5* review: Lonely Hearts, by Heidi Cullinan (Love Lessons #3)

Title: Lonely Hearts

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Publisher/GR Link: Samhain, GR

Genre: MM Contemporary

Vice: Abuse, Disability, New Adult

Rating: 5 Stars

Lock this book up: 4 keys.  The sex is smoking hot in here!

Length: Novel

Satisfaction: HEA

Cover Impressions: Really great, and fits in so nicely with the others.

Best Line: "I...love you.  I'm scared and I don't want to, not anybody, but I do.  Love you.  And I don't think I can stop."

Synopsis: With the quiet help of his wealthy family, Sebastian “Baz” Acker has successfully kept his painful past at bay. But as the end of college draws near, his friends—his buffer zone—are preparing to move on, while his own life is at a crippling standstill.With loneliness bearing down on him, Baz hooks up—then opens up—with Elijah Prince, the guy Baz took a bullet for last year. The aftershocks of their one-night stand leave giant cracks in Baz’s carefully constructed armor. For the first time, the prospect isn’t terrifying.

Accustomed to escaping his demons by withdrawing into his imagination, Elijah isn’t used to having a happy herd of friends. He’s even less comfortable as the object of a notorious playboy’s affections. Yet all signs seem to indicate this time happiness might be within his grasp. When Baz’s mother runs for a highly sought-after public office, the media hounds drag Baz’s and Elijah’s pasts into the light. In the blinding glare, Baz and Elijah face the ultimate test: discovering if they’re stronger together…or apart.

data-blogger-escaped-comment-EndFragment

Impressions: I have been a huge fan of Cullinan's for years, and I read and enjoyed book one when it first came out.  For some reason, I still had book 2 on my TBR pile when I had the opportunity to read her newest release.  I settled in and read book 2 back to back with book 3, and thanked the gods for summer vacation!

Though these books can be read as standalones, I definitely think you will get the most out of them by reading them in order, and with a good memory of the main events and characters in each. And really, reading these books is a joy, and far from a burden!

After finishing book 2, I was very eager for Elijah and Baz's story.  Baz is bigger than life in book 2, and it was wonderful to get a glimpse into his life and his struggles.  Elijah is so caustic and prickly in book 2, and I could not wait to see him fight himself, and the world, and ultimately get his well earned HEA.

This book moves along at a great pace, and all of our beloved characters from books 1 and 2 are back again.  This time there is the addition of a wonderful character and I loved seeing Elijah find something like a nurturing soul inside of him.  

One of the things that I really admired in this book was the brief visits we got into Elijah and Baz's past, but the focus of the book was on their present and future.  This could have been a book that spent half of its time in flashback, but it really worked that instead we got to see these two men finding themselves and each other.

This book is warm, romantic and very sexy.  Don't miss out on books 1 and 2, and then jump right into 3.  If you've already read books 1 and 2, then I am sure nothing is keeping you from one-clicking this one ASAP!

Highly recommended.

Banned in Boston: 5 star read- Carry the Ocean

Title: Carry the Ocean

Author: Heidi Cullinan

Publisher/GR Link: Samhain, GR

Genre: MM Contemporary

Vice: Autism, Emotional issues, disability

Rating: 5 AMAZING stars

Lock this book up: 3 keys.  Sex is a supporter to the love

Length: Novel

Satisfaction: HEA/HFN

Cover Impressions: Love it

Best Line: "Like I said, I'm awesome.  I'm Emett David Washington. Train man."

Synopsis:  Normal is just a setting on the dryer.  High school graduate Jeremey Samson is looking forward to burying his head under the covers and sleeping until it’s time to leave for college. Then a tornado named Emmet Washington enters his life. The double major in math and computer science is handsome, forward, wicked smart, interested in dating Jeremey—and he’s autistic.

But Jeremey doesn’t judge him for that. He’s too busy judging himself, as are his parents, who don’t believe in things like clinical depression. When his untreated illness reaches a critical breaking point, Emmet is the white knight who rescues him and brings him along as a roommate to The Roosevelt, a quirky new assisted living facility nearby.

As Jeremey finds his feet at The Roosevelt, Emmet slowly begins to believe he can be loved for the man he is behind the autism. But before he can trust enough to fall head over heels, he must trust his own conviction that friendship is a healing force, and love can overcome any obstacle.

