We’re celebrating the release of THIEF OF HEARTS by L.H. Cosway! Check out the excerpt and giveaway below!
Synopsis
**Can be read as a stand alone.
Author L. H. Cosway is now releasing the fifth book of the Hearts series. I’ve read and reviewed each book to date – Six of Hearts, Hearts of Fire, King of Hearts, and Hearts of Blue – all have Cosway’s unique, artistic flare that stands out in a sea of contemporary romance. Each novel of the Hearts series is loosely related to a previous novel in the series, but all can be read as standalones. This time, Cosway focuses on Stuart Cross, brother to Hearts of Blue male lead Lee Cross and the oldest of the Cross brothers.
“Seduce the teacher. Meet the cousin. Make a deal. Steal the painting.”
Andrea Anderson teaches adults who are seeking to return to college, helping them brush up on reading, writing, and other necessary skills prior to applying to a university. A widow at the age of 28, Andrea has had little interest in men since her husband passed away, but when Stuart Cross enters her classroom, she’s momentarily stunned. He’s tall and handsome with a dangerous edge. Stu appears to be exactly what he is – a criminal, just released from prison, who’s attending her class as a requirement of his parole. So when Stu begins flirting with Andrea, she’s flustered. And when he’s coming on to her hard, she rightfully feels skeptical.
Early in this novel, I struggled with the developing relationship between Stu and Andrea. Thief of Hearts is written from Andrea’s point of view, and for me, the attraction she felt for Stu wasn’t exactly jumping off of the pages. Having read Hearts of Blue, I was familiar with Stu’s background before I began reading. His gestures towards Andrea didn’t feel organic, and even when she began warming up to Stu, Andrea was still hesitant to give him her full heart.
But then we have the second half of this story; in my opinion, this is where the strength of this story lies. Cosway throws in a couple of interesting plot twists – the kind that had me sitting up at attention! Suddenly, Thief of Hearts became MUCH more interesting to me. The story became gritty, emotional, and this is where Andrea and Stu began experiencing all kinds of character growth. Growing closer under circumstances that weren’t ideal, Stu and Andrea developed real, deep feelings for each other. Now here is the magic I was expecting! The second half of Thief of Hearts REALLY packs a punch!
Thief of Hearts is a strong novel. It’s well-written, and as usual, Cosway’s writing flows nicely. I enjoyed the primary and secondary characters in this story. The Cross brothers were already on my radar from when I read Hearts of Blue, so I was pleased to read more about Lee and Karla, their family unit and to finally learn more about Stuart Cross. The plot of Thief of Hearts is unique, and it obviously required some thought and creativity to develop. Reading about the heist was very entertaining.
As I neared the climax of the novel, the author really pulled on my emotional strings. I felt empathy for Stu and Andrea as they struggled to cope with their mixed-up feelings. I just LOVE the way L. H. Cosway chose to resolve the story for these characters. I feel like I read two novels instead of one, which was a pleasant surprise! The strong second half of Stu and Andrea’s story increased my overall rating of Thief of Hearts to 4.5 stars!
L.H. Cosway lives in Dublin, Ireland. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books. She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories. L.H. is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.
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Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
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