyal to a fault… and completely undone by Harper. And it’s beautiful.
The Vibes: Age Gap, Best Friend’s Little Sister, Forced Proximity, One Bed
Carrie Ann Ryan layers tropes like a pro without losing emotional authenticity.
Expect:
• One bed
• Age gap with real emotional weight
• Best friend’s little sister with the perfect level of “oh no, we can’t do this” tension
• Small-town meddling
• Friends-to-lovers energy baked in from years of history
• A tortured hero who desperately needs someone to fight for him
The romance sits in that sweet spot of low-spice but high-tension. It works. The emotional intimacy carries this book.
The Cage Siblings Continue to Deliver
One of my favorite parts of this series is how the siblings’ dynamic is baked into every page. Their group chats, their commentary, their fierce loyalty—they bring the humor, the grounding, and the heart. This family was exploded by secrets after their father’s death, but watching them rebuild and make space for new relationships continues to be one of the best elements of the series.
Their support of Harper and Dorian is messy, chaotic, and exactly what they need.
Themes That Hit Hard
Ryan does an incredible job weaving:
• Grief
• Guilt
• Found family
• Emotional rebuilding
• Personal forgiveness
• And the bravery of choosing love after trauma
Both Harper and Dorian are carrying wounds that don’t magically disappear. They talk, they fall apart, they get back up, and they choose each other. It’s honest and human, and that’s why the HEA hits as hard as it does.
A Fast, Easy Flow That Makes This a Slump Buster
This book reads quickly without ever feeling shallow. The pacing is crisp, the emotional beats land cleanly, and the connection between Harper and Dorian anchors the whole story. It’s comfort reading with depth—and sometimes that’s exactly what you want.
Final Thoughts:
If You Were Mine delivers all the emotional payoff I crave in a best friend’s little sister romance. The age gap adds stakes, the history adds gravity, and the chemistry adds spark. This book gave me everything I wanted: banter, yearning, heartache, healing, a cute dog, and a couple who truly brings out the best in each other.
Carrie Ann Ryan continues to build a small-town world I want to keep revisiting, and I cannot wait to see which Cage sibling falls next.
5 stars from me—an absolute standout in the series.
