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Bennett Sisters #2
Open Hearts
A sexy playboy, Friends with Benefits, Romantic Comedy, standalone romance from critically acclaimed author Eve Dangerfield
Dean Sherwood is the sweetest, kindest, most ditziest free spirit you’ll ever meet. The minute he meets Ashley Bennett, he knows she is the woman for him. But when the girl of his dreams insists that he isn’t the one, he sets himself on a mission to prove that he is the perfect man for her.
Ashley Bennett knows what she wants. No more dating disasters, no more wannabe Prince Charmings. She’s ready to start her family, and if she can’t find a respectable, self-sufficient man to do it with, then she’ll just do it by herself.
But when she meets Dean, the sexy and funny man crashing with her sister, Julia, while he ‘sorts some things out’, she has no idea what kind of monkey wrench he’ll throw in her plans. She sees into the depths of his himbo heart and realizes they have a connection that is becoming harder and harder to deny.
Ash has a plan, and nothing will stop her from getting what she wants. But she could still have a little fun until she finds a donor for her future plans... If only
forgetting about Dean and their sizzling chemistry was that easy to put behind her.
OPEN HEARTS is a standalone, contemporary romance novel, and book two in the BENNETT SISTERS Series.
“Romantic comedy gold with the added bonus of being f**k hot.” New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey
“Well, Eve Dangerfield did it again! Kept me up until 2am and in bed till midday reading Open Hearts. Laughed and cried. Awesome Talent.” USA Today bestselling author Amy Andrews
Dean Sherwood is the sweetest, kindest, most ditziest free spirit you’ll ever meet. The minute he meets Ashley Bennett, he knows she is the woman for him. But when the girl of his dreams insists that he isn’t the one, he sets himself on a mission to prove that he is the perfect man for her.
Ashley Bennett knows what she wants. No more dating disasters, no more wannabe Prince Charmings. She’s ready to start her family, and if she can’t find a respectable, self-sufficient man to do it with, then she’ll just do it by herself.
But when she meets Dean, the sexy and funny man crashing with her sister, Julia, while he ‘sorts some things out’, she has no idea what kind of monkey wrench he’ll throw in her plans. She sees into the depths of his himbo heart and realizes they have a connection that is becoming harder and harder to deny.
Ash has a plan, and nothing will stop her from getting what she wants. But she could still have a little fun until she finds a donor for her future plans... If only
forgetting about Dean and their sizzling chemistry was that easy to put behind her.
OPEN HEARTS is a standalone, contemporary romance novel, and book two in the BENNETT SISTERS Series.
“Romantic comedy gold with the added bonus of being f**k hot.” New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey
“Well, Eve Dangerfield did it again! Kept me up until 2am and in bed till midday reading Open Hearts. Laughed and cried. Awesome Talent.” USA Today bestselling author Amy Andrews
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2017
About the author
Eve Dangerfield
30 books1,409 followersEve Dangerfield has loved romance novels ever since she first swiped her grandmother’s paperbacks. Now she writes her own stories about complicated women and gorgeous-but-slightly-tortured men. Her work has been described as 'genre-defying,' and ‘the defibrillator contemporary romance needs right now'. And not just by those who might one day need bone marrow! She lives in Melbourne with her beautiful family and can generally be found making a mess.
www.instagram.com/evedangerfield/
www.instagram.com/evedangerfield/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 337 reviews
April 28, 2017
➦Who needs a man to make a baby, anyways? If your time is running out to have one and you have 0 hope of having a fulfilling love relationship, you should definitely just have one on your own! You just need to find a suitable donor.
➦And by the way, that dude who's trying to cut out the middleman will totally show up in a form of a sexy and wealthy doctor colleague. And offer tons of money for you to carry his baby.
➦But then another guy will show up too in a form of a scratching post. You know, for scratching a particular itch. He will offer pleasure as well as a relentless desire to date you and give you a baby. So what if he's not great with money and might or might not engage in naked snowboarding once in a while?
➦That's just you're luck. You decide to be a single mom and then TWO men show up practically shoving that sperm in your face. Well, not literally. Although...
➦Never mind. So, who is she gonna pick? Will love be enough? By the way, no love triangle here what so ever, in case you were concerned.
➦I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Eve Dangerfield always manages to suck me into her stories with her unique characters and unpredictable storylines. The hero of this novel resembles most men in real life lol. You know, those who don't quite have their shit together but are "working on it".
➦He's also a submissive in bed (most times), which, I notice, is a type of hero this author writes really well. I just have to say that when he does show his alpha side... well, it's scorching hot. All in all, a great read full of fun banter, hot sexy times and angst. I don't even think I have a name for this trope, but I suppose I will call it "baby making." Definitely recommended if you're looking for something different than your typical contemporary romance.
May 19, 2017
4 STARS
If you were to tell me before I started this book that I would fall fast and hard for a lovable doofus ginger of a hero, I'd have laughed in your face. If you were to tell me that this lovable doofus also happens to have a VERY unorthodox kink in the bedroom, I'd have run for the hills. But I'm here to tell you that it's exactly what happened. If there's one thing I love, it's out of the box characters. Characters that are different from the status quo of romance novels, and this story should be a how to on how to pull it off. Eve Dangerfield did a flawless job delivering main characters that have more flaws than I could count, yet are so incredibly endearing, you can't help but love them.
Ash is tired of dating losers. She doesn't remember what it's like to be on her own but one disastrous relationship after another has burned her out. After the rough upbringing in the slums that her and her sister had, all she wants is a family, a baby. And if she can't find a man responsible enough to give one to her and hold down a job for more than a day, she'll make it happen on her own.
Dean is her sister's boyfriend's best friend and as ditzy as they come. He hasn't held the same job for longer than a year, has the attention span of a fly, and doesn't take much seriously. The sparks fly between them right away, but where Ash knows he's everything she's sworn off and wants him anyway even for just a mutually satisfying tumble, Dean wants forever.
Dean was this adorable fluff of a man. He has a heart of gold and he means well, but he's also like a rabid squirrel. Nothing keeps his attention for long and he's in his middle thirties and still doesn't have his own place or a job to support himself. He wants to be the man for Ash but Ash is determined that he's everything she's sworn she'll never go back to.
Ash was a great heroine. Can I say how refreshing it is to read about a heroine that's not a blushing near virgin. Here's a woman that owns her sexuality and makes no qualms about it. She enjoys sex and doesn't berate herself for it.
What made these characters so endearing is the amount of depth they had. They weren't surface personalities, there was a reason for all of their personality quirks that ran deep into their past. The more you read, the more you connect with them, and the more you root for them. You want Dean to get his shit together and get the girl. You want Ash to get her baby and a man that loves her beyond reason.
This is a follow up book to Locked Box, which I haven't read yet (but will definitely make a point to now) and I had no problem connecting with the secondary characters that starred in that book. I loved getting that continuation to Jules and Max's story.
This book was nothing what I'd typically gravitate to but I loved everything about it. I'm so happy I took a chance on this new to me author because I've found myself a new author to read. This woman is going straight to my auto buy list and I'm going to stalk through her entire backlist now.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
She kissed Dean, no, she attacked Dean, sinking her fists deep into his hair and claiming him like she was a Viking warrior and he, a helpless English milkmaid.
If you were to tell me before I started this book that I would fall fast and hard for a lovable doofus ginger of a hero, I'd have laughed in your face. If you were to tell me that this lovable doofus also happens to have a VERY unorthodox kink in the bedroom, I'd have run for the hills. But I'm here to tell you that it's exactly what happened. If there's one thing I love, it's out of the box characters. Characters that are different from the status quo of romance novels, and this story should be a how to on how to pull it off. Eve Dangerfield did a flawless job delivering main characters that have more flaws than I could count, yet are so incredibly endearing, you can't help but love them.
Ash is tired of dating losers. She doesn't remember what it's like to be on her own but one disastrous relationship after another has burned her out. After the rough upbringing in the slums that her and her sister had, all she wants is a family, a baby. And if she can't find a man responsible enough to give one to her and hold down a job for more than a day, she'll make it happen on her own.
Dean is her sister's boyfriend's best friend and as ditzy as they come. He hasn't held the same job for longer than a year, has the attention span of a fly, and doesn't take much seriously. The sparks fly between them right away, but where Ash knows he's everything she's sworn off and wants him anyway even for just a mutually satisfying tumble, Dean wants forever.
“Yeah?”
Ash’s eyebrows were raised. “You just made a face. What are you thinking about?” She looked so stern he couldn’t help but blurt out the truth.
“My grandad.”
“What the fuck!” Ash pushed his head away from her. “Ew!”
“Sorry! I mean because he has these flowers that smell kinda like your pussy and I was wondering what they were called, but I can’t ask my grandad because he might be jealous and then I was thinking about him eating pussy. And then I kind of grossed myself out, but it was only thinking about other things I was trying not to bust in my—”
Dean was this adorable fluff of a man. He has a heart of gold and he means well, but he's also like a rabid squirrel. Nothing keeps his attention for long and he's in his middle thirties and still doesn't have his own place or a job to support himself. He wants to be the man for Ash but Ash is determined that he's everything she's sworn she'll never go back to.
Ash was a great heroine. Can I say how refreshing it is to read about a heroine that's not a blushing near virgin. Here's a woman that owns her sexuality and makes no qualms about it. She enjoys sex and doesn't berate herself for it.
What made these characters so endearing is the amount of depth they had. They weren't surface personalities, there was a reason for all of their personality quirks that ran deep into their past. The more you read, the more you connect with them, and the more you root for them. You want Dean to get his shit together and get the girl. You want Ash to get her baby and a man that loves her beyond reason.
This is a follow up book to Locked Box, which I haven't read yet (but will definitely make a point to now) and I had no problem connecting with the secondary characters that starred in that book. I loved getting that continuation to Jules and Max's story.
This book was nothing what I'd typically gravitate to but I loved everything about it. I'm so happy I took a chance on this new to me author because I've found myself a new author to read. This woman is going straight to my auto buy list and I'm going to stalk through her entire backlist now.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
April 15, 2022
this goofy little book made me cry twice and I loved it so much.
P.s. more submissive himbo heroes please!!
P.s. more submissive himbo heroes please!!
May 8, 2017
Ashley Bennett has been living her life without a worry in the world but now that she's reaching her thirty years of existence, all she can think about is being a mother. But guys just keep getting more stupider and lazier, so finding the perfect daddy turns out to be an hard task.
Dean Sherwood is a cute and hot ginger who is just fascinated with Ashley's beauty. So he can't pass up the opportunity to full around with that hot stuff and she is the one proposing it. He's instantly in love with her but there's just one problem: he always has his head in the clouds which makes him anything but daddy material.
Now Dean is determined he can be the man Ash needs, the question is, will Ash see that ?
“And I went down her whole instagram feed and screen-shotted the pictures where she’s smiling. And where you can see cleavage.”
I loved Dean (how could I not?). He's such a cutie pie, every time he was on the verge of tears I just wanted to hug him and make it better. He didn't had an easy childhood and his current relationship with his family is nonexistent. But that, surprisingly, didn't make him angry with the world but happy with his life.
I also liked Ash but she's another story entirely. Completely angry with the fact that her mother was an alcoholic who didn't give a single thought about her or her sister. The rate she was used to go at men made her look like a kind of woman she wasn't proud of. But she wasn’t the kind of person to worry about what the others think of her so it never stopped her from having fun.
“I’ve missed the way your skin smells, I’ve been hurting every single day thinking about you. Nothing makes it better, not pictures, not memories, not alcohol, not porn. I’ve been fucking aching for you, day and night.”
The storyline is quite different. Ash was the dominant in the relationship (no BDSM elements but still) while Dean was happy with any way he could have her as long as she was happy by his side. They're pretty sexy together and their sexual encounters are pretty hot.
I just wished the moment when they got the “big news” (can’t say more without a big spoiler) was part of the book.
All in all, I loved the book. The story flows nicely, the characters are relatable and not a cliché and together they gave me all the feels. And it’s funny, like, laughing-my-ass-off kind of funny.
I received a copy from the author.
Dean Sherwood is a cute and hot ginger who is just fascinated with Ashley's beauty. So he can't pass up the opportunity to full around with that hot stuff and she is the one proposing it. He's instantly in love with her but there's just one problem: he always has his head in the clouds which makes him anything but daddy material.
Now Dean is determined he can be the man Ash needs, the question is, will Ash see that ?
“And I went down her whole instagram feed and screen-shotted the pictures where she’s smiling. And where you can see cleavage.”
I loved Dean (how could I not?). He's such a cutie pie, every time he was on the verge of tears I just wanted to hug him and make it better. He didn't had an easy childhood and his current relationship with his family is nonexistent. But that, surprisingly, didn't make him angry with the world but happy with his life.
I also liked Ash but she's another story entirely. Completely angry with the fact that her mother was an alcoholic who didn't give a single thought about her or her sister. The rate she was used to go at men made her look like a kind of woman she wasn't proud of. But she wasn’t the kind of person to worry about what the others think of her so it never stopped her from having fun.
“I’ve missed the way your skin smells, I’ve been hurting every single day thinking about you. Nothing makes it better, not pictures, not memories, not alcohol, not porn. I’ve been fucking aching for you, day and night.”
The storyline is quite different. Ash was the dominant in the relationship (no BDSM elements but still) while Dean was happy with any way he could have her as long as she was happy by his side. They're pretty sexy together and their sexual encounters are pretty hot.
I just wished the moment when they got the “big news” (can’t say more without a big spoiler) was part of the book.
All in all, I loved the book. The story flows nicely, the characters are relatable and not a cliché and together they gave me all the feels. And it’s funny, like, laughing-my-ass-off kind of funny.
I received a copy from the author.
September 10, 2020
5 Things Could be Different Stars ⭐
If you intend to read this ridiculously good book Open Hearts, I would highly recommend you read Locked Box first. Although a standalone, both books centre around two sisters and the two best friends that steal their hearts in their own individually kinky way.
Ashley Bennett is complicated. Having lived through a poor and toxic upbringing, she hasn’t made the best life choices especially when it involves men. She would be the first to admit that she is skanky, but she owns it even if it is a sore point.
"A lot of guys didn’t want to marry the girl whose bedpost was more notches than wood and who paid for her nursing degree doing nipple-heavy bikini photoshoots."
With the help of her sister, she finally kicks her latest abusive boyfriend to the curb. And for the first time, she embraces celibacy, and the right to fulfil her dream of having a baby; even if it is by herself.
However, sometimes when you focus on self-care and inner happiness, fate decides its time. The right time to meet the perfect person, even if he isn’t perfect on paper.
Dean Sherwood is misunderstood. With a heart of gold and the inability to focus, he is quickly judged as being an idiot. Instead this gorgeous, bumbling giant is selfless and totally adorable. And the second he lays eyes on Ash, he is completely besotted. Strangely enough, so is she.
"God, he was something else. A big dumb sweetheart. Ash just wanted to take his hand, tell him everything was going to be okay, gently steer him towards a quiet room, and fuck the shit out of him."
Although technically off men, Ash shouldn’t be interested in a man that needs instructions and directions. Except Dean likes being told what to do and Ash likes giving the commands. Plus the power exchange in the bedroom totally works for them…
"I will never compromise," she vowed. "I’ll die of horniness first."
"There’s no need for that. You’ve got my number. You get too pent up, call me. I’ll come lick your pussy whenever you want. Finger you, too, if you like."
Ash stared at him, not entirely convinced she’d heard him properly. "Are you serious?"
"As the fucking grave. I said I wouldn’t mind being your toy. I’d take the job very seriously."
And Dean is pulling out the big guns to win his girl. He is going to prove that he can be the perfect baby daddy even if he isn’t completely responsible. Can these two opposites buck tradition and let the woman take charge?
Forget the alpha male and embrace the gentleman that only has one goal, to make his woman happy. Not only was this story unconventional, scorching hot and endearing, this author did a fab job of dishing up a hero totally unique and memorable.
If you intend to read this ridiculously good book Open Hearts, I would highly recommend you read Locked Box first. Although a standalone, both books centre around two sisters and the two best friends that steal their hearts in their own individually kinky way.
Ashley Bennett is complicated. Having lived through a poor and toxic upbringing, she hasn’t made the best life choices especially when it involves men. She would be the first to admit that she is skanky, but she owns it even if it is a sore point.
"A lot of guys didn’t want to marry the girl whose bedpost was more notches than wood and who paid for her nursing degree doing nipple-heavy bikini photoshoots."
With the help of her sister, she finally kicks her latest abusive boyfriend to the curb. And for the first time, she embraces celibacy, and the right to fulfil her dream of having a baby; even if it is by herself.
However, sometimes when you focus on self-care and inner happiness, fate decides its time. The right time to meet the perfect person, even if he isn’t perfect on paper.
Dean Sherwood is misunderstood. With a heart of gold and the inability to focus, he is quickly judged as being an idiot. Instead this gorgeous, bumbling giant is selfless and totally adorable. And the second he lays eyes on Ash, he is completely besotted. Strangely enough, so is she.
"God, he was something else. A big dumb sweetheart. Ash just wanted to take his hand, tell him everything was going to be okay, gently steer him towards a quiet room, and fuck the shit out of him."
Although technically off men, Ash shouldn’t be interested in a man that needs instructions and directions. Except Dean likes being told what to do and Ash likes giving the commands. Plus the power exchange in the bedroom totally works for them…
"I will never compromise," she vowed. "I’ll die of horniness first."
"There’s no need for that. You’ve got my number. You get too pent up, call me. I’ll come lick your pussy whenever you want. Finger you, too, if you like."
Ash stared at him, not entirely convinced she’d heard him properly. "Are you serious?"
"As the fucking grave. I said I wouldn’t mind being your toy. I’d take the job very seriously."
And Dean is pulling out the big guns to win his girl. He is going to prove that he can be the perfect baby daddy even if he isn’t completely responsible. Can these two opposites buck tradition and let the woman take charge?
Forget the alpha male and embrace the gentleman that only has one goal, to make his woman happy. Not only was this story unconventional, scorching hot and endearing, this author did a fab job of dishing up a hero totally unique and memorable.
April 20, 2017
➦Title: Open Hearts
➦Author: Eve Dangerfield (
➦Ash Bennett -Ash & her younger sister had very hard life going up & not much had change as adult. So you can say she was a wild child. She had a past. She had gotten into trouble. All that was behind her, or so she though after staying away from drinking, smoking & most important toxic men for just over 8 months – until see met Dean
Ash worked as midwife, so she still had her dream of being mother & she plan on being one hell of good mother. Much better than what her mother was.
➦Dean Sherwood is very sexy man of all trades, who is somewhat scatterbrained. Dean has been living with his best friend (Max) since his break up with his fiancé. (For Lil over year) now he is unqualified roofer with no money
Dean survived his dysfunctional family & yet with all that this hunk of red hair man has been through, Dean has managed to always be happy go 35 year ago boy/man with the biggest heart
➦ I didn't realize that Open Hearts: it is a sequel to Locked Box. But no worries this book is standalone book
At times I had struggle cuz I didn't particularly like Ashley views on life & I specially didn’t like the way she treated Dean
Oh can’t forget that at times that I had Lil trouble with the Australian slang, other than that this was great read
This was funny & heartbreaking sexy romance
➦Hope you enjoy this read & also always keep in mind this is just my opinion
➦**"I voluntarily reviewed this ARC" ..**
.**In exchange for an honest review.**
April 20, 2017
I hit his belly... ;-)
What once was a D.N.F...
I know this is unconventional, but I've changed my mind. I got home from work, turned on my kindle, and instead of removing it from my device, I hit that hot belly and went back in. Now, I didn't stay where I was, I went to that line at the bottom of the page and picked a spot.
Geez, I picked the right spot. I've gone from not getting...struggling...almost hating the characters, to loving them. I laughed, cried and smirked with the characters as I got to know them better.
This could be seen as a spoilerish kind of thing, but there's this letter that Dean wrote. Oh my Lordy...best love letter ever (well the best one I've read in awhile). There's also a scene that broke my heart. It wasn't centered around the main characters but one of Ash's patients. Made me grateful for my two beautiful boys.
So, I was a little premature giving up and I'm glad I hit his belly instead of delete. Obviously, I can't rate it 5 stars, but what I just read left me so satisfied that I can't help but rate the rest of it 4 stars. I'm breaking the rules...BUT I DON'T CARE!!!
******\\\\\\//////******
DNF at 40%
This was a struggle for me. I didn't particularly like the heroine and her objectives, and really didn't like the way she treated Dean.
This will definitely not stop me from reading more of Eve Dangerfield's stories. She's not afraid of pushing to the edge and shaking things up.
Check out others reviews as I'm just one piddly little reader in a world full of readers. :-)
What once was a D.N.F...
I know this is unconventional, but I've changed my mind. I got home from work, turned on my kindle, and instead of removing it from my device, I hit that hot belly and went back in. Now, I didn't stay where I was, I went to that line at the bottom of the page and picked a spot.
Geez, I picked the right spot. I've gone from not getting...struggling...almost hating the characters, to loving them. I laughed, cried and smirked with the characters as I got to know them better.
This could be seen as a spoilerish kind of thing, but there's this letter that Dean wrote. Oh my Lordy...best love letter ever (well the best one I've read in awhile). There's also a scene that broke my heart. It wasn't centered around the main characters but one of Ash's patients. Made me grateful for my two beautiful boys.
So, I was a little premature giving up and I'm glad I hit his belly instead of delete. Obviously, I can't rate it 5 stars, but what I just read left me so satisfied that I can't help but rate the rest of it 4 stars. I'm breaking the rules...BUT I DON'T CARE!!!
******\\\\\\//////******
DNF at 40%
This was a struggle for me. I didn't particularly like the heroine and her objectives, and really didn't like the way she treated Dean.
This will definitely not stop me from reading more of Eve Dangerfield's stories. She's not afraid of pushing to the edge and shaking things up.
Check out others reviews as I'm just one piddly little reader in a world full of readers. :-)
April 24, 2017
A high 3.5*
Open Hearts
Where do I start?
Firstly I know I want to read 'Locked Box' and get the start of Max and Julia's story.
But back to this book, it was wrong for me on so many levels but yet it worked and no one was more surprised than me.
I like an alpha male (like Max) in my romances and the first time we meet Dean I cringed, I really did and I knew then I wouldn't be finishing this book because while he was big and handsome he was a man-boy or should that be boy-man?
Anyway he was ditzy, cute and adorable but what he wasn't was alpha material. I was struggling a little with Ashley anyway so I decided to just finish the chapter and then call it quits but Dean dragged me in and that led to the next one and then the one after that.....
I fell for Dean big time, I still couldn't quite get my head round his kink (it was a huge turnoff for me) but it's a testament to the writing that I continued on needing to know what happened with these two.
While I wasn't completely sold on Ashley the fact that Dean had won me over and he wanted her so very much meant I wanted them together.
This is the second book I've read by this author and while the male/female roles aren't necessarily how I'd choose them to be the writing makes the book.
Doesn't the writing always make the book?
No it doesn't, I've just given a book 4* (very unusual for me and now I think about it I might have to change that) and the writing was nowhere near as good as this but I loved the characters so much that they carried the book for me and it's one I'll re-read again.
Eve's characters are good, they're real and flawed and while they may not be especially to my taste they make compulsive reading.
Rating this book is more difficult, I rate low and it's difficult at times, it's so easy to think I enjoyed this I'll give it 4* and then the next book turns out to be better so that gets 5* and then where do you go?
I save 5* for those rare books that come along (if you're lucky) several times a year, 4* (as a rule are similar) definitely books I'll re-read and this is my problem because while I can appreciate the writing and I enjoyed this book it's not one I'll re-read.
I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by the author.
Open Hearts
Where do I start?
Firstly I know I want to read 'Locked Box' and get the start of Max and Julia's story.
But back to this book, it was wrong for me on so many levels but yet it worked and no one was more surprised than me.
I like an alpha male (like Max) in my romances and the first time we meet Dean I cringed, I really did and I knew then I wouldn't be finishing this book because while he was big and handsome he was a man-boy or should that be boy-man?
Anyway he was ditzy, cute and adorable but what he wasn't was alpha material. I was struggling a little with Ashley anyway so I decided to just finish the chapter and then call it quits but Dean dragged me in and that led to the next one and then the one after that.....
I fell for Dean big time, I still couldn't quite get my head round his kink (it was a huge turnoff for me) but it's a testament to the writing that I continued on needing to know what happened with these two.
While I wasn't completely sold on Ashley the fact that Dean had won me over and he wanted her so very much meant I wanted them together.
This is the second book I've read by this author and while the male/female roles aren't necessarily how I'd choose them to be the writing makes the book.
Doesn't the writing always make the book?
No it doesn't, I've just given a book 4* (very unusual for me and now I think about it I might have to change that) and the writing was nowhere near as good as this but I loved the characters so much that they carried the book for me and it's one I'll re-read again.
Eve's characters are good, they're real and flawed and while they may not be especially to my taste they make compulsive reading.
Rating this book is more difficult, I rate low and it's difficult at times, it's so easy to think I enjoyed this I'll give it 4* and then the next book turns out to be better so that gets 5* and then where do you go?
I save 5* for those rare books that come along (if you're lucky) several times a year, 4* (as a rule are similar) definitely books I'll re-read and this is my problem because while I can appreciate the writing and I enjoyed this book it's not one I'll re-read.
I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by the author.
April 25, 2017
4.5 Baby Making Stars
God, he was something else. A big dumb sweetheart. Ash just wanted to take his hand, tell him everything was going to be okay, gently steer him towards a quiet room and fuck the shit out of him.
After her last boyfriend decided things like supporting himself and being a decent human being were too much effort, Ashley's more than done with relationships and the headaches they bring. Sure, her biological clock is ticking but that's what sperm donors are for. Time to clean up her act and drop her penchant for unworthy men.
When Dean first lays eyes on his best friend's future sister in law, it's love at first sight. He knows he doesn't always make the best first impression but he's a nice enough guy. Even if he's not always the most organized. Or good with money, but that's beside the point. Looks like Dean will just have to work a little harder and show Ash how great they can be together.
“So she’s not pregnant yet. There’s still time for me to do the job.”
"You gave her head once! In a toilet! That doesn’t make you a contender to give her your children. That makes you the opposite of that.”
These two were all kinds of fun together. Ash has spent so much time and effort making sure her life's ready for a baby that she can't help but be charmed by Dean and his goofy playfulness. She starts off a little cold but as Dean reveals himself to be so much more than she'd originally thought, she finally begins to give a little and let him in.
Dean absolutely made this story for me. He's funny, honest to a fault and his inner ramblings (most definitely ramblings) managed to make me laugh and endear me all at once. I never quite figured out how Dean knew Ash was the one for him, but I absolutely love the fact he knew. Instalove I can believe in, I guess.
And the hotness?
Yes to that! I'm not normally attracted to gingers but I've seen the light thanks to Dean and his fastidious need to please.
Quite simply, Open Hearts worked for me. The Australian setting and the fact I had no trouble keeping up is worth mentioning as is the awesome banter and the terrific time I had reading it. I haven't read the first book in this series but that's most definitely 'bout to be rectified.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
God, he was something else. A big dumb sweetheart. Ash just wanted to take his hand, tell him everything was going to be okay, gently steer him towards a quiet room and fuck the shit out of him.
After her last boyfriend decided things like supporting himself and being a decent human being were too much effort, Ashley's more than done with relationships and the headaches they bring. Sure, her biological clock is ticking but that's what sperm donors are for. Time to clean up her act and drop her penchant for unworthy men.
When Dean first lays eyes on his best friend's future sister in law, it's love at first sight. He knows he doesn't always make the best first impression but he's a nice enough guy. Even if he's not always the most organized. Or good with money, but that's beside the point. Looks like Dean will just have to work a little harder and show Ash how great they can be together.
“So she’s not pregnant yet. There’s still time for me to do the job.”
"You gave her head once! In a toilet! That doesn’t make you a contender to give her your children. That makes you the opposite of that.”
These two were all kinds of fun together. Ash has spent so much time and effort making sure her life's ready for a baby that she can't help but be charmed by Dean and his goofy playfulness. She starts off a little cold but as Dean reveals himself to be so much more than she'd originally thought, she finally begins to give a little and let him in.
Dean absolutely made this story for me. He's funny, honest to a fault and his inner ramblings (most definitely ramblings) managed to make me laugh and endear me all at once. I never quite figured out how Dean knew Ash was the one for him, but I absolutely love the fact he knew. Instalove I can believe in, I guess.
And the hotness?
Yes to that! I'm not normally attracted to gingers but I've seen the light thanks to Dean and his fastidious need to please.
Quite simply, Open Hearts worked for me. The Australian setting and the fact I had no trouble keeping up is worth mentioning as is the awesome banter and the terrific time I had reading it. I haven't read the first book in this series but that's most definitely 'bout to be rectified.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 14, 2017
DNF
So it pains me to write this but I am going to have to call it a day with this one. I usually adore this author's writing and there isn't anything wrong in that regard with this book I am just not connecting with the story. I can't really put my finger on WHY exactly. I *think* it's the heroine. I just do not like her all that much. I'm finding her a little too selfish and cold. Probably because I ADORE Dean and think the guy deserves someone WAY better.
Whatever the case I am still a HUGE fan of this author and I look forward to reading whatever she has in store for us next!
April 12, 2017
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Copy received from Author in exchange for an honest review
★Book Basics★
Genre : - Cont. Romance
Series : - Sequel to Locked Box (which is about Max and Julia, the sister and best friend of the H/h in this book)
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes
Rating - 5 stars
★Review★
This author is now officially my new favourite bestest author out of EVERYONE!
I have not read a book of hers i did not instantly fall in love with. And each one has been so different! Her characters are not just carbon copies of each other. She can write with such variety it is amazing.
And there is something that is so real about how she writes. Her characters might have issues, barriers up, things that make them push away the one for them, but how she writes, there is an honesty to it. Sex and love is not all roses and soft beds with petals, or even the other end of the spectrum, whips and chains. Sometimes is is a bit awkward, and messy, and you are scared to verbalise what you truly wish in case the other person thinks you are a weirdo.
Which makes her characters so relateable. They are just normal (slightly more beautiful) messed up people, with maybe a dodgy past, or even a dodgy present, who want what the rest of us want, even if they think it will never happen to them.
Dean the hero here, was adorable. I fell in love!
He has got the attention span of Dory the fish, comes across as irresponsible, immature, a man child etc. But he fell and fell hard for Ash and was so determined to win her over and prove to her he could be what she wanted. And even for a character that comes across as a giant happy puppy, not is all as it seems.
And Ash, who quite rightly has her defences up, is in a different place to Dean in her life. She wants something she thinks Dean will never be able to provide. She cannot help but like him and be drawn to him, but she has some pretty big walls in place.
I loved every minute of this book, even if at time I was shouting at the heroine to stop being mean to Dean and just let him in. But in the end, they so suited each other, and accepted each other how they were, and just "got" each other.
This book was funny, and romantic and sad and all round wonderful.
Oh, and Max and Dean, I loved reading about their friendship.
And I loved how Max and Julia's relationship continued in this book, and how they progressed.
An absolutely wonderful 5 stars.
Copy received from Author in exchange for an honest review
★Book Basics★
Genre : - Cont. Romance
Series : - Sequel to Locked Box (which is about Max and Julia, the sister and best friend of the H/h in this book)
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes
Rating - 5 stars
★Review★
This author is now officially my new favourite bestest author out of EVERYONE!
I have not read a book of hers i did not instantly fall in love with. And each one has been so different! Her characters are not just carbon copies of each other. She can write with such variety it is amazing.
And there is something that is so real about how she writes. Her characters might have issues, barriers up, things that make them push away the one for them, but how she writes, there is an honesty to it. Sex and love is not all roses and soft beds with petals, or even the other end of the spectrum, whips and chains. Sometimes is is a bit awkward, and messy, and you are scared to verbalise what you truly wish in case the other person thinks you are a weirdo.
Which makes her characters so relateable. They are just normal (slightly more beautiful) messed up people, with maybe a dodgy past, or even a dodgy present, who want what the rest of us want, even if they think it will never happen to them.
Dean the hero here, was adorable. I fell in love!
He has got the attention span of Dory the fish, comes across as irresponsible, immature, a man child etc. But he fell and fell hard for Ash and was so determined to win her over and prove to her he could be what she wanted. And even for a character that comes across as a giant happy puppy, not is all as it seems.
And Ash, who quite rightly has her defences up, is in a different place to Dean in her life. She wants something she thinks Dean will never be able to provide. She cannot help but like him and be drawn to him, but she has some pretty big walls in place.
I loved every minute of this book, even if at time I was shouting at the heroine to stop being mean to Dean and just let him in. But in the end, they so suited each other, and accepted each other how they were, and just "got" each other.
This book was funny, and romantic and sad and all round wonderful.
Oh, and Max and Dean, I loved reading about their friendship.
And I loved how Max and Julia's relationship continued in this book, and how they progressed.
An absolutely wonderful 5 stars.
May 21, 2021
The author has a way of making you feel as if her characters were real. This is something my GR friends Isabella and Lana said to me, and after reading this series I have to agree.
Both the main characters were basically wonderful messes... I had a love-hate relationship with Ash (h) in the beginning, fortunately as the story progressed she grew on me. But Dean (H) definitely stole the show here. Even though he was in his middle thirties, still didn't have his own place or a job to support himself (not to spoil everything, but it was not due to his laziness), he was unable to concentrate which is why he was often judged as being an idiot, he was also a wonderful person who loved Ash fiercely. He was kind, sincere, extremely loyal and just so adorable, I wanted to hug him sometimes. He was simply so perfectly imperfect❤...
Even though I liked the first book a little bit more, I really enjoyed Dean and Ash's love story. And this series as a whole is a wonderful read.
Both the main characters were basically wonderful messes... I had a love-hate relationship with Ash (h) in the beginning, fortunately as the story progressed she grew on me. But Dean (H) definitely stole the show here. Even though he was in his middle thirties, still didn't have his own place or a job to support himself (not to spoil everything, but it was not due to his laziness), he was unable to concentrate which is why he was often judged as being an idiot, he was also a wonderful person who loved Ash fiercely. He was kind, sincere, extremely loyal and just so adorable, I wanted to hug him sometimes. He was simply so perfectly imperfect❤...
"She thought of Dean, tearing up as he got his Best and Fairest award. The way he was never embarrassed to say exactly how he felt, to show his fear and excitement. She imagined Dean pulling their crying son into his lap and holding him, perhaps even crying himself if there was nothing else he could do. He was a man who was as soft inside as he was big outside, who was gentle even when it was to his detriment. Who had never lost that boyish way of letting every emotion radiate out of him, as though he had nothing to hide."
Even though I liked the first book a little bit more, I really enjoyed Dean and Ash's love story. And this series as a whole is a wonderful read.
May 6, 2017
3.5-4 stars
This was a pretty good story. I liked both Dean and Ash but was a bit torn about their situation. Although it doesn't show as part of a series, this might as well be the second book in a series after Locked Box. In case this type of thing bothers you, Dean likes to be bossed around during sex and there is a certain element of humiliation in it (Ash is not a Domme, just a rather confident and bossy woman)
Ash is a nurse that works exclusively with birthing mothers and newly born babies. Ash grew up on the trashy side of town with a drunkard for a mother. Ash and her sister, Julia (from Locked Box), have been able to (for the most part) move past their roots and make good lives for themselves. Ash has always chosen jerks for boyfriends so about 8 months ago she took a break from men and learned to be alone.
Dean is a big teddy bear of a guy. He's a truly good guy who cares about people, regardless of his crappy childhood. Dean has major attention issues and tends not to manage money too well. He's been rooming with his buddy Max (from Locked Box) the last few years and has been content to live life for the now without worrying about the future.
Ash is turning 30 and with no decent prospects for a husband, her goal of parenthood seems unlikely to be fulfilled (taking into account that her family has a history of early menopause in its women). Ash gets the idea of artificial insemination using donor sperm and decides that's how she'd like to proceed. She starts on the appointments and evaluations needed to get the procedure done and things are going well. The one thing she doesn't expect to get in the way of her plans is meeting a guy but that's what happens. Julia's video game is being released and there's a big party being put on to celebrate it. Dean and Ash haven't met up to this point but they meet at the party. And proceed to get a bit more intimate than anyone planned. Dean falls for Ash big time and Ash turns tail and runs.
