Book Review: “Lovely Harrowed Heart” By Abbey Easton
I think I’ve made it pretty clear by now that I’m a huge Abbey Easton fan. But in case you didn’t know, I freaking love this author! I was going to get a copy of this book as an ARC to review. Then I noticed that it was the third in a series. And even though it was a stand-alone, I really wanted to read the other two first. So I read the first and second novels in the series and I loved both of them. Then came this one. And I think it may be my favorite so far. It had a very different vibe from the first two. At least, I think so. But I liked that the backstories were kind of switched up from the typical. Because this book certainly wasn’t what I expected. And I mean that in the absolute best way. So keep reading for my review of Lovely Harrowed Heart!
Different Beginnings
This one was all about Shiloh and Knox. I’ve been waiting for Knox to get his story since he was first introduced! I can’t even really explain why. I just really liked his character and I couldn’t wait for him to get his own story. And it definitely didn’t disappoint. Knox has had things pretty rough. He accused his brother of attacking and putting their mother into a coma and got him sent to prison. And it kind of felt as if he lost two people that day. But just when he was beginning to settle into a new normal, whatever that means, his brother is released after the case is retried and Knox has to accept that there is a possibility Dawson didn’t attack their mother. And if that’s the case, then Knox has an even bigger problem on his hands. If Dawson didn’t attack their mother, who did?
Image via Abbey Easton
Shiloh was a little rougher around the edges than the female main characters in the last two books in the series. And she just had a way about her. The way she expressed her thoughts and feelings. I don’t know. It was just different and really made her a stand-out character for me. She really did her best to push people away in order to protect herself. And while she definitely had some vulnerabilities, she did a great job masking them for everyone. Well, almost everyone. Because she and Knox pretty much had a connection from the moment they met. Each of them had parts of themselves they felt were damaged and the other person had the ability to fix those damaged parts. The way they came together was really beautiful and I absolutely loved it.
Families Are Complicated
No matter what way you cut it, families are always complicated in one way or another. In Lovely Harrowed Heart, Abbey Easton certainly showed us how complicated both Shiloh’s and Knox’s families were. I mean, imagine accusing your brother of attacking your mother only to find out he may not have done it. Then add a sister into the mix who believes the brother but also wants to support you. And what you get from that is a big bowl of complicated. Where Shiloh is concerned, her parents mean well, but they clearly don’t understand their daughter or what she wants to do with her life. And their answer to that conundrum is to do whatever they can to control that life and try to steer Shiloh into living one they think she should.
I really didn’t want to believe that Dawson harmed their mother. And I could understand his sister Annabelle not wanting to believe it. But I can also see where Knox is coming from. He saw what he saw and he did the math that he thought was in front of him. It definitely put Annabelle in the middle. But she also had evidence of her own and I give her major credit for approaching it in the gentlest way possible to Knox. She wasn’t out to hurt him and she knew that if he found out he was wrong about Dawson all this time, he was going to feel guilty. And while Knox would never want to harm his brother or do anything to put him in a dangerous situation, I think it got to the point where he wanted Dawson to be guilty. Because otherwise, it would mean he put his brother in jail for something he didn’t do.
Heartbreak and Healing
Shiloh and Knox were able to find a way to help one another heal. Everything that was going on with them, all the feelings that they didn’t want to talk to others about. They found a way to talk about them with each other. The way their love story began and developed was so natural and it was truly a beautiful story. And then when things all came to a head? We went from beautiful to terrifying in what felt like a heartbeat. The action was on point and had me wishing that my reading speed was even faster because I couldn’t wait for the next big thing to happen. I truly recommend not only the Cypress Falls series but Abbey Easton. She really is an incredible author. And she always has me so conflicted between wanting to get through the book quicker and slowing down so it lasts longer!
Image via Abbey Easton
Have you read any of the Cypress Falls novels? If you have, which one has been your favorite so far? Are you excited about Lovely Harrowed Heart and the next one in the series to come out? Who has been your favorite character so far? If you want to talk about all things books, you can find me on Twitter @Sarah_Jeanne17! And you can find the site on Twitter @capeandcastle. Be sure to also check out our site for more content on all things Disney and beyond!
