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A review by kavuyi
When Hearts Awaken by Victoria Lum
challenging
dark
medium-paced
4.0
When Hearts Awaken ARC Review
Thank you Victoria Lum for the opportunity to read this book.
Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Who did this to you?
I'll burn the world for you
Billionaire
Slow burn
Trauma healing
Age gap
Goth ballerina and complicated hero
Found family
Mental health representation
Swoony text messages
Dark topics but romance isn't dark
Spicy and angsty
Dual POV
We meet Taylor, who is getting through a traumatic event that happened to her when she was 16, a ballerina, trying to be the principal dancer.
At the same time, we meet Charles who has demons of his own. I on top of that reputational damage in his company, family damage and he tries to fix one.
I loved how the first few chapters are. The characters are introduced apart from each other and when they meet, there’s obviously instant hatred, but then you see a link in the trauma. Sometimes the people who are the closest to you other people that create damage in other people’s lives.
There is heavy trauma in the book, it’s sad. Both MMC‘s face trauma differently and yet the same, behind a mask with secrets so deep you can’t tell which way it is up. I felt the FMC‘s pain, it was overwhelming, getting to understand the triggers which also explained her reactions and behavior. I was overwhelmed. The book broke me and healed me. Amazing.
Thank you Victoria Lum for the opportunity to read this book.
Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Who did this to you?
I'll burn the world for you
Billionaire
Slow burn
Trauma healing
Age gap
Goth ballerina and complicated hero
Found family
Mental health representation
Swoony text messages
Dark topics but romance isn't dark
Spicy and angsty
Dual POV
We meet Taylor, who is getting through a traumatic event that happened to her when she was 16, a ballerina, trying to be the principal dancer.
At the same time, we meet Charles who has demons of his own. I on top of that reputational damage in his company, family damage and he tries to fix one.
I loved how the first few chapters are. The characters are introduced apart from each other and when they meet, there’s obviously instant hatred, but then you see a link in the trauma. Sometimes the people who are the closest to you other people that create damage in other people’s lives.
There is heavy trauma in the book, it’s sad. Both MMC‘s face trauma differently and yet the same, behind a mask with secrets so deep you can’t tell which way it is up. I felt the FMC‘s pain, it was overwhelming, getting to understand the triggers which also explained her reactions and behavior. I was overwhelmed. The book broke me and healed me. Amazing.