BOOK DETAILS:
Book Title: Two Hearts, When I Said I Do, I Meant Forever by
James Eric Richey
Category: Adult
Fiction, 426 pages
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: JER Books
SHORT SUMMARY:
A wedding ring Jaxon made
for his high-school sweetheart Annie from the gold he mined himself, but
women continue to fall all over the markedly handsome Jaxon. The warnings
of Annie's mother linger in the young bride's ears.
Is Annie right, or will it
be her doubts that forever sever their Two Hearts?
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Jaxon Tagget is a
cattle-rancher's son, born and raised on the Double T, just outside of Dillon,
Montana. In love with his high-school sweetheart, Annie, Jaxon proposes on
graduation night, presenting her with a wedding ring made from gold he mined
himself. Annie accepts immediately, to the horror of her bitter, man-hating
mother.
Jaxon's a
wonderful husband, but the warnings of Annie's mother linger in the young
bride's ears. And it doesn't help that women continue to fall all over the
markedly handsome Jaxon.
Unaware of his wife's persistent doubts, Jaxon is struggling with his own troubles when he finds out his dad is sorely in need of money to save the ranch. But hope glimmers gold when he rediscovers the old mine on the Double T.
Unaware of his wife's persistent doubts, Jaxon is struggling with his own troubles when he finds out his dad is sorely in need of money to save the ranch. But hope glimmers gold when he rediscovers the old mine on the Double T.
While Jaxon
travels to verify the mine's productivity, Annie grows increasingly suspicious.
Is Jaxon's absence what it seems, or does he have another, less faithful reason
for his travels? When Annie sees a picture of the beautiful laboratory owner
whom Jaxon is visiting, she's sure the only gold he's interested in is long,
blond hair. Is Annie right, or will it be her doubts that forever sever their
Two Hearts?
BOOK REVIEW:
From
the cover design to the title, Two Hearts promises to be all about romance, the
union of two hearts and the troubles that might come. The story is simple
enough. High school sweethearts Jaxon and Annie marry just out of college,
against her mother’s warnings. The marriage seems to be going great initially,
but having grown up in a troubled environment takes its toll on Annie, in whose
heart lurks the constant fear of being cheated on by her husband.
Annie’s strict
upbringing with a single mother, devoid of the affection of a father (who had,
incidentally, cheated on her mother and made her the man hater that she was)
makes her want to rebel and marry Jaxon, believing him to be her true love. Troubles
crop up in the most unexpected of places. Given, Jaxon is handsome and attracts
women, but his character remains stoically in love with his wife throughout.
Jaxon, for his
part, does not actually realise his wife’s nagging doubts and the internal
demons she is facing. He is burdened by troubles that find their way to him
from all sorts of unlikely places, making the reader exclaim, more than once,
in anger, ‘Of all the rotten luck!’. Repeated far troubles Jaxon faces
frustrate the reader more than the characters themselves and most of the time, I
had to put the book down and stare at it in deep speculation.
The initial scene
placements are so romantic, with Jaxon mining gold out of his mine and making a
ring and pendant for Annie. Romance lovers would drink this up and go all dewy
eyed. Annie’s rebellion against her authoritative mother also sets the stage
for troubles that seem to follow the couple everywhere. Before long, we realise
that wherever Jaxon goes, women fall over him, or somebody reports having seen
him with a woman and the bud of doubt begins to form in Annie’s mind.
As a character,
Jaxon has been well developed, with his intentions clear since the beginning.
And Annie is developed as a loving woman who wants to believe her husband is
loyal, but whose first male role model, her father, gave her a lasting scar that
makes her doubt all men in general. It doesn’t help things that Jaxon seems to
come up with the flimsiest of excuses when confronted.
It takes the
reader more than half the book to realise that Jaxon isn’t very vocal and is
not good with explanations. Annie on the other hand tries to be forgiving but
has her belief tested by the slightest of provocations. How the couple overcome
all these forms the rest of the story. The first half progresses as a slow
romance with a thrilling moment or two, but the last 30% is where the book
perks up with a flight chase, sabotage, shooting and grievous injuries.
If you expect a
sappy romantic story with the lead couple struggling with emotions as they
conquer all odds, this book isn’t for you. But if you really like some thriller
elements that spice up a book and the fact that love is made stronger by tests,
this book is a must read. In a rare style, this book concentrates more on the
problems a couple faces after marriage. It has been a routine nowadays to read
love stories that culminate in marriage – calling it a happy ending. Real happy
endings happen not only when the love is successful. They happen when the
marriage is equally successful against all odds.
Overall, the
language is good, save a few inevitable typos. The story adheres well to the
summary and the plot seems full of twists and still manages to become
predictable in places. The first half could do with tighter editing but it sets
the pace nicely. The ending seems a bit rushed but very feasible. Overall, Two
Hearts is a tale of love – but it is more than that. It is a tale of love,
friendship, betrayal, fate and affection. Go for it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
James
Eric Richey was born and raised in California. He attended Brigham Young
University, studying English with an emphasis in Literature. After graduating
from BYU he returned home to California to further his education by attending
law school. After passing the bar, James practiced in California for several
years, but he quickly learned that he did not have a passion for the law.
In 1998 James
obtained his real estate appraiser license, which has given him a flexible work
schedule and allowed him to pursue his true passion, writing books. Besides his
writing, he also enjoys reading, running, and sailing. James currently lives in
Cheyenne, Wyoming, with his wife, Heather, and their two daughters.
PRICE: $2.98 for
Kindle, $13.95 for Paperback
Dhivya, thank you so much for your honest and well thought out review of Two Hearts. Thank you for being part of the Two Hearts blog tour. I've read through your review and rating policy and can tell that your put a great deal effort and work into every book that your review. I value your opinions and insights. Thank you again for the review of Two Hearts.
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