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Stray Hearts
When Kay Ramsey catches her fiancé cheating on her, she takes revenge on him in a most creative way. She's shocked when he sues her, and even more shocked when he actually wins. Then he tells her he’ll forget the money she owes him—if she’ll perform a hundred hours of community service at a local animal shelter. Battling an empty bank account and a childhood fear of animals, she can't imagine a worse sentence—until she meets the sexy veterinarian in charge, Dr. Matt Forester.
Matt’s animal shelter is operating in the red and in danger of shutting down, and only with a grant arranged by Kay’s ex-fiancé will he be able to keep the doors open. His marching orders? Make Kay suffer. Soon, though, Matt realizes Kay isn’t the terrible person she’s supposed to be, and he finds himself attracted to her more every day. But with the fate of his shelter hanging in the balance, how can he even think of falling in love?
Matt’s animal shelter is operating in the red and in danger of shutting down, and only with a grant arranged by Kay’s ex-fiancé will he be able to keep the doors open. His marching orders? Make Kay suffer. Soon, though, Matt realizes Kay isn’t the terrible person she’s supposed to be, and he finds himself attracted to her more every day. But with the fate of his shelter hanging in the balance, how can he even think of falling in love?
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2013
26 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
Jane Graves
37 books375 followersJane Graves is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty contemporary romance novels. She is a nine-time finalist for Romance Writers of America's Rita Award, the industry's highest honor, and is the recipient of two National Readers' Choice Awards, the Booksellers' Best Award, and the Golden Quill, among others.
Jane lives in the Dallas area with her husband and a beautiful but crafty cat who rules the household with one paw tied behind her back.
Jane lives in the Dallas area with her husband and a beautiful but crafty cat who rules the household with one paw tied behind her back.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 1, 2018
This is short, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Mostly. I really liked the leads and they work really well together. Graves does a fantastic job taking two people who appear to have irreconcilable differences and shows them finding ways around those differences and finding real compatibility.
Kay is insecure but sweet. Graves tries to make her fear of domestic animals feel real, though that doesn't really work out. Or maybe it's just part of the premise I have to grant to be going on. I have a minor fear of dogs myself, so I can kind of sympathize, but Kay's anxiety is pretty broad to take seriously. And we never do find out how she managed to become engaged to a man who has three border collies. Fortunately, if you take that background as given, you have a kind girl with some things to work out (beyond the pet fear thing) who is devoted and creative and good at making do with what she is given. I really loved seeing her work around the limitations of Matt's shelter and finding ways to improve it despite the complete lack of funds.
And Matt is a great guy. He's one of those "has to take care of everyone" guys and that naturally extends to people as well as the animals in his shelter (and at his practice). He's a bit clueless and has to adjust his moral compass a bit, but you never doubted that he would. He is the book's greatest weakness, though. He takes way too long harboring secrets that he knows will blow up in his face and I kept waiting for him to acquire a clue before it was too late. He lets it go long enough to become very frustrating and I hate how that played havoc with Kay's already problematic insecurities.
All of that said, I was with them all the way and had a very hard time putting the book down. It ends up well-enough in the end that I'm rounding up to five stars. And while it's a bit neatly wrapped up, that's exactly what I wanted so I didn't mind at all.
A note about Steamy/Chaste: There's a single sex scene but it isn't explicit. It's enough that I can't really call this chaste, but it doesn't quite enter my steam range, either. Which is hard to categorize but was exactly right for the tone of this story and I think it was outstandingly well-done.
Kay is insecure but sweet. Graves tries to make her fear of domestic animals feel real, though that doesn't really work out. Or maybe it's just part of the premise I have to grant to be going on. I have a minor fear of dogs myself, so I can kind of sympathize, but Kay's anxiety is pretty broad to take seriously. And we never do find out how she managed to become engaged to a man who has three border collies. Fortunately, if you take that background as given, you have a kind girl with some things to work out (beyond the pet fear thing) who is devoted and creative and good at making do with what she is given. I really loved seeing her work around the limitations of Matt's shelter and finding ways to improve it despite the complete lack of funds.
And Matt is a great guy. He's one of those "has to take care of everyone" guys and that naturally extends to people as well as the animals in his shelter (and at his practice). He's a bit clueless and has to adjust his moral compass a bit, but you never doubted that he would. He is the book's greatest weakness, though. He takes way too long harboring secrets that he knows will blow up in his face and I kept waiting for him to acquire a clue before it was too late. He lets it go long enough to become very frustrating and I hate how that played havoc with Kay's already problematic insecurities.
All of that said, I was with them all the way and had a very hard time putting the book down. It ends up well-enough in the end that I'm rounding up to five stars. And while it's a bit neatly wrapped up, that's exactly what I wanted so I didn't mind at all.
A note about Steamy/Chaste: There's a single sex scene but it isn't explicit. It's enough that I can't really call this chaste, but it doesn't quite enter my steam range, either. Which is hard to categorize but was exactly right for the tone of this story and I think it was outstandingly well-done.
September 22, 2013
Jane Graves is, I think, one of those authors who doesn't get as much buzz as I think she should. I've read all of her Jane Graves book and a few books she wrote under Jane Sullivan and I've quite enjoyed all of them to one degree or another. She's an if you like. Rachel Gibson or Susan Andersen type author.
So when I noticed this one when I got back from Atlanta for a nice price at Amazon it was a very easy sell.
This is a much shorter length but I enjoyed it as much as I would have a full length book. It starts out with our heroine, Maddy, in a bit of a pickle. She caught her fiancé in a compromising position, arranged to have a naughty word hair shaving done on his show dogs, was sued by him and sentenced to pay him $5,000, money she doesn't have as he was also her boss.
He gives her a choice, either pay the money or do 100 hours community service working at an animal shelter. The catch? Maddy is afraid of animals. Her ex, wanting her to suffer, made an arrangement with vetrenarian Matt Forester to make it rough on Maddy.
Although a short story, I quite enjoyed this one. Who wouldn't love an animal loving hero? Matt was adorable as was Maddy. Although it takes time she gets over her fear and really begins to appreciate the animals she has to tend to. Her main job is cleaning kitty litter and as the proud new servant of a couple of kittens, I can appreciate the 'joy' of that particular job. The romance between Matt and Maddy is real sweet with a nice dash of spicy thrown in.
This is another thumbs up book by Jane Graves in my book :-)
So when I noticed this one when I got back from Atlanta for a nice price at Amazon it was a very easy sell.
This is a much shorter length but I enjoyed it as much as I would have a full length book. It starts out with our heroine, Maddy, in a bit of a pickle. She caught her fiancé in a compromising position, arranged to have a naughty word hair shaving done on his show dogs, was sued by him and sentenced to pay him $5,000, money she doesn't have as he was also her boss.
He gives her a choice, either pay the money or do 100 hours community service working at an animal shelter. The catch? Maddy is afraid of animals. Her ex, wanting her to suffer, made an arrangement with vetrenarian Matt Forester to make it rough on Maddy.
Although a short story, I quite enjoyed this one. Who wouldn't love an animal loving hero? Matt was adorable as was Maddy. Although it takes time she gets over her fear and really begins to appreciate the animals she has to tend to. Her main job is cleaning kitty litter and as the proud new servant of a couple of kittens, I can appreciate the 'joy' of that particular job. The romance between Matt and Maddy is real sweet with a nice dash of spicy thrown in.
This is another thumbs up book by Jane Graves in my book :-)
August 18, 2014
3.5 stars
Quick trivia : After I finished this, I found out that the story had been previously released more than a decade ago (in 2000) by Harlequin under the author’s other name, Jane Sullivan. Truthfully, I have no idea if the story has been re-edited to fit this timeline, because I cannot find any ‘clues’ of it being written in early 2000.
Anyway, I enjoyed this novella – in the beginning I’m not really sure of what to think of Kay. I mean, the whole impulsive revenge by shaving her ex-fiancé’s dogs is funny, but I don’t know if I can warm up to a heroine who has aversion towards animals! Also, she seems like she wants to get out of her volunteering by taking an easy way and seems to look down on life and animals at the shelter. But, as Kay spends her time at the clinic and starts opening up to the animals, so do I. I think she genuinely starts to see these animals as something wonderful (and heck, maybe therapeutic for her issue). She also tries to find a way to get more help for the shelter.
