2.5 Stars
A book about a reclusive and grouchy mountain man that I didn’t fully love?? Say it ain’t so! I haven’t loved the last few books in this series, but I was so hopeful going into THE HEARTBREAKER OF ECHO PASS! Iris is a caregiver at heart who has taken care of her siblings since she was a child. She finally decides it’s time for her to live her own life by starting her own bakery. The problem? The rent in the space she wants is too high, so she decides to seek out the landowner to negotiate. Of course, the owner is a fierce, sexy recluse who just wants to be left alone.
Let’s start with what I liked. Iris saved this book for me. She was pragmatic yet hopeful. She knows she’s not the prettiest, but she also knows her worth and believes in her talent as a baker. I loved her journey; I just wish it was less tied to the hero’s journey. The intimate scenes in this book were excellent – crazy sexy and emotional. The perfect balance to the angsty tone of the story. I could feel the connection between Iris and Griffin. The chemistry was literally palpable, and the intensity was breathtaking.
Now that I’ve mentioned what I liked… my god, this book was depressing. It had SO much potential, and yet, Maisey Yates writing about widowers strikes again. I have yet to read a Yates book about a widower that isn’t the dreariest book ever. Honestly, the wallowing, the self-blame, the anger… it was a lot. Griffin was so freaking tortured I wasn’t convinced that he had genuine feels for Iris or if she was just the “right place, right time” woman. I liked that Iris was extremely aware that Griffin was emotionally unavailable, but that made me respect her a little less when she did give in to the ~feelings~.
Overall, this book was okay. It had its good moments; Yates does emotions really well, but I was just feeling sad by the end of the book, and that’s never a good thing for a romance novel.
**I received a free copy of this book in order to provide an honest review**
Romance Reader 