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Seven Shores #2
Hearts Like Hers
No one pencils in falling in love. All work and no play has Autumn Primm in the market for a little excitement. Her Venice Beach coffee shop, The Cat’s Pajamas, is her pride and joy. While she doesn’t mind the long hours, she finds herself staring dreamily out the window, imagining the life she’s yet to lead. The time has come to take off the apron and see what the world has in store. Kate Carpenter needs to get away. And quick. A small-town firefighter, Kate’s been crowned a local hero for reasons she can’t quite get behind. An open highway and some time off have her fleeing the scene to sunny California to catch her breath and put some distance between herself and the unwanted acclaim. Dreamy Autumn Primm was never supposed to be part of that bargain. What Kate needs is a temporary escape, emphasis on temporary.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2018
75 people are currently reading
963 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Brayden
32 books2,757 followersMelissa Brayden is the multi-award winning author of more than twenty-five sapphic romance novels and is hard at work on more. She is a wine enthusiast, a fan of all donuts, and is probably staring off into space as you're reading this. You can find her at www.melissabrayden.com and on most social media sites.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
January 8, 2018
'Netgalley ARC provided by The Publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review'
Meh! no follow-up magic..
An utterly,dud 2nd installment disaster of a series which was written not in the straightforward style that we as regular fans and avid readers have come to expect from Melissa Brayden but it was so filled with conflicting stories and contradictory statements which made me think that this book was seize/hijack by her clone because it was not up to her incredible writing status,just disappointing. The narrative was too farfetch and nothing to write about because there was none. So perplexing of this author to add this outlandish storyline; where one of the leads foolishly yells that she's going to have a baby only because she found out that her ex is getting married which only made this storyline come out of left field for us as readers. The dialogue was way too immature/childish at times,never seems to flow evenly,choppy sentences,questionable chemistry matching & personalities between both leading characters,no structure in this storyline plus the whole friendship circle was way off. Despite my low ratings there were some good enough readable moments that focuses on one of the leads tragic backstory that helped me get through to the ending even though i was left emotionally drained.
Meh! no follow-up magic..
An utterly,dud 2nd installment disaster of a series which was written not in the straightforward style that we as regular fans and avid readers have come to expect from Melissa Brayden but it was so filled with conflicting stories and contradictory statements which made me think that this book was seize/hijack by her clone because it was not up to her incredible writing status,just disappointing. The narrative was too farfetch and nothing to write about because there was none. So perplexing of this author to add this outlandish storyline; where one of the leads foolishly yells that she's going to have a baby only because she found out that her ex is getting married which only made this storyline come out of left field for us as readers. The dialogue was way too immature/childish at times,never seems to flow evenly,choppy sentences,questionable chemistry matching & personalities between both leading characters,no structure in this storyline plus the whole friendship circle was way off. Despite my low ratings there were some good enough readable moments that focuses on one of the leads tragic backstory that helped me get through to the ending even though i was left emotionally drained.
January 8, 2018
Not my favorite Brayden, but still a good read. I have been fighting a reading slump this past week. Brayden has helped me out of them on more than one occasion, so I was excited to read this. Maybe I’m still a little cranky from my slump and it’s why I didn’t OMG love this, but it’s still a book I would recommend.
This is book 2 in the Seven Shores series. Autumn, the one who owns the coffee shop, was the star of this book. After attending the wedding of an ex, Autumn decides she needs to really start living her life. And when a sexy firefighter Kate rents an apartment next to her friends, this might be the bit of fun Autumn is looking for.
I was glad to read Autumn’s story. I ended up liking her more than I expected. Gia is still the most mysterious out of the whole group, and I am still dying to read her book. I don’t know what happened to Isabel though. Her dialog was really off for me. I loved how sarcastic and funny she was in Book 1, but she wasn’t funny in this book. Hadley wins the awards for most improved. Her character was cute and way less annoying than before. I’m actually looking forward to her book now.
When it came to the most important part, the romance, I enjoyed it. I thought Kate and Autumn had a ton of chemistry together. I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow, and thought it went at a really good pace. However, I did have problems at the end. I found myself getting really frustrated. I like a romance that the characters are so in love they will be together because they can’t stand being apart, and they work on issues together. That’s not what happened. I also found myself getting angry at Kate. I was glad Brayden had Autumn call her out, but she didn’t call her out on what I felt the real problem was. Once we got to the actually ending of the book, it was sweet and I was happy. I just wish it was handled a bit differently before that.
This book had a few bumps for me. Some I didn’t mention because I would be adding a ton of spoiler tags. But overall I would still easily recommend this to romance fans. Brayden is a special writer who I always enjoy reading her books. I cannot wait to read Book 3. Gia is the character I have been the most interested in; I’m ready to enter the world of professional surfing.
An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.
This is book 2 in the Seven Shores series. Autumn, the one who owns the coffee shop, was the star of this book. After attending the wedding of an ex, Autumn decides she needs to really start living her life. And when a sexy firefighter Kate rents an apartment next to her friends, this might be the bit of fun Autumn is looking for.
I was glad to read Autumn’s story. I ended up liking her more than I expected. Gia is still the most mysterious out of the whole group, and I am still dying to read her book. I don’t know what happened to Isabel though. Her dialog was really off for me. I loved how sarcastic and funny she was in Book 1, but she wasn’t funny in this book. Hadley wins the awards for most improved. Her character was cute and way less annoying than before. I’m actually looking forward to her book now.
When it came to the most important part, the romance, I enjoyed it. I thought Kate and Autumn had a ton of chemistry together. I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow, and thought it went at a really good pace. However, I did have problems at the end. I found myself getting really frustrated. I like a romance that the characters are so in love they will be together because they can’t stand being apart, and they work on issues together. That’s not what happened. I also found myself getting angry at Kate. I was glad Brayden had Autumn call her out, but she didn’t call her out on what I felt the real problem was. Once we got to the actually ending of the book, it was sweet and I was happy. I just wish it was handled a bit differently before that.
This book had a few bumps for me. Some I didn’t mention because I would be adding a ton of spoiler tags. But overall I would still easily recommend this to romance fans. Brayden is a special writer who I always enjoy reading her books. I cannot wait to read Book 3. Gia is the character I have been the most interested in; I’m ready to enter the world of professional surfing.
An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.
January 7, 2018
Sooooo, I read Melissa Brayden’s newest book, Hearts like Hers. OMGeezy, let me tell you something, Melissa Brayden is a true romance badass. This book is everything. E V E R Y T H I N G! I could throw out adjectives for greatness all day long and it still wouldn’t be enough. The queen of romance has dazzled me yet again, and I cannot thank her enough for it. Brayden doesn’t just write a love story, she writes an epic love story!
Hearts like Hers focuses on Autumn Primm, the owner of The Cat’s Pajamas coffee shop. Autumn is witty, she’s sarcastic and an all-around adorable character. She has spent her life up until now completely learning the coffee trade and now running her small business. An invitation to her ex-girlfriend, Olivia’s, wedding hit Autumn especially hard. Not for the fact that she has any residual feelings for her former lover, no, that ship has sailed. What she feels is more the loss of a chance, she has let her love life evaporate while she has been solely focused on business. So she forces herself to watch the ex get hitched and comes to the conclusion its time to have a child, she’s going to take that next step in life even though she has not found her Mrs. Right.
Kate Carpenter is the newest residence at the Seven Shores apartment complex. She has taken a two-month hiatus from her job fighting fires in a small sleepy town in Oregon. She needed to get away. Kate was in the right place at the right time to save two small children from a house fire, but it wasn’t without pain and suffering for everyone involved. Touted as the town’s hero, Kate wants anything but the attention. She heads to Venice for some rest, relaxation and far away from anyone that will call her a hero.
This book, to me, deviates from the Brayden formula just enough. Now, I have never been one to knock said formula because to me it works and it works exceptionally well. There is a reason that readers drop everything for these books, they are time and time again outstanding reads. What I’m saying is this book is captivating and keeps you on your toes. The slight change up works but even more than that it’s just about two fabulous characters that have so much chemistry. I’m talking chemistry for days. Big and bold smoldering chemistry! This book is hot and sexy, with all the wit and spark you expect from the master of dialogue. Brayden stepped up to the plate with this one, she pointed her bat Babe Ruth style into the grandstands, and nails that sucker out of the park. This is a true romance that does every single thing to perfection. Every. Single. Thing! Once again Melissa Brayden stands at the top. She unequivocally is the queen of romance.
