rachelreadsravenously's review
5.0
5 stars!
“Stu Cross wasn’t as predictable as I thought, and even though I was the teacher in this situation, somehow it felt like I’d been schooled.”
Damn. ALL. OF. THE. FEELS.
Thief of Hearts is the story of Stu and Andrea. We previously met Stu in the last two hearts books and know from those he was sent to prison, taking the fall for his brother Lee. Now two years later he’s out, and some demons came with him.
Andrea is his teacher for some adult learning courses, and the two feel a spark right off the bat. But Andrea’s past prevents her from moving forward, and on top of that teacher and student relationships are forbidden. But Stu and Andrea grow closer over time, finding they both understand the other more than the people around them.
“I guess you live and you learn.”
“But that’s just it, Andrea. Some of us never learn at all.”
So I went into this book completely blind as to the plot and I highly recommend you do that as well. It enhances the experience. I always had a soft spot for Stu in the previous books, but I totally fell in love with him in this book. His journey to the man he became was a rough one, and at many times we saw him in a very vulnerable state. It made him seem more human and easy to empathize with. When you grow up being shown only one path, it’s hard to look around at the other ones around you.
Andrea was a fantastic heroine, she was smart, kind and wanted her life’s work to mean something. She was a perfect teacher, valuing each one of her students for their strengths and differences, knowing they had the ability to change their own lives for the better. And the way she always believed Stu was more than he thought he was made me love her.
Thief of Hearts can be read as a standalone, but I recommend also reading the previous book as some of the story connects. Fantastic, original romance story, something I can always expect from this author.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
“You shouldn’t always dismiss things before they’ve had a chance to wow you. If you do, you’ll miss everything that’s wonderful in the world.”
“Stu Cross wasn’t as predictable as I thought, and even though I was the teacher in this situation, somehow it felt like I’d been schooled.”
Damn. ALL. OF. THE. FEELS.
Thief of Hearts is the story of Stu and Andrea. We previously met Stu in the last two hearts books and know from those he was sent to prison, taking the fall for his brother Lee. Now two years later he’s out, and some demons came with him.
Andrea is his teacher for some adult learning courses, and the two feel a spark right off the bat. But Andrea’s past prevents her from moving forward, and on top of that teacher and student relationships are forbidden. But Stu and Andrea grow closer over time, finding they both understand the other more than the people around them.
“I guess you live and you learn.”
“But that’s just it, Andrea. Some of us never learn at all.”
So I went into this book completely blind as to the plot and I highly recommend you do that as well. It enhances the experience. I always had a soft spot for Stu in the previous books, but I totally fell in love with him in this book. His journey to the man he became was a rough one, and at many times we saw him in a very vulnerable state. It made him seem more human and easy to empathize with. When you grow up being shown only one path, it’s hard to look around at the other ones around you.
Andrea was a fantastic heroine, she was smart, kind and wanted her life’s work to mean something. She was a perfect teacher, valuing each one of her students for their strengths and differences, knowing they had the ability to change their own lives for the better. And the way she always believed Stu was more than he thought he was made me love her.
Thief of Hearts can be read as a standalone, but I recommend also reading the previous book as some of the story connects. Fantastic, original romance story, something I can always expect from this author.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
“You shouldn’t always dismiss things before they’ve had a chance to wow you. If you do, you’ll miss everything that’s wonderful in the world.”
bianca89279's review
2.0
2.5 stars
I was in the mood for some light reading and noticing there was a new LH Cosway novel, I decided to indulge.
I loved the first installment in this series - Six of Hearts and the subsequent two, to a lesser degree. Thief of Hearts is nowhere near as charming.
The main characters were cliche: goody-two-shoes adult teacher, Andrea, is twenty-eight, a widow with a huge financial debt, due to her deceased husband's medical bills. I don't live in the UK, but I do know about something "small" called the NHS - free medical cover.
The male character is Stuart, thirty, recently out of jail for car robbery. Stu is very hot. And of course, brooding. That doesn't stop him coming onto her quite aggressively, despite Andrea being his teacher. This is supposed to add extra tension because of the teacher-student forbidden liaison. Stu seems to have some dyslexia type problems, yet, he shows extraordinary talent when it comes to mathematics.
Andrea is our narrator. I found her tone annoying at times, with too much telling and over explaining things.
The plot was kind of drawn out and, at times, too convenient, the chemistry missing, despite some graphic sex scenes. This novel lacked humour and/or the smart banter that I've come to expect.
I'm sorry to say that this novel didn't grab me or entertain me at all.
I was in the mood for some light reading and noticing there was a new LH Cosway novel, I decided to indulge.
I loved the first installment in this series - Six of Hearts and the subsequent two, to a lesser degree. Thief of Hearts is nowhere near as charming.
