Regret (Twisted Hearts Duet, Book #2) by Max Henry

BLURB

Four simple rules when you’re a woman in denial:

1. Don’t stalk your father’s best friend online.
2. Don’t talk to him via Messenger.
3. Definitely don’t go to his house.
4. And whatever you do, don’t tell him you’re still in love.

I’ve never been one for doing what I’m told.

MY REVIEW

Regret, book two of Max Henry’s Twisted Hearts contemporary romance duet ~ like book one, it is loaded with emotion, heartache & angst, “language” & lust filled romance-- it will be over all to soon, you will not be able to put this book down.  Three years later, this story really turns a corner into a coming of age romance for youngish & older-ish alike~ "...a lot about life. About how suck arse it can be, and how against the odds, you can come back chin high and show the world who the f*ck you are."  The reality of how different relationships can be when you know how good you had it once upon a time, shine through. "You can't force love, and you also can't make do with second best."  Regret is always close by as Belle & Zeus consider decisions made seemingly a lifetime ago.  

 

On a mission to make a fresh start, to secure their own independent futures, the attraction between Belle & Zeus continues to be tangible – "Three years overseas, and the effect that man has on me didn't lessen in the slightest. If anything it's grown worse."  So very sexy –  Thriving in adulthood "I found my passion, and just like Zeus wanted me to, I found myself. My work is everything. Without it I'm a lost girl lusting after things she can't have all over again." & overcoming perceptions of who these two characters should be.  Friendships are reclaimed & tested, only to be found again through new allies.  You will be blown away by family secrets, you won't see coming - seriously surprising!  Wisdom in "You can't change what's been." I learnt that early on. "Only move forward."

 

I love how these characters evolved from book one to book two, that it was natural & genuine.  I couldn’t get enough of Belle & loved the journey she took finding herself.  And of course Zeus with an "...undying need to protect those he loves." 

I loved this duet of “...a love that never died.”

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Desire (Twisted Hearts Duet, book 1) by Max Henry

Synopsis 

Four simple rules when you’re a man on parole: 

1. Don’t lust after your best friend’s daughter. 

2. Don’t get into a physical fight over her. 

3. Definitely don’t f*ck her. 

4. And whatever you do, don’t fall in love. 

I have a bad habit of breaking rules.

My Review

Desire, book one of Max Henry’s “super angsty & taboo” Twisted Hearts contemporary romance duet will leave you ready for more.  Loaded with angst, “language” & some of the most lust filled romance-- you will not be able to put this book down.  This story really does have it all “Love, relationships, heartache, and suffering…” Realities of adulthood are realized “School’s out motherf*ckers- welcome to adulthood. Where mistakes are made, and dreams are shattered. Living the dream.”  Friendships are tried & torn apart “What the f*ck happened to Thelma and Louise? Seems Thelma found Brad Pitt is what.” only to be found again in those you’d least suspect.  Family bonds are tested & secrets, lies & betrayals are revealed in a surprising twist.  Mutual attraction – doesn’t even touch what these characters feel for one another “She was built to lie with me, and I was built to love her.”  Drawn together by the way “…you were the only one I saw. The only one who saw me, too.”  So incredibly sexy – “You taste like the best kind of sin, dove.”  Tormented by forbidden desires “…the warm kiss of a girl who could never be mine haunts me every hour of every day.” & the pain of rejection “The risk is too great, the chances too high. A fire that burns as bright as ours will barely last the night.”  Ultimate lessons of acceptance, sacrifice & never settling “Don’t settle. Always look for more.” 
 

I have to say, at the start I was hooked.  Then I began to question myself – that I was enjoying the story too much “It might not be wrong, but it isn’t exactly right either.”  By the end HOLY CRAP I couldn’t get enough of Belle & the way she lives in the moment & owns it.  Zeus with his fierce protective nature, oh my.  I simply can’t wait to see what book two brings because “I. Want. More.”

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Echoes in the Storm by Max Henry

 

Blurb

“Behind those eyes, a battle rages. One that’s not fought overseas with guns and tanks, but one that wreaks havoc in the homeland with harshly spoken words and misguided beliefs.”

One week is all we were supposed to share. One week as strangers. Yet you became so much more.

You were the echo in my storm.

All the little things you did differently irked me. I thought it meant we couldn’t get along, that there was no chance we’d work out. But when it came time for me to leave, you know what I figured out?

They were the faint call of home, lost on the wind and the roar of thunder. It was you calling me, hoping I’d hear you and find my way out of the dark that I had lost myself in when I shut off to survive.

You were my echo. My call back.

And fuck it all if I didn’t find home in the end. 

My Review

Echoes in the Storm is a heart wrenching Military themed contemporary romance from Max Henry.  Set in New Zealand, Duke is doing his brother a favor & ends up stranded falling into a chance meeting with Cammie who turns out to be "a sweet surprise on what's turning out to be a hell of a day.", a day that is fated to change everything for the both of them.

Told in first person from dual perspectives, with a few flash-backs, this is a fast paced romantic story of two strangers who have experienced some of the worst things this life can deal out - altering them forever. "Grief was an unforgiving bride, sweeping in and taking you for all you had."  They both struggle with deep grief, loss, guilt, & sadness & are set on punishing themselves in order to never forget what they have lost. Bent on the idea "I don't deserve to ever have that kind of love again."  Stuck "...spending more time looking in the rear-view ..." living with ghosts of their pasts. Only to find that what they really need is to find their way to salvation, healing, face fears & a path to move forward. "For those who's past mistakes weigh heavy on their heart. Your failures do not define you, nor should your regrets. For without these, how are we to grow?" This story is deep & heart-warming, but also funny & sweet & romantic & oh so sexy "It's soft, sweet, and so damn sensual.". 

This is my first Max Henry read & I'm not sure what I was expecting based solely on the blurb, but this book delivered so much more. I love Cammie, her verbal diarrhea & how she is so caring in spite of "...enduring a personal hell of her own...". Duke & his sexy/carnal 'say it like it is' ways; his ability to put it all out there. Through it all, they still have hope. I loved the connection between these characters that seems fast from a timeline perspective, but is written it in such a way that you forget Cammie & Duke are strangers at the start.  The way this story unfolds "People don't come into your life without purpose; they always have a role to play." just couldn't get enough.

"I'm still here," he murmurs. Three little words, and he seals the hole in my heart." 

WOW & I'm done... because WOW.

MUST READ

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

AMAZON US/UK