Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
She didn’t believe in love, until she met Jason. But he has a secret. Is love enough to erase a dark past?Bridget Delaney has had a year of failures. With a defunct business and a five-year relationship gone stale, the last thing she expected was for another man to catch her eye. Especially someone like Jason. He’s arrogant, insanely handsome, and he’s her new boss.Despite her greatest efforts, she can’t stop thinking about him. What’s worse, she doesn’t want to. When she’s with him, she feels alive in ways she never thought possible. But after she finds out about his troubled past, she realizes that looks can be deceiving and the heart can tell the greatest lie of all. When the chips are down, will she be able to look beyond the sins of his past or will it be her undoing?Jason is the first book in The Philistine Heart series. If you like complicated characters, intense emotions, and dark romances, then you’ll love Jean Evergreen’s steamy series starter.Please be This series is intended for mature audiences. It contains violence, graphic scenes and explicit language.If you enjoy dramas, you'll love The Philistine Heart saga.

279 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 2, 2016

659 people are currently reading
215 people want to read

About the author

Jean Evergreen

57 books23 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
114 (32%)
4 stars
106 (30%)
3 stars
65 (18%)
2 stars
45 (12%)
1 star
23 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews129 followers
Want to read
July 4, 2019
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/4/2019)! 🎁
Profile Image for Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon).
16.4k reviews217 followers
January 2, 2020
Story line is great and I loved the characters. I really enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it! Unexpected twists and turns had me reading this book in one sitting. Great storyline and character development made this book a hot and enjoyable read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon).
16.4k reviews217 followers
January 2, 2020
Story line is great and I loved the characters. I really enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it! Unexpected twists and turns had me reading this book in one sitting. Great storyline and character development made this book a hot and enjoyable read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Julie.
750 reviews157 followers
June 9, 2017
wth did i think? such a low rating for what it deserves. I loved every damn minute. Lies, distrust, motives and damn JASON, I love him. I'm thankful to have been given this first book free.
Profile Image for Sandra Lopez.
Author 3 books348 followers
February 9, 2017
“After I had declared my independence from corporate America, I was confident I would never again have to take another trivial, soul-crushing position. No more incompetent bosses, nonsensical office politics, bothersome co-workers, or dedication to pointless projects that I cared nothing about. I was finally free… Free to create my own path, live my passions, to feel like I exist, that I’m not merely dream walking through life.

“Now, two years later, with the reality of going broke only weeks away, I’m forced to accept a position at a marketing agency where I make only a fraction of what I did at my last job. After all of my efforts to exit the rat race I’m back at the beginning. And I’m aptly reminded of the wise words from Sinatra: that’s life. Sometimes life’s not about passion or dreams, but rather having a roof over your head and food on the table. It’s about staying in the race long enough to eventually get ahead. And surviving the race long enough to reach the finish line. But then, who really wants to reach the finish line? That’s a depressing thought.” (13)

Right of the bat, Bridget becomes a relatable and endearing character that tells it like it is.

“If all the world is a stage, then I’ve been typecast to play the same role for every performance: quiet, diffident girl with a sunny disposition.” (13)

“What’s this about Photoshop? Now I’m a graphic designer? I really should have read the job description better. That’s what I hate about these lower level jobs. There’s never a clear definition of my duties. I’m expected to do whatever they throw at me even if I’m wholly unqualified. Five o’clock can’t come soon enough.” (13)

Well-written, frank, and witty!

“I can’t help but distrust a person who always appears upbeat and happy — it just seems unnatural. In the back of my mind, I wonder what ugly muck is hidden behind all that glaring sunshine. What kind of person am I really talking to?” (22)

The reader will stand by Bridget as she trudges through the mundane office life, trying to get by while trumping those who wish to ruin her. On the outside, she plays the confident, self-assured business woman; but, on the inside, she’s fragile and unsure. She likes to keep things simple, especially with her long-distance boyfriend. Fearful of commitment and intimacy, she has no desire for marriage or family, and has virtually no idea what this relationship is, especially when she and Blake are so different. I found it so hilarious how their impromptu romp in the sack lasted only three minutes, leaving Bridget disappointed and unfulfilled. Classic!

She definitely can’t stand the fakeness of society, but she presents it with such eloquent finesse. Yes, she has her issues and her own dark skeletons from her past (who doesn’t?), but you can’t help but admire her boldness and tenacity.

“The very idea that passion and love should go hand in hand is a plot sold by Harlequin romance novels. It’s a fantasy ideal, a fiction notion. I live my life in reality, not bound between the pages of a book. In real life, you take love where you can get it because it is a rare thing indeed.” (29)

The best thing about Bridget is that she’s honest with herself—about her flaws, her fears, her inhibitions. Written in a diary-format, this story relays the candid thoughts of a hopeless, misanthropic woman, who wonders if there’s more to life than meets the eye. She has more than she can take with office banalities, a co-worker’s wedding, and “Christmas Spirit Week” filled with “inane chit chat and exaggerated friendliness.” Yep, Bridget definitely has the philistine heart, and you’ll love her for it. But it would seem she has a soft spot for an alluring man, who makes her feel that she doesn’t have to be perfect all the time. Then she realizes that he’s not perfect either. The past comes back to haunt us all.

Smart, savvy, and entertaining! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll say, “Yep, life happens.”
Profile Image for Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon).
16.4k reviews217 followers
January 2, 2020
Story line is great and I loved the characters. I really enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it! Unexpected twists and turns had me reading this book in one sitting. Great storyline and character development made this book a hot and enjoyable read!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Vevo.
662 reviews2 followers
October 24, 2017
Mmmh
Two different male characters in love
Blake( a little childish and caveman in his attitude)and Jason(more mature but with a dark side).Poor little Bridget, how could she choose one of them?ahah seriously both of them had some aspects that did not make me like them particularly...so Bridget find a third man please!
Profile Image for Tracey.
240 reviews
July 8, 2017
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I was pleasantly surprised. I was drawn in from the beginning and didn't want to put the book down to read what would happen next.

Bridget didn't grow up in a warm and cozy family. She grew up with an abusive alcoholic father and a mother that failed to see the need to leave him to take care of their three daughters.

She was happy that her mom finally decided to divorce her father but when she remarried quickly, Bridget decided that she needed to get away from her family.

She went to college and that is where she met Blake. After he graduated, they continued their relationship of being friends and lovers from long distance seeing each other a few times a year. Bridget likes her space and was content with the relationship as it was. But after five years things just didn't seem to be working out well for her and Blake. He was acting different and not in ways that she liked. She ended the relationship.

She was forced to go back into the Corporate world after her business failed. This is where she meet the new man in her life, Jason. Things with them developed quickly but all of a sudden, he disappeared for days and wasn't in contact with her. She of course thought the worst. When he came back and he revealed parts some of his past history, she couldn't believe that the person she fell for could do such things. His lies ended their relationship.

I recommend you read this book to find out what is deeply seeded into her and her reluctance to let down her guard with men in particular. Why she liked the long distance relationship, as opposed to having her friend/lover closer to her and with her more consistency in spending time together? Will she be able to let her guard down for another man? Will either Blake or Jason make their way back into her life? I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy to find what happens next with Bridget.
Profile Image for Peggy.
2,276 reviews2 followers
March 5, 2022
Jason the first book in the series Philistine Heart. I had trouble getting through this read and the next several. This first story revolves around Bridget a 5 yr relationship with Blake long distance and Jason, her new boss who has secrets and a troubled past. They are both immediately smitten and taken with each other and soon they enter a sexual relationship but he still doesn’t know about Blake. Bridget and Jason are immediately attracted to each other and soon their relationship becomes sexual in nature, but what will she do when the truth begins to come out about Jason. This is the start of a kind of an entanglement. The next two books are included in this box set. I read them separately. I had trouble. I found myself putting them down often and starting something else so it’s taken me a while to get through them. There are many factual and continuity issues. People named wrong, spelled wrong. It just didn’t hold my attention, so I found the entire read quite difficult to get through. I guess it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I won’t read further from this author but wish her the best.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
670 reviews9 followers
May 13, 2017
I enjoyed this story because it shows so really interesting relationship dynamics and most of the book is character based rather than sex based.

It's clear from the beginning that Bridget is very closed off and has trouble connecting emotionally with other people. This makes relationships interesting because she doesn't really connect with the other person. With Blake this is more pronounced then with Jason, but I think that's because the lack of physical distance made it harder to create and maintain distance.

There's a fair bit of personal growth going on too, Bridget changes a lot as the book progresses. She gets more confident and less fearful and that allows her to change how she interacts with people and what she lets herself feel.

The characters in general are really solid and relate-able, and the story line draws you in and makes you want to know what's going to happen next.

I received a free copy of this book and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
Profile Image for Kerry.
823 reviews
May 12, 2017
You simply can't help but fall in love with Bridget, a woman struggling to find her way in the world and scared of what she may find when she gets there! Appearing strong, savvy and confident on the outside, Bridget is a fearful woman seeking the love she desperately needs but struggling to trust her heart to anyone.

Jason and Blake are the two male characters in Bridget's life who lead her through a mix of emotions and questioning whether there really is more or whether settling is what she must do. The torments she faces are relayed to the reader in such a way that you can't help but join Bridget as she traverses this murky world of love and connection.

Jean Evergreen has written a brilliant debut novel and I can't wait to see where Bridget takes us next in the next book, The Dilemma.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Profile Image for Ohoyo Tohbi.
61 reviews2 followers
April 1, 2019
Meandering

The story was basic. The main character mostly felt like a shell. There were a couple points of clarity. However, the editing was CARELESS. It's more accurate to say it was non-existent. There were incorrectly spelled names and global brands. There was dialogue without quotation marks. There was a significant lack of commas. It could have been developed more. If it had been, maybe I would be drawn in enough to read more of the series. As it is, I won't be wasting my time. I know e-book authors crank out works fast to grab every few dollars they can. Readers would prefer quality over errors and missteps that completely take us out of the story. You really ought to have more pride than this. Your vocabulary shows that you have writing chops. Use them to hone your work. You can do better.
Profile Image for Ree.
2,519 reviews53 followers
May 28, 2017
The Philistine Heart was a very interesting read. It focused a lot on the characters' lives, actions, feelings and behaviour instead of being an overtly sexual book. It intrigued me enough that I stayed up to read it - sleep being the only obstacle to finishing it in one go.

It was hard to like Bridget at first. She seemed judgy and aloof at first. After the author provided some background on her, I began to understand her. I never liked her interactions with Blake, and was disappointed that she and Jason didn't get a chance to go very far.

Bridget clearly has some choices in front of her, judging by the way the book ended, and the preview to the sequel, and I look forward to her decision.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an ARC of this book.
2,200 reviews
December 24, 2019
This is the first book of The Philistine Heart series. Meet Jason and Bridget. Bridget has had a crappy year and is looking for things to pick up in her life. She finds herself attracted her new boss which is the last thing she needs or expects. Jason is a little on the arrogant side and very attractive but he has a past that does not seem to want to let go. Just as Bridget and Jason begin to get a little closer, Jason's past comes to the present. Will it destroy their future? This was an entertaining read and good first book into the series. This book has some suspense and twists that keep the story moving. I am interested in reading book two. Enjoy!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,581 reviews
December 29, 2019
Bridget is in a long distance relationship and just starting a new job after a failed business attempt. Her life hasn't been perfect and dueto her past she is certain of things that she doesn't want; marriage and children. Jason is her boss and has secrets of his own. When things between her and Jason become serious she learns things that threaten their happiness.

I am not sure how I feel about this book. It seems as if it was two stories that the author attempted to blend as one. The characters are good but I am uncertain of the story line. I plan on reading the next installment and I hope it clarifies things.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Adalle.
1,616 reviews8 followers
January 1, 2020
I have to say, this book is definitely worth the time it will take you to read this book.

I really enjoyed meeting the characters of this book. Their chemistry will draw you in, and their story will keep you glued until the very last page.
Just think, this is the first time I have ever read anything from this author... and definitely Won’t be the last. I’m about read the next book... right after I finish posting this review.

I voluntarily received an advanced copy of this book via Booksprout and any opinions expressed within this review are solely and uniquely made by me and I am happily leaving this review.
3,425 reviews19 followers
January 5, 2020
Jason is Jean Evergreen’s first book in her Philistine Heart series. It features Bridget, who has had a year of failures with her business and five year long distance relationship with Blake, and Jason, her new boss who has secrets and a troubled past. Bridget and Jason are immediately attracted to each other and soon their relationship becomes sexual in nature, but what will she do when the truth begins to come out about Jason. I recommend this book which has complex and flawed characters, an intriguing storyline, secrets, trust issues, and sizzling attraction.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for BP34.
6,303 reviews46 followers
May 13, 2017
This book was not what I expected but I loved it. It was well written with very relatable characters and a great plot. Talk about being on a emotional roller coaster, this story is full of highs and lows. You'll fall in love with Bridgett and you feel like you're right there beside her as she faces all her challenges with her career and love life. Lots of surprises, jealousy, heartbreak, passion, chemistry, challenges and emotion that's off the charts. I voluntarily read and chose to review an arc copy of this book
Profile Image for Linda Levine.
4,644 reviews25 followers
May 16, 2017
This is an emotional story because at the heart of it is a woman who is struggling with her choices. She appears confident on the surface but internally is in turmoil and not sure what to do. It was an interesting read and I look forward to seeing what is next for her. She has important choices to make and each has its own risks. At this point, you really are not sure of which choice will lead to heartbreak and which might lead to a real loving relationship. I am glad the author provided the background needed to understand her better.

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.
Profile Image for Melissa.
1,676 reviews111 followers
May 18, 2017
This was a very enjoyable read. Bridget is a great character because she is so relatable. She has to start over in the corporate world in a job she doesn't want. Bridget takes you on quite an emotional journey as she navigates her life. She faces so much with changes to her career and dealing with her love life. She appears to be a strong and confident woman on the outside but on the inside she is vulnerable and has trouble trusting and letting other in. There are laughs and tears. I am so glad that I read this. I voluntarily read an arc copy for my honest review!
Profile Image for Dorothy Morris.
941 reviews5 followers
December 30, 2019
The books were good. Meet Jason and Bridget. Bridget has had a crappy year and is looking for things to pick up in her life. She finds herself attracted her new boss which is the last thing she needs or expects. Jason is a little on the arrogant side and very attractive but he has a past that does not seem to want to let go. The end of each book made you want to go to the next book to see what would happen between Jason and Bridget as well as Susan and Blake.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Brenda Chavers-martin.
228 reviews1 follower
March 24, 2020
This is a dark romance that touch on real relationships. A beautiful woman with a painful upbringing that include abuse, alcoholism and emotional abuse finds herself trying to successfully navigate a relationship. One is her first but is long distance. The second is just what she wants until his past comes out. What will she do? This book touched on sexual, emotional and mental issues that can either destroy her or make her stronger. I loved it and look forward to book 2.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Merry Jelks-Emmanuel.
13.4k reviews155 followers
October 24, 2022
Bridgett is caught between two men. One is a long distance relationship that she is quickly beginning to see that has a time limit to it and then there is Jason who is her boss. The more time she spends with him the more her feelings grow but Jason is withholding something. Will it be something that will draw a wedge between what could be a happily ever after for the two of them. This story is intriguing. It starts slow and builds having you caught up in the drama to see what will happen next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Cathy.
74 reviews
September 24, 2019
I loved this series and finished it in 3 days. However there are 2 books left which I can't wait to read. #6 is on order. The story is a huge mystery and it feels at the end that I am missing something important. Who are 'They' and why are 'They' so invested in why happens that 'They' are controlling everything? What is it that she remembers? A mystery love story that seems to have a little bit of thriller involved. I read the e-books.
Profile Image for Stephanie D. Parker.
321 reviews2 followers
July 5, 2019
Jason

For me this book was very slow in the beginning and ended kind of crazy for me. I am somewhat disappointed in the ending. I almost stopped reading at one point but it picked up and I really enjoyed midway into it but in all it was just not what I thought it might turn out to be.
Profile Image for Sharon Eikenberry-Deary.
732 reviews5 followers
August 20, 2019
Will Bridget finally let go of her past

Blake was long distance relationship and she was realizing it was not right. Getting a new job she fell for Jason. They were perfect she thought. Both had a past but his to her was so bad. She just knew it wasn't possible. Talking to her after years and now Blake popping up. What now and what about Jason.
313 reviews7 followers
May 18, 2017
This story is emotional roller-coaster for me. The character is a complicated character who a lot of decisions to take. The plot is wonderful. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
Profile Image for Kim F.
2,873 reviews2 followers
January 22, 2018
Very entertaining, captivating and interesting sexy read. I could not put it down. Wonderfully written with strong characters. I want to read more from this author. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Profile Image for Justen Perkins.
321 reviews3 followers
December 8, 2019
This book couldn't be put down and I had to keep going till I finished then it left me hungry for more. I can't wait to see where the author takes us during this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kathy Mccalmon.
3,721 reviews28 followers
January 1, 2020
This is book one in this series. Jason and Bridget have a great chemistry. Will that be enough when Bridget finds out about jason's past

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.