Not every love story begins with a fiery explosion of lust. Some are tiny embers of hope that smoulder slowly until the stars align…
I’d been living in a bubble. It was meant to protect me from the things in life that hurt. I could live, I could laugh, but at least I didn’t have to love. Loving was dangerous and I would never do it again.
It was working just fine, until the bubble burst. It let in danger. It let in light. It let in…him.
Unknowingly I’d been living in the dark, feeling my way. He filled my world with starlight. He showed me how to move on to the next level. He made me feel again.
I thought the wounds from the past would never fully heal, But perhaps they only heal when the time is right.
Sometimes you just have to thank your lucky scars.
Not every love story begins with a fiery explosion of lust. Some are tiny embers of hope that smoulder slowly until the stars align…
This year I vowed that I would try new authors, this book here is a new to me author, gorgeous cover, glowing reviews, and a synopsis that made me one click!!
This was a really enjoyable, unique read, I loved the start then it sort of lulled for a bit then picked up again just over the half way mark, I enjoyed the concept of both characters living with scars, past baggage that didn't allow them to more on. Until now.
I was so excited to read this new release from Kerry Heavens, she writes such beautiful stories and Lucky Scars was just perfect.
Bea is a self made success story, she lives and breathes her job. She has a huge passion for the work she does but if you dig a little deeper there are other reasons why she is so focused on nothing but work.
In one crazy morning she crosses paths with two very different men. I need to point out that Bea steers clear of men in general but for some reason both of these guys, on different occasions left an impression on her. Jonathan gave her sensory overload with his whole ‘sex fog’ thing he had going on and Ziggy was just a really cool, down to earth guy.
She develops a connection of sorts with both of these men which is good in the sense that it takes her out of her comfort zone but not so good because it also makes her feel things she had pushed aside for years. Things like attraction and enjoying being hugged by a man – she had forgotten how good a hug felt.
You only fall in love once right and when that is gone, that’s it. You just stay single, suck it up and remember what you had, grateful for the experience, blah, blah, blah. Is that really true though? I’m a firm believer that if you have fallen in love before, you are capable of doing it again when the time is right and you meet the right person anything is possible.
Therefore when Bea begins to feel more than attraction with one of these men she has no idea what to do with it and the fear of being honest seems to outweigh this attraction. This beautiful young woman who deserves to be loved and adored is denying herself the possibility of a future filled with happiness with an incredible man.
And OMG, I absolutely LOVED how this story unfolded, I was hooked from the beginning. I loved the slow burn and all the sweet, swoon filled moments. I also felt the heart breaking moments as these two bared their scars to each other. Kerry has blown me away with yet another fabulous read that I could not put down.
‘Maybe our scars kept us from moving on, so that we could find each other. Perhaps we should be grateful for them. Maybe they are our lucky scars.’
So beautiful❣️❣️ Ziggy and Bea were amazing characters, yet each one carrying very tortured baggage. Although the theme was familiar, friends to lovers, this story had an originality that excited me. I didn’t like the presence of Jonathan within the plot. He only took away pages from Bea and Ziggy’s romantic development. Bea’s pov, totally slow burn, very good pace, heartwarming and sweet.
The measure of success of a book for me is if I immediately get on the hunt for things that remind me of the book. I’m currently desperate for the following:
A silver necklace with a star on it that reaches my midriff, The ability to make origami stars, A caramel Frappuccino, To totally complete Spyro The Dragon, getting every level 100% complete.
Another measure of success is when I get a song obsession because a song reminds me of the book and I listen to it or sing it in my head over and over again. I have 4! 4 songs that won’t quit going around my head but mostly it’s Swim by Jack’s Mannequin - YouTube it, it’s amazing.
In other words, I loved Lucky Scars. I loved Bea. Beautiful Bea, who after a self imposed ban on relationships, suddenly has Jonathan giving her sex fogs and Ziggy giving her stars. The story is one of friendship, healing and allowing yourself to move forward with life. I wanted to put Ziggy in my pocket and keep him forever.
Can someone send my heart back please? I think it’s somewhere in the stratosphere.
My starlight, starbright moments: “Grief and guilt are kind of a double act. It’s normal to blame yourself in some way. But you can’t let it define you.”
“In the dim early morning light as his thumb stroked softly over my back, something stirred inside me. This feeling wasn’t sexual, or practical; it was much worse. It was a spark in the frozen depths of my heart.”
“All you see are scars. You need someone to make you see stars.”
“You know you’ve found the one when dealing with the complication becomes more appealing than making it go away.” (I love Danny Morgan, always and forever)
Time to boot up the PlayStation and play me some Spyro, or Rayman, perhaps a bit of Crash.
Absolutely love this book. August is now dedicated to a Kerry Heavens re-read. Always sparkle beautiful.
'In the dim early morning light as his thumb stroked softly over my back, something stirred inside me. This feeling wasn’t sexual, or practical; it was much worse. It was a spark in the frozen depths of my heart.'
Another new to us author we’ve been itching to read, and after reading Lucky Scars we immediately hunted through our TBR pile, pushing Kerry Heavens books to the top of our list! Her books sound as varied as our reading tastes, so we're really looking forward to more from this fabulous author!
As far as emotion goes, Kerry Heavens really delivered some tender and touching moments throughout Ziggy and Bea’s story that hit us right in the heart. Despite its timeline, this is a slow burn love story that moves from friendship to become so much more. Told with warmth and a smidge of humour, the story was heartfelt, painful in the telling of Ziggy and Bea's backstories, and yet, the mood never became morose. Instead, we were inspired by two people weighted down with self-condemnation who began to see through their pain to slowly believe they were worth loving.
‘This was a love that filled my broken soul, and at that same time, threatened to scar me worse than all the other scars I had.’
Beatrice (Bea) Lawson is a thirty-five-year-old successful businesswoman responsible for producing three of the top ten game apps the previous year. Starting her gaming company four years previously from nothing, Bea is a workaholic, throwing all her passion and time into her company, which is currently being courted as a buy out from a big corporation. Bea's closed off emotionally with no time or inclination for a relationship, and this is something she's very firm about!
Bea's happy in her bubble, until…on the day she's due to me the corporation execs, she bumps into not one, but two men who tilt her axis. Jonathan who stirs something sexual in her - this guy is, in Bea's words…'He’s like a walking embodiment of what you get when you go on Pinterest and type in ‘suit porn.’ and Ziggy Jones (we loved the homage to David Bowie here!) who stirs feelings in her heart, and speaks to her creative side when it's discovered Ziggy is the elusive and mysterious 'Starman' the most coveted artist in her industry. Bea wants Ziggy as her full-time creative director for a year, it's a coup that could see her small business compete with the biggest.
‘He was everything. Everything. And he would never let anyone appreciate him for the generous, caring wonderful man that he was.’
Ziggy accepts, and they strike up a deep friendship, soon realising they are kindred spirits due to their painful pasts. Bea and Ziggy both have gut-churning, tear-inducing stories to tell and there is no way we’re going give hints to their backstory, nor divulge the reasons for Ziggy and Bea being so closed off because we feel it's paramount, from an emotional perspective, that their stories be heard from them – that the words come directly from their hearts to yours.
“So there, now you know my sad story.”
For us, this story was all Ziggy and Bea, as it was supposed to be. We believed their connection, and every moment spent with them elicited such wonderful feelings, and it is, for this reason, Jonathan's part in the story was a bit of a distraction. Whilst we understood his purpose, our focus was always on Ziggy and Bea and their developing love story, however, this just a small blip in a story we absolutely loved. For those of you wondering, we must point out this is not a love triangle.
The last 30% of Lucky Scars had us swooning, grasping our hearts and cheering on two lost souls who, thanks to the crazy universe, managed to find their missing piece. After putting our emotions through their paces, Kerry Heavens upped the swoon factor by delivering a sweet and beautiful epilogue that was the cherry on top of the book cake. And...the jar of stars…THUD!
'In the dim early morning light as his thumb stroked softly over my back, something stirred inside me. This feeling wasn’t sexual, or practical; it was much worse. It was a spark in the frozen depths of my heart.'
Another new to us author we’ve been itching to read, and after reading Lucky Scars we immediately hunted through our TBR pile, pushing Kerry Heavens books to the top of our list! Her books sound as varied as our reading tastes, so we're really looking forward to more from this fabulous author!