All the stars!!!
Hearts like Hers focuses on Autumn Primm, the owner of The Cat’s Pajamas coffee shop. Autumn is witty, she’s sarcastic and an all-around adorable character. She has spent her life up until now completely learning the coffee trade and now running her small business. An invitation to her ex-girlfriend, Olivia’s, wedding hit Autumn especially hard. Not for the fact that she has any residual feelings for her former lover, no, that ship has sailed. What she feels is more the loss of a chance, she has let her love life evaporate while she has been solely focused on business. So she forces herself to watch the ex get hitched and comes to the conclusion its time to have a child, she’s going to take that next step in life even though she has not found her Mrs. Right.
Kate Carpenter is the newest residence at the Seven Shores apartment complex. She has taken a two-month hiatus from her job fighting fires in a small sleepy town in Oregon. She needed to get away. Kate was in the right place at the right time to save two small children from a house fire, but it wasn’t without pain and suffering for everyone involved. Touted as the town’s hero, Kate wants anything but the attention. She heads to Venice for some rest, relaxation and far away from anyone that will call her a hero.
This book, to me, deviates from the Brayden formula just enough. Now, I have never been one to knock said formula because to me it works and it works exceptionally well. There is a reason that readers drop everything for these books, they are time and time again outstanding reads. What I’m saying is this book is captivating and keeps you on your toes. The slight change up works but even more than that it’s just about two fabulous characters that have so much chemistry. I’m talking chemistry for days. Big and bold smoldering chemistry! This book is hot and sexy, with all the wit and spark you expect from the master of dialogue. Brayden stepped up to the plate with this one, she pointed her bat Babe Ruth style into the grandstands, and nails that sucker out of the park. This is a true romance that does every single thing to perfection. Every. Single. Thing! Once again Melissa Brayden stands at the top. She unequivocally is the queen of romance.
All the stars!!!
January 28, 2018
Book received from both Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review
For ‘reasons’, some of which are based on spotting various ratings pop up in my feed (but without reading the reviews attached), I both went into this book, and spent the majority of the book thinking that I’d likely rate this somewhere near 4 stars. Not that I always rate the same way as others (that’s a laugh, considering the number of books I can’t even finish while others praise them, and the number of books I praise and others give two stars too, it might be closer to ‘it’s a toss-up if I rate the book the same way as someone else’). Just the rating slipped into my subconscious. But somewhere near the end, I realized . . . well, let’s move on to the review.
This is the second book in Brayden’s second official series (which I say because there are non-series books that occasionally have characters from other books appear), Seven Shores. I’d seen the series as being linked by Seven Shores – the apartment complex in Venice California (an independent city from 1905, when it emerged as a seaside resort town, to 1926, when it merged with Los Angeles). The second book in the series involved mid-thirties Autumn Primm, friend of the three women who live in Seven Shores, and owner of the Cat’s Pajamas, a nearby coffee shop, and a resident of some house some distance away. So, how could Autumn be the star of the second book in this series? Well, strangely enough, that specific connection to Seven Shores apartment complex is in fact continued in this here book through the other lead character of this book, firefighter Kate Carpenter, of Slumberton Oregon.
Characters
There are two main point of views, and two main characters (there is at least one occasion when we get the inside thoughts of a third character, briefly and strangely inserted (there’s one occasion when suddenly Hadley’s feelings are so extreme she feels like her head is going to explode – that’s it, that’s her entire POV insertion into the book, and I don’t think it was by itself in the sentence it appeared in)). Those two main characters being Autumn Primm, and Kate Carpenter.
Autumn is 32 and a single child of Vicky (her mother told her to call her Vicky shortly after beginning school, maybe in the second grade) who has spent her adult life living in the greater Los Angeles area, learning everything there is to know about coffee, getting the seed money to open her own coffee place, and running said place of coffee.
Kate Carpenter is 34 and a firefighter who befriended two kids who lived down the street from her in her small town of Slumberton Oregon – and the place is as quiet and sleepy as the town name implies. The book opens shortly after Kate had rescued those same two children from a fire and is suffering a sort of post-traumatic stress over it (not sure if it reaches PTSD level) – especially the part where she lives in a small town and everyone knows the story and everyone talks about how much of a hero she is near or to her face – which she disputes, the hero part, for reasons. Shortly after the book opens, Kate throws some stuff into her truck and drives down to California so ‘she can breathe’.
For those curious, yes, all of the women who were friends in the first book reappear in this book here. Plus Taylor, the love interest in book one, also reappears with her significant other Isobel. So, to fill this out a little more, we have: 'the Seven Shores friends': Isabel Chase, star of Eyes Like Those (&, through her, Taylor Andrews) and television writer; Gia Malone, star professional surfer and relatively younger than the rest of the gang (I think), and star of ‘coming soon’ Sparks Like Ours; Hadley ?, fashion . . . person; and Autumn Primm – coffee shop owner.
Story: As noted: Kate is feeling stress from a recent fire she was involved with in Oregon, and has taken some time off from work to spend time in California and breath. Said time off spent renting an apartment in a specific complex known as ‘Seven Shores’. Meanwhile the other lead character, Autumn, is dealing with a certain amount of depression – a certain amount of low self-esteem brought on both by her rotten bitchy horrible shrew of a mother and her hideous ex-girlfriend who may or may not have cheated on her (it’s never actually stated bluntly, nor even implied, though it sure seemed like Olivia had cheated with Betsey-the-gym-trainer). Shaken by the news that her ex is getting married, Autumn has decided to ‘live’ more – which includes: being open to dating and the acknowledgement that she wants to stick a baby inside of her, and then have that baby pop out so she could be a mother to said baby.
Kate and Autumn meet well. Date. Both know that it’s temporary. Both develop ‘something’. An ‘issue’ occurs and there’s trouble in relationship paradise. I’m being purposefully vague – how detailed should I be? It’s a romance, it’s by Brayden, of course there’s going to be a brief ‘issue’ that breaks the people apart for a short time. And stuff.
Positives: 1) I rather like the personalities shown here, at least, or I mean specifically Autumn and Kate’s. 2) Kate’s described as being near perfect (calm, collected, gorgeous, etc. etc.) but there are enough ‘there’ to move out of ‘fantasy dream girl’ to ‘human’. 3) both main characters have enough page time to ‘show themselves’ and allow the reader to learn something about them. 4) three seconds after I push the submit button, I’m sure I’ll think of 100s more to insert.
Negatives: 1) I realize why he is in the book, I think, but I found Kate’s brother vaguely off-putting; 2) I realize why she’s in the book, again I think, but I found Vicky, Autumn’s domineering, self-centered, bitchy mother was . . . super annoying; 3) I’ve no idea why that whole section involving Autumn attending her ex-girlfriend’s wedding was needed – as a ‘jump start to finding that extra, or ‘more’ in life’, Olivia’s wedding invitation and some ‘stuff’ along those lines would work; having one of the Seven Shores women go along as a friend, Hadley, was good since it allowed more page time to a character who is supposedly a good friend but not really fully developed yet – but, and this is important, despite there being something like a seven hour drive there and back, and the wedding itself, and everything, the whole experience seemed to go by way too fast for any actual ‘character development’ to be seen. 4) see 4 in the positives section.
Overall: Somewhere along the way, despite my vague feeling I might be reading a 4 star book, something occurred – I don’t mean something specific – that made me realize that this book was actually better than I was allowing myself to see it be. I lost that last sentence. Pfft. As for a specific incident – there was one specific incident that caused something that I don’t think had happened before for me with a Brayden book – a slight momentary blurry vision due to watery eyes. The happy kind of blurry-ness.
I liked the book. I liked the characters. I liked the romance and the story. There was even bits of humor tossed in there here and there – nothing on the level of a Robin Alexander book, but humor –
Plus, in addition to some humorous talking to yourself moments, there were a few humorous because of situation moments – like when Autumn and Hadley got drunk that one night.
Right, so, liked the book.
Rating: 4.68
January 9 2018
For ‘reasons’, some of which are based on spotting various ratings pop up in my feed (but without reading the reviews attached), I both went into this book, and spent the majority of the book thinking that I’d likely rate this somewhere near 4 stars. Not that I always rate the same way as others (that’s a laugh, considering the number of books I can’t even finish while others praise them, and the number of books I praise and others give two stars too, it might be closer to ‘it’s a toss-up if I rate the book the same way as someone else’). Just the rating slipped into my subconscious. But somewhere near the end, I realized . . . well, let’s move on to the review.
