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What the Heart Sees

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Love comes when you least expect it…
Four years after a horrible car accident takes her sight and kills her parents, Sage Montgomery has learned to adapt to her new circumstances in Spruce Creek, Oregon. A new life that includes running the Montgomery horse ranch, which has been in her family for generations. As the place where she grew up, Sage has only the fondest memories. But when she learns her home is at risk because of unpaid taxes, Sage must find a way to raise the money. While the bank threatens and unwanted buyers circle, she is faced with decisions she doesn’t want to make for the ranch... and her heart.
With two decades of hard work on Wall Street, Julie Aspen has everything she wants. A career she loves, the perfect Manhattan condo, and a sexy, young girlfriend. People envy what Julie has and she could not be happier. At least until the firm she works for is accused of fraud. Suddenly stripped of everything and risking indictment, Julie returns to where she grew up. The small town she hates—Spruce Creek. Things couldn't be more miserable until she meets the daughter of a long-lost friend. Suddenly, Julie has second thoughts about what may be important in life and if it is too late to change.
What the Heart Sees is a stand-alone novel with a coming home plot involving an age-gap romance and a happy ending.

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2021

108 people are currently reading
281 people want to read

About the author

K.C. Luck

39 books275 followers
Bestselling author KC Luck writes women loving women action-adventure, contemporary romance, and fiction. Writing is her passion, and nothing energizes her more than creating new characters facing trials and tribulations in a complex plot. Whether it is apocalypse, contemporary, or a little naughty, with every story, KC tries to add her own unique twist. She has written nine books (which include The Darkness Trilogy and The Lesbian Billionaires Club series) and multiple short stories across many genres. KC is active in the LGBT community and is a member of the GCLS Board of Directors.

Eager to hear from readers, KC would be thrilled to get emails (kc.luck.author@gmail.com) or follows on her Facebook Page (@kcluckauthor).

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5 stars
274 (42%)
4 stars
216 (33%)
3 stars
125 (19%)
2 stars
29 (4%)
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8 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
Profile Image for Loek Krancher.
1,042 reviews66 followers
October 17, 2022
Beautiful lovestory!

What The Heart Sees is not a story you expect from KC. In my opinion, she should definitely write more in this genre. It was a well written lovestory with credible, totally opposite characters. One a Wallstreet broker and the other a horse ranch owner in a small town. What they both have in common is that their lives don't go as expected. For them, when it rains it pours. The storyline was very enjoyable and I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Char Dafoe.
Author 28 books192 followers
October 5, 2021
A sweet and tame story

I was captivated from the beginning, but I found myself dragging sometime after the halfway point. As well as the story was written, there was nothing to keep my teeth sunk into, so to speak. The relationship between Julie and Sage was sweet but quickly formed. Maybe too quickly, impo. Very little angst, and any drama that I did enjoy was the scandal regarding Julie's career. I don't say this very often toward a romance, but I found Julie's drama more exciting than the romantic relationship she falls in with Sage. The sex scenes were classy, giving the reader enough to hold onto but leaving enough for the imagination.

Great writing, but I couldn't fully connect to anyone or anything. I didn't love this which is why I'm rating this 3.5 stars
Profile Image for Shannon👻.
158 reviews3 followers
May 7, 2023
4.5 stars
Kindle Unlimited
Being blind from birth myself, I have a point to make and I don't know if it's different with people that have lost their sight later in life but I'm going to tell you anyway
"If only I could see her better, I would love to know what she looks like. A strong yearning to touch her face, simply to better learn her features and lock them in her mind, ran through her."
I understand why people think that blind people may want to feel other's faces to have an opinion on their looks... But that's not correct. It's a misconception if anything.
Yes, I'm blind. Do I want to have my hands all over your face to see what you look like? Absolutely not.
It's awkward
And it's weird.
I'm not offended but I just wanted to put that out there.
On another point unrelated, if the MC's just talked to each other most of their problems could have been avoided.
But yes... I still enjoyed the story.
Profile Image for Alex Lfr.
252 reviews5 followers
January 28, 2022
Insta-love has never worked for me and, sadly, has ruined several books for me and this one wasn’t the exception. Sage and Julie would have worked so much better , in my opinion, with more time to develop feelings and not all based on the pull they feel when they met. From there I simply couldn’t engage in their relationship and it makes me sad because I was really looking forward to reading this one.
Profile Image for Rowan.
310 reviews3 followers
October 2, 2021
Brilliant

I loved this book about two women lost. Sage trying to keep her ranch going and Julie escaping a possible fraud. Very well written and a pleasure to read, couldn’t put it down. Would highly recommend.
Profile Image for Jo Ben-What.
75 reviews2 followers
December 5, 2021
Sweet romance, maybe too sweet. The MC are likable and have great chemistry but something was missing for me. Still a good book though.
Profile Image for Meghan.
703 reviews11 followers
November 5, 2021
Enjoyed

Heartwarming and lovely. I'm not a huge fan of age gap romance, but this one was by a favorite author so I gave it a try. It was good.
Profile Image for M.E. Tudor.
Author 17 books102 followers
May 15, 2024
Truly enjoyable!

This was a wonderful story with enough drama to keep me at the edge of my seat. And, of course, it had a perfect ending.
Profile Image for RA Young.
321 reviews6 followers
November 7, 2021
Makes me miss the PNW

This is a fully fleshed out and well developed story, and written in the style of an adventure, but with the content of a romance. The main characters had to overcome outside obstacles in their own lives, which did intersect a little, but mostly we get to watch them learn to open up and support as well as accept support from each other.

The writing quality and editing was great, the character development well done, the visual elements fleshed out, and the experience of a blind main character/love interest well handled.
Plot and pacing were also perfectly well done.

I think the only thing I would want from the book that I didn't get was a side character of substance. The side characters played their roles to progress the plot but that was about it. They didn't add much emotional value. When one gets sick, it wasn't emotionally engaging because the story didn't really make me care about them or their relationship with the leading women. I also didn't care much about the relationships between the main characters and their family/friends because those other characters where quite two dimensional. We got the bare minimum for them to impact the story and push it forward, but their goals, wants, emotions, and connections were non existent.
But other than that, it was a good book, with some steamy scenes, and a satisfying conclusion.
It also made me miss the Pacific Northwest, where I spent a huge amount of my teen years and 20s.
1,181 reviews
October 20, 2021
Great Read!

I really enjoy this author. I have read several of her books. So definitely a fan. This book did not disappoint. From the beginning of the story, it pulls you in. And without revealing too much, you get ideas in your head real fast. The character of Julie, from the start screams out Ice Queen. As her story unravels, she starts to warm up on you. Sage, is a character where you say to yourself, what the hell else can go wrong. She has survived a tragic accident that has changed her future. You love her. Everything she is, everything she is trying to be and everything she is trying to do. She knows what she wants when she meets Julie. Their connection is unbelievable. Although vulnerable, she pushes her attraction forward and when she realizes that Julie feels the same, she goes for it. The two of them are caught up in each other and the fact that Julie is the daughter of deceased friend is not enough to hold back her attraction. All this while both have been keeping secrets on what turmoil is going on in their lives. This was so well done and exciting to read. Another big nod to KC Luck.
130 reviews2 followers
June 9, 2023
Sage and Julie

Thirty chapters later and I still feel like I haven't met Sage and Julie. We hear almost every chapter how attracted they're to each other but we never got to see that build conversationly, their relationship felt so on surface the entire book. I really thought the author was going to dive into their past more but that didn't happen. However Julie became a better person because she was such a snob in the beginning and I really wish Sage would stop wanting to 'see her reaction'. The book is ok overall
Profile Image for Alexa Steli.
650 reviews4 followers
August 14, 2023
2,25/5
I can't bear the though of reading anything more about this book,thank god it ended.

I simply find their whole relationship weird, like falling in love with your highschool crush's daughter.........what.!!

And not only that but I simply dislike them together almost as much as I hated Julie's character ,she's the female version of straight men,just no.
491 reviews5 followers
December 11, 2023
Well I needed a break from a string of tension-filled books, and this fit perfectly. I don’t want to say it was low stakes, and it feels weird to say it was low tension given everything going on, but… well, let me see if I can explain.

There were a lot of opportunities in the story for things to go terribly wrong: relatives with hostile attitudes and anger-management issues, actual legal problems, additional threatened legal problems, exes unwilling to let go, financial woes, betrayal by a colleague, a crucial worker giving up their role, medical problems leading to the ER, people disappearing during a long drive in a terrible storm, walking unknowingly toward a flooding creek during a storm surge, birth and nursing problems, and that’s just off the top of my head.

But. Every single one of those things died on the vine.

Which, on the one hand, I was kind of looking for. I didn’t want a gut-wrenching read, I wanted a break.

On the other hand, it was just too much teasing. You can’t hit me with something about to go horribly wrong again and again and again and every time just pull the rug out and yeah it was no big.

