A review by justmevictoria
Branded Hearts by Elle Mariah

4.0

This book was kindly sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

 

When the quiet school teacher finally manifests romance with her grumpy police officer. 

 

Ever since she laid eyes on Bradley Mitchell, her best friend's older brother, Amelia Brown has been smitten. She's been crushing on him for years, knowing her would never be interested in her. But now that the years have passed and they're both adults, it's hard not to ignore the pull that is strengthening between them. Bradley has always had a bit of a soft spot for Amelia, but he's always kept his distance, something made easy by his brooding persona and the fact that he keeps most people at arm's length. But when a robbery in town brings them together, it's hard for Bradley to keep his personal promise of keeping a distance. Despite their age difference, there's a bond between them that's stronger than either of them realise, and it's easy for them to read  each other's thoughts and feelings. And when Bradley learns just how inexperienced Amelia is when it comes to guys, he's determined to be the one to give her all those first experiences with him. 

 

Second book slump? We don't know her because Elle has once again knocked it out of the park! With all the swoony & spicy small-town vibes we've come to know and love from US authors, there's a fun Aussie twist with all the Australian heart and humour that you find IRL in rural and regional communities throughout Australia. 

 

I've been absolutely living for age gap romances recently, especially when it comes to small-town and cowboy romances - give me all the sweet and swoony couples with several years separating them! Bradley and Amelia had some super cute chemistry in the first book and I've been hanging out for their story ever since! Elle totally made the wait worth it because I could not get enough of these two - they had everything I love about the bestie's brother / sister's best friend trope, with a lovely dash of age gap, and a nice cherry on top in the form of a virgin heroine who gets spice lessons from the hero. 

 

Bradley and Amelia's mutual pining really hit the spot in the build-up to their relationship - this is what I want when I say I want a slow burn! These two couldn't simp for each other more if they tried, and I ate up every single second. And the spice certainly spiced in all the best ways! I connected so much with Amelia and I loved getting to see the quiet shy girl get the guy she's always had a crush on. 

 

Just like in the first book, I absolutely adored this cast of characters. Elle has created such a great group of friends with a super fun dynamic that is only going to get better as the books go on. With another three books lined up for this series, it's going to be fun to continue getting to know all these characters, seeing where these current relationships go, and how future relationships will develop. 

 

For all the small town romance girlies out there, you won't want to miss a trip to Wattle Creek and all the Aussie goodness that Elle has packed into her books.