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Secondhand Heart
Zoologist Aggie moves to the city to start a new chapter in her life. When she meets Dorian, single dad and mortician, she doesn't hesitate to give her heart away even if it is secondhand. This novella is a slightly dark contemporary fiction perfect for nerds, solid fives and those of us who stay spooky all year because you do not have to be cute for a meet cute.
192 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1988
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 31, 2024
I wrote this book so of course I am giving myself all of the stars because I put all of myself into this. It is the first non children’s book I’ve created and finding my literary voice has been an amazing journey. While this is written like a traditional “rom-com trope” I hope you see more in its nooks and crannies. ✌🏻
December 18, 2024
Cute story
This was a cute and feel good story! I had a hard time immersing due to the clunky writing/editing. There was so much description and telling us the details, but not a lot of showing scenes/emotions. I'm going to keep reading books by this author to watch for growth, as the story premise was very cute 😁
This was a cute and feel good story! I had a hard time immersing due to the clunky writing/editing. There was so much description and telling us the details, but not a lot of showing scenes/emotions. I'm going to keep reading books by this author to watch for growth, as the story premise was very cute 😁
August 10, 2024
I LOVED this book. Loved the characters. Definitely had me in my feels, as a lot of the story resonated with my own.
Also made me giggle.
Couldn’t put it down.
As always, GREAT writing. I didn’t want it to end.
Definitely recommend😊😊🦇
Also made me giggle.
Couldn’t put it down.
As always, GREAT writing. I didn’t want it to end.
Definitely recommend😊😊🦇
July 18, 2024
Secondhand Heart by Jen Poteet was a delightful lil read.
Aggie is a zoologist who grew up in the Appalachian and has her own quirks to show for it (AKA Mothman!) Dorian is a single-dad, Poe loving, divorced mortician.
Both characters have gone through serious heartache and relationship hardships, but end up with their own happily ever afters.
P.S. this book also has the coolest side characters.
Tropes:
emotional scars
family drama
blended family
Aggie is a zoologist who grew up in the Appalachian and has her own quirks to show for it (AKA Mothman!) Dorian is a single-dad, Poe loving, divorced mortician.
Both characters have gone through serious heartache and relationship hardships, but end up with their own happily ever afters.
P.S. this book also has the coolest side characters.
Tropes:
emotional scars
family drama
blended family
August 8, 2024
Officially one of my feel good books! This a hallmark romcom but “for weird girls like us”! I love love love this book. Aggies and Dorian’s love story is so sweet and weird I had butterflies just reading it! I really enjoy the author’s illustrations throughout the book.
February 1, 2024
As someone who doesn't read as much as I would like too, I loved that this story was a quick read. The author does a great job of connecting you to the characters without dragging it out with unnecessary fluff. It's a fun little rom-com for those of us that don't like rom-coms. As someone who always feels like the weirdo in the room it's a reminder that despite always feeling like the oddball or outcast there are others just like me. I felt seen! It's like a little glimpse into the life of people I could and want to be friends with. Plus it has pictures!!! There are not nearly enough grown up books with pictures!!!
August 29, 2024
a cute little novella about some quirky people who fell in love. the side characters were also so great! would recommend
February 12, 2024
Such a wonderful story. The characters are so realistic and have such depth.You bond with them instantly. As a person who likes books that get to the point, this is a fabulous read. Quick, but it leaves you with good feels and makes you want to read it again.
January 31, 2024
Really enjoyed this book. A beautifully told story embellished with incredible illustrations, wonderfully nostalgic film and music references, and the most impressively memorable characters of any book I read over the past year. Months later I still find them wondering into my thoughts. I can't wait to read what's next from this author.
January 30, 2024
Absolutely adored this charming little book. Can’t wait for more by this author!
September 12, 2023
“Secondhand Heart” by Jen Poteet is a darkish but irresistible novella with charming quirks and a memorable plot and characters. The story has Aggie, a zoologist, wanting to begin anew in the city, and she meets a mortician who is also a single father named Dorian. She is caught up in him and is open if not eager for a relationship.
The characters are atypical, which is refreshing, and the author uses this nonconformist angle to create a romantic couple you don’t encounter every day but feel like you know personally. The setting is different too. When was the last time you read a good book set in a morgue? This author’s creativity is impressive, and there is a youthful, vibrant feel to the work as a whole.
I love how the story opens with Aggie’s first-person account of browsing through secondhand items. She doesn’t regard them as secondhand at all. To her, they are treasures, something special to discover. This little character sketch tells a lot about her and sets the stage for the relationship and story to unfold. The minimalistic illustrations add to the overall appeal and spookish flavor of the book. The varied points of view make this story bubble with personality. For all its unique qualities, with the Morts, the Nerds, and the oddities, it’s still a love story at heart, about finding that special love when you aren’t even looking for it.
This story has a genuine fairytale feel to it that is as comforting as it is different, but that isn’t to say that it doesn’t have realism. It does. It’s just that sometimes you appreciate a story that makes sense and makes you feel good after you read it. This book is a reminder that you can find happiness with another person, that it CAN feel like a fairytale. You really root for this original couple to make it.
This story has a very modern-romance feel to it, sort of breaking the mold of romance tropes, but that’s what’s so good about it. There are some tear-jerker moments, but they are honestly earned, and there are some humorous moments to round it all out. The author has a lyrical style punctuated with colorful language and vivid details that keep you moving through the scenes until you reach the end, wishing for more. If you want a good book that you will want to keep on your shelf, reach for “Secondhand Heart” by Jen Poteet.
The characters are atypical, which is refreshing, and the author uses this nonconformist angle to create a romantic couple you don’t encounter every day but feel like you know personally. The setting is different too. When was the last time you read a good book set in a morgue? This author’s creativity is impressive, and there is a youthful, vibrant feel to the work as a whole.
I love how the story opens with Aggie’s first-person account of browsing through secondhand items. She doesn’t regard them as secondhand at all. To her, they are treasures, something special to discover. This little character sketch tells a lot about her and sets the stage for the relationship and story to unfold. The minimalistic illustrations add to the overall appeal and spookish flavor of the book. The varied points of view make this story bubble with personality. For all its unique qualities, with the Morts, the Nerds, and the oddities, it’s still a love story at heart, about finding that special love when you aren’t even looking for it.
This story has a genuine fairytale feel to it that is as comforting as it is different, but that isn’t to say that it doesn’t have realism. It does. It’s just that sometimes you appreciate a story that makes sense and makes you feel good after you read it. This book is a reminder that you can find happiness with another person, that it CAN feel like a fairytale. You really root for this original couple to make it.
This story has a very modern-romance feel to it, sort of breaking the mold of romance tropes, but that’s what’s so good about it. There are some tear-jerker moments, but they are honestly earned, and there are some humorous moments to round it all out. The author has a lyrical style punctuated with colorful language and vivid details that keep you moving through the scenes until you reach the end, wishing for more. If you want a good book that you will want to keep on your shelf, reach for “Secondhand Heart” by Jen Poteet.
June 7, 2023
the characters are real. you’ve met these people before and will carry them with you forever.
poteet does a fantastic job creating characters and a story that is especially unique but familiar in a way that you feel comfortable with them. it’s not a perfect love story but it is a REAL one.
“books are like a good soundtrack they go with your life at the moment. sometimes you go back and visit old favorites in between it all.” this book feels like home, you can always go back and find love (or mothman) in it when you need to.
poteet does a fantastic job creating characters and a story that is especially unique but familiar in a way that you feel comfortable with them. it’s not a perfect love story but it is a REAL one.
“books are like a good soundtrack they go with your life at the moment. sometimes you go back and visit old favorites in between it all.” this book feels like home, you can always go back and find love (or mothman) in it when you need to.
May 5, 2023
This book is a wonderfully relatable love story presented in an interesting way with a mixture of bits of poetry and artwork throughout the story.
It was nice to have alternative main characters who break the norms of your standard romance novel main characters. I enjoyed the humor and meaningful message of this gorgeous book. It has made me look at life in a new and more appreciative way.
It was nice to have alternative main characters who break the norms of your standard romance novel main characters. I enjoyed the humor and meaningful message of this gorgeous book. It has made me look at life in a new and more appreciative way.
July 31, 2023
I loved this book the story is amazing, the characters felt like long time friends that I want to go hang out with. The artwork is beautiful. I laughed and cried in this book and every time I see a giraffe I think of this book. This book definitely made my geeky heart happy and the lgbt+ side couple might have just been my favorite people.
August 30, 2023
This novella had me hooked by the first five pages! The author develops the characters so that you feel like you know them . A fast paced plot kept me interested until the last page. It was almost like a movie playing in my mind. When a book does that I give it 5 stars!
May 4, 2023
It was fantastic! It has all of the gory details that make loving someone so great!
September 6, 2023
Stars: 3.75
I really liked this book! This is a very unique, multi-pov, almost artistic read that sets its tone with accompanying drawings and poems - both of which the author did themselves. It’s a fairly short read, but it does a good job to get its story across while at a very fast pace. It also includes a good amount of easter eggs for those into cryptids and such, with a reference to Snape which I found amusing.
This is a really SWEET kind of love between Dorian and Aggie, which I appreciated. It was very honest and kind, and most importantly - warm. It’s definitely a feel good romance. And it had a surprising amount of diversity, which was very seamlessly included and didn't overpower any of their other traits. It worked well given the theme of the story and their friendships with Dorian and Aggie. They are both good characters with multi-faceted hobbies and interests that I am heavily related to. Who are themselves, alternative - strange and unusual.
I rated this a 3.75 (rounded) because the descriptions at times drew the story back. The best part of reading Secondhand Heart is its beautiful prose and descriptions. They always help you see the story in almost movie-like profoundness. But, the descriptions can get too lengthy and sometimes come across as a stream of consciousness, listing off almost every action. While this did set the scene, it became very cumbersome for me to read and made the writing a bit jagged. If the descriptions of each action were taken down a bit, it would greatly improve the story even if it made it a lot shorter.
I cannot say much else without spoiling the plot, but this is a read that is well worth your time. It’s a cute rom-com with a mortician and I love it for that. It was also a pleasant surprise that the author was extremely knowledgeable about mortician practices such as eye caps and mouth sutures - in a SUPER morbid way, because I’m really into the study of death, it made me happy. It’s got a lot of spunk and dark aesthetic, and I really enjoyed it.
Thank you so much to the author for an ARC, I am willingly leaving this review.
I really liked this book! This is a very unique, multi-pov, almost artistic read that sets its tone with accompanying drawings and poems - both of which the author did themselves. It’s a fairly short read, but it does a good job to get its story across while at a very fast pace. It also includes a good amount of easter eggs for those into cryptids and such, with a reference to Snape which I found amusing.
This is a really SWEET kind of love between Dorian and Aggie, which I appreciated. It was very honest and kind, and most importantly - warm. It’s definitely a feel good romance. And it had a surprising amount of diversity, which was very seamlessly included and didn't overpower any of their other traits. It worked well given the theme of the story and their friendships with Dorian and Aggie. They are both good characters with multi-faceted hobbies and interests that I am heavily related to. Who are themselves, alternative - strange and unusual.
I rated this a 3.75 (rounded) because the descriptions at times drew the story back. The best part of reading Secondhand Heart is its beautiful prose and descriptions. They always help you see the story in almost movie-like profoundness. But, the descriptions can get too lengthy and sometimes come across as a stream of consciousness, listing off almost every action. While this did set the scene, it became very cumbersome for me to read and made the writing a bit jagged. If the descriptions of each action were taken down a bit, it would greatly improve the story even if it made it a lot shorter.
I cannot say much else without spoiling the plot, but this is a read that is well worth your time. It’s a cute rom-com with a mortician and I love it for that. It was also a pleasant surprise that the author was extremely knowledgeable about mortician practices such as eye caps and mouth sutures - in a SUPER morbid way, because I’m really into the study of death, it made me happy. It’s got a lot of spunk and dark aesthetic, and I really enjoyed it.
Thank you so much to the author for an ARC, I am willingly leaving this review.
July 24, 2023
This book is one of those heart felt good reads that can easily have you smiling ear to ear, crying happy tears. It’s real. It’s relatable. You know these characters, they are your friends, or family. The whole time you’re reading you’re very much waiting for the shoe to drop, just like in life. You’re waiting for that person to not be who they say they are, waiting for the disloyalty or dishonesty. But that is not in this book, that is not who these characters are. & it is a reminder that that is not always the inevitable in real life. Sometimes it truly is just GOOD. This is happy. This is hopeful. This is wholesome. This is a book you want to read and when finished feeling better about your world and the people in it. & did i mention the art?? Beautiful. This will be a re read, over and over again, when i need to be reminded of the GOOD
May 5, 2023
Loved this book! The story was great, well written. It follows a girl who's kind of new in the city who falls in love. Very fun and quirky characters. Each chapter is unique too as you are seeing the view of the girl and what she's going through/thinking/feeling. But then some chapters are also the viewpoint of the guy she is falling in love with and his thoughts/feelings. It's cool to have that back-and-forth. So much of Jen's personality is in this book! It's wonderful! There's also beautiful artwork throughout. All around great book! I read it slowly cause I didn't want it to end! But it does have a good ending. Great job Jen!!
May 17, 2023
It's the story you wish you had to read when you're feeling angsty and unloveable too weird to find love-- the way that too many movies or tv shows will make you feel.
I like the spin on the rom-com formula- the tension feels like it comes from the reader- you keep expecting the bottom to fall out- the relationship to fail. That's the way rom-coms are done, right?
But in this book with a dark sort of aesthetic, the story is actually pretty darn sweet. The big misunderstanding never happens. I feel like I've been in relationships like that- you keep thinking it HAS to go wrong, but sometimes it doesn't.
I feel like I relived that while enjoying the heck out of this novella.
I like the spin on the rom-com formula- the tension feels like it comes from the reader- you keep expecting the bottom to fall out- the relationship to fail. That's the way rom-coms are done, right?
But in this book with a dark sort of aesthetic, the story is actually pretty darn sweet. The big misunderstanding never happens. I feel like I've been in relationships like that- you keep thinking it HAS to go wrong, but sometimes it doesn't.
I feel like I relived that while enjoying the heck out of this novella.
January 29, 2024
Fun. Sexy. And a light read that has just enough drama and conflict for it to be realistic while also not making it anxiety-inducing. Sometimes the sexiest thing about romance novels are the connection between the two mains, and this book provides that.
I loved the delicate awkwardness in the beginning, followed by the deep compatibility with two people who deserve all of the love in the world.
I enjoy those books that have “trigger warnings” in the beginning, but I thoroughly enjoyed this as a lovely respite from dark romances as it reminded me what love ACTUALLY is. It’s work. It’s wonderful. Buy it.
I loved the delicate awkwardness in the beginning, followed by the deep compatibility with two people who deserve all of the love in the world.
I enjoy those books that have “trigger warnings” in the beginning, but I thoroughly enjoyed this as a lovely respite from dark romances as it reminded me what love ACTUALLY is. It’s work. It’s wonderful. Buy it.
January 30, 2025
This was such a short and fun novella to read. A great cleanser! It’s a bit different than what I normally read, but that’s what I loved about it. Aggie and Dorian aren’t your typical main characters. Some of this story really resonated with me which is why I adored it so much. These characters are people I could see myself being great friends with. If you’re looking for a short, wholesome, and fun read, this one is for you!
January 30, 2024
I first met Jen as my tattoo artist. Absolutely amazing! It makes me so happy to see her explore and fully dive into all these beautiful parts of her. She has a huge heart and all of her art reflects that and I am so glad she believed in herself enough to leap. I know all your wildest dreams will come true! I can not wait to see what's next 🥰 you will love the book 🥰
August 31, 2023
This book is whimsical and poetic. The words dance off the page and draw you in to a beautiful love story. Two quirky people after having failed relationships find each other in a world wind romance. This story is so touching and beautiful. Thank you for the chance to read it.
February 9, 2024
I absolutely adored this book. The characters are lovable and memorable. The kind you miss after you’ve finished the book. The story is bursting with warmth, humor, and conviction. Jen has a clear voice. And I want Meemaw to be my Meemaw too.
April 10, 2024
I loved this dark romantic novella. The characters felt real, not forced, like you could know someone just like them in real life. The story is lovely, the details richly described, and pages interspersed with beautiful drawings. I can’t wait to read more by Jen Poteet
September 2, 2024
By far my favorite piece of work that Jen has done. I couldn't put it down! The romance mixed in with real tangible characters. I loved it so much. Just when you think you know where this book is headed, you don't. But it'll put everything in a nice bow for you anyway
July 23, 2023
Loved it! The story line pulls you in, having different perspectives throughout, wonderful characters and the imagery is fantastic. I didn’t want it to end so I read slow.
January 29, 2024
Loved it, Jen is so creative and imaginative, her words are images that just flow off the page :)
January 18, 2025
Stellar
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