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Rented Heart #2
Soul to Keep
STANDALONE second book in the LAMBDA nominated Rented Heart series.
Recovering addict Jamie Yorke has returned to England from California. With no home or family to speak of, he sticks a pin in a map and finds a small town in the Derbyshire Peak District. Matlock Bath is a quiet place—he just needs to get there, keep his head down, and stay clean. Simple, right? Until a chance meeting on the flight home alters the course of his so-called life forever.
Ex-Army medic Marc Ramsey is recovering from life-changing combat injuries while pulling nights as a trauma specialist at the local hospital. Keeping busy is a habit he can’t quit, but when Jamie—so wild and beautiful—bursts into his life, working himself into the ground isn’t as compelling as it used to be.
Marc falls hard, but chaos lurks behind Jamie’s fragile facade. He’s winning his battle against addiction, but another old foe is slowly consuming him. Both men have weathered many storms, but the path to the peace they deserve might prove the roughest ride yet.
Recovering addict Jamie Yorke has returned to England from California. With no home or family to speak of, he sticks a pin in a map and finds a small town in the Derbyshire Peak District. Matlock Bath is a quiet place—he just needs to get there, keep his head down, and stay clean. Simple, right? Until a chance meeting on the flight home alters the course of his so-called life forever.
Ex-Army medic Marc Ramsey is recovering from life-changing combat injuries while pulling nights as a trauma specialist at the local hospital. Keeping busy is a habit he can’t quit, but when Jamie—so wild and beautiful—bursts into his life, working himself into the ground isn’t as compelling as it used to be.
Marc falls hard, but chaos lurks behind Jamie’s fragile facade. He’s winning his battle against addiction, but another old foe is slowly consuming him. Both men have weathered many storms, but the path to the peace they deserve might prove the roughest ride yet.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2018
104 people are currently reading
792 people want to read
About the author
Garrett Leigh
94 books2,399 followersShe/Her
Bonus Material available for all books on Garrett's Patreon account. Includes short stories from Misfits, Slide, Strays, What Remains, Dream, and much more. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/garrettleigh
Facebook Fan Group, Garrett's Den... https://www.facebook.com/groups/garre...
Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British romance author and artist. Her debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and she is a 4 time LAMBDA finalist.
In 2017, she won the EPIC award in contemporary romance with her military novel, Between Ghosts, and the contemporary romance category in the Bisexual Book Awards with her novel What Remains.
Garrett is also an award winning cover designer, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com
Bonus Material available for all books on Garrett's Patreon account. Includes short stories from Misfits, Slide, Strays, What Remains, Dream, and much more. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/garrettleigh
Facebook Fan Group, Garrett's Den... https://www.facebook.com/groups/garre...
Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British romance author and artist. Her debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and she is a 4 time LAMBDA finalist.
In 2017, she won the EPIC award in contemporary romance with her military novel, Between Ghosts, and the contemporary romance category in the Bisexual Book Awards with her novel What Remains.
Garrett is also an award winning cover designer, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
January 12, 2018
3.5
Part of the Rented Heart Series but can definitely be read on it's own,however I would recommend reading Rented Heart because it's one of her best.
It's no secret that Garrett Leigh is one of my favourite Authors.Her books always hit the spot for me,however I was a bit underwhelmed here.
Jamie was introduced in book one and I was more than a bit fascinated by him and couldn't wait to get his story.He has been in California for the past year recovering from a drug addition but he's had enough of the sunshine and wants to return to the UK.He,randomly picks a small town in the Derbyshire Peak District to settle in and it's on the flight from the US that he meets Marc.
Marc, an ex Army Medic,is also recovering-from a life changing injury he got while in Iraq.Marc has it in his nature to care for people and he's more than a bit fascinated with the beautiful young man he encounters on the flight.
By chance or by fate,they find themselves living near each other in the same town.They start a tentative friendship which becomes more over time.It's a slow burn but given the men's backgrounds it fit the story perfectly.
Both men's recovery processes were extremely well written and believable but I just felt something was missing here for me.
Overall,enjoyable enough and I would recommend it...
Review copy provided by Riptide Publishing through NetGalley.
Part of the Rented Heart Series but can definitely be read on it's own,however I would recommend reading Rented Heart because it's one of her best.
It's no secret that Garrett Leigh is one of my favourite Authors.Her books always hit the spot for me,however I was a bit underwhelmed here.
Jamie was introduced in book one and I was more than a bit fascinated by him and couldn't wait to get his story.He has been in California for the past year recovering from a drug addition but he's had enough of the sunshine and wants to return to the UK.He,randomly picks a small town in the Derbyshire Peak District to settle in and it's on the flight from the US that he meets Marc.
Marc, an ex Army Medic,is also recovering-from a life changing injury he got while in Iraq.Marc has it in his nature to care for people and he's more than a bit fascinated with the beautiful young man he encounters on the flight.
By chance or by fate,they find themselves living near each other in the same town.They start a tentative friendship which becomes more over time.It's a slow burn but given the men's backgrounds it fit the story perfectly.
Both men's recovery processes were extremely well written and believable but I just felt something was missing here for me.
Overall,enjoyable enough and I would recommend it...
Review copy provided by Riptide Publishing through NetGalley.
January 11, 2021
4 Safe from Me Stars ⭐
In Soul to Keep, you meet two vulnerable men finding sanctuary in one another. From friendship, intimacy and eventually love, it’s not easy for Jamie and Marc to put their trust in each other.
"I’m afraid of myself, and you should be too."
Marc caught Jamie’s face in his hands before Jamie could pull away. "I’m not afraid of anyone who looks at me the way you do."
Jamie is just returning to England having spent a year in a Californian rehab. Leaving heroin and prostitution behind, his journey to recovery is long and difficult. Constantly a day away from relapsing, saying he’s fragile is an understatement. Meeting a stranger on the flight home, is a stroke of good luck he desperately needs.
Marc is a retired war veteran. Fighting his own demons, he has gotten accustomed to being alone. It’s been 3 years since he lost a limb, yet he’s still healing. Between work and his self-imposed isolation, Jamie coming into his life is possibly everything he didn’t know he needed.
"And what the fuck was he even crying about now? That Marc could see what a mess he was in and still held him tight against his chest like he was his most precious thing?"
It is evident that Jamie needs a safe place, support and kindness that doesn’t come at a price. Regardless of how attracted Marc is to Jamie, he genuinely wants to help. Between their hang-ups and issues, these two click and it was endearing watching them tear down the barriers.
We get to experience the small steps needed to attain trust, and the transformation of care to love. And don’t get me started on how hot these two were between the sheets! The struggles and accomplishments were visceral.
For those of you who are m/m fans, do yourself a favour and sample Garrett Leigh’s books who is extremely talented. Her writing is direct, without unnecessary drama and captivating. Although not required, I would recommend beginning at the start with Rented Heart where you first meet Jamie and his best friend Zac. Trust me it's worth it!
In Soul to Keep, you meet two vulnerable men finding sanctuary in one another. From friendship, intimacy and eventually love, it’s not easy for Jamie and Marc to put their trust in each other.
"I’m afraid of myself, and you should be too."
Marc caught Jamie’s face in his hands before Jamie could pull away. "I’m not afraid of anyone who looks at me the way you do."
Jamie is just returning to England having spent a year in a Californian rehab. Leaving heroin and prostitution behind, his journey to recovery is long and difficult. Constantly a day away from relapsing, saying he’s fragile is an understatement. Meeting a stranger on the flight home, is a stroke of good luck he desperately needs.
Marc is a retired war veteran. Fighting his own demons, he has gotten accustomed to being alone. It’s been 3 years since he lost a limb, yet he’s still healing. Between work and his self-imposed isolation, Jamie coming into his life is possibly everything he didn’t know he needed.
"And what the fuck was he even crying about now? That Marc could see what a mess he was in and still held him tight against his chest like he was his most precious thing?"
It is evident that Jamie needs a safe place, support and kindness that doesn’t come at a price. Regardless of how attracted Marc is to Jamie, he genuinely wants to help. Between their hang-ups and issues, these two click and it was endearing watching them tear down the barriers.
We get to experience the small steps needed to attain trust, and the transformation of care to love. And don’t get me started on how hot these two were between the sheets! The struggles and accomplishments were visceral.
For those of you who are m/m fans, do yourself a favour and sample Garrett Leigh’s books who is extremely talented. Her writing is direct, without unnecessary drama and captivating. Although not required, I would recommend beginning at the start with Rented Heart where you first meet Jamie and his best friend Zac. Trust me it's worth it!
November 20, 2019
Reread November 2019
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***4.5 Stars***
So true! And yep, this book proved it once again: give me a man with a cat and I'm melting into a puddle of goo...
But of course that was not the only thing I loved about this book:
Jamie - former hooker and drug addict facing the every day struggle to stay clean,
and
Marc - the soldier turned war veteran with an ingrained need to care for people, whose life had changed forever after a severe injury,
are another couple I wanted to hug in a full body tackle. Jamie intrigued me already in Rented Heart and I was glad that I could read his story right away. Marc was the medic in Between Ghosts and I squeed - loud! - when I saw a tweet by the author that I will also get his story here. And as a bonus I could revisit Nat and Connor (Between Ghosts) and also Zac and Liam (Rented Heart) again to learn that they are still happy.
Although Soul to Keep can be read as a standalone, I would recommend to read the other books first, to get more of Jamie's and Marc's background and to understand them better.
This was another amazing hurt-comfort story by Garrett Leigh, with a delicious slow-burn romance (not quite as steamy as Rented Heart), an age-gap of fourteen years which totally worked for me here because fate brought two broken souls together to find friendship first and then their perfect match in each other, and... a cat. ;-)
Oh, and not to forget about their well-deserved HEA:
Maybe I am greedy again, but now I'm hoping for a book about Wedge and Ludo. I don't even know if there will be another book in this series, but both guys made me more than curious and I just have to get their story. Pretty please?
And here I wanted to write just a mini-review... *facepalm* Apparently not possible with this author, there is too much to say about her books. Highly recommended!
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***4.5 Stars***
"Things happen. If we hadn't done what we'd done, we wouldn't be where we are now."
So true! And yep, this book proved it once again: give me a man with a cat and I'm melting into a puddle of goo...
Natalie, apparently, was equally enamoured, and bypassed Marc to jump onto the counter by Jamie and rub herself all over him like white on rice.
"Traitor," Marc muttered. "She took a piss in my shoe the other day."
"Why?"
"She didn't say," Marc said dryly. "Should I have asked?"
"You should've KNOWN," Jamie retorted. "Cats are clean. They only do stuff like that if they're cross. What did you do to upset her?"
"Are you serious? You think it was a revenge piss?"
But of course that was not the only thing I loved about this book:
Jamie - former hooker and drug addict facing the every day struggle to stay clean,
and
Marc - the soldier turned war veteran with an ingrained need to care for people, whose life had changed forever after a severe injury,
are another couple I wanted to hug in a full body tackle. Jamie intrigued me already in Rented Heart and I was glad that I could read his story right away. Marc was the medic in Between Ghosts and I squeed - loud! - when I saw a tweet by the author that I will also get his story here. And as a bonus I could revisit Nat and Connor (Between Ghosts) and also Zac and Liam (Rented Heart) again to learn that they are still happy.
Although Soul to Keep can be read as a standalone, I would recommend to read the other books first, to get more of Jamie's and Marc's background and to understand them better.
This was another amazing hurt-comfort story by Garrett Leigh, with a delicious slow-burn romance (not quite as steamy as Rented Heart), an age-gap of fourteen years which totally worked for me here because fate brought two broken souls together to find friendship first and then their perfect match in each other, and... a cat. ;-)
Oh, and not to forget about their well-deserved HEA:
Had they healed each other? Probably not, but Marc's place in Jamie's heart was etched in stone. Years ago, he'd rented his body to the lowest bidder, but now and forever, his soul was Marc's to keep.
Maybe I am greedy again, but now I'm hoping for a book about Wedge and Ludo. I don't even know if there will be another book in this series, but both guys made me more than curious and I just have to get their story. Pretty please?
And here I wanted to write just a mini-review... *facepalm* Apparently not possible with this author, there is too much to say about her books. Highly recommended!
January 7, 2018
After loving book 1, "Rented Heart," I had extremely high hopes for Jamie's story, since the majority of the drama in the first book happened to Zac as a side-effect of Jamie's continuing, terrible life choices.
Book 2, "Soul to Keep," began one year after Jamie had been shipped off to California, to go through rehab and begin his long road to recovery from heroin addiction, so the majority of Jamie's most challenging struggles had already taken place, fast forwarded and entirely off-page.
But California was a bit "too perfect" for Jamie's tastes, so his itchy feet led him to randomly stick a pin in a map and move his life to middle-of-nowhere, Matlock Bath, England to force himself to make a fresh start.
Then Jamie met "wounded hero" Marc, an ex-Army medic, who had lost a lower leg to an IED in Iraq and currently worked as an ER doctor, on his flight from Chicago to the UK.
Marc's deep-seated desire to take care of others immediately drew him to the recovering addict he'd been seated beside during some rough turbulence, then they found themselves being neighbors once Marc arrived back home.
However, from that point on in the story, I felt as though nothing much *really* happened, as the book began the same slow march from "they meet" to "they lived happily ever after" that I've seen hundreds of times before.
I kept waiting for something unexpected and exciting to happen, but it never really did, so other than this being a nice, somewhat-expected, comfort-healing story, I can't really think of a single thing that stood out as being unique.
I did actually like both MC's; however, as I didn't find the story very eventful, I'll definitely end up remembering the details from book 1 much more vividly than those in this book.
I've loved several of Leigh's previous books, but this one only rated at around 2.75 stars for me.
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
See All My Latest Reads (Review Quick-Links)
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April 8, 2018
I really liked this.
It was good to see Jamie moving on and over his hard past.
However, let’s not forget that that past made him the person he became in this story.
“Things happen. If we hadn’t done what we’d done, we wouldn’t be where we are now. And I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t change my life for the world.”
Well, the story of my life.
As always GL give us real characters and a story easy to relate to. Marc was a perfect match for Jamie.
He made Jamie slow down, just with his presence and his silent strength. The relationship felt natural, they were so attuned to each other despite the age gap between them.
I love the way GL makes me feel with her stories. So much love and good vibes!
It was good to see Jamie moving on and over his hard past.
However, let’s not forget that that past made him the person he became in this story.
“Things happen. If we hadn’t done what we’d done, we wouldn’t be where we are now. And I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t change my life for the world.”
Well, the story of my life.
As always GL give us real characters and a story easy to relate to. Marc was a perfect match for Jamie.
He made Jamie slow down, just with his presence and his silent strength. The relationship felt natural, they were so attuned to each other despite the age gap between them.
I love the way GL makes me feel with her stories. So much love and good vibes!
February 9, 2018
3.5 stars
Soul to Keep is book 2 in the Rented Heart series by Garrett Leigh. I didn’t realize is was book 2 when I requested it from NetGalley, but I did fine reading it was easy enough to figure out the characters.
Jamie Yorke is returning home to England after spending a year in California in rehab. While freaking out on the plane, he meets a very calming, gorgeous guy, who talks to Jamie and calms him down. Little did they know they were practically neighbors, and they meet up by chance and start spending time together.
Marc Ramsey was a Medic in the Army, and after a life changing injury, he is now a Trauma doctor. He cannot stop thinking about the beautiful man he met on the plane. He understands Jamie is in recovery, but he knows every day is a struggle, and wants to help him.
I really enjoyed both Jamie and Marc. They both had their own struggles to overcome, plus the opening up to each other in order to heal and loved. I adored how Marc handled Jamie because he knew Jamie was much stronger and braver than Jamie thought he was.
Even though this book did have some angst, there wasn’t a lot of drama. It was more of a healing/comfort read.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Soul to Keep is book 2 in the Rented Heart series by Garrett Leigh. I didn’t realize is was book 2 when I requested it from NetGalley, but I did fine reading it was easy enough to figure out the characters.
Jamie Yorke is returning home to England after spending a year in California in rehab. While freaking out on the plane, he meets a very calming, gorgeous guy, who talks to Jamie and calms him down. Little did they know they were practically neighbors, and they meet up by chance and start spending time together.
Marc Ramsey was a Medic in the Army, and after a life changing injury, he is now a Trauma doctor. He cannot stop thinking about the beautiful man he met on the plane. He understands Jamie is in recovery, but he knows every day is a struggle, and wants to help him.
I really enjoyed both Jamie and Marc. They both had their own struggles to overcome, plus the opening up to each other in order to heal and loved. I adored how Marc handled Jamie because he knew Jamie was much stronger and braver than Jamie thought he was.
Even though this book did have some angst, there wasn’t a lot of drama. It was more of a healing/comfort read.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
August 4, 2021
Bumping up to 4.5 stars. I liked it even more the second time around. I hadn't noticed -or didn't know yet- that we get a glimpse of Ludo Giordani from Kiss Me Again here and now I have to reread that again too.
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*4.25 stars*
Rented Heart is one of my favorite books by Garrett Leigh but I went into Soul to Keep with low expectations because addiction stories are not among my favorites. Well, I actually ended up loving Jaimie's story!
We met Jaimie in Rented Heart as Zack's drug addicted friend who screwed up everything for him. In the end of that book, Jaimie was recovering in California a year after the big fallout, trying to start fresh. This is where Soul to Keep picks up from.
Oh his flight back to UK (to a random town where nobody knows him) Jaimie meets Marc, a trauma doctor and ex-Army medic who has his own struggles, mental and physical, to deal with.
From that point forward Marc offers Jaimie the thing he needs the most at the time: a safe place. Something to keep him grounded, occupied so that he can fight the demons he kept at bay.
I loved every single interaction between Jaimie and Marc. I loved how Jaimie always wanted to be close to Marc, to touch him or just feel him. And I loved how Marc was always in tune with Jamie, eager to take care of him.
The addiction theme was very prevalent but I didn't find it overwhelming at all. Maybe because there were equal parts of UST and intimate moments along with some nice steamy ones in the second half.
I believe this can be read as a standalone but I suggest that you read Rented Heart first because A) you 'll be missing an amazing story and B) you won't be able to understand Jaimie's relationship with Zack, his best friend, who played a major role in Jaimie's recovery.
I liked the secondary characters, they all play a significant role in the story. I especially loved Nat and Connor. Are we ever getting their story? Have we already gotten it and I don't remember?
What I felt was missing was more Zack. Yes, he made an appearance in the end but I can't shake the feeling that, given their shared past, Jaimie needed more interaction with him.
This is one minor niggle though. Overall, I might not have loved this as much as Rented Heart, but I very much enjoyed this addition to the series.
Recommended!
----------------------------------------------
*4.25 stars*
Rented Heart is one of my favorite books by Garrett Leigh but I went into Soul to Keep with low expectations because addiction stories are not among my favorites. Well, I actually ended up loving Jaimie's story!
We met Jaimie in Rented Heart as Zack's drug addicted friend who screwed up everything for him. In the end of that book, Jaimie was recovering in California a year after the big fallout, trying to start fresh. This is where Soul to Keep picks up from.
Oh his flight back to UK (to a random town where nobody knows him) Jaimie meets Marc, a trauma doctor and ex-Army medic who has his own struggles, mental and physical, to deal with.
From that point forward Marc offers Jaimie the thing he needs the most at the time: a safe place. Something to keep him grounded, occupied so that he can fight the demons he kept at bay.
I loved every single interaction between Jaimie and Marc. I loved how Jaimie always wanted to be close to Marc, to touch him or just feel him. And I loved how Marc was always in tune with Jamie, eager to take care of him.
The addiction theme was very prevalent but I didn't find it overwhelming at all. Maybe because there were equal parts of UST and intimate moments along with some nice steamy ones in the second half.
I believe this can be read as a standalone but I suggest that you read Rented Heart first because A) you 'll be missing an amazing story and B) you won't be able to understand Jaimie's relationship with Zack, his best friend, who played a major role in Jaimie's recovery.
I liked the secondary characters, they all play a significant role in the story. I especially loved Nat and Connor. Are we ever getting their story? Have we already gotten it and I don't remember?
What I felt was missing was more Zack. Yes, he made an appearance in the end but I can't shake the feeling that, given their shared past, Jaimie needed more interaction with him.
This is one minor niggle though. Overall, I might not have loved this as much as Rented Heart, but I very much enjoyed this addition to the series.
Recommended!
April 6, 2018
El primero de la serie Rented Heart me gustó, pero tuve algunos problemas para creerme la historia, en ciertos tramos me pareció todo demasiado fácil y además Jamie me interesaba más que la pareja protagonista. Afortunadamente, tras mucha espera, Jamie tiene su propia historia que comienza después de estar durante 1 año sin probar las drogas. Su compañero es Marc, médico y veterano de guerra, con un miembro amputado, que ducha por adaptarse a una nueva vida, pero sin recrearse en ningún momento en lo ya perdido.
Tratándose de un adicto y después de lo vivido en el primer libro, esperaba un romance lleno de tristeza y angustia. Nada más lejos de la realidad. A pesar de que es duro ponerse en la situación de Jamie, y en la de Marc, en ningún momento se pierde el tono de esperanza, la oscuridad nunca es total y la historia de amor se desarrolla a un ritmo pausado, en un entorno de calma, poco a poco construyendo una relación donde todo tiene su significado y los sentimientos están a flor de piel. Soul to keep trata sobre lo que el título nos dice, las almas de dos personas que se encuentran y se complementan, sin un ritmo frenético, sin grandes explosiones, dos almas que han vivido mucho y no tienen ningún interés en verse envueltos en malentendidos estúpidos o pérdidas de tiempo. Por lo que, aunque es cierto que va despacio, no hay un segundo o página desperdiciado hasta que llegan a su final. Y siempre acompañados de muy buenos secundarios.
