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A review by emilylovesbooks94
Heartless by Kate Hawthorne
5.0
Levi and James are everything I didn't know I needed. I'm a huge fan of enemies-to-lovers books, so the aggressive tension between these two hit all the right notes for me. If you haven't read Book 1 of this series, I highly recommend you do so first because there are some spoilers for it in this one (also because it's just an amazing book).
When Levi sees James for the first time, he's not impressed. He refuses to sell him anything, claiming he doesn't do business with a**holes. James, for his part, is infuriated by how arrogant and cocky Levi is. In their initial interactions, I could practically see daggers shooting out of their eyeballs towards each other. Their banter is snarky and snippy and I loved it. Levi doesn't take any of James's sh*t, and it was so satisfying to see him put James in his place.
Much to Levi and James's dismay, their mutual dislike isn't enough to stop the intense physical attraction they have for each other. "I can't be around you without wanting to choke you to death with my dick, James. That's not a healthy working relationship." When Levi and James do come together for the first time, it's incredibly erotic, intense, messy, and a touch desperate. "Levi's eyes screamed I hate you, screamed I want to take it out on you in all the ways you need." The way James goes soft and compliant when Levi verbally humiliates him is so hot.
What I loved just as much as the intense, steamy sex was how Levi and James's relationship evolved over the book. At the beginning, the only thing between them was hatred. Slowly, over time, hints of something more started to expose themselves: Levi feeling compelled to make sure James is okay at the clinic; James nearly panicking in his rush to apologize to Levi for something he said; Levi bringing James comfort food when he's having a bad day. I loved seeing how the initial flare of passion developed into something much deeper than hate sex and shared kink.
When things did start to get serious between James and Levi, everything started falling apart. Levi wants every part of James, but James is still struggling to accept the darker parts of himself. Levi is terrified to love James for real because he's never gotten to keep the things he loves. These two broke my heart as the struggled to accept their love. At the same time, Levi and his brother Simon are working through some difficult issues. The dynamic between these brothers helped me understand a lot of Levi's reactions throughout the book. I can't wait to read Simon's full story--Rocco the cat vs. Rocco the man is going to be hilarious.
By the end of the book, James and Levi are almost unrecognizable from how they acted towards each other in the beginning. James has figured out how to accept himself and give Levi all of his love, and Levi has what he's always wanted: to be the most important thing to someone.
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
When Levi sees James for the first time, he's not impressed. He refuses to sell him anything, claiming he doesn't do business with a**holes. James, for his part, is infuriated by how arrogant and cocky Levi is. In their initial interactions, I could practically see daggers shooting out of their eyeballs towards each other. Their banter is snarky and snippy and I loved it. Levi doesn't take any of James's sh*t, and it was so satisfying to see him put James in his place.
Much to Levi and James's dismay, their mutual dislike isn't enough to stop the intense physical attraction they have for each other. "I can't be around you without wanting to choke you to death with my dick, James. That's not a healthy working relationship." When Levi and James do come together for the first time, it's incredibly erotic, intense, messy, and a touch desperate. "Levi's eyes screamed I hate you, screamed I want to take it out on you in all the ways you need." The way James goes soft and compliant when Levi verbally humiliates him is so hot.
What I loved just as much as the intense, steamy sex was how Levi and James's relationship evolved over the book. At the beginning, the only thing between them was hatred. Slowly, over time, hints of something more started to expose themselves: Levi feeling compelled to make sure James is okay at the clinic; James nearly panicking in his rush to apologize to Levi for something he said; Levi bringing James comfort food when he's having a bad day. I loved seeing how the initial flare of passion developed into something much deeper than hate sex and shared kink.
When things did start to get serious between James and Levi, everything started falling apart. Levi wants every part of James, but James is still struggling to accept the darker parts of himself. Levi is terrified to love James for real because he's never gotten to keep the things he loves. These two broke my heart as the struggled to accept their love. At the same time, Levi and his brother Simon are working through some difficult issues. The dynamic between these brothers helped me understand a lot of Levi's reactions throughout the book. I can't wait to read Simon's full story--Rocco the cat vs. Rocco the man is going to be hilarious.
By the end of the book, James and Levi are almost unrecognizable from how they acted towards each other in the beginning. James has figured out how to accept himself and give Levi all of his love, and Levi has what he's always wanted: to be the most important thing to someone.
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.