As far as emotion goes, Kerry Heavens really delivered some tender and touching moments throughout Ziggy and Bea’s story that hit us right in the heart. Despite its timeline, this is a slow burn love story that moves from friendship to become so much more. Told with warmth and a smidge of humour, the story was heartfelt, painful in the telling of Ziggy and Bea's backstories, and yet, the mood never became morose. Instead, we were inspired by two people weighted down with self-condemnation who began to see through their pain to slowly believe they were worth loving.
‘This was a love that filled my broken soul, and at that same time, threatened to scar me worse than all the other scars I had.’
Beatrice (Bea) Lawson is a thirty-five-year-old successful businesswoman responsible for producing three of the top ten game apps the previous year. Starting her gaming company four years previously from nothing, Bea is a workaholic, throwing all her passion and time into her company, which is currently being courted as a buy out from a big corporation. Bea's closed off emotionally with no time or inclination for a relationship, and this is something she's very firm about!
Bea's happy in her bubble, until…on the day she's due to me the corporation execs, she bumps into not one, but two men who tilt her axis. Jonathan who stirs something sexual in her - this guy is, in Bea's words…'He’s like a walking embodiment of what you get when you go on Pinterest and type in ‘suit porn.’ and Ziggy Jones (we loved the homage to David Bowie here!) who stirs feelings in her heart, and speaks to her creative side when it's discovered Ziggy is the elusive and mysterious 'Starman' the most coveted artist in her industry. Bea wants Ziggy as her full-time creative director for a year, it's a coup that could see her small business compete with the biggest.
‘He was everything. Everything. And he would never let anyone appreciate him for the generous, caring wonderful man that he was.’
Ziggy accepts, and they strike up a deep friendship, soon realising they are kindred spirits due to their painful pasts. Bea and Ziggy both have gut-churning, tear-inducing stories to tell and there is no way we’re going give hints to their backstory, nor divulge the reasons for Ziggy and Bea being so closed off because we feel it's paramount, from an emotional perspective, that their stories be heard from them – that the words come directly from their hearts to yours.
“So there, now you know my sad story.”
For us, this story was all Ziggy and Bea, as it was supposed to be. We believed their connection, and every moment spent with them elicited such wonderful feelings, and it is, for this reason, Jonathan's part in the story was a bit of a distraction. Whilst we understood his purpose, our focus was always on Ziggy and Bea and their developing love story, however, this just a small blip in a story we absolutely loved. For those of you wondering, we must point out this is not a love triangle.
The last 30% of Lucky Scars had us swooning, grasping our hearts and cheering on two lost souls who, thanks to the crazy universe, managed to find their missing piece. After putting our emotions through their paces, Kerry Heavens upped the swoon factor by delivering a sweet and beautiful epilogue that was the cherry on top of the book cake. And...the jar of stars…THUD!
I adore Kerry Heavens’ writing! So sexy and fresh.
This author captivated me with 'Just Human' series which I HIGHLY recommend if you haven't read them. So I knew I would absolutely love this book. The author has a way with her characters that makes them so real and very relatable.
“Grief and guilt are kind of a double act. It’s normal to blame yourself in some way. But you can’t let it define you.”
Bea and Ziggy are two very unique main characters who have dealt with terrible adversity in their lives. Bea is in charge of a well-known company and is desperate for Ziggy to work for her. Well, work WITH her. They become fast friends as they are really kindred spirits. Bea doesn't have the time or heart for dating even though a very sexy and handsome man is pursuing her.
"When I returned to my desk, I was still holding the jar of stars. I set it down and stared at it, seeing it in a completely new light. I thought I had captured him, but maybe he was setting me free."
This story has a lot of heat and heart, just like the authors' earlier books. The setting is modern and fast-paced and I loved the emotional attachment Bea and Ziggy formed. Even though they both resisted their romantic attraction, it was so beautiful when they finally got together.
I loved the ending!! Ziggy is an amazing hero and melted my heart. If you are looking for a sweet and sexy story that is very romantic and smart, then you will love 'Lucky Scars'.
You all know I love Kerry and way she writes. When I saw that new book is coming, you can imagine how happy I was. First, look at this gorgeous cover, isn't it beautiful? :) And second, the story. I loved it. The slow burn love, the characters, old ones and new (I don't want to spoil, I can just say that I was thrilled when the old ones came :D). I love how Kerry's books are always realistic, no unnecessary drama. That's something that really appreciate! So yea, one more time, it's five stars review from me. :D
This is the first book I have ever read by Kerry. While I have heard of her past books (a few are on my TBR list), I have never had the chance to read any. So I was extremely grateful to be the given the chance to read Lucky Scars and I thoroughly enjoyed this book - way more than I anticipated.
I have to admit that I got from this story is totally different than what I had anticipated and I am very happy with that. The setting was nothing like I read before and the characters were very unique in their own rights.
"I'm just afraid our scars will break us."
Bea and Ziggy are two individuals who have been dealt shit hands in life. While they have moved forward in their lives, they are stills stagnant in life in other ways. Watching these two grow from friends to lovers was amazing. They are both broken souls who needed to heal on their own but also needed a bright light to awake them again. While there were some instances that I felt were a little too juvenile for their ages, it did not hurt the overall telling of their story.
"I thought I had captured him, but maybe he was setting me free."
The story flowed easily and the writing was beautiful. The characters were not too complex and I enjoyed them all. While I may not have felt that real deep emotional attachment the whole way through like I have others, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book, felt the emotions of the characters and loved the ending. I would definitely recommend it to others.
5 beautifully crafted stars, each with their own heartfelt message!
Bea has been on her own for years following the death of her fiance Lewis.
Suddenly, in the course of an hour one January morning, there are two new men in her life.
Which one will be able to repair Bea's broken heart allowing her to move on?
Through Bea's journey to recovery, Jonathan and Ziggy are by her side each providing different challenges, offering her the chance to break away from what has become her status quo.
Whilst a friendship develops with one, the other attempts to date her.
Throughout Bea's story you will have the opportunity to laugh, cry and rock back and forth from emotional breakdown! But don't despair, the emotional trauma is so worth it.
This beautiful and, at times heartbreaking, story is so skillfully written that the reader makes the journey alongside the characters. You're not just reading about others' heartbreak, you experience it with them!
However, heartbreak and sadness is not all you'll experience because Bea gets her HEA and you can thank her Lucky Scars for it!
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. This is the first book I've read by Kerry Heavens. I can't say how much I absolutely loved this book. Bea and Ziggy are wonderful together. This is a great friends to lovers story with a wonderful slow burn. I had such a great time reading it, that I didn't want it to end. It was fabulous.
This is my first read by this author and I liked that this was based in England.
Bea has gone through devastation in her past and has since stayed focused on her business but any relationships of the romantic kind have been purely off her radar. It would be like a betrayal for her. But on the morning she has an important client meeting, she meets two very different men but who both would have an impact on her both in the present and in the future.
I must admit it took me a while to get into this in the beginning as I was hesitant by thinking this would be a love triangle (which is not my thing) but the more I read the more it became apparent the reason for Ziggy and the reason for Jonathan. So new readers please don’t be hesitant – just dive in.
I loved the banter and the ‘stars’ between Bea and Ziggy, and the easy friendship that became apparent could be so much more. However with both fighting emotional pasts it was a hard journey they both would take. As for Jonathan, well he was an enigma, The smooth and sexy stranger but just what was the reason for him being a major part of the storyline? The beauty is the discovery in the read.
The ending was absolutely worth waiting for and I swooned. Yes swooned. It doesn’t happen often but when it does it is bliss. And this was. Ah perfect ending. Four stars.
New author to me & what an amazing book to start with.
I absolutely adored this sweet, slow burn, filled with pain & hurt, yet shining with hope. Lucky Scars was a beautiful surprise for me from cover to cover.
This is the story of Bea & Ziggy, both carry scars from their past, both damaged & a good bit broken. Fate puts them in each other’s path, but I’d love to believe that destiny had the rest of their journey mapped out for them.
Yes this book hurt my heart in so many places, I mean, gahhhh that man is just beautiful inside & out & wowser his secrets made me cry, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t ugly cry just as hard at just how hard he tries to love & be loved. There is such a profound beauty in pain & for me Kerry did an amazing job of making me feel & breathe every emotion possible to my very core.
Such gorgeous character development wrapped in some stunning magical moments, that truly did tug at my heart strings. The angst was perfect, the plot twists & turns added depth & the secondary characters stole a piece of my love along the way too.