The progress of the relationship between Kay and Matt is nice. Duly noted that Matt keeps a secret from Kay, but he does it in order to save his animal shelter – and this puts a halt on his thinking of pursuing something more with Kay. I admire Matt’s dedication though, even when he is financially challenged, with the mortgage and the costs he needs for the animals, he clearly wants it to keep operating. Gah, how can I not love a man like that?! Men with pets make me swoon.
The grand gesture in the end is lovely. Totally really liked the resolution to Matt’s problem (and Kay’s ex could go to hell *lol*). Oh, this story is low on sexual scenes; it is more on the side of sweet romance, focusing on the relationship building rather than the sexual content. AND, I fell in love with the animals in this story, especially a three-legged bulldog.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
Quick trivia : After I finished this, I found out that the story had been previously released more than a decade ago (in 2000) by Harlequin under the author’s other name, Jane Sullivan. Truthfully, I have no idea if the story has been re-edited to fit this timeline, because I cannot find any ‘clues’ of it being written in early 2000.
Anyway, I enjoyed this novella – in the beginning I’m not really sure of what to think of Kay. I mean, the whole impulsive revenge by shaving her ex-fiancé’s dogs is funny, but I don’t know if I can warm up to a heroine who has aversion towards animals! Also, she seems like she wants to get out of her volunteering by taking an easy way and seems to look down on life and animals at the shelter. But, as Kay spends her time at the clinic and starts opening up to the animals, so do I. I think she genuinely starts to see these animals as something wonderful (and heck, maybe therapeutic for her issue). She also tries to find a way to get more help for the shelter.
The progress of the relationship between Kay and Matt is nice. Duly noted that Matt keeps a secret from Kay, but he does it in order to save his animal shelter – and this puts a halt on his thinking of pursuing something more with Kay. I admire Matt’s dedication though, even when he is financially challenged, with the mortgage and the costs he needs for the animals, he clearly wants it to keep operating. Gah, how can I not love a man like that?! Men with pets make me swoon.
The grand gesture in the end is lovely. Totally really liked the resolution to Matt’s problem (and Kay’s ex could go to hell *lol*). Oh, this story is low on sexual scenes; it is more on the side of sweet romance, focusing on the relationship building rather than the sexual content. AND, I fell in love with the animals in this story, especially a three-legged bulldog.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
September 2, 2013
My Review:
This was a fun, fabulous, entertaining, quick read and I loved every moment of reading it. Kay tends to be a little impulsive and when she caught her fiance with his pants around his ankles with his secretary, she went a little off the deep end. The problem...he's a lawyer and her job was at his law firm. So she lost her job and her fiance...and then he sued her and she lost her money too. He offered her a deal to forgive the $5000 settlement...she needs to do 100 hours of community service at the local animal shelter, which would be fine... but she's terrified of animals.
The other side of the coin is Matt, the vet at the shelter. He's about to go under with too many animals to feed and mounting expenses. His dream since he was a young child was to save animals that would normally be killed by animal control. But he's behind on his mortgage on the business and is looking at foreclosure in the near future unless something changes. He's applied for a $25,000 grant, but it's Kay's ex-fiance who has the influence there. He's promised Matt that if he takes her on as a volunteer to do her community service than he's guaranteed to be awarded the grant. Matt has no idea about Kay's REAL aversion to animals.
I really enjoyed this story line. Obviously you know where it's going to go, but it was fun to see Kay slowly begin to warm up to the animals and the employees at the shelter. The style of the writing was pure fun and heartwarming. It's one of those books where you find yourself smiling as you read. The conflict for Matt between Kay and his shelter is very real and everything about the ending was perfection. I truly just liked this one. It didn't take very long to read...maybe 2-3 hours, but it was time well-spent. A quick dash of romance that warmed up my rainy morning.
This was a fun, fabulous, entertaining, quick read and I loved every moment of reading it. Kay tends to be a little impulsive and when she caught her fiance with his pants around his ankles with his secretary, she went a little off the deep end. The problem...he's a lawyer and her job was at his law firm. So she lost her job and her fiance...and then he sued her and she lost her money too. He offered her a deal to forgive the $5000 settlement...she needs to do 100 hours of community service at the local animal shelter, which would be fine... but she's terrified of animals.
