Review: Where My Heart Breaks by Ivy Sinclair

Where My Heart Breaks by Ivy Sinclair

Publication Date: August 29, 2013
Page Count: 182
Genre: New Adult
Source: eArc provided in exchange for an honest review
Purchase on Amazon

Synopsis From Goodreads:

If there were a course in screwing up your life, Kate Spivey would get an A+.

Trust is in short supply for Kate at the start of the summer before her senior year of college. Her parents sentenced her to spend it under the watchful eye of her aunt at the famous Willoughby Inn. It was further proof that she was a prisoner in, and not the decision maker of, her life. Nothing she does is good enough to prove that she learned from the mistakes of her past.

Almost immediately, Kate finds that her new summer home holds another person who understands the unfairness of her situation better than most. Reed Black has had his own share of tragedy and regrets, but instead of trying to fight his reputation, he embraced it.

Sparks fly between Kate and Reed, but his mixed signals remind Kate that she needs to watch her step. He is one temptation she can't afford to indulge in, no matter how strong her attraction to him. If she isn't careful, she'll lose more than her heart.

This is the first book I've read by Ivy Sinclair and I enjoyed it very much. Where My Heart Breaks is a short and sweet New Adult romance with very likable characters.

The protagonist, Kate, was so lost in the beginning. She was just doing what she was told, and trying very hard to redeem herself in her parent's eyes. Her parents were very heavy handed and over the top with their demands from Kate. They cared more about what others thought of them than they did about their daughter's happiness. Kate didn't want to be a disappointment, and she was scared about her future, so she gave in and went along with what her parents wanted, even though it made her unhappy and resentful. As the book progressed, Kate was able to realize that she wasn't content doing what she was told. She needed to take control of her own life, stand up for herself, and start doing what SHE wanted.

I actually really liked Reed. He seemed pretty straightforward on the surface, but deep down he was harboring a painful past that he desperately tried to keep hidden. I thought Reed's reputation was completely unfounded. He didn't come off nearly as bad as the townsfolk made him out to be. It was completely unfair to be judged in such a way. As we get to know Reed more, you can see how his need for privacy may have sparked some of the rumors about him. To me, he came across as reluctant to be in a relationship to avoid being hurt. With a past like his, you can't blame the guy for that.

I really enjoyed the side story about a book (that was kind of a love story) that was written using Bleckerville as the backdrop. Kate and Reed started bonding while visiting the book's locations. I enjoyed the time they spent together researching the book, and I could see them falling for each other. But they also really struggled with the disapproval from family and friends. To make their relationship work, they both knew they would have to set aside what others expected of them and take control of their future.

I think the story would have been far more enjoyable to me if it were told in dual POV from both Kate and Reed. I just really love dual POV! I would have loved to be inside Reed's head during this book. Reading from Kate's POV only gave me insight into her character. But I found Reed to be so much more intriguing and I really wanted to know more about him.

Where My Heart Breaks was a quick and easy read that was pretty straightforward, which worked for me. BUT... because I was enjoying the characters and the story so much, I would have loved for it to be longer! I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the characters OR the setting. Overall, this was quite an enjoyable book that I would definitely recommend.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars