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Beached Hearts
Seven years after an unhappy affair with a marine biologist, Conor Kelly finds lightning strikes twice.
A US film crew arrives in the picturesque seaside town of Kinroe, West Ireland to record the autopsy of a beached whale. As local chief of police, Conor is angry at the desecration of wildlife and the interruption to his secluded life. But head of the project, marine biologist Eli Sanders, makes his admiration plain.
Conor tries to ignore his attentions. He nearly lost his family to his first homosexual experience and isn't willing to risk it all again, no matter how much Eli has captured his imagination.
But Eli enchants him, seduces him and soon Conor can't keep his mind on the job…
A US film crew arrives in the picturesque seaside town of Kinroe, West Ireland to record the autopsy of a beached whale. As local chief of police, Conor is angry at the desecration of wildlife and the interruption to his secluded life. But head of the project, marine biologist Eli Sanders, makes his admiration plain.
Conor tries to ignore his attentions. He nearly lost his family to his first homosexual experience and isn't willing to risk it all again, no matter how much Eli has captured his imagination.
But Eli enchants him, seduces him and soon Conor can't keep his mind on the job…
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 26, 2015
3.5 stars. I would have given this book 4 stars if Conor and Eli didn't cry all the time. It got to me after while.
March 14, 2014
If you love self-inflicted angst and pain, you are going to love the MC in this story. Conor Kelly is the cop in charge of the area where a beached whale has washed up on the shore of his tiny little village in Ireland. For two days, he watched the whale struggle to live, and he’s devastated that biologists are showing up to document the dissection of this courageous animal. His resentment is primarily focused on Eli Sanders, the marine biologist in charge. Unfortunately, mixed with his resentment is a chemistry between the two that he finds hard to deny, but deny it he will. Conor has experience with a man like Eli, having been burned seven years ago by Liam, the man he loved with his whole heart— the man who was also a marine biologist, and who abandoned Conor and never looked back once he got his Ph.D.
Eli pursues him, but Conor point blank refuses to date or have sex with Eli before he’s suddenly faced with an even greater dilemma. Liam has come back to town, arriving to assist Eli with the project, and Liam turns his full charm back onto Conor again. Though he refuses Liam as well, Liam eventually makes a move on Conor at his house and he’s unable to resist. Now thoroughly disgusted with himself, and knowing that he can’t continually have men come into his life, stir up his feelings and then leave him again, he pushes Liam out the door, injuring him in the process. The next day, when Liam tells Eli how his ankle was broken, the two have a fistfight over Conor, with most of the town as witnesses. This only feeds Conor’s anger with both men, since Conor is the one who has to live here when they move on and homosexuality is not easily accepted in this area. To top it all off, he finds out that people are now joking over his attraction to marine biologists. And although he feels like he could have had something long term and perfect with Eli, his heart just can’t handle another short term romance. When Eli stops in to see him and they have sex before he leaves the area, Conor lets his heart get engaged and then broken again.
Six months later, Eli is back. Signed on as a researcher with the University of Galway, he approaches Conor to see if they can make something work this time, but Conor rejects him outright, stating that he just can’t go through this again. Eli is persistent, but when he finally gets the message loud and clear, he gives up and promises never to return. Unfortunately, he’s in an accident on the way to the airport and one of the cars in the pileup is Conor’s best friend, Aiden, who’s pronounced DOA. Grief-stricken, Conor goes to the hospital to pick up Eli. When he finds that Eli needs to be monitored because of his head injury, Conor offers to take him home for the night. When grief for Aiden overcomes him deep in the night, Conor succumbs to tears, and Eli comes in to his room to comfort him. Eventually, the comfort is in the form of sex, and the two have a wonderful night before Conor wakes and rejects Eli again.
This time, they spend the day together getting to know a little more about each other before Eli leaves. Brokenhearted, when Conor goes back to his home he confronts his mother blaming her for what happened between him and Eli, because she can’t accept his homosexuality. I found this to be extremely childish and immature behavior but it is in keeping with Conor’s personality so I’m sure the author intended it that way. And did Conor then attempt to call or email Eli? No, he did not.
When Conor finally confronts his feelings, he flies to America to find Eli, and he fully intends to do whatever is necessary to allow them to be together. Unfortunately, Immigration laws being what they are, it’s not simple, and the solution of marriage to a woman is not acceptable to Conor. At this point, Eli, who has been emotionally mature throughout the story, has a temper tantrum, very much of a brat attack, and gives Conor an ultimatum that he can’t really accept. Amazingly, Conor keeps his cool throughout this section and it’s simply Eli who becomes the uncooperative partner. The two do work out a solution eventually, and the couple does get their HEA. And, as much as I absolutely hated Conor at times throughout this book, I really was happy for them at the end of the story. These characters evoked a lot of emotion for me throughout the story, and it was one of the most angst-driven stories I’ve ever read. Usually, that is a huge turn-off for me. The only reason I can think of for liking it so much is the skill of the author. The characters were richly developed, the story interesting, the locations well-described, and the emotions rich. It’s a story well worth reading-- just get your blood pressure under control first.
Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher through Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an impartial review.
Eli pursues him, but Conor point blank refuses to date or have sex with Eli before he’s suddenly faced with an even greater dilemma. Liam has come back to town, arriving to assist Eli with the project, and Liam turns his full charm back onto Conor again. Though he refuses Liam as well, Liam eventually makes a move on Conor at his house and he’s unable to resist. Now thoroughly disgusted with himself, and knowing that he can’t continually have men come into his life, stir up his feelings and then leave him again, he pushes Liam out the door, injuring him in the process. The next day, when Liam tells Eli how his ankle was broken, the two have a fistfight over Conor, with most of the town as witnesses. This only feeds Conor’s anger with both men, since Conor is the one who has to live here when they move on and homosexuality is not easily accepted in this area. To top it all off, he finds out that people are now joking over his attraction to marine biologists. And although he feels like he could have had something long term and perfect with Eli, his heart just can’t handle another short term romance. When Eli stops in to see him and they have sex before he leaves the area, Conor lets his heart get engaged and then broken again.
Six months later, Eli is back. Signed on as a researcher with the University of Galway, he approaches Conor to see if they can make something work this time, but Conor rejects him outright, stating that he just can’t go through this again. Eli is persistent, but when he finally gets the message loud and clear, he gives up and promises never to return. Unfortunately, he’s in an accident on the way to the airport and one of the cars in the pileup is Conor’s best friend, Aiden, who’s pronounced DOA. Grief-stricken, Conor goes to the hospital to pick up Eli. When he finds that Eli needs to be monitored because of his head injury, Conor offers to take him home for the night. When grief for Aiden overcomes him deep in the night, Conor succumbs to tears, and Eli comes in to his room to comfort him. Eventually, the comfort is in the form of sex, and the two have a wonderful night before Conor wakes and rejects Eli again.
This time, they spend the day together getting to know a little more about each other before Eli leaves. Brokenhearted, when Conor goes back to his home he confronts his mother blaming her for what happened between him and Eli, because she can’t accept his homosexuality. I found this to be extremely childish and immature behavior but it is in keeping with Conor’s personality so I’m sure the author intended it that way. And did Conor then attempt to call or email Eli? No, he did not.
When Conor finally confronts his feelings, he flies to America to find Eli, and he fully intends to do whatever is necessary to allow them to be together. Unfortunately, Immigration laws being what they are, it’s not simple, and the solution of marriage to a woman is not acceptable to Conor. At this point, Eli, who has been emotionally mature throughout the story, has a temper tantrum, very much of a brat attack, and gives Conor an ultimatum that he can’t really accept. Amazingly, Conor keeps his cool throughout this section and it’s simply Eli who becomes the uncooperative partner. The two do work out a solution eventually, and the couple does get their HEA. And, as much as I absolutely hated Conor at times throughout this book, I really was happy for them at the end of the story. These characters evoked a lot of emotion for me throughout the story, and it was one of the most angst-driven stories I’ve ever read. Usually, that is a huge turn-off for me. The only reason I can think of for liking it so much is the skill of the author. The characters were richly developed, the story interesting, the locations well-described, and the emotions rich. It’s a story well worth reading-- just get your blood pressure under control first.
Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher through Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an impartial review.
October 9, 2014
Scarlet Blackwell is a queen of angst for me hands down. I absolutely love her writing and she could coerce me into reading almost anything, apart from my most bulletproof squeaks. But I've been stalling with this story, because I've been afraid it's too angsty and I'd cry my eyes out reading it. But right now I'm in the mood for angst, so I decided to be brave enough and just read it ))) Imagine my surprise when I found out this book isn't that scary! Sure there's tormented characters and several separations between the characters, but there's more hope, than I thought it would. After Conor went to America to visit Eli, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop, for them to have a big fight or something along that lines, but still there was none of it! They spent their two weeks together and despite Conor bailing out of their arrangement with the false marriage they still remained a couple (thank God!) and when Conor had to return to Ireland, it was with an agreement for Eli to come to him which he did - permanently.
All in all great read - heartfelt, poetic and very intense, as usual with Ms. Blackwell's books!
All in all great read - heartfelt, poetic and very intense, as usual with Ms. Blackwell's books!
April 3, 2024
DNF 44%
This is set in Ireland, has a beached whale, a marine biologist, and a cop.
