Beautiful Hearts

Rainbow Redemption #1

by Jax Calder

Tim:


I lost my husband three years ago. Since then I’ve survived by focusing on raising my daughter.

Until I meet Jamie.

He’s wrong for me for so many reasons.

Too young. Too charming. Too beautiful.

But he works at the school I teach at, and I can’t escape him even if I wanted to.

As much as I try to resist, our connection is undeniable. Which leaves me wondering - is it possible to find your soul mate twice?


Jamie:


A relationship in my past has left me with massive scars, but this thing with Tim is so different to anything I’ve had before.

We laugh together. We connect on a billion and one levels. And he’s the kindest man I’ve ever met.

But he was never part of my plan. It was my plan to travel at the end of the year, not to fall for an older man, one who is settled and has a daughter.

But I can’t help myself. And honestly? I couldn’t be happier.


Until a secret from the past threatens to destroy everything.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Friends To Lovers, Grief, Contemporary Romance

332 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 28, 2022

About the author

Jax's stories are all about light-hearted conversations and deeply-felt connections. She loves exploring exactly why two characters are the only ones who’ll make the other truly happy, and the journey they take to reach their happily-ever-after.

Jax lives in New Zealand and is a rabid sports fan, a hiking enthusiast and has a slightly unhealthy addiction to nature documentaries. As an extrovert who spends way too much time in her own head, she loves to connect with readers. To read her exclusive novella Being Set Up, sign up to her newsletter: https://jaxcalder.com/newsletter-sign.... You can also join her Facebook group Jax's Crew (www.facebook.com/groups/jaxcaldercrew) for bonus stories plus exclusive excerpts from her upcoming books.

Reviews

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

~4.25~

I'm seeing some mixed reviews around this book, and while I sort of understand why (the story packs an emotional punch), I loved it.

Tim is a widower and a single dad. His husband, Rick, died in a car accident three years prior. Tim is still mourning Rick; of course, he is. Grief shrinks but never disappears.

Some readers complain about widower books because they're sad. I felt the same way until I became a widow. Now, if there's no grief present, I call bullshit, because that's not how it works.

So don't go into this book expecting all hearts and puppies, because there's pain and loss too.

But is there joy? Yes, so much.

When Tim meets the new sports coordinator at his school, Jamie, the two click right away. Despite a big age gap (Jamie is 22 to Tim's mid-30s), there's an immediate spark between them, and what begins as lust turns to love in a very realistic way. I wouldn't call this insta love. Jamie and Tim spend a lot of time together, and when they're not together, they're texting.

I'm really glad I didn't read the reviews going in because there is a plot twist around the halfway mark, and it's a doozy. I didn't see it coming until Jamie met Tim's friend Cam. That's when my heart dropped because I knew.

I don't want to say anything more about this because it's best to go in blind. Trust me.

This is the kind of angst that hurts so good. I understood Jamie's guilt and Tim's anger, and I understood why Jamie needed to leave. Would I have been able to move forward like Tim? I'm not sure, but that's part of what makes this book amazing. It's complex and real and raw.

Fortunately, the MCs work through their pain, and the ending is everything I wanted.

I enjoy Jax Calder's writing style, and I love that the story is set in New Zealand. The secondary characters are well-rounded, but they don't detract from the romance.

Even Stella, Tim's daughter, isn't overly present and acts like a normal 8-year-old instead of some child protégé overly involved in adult relationships, like many kids in romance novels.

Oh, and we're invited to Sam and Lane's wedding (they're the MCs from The Anonymous Hookup). If you haven't read that book yet, you really should.

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Hearts is book one in the Rainbow Redemption series by Jax Calder. In all honesty, I’m sitting here looking at the computer screen trying to figure out what to say to you about this amazing book! I just had no idea the impact this would have on me! I decided to read it after reading The Hookup Duology because I knew Sam and Lane’s wedding was a part of this book. I just never expected...THIS!!!

Tim is thirty four years old and is the single dad to his beautiful seven year old daughter, Stella. Tim is a widow. He lost his husband three years ago. He still misses him every day. He has just recently tried unsuccessfully to start dating again. Tim is a science teacher at Southlake High School in South Auckland.



Jamie Evans is twenty two years old and has just been hired at Southlake High as the new sports coordinator. Jamie plans to work for the year, save his money, then do some traveling. He has only had one serious relationship with a man that hurt him deeply.

