My Heart is Yours

by Amanda Leigh

Sam lost her biological parents at age five and was adopted into a loving family soon after. She has three overprotective brothers, their three best friends and two loving parents. Their world is turned upside down when their parents are killed in a car crash. Not wanting the family to split up her oldest brother, Craig, becomes her and her brothers legal guardian. Sam loves her older brother but he is the most overprotective of them all. Especially when he sees her and their long time friend, Jason, growing closer. Sam denies that she has feelings for Jason but everyone else can see it (except Jason.) Her brother John says she’s afraid Craig won’t approve. It’s true, Sam is worried about that, but is that all that’s holding her back? She doesn’t want to upset her older brother but deep down she knows there’s another reason for her denial. Sam has experienced so much loss, can she overcome that and open her heart? Even if she can, will Craig stand between them? What will she do if he does?
"'I'm not normally one for romance books, this is the one exception. This book is amazing, and it has a great storyline." ~ Amazon Reviewer
"If I had to sum up in one word what this book was about, it would be LOVE. Love in the midst of tragedy, love in the midst of hardship, love in the midst of adversity, love with family, love with friends, and love within love. My Heart is Yours, spans six years, shows us the strength that love can bring to you, even in the hardest times of your life. It's a truly beautiful story." ~ Once Untold Book Blog

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

173 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Amanda Leigh is the multi-genre author of numerous titles, including the Mature YA Paranormal Romance, the Beauty of the Dark series. She’s made up stories all her life, and written them down since she was eight. In college she got her degree in English and Communications, and worked as the Assistant Managing Editor on the literary magazine. Amanda advocates for mental health, cystinosis/rare disease awareness, and literacy. Strength: Lives Touched by Cystinosis is an anthology to raise awareness and money for cystinosis. She has a cat she adores and loves cooking, music, art, Psychology, Marvel, Harry Potter, and Elvis Presley. Not necessarily in that order. Find her online at www.authoramandaleigh.com and feel free to get in touch with her.

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Reviews

[Yelena Bosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw. Emotional. Brave. A touched heart + soul.. Perfect story.

I can finally breathe a sigh of relief, relief that there is a book out there that is so soulful and breathtakingly good. I cannot express how much adoration I have for this story, especially for all that not only poor Sam went through but what happened with the loss of the parents from her adoptive family..

Here we have a young girl who lost two sets of parents, and is left to grow with the help of all her protective brothers! Just before moving on, that beginning?? Jesus. I was literally clutching my heart and my jaw would not get off the floor. I think just from how Sam described her fathers luck of passion, care, love or anything resembling love, it about broke my heart in so many pieces!! For anyone let alone a 5 year old to witness that? I can't.. It's just so raw and emotional that I almost put my kindle down just so I could regroup my mentality..

From then on we get a glimpse over a few years in how Sam and her brothers develop and grow to be each of their own..

But, from the very beginning something was brewing between Sam and her close friend Jason. It seemed a natural progression and without spoiling anything, the way their particular relationship turned out, made me both sad and glad.. Its just one of those things that you don't know you needed to happen until it does!

RAW.

EMOTIONAL.

INTENSE.

HEARTBREAKING.

SAD.

BRAVERY.

STRENGTH.

LONELY.

DARK.

GRAY.

Amanda Leigh's writing can begin to be described by those words above. But what I really loved and have become addicted to was her style in simplicity with such a strong impact. She was able to use such simple and easy words but in a way that made it so bloody powerful, heartbreaking, sad, dark, and often depressing.. I LOVED IT!!

I'm a dark writer/reader so to see this type of writing and a story which has affected me in so many surprising ways, speaks volumes to the way MY HEART IS YOURS captures even the most messed us souls out there..

It's simply beautifully broken! I couldn't explain how deep this story was and how easy it was to fall in love with almost each and every characters for very different reasons.

A story about a girl journey from having nothing, to barely anything and the second chance that will make her chose between falling her heart, so love, and staying with what brought her safety, what saved her life, and that would be - family.

Its not often we see how love and family are in polar opposite sides of a choice, but with MY HEART IS YOURS, you get to see and explore EXACTLY why LOVE + FAMILY are not always interlinked.. It will make more sense one you delve into this gorgeous book!

Thank you so damn much Amanda Leigh for providing an ARC!! I didn't know what to expect going into this book, but once that last page was turned, I knew that I got something that would forever be with me. Admiration for a story that speaks volumes when characters like Sam, Jason, John, and everyone else, could only think of saying out loud.. Just. Perfect.

<3

[Jennifer Weiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading My Heart Is Yours while in beta phase and it truly is one of the most genuine and heart felt stories I've read in a long time. Not only does author Amanda Leigh entwine different character pov's beautifully, but she also grabs your attention with the perils of broken homes, first love and the truths that it awaken within the heart. I instantly fell in love with Amanda's characters and their fierce bond within one another as they struggled to overcome obstacles and boundries that tested their strength,heart and continuous belief that love is the strongest bond of all. It needs to be said, My Heart Is Yours will leave you will all kinds of feels!!! My Heart is Yours is a romantic, exciting and charismatic read. One that will stay with you long after the last page is turned.

[Madi ~☆TheBookNerdDiaries☆~]

*I received a review copy from Xpresso Tours and this has in no way affected my review*

DNF.

I just don't think I can continue on with this book. Maybe I'm being a bit of a book snob right now but the writing is just too basic. Allow me to explain - there weren't any challenging words and I guess I like to have some in the mix. There would be sentences that flowed like "Jane went to the store. She liked it." and like I said before, I guess I like reading to be a little challenging

[ricah (andthebooks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full review to come

[StinaMadsMN · Rating 4 out of 5]

In My Heart is Yours, Samantha has had to deal with the loss of two sets of parents, but she's always had the support of her overprotective brothers and their best friends. When she falls in love with Jason, one of their childhood friends, it causes tension between Sam and her oldest brother Craig, who doesn't approve of the pairing. With the help and support of John, Matt, Shawn and Chris, Sam and Jason find the strength to fight for their love. My Heart is Yours is a story of pain and loss, family and friendship, and ultimately love and happiness.

Even though in the beginning of the book we learn the horrible and tragic things this group of young people have suffered, the most overwhelming thing in this book is the love that they have for each other. If I had to sum up in one word what this book was about, it would be LOVE. Love in the midst of tragedy, love in the midst of hardship, love in the midst of adversity, love with family, love with friends, and love within love. My Heart is Yours, spans six years, shows us the strength that love can bring to you, even in the hardest times of your life. It's a truly beautiful story.

Sam is a truly admirable character. She has seen a lot of tragedy in her life, losing two sets of parents in horrible ways. But through all of this, Sam has remained strong. Even though she suffers from horrific nightmares and painful migraines, she doesn't let that stop her from living life and loving deeply. But she has been left with the fear of losing anyone else she loves. Of their three friends, Shawn, Chris, and Jason, Sam has always been the closest to Jason, them being the same age and both being the shy kids they were. So its understandable that the love they have for each other would grow to more than the love between best friends.

Jason suffered a similar childhood to Sam's so they understand each other on a level that the others can't and form a really strong bond. Everyone around them had noticed the feelings they had for each other before they did, which Craig was never happy about, and the level of anticipation that they all had for Sam and Jason to finally realize and get together was both funny and cute. And then there's the fact that Sam and Jason are both shy people, so whenever they were teased about their relationship they would both blush, which was so adorable. Seriously, Sam and Jason are the cutest couple ever.

I really loved Sam's close relationship with her brother John. She loves all three of her brothers, but she was always the closest to John. He is very understanding and he's always there for Sam, no matter what. He supports her relationship with Jason 100 percent and was even looking forward to them being together. Though Craig is protective of Sam in a more parental way, being her legal guardian, John seems to be even more protective of her than any of them. He's always the first there for her, the first one by her side, and the first ready to kick the butt of anyone who hurts her. Who could ask for a better big brother? I absolutely loved John.

As I said before, Amanda Leigh has written a beautiful story and I couldn't help but love the characters. There were just a couple formatting and editing issues I had. The story spans six years and is written in three parts: Part One is from ages 16-18, Part Two is from ages 18-20, and Part Three is from ages 20-21. Then the epilogue takes place twenty years into the future. The entire story takes place in the 1960's, which was interesting, although I didn't really get an overall feel for the time except for a few places where it talked about historical events of that time. Also, I'm used to reading books that are written in first person which I prefer, so reading My Heart is Yours in third person made it a bit difficult for me to tell from who's point of view to story was currently being told from. Some POV transitions were very clear, but there were some that left me guessing. But even with these couple issues, I absolutely loved this book and if Amanda Leigh ever decides to come back to these characters and write another story, I am so there.

[books are love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this beautifully crafted sweet love story between two broken people who were everything to each other and more. Sam had so much loss in her life. She lost her real parents and than went into foster care. Was taken in by a great couple who loved her and she got a new family. Three brothers and three more via the neighborhood. Met some great friends at school and thrived. She was smart and kind. Had love and friendship. Her friendship was Jason was the most treasured. They understood each other. He was shy and quiet. Never rocked the boat and was stoic and loyal. Always there for her and her brothers and never a harsh word from Jason. He believed in Sam and encouraged her while on the sidelines cheering her on in life. Sam than lost her new parents and was in a tailspin again but her brothers were there for her and showed her more love and devotion. So did the friends in the neighborhood and she had a family of wonderful young men who were loyal kind and devoted to her and each other. They encouraged each other, helped each other and were there for one another no matter what. They all knew of Jason’s love for Sam and encouraged him to tell her well all but Sam’s older brother Charlie. Charlie was afraid Sam wouldn’t go after her goals if she knew of Jason’s feelings and reciprocated them.

Slowly in time Jason and Sam stopped denying their feelings and started to see each other. It was a sweet romantic time. They supported one another and showed each other kindness, patience and buoyed each other to help make the other stronger and better. the story is a romance that began as children and was denied because one didn’t want to lost the other so they were the best of friends. Over time the friendship became more and they found that they needed each other in the other’s lives to be fulfilled and happy. There was a bumpy time when Charlie took issue but what we saw was that Jason didn’t stop Sam but buoyed her and helped her succeed and become all she wanted to be. He was her support system, her best friend, her cheerleader, her everything. He was kind and patient. Loving and there no matter what. He never let her think she couldn’t accomplish something and when she felt down or that she couldn’t make it he was there to make sure she did. He kept her spirits up.

A beautifully moving tale that will have you smile as you watch these two through the years and what happens to them and those around them. How they succeed and how their love grows and they become more for each other.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book whilst searching for authors releasing their debut books this year (check out my progress for the 2015 debut author challenge here) and I was instantly excited.

Not all families are made up of "a mum, a dad and 2.5 kids". This book embraced that with it's unique 'brother becomes guardian' family story line and it was one of the things that first attracted me to this book.

Friends to lovers have got to be one of my favourite types of romances, along with forbidden romances. So Sam and Jason's romance was the perfect mix of these two themes. I like that because they have known each other for practically their entire lives their relationship starts off with a very good foundation and feel more believable. Plus although it all happens quite quick, it doesn't feel like insta-love because they already know each other so well.

I liked that we got a lot of time with these characters as the book was set over six years. It was only a short book though, so there were times when I would have liked a chapter to be slightly longer, but as a whole I enjoyed the story as it was structured and feel like we got more then just the normal 'they get together, the end' kind of story that we get with a lot of romances now a days. I also really like the reference to the 60's, which is the period of time the book is set in, little things like Sam singing and Elvis song etc that are subtle but make the book that little bit extra special.

This book has a great group of supporting characters which make such a difference to the feel of this book. Amanda has given them this alternative family filled up with a great group of friends and there are some really nice parts of the book in which all of our characters are together and they feel like just one big happy family.

You can find more of my reviews at Broc's Bookcase

[Beauté De Livres (Vivian Freeman) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Heart is Yours follows the life of Samantha Ramadan. Focused on specific ages of her journey the book is a heartfelt recount of the highs and the lows that she experiences. Told in third person the book also touches upon most of the secondary characters and their placing in the story.

Struck by tragedy Samantha is adopted by a new family that love support and endeavour to heal her broken heart. It is from this family she meets Jason, who eventually is one of her closest friends. As they both awkwardly manoeuvre through the stages of their life Jason and Samantha admit to that they have feelings for one another. Accepted by most they set out to bring the light out in each others life.

Dealing with some turbulence in the relationship readers would expect to for the story to unfold and for each character to be explored in more depth. However the length of the book does not necessarily allow for this to happen. Set with intriguing main characters and a list of secondary characters My Heart Is Yours would be a perfect prequel to a full length novel about ANY of the characters.

Amanda Leigh writes well and maintains interest between reader and story very well. I wouldn't shy away from this author in the future but I would love to see a deeper story unfold.

[Melissa Burcham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked for an honest review free of persuasion from the author or anyone else affiliated with this book.

CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS

This was an honest, refreshing, good book. I enjoyed this story from beginning to end. I loved the ending! This book was a quick and easy read. I finished this book in one sitting. I liked the way this story flowed. I felt for the main character Sam and her daily struggles.

Sam watched her biological father kill her biological mother at the young age of 5. She was place in an orphanage. From that orphanage she was adopted into a loving home with 3 boys. Sam has a good life until one day that takes both of her adopted parents from her. The oldest of the 3 boys becomes legal guardian. The siblings work hard and struggle to make ends meet. Life is hard, but it is happy. What does life have in store for Sam? What about her wishes, wants, and desires? Does she learn to love again or does the fear of loosing someone else hold her back?

I enjoyed this book. This was the first book I have read by this author, but I hope to read many more.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two people with horrible childhood experiences come together in this sweet story of love and endurance. Jason and Sam have known each other since they were about 6 years old. Sam was adopted by a family with not a whole lot of money but a lot of love. Her biological parents were awful to her and she witnessed her biological father shoot her mother at point blank range. When she was a teenager her adoptive parents died leaving her brothers as her guardians. Jason’s father beat him and drank heavily.
Jason was a shy kid and quiet. He has always loved Sam from afar. Sam always liked being around Jason. But neither made a move on their feelings. Everyone else knew how they felt. Sam was smart and got into Princeton but even with a scholarship they didn’t have enough money to send her. Then another tragedy hit. Yet Jason was always there for Sam and Sam was always there for him. This is their story.
If you want a sweet story with real life choices, lots of sorrow, overcoming horrible situations, finding love and family, than this might be for you.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a YA (Young Adult) book but can just as easily be enjoyed by an older generation.

It begins with tragic circumstances for Sam and things go from bad to worse until life finally starts to settle. It’s far from a normal upbringing though, she is raised by her brothers which causes it’s own issues. How do you learn and grow to accept love and friendship if you don’t know the boundaries. Sam misses parental influence.

It is beautifully written with some truly heartfelt moments .. easy to read and the subject matter quickly draws you in. Lot’s of topics raised and dealt with well .. I enjoyed it a lot more than I actually anticipated. It’s one of those stories you need to read and discover for yourself.

Thanks to the author and Xpresso Book Tours for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story... I grew up with my brothers so I could relate to Sam's "only girl in a house of boys" feeling. Obviously, I don't want to give anything about the story away but, at the same time, I have to reveal that Sam's insecurity about love and journey to becoming open to positive energy in life (after so much negativity in her early years) was another reason I felt so attached to Sam, as a character. Her brothers are fun and protective, just as I imagine a house of men would be with a younger sister. So fun to go back to that uncertain and anxious time in my own life. Thank you, Amanda!!

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a ARC from the author in exchange for a honest review.
4* read.
A real heartfelt and beautiful novel. Its hard to write to long of a review because I don't want to give the story away as it needs to be read itself to fully appreciate it. It takes you on a complete emotional journey from start to end. I fell in love with the characters and the beautiful story and bonds between them all and I invested in the characters and their story.
I didn't know what to expect so was pleasantly surprised by this beautiful story that you will fall in love with from the first chapter.

[Melissa Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartfelt and beautiful

My Heart is Yours is truly a beautiful story. It's a story about two people who have known each other their whole lives. And those who are closest to them. It's a story that I will keep close to my heart for a very long time. Even tho times get tough and we all have our pasts, there are always some that we can count on through thick and thin. I hope we can sometime soon learn more about these other characters. Beautiful Amanda!!! Thank you.

[Mary Chin]

I think it's quite obvious that I wasn't impressed with this book. The words used were simple, colloquial English, ones that you would normally find in a 7 year old kid's short story. And that annoyed me to a certain level. And the fast forward thing made it worse. I was like, WHUT. It felt like the book jumped from a few years to another few years. I just could not take it anymore.

[Amanda Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the author, so clearly, I'm just a little biased. I have been working on this story for a while now, though, and it is good to get it out into the world. Even though, it is also terrifying. I do hope that you will get something out of the story. :)

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters were relatable, their emotions were tangible. My only criticism would be that the pacing seemed too rushed at some points. Overall great storyline.

[Rebekah Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real. Endearing group of misfit characters wonderfully fleshed out. I hope to read about them again!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted on my blog: I Heart Fictional People

INITIAL THOUGHTS

I knew I had to read this book right when I saw it. I absolutely loved the cover. And I loved the idea of a brother struggling with being both a sibling and a parent. So I was excited about reading this one. And when I started reading it, I’ll admit that I was a little confused because it seemed to be Sam’s story, not Craig’s, like the synopsis implied. But I was definitely intrigued, so I kept reading.

WHAT I LIKED

The prologue. Wow. Now that is how you draw readers in and make them want to keep reading. That was INTENSE. My jaw dropped and stayed there until the next chapter. Very good first impression. I knew I picked a good book.

The plot. The book definitely kept me interested the whole way through. I wanted to know what happened every step of the way. There were just so many different aspects to the story. Family, romance, love, friendship, loss. It had it all. Plus, there were a couple moments where I thought, “WTF?” So, it had a little suspense too.

The family dynamics. I love that Sam has these older brothers who are very protective of her and would do anything for her. It’s so sweet how highly they think of her too. They know she’s going to do great things, even if she has doubts. She may have been adopted, but you completely forget all about that. They’re a family, blood or not.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE

The pace. It was just way too fast for me. A LOT happened in only 130 pages or so. This would’ve been an amazing full-length novel because everything could have been expanded on and described in more detail. It was just a lot to take in, and things moved along too quickly, in my opinion.

The sometimes-awkward dialogue. The dialogue bugged me every now and then. At times, it seemed unrealistic and just not the way people talk to each other. For example, people’s first names were used quite often. If you’re talking to someone one-on-one, how often do you use his/her first name? But again, it wasn’t the whole book. This just got to me a few times.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

This would’ve been a solid 4-heart or even 5-heart book if it was longer. I guess the length and the pace just affected my overall enjoyment of the book. That being said, I would still recommend it because it is a pretty good story. That prologue! Ahh! Loved it. It’ll hook you right from the beginning. And it is a cute love story.

*I received an eBook copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review*

[Dana Muwwakkil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved My Heart is Yours. It was a sweet novel about two young people that grew up together and slowly fell in love. Although they both try to convince themselves that they don't like each other at the beginning Sam and Jason can soon no longer deny that they are more than just best friends. As they both grow and their relationship blossoms they deal with things a lot of teen couples deal with like not being approved by family members and and saying "I love you". Sam also harbors pain from her very dark past but has a great support system with her three older brothers. Jason doesn't have the best home life either and is more passive but grows to be aggressive when it comes to his girl. I really enjoyed unraveling Jason and Sam's love story because although they grew up together and became first loves this is so much more than puppy love.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Heart is Yours is a sweet, romantic story that tugs at heartstrings and put a smile on your face.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, given the synopsis, but I was a little confused at first as to who the story was going to be about. I expected a little more of big brother Craig, but it really is focused on Samantha and Jason's relationship. And what a sweet relationship it is :)

I did enjoy the journey Ms. Leigh took me on.

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

For full review please go to: 5girlsbookreviews.blogspot.com, Twitter @camartinez and Facebook "5 Girls Book Reviews"

REVIEW BY: Arianna, age 13 years, 3 months

MAY CONTAIN SPOILER:

This book was heart wrenching, but wonderful!

My favorite part is when Samantha's dad kills her mom because it is a very powerful opening. It is full of emotion and is the perfect way to start this book!

[Michelle (Adventure in Bookland) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one book That I just couldn’t get into. I also couldn’t finish it. To me it was a bit boring and the writing didn’t keep me as engaged as I wanted. I also didn’t feel a connection to the characters

[Lori]

Review to come

[Esther Haddie's Haven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally got an chance to read this and ohmigosh!!!!!!!!!!

[Marsha Bernabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read.

Sam was adopted after a traumatic start to life. While a teenager, her adoptive parents died and their sons took care of her. This was a well written story.