Dean isn't happy that Ash isn't interested but he backs off. However, Ash has trouble forgetting Dean and makes contact via social media and they start talking. And along the way, Dean offers to be Ash's boytoy and she takes advantage. Dean's rather nervous about revealing his predilection for being commanded and humiliated in sexual situations but Ash is able to accept that about him and even get into it. Most of the trouble stems from Ash's plans to have a baby but not seeing Dean as steady enough to be a good father and possible partner. Dean is determined to prove that he's a good bet and it takes some doing but he's able to convince Ash that they're best together and they end the story starting towards a HEA.
This was a pretty enjoyable story. I liked both Ash and Dean and felt for them both as they struggled to figure out their relationship. Ash had valid concerns when it came to a future for her and her baby. I can't blame her for trying to think things through logically, it just sucked that logic an feelings didn't agree at first. Dean was a sweet guy and I really liked him...even if I could totally see why Ash had reservations about a future with him. I thought it was great that Dean was willing to make the effort for the right woman. Overall, this was a pretty good story and I'd recommend it. :)
This was a pretty good story. I liked both Dean and Ash but was a bit torn about their situation. Although it doesn't show as part of a series, this might as well be the second book in a series after Locked Box. In case this type of thing bothers you, Dean likes to be bossed around during sex and there is a certain element of humiliation in it (Ash is not a Domme, just a rather confident and bossy woman)
Ash is a nurse that works exclusively with birthing mothers and newly born babies. Ash grew up on the trashy side of town with a drunkard for a mother. Ash and her sister, Julia (from Locked Box), have been able to (for the most part) move past their roots and make good lives for themselves. Ash has always chosen jerks for boyfriends so about 8 months ago she took a break from men and learned to be alone.
Dean is a big teddy bear of a guy. He's a truly good guy who cares about people, regardless of his crappy childhood. Dean has major attention issues and tends not to manage money too well. He's been rooming with his buddy Max (from Locked Box) the last few years and has been content to live life for the now without worrying about the future.
Ash is turning 30 and with no decent prospects for a husband, her goal of parenthood seems unlikely to be fulfilled (taking into account that her family has a history of early menopause in its women). Ash gets the idea of artificial insemination using donor sperm and decides that's how she'd like to proceed. She starts on the appointments and evaluations needed to get the procedure done and things are going well. The one thing she doesn't expect to get in the way of her plans is meeting a guy but that's what happens. Julia's video game is being released and there's a big party being put on to celebrate it. Dean and Ash haven't met up to this point but they meet at the party. And proceed to get a bit more intimate than anyone planned. Dean falls for Ash big time and Ash turns tail and runs.
Dean isn't happy that Ash isn't interested but he backs off. However, Ash has trouble forgetting Dean and makes contact via social media and they start talking. And along the way, Dean offers to be Ash's boytoy and she takes advantage. Dean's rather nervous about revealing his predilection for being commanded and humiliated in sexual situations but Ash is able to accept that about him and even get into it. Most of the trouble stems from Ash's plans to have a baby but not seeing Dean as steady enough to be a good father and possible partner. Dean is determined to prove that he's a good bet and it takes some doing but he's able to convince Ash that they're best together and they end the story starting towards a HEA.
This was a pretty enjoyable story. I liked both Ash and Dean and felt for them both as they struggled to figure out their relationship. Ash had valid concerns when it came to a future for her and her baby. I can't blame her for trying to think things through logically, it just sucked that logic an feelings didn't agree at first. Dean was a sweet guy and I really liked him...even if I could totally see why Ash had reservations about a future with him. I thought it was great that Dean was willing to make the effort for the right woman. Overall, this was a pretty good story and I'd recommend it. :)
November 30, 2018
3/5 stars
This book had been sitting on my kindle for a hot minute but for some reason, I sometimes shy away from books set in Australia. They're usually just not my cup of tea, I prefer reading books different from my reality but I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I loved the setting and the quintessential aussie language and culture, it was easy to pick up where the book was set but I didn't find it overwhelming, so many books set in Australia seem focus too much on describing the setting and country.
This book follows Ashley Bennet, a woman who serially picks the worst men imaginable—lazy guys, mooches, drunks, assholes and more—but now she's in her thirties she's ready to cut out the middle man. As in, the actual man.
She wants to have a baby and she's ready to do it herself, so when she meets the loveable but very easy going Dean Sherwood, she expects him to be like all the others, and she doesn't want anything to do with him. She's done looking for a realionship. But Dean's set on Ash and he'll do anything to change her mind.
In the beginning I found it hard to enjoy Ashley's character, the books starts with her continuously making the same bad decisions and she's a little all over the place in the beginning. She's hot and cold from her very first meeting with Dean, and her behaviour often boarders on manipulation.
I enjoyed their story well enough and I couldn't get enough of Dean, a pure to the core, good ol' aussie bloke—even if he's a little scatterbrained. He never guarded what he said and was infatuated with Ashely from the very beginning, hell set on doing anything to convince her that he was worth the chance. Every little thing that came out of his mouth either had me swooning or dying of laughter, he's a six-foot five man with a heart of gold who isn't afraid to show emotions. What more could a girl ask for?
My enjoyment of the story and side characters was only dampened by Ashley's often self-centred personality, and the way she treated Dean. I'm dying to read the first book in the series because I feel like I'd enjoy it a lot more, and I loved the story line those characters had throughout this story.
"They’d tried to diagnose him but there was no apparent medical explanation for his behaviour. He was just what his mum called 'away with the fairies' and Max called 'a bit of a lost cunt.'
This book had been sitting on my kindle for a hot minute but for some reason, I sometimes shy away from books set in Australia. They're usually just not my cup of tea, I prefer reading books different from my reality but I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I loved the setting and the quintessential aussie language and culture, it was easy to pick up where the book was set but I didn't find it overwhelming, so many books set in Australia seem focus too much on describing the setting and country.
This book follows Ashley Bennet, a woman who serially picks the worst men imaginable—lazy guys, mooches, drunks, assholes and more—but now she's in her thirties she's ready to cut out the middle man. As in, the actual man.
She wants to have a baby and she's ready to do it herself, so when she meets the loveable but very easy going Dean Sherwood, she expects him to be like all the others, and she doesn't want anything to do with him. She's done looking for a realionship. But Dean's set on Ash and he'll do anything to change her mind.
In the beginning I found it hard to enjoy Ashley's character, the books starts with her continuously making the same bad decisions and she's a little all over the place in the beginning. She's hot and cold from her very first meeting with Dean, and her behaviour often boarders on manipulation.
I enjoyed their story well enough and I couldn't get enough of Dean, a pure to the core, good ol' aussie bloke—even if he's a little scatterbrained. He never guarded what he said and was infatuated with Ashely from the very beginning, hell set on doing anything to convince her that he was worth the chance. Every little thing that came out of his mouth either had me swooning or dying of laughter, he's a six-foot five man with a heart of gold who isn't afraid to show emotions. What more could a girl ask for?
“If I’d known you were coming, I would have lived differently.”
-
“You’re my dream girl, Ash. No one even comes close.”
My enjoyment of the story and side characters was only dampened by Ashley's often self-centred personality, and the way she treated Dean. I'm dying to read the first book in the series because I feel like I'd enjoy it a lot more, and I loved the story line those characters had throughout this story.
April 22, 2017
Thanks again to the author for an ARC of this gem!
Anytime I get a chance to review one of Eve Dangerfield's book I JUMP ON IT! Her characters are all so well written and funny. Like seriously funny, they say the shit that everyone is thinking but no one says. My husband looks at me like I'm a lunatic when I read her books because I am seriously always laughing. This bad boy in particular I was so excited to get my hands on because Max and Julia, from Locked Box make a little comeback and I LOVED them.
The first thing I adored about this was Dean. Do you have any idea how nice it was to read a guy who isn't the brooding, my way or the highway alpha male?! Dean was SO NICE, like a genuinely nice guy who was more worried about making sure Ashley was happy and taken care of before himself. I also loved that he was a little goofy and scatterbrained (definitely made for some funny and awkward conversations which had me dying) and honestly I loved that he also had no money because not every romance needs to have a billionaire who owns half the fucking city to be good. And still despite all of that Dean still had the sexy vibe in his favor.
Second thing I loved was the Max and Julia comeback because it was SO SWEET. I loved that we got to see the bumps and the advance in their relationship and that ending. *sighs* ALL THE FEELS.
Last thing I loved was that Dean and Ash's relationship was a little backwards, which seems a little weird but I promise when you read this you'll see it makes sense. Ash wants to have a baby so desperately before she even meets Dean but her and Dean clicked so well and were head over heels for each other that the story worked so much better with the whole baby first marriage later thing. I'll say it again THAT ENDING MAN!! SERIOUSLY ALL THE FEELS!
Definitely would recommend this book!
Anytime I get a chance to review one of Eve Dangerfield's book I JUMP ON IT! Her characters are all so well written and funny. Like seriously funny, they say the shit that everyone is thinking but no one says. My husband looks at me like I'm a lunatic when I read her books because I am seriously always laughing. This bad boy in particular I was so excited to get my hands on because Max and Julia, from Locked Box make a little comeback and I LOVED them.
The first thing I adored about this was Dean. Do you have any idea how nice it was to read a guy who isn't the brooding, my way or the highway alpha male?! Dean was SO NICE, like a genuinely nice guy who was more worried about making sure Ashley was happy and taken care of before himself. I also loved that he was a little goofy and scatterbrained (definitely made for some funny and awkward conversations which had me dying) and honestly I loved that he also had no money because not every romance needs to have a billionaire who owns half the fucking city to be good. And still despite all of that Dean still had the sexy vibe in his favor.
Second thing I loved was the Max and Julia comeback because it was SO SWEET. I loved that we got to see the bumps and the advance in their relationship and that ending. *sighs* ALL THE FEELS.
Last thing I loved was that Dean and Ash's relationship was a little backwards, which seems a little weird but I promise when you read this you'll see it makes sense. Ash wants to have a baby so desperately before she even meets Dean but her and Dean clicked so well and were head over heels for each other that the story worked so much better with the whole baby first marriage later thing. I'll say it again THAT ENDING MAN!! SERIOUSLY ALL THE FEELS!
Definitely would recommend this book!
June 11, 2017
What. A. Great. Book!
ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Warning: I couldn't help but highlight my favorite quotes, so expect lots of them here.
It was different than I had expected, and it took me by surprise with its great humour and amazing characterization. Don't get me wrong, I DID have high expectations, but the novel even exceeded them.
It's been a while since the last time I read a book in which I smiled or grinned or squealed every time the hero's name popped on the page. This was absolutely the case and Dean is probably half the reason why this book was so entertaining.
He's a unique character, but to give you an idea of what His Ginger Hotness is like, think of Blake Riley from Good Boy by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. Now, think of his ditzyness, immaturity and hilariousness times ten. There, you have Dean. Apparently, I have a special fondness for the boyish, carefree and careless kind, who would have thought?
Why was the universe always making gorgeous men and giving them the brains of iguana?
The heroine was definitely interesting. I don't agree with those who say she was a bitch to Dean. From the very beginning we know what her final goal is: to have a kid. From the very beginning. She never denies her attraction of feelings for Dean, but he did indeed land in her life at the worst time ever. I couldn't fault her for the choices she made, because she'd made it perfectly clear what her dream was and, honestly, Dean isn't the most reliable guy in the world. I also loved how she didn't fault him for it. He's amazing the way he is, he just didn't fit in with her plan. So I found Ashley real and honest.
Ash was shocked to see a blush working its way across Red's cheeks. God, he was something else. A big dumb sweetheart. Ash just wanted to take his hand, tell him everything was going to be fine, gently steer him toward a quiet room, and fuck the shit out of him.
She's definitely the boss in their relationship, while he's the "submissive" (we'll get to that later), and this role reversal totally did it for me. It was original, refreshing and fun. It kept me on my toes and it made Dean even cuter, like a little lost puppy who just wants to please the woman he's falling for.
Another major plus was that, even though there was an initial push and pull, they didn't fight their attraction that hard and eventually they caved in, diminishing the general level of angst.
"You're not bad people; as far as fuck-buddies go, you're a lot of fun. You're seventeen forever. Like that Zach Efron movie, without the abs."
"I have abs." He raised his shirt to show her.
Ash's gaze snapped to his stomach and then she looked away. "Abs aren't everything."
"They are pretty good, though." Dean tensed. "See?"
Brownie points for the humour. This book made me laugh out loud. It's not just Dean who's the definition of hot goofball, but also Ashley's sister and her boyfriend, who also happens to be Dean's roommate. Their interactions were priceless. I think the first book in the series is about Max (Dean's roommate) and Ash's sister and now I HAVE to read it, because I lurved their characters as much as I did Ash and Dean.
***
"Red, my twat isn't a vegan gelato truck, I don't give out infinite samples because I sell a dubious product no one likes."
Dean gave a soft snort of laughter. "Glad to hear it."
"You shouldn't be glad to hear it, ginger, because what I'm trying to say is hurry the fuck up."
This book also hid unexpected depths. Dean's past wasn't all rainbows and unicorns, but his wanting to help others was remarkable, and Ash's reputation sure played a role in some of the events and her reactions to them. I managed to connect with their feelings and struggles, with their impossible love which clashed with her dreams and his being too unreliable for his own good. This book is the evidence that love just happens and, sometimes, it binds two people together who have very little in common and who aren't in each other's plan. And yet, somehow they just fit, and they make each other's lives a happier place, an adventure. People who become your new home, who surprise you, who you would have never, ever dreamt of meeting. But sometimes life is crazy like that.
It's nothing, he told himself. She doesn't want you and you don't want her. You just imprinted on her like one of those baby birds that thinks a cat is their mum, then gets eaten.
The best part, in my opinion, was seeing Dean trying to be more responsible for Ash, but without upturning his personality. He's still Dean, but making an effort to be the man Ash needs in her life.
Finally, ALL THE STEAM. I have already expressed my growing boredom for all things Alpha-male-you-are-mine-fill-the-blank-space-with-the-usual-jazz-a-la-Alexa-Riley. So imagine my pleased smirk when I discovered Dean's little quirk... or better, kink. As I said earlier, he's not the boss in the relationship and with that I don't want you to think of him as a wimp. Because he's not. But there's something incredibly hot in a guy who wants nothing more in his life, in his effing life, than to please you. Of a guy who would deny his own pleasure if that means having a real shot at dating you. Dean wins hands down the "MOST GENEROUS LOVER AWARD" out of all my book boyfriends. All the steamy scenes were amazingly written and just... different. They kept me hooked... and made me re-appreciate the Princess Bride even more. (Won't even be able to watch it again without blushing. "As you wish" *shivers and fans herself*).
Ahem... anyway... back to planet Earth. This book has everything I look for in a romance: wonderful characters to love, hilarious banter, strong supporting characters, a valid plot, sexy times that will make you crack the AC a notch higher, not too much angst, and enough luvey feelings to appease my romantic side (not in a sugary way, though. Ash is a modern woman, with her feet planted firmly to the ground, but it was nice to see her develop the feels for the ditzy boy-man with a truly talented tongue *winks*).
"But take it from someone who's also a little controlling and uptight, Dean has something people like us need. Something that's rare as fucking diamonds."
"What?"
"He's kind. Right to the bottom of his heart. Makes you feel better just being near him."
And ain't that the truth? That's why I'll always have a special place in my heart for Dean Sherwood. So I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes regarding him and a thank you to the author for offering me this book. Eve Dangerfield, you just gained a huge fan!
There were a lot of things to love about Dean, but there were things that drove her crazy, too.
He giggled incessantly at GIFs of people falling over. His memory had more holes than a sieve. He couldn't name a single political figure, not even the Prime Minister. He thought, for some unknown reason, there were seventy-two weeks in a year. He'd made her a million cups of tea but he could never remember how she liked it (Irish breakfast with milk and one sugar). Once he went to the shops to buy her dishwashing liquid and he returned with flowers, a Boston bun, and a packet of double A batteries. If they were driving anywhere, he broke off mid-conversation to point out interesting-looking dogs or people. Even at his most mature and self-reliant, he was, at heart, a lostie.
ARC generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Warning: I couldn't help but highlight my favorite quotes, so expect lots of them here.
It was different than I had expected, and it took me by surprise with its great humour and amazing characterization. Don't get me wrong, I DID have high expectations, but the novel even exceeded them.
It's been a while since the last time I read a book in which I smiled or grinned or squealed every time the hero's name popped on the page. This was absolutely the case and Dean is probably half the reason why this book was so entertaining.
He's a unique character, but to give you an idea of what His Ginger Hotness is like, think of Blake Riley from Good Boy by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. Now, think of his ditzyness, immaturity and hilariousness times ten. There, you have Dean. Apparently, I have a special fondness for the boyish, carefree and careless kind, who would have thought?
Why was the universe always making gorgeous men and giving them the brains of iguana?
The heroine was definitely interesting. I don't agree with those who say she was a bitch to Dean. From the very beginning we know what her final goal is: to have a kid. From the very beginning. She never denies her attraction of feelings for Dean, but he did indeed land in her life at the worst time ever. I couldn't fault her for the choices she made, because she'd made it perfectly clear what her dream was and, honestly, Dean isn't the most reliable guy in the world. I also loved how she didn't fault him for it. He's amazing the way he is, he just didn't fit in with her plan. So I found Ashley real and honest.
Ash was shocked to see a blush working its way across Red's cheeks. God, he was something else. A big dumb sweetheart. Ash just wanted to take his hand, tell him everything was going to be fine, gently steer him toward a quiet room, and fuck the shit out of him.
She's definitely the boss in their relationship, while he's the "submissive" (we'll get to that later), and this role reversal totally did it for me. It was original, refreshing and fun. It kept me on my toes and it made Dean even cuter, like a little lost puppy who just wants to please the woman he's falling for.
Another major plus was that, even though there was an initial push and pull, they didn't fight their attraction that hard and eventually they caved in, diminishing the general level of angst.
"You're not bad people; as far as fuck-buddies go, you're a lot of fun. You're seventeen forever. Like that Zach Efron movie, without the abs."
"I have abs." He raised his shirt to show her.
Ash's gaze snapped to his stomach and then she looked away. "Abs aren't everything."
"They are pretty good, though." Dean tensed. "See?"
Brownie points for the humour. This book made me laugh out loud. It's not just Dean who's the definition of hot goofball, but also Ashley's sister and her boyfriend, who also happens to be Dean's roommate. Their interactions were priceless. I think the first book in the series is about Max (Dean's roommate) and Ash's sister and now I HAVE to read it, because I lurved their characters as much as I did Ash and Dean.
***
"Red, my twat isn't a vegan gelato truck, I don't give out infinite samples because I sell a dubious product no one likes."
Dean gave a soft snort of laughter. "Glad to hear it."
"You shouldn't be glad to hear it, ginger, because what I'm trying to say is hurry the fuck up."
This book also hid unexpected depths. Dean's past wasn't all rainbows and unicorns, but his wanting to help others was remarkable, and Ash's reputation sure played a role in some of the events and her reactions to them. I managed to connect with their feelings and struggles, with their impossible love which clashed with her dreams and his being too unreliable for his own good. This book is the evidence that love just happens and, sometimes, it binds two people together who have very little in common and who aren't in each other's plan. And yet, somehow they just fit, and they make each other's lives a happier place, an adventure. People who become your new home, who surprise you, who you would have never, ever dreamt of meeting. But sometimes life is crazy like that.
It's nothing, he told himself. She doesn't want you and you don't want her. You just imprinted on her like one of those baby birds that thinks a cat is their mum, then gets eaten.
The best part, in my opinion, was seeing Dean trying to be more responsible for Ash, but without upturning his personality. He's still Dean, but making an effort to be the man Ash needs in her life.
Finally, ALL THE STEAM. I have already expressed my growing boredom for all things Alpha-male-you-are-mine-fill-the-blank-space-with-the-usual-jazz-a-la-Alexa-Riley. So imagine my pleased smirk when I discovered Dean's little quirk... or better, kink. As I said earlier, he's not the boss in the relationship and with that I don't want you to think of him as a wimp. Because he's not. But there's something incredibly hot in a guy who wants nothing more in his life, in his effing life, than to please you. Of a guy who would deny his own pleasure if that means having a real shot at dating you. Dean wins hands down the "MOST GENEROUS LOVER AWARD" out of all my book boyfriends. All the steamy scenes were amazingly written and just... different. They kept me hooked... and made me re-appreciate the Princess Bride even more. (Won't even be able to watch it again without blushing. "As you wish" *shivers and fans herself*).
Ahem... anyway... back to planet Earth. This book has everything I look for in a romance: wonderful characters to love, hilarious banter, strong supporting characters, a valid plot, sexy times that will make you crack the AC a notch higher, not too much angst, and enough luvey feelings to appease my romantic side (not in a sugary way, though. Ash is a modern woman, with her feet planted firmly to the ground, but it was nice to see her develop the feels for the ditzy boy-man with a truly talented tongue *winks*).
"But take it from someone who's also a little controlling and uptight, Dean has something people like us need. Something that's rare as fucking diamonds."
"What?"
"He's kind. Right to the bottom of his heart. Makes you feel better just being near him."
And ain't that the truth? That's why I'll always have a special place in my heart for Dean Sherwood. So I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes regarding him and a thank you to the author for offering me this book. Eve Dangerfield, you just gained a huge fan!
There were a lot of things to love about Dean, but there were things that drove her crazy, too.
He giggled incessantly at GIFs of people falling over. His memory had more holes than a sieve. He couldn't name a single political figure, not even the Prime Minister. He thought, for some unknown reason, there were seventy-two weeks in a year. He'd made her a million cups of tea but he could never remember how she liked it (Irish breakfast with milk and one sugar). Once he went to the shops to buy her dishwashing liquid and he returned with flowers, a Boston bun, and a packet of double A batteries. If they were driving anywhere, he broke off mid-conversation to point out interesting-looking dogs or people. Even at his most mature and self-reliant, he was, at heart, a lostie.
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May 26, 2022
Randomly discovered I'd never reviewed this (since I was combing through my shelves to help a redditor with a book rec) so figured I'd do it now. I actually remember a shocking amount of this book, considering I read it five months ago! It really deserves its four stars.
Ashley Bennett is a nurse who's decided she wants to have a baby - ideally, without the father being present in their lives. She's tough, quite bitchy, and emotionally closed off... in short, the kind of heroine who's paired perfectly with a total golden retriever of a guy.
Dean Sherwood
I will admit I don't like reading about sexually submissive heroes, and Dean is one - actually might be my first one. But the rest of the book is awesome. I love cinnamon-roll heroes and ice queen heroines, since it makes for a nice change from the usual dynamic. As usual, Eve Dangerfield's characterisation is fabulous. I really must get around to reading her newest release...
Ashley Bennett is a nurse who's decided she wants to have a baby - ideally, without the father being present in their lives. She's tough, quite bitchy, and emotionally closed off... in short, the kind of heroine who's paired perfectly with a total golden retriever of a guy.
Dean Sherwood
I will admit I don't like reading about sexually submissive heroes, and Dean is one - actually might be my first one. But the rest of the book is awesome. I love cinnamon-roll heroes and ice queen heroines, since it makes for a nice change from the usual dynamic. As usual, Eve Dangerfield's characterisation is fabulous. I really must get around to reading her newest release...
December 8, 2018
4.25 Stars!
I really liked this one more than I thought I would. Part of it was because the author and characters are from Melbourne, Australia and it made me smile at all the familiar Aussie terminologies, slangs and celebrities -which some non Australians may struggle to comprehend but I don’t think it’ll take away from the enjoyability of the story. I squealed when real Melbourne towns, streets and venue names were mentioned because I NEVER get to enjoy a good romance book located in a city that I live and know so well, with REAL, existing restaurants and venues that I have frequented. Side note to the author: your description of Crown Casino is so spot on. It made me cackle and nod my head in agreement. Kudos for highlighting the “posh tackiness” of our beloved casino.
What I enjoyed most was the H. He was such a ditzy sweetheart and the sadist in me loved that he was such a massive masochist for the h. But fair warning; if alpha walpha gazillionaires and submissive virgin heroines are the only things that pump your nads, then this couple may not be your cuppa. To some, the h may come across as super selfish and unlikable and the H may not have enough money or testosterone for others. But for me, I am always a sucker for the mean girl and the googly eyed, “never-stop-chasing-even-if-I-lose-my-balls-in-the-process” hero trope. Plus, the hero’s ditzy’ness and likeable personality reminds me of the typical Aussie bloke that everyone at home knows and loves so well (minus the book boyfriend sweetness and masochistic tendencies, cos no Aussie bloke that I know -my husband included- will ever be that thoughtful and sweet).
Told in 3rd person, dual POV and standalone (book #2) in a series. I wasn’t interested in reading book #1 and was able to jump into this book with no problems or confusion at all. Fellow Melbournian romance lovers will love and appreciate the Melbourne quirks and details that the author gifts us. Highly recommended for those who love a good, bumbly, cutie patootie chasing the hot, selfish bitch storyline. We get more of a HFN then HEA at the end but maybe that’s because the series will continue (?).
I should thank Coco.V for pointing out this free gem on Amazon :) I’ll defo be checking out more from this author after this.
I really liked this one more than I thought I would. Part of it was because the author and characters are from Melbourne, Australia and it made me smile at all the familiar Aussie terminologies, slangs and celebrities -which some non Australians may struggle to comprehend but I don’t think it’ll take away from the enjoyability of the story. I squealed when real Melbourne towns, streets and venue names were mentioned because I NEVER get to enjoy a good romance book located in a city that I live and know so well, with REAL, existing restaurants and venues that I have frequented. Side note to the author: your description of Crown Casino is so spot on. It made me cackle and nod my head in agreement. Kudos for highlighting the “posh tackiness” of our beloved casino.
What I enjoyed most was the H. He was such a ditzy sweetheart and the sadist in me loved that he was such a massive masochist for the h. But fair warning; if alpha walpha gazillionaires and submissive virgin heroines are the only things that pump your nads, then this couple may not be your cuppa. To some, the h may come across as super selfish and unlikable and the H may not have enough money or testosterone for others. But for me, I am always a sucker for the mean girl and the googly eyed, “never-stop-chasing-even-if-I-lose-my-balls-in-the-process” hero trope. Plus, the hero’s ditzy’ness and likeable personality reminds me of the typical Aussie bloke that everyone at home knows and loves so well (minus the book boyfriend sweetness and masochistic tendencies, cos no Aussie bloke that I know -my husband included- will ever be that thoughtful and sweet).
Told in 3rd person, dual POV and standalone (book #2) in a series. I wasn’t interested in reading book #1 and was able to jump into this book with no problems or confusion at all. Fellow Melbournian romance lovers will love and appreciate the Melbourne quirks and details that the author gifts us. Highly recommended for those who love a good, bumbly, cutie patootie chasing the hot, selfish bitch storyline. We get more of a HFN then HEA at the end but maybe that’s because the series will continue (?).
I should thank Coco.V for pointing out this free gem on Amazon :) I’ll defo be checking out more from this author after this.
April 30, 2018
3.5* STARS!!
Mini review: The story of Ashley Bennett; Julia's sister from Locked Box. Ash swore off to any man after her loser ex-boyfriend. She wants a baby without a father. How? Sperm donor. One night stand with a big O with Max Connor's bestfriend, Red aka Dean Sherwood almost tore up her defense. Dean is cute and very skillful but he's not the right man for now. Dean couldn't forget about Ash but after realize his condition, he's about to back off. Ash also has conflicted feeling toward Dean.
I really enjoyed their banter. Didn't think that Dean is a bottom. He needs to receive order. Dean has some concentration issue but Ash could handle it. I think Dean is the most generous hero when it comes to orgasm. Ash couldn't feel any better and she become an addict. They're such a cute yet sexy couple. Eventually they need to face their biggest fear and I might say... Well done! Overall, it was an entertaining read. The story flows nicely and solid characters. Some scene maybe a bit cliche but relateable.
Mini review: The story of Ashley Bennett; Julia's sister from Locked Box. Ash swore off to any man after her loser ex-boyfriend. She wants a baby without a father. How? Sperm donor. One night stand with a big O with Max Connor's bestfriend, Red aka Dean Sherwood almost tore up her defense. Dean is cute and very skillful but he's not the right man for now. Dean couldn't forget about Ash but after realize his condition, he's about to back off. Ash also has conflicted feeling toward Dean.
I really enjoyed their banter. Didn't think that Dean is a bottom. He needs to receive order. Dean has some concentration issue but Ash could handle it. I think Dean is the most generous hero when it comes to orgasm. Ash couldn't feel any better and she become an addict. They're such a cute yet sexy couple. Eventually they need to face their biggest fear and I might say... Well done! Overall, it was an entertaining read. The story flows nicely and solid characters. Some scene maybe a bit cliche but relateable.
April 25, 2017
Open Hearts by Eve Dangerfield
4 stars!!!
Eve Dangerfield takes me back once again to my favourite bunch of Australians with Open Hearts, this time it is the story of Ashley Bennett, Julia’s sister. If you want to read Julia’s story first then read Locked Box as Julia and Max do appear in this one.
Ash is nearly thirty and a midwife, she works hard and in her past…played harder. Ash was an ex-model and her youth was quite promiscuous but now with her biological clock ticking down she is devastated that she cannot find a man to settle down with and start the family she desperately wants to start. With early menopause hereditary in her family, she needs to start sooner rather than later and so she starts exploring sperm donors.
Dean is Max’s best friend and house mate, he is in his mid-thirties but is a child at heart. Irresponsible and immature are his middle names but underneath that childish persona is a man that no-one really understands. Dean keeps his private life private and maybe all is not what it seems.
When Julia has her launch party for her latest game, starring Max of course, Dean and Ash’s paths meet and it is lust at first sight and the start of one of the most hilarious couplings ever. The dynamic between these two was perfect. Dean and Ash suited each other so much and the dialogue and banter between them made this book for me. Hilarious together and yet deep and emotional too, while superficial on the outside, Dean has depth and it was fantastic to read.
Ash has many hang-ups and the biggest one being money. Having lived on the breadline all her childhood and being one of the poor kids who lived on scraps and wore old clothes she is determined to never live that way again. While Ash and Dean have fantastic chemistry, he has no prospects so definitely not baby daddy material even though he had an extremely talented tongue...back to the sperm donor then…
I laughed hard reading this book and loved harder, Dean was a character that you couldn’t help but take into your heart. Dean’s personality was infectious but it was his innocent and vulnerable side that maketh the man. His determination to be a better man was admirable and the successes and failures made for entertaining reading. Ash was a little harder to warm up to. I understood where she was coming from but sometimes you need to step back and see the wood for the trees.
The comedic timing was perfect, the emotion was present and the character connection, especially to Dean was spot on. I loved that Dean was a little submissive and yet could be alpha when needed, it is this trait that really cemented him as the ideal partner to Ash’s domineering personality. Opposites definitely attract but would it be too little too late for these two? Another entertaining read from Eve Dangerfield.
www.theromancecover.com
4 stars!!!
“If I’d known you were coming, I would have lived differently.”
Eve Dangerfield takes me back once again to my favourite bunch of Australians with Open Hearts, this time it is the story of Ashley Bennett, Julia’s sister. If you want to read Julia’s story first then read Locked Box as Julia and Max do appear in this one.
Ash is nearly thirty and a midwife, she works hard and in her past…played harder. Ash was an ex-model and her youth was quite promiscuous but now with her biological clock ticking down she is devastated that she cannot find a man to settle down with and start the family she desperately wants to start. With early menopause hereditary in her family, she needs to start sooner rather than later and so she starts exploring sperm donors.
“Out of all the things mum gave us, what do you think is the best; the hair, the legs, or the insane vodka tolerance of twenty-eight generations of Russian peasants?”
Dean is Max’s best friend and house mate, he is in his mid-thirties but is a child at heart. Irresponsible and immature are his middle names but underneath that childish persona is a man that no-one really understands. Dean keeps his private life private and maybe all is not what it seems.
“But take it from someone who’s also a little controlling and uptight, Dean has something people like us need. Something that’s rare as fucking diamonds.”
When Julia has her launch party for her latest game, starring Max of course, Dean and Ash’s paths meet and it is lust at first sight and the start of one of the most hilarious couplings ever. The dynamic between these two was perfect. Dean and Ash suited each other so much and the dialogue and banter between them made this book for me. Hilarious together and yet deep and emotional too, while superficial on the outside, Dean has depth and it was fantastic to read.
Ash has many hang-ups and the biggest one being money. Having lived on the breadline all her childhood and being one of the poor kids who lived on scraps and wore old clothes she is determined to never live that way again. While Ash and Dean have fantastic chemistry, he has no prospects so definitely not baby daddy material even though he had an extremely talented tongue...back to the sperm donor then…
“How did she ever think she had anything over this guy? He was leading her around by the clit like some kind of clit-farmer.”
I laughed hard reading this book and loved harder, Dean was a character that you couldn’t help but take into your heart. Dean’s personality was infectious but it was his innocent and vulnerable side that maketh the man. His determination to be a better man was admirable and the successes and failures made for entertaining reading. Ash was a little harder to warm up to. I understood where she was coming from but sometimes you need to step back and see the wood for the trees.
The comedic timing was perfect, the emotion was present and the character connection, especially to Dean was spot on. I loved that Dean was a little submissive and yet could be alpha when needed, it is this trait that really cemented him as the ideal partner to Ash’s domineering personality. Opposites definitely attract but would it be too little too late for these two? Another entertaining read from Eve Dangerfield.
www.theromancecover.com
June 25, 2017
4.5 "Big Red" Stars!!
OMG this is one of THE funniest and absolutely dirtiest books I've ever read! Eve Dangerfield has a fresh and VERY unique voice and I adored this story.
“You’re stunning,” he said, eyeing her up and down. His irises weren’t watery blue like most redheads, but a warm caramel brown. Ash’s lady areas tingled, as though they too craved a cigarette.
“Thanks.”
Can I keep this review clean? Hard to do, based on how naughty this book is. Ashley is a hard-working nurse who has THE worst taste in men and decides she is finished with boyfriends. What she wants is a baby and a good sperm donor. A former model, Ash was a party girl but has always been sensitive about her lower-class background and loser parents. Raised by her grandmother, she and her sister Julia are best friends and share everything.
Julia's boyfriend Max has a gorgeous red-headed roommate named Dean. A big lovable bear of a man, Dean has coasted through life but when he meets Ash, that's IT for him. And Ash feels the same. A ginger? No way!
He wasn’t a pretty boy, his nose was crooked and his grin lopsided, but he had that square-jawed, salt-of-the-earth handsome look that made a girl think of loose-hipped cowboys and demanding Scottish Lairds. And speaking of Scottish Lairds, old mate was a redhead. Usually gingers weren’t her scene but this guy’s hair was the rich coppery-auburn of a fox's pelt. It gleamed like rose gold under the floodlights, his short beard the exact colour as the stuff on his head. Big Red was doing it for her. Big time. And apparently, the feeling was mutual."
Dean is one of the most original MC's I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Sensitive, kind, loving, he wears his heart on his sleeve. Trouble is, he has a tiny little problem focusing and drifts off right in the middle of a thought. Ash wants to use him but he wants more from her! What a fun change of pace from the usual contemporary romance books I read.
“You women, always trying to rush straight to sex. Whatever happened to romance?”
Dean and Ash were perfect together. There's tons of Australian slang and references in this book but they did not distract from the story. Between the 'Princess Bride' references, the Tessa Bailey mention and the hilarious and STEAMY sex scenes, this book was a win for me. The dialogue crackles and the characters are all well-written and so REAL. I can't put my finger on what makes a book work for me, but 'Open Hearts' has "it." I couldn't book this book down! Filled with heat, heart and humor, 'Open Hearts' is one of my favorite books this year.
Favorite quotes:
"He had to be six-four or five, lean, but beefy everywhere it counted. How would all that weight feel bearing down on her? She imagined his handsome face screwed up in pleasure as he pounded away at her practically revirginized p---y. Everything below her belly button tightened."
