I felt all wrong until I met you.Jesse Stone is rebuilding his life. He’s ditched his no-good ex, sworn off men, moved to a new town with his four best friends, and started the pottery business of his dreams. And then he slept with his hunky new neighbor. Oops. Jesse needs to focus on work, but all he can think about is getting Finn between his hands like a perfectly-shaped work of clay.Trouble … of clay.
Trouble just blew into town, and his name is Jesse. Finn Hart knows that pursuing Jesse will ignite old family tensions, but he can’t stay away. The construction foreman has never built a lasting relationship. He’s too busy keeping the peace in a town that was founded by one Hart, but is slowly being strangled by another—Finn’s grandfather.
Finn and Jesse are on the same page: they want to save Hart’s Bay, and it starts by bringing tourists in with Jesse’s new art gallery. But their hearts are bruised, and taking a chance comes with a price. Not everyone in Hart’s Bay wants change. For a few narrow minds, nothing good should come to Finn’s branch of the Harts, and that includes love.
Can love wash away twenty years of bad blood and bring a new dawn for Jesse, Finn, and all of Hart’s Bay?
Hard Hart is the first book in the new Hart’s Bay series about a small town full of nosy but well-meaning neighbors and brotherly banter. It can be read on its own, and promises a happily-ever-after ending and plenty of smiles and steam along the way. If that cove could talk… oh boy, has it ever seen things.
Independent Publisher Book Awards 2020 – Silver Medalist for LGBT+ Fiction
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This is going to be a heart warming series. With the built in town history and dramas, there are bound to be some great stories to come. The characters are well developed throughout the story, and the writing style is smooth and flows nicely.
Jesse and his friends are all ready for a new start; be it due to family, bad breakups, or other woes. They have chosen Hart’s Bay as their new home due to the tourist traffic, and the multitude of available space for their co-op gallery.
Finn has lived under the cloud of being a Hart since the business failed and the feud between the two factions of his family began. He was too young to know what really happened, but he knows the truce is fragile, and he despairs at the thought of what is becoming of his home.
When Jesse and Finn meet, it’s electric. Jesse has promised his friends and himself time without any romantic entanglements, and Finn believes Jesse is a tourist just passing through town. However, a comical series of events bring the facts of life front and center, and they must decide whether to continue as friends with benefits, or simply remain friends.
When Finn realizes that his association with Jesse could hurt his chances of success, he tells him the truth. As the story unfolds, his fears are brought to light. But, when push comes to shove, Finn realizes what is truly important, he decides to stand up for what is right and deal with the consequences later. A surprise ally lends his support when the chips are down, but chooses to keep his story close to the vest.
In the end, through insecurities and sabotage, Jesse and his friends find what they need in Hart’s Bay, and Jesse finds his life’s happiness there, too. Finn and Jesse have many years ahead to love and laugh and enjoy their HEA together.
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review. *
I enjoyed reading this sweet MM romance with an undertone of family feuds & I found the plot well-written & highly intriguing with the trials & tribulations that the main characters had go through in the fight for acceptance by controlling family members.
There is: a young man (Jessie Stone) with memories of a lover’s betrayal decides to swear off men only to get involved with his new neighbor (Finn Hart), twists & turns, intrigue, suspense, drama, mystery, secrets, friendship, family issues, attractions, insecurities, memories, anguish, jealousy, longings, vandalism, homophobia, discovery, threats, decisions, arson, threats, blackmail, compromises, contentment, love, steamy scenes & a delightful happy ending.
The guys have both had hurtful things happen in their pasts. They need some lightness and love to put them back together; stronger than they were before.
I love Jesse and Finn. They both need what the other could be even though they both have things to avoid what could happen. I liked their perseverance and their ability to acknowledge what they were looking at even if just to themselves. I also appreciate that they don’t wallow in their own mistakes long.
This is a great read with wonderful characters that will treat you like part of the family…the nice side of the family.