Muy bonito, muy bien contado, no sé si la autora seguirá con la serie, espero que sí.
4.5, lo subo a 5 porque quiero xD.
Tratándose de un adicto y después de lo vivido en el primer libro, esperaba un romance lleno de tristeza y angustia. Nada más lejos de la realidad. A pesar de que es duro ponerse en la situación de Jamie, y en la de Marc, en ningún momento se pierde el tono de esperanza, la oscuridad nunca es total y la historia de amor se desarrolla a un ritmo pausado, en un entorno de calma, poco a poco construyendo una relación donde todo tiene su significado y los sentimientos están a flor de piel. Soul to keep trata sobre lo que el título nos dice, las almas de dos personas que se encuentran y se complementan, sin un ritmo frenético, sin grandes explosiones, dos almas que han vivido mucho y no tienen ningún interés en verse envueltos en malentendidos estúpidos o pérdidas de tiempo. Por lo que, aunque es cierto que va despacio, no hay un segundo o página desperdiciado hasta que llegan a su final. Y siempre acompañados de muy buenos secundarios.
Muy bonito, muy bien contado, no sé si la autora seguirá con la serie, espero que sí.
4.5, lo subo a 5 porque quiero xD.
January 12, 2018
3.5 Stars!
This one wasn't my favorite Garrett Leigh, but I am going to go ahead and round up because I was engaged and I didn't skim. And it is Garrett Leigh, so I did like it.
Something was just off though. Like it started in the middle of the story or something. The first chapter I was confused how Jamie got to where he was. I feel like I needed the part where he hit rock bottom, where goes to rehab, where he spends a year in California.
As a result I just never connected with Jamie. I much preferred Marc's character but I also feel like we were missing some back-story there too.
I know GL most often writes heavy, downer books dealing with heavy subjects - addiction being my least favorite to have to read about, which we got here with Jamie. Perhaps that had a lot to do with my enjoyment (or lack there of) with this one.
Still there were positives, plenty of feels, some nice steam in the second half but in end I just liked this one, I didn't love it.
This one wasn't my favorite Garrett Leigh, but I am going to go ahead and round up because I was engaged and I didn't skim. And it is Garrett Leigh, so I did like it.
Something was just off though. Like it started in the middle of the story or something. The first chapter I was confused how Jamie got to where he was. I feel like I needed the part where he hit rock bottom, where goes to rehab, where he spends a year in California.
As a result I just never connected with Jamie. I much preferred Marc's character but I also feel like we were missing some back-story there too.
I know GL most often writes heavy, downer books dealing with heavy subjects - addiction being my least favorite to have to read about, which we got here with Jamie. Perhaps that had a lot to do with my enjoyment (or lack there of) with this one.
Still there were positives, plenty of feels, some nice steam in the second half but in end I just liked this one, I didn't love it.
August 30, 2019
I ending up liking this way more than I thought I would, given I was really unsure of Jamie after his actions in Rented Heart. I think the fact that the author didn't pretty things up and showed Jamie's issues warts and all, and also didn't give him a miracle cure is what did it. That, coupled with giving Jamie the perfect partner in Marc and the fact the slow burn was so well done made this a great read.
Loved it.
4.25 stars
Loved it.
4.25 stars
April 2, 2018
Sure, this can be read as a stand-alone. But you will get a much fuller story if you read Rented Heart first.
Soul to Keep picks up a year after Rented Heart left off. We see Jaimie in recovery, homesick enough to leave sunny California behind for the colder climes of Derbyshire Peak District. He first meets ex-Army medic Marc on the flight home. By chance it turns out they live close to each other and they click.
Since Jaimie and Marc both have personal demons to fight, they help each other overcome and accept what life has thrown their way. In the process, feelings develop and they find that life is so much richer when faced as a couple.
It's a really sweet love story with little to no angst in spite of the painful background both men bring to the table. There's a significant age gap but it's hardly touched on at all. I felt like I should know Marc's friends Nat and Connor and Wedge. Maybe they are from another of Leigh's books I haven't read yet. I'm very interested in their story if it exists.
Review ARC graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley
Soul to Keep picks up a year after Rented Heart left off. We see Jaimie in recovery, homesick enough to leave sunny California behind for the colder climes of Derbyshire Peak District. He first meets ex-Army medic Marc on the flight home. By chance it turns out they live close to each other and they click.
Since Jaimie and Marc both have personal demons to fight, they help each other overcome and accept what life has thrown their way. In the process, feelings develop and they find that life is so much richer when faced as a couple.
It's a really sweet love story with little to no angst in spite of the painful background both men bring to the table. There's a significant age gap but it's hardly touched on at all. I felt like I should know Marc's friends Nat and Connor and Wedge. Maybe they are from another of Leigh's books I haven't read yet. I'm very interested in their story if it exists.
Review ARC graciously provided by the publisher via NetGalley
April 8, 2018
For some reason this felt a little bit like a play to me -
the main stage is Marc's house where most of the action seems to happen, and the plot mainly revolves round Marc and Jamie and their developing relationship, with not many other characters on the sideline.
Not that I am complaining, btw!
We know that Jamie really hit rock bottom (a few times) in Rented Heart. After a year of recovery in California he takes the first steps to rejoin RL. It is obvious from the start that he will have major hurdles to jump and a couple of Himalayas to climb. Jamie is deeply flawed and intensely complex, and the author does a stellar job delving into his mind.
Marc has got some physical and psychological scars caused by his time in the military, too, but on the whole his calm, accepting and understanding way is exactly what Jamie needs.
They both have to learn to open up to let someone else and help in. Which is something Marc finds difficult because he is 'addicted' to the role of carer and worrier.
While my heart bled for Jamie, I loved Marc and was awed by the way he put up with Jamie's mood swings and break-downs all along.
Although there are not many secondary characters, you will be pleased to meet Connor and Nat from Between Ghosts again - thank you Simone for drawing my attention to this!
Garrett Leigh is a master writer and this book is no exception. She picks Jamie and Marc's feelings and brains expertly apart and puts all the parts of their puzzle to a fabulous picture together again.
I really enjoyed the psychological aspect here.
the main stage is Marc's house where most of the action seems to happen, and the plot mainly revolves round Marc and Jamie and their developing relationship, with not many other characters on the sideline.
Not that I am complaining, btw!
We know that Jamie really hit rock bottom (a few times) in Rented Heart. After a year of recovery in California he takes the first steps to rejoin RL. It is obvious from the start that he will have major hurdles to jump and a couple of Himalayas to climb. Jamie is deeply flawed and intensely complex, and the author does a stellar job delving into his mind.
Marc has got some physical and psychological scars caused by his time in the military, too, but on the whole his calm, accepting and understanding way is exactly what Jamie needs.
They both have to learn to open up to let someone else and help in. Which is something Marc finds difficult because he is 'addicted' to the role of carer and worrier.
While my heart bled for Jamie, I loved Marc and was awed by the way he put up with Jamie's mood swings and break-downs all along.
Although there are not many secondary characters, you will be pleased to meet Connor and Nat from Between Ghosts again - thank you Simone for drawing my attention to this!
Garrett Leigh is a master writer and this book is no exception. She picks Jamie and Marc's feelings and brains expertly apart and puts all the parts of their puzzle to a fabulous picture together again.
I really enjoyed the psychological aspect here.
April 13, 2018
Tag team review with Lost
4.5 stars!
I started this book with some serious bias against Jamie. Given what went down in book 1, I really wasn’t a fan. So I was pleasantly surprised when Jamie began winning me over pretty early on.
Life hasn’t been kind to Jamie, and he’s a bit broken. But he refuses to give up, no matter how often his inner demons tell him that he deserves nothing. Jamie needs someone solid to love him, to make him realize that he really is worth more than his addiction and his past.
Marc is a knight in shining armor - he’s strong and he’s fiercely loyal towards those he loves. But he has his own struggles, given his own past as an Army medic and his leg amputation.
I was swooning from the moment the two men met on their flight back to England. It was a snapshot of what was to come - with Marc’s strong urge to protect Jamie, and Jamie knowing that he was safe with Marc.
Despite their early attraction to each other, the relationship builds slowly. The MCs end up in the same small town, and Marc offers Jamie some work until he can find permanent employment. The work, clearing out the old house Marc inherited from his mother, brings the two into close contact regularly.
Slowly, the two men build a routine, and a friendship. They share meals and conversation at the end of long days, all the while gradually falling for each other.
The connection between them - emotional and physical - is undeniable. Marc is captivated by Jamie, and for the first time in a long time, Jamie finally feels safe and calm around Marc.
When their relationship inevitably moves from friendly to romantic, it just clicks. They’re two very different men, which often means that they’re at loggerheads, but they complete each other.
This isn’t a particularly flashy book, with the focus being on personal growth. Jamie’s addiction is a tangible thing throughout the story. His recovery is a daily battle. Marc, on the other hand, has to learn that he doesn’t always need to be the fixer.
However, all of the ups and downs make their relationship stronger by the end. Their happily ever after was all the more sweeter for it!
‘Soul to Keep’ really hit all the right notes for me. Two complex characters, a sweet romance, some angst, and a hard-earned but brilliant HEA. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!
4.5 stars!
I started this book with some serious bias against Jamie. Given what went down in book 1, I really wasn’t a fan. So I was pleasantly surprised when Jamie began winning me over pretty early on.
Life hasn’t been kind to Jamie, and he’s a bit broken. But he refuses to give up, no matter how often his inner demons tell him that he deserves nothing. Jamie needs someone solid to love him, to make him realize that he really is worth more than his addiction and his past.
Marc is a knight in shining armor - he’s strong and he’s fiercely loyal towards those he loves. But he has his own struggles, given his own past as an Army medic and his leg amputation.
I was swooning from the moment the two men met on their flight back to England. It was a snapshot of what was to come - with Marc’s strong urge to protect Jamie, and Jamie knowing that he was safe with Marc.
Despite their early attraction to each other, the relationship builds slowly. The MCs end up in the same small town, and Marc offers Jamie some work until he can find permanent employment. The work, clearing out the old house Marc inherited from his mother, brings the two into close contact regularly.
Slowly, the two men build a routine, and a friendship. They share meals and conversation at the end of long days, all the while gradually falling for each other.
The connection between them - emotional and physical - is undeniable. Marc is captivated by Jamie, and for the first time in a long time, Jamie finally feels safe and calm around Marc.
When their relationship inevitably moves from friendly to romantic, it just clicks. They’re two very different men, which often means that they’re at loggerheads, but they complete each other.
