Quinn Cartwright sees me as nothing more than her rival…her enemy. But I’ve been obsessed with her since we were teenagers. She’s gorgeous and brilliant with a tongue sharp enough to cut glass…and she has no idea I love it as much as I do.
So when she needs someone to put a ring on it because of her a-hole boss, I marry her without hesitation.
We draw up a contract on a napkin. This marriage might be fake, but no one in our small town has to know.
She may never see me as anything more than a playboy, but sleeping in the same bed together night after night makes me want to put my skills to use and prove just how good this fake marriage can be…
| Title: | Fearless Heart |
| Author: | Brighton Walsh |
| Series: | Starlight Cove (Book 3) |
| Pages: | 336 |
| Category / Genre(s): | Contemporary |
| Trope(s): | Enemies to Lovers Temporary Relationship Fake Relationship Close Proximity Small Town Romance |
| Point of View: | First Person, Past Tense, Dual Viewpoint (H & h) |
| Location: | Starlight Cove, Maine, USA |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 11th April, 2023 |
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The perfect romance mix
Believe it or not – this is actually the first book I’ve ever read by Brighton Walsh and I’m beginning to think if it would have been safer for my wallet if it’d stayed unread. Because I just adored this book and already have the previous books in the series in my online basket and ready to buy. Ach – who needs food when you have romance novels?
This is the third book in the Starlight Cove series after Defiant Heart and Protective Heart. I’ve never read the first two books so can confidently say that this book stands completely alone with its own HEA. The series focuses on the Mackenzie family so we get lots of cameos from couples from the prior books and those who are still to get their stories. I cannot wait to get my hands on the stories of Ford’s siblings and the tease at the end made me itch to continue this series in the future.
But to this book – it had absolutely everything I love in a romance: palpable chemistry, hot sex, dirty talk, real emotions, likeable characters, a few laughs and enough romance to make me grin like a fool. Oh and did I mention that it’s an enemies-to-lovers and unrequited love trope combo? Perfection!
Ford is our hero and oh boy, what a hero he is. He has a bit of a playboy reputation but has been having a little, well, problem, with that side of his life when his childhood nemesis, Quinn, comes back into the small town. I’m not normally wild for the reformed playboy heroes but Ford was my exception – probably because he reformed prior to the start of the book. He’s properly a smitten kitten and I just adored the way he was with Quinn. Can I order a Ford for my very own, pretty please?
“…it had absolutely everything I love in a romance… Perfection!”
At first I wasn’t sure I’d connect with Quinn. She’s a highly accomplished doctor who’s put together, confident and kicks some series ass – Ford’s included. But as we get to know Quinn, I started to fall in love with her and actually really felt a kinship with her and her issues. She felt so real and her emotions made perfect sense to me – no over-the-top dramatics for contrived conflict here.
I’m a bit of a sucker for enemies-to-lovers and love it even more when our couple don’t stop bickering and bantering when they get together and begin to fall in love. Ford and Quinn had undeniable chemistry when they were at odds with each other so when they get together – hold on to your hats. There are a lo-o-ot of sex scenes, teases and just general delicious shenanigans and I was there for it. Add in Ford’s dirty talk, his use of the word ‘wife’ and his adoration of Quinn and I’m all in. I also think that things were made hotter by the fact that Ford is just so considerate and caring of Quinn. Seriously – were do men like this come from?
Having never read Brighton Walsh’s romances before, I took to her writing style immediately. This book’s written in first person, past tense, dual viewpoint so we really get into the heads of the characters and learn what they’re thinking and feeling. It just flowed and I was always eager to pick up my book and read just a little more.
I have this down as one of my favourite books of this year so far and I loved every minute of it. I’m now a bonafide Brighton Walsh fan and would definitely recommend this book whether you’re an existing fan or a new one like me. 5 stars for Quinn and Ford.
Award-winning USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brighton Walsh spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before taking her storytelling in a different direction and reconnecting with her first love: writing. When she’s not lost in her own made up worlds, she’s probably either reading or shopping—maybe even both at once. She lives in the Midwest with her real life hero of a husband, her two kids—both taller than her—and her dog who thinks she’s a queen. Her boy-filled house is the setting for dirty socks galore, frequent dance parties (okay, so it’s mostly her, by herself, while her children look on in horror), and more laughter than she thought possible. Visit her online at brightonwalsh.com.
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Starlight Cove Series:
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