Review: Wild Hearts by Jessica Burkhart
Wild Hearts (If Only.... #4)
by: Jessica Burkhart
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Physical ARC received via the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 368 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3/5 stars
Enjoy Wild Hearts and the other standalone titles in Bloomsbury's contemporary If Only romance line centered around an impossible problem: you always want what you can't have!
Brie Carter's father's land development business has taken her family all over the world,
but as soon as they arrive at their new home in Lost Spring, Wyoming, the town turns out to protest. They don't want a new hotel if the resident mustang population will be displaced or hurt as part of the deal. Then Brie meets Logan, a gorgeous local who has a special connection to the mustangs, and she is immediately drawn to him . . . and the horses. However, with Logan's father leading the protests and Brie's father refusing to budge, it's clear that their parents are heading towards an all-out war. Can Brie and Logan find a way to save the mustangs and be together? Or is their love doomed from the start?
This new title in the If Only line is the perfect summer read and proves that love flourishes in the wildest places!
Brie Carter's father's land development business has taken her family all over the world,
but as soon as they arrive at their new home in Lost Spring, Wyoming, the town turns out to protest. They don't want a new hotel if the resident mustang population will be displaced or hurt as part of the deal. Then Brie meets Logan, a gorgeous local who has a special connection to the mustangs, and she is immediately drawn to him . . . and the horses. However, with Logan's father leading the protests and Brie's father refusing to budge, it's clear that their parents are heading towards an all-out war. Can Brie and Logan find a way to save the mustangs and be together? Or is their love doomed from the start?
This new title in the If Only line is the perfect summer read and proves that love flourishes in the wildest places!
I have really enjoyed the If Only series that Bloomsbury has released. All books are just adorable, fun, and have a great romance. I felt the same with their latest installment Wild Hearts. While it wasn't my favorite of the line, I did still like it overall. I really enjoyed that Logan and Brie's relationship is low on angst and I loved the setting of this one.
Brie's family is constantly on the move because of her father's land development business. Their newest stop is a small town in Wyoming, where people are friendly, wild horses run free, and cute boys wear Stetsons and yell at you to move because you're acting touristy blocking the road. Logan and Brie might not get off to the best of starts, but things warm up pretty quickly between the two. Even with their feuding fathers, Logan and Brie decide their parents' issues don't have anything to do with them and they should be able to enjoy each others' company and let things progress naturally for them. I love how much kissing in this book! I was a total fan of that.
I did think this story was a bit on the descriptive side though and I felt it was a bit much at times. I also thought the story was a bit longer than was necessary. I also felt there was a lack of depth. Everything felt very surface level to me. Yes, Logan and Brie's relationship is cute, but it just lacked the spark that I needed to really to make me swoon and feel invested in them. They fell for each other pretty quickly and I felt their relationship wasn't 100% believable. It was a little TOO cutesy for me at times and even though this is YA, I had a hard time believing Logan would do and say the things he did, gentleman or not. He's still a teenage boy.
My favorite part of this book (besides the kissing) was the interaction with the horses and seeing Brie discover her passion. Her dad has his business, her sister has her L.A. life, and her mom has her photography, but Brie hasn't found something that is truly her own. Saving the mustangs might have started out as Logan's thing, but the more time she spent admiring these marvelous creatures and what would happen to them if they have no place to run, really impacts her and she becomes just as passionate about it and helping as he is.
Brie has her share of obstacles to overcome along the way, what with her father being so against Logan and his father, the fact that she will have to up and move again once her dad's project is over, and how they can save the horses while keeping what they're doing a secret. She doesn't always handle things in the best way, but that's part of growing up and I like that Burkhart illustrated that for us.
While I had my issues with this one, I was still able to enjoy elements of this one. I am looking forward to the next book in the If Only line!
4 comments
It sucks when a book doesn't grab you as much as you expect it to. I've liked a few books in this series, but yeah there was something about this one that wasn't to my liking. I'm sorry this wasn't the greatest book for you, Jess.
ReplyDeleteGreat review.
This sounds like a really cute line and I like that this story is low on angst. I gotta remember these books for when I need something cute. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI really struggled with this one, which is a shame because I really like the other books in this series. It was just sooooo long and boring and filled with unnecessary detail. :( Plus I felt so little connection to the characters. You are right tho - there was a lot of kissing, which was probably the best thing about it. :P
ReplyDeleteLovely review, lady!
Sigh, i'll see what I think about this! I was interested because horses. haha. I miss my riding days so anytime horses pops up in a synopsis I want it. lol.
ReplyDeleteLeave me some comment love! And I will get around to commenting back!
My blog is an award-free blog, however, as I just do not have the time to follow-up.