This isn’t a particularly flashy book, with the focus being on personal growth. Jamie’s addiction is a tangible thing throughout the story. His recovery is a daily battle. Marc, on the other hand, has to learn that he doesn’t always need to be the fixer.
However, all of the ups and downs make their relationship stronger by the end. Their happily ever after was all the more sweeter for it!
‘Soul to Keep’ really hit all the right notes for me. Two complex characters, a sweet romance, some angst, and a hard-earned but brilliant HEA. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!
June 11, 2018
I think this is my favourite Garrett Leigh book. I don't know what, exactly, about the book makes me say that, but I just know that as I was reading it, my heart felt full and my head was quiet and calm as it absorbed the growing love between Jamie and Marc.
And oh did they need each other. As with any book from this supremely talented author, there is such a driving need for finding peace with what life has thrown at you. Both Jamie and Marc had such scars, not only the visible ones crossing their bodies, but the mental ones which are the hardest to come to terms with.
One of my friends has said she feels wrung out and sad after reading a Garrett Leigh book, but for me, I have the exact opposite result. Yes, the subject matter is always brutally real, but I am always left with an overwhelming sense of hope.
Her men are always left in a better place, even if they still have demons to live with, than they were at journey's start. Her men always manage to find the one person in the world who understands them, who can bring them a sense of peace and of belonging. They learn how to live with their troubles, even knowing they will never be fixed or free of them.
You can't cure an addict, no matter what they're addicted to, but you can give them the tools to learn to live with it to their best ability and in Soul to Keep, we see Jamie slowly come to terms with the knowledge that he doesn't have to spend his life as if spiders are crawling all over his skin all the time.
The relationship between Jamie and Marc is very much slow burn, and it has to be, both of them have pasts which have irrevocably changed them and trust is something which takes time to build but let me say, when they finally do break through the barriers of what's going on in their heads, the resulting sex scene might be one of the most emotionally powerful (and volcanically hot) I've read in a book from Garrett.
I adored every single bit of this book and there's a little piece of my heart that fervently hopes that Jamie and Marc really do exist in their little bit of Derbyshire and they're happily getting along with their lives in Chesterfield General's A&E department and the food project kitchen :)
Oh, secondary characters - yes, another wonderfully drawn collection, one of whom is utterly real even though he only ever is described off page and I seriously hope Garrett is going to give us Nat and Connor's story even though they're together in this one. I'd love to know how the SAS CO and the journalist got together.
ETA: Note - Okay I'm an idiot, Nat and Connor are, of course, the subject of Between Ghosts
And, a final thought, big props to Garrett for the research into the special forces which is hinted and obliquely referenced here. As someone with an uncle who was once based in Hereford, all aspects of that side of this story felt very real.
#ARC kindly provided by the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
All the gushing and fangirling, as with all my favourite authors, is done completely off my own bat ;)
And oh did they need each other. As with any book from this supremely talented author, there is such a driving need for finding peace with what life has thrown at you. Both Jamie and Marc had such scars, not only the visible ones crossing their bodies, but the mental ones which are the hardest to come to terms with.
One of my friends has said she feels wrung out and sad after reading a Garrett Leigh book, but for me, I have the exact opposite result. Yes, the subject matter is always brutally real, but I am always left with an overwhelming sense of hope.
Her men are always left in a better place, even if they still have demons to live with, than they were at journey's start. Her men always manage to find the one person in the world who understands them, who can bring them a sense of peace and of belonging. They learn how to live with their troubles, even knowing they will never be fixed or free of them.
You can't cure an addict, no matter what they're addicted to, but you can give them the tools to learn to live with it to their best ability and in Soul to Keep, we see Jamie slowly come to terms with the knowledge that he doesn't have to spend his life as if spiders are crawling all over his skin all the time.
The relationship between Jamie and Marc is very much slow burn, and it has to be, both of them have pasts which have irrevocably changed them and trust is something which takes time to build but let me say, when they finally do break through the barriers of what's going on in their heads, the resulting sex scene might be one of the most emotionally powerful (and volcanically hot) I've read in a book from Garrett.
I adored every single bit of this book and there's a little piece of my heart that fervently hopes that Jamie and Marc really do exist in their little bit of Derbyshire and they're happily getting along with their lives in Chesterfield General's A&E department and the food project kitchen :)
Oh, secondary characters - yes, another wonderfully drawn collection, one of whom is utterly real even though he only ever is described off page and I seriously hope Garrett is going to give us Nat and Connor's story even though they're together in this one. I'd love to know how the SAS CO and the journalist got together.
ETA: Note - Okay I'm an idiot, Nat and Connor are, of course, the subject of Between Ghosts
And, a final thought, big props to Garrett for the research into the special forces which is hinted and obliquely referenced here. As someone with an uncle who was once based in Hereford, all aspects of that side of this story felt very real.
#ARC kindly provided by the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
All the gushing and fangirling, as with all my favourite authors, is done completely off my own bat ;)
July 12, 2020
No one writes a more beautiful hurt/comfort romance than Garrett Leigh, and Soul to Keep is absolutely lovely. This one touches on some powerful issues, and it’s wonderful to watch these two damaged characters work towards a place where they can find some peace. The second book in the Rented Heart series, Soul to Keep can be read as a standalone, but don’t miss the first novel, Rented Heart, because it’s fantastic.
I never had a chance to read Soul to Keep, so when I heard the audio version was released, and performed by the marvelous Dan Calley, I could not resist! Dan Calley has an impressive range of voices, and his warm, rich tones deliver what I love in a Garrett Leigh novel. He captures every bit of the angst and longing, and brings this relationship to life as the characters tentatively attempt to establish a friendship.
Both of these men are struggling and trying to find a way to move forward in their lives. Jamie has hopes that a move to rural England will give him the fresh start he needs. He quickly discovers that with no support system in place, the issues surrounding his recovery are overwhelming, and poor Jamie is floundering.
Marc is an Army veteran who's still figuring out how to live with injuries he sustained in Iraq. Living in a cold, empty house, and working nights as an emergency room doctor, Marc is one lonely guy. Deeply damaged, both of these guys are carrying demons on the inside, as well as the scars visible on their skin.
From the moment they meet, Marc and Jamie have terrific chemistry. They acknowledge that neither of them is in a good place for a romance, so they approach their relationship cautiously. Over the course of the story their walls slowly come down, and they learn to trust each other. It’s a devilishly slow burn, but when Jamie and Marc finally do get together their passion is incredible. This is seriously one of the hottest love scenes Garrett Leigh has ever written, and Dan Calley performs it beautifully!
Reading about poor Jamie’s struggle to find support for his recovery is heartbreaking, but Garrett Leigh sends a positive message: there is hope, and help is out there. It’s going to be a long process, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and it will be worth it.
There’s a little bonus in Soul to Keep. I always enjoy when Garrett Leigh pulls in characters from her other novels and we get some great scenes with the characters from Between Ghosts. You don’t need to have read that novel to thoroughly enjoy this one, but Between Ghosts is an incredible story and I highly recommend it. Just be aware that Garrett Leigh novels are an addiction. I’ve already purchased the audio version of Rented Heart so I can hear Dan Calley read it to me, and I can’t wait!
I never had a chance to read Soul to Keep, so when I heard the audio version was released, and performed by the marvelous Dan Calley, I could not resist! Dan Calley has an impressive range of voices, and his warm, rich tones deliver what I love in a Garrett Leigh novel. He captures every bit of the angst and longing, and brings this relationship to life as the characters tentatively attempt to establish a friendship.
Both of these men are struggling and trying to find a way to move forward in their lives. Jamie has hopes that a move to rural England will give him the fresh start he needs. He quickly discovers that with no support system in place, the issues surrounding his recovery are overwhelming, and poor Jamie is floundering.
Marc is an Army veteran who's still figuring out how to live with injuries he sustained in Iraq. Living in a cold, empty house, and working nights as an emergency room doctor, Marc is one lonely guy. Deeply damaged, both of these guys are carrying demons on the inside, as well as the scars visible on their skin.
From the moment they meet, Marc and Jamie have terrific chemistry. They acknowledge that neither of them is in a good place for a romance, so they approach their relationship cautiously. Over the course of the story their walls slowly come down, and they learn to trust each other. It’s a devilishly slow burn, but when Jamie and Marc finally do get together their passion is incredible. This is seriously one of the hottest love scenes Garrett Leigh has ever written, and Dan Calley performs it beautifully!
Reading about poor Jamie’s struggle to find support for his recovery is heartbreaking, but Garrett Leigh sends a positive message: there is hope, and help is out there. It’s going to be a long process, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and it will be worth it.
There’s a little bonus in Soul to Keep. I always enjoy when Garrett Leigh pulls in characters from her other novels and we get some great scenes with the characters from Between Ghosts. You don’t need to have read that novel to thoroughly enjoy this one, but Between Ghosts is an incredible story and I highly recommend it. Just be aware that Garrett Leigh novels are an addiction. I’ve already purchased the audio version of Rented Heart so I can hear Dan Calley read it to me, and I can’t wait!
October 25, 2018
4 'soulmates' stars
I really like this one too. It was more slow-burn but still plenty steamy. We've met Jaime in the previous book. I didn't really like him then, because of all the shit he had caused Zac. But he definitely made up for everything. Marc was introduced in Between Ghosts. I really need to read this book as well. The story is dealing with a lot of hard themes - Jaime being an ex-junkie and Marc was a field medic who lost his leg on a mission. But despite that, there are a lot of beautiful and romantic moments. I liked the book, just no as much as the first one.
I really like this one too. It was more slow-burn but still plenty steamy. We've met Jaime in the previous book. I didn't really like him then, because of all the shit he had caused Zac. But he definitely made up for everything. Marc was introduced in Between Ghosts. I really need to read this book as well. The story is dealing with a lot of hard themes - Jaime being an ex-junkie and Marc was a field medic who lost his leg on a mission. But despite that, there are a lot of beautiful and romantic moments. I liked the book, just no as much as the first one.
January 8, 2021
This was really sweet. Jamie is a recovering addict, and he left California where he got clean, to return to the UK. California was too sunny and perfect for him. On the plane, he met Marc, a wounded veteran.
When Jamie can’t find a job and Marc needs someone to declutter his house, he hires Jamie. And they spend every day together. I loved their every day interactions, how Jamie cooks for Marc, and they eat together and talk. The relationship develops at a believable pace and is really sweet. Not much happens in this book, but that’s okay. I wasn’t really bored but I also wasn’t really super engaged. It is not angsty and not what I expected for an addiction story.
I liked the couple and the romance but it lacked the heat and intensity of the first book.
This book is said to be a standalone and I have to say it is really not. Everything bad that happens to Jamie happens I the first book. Liam and Zac are not present much but they are mentioned A LOT. And you are expected to know what happened. I loved Nat and Connor but I felt that I was supposed to know them. Turns out they also have their own book. 🤷♀️
When Jamie can’t find a job and Marc needs someone to declutter his house, he hires Jamie. And they spend every day together. I loved their every day interactions, how Jamie cooks for Marc, and they eat together and talk. The relationship develops at a believable pace and is really sweet. Not much happens in this book, but that’s okay. I wasn’t really bored but I also wasn’t really super engaged. It is not angsty and not what I expected for an addiction story.
I liked the couple and the romance but it lacked the heat and intensity of the first book.
This book is said to be a standalone and I have to say it is really not. Everything bad that happens to Jamie happens I the first book. Liam and Zac are not present much but they are mentioned A LOT. And you are expected to know what happened. I loved Nat and Connor but I felt that I was supposed to know them. Turns out they also have their own book. 🤷♀️
August 15, 2020
4.5 stars rounded up because still no 1/2 stars here on GR and because I liked this one a tiny bit more than 'Rented Hearts' but just a tiny bit...
Can two broken souls create one happily ever after? They can when they’re strong enough to take another chance...
‘Soul to Keep’ is the second book in Garrett Leigh’s series ‘Rented Hearts’ the book that introduced first introduced us to Jamie Yorke…former rentboy and recovering drug addict. Zac’s friend who we last saw in California where Liam, the other MC from ‘Rented Heart’ who helped Jamie get to California for his rehab.
In ‘Soul to Keep’ we catch up with Jamie as he’s returning to England. He’s been clean for a year and while California is warm and sunny for this Brit it’s just not home and Jamie needs to go home.
It’s on his flight home that Jaime meets the older and equally damaged ex-army medic and present-day trauma specialist, Mark Ramsey returning home following surgery in Chicago.
When Jamie’s nervousness gets the better of him on the flight home, Marc’s need to nurture and fix things takes over and he helps Jamie to overcome his nervousness. Once the plane lands both men go their separate ways and while neither really man really forgets the other they both have their own lives to get back to and are equally surprise a couple of weeks later when their paths cross yet again when they discover that they are living just minutes from each other.
I really loved this story for me it clicked. While the attraction happened fairly quickly and was easily felt between these two men that didn’t mean that the relationship was instantaneous. For as much as they felt their attraction to each other both men were also hesitant to enter into a relationship because of their own personal demons.
As well as his addiction issues, Jamie is caught up in the grip of OCD and his self esteem is low, to say the least, but he soon finds that being around Marc gives him a sense of peace and grounds him as few if any other things do, so while he kept running from Marc when things got to intense he also kept coming back. Jamie’s convince that the other shoes going to drop and Marc’s going to send him away but until that happens he’s not going to leave permanently.
Marc’s convinced that Jamie’s going to cut and run once he’s had enough of being with a man who’s only got one leg. He’s so conscious of his injury unlike Jamie who sees beyond Marc’s injury to the man and the goodness he contains. To Jamie…Marc is strong, handsome and sexy and so much more than he could ever possibly deserve.
But Marc sees Jamie in such a different light. He sees someone who’s fought in a different type of war and he wants to help Jamie feel good about himself to learn to control the things that are controlling him…he’s a doctor it’s his nature to want o fix things but Jamie’s gotten under his skin in a way that goes beyond simple doctor/patient relationships. He’s coming to care very deeply for the beautiful, damaged young man.
I admit I’m totally a sucker for second chance stories, stories about people who life has repeatedly sucker punched but who have just as repeatedly pulled themselves back up only to keep going, keep trying moving towards their goal of becoming the person they want to be…someone better and stronger than who they were…someone they can be proud of…someone who deserves love and happiness as much as anyone else in this world and that’s what Garrett Leigh writes and writes so incredibly well are stories like this. Stories that remind us that the human spirit is strong and indomitable that giving up should never be a part of anyone’s vocabulary and that everyone is worthy of a second chance at both life and love.
Garrett Leigh is quickly becoming a favorite for me. Without fail I have loved everything that I’ve read by this author so far and while I haven’t read everything that she’s written I’m working on it.
*************************
An ARC of ‘Soul to Keep’ was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Can two broken souls create one happily ever after? They can when they’re strong enough to take another chance...
‘Soul to Keep’ is the second book in Garrett Leigh’s series ‘Rented Hearts’ the book that introduced first introduced us to Jamie Yorke…former rentboy and recovering drug addict. Zac’s friend who we last saw in California where Liam, the other MC from ‘Rented Heart’ who helped Jamie get to California for his rehab.
In ‘Soul to Keep’ we catch up with Jamie as he’s returning to England. He’s been clean for a year and while California is warm and sunny for this Brit it’s just not home and Jamie needs to go home.
It’s on his flight home that Jaime meets the older and equally damaged ex-army medic and present-day trauma specialist, Mark Ramsey returning home following surgery in Chicago.
When Jamie’s nervousness gets the better of him on the flight home, Marc’s need to nurture and fix things takes over and he helps Jamie to overcome his nervousness. Once the plane lands both men go their separate ways and while neither really man really forgets the other they both have their own lives to get back to and are equally surprise a couple of weeks later when their paths cross yet again when they discover that they are living just minutes from each other.
I really loved this story for me it clicked. While the attraction happened fairly quickly and was easily felt between these two men that didn’t mean that the relationship was instantaneous. For as much as they felt their attraction to each other both men were also hesitant to enter into a relationship because of their own personal demons.
As well as his addiction issues, Jamie is caught up in the grip of OCD and his self esteem is low, to say the least, but he soon finds that being around Marc gives him a sense of peace and grounds him as few if any other things do, so while he kept running from Marc when things got to intense he also kept coming back. Jamie’s convince that the other shoes going to drop and Marc’s going to send him away but until that happens he’s not going to leave permanently.
Marc’s convinced that Jamie’s going to cut and run once he’s had enough of being with a man who’s only got one leg. He’s so conscious of his injury unlike Jamie who sees beyond Marc’s injury to the man and the goodness he contains. To Jamie…Marc is strong, handsome and sexy and so much more than he could ever possibly deserve.
But Marc sees Jamie in such a different light. He sees someone who’s fought in a different type of war and he wants to help Jamie feel good about himself to learn to control the things that are controlling him…he’s a doctor it’s his nature to want o fix things but Jamie’s gotten under his skin in a way that goes beyond simple doctor/patient relationships. He’s coming to care very deeply for the beautiful, damaged young man.
I admit I’m totally a sucker for second chance stories, stories about people who life has repeatedly sucker punched but who have just as repeatedly pulled themselves back up only to keep going, keep trying moving towards their goal of becoming the person they want to be…someone better and stronger than who they were…someone they can be proud of…someone who deserves love and happiness as much as anyone else in this world and that’s what Garrett Leigh writes and writes so incredibly well are stories like this. Stories that remind us that the human spirit is strong and indomitable that giving up should never be a part of anyone’s vocabulary and that everyone is worthy of a second chance at both life and love.
Garrett Leigh is quickly becoming a favorite for me. Without fail I have loved everything that I’ve read by this author so far and while I haven’t read everything that she’s written I’m working on it.
*************************
An ARC of ‘Soul to Keep’ was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 4, 2018
~ Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion
Soul To Keep is the first book by Garrett Leigh I read and I’m quite sure it won’t be the last one. Also it is the second book in the Rented Heart series, but can perfectly be read as a stand-alone in my honest opinion, because that’s what I did. I might have missed some backstory about Jamie and Zac (main character from the previous book), but I didn’t need it to understand Soul To Keep, so no harm in not knowing the first book.
Garrett Leigh’s characters were quite broken. Marc not as much as Jamie, but he also struggles. Both, Jamie and Marc, had to fight with some sort of darkness in their life and I like, how after meeting and getting to know each other, they complemented each other. Their relationship started off as some sort of friendship and morphed into a romantical relationship. What I loved about that relationship as well was that it was quite a slowburner. The first time they really had sex was at 80% of the book. Don’t understand that wrong, they did make out a bit before that with BJs and stuff like that, but it took some time till they had the real deal. Nowadays I feel like most of the books have the first sex scene in the first 30% and sometimes it feels totally unnatural, more like it’s a requirement to have one that early. So I was glad that was not the case in Soul To Keep.
I also liked how Garrett Leigh dealed with Jamie’s addiction and other problems and didn’t totally make them disappear at the end of the book, because that’s not really the way that works. That little conflict Marc and Jamie had near the end also made perfectly sense, because of Jamie’s past.
Also this book had quite a lot of angst, mostly from Jamie’s POV. Marc was more relaxed in that manner, because he already had enough years to deal with his problems, but I liked to read from both POV’s. That’s always my favourite, because this way I can experience the feelings from both sides of the story.
I absolutely recommend this book, if you are looking for an angsty, but at the same time cute and slowburner-y book to fill some of your hours.
Rating: 4,25 stars
Soul To Keep is the first book by Garrett Leigh I read and I’m quite sure it won’t be the last one. Also it is the second book in the Rented Heart series, but can perfectly be read as a stand-alone in my honest opinion, because that’s what I did. I might have missed some backstory about Jamie and Zac (main character from the previous book), but I didn’t need it to understand Soul To Keep, so no harm in not knowing the first book.
Garrett Leigh’s characters were quite broken. Marc not as much as Jamie, but he also struggles. Both, Jamie and Marc, had to fight with some sort of darkness in their life and I like, how after meeting and getting to know each other, they complemented each other. Their relationship started off as some sort of friendship and morphed into a romantical relationship. What I loved about that relationship as well was that it was quite a slowburner. The first time they really had sex was at 80% of the book. Don’t understand that wrong, they did make out a bit before that with BJs and stuff like that, but it took some time till they had the real deal. Nowadays I feel like most of the books have the first sex scene in the first 30% and sometimes it feels totally unnatural, more like it’s a requirement to have one that early. So I was glad that was not the case in Soul To Keep.
I also liked how Garrett Leigh dealed with Jamie’s addiction and other problems and didn’t totally make them disappear at the end of the book, because that’s not really the way that works. That little conflict Marc and Jamie had near the end also made perfectly sense, because of Jamie’s past.
Also this book had quite a lot of angst, mostly from Jamie’s POV. Marc was more relaxed in that manner, because he already had enough years to deal with his problems, but I liked to read from both POV’s. That’s always my favourite, because this way I can experience the feelings from both sides of the story.
I absolutely recommend this book, if you are looking for an angsty, but at the same time cute and slowburner-y book to fill some of your hours.
Rating: 4,25 stars
April 28, 2018
I have a moment of heart-racing glee when I open a new Leigh story. A sudden overpowering surge of happy agitation washes over me. I know it’s gonna hurt…but I also know it’s going to be worthy of any heart pains. It’s a beautiful book rush. This is the second book in the Rented Heart series and “technically” could be read as a standalone. As usual, I wouldn’t recommend that because you lose some of the power without having the history. That being said, Jamie is looking to forget his past and trying to move forward. In the last book he was losing his fight with his drug addiction and when his best friend Zac almost lost his life because of it, Jamie was rattled to the point of getting clean. No one can make an addict get help, it’s a choice that lies completely within them. But sometimes witnessing the consequences of what their demons are doing to their loved ones can push an addict into taking that first step. Jamie ended up in California with help from Liam, Zac’s man. It was everything he needed to kick off his fresh start.
After his first year anniversary of sobriety he felt the pull of home. He never truly had a home or a safe haven but he’s certain he can’t make one in the States. Leaving his new cocoon of safety and planting roots back in England takes courage and his confidence begins to waver on the flight back. He can’t recall his first flight during his system-shocked-withdrawal state, but he can definitely confirm that he’s not a fan of flying. Luckily, his seat neighbor’s soothing presence and calming techniques stemmed his panic attack. To his utter surprise, his path merges with the handsome stranger once more. This time he pleasantly discovers they are nearly neighbors again. Is fate trying to tell him something?
What's to like: Garrett’s stories always impress me with the deep sincerity. If I had to coin her style with one word it would be heartfelt. This particular story isn’t busy with an overwhelming plot; it’s two men and their connection. It’s so…real. Jamie is learning to manage his recovery and slowly forgiving himself. He holds a lot of guilt and anger within him. Letting that go isn’t easy. When the strong sexy doctor around the corner sees through his walls, he freaks out. He is scared he’s not ready. He’s terrified he’ll prove to be a disappointment. He’s devastated that he’s losing control. He must be in control. And he must do it by himself. And that’s where Mark comes in and shows him how wrong he is. He reminds him that leaning on loved ones and family is perfectly acceptable. It can be a privilege actually. Mark wants to take care of Jamie, that’s what he does, he’s a caretaker. An army medic, a trauma doctor, and a natural fixer, he yearns to help and right now his focus is solely on the broken man who has taken over his dreams. But Jamie is not a project and refuses to be a charity case. Will their stubborn heads keep their hearts apart?
What's to love: I clicked with both Jamie and Mark from the very beginning. I’ll admit that I was still a bit miffed with Jamie from the last book. It didn’t take long for my annoyance to disappear and my mamma bear instincts to kick in. I wanted to protect him. I wanted to shield him. I wanted to see him showered in blessings and happiness. Mark is easy to adore from the start. He’s always held everything together when it seemed impossible to do so. Even when he lost his leg, he pushed himself to inconceivable expectations. In his endeavor to take care of everyone else, he lost sight of taking care of himself. He is a soldier and a hero but even our heroes’ need someone to shine a light when it gets dark. It’s difficult for Mark to admit he needs anything. Soon he realizes that he does need Jamie and maybe even more than Jamie needs him. It’s one of my favorite things when a couple merges together and discover they bring out the best in each other. As I mentioned, there’s not a crazy packed plot, these two are simply figuring out how to love each other. It was lovely to witness. I hope you have the pleasure to see it firsthand as well.
Beware of: Recovering addict, PTSD, OCD and severe anxiety are just a few of the challenging traits these men are battling. If you didn’t notice the cover, be careful, don’t choke on your tongue. Whoopsie, I almost forgot to mention the age gap. Which shows how little it bothered me.
This book is for: Leigh is a heavy hitter with angst but always strikes true when it comes to love. It may not be an easy road to travel, however the destination is worth it…Every. Time. Seriously though, check out Zac and Liam first, it’ll make your heart twice as happy.
Book UNfunk
After his first year anniversary of sobriety he felt the pull of home. He never truly had a home or a safe haven but he’s certain he can’t make one in the States. Leaving his new cocoon of safety and planting roots back in England takes courage and his confidence begins to waver on the flight back. He can’t recall his first flight during his system-shocked-withdrawal state, but he can definitely confirm that he’s not a fan of flying. Luckily, his seat neighbor’s soothing presence and calming techniques stemmed his panic attack. To his utter surprise, his path merges with the handsome stranger once more. This time he pleasantly discovers they are nearly neighbors again. Is fate trying to tell him something?
What's to like: Garrett’s stories always impress me with the deep sincerity. If I had to coin her style with one word it would be heartfelt. This particular story isn’t busy with an overwhelming plot; it’s two men and their connection. It’s so…real. Jamie is learning to manage his recovery and slowly forgiving himself. He holds a lot of guilt and anger within him. Letting that go isn’t easy. When the strong sexy doctor around the corner sees through his walls, he freaks out. He is scared he’s not ready. He’s terrified he’ll prove to be a disappointment. He’s devastated that he’s losing control. He must be in control. And he must do it by himself. And that’s where Mark comes in and shows him how wrong he is. He reminds him that leaning on loved ones and family is perfectly acceptable. It can be a privilege actually. Mark wants to take care of Jamie, that’s what he does, he’s a caretaker. An army medic, a trauma doctor, and a natural fixer, he yearns to help and right now his focus is solely on the broken man who has taken over his dreams. But Jamie is not a project and refuses to be a charity case. Will their stubborn heads keep their hearts apart?
What's to love: I clicked with both Jamie and Mark from the very beginning. I’ll admit that I was still a bit miffed with Jamie from the last book. It didn’t take long for my annoyance to disappear and my mamma bear instincts to kick in. I wanted to protect him. I wanted to shield him. I wanted to see him showered in blessings and happiness. Mark is easy to adore from the start. He’s always held everything together when it seemed impossible to do so. Even when he lost his leg, he pushed himself to inconceivable expectations. In his endeavor to take care of everyone else, he lost sight of taking care of himself. He is a soldier and a hero but even our heroes’ need someone to shine a light when it gets dark. It’s difficult for Mark to admit he needs anything. Soon he realizes that he does need Jamie and maybe even more than Jamie needs him. It’s one of my favorite things when a couple merges together and discover they bring out the best in each other. As I mentioned, there’s not a crazy packed plot, these two are simply figuring out how to love each other. It was lovely to witness. I hope you have the pleasure to see it firsthand as well.
Beware of: Recovering addict, PTSD, OCD and severe anxiety are just a few of the challenging traits these men are battling. If you didn’t notice the cover, be careful, don’t choke on your tongue. Whoopsie, I almost forgot to mention the age gap. Which shows how little it bothered me.
This book is for: Leigh is a heavy hitter with angst but always strikes true when it comes to love. It may not be an easy road to travel, however the destination is worth it…Every. Time. Seriously though, check out Zac and Liam first, it’ll make your heart twice as happy.
Book UNfunk
June 20, 2020
4 Stars
Soul to Keep, is a story about addiction and recovery, about forgiveness, and about learning to live again. This story felt a touch less heavy than the author's normal fare, but at its heart it still had weight.
We first met Jamie York in Rented Heart and he was in a really bad space. Jamie is a heroin addict and he did many things during the course of Rented Heart that were awful, for both him and his best friend Zac (one of the MC's for book 1). Jamie was on a downward spiral that he didn't think he'd survive. In fact, if it hadn't been for Zac, Jamie would not have. He was given an opportunity to get treatment in a nice facility in California, and in desperation, he accepted.
Soul to Keep starts one year later and Jamie has been clean, but he's never stood on his own. He knows that being able to stand on his own is an important part of his recovery, and so he decides to leave California and head back to the UK.
Marc Ramsey is an ex-soldier and a current doctor. His military career was cut short when an IED took part of one of his legs. Marc is also a nurturer - something that should come as second nature to all doctors, but doesn't - and a problem solver. He really wants to help people, especially those he cares about. Letting others help him doesn't come quite as easily, however.
Jamie and Marc first meet on a flight from the US to the UK, where Marc helps Jamie through his fears of flying. Never did either expect to see each other again.
Soul to Keep was a low-key story. The angst is there simmering, but it never reaches the levels that book 1 reached, and that one was low angst for this author. Jamie went through so much before he got clean that I was loath to see him fail. His addiction is only part of his problem, though. He's also OCD and suffers from anxiety, so Jamie has to keep a tight hold on every moment because he lives in fear of failure. In fact he expects he will fail.
There isn't a ton of conflict, here, however. In fact, there isn't much of any. That did fit the story, though, because Jamie has been in recovery for a year and isn't 3 seconds away from slipping up. Yes, he expects he will eventually fail, but he does have some of the tools he needs to stay clean and the rest is a work in progress. Also, Marc is a very level-headed sort and doesn't make rash decisions. His specialty in medicine is trauma so he is calm.
The romance is a slow burn, too, which I generally prefer and was definitely happy for here. Jamie needs to find his worth and Marc needs to learn to accept that he needs people, too, and so they dance for a good part of the book before admitting any actual feelings. Feelings that were clearly already there.
Also, I'd like to give a shout out to two of the secondary characters - Nat and Conner. They were the MC's from Between Ghosts and I loved them so much, it was good to see them again.
While Soul to Keep is the second book in Garrett Leigh's Rented Heart series, can be read as a stand alone.
Recommended.
ARC of Soul to Keep was generously provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Soul to Keep, is a story about addiction and recovery, about forgiveness, and about learning to live again. This story felt a touch less heavy than the author's normal fare, but at its heart it still had weight.
We first met Jamie York in Rented Heart and he was in a really bad space. Jamie is a heroin addict and he did many things during the course of Rented Heart that were awful, for both him and his best friend Zac (one of the MC's for book 1). Jamie was on a downward spiral that he didn't think he'd survive. In fact, if it hadn't been for Zac, Jamie would not have. He was given an opportunity to get treatment in a nice facility in California, and in desperation, he accepted.
Soul to Keep starts one year later and Jamie has been clean, but he's never stood on his own. He knows that being able to stand on his own is an important part of his recovery, and so he decides to leave California and head back to the UK.
Marc Ramsey is an ex-soldier and a current doctor. His military career was cut short when an IED took part of one of his legs. Marc is also a nurturer - something that should come as second nature to all doctors, but doesn't - and a problem solver. He really wants to help people, especially those he cares about. Letting others help him doesn't come quite as easily, however.
Jamie and Marc first meet on a flight from the US to the UK, where Marc helps Jamie through his fears of flying. Never did either expect to see each other again.
Soul to Keep was a low-key story. The angst is there simmering, but it never reaches the levels that book 1 reached, and that one was low angst for this author. Jamie went through so much before he got clean that I was loath to see him fail. His addiction is only part of his problem, though. He's also OCD and suffers from anxiety, so Jamie has to keep a tight hold on every moment because he lives in fear of failure. In fact he expects he will fail.
There isn't a ton of conflict, here, however. In fact, there isn't much of any. That did fit the story, though, because Jamie has been in recovery for a year and isn't 3 seconds away from slipping up. Yes, he expects he will eventually fail, but he does have some of the tools he needs to stay clean and the rest is a work in progress. Also, Marc is a very level-headed sort and doesn't make rash decisions. His specialty in medicine is trauma so he is calm.
The romance is a slow burn, too, which I generally prefer and was definitely happy for here. Jamie needs to find his worth and Marc needs to learn to accept that he needs people, too, and so they dance for a good part of the book before admitting any actual feelings. Feelings that were clearly already there.
Also, I'd like to give a shout out to two of the secondary characters - Nat and Conner. They were the MC's from Between Ghosts and I loved them so much, it was good to see them again.
While Soul to Keep is the second book in Garrett Leigh's Rented Heart series, can be read as a stand alone.
Recommended.
ARC of Soul to Keep was generously provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
June 3, 2024
I always love when a book is set somewhere I know really well! I spent a lot of time in Matlock Bath in my twenties and it was fun to read about through Jamie's eyes.
December 30, 2019
Jaime flits around the edges of "Rented Heart" as Zac's best friend and roommate, whose actions dramatically impact Zac's life. At the end of that book, Jaime is on his way to rehab in California. I don't think you'll necessarily need to read "Rented Heart" prior to "Soul to Keep" but the background may give you some awareness of just how far Jaime has come from the depths of his addiction.
Jaime and Marc meet on the flight back to the UK, and amazingly end up in the same small town where Jaime goes to reboot his life, and where Marc works as a trauma doctor. I want to say that their relationship immediately captured my interest, and that I could feel they belonged together, and they connected in a strong amazing way .... but, nope. Sorry, so sorry. It just didn't work that way for me.
I struggled to connect with Marc and Jaime and the relationship they forged together. Because we know so little about Jaime (other than recovering addict and former hooker) and because he was earlier defined solely by his relationship with Zac, as Jaime deals with his addiction, with his feelings for Marc, with his OCD, it's hard to really sense what this all means to him. Also Jaime has gone through rehab, but this occurs before the start of the book, and I feel we lose something but not seeing anything of the process.
Similarly, Marc remained relatively unknown as well. He's a former solider, a doctor. He has a prosthesis. We learn a bit more about Marc in his interaction with his friends Nat and Conner, but I personally needed more in-depth character development similar to what "Rented Heart" gave us with Liam and Zac's backgrounds. The pace also felt slow to me, as little happens externally (other than Jaime cleaning out Marc's house, and Marc working) until almost the very end of the book.
I have been absolutely gobsmacked by more than a few Garrett Leigh books, but "Soul to Keep" just didn't work for me personally. 3 stars.
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Stop by my new blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
Jaime and Marc meet on the flight back to the UK, and amazingly end up in the same small town where Jaime goes to reboot his life, and where Marc works as a trauma doctor. I want to say that their relationship immediately captured my interest, and that I could feel they belonged together, and they connected in a strong amazing way .... but, nope. Sorry, so sorry. It just didn't work that way for me.
I struggled to connect with Marc and Jaime and the relationship they forged together. Because we know so little about Jaime (other than recovering addict and former hooker) and because he was earlier defined solely by his relationship with Zac, as Jaime deals with his addiction, with his feelings for Marc, with his OCD, it's hard to really sense what this all means to him. Also Jaime has gone through rehab, but this occurs before the start of the book, and I feel we lose something but not seeing anything of the process.
Similarly, Marc remained relatively unknown as well. He's a former solider, a doctor. He has a prosthesis. We learn a bit more about Marc in his interaction with his friends Nat and Conner, but I personally needed more in-depth character development similar to what "Rented Heart" gave us with Liam and Zac's backgrounds. The pace also felt slow to me, as little happens externally (other than Jaime cleaning out Marc's house, and Marc working) until almost the very end of the book.
I have been absolutely gobsmacked by more than a few Garrett Leigh books, but "Soul to Keep" just didn't work for me personally. 3 stars.
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Stop by my new blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
July 2, 2023
After reading the first story, I didn't really want to know much about Jamie, he was portrayed horribly there. I stil went for it because... Marc was a ex-army medic, hello!
And I was pleasantly surprised!!
Jamie showed such a wonderful character development, so much strength and honesty, I loved it. Marc was also great, just the right amount of deep, quiet, and stable - and hot of course. I really appreciated Jamie's finding who he was and what he actually wanted to do with his life, so much unlike his best friend from the precious book.
All in all, an emotional and sexy story with not much drama but lots of character development.
And I was pleasantly surprised!!
Jamie showed such a wonderful character development, so much strength and honesty, I loved it. Marc was also great, just the right amount of deep, quiet, and stable - and hot of course. I really appreciated Jamie's finding who he was and what he actually wanted to do with his life, so much unlike his best friend from the precious book.
All in all, an emotional and sexy story with not much drama but lots of character development.
March 31, 2018
*ARC provided by the author*
This was simply fantastic! I couldn't stop reading- it was really engaging and sligtly addictive. I would have read it in one sitting if it wasn't cause I started reading very late at night.
Marc and Jamie's story was tender and precious: they both come from heavy backgrounds, and both have their particular baggage that they are still trying to deal with, and it's a true pleasure to see them trying to find their footing with each other, while uncertain about being relatively stable separately.
As usual with Garrett Leigh, this wasn't precisely a light read: these two men have dealt with so much and that has left some fucked up consequences that learning to work together seems pretty much like relearning how to live at times. But it's oh so worth it in the end!
This was truly a rollercoaster experience: there was an edge to the whole situation going on between the characters that always kept the reader waiting for the other shoe to drop.
And while the peaceful, blissful moments seemed brief at first, they were precisely more precious for that exact same reason: the weight they carried, even in their brevity, still managed to show their authenticity. Which became clearer as the story progressed and Marc and Jamie's relationship became more solid.
The pace- both of each character's arcs and of their relationship- was just perfect: the times managed in order to deal with everything they were thrown at felt realistic and it made it easier to connect; to find the story compelling and it helped to feel complete empathy with the characters, even if some of their experiences were completely foreign.
Honestly, I'm so glad the author went in this direction, wanted to write Jamie's story: I hadn't been Jamie's Nº1 fan in Rented Heart, he gave me mixed feelings, but I feel that all that was due to the fact that the focus on his previous participation had been different, and it was necessary to hear his voice and his stance on the matter. Thus, this wonderful, young/old soul deserved his own light to shine- and yes, it was quite the pleasure to get to know (and care for) Marc as well. They both pretty much deserve the world.
This was simply excellent. I wish I could say I want more about these characters, but I feel that what's there is so well-rounded that there's really no need for more, it's just perfect as it is.
This was simply fantastic! I couldn't stop reading- it was really engaging and sligtly addictive. I would have read it in one sitting if it wasn't cause I started reading very late at night.
Marc and Jamie's story was tender and precious: they both come from heavy backgrounds, and both have their particular baggage that they are still trying to deal with, and it's a true pleasure to see them trying to find their footing with each other, while uncertain about being relatively stable separately.
As usual with Garrett Leigh, this wasn't precisely a light read: these two men have dealt with so much and that has left some fucked up consequences that learning to work together seems pretty much like relearning how to live at times. But it's oh so worth it in the end!
This was truly a rollercoaster experience: there was an edge to the whole situation going on between the characters that always kept the reader waiting for the other shoe to drop.
And while the peaceful, blissful moments seemed brief at first, they were precisely more precious for that exact same reason: the weight they carried, even in their brevity, still managed to show their authenticity. Which became clearer as the story progressed and Marc and Jamie's relationship became more solid.
The pace- both of each character's arcs and of their relationship- was just perfect: the times managed in order to deal with everything they were thrown at felt realistic and it made it easier to connect; to find the story compelling and it helped to feel complete empathy with the characters, even if some of their experiences were completely foreign.
Honestly, I'm so glad the author went in this direction, wanted to write Jamie's story: I hadn't been Jamie's Nº1 fan in Rented Heart, he gave me mixed feelings, but I feel that all that was due to the fact that the focus on his previous participation had been different, and it was necessary to hear his voice and his stance on the matter. Thus, this wonderful, young/old soul deserved his own light to shine- and yes, it was quite the pleasure to get to know (and care for) Marc as well. They both pretty much deserve the world.
This was simply excellent. I wish I could say I want more about these characters, but I feel that what's there is so well-rounded that there's really no need for more, it's just perfect as it is.
April 6, 2018
4.5 Stars.
Calm, soothing, healing, peaceful. This quiet and smooth story is exactly the balm that Jamie had to need after his chaotic and jagged life and addiction journey. I loved this - so much hurt and comfort without gratuitous horribleness. And Marc, he was steadfast and the perfect partner for Jamie. Neither man forced the other beyond where he was ready to go so it was just a slow ebb towards health and healing. Loved this.
Calm, soothing, healing, peaceful. This quiet and smooth story is exactly the balm that Jamie had to need after his chaotic and jagged life and addiction journey. I loved this - so much hurt and comfort without gratuitous horribleness. And Marc, he was steadfast and the perfect partner for Jamie. Neither man forced the other beyond where he was ready to go so it was just a slow ebb towards health and healing. Loved this.
January 20, 2018
An ARC was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*** This book is not yet released so if you don't want to see any type of spoiler (I made this as spoiler free as I could), you shouldn't read on.***
I have been looking forward to this book since I met Jamie in Rented Heart. I loved Rented Heart, and my heart ached for Jamie - he was such a lost soul. But I knew if Garrett Leigh couldn't bring Jamie back from the brink, nobody could. What a story!
If you are not familiar with Garrett's writing, you should know this is not a hearts and flowers, sunshine and rainbows journey. It's going to be hard and sometimes dark, the characters are going to work hard for their happiness. Soul to Keep isn't as dark and depressing as Rented Heart, in my opinion, but it's no walk in the park either.
Since I don't want to spoil Rented Heart for those who haven't read it yet, I will simply say Jamie had it rough and he is lucky to be alive today. If it had not been for his friend Zac, and then Zac's BF Liam, Jamie would be lost to us. But now Jamie is one year sober/clean and he is ready to move forward, even if he doesn't know what direction forward is.
I do need to put a bit of warning here before I go into the rest of the story because Jamie and Marc's relationship starts quickly. They meet on a plane, then run into each at the hospital, and they feel a connection with each other. They both feel better when they are with the other, and while at first Jamie is afraid to believe he deserves anything good (and he's afraid he will hurt Marc in the end), he somehow knows Marc is good for him. I am not a fan of the "insta-love" trope, and I did bring out my squinty eye here, but I also enjoyed seeing Jamie happy. I did feel their relationship was rushed particularly because Jamie is still recovering and getting his feet sturdy under him, and Marc isn't exactly stable himself. They both have issues and I felt they were looking for the other to "heal" them. This did bother me, but at the same time I brushed it away because I loved these characters so much.
There is a lot on page showing Jamie's struggles with staying clean, his OCD, self doubt and a deluge of other things. It was hard to see this but I also saw he was determined. He went to his meetings and didn't hide (much). There are rough moments for Jamie, especially between him and Marc. Marc is struggling to allow himself to be weak, or to at least show weakness. Since he lost his leg, he has kept pushing himself. He knows his limits, but doesn't like to admit them. I thought it was extremely touching to see his trust in Jamie grow so much that he could let Jamie help him. They took care of each other, and that is always a good things.
