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Lonely Hearts by Adrianna Dane

witandsin's review

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5.0

Caleb Wilson knows all about happily ever after. After all, his hugely successful company, Enduring Vows, never fails to pull off the perfect wedding or commitment ceremony. Yet while he’s seen countless others find true love, Caleb has never met the one. But all that changes when Caleb meets Jim Morgan.

Haunted by his past, Jim goes through life trying to atone for his perceived sins by outwardly being the perfect son his father wants him to be, his only relief found in brief encounters with strangers. Then Caleb walks into his life and Jim’s world is turned upside down. Jim has never met anyone quite like Caleb. The wedding planner is everything Jim is not – colorful, romantic, and warm. He’s exactly the kind of man Jim needs to avoid and he’s everything Jim cannot resist. The question is, will Jim resist giving into the temptation Caleb presents? Or will love be able to overcome the obstacles separating two lonely hearts?

There are few things more wonderful than reading a book that completely captures you, heart, mind, and soul. Lonely Hearts was such a book for me. Adrianna Dane has written a story that is beautiful, sensual, emotionally engaging, and impossible to put down.

From the first, Jim and Caleb wound themselves around my heart and didn’t let go. Jim’s loneliness, his self-imposed emotional isolation, is heartbreaking to read. I ached to see him try and push Caleb away and loved that he couldn’t bring himself to completely do so. What’s more, I loved Caleb for his patience, for both being there and for stepping back when Jim needed it, and also for being firm about what he needed from Jim. Caleb also charmed me with his romantic nature; his presence was like sunshine, lighting the book to keep it from ever being overwhelmed by Jim’s torment. In this, Ms. Dane shows her mastery of balance, which I admire greatly. It’s that balance of light and dark, frustration and optimism, and love and adversity, which makes Lonely Hearts a compelling read. I couldn’t stop reading the book because I was desperate to see Caleb and Jim find happiness.

It would be unfair to write about Lonely Hearts without mentioning the love scenes. Jim and Caleb not only warmed my heart, they practically lit fire to the page. Ms. Dane skillfully blends any combination of passion, eroticism, tenderness, and heat to deliver some seriously sizzling scenes.

I Joyfully Recommend Lonely Hearts. It’s tender without being sappy, romantic without being sugary, and was so enthralling that upon finishing the story, I immediately read it again. A perfect gem, Lonely Hearts is not to be missed.

Recommended Read. Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
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