Tim and Jamie’s first meeting is so cute. Jamie is the most beautiful man that Tim has ever seen. And they share that instant chemistry. As they get to know each other, they become friends first. They make each other laugh. Jamie gets Tim to spread his wings a bit. They just seem to get each other. I got butterflies every time they smiled those big smiles at each other. I felt their excitement when they knew they were going to see each other. And I loved the way that they took interest in each other’s lives by doing little things, buying a sandwich, helping in their classroom. In other words, I swooned pretty much through three quarters of this book!



These two were the sweetest men. They both had the biggest hearts! I couldn’t have loved them more. But do you think the author was going to make things so easy for them? She had a surprise up her sleeve and whew! I never saw it coming! All I can say is, you need to read this book. It’s amazing and wonderful and sweet and sexy and I will love Tim and Jamie forever. There is a bonus epilogue that you also absolutely need so don’t forget to download that at the end. I am going to be thinking about these two for a very long time. If you do read it, I hope you love them as much as I did.

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the fuck 😃 I stayed up all night and finished this at 3:16am, I could not put it down. I predicted that twist but goddamn I was NOT ready for it. I am still shook. This book put me through the goddamn wringer 😭 I’m not writing a proper review, no quotes or anything. My advice is to just go into this completely blind (TW/CWs for grief, loss, and cheating but not between the MCs).


Also Seb and Marcus? Please tell me they are getting a book 🥺

[~Nicole~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

LATER EDIT : Fucking hell!!! Honest to God, I even cried, I loved this bonus epilogue more than the actual book ! I still hate Rick, though..

I always end up annoyed after reading a book with widowers and yet I’m drawn to them every single time. This book started good and I was enjoying it especially since it seemed that the widower MC wasn’t riddled with guilt like in other books, you know? He wasn’t all “Oh, I can’t be with him because that would mean that I stopped loving my husband” . He started dating again and he admitted the attraction towards Jamie fairly soon. They become a thing after a reasonable amount of slow burn, he introduced Jaime to his daughter and sisters and if sometimes Rick’s name was mentioned it wasn’t a big deal and it’s pretty natural, after all, he WAS a part of Tim’s life and his daughter’s father. Then it all went to hell. It started when at a restaurant ; while Jamie was having fun with Stella Tim was musing these words :

“It’s followed by a pulse of anger. Not directed at Jamie but at the universe. Because it should’ve been Rick here playing games with his little girl. I don’t resent the fact Jamie’s here playing with Stella. In fact, it just makes me love him more, but he’s taking a place that, by all rights, belongs to Rick.”

Yeah, no comment. And this isn’t the worst part . The worst part is that ,when he found out the truth Tim was an absolute asshole. It was a shock, and I understand he needed time to digest but he didn’t spare a thought for Jaime..Not a single one. Every thought was for his dead husband . After that I pretty much didn’t care if and when he’d have the revelation that he should be concerned about Jaime too.
Jaime wasn’t exactly innocent in all that issue either and that’s the author’s fault.. What’s with this cliché assumption that for a gay man , pursuing and “turning” a straight man or a closeted one is the highlight of their life as a gay man? Jaime was indeed pretty insolent in his pursuit .
Anyway, I love this author’s writing and I always expect greatness but her stories don’t always work for me. This one here could have been great if it hadn’t been a throuple with the dead husband (as someone else here called it) .And let’s be real, Rick was dead for 3 years not 3 months!!
I loved Tim and Jaime together..They were sweet and hot and their first time in the locker room was so hot and intense and sensual.. I liked it but I didn’t love the book. I was uncomfortable the whole time because they kept comparing the other one with their ex-es and the dead husband was there all the freaking time. And the scene , the first time in Tim’s bedroom where Jaime was feeling insecure and inadequate was really cringey. So yeah, 3 stars it’s all I can give.

[NicoleR.M.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars, rounded up.

This is one of those books that seems to be low on the angst, and full of tender and sweetness. Until that one moment when everything you thought you knew falls into a million pieces, leaving you gasping and almost hurting as much as Tim and Jamie. The way Jax Calder dropped that bomb, taking me by surprise because I hadn't seen that one coming, well, it was like a punch in the gut.

Let me start by saying that this is a book with a lot of feelings. It's about Tim, who lost his beloved husband a few years ago in a car accident. He's left behind with their daughter, and he's trying to get his life back on track. Which is hard. He still misses all the little things and all the big ones too. After marrying the love of his life, he thought it would be forever. He finds it hard to pick up the pieces, he struggles with the memory of his husband regarding their daughter. What's the right thing to do?
Just when he thought he was ready to see if he could date again, he meets Jamie. A much younger man, devastatingly handsome and a new colleague at the school where he teaches. They get along really well from that first moment they meet, sharing the same kind of humor and mutual interests.
Slowly they find ways to be in each other's lives, first as friends, later on they both realize there's more to them than friendship.
The way Tim handles his growing relationship with Jamie in regard to his daughter, is done really well. I didn't like the way his family handled his new situation, though I get that they were a bit sceptic and mainly protective of his daughter. But they should have had more faith in him.

And then that bomb drops and God, it hurt! I hurt for both Jamie and Tim, because if there ever was a couple meant to be, it was them! And now...well, now they were both hurting and missing each other and how could they ever get passed this?!
If anything, I did really like how the author made everything feel so organic and real - their developing relationship, the perfect pace it took, the way they found their way to each other again - not to be spoiling, but this is after all a romance book, so HEA's are required!

All in all, this is a well written romance with many feelings, perfectly paced and very real. I loved both characters, their struggles felt valid and human, and it was wonderful to see their character development throughout the story.

I kindly received an advanced copy from gay romance reviews and this is my honest, unbiased review

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Kind of hard to write a review without spoilers -
The first two thirds of this book were a bit basic and boring. Not bad but not anything really exciting. Just pretty standard I guess.
While the end did get better- it felt so rushed. I wish we got a bit more time to wrap up the ending in a better less rushed way.

I hope the author decides to continue this series- it looks like it was started as a series but nothing else

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

i definitely didn’t expect this. i’m not even sure if it’s in a bad or good way.
i liked the beginning a lot and the insta attraction didn’t bother me.

tim is a widower and he’s starting to date again, but the grief is still so deep. it’s a bit too much in my opinion, not the intensity of the feeling but the quantity. the dead husband feels like a third in the relationship sometimes.
sure, at the end i understood why, but i’m not a big fan of this kind of writing choice, which is a shame because i usually love this author’s books. (i know, i’m talking in riddles but i’m trying not to spoil anything.)
i usually feel a lot of things with this author’s books, because i love her writing style, but here i mostly felt a lot of sadness and shock. so right now i feel like it was a lot, but mostly it’s due to the shock factor. i can’t help but say that it’s the easy way out when you want your book to provoke a lot of emotions.

i can’t say that this is a bad book, but i also have to admit that this felt like a throuple with a dead person (trust me, it makes sense when you read this), which isn’t something that i want to read.
but i did love the characters and how they fell in love.
i know that i will think about this a lot in the next few days, which is something that i always appreciate and this is definitely a unique idea for a book. bonus points for this.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This was so emotional 😢 only reason I didn't give 5 stars is the secondary characters.

Tim's sisters were just so judgemental and completely disrespectful towards Jamie until the very end, and Rick's sister was so unlikeable. It didn't feel like they supported Tim even trying to move on after three years, which seems pretty shitty of siblings!

If I'd been in Tim's position I'd have rather had the truth about Rick than pretty memories 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I made the mistake and read a few (non spoilery) reviews beforehand, so I knew there was a plot twist coming - not the content of the twist, but that there would be one. I think I’ve watched/read too much Christie and Sherlock because after hearing *the names* at the 10% mark of the book, I knew what it would be (even if one detail threw me for a bit; trying real hard not to spoil too much here, even with the spoiler tag). I really think it’s best if you know absolutely nothing beforehand, because for the next 60% of the book I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The thing is: while the MCs are super lovable, their love story absolutely gorgeous, and their developing friendship and feelings very organic and believable, it was painful to read, if you knew what was coming. Scratch painful: watching them being so unbelievably happy and in love after their painful pasts, knowing it would all go to shit again soon, was AGONY 😭

I couldn’t concentrate on much else other than wondering about how they would dissolve that particular conflict for most of the book, since I figured it out so early on and that was distracting me from the good parts.
I was satisfied with how the author handled it in the end though, even if the whole thing was absolutely heartbreaking for everybody involved. Thank GOD for their HEA, I couldn’t have handled anything less.

Special mention to how Tim’s grief was portrayed (that was very well done indeed imo) and the cameo of Lane and Sam from ‘The Anonymous Hookup’ - if you haven’t read that yet, you should!! We get to attend their wedding in this book, eeek ☺️🥰

All in all, I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I had more time/space to just bask in their happiness without constantly feeling queasy and anxious about the upcoming reveal. That’s not the authors fault though, but mine and because I’ve loved these two together - all their talks, banter, jokes, open communication, sexy times, openness, eagerness and tenderness - it’s still 3,5⭐️ rounded up for me even if I’m glad it’s over and I can let my anxiety go now 😅

[ML · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 32%

This book needed serious editing. So much was repeated. I literally could not go on. Ugh 😣
We get both characters are hot. We get it Tim lost his husband. 🔂😵‍💫😑

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Another new-to-me author and a big win for me! I don't remember how this book wound up on my radar, but it had me hooked from the start. I'm also glad I didn't do more than glance at some reviews because I really had no idea how the story would play out and I was surprised and shocked at what I didn't see coming. The story had excellent relationship-building, angst, emotion, and a hard-won happy ending.

Jamie and Tim's romance played out so well. Yes, Tim is still grieving the sudden loss of his husband Rick 3 years before and that relationship with Rick is very present in the story as they had a daughter together that Tim is now raising as a single parent. Jamie had a bad relationship with a man who played him and has since worked hard to turn his life around and is determined not to change his plans for a man ever again. The two connect beyond their physical attraction and fit together so well, I was rooting for them from the start.

The romance was well-paced and the "I love yous" came with still plenty of story left and plenty of relationship to develop with the "secret from the past" yet to drop and boy did it hit hard when it did. It packed an emotional punch and drove the rest of the story and I loved every angsty, dramatic moment as the men struggled to their happy ending.

Really, the only thing I didn't like about this book was Tim's sister Jenna. She was horrible and Tim knew it. I was so angry with him for allowing Jamie to meet her without warning him that she was an intrusive, rude B! Seriously, if I had a family member that was so unsupportive and rude I'd really be limiting contact.

I also really loved the bonus epilogue "The Dream" (from the author's newsletter sign-up) which gives a glimpse into the future and a POV from Rick! I'm not sure if this story is representative of the author's other books, but if it is I'll be bingeing their backlist as I wait for the next book in this series.

[Ken W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not great.

As with the last Jax Calder book that I read, the last 25% of the book was excellent. It’s frustrating that she takes so long to get her stories moving. I’d only rate the first 75% of this one a 2.5 but the last 25% a 3.75. So, my final rating is 3.25 rounded down to 3 stars. I probably won’t be reading another Jax Calder book, at least not anytime soon.

[Vanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!! Oooh My!! What an emotional ride.. 😭😍. Despite the few underwhelming reviews I’d read; I found the story quite gripping.. sweet in the beginning, melancholy sometimes.. really hot in places.. and then a plot twit; more like a giant wrecking ball.. followed by heartbreak.. tears.. but ultimately a well deserved HEA.. 🥰🫶

[Jacqueleen the Reading Queen♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The majority of Beautiful hearts is just an uttetly romantic and wonderful story about two men falling head over heels in love. I mean this read so lovely and organic I had hearts in my eyes and a smile on my face. Then I realized this was the authors way of lulling readers into a false sense of security and it worked like a charm because I did NOT in a million years see the climax coming. I literally cupped a hand over my mouth and gasped which quickly led to actual tears. Which by the way, is almost always an auto 5 star from me. If you can elicit that type of emotion from your writing, you deserve 5 stars all the way. Thankfully by the end my heart was mended but holy shit for a minute there I swore my heart actually stopped.

Tim and Jamie were just perfect for one another. They fit, that simple. The kindness and respect they had for one another is total relationship goals for sure. And the way Stella, Tim's biological daughter just adored Jamie as well. It made their HEA even more beautiful because not only did Jamie get Tim, he also got a family and that was something he hadn't had in a long time. Great read!

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - This book came quietly out of nowhere and smacked me right in the feels. Holy shit, excuse me while I find my balance after that emotional roller coaster ride. I loved Jamie and Tim's story so much. I spent all of Thanksgiving smiling and making conversation with family while internally wishing everyone would leave so I could get back to this book. This was my first time reading anything by Jax Calder and I'm so glad I finally crawled out from under the rock I've apparently been living under because this book was so good.

