A Heart to Trust by A.L. Brooks
- Publisher: Ylva Publishing, November 4th 2020
- Genre: Romance, LGBTQ+
- Format: Ebook (eARC)
- Page Count: 264 pages
- My Rating: ★★ (2/5)
Click on the cover for my review on Goodreads.
Content warning: mention of disowning, manipulation, divorce, inebriation
While I loved Brooks’s previous book, Dare to Love (my review here), I only felt a fraction of that enjoyment for A Heart to Trust. That being said, I did enjoy all the interactions of the main characters with their respective friends but just not with each other.
When C&V Inc acquires Jenny Quinn’s (29, gay) company, her job is in jeopardy. There are three PA openings for four candidates, so she has to prove her worth during the Project Catwalk collaboration with her friend Maxwell and two other PAs from C&V, Olivia Sinclair (lesbian) and Chrissy. Soon, there is evidence of sabotage but no one is sure what is going on. The only sure thing is the growing attraction between Jenny and Olivia, but Olivia is married to motor-racer Broderick Sinclair (31, ace/aro). What Jenny doesn’t know is that it is a fake marriage as Olivia struggles between her own sexual desires and previous arrangements with her close friend Broderick.
The very unfortunate event of me feeling almost zero chemistry between the main characters happened. It may have something to do with the mostly physical attraction that seldom translates well for me on paper. Jenny and Olivia are cute together, but I didn’t begin to warm up to either of them nor the idea of them being a couple until the book was almost over, and I kept feeling I was being told of their attraction. It didn’t help that most of the time, I wanted to scream in Jenny’s face. I don’t understand if she has trust issues due to her familial background, why would she be so trusting of some of her colleagues? There were also several summaries attempting to fill the readers in on off-page events that were slightly forced.
Though I didn’t really like Olivia either, I love the very sweet Broderick and Jenny’s fiercely protective chosen family—Tamara, Tamara’s partner Roz, Jenny’s roommate Carl, and later, Carl’s boyfriend Solomon. The inclusion of the asexual and aromantic character Broderick was wonderful, and it is also my favorite aspect of the book despite the naïveté of Olivia and him being in a sham marriage. I also appreciate Brooks choosing to use “honored guests” instead of gendered greeting at the Catwalk. Another point worth noting is that Jenny’s former boss Adrienne has her own story in The Long Shot.
A Heart to Trust is a low-angst, ice-queen, office romance. While the story comes together fairly late, it has guaranteed intimate scenes and a happy ending. I regret to say the romance was lost on me, but I am sure many will find it enjoyable. [26 Oct 2020]
I received an e-ARC from Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