Something else fans of Garrett Leigh's will enjoy is she brings back characters from Between Ghosts, Connor & Nat. I've not read Between Ghosts yet (it's on my TBR pile) but I didn't need to to enjoy seeing them. I loved seeing these men and how they interacted with Marc and Jamie. Reading Soul to Keep certainly bumped this one up the list to read asap. :)
Overall I really, really enjoyed this story and do recommend. 4 stars!
P.S. The epilogue was sweet and set one year in the future. We get to see Zac again!! I don't think this will be the last we see of these characters, and based on the ending, I have a feeling I know who the next story will be about. Time will tell. ;)
*** This book is not yet released so if you don't want to see any type of spoiler (I made this as spoiler free as I could), you shouldn't read on.***
I have been looking forward to this book since I met Jamie in Rented Heart. I loved Rented Heart, and my heart ached for Jamie - he was such a lost soul. But I knew if Garrett Leigh couldn't bring Jamie back from the brink, nobody could. What a story!
If you are not familiar with Garrett's writing, you should know this is not a hearts and flowers, sunshine and rainbows journey. It's going to be hard and sometimes dark, the characters are going to work hard for their happiness. Soul to Keep isn't as dark and depressing as Rented Heart, in my opinion, but it's no walk in the park either.
Since I don't want to spoil Rented Heart for those who haven't read it yet, I will simply say Jamie had it rough and he is lucky to be alive today. If it had not been for his friend Zac, and then Zac's BF Liam, Jamie would be lost to us. But now Jamie is one year sober/clean and he is ready to move forward, even if he doesn't know what direction forward is.
I do need to put a bit of warning here before I go into the rest of the story because Jamie and Marc's relationship starts quickly. They meet on a plane, then run into each at the hospital, and they feel a connection with each other. They both feel better when they are with the other, and while at first Jamie is afraid to believe he deserves anything good (and he's afraid he will hurt Marc in the end), he somehow knows Marc is good for him. I am not a fan of the "insta-love" trope, and I did bring out my squinty eye here, but I also enjoyed seeing Jamie happy. I did feel their relationship was rushed particularly because Jamie is still recovering and getting his feet sturdy under him, and Marc isn't exactly stable himself. They both have issues and I felt they were looking for the other to "heal" them. This did bother me, but at the same time I brushed it away because I loved these characters so much.
There is a lot on page showing Jamie's struggles with staying clean, his OCD, self doubt and a deluge of other things. It was hard to see this but I also saw he was determined. He went to his meetings and didn't hide (much). There are rough moments for Jamie, especially between him and Marc. Marc is struggling to allow himself to be weak, or to at least show weakness. Since he lost his leg, he has kept pushing himself. He knows his limits, but doesn't like to admit them. I thought it was extremely touching to see his trust in Jamie grow so much that he could let Jamie help him. They took care of each other, and that is always a good things.
Something else fans of Garrett Leigh's will enjoy is she brings back characters from Between Ghosts, Connor & Nat. I've not read Between Ghosts yet (it's on my TBR pile) but I didn't need to to enjoy seeing them. I loved seeing these men and how they interacted with Marc and Jamie. Reading Soul to Keep certainly bumped this one up the list to read asap. :)
Overall I really, really enjoyed this story and do recommend. 4 stars!
P.S. The epilogue was sweet and set one year in the future. We get to see Zac again!! I don't think this will be the last we see of these characters, and based on the ending, I have a feeling I know who the next story will be about. Time will tell. ;)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Jamie was a character that captivated me and stole all the scenes when he appeared in Rented Heart. His journey starts there, and I feel his struggle here would be lost if you haven’t read that book. Soul to Keep is also a crossover book in that Marc appeared in Between Ghosts, but it would be possible to follow along without having read that one.
We catch up with Jamie in California as he’s been making a valiant effort at recovery for the past year. California is so different from London that it’s almost possible for him to think that London never happened, but it did, and Jamie needs to face it all. The plane ride is another difficult task for him and it’s only through the kindness of a stranger, Marc, that Jamie is able to stay grounded.
This book is more Jamie’s story than Marc’s and Leigh does a great job of getting us into Jamie’s mindset. He’s been on the streets and addicted to drugs for so long that he’s having a difficult time adjusting and he’s also haunted by all he did to survive and support his drug habit. Marc is like a balm on an open wound, but Jamie’s calls himself the storm and knows wherever he goes, chaos is not far behind.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4 stars
Jamie was a character that captivated me and stole all the scenes when he appeared in Rented Heart. His journey starts there, and I feel his struggle here would be lost if you haven’t read that book. Soul to Keep is also a crossover book in that Marc appeared in Between Ghosts, but it would be possible to follow along without having read that one.
We catch up with Jamie in California as he’s been making a valiant effort at recovery for the past year. California is so different from London that it’s almost possible for him to think that London never happened, but it did, and Jamie needs to face it all. The plane ride is another difficult task for him and it’s only through the kindness of a stranger, Marc, that Jamie is able to stay grounded.
This book is more Jamie’s story than Marc’s and Leigh does a great job of getting us into Jamie’s mindset. He’s been on the streets and addicted to drugs for so long that he’s having a difficult time adjusting and he’s also haunted by all he did to survive and support his drug habit. Marc is like a balm on an open wound, but Jamie’s calls himself the storm and knows wherever he goes, chaos is not far behind.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
April 2, 2018
I do so enjoy a Garrett Leigh novel and becoming captivated by her intriguing characters. Jamie is Zac’s drug-addicted friend from book one and the story picks up a year afterwards. Jamie has been in California for rehab and has found stability but feeling homesick, he returns to England. Serendipity and coincidence bring Marc and Jamie together in the same town and Jamie starts work clearing out Marc’s house, formerly owned by his parents. Their attraction simmers while they get to know each other, a slow burn until later in the story, which I liked better than seeing them jump into bed right away. The focus is on Jamie struggling with more than just staying sober and portrays other factors contributing to his addiction. Marc has his own problems, like a missing leg, long traumatic shifts in the ER and fighting his urges to act like Jamie’s caretaker rather than his lover. It’s a thoughtful look at addiction in various forms and how certain mental conditions can affect people.
Alternating POV’s give powerful insight into Jamie’s fears and struggles and Marc’s motivations in his actions toward Jamie. I loved Jamie the most with his determination, plodding forward the best he could to take measures to combat his issues. I didn’t think Marc’s character was quite as well done because I couldn’t always grasp why he acted in a certain ways and his thoughts sometimes weren’t clear. There was no major drama around the couple, just a steady unfolding of Jamie’s progress, Marc and him finding their way to love with a few bumps along the way. I suppose some might feel the lack of action and conflict make the story seem slow but I was utterly engrossed in the character driven plot. Great secondary figures make the narrative rich and give Jamie and Marc extra dimension. A flurry of activity just before the epilogue offers hints, I believe, of future subjects for the series. This can stand alone but a reader will benefit more from reading book one, as it reveals the greatest catalyst for Jamie’s recovery. Recommended for the hurt/comfort theme around both characters with plenty of redemption and romance.
*An ARC was provided by the author, publisher or promotional service and I have chosen to publish a fair and honest review for Jessie G Books Reviews blog*
Alternating POV’s give powerful insight into Jamie’s fears and struggles and Marc’s motivations in his actions toward Jamie. I loved Jamie the most with his determination, plodding forward the best he could to take measures to combat his issues. I didn’t think Marc’s character was quite as well done because I couldn’t always grasp why he acted in a certain ways and his thoughts sometimes weren’t clear. There was no major drama around the couple, just a steady unfolding of Jamie’s progress, Marc and him finding their way to love with a few bumps along the way. I suppose some might feel the lack of action and conflict make the story seem slow but I was utterly engrossed in the character driven plot. Great secondary figures make the narrative rich and give Jamie and Marc extra dimension. A flurry of activity just before the epilogue offers hints, I believe, of future subjects for the series. This can stand alone but a reader will benefit more from reading book one, as it reveals the greatest catalyst for Jamie’s recovery. Recommended for the hurt/comfort theme around both characters with plenty of redemption and romance.
*An ARC was provided by the author, publisher or promotional service and I have chosen to publish a fair and honest review for Jessie G Books Reviews blog*
April 2, 2018
Soul to Keep is the second in the Rented Heart series. I really enjoyed the first book where we initially meet Jamie, one of this story’s heroes and was excited to read his full story. Although he was a secondary character in Rented Heart, that title included enough details about Jaime’s life before he went to rehab in California to make me think Soul to Keep reads better after finishing Rented Heart than strictly as a standalone. Honestly, when I started this book, I was expecting a different sort of story than it contained- maybe more grit and rough-hewn edges. Despite getting a different sort of story than I expected, I really enjoyed Soul to Keep.
Soul to Keep picks up a year after Jamie gets clean and he decides to move back to England. I liked both main characters a lot and I was pleasantly surprised the other hero-Marc- is a secondary character whom I loved from Miss Leigh’s military romance, Between Ghosts (complete with cameos of the couple from that book). The initial meeting between Jamie and Marc was perfect. I liked how that immediate connection steadily built into something more and respected the understanding and patience the men afforded one another. Overall, I’d consider Soul to Keep a quieter May-December romance, especially when compared to this author’s other works, but it wasn’t boring and kept my attention all the way through. Instead, the lack of major angst and conflicts to disrupt Jamie and Marc’s relationship allowed plenty of time for both characters to grow and develop, individually and as a couple.
The rhythm and writing of Soul to Keep was smooth and thoughtful, making for an easy, enjoyable read. If you’re a fan of seeing characters work through personal issues, finding themselves and love along the way, I’d definitely recommend this book and series.
Reviewed by Annie from Alpha Book Club
Soul to Keep picks up a year after Jamie gets clean and he decides to move back to England. I liked both main characters a lot and I was pleasantly surprised the other hero-Marc- is a secondary character whom I loved from Miss Leigh’s military romance, Between Ghosts (complete with cameos of the couple from that book). The initial meeting between Jamie and Marc was perfect. I liked how that immediate connection steadily built into something more and respected the understanding and patience the men afforded one another. Overall, I’d consider Soul to Keep a quieter May-December romance, especially when compared to this author’s other works, but it wasn’t boring and kept my attention all the way through. Instead, the lack of major angst and conflicts to disrupt Jamie and Marc’s relationship allowed plenty of time for both characters to grow and develop, individually and as a couple.
The rhythm and writing of Soul to Keep was smooth and thoughtful, making for an easy, enjoyable read. If you’re a fan of seeing characters work through personal issues, finding themselves and love along the way, I’d definitely recommend this book and series.
Reviewed by Annie from Alpha Book Club
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