"They’d tried to diagnose him but there was no apparent medical explanation for his behaviour. He was just what his mum called ‘away with the fairies’ and Max called ‘a bit of a lost
c--t.’"
"You’re my dream girl, Ash. No one even comes close."
OMG this is one of THE funniest and absolutely dirtiest books I've ever read! Eve Dangerfield has a fresh and VERY unique voice and I adored this story.
“You’re stunning,” he said, eyeing her up and down. His irises weren’t watery blue like most redheads, but a warm caramel brown. Ash’s lady areas tingled, as though they too craved a cigarette.
“Thanks.”
Can I keep this review clean? Hard to do, based on how naughty this book is. Ashley is a hard-working nurse who has THE worst taste in men and decides she is finished with boyfriends. What she wants is a baby and a good sperm donor. A former model, Ash was a party girl but has always been sensitive about her lower-class background and loser parents. Raised by her grandmother, she and her sister Julia are best friends and share everything.
Julia's boyfriend Max has a gorgeous red-headed roommate named Dean. A big lovable bear of a man, Dean has coasted through life but when he meets Ash, that's IT for him. And Ash feels the same. A ginger? No way!
He wasn’t a pretty boy, his nose was crooked and his grin lopsided, but he had that square-jawed, salt-of-the-earth handsome look that made a girl think of loose-hipped cowboys and demanding Scottish Lairds. And speaking of Scottish Lairds, old mate was a redhead. Usually gingers weren’t her scene but this guy’s hair was the rich coppery-auburn of a fox's pelt. It gleamed like rose gold under the floodlights, his short beard the exact colour as the stuff on his head. Big Red was doing it for her. Big time. And apparently, the feeling was mutual."
Dean is one of the most original MC's I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Sensitive, kind, loving, he wears his heart on his sleeve. Trouble is, he has a tiny little problem focusing and drifts off right in the middle of a thought. Ash wants to use him but he wants more from her! What a fun change of pace from the usual contemporary romance books I read.
“You women, always trying to rush straight to sex. Whatever happened to romance?”
Dean and Ash were perfect together. There's tons of Australian slang and references in this book but they did not distract from the story. Between the 'Princess Bride' references, the Tessa Bailey mention and the hilarious and STEAMY sex scenes, this book was a win for me. The dialogue crackles and the characters are all well-written and so REAL. I can't put my finger on what makes a book work for me, but 'Open Hearts' has "it." I couldn't book this book down! Filled with heat, heart and humor, 'Open Hearts' is one of my favorite books this year.
Favorite quotes:
"He had to be six-four or five, lean, but beefy everywhere it counted. How would all that weight feel bearing down on her? She imagined his handsome face screwed up in pleasure as he pounded away at her practically revirginized p---y. Everything below her belly button tightened."
"They’d tried to diagnose him but there was no apparent medical explanation for his behaviour. He was just what his mum called ‘away with the fairies’ and Max called ‘a bit of a lost
c--t.’"
"You’re my dream girl, Ash. No one even comes close."
May 8, 2017
Rating:
Okay, so to be honest, I was hesitant to read this book at first because I've been avoiding contemporary like it was the plague but this is Eve Dangerfield we are talking about. I've only read a couple of books from this author, but she knows how to make her characters remarkable and different and make you an expert in multi-tasking! *wiggles eyebrows*
I like Ash mainly because of her dominant, alpha female personality. But her biological clock is ticking and so she's desperate to find a responsible, dependable baby daddy who could impregnate her and give her her new goal: a baby.
I don't know how to describe Dean exactly but he gives me that warm feeling that all you think are cuddles and sweets and anything in between that you like. He likes being bossed during sex. He doesn't know how to handle his finances and he is a one big heart. Although I may not be someone who will like his personality much, I just love him and wants to break him. lol
I love the story! Like superb! Although there are details that bug me, I deduced that it may have been from Locked Box(?) but nevertheless, it didn't detract me from loving and enjoying the story. I think what I love more about this is that the characters have quirks and they are far from perfect. It's a bit of a ruckus with a lot of laughs, light drama and frustration on my part, but just enough to balance out the elements of the story that was never a dull moment and all you'll feel is devouring the book as fast as you can and wish to go back on those moments where you can just nask in and enjoy the moments.
One thing's for sure, this author can write unconventional characters and you have no other choice but to fall in love with them!
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April 8, 2017
I have a special relationship with this book, which is that the guy is based on me. For that reason alone; five stars. The author is still very sexy. Would go there.
June 11, 2020
Where to begin? "Open Hearts" has surprised me from chapter one. On the surface, it seems like just another smutty contemporary romance, but with subverted tropes, so don't be fooled by the soppy cover!
See, when the book description speaks about a tortured anti-hero, an immortal vampire, shapeshifter, jock or loner dude, they're usually of the alpha male variety. That's fun to read on occasion I admit, especially when they are properly fleshed out characters, but it can feel repetitive fairly quickly. In other words, it can feel like you've been reading the same recycled stories over and over and it all starts to become one big blur.
So it was with great surprise that I discovered Eve Dangerfield's "Open Hearts", wherein she introduced the male lead who seems to be an alpha male on the outside, only he's actually a beta hero. I've read chick-lit books with a hunky, but not overly smart hero before, but Dangerfield has truly outdone herself and set a high bar for this trope and the romance genre in general. I mean, I wasn't sure what to expect from "Open Hearts", but it definitely wasn't a smart romance about two leads who've been dismissed for what they look like one too many times. I'm blown away! The unconscious and conscious gender bias we're subjected to through our social environments and media have contributed greatly to how we perceive people and that's a topic that runs like a golden thread throughout the whole novel.
Let's take Dean, our novel's hero. Here we have a shy lunkhead for a hero who's submissive, sensitive and incredibly caring. Dean Sherwood is the guy, most girls want to use for sex but is considered too stupid and immature to have a relationship with. He perpetually loses his train of thought, is a motormouth and he's never held a steady job in his life. In one particular scene we witness Dean being constantly dismissed by his male colleagues because he's too 'feminine'. He is in fact, aware of this but doesn't give a shit; he's unapologetic in displaying his emotions and doesn't filter them unlike his other male acquaintances. Dean reminded me of a teddy bear wanting to be picked up and loved!
When he sees Ash, he's smitten and consistently, but patiently tries to woo her. Ash is at a point in life where she wants to be on her own and is considering a sperm donor to finally fulfill her dream of becoming a mother. At the beginning of the novel Ash is trying to break off an abusive relationship and not interested in anything serious with Dean because he seems anything but a safe choice.
If there's one thing I didn't like, it's the amount of sex scenes and the choice of words for the pillow talk; I thought it to be unnecessarily detracting from an otherwise thoughtful story.
This is the scene where Ash realises she's come to prefer Dean's openness:
Here the letter from Dean to Ash (awww!)
See, when the book description speaks about a tortured anti-hero, an immortal vampire, shapeshifter, jock or loner dude, they're usually of the alpha male variety. That's fun to read on occasion I admit, especially when they are properly fleshed out characters, but it can feel repetitive fairly quickly. In other words, it can feel like you've been reading the same recycled stories over and over and it all starts to become one big blur.
So it was with great surprise that I discovered Eve Dangerfield's "Open Hearts", wherein she introduced the male lead who seems to be an alpha male on the outside, only he's actually a beta hero. I've read chick-lit books with a hunky, but not overly smart hero before, but Dangerfield has truly outdone herself and set a high bar for this trope and the romance genre in general. I mean, I wasn't sure what to expect from "Open Hearts", but it definitely wasn't a smart romance about two leads who've been dismissed for what they look like one too many times. I'm blown away! The unconscious and conscious gender bias we're subjected to through our social environments and media have contributed greatly to how we perceive people and that's a topic that runs like a golden thread throughout the whole novel.
Let's take Dean, our novel's hero. Here we have a shy lunkhead for a hero who's submissive, sensitive and incredibly caring. Dean Sherwood is the guy, most girls want to use for sex but is considered too stupid and immature to have a relationship with. He perpetually loses his train of thought, is a motormouth and he's never held a steady job in his life. In one particular scene we witness Dean being constantly dismissed by his male colleagues because he's too 'feminine'. He is in fact, aware of this but doesn't give a shit; he's unapologetic in displaying his emotions and doesn't filter them unlike his other male acquaintances. Dean reminded me of a teddy bear wanting to be picked up and loved!
Mains were a choice between steak and salmon. Ash swapped her salmon for Dean’s steak, and he was subsequently ribbed by his teammates for fifteen straight minutes.
“Come on, Sherwood, I know she’s a new girlfriend, but there’s no need to trade in your man-card.”
“Are you gonna ditch your wallet for her purse?”
“Would you like a packet of tampons for dessert?”
Dean laughed it all off like a good little soldier, but Ash, unable to lol at the link between eating a fish and being a big Nancy-boy and feeling very much like an idiot outsider because of it, felt her mood get worse.
When he sees Ash, he's smitten and consistently, but patiently tries to woo her. Ash is at a point in life where she wants to be on her own and is considering a sperm donor to finally fulfill her dream of becoming a mother. At the beginning of the novel Ash is trying to break off an abusive relationship and not interested in anything serious with Dean because he seems anything but a safe choice.
If there's one thing I didn't like, it's the amount of sex scenes and the choice of words for the pillow talk; I thought it to be unnecessarily detracting from an otherwise thoughtful story.
This is the scene where Ash realises she's come to prefer Dean's openness:
Ash zoned out. It was either that or punch him in the groin.
She listened without hearing as Nate droned on about best practices and maternal mortality and the importance of early intervention. Then something strange happened—she started to hear the tremor in his voice, see the pallor in his cheeks, the way he kept shoving chips in his mouth, barely chewing before he swallowed and crammed more in.
He was upset about Shashi. But instead of admitting it, he’d chosen to come here and give her the big ‘that’s life, sweet-cheeks’ spiel. They could have been comforting each other, bonding over their shared pain, but instead, he was sitting in front of her pretending nothing was wrong and that she was irrational for being upset.
And as he talked, without so much as taking a breath, Ash imagined they’d had a baby together, a son called Nathaniel Huxley, like his father and his grandfather. What would Nate Huxley III have grown up thinking about disappointment, guilt, and sadness? What would his father have told him if he was crying? Ash guessed he’d offer his son an ice cream or a trip to the park. “Chin up, mate! It’ll all be okay! Big boys don’t cry! Not even when it hurts!”
She thought of Dean, tearing up as he got his Best and Fairest award. The way he was never embarrassed to say exactly how he felt, to show his fear and excitement. She imagined Dean pulling their crying son into his lap and holding him, perhaps even crying himself if there was nothing else he could do. He was a man who was as soft inside as he was big outside, who was gentle even when it was to his detriment. Who had never lost that boyish way of letting every emotion radiate out of him, as though he had nothing to hide. Ash stood up, cutting Nate off mid-sentence. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
Here the letter from Dean to Ash (awww!)
April 15, 2017
5 sweet, sexy, and stupid stars
Two things I didn't know about Open Hearts: it is a sequel to Locked Box (one of my unexpected favorites of 2016) and that I would love it even more than I did Locked Box. There's a little bit of everything here: sweetness, sexy times, smarts, and even a lot of stupid; somehow it works in Ash and Dean's crazy world.
Although much of Open Hearts is from Ash's perspective, this is truly Dean's story. For while tough-talking Ash resists falling for the incorrigible spaz, I found Dean unexpectedly easy to fall for. That the author took one lovable loser and, made him into a super alpha romance hero (without changing a thing) was a refreshingly real road to take in romance. Even with his cluelessness and bumbling mess-ups, Dean's steely determination to win Ash might make him one of my favorite dudes of 2017. I just hope this isn't the last we see of Ash and Dean or Jules and Max.
Note: I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
Two things I didn't know about Open Hearts: it is a sequel to Locked Box (one of my unexpected favorites of 2016) and that I would love it even more than I did Locked Box. There's a little bit of everything here: sweetness, sexy times, smarts, and even a lot of stupid; somehow it works in Ash and Dean's crazy world.
Although much of Open Hearts is from Ash's perspective, this is truly Dean's story. For while tough-talking Ash resists falling for the incorrigible spaz, I found Dean unexpectedly easy to fall for. That the author took one lovable loser and, made him into a super alpha romance hero (without changing a thing) was a refreshingly real road to take in romance. Even with his cluelessness and bumbling mess-ups, Dean's steely determination to win Ash might make him one of my favorite dudes of 2017. I just hope this isn't the last we see of Ash and Dean or Jules and Max.
Note: I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.
June 10, 2017
The follow on to Locked Box and I was swept away by that big fuzzy bear Dean. So not like my usual alpha heroes I prepare, but I couldn't help thinking his cuteness was just so adorable.
I'm fussy about heroines, probably because I have bitch tendencies so I can recognize them lol, so Ash rubbed me wrong a few times, but overall the story was enjoyable.
I'm a new fan to Eve Dangerfield, she has a great humour in her writing.
I'm fussy about heroines, probably because I have bitch tendencies so I can recognize them lol, so Ash rubbed me wrong a few times, but overall the story was enjoyable.
I'm a new fan to Eve Dangerfield, she has a great humour in her writing.
Shelved as 'blurb-not-appealing'
July 22, 2019She is looking for a baby-daddy material - a donor ... something like that.
That's so not my cuppa!
That's so not my cuppa!
May 13, 2017
*****4.5 Stars*****
This is my third book read from this author. It’s the same style which I have become accustomed to, funny, hot and sexy. But my favorite one remains Taunt.
Open Hearts opens up with Ashley…
…Who is in conflict with herself because of her latest boyfriend, her sister and herself. Although Ashley and her sister Julie had a rough childhood, and she practically raised her sister, she managed to finish high school, get a job, a car, paid her school and get her a diploma and a properly job as a nurse, and take care of her sister. She lived her life a little too wild, with a lot’s of boyfriends and party’s, and now all she wants is peace, a baby and if is possible, a man. A man who wants to make a baby and if is possible to love her and for her to love him.
Dean a.k.a Red is a huge redhead.
A giant with an even giant heart. A very sexy redhead, as the author describes him. His only flaw is that he is thoughtless, irresponsible. He lived his life a little too wild too, but now he wants to settle down. Wife, kids, house all the family stuff.
When Dean and Ash meet, there is insta love. But only one of them recognizes and fights for the other one.
I loved Dean will all my heart, especially with his Dom/rough side. I loved him even with his dumbness side. How can you not love that sweet, kinky, kind, sexy, gorgeous, giant/big, guy??? He was ambitious, persistent, he fought for what he wanted the most, he changed his entire life for that.
I loved Ash too, but most of the book…man….
I wanted to enter there, in the book, and slap that crazy bi… face. Wtf was wrong with her??? I was so angry with her…
The story was good, I like it. I loved how funny it was some time.
A great book from a great writer.
This is my third book read from this author. It’s the same style which I have become accustomed to, funny, hot and sexy. But my favorite one remains Taunt.
Open Hearts opens up with Ashley…
…Who is in conflict with herself because of her latest boyfriend, her sister and herself. Although Ashley and her sister Julie had a rough childhood, and she practically raised her sister, she managed to finish high school, get a job, a car, paid her school and get her a diploma and a properly job as a nurse, and take care of her sister. She lived her life a little too wild, with a lot’s of boyfriends and party’s, and now all she wants is peace, a baby and if is possible, a man. A man who wants to make a baby and if is possible to love her and for her to love him.
Dean a.k.a Red is a huge redhead.
A giant with an even giant heart. A very sexy redhead, as the author describes him. His only flaw is that he is thoughtless, irresponsible. He lived his life a little too wild too, but now he wants to settle down. Wife, kids, house all the family stuff.
When Dean and Ash meet, there is insta love. But only one of them recognizes and fights for the other one.
I loved Dean will all my heart, especially with his Dom/rough side. I loved him even with his dumbness side. How can you not love that sweet, kinky, kind, sexy, gorgeous, giant/big, guy??? He was ambitious, persistent, he fought for what he wanted the most, he changed his entire life for that.
I loved Ash too, but most of the book…man….
I wanted to enter there, in the book, and slap that crazy bi… face. Wtf was wrong with her??? I was so angry with her…
The story was good, I like it. I loved how funny it was some time.
A great book from a great writer.
This review has been posted on Dirty Books Obsession
April 10, 2017
4.25-4.5 stars! This was a really good book! This is Dean and Ash's story. Ash is Julia (from Locked Box)'s older sister. She has a bad history of picking poor relationship partners. She gravitates towards lazy, sometimes abusive, bad boys. She sees her biological clock ticking down without having met a man to spend her life with. Now nearing thirty, Ash knows she wants children, and with a family history of early menopause, she is afraid to wait much longer to get pregnant. She makes plans to start fertility treatments and find a sperm donor, when she meets Dean at her sister's video game launch party. Dean is Julia's boyfriend, Max's roommate. He is enamored with Ash right away and can hardly believe she is interested in him. Ash is attracted to Dean, but doesn't think he would make a good partner long-term. He still lives with a roommate and floats from job to job. He doesn't seem responsible. That doesn't stop Ash from wanting to get him into bed though. But Dean wants more. He wants forever with Ash. He must prove to her that he would make a good husband and father. Ash and Dean go through a few bumps together but finally see that they are the perfect match for each other.
I loved Dean! He was such a different type hero. He was scatter-brained; he probably had ADD. But he was such a doll! So earnest and honest with Ash. He was in awe of her and that she would even give him the time of day. He would do anything to make her happy. It was so sweet and swoon-worthy! I liked Ash too. She was strong and take-charge, but she wasn't a bitch. Their chemistry was sizzling. I really liked their dynamic in the bedroom too. Dean wanted Ash to take charge so she did, but it was fun and flirty and not at all heavy and serious, like sometimes male sub books can be. Ash was willing to give him what he needed, but was not mean or cold to him in the process. There is no BDSM equipment used, no tying up or spanking or anything. Dean just wanted Ash to tell him what to do during sexy times. Their dynamic felt very true to life and was the best male submissive sexy times I have ever read. Ash and Dean were a great match. I felt like they brought out the best in each other. I definitely felt their connection to each other. There was not too much angst in the book. It was a pretty light, funny, sexy read, with a few emotional moments. The characters were original and had good depth. The story was unique and original. Also I enjoyed catching up with Max and Julia from Locked Box, too
Overall, I really enjoyed Dean and Ash's love story! I always enjoy Ms. Dangerfield's books, but I think this one might be my favorite!
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
I loved Dean! He was such a different type hero. He was scatter-brained; he probably had ADD. But he was such a doll! So earnest and honest with Ash. He was in awe of her and that she would even give him the time of day. He would do anything to make her happy. It was so sweet and swoon-worthy! I liked Ash too. She was strong and take-charge, but she wasn't a bitch. Their chemistry was sizzling. I really liked their dynamic in the bedroom too. Dean wanted Ash to take charge so she did, but it was fun and flirty and not at all heavy and serious, like sometimes male sub books can be. Ash was willing to give him what he needed, but was not mean or cold to him in the process. There is no BDSM equipment used, no tying up or spanking or anything. Dean just wanted Ash to tell him what to do during sexy times. Their dynamic felt very true to life and was the best male submissive sexy times I have ever read. Ash and Dean were a great match. I felt like they brought out the best in each other. I definitely felt their connection to each other. There was not too much angst in the book. It was a pretty light, funny, sexy read, with a few emotional moments. The characters were original and had good depth. The story was unique and original. Also I enjoyed catching up with Max and Julia from Locked Box, too
Overall, I really enjoyed Dean and Ash's love story! I always enjoy Ms. Dangerfield's books, but I think this one might be my favorite!
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
May 13, 2017
3.5 Ginger stars
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
This was a fun, explicitly sexy read with quirky Australian humor.
Dean was a really fun MC. At first glance he is far from what you would call the perfect book boyfriend. He is an irresponsible man in his 30'S with no real profession, no house and unable to manage his finances. He is also a bit of an airhead and has difficulty focusing on tasks set before him.
Despite all this, his character kind of grows on you because he is also SUPER sweet without being annoying and he has the kindest of hearts. He would do absolutely anything to please Ashley.
The humor in this book was also very quirky and I loved it! Ashley had a bit of a potty mouth and her inner thought process was also quite hilarious. I loved that Ashley was so honest about who she was and what she wanted. She decided that she wanted to have a baby even if she didn't have a man and she did not apologize for that. She was a very strong, independent female character.
The HOTNESS factor in this book was off the charts.It was also kinda kinky. There is no BDSM but Dean had a preference to play a submissive role in the bedroom and he had certain fantasies that he was able to play out with Ashley that he had never felt comfortable doing with any other woman. It was definitely HOT and WEIRD and I think I liked it ??!!
A few things that I didn't like...
✔ I thought that the Max and Julia story overshadowed Dean and Ashley's at times. It was hard at times to remember who the MCs were.
✔ As someone in the medical field, I generally don't read romance books with characters who are medical professionals because there will inevitably be inaccuracies that annoy me. So when I started this book and realized Ashley was a midwife working in the special care nursery, I was like NOOOO!!! I almost didn't keep reading especially since I work in a NICU. However I was pleasantly surprised because the author did a pretty good job of describing the ins and out of labor and delivery and preterm babies. She obviously did her research. So... I was reading along and enjoying the fact that I was enjoying a book involving a heroine in the medical field until right at the end... there is a scene where an orthopedic doctor is called to do an emergency C-Section. Yes an orthopedic doctor, a doctor who specializes in bones was called to do a C-Section!! No matter what Grey's Anatomy tells you, not every surgeon can perform every surgery. I was like WTH! Now, I get that this probably will not matter to most people and most people probably won't even notice and this little thing of course does not take away from the enjoyment of the book. But I was like...I just can't... I can't even... But that's just my pet peeve.
Overall I liked this book. It was definitely fun. It was a sexy, light read that I really enjoyed.
3.5 stars
Dual POV
Standalone
Contemporary Romance
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
This was a fun, explicitly sexy read with quirky Australian humor.
Dean was a really fun MC. At first glance he is far from what you would call the perfect book boyfriend. He is an irresponsible man in his 30'S with no real profession, no house and unable to manage his finances. He is also a bit of an airhead and has difficulty focusing on tasks set before him.
His memory had more holes than a sieve. He couldn't name a single political figure, not even the Prime Minister. He thought, for some unknown reason, there were seventy-two weeks in a year.
Despite all this, his character kind of grows on you because he is also SUPER sweet without being annoying and he has the kindest of hearts. He would do absolutely anything to please Ashley.
The humor in this book was also very quirky and I loved it! Ashley had a bit of a potty mouth and her inner thought process was also quite hilarious. I loved that Ashley was so honest about who she was and what she wanted. She decided that she wanted to have a baby even if she didn't have a man and she did not apologize for that. She was a very strong, independent female character.
The HOTNESS factor in this book was off the charts.It was also kinda kinky. There is no BDSM but Dean had a preference to play a submissive role in the bedroom and he had certain fantasies that he was able to play out with Ashley that he had never felt comfortable doing with any other woman. It was definitely HOT and WEIRD and I think I liked it ??!!
A few things that I didn't like...
✔ I thought that the Max and Julia story overshadowed Dean and Ashley's at times. It was hard at times to remember who the MCs were.
✔ As someone in the medical field, I generally don't read romance books with characters who are medical professionals because there will inevitably be inaccuracies that annoy me. So when I started this book and realized Ashley was a midwife working in the special care nursery, I was like NOOOO!!! I almost didn't keep reading especially since I work in a NICU. However I was pleasantly surprised because the author did a pretty good job of describing the ins and out of labor and delivery and preterm babies. She obviously did her research. So... I was reading along and enjoying the fact that I was enjoying a book involving a heroine in the medical field until right at the end... there is a scene where an orthopedic doctor is called to do an emergency C-Section. Yes an orthopedic doctor, a doctor who specializes in bones was called to do a C-Section!! No matter what Grey's Anatomy tells you, not every surgeon can perform every surgery. I was like WTH! Now, I get that this probably will not matter to most people and most people probably won't even notice and this little thing of course does not take away from the enjoyment of the book. But I was like...I just can't... I can't even... But that's just my pet peeve.
Overall I liked this book. It was definitely fun. It was a sexy, light read that I really enjoyed.
3.5 stars
Dual POV
Standalone
Contemporary Romance
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