Heart and Flowers is the second book in the Hearts series by A. M. Brooks. This book will not contain spoilers for Hearts and Flowers, but it will have spoilers for Heart and Bruises.

Release Date: August 21, 2019

He broke me. He gave me everything I never knew I wanted then in one moment destroyed all my happiness. Now I’m back in Araminta to finish senior year before I move on and leave this town full of fake and corrupted people behind. I don’t expect him to chase me. To change the game. He wants my heart but it’s destroyed. Even as we fight back against his enemies who want to ruin his name, he puts me above all else.

He wants to protect me. Fix me. Claim me. Too bad I’m not the same girl I was. I can’t forgive him….

I’m sober. So fuckin sober. I’m broken and bruised but the only pain I feel is watching her and knowing I can’t have her. Danger lurks around us. My enemies are growing in numbers. I need to keep her safe and untouched by the chaos I created. I will destroy the walls around her heart and prove to both of us that I am the man she wanted me to be. She wants to breeze in and fade out…not this time.

She’s back and she will be mine. I can’t live without her.  (Synopsis from Goodreads)

I have mixed feelings about this book. First off, I did not realize this was the second book in a series until I was over halfway through it. I couldn’t figure out why the author started the story where she did. *Facepalm*

With that in mind, I need to give Brooks props. I was able to understand and enjoy this book without reading the first one, which features the same couple. I find that extremely impressive. It is not easy for an author to write a sequel in a way that the reader will understand everything without reading the first book.

I loved family Brooks created. Nora, Darrien, Lily, Ethan, Elijah, Trent, Olivia, and Shea. They all played a specific role within their makeshift family and I loved it. They each had their own problems and their own backstory. They all felt very real. I want to know even more about them now. The only ones that fell flat to me were Olivia and Shea. I could never remember which one was which. I think those two could have used a little more development.

The town of Araminta is just crazy. There was so much going on in this town. Between the Kings and the gang, it seemed like a very dangerous place to live, but of course that only made the story better. I love the little glimpse of setting and scenery that I got too.

I think my biggest problem with this book is the events were so down played. I wanted more drama. I wanted more heartache and danger. I think the climax should have been even more intense.

As for the writing itself, it was a fun, quick, easy read. Which is exactly what I look for in a romance. It kept me turning pages and looking for answers.

I wanted to give this book 3.5 five stars, but since I don’t give half stars, I bumped it up to a 4 and I don’t regret that decision. I recommend this book to people who are looking for a good NA romance with a few action scenes.

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