This is the second book in Brayden’s second official series (which I say because there are non-series books that occasionally have characters from other books appear), Seven Shores. I’d seen the series as being linked by Seven Shores – the apartment complex in Venice California (an independent city from 1905, when it emerged as a seaside resort town, to 1926, when it merged with Los Angeles). The second book in the series involved mid-thirties Autumn Primm, friend of the three women who live in Seven Shores, and owner of the Cat’s Pajamas, a nearby coffee shop, and a resident of some house some distance away. So, how could Autumn be the star of the second book in this series? Well, strangely enough, that specific connection to Seven Shores apartment complex is in fact continued in this here book through the other lead character of this book, firefighter Kate Carpenter, of Slumberton Oregon.
Characters
There are two main point of views, and two main characters (there is at least one occasion when we get the inside thoughts of a third character, briefly and strangely inserted (there’s one occasion when suddenly Hadley’s feelings are so extreme she feels like her head is going to explode – that’s it, that’s her entire POV insertion into the book, and I don’t think it was by itself in the sentence it appeared in)). Those two main characters being Autumn Primm, and Kate Carpenter.
Autumn is 32 and a single child of Vicky (her mother told her to call her Vicky shortly after beginning school, maybe in the second grade) who has spent her adult life living in the greater Los Angeles area, learning everything there is to know about coffee, getting the seed money to open her own coffee place, and running said place of coffee.
Kate Carpenter is 34 and a firefighter who befriended two kids who lived down the street from her in her small town of Slumberton Oregon – and the place is as quiet and sleepy as the town name implies. The book opens shortly after Kate had rescued those same two children from a fire and is suffering a sort of post-traumatic stress over it (not sure if it reaches PTSD level) – especially the part where she lives in a small town and everyone knows the story and everyone talks about how much of a hero she is near or to her face – which she disputes, the hero part, for reasons. Shortly after the book opens, Kate throws some stuff into her truck and drives down to California so ‘she can breathe’.
For those curious, yes, all of the women who were friends in the first book reappear in this book here. Plus Taylor, the love interest in book one, also reappears with her significant other Isobel. So, to fill this out a little more, we have: 'the Seven Shores friends': Isabel Chase, star of Eyes Like Those (&, through her, Taylor Andrews) and television writer; Gia Malone, star professional surfer and relatively younger than the rest of the gang (I think), and star of ‘coming soon’ Sparks Like Ours; Hadley ?, fashion . . . person; and Autumn Primm – coffee shop owner.
Story: As noted: Kate is feeling stress from a recent fire she was involved with in Oregon, and has taken some time off from work to spend time in California and breath. Said time off spent renting an apartment in a specific complex known as ‘Seven Shores’. Meanwhile the other lead character, Autumn, is dealing with a certain amount of depression – a certain amount of low self-esteem brought on both by her rotten bitchy horrible shrew of a mother and her hideous ex-girlfriend who may or may not have cheated on her (it’s never actually stated bluntly, nor even implied, though it sure seemed like Olivia had cheated with Betsey-the-gym-trainer). Shaken by the news that her ex is getting married, Autumn has decided to ‘live’ more – which includes: being open to dating and the acknowledgement that she wants to stick a baby inside of her, and then have that baby pop out so she could be a mother to said baby.
Kate and Autumn meet well. Date. Both know that it’s temporary. Both develop ‘something’. An ‘issue’ occurs and there’s trouble in relationship paradise. I’m being purposefully vague – how detailed should I be? It’s a romance, it’s by Brayden, of course there’s going to be a brief ‘issue’ that breaks the people apart for a short time. And stuff.
Positives: 1) I rather like the personalities shown here, at least, or I mean specifically Autumn and Kate’s. 2) Kate’s described as being near perfect (calm, collected, gorgeous, etc. etc.) but there are enough ‘there’ to move out of ‘fantasy dream girl’ to ‘human’. 3) both main characters have enough page time to ‘show themselves’ and allow the reader to learn something about them. 4) three seconds after I push the submit button, I’m sure I’ll think of 100s more to insert.
Negatives: 1) I realize why he is in the book, I think, but I found Kate’s brother vaguely off-putting; 2) I realize why she’s in the book, again I think, but I found Vicky, Autumn’s domineering, self-centered, bitchy mother was . . . super annoying; 3) I’ve no idea why that whole section involving Autumn attending her ex-girlfriend’s wedding was needed – as a ‘jump start to finding that extra, or ‘more’ in life’, Olivia’s wedding invitation and some ‘stuff’ along those lines would work; having one of the Seven Shores women go along as a friend, Hadley, was good since it allowed more page time to a character who is supposedly a good friend but not really fully developed yet – but, and this is important, despite there being something like a seven hour drive there and back, and the wedding itself, and everything, the whole experience seemed to go by way too fast for any actual ‘character development’ to be seen. 4) see 4 in the positives section.
Overall: Somewhere along the way, despite my vague feeling I might be reading a 4 star book, something occurred – I don’t mean something specific – that made me realize that this book was actually better than I was allowing myself to see it be. I lost that last sentence. Pfft. As for a specific incident – there was one specific incident that caused something that I don’t think had happened before for me with a Brayden book – a slight momentary blurry vision due to watery eyes. The happy kind of blurry-ness.
I liked the book. I liked the characters. I liked the romance and the story. There was even bits of humor tossed in there here and there – nothing on the level of a Robin Alexander book, but humor –
”So, what else is new?” she asked her kitchen, which she was apparently talking to now.
Plus, in addition to some humorous talking to yourself moments, there were a few humorous because of situation moments – like when Autumn and Hadley got drunk that one night.
Right, so, liked the book.
Rating: 4.68
January 9 2018
June 11, 2018
I finished this on the early morning of Valentine's Day. How appropriate. :)
So, I got distracted partway into the book by life (as always) and the Olympics. But, then something inspired me to jump back in and gobble the rest up.
By no means is this a not good book. I realized I found myself enjoying the friendships more than the romance. I'm actually most fascinated with Hadley and I'm bummed that the next book isn't about her. Maybe Melissa Brayden is leaving it last to blow my gay mind. Hadley is a delight through and through and she deserves to be swept off her feet by an equally hot woman.
Back to the main characters. We have Autumn, the Michael Jordan of coffee brewing (I'm very proud of this. Brayden, please steal it.). And she has an immediate and reciprocated attraction to Kate, a sweet firefighter with a haunted past.
Um, their romance was fine. I didn't burn for them, sadly. Kate's character type (no-edge niceness, uber noble, stressed over something a bit of therapy could remedy) is usually a hard sell for me, anyway.
The side stories and hilarity of the Venice crew's antics were the most entertaining. Especially the drunk call voicemail madness! I actually laughed out loud. Trying-to-get-pregnant storylines are a plus for me. Not so much Kate's thing with the kids. I called the way that would turn out pretty early, so it was mostly waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The few appearances of Taylor made me so happy since the first book of this series is an all-time favorite. Isabel wasn't full-on Brooklyn (from Soho Loft), but it's like she got a Brooklyn injection. Similar qualities and voice. Maybe because this series mirrors the NY version.
A high-quality read, nonetheless. I'm ready to see what Gia' s love life brings to the table.
So, I got distracted partway into the book by life (as always) and the Olympics. But, then something inspired me to jump back in and gobble the rest up.
By no means is this a not good book. I realized I found myself enjoying the friendships more than the romance. I'm actually most fascinated with Hadley and I'm bummed that the next book isn't about her. Maybe Melissa Brayden is leaving it last to blow my gay mind. Hadley is a delight through and through and she deserves to be swept off her feet by an equally hot woman.
Back to the main characters. We have Autumn, the Michael Jordan of coffee brewing (I'm very proud of this. Brayden, please steal it.). And she has an immediate and reciprocated attraction to Kate, a sweet firefighter with a haunted past.
Um, their romance was fine. I didn't burn for them, sadly. Kate's character type (no-edge niceness, uber noble, stressed over something a bit of therapy could remedy) is usually a hard sell for me, anyway.
The side stories and hilarity of the Venice crew's antics were the most entertaining. Especially the drunk call voicemail madness! I actually laughed out loud. Trying-to-get-pregnant storylines are a plus for me. Not so much Kate's thing with the kids. I called the way that would turn out pretty early, so it was mostly waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The few appearances of Taylor made me so happy since the first book of this series is an all-time favorite. Isabel wasn't full-on Brooklyn (from Soho Loft), but it's like she got a Brooklyn injection. Similar qualities and voice. Maybe because this series mirrors the NY version.
A high-quality read, nonetheless. I'm ready to see what Gia' s love life brings to the table.
November 4, 2018
Another great book in this series. This one is a real feel good, sweet, heart-warming kind of romance. I didn't love it as much as the 1st Seven Shores books, but it's still a great read, and I'll be checking out the last 2 books in this series.
June 10, 2018
“Hearts Like Hers (Seven Shores #2)” continues the intertwined stories of work and romance among friends in the Seven Shores development. In this book, it’s coffee shop owner Autumn who gets her chance at romance.
I was apprehensive to start this audiobook, because reviews were really all over the board, from two stars to five stars, which was once unusual for a Melissa Brayden book, but is becoming increasingly common as she continues to rely upon a commercially successful template…which results in feelings of “oh….that again”. Actually, the range is more of zero stars to five stars, because I know of at least one goodreads friend who purposely skipped the book, having disliked book one so much. Book #3, btw, received one star from that goodreads friend…in a hilariously scathing review, which you might want to read before even picking up this book!!
I was especially uncertain whether I was going to like the storyline about Autumn deciding to have a child because she hasn’t found love. Having a child can be wonderful, I’m sure, but can clearly bring lots of expected and unexpected stresses into life, and having a child to shake up your disappointing life sounds….well, not so well thought out. Actually, IRL, I once worked with a married woman who purposely became pregnant, and then confided to me she had no interest whatsoever in being a mother, but felt it was “time” because of her biological clock, and she expressed the belief that being a mother would advance her career for some reason I cannot even remember. I’ve often wondered how that poor, illconceived and unwanted child is turning out.
Further, Brayden often throws in a breakup to a budding romance that feels completely unnecessary for the storyline, just to have an artificial angst-moment and an eyebrow raising reconciliation before an inevitable HEA. But, I loved Book #1 (“Eyes Like Those”), and Melissa Sternenberg provides absolutely delightful voices for Brayden’s characters….so I finally picked up the audiobook.
Wow am I glad I did! Autumn’s decision to have a baby turns out to be a good choice for her; I never felt it was selfish or badly considered, which is what I’d feared. MC Kate, in town to put some distance between her home town because she feels guilt over not doing more to save a life during a fire, is delightful.
The chemistry between the two MCs is wonderful, and with Autumn planning a family, and Kate considering a family of her own…their separation feels much less artificial than most of Brayden’s books. When Kate is made to confront her “run from problems” tendencies….it felt much more real than I expected. The reconciliation and HEA was, perhaps, a bit lesfic-perfect, but I enjoyed the ending very much.
So…despite some very articulate, thoughtful and…to my mind, accurate, comments from reviewers who have rated this book very weakly, I am rating “Hearts Like Hers” as 4.5* and rounding up to 5*, much on the strength of the terrific narration!; sometimes I just like what makes me happy, even if it’s not breaking new ground in lesfic literature!
I was apprehensive to start this audiobook, because reviews were really all over the board, from two stars to five stars, which was once unusual for a Melissa Brayden book, but is becoming increasingly common as she continues to rely upon a commercially successful template…which results in feelings of “oh….that again”. Actually, the range is more of zero stars to five stars, because I know of at least one goodreads friend who purposely skipped the book, having disliked book one so much. Book #3, btw, received one star from that goodreads friend…in a hilariously scathing review, which you might want to read before even picking up this book!!
I was especially uncertain whether I was going to like the storyline about Autumn deciding to have a child because she hasn’t found love. Having a child can be wonderful, I’m sure, but can clearly bring lots of expected and unexpected stresses into life, and having a child to shake up your disappointing life sounds….well, not so well thought out. Actually, IRL, I once worked with a married woman who purposely became pregnant, and then confided to me she had no interest whatsoever in being a mother, but felt it was “time” because of her biological clock, and she expressed the belief that being a mother would advance her career for some reason I cannot even remember. I’ve often wondered how that poor, illconceived and unwanted child is turning out.
Further, Brayden often throws in a breakup to a budding romance that feels completely unnecessary for the storyline, just to have an artificial angst-moment and an eyebrow raising reconciliation before an inevitable HEA. But, I loved Book #1 (“Eyes Like Those”), and Melissa Sternenberg provides absolutely delightful voices for Brayden’s characters….so I finally picked up the audiobook.
Wow am I glad I did! Autumn’s decision to have a baby turns out to be a good choice for her; I never felt it was selfish or badly considered, which is what I’d feared. MC Kate, in town to put some distance between her home town because she feels guilt over not doing more to save a life during a fire, is delightful.
The chemistry between the two MCs is wonderful, and with Autumn planning a family, and Kate considering a family of her own…their separation feels much less artificial than most of Brayden’s books. When Kate is made to confront her “run from problems” tendencies….it felt much more real than I expected. The reconciliation and HEA was, perhaps, a bit lesfic-perfect, but I enjoyed the ending very much.
So…despite some very articulate, thoughtful and…to my mind, accurate, comments from reviewers who have rated this book very weakly, I am rating “Hearts Like Hers” as 4.5* and rounding up to 5*, much on the strength of the terrific narration!; sometimes I just like what makes me happy, even if it’s not breaking new ground in lesfic literature!
March 6, 2019
As some have already mentioned in their review, this really isn't one of Brayden's best works and I wholeheartedly agree. In fact of the 11 books by her that I've read this is only the second book that I will be giving a 3* rating.
Although I liked the book well enough and really liked the dynamic between the group of friends, I found myself wanting it to be over. The story felt very rushed throughout several key moments during the relationship between Kate and Autumn. That is, if you can even call it a relationship.
This book only has 75K words while even book 3 in this series has 9K more. It really could have done with a couple more chapters because the story felt incomplete and even the epilogue had me rolling my eyes at how fast she wrapped up their story.
As for the characters, Lex wrote a great review where she mentioned becoming angry at Kate and then summed up the problem perfectly in the spoiler tags she added. I really wouldn't mind if Kate had taken a long walk off of a short pier. Though I would have felt bad for Autumn because despite wishing she was tougher on her mother, I still liked her a lot.
Here's hoping book 3 and 4 will save this series.
Although I liked the book well enough and really liked the dynamic between the group of friends, I found myself wanting it to be over. The story felt very rushed throughout several key moments during the relationship between Kate and Autumn. That is, if you can even call it a relationship.
This book only has 75K words while even book 3 in this series has 9K more. It really could have done with a couple more chapters because the story felt incomplete and even the epilogue had me rolling my eyes at how fast she wrapped up their story.
As for the characters, Lex wrote a great review where she mentioned becoming angry at Kate and then summed up the problem perfectly in the spoiler tags she added. I really wouldn't mind if Kate had taken a long walk off of a short pier. Though I would have felt bad for Autumn because despite wishing she was tougher on her mother, I still liked her a lot.
Here's hoping book 3 and 4 will save this series.
January 11, 2018
Another charming story by Melissa Brayden. She has these books down to a science and while I think she changed her formula a little bit for this one, it was a very enjoyable read. It was very nice to get lost for a couple of days with her lovable characters. I can’t wait for the next one.
February 23, 2018
I think I liked this second book in the Seven Shores series more than the first thanks to the way Brayden fleshes out her two romantic leads.
I liked Autumn Primm and her “time to take control of my life” attitude. She came across as the most grounded of the four Seven Shores friends, making life changing decisions, dealing with her annoying leech of a mother and handling the entertaining misfits she employed at The Cat’s Pajamas. ( I struggle to write that word without a y) She knows her attraction to Kate and the pursuit of anything more comes with a time limit. She knows this yet she struggles to resist the attractive firefighter. I love that kind of conflicting emotional response in a strong woman.
Kate Carpenter, from a town you know must be dull when they name it Slumberton, needs to get away from what she considers unwarranted hero worship following a tragic fire in her hometown. She takes a short leave from her job as a firefighter and heads to Venice to put some space between herself and the well meaning locals of Slumberton. Her chance encounter with Autumn sets up the obvious chemistry between our two leading ladies. Kate’s baggage does come into play as the story unfolds but that is one spoiler I will leave for the readers to uncover.
As we have come to expect, Brayden balances the more serious moments in her novels with humour and her usual flair for dialogue. Isabel gets a small amount of page time but Hadley steals the secondary character scenes with her joie de vivre. The friendships between the women of Seven Shores and The Cat’s Pajamas are the cement and support which help the reader know that all will be well in the end.
A pleasure to read
ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.
I liked Autumn Primm and her “time to take control of my life” attitude. She came across as the most grounded of the four Seven Shores friends, making life changing decisions, dealing with her annoying leech of a mother and handling the entertaining misfits she employed at The Cat’s Pajamas. ( I struggle to write that word without a y) She knows her attraction to Kate and the pursuit of anything more comes with a time limit. She knows this yet she struggles to resist the attractive firefighter. I love that kind of conflicting emotional response in a strong woman.
Kate Carpenter, from a town you know must be dull when they name it Slumberton, needs to get away from what she considers unwarranted hero worship following a tragic fire in her hometown. She takes a short leave from her job as a firefighter and heads to Venice to put some space between herself and the well meaning locals of Slumberton. Her chance encounter with Autumn sets up the obvious chemistry between our two leading ladies. Kate’s baggage does come into play as the story unfolds but that is one spoiler I will leave for the readers to uncover.
As we have come to expect, Brayden balances the more serious moments in her novels with humour and her usual flair for dialogue. Isabel gets a small amount of page time but Hadley steals the secondary character scenes with her joie de vivre. The friendships between the women of Seven Shores and The Cat’s Pajamas are the cement and support which help the reader know that all will be well in the end.
A pleasure to read
ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.
January 16, 2018
DNF 70% or so.
Pretty a-typical. Great book for 3/4 of it. Then the break up then I didn't give a crap anymore. The author is nothing if not consistent.
No big deal really. I shifted my point of reference off of it being a romance and more towards melodrama or a Telenovela. So I didn't have any buy in whatsoever in the characters or the story line. That makes it a lot easier to take once the proverbial crap hits the fan.
I did wonder if she'd deviate from the previous formula from book 1, but no go. That's ok, I'm done with the series. No sweat, like I said, no buy in, didn't really care.
Pretty a-typical. Great book for 3/4 of it. Then the break up then I didn't give a crap anymore. The author is nothing if not consistent.
No big deal really. I shifted my point of reference off of it being a romance and more towards melodrama or a Telenovela. So I didn't have any buy in whatsoever in the characters or the story line. That makes it a lot easier to take once the proverbial crap hits the fan.
I did wonder if she'd deviate from the previous formula from book 1, but no go. That's ok, I'm done with the series. No sweat, like I said, no buy in, didn't really care.
August 9, 2018
2nd book of the Seven Shore series. Read it right after Eyes like Those - can’t stop and had to simply continue and find out what comes next. And OMG 😮... what a love story! Story had it all... laugh out loud and teary moments (and the angst as well!) Was grinning away and tearing when I read Autumn and Kate’s love story. Like most (if not all love story) it ends with a HEA but it’s the journey with all angst and sappiness which tugs your heart and put a smile on your face.
Note to self - take a breather before moving on to the 3rd instalment.
Note to self - take a breather before moving on to the 3rd instalment.
April 28, 2018
Surprisingly I really liked this one! I’ve read comments from some people which put me off the book for quite a while now! Maybe that’s why I liked it because my expectations were quite low?
I would definitely recommend this book! It’s funny, I liked the dialogue between the characters.. especially the night they went out to get drunk, that one was quite hilarious for me :)
Both characters were very likeable and the chemistry was definitely there.
The only reason I couldn’t give it a 5 is because I felt it was a bit too rushed especially the ending which didn’t make that much sense..
I would definitely recommend this book! It’s funny, I liked the dialogue between the characters.. especially the night they went out to get drunk, that one was quite hilarious for me :)
Both characters were very likeable and the chemistry was definitely there.
The only reason I couldn’t give it a 5 is because I felt it was a bit too rushed especially the ending which didn’t make that much sense..
February 16, 2018
2.5 stars
Hearts Like Hers is the second book in the Seven Shores series. I have not read the first book but seeing as the main characters were different, I did not think it would matter. It is possible that characters from the first book made some appearances; although, I am not a hundred percent sure. When the novel began, it definitely felt like readers were supposed to know who all of the friends were and were henceforth never introduced. This was, of course, my fault entirely and I am not rating this book poorly because of this reason.
The story is very sweet and light-hearted, with funny antics from Autumn's close-knit circle of friends. It is a good read if you are not after anything too serious. The romance is easy to follow and had its good moments.
The story uses the trope of instalove, which isn't such a bad trope in my opinion, but in this case, it made me distracted. One of the girls at one point says, '... Unless we have a thing happening. We do, don't we?' after talking to her love interest for maybe a combined total of ten minutes. There was never a point where I questioned whether they were going to end up with each other because there was no room for intrigue. They got together so quickly that it made me not really care for their relationship.
The main characters in this story seemed to merge together. Their voices sounded so similar that they could have switched personalities and I wouldn't have noticed. I did not realise that I was reading from the perspective of two characters until the second chapter. There wasn't really much that made either of them stand out. One was a firefighter and the other was a cafe owner and that was basically the only way I could tell the difference. I think some more character development could have fixed this.
I thought the dialogue between Autumn and Kate sounded a little stilted and cheesy at times. This is fine if you are looking for a simple, cute romance. There is mystery behind something that happened to Kate, which made her character a little more interesting. Even so, her story from the past did not want to make me keep reading. Autumn was a boring character to me. I liked Kate the most out of both of them.
This book is sweet but ultimately it was too cheesy for me to be able to relax and fully enjoy. Melissa Brayden has written some other great books, so I would check those out before getting to this one.
Hearts Like Hers is the second book in the Seven Shores series. I have not read the first book but seeing as the main characters were different, I did not think it would matter. It is possible that characters from the first book made some appearances; although, I am not a hundred percent sure. When the novel began, it definitely felt like readers were supposed to know who all of the friends were and were henceforth never introduced. This was, of course, my fault entirely and I am not rating this book poorly because of this reason.
The story is very sweet and light-hearted, with funny antics from Autumn's close-knit circle of friends. It is a good read if you are not after anything too serious. The romance is easy to follow and had its good moments.
The story uses the trope of instalove, which isn't such a bad trope in my opinion, but in this case, it made me distracted. One of the girls at one point says, '... Unless we have a thing happening. We do, don't we?' after talking to her love interest for maybe a combined total of ten minutes. There was never a point where I questioned whether they were going to end up with each other because there was no room for intrigue. They got together so quickly that it made me not really care for their relationship.
The main characters in this story seemed to merge together. Their voices sounded so similar that they could have switched personalities and I wouldn't have noticed. I did not realise that I was reading from the perspective of two characters until the second chapter. There wasn't really much that made either of them stand out. One was a firefighter and the other was a cafe owner and that was basically the only way I could tell the difference. I think some more character development could have fixed this.
I thought the dialogue between Autumn and Kate sounded a little stilted and cheesy at times. This is fine if you are looking for a simple, cute romance. There is mystery behind something that happened to Kate, which made her character a little more interesting. Even so, her story from the past did not want to make me keep reading. Autumn was a boring character to me. I liked Kate the most out of both of them.
This book is sweet but ultimately it was too cheesy for me to be able to relax and fully enjoy. Melissa Brayden has written some other great books, so I would check those out before getting to this one.
January 25, 2018
Hearts Like Hers is the second instalment from the Seven Shores Romance series by Melissa Brayden. I’d advise all readers to start with the first book ‘Eyes Like Hers’ for continuity with characters.
Each book centres around one of four best friends that live in the Seven Shores apartment complex in Venice Beach, L.A. This instalment is about Coffee Shop Owner, Autumns story. She’s got the best coffee shop in L.A. and the best three friends anyone could ask for but that’s where life ends. With no major change on the horizon she decides to take her life by the horns and make her dream come true, she just didn’t expect the gorgeous and soulful Kate Carpenter to walk into her life, just as she’s finally made some serious decisions about her life’s trajectory. Kate needs to get away after her firefighting career lands too close to home and she is caught up with her town worshiping her like a hero when she feels anything but. She escapes to Seven Shores apartment complex in Venice beach. She's here to do some soul searching but when she meets the illustrious and stunning Autumn Primm, all bets are off because she can’t seem to help herself wanting to get to know her more. But when she’s only here a short time, is it fate to pursue Autumn when she will be gone soon?
Autumn Primm and Kate Carpenter are my favourite Brayden couple to date. This book had me laughing, crying and swooning like never before. What a connection these two had, and their attraction was undeniable and sizzling whenever they were in the same room... In fact I think some of the sex scenes are the sexiest by Brayden to date. Hot!
The plot of this book is great but there is a sub plot for each character that just adds to the depth of the whole story and both had me just as gripped as the main romance storyline.
I’m super excited for the next book just to catch up with Autumn and Kate again and see where life has taken them now... wherever it is it will be bundles of fun.
Possible my favourite Brayden book to date. 5 stars
Each book centres around one of four best friends that live in the Seven Shores apartment complex in Venice Beach, L.A. This instalment is about Coffee Shop Owner, Autumns story. She’s got the best coffee shop in L.A. and the best three friends anyone could ask for but that’s where life ends. With no major change on the horizon she decides to take her life by the horns and make her dream come true, she just didn’t expect the gorgeous and soulful Kate Carpenter to walk into her life, just as she’s finally made some serious decisions about her life’s trajectory. Kate needs to get away after her firefighting career lands too close to home and she is caught up with her town worshiping her like a hero when she feels anything but. She escapes to Seven Shores apartment complex in Venice beach. She's here to do some soul searching but when she meets the illustrious and stunning Autumn Primm, all bets are off because she can’t seem to help herself wanting to get to know her more. But when she’s only here a short time, is it fate to pursue Autumn when she will be gone soon?
Autumn Primm and Kate Carpenter are my favourite Brayden couple to date. This book had me laughing, crying and swooning like never before. What a connection these two had, and their attraction was undeniable and sizzling whenever they were in the same room... In fact I think some of the sex scenes are the sexiest by Brayden to date. Hot!
The plot of this book is great but there is a sub plot for each character that just adds to the depth of the whole story and both had me just as gripped as the main romance storyline.
I’m super excited for the next book just to catch up with Autumn and Kate again and see where life has taken them now... wherever it is it will be bundles of fun.
Possible my favourite Brayden book to date. 5 stars
May 30, 2018
This is the second book of the 'Seven shores' series which follows the lives of four friends living in a condo in LA. The first book, 'Eyes like those' focused on Isabel and presented the rest of the characters. This book succeeds in shaping their personalities better. There's no denial that Ms. Brayden is one of the top lesfic authors. Her 'Soho loft' series was highly acclaimed for its entertaining, witty and romantic portrayal of love and friendship and one of my favourites. In my opinion, the 'Seven shores' series hasn't reached that level yet.
The plot revolves around Autumn Primm, owner of the 'Cat's Pajamas' coffee shop and her relationship with Kate Carpenter, an out of town firefighter who's escaping from a traumatic experience in her past. There's almost instant chemistry but will their budding relationship be as fleeting as Kate's stay in LA?
'Heart like hers' have all the ingredients that readers can expect from Ms. Brayden: witty dialogues, heartfelt relationships, hot chemistry and passionate romance. I would have given it a straight 5 star rating if it wasn't for some plot twists that dampened the romance a bit. Despite that, it's a very enjoyable and entertaining book which I highly recommend.
Overall, another enjoyable book by Melissa Brayden. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
This book is in my list of recommended books of the month:
https://lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com/...
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com
The plot revolves around Autumn Primm, owner of the 'Cat's Pajamas' coffee shop and her relationship with Kate Carpenter, an out of town firefighter who's escaping from a traumatic experience in her past. There's almost instant chemistry but will their budding relationship be as fleeting as Kate's stay in LA?
'Heart like hers' have all the ingredients that readers can expect from Ms. Brayden: witty dialogues, heartfelt relationships, hot chemistry and passionate romance. I would have given it a straight 5 star rating if it wasn't for some plot twists that dampened the romance a bit. Despite that, it's a very enjoyable and entertaining book which I highly recommend.
Overall, another enjoyable book by Melissa Brayden. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
This book is in my list of recommended books of the month:
https://lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com/...
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com
January 14, 2018
Another good book coming from Melissa Brayden.
But I must admit that this is not her best, still I know it will be another hit.
I really feel bad for Autumn on how people treated her. Especially her Ex and her Mother. It’s really annoying!
I think with the 4 of them, Autumn has the purest heart.
I became protective with her. I feel for her. When she got her HEA I felt really happy. Like she really deserved all the good things.
With Kate, I’m having mixed emotions towards her.
Yes, she’s sweet and all but I can feel that she’s doesn’t really know what she wants. If it’s not for her brother or anyone around her she’ll have a hard time figuring things out.
I don’t know if this qualifies as an Insta Love? Or a uhaul?
Hmmmmm. I was kind of surprised but as long as Autumn is happy, I am too.
Overall, Again.. I enjoyed another book from Melissa Brayden. I’m not biased but hello her weakest book will still be a good one. :))
4.25
I’m excited because Gia will be next. Yahooooooooo!!!! Goodness! It’s so hard not to expect. :))
But I must admit that this is not her best, still I know it will be another hit.
I really feel bad for Autumn on how people treated her. Especially her Ex and her Mother. It’s really annoying!
I think with the 4 of them, Autumn has the purest heart.
I became protective with her. I feel for her. When she got her HEA I felt really happy. Like she really deserved all the good things.
With Kate, I’m having mixed emotions towards her.
Yes, she’s sweet and all but I can feel that she’s doesn’t really know what she wants. If it’s not for her brother or anyone around her she’ll have a hard time figuring things out.
I don’t know if this qualifies as an Insta Love? Or a uhaul?
Hmmmmm. I was kind of surprised but as long as Autumn is happy, I am too.
Overall, Again.. I enjoyed another book from Melissa Brayden. I’m not biased but hello her weakest book will still be a good one. :))
4.25
I’m excited because Gia will be next. Yahooooooooo!!!! Goodness! It’s so hard not to expect. :))
January 12, 2018
4.5 stars. I enjoyed this Seven Shores installment much more than the first. For me, this was a true romance. The other characters are there but definitely in the background. It was sweet and slow with just enough heat. Really enjoyed it!!
I received an ARC from the publisher vi NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC from the publisher vi NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2018
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I haven’t read a Melissa Brayden book I didn’t like, and there’s a lot to like here. I enjoyed both Kate and Autumn as characters, and found their chemistry and relationship (which builds despite all reasons, and good ones at that, for it not to) to be both believable and fun.
I did have a bit of trouble with the obligatory breakup, or the semi resolution of it anyway, because, like Autumn, I did think that maybe Kate was just latching on for want of soething else, although the ending did somewhat redeem her. I also liked that Kate was more a part of the group and the overall ‘Shores scene’ than Taylor got to be, (even in this book Taylor still seems on the outskirts, and I could not fathom why Izzy and Taylor, who’ve been together for awhile here were still not living together, it was a bit weird).
There’s something about this series, I’m not sure what it is, but it feels like the friendship stuff is trying too hard. All the witty banter grows tiresome after awhile, there were a few scenes where the friendship stuff struck home (Had and Autumn at the wedding, Gina and Autumn at the clinic/breakfast) but for the most part it’s a bit cutesy for me.
Still, as always Melissa delivers a sweet romance that has you rooting for the HEA, and this is a fairly charming romance. 4 stars.
I haven’t read a Melissa Brayden book I didn’t like, and there’s a lot to like here. I enjoyed both Kate and Autumn as characters, and found their chemistry and relationship (which builds despite all reasons, and good ones at that, for it not to) to be both believable and fun.
I did have a bit of trouble with the obligatory breakup, or the semi resolution of it anyway, because, like Autumn, I did think that maybe Kate was just latching on for want of soething else, although the ending did somewhat redeem her. I also liked that Kate was more a part of the group and the overall ‘Shores scene’ than Taylor got to be, (even in this book Taylor still seems on the outskirts, and I could not fathom why Izzy and Taylor, who’ve been together for awhile here were still not living together, it was a bit weird).
There’s something about this series, I’m not sure what it is, but it feels like the friendship stuff is trying too hard. All the witty banter grows tiresome after awhile, there were a few scenes where the friendship stuff struck home (Had and Autumn at the wedding, Gina and Autumn at the clinic/breakfast) but for the most part it’s a bit cutesy for me.
Still, as always Melissa delivers a sweet romance that has you rooting for the HEA, and this is a fairly charming romance. 4 stars.
January 13, 2018
Autumn Primm, owner of The Cat’s Pyjamas coffee shop in Venice Beach, is flying solo, yet again. Her focus has been on working hard and building up her business, so she’s had little time for her personal life. Now thinking about her future, she wonders if that spark of connection with another woman will pass her by. Finding a stunning woman sitting on the back of a pickup truck outside her shop one day is a bonus; being completely captivated by her is a whole other thing for Autumn.
Kate Carpenter is a firefighter in a small town. Having saved two local children from a blaze that had got away, she is being hailed as a hero. It’s all too much; she doesn’t feel like a hero. Escaping to Venice Beach for a long holiday, she moves next door to a fabulous coffee shop, the Cat’s Pajamas. Finding the feisty Autumn is the icing on her holiday cake.
Neither Autumn nor Kate are looking for something permanent, but they keep coming back to each other. Will they find a way to overcome their need to keep it light, and how will they deal with the distance?
Hearts Like Hers is the second book in the Seven Shores series. The first was Eyes Like Those.
Brayden is a master at the lesbian romance. She often creates a group of women and one by one, book by book, we get to see each of them find their match. It can be a lovely way of having a regular group of secondary characters that help to push the plot along. Often, the different characters offer Brayden a chance to lighten up the romance, and add some joy to the heat she often generates between the two main characters.
Brayden sets the stories in a block of apartments next door to the café, which offers her lots of opportunities of engaging the various characters. Each member of the group can then bring out different aspects of the main characters. It’s a great plot device. Of course, having an AirBNB-style sublet operating in the building is a great way of introducing new characters too.
The first book, Eyes Like Those, focused on the witty and erudite Isabel, a scriptwriter. It was a sharp and witty book, and a joy to read. Hearts like Hers is less fun. Autumn is a workaholic, and it is harder to engage with her. She is described as a firecracker, but I have to say, she doesn’t strike me as this in the book. Red hair does not automatically a firecracker make.
Kate is also not drawn as well as she could be. She is a firefighter, but I don’t feel that Brayden really understood her in any real way, and it was harder to get a sense of her in the story. Yes, she’s the hero archetype who doesn’t realise it, but there wasn’t much more to her than that. The connection between the two also wasn’t as potent as some of the other pairings by Brayden, and they lacked the heat found in some of her previous books.
So the story felt a little flat to me. It must be really hard writing under the name of Melissa Brayden though. She has written so many excellent romances that keeping up the magic must be very tough. I suspect that part of the problem is the Autumn character really didn’t inspire.
I think the next two books in the series will be better; Hadley the quirky fashion consultant already offers a more complex person, and the athlete Gia is closer to the characters Brayden wrote so well in First Position, which was so good. I think this is a well-written romance, just not a great one.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
Kate Carpenter is a firefighter in a small town. Having saved two local children from a blaze that had got away, she is being hailed as a hero. It’s all too much; she doesn’t feel like a hero. Escaping to Venice Beach for a long holiday, she moves next door to a fabulous coffee shop, the Cat’s Pajamas. Finding the feisty Autumn is the icing on her holiday cake.
Neither Autumn nor Kate are looking for something permanent, but they keep coming back to each other. Will they find a way to overcome their need to keep it light, and how will they deal with the distance?
Hearts Like Hers is the second book in the Seven Shores series. The first was Eyes Like Those.
Brayden is a master at the lesbian romance. She often creates a group of women and one by one, book by book, we get to see each of them find their match. It can be a lovely way of having a regular group of secondary characters that help to push the plot along. Often, the different characters offer Brayden a chance to lighten up the romance, and add some joy to the heat she often generates between the two main characters.
Brayden sets the stories in a block of apartments next door to the café, which offers her lots of opportunities of engaging the various characters. Each member of the group can then bring out different aspects of the main characters. It’s a great plot device. Of course, having an AirBNB-style sublet operating in the building is a great way of introducing new characters too.
The first book, Eyes Like Those, focused on the witty and erudite Isabel, a scriptwriter. It was a sharp and witty book, and a joy to read. Hearts like Hers is less fun. Autumn is a workaholic, and it is harder to engage with her. She is described as a firecracker, but I have to say, she doesn’t strike me as this in the book. Red hair does not automatically a firecracker make.
Kate is also not drawn as well as she could be. She is a firefighter, but I don’t feel that Brayden really understood her in any real way, and it was harder to get a sense of her in the story. Yes, she’s the hero archetype who doesn’t realise it, but there wasn’t much more to her than that. The connection between the two also wasn’t as potent as some of the other pairings by Brayden, and they lacked the heat found in some of her previous books.
So the story felt a little flat to me. It must be really hard writing under the name of Melissa Brayden though. She has written so many excellent romances that keeping up the magic must be very tough. I suspect that part of the problem is the Autumn character really didn’t inspire.
I think the next two books in the series will be better; Hadley the quirky fashion consultant already offers a more complex person, and the athlete Gia is closer to the characters Brayden wrote so well in First Position, which was so good. I think this is a well-written romance, just not a great one.
Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
February 10, 2018
ARC received via Netgalley for a fair review.
2.5 stars. I used to like Brayden a lot. Not sure what happened. Is it me? Or is it her formula that never really changes? This time around I didn't connect with any of the main characters and I had already forgotten who were the side characters besides the leading pair from last book. I've 0 memory about who Hadley is, I just know she likes Ms. Pac-man a lot, the same can be applied to all other characters besides the surfer chick who managed to stay in my memory so I didn't care for any of them and their hijinks as a result. Note that I didn't have such a problem with Brayden's Soho Loft series which I enjoyed quite a lot.
To me it felt like they hanged around each other a couple of times (even though technically months pass in the book) and suddenly there's love out of thin air. Sure, they didn't lack sexual chemistry, they're both apparently very attractive women so of course there is chemistry but that's not enough for me. I feel too much of the book was spent in their own heads and on loosely related extrinsic factors so their relationship didn't build properly. They wen't on like three dates, then they
Not sure if I want to pick up the next book in the series.
2.5 stars. I used to like Brayden a lot. Not sure what happened. Is it me? Or is it her formula that never really changes? This time around I didn't connect with any of the main characters and I had already forgotten who were the side characters besides the leading pair from last book. I've 0 memory about who Hadley is, I just know she likes Ms. Pac-man a lot, the same can be applied to all other characters besides the surfer chick who managed to stay in my memory so I didn't care for any of them and their hijinks as a result. Note that I didn't have such a problem with Brayden's Soho Loft series which I enjoyed quite a lot.
To me it felt like they hanged around each other a couple of times (even though technically months pass in the book) and suddenly there's love out of thin air. Sure, they didn't lack sexual chemistry, they're both apparently very attractive women so of course there is chemistry but that's not enough for me. I feel too much of the book was spent in their own heads and on loosely related extrinsic factors so their relationship didn't build properly. They wen't on like three dates, then they
Not sure if I want to pick up the next book in the series.
January 4, 2018
I think she just knows how, that’s what it is! Melissa Brayden has THE recipe for writing beautiful romance, full of very appealing banter, wonderful wit. I am so in love with her characters! They are so intelligent, so beautifully humoresque and so... complete! They are real, their struggles and thoughts are realistic and very real-life existing and that’s what makes them even more attractive! Autumn and Kate are no exception! I’m going to say that I like this book even more than Seven shores romance - Book 1, and I can only hope the next ones will live up to my expectations because surely Melissa Brayden sets the bar so high and is kind of in a league of her own.
February 17, 2018
I do love Melissa Brayden but this book was not on par with her other books. Nevertheless I enjoyed the story as it was well written and the storyline was good.
July 12, 2018
This is second in a series and the friend group is established in the first so I highly recommend reading these in order.
I had a really hard time with this story and mostly due to a single issue. I like Autumn. She's driven and capable and she works hard to carve out a niche that she loves (her coffee shop on the beach). Further, Brayden makes those aspects feel real and not like just gloss on the character. She spends time and has management issues and works hard to make that place go. So when the central driving goal for this story became having a baby I had a really hard time getting on board. There are two issues with that and they aren't small.
The first is the social aspect of treating a baby like some kind of prize you win for being a good person. Autumn just knows that her life won't be complete until she makes a family. Which is fine for her, but what about that baby? It irks me every time I get a romantic heroine who decides that her selfish desire for motherhood trumps the welfare of a new human by denying that child an in-tact home (with two parents and the additional resources that fundamental structure provides). However you want to frame the issue, we've had over forty years of studies, now, that show time and again that children of single mothers are disadvantaged on nearly every level we can think of to measure. It's one thing when a woman finds herself with a child and no spouse through whatever curve ball life threw at her. I have every sympathy with the struggle she is going to have and would help if I can. But someone choosing that deliberately (and paying the fortune it costs to make it happen on her own)?!? Yeah, I don't have any sympathy for that position.