Hart’s Bay is full of secrets and intrigue, colorful characters, and family. Jesse and his friends move to Hart’s Bay to ultimately create and open an artist’s co-op. He has sworn off relationships after his last one ended in a humiliating encounter. Finn is a life long resident of Hart’s Bay and actually is a descendent of the town’s founder. He is also on one side of the family rift; one that he is not really sure how it started. When these two go from a hot encounter to making the slow steps towards a relationship, secrets (but not all of them) are revealed and they must decide to stand together to fight or fold.
This has everything you can want in an E. Davies’ book and you should one click immediately!
Wow, this first book in a new series set in a small seaside town in Oregon is so great! It has all the E. Davies feels. It’s sweet and naughty, there’s friendship and family rivalry and fights and reconciliation, all in all, there’s true feeling!
Finn and Jesse are the two MCs starting off this series in the fictional town of Hart’s Bay, but there are the premises set for a lot more books, which I love!
It has been more than a year in the making but finally Hart’s Bay has made its grand appearance! Just watching the changes in Hart’s Bay is going to be so much fun and the loving is not to be missed! come along with Ed as he brings life back to a ghost town and twist your heart, in a good way, at the same time.
I really loved this first-in-a-series small town romance. Jesse and friends move to Hart’s Bay and Jesse, fresh off a bad breakup and unsure of himself, is instantly attracted to Finn upon meeting… he doesn’t feel ready for more than friends-with-benefits, but both he and Finn are feeling it all. There were just the right amounts of heat and steam for me, and a great story. E Davies writes beautifully, and I can’t wait to read more in this series. Narration by Greg Boudreaux was brilliant; he, as well, will be on my radar. Highly recommended!!
This book, my first by this author, literally starts off with a bang and doesn’t disappoint. The author paints a picture of a community struggling to survive filled with a cast of characters that help the reader understand all the underlying nuances of small town life and the people who stay and those who arrive from away and decide to make a home there. Good writing, wonderful characters, humor, heat and an HEA … all the things in a book that leave me wanting to read the next one but can definitely hold its own as a stand-alone. Highly recommend 🙂
4.5 stars
Heat Level: 4
Narration: 5
Beautiful, captivating, heartwarming!
I loved Jesse and Finn and Hart’s Bay! I found this story dynamic and heartfelt and while it deals with serious issues that were incredibly frustrating Ed approaches these topics gentle but still boldly as they should be.
I found Jesse and Finn’s connection incredibly hot from the start and with a little humor and coincidence, thrown in, it made for a steamy, lust-filled time! As they got to know each other they changed their views and ultimate wants and their relationship grew organically.
I loved Jesse’s friends, they are some colorful, and wonderful characters and I truly look forward to more of them and can’t wait to watch them each find their person in their new little home of Hart’s Bay.
This was a fantastic start to this small town series sand I look forward to more from the Hart family and can’t wait for Rain’s story!!!
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This was in my opinion another great E. Davies book. It had all the right story pieces and the story evolved nicely and progressed the overall Hart’s Bay story line. I however didn’t connect with the characters as much as I expected to. And that is down to me and not down to anything about the book itself. It was fabulous and all I expected for the second book in this series. I just wasn’t in the right head space to read this particularly story at this particular time. It hasn’t dimmed my love of the series or Ed’s writing. I am so looking forward to more from this series. I was just in a book loving funk.
This is a low angst book with an enjoyable storyline. One thing this author is great at is keeping a book low angst while keeping the story interesting. It’s a fantastic start to a new series that I am really looking forward to. 5 guys embark on a new life in a small town and quickly get sucked into some crazy family politics. It’s sweet and it’s steamy (right from the beginning ). Very enjoyable read!
Well, that’s just it! A very promising opening of a new series I am definitely looking forward to reading more from!
Great characters, gripping plot and an inviting narration style. E. Davies! You did it again!
I enjoy small town romance stories, and Ed Davies did not disappoint with Hard Hart.
Hard Hart is the first in E Davies’s Harts Bay series, and already we have been promised more!!
Hard Hart starts out with a one-night stand between the two MCs, until they end up as neighbours.
This is a low angst, intriguing book with a just enough family feud to have me turning the pages.
The chemistry between Jesse and Finn was scorching from the first chapter and continues throughout the book.
Hard Hart is well written and I can’t wait for Changed Hart. Congrats E Davies on another great series!
Hard Hart is the first book in the Hart’s Bay series by E. Davies. I loved the new world that the author has made. Hart’s Bay is a small town and as such everybody knows everybody’s business and secrets. They also know about the animosity between the small towns founding family. The Harts. Finn is a Hart, but he’s on the side that wants the town to grow and prosper. His grandfather, on the other hand, wants the town to stay as it is and continue to neglect all of the buildings that he owns. Jesse and his friends need a change and so they decided to move to Hart’s Bay. Jesse and his friends are artists and want to start a gallery where everyone can display and sell their art. But in order to do that they have to find out who owns the empty buildings and convince them to let them either rent or buy the property. Jesse and Fin meet at the only bad in town, which is only open when the owner feels like opening it. They have instant chemistry. They start a friend’s with benefits relationship cause Jesse is supposed to be taking a break from relationships after what happened with his ex and Fin’s never had a relationship, preferring one-night stands. Fin wants to help make the town prosper again but he doesn’t want to hurt the truce between the members of the Hart family. But when Fin finds out what started the animosity, he knows that at some point he’s going to have to take a stand. I can’t wait for the next book to see who pairs up next. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
Thank You E. Davies for the beautiful coastline and new adventures in HART’S BAY. This is a cast of interesting characters that I can’t wait to get to know better. Jesse was a breath of fresh air. His need for a change and the guts to take life, with all its uncertainty by the horns is refreshing. Using nothing but his determination to succeed, he made his life and other lives better. Finn a life long resident, born into the family that founded and divided Hart’s Bay, is a peace maker. He’s hardworking, down to earth and gorgeous. He’s careful to walk the path of least resistance, but longs for a future that will heal the past. Jesse rocked his world, Finn was filled with hope from their first beach encounter. I thought they were going to burn down the inlet. Bring your fans, your sense of humor and settle in to be entertained. This is an AMAZING story. The coastal town of Hart’s Bay is going to be my new fictional vacation destination. The next trip is already booked, can’t wait to land. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!! Thanks again, I really enjoyed my stay!!!
4 1/4 Stars
***Possible Spoilers***
I love this author and the beautiful and diverse characters brought to life within his books. This book is no exception.
I like Jesse. There is just enough backstory on him to make him a sympathetic character without making him a patsy. I enjoy his personality and his drive to succeed. I also admire his honesty with himself about his relationship with Finn and how he needed to handle it.
I liked Finn from the start, but it did wane a bit during later scenes. He had a martyr-ish feel from time to time that made me want to pinch him and say, “You Are Not Responsible For Your Crazy Family.”
Put these two together and…whew! The desire burns so, so hot. Jesse and Finn are a lovely, passionate couple who find the courage within themselves to fight back against their bullies, whether they be family or stranger. Their spicy times are quite intense, and their love is strong. The HEA is satisfying, and I feel confident in their future.
Jesse’s four friends that moved to Hart’s Bay with him are interesting and amusing and are supportive of the storyline. The other characters are what they need to be to enhance the story, but I would have liked for the bad guy to be more menacing.
I do need more on the feud going on in the town. Why has it been allowed to cause a once bustling area to fall into neglect and disuse? Any time it was mentioned, I was looking for that “more” and didn’t get it. It left me feeling unsatisfied about that part of the book. Hopefully, it will be explained more in the next book. And I will be buying the next book.
I like this world the author has created, and it shows great promise for enriching other books in the series.
I look forward to more from this author.
Loved it. Great start to a new series. This is book 1 of a series of 5 guys who move to Smalltown, USA. Each story will be based on a different person. Jesse meets Finn as a one night stand to find out he lives next door. Sparks fly! This story had a little bit of everything. Suspense, romance & angst. Can’t wait to see what’s/who’s up next. *I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book for an honest opinion*
What starts off as a romp on the beach soon turns into a full blown situation. Jesse is new to this coastal town while Finn is a local and always has been. The bad blood between Dunn’s family soon finds its way into Jesse’s life. Lots of sweet and spicy situations that are lots of fun. Also, the story heats up, literally