The main characters were cliche: goody-two-shoes adult teacher, Andrea, is twenty-eight, a widow with a huge financial debt, due to her deceased husband's medical bills. I don't live in the UK, but I do know about something "small" called the NHS - free medical cover.
The male character is Stuart, thirty, recently out of jail for car robbery. Stu is very hot. And of course, brooding. That doesn't stop him coming onto her quite aggressively, despite Andrea being his teacher. This is supposed to add extra tension because of the teacher-student forbidden liaison. Stu seems to have some dyslexia type problems, yet, he shows extraordinary talent when it comes to mathematics.
Andrea is our narrator. I found her tone annoying at times, with too much telling and over explaining things.
The plot was kind of drawn out and, at times, too convenient, the chemistry missing, despite some graphic sex scenes. This novel lacked humour and/or the smart banter that I've come to expect.
I'm sorry to say that this novel didn't grab me or entertain me at all.
laura_sorensen's review
3.0
This book really shines when Stu is trying to get his life together and go to class, and also in the parts with him and Andrea. There is a plot twist halfway through that is kind of boring, but it resolves pretty quickly. I also liked the minor characters in this one - Andrea's cousin and his best friend/crush, and the brothers Cross.
fortheloveoffictionalworlds's review
5.0
This review was first posted on For The Love of Fictional Worlds as part of the Blog Tour hosted by Wordsmith Publicity <3
I have been a fan of L.H. Cosway’s fan ever since I first read her and Penny Reid’s collaboration book – The Hooker and The Hermit (Read My Review). When I devoured the rest of her books? I knew I had a new favourite author on my hands! And I haven’t ever been disappointed yet!
Thief of Hearts is the story of Stu Cross, the one brother in the Hearts Series; who was not only incorrigible but actually did not believe that he had any redeeming qualities, not even when he went to prison for his brother. Now that he has served his sentence, he is back outside, he just has one more job to protect his family.
Stu Cross wasn’t as predictable as I thought, and even though I was the teacher in this situation, somehow it felt like I’d just been schooled.
Andrea Anderson is an adult school teacher and a widow; living with her almost neurotic cousin with a whole lot of debt that couldn’t be repaid, not in this lifetime. She had a happy marriage until she lost her husband to cancer – so now she teaches her class, wears her wedding ring like an armour and definitely has no thought of dating again.
Andie and Stu meet in her class – an ex con and a teacher shouldn’t even be attracted to each other but they are, and when secrets come to light, does it make or break them?
Andie is a very relatable character; she has to be for she is all of us “normal” people who do not really know how to act around recently released cons – “Do we treat them with suspicion? Do we treat them normally? Do we trust them with something important? Do we give them jobs? How do we do this?”
I could not only see this battle within her but also feel it, when it came to Stu – though outwardly she was able to treat him normally, like any other student; attraction aside; but the inner battle she faced when trusting him to be gentle and loyal to her.
Stu, on the other hand, was one hero I didn’t really know to handle – mostly because he picked at my heartstrings so hard, that it was in actual physical pain till the time I knew that he was going to be okay – it takes a very special author to create a character like Stu, who worms his way under your skin, from the moment you meet him.
“I mean, honestly, we’re basically the same age. It’s not like there’s even a taboo. This isn’t high school. You’re not a seventeen-year-old girl and I’m not an attractive twenty-something male history teacher.”
“No, I’m a thirty-year-old ex-convict and you’re an attractive twenty-something adult education teacher. Still feels like a sexy taboo to me.”
There is a whole lot of background plot undergoing, even if it is about a stolen painting, but mostly it is about developing a trust and a relationship between Andie and Stu – and it was as heart-warming as it was swooning! My heart strings were pulled and tangled by this troubled hero who finds himself stuck between the girl of his dreams and protecting the only family who has stood by him through every bad decision he made.
I will not open up more about the plot as much as I would have liked to, especially with “Spoilers” – but know this, the Hearts series is one of L.H. Cosway’s most beautiful works – because there is beauty in its simplicity that’s really hard to find in any other author!
For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
Do come join us at For The Fictional Worlds Facebook Page
I have been a fan of L.H. Cosway’s fan ever since I first read her and Penny Reid’s collaboration book – The Hooker and The Hermit (Read My Review). When I devoured the rest of her books? I knew I had a new favourite author on my hands! And I haven’t ever been disappointed yet!
Thief of Hearts is the story of Stu Cross, the one brother in the Hearts Series; who was not only incorrigible but actually did not believe that he had any redeeming qualities, not even when he went to prison for his brother. Now that he has served his sentence, he is back outside, he just has one more job to protect his family.
Stu Cross wasn’t as predictable as I thought, and even though I was the teacher in this situation, somehow it felt like I’d just been schooled.
Andrea Anderson is an adult school teacher and a widow; living with her almost neurotic cousin with a whole lot of debt that couldn’t be repaid, not in this lifetime. She had a happy marriage until she lost her husband to cancer – so now she teaches her class, wears her wedding ring like an armour and definitely has no thought of dating again.