But Autumn's is actually worse than just that. Having a baby is hard work (as I can attest from intimate experience). That last trimester is beyond hard on an expectant mother and the first two years are a long, hard slog. And Autumn is blithely dithering along with zero planning or preparation for those realities. She is the owner and primary manager for her business. She has an assistant, but I got zero indication that she is preparing him to take over all of her duties for what may be a very long time. And what if something happens to Steve (her assistant manager)? That's a very possible situation that would kill her little shop dead, even right now before she gets pregnant or has a baby. I mean, kudos to Brayden for illustrating Autumn's life and work so fully and without bogging down the narrative. But I think that backfired when it became easy to tell how important Steve is to her work/life balance and how precarious and vulnerable having a baby would be for Autumn.
Don't get me wrong, I liked Autumn when I could ignore how selfish she is about wanting a baby. And Kate was awesome, too. I liked how easygoing Kate was and I liked her central vulnerability. And I particularly liked that in the later part of the story . Kate was complex and interesting and I liked how well she fits with Autumn. I wish the plot had moved differently with the kids she rescued, but that's just me wanting to write the book to my own satisfaction and doesn't detract at all from my satisfaction with Kate and her relationship with Autumn.
So this ended up being much more annoying than I'm used to with Brayden's novels. I'm usually drawn right in and engaged all the way through. So it's a disappointment this one pushed me out so thoroughly. Be aware that the entire reason for the low rating is the baby issue and if that isn't going to weigh the same for your own tastes then it's probably an outstanding read.
A note about Steamy: There are two fully explicit sex scenes and another that pulls the curtain pretty fast and assorted hints and mentions that are really brief. So this is the middle of my steam tolerance really.
I had a really hard time with this story and mostly due to a single issue. I like Autumn. She's driven and capable and she works hard to carve out a niche that she loves (her coffee shop on the beach). Further, Brayden makes those aspects feel real and not like just gloss on the character. She spends time and has management issues and works hard to make that place go. So when the central driving goal for this story became having a baby I had a really hard time getting on board. There are two issues with that and they aren't small.
The first is the social aspect of treating a baby like some kind of prize you win for being a good person. Autumn just knows that her life won't be complete until she makes a family. Which is fine for her, but what about that baby? It irks me every time I get a romantic heroine who decides that her selfish desire for motherhood trumps the welfare of a new human by denying that child an in-tact home (with two parents and the additional resources that fundamental structure provides). However you want to frame the issue, we've had over forty years of studies, now, that show time and again that children of single mothers are disadvantaged on nearly every level we can think of to measure. It's one thing when a woman finds herself with a child and no spouse through whatever curve ball life threw at her. I have every sympathy with the struggle she is going to have and would help if I can. But someone choosing that deliberately (and paying the fortune it costs to make it happen on her own)?!? Yeah, I don't have any sympathy for that position.
But Autumn's is actually worse than just that. Having a baby is hard work (as I can attest from intimate experience). That last trimester is beyond hard on an expectant mother and the first two years are a long, hard slog. And Autumn is blithely dithering along with zero planning or preparation for those realities. She is the owner and primary manager for her business. She has an assistant, but I got zero indication that she is preparing him to take over all of her duties for what may be a very long time. And what if something happens to Steve (her assistant manager)? That's a very possible situation that would kill her little shop dead, even right now before she gets pregnant or has a baby. I mean, kudos to Brayden for illustrating Autumn's life and work so fully and without bogging down the narrative. But I think that backfired when it became easy to tell how important Steve is to her work/life balance and how precarious and vulnerable having a baby would be for Autumn.
Don't get me wrong, I liked Autumn when I could ignore how selfish she is about wanting a baby. And Kate was awesome, too. I liked how easygoing Kate was and I liked her central vulnerability. And I particularly liked that in the later part of the story . Kate was complex and interesting and I liked how well she fits with Autumn. I wish the plot had moved differently with the kids she rescued, but that's just me wanting to write the book to my own satisfaction and doesn't detract at all from my satisfaction with Kate and her relationship with Autumn.
So this ended up being much more annoying than I'm used to with Brayden's novels. I'm usually drawn right in and engaged all the way through. So it's a disappointment this one pushed me out so thoroughly. Be aware that the entire reason for the low rating is the baby issue and if that isn't going to weigh the same for your own tastes then it's probably an outstanding read.
A note about Steamy: There are two fully explicit sex scenes and another that pulls the curtain pretty fast and assorted hints and mentions that are really brief. So this is the middle of my steam tolerance really.
March 7, 2018
I usually find myself seeking out Brayden when I am desperate for something good to read. So I'm not sure if I built her up in my mind before I started this book but I honestly found myself disappointed. It's the second book of the Seven Shores series but I actually preferred the first one. Don't get me wrong. It's a good read, just not the best in my opinion. And before you ask... Yes I would recommend it.
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
July 3, 2019
It took me a while to get into it, probably because I've been so busy with work, but once I took the time to sit down and read, I really enjoyed it. Autumn is probably my favourite out of the four friends, and I really like how it turned out for her. Great dialogues, I love how they are all so supportive of one another and I have a little crush on Kate. Vicky though...she can burn in hell.
August 27, 2019
Nice reading, but I can't really grow fond of this series like my other "braydens".
I ended up feeling that they rushed . They only met a few week before. They didn't have time to really know each other.
I ended up feeling that they rushed . They only met a few week before. They didn't have time to really know each other.
November 5, 2020
4.25 stars. Maybe 4.5? I’ve finally read all of Melissa Brayden’s published novels, but why hadn’t I read this one earlier? It was such a delight. This one has a quieter, more domestic vibe than most of Brayden’s other works, which was nice to see. The plot moves smoothly and didn’t really feel all that formulaic! Plus, the Seven Shores quartet really prove themselves to be Friend Goals.
I listened to the audiobook version, and while the narrator did a good job, I didn’t really like the voice she did for Kate. Judging from how Kate is written, I expected her voice to be...deeper? Plus, Kate’s voice is inconsistent throughout. Idk, maybe that’s all just personal preference and the narrator voiced Kate exactly as Brayden intended.
(Also...I can’t tell if that’s Autumn or Kate on the cover. I’m thinking it’s Autumn because of the reddish hair and the fact that Brayden usually features the main group members on the covers. If it is Autumn, then that’s definitely not reflective of Autumn’s body type. The model definitely doesn’t seem like Kate to me either. Tl;dr - I don’t think the cover reflects either lead.)
I listened to the audiobook version, and while the narrator did a good job, I didn’t really like the voice she did for Kate. Judging from how Kate is written, I expected her voice to be...deeper? Plus, Kate’s voice is inconsistent throughout. Idk, maybe that’s all just personal preference and the narrator voiced Kate exactly as Brayden intended.
(Also...I can’t tell if that’s Autumn or Kate on the cover. I’m thinking it’s Autumn because of the reddish hair and the fact that Brayden usually features the main group members on the covers. If it is Autumn, then that’s definitely not reflective of Autumn’s body type. The model definitely doesn’t seem like Kate to me either. Tl;dr - I don’t think the cover reflects either lead.)
January 22, 2018
This book took me a bit longer to get lost in.... kate and autumn just didn’t fit and their relationship seems a little forced to me. There wasn’t enough chemistry between them. I enjoyed the parts about their friend circle and Autumn’s intentions of becoming a parent and her journey with it, but Kate seemed too pushy for me. She just didn’t fit in with the other characters. I enjoyed this book but I liked the first one a lot more. I hope the next one is more along the line of the first one. It was also a bit disappointing that Taylor wasn’t in this one a lot just a handful of times.
January 13, 2018
This is definitely one of the sweetest romances I have ever read. The two characters were the nicest people ever which made you just want the best for them both. Their interactions were just so sweet and honest. I loved that even as we had moments of angst both characters continue to act with respect for one another and like normal realistic adults.
Its funny because when I read the blurb I wasn't excited about the romance but as a rule I always read Brayden's books and I did enjoy the first book in the series. The idea just didn't grab me however I loved every minute of this read and found myself completely engrossed into the story. It is my fav of this series and am looking forward to the next book.
I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.
Its funny because when I read the blurb I wasn't excited about the romance but as a rule I always read Brayden's books and I did enjoy the first book in the series. The idea just didn't grab me however I loved every minute of this read and found myself completely engrossed into the story. It is my fav of this series and am looking forward to the next book.
I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.
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