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Willow Falls Murders #1
Cold Cold Heart
Two things saved Lincoln Bennett after his wife died.
The first was a murder Marla had been trying to solve, a murder that hinted at the secret life she’d been leading, and the lies that had formed the bedrock of their entire marriage.
The second was Milo Rose, the donor recipient who’d been granted a new chance at life thanks to Marla’s own heart.
As the two men are drawn deeper into the mystery, Linc finds himself drawn closer to Milo. Falling for somebody new feels like a betrayal, and yet that’s Marla’s heart beating in Milo’s chest.
Can you fall for the same heart twice?
Can you solve a murder while you’re falling?
The first was a murder Marla had been trying to solve, a murder that hinted at the secret life she’d been leading, and the lies that had formed the bedrock of their entire marriage.
The second was Milo Rose, the donor recipient who’d been granted a new chance at life thanks to Marla’s own heart.
As the two men are drawn deeper into the mystery, Linc finds himself drawn closer to Milo. Falling for somebody new feels like a betrayal, and yet that’s Marla’s heart beating in Milo’s chest.
Can you fall for the same heart twice?
Can you solve a murder while you’re falling?
425 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2024
11 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Laura Jordan
5 books86 followersLaura Jordan is a 6ft Libran and cat enthusiast from the countryside in Kent, England. She grew up in her family cottage with her parents, brother and grandad Len. She studied ballet and performing arts for the majority of her adolescent life, thinking she would make a career of it, before realising she could neither sing, act, nor dance.
Sensing her talents may lie elsewhere, Laura set off to study creative writing at the University of Greenwich where she scraped a bachelor’s degree. Laura then went on to put her degree to good use as a senior reporter and editor for a builder’s merchant’s magazine. However, she was fired after three months after likening her workplace to “riding a bike through Hell” on Twitter.
Then Laura tried her hand at teaching. She became a Special Educational Needs teaching assistant for secondary school children, and much to everyone’s surprise —not least her own— she found she was quite good at it. She kept to this line of work for three years until moving to Ireland to be with her boyfriend.
Living in Dublin with Derek, their golden retriever, and a small army of borderline feral cats, Laura spends her time co-hosting a podcast and writing books that she is still astounded that people want to read.
She is also very fond of pizza.
Sensing her talents may lie elsewhere, Laura set off to study creative writing at the University of Greenwich where she scraped a bachelor’s degree. Laura then went on to put her degree to good use as a senior reporter and editor for a builder’s merchant’s magazine. However, she was fired after three months after likening her workplace to “riding a bike through Hell” on Twitter.
Then Laura tried her hand at teaching. She became a Special Educational Needs teaching assistant for secondary school children, and much to everyone’s surprise —not least her own— she found she was quite good at it. She kept to this line of work for three years until moving to Ireland to be with her boyfriend.
Living in Dublin with Derek, their golden retriever, and a small army of borderline feral cats, Laura spends her time co-hosting a podcast and writing books that she is still astounded that people want to read.
She is also very fond of pizza.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 22, 2024
⛔️spoilers
My review will be a watered down version of @Ancientreader’s review (I’m not as good with words) , ironically just like this book’s characters are a watered-down version of GA’s Theo and Auggie. I have to say that after reading the sample I was in a frenzy to get this book because the premise was awesome and I love me a straight/bi, sad and disgruntled widower (I don’t know why straight/bi widowers are my MM catnip) . Anyways, I finally got to pick up the book and I can’t say I hated it, on the contrary,I even enjoyed it here and there. The writing is not bad and the mystery/investigation, though sometimes silly it was entertaining and I was invested in it. I like this kind of simpler, easier mysteries like A. Christie, Josh Lanyon, Murder she wrote, Midsomer murders ) unlike GA’s mysteries which are darker, heavier and more complex/convoluted. I also enjoyed their banter and humor although it was trying too much at times. So yeah, I spent an enjoyable time reading this. However (There’s always a pesky “however “ isn’t it ?) I did not like the romance at all and especially I didn’t like Linc (at least at first). Or any other character for that matter,except for Milo (later I’ll mention the wife issue that was absolutely ridiculous too). Let me explain: Linc was kind of a douche . He had really serious anger management issues and he was lashing out on who do you think? On poor Milo who had recently gotten out of an abusive relationship and was skittish and scared and oh so young 🥺 And Linc knowing all this, every single day would make a scene out of the blue for the strangest of fucking reasons and went ballistic lashing out and chasing Milo away, while Milo was cowering in fear and was begging him to stop. And every day Milo came back, Linc would say a half-hearted apology and rinse and repeat. No, I don’t care about his reasons, he was unkind.And it’s a shame because he had all the ingredients to make an interesting character yet he was so very ..uninteresting. Not too bright, nor too funny,kind, witty, charming or hot …He was just ok. At least he calms down a bit towards the end.
Milo was witty, cute and sweet if a bit bland but I liked him a lot more than Linc. And let’s not forget about the evil evil women. ALL of them. 🙄
Also, what was the deal with Dylan? Why create that obnoxious useless character ? Every time he showed up I felt weirded out, he was creepy af . And Milo kept singing his praises “Such an awesome best friend! The best in the world!!” yet he took off leaving his best friend with a drunk stranger in a strange place in the middle of the night.
As for the dead wife, that was totally ridiculous. How can you not know your wife is pregnant or that she’s having an affair FOR YEARS. Since ALWAYS!!! It’s ridiculous, why did she marry him then? Why was she with him still? It was not explained.
And then he finds out how much evil she really was and the conclusion they draw is (and here I quote Milo) :
“She loved you so much . “
Wtf?? 🤣🤣🤣
Another thing that didn’t work for me regarding the romance was that I honestly don’t know when they fell in love because for 75% of the book they were like brothers. There was no UST, no chemistry , no attraction. Their romantic pre-relationship was drier than a desert at noon and then when they get together they’re sooo boring. I normally talk a bit about the book’s sex scenes but I swear I don’t remember them or if there were any at all. Nope, I remember . I remember the praise kink being totally unnecessary and cringe. It’s the first murder/mystery book where I stuck around for the mystery instead of the romance and that’s not a usual thing in my case. You know, I’ve also read Our little secret by this author and though everything else was bad about that book the romance was HOT. Those guys were awesome together, romantic intense and hot. I don’t know what happened in between these 2 books.
So yeah, silly mystery yet I savored it and kept me invested (and formulating my own theories🤣), quite a meh romance but entertaining banter and good enough writing.
A warning should be placed though:
It may contain traces of Gregory Ashe’s ideas. Reader’s discretion is advised lol
* I will probably edit the crap out of this review in the next days because of the random details that I forgot to mention and that’ll come back to me later.
My review will be a watered down version of @Ancientreader’s review (I’m not as good with words) , ironically just like this book’s characters are a watered-down version of GA’s Theo and Auggie. I have to say that after reading the sample I was in a frenzy to get this book because the premise was awesome and I love me a straight/bi, sad and disgruntled widower (I don’t know why straight/bi widowers are my MM catnip) . Anyways, I finally got to pick up the book and I can’t say I hated it, on the contrary,I even enjoyed it here and there. The writing is not bad and the mystery/investigation, though sometimes silly it was entertaining and I was invested in it. I like this kind of simpler, easier mysteries like A. Christie, Josh Lanyon, Murder she wrote, Midsomer murders ) unlike GA’s mysteries which are darker, heavier and more complex/convoluted. I also enjoyed their banter and humor although it was trying too much at times. So yeah, I spent an enjoyable time reading this. However (There’s always a pesky “however “ isn’t it ?) I did not like the romance at all and especially I didn’t like Linc (at least at first). Or any other character for that matter,except for Milo (later I’ll mention the wife issue that was absolutely ridiculous too). Let me explain: Linc was kind of a douche . He had really serious anger management issues and he was lashing out on who do you think? On poor Milo who had recently gotten out of an abusive relationship and was skittish and scared and oh so young 🥺 And Linc knowing all this, every single day would make a scene out of the blue for the strangest of fucking reasons and went ballistic lashing out and chasing Milo away, while Milo was cowering in fear and was begging him to stop. And every day Milo came back, Linc would say a half-hearted apology and rinse and repeat. No, I don’t care about his reasons, he was unkind.And it’s a shame because he had all the ingredients to make an interesting character yet he was so very ..uninteresting. Not too bright, nor too funny,kind, witty, charming or hot …He was just ok. At least he calms down a bit towards the end.
Milo was witty, cute and sweet if a bit bland but I liked him a lot more than Linc. And let’s not forget about the evil evil women. ALL of them. 🙄
Also, what was the deal with Dylan? Why create that obnoxious useless character ? Every time he showed up I felt weirded out, he was creepy af . And Milo kept singing his praises “Such an awesome best friend! The best in the world!!” yet he took off leaving his best friend with a drunk stranger in a strange place in the middle of the night.
As for the dead wife, that was totally ridiculous. How can you not know your wife is pregnant or that she’s having an affair FOR YEARS. Since ALWAYS!!! It’s ridiculous, why did she marry him then? Why was she with him still? It was not explained.
And then he finds out how much evil she really was and the conclusion they draw is (and here I quote Milo) :
“She loved you so much . “
Wtf?? 🤣🤣🤣
Another thing that didn’t work for me regarding the romance was that I honestly don’t know when they fell in love because for 75% of the book they were like brothers. There was no UST, no chemistry , no attraction. Their romantic pre-relationship was drier than a desert at noon and then when they get together they’re sooo boring. I normally talk a bit about the book’s sex scenes but I swear I don’t remember them or if there were any at all. Nope, I remember . I remember the praise kink being totally unnecessary and cringe. It’s the first murder/mystery book where I stuck around for the mystery instead of the romance and that’s not a usual thing in my case. You know, I’ve also read Our little secret by this author and though everything else was bad about that book the romance was HOT. Those guys were awesome together, romantic intense and hot. I don’t know what happened in between these 2 books.
So yeah, silly mystery yet I savored it and kept me invested (and formulating my own theories🤣), quite a meh romance but entertaining banter and good enough writing.
A warning should be placed though:
It may contain traces of Gregory Ashe’s ideas. Reader’s discretion is advised lol
* I will probably edit the crap out of this review in the next days because of the random details that I forgot to mention and that’ll come back to me later.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2024
Since this is a mystery, and I have OPINIONS (because of course I do), I decided to put the majority of my review/dissertation in spoiler tags. Proceed at your own risk.
To wrap up my ridiculously long-winded review (sorry, peeps!), I want to say that I didn't hate this story. The writing was good. I loved Bruno the dog. The banter between the MCs was quite charming, and the story held my interest from beginning to end.
But I also can't pretend there weren't gaping holes in the narrative and that the romance wasn't lackluster at best.
Closer to 2.5, rounding up because I think Laura Jordan certainly has talent and I would read another MM book written by her.
To wrap up my ridiculously long-winded review (sorry, peeps!), I want to say that I didn't hate this story. The writing was good. I loved Bruno the dog. The banter between the MCs was quite charming, and the story held my interest from beginning to end.
But I also can't pretend there weren't gaping holes in the narrative and that the romance wasn't lackluster at best.
Closer to 2.5, rounding up because I think Laura Jordan certainly has talent and I would read another MM book written by her.
January 19, 2024
Fabulous premise: widower (Linc) falls in love with the recipient (Milo) of his dead wife's donated heart. Just take a moment to contemplate the angst. Beautiful, right? And there's a meeting between Milo and his cardiologist that suggests Laura Jordan did some research into heart transplants; it's always so encouraging when a writer seems to be getting their facts straight. Plus, Linc has a Teancum Leon-like habit of dropping arcane, depressing scientific facts into conversations, which is automatically endearing for fans of Gregory Ashe's Lion and Lamb series. Plus the dialogue between Linc and Milo is often sharply funny, which -- hey, wait:
A (white) widower who teaches Shakespeare, owns a gun, and has a history of bar fights reluctantly falls for a younger (brown) man, who's built much smaller than the widower and has a grade-A praise kink; they chirp each other about the age difference; the widower is unfamiliar with many of the younger man's cultural references.
The light dawns: this is First Quarto fanfic with the serial numbers not very thoroughly filed off.
This would be fine, honestly. Greg Ashe himself gave Cold, Cold Heart a warm review here on GR, so clearly he doesn't have a problem with it. I like GA a lot both as a writer and as a person, so I kinda hope he's not reading my reviews, because I am here to dissent. Things fall apart for a couple of reasons.
1. Like GA's Theo, Linc has a temper; unfortunately, he turns it on Milo, who has escaped from a physically abusive partner and consequently is terrified by being shouted at. I have no personal experience of intimate partner abuse, and I was cringing, so that gives you an idea of how intense "being shouted at" gets. As a fan of GA's Hazard and Somerset series, I have a high tolerance for love stories involving crappy anger management, but in the context of Milo's history, Linc's behavior tipped over into outright abuse. I was trying to let this go, because Laura Jordan really does have a knack for sharp dialogue and building sexual tension, plus I'm a sucker for sexuality awakenings, but ...
2. Every single goddamn woman Milo and Linc encounter in the course of their investigation is a caricature. Also every single goddamn woman Linc's best friend sets him up on dates with before Milo enters the picture. A subtle pattern begins to emerge, etc. And ...
3. The investigation itself. The way Linc's dead wife encoded her speculations is a little eyerolly, but I could just about stretch my suspension of disbelief that far. I lost faith at the point where M&L are looking for information about someone whose first name, Jimbo, is almost all they know, though they have reason to think he might have done something newsworthy in the past. They go to the library (good) in order to research articles in the local newspaper (good), and ask for the last three years' worth of "archives," because that's when the crime they're investigating took place (okay, I guess, although why they're so sure Jimbo didn't make the news before that is unclear). But -- here comes the WUT moment -- they start looking through "every edition of the Willow Falls Herald from three years ago filed under J." No, they're not looking through an index, but through the actual issues, and anyway as you might've noticed, "Jimbo" is not a surname. Also, this is not a historical novel, but the records are on microfilm, which ... never mind.
So, look, I feel a little bad about negatively reviewing a book by someone who's clearly a huge fan of a writer I'm also a huge fan of. And I love fanfic. But when it comes down to it, I think if you're publishing a mystery with a view to making some money off it, you have an obligation to make the investigation and solution credible. Two and a half stars, rounded up because the aspects of this that were good really were good.
A (white) widower who teaches Shakespeare, owns a gun, and has a history of bar fights reluctantly falls for a younger (brown) man, who's built much smaller than the widower and has a grade-A praise kink; they chirp each other about the age difference; the widower is unfamiliar with many of the younger man's cultural references.
The light dawns: this is First Quarto fanfic with the serial numbers not very thoroughly filed off.
This would be fine, honestly. Greg Ashe himself gave Cold, Cold Heart a warm review here on GR, so clearly he doesn't have a problem with it. I like GA a lot both as a writer and as a person, so I kinda hope he's not reading my reviews, because I am here to dissent. Things fall apart for a couple of reasons.
1. Like GA's Theo, Linc has a temper; unfortunately, he turns it on Milo, who has escaped from a physically abusive partner and consequently is terrified by being shouted at. I have no personal experience of intimate partner abuse, and I was cringing, so that gives you an idea of how intense "being shouted at" gets. As a fan of GA's Hazard and Somerset series, I have a high tolerance for love stories involving crappy anger management, but in the context of Milo's history, Linc's behavior tipped over into outright abuse. I was trying to let this go, because Laura Jordan really does have a knack for sharp dialogue and building sexual tension, plus I'm a sucker for sexuality awakenings, but ...
2. Every single goddamn woman Milo and Linc encounter in the course of their investigation is a caricature. Also every single goddamn woman Linc's best friend sets him up on dates with before Milo enters the picture. A subtle pattern begins to emerge, etc. And ...
