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Casteel #3
Fallen Hearts
As Logan's bride, Heaven could now savor the love she had sought for so long, and free from her father's clutches, she would live again in her backwoods town. But lured to Boston's Farthinggale Manor by Tony Tatterton's guile, Heaven and Logan stay among the Tatterton wealth and privilege--and the ghosts of Heaven's past rise up once more. The blockbuster sequel to Dark Angel. Original.
406 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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About the author
V.C. Andrews
370 books9,085 followersBooks published under the following names - Virginia Andrews, V. Andrews, Virginia C. Andrews & V.C. Endrius. Books since her death ghost written by Andrew Neiderman, but still attributed to the V.C. Andrews name
Virginia Cleo Andrews (born Cleo Virginia Andrews) was born June 6, 1923 in Portsmouth, Virginia. The youngest child and the only daughter of William Henry Andrews, a career navy man who opened a tool-and-die business after retirement, and Lillian Lilnora Parker Andrews, a telephone operator. She spent her happy childhood years in Portsmouth, Virginia, living briefly in Rochester, New York. The Andrews family returned to Portsmouth while Virginia was in high school.
While a teenager, Virginia suffered a tragic accident, falling down the stairs at her school and incurred severe back injuries. Arthritis and a failed spinal surgical procedure forced her to spend most of her life on crutches or in a wheelchair.
Virginia excelled in school and, at fifteen, won a scholarship for writing a parody of Tennyson's Idylls of the King. She proudly earned her diploma from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth. After graduation, she nurtured her artistic talent by completing a four-year correspondence art course while living at home with her family.
After William Andrews died in the late 1960s, Virginia helped to support herself and her mother through her extremely successful career as a commercial artist, portrait painter, and fashion illustrator.
Frustrated with the lack of creative satisfaction that her work provided, Virginia sought creative release through writing, which she did in secret. In 1972, she completed her first novel, The Gods of the Green Mountain [sic], a science-fantasy story. It was never published. Between 1972 and 1979, she wrote nine novels and twenty short stories, of which only one was published. "I Slept with My Uncle on My Wedding Night", a short fiction piece, was published in a pulp confession magazine.
Promise gleamed over the horizon for Virginia when she submitted a 290,000-word novel, The Obsessed, to a publishing company. She was told that the story had potential, but needed to be trimmed and spiced up a bit. She drafted a new outline in a single night and added "unspeakable things my mother didn't want me to write about." The ninety-eight-page revision was re-titled Flowers in the Attic and she was paid a $7,500 advance. Her new-generation Gothic novel reached the bestseller lists a mere two weeks after its 1979 paperback publication by Pocket Books.
Petals on the Wind, her sequel to Flowers, was published the next year, earning Virginia a $35,000 advance. The second book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for an unbelievable nineteen weeks (Flowers also returned to the list). These first two novels alone sold over seven million copies in only two years. The third novel of the Dollanganger series, If There Be Thorns, was released in 1981, bringing Virginia a $75,000 advance. It reached No. 2 on many bestseller lists within its first two weeks.
Taking a break from the chronicles of Chris and Cathy Dollanganger, Virginia published her one, and only, stand-alone novel, My Sweet Audrina, in 1982. The book welcomed an immediate success, topping the sales figures of her previous novels. Two years later, a fourth Dollanganger novel was released, Seeds of Yesterday. According to the New York Times, Seeds was the best-selling fiction paperback novel of 1984. Also in 1984, V.C. Andrews was named "Professional Woman of the Year" by the city of Norfolk, Virginia.
Upon Andrews's death in 1986, two final novels—Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts—were published. These two novels are considered the last to bear the "V.C. Andrews" name and to be almost completely written by
Virginia Cleo Andrews (born Cleo Virginia Andrews) was born June 6, 1923 in Portsmouth, Virginia. The youngest child and the only daughter of William Henry Andrews, a career navy man who opened a tool-and-die business after retirement, and Lillian Lilnora Parker Andrews, a telephone operator. She spent her happy childhood years in Portsmouth, Virginia, living briefly in Rochester, New York. The Andrews family returned to Portsmouth while Virginia was in high school.
While a teenager, Virginia suffered a tragic accident, falling down the stairs at her school and incurred severe back injuries. Arthritis and a failed spinal surgical procedure forced her to spend most of her life on crutches or in a wheelchair.
Virginia excelled in school and, at fifteen, won a scholarship for writing a parody of Tennyson's Idylls of the King. She proudly earned her diploma from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth. After graduation, she nurtured her artistic talent by completing a four-year correspondence art course while living at home with her family.
After William Andrews died in the late 1960s, Virginia helped to support herself and her mother through her extremely successful career as a commercial artist, portrait painter, and fashion illustrator.
Frustrated with the lack of creative satisfaction that her work provided, Virginia sought creative release through writing, which she did in secret. In 1972, she completed her first novel, The Gods of the Green Mountain [sic], a science-fantasy story. It was never published. Between 1972 and 1979, she wrote nine novels and twenty short stories, of which only one was published. "I Slept with My Uncle on My Wedding Night", a short fiction piece, was published in a pulp confession magazine.
