Healing a Heart by Amy Lillard

Rancher Jake Langston prides himself on being the sensible type. But five years after the loss of his wife left him to raise their daughter alone, he indulges in a one-night stand with a sexy stranger. He thought he'd never see the woman again. Four months later, though, she's standing in his driveway with a big surprise. Bryn Talbot wants nothing from the hunky cowboy who got her pregnant, but her southern nature demands she at least tell him about it. When Jake's family persuades her to stay for a while, she's soon won over by their charms - and by Jake. But with the losses the two of them have suffered in the past, neither is sure if they're ready to take the leap to forever....

 

Series: Cattle Creek #2| Publisher: Tantor Audio | Narrator: Rebecca Estrella  | Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Publisher | Ratings:  3.5 Cups

 

Jake and Bryn have both suffered loss. They’re damaged, not sure if they’re ready to let someone into their lives, and they need some healing to make them whole again. So, when a one-night stand leaves Bryn pregnant, Jake’s not exactly thrilled. And when his family convinces Bryn to stay, they slowly start to heal and figure out where things are headed.

 

Okay so, I’m not going to lie, if you’re going to pick up this book, AVOID THE AUDIOBOOK. The book itself is frustrating because, for the majority of the book, Bryn is frustrated then the narrator’s annoying narration only compounded to the frustration I felt.

 

Even though I felt frustrated on Bryn’s behalf, I found myself liking her. She’s been through a lot and suffered so much loss but she’s a tough cookie and she’s slowly figuring how to dig herself out of her grief. Jake’s another story; I ended up disliking him from the start. I know that’s he still dealing with the death of his wife, but he was such a wanker. As the book progressed, I started warming up to Jake but never found myself actually liking him and I think that had to do with the surly way the narrator portrayed him.

 

So, this was my first time listening to Rebecca Estrella and I have to say she’s not my favorite narrator. She made Bryn whiney, Jake was surly, and she portrayed a five-year-old little girl as if she was a tween.

 

This is the second book in the Cattle Creek series and it works well as a standalone. It also offered up just enough information on Jake’s brothers to pique my curiosity about the books to come.

 

Overall, this book sort of put me through the wringer and made me want to scream on Bryn’s behalf. I wished that I would have actually read this one because I’m wondering if my opinion of Jake would have changed.

Cattle Creek

#1Loving a Lawman

#2 Healing a Heart