Unfortunately, the conversations are stilted and the word love is being thrown around randomly. Not buying into the "I don't want you - I'm in love with you" theme after a couple days.
Definitely not my favorite of Blackwell's books.
This is set in Ireland, has a beached whale, a marine biologist, and a cop.
Unfortunately, the conversations are stilted and the word love is being thrown around randomly. Not buying into the "I don't want you - I'm in love with you" theme after a couple days.
Definitely not my favorite of Blackwell's books.
July 27, 2010
Again, the common theme of Ms. Blackwell's stories is strongly presented here: complicated relationship, where one man is determined and the other is more reluctant with fear and ends up pushing others away. In this story, the determined one is Eli Sanders, an American marine biologist, who visits West Ireland village of Kinroe to make documentary about a beached whale. While the reluctant one is Inspector Conor Kelly, who had his heart broken by another marine biologist seven years ago. Attraction is there but Conor's have been burned so bad, and he had to live his life in that small village being the only gay man in town, that he pushes Eli hard, no matter how Eli tries for them to give a relationship a chance. Especially because Conor knows that Eli will return to America when the project finishes.
This story is made of two parts. I actually love the first part very much. I have come to love Ms. Blackwell's way for push and pull among the characters. It's messy but it's intense and it pulls me in. The second part consists of "the aftermath", when Conor and Eli try to work out their complicated relationship somehow, not just because of their intense feeling but also the fact that they live thousand miles apart. Now, in the second part, I think some chapters feel like they drag on. I can survive if the story is cut short in the second part because some of the problems becoming repetitive.
I do like the ending though, it makes more sense than the other alternative, due to the nature of their work
This story is made of two parts. I actually love the first part very much. I have come to love Ms. Blackwell's way for push and pull among the characters. It's messy but it's intense and it pulls me in. The second part consists of "the aftermath", when Conor and Eli try to work out their complicated relationship somehow, not just because of their intense feeling but also the fact that they live thousand miles apart. Now, in the second part, I think some chapters feel like they drag on. I can survive if the story is cut short in the second part because some of the problems becoming repetitive.
I do like the ending though, it makes more sense than the other alternative, due to the nature of their work
September 5, 2010
Taciturn, deeply wounded, gruff Conor is Chief of Police in the small town of Kinsoe, Ireland. A blue whale dies on the beach near Conor's town, and a crew of scientists and TV people flies in from America to make a post-mortem documentary. Conor despises them from the day they arrive, having watched the whale's agony and reluctant to have its dissection made a TV show. Most of all, though, Conor despises outgoing, brash, openly gay marine biologist Eli, head of the documentary crew. Seven years ago, Conor had his heart broken by another marine biologist, Liam. When Eli comes on to Conor, he feels as if history is about to repeat itself. Overcome by fear of having his heart broken yet again, Conor pushes Eli away despite his instincts which tell him that Eli is exactly what he needs. But Eli isn't that easily scared away.
There was a lot to like in this story. The character of Conor, his pain and fear, was very well crafted, as well as Eli, whose stubborn persistence in his pursuit of Conor was simply adorable. The secondary cast is well-done too, particularly Liam, who was an asshole, but had a reason for this, making him more of a real person. There was a lot of angst going on, most of it handled nicely. The emotional waves got a bit massive then, unfortunately. Although the tearful lover's reunion in itself was really moving, it didn't quite fit the initial characterization of both Eli and, particularly Conor. I really couldn't see how the man Conor was in the beginning could turn into the tear-bound, emotional wreck he was in the end. Yet, the story was beautiful, and the HEA, though slightly forced, convincing and satisfying.
A very romantic, angsty read with a lot of unexpected detail about whales and hot, emotion-laden sex. Recommended.
There was a lot to like in this story. The character of Conor, his pain and fear, was very well crafted, as well as Eli, whose stubborn persistence in his pursuit of Conor was simply adorable. The secondary cast is well-done too, particularly Liam, who was an asshole, but had a reason for this, making him more of a real person. There was a lot of angst going on, most of it handled nicely. The emotional waves got a bit massive then, unfortunately. Although the tearful lover's reunion in itself was really moving, it didn't quite fit the initial characterization of both Eli and, particularly Conor. I really couldn't see how the man Conor was in the beginning could turn into the tear-bound, emotional wreck he was in the end. Yet, the story was beautiful, and the HEA, though slightly forced, convincing and satisfying.
A very romantic, angsty read with a lot of unexpected detail about whales and hot, emotion-laden sex. Recommended.