Along the same lines, there were two dream sequences that just broke all the rules. Again, on the one hand, each one was like a dream come true. On the other hand, each one was like a complete shortcut for actual story. And sure, they again came to nothing — just dreams, after all — but I don’t even want to be teased with something like that, I think. It was like the Oh My God Yes meets the What The Actual F and then ha ha it wasn’t real anyway.

So…

Setting aside any expectations the story induced, I loved it. The characters were wonderful, the story was creative and lovely, I liked the switches between New York and Oregon, it was low-angst like I was looking for yet not one where everything comes way too easy, there was never a point I felt good putting it down…. I mean, it hit all the right notes. Except for how it kept teasing things it didn’t actually deliver, so one star off for that.
Profile Image for Sydney .
240 reviews10 followers
May 20, 2024
It's always great to see different kinds of representation in stories. There aren't enough stories about people with disabilities or chronic conditions, so it was nice to read about Sage and her unique perspective.

The chemistry between Sage and Julie was nearly instant and pretty heated. When they are together they can't keep their hands off each other. The romance seemed less so. They spent less time together than apart. Most of the romance takes place in a very condensed timeline. And all of the actual emotional bonding and getting to know each other is handwaved away over phone calls while they are seperated. I felt a little cheated of getting to know them as a romantic couple.

There is more handwaving being done with the plot of the book. The problems that are plaguing Sage and her ranch are never actually figured out in a lasting, longterm way. A temporary bandaid is applied and then we are marched past for other plotlines. Julie's dad's Alzheimer's doesn't feel like an authentic portrayal. And neither does his treatment or Julie's fix for the situation. If he is in need of more help from a longterm care facility like in the beginning of the story, then downgrading to at home care makes zero sense. There was so much extra drama added on top of everything, when the main problems from the beginning of the book should have provided enough plot on their own. And they're all solved so quickly and anticlimactically.

There is a third act breakup. It lasts for a shortish amount of time chronologically, and not much time in the book. It was also solved with more handwaving and ignoring the actual problems between the MCs.

Not too bad if you don't care too much about plot and are just looking for a quick read with some spice.
23 reviews1 follower
February 7, 2022
This is the first book I've read by K.C. Luck. It's okay; not the best, but not the worst I've ever read. If you like like age-gap and slow burn romances, well, you get 1 out of 2 here. There is the age-gap romance; Sage is the daughter of daughter of someone Julie went to high school with. I believe, if I remember correctly, the age difference is 22 years. But, this is definitely not a slow burn; the attraction is immediate for both of them.

Sage Montgomery lost most of her vision in a car accident that killed her parents 4 years earlier. Julie Aspen returns to the town she grew up in for the first time since she left after she graduated high school. Not long after the first meet, Sage doesn't waste much time letting Julie know how much she's interested in her and the feeling is most definitely mutual. However, both are dealing with personal matters they don't tell each other about, but eventually come to light in dramatic fashion, especially Julie's. While this was a predictable story in places, I still enjoyed it and found myself rooting for this couple.

As I said earlier, this was my first read by K.C. Luck and while not the best, I wouldn't have any objections to reading more of her work.
1,276 reviews
March 25, 2023
The heart not only feels, but it sees a lot!

Julie is a top notch Wall Street investor who may be implicated in a fraud situation. Sage is a beautiful human being who is now visually impaired from a car accident that took her parents' lives. She and her Aunt Ruth are trying desperately to maintain the family ranch. They meet Julie when she returns to their town while hiding out from the feds investigating the case. Although Julie is a long lost friend of Sage's mother, there's an undeniable chemistry between them regardless of the age difference. I really enjoyed watching their relationship evolve into a loving, selfless friendship. The author did a great job turning Julie from an ice queen into a caring person while Sage became even more endearing as the book progressed. They both truly found what was important in life!
Profile Image for This.
284 reviews9 followers
September 17, 2024
I have not read anything by K C Luck before - and my kindle tells me I did not read this book!
It was an interesting read.
A disgraced (falsely accused) high flying ice queen returns to her countryside roots to hide out. Whilst there she meets a blind rancher trying to get by. Another red head.
They do a lot of agonising over their thoughts - in italics to show us that they are thinking rather than talking.
There's a form of dementia discussed and portrayed which is interesting and enlightening.
Everything comes together in the end - as it always does.

So ice queen melts a little, builds a better relationship with her father, and enjoys a relationship with the blind rancher.
There is of course much more to it than that.
I quite enjoyed it and would recommend it. Especially if you like horses. And ice queens.
Profile Image for Annie.
33 reviews
September 21, 2025
What the Heart Sees is a beautifully written romance about healing, second chances, and finding love where you least expect it. Sage’s resilience after losing her sight and her determination to keep her family’s ranch alive made her such a compelling character. Julie, on the other hand, comes back to town with her own baggage, and watching her slowly let go of her guarded, city-hardened exterior was just as moving. Their chemistry is undeniable, and I loved how their relationship grew from tension and mistrust into something real and tender. At times, I felt the story moved a little quickly — especially in moments where I wanted more time to sit with the emotions — but that’s only because I was so invested in the characters. Overall, it’s a heartfelt, satisfying read that blends romance, resilience, and hope beautifully.
10 reviews
October 9, 2021
A book that will linger for a while

This book is one that will stay in my mind for a while. One of the best things about this book is that KC Luck managed to incoorporate angst, joy, perseverance, a little heat, and a deep love all into one story. While I have found that sometimes a book with all of those things can be too "busy" and end up a bit cluttered, this book flows beautifully. The main MCs are memorable and while I was initially unsure of how I'd feel about an age gap this wide, the chemistry and connection between the characters is so strong, I found myself not thinking about it much unless it came up in the story. This book has much to offer a reader, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Michael Wells.
1,088 reviews6 followers
February 22, 2024
Julie Montgomery Julie Montgomery in sage Julie Montgomery in sage aspen Julie Montgomery in sage Aspen meat when Julie flees from a grand jury inquest and to her job as an investment banker. Julie flees to Oregon to escape the federal grand jury. Julie and sage meet and they develop feelings for one another but they are completely different people. The plot revolves around how Julie and sage overcome their feelings and differences who are you Julie lives in New York City wow seeds lives on the horse ranch in Oregon. I found the romance between them very interesting and how they overcome their differences and become comfortable with each other. I recommend this book for all romance readers
474 reviews2 followers
November 1, 2021
Good book

Julie a big Wall Street investor with lots of money who is now being investigated by the FBI. She has one other big problem her father that lives 3000 miles away in Oregon. Sage a woman with very little sight due to an accident four years prior that also took her parents. She lives with her aunt on a horse ranch in Oregon that has be in her family for generations but my be losing it without money. When Julie arrives in Oregon they meet and fall for each other, neither one explains their problems to each other. A beautiful story to read
144 reviews
October 3, 2021
Great characters, wonderful story.

KC Luck always delivers. The main characters of this book, Sage and Julie, seemed like real people to me as I got further into the story. The supporting cast also had distinctly defined personalities. Even Baxter, the ranch dog, became real with KC’s words. The plot, the setting, the situation all worked together to provide the reader with a rich story that all but begs for a sequel. Here’s hoping!
Profile Image for Jen.
Author 6 books20 followers
September 27, 2021
I happened to pre-order this and be off work today. When I saw it on my device this morning, I started reading and didn't stop until I was finished. KC Luck is one of my favorite authors. I eagerly wait for each new book and gobble them up as soon as they appear. Her characters are relatable, her stories delicious and sexy, and always so positive and hopeful.
877 reviews3 followers
October 27, 2021
Having the courage to tell the story!

Two women, Sage is nearly blind is about to lose her family's farm. Julie is a New York investment broker who is in danger of being indicted in a possible Ponzi scam started by a supposed friend. Neither are eager to tell the other of their possible troubles. Not until one of them face the music. Enjoy!
Profile Image for Mary Stokley.
9 reviews
January 4, 2022
Well written and interesting age gap romance with well developed characters. Both MCs are in difficult, life altering situations, find each other, and find a way to overcome those difficulties and make a go with each other. Nice romance with just the right amount of angst, and provides the happy ending we want.
264 reviews2 followers
October 19, 2023

I listened to this book and love the interaction between Sage and Julie. The drama with Julie leading up to Spruce creek was entertaining. How it all got resolved was a bit easy but the journey she went on was great. Sage character with all the characteristics given was not made an issue i the book. Loved that fact.
Profile Image for j good.
272 reviews4 followers
October 4, 2021
Very enjoyable!

What a special love story, I had a notion to where the story would go, but of course not the specifics, but it did not stop me from being completely captivated and not wanting to put it down until i finished it. 👍
Profile Image for Milena.
421 reviews
October 6, 2021
Sweet

Very different from other KC novels, but just as intriguing to read. It’s amazing how our other senses kick in when we lose just one.

Sweet and lovely read that I absolutely enjoyed.
Profile Image for Devoncatt.
322 reviews3 followers
November 6, 2021
Absolutely lovely romance

Unusual romance, high flyer who falls and re-evaluates what is really important. Can you love someone who is real and isn't vapid and eye candy? Can you actually fall in love?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews

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