Impressions:  I have always loved Heidi Cullinan's work.  I have been impressed by her nuanced characters who grow and adapt to their realities with grace and a  strength that I always admire.  So, when I saw this book, I knew I would read it, but I never knew I could love it so much.

These boys are amazing, and they will break your heart and open your eyes and mind.  I cannot believe how much this book made me feel and learn, and I loved every second.  My sister has a mild form as Aspergers, and I love her like crazy.  She is very successful and intelligent, but she struggles with many things that Emett does as well.  Though I know about her issues, it can be hard to be faced with them, and hard to be on the receiving end of them.  Reading about Emett made me realize how much my sister struggles on a daily basis. There is knowing, and then there is being cognizant, and this book helped to remind me of the struggles and strength it takes her to just "be" some days.  

This novel is simply beautiful.  I felt my heart go out to these two men, and I was so awed by their strength and growth.  I rooted for them with each step that they take.  Cullinan's views on Depressive and Anxiety disorders are also poignant, informative, and emotional.  Never does Cullinan let us pity these people, but instead she lets us into their hearts and minds so we can feel their strength and share in their growth.

There are so many things I can say about this book, but its truly a work of art, and I encourage everyone to move it to the top of their TBR pile.

I have to say, I usually stick to MM for my recreational reading, and when I heard the next book in the series was not MM, I figured I'd just stick to the ones that are.  I can say there is NO way that I will miss the next book, or any book, in this series.  I'm already half in love with the MC of book #2, and frankly I'd read the telephone book if Emett and Jeremey made guest appearances!

Pre Order NOW! Eastern Cowboy

Title: Eastern Cowboy

Author: Andrew Grey

Publisher/GR Link: Dreamspinner (Preorder) GR

Genre: MM Contemporary Western

Vice: Disablity, Speech Problems, Strong and Silent Types, Cowboys

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Lock this book up: 3 out of 5 keys.  The sex is hot, romantic, and matches the plot

Length: Novel

Satisfaction: HEA

Cover Impressions: I like it, and it suits the story

Best Line:  "He wasn't sure what Tanner was saying, but it didn't matter.  He was being held tight, and that was what counted."

Synopsis: Brighton McKenzie inherited one of the last pieces of farmland in suburban Baltimore. It has been in his family since Maryland was a colony, though it has lain fallow for years. Selling it for development would be easy, but Brighton wants to honor his grandfather's wishes and work it again. Unfortunately, an accident left him relying on a cane, so he’ll need help. Tanner Houghton used to work on a ranch in Montana until a vengeful ex got him fired because of his sexuality. He comes to Maryland at the invitation of his cousin and is thrilled to have a chance to get back to the kind of work he loves.

Brighton is instantly drawn to the intensely handsome and huge Tanner—he’s everything Brighton likes in a man, though he holds back because Tanner is an employee, and because he can’t understand why a man as virile as Tanner would be interested in him. But that isn’t the worst of their problems. They have to face the machinations of Brighton's aunt, Tanner’s ex suddenly wanting him back, and the need to find a way to make the farm financially viable before they lose Brighton’s family legacy.

Impressions: I have always been a fan of Mr. Grey's work, though I still have several left on my TBR pile, but I am so glad that I moved this one to the top of the pile!

Grey does a great job of creating realistic, moving characters, and Tanner and Brighton are two of my favorites.  I love a wounded hero, and this book has two in one!  Brighton, self conscious of his scars and afraid no one can want him meets Tanner, huge, strong, and caught up in his own fears that his stutter is a sign of his intelligence.   These two men, so convinced of their own flaws learn to love each other, even before they can love themselves.

This story was like wrapping myself in a comfy robe and settling in with a warm cup of cocoa.  It was sweet, sexy, and touching.  There is enough angst to make the relationship one that I cared about, but this isn't a read that will break you apart.  Rather, it will remind you that when we feel broken, there are always those around us who see us as perfect for them.  

If, like me, your TBR pile is quickly outpacing your eyes, make sure you still keep this one on the top.  When you need some warm fuzzies, grab this one and settle in.

This book is available for preorder, so grab it now!