BOOK REVIEW + GIVE AWAY - Reluctant Hearts by Linda Griffin

- May 24, 2023

Reluctant Hearts

by Linda Griffin

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

Four couples, four stories: Darien Francis and Richard Li meet during a bank robbery, but she's afraid to love again. Shane Kenniston and Beth Parker are reacquainted years after she had a crush on him, but she is a recent widow, and Shane's life was upended by a false accusation. David Early and Kate Howard meet in the laundromat, but her life is consumed by the needs of her disabled child, and David isn't ready for the responsibility. Realtor Frank Ellison meets Kayla Barnes at an open house, but a mistaken first impression derails any chance of romance. Can they all overcome the obstacles to love?

Excerpt:

Kate,” he said, into a pause that had unexpectedly lengthened into a silence, and she turned toward him, smiling a little. Without knowing he was going to, he kissed her. She was warm and willing, and then she murmured, “David,” half in protest, and pulled away.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s not you. You’re a very nice guy.”

“It’s all right.”

“I can’t do this right now. My life is complicated enough.”

“I wasn’t trying to complicate your life.”

“No, I know.”

“It’s all right,” he said again. He took her hand. “Relax. There’s no cost or obligation.”

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you Linda Griffin and Goddess Fish Promotions. I'm excited to be a part of this tour.
Four couples, Four Stories. I enjoyed this collection of stories and the myriad of unusual circumstances in which they each meet. I especially liked that Darien and Richard met during a bank robbery and who would think you’d meet your life partner in a laundromat. After my divorce I went to the laundromat all the time and I never even got a date out of it. 😊
The writing is impeccable while the descriptive narrative engages the reader from start to finish. The author created realistic characters who are real and their circumstances realistic. There is no sugar coating, which I appreciate.
The characters are well written, and their backstories bring depth which allows the reader to understand them. The dynamics between the couples are embedded in deep emotions. Unpacking these kept me engaged and wanting more.

I look forward to reading more from this author and recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romances that are realistic.
Overall Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I was born and raised in San Diego, California and earned a BA in English from San Diego State University and an MLS from UCLA. I began my career as a reference and collection development librarian in the Art and Music Section of the San Diego Public Library and then transferred to the Literature and Languages Section, where I had the pleasure of managing the Central Library’s Fiction collection. Although I also enjoy reading biography, memoir, and history, fiction remains my first love. In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—I enjoy Scrabble, movies, and travel.

My earliest ambition was to be a “book maker” and I wrote my first story, “Judy and the Fairies,” with a plot stolen from a comic book, at the age of six. I broke into print in college with a story in the San Diego State University literary journal, The Phoenix, but most of my magazine publications came after I left the library to spend more time on my writing

My stories, in every length from short shorts to novellas, have been published in numerous journals, including Eclectica, The Binnacle, The Nassau Review, Orbis, and Thema Literary Journal, and I have six novels available from the Wild Rose Press.

Social media links:

https://www.lindagriffinauthor.com/

https://www.facebook.com/lindagriffin.author

https://twitter.com/LindaGriffinA

https://www.instagram.com/lindagriffinauthor/

https://www.pinterest.com/lgriffin08392487

Buy links:

https://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Hearts-Linda-Griffin-ebook/dp/B0BW2FQXNW

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reluctant-hearts-linda-griffin/1143041313

https://books.apple.com/us/book/reluctant-hearts/id6445743648

https://bookshop.org/p/books/reluctant-hearts-linda-griffin/19721906

https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781509248827