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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
Oh mav and clover you slay me. These charaters and this story is amazingly well written, it was great to see all the past charaters from previous books abd series also. Very much recommend
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If I took a sip for every time a character's lips were touched in some manner, I'd be well on my way to the emergency room with alcohol poisoning.
I kid you not, there seemed to be a reference to lip-touching every few pages.
That being said, the book had an intriguing premise that piqued my interest: a low-angst teacher/student relationship without the clichéd third act breakup.
It sounded like a winner to me!
True to its word, the book was relatively low on angst (though opinions on what constitutes angst may vary), and I was thrilled to find the absence of a third-act breakup.
The beginning of the book was quite engaging. We dive in (pun absolutely intended) and meet the two main characters almost immediately, and it's not long before they discover their compatibility (yes, pun intended again).
While I had been hoping for a forbidden romance with secret rendezvous in the school, I was slightly disappointed that this wasn't the case. However, the story still had its moments, and there were instances that made me sigh due to their sheer adorableness.
Regrettably, the middle section of the book felt a bit lackluster and didn't quite hold my attention. It seemed the author was in a hurry to reach the end of the year so the two main characters could solidify their relationship. And let's not even delve into the fact that nearly every character appeared to be a poet, wielding wise-man analogies in their dialogues - it bordered on absurdity.
Maverick's mom, however, was quite the character.
The final 20% of the book redeemed it for me. Maverick's inner struggle, torn between forging his own path and living up to his father's legacy, resonated with me on a personal level, as I've faced similar dilemmas. This aspect of the story was both well-written and relatable.
In summary, the book was an enjoyable read, and I liked it enough to see it through to the end.
emotional
fast-paced
Maverick oh maverick , this is such a beautiful story so touching so emotional ! Clover is exactly what Maverick needed in his life , they fit together like a beautiful puzzle , I love how they grew as a couple and meeting clover for the first time is the perfect meet cute !
Little did we know when Alex Waters slammed into the boards and startled the reading Violet at a hockey game that all these years later, we would be losing our hearts to their second son Mav. As readers of romance, we believe our heroes and heroines will live the HEA; the Waters family did not, and reading the story of how that trauma has and is manifesting in their lives while being part of a family like the Waters makes for divine reading.
This story centers on Maverick, the second oldest son with the old soul. Most families have that child who is born with an old soul, but I believe the trauma aged Mav's soul and turned him into a protector, caregiver, and tender of all the people around him, the everyman for those he cares for. Along with this are his purpose-driven goals of being like his dad and becoming a professional hockey player. Early in this book, we discover that that does not seem to be where his passion lies. He's not driven for hockey like his dad or even his best friend, Kody. As I said, this conflicts with the things he seems to derive the most joy from helping others in various ways. As he's entered his senior year, he's discovered a passionate interlude with a woman who has resurfaced with her as his teacher.
Clover is temporarily filling a position at the University and fighting her attraction to the younger student. Also, she deals with a highly possessive and creepily persistent ex who will not sign the divorce papers. The blending of Mav and Clover is fraught with problems, but the love and understanding that grows between these two gentle souls are beautiful.
The book is tender, angsty, and filled with the love of the Waters family as they deal with the trauma all these years later and the impact it has had on their family. Alex makes quite the patriarch, and their quirky family dynamics continue to make me smile. I so love seeing the extended hockey family all living near each other and watching their children grow.
I honestly don't think Helena Hunting can write a bad book. Maverick and Clover will leave you smiling.
This story centers on Maverick, the second oldest son with the old soul. Most families have that child who is born with an old soul, but I believe the trauma aged Mav's soul and turned him into a protector, caregiver, and tender of all the people around him, the everyman for those he cares for. Along with this are his purpose-driven goals of being like his dad and becoming a professional hockey player. Early in this book, we discover that that does not seem to be where his passion lies. He's not driven for hockey like his dad or even his best friend, Kody. As I said, this conflicts with the things he seems to derive the most joy from helping others in various ways. As he's entered his senior year, he's discovered a passionate interlude with a woman who has resurfaced with her as his teacher.
Clover is temporarily filling a position at the University and fighting her attraction to the younger student. Also, she deals with a highly possessive and creepily persistent ex who will not sign the divorce papers. The blending of Mav and Clover is fraught with problems, but the love and understanding that grows between these two gentle souls are beautiful.
The book is tender, angsty, and filled with the love of the Waters family as they deal with the trauma all these years later and the impact it has had on their family. Alex makes quite the patriarch, and their quirky family dynamics continue to make me smile. I so love seeing the extended hockey family all living near each other and watching their children grow.
I honestly don't think Helena Hunting can write a bad book. Maverick and Clover will leave you smiling.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I absolutely loved this book!! I thought the books after Little Lies had big shoes to fill and let me tell you those shoes got filled with Bitter Sweet Heart! Oh my word I loved Maverick and Clover so much! They were perfect for each other! This book is a bit heavier than a lot of this authors other works. You do get some good humor but more moments of catching the feels. If you like age gap, student teacher, nasty and emotional reads you won’t want to miss this one! I was hooked the moment I started this book! I didn’t want to put it down. I wasn’t ready for their story to end! You do get closure with their story but I wanted to see even more into their future! I’m greedy like that! This is a standalone in this series, but because of things that happened to Lavender (Maverick’s sister, whose story is told in Little Lies) I think you might understand more of what is going on a bit better if you read that book first. I highly recommend both books!!
Received a arc for a honest review.
Received a arc for a honest review.
Bitter Sweet Heart is the second book in the Lies, Hearts & Truths series by H. Hunting. This is the second generation from the Pucked and All In series' and I'm still weeping with joy from knowing we're getting their stories. We met Maverick in Little Lies and this is his story. It's emotional, fun, sexy and more than I ever hoped for. Maverick is Alex and Violet's son and Lavender's (Little Lies) brother. Maverick is going into his senior year of college, already an NHL hopeful. A fling at the end of summer is just what he needed. But when the semester starts and his fling is now his professor, things get tricky. Clover never thought she'd see the younger man she was with before school started in her class. What are the chances? They have an undeniable connection, but one they can't act on while he's her student. Clover quickly learns that Maverick isn't your typical college hockey player. He's so much more. Maverick is an old soul, much wiser than his age. He's still haunted by things from his childhood, things that he's blaming himself for. Things that were absolutely not his fault. Even though they can't be together, they can't seem to escape each other. A few coincidental meetings just make them want each other more. While Maverick is fighting to stay away from his professor, he's trying to deal with the stress of what he really wants to do with his life. He's always doing things for others, protecting them, helping them, just being there for them. But he forgets to do things for himself. What does he want? Where does he want to be? For some reason, Clover seems to ground him. She understands him and wants to help him see what a great man he is. How he needs to think about what he wants and what he needs. I could not love Maverick more if I tried. He's such a good, caring man who is always thinking about other people. He's considerate and funny and sexy. After years he finally has the hard conversations he's been avoiding and realizes things about his family and himself that help him decide what he really wants to do with his life. (And those conversations had me bawling my eyes out!) I loved seeing Kody, Lavender and of course Alex and Violet. I’m even more excited about BJ's story now! Overall, it was a fun, emotional ride. I laughed, cried and had to fan myself. Maverick is just one of those characters you wish were real because he's such a good human. He restores your faith in humanity and makes you believe.
Helena has created this awesome Pucked universe that is filled with love, laughter & life (not always pretty but they deal together