3. The investigation itself. The way Linc's dead wife encoded her speculations is a little eyerolly, but I could just about stretch my suspension of disbelief that far. I lost faith at the point where M&L are looking for information about someone whose first name, Jimbo, is almost all they know, though they have reason to think he might have done something newsworthy in the past. They go to the library (good) in order to research articles in the local newspaper (good), and ask for the last three years' worth of "archives," because that's when the crime they're investigating took place (okay, I guess, although why they're so sure Jimbo didn't make the news before that is unclear). But -- here comes the WUT moment -- they start looking through "every edition of the Willow Falls Herald from three years ago filed under J." No, they're not looking through an index, but through the actual issues, and anyway as you might've noticed, "Jimbo" is not a surname. Also, this is not a historical novel, but the records are on microfilm, which ... never mind.
So, look, I feel a little bad about negatively reviewing a book by someone who's clearly a huge fan of a writer I'm also a huge fan of. And I love fanfic. But when it comes down to it, I think if you're publishing a mystery with a view to making some money off it, you have an obligation to make the investigation and solution credible. Two and a half stars, rounded up because the aspects of this that were good really were good.
January 11, 2024
occupied every single one of my thoughts for two days, loved it so much
September 4, 2024
4.5 stars for the narration, 2.5 - 3 stars for the story.
Laura Jordan’s Cold Cold Heart wasn’t on my radar until I saw it pop up at Audible with Teddy Hamilton listed as the narrator. He’s someone I always enjoy listening to, and when I read the synopsis I was intrigued, so I decided to give it a go. It’s a mystery with a romantic sub-plot, but while the narration is great, the mystery has a lot of plot holes and inconsistencies and the romance is tepid, to say the least.
Widowed English teacher Lincoln Bennet lost his wife, Marla, to an overdose around three years before the book opens, and is still mired in grief and guilt, unable to move on. Milo Rose is a former ballet dancer whose career ended due to injury, who now teaches dance to kids, and received Marla’s heart in a transplant. The two men meet when Marla’s parents, who insist on continuing to hold birthday parties for her, host their regular ‘celebration’ of her life. Linc and Milo are the only two guests, and once they get over an initial awkwardness, they quickly become friends. Just as well, because later that night, a very drunk Linc calls Milo to come and pick him up from a club. (We’re led to believe this isn’t an uncommon occurrence, but not told how he got home before he knew Milo.) Not long after this, when Linc realises Milo is living in near-squalor, he insists Milo move in with him as he has the space.
[Side note: As a Brit, I don’t know a great deal about the US healthcare system, other than it’s pretty much run for profit and it’s possible to go bankrupt due to medical bills, so I just didn’t get how Milo – who was made homeless at sixteen after coming out to his family, and who, after that, had no support system – was a) able to afford a heart transplant and b) able to manage the aftercare with nowhere to live, nobody to help him and no money to buy whatever anti-rejection medication he’d have needed. I know the heart transplant thing is just the way to get the two characters to meet – and it’s an interesting device – but when you actually start to think about it, it doesn’t wash.]
The mystery kicks off after Linc finds something in Marla’s things that indicates she was looking into the disappearance of an old high school friend. Linc decides that finishing what Marla started is the right thing to do and a way to honour her memory, and Milo steps up to help him. And here’s where things start to go off the rails. Linc and Milo uncover some disturbing information about Marla; not only was she having a long-term affair with this ‘friend’ (which was obvious straight away, although not to Linc and Milo) but she somehow managed to hide the fact that she was pregnant by him AND that she’d given birth to a daughter, from Linc and just about everyone else who knew her. WTF? I had so many questions – why, if she wanted to be with this other guy, did she marry Linc? Where did she have the baby? Did she just give it away? Was there a birth certificate? And worst of all, when Linc finds all of this out, he STILL says he loves her, and Milo agrees “She loved you so much.” WHAT THE ACTUAL?? She cheated on him for years, had a kid he knew nothing about and continually deceived him. She was a selfish cow who didn’t give a shit about Linc, yet remains a martyr-figure throughout the book.
Marla encoding her suspicions in song titles I could just about go with (although Linc being so completely oblivious is a bit of a stretch – I get he’s older than Milo and not well versed in pop culture, but even I knew some of those titles and I’m way older than either of them!) Linc and Milo deciding to do some B&E out of the blue makes no sense, and neither does the method they use to do their research at the library. There are a couple of good twists at the end, although one of them is somewhat contrived.
I didn’t get many romance vibes from the story either – there’s no romantic chemistry or UST between Linc and Milo and they mostly come off as good friends. I did like the way that relationship develops, however, and the banter between the pair is often sharply funny.
Milo is sweet and kind and sunshiny; life hasn’t been kind to him, but he’s getting by. Linc, however, is a lot harder to like, especially when he takes his anger out on Milo knowing full well that Milo has recently got out of an abusive relationship. Milo doesn’t like unsolicited touch and he certainly doesn’t like being yelled at, but Linc does both when he flies off the handle, often for no reason. I honestly wanted Milo to tell him to fuck off and stay away for good.
And then, there’s this. Linc has a penchant for citing somewhat extensive and dour facts when opportunities present themselves – which immediately put me in mind of Gregory Ashe’s Teancum Leon, the somewhat pessimistic wildlife vet from The Lamb and the Lion series. And once I’d noticed that, it was impossible not to draw other comparisons. Linc is a white, widowed, grouchy English teacher who owns a gun, self-medicates with booze, and whose past involved a lot of bar brawls. Milo is hispanic, smaller and younger with a praise kink, and the two make a lot of wisecracks about their age gap and get beaten up a fair bit… it’s a thinly disguised Theo and Auggie ( The First Quarto ).
I see that Mr. Ashe has written a warm review for the book on Goodreads, so presumably he doesn’t mind Ms. Jordan’s adapting his characters for her book. Unfortunately, she didn’t also take away anything from Mr. Ashe’s books on how to construct a complex mystery without plot holes you could drive a truck through.
Teddy Hamilton’s excellent narration is the audiobook’s saving grace; he’s always worth listening to, and it’s largely thanks to him that I was able to get past some of the plot holes and keep listening. His performance is well-paced and expressive, and I liked his characterisation of the two leads; Linc is all low-pitched growls and barely leashed anger, while Milo’s voice is pitched higher and his dialogue is more upbeat with hints of underlying vulnerability. The female voices are good (even though pretty much every woman in the story is an evil bitch) and the other secondary characters are portrayed using a variety of tone and accent. All the characters are clearly differentiated, and Mr. Hamilton does a really good job when it comes to conveying the emotional content of the story.
Cold Cold Heart has some good things going for it, but not enough to make it easy to ignore the not-so-good things. It’s billed as book one in the Willow Falls Murders series; I don’t know if it’s a same couple series or if the next book will feature a different central couple, but if Teddy Hamilton returns to narrate the audio version, I might give it a go.
Laura Jordan’s Cold Cold Heart wasn’t on my radar until I saw it pop up at Audible with Teddy Hamilton listed as the narrator. He’s someone I always enjoy listening to, and when I read the synopsis I was intrigued, so I decided to give it a go. It’s a mystery with a romantic sub-plot, but while the narration is great, the mystery has a lot of plot holes and inconsistencies and the romance is tepid, to say the least.
Widowed English teacher Lincoln Bennet lost his wife, Marla, to an overdose around three years before the book opens, and is still mired in grief and guilt, unable to move on. Milo Rose is a former ballet dancer whose career ended due to injury, who now teaches dance to kids, and received Marla’s heart in a transplant. The two men meet when Marla’s parents, who insist on continuing to hold birthday parties for her, host their regular ‘celebration’ of her life. Linc and Milo are the only two guests, and once they get over an initial awkwardness, they quickly become friends. Just as well, because later that night, a very drunk Linc calls Milo to come and pick him up from a club. (We’re led to believe this isn’t an uncommon occurrence, but not told how he got home before he knew Milo.) Not long after this, when Linc realises Milo is living in near-squalor, he insists Milo move in with him as he has the space.