Admittedly, the dead spouse trope is not a favorite of mine. Like ghosts, the dearly departed tend to linger along the fringes of the story as a constant reminder that one of the MC's loves someone else and would still be with them if something horrible hadn't happened. I know for a lot of people, that reality makes this trope a hard no. For those of you who fit into that category, you might want to skip this one because Tim's deceased husband, Rick, is VERY present in this story. I doubt there was even one chapter that didn't mention his name at least once and Jamie was not immune to feeling jealous and inferior at times, even though his patience and understanding knew no bounds. Since I've seen this trope done well in books like Without You by Marley Valentine and the entire The First Quarto series by Gregory Ashe, I took a chance on this one and don't regret it one bit.

I was rooting for Tim and Jamie so hard. The progression of their love story was paced so perfectly that I caught myself thinking "this is how it's done" several times while reading. Their attraction was evident from the moment they met, but their relationship grew from strangers to friends to so much more in a way that never felt rushed. They both had reasons to be cautious, but didn't shy away from spending time together because they truly liked each other. When the ILY's were exchanged, I believed them. Their feelings were evident on every page through the small things they did for each other, the way they spent every moment apart looking forward to the next time they'd see each other and the huge smiles on their faces when they finally did. I loved everything about their relationship, even with the memory of Rick doing it's level best to kill the mood.

The slowly leaked backstory kept me wondering and had me completely engaged. I knew from the blurb that the shit was going to hit the fan, but I wasn't sure which direction it was going to come from. The "secret from the past that threatened to destroy everything" was a doozy and effectively seated me on the above referenced emotional roller coaster. I didn't know how to feel or what to do with the feelings that eventually settled in, but I thought every nuanced piece of what took place was convincing and written incredibly well. My virgo brain kept trying to poke holes in places I thought might be flimsy, but I eventually reigned in the impulse because if there were holes to find, they weren't worth acknowledging. I loved Tim and Jamie together and wanted them to get their HEA in spite of, and maybe even because of, what happened. They both deserved it.

Now I guess I need to read The Anonymous Hookup to learn about the funny way Lane and Sam met. I'm also assuming Seb will get a book, since there was a lot of time spent building up his mystique. I love reading these interconnected books, but god do they wreak havoc on my tbr. Even so, I'm glad I gave this one a chance because, for me, it was worth it. If you don't mind ghosts of relationships past creeping up at every turn, I highly recommend this book.

*I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim's hopeful belief that Jamie was his dead husband Rick's doing from beyond the grave is extra spicy funny given that Rick was fucking the ever loving shit out of Jamie before he died.

So yeah, sure. Believe that your dead husband is looking over you from the afterlife and sending you a hot younger guy but somehow I don't think Rick has any of that in mind.

Not now, from the depths of hell where he SHOULD be, but also probably not while he was alive and had Jamie buried balls deep inside him whichever chance he got.

Everything is funnier in hindsight.

Jamie asking Tim what he thinks Rick would have thought of him.

Baby, you know this. He'd have thought you were really hot and that he couldn't believe he got to fuck you.

Sorry, this is fucked ����

And they were front runners for sweet adorable wholesome romance.

Nah. Rick deserves to burn in hell.

“He’s gorgeous, Rick. And he’s kind too. I think you would have really liked him."

Yeah. No kidding.💀

This poor kid is dying of guilt about having seduced a married man.

'I’d been so confident I was irresistible.
But he should have fucking resisted me.'

Damn straight.

I kind of understand why he didn't want to tell Tim. What a clusterfuck. How do you say it?

Hey, remember your dead husband of 8 years whom you shared an amazing life and child with? Yeahhhhh, that's kind of the guy I was fucking. Kk? Love you, bye.

'Stay. Stay and tell me about the hot sex you and my husband used to have with each other.'

💀💀💀💀

Whew! The dramaaaaaaaaaa.

“How do you think he reacted?” I rub my forehead.
“Surprisingly, the fact we’ve both screwed his husband was something he didn’t think we could potentially bond over.”

The fact that Rick had been thinking of leaving Tim for Jamie.

Guys. The levels of betrayal to this.

And the worst part is this, right? The guy's fucking DEAD so where does your anger go? Where do you put it?

On his then side piece now your boyfriend who was fucking NINETEEN when your THIRTY ONE YEAR OLD whore hubby was toying with him?

Christ. Dig up that man's bones and burn them to ashes.

Tim's a better man than I, for the obvious reasons, but mostly because there's no WAY I could ever get over that enough to rekindle with Jamie.

Sure it sounds like letting Dick Rick win. But the alternative is.....

I couldn't do it.

God's strongest soldier fr.

“I came because no two people belong together like you and me,”

ACCURATE.

The one thing Jamie won't question going forward is how much Tim loves him, so.

Maybe they HAVE to fudge the story of their past in retellings but that's a small price to pay.

'What if Rick loved the three of us so much that he was okay for memories of him to be tarnished if it meant we’d all get to be this happy?'

Oh. So Tim's not stupid for love. He's just plain stupid. Bless his heart.

This is the kind of radical optimism(read criminal delusion) that allows someone to marry their dead husband's lover.

BRB off to sift through my ex's exes.

[Renée]

DNF at 10%. One of the MCs is still pining for a dead spouse too much for my liking.

[Nelly S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

[Papie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can always count on Jax Calder to put a smile on my face. I just didn’t expect the tears. So many tears.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my poor little heart! I loved everything about this book!

I got to fall in love right alongside Jamie and Tim. The way their relationship started and then evolved was so organic and natural. It never felt forced or awkward. They clearly had a pull far deeper than just physical attraction. I think it helped they were both genuine, caring men. What I really appreciated was how they were both written with so much compassion.

Jamie was so fun loving and open. He may have been young but he’d had significant life experience that changed the course of his life, while also giving him insight into how hard and unexpected life could be. He was so resilient. He did suffer from feelings of inadequacy and insecurity but he didn’t allowed those things to keep him from Tim. Tim gave Jamie a new sense of confidence. Tim saw him as more than just a desirable plaything. Tim saw into who Jamie really was, and loved him for it.

Tim had pretty much assumed that after the death of his husband, he wouldn’t be fortunate enough to find another great love. Then in walked Jamie and he was so gone for him almost instantly. Tim had spent 3 years raising his daughter, Stella, alone and had accepted that was his life. Jamie breathed new life into him. Jamie made Tim feel sexy, funny, and important. Jamie gave Tim (and Stella) joy and love.

There is a massive twist that will absolutely break your heart but will have you falling even deeper in love with these to amazing men and their relationship together. And those 2 epilogues were perfection!!

[E.L. Ough · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given in exchange for a review

There are some trigger warnings so if your sensitive to them please read.

This was a great book I didn’t expect the turn of events, I was sucked right In to this story, couldn’t put it down.

This was about two men who were both getting over partners, and grieving over the death of a loved one.

Jamie had experienced the loss of his father at 16 and spiralled a bit after that, he ended up in a kind of relationship with a closeted man who was never going to make him a priority, so when a new job come up he jumped at the chance to start fresh and save for his travelling trip.

Tim had lost his husband a few years ago and has been grieving ever since with trying to raise their daughter the best he can with his interfering but caring family.
He decided he needed to try and move on and start dating again, so when the new sports coordinator joins the school he works at and seems interested he decides it’s time to live his life.

This book was an endearing, emotional read with very tender moments that I loved, the connection and touches and sizzling looks these two gave each other was hot and touching at the same time. These two defiantly had baggage and some hurdles to get over to make this relationship work but I was routing for them and I’m so happy they got their HEA.

This is age gap, 12 years, single dad, co workers to lovers, great chemistry

Hoping Seb gets his book 😉

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

[Marthea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do mniej więcej 20% czytało mi się super i błyskawicznie, a potem, cóż... zdarzyło się życie 😕 Czytałam na raty, zupełnie nie mogłam się skupić na książce, dopiero tak naprawdę dzisiaj udało mi się przeczytać jakiś większy fragment i było pewnie jakieś 12-14 ostatnich rozdziałów. Ale środek przeleciał mi przez palce i postanowiłam, chyba po raz pierwszy, dać ocenę zawyżoną w stosunku do odczuć po przeczytaniu całości... W końcu to nie wina książki, że zupełnie nie mogłam się od pewnego momentu na niej skupić, czy denerwowały mnie rzeczy, na które pewnie w innych okolicznościach bym nie zwróciła uwagi...