This is the first book I've read by Kerry Heavens. I can't say how much I absolutely loved this book. Bea and Ziggy are wonderful together. This is a great friends to lovers story with a wonderful slow burn. I had such a great time reading it, that I didn't want it to end. It was fabulous.
When two broken souls literally run into each other a beautiful friendship blossoms Bea’s outlook on love has been a bit twisted for years she’s stuck in her little bubble but is perfectly happy to stay there until running into Ziggy bursts not only the coffee cup she was holding but that little bubble takes a good whack too!
Ziggy lives and breathes his work but in his eyes that’s way more then he should get to enjoy in the first place. A shy introvert with a kick ass personality but once Beas coffee landed on him he felt a little buzz of the outside world start to excite him but could he let go of his hang ups or would he forever sentence himself to misery!
A wonderful story filled with heartbreak, grief and some amazing characters that under all there armour we’re just scared by there scars. The way Kerry heavens transports us to those little places and makes us feel every detail had me flipping pages quicker than my heart had the strength to cope with I cried and laughed but most of all I loved! Thanks for that perfect balance!
I received an advanced copy of this book with the promise of an honest review.
To put it simply, Bea and Ziggy are meant to be. They both have a past that has led them to the people they are today. Bea doesn't do relationships and Ziggy is totally committed to his work. When their paths cross in what I considered to be an adorable meet cute, their lives change in more ways than one.
I loved that Bea and Ziggy started out as friends and let it grow from there. Neither of them was looking for someone to love and they are both holding on to things from their past. Little do they know that their friendship would be the catalyst for them to heal. Ziggy is EVERYTHING. He does this thing with little paper stars, that gave me all the warm and fuzzies and then at one point during the book made me cry some serious ugly tears. I LOVE ZIGGY SO MUCH.
I have such a soft spot for quiet, soft spoken, nerdy characters. Maybe it's because that is how I would describe myself or maybe it's just because they always turn out to be the sweetest, yet ridiculously sexy characters. Who knows. All I know is that I love them! And I loved this book. Gah! I started reading and couldn't put it down. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It gave me all the feels!
Also, if you are a fan of Kerry's Just Human series, you might just get a little surprise while reading! Go 1-click this book!
Lucky Scars captured my attention from the minute I began reading and by the end it had captured my heart ❤️ I have no words to describe just how much I have fallen in love with this book other than I EFFIN LOVED IT!!!!
This book has all the feels and I can’t recommend it highly enough, get it on your TBR today.
I am flayed open emotionally right now. This was not what I was imagining going in, but I should have known better having read other books from Kerry.
Bea has been living with the guilt of a lifetime and shut herself off from any possibility of any type of personal life due to that tragedy. Then comes the faithful meeting of Jonathan and his flat whites and then the spilling of said flat white onto Ziggy.
Jonathan and I had a love-hate relationship throughout his role in this story. I wanted to smack him and high-five him at times for helping push Bea into the rest of her life.
Ziggy, oh my glorious Ziggy. How I fell in love with my Starman. He was the friend Bea needed when she didn't know she needed one so desperately. His own grief in life was beyond heartbreaking. There are times when you feel for a character and others where you want to reach through the pages/screen and just comfort them - Zig was that for me.
“All you see are scars. You need someone to make you see stars.”
This book makes me want to see the stars in those I love even more. It reminds you that everyone has faults, but so do you, and it is what you do with those faults and how you become stronger that defines you.
Lucky Scars was a touching story about loss, love and healing. It was also a story that kept me on all ten of my toes until the final few chapters. This friends-to-lovers love triangle kind of romance was another novel by Kerry Heavens that I enjoyed.
"This feeling wasn't sexual, or practical; it was much worse. It was a spark in the frozen depths of my heart."
Beatrix was an easy to love heroine who had a back story that made my heart hurt. She had spent a decade of her life grieving and heartbroken, but in this novel I saw her begin to live her life again and open her heart to love. The story that followed was one that kept me turning the pages, wondering how things would play out for Beatrix.
"...as his lips pressed to mine, I thanked my lucky scars."