December 14, 2018
Scarlett Blackwell is a firm fave of mine. Not a lot of her books get less than a 5 usually and I was torn between ratings with this one. First off I really enjoyed it. Loved ( as usual ) the love/ hate theme that she does so well and engaged with Conor and Eli straight away. The love scenes sizzled as usual and the ST is electric so overall another brilliant read but the strange thing was that despite it being a deeply satisfying read, my usual feeling of ' Wow! That blew me away ' wasn't there when I' d finished it, like it generally is and I'm still a bit perplexed as to why, hence the slight drop in rating. Perhaps it was my frame of mind at the time. Who knows, a second time round later down the line might give me a change of heart! Still a keeper though and well worth adding to your library if, like me, you love SB's Writing style. 4.5
September 28, 2011
I try but that's not for me.
Conor have the maturity of a preteen girl and is unable to evolve even after 7 years and Eli do not have any pride and personality, I didn't connect with them, I just found them annoying and pathetic. I understand that it's supposed to be about a second chance and it's normally something that appeal me but the characterization was so cliche and immature that I didn't give a damn about them.
Conor have the maturity of a preteen girl and is unable to evolve even after 7 years and Eli do not have any pride and personality, I didn't connect with them, I just found them annoying and pathetic. I understand that it's supposed to be about a second chance and it's normally something that appeal me but the characterization was so cliche and immature that I didn't give a damn about them.
May 15, 2017
It was really good. But something went south towards the end. But really liked it.
Read
September 2, 2022I remember reading this and liking the garda MC very much, and the visiting MC was well written, too. I am going to reread and rate.
February 19, 2011
This well-written story is both an interesting and a frustrating read. Both protags are appealing and the setting is wonderfully described so that it's easy to feel a part of Conor and Eli's world. That said, the progress of their relationship is hindered by Conor's continued "yes/no" attitude. He's been hurt in the past and finds it very hard to get close to Eli yet he's also very drawn to him. The story is at times very emotional but the plot is interesting and overall I found Beached Hearts worth reading.
August 31, 2015
Too much angst with Conor's concern over what people think and not wanting to be the source of gossip. Yet in direct contradiction to this concern he readily engages in sex with Ian while Conor is at work in full view of anyone who might happen to walk into the police station. I think the story would have moved along better and not suffered by eliminating 1/3 of the pages dedicated to Conor denying himself and wallowing in self-pity/loathing/recrimination over this denial. The story wrapped up in a nice HEA rather quickly. Over all I enjoyed the story.
May 31, 2012
Made it through 4 chapters, then gave up; I couldn't stop rolling my eyes. Conor wiggs out right off the bat, for no real reason. Then he's afraid to get involved with Eli - even for a night - for fear he'll end up as broken-hearted as he was over Liam. Worse, he's apparently still pining for Liam after 7 years. And Liam was the first man he'd been with, and now apparently he's gay (not bi) even though there's nothing to indicate that it wasn't just Liam himself.
November 28, 2011
I simply loved this book. I think I now have reread it about 4 times. The characters are so lovable, and the romance is just sweet. I think what got me was the issue with them leaving in different countries...it hit home for me. I went through the same situation. The sex was hot, yeah, but the feelings they shared were hotter! You can't argue with that.
June 7, 2011
The first half of this was good.
I thought that this had strong characters, a decent set up and a very good start. The whale bits felt very believable and well researched.
And while I can understand the primary character's reluctance to get into a relationship, the second half of the book was too much of an angst yo-yo for me to enjoy it.
I thought that this had strong characters, a decent set up and a very good start. The whale bits felt very believable and well researched.
And while I can understand the primary character's reluctance to get into a relationship, the second half of the book was too much of an angst yo-yo for me to enjoy it.
June 11, 2011
I like a little angst with my romance...Ok, I like quite a lot of angst (so long as it's done well)... but there was a fair amount of eye rolling through the second half of this book. Just too much wailing and insecure navel gazing and not enough light, fun moments to balance it out.
I hate saying this because most mm novels are too short for my liking but this one felt a tad too long.
I hate saying this because most mm novels are too short for my liking but this one felt a tad too long.
November 4, 2011
2.5
I really wanted to like this book more, but in the end, it ended up an ok read. I had a hard time believing Connor and Eli's relationship and their love. I had glimpses where it worked and held onto those.
I really wanted to like this book more, but in the end, it ended up an ok read. I had a hard time believing Connor and Eli's relationship and their love. I had glimpses where it worked and held onto those.
October 19, 2013
Wow, Conor is really a mess of hurt and insecurities. Eli fall hard but he doesn't always handle things really well either. This was not an easy meet, fall in love, HEA. These guys have tons of work to get to the happy ending and there are plenty of obstacles along the way.
May 4, 2013
Oh, what to say, what to say. It was bittersweet and melancholy and supremely heartbreaking. There was not enough joy and happiness to counteract these emotions though, not even at the end. This happily-ever-after was conditional and it felt that way.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews