Heartward LGBT Romance
Dreamspinner Press
November 12, 2019
188
He doesn’t know that home is where his heart will be….
Firefighter Tyler Banik has seen his share of adventure while working disaster relief with the Red Cross. But now that he’s adopted Abey, he’s ready to leave the danger behind and put down roots. That means returning to his hometown—where the last thing he anticipates is falling for his high school nemesis.
Alan Pettaprin isn’t the boy he used to be. As a business owner and council member, he’s working hard to improve life in Scottville for everyone. Nobody is more surprised than Alan when Tyler returns, but he’s glad. For him, it’s a chance to set things right. Little does he guess he and Tyler will find the missing pieces of themselves in each other. Old rivalries are left in the ashes, passion burns bright, and the possibility for a future together stretches in front of them….
But not everyone in town is glad to see Tyler return….
Review by Madison Davis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Firefighter and Rescuer Tyler Banik returns to his hometown, a small town where he grew up. Since adopting his son Abey his family situation has changed, and he does not want to live out of tents and suitcases anymore. He plans to provide a wonderful home to his son, where little three-year-old Abey can be a child and enjoy his childhood. He wants Abey to have a Grandma and a Grandpa.
After all the experience he had collected within his career, the city council has hired him as a new captain within their fire rescue. Even before starting his new job and meeting his new boss, Tyler, heard rumors about how the station and department is lead.
Tyler had rented a house and needs to furnish it. When looking around, he meets his former high-school-enemy Alan Pettaprin. But people not only just grow older, some also grow up. There is no animosity between them anymore; it’s more the opposite; they are attracted to each other.
While Alan, who is a member of the city council, and Tyler, who starts facing problems at work, grow closer, little traumatized Abey makes new friends and slowly comes out of his shell.
Will there be a chance for Tyler to fulfill his dream to settle in and have a family?
Heartward starts slow. Tyler is just returning home, sleeping in his parents’ home the first night with Abey. Tyler is an empath; he cares a lot about other people, feels their emotions and pain. He is a warmhearted character, often brooding, still in many ways that’s understandable, considering what he’s seen and where his career took him. He is so very special in many ways, unique in a way that did not allow him to turn a rescued child over to the authorities and turn his back on the little boy.
It took about 35 pages, and I was in love with Tyler. He is fabulous.
As I read on the book picked up in ‘speed.’ Things started happening more quickly. Alan and Tyler met, Tyler started his new job and found out something cannot be right. Instead of working with the Chief, his boss seems to avoid him. What is going on at the fire station?
I wasn’t surprised to read about Alan becoming attracted to Tyler. Together they fight the power of one man over half the city.
Permit me a word about Abey. The little boy has been traumatized at a very young age and acts the way he does. But Tyler, his parents, Abey’s grammy and grampy and later Alan, shower the little boy with love and make him a true part of the family. Abey, in many ways, is who makes this book what it is, he is part of Tyler, and I love the boy.
Many times, I laughed loudly when something amusing happened, but more often, I had to catch my tears and blow my nose. That’s how much Andrew Grey kept me within his story and made me feel what his characters feel.
I love the book, and I had wished to read more about Tyler and Alan and see little Abey grow up.