A review by alxisrae
When Hearts Surrender by Victoria Lum

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This next standalone romance is now focusing on the older brother Maxwell Anderson who is the definition of brooding and angsty. This story starts off with a bang with the opening scene and PLEASE….read the trigger warnings. It’s heavy. But that moment on I was hooked to this story. I could tell it was gonna be moody, it was gonna be angsty, and it was gonna bring on the pain!

I really enjoyed Annabelle, a LOT, and thought she was so witty and so strong and funny but was still vulnerable at the same time. When she was going through it and was in pain - as a reader I really felt that. I like how Victoria was able to write these characters together. It was this constant tug and pull between the two of them. Though it is a marriage of convenience the chemistry between Annabelle and Maxwell is HAWT 🔥 

And the hot chemistry made the smutty scenes even hotter. Holy fuck these two had me setting the book down and taking a break a couple of times. Essentially…porn with a plot. Also Maxwell with his bre*ding kink…sir sit down and calm down please. 

Outside of that I think Victoria did the topic of mental health beautifully here. The portrait of Maxwell and his anxiety was very, very relatable. You can’t help but connect with these characters and feel for them. And anxiety being at the forefront how it is with Maxwell was tone so good. 
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