piasbookshelf 's review for:

When Hearts Ignite: An Angsty Boss Employee Billionaire Romance by Victoria Lum

4.25

emotional funny lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Rating: 4.25✨ 

Spice: 2.75🌶 

 

Thank you to the author & Grey's Promotions for the eARC opportunity. Like always, this review is voluntary & honest. 

 

Oof, I can’t even hide the fact that I’m obsessed with Steven after this book & I have fallen in LOVE with Victoria’s writing. And this was my first book of hers! But back to Steven, this man had me on MY KNEES by the end. ON MY KNEES I TELL YOU. This book was forbidden, angsty romance goodness with some twists along the way; some I saw coming, some I did not. And I loved how both the romantic plot & personal storylines of the characters had me intrigued all the way to the very end. 

 

Grace is an FMC that just steals your heart from the very beginning. She is a girl that has been THROUGH it since she was young, & it has shaped her to be the fiery woman she was throughout this story. She is a selfless heroine, with a heart of gold that cares for those she loves, to the point where there’s never a time where she doesn’t put them & their needs before her own. And although it is an admirable trait, you just wish for her to have the happy ending that she truly deserves. That woman is a fighter, a Queen, a woman who knows her worth & also one who will not be intimidated by those who consider themselves “greater” or more than her. She truly arrived & turned Steven’s world upside down in the best way possible. 

 

Steven, oh lawd, I just know I would not survive that man. From the beginning, we see Steven is not a man that “feels”. By that I mean, he has never felt feelings for anymore, or anything. He sees feelings as a liability. Now, you would think a man like that is cold, detached, a man made of ice. But he actually is such a sweetheart, to the point where your heart just MELTS. He sees his heart as “faulty”, never having beat for anything or anyone before, & yet when it begins to do so for the first time, it gets you all giddy for him because this man FEELS STRONGLY. It is as if his heart was waiting for the right person to start beating for. The person that would jump start it back to life. I would give this man all the hugs in the world if I could & would also let him destroy me inside & out. 👀 

 

The side characters in this story had you YEARNING to get to know them on a deeper level too. The need for them to have their own stories is STRONG, and I love all the little hints on who the other couples in the series might be & also potential storylines we will be seeing in the future. 

 

Also, as soon as I finished this book, I just KNEW I had to add Steven’s sisters’ stories to my TBR & I’m committed to reading them ASAP. I’m also SO excited for the next book in The Orchid series, When Hearts Collide. I need this book like I need oxygen! If you’re looking for a book with a bit of an age gap, forbidden romance that also has some GOOD angst & some delicious spice, When Hearts Ignite is definitely for you! 💜