Promise gleamed over the horizon for Virginia when she submitted a 290,000-word novel, The Obsessed, to a publishing company. She was told that the story had potential, but needed to be trimmed and spiced up a bit. She drafted a new outline in a single night and added "unspeakable things my mother didn't want me to write about." The ninety-eight-page revision was re-titled Flowers in the Attic and she was paid a $7,500 advance. Her new-generation Gothic novel reached the bestseller lists a mere two weeks after its 1979 paperback publication by Pocket Books.
Petals on the Wind, her sequel to Flowers, was published the next year, earning Virginia a $35,000 advance. The second book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for an unbelievable nineteen weeks (Flowers also returned to the list). These first two novels alone sold over seven million copies in only two years. The third novel of the Dollanganger series, If There Be Thorns, was released in 1981, bringing Virginia a $75,000 advance. It reached No. 2 on many bestseller lists within its first two weeks.
Taking a break from the chronicles of Chris and Cathy Dollanganger, Virginia published her one, and only, stand-alone novel, My Sweet Audrina, in 1982. The book welcomed an immediate success, topping the sales figures of her previous novels. Two years later, a fourth Dollanganger novel was released, Seeds of Yesterday. According to the New York Times, Seeds was the best-selling fiction paperback novel of 1984. Also in 1984, V.C. Andrews was named "Professional Woman of the Year" by the city of Norfolk, Virginia.
Upon Andrews's death in 1986, two final novels—Garden of Shadows and Fallen Hearts—were published. These two novels are considered the last to bear the "V.C. Andrews" name and to be almost completely written by
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 249 reviews
April 10, 2019
I almost never write reviews on here. I simply read books and give them an appropriate star rating and then move on to the next one. I never thought that a book would make me angry enough to write a full review, but it’s happened, so here goes!
I don’t think anyone reads VC Andrews for fine literature. These are what I consider to be guilty pleasures books. The storylines are interesting enough to keep me engaged, but I don’t really have to use my mind to analyze and understand a story.
I’ve been reading VC Andrews for years, starting with the Flowers in the Attic series years ago. I knew that Andrew Neiderman became her ghost writer after she died. However, most of the books I have read in the last few years have been newer stories. I could tell that there was a difference between the writing of Flowers in the Attic and the Neiderman books, but it wasn’t that noticeable to me. Probably because there wasn’t a jarring switch between the two writers. And that’s exactly what happened in this book.
I had never read the Casteel series so when I found them in a thrift store I scooped them up, excited to read more of what VC Andrews actually wrote. The first two books were great. The writing, while certainly not award worthy, was creative enough to really make me see the characters and the story taking place. But VC Andrews died before the third book was published, so Andrew Neiderman took over at that point. The result was jarring to me. REALLY jarring. Perhaps it’s not as noticeable if you read the books with some time in between them, however, I’ve been reading them all at once, one right after the other. In all honesty, I am really surprised that there aren’t more negative reviews about this book which is part of what inspired me to write a review.
Things that really bothered me:
1. The characters. There was a massive shift in the way the main characters behaved. I wanted to justify it by saying that they just grew up and changed...but no. It’s like Neiderman didn’t even read the first two books.
~Heaven went from being strong, opinionated, and quick to react with a fiery temper to being passive and meek. She basically just bows down to Logan and Tony, decides that they know what’s best, and she does whatever they want. Throughout the first 3/4 of the book I was wondering where the old Heaven went. I AM pleased that she seemed to return to her old self at the end.
~Logan went from being 100% obsessed with Heaven to basically ignoring her and her needs and swooning over Tony and all his riches. This made absolutely no sense to me. In Dark Angel, when Logan sees Heaven dressed in all of her expensive clothes, he’s disgusted and wants the old Heaven back. He hates her for being obsessed with her new found wealth. But now suddenly he’s in love with everything rich and powerful? When he decides that they should skip their planned honeymoon to hang out at Farthy instead, I almost stopped reading the book. When he convinces Heaven to move to Boston and give up her dream teaching job, I almost stopped reading again (and I probably should have). This wasn’t Logan from the first two books AT ALL. And then there was Fanny. More specifically Logan and Fanny. Out of everything, I think this was the most unbelievable plot line. So Logan cheats on Heaven with Fanny? The same Fanny that he absolutely despised and hated throughout the first two books. The same Fanny that he was disgusted by and couldn’t get away from fast enough in the first two books. The first two books also tell us that Logan is one of the most attractive guys in town. If he had to cheat, I’m sure he could have found someone other than Fanny (though the fact that he cheated in the first place was also completely out of character). The entire story about Fanny seducing him was so far off from the Logan in the original two books that it just angered me. He spent years rejecting her, and suddenly after two glasses of wine he can’t resist her? Again, I have to ask, did Neiderman even read the first two books?
2. The storyline. I’ll ask this again - did Neiderman even read the first two books? In Dark Angel, Tony clearly tells Heaven that Troy’s body washed up on the beach. Yet, in Fallen Hearts, suddenly Troy is magically alive? I could even buy that story if Heaven has said something to Troy or Tony like “but your/his body washed up on the beach!” That would have at least given Tony the chance to say that he lied about finding the body. But nope. Heaven, whose thoughts have been completely consumed by Troy, never even remembered that she had been told that his body had been found.
I also found the custody battle between Fanny and Heaven over Drake to be a bit over the top and ridiculous. Are we supposed to believe that the lawyer who handled everything after Luke died didn’t think to get some kind of legal custody agreement in place for Heaven? He just let her take Drake with no official paperwork making her his legal guardian? I really don’t think that’s believable. So when Fanny kidnaps Drake and stakes her claim on him, we get the ridiculous custody battle. I was willing to go along with it and attempt to believe that this custody battle would even happen in the first place. But then the trial!! It’s a custody battle, not a murder trial!! But the entire town took off work and closed their businesses to come to the courthouse to watch? I mean, I get that rich people are interesting to the masses, but really? That kind of attention for a custody battle between two women who really weren’t all that important in the first place? I think that may have been the most ridiculous attempt at drama where it didn’t exist that I’ve ever read.
3. The writing. While VC Andrews will never be hailed as a notable writer, she at least wrote like an adult. Her plot lines are complex with unexpected twists and turns and she uses....adult words. That’s the best way I can describe it. She writes like an adult. Neiderman, on the other hand, writes like a middle school student. He repeatedly uses the same phrases over and over. About 3 chapters in, I was wondering if he had ever picked up a thesaurus. He’s clearly lacking in the ability to think of suitable synonyms for words. His plot line was extremely predictable, and even though he obviously made some attempts at twists, he just didn’t pull it off well. And the metaphors and similes! Oh my god! There was a point, 2 chapters in, when I jokingly thought “there should be a drinking game for this. Take a drink every time the author uses a metaphor or a simile.” And then by chapter 3 (just one chapter later) I realized, dying of alcohol poisoning would be a likely result of playing that game. I really wish I was joking when I say that. I have never in my life seen such an atrocious number of metaphors and similes. There’s literally at least one per page (and yes I know the proper use of the word “literally”), and in several cases, more than one per page. I’ve seen reviews where people complain about this in his later books, but I never noticed it until now. It’s so over the top in this book that it’s just asinine.
All in all, I gave this book two stars because somehow the story line kept me interested. I reserve 1 star for books that I find difficult to finish. This wasn’t hard to finish, and I’ll read the next two books just to finish out the series, but the ghost writer really made me angry. And it makes me a bit angry at the family of VC Andrews too. There had to be a better choice for a ghost writer, so I really wonder why they picked Neiderman. The book is so vastly different than the first two books that I find it hard to believe that they couldn’t find someone to write it more to the style of VC Andrews. I can’t help but think that VC Andrews was rolling over in her grave when this book was published.
I don’t think anyone reads VC Andrews for fine literature. These are what I consider to be guilty pleasures books. The storylines are interesting enough to keep me engaged, but I don’t really have to use my mind to analyze and understand a story.
I’ve been reading VC Andrews for years, starting with the Flowers in the Attic series years ago. I knew that Andrew Neiderman became her ghost writer after she died. However, most of the books I have read in the last few years have been newer stories. I could tell that there was a difference between the writing of Flowers in the Attic and the Neiderman books, but it wasn’t that noticeable to me. Probably because there wasn’t a jarring switch between the two writers. And that’s exactly what happened in this book.
I had never read the Casteel series so when I found them in a thrift store I scooped them up, excited to read more of what VC Andrews actually wrote. The first two books were great. The writing, while certainly not award worthy, was creative enough to really make me see the characters and the story taking place. But VC Andrews died before the third book was published, so Andrew Neiderman took over at that point. The result was jarring to me. REALLY jarring. Perhaps it’s not as noticeable if you read the books with some time in between them, however, I’ve been reading them all at once, one right after the other. In all honesty, I am really surprised that there aren’t more negative reviews about this book which is part of what inspired me to write a review.
Things that really bothered me:
1. The characters. There was a massive shift in the way the main characters behaved. I wanted to justify it by saying that they just grew up and changed...but no. It’s like Neiderman didn’t even read the first two books.
~Heaven went from being strong, opinionated, and quick to react with a fiery temper to being passive and meek. She basically just bows down to Logan and Tony, decides that they know what’s best, and she does whatever they want. Throughout the first 3/4 of the book I was wondering where the old Heaven went. I AM pleased that she seemed to return to her old self at the end.
~Logan went from being 100% obsessed with Heaven to basically ignoring her and her needs and swooning over Tony and all his riches. This made absolutely no sense to me. In Dark Angel, when Logan sees Heaven dressed in all of her expensive clothes, he’s disgusted and wants the old Heaven back. He hates her for being obsessed with her new found wealth. But now suddenly he’s in love with everything rich and powerful? When he decides that they should skip their planned honeymoon to hang out at Farthy instead, I almost stopped reading the book. When he convinces Heaven to move to Boston and give up her dream teaching job, I almost stopped reading again (and I probably should have). This wasn’t Logan from the first two books AT ALL. And then there was Fanny. More specifically Logan and Fanny. Out of everything, I think this was the most unbelievable plot line. So Logan cheats on Heaven with Fanny? The same Fanny that he absolutely despised and hated throughout the first two books. The same Fanny that he was disgusted by and couldn’t get away from fast enough in the first two books. The first two books also tell us that Logan is one of the most attractive guys in town. If he had to cheat, I’m sure he could have found someone other than Fanny (though the fact that he cheated in the first place was also completely out of character). The entire story about Fanny seducing him was so far off from the Logan in the original two books that it just angered me. He spent years rejecting her, and suddenly after two glasses of wine he can’t resist her? Again, I have to ask, did Neiderman even read the first two books?
2. The storyline. I’ll ask this again - did Neiderman even read the first two books? In Dark Angel, Tony clearly tells Heaven that Troy’s body washed up on the beach. Yet, in Fallen Hearts, suddenly Troy is magically alive? I could even buy that story if Heaven has said something to Troy or Tony like “but your/his body washed up on the beach!” That would have at least given Tony the chance to say that he lied about finding the body. But nope. Heaven, whose thoughts have been completely consumed by Troy, never even remembered that she had been told that his body had been found.
I also found the custody battle between Fanny and Heaven over Drake to be a bit over the top and ridiculous. Are we supposed to believe that the lawyer who handled everything after Luke died didn’t think to get some kind of legal custody agreement in place for Heaven? He just let her take Drake with no official paperwork making her his legal guardian? I really don’t think that’s believable. So when Fanny kidnaps Drake and stakes her claim on him, we get the ridiculous custody battle. I was willing to go along with it and attempt to believe that this custody battle would even happen in the first place. But then the trial!! It’s a custody battle, not a murder trial!! But the entire town took off work and closed their businesses to come to the courthouse to watch? I mean, I get that rich people are interesting to the masses, but really? That kind of attention for a custody battle between two women who really weren’t all that important in the first place? I think that may have been the most ridiculous attempt at drama where it didn’t exist that I’ve ever read.
3. The writing. While VC Andrews will never be hailed as a notable writer, she at least wrote like an adult. Her plot lines are complex with unexpected twists and turns and she uses....adult words. That’s the best way I can describe it. She writes like an adult. Neiderman, on the other hand, writes like a middle school student. He repeatedly uses the same phrases over and over. About 3 chapters in, I was wondering if he had ever picked up a thesaurus. He’s clearly lacking in the ability to think of suitable synonyms for words. His plot line was extremely predictable, and even though he obviously made some attempts at twists, he just didn’t pull it off well. And the metaphors and similes! Oh my god! There was a point, 2 chapters in, when I jokingly thought “there should be a drinking game for this. Take a drink every time the author uses a metaphor or a simile.” And then by chapter 3 (just one chapter later) I realized, dying of alcohol poisoning would be a likely result of playing that game. I really wish I was joking when I say that. I have never in my life seen such an atrocious number of metaphors and similes. There’s literally at least one per page (and yes I know the proper use of the word “literally”), and in several cases, more than one per page. I’ve seen reviews where people complain about this in his later books, but I never noticed it until now. It’s so over the top in this book that it’s just asinine.
All in all, I gave this book two stars because somehow the story line kept me interested. I reserve 1 star for books that I find difficult to finish. This wasn’t hard to finish, and I’ll read the next two books just to finish out the series, but the ghost writer really made me angry. And it makes me a bit angry at the family of VC Andrews too. There had to be a better choice for a ghost writer, so I really wonder why they picked Neiderman. The book is so vastly different than the first two books that I find it hard to believe that they couldn’t find someone to write it more to the style of VC Andrews. I can’t help but think that VC Andrews was rolling over in her grave when this book was published.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2020
I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.
This is the 3rd book in the Casteel series. Which I find ironic since Heaven isn't even an actual Casteel, but anyways. It wasn't bad. There was a lot of unfaithfulness going around though, and incest. Which just makes the book kinda weird.
I think Heaven is kind of a selfish character. She's a lot like her father Tony. But she is also a lot like her Pa Luke. Someone she apparently hates so much. And she adjusted to her money and power a lot faster and easier than she seems to want to admit.
There is not much more to say. There wasn't a whole lot for romance in this book. But it is still good to see how Heaven's life progresses from the last one. I'll be starting the fourth one soon which I believe follows Heaven's daughter.
How I choose my rating:
1* Hated it. I had to force myself to finish it.
2** Didn't really like it. I didn't hate it but not sure why I finished it other than for some closure.
3*** I liked it. I had some issues with it, but as a whole it was good. I probably won't reread ever, but there is a chance I might finish the series. (If part of one) But if not it's not a huge loss.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this, and I will finish the series. (If part of one) I would recommend to those I know hold interest in this book's content.
5***** I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will definitely be rereading this and probably more than once. I will finish the series and reread it multiple times. (If part of one) I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!!
This is the 3rd book in the Casteel series. Which I find ironic since Heaven isn't even an actual Casteel, but anyways. It wasn't bad. There was a lot of unfaithfulness going around though, and incest. Which just makes the book kinda weird.
I think Heaven is kind of a selfish character. She's a lot like her father Tony. But she is also a lot like her Pa Luke. Someone she apparently hates so much. And she adjusted to her money and power a lot faster and easier than she seems to want to admit.
There is not much more to say. There wasn't a whole lot for romance in this book. But it is still good to see how Heaven's life progresses from the last one. I'll be starting the fourth one soon which I believe follows Heaven's daughter.
How I choose my rating:
1* Hated it. I had to force myself to finish it.
2** Didn't really like it. I didn't hate it but not sure why I finished it other than for some closure.
3*** I liked it. I had some issues with it, but as a whole it was good. I probably won't reread ever, but there is a chance I might finish the series. (If part of one) But if not it's not a huge loss.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this, and I will finish the series. (If part of one) I would recommend to those I know hold interest in this book's content.
5***** I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will definitely be rereading this and probably more than once. I will finish the series and reread it multiple times. (If part of one) I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!!
March 18, 2019
Meet Heaven Casteel Tatterton Stonewell, possibly the worlds biggest hypocrite. She spends the whole book moaning about her life that has been built on lies and deceit. But excuses herself for the same behaviour!
Yeah Logan was a shit for sleeping with Fanny and knocking her up. But when Heaven decides to bump the uglies with her uncle, that's okay because it's true love. Plus you plan to lie to that child of this incestuous reunion about who her true parents are. The same thing you've been angry about for years!
But this is a great book, it's trashy and over the top and you will love the family drama. I certainly did.
Yeah Logan was a shit for sleeping with Fanny and knocking her up. But when Heaven decides to bump the uglies with her uncle, that's okay because it's true love. Plus you plan to lie to that child of this incestuous reunion about who her true parents are. The same thing you've been angry about for years!
But this is a great book, it's trashy and over the top and you will love the family drama. I certainly did.
October 23, 2008
This was just a really enjoyable continuation of the story. It's true that the same plot points are visited over and over, but the characters are just as endearing as ever. It was interesting to get a closer look into the rivalry between Fanny and Heaven and it was nice to finally see Heaven come into her own.
May 1, 2012
Novels that were truly written by Ms. Andrews were Flowers in the Attic, Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, My Sweet Audrina, Heaven, and Dark Angel. When Virginia became seriously ill while writing the Casteel series, she began to work even harder, hoping to finish as many stories as possible so that her fans could one day share them. Since her death many have wondered whether there would continue to be new V.C. Andrews novels. Beginning with the final books in the Casteel series they worked closely with a carefully selected writer to organize and complete Virginia's stories and to expand upon them. The identity of this writer was kept a secret from the general public at the request of the Andrews family for years. The ghostwriter has since been identified as thriller and horror novelist Andrew Niederman. The novels that may have been begun by Andrews and finished by Neiderman were Garden of Shadows, Fallen Hearts, Gates of Paradise, and Web of Dreams. Everything after Dawn was written by Neiderman.
August 11, 2019
“You are an idealist of the worst kind - the romantic idealist. Born to destroy and self destruct.”
May 10, 2014
Tony Tatterton the master manipulator. Eh to the crap character of Logan and yes to Troy and Heaven!
July 21, 2019
Buddy Read with Sarah Mac. I'm surprised at how decent this entry to the Casteel series was despite all the uneven and even inaccurate bits -like the opening letter and Troy even figuring into things- but when the ghostwriter gets the tone right or has Heaven take a noble, self-sacrificing stand without being overly sanctimonious it feels almost comparable to the original VC. Just for the love of all that is page space, save yourself some time and skim over the "steam" scenes because the ghostwriter is full of awful purple prose.
Crazy levels: Not quite as balls to the wall as Dark Angel but it had its moments (Tony Tatterson is still the king of creep and Troy is still great at being difficult and running away from his problems)
Fanny levels: Borderline caricature. Entertaining top-hatted villainess. Deserves her own book.
Heaven levels: Split personality (half accurate to her development, half random purple prose poetry and obvious observations). Torn between her love for Logan and her love for boning Troy. Still holds out for underprivileged children, family, and the hill people of Winnerrow.
Logan levels: Nobody cares
Tony levels: Off the charts on the closet pedo meter. We never find out why general grief leads to his wearing his dead wife's nightgown and that's a question that will live on in my soul for way longer than this book deserves
Troy levels: Still weepy, enigmatic, but hot. I suspect he has a time portal because is great at disappearing and reappearing at will on the farthy grounds.
Crazy levels: Not quite as balls to the wall as Dark Angel but it had its moments (Tony Tatterson is still the king of creep and Troy is still great at being difficult and running away from his problems)
Fanny levels: Borderline caricature. Entertaining top-hatted villainess. Deserves her own book.
Heaven levels: Split personality (half accurate to her development, half random purple prose poetry and obvious observations). Torn between her love for Logan and her love for boning Troy. Still holds out for underprivileged children, family, and the hill people of Winnerrow.
Logan levels: Nobody cares
Tony levels: Off the charts on the closet pedo meter. We never find out why general grief leads to his wearing his dead wife's nightgown and that's a question that will live on in my soul for way longer than this book deserves
Troy levels: Still weepy, enigmatic, but hot. I suspect he has a time portal because is great at disappearing and reappearing at will on the farthy grounds.
August 29, 2015
It's not like the first two books in this series were fine literature, but when the ghostwriter took over, the quality really went downhill. The same phrases and themes cropped up over and over, and got really repetitive. Plus, I thought the characters were out-of-character. At least this one had less incest.
April 11, 2015
why do I read this stuff? it's horrible, yet I can't look away. :head:slap
January 14, 2023
It’s maybe my 4th time reading this series about the Casteel family, and it’s still as good as the first time I read it as a teen, although a little outdated.
November 21, 2014
Even though this wasn't written by the great V C herself, I still loved every bit of this. There was, of course, that little spark missing - that special style that only V. C. Andrews could write. She had a magical way of weaving beauty into every scene, every turn of phrase. Even the most shockingly sentimental lines seemed romantic when she wrote them. I'm afraid nobody can replace that.
However, this was a great imitation, and fed my hunger to discover how Heaven's tragic life story continues.
I just can't get enough of these southern gothic melodramas. The need to devour these books remains as strong as it did when I picked up Flowers in the Attic as a 12 year old girl.
I felt the story stayed true to the first two books and was every bit as trashy, dramatic and surprising as any genuine V. C. Andrews novel. Truly, I was pleasantly surprised. Gosh darn it, Hev' Leigh!
However, this was a great imitation, and fed my hunger to discover how Heaven's tragic life story continues.
I just can't get enough of these southern gothic melodramas. The need to devour these books remains as strong as it did when I picked up Flowers in the Attic as a 12 year old girl.
I felt the story stayed true to the first two books and was every bit as trashy, dramatic and surprising as any genuine V. C. Andrews novel. Truly, I was pleasantly surprised. Gosh darn it, Hev' Leigh!
February 8, 2010
2.5 stars on this one. Still CRAZY (eww, Heaven's father/step-grandfather put the moves on her, and there's courtroom drama, straight out of a soap opera!) but by this third book in the series, you're starting to roll your eyes a little. I can't really put my finger on Logan's character--first book he's sweet, second book he acts like a jerk, and then this third one...sure he's married Heaven, but he's a little too eager to adopt the wealthy lifestyle, AND he sleeps with Fanny (who is not only Heaven's sister, but is so completely annoyed). I do love that Troy is still alive and he magically knows that Annie is his daughter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2023
Heaven and Logan rekindle their relationship, but all is not well in Heavenland...
Maybe I should have reviewed this immediately after finishing the book, but it was too late at night. As a result, I'm not sure what to say about this book now. I watched the episode of the show that corresponded to this book before reading the book, so almost nothing besides was new to me. The actress for young Fanny was so excellent that I could hear her voice whenever I read Fanny's dialogue in the first book.
At first, it annoyed me a little how far Heaven would go to get custody of Drake. I hated how she had to give Fanny 1 million dollars for that boy. I kind of hated Fanny too.
Maybe I should have reviewed this immediately after finishing the book, but it was too late at night. As a result, I'm not sure what to say about this book now. I watched the episode of the show that corresponded to this book before reading the book, so almost nothing besides was new to me. The actress for young Fanny was so excellent that I could hear her voice whenever I read Fanny's dialogue in the first book.
At first, it annoyed me a little how far Heaven would go to get custody of Drake. I hated how she had to give Fanny 1 million dollars for that boy. I kind of hated Fanny too.
January 2, 2023
La verdad es que se me está haciendo cansina… Tanto drama y tanta tontería. Pero ya me ha enganchado la historia y no puedo parar, aunque con menos de la mitad de páginas tiraría mucho mejor. Y es bastante predecible todo, la verdad.
Heaven me parece súper pedante. Tan buena y tan pobrecita…. Ufff
Y el resto de personajes pues igual. Mal caracterizados. Todos son demasiado exagerados, pero, qué le voy a hacer? Ya sólo me quedan 2 libros😣
Heaven me parece súper pedante. Tan buena y tan pobrecita…. Ufff
Y el resto de personajes pues igual. Mal caracterizados. Todos son demasiado exagerados, pero, qué le voy a hacer? Ya sólo me quedan 2 libros😣
July 21, 2022
I haven't quite finished reading this book yet, but am beginning to wonder if I ever will. I can't say I hate it or that I love it just have some mixed feelings about it. It has seemingly taken me forever to get through Fallen Hearts. I told myself at first it was because during the course of reading it, my condo flooded and I had to move out for a few days while the place was being dried out. But that can't be right. My temporary home had no access to my computer with all it's games, videos and other distractions, and I also had no access to some of my favourite TV channels and shows, so what better time than to sit back and forget about the stress of being without a home than with a good book. That's when it began to dawn on me that this isn't my idea of a good book. As I said it wasn't all bad. While the premise was there, the continuation of Heaven's story, her marriage, moving back to Farthy, there was plenty of drama going on, especially with Fanny in the story, but it just didn't seem to be well put together. I know this was the ghostwriter's first crack at VC Andrews style and tried to give him leeway on some things, but as when I first read this when I was a teen (oh so long ago) I didn't enjoy this book and couldn't get into it. Here's some of what made it tough to read on. Heaven was not the same person I remembered her to be and said and did things totally not within her character from the first two books. Logan, I hated Logan since the end of Heaven when he ran away from Heaven. How stupid are you that you think your girlfriend being taken advantage of, basically raped, by her foster father is her betraying you with another man? I'm still not totally sure why she not only took him back but also married him and as the book goes on I question that decision more and more and look forward to what I know will happen to Logan in the next book. I really wish Fanny would've either grown or matured a bit, or at least that Heaven would finally give up on her. She has broken her trust and broken her heart so many times but yet she won't give up on Fanny. There were inconsistencies in the book as well, like Troy and what exactly happened to him in Dark Angel, and Jillian and her fate which I don't think fit with her character from Dark Angel. Tony remains the same and unfortunately I think he stays that way for the rest of the series. I'll continue to try to get through this just a short bit to go. I seem to remember I liked Gates of Paradise a little better so hopefully I'll soon be able to put Fallen Hearts away and let it collect dust, should I ever get an urge to read this book again I'll remember to read this review first and stop myself.
May 12, 2018
I thought that VC Andrews had written more of this book before her death, but from the first sentence I could already tell that this was the work of her ghostwriter. It broke my heart a little to realize that there is no more actual VC Andrews left to read, and I'm having a hard time deciding what to dive into next. I think if I hadn't been working my way through her books so intensely this year back-to-back I might not have noticed the transition from her work to another's, but alas I did.
Also sad is that the story completely goes off the rails. You have to say this for VC: She was over the top, but always knew to stop before it was too much. Her replacement has no such knowledge or talent. Further, you could tell a dude wrote this one because the main character begins sexually objectifying herself as well as others, and it is jarring as fuck. I won't be finishing out this series and find myself oddly grieving all these decades later for VC Andrews's death.
Also sad is that the story completely goes off the rails. You have to say this for VC: She was over the top, but always knew to stop before it was too much. Her replacement has no such knowledge or talent. Further, you could tell a dude wrote this one because the main character begins sexually objectifying herself as well as others, and it is jarring as fuck. I won't be finishing out this series and find myself oddly grieving all these decades later for VC Andrews's death.
October 13, 2015
Mais um volume da continuação da saga da família Casteel, em que a vida de Heaven continua a atravessar altos e baixos, aparecendo surpresas ao virar de cada esquina.
É interessante ler uma trama passada há bastantes anos, no tempo em que não haviam telemóveis, computadores, internet, etc; e verificar que mesmo sem estas modernices se conseguia criar uma história que nos prende até à última página e que nos faz sentir um turbilhão de emoções.
Sinto que a Heaven e o Logan já fazem parte dos meus dias e já tenho o próximo volume a postos para ler.
É interessante ler uma trama passada há bastantes anos, no tempo em que não haviam telemóveis, computadores, internet, etc; e verificar que mesmo sem estas modernices se conseguia criar uma história que nos prende até à última página e que nos faz sentir um turbilhão de emoções.
Sinto que a Heaven e o Logan já fazem parte dos meus dias e já tenho o próximo volume a postos para ler.
February 25, 2019
This held up well. I think this is the last book in this series written by Ms Andrews
August 14, 2012
I read the earlier V.C. Andrews books when I was growing up. I think they helped to prepare me for what I could find behind closed doors while completing assessments as a social worker...:)
August 12, 2019
Loved it. After all these years, Still not a fan of Logan. Haha!
March 16, 2015
Great book! The installments in this series just keep getting better and better. I can't believe I didn't read this when I was younger!
February 17, 2019
Penktoji šiais metais perskaityta knyga. Kaip ir kitos Endriaus dalys puiki savo paslaptimis, įvykiais, siužeto vingiais. Pasakojamas tolimesnis Heven gyvenimas, jau susituokus su vaikystėje pamiltu berniuku Loganu. Narpliojami sudėtingi santykiai su netikra seserim Fani. Tikrai daug įdomybių, kurias skaitant tokias šeimų sagas galima patirti. Su nekantrumu laukiu, kol paimsiu sekančias sagos dalis. O ir likusių Endriaus knygų ieškosiu, labai gaila, kad neperleidžiamos tokios knygos. Gal kas pasakytų, kam reikalingos tokios "muilo operos", ogi, mums, knygų mylėtojams💖📖👍
June 20, 2025
Dysfunctional much? The delusion in this book made my head hurt. So many Whys! Why go back to Troy knowing what you know, why indulge or support Fanny, why hold on to so many people who aren't worth holding on to? ugh, this book makes you wish your hand hurt from slapping people.
But then the ending comes, and it is everything you want an ending to be. It's emotional, it's dramatic, it's painful and loving, and most importantly gives the closure needed after that absolute mind ***k of family nonsense.
But then the ending comes, and it is everything you want an ending to be. It's emotional, it's dramatic, it's painful and loving, and most importantly gives the closure needed after that absolute mind ***k of family nonsense.
October 11, 2022
I devoured the last 200 pages!
I quite liked this entry in the series. The custody battle had me on the edge of my seat and Heaven’s choice at the end is bound to backfire, I’m certain of that.
Troy’s part in this book was also so good. Always present when you didn’t expect him to be. Another thing bound to bring trouble. I can’t wait for the next book.
I quite liked this entry in the series. The custody battle had me on the edge of my seat and Heaven’s choice at the end is bound to backfire, I’m certain of that.
Troy’s part in this book was also so good. Always present when you didn’t expect him to be. Another thing bound to bring trouble. I can’t wait for the next book.
August 11, 2022
Sometimes I forget to exist as a human when I pick up the right VC Andrews book, and this was one such book. Tragedy, trauma, and trash. Chef's kiss.
January 31, 2016
2.5 stars
I enjoy these books less and less as the series goes on.
Wow, these books are legit a soap opera in written form.
Parts of this story I also find extremely unrealistic.
I also really dislike Logan and I liked him even less in this installment. I also found Heaven less likeable in this story.
If the next installment didn't follow new characters I would probably give up on this series here.
I enjoy these books less and less as the series goes on.
Wow, these books are legit a soap opera in written form.
Parts of this story I also find extremely unrealistic.
I also really dislike Logan and I liked him even less in this installment. I also found Heaven less likeable in this story.
If the next installment didn't follow new characters I would probably give up on this series here.
January 7, 2022
VCA is a guilty pleasure. The writing is atrocious, plots are beyond melodramatic, characters totally unbelievable . I think I read them for the pure pleasure of keeping the gene pool straight. I wonder what sort of a world VCA was born and raised in. There is not one healthy, strong, natural relationship in any of her books, certainly not the Caasteel series.
Heaven's grandfather Tony, rapes Heaven's mother, making him her father. Heaven is seduced by her foster dad Cal. Heaven sleeps with Troy her uncle, and has his child, Annie, who is Tony's grandchild and niece. Heaven's husband sleeps with her sister and the product of that union is Luke, who is Heaven's nephew as well as stepson. Tony tries to molest Heaven, his own daughter.
Aiaiaiai....what an unholy mess of a gene pool. Wonder if any of them remembers who slept with who and who bore whose child.
And Heaven constantly sobbing, weeping and rubbing her fists into her eyes....where did she find the time for the waterworks with all the sexual escapades, legitimate and clandestine??
Heaven's grandfather Tony, rapes Heaven's mother, making him her father. Heaven is seduced by her foster dad Cal. Heaven sleeps with Troy her uncle, and has his child, Annie, who is Tony's grandchild and niece. Heaven's husband sleeps with her sister and the product of that union is Luke, who is Heaven's nephew as well as stepson. Tony tries to molest Heaven, his own daughter.
Aiaiaiai....what an unholy mess of a gene pool. Wonder if any of them remembers who slept with who and who bore whose child.
And Heaven constantly sobbing, weeping and rubbing her fists into her eyes....where did she find the time for the waterworks with all the sexual escapades, legitimate and clandestine??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2025
I think this is where I stop with this series. The writing and story are so completely different than the first two books. After reading other reviews, it seems the author passed and had a different author finish it. It explains a lot about the change in the story. Heaven is so different from the other two. In makes me sad. Her other character was strong, opinionated, and I loved her for it. I'd like to think she would have grown into more, but she didn't. She became less. Super disappointed and not really wanting to finish the rest of the series.
January 12, 2015
Ok, the plot was good for this third installment of the Casteel series. I enjoyed it. It started out just a bit slow, but then things started to get pretty interesting in the middle of the book. I have to say that most of the storyline was unpredictable. I like Heaven's character. I think she's not afraid to speak her mind, but sometimes she shows a softer side. For instance, she was too soft when it came to Luke's character. The man whom she thought was her father never loved her, yet she put that man in som kind of pedestal. Then her husband Logan cheats on her by sleeping with her sister Fanny. Had that been me, I would've said bye-bye to this Logan. So, in my opinion, Heaven is a good person, but sometimes i thought she was stupid on some aspects. Can't wait to read the next installment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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