[Side note: As a Brit, I don’t know a great deal about the US healthcare system, other than it’s pretty much run for profit and it’s possible to go bankrupt due to medical bills, so I just didn’t get how Milo – who was made homeless at sixteen after coming out to his family, and who, after that, had no support system – was a) able to afford a heart transplant and b) able to manage the aftercare with nowhere to live, nobody to help him and no money to buy whatever anti-rejection medication he’d have needed. I know the heart transplant thing is just the way to get the two characters to meet – and it’s an interesting device – but when you actually start to think about it, it doesn’t wash.]
The mystery kicks off after Linc finds something in Marla’s things that indicates she was looking into the disappearance of an old high school friend. Linc decides that finishing what Marla started is the right thing to do and a way to honour her memory, and Milo steps up to help him. And here’s where things start to go off the rails. Linc and Milo uncover some disturbing information about Marla; not only was she having a long-term affair with this ‘friend’ (which was obvious straight away, although not to Linc and Milo) but she somehow managed to hide the fact that she was pregnant by him AND that she’d given birth to a daughter, from Linc and just about everyone else who knew her. WTF? I had so many questions – why, if she wanted to be with this other guy, did she marry Linc? Where did she have the baby? Did she just give it away? Was there a birth certificate? And worst of all, when Linc finds all of this out, he STILL says he loves her, and Milo agrees “She loved you so much.” WHAT THE ACTUAL?? She cheated on him for years, had a kid he knew nothing about and continually deceived him. She was a selfish cow who didn’t give a shit about Linc, yet remains a martyr-figure throughout the book.
Marla encoding her suspicions in song titles I could just about go with (although Linc being so completely oblivious is a bit of a stretch – I get he’s older than Milo and not well versed in pop culture, but even I knew some of those titles and I’m way older than either of them!) Linc and Milo deciding to do some B&E out of the blue makes no sense, and neither does the method they use to do their research at the library. There are a couple of good twists at the end, although one of them is somewhat contrived.
I didn’t get many romance vibes from the story either – there’s no romantic chemistry or UST between Linc and Milo and they mostly come off as good friends. I did like the way that relationship develops, however, and the banter between the pair is often sharply funny.
Milo is sweet and kind and sunshiny; life hasn’t been kind to him, but he’s getting by. Linc, however, is a lot harder to like, especially when he takes his anger out on Milo knowing full well that Milo has recently got out of an abusive relationship. Milo doesn’t like unsolicited touch and he certainly doesn’t like being yelled at, but Linc does both when he flies off the handle, often for no reason. I honestly wanted Milo to tell him to fuck off and stay away for good.
And then, there’s this. Linc has a penchant for citing somewhat extensive and dour facts when opportunities present themselves – which immediately put me in mind of Gregory Ashe’s Teancum Leon, the somewhat pessimistic wildlife vet from The Lamb and the Lion series. And once I’d noticed that, it was impossible not to draw other comparisons. Linc is a white, widowed, grouchy English teacher who owns a gun, self-medicates with booze, and whose past involved a lot of bar brawls. Milo is hispanic, smaller and younger with a praise kink, and the two make a lot of wisecracks about their age gap and get beaten up a fair bit… it’s a thinly disguised Theo and Auggie ( The First Quarto ).
I see that Mr. Ashe has written a warm review for the book on Goodreads, so presumably he doesn’t mind Ms. Jordan’s adapting his characters for her book. Unfortunately, she didn’t also take away anything from Mr. Ashe’s books on how to construct a complex mystery without plot holes you could drive a truck through.
Teddy Hamilton’s excellent narration is the audiobook’s saving grace; he’s always worth listening to, and it’s largely thanks to him that I was able to get past some of the plot holes and keep listening. His performance is well-paced and expressive, and I liked his characterisation of the two leads; Linc is all low-pitched growls and barely leashed anger, while Milo’s voice is pitched higher and his dialogue is more upbeat with hints of underlying vulnerability. The female voices are good (even though pretty much every woman in the story is an evil bitch) and the other secondary characters are portrayed using a variety of tone and accent. All the characters are clearly differentiated, and Mr. Hamilton does a really good job when it comes to conveying the emotional content of the story.
Cold Cold Heart has some good things going for it, but not enough to make it easy to ignore the not-so-good things. It’s billed as book one in the Willow Falls Murders series; I don’t know if it’s a same couple series or if the next book will feature a different central couple, but if Teddy Hamilton returns to narrate the audio version, I might give it a go.
December 4, 2023
Engaging, witty, tense and mysterious. Cold Cold heart grips you from the very first page and doesn’t seem to want to let you go. It sits with you, whispering in your ear until you ultimately decide to read it all again, just to see if you can catch all the clues you might have missed the first time around. This Epic Gay Murder Mystery is a thrilling romance/whodunit with engaging and hilarious characters, steamy romance and a good ol’ detective story that will knock your socks off.
Lincoln Bennet and Milo Rose are the most perfect, yet flawed, hilarious, lovely characters. They had me giggling at their banter, gasping in shock and yes, tearing up at one point, don’t judge me. Their relationship twists and turns and ties itself into knots and untangles itself again, all while they navigate grief, trauma, a literal murder mystery. And boy, did they have me blushing.
Trying to describe how good a murder mystery is without giving away the mystery is a tough one, but I’ll try. The clues given in the beginning are fun and familiar, luring you into a false sense of security. You don't know anything, you fool.
And the twist. The twist. Utter magic. I was furious I hadn’t figured it out earlier but also was glad that I hadn’t. Getting to gasp in shock alongside the character, letting it all fall into place was so so satisfying.
Cold Cold heart, at its core, is about death. It navigates some pretty upsetting themes unbelievably well. You don’t get to avoid them, but they are not forced upon you. Laura guides you through them gently, letting you acknowledge and feel them with the characters and move on with the story feeling like you know them better. I think I felt more seen, reading through Lincoln's grief, than I ever have before. There are trigger warnings, at the beginning, if you are someone affected by particular sensitive topics. And while the topics of grief and death tend to cause me to get upset, I felt a sense of comfort in how it was addressed. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in how I feel.
Watching Laura flourish as a writer has truly been an utter joy to experience and a Cold Cold Heart goes above and beyond expectations. While I don’t necessarily know how she's going to top this one, I know that she will.
Lincoln Bennet and Milo Rose are the most perfect, yet flawed, hilarious, lovely characters. They had me giggling at their banter, gasping in shock and yes, tearing up at one point, don’t judge me. Their relationship twists and turns and ties itself into knots and untangles itself again, all while they navigate grief, trauma, a literal murder mystery. And boy, did they have me blushing.
Trying to describe how good a murder mystery is without giving away the mystery is a tough one, but I’ll try. The clues given in the beginning are fun and familiar, luring you into a false sense of security. You don't know anything, you fool.
And the twist. The twist. Utter magic. I was furious I hadn’t figured it out earlier but also was glad that I hadn’t. Getting to gasp in shock alongside the character, letting it all fall into place was so so satisfying.
Cold Cold heart, at its core, is about death. It navigates some pretty upsetting themes unbelievably well. You don’t get to avoid them, but they are not forced upon you. Laura guides you through them gently, letting you acknowledge and feel them with the characters and move on with the story feeling like you know them better. I think I felt more seen, reading through Lincoln's grief, than I ever have before. There are trigger warnings, at the beginning, if you are someone affected by particular sensitive topics. And while the topics of grief and death tend to cause me to get upset, I felt a sense of comfort in how it was addressed. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in how I feel.
Watching Laura flourish as a writer has truly been an utter joy to experience and a Cold Cold Heart goes above and beyond expectations. While I don’t necessarily know how she's going to top this one, I know that she will.
September 5, 2025
Well, this was a surprise. I couldn't put it down. Not just because of the plot twists - it was actually well-written. And the slow burn was delicious.
December 2, 2023
I have so many thoughts and feelings about this book I barely know where to start. Laura is such an amazing author I’m truly in awe, and each book she seems to get better and better which frankly I didn’t think was even possible. The first few pages alone took my breath away, and I have laughed, cried, and gasped my way through this book. (Seriously, I don’t think ‘oh, my darling’ and ‘what the f—k’ has ever been said aloud so many times whilst reading). These characters are so wonderful and I love them so deeply. Linc means the world to me. I don’t read a lot of mystery books because I don’t have the kind of mind that can piece the clues together, so it was so wonderful having a main character who has the kind of mind that can’t piece the clues together. He’s as oblivious to “obvious” things as much as I am. Not to mention how wonderful he is in general, every piece of trivia made me love him more. Milo too is an amazing character (with excellent music taste) who also made me laugh and cry. I would take a bullet for these two, no I do not care if they’re fictional, I’ll do it. I could barely put this down and if it weren’t for a busy schedule I know I’d have finished it in one sitting. When I wasn’t reading I was trying to fit the puzzle pieces together myself (and got nowhere by the way. I wasn’t even close) and thinking about how much I was routing for them. I also loved that this book had so much going on alongside the mystery, every second you genuinely wanted these two to succeed at everything they were trying to achieve.
This is a very long winded way of saying this book is wonderful, and beautiful, and has an approach to grief and trauma that is handled in such a delicate and nuanced way that I just had a constant feeling of ‘oh my god that’s exactly how it feels’.
I love this book. I always knew I would and I know these two characters will be consuming every thought I have forever. I could easily talk praise about this book for another hundred paragraphs but what it really boils down to is that it’s a masterpiece, and you NEED to read it as soon as you possibly can.
This is a very long winded way of saying this book is wonderful, and beautiful, and has an approach to grief and trauma that is handled in such a delicate and nuanced way that I just had a constant feeling of ‘oh my god that’s exactly how it feels’.
I love this book. I always knew I would and I know these two characters will be consuming every thought I have forever. I could easily talk praise about this book for another hundred paragraphs but what it really boils down to is that it’s a masterpiece, and you NEED to read it as soon as you possibly can.
December 7, 2023
What a book! Cold, Cold heart is a beautiful tale of grief & love. There are bombshell reveals & dramatic twists. The characters are so complex & well written, they feel real. I love Milo & Lincs’ banter. I really felt for them throughout the story. The way they care about each other warms my heart. Lincs obliviousness to pop culture makes me feel cultured (lol) & I adore his random facts – I also come out with random trivia no one asks for from time to time. Milos such an endearing little bean, I’m glad he has Linc to look out for them but also to care for.
Every clue was perfectly plotted allowing you to sink into the mystery alongside our 2 main men. The reveals were dramatic enough you just have to read the following chapter. The suspense I felt in some of the intense scenes was palpable. With enough red herrings to distract me, I was blown away by the big twists! I can't believe I didn’t see it coming considering the level of build-up & plot development to get there but I LITERALLY gasped in shock & horror. I was still reeling from the 1st when the 2nd one came. Laura legit does not pull her punches in the 3rd act.
Laura deals with a lot of triggering topics in this one as warned when you start. However, I believe she has approached them in a very tactful way that allows you to not be overwhelmed but also makes you feel seen. (Obviously, this is just my experience & if you are triggered by any of the topics in the trigger warnings do be careful & look out for yourself <3 )
JESUS CHRIST! The spice! Now I don’t normally like to read that sort of thing, but Laura writes it so well... I quite liked it! The aftermath was heartbreaking.
If I hadn’t wanted to savour the story so I can review it properly, I’d have devoured this in one go! TBH I rushed the end because I could not wait to know how it ends...
This is Lauras best work yet! I cannot wait to see what she does next! <3 Even if I low key hate you for the cliff hanger at the end of chapter 27.
Jk love ya really & thanks SO much for letting me have an ARC
P.s the nod to red, white & royal blue was awesome ;)
Every clue was perfectly plotted allowing you to sink into the mystery alongside our 2 main men. The reveals were dramatic enough you just have to read the following chapter. The suspense I felt in some of the intense scenes was palpable. With enough red herrings to distract me, I was blown away by the big twists! I can't believe I didn’t see it coming considering the level of build-up & plot development to get there but I LITERALLY gasped in shock & horror. I was still reeling from the 1st when the 2nd one came. Laura legit does not pull her punches in the 3rd act.
Laura deals with a lot of triggering topics in this one as warned when you start. However, I believe she has approached them in a very tactful way that allows you to not be overwhelmed but also makes you feel seen. (Obviously, this is just my experience & if you are triggered by any of the topics in the trigger warnings do be careful & look out for yourself <3 )
JESUS CHRIST! The spice! Now I don’t normally like to read that sort of thing, but Laura writes it so well... I quite liked it! The aftermath was heartbreaking.
If I hadn’t wanted to savour the story so I can review it properly, I’d have devoured this in one go! TBH I rushed the end because I could not wait to know how it ends...
This is Lauras best work yet! I cannot wait to see what she does next! <3 Even if I low key hate you for the cliff hanger at the end of chapter 27.
Jk love ya really & thanks SO much for letting me have an ARC
P.s the nod to red, white & royal blue was awesome ;)
Read
July 13, 2025DNF
I honestly couldn’t get through Cold Cold Heart by Laura Jordan because it feels like a near copy of Gregory Ashe’s The Lamb and the Lion. The setup is almost identical—a brooding detective, an impulsive partner, a gruesome case, and that same cocktail of sarcastic banter and slow-burn tension. The tone tries so hard to channel Ashe’s style that it never finds its own voice. I kept waiting for something original to set it apart, but it just never came. If you’ve read Ashe, you’ll likely feel you’re rereading the same story, only flatter.
I honestly couldn’t get through Cold Cold Heart by Laura Jordan because it feels like a near copy of Gregory Ashe’s The Lamb and the Lion. The setup is almost identical—a brooding detective, an impulsive partner, a gruesome case, and that same cocktail of sarcastic banter and slow-burn tension. The tone tries so hard to channel Ashe’s style that it never finds its own voice. I kept waiting for something original to set it apart, but it just never came. If you’ve read Ashe, you’ll likely feel you’re rereading the same story, only flatter.
August 15, 2024
Cold Cold Heart has the opposite effect on the reader from what the title may suggest. This is wonderfully heart warming, full of delicious tension, and has characters that I may have fallen in love with a little even before I was halfway through. I cannot wait for the sequels.
WARNING: This book might make you gay.
WARNING: This book might make you gay.
February 8, 2024
I have spent the last few days being totally immersed in Cold Cold Heart and I have not regretted any moment of it. Laura creates amazing romances that are so beautifully written and this was no exception. From the emotional and heartfelt relationship between Linc and Milo to the murder mystery throughout the book, I loved every second spent within the pages. From someone who has recently come to the conclusion that they have spent most of their life on the ACE spectrum, I absolutely loved the character of Linc (he is incredible) and Milo just has my heart (I loved the baby ballet class scenes). I completely love them both and how their relationship evolved throughout.
Unfortunately I did made the mistake of, what I seem to usually do, flick absentmindedly through later pages while I read and saw something I shouldn't have, so the murder mystery part didn't hit me as hard as it should have. It's a really bad habit I have 😩 But every twist and turn just pulled me along and every tight spot they found themselves in - loved it.
I would thoroughly recommend this book and really can't wait for any future installments 🥰
Unfortunately I did made the mistake of, what I seem to usually do, flick absentmindedly through later pages while I read and saw something I shouldn't have, so the murder mystery part didn't hit me as hard as it should have. It's a really bad habit I have 😩 But every twist and turn just pulled me along and every tight spot they found themselves in - loved it.
I would thoroughly recommend this book and really can't wait for any future installments 🥰
March 13, 2025
2.5⭐️
The premise for this book sounded right up my street. Widower (Linc) falls in love with the recipient (Milo) of his dead wife's donated heart, and they work together to solve a mystery Lincs deceased wife was looking into before her death... Just take a moment to contemplate the angst and mystery this book could put you through, and I immediately had to dive in.
And although in some aspects this book delivered a good story, it didn't fully live up to the potential/hopes I had for it. Linc has a temper, and he turns it on Milo more than once. Milo who has escaped from a physically abusive partner is terrified by being shouted at, so Linc having anger management issues and verbally lashing out at Milo only to apologise but do it again anyway was just another example of an abusive person being abusive and it followed the pattern of behaviour alot of abusers display.
I picked this up because of who narrates the audiobook, and the synopsis intrigued me. It’s a mystery with a romantic sub-plot, and while the narration was great, the mystery had a LOT of plot holes and inconsistencies, and the romance was tepid, to say the least. I can't say much/explain my issues with this without pulling on the thread and laying out the entire plot, so 🤷♀️ The idea for this story was solid, I think the overall execution let it down. This somehow read like fan fiction, but as far as I'm aware, it isn't. I don't know... this had potential but just didn't reach what I hoped it would. There was some really well done dry, sarcastic inner monologue/dialogue from both Linc & and Milo, which I enjoyed, though.
"The annual Marla-Is-Still-Dead party, where we all congregate to remember the fact that Marla Honey is still, in fact, quite dead. Which is like every other day of the year, except there are canapés."
The premise for this book sounded right up my street. Widower (Linc) falls in love with the recipient (Milo) of his dead wife's donated heart, and they work together to solve a mystery Lincs deceased wife was looking into before her death... Just take a moment to contemplate the angst and mystery this book could put you through, and I immediately had to dive in.
And although in some aspects this book delivered a good story, it didn't fully live up to the potential/hopes I had for it. Linc has a temper, and he turns it on Milo more than once. Milo who has escaped from a physically abusive partner is terrified by being shouted at, so Linc having anger management issues and verbally lashing out at Milo only to apologise but do it again anyway was just another example of an abusive person being abusive and it followed the pattern of behaviour alot of abusers display.
I picked this up because of who narrates the audiobook, and the synopsis intrigued me. It’s a mystery with a romantic sub-plot, and while the narration was great, the mystery had a LOT of plot holes and inconsistencies, and the romance was tepid, to say the least. I can't say much/explain my issues with this without pulling on the thread and laying out the entire plot, so 🤷♀️ The idea for this story was solid, I think the overall execution let it down. This somehow read like fan fiction, but as far as I'm aware, it isn't. I don't know... this had potential but just didn't reach what I hoped it would. There was some really well done dry, sarcastic inner monologue/dialogue from both Linc & and Milo, which I enjoyed, though.
"The annual Marla-Is-Still-Dead party, where we all congregate to remember the fact that Marla Honey is still, in fact, quite dead. Which is like every other day of the year, except there are canapés."
June 17, 2024
The only reason I listen to this audiobook was because of the narrator. And that’s the only thing that kept me going. I like a main character who has some flaws, but Lincoln had too many, all of them violent. I figured out the villain pretty early on, which is something that doesn’t happen to me very often. So it wasn’t the thriller aspect that kept me reading, it was the romance subplot.
The writing was OK, but there were a few times that the terminology or phrasing sounded more British than American, and it was jarring. So I checked and yes, the author is from the UK. I fault the editor for not catching that people in Texas do not use the term "boot" or "vest" the way these characters did. I did love the casual references to some of my favorite queer books/movies: Red, White and Royal Blue, and Heartstopper.
I also hate the cover of this book and don’t think it accurately represents anything about the book. So yes, Teddy Hamilton did not disappoint even if the material he had to work with wasn’t so great.
The writing was OK, but there were a few times that the terminology or phrasing sounded more British than American, and it was jarring. So I checked and yes, the author is from the UK. I fault the editor for not catching that people in Texas do not use the term "boot" or "vest" the way these characters did. I did love the casual references to some of my favorite queer books/movies: Red, White and Royal Blue, and Heartstopper.
I also hate the cover of this book and don’t think it accurately represents anything about the book. So yes, Teddy Hamilton did not disappoint even if the material he had to work with wasn’t so great.
May 27, 2024
🎧AUDIO REVIEW🎧
📚Cold, Cold Heart by Lauran Jordan
🎤Narrated by Teddy Hamilton
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Laura Jordan is a brand new author to me & TBH... this audio interested me because Teddy Hamilton was narrating it & WOW! Not only is the story itself interesting & hooked me right away, Teddy's performance was sensational! This is most certainly a love story but it's plot heavy on solving a murder, deciphering clues & learning secrets. I love all that when it's added with a romantic twist. It makes for such great story telling. So many wonderful side characters that also added to the story & Teddy voices them all! He is such a fantastic narrator. Chapter 14 had me rolling.😂
The story is told by the two main characters, Milo & Link. Polar opposites as far as personalities, They each brought something unique to the story. I especially loved Milo's character. Both damaged & hurting, they find solace & friendship in one another & decide to work together to solve "a mystery." Link believes that his wife's suicide may have been connected to a missing person & so they begin to investigate it for themselves.
Jordan was terrific at writing the complexities of their relationship & we learn a lot about both characters as the story goes on. There's very tender moments but also so many funny moments that had me chuckling right out loud. This is the first book in a series & honesty, I can't wait for the next one & the mystery that will come from that.
Let's talk narration....Teddy Hamilton is by far, one of the best in the biz! He narrates all the characters in this book & there are A LOT! He was so brilliant at portraying Link, the sad, unhappy & very serious man while also voicing Milo, the carefree, wounded, hip young adult with a great sense of humor. We won't even talk about the many others he voiced. He's soooo good! I was especially impressed with the emotion & heartbreak he was able to evoke in his performance but also had the quick, comedic timing he's always known for while playing Milo.
Lots of twists & turns in the plot which keeps you totally invested in the story & what's going to happen. I did not see the end coming.. Totally surprised! This is a romance book as well & so one might ask....is there an HEA with all the suspense & mystery and the answer is YES! This was a wonderful little side trip to take in the romance genre. If you love romantic suspense, edge of your seat, wondering what's gonna happen next, this is definitely one for you. Having Teddy Hamilton narrate the entire book to me didn't hurt ONE tiny BIT! He's absolutely fantastic as always and I'll praise the man & his talents until I die. Totally worth every minute spent listening!
📚Cold, Cold Heart by Lauran Jordan
🎤Narrated by Teddy Hamilton
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Laura Jordan is a brand new author to me & TBH... this audio interested me because Teddy Hamilton was narrating it & WOW! Not only is the story itself interesting & hooked me right away, Teddy's performance was sensational! This is most certainly a love story but it's plot heavy on solving a murder, deciphering clues & learning secrets. I love all that when it's added with a romantic twist. It makes for such great story telling. So many wonderful side characters that also added to the story & Teddy voices them all! He is such a fantastic narrator. Chapter 14 had me rolling.😂
The story is told by the two main characters, Milo & Link. Polar opposites as far as personalities, They each brought something unique to the story. I especially loved Milo's character. Both damaged & hurting, they find solace & friendship in one another & decide to work together to solve "a mystery." Link believes that his wife's suicide may have been connected to a missing person & so they begin to investigate it for themselves.
Jordan was terrific at writing the complexities of their relationship & we learn a lot about both characters as the story goes on. There's very tender moments but also so many funny moments that had me chuckling right out loud. This is the first book in a series & honesty, I can't wait for the next one & the mystery that will come from that.
Let's talk narration....Teddy Hamilton is by far, one of the best in the biz! He narrates all the characters in this book & there are A LOT! He was so brilliant at portraying Link, the sad, unhappy & very serious man while also voicing Milo, the carefree, wounded, hip young adult with a great sense of humor. We won't even talk about the many others he voiced. He's soooo good! I was especially impressed with the emotion & heartbreak he was able to evoke in his performance but also had the quick, comedic timing he's always known for while playing Milo.
Lots of twists & turns in the plot which keeps you totally invested in the story & what's going to happen. I did not see the end coming.. Totally surprised! This is a romance book as well & so one might ask....is there an HEA with all the suspense & mystery and the answer is YES! This was a wonderful little side trip to take in the romance genre. If you love romantic suspense, edge of your seat, wondering what's gonna happen next, this is definitely one for you. Having Teddy Hamilton narrate the entire book to me didn't hurt ONE tiny BIT! He's absolutely fantastic as always and I'll praise the man & his talents until I die. Totally worth every minute spent listening!
November 15, 2024
A touching reminder that even in the midst of grief and traumatic events, you find you're able to go through hell and beyond when you've got that one person who keeps you going.
Whilst the town of Willow Falls may be fictional, Laura's characterisation of it's residents is very tangible and organic. When reading Cold Cold Heart I find myself being reminded of people I know and love in real life, as well as people I hate with a passion; I have met Annie-Marie Forte, 100% that's a real person and when she's on the page Laura makes sure you're just as unnerved and side-eyed as if she were in the room with you.
It is in this fashion that Laura excels at immersing the reader into the story, most if not all of the characters are enjoyably relatable in some shape or form. The height of this characterisation is of course the two lead characters Linc and Milo, who's chemistry is wholesome and satisfying. Their dialogue flows perfectly, enticing you from line to line and setting a healthy pace that leads you through the narrative, which allows the book's twists to always arrive unexpectedly and with a healthy glimmer of wit sprinkled throughout to help the medicine go down during some of the book's darker moments; trauma makes you funny. This levity is tastefully measured and provides the perfect tonal balance to harmonise the books themes which - considering this book is prefaced with a list of 9 potential trigger warnings - is no small feat.
If you have experienced grief in any measure you will identity with this book, Laura's poem on the subject which opens the book delicately sets the tone. I'm very privileged to be able to say I've only experienced a small taste of what it's like to go through the stages of grief, but for what I have known I found Laura's poem to truly resonate with; evoking a specific time and a place. The poem serves as a vivid yet nuanced mood board which paints the perfect backdrop for the themes and story of Cold Cold Heart.
I truly loved reading this book, it was my favourite blanket during a very tough period of my life and for that it will always have a special place in my heart; which is all the warmer for having read it.
We may lose people we love, but we never lose the love they gave us, nor the love we cultivated for them, Linc and Milo remind us that so long as you have the strength to keep going you will always find that same love, that same heart in another, beating once more with rhythm renewed.
Powerfully moving, endearingly wholesome and expertly witty. Highly recommended for lovers of romance and mystery!
Whilst the town of Willow Falls may be fictional, Laura's characterisation of it's residents is very tangible and organic. When reading Cold Cold Heart I find myself being reminded of people I know and love in real life, as well as people I hate with a passion; I have met Annie-Marie Forte, 100% that's a real person and when she's on the page Laura makes sure you're just as unnerved and side-eyed as if she were in the room with you.
It is in this fashion that Laura excels at immersing the reader into the story, most if not all of the characters are enjoyably relatable in some shape or form. The height of this characterisation is of course the two lead characters Linc and Milo, who's chemistry is wholesome and satisfying. Their dialogue flows perfectly, enticing you from line to line and setting a healthy pace that leads you through the narrative, which allows the book's twists to always arrive unexpectedly and with a healthy glimmer of wit sprinkled throughout to help the medicine go down during some of the book's darker moments; trauma makes you funny. This levity is tastefully measured and provides the perfect tonal balance to harmonise the books themes which - considering this book is prefaced with a list of 9 potential trigger warnings - is no small feat.
If you have experienced grief in any measure you will identity with this book, Laura's poem on the subject which opens the book delicately sets the tone. I'm very privileged to be able to say I've only experienced a small taste of what it's like to go through the stages of grief, but for what I have known I found Laura's poem to truly resonate with; evoking a specific time and a place. The poem serves as a vivid yet nuanced mood board which paints the perfect backdrop for the themes and story of Cold Cold Heart.
I truly loved reading this book, it was my favourite blanket during a very tough period of my life and for that it will always have a special place in my heart; which is all the warmer for having read it.
We may lose people we love, but we never lose the love they gave us, nor the love we cultivated for them, Linc and Milo remind us that so long as you have the strength to keep going you will always find that same love, that same heart in another, beating once more with rhythm renewed.
Powerfully moving, endearingly wholesome and expertly witty. Highly recommended for lovers of romance and mystery!
January 21, 2024
3.5 Stars!! ❤️ This was certainly a well-written romantic thriller, but the winner for me was the slow-burn romance between two heart-broken individuals; Linc and Milo 💔. When they first meet, Linc in still mourning the loss of his wife who died 3 years ago and Milo is only now starting to live independently after ending a traumatic relationship. The bond they share is woven around a heart; the heart that belonged to Linc's wife; which after her untimely death has been donated to Milo. However, that is not the only thing linking them together; there are secrets and an unsolved mystery which if resolved could give Linc closure from the guilt that he has been carrying for years. But investigating the three year old missing-person's case leads them into uncovering many secrets that could break their tender bond and also expose them to a dangerous enemy who doesn't want to be unmasked.
I got sucked into the plot very early and initially I enjoyed the twists and turns of the mystery. Half-way through though, I started getting a little whip-lash with all the unexpected and somewhat OTT curves thrown at our protagonists. It was also a little obvious that this was written by someone who doesn't live in the US and has no understanding of the healthcare system in the US and how it works. But these are small niggles, not major. What I loved about the story was the slow build-up of friendship, trust and finally love between Linc and Milo. It was heart warming to see their relationship progression and that was what made the story extra special for me. The ending felt rushed and abrupt though and after so many near-death experiences; I felt that Linc and Milo deserved a long epilogue.
Overall, I would recommend the book, however with the caveat that it is a little OTT (read SOAP style drama) with the twists. I still enjoyed the romance and liked Milo and Linc (Milo a little more though). The supportive characters may need their own books I feel 😉 and if the author is reading this review, I would advice on holding the number of plot twists; and giving us more of the tender and heart warming romance between two broken souls. 💞 Highly recommended to all fans of M/M romance, suspense and plot twists!! 👍 👍
I got sucked into the plot very early and initially I enjoyed the twists and turns of the mystery. Half-way through though, I started getting a little whip-lash with all the unexpected and somewhat OTT curves thrown at our protagonists. It was also a little obvious that this was written by someone who doesn't live in the US and has no understanding of the healthcare system in the US and how it works. But these are small niggles, not major. What I loved about the story was the slow build-up of friendship, trust and finally love between Linc and Milo. It was heart warming to see their relationship progression and that was what made the story extra special for me. The ending felt rushed and abrupt though and after so many near-death experiences; I felt that Linc and Milo deserved a long epilogue.
Overall, I would recommend the book, however with the caveat that it is a little OTT (read SOAP style drama) with the twists. I still enjoyed the romance and liked Milo and Linc (Milo a little more though). The supportive characters may need their own books I feel 😉 and if the author is reading this review, I would advice on holding the number of plot twists; and giving us more of the tender and heart warming romance between two broken souls. 💞 Highly recommended to all fans of M/M romance, suspense and plot twists!! 👍 👍
January 16, 2024
Pretty sure ‘grouchy, abruptly widowed, 30-something English teacher with an anger problem teams up with sunny, attractive 20-something with a praise kink and abusive ex for banter and murder solving’ is a Gregory Ashe property (“flop sweat”, eh?), but I did enjoy this - the writing's engaging and it's frequently very funny.
There were a few ?? moments though - Linc's obnoxious facts were sometimes a bit off, the murder clues were so bad, Linc knew absurdly little about his late wife (why on Earth was she still with him) and that was before it really kicked off, , Linc - who's getting on for 40 - is described as having "the kind of physique that suggests a kind of manual labour" from occasionally carrying text books (?!?), etc etc. The whole Dylan thing was also a bit weird.
There were a few ?? moments though - Linc's obnoxious facts were sometimes a bit off, the murder clues were so bad, Linc knew absurdly little about his late wife (why on Earth was she still with him) and that was before it really kicked off, , Linc - who's getting on for 40 - is described as having "the kind of physique that suggests a kind of manual labour" from occasionally carrying text books (?!?), etc etc. The whole Dylan thing was also a bit weird.
February 4, 2025
Very Good
I enjoyed this book. I didn’t think I would, it’s not my usual tropes. But the characters and dialogue were so good and sharply done. The plot was twisty enough, that although I had a feeling, I wasn’t sure of the whodonit. I hope to see more of the detectives in the next book, maybe have them be Book 3? I’ll be starting on Book 2 next with Dr. Becker and Reyes. The only reason for 4 and not 5 stars is the anachronistic British English. The author clearly isn’t familiar enough to write in an American voice. This book would have been perfect if set in Britain, but set in Texas, it just didn’t work. I was constantly taken out of the story each time something British popped up. There is no WI in America, cars have trunks not boots. Lots of this kind of thing. Maybe in subsequent books in this series she’ll consider hiring an American beta reader to flag these. But still, overall great writing, and I thoroughly enjoyed these characters.
I enjoyed this book. I didn’t think I would, it’s not my usual tropes. But the characters and dialogue were so good and sharply done. The plot was twisty enough, that although I had a feeling, I wasn’t sure of the whodonit. I hope to see more of the detectives in the next book, maybe have them be Book 3? I’ll be starting on Book 2 next with Dr. Becker and Reyes. The only reason for 4 and not 5 stars is the anachronistic British English. The author clearly isn’t familiar enough to write in an American voice. This book would have been perfect if set in Britain, but set in Texas, it just didn’t work. I was constantly taken out of the story each time something British popped up. There is no WI in America, cars have trunks not boots. Lots of this kind of thing. Maybe in subsequent books in this series she’ll consider hiring an American beta reader to flag these. But still, overall great writing, and I thoroughly enjoyed these characters.
July 18, 2025
4.25 ⭐️s
I read the top reviews on this book and was skeptical at first because they were all 2 and 3 stars. But then I realized the overall rating for the book was above 4 stars, and I figured something wasn't clicking.
It's a good thing I didn't let the top reviews stop me because mm romantic mysteries are my favorite genre, and I absolutely loved this book.
The writing was witty and engaging, and the characters were fun and relatable. I like being in their heads because the humor and the sarcasm was top tier. Not to mention the banter between the MCs.
I loved the mystery. I loved the emotions. Grief is a helluva thing. I loved the slow burn between the characters. Linc was grieving, and Milo had just escaped an abusive relationship, so the slow burn felt right. Appropriate.
Also, Marla is a garbage human being. Just saying.
This was my first book from this author, and I love her writing style. I'm looking forward to reading more from her.
On to book 2.
I read the top reviews on this book and was skeptical at first because they were all 2 and 3 stars. But then I realized the overall rating for the book was above 4 stars, and I figured something wasn't clicking.
It's a good thing I didn't let the top reviews stop me because mm romantic mysteries are my favorite genre, and I absolutely loved this book.
The writing was witty and engaging, and the characters were fun and relatable. I like being in their heads because the humor and the sarcasm was top tier. Not to mention the banter between the MCs.
I loved the mystery. I loved the emotions. Grief is a helluva thing. I loved the slow burn between the characters. Linc was grieving, and Milo had just escaped an abusive relationship, so the slow burn felt right. Appropriate.
Also, Marla is a garbage human being. Just saying.
This was my first book from this author, and I love her writing style. I'm looking forward to reading more from her.
On to book 2.
August 1, 2025
I enjoyed the book but there were things that bugged the heck out of me. Why was everyone answering these fools questions? They were not the cops. Lol! Why did Linc and Milo not want the 2 detectives involved, especially after they were kidnapped and almost murdered? Just plain stupid. Marla's mom being a part of the whole thing could have been left out too. Linc not knowing his own wife was pregnant was dumb. There is probably more but I can't remember right now. Even with all that I did enjoy it though. 👀 Best thing about the book was Teddy Hamilton narration. I'm about to listen to book 2 now. I hope it's better. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2023
Laura Jordan's COLD COLD HEART is simultaneously a twisty mystery and a heartbreaking romance. I absolutely loved this book. Linc and Milo are both broken in their own ways, and seeing them come together and help each other was wonderfully satisfying--perhaps especially because both men are shown in all their imperfection, and their progress is often two steps forward, one step back. I loved the dynamic between the men. I loved the humor. I loved the mystery (so many twists that I didn't see coming!). It was a genuine pleasure to read, and I hope the author will continue this series.
July 10, 2024
I loved every minute of this book. The romance was adorable and I loved watching them fall for each other. I enjoyed the representation Linc provided. We don't see that often and I think that's important. I enjoyed the mystery as well. But the bond these 2 shared was cute. Their banter was top tier. I will say Lincs continued outbursts when he was praised for being so attentive to Milos reactions were very cringe and upsetting. I'm excited for more books from Jordan. Pretty sure she laid the foundation for the next characters and if I'm right I'm very excited
January 13, 2024
I really liked the discussion of grief and the growing relationship between Linc and Milo but the weaker aspects of the book detract stars. One main issue is that the investigation of the mystery isn’t very engaging and I found myself hoping that they’d solve it quicker so the relationship building would progress. I did like this book and in future Willow Falls books I’d like to see more inclusion of side characters and see their personalities develop more. 3.5/5
December 15, 2024
Three and a half stars rounded up to four.
I thought that this would be an okay read when I chose it but the book turned out to be much better than expected. The characters are quite well defined and the story engaging. I did at one stage wonder how much the body of a heart recipient could handle but all was okay. I did not realized who did it and why until near the end of the book.
I will be reading book 2 in the series.
I thought that this would be an okay read when I chose it but the book turned out to be much better than expected. The characters are quite well defined and the story engaging. I did at one stage wonder how much the body of a heart recipient could handle but all was okay. I did not realized who did it and why until near the end of the book.
I will be reading book 2 in the series.
April 6, 2025
Tw: male anger, abuse (mostly off page)
I really enjoyed this book. The plot was fantastic and had me guessing from the first chapter.
I loved the banter that the two MCs share. It is one of the few stories I've read where the romance feels like it comes out of the friendship organically.
My only complaint is that the therapist really should have spent more time addressing Link's anger issues....but 🤷♀️ I suppose my HEAs can't always wrap every character flaw up in a "fixed" bow.
I really enjoyed this book. The plot was fantastic and had me guessing from the first chapter.
I loved the banter that the two MCs share. It is one of the few stories I've read where the romance feels like it comes out of the friendship organically.
My only complaint is that the therapist really should have spent more time addressing Link's anger issues....but 🤷♀️ I suppose my HEAs can't always wrap every character flaw up in a "fixed" bow.
January 30, 2024
very enjoyable book
This was a very enjoyable book with a good mystery plot. The characters were very believable. The parts about Houston Texas were not so believable. Does Houston have canals and locks and sage brush? However, the confusion about Houston didn’t distract from the story.
This was a very enjoyable book with a good mystery plot. The characters were very believable. The parts about Houston Texas were not so believable. Does Houston have canals and locks and sage brush? However, the confusion about Houston didn’t distract from the story.
May 16, 2024
DNF at chapter 6 or 7.
There's just way too many inconsistencies with this story.
In one scene Link yells (!!) at Milo if he wants to take his dead wife's position in his home, angry AF! In the next chapter he makes him move in........ Psycho much???
Link also just "knowing" Milo has trauma from looking at him? I'm sorry what??
Also no chemistry whatsoever!!! Boring!
There's just way too many inconsistencies with this story.
In one scene Link yells (!!) at Milo if he wants to take his dead wife's position in his home, angry AF! In the next chapter he makes him move in........ Psycho much???
Link also just "knowing" Milo has trauma from looking at him? I'm sorry what??
Also no chemistry whatsoever!!! Boring!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2024
This book was recommended by Gregory Ashe. If it had not been recommended by him, I would have discouraged by how similar it was to several of his books. That said, if I had not read his books and wasn’t constantly comparing it to his books I would have loved it.
I will definitely read future books in the series. I really like both of the main characters and the mystery was good as well.
I will definitely read future books in the series. I really like both of the main characters and the mystery was good as well.
January 14, 2024
I really enjoyed this. I loved the relationship between the two and I binged this in one day.
I did get slightly pulled out of the story cause I kept forgetting the setting. There was a lot of UK spelling and slang, but this set in Texas.
I did get slightly pulled out of the story cause I kept forgetting the setting. There was a lot of UK spelling and slang, but this set in Texas.
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