5 stars for Reluctant Hearts by Linda Griffin #romance #romancereaders #bookreview #newrelease
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  • N. N. Light
    • Apr 24, 2023
    • 3 min read

5 stars for Reluctant Hearts by Linda Griffin #romance #romancereaders #bookreview #newrelease



Title: Reluctant Hearts

Author: Linda Griffin

Genre: Contemporary Romance


Book Blurb:


Four couples, four stories:

Darien Francis and Richard Li meet during a bank robbery, but she’s afraid to love again.

Shane Kenniston and Beth Parker are reacquainted years after she had a crush on him, but she is a recent widow, and Shane’s life was upended by a false accusation.

David Early and Kate Howard meet in the laundromat, but her life is consumed by the needs of her disabled child, and David isn’t ready for the responsibility.

Realtor Frank Ellison meets Kayla Barnes at an open house, but a mistaken first impression derails any chance of romance.

Can they all overcome the obstacles to love?


Authors' Note: Since one of these stories concerns a false accusation of sexual assault, I would like to make it clear that I consider that a very rare occurrence and urge readers to believe and support survivors.


My Review:


Four couples not looking for love find it in some unusual circumstances. I enjoyed these modern romances for many reasons, but the main reason is how each of these couple met. You don’t imagine meeting your lover at a bank robbery or a laundromat. Yet, it happens all the time and in this wonderful collection. Each story is fully developed with engaging characters, interesting occurrences, and a realistic romance.


The writing in this collection is flawless. The descriptive narration reels in the reader while the characters engage the reader. Linda Griffin specializes in realistic romance, and she’s outdone herself with these four couples. This is no rose-tinted glasses kind of romance. Instead, the author brings to life modern day love in the current world we live in. It’s a treat to read.


The characters are poignantly written with their own backstory. I enjoyed reading and connecting with the characters. The POVs are deeply emotional which added an additional layer to the story.


If you’re jaded towards love and romance, I recommend this book to you. If you love reading realistic romance, you’ll want to read Reluctant Hearts. Another romantic gem by Linda Griffin.


My Rating: 5 stars


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Author Biography:


For more information, visit my website, sign up for my newsletter, and claim a free autographed copy of Seventeen Days.



I was born and raised in San Diego, California and earned a BA in English from San Diego State University and an MLS from UCLA. I began my career as a reference and collection development librarian in the Art and Music Section of the San Diego Public Library and then transferred to the Literature and Languages Section, where I had the pleasure of managing the Central Library’s Fiction collection and initiating fiction order lists for the entire library system. Although I also enjoy reading biography, memoir, and history, fiction remains my first love. In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—I enjoy Scrabble, movies, and travel.


My earliest ambition was to be a “book maker” and I wrote my first story, “Judy and the Fairies,” with a plot stolen from a comic book, at the age of six. I broke into print in college with a story in the San Diego State University literary journal, The Phoenix, but most of my magazine publications came after I left the library to spend more time on my writing.


My stories have been published in numerous journals, including Eclectica, Thema Literary Journal, Avalon Literary Review, The Nassau Review, and Orbis, and in the anthologies Short Story America, Vol. 2, The Captive and the Dead, and Australia Burns.


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Reviewed by: Nancy

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