A review by ashlightgrayson
Heart Smart by Emma Lee Jayne

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

I haven't had the best of luck with romance books recently, so this was a breath of fresh air. There is representation of neurodivergent characters in this book. They have nuance and the way their neurodivergence affects their perception of themselves and their daily lives is explored in a way that is easy to relate to, I think. Although, I feel like people that are part of those communities are really the ones that need to vouch for accuracy there. Max is a huge jerk, but as the story progresses it's clear that he is more prickly on the outside than he seems. Holly has a lot of patience and sees Max can be sweet through his actions when he tries despite his gruffer exterior. I appreciated that there was commentary made about what being an truly kind person is versus someone who is just nice for appearances. I feel like a lot of people have an idea of what a "nice" person looks like, but actions speak louder than words and charm. Max is a great example of this compared to another character in the book and it was something I could relate to.

 The romance had really good pacing and didn't feel rushed. The main characters had emotional baggage that they had to work through and were eventually able to open up to each other about it. It was heartwarming to see and done very well.  I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author. Hopefully she publishes more soon.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings