A Hearts On Fire review

If you're planning on reading Letting Go" from M.J. O'Shea's Rock Bay Series first or as a standalone, don't! I am so happy I did read "Coming Home" first because you get to truly appreciate the secondary characters (Lex, Tally & Amy) so much more in this one.

Now having stated the awesomeness of "Coming Home", I'm left wondering if the same author wrote "Letting Go"...what happened?

Drew (who I loved in "Coming Home") trips his way out of the closet, sorta kinda. He's a 32 year old accountant who's bisexual and is afraid of being himself and pretty much everyone by admitting to others he likes men as well as women.

And Mason (whom we briefly met in "Coming Home") is an almost 21 year old student nurse who is out of the closet but recently got out of a bad relationship, is new to town, new to his job and trying not to date. This is who Drew is paired up with, a boy/man who is still growing up and did NOT come off as mature or worldly for me to even consider giving this kid a pass.

But Drew has a spine consistent of string cheese, soft string cheese and actually did not act like he had balls for a lot of the book. He's not who I'd pair up with Mason because they are at two different wavelengths.

But the author did and got through their baggage and awkwardly had fall in love. *sigh*

I love M.J. O'Shea. I don't know what happened. :(

This first third of "Letting Go" was great because it was a summary of "Coming Home" from different angles and point of view. After the retelling, this is when the book started sinking itself into sand pit. By 52% of the book...I screwed my face because I couldn't see how Drew or Mason's situations could possibly get better. There's the first date where Mason had a brief run-in with his controlling ex and he took out his frustrations out on Drew (who was so like sponge cake, it's not even funny). It's like seeing a car crash in slow motion and you can't do anything to stop it.

Granted, Mason is still young enough to get away with his tantrum-like antics because he's not an adult as of yet and still is figuring it out. But his silly reasons for giving Drew a hard time? It was not needed.

I thought I was getting the Mason & Drew from "Coming Home" They were endearing. These two in "Letting Go"? Drew's weak and insecure and Mason has unreasonable tantrums and hang-ups of being CONTROLLED (heavy sighs and eye rolls here). I wanted to grab them by the cuff of their necks and yell, 'Dudes, you love each other, just grow up already'

When Lex told Drew he basically needed to grow a pair, I had my 'ah-ha' moment. But these two stumbled their way into a HEA. Eh, I didn't truly care as much because I lost interest with these two. Now, Mason's best friend, Logan? Him I like, though the author mentioned(?) he was bi (it's unclear as Mason referred men & Logan...didn't really get it)

So would I recommend this book to readers? Eh...if you are a fan of M.J.'s work, it's not one of her best in my opinion but the story is readable. Your feelings of the main characters' might be the bigger question.

I didn't hate this book. Just disappointed. I will read the rest in the series however.--TWO & A HALF STARS" ( )

Liked this one better than the first. Still I'm glad the old characters got an update in this one ( )

This book surprised me, not in a bad way, but I thought Drew was going to be the one with the issues because he wouldn't want to come out of the closet, but I was wrong... it was Mason with the issues. Good book with some humor. I almost spit my coffee out my nose when Amy said to Mason, “We need to find you a man. You're conjuring Cinderfellas.”

I am wondering if Logan is going to get a story with Justin, Travis's cousin from out of town), and is Brock ever going to get a story? At some point it has to come out that he's gay right?! ( )

This book surprised me, not in a bad way, but I thought Drew was going to be the one with the issues because he wouldn't want to come out of the closet, but I was wrong... it was Mason with the issues. Good book with some humor. I almost spit my coffee out my nose when Amy said to Mason, “We need to find you a man. You're conjuring Cinderfellas.”

I am wondering if Logan is going to get a story with Justin, Travis's cousin from out of town), and is Brock ever going to get a story? At some point it has to come out that he's gay right?! ( )

This book surprised me, not in a bad way, but I thought Drew was going to be the one with the issues because he wouldn't want to come out of the closet, but I was wrong... it was Mason with the issues. Good book with some humor. I almost spit my coffee out my nose when Amy said to Mason, “We need to find you a man. You're conjuring Cinderfellas.”

I am wondering if Logan is going to get a story with Justin, Travis's cousin from out of town), and is Brock ever going to get a story? At some point it has to come out that he's gay right?! ( )