R.K. Ryals | Saucy Southern Readers

Hawthorne & Heathcliff

By R.K. Ryals

Genre: Mature YA / New Adult / Coming of Age

Synopsis

Two names that didn’t belong to us. Two shoes that did.

Intense and introspective, seventeen-year-old Hawthorne Macy knows all about being abandoned. She’s felt the stark pain of being left behind by the people who are supposed to love her the most; her parents. Raised by her caring uncle on an old plantation, Hawthorne lives her life on the fringes of her small Southern town.

Until she meets his shoe.

Senior year, last period English class, and a pair of silent tennis shoes resting next to hers in the back of the room throws Hawthorne into a world she’d learned to stay outside of.

His name is Max Vincent, but in her mind, he’s Heathcliff. The handsome eighteen-year-old boy behind the shoes will pull Hawthorne into a passionate and unforgettable adventure of self-discovery during a time when love seems impossible.

Shoes can tell a lot about a person. The journey they take you on can tell a lot about how they’ll hold up.

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Michel’s Review

Hawthorne & Heathcliff by R.K. Royals was recommended to me when it first released. I read the synopsis and thought this book sounded good. I purposely stayed away from Goodreads and Amazon reviews because I did not want to open this book with expectations or pre-formed opinions. I wanted to experience this book for myself.

I opened this book with an open mind and clear head. The very first page drew me in and I could not put the book down until the very last word was read. I read the book almost two weeks ago and could not think of how to write a review for this book. There are no words that can describe the beauty of this book. On the surface it is a coming of age romance that is beautiful within itself. But between the lines is where this book shines and makes an impact that will not be forgotten long after the last page has been read. It touches the very core of the human spirit. It shows how resilient the human spirit can be once we open our hearts & minds and allow life to happen. Life is messy. Life is chaotic. Life is unpredictable. It can also be beautiful and exalting. It’s how we process it all and allow it into our souls. We need to open our hearts and let life in with all it’s messy glory. To accept it and make it our own. Allow it to shape us to become a stronger and better person. To become the person we were meant to be rather than being the person we thought we should be.

This book was an emotional journey. I laughed, cried, ached,and rejoiced. My heart was engaged with every single word.

The writing in this book was brilliant. R.K. Ryals based part of the book on the poem Mirror by Sylvia Plath. It made the leading characters reflect about how they saw themselves and their lives. But that is only the beginning, she used shoes as a prop on how they saw other people and how those people fit into their lives. She also used classic literature by Jane Austin to showcase the leading characters. She added all of these elements to bring Max and Claire to life without letting them overshadow their own unique personalities. The subtle messages and examples the secondary characters delivered in this book is astounding. Their characters became just as important as the leading characters in a very different way. All of these elements make the characters and their romance shine. It is one of the most beautiful romances that I have read because it was honest and realistic.

Hawthorne & Heathcliff is a book for all ages. Whether you are a teenager experiencing first love or a senior citizen experiencing your last days, this book will touch your soul. It’s a celebration of the human spirit in all it’s glory.

Read Hawthorne & Heathcliff by R.K. Royals.

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Author Bio:

R.K. Ryals is the author of emotional and gripping young adult and new adult paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and fantasy. With a strong passion for charity and literacy, she works as a full time writer encouraging people to “share the love of reading one book at a time.” An avid animal lover and self-proclaimed coffee-holic, R.K. Ryals was born in Jackson, Mississippi and makes her home in the Southern U.S. with her husband, her three daughters, a rescue dog named Oscar the Grouch, A Shitzsu named Tinkerbell, an OCD cat, and a coffee pot she honestly couldn’t live without. Should she ever become the owner of a fire-breathing dragon (tame of course), her life would be complete.