I loved the premise of this book and how it held my attention throughout. I loved the characters and I also loved the opportunity to catch up with Danny, Olivia, Max and Charlie. Being reunited with these familiar characters from the "Human" series was an added bonus that I adored. "Lucky Scars" turned out to be an emotional read with a brilliant heroine and a gorgeous epilogue. I'm always a sucker for a heart-melting epilogue and this one was just about perfect.
Bea is closed off to even the idea of men or dating. She’s been there and lost her heart and just doesn’t want to put herself in that position again. Until, in one day she bumps into two men who help her to see that she was completely closing herself off from life.
“...this guy, who I’d seen before multiple times, suddenly notices me because I’m dressed all fancy. Before I know what’s happening, he sex fogs me and buys my coffee.” “The bastard!” “I know, right?” “Wait, sex fog?” “You know, looks amazing, smells amazing, overloads your senses with his amazingness to disarm you and moves in for the kill. Kind of like a smoke grenade but with CK One”
Lucky Scars has all the feels you want in an emotional love story plus so much cute and fun banter.
“Please, that’s only three stalker levels under, ‘I’d like to see more of you, but you keep closing your curtains.’”
Lucky Scars was one of those books that was just easy and enjoyable to read. I didn’t want to put it down from page one til the end and finished it all in one day. -4 Stars-
I wish I could give this book more than ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ as it deserves lots more. To say this book is brilliant doesn’t begin to do it justice. This book is perfection, the storyline is so incredibly well written and developed that it draws you in from the very first sentence. This is a love story that will take you on the most incredible rollercoaster of emotions. I laughed, I cried, I shouted. The characters are real and so captivating, they are just perfectly imperfect, just like any of us and I think that’s why this book is so good and real, it could be any of our stories. I been reading work by Kerry since she started publishing and I can honestly say that each book is better than the last. If you only buy one book this summer, make sure it’s this one! I promise you you won’t be disappointed.
This is the book you start on a Friday night after a long week and twelve pages in decide you’re not tired. This is the book that you wander to the kitchen, kindle in hand, to make your tea because you’re not going to bed anytime soon. This is the book that is so descriptive, you want to be in it. You want Bea to be your BFF. It makes you want to hit up London and hang with these people.
Will you love it? Damn right.
A beautifully written, emotional journey that carries you along and the only downside is that it has to end.
This is the book which is unputdownable. HIGHLY, HUGELY recommend 💕
*** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***
It had been a while since I have picked up a Kerry Heavens book. I adore her Human series, and this book took me back to the same feeling I had when while reading that series.
Lucky scars was a sweet emotional, heart-warming story about two souls who had been touch by tragedy and how together they found the strength and courage to believe again and except and move forward from the circumstances of their past.
The characters are achingly memorable as is the storyline about love, loss and healing. If you love your contemporary emotional reads that will leave a smile on your face, then Beatrix and Ziggy’s story is just what you need. Oh and I do love a good epilogue and Kerry didn’t disappoint on this one. Love it!
As I mention, I loved Kerry’s Human series so seeing many of the characters from the series pop up in this book and discovering what they had been up too made my day.
OMG I have just finished the book and I feel so lost! I have a proper book hangover!
I happened across this ARC by chance and thought I'd give it a go. I am SO glad I did.
This was a lovely story, short chapters, the story drew me in straight away and I found a very quick read.
In the 2 1/4 days it too me to read it I was constantly humming David Bowie's Starman so this book was constantly on my mind until I could pick it up again and read a little more.
I now feel the need to google 'Daddy porn' and fully experience a sex-fog. As cheesy as it sounds some of the lines in this book made me pause in my reading just so I could appreciate how beautiful the quote was.
If like myself you have never read a Kerry Heaven book I wholeheartedly recommend Lucky Scars, I had the full range of emotions whilst reading this book, I laughed,smiled, felt outrage, sadness and even welled up a few times.
This is the story of Bea, who due to a personal tragedy shuts herself off from everyone and properly living her life. That was until she meets Jonathon and Ziggy.
This is a great slow burn romance, from friends to lovers and it was just perfect! A romance story so wonderfully written, and has you feeling emotion after emotion and wanting to reach into the pages to connect with the characters for real, as the characters were so well written and their stories were heartbreaking.
This is the first novel I have read of Kerry's and certainly wont be my last. I cant recommend this story enough, it is a total must read!
I shed real tears at several different points of this story and from 85% to 94% I was pretty much a sodden mess. That's never happened but I can't say when was the last time a story seized hold of my heart this way. Try years. This book was just all the things. It breaks your heart, lets it heal a bit and then breaks it again but each time it heals a little more light gets in. Low on lust, high on feels. This isn't a light, sexy read. There are some ouchies in this story but it never feels bogged down or maudlin. The author balanced the tough stuff with humour and I laughed out loud a couple times. And I want a Starman, too. Read this book.
This was an emotional read about some very serious and sad characters. It was a slow start but sucked you in and made you hope these star crossed lovers work out their issues and get their happily ever after.
The book starts with the main character having a crisis in Starbucks, which sets up a series of events that change two lives. This is a story of people who have to overcome some deep emotions from their past in order to move on and enjoy and live their lives. I liked how there were two love interests for Bea and both have pros and cons.
Bea is our main character. She's a strikingly smart woman in charge of her own company. Her love interests are Jonathon and Ziggy. Jonathon is a swanky business man who saw Bea dressed as the same and made some assumptions. Ziggy is a kindred spirit to Bea, sharing a love for her company and it's possibilities. Bea and Ziggy have some complicated backstory that keeps their characters and the plot slow and standoffish in the beginning of the book. But by halfway through, some of the soul crushing details are brought to light, and the reader gets brought into the loop. I didn't love the slow intro, but it worked with the writing style and delivery of details. And Bea's family made me love and adore the village that surrounds her.
“Not every love story begins with a fiery explosion of lust. Some are tiny embers of hope that smoulder.” I liked how there was a bit of mystery for Bea, will Jonathon or Ziggy be the one to bring her into the life and light? When she finally makes her connection, it's with beautiful scenes and friendship to love. Both men bring hope and sparks to Bea's life.
This book really made me think how I'd have to deal with the same situations Bea and Ziggy were forced to endure. I had a hard time keeping interested in the book in the first third, but my perseverance paid off and the author pulled me in for the last half. There were some amazing lines that kept me turning the page, and hoping beyond hope that each character could find their happy.
“All you see are scars. You need someone to make you see stars.” I loved all the details that made this book amazing. It really made you think, it wasn't just a fluffy happily ever after sex 'em up romance. And despite that, there was a happily ever after and a great read.
I am so in love with this story! The friends to lover’s storyline is one of my favorites but this one is so much more. The author’s storytelling seemed so natural and flowed perfectly.
I had an instant connection to the characters. There were times it felt like I was there standing in the corner watching it. I cried as my heart broke for Bea and Ziggy and I cried again at the tenderness and love between them. I love how the author ties details together, bring this story full circle, the little pieces that came together bit-by-bit keeping me emotionally invested in these characters and their love story.
Bea and Ziggy both have tragic stories to tell, my heart ached reading them. They’re both hesitant and fearful, even for another relationship. The accidental meeting and the friendship that comes after is so fun and light but at the same time there’s a heaviness to it as they both try to move forward and let go of the past; as well as deal with the awakening of emotions and feelings they haven’t felt in a very long time. I love the stars and loved them even more after her discovery……the t-shirt……the end…..huge elephant tears…..my heart…..it broke and filled too many times to count.
I really enjoyed this author, I’m definitely going to look into more of her books. She did an amazing job setting up the story, capturing my attention from the beginning, and embedding these characters in my heart. I won’t soon forget Bea and Ziggy but, also Lewis and Steph. I love how they chose to honor them. Well done Kerry Heavens!
This book started out as something I would totally fall in love with. It was a series of unfortunate, yet genuine events while Bea finds herself in the midst of two new men in her life. She has sworn off relationships, but finds herself smack dab in the middle of choosing from two different men. I loved Ziggy, and the extremely slow burn his relationship brought to the table between him and Bea. Every time I thought they would hit a tipping point I was wrong. Ziggy and Bea find themselves on an emotional roller-coaster ride full of friendship, grief, and heartbreak, and I have to admit each second kept me completely engaged the whole time. It’s definitely a very emotional read, and I think it’s safe to give a warning of needing some tissues and some “me time” after this book. I want to wrap Ziggy and Bea in the biggest group hug ever for everything they went through. I really enjoyed this book-this author has created a very beautiful story and I’m excited to read her other titles! - By Victoria