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - I can see how some readers would really love this. There is a lot to like about it and the ideas were cleverly done. It generated some great discussions with my buddy read friend Jamie and it was fun to dissect it all as we went along.

Something about the general arc of it just didn’t quite work for me. The first part dragged and I wanted so much more of the last third. Things felt a bit repetitive and although the grief seemed well written I felt bogged down by Ricks presence at times.

I’m keen for Seb’s book and more from this series.

[Nanilya · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐

I wish I hadn't been spoiled on this one, I probably would have liked it more.

I liked the beginning with the NZ scenery during the school trip which reminded me of the best trip of my life in the beautiful New Zealand.
Both characters were adorable. I agree that the beauty of Jamie is never forgotten because of the the constant reminders. Which is strange.

I liked Tim. I understood him and I felt for him. Stella was also really cute.
However the family and all the sisters were not very supportive.


SPOILERS

I knew there was a big twist coming because of the GR reviews and it kind of ruined my reading because I was waiting for it to happen on every page. At first, I thought that Jamie was the one who killed Rick. Maybe that would have been better haha.
But before that happened, I thought Tim and Jamie were so happy and leaving their best life and we were at 30% or maybe 40% or the book. It never happens. It was kind of boring.

The twist didn't bother me, it's highly unrealistic but Jax Calder likes to write unrealistic plot twists so I wasn't surprised.

Maybe this book could have been an MMM if Rick hadn't die. They all loved each other so why not share 😅.

END OF SPOILERS

I still had a good time reading it, but nothing compares to the Unlikely Dilemmas series, where book 1 and 2 are on my favorite books of all time list.

I can't wait to read the second book in this series about Seb and Marcus !

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good. The situation that came about around 75% was at once shocking and not entirely unexpected.

But, this being a romance, it does have a happy ending. Just make sure you have tissues ready. Wine also helped.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten plot twist, nie spodziewałam się tego. Początek świetny, później okay i boom. Dobre to było.

[Book Binge: Reviews by Melissa DaSilva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in the mood for angst and though I haven’t found this author’s books to be particularly angsty I had seen some reviews saying this book was. While reading I was absolutely into the story but really didn’t see where the angst came in. Until bam something happened and my heart broke for both these MCs. I couldn’t believe it and the angst hit me hard. So if you’re in the mood for a sweet book with a ton of angst through part of it this is the perfect book for that!

I loved Jamie and Tim right from the very beginning. I loved how their relationship progressed and how amazing Jamie was with Tim’s daughter. They were so perfect for each other. I love that they were able to overcome their issues and find a wonderful HEA together.

I highly recommend this book whether you’ve read this author before or not!

[Evelyn220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Absolutely lovely.
The only other book I read from this author was fluffy and low-angst and so I was not at all expecting the emotional punch that this book delivered.
I understand why many readers don’t like stories about widowers but I adore them. Learning to love again after loss and grief is so powerful and beautiful. Tim and Jamie’s complicated relationship adds a whole other layer. I really enjoyed the writing and their character progression.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars - Wow! So many emotions… overall it was very sweet and precious. The twist, I don’t know what to think of it, I’m not sure how I feel, I loved every character so much that I am still analyzing everything lol I think it’s worth reading and I would recommend it.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 stars~

What a beautiful read it was. It had lots of things that I usually dislike in my books. But here, they somehow worked together well to create such a heartwarming story.

When I was looking for something to read, I decided to pick "Beautiful Hearts" at random. You could say it was almost fate, because there is a big chance that I'll forget about the books that I bought months ago. Fortunately for me, I stumbled upon this gem, and now I have all those warm feelings in my heart.

The love story of Tim and Jamie was a simple one. Full of the prose of life and events that happen to a lot of us. But it gave power to their connection because we were able to feel Tim's grief and Jamie's insecurity. We could observe how the mutual attraction blossomed and changed with them.

And the plot twist... Don't get me started on it. Was it over-the-top? Yes, it was. Have I seen something similar? Yes, I have. But here, it worked so well. I even threw away my brother from my room because he wanted to talk during THAT confession. Such a perfect illustration for the song "Cell Block Tango," wouldn't you agree?

Overall, I truly enjoyed "Beautiful Hearts," and I can recommend it to anyone who looks for something a bit therapeutic.