Andie and Stu meet in her class – an ex con and a teacher shouldn’t even be attracted to each other but they are, and when secrets come to light, does it make or break them?
Andie is a very relatable character; she has to be for she is all of us “normal” people who do not really know how to act around recently released cons – “Do we treat them with suspicion? Do we treat them normally? Do we trust them with something important? Do we give them jobs? How do we do this?”
I could not only see this battle within her but also feel it, when it came to Stu – though outwardly she was able to treat him normally, like any other student; attraction aside; but the inner battle she faced when trusting him to be gentle and loyal to her.
Stu, on the other hand, was one hero I didn’t really know to handle – mostly because he picked at my heartstrings so hard, that it was in actual physical pain till the time I knew that he was going to be okay – it takes a very special author to create a character like Stu, who worms his way under your skin, from the moment you meet him.
“I mean, honestly, we’re basically the same age. It’s not like there’s even a taboo. This isn’t high school. You’re not a seventeen-year-old girl and I’m not an attractive twenty-something male history teacher.”
“No, I’m a thirty-year-old ex-convict and you’re an attractive twenty-something adult education teacher. Still feels like a sexy taboo to me.”
There is a whole lot of background plot undergoing, even if it is about a stolen painting, but mostly it is about developing a trust and a relationship between Andie and Stu – and it was as heart-warming as it was swooning! My heart strings were pulled and tangled by this troubled hero who finds himself stuck between the girl of his dreams and protecting the only family who has stood by him through every bad decision he made.
I will not open up more about the plot as much as I would have liked to, especially with “Spoilers” – but know this, the Hearts series is one of L.H. Cosway’s most beautiful works – because there is beauty in its simplicity that’s really hard to find in any other author!
For more reviews visit For The Love of Fictional Worlds :)
Do come join us at For The Fictional Worlds Facebook Page
astridthebookishsweettooth's review
4.0
4 Artistic Stars
Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books
I am a huge fan of the first three installments of this series so I was looking forward to getting my hands on this one. We met Stu in Hearts of Blue for the first time. He is Lee's brother and supposedly not the brightest bulb in the box. I remembered this little fact when I started to read Thief of Hearts and was a little bit nervous - I don't want my heroes to be dimwits!
Andrea works as a teacher for adult education. She loves her job - there is nothing more fulfilling than helping other people. She married her high school sweetheart, had a couple of happy years with him when he passed away. The treatment expenses have left her with a mountain of debt. The last thing she needs in her life is a student who rocks the James Dean look and gives her seductive glances.
After getting out of prison Stu has only one goal - protect his family, no matter what. Going back to school, seducing his teacher and executing the task he has been given is his focus. That he has to deceive the one person who shows him kindness and sees his potential makes him feel more guilty with every day. Add to that the growing attraction and feelings makes it more complicated to follow through with every day. Will she ever forgive him if she finds out?
"Everyday you're deeper under my skin, and I have no cue how deep I'm under yours."
Andrea is a very kind, upstanding, no-nonsense character. I have to admit, I struggled a little bit in the beginning with her . She was a little bit too teacher-like, to me she had something dry and bland about her in the first chapters. That changed when Stu started to make serious moves on her and feelings came to the surface - she turned into a sweet and sensual woman who bloomed under Stu's attention. Farther along I struggled with her again, I can't really give away too much since this would be a major spoiler However, it does involve her fast jump into a proposal, damn the moral dilemma - while this might be explained with her level of desperation the way she presented herself to me I thought she'd rather face the consequences of declining. In my mind this wasn't in character. She also got mad at Stu at some point, which was understandable but since she couldn't present an alternative way to handle this particular situation I thought her grudge was a little bit too strong.
Stu...what a cheeky, funny and smart guy. I loved that he had a different kind of intelligence. He was in no way dumb, kudos to L.H. Cosway for making me see past that impression.
Those who know me, know that I usually go easier on the heroes. Yes, I'm a tramp. Sorry, not sorry. So I was able to see past his faults and took his side.
"Nobody's ever seen me like you do."
See where I said I'm a tramp? I loved how he made Andrea uncomfortable with his naughty and cheeky approach, he forced her out of her shell. And boy does he have a dirty mouth on him.
Don't get shy on me now, luv. You stole my post-prison virginity cowgirl style."
We get to see Lee, Trevor, Reya, Karla and even Alexis and her son. Loved to catch up a little bit with them. Andrea's cousin Alfie is a very special and lovable person, he made me want to hug him and hold him when he had one of his bad times.
L.H. Cosway gives us again a very unique story with twists and turns and adorable characters. She really took me by surprise a couple of times and I look forward to seeing what this author has in store for Trevor and Reya in the last installment of this series.
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