Saturday, September 29, 2018

Release Blitz: Hidden Hearts by Lindsay Detwiler (Reviews)




Title: Hidden Hearts
Lines in the Sand Prequel Novella
Author: Lindsay Detwiler
Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing
Genre: Contemporary/MM Romance
Release Date: September 29, 2018



Blurb

Not all secrets can stay hidden when it comes to love.

“All along, Reed Wilder’s been this crazy rebel just waiting for me to let my guard down. And so, here we are, standing at the bar waiting to get the party started.”

Sexy entrepreneur Lysander Wyatt has always believed in happily-ever-after thanks to his picture-perfect family. Now orphaned, he’s made a family of his own at his popular beach bar, Midsummer Nights. There’s just one thing missing—the forever kind of love he’s been looking for.

Reed Wilder, a guarded corporate man from Philadelphia, is looking for himself when he moves to Ocean City, Maryland. However, a rocky childhood makes him afraid of commitment. When he walks into Midsummer Nights and meets the attractive bartender who owns it, he’ll have to decide if love might actually be worth the risk. Will Lysander and Reed get on the same page about commitment, or will they continue hiding the true desires and fears of their hearts?

This sweet m/m standalone 35,000-word novella is also a prequel to the popular Lines in the Sand series.







Purchase Links

99c for a limited time

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU







3.5 Stars 

Lysander is the owner of Midsummer Nights, a popular beach bar/restaurant. When Reed, who recently relocated to Ocean City, Maryland, stops in for lunch one day, Lysander is attracted to the sexy stranger, but even as Reed continues to come back, almost daily, Lysander can’t figure out if his interest is returned or if Reed is even gay for that matter.

This was a sweet story. Both Lysander and Reed were likable characters. The story was well-written, but honestly, it was just all kinda blah for me. I felt the story was missing passion and excitement.

I think this may be a case of “it isn’t you, it’s me”, so maybe go ahead and pick it up and give it a try.

*copy provided by author or publisher in exchange for an honest review*




3 Stars

Hidden Hearts is the prequel to Ms. Detwiler Lines on the Sand series, so you'll be fine reading it even if you don't read the next books which are MF, btw.

I liked Lysander a lot, he was a good friend and employer. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about Reed. While I sort of understood where he was coming from, I was very frustrated that it took him so long to come clean about his reasons for not wanting to acknowledge he was in a relationship with Lysander, I was put off that he thought that kissing Lysander on a dark, dirty alley was a good idea and frankly, I couldn't warm up to him after that. I didn't think they had that much chemistry, either. I get that this is the author's first MM book and that the prospect of writing gay sex can be daunting, but at least give us some nice kisses to show the growing connection between the two of them, not just mention it in passing.

The book is well written and despite me not liking Reed (or Jodie, Lysander's friend) all that much, I still found it somewhat entertaining. Then again, while I didn't love it, there's a chance you might. Stranger things have happened. LOL

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***



Author Bio


An English teacher, an author, and a fan of anything pink and/or glittery, Lindsay's the English teacher cliché; she loves cats, reading, Shakespeare, and Poe.

She currently lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad (her junior high sweetheart); their cats, Arya, Amelia, Alice, Marjorie, and Bob; and their mastiff, Henry.

Lindsay's goal with her writing is to show the power of love and the beauty of life while also instilling a true sense of realism in her work. Some reviewers have noted that her books are not the “typical romance.” With her novels coming from a place of honesty, Lindsay examines the difficult questions, looks at the tough emotions, and paints the pictures that are sometimes difficult to look at. She wants her fiction to resonate with readers as realistic, poetic, and powerful. Lindsay wants women readers to be able to say, “I see myself in that novel.” She wants to speak to the modern woman’s experience while also bringing a twist of something new and exciting. Her aim is for readers to say, “That could happen,” or “I feel like the characters are real.” That’s how she knows she's done her job.

Lindsay's hope is that by becoming a published author, she can inspire some of her students and other aspiring writers to pursue their own passions. She wants them to see that any dream can be attained and publishing a novel isn’t out of the realm of possibility.


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