The other side of the coin is Matt, the vet at the shelter. He's about to go under with too many animals to feed and mounting expenses. His dream since he was a young child was to save animals that would normally be killed by animal control. But he's behind on his mortgage on the business and is looking at foreclosure in the near future unless something changes. He's applied for a $25,000 grant, but it's Kay's ex-fiance who has the influence there. He's promised Matt that if he takes her on as a volunteer to do her community service than he's guaranteed to be awarded the grant. Matt has no idea about Kay's REAL aversion to animals.
I really enjoyed this story line. Obviously you know where it's going to go, but it was fun to see Kay slowly begin to warm up to the animals and the employees at the shelter. The style of the writing was pure fun and heartwarming. It's one of those books where you find yourself smiling as you read. The conflict for Matt between Kay and his shelter is very real and everything about the ending was perfection. I truly just liked this one. It didn't take very long to read...maybe 2-3 hours, but it was time well-spent. A quick dash of romance that warmed up my rainy morning.
September 3, 2013
I really liked this book, but it wasn't as good as the first one I read of Jane Graves. There were a few things I didn't like: 1) The book was too short. 2) There was no epilogue. Besides that, I really liked it. I really liked Kay and Matt, and seeing her slowly actually not be afraid of animals, and fall in love with them. Looking forward to reading the next book.
October 17, 2017
I was looking for a Romantic Comedy and Amazon popped up this book in my search. The back story summary that was written on Amazon made me want to give it a try as it sounded like it would be a cute romance. I was correct but a bit disappointed at the beginning. For the first five chapters I just had two lead characters that just sort of annoyed me for their lack of back bone and juvenile characteristics. Also, I was disappointed that I hadn't had one chuckle in the first four chapters. I kept saying to myself... "When is the Comedy part of the RomCom is supposed to happen?" I nearly gave up continuing until nearly mid-way through the fifth chapter I finally got the chuckle I so needed.
As I continued to read on I started get into the book and root for the two love interest. As things progressed I found the story starting to gel and pull me in and had me invested in their potential romance. I enjoyed seeing Kate and Matt's relationship flourish from mutual annoyance, to friendship, attraction, and into budding romance. The only thing is that it lacked in the laughs department. I think I chuckled only about 3 to 4 times. I was hoping for more chuckle moments in this RomCom but it wasn't to be. The book is more on the Rom than the Com level.
All in all I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to someone looking for a simple easy read.
As I continued to read on I started get into the book and root for the two love interest. As things progressed I found the story starting to gel and pull me in and had me invested in their potential romance. I enjoyed seeing Kate and Matt's relationship flourish from mutual annoyance, to friendship, attraction, and into budding romance. The only thing is that it lacked in the laughs department. I think I chuckled only about 3 to 4 times. I was hoping for more chuckle moments in this RomCom but it wasn't to be. The book is more on the Rom than the Com level.
All in all I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to someone looking for a simple easy read.
December 3, 2017
What an wonderful story this author has gifted us with. When Kay’s world shatters around her, not only loosing her fiancé, but her job, all at the same time, she takes on the role of scorned woman with a vengeance, and without thinking of any consequences she might incur. But when her nasty ex takes her to court, and wins, she not only can’t pay the fine awarded, she finds herself at her lowest. When he offers her an alternative way to pay off the debt, she’s forced to take it, even if it means she’ll be living in her own personal Hell for the duration….especially since she is petrified of animals. Now, if only she can convince the handsome, young veterinarian to let her work in administration instead. Ha! Matt is on the verge of loosing the animal shelter, and is in desperate need for money to keep it running. When he’s offered a guarantee of receiving a twenty five thousand dollar grant in exchange for taking on a volunteer to serve her one hundred hours of service, even though his gut tells him he shouldn’t, he agrees…anything to keep his dream going. But when Kay shows up, and it looks like she’s an animal hater, he truly starts to wonder just what he has gotten himself into.
A beautifully written story full of love and compassion, you’ll find your heart melting, not only for the main characters, but for the strays that will creap into your heart as well.
A beautifully written story full of love and compassion, you’ll find your heart melting, not only for the main characters, but for the strays that will creap into your heart as well.
October 9, 2017
Great book!
March 8, 2016
3.5 stars. the story opened with how she acts impulsively when she gets angry but i dont see any of that side of hers all throughout the story. she was just portrayed as nice and pretty but very scared of animals hence her seemingly bad attitude towards animals. guy on the other hand seems like a really nice guy even running a non profit org and he doesnt have a salary. i dont know how he can survive at all. and the fact that he can agree to a deal with robert boggles me. but then we have that some ways.. acted out rashly or said things we didnt mean or had no choice given the circumstances. i like the frienship and romane that eventually blossomed between the two. they were attracted with each other from the start and her personality actually matched his. ugh i hate robert the nerve of some people who was the one who cheated yet acted like they were wronged and exacting revenge on other people. im glad he was found out and got his due. towards the end when she suddenly realized she loved him was surprising i would have thought she would like him first or that something physical will hPpen but this one she fell in love first even and he was noble enough to keep his hands off her while he has the deal. i think they could hve had the last laugh over robert had they conspired togetrr and brought him down. but the final act of him not accepting the grant was a big gesture on his part which was all she needed to prove he did love her too. i know she felt betrayed by him but she shouldnt hAve asked him not to accept the money if she reAlly loved him and wanted his happiness. its not just about her being the victim here. he needed the money too and she knows how passionate he was about the shelter. overall nice book. jane graves almost always never disappoints.
October 1, 2013
I enjoyed this book. Cute story -- animal lovers will appreciate it even more. Her hero is sexy and sweet. Who doesn't love a "good" guy who takes care of animals. Light and humorous at times.
From Author's Website:
When Kay Ramsey catches her fiancé cheating on her, she takes revenge on him in a most creative way. She’s shocked when he sues her, and even more shocked when he actually wins. Then he tells her he’ll forget the money she owes him—if she’ll perform a hundred hours of community service at a local animal shelter. Battling an empty bank account and a childhood fear of animals, she can’t imagine a worse sentence—until she meets the sexy veterinarian in charge, Dr. Matt Forester.
Matt’s animal shelter is operating in the red and in danger of shutting down, and only with a grant arranged by Kay’s ex-fiancé will he be able to keep the doors open. His marching orders? Make Kay suffer. Soon, though, Matt realizes Kay isn't the terrible person she’s supposed to be, and he finds himself attracted to her more every day. But with the fate of his shelter hanging in the balance, how can he even think of falling in love?
From Author's Website:
When Kay Ramsey catches her fiancé cheating on her, she takes revenge on him in a most creative way. She’s shocked when he sues her, and even more shocked when he actually wins. Then he tells her he’ll forget the money she owes him—if she’ll perform a hundred hours of community service at a local animal shelter. Battling an empty bank account and a childhood fear of animals, she can’t imagine a worse sentence—until she meets the sexy veterinarian in charge, Dr. Matt Forester.
Matt’s animal shelter is operating in the red and in danger of shutting down, and only with a grant arranged by Kay’s ex-fiancé will he be able to keep the doors open. His marching orders? Make Kay suffer. Soon, though, Matt realizes Kay isn't the terrible person she’s supposed to be, and he finds himself attracted to her more every day. But with the fate of his shelter hanging in the balance, how can he even think of falling in love?
September 5, 2013
Cute and entertaining but eminently forgettable.
January 12, 2014
Sweet read :)
March 8, 2014
It was cute but short.
March 28, 2017
Feel good book
The story was predictable, but it didn't bother me, because I just felt like reading something light. There wasn't anything particularly amazing about the book, the characters were so-so and the writing was good. One thing that got to me was the main character's fear of animals. I feel like she got over it a bit too easily. As a person who is afraid of animals, I don't think it would've been that easy for me to be around then so suddenly
The story was predictable, but it didn't bother me, because I just felt like reading something light. There wasn't anything particularly amazing about the book, the characters were so-so and the writing was good. One thing that got to me was the main character's fear of animals. I feel like she got over it a bit too easily. As a person who is afraid of animals, I don't think it would've been that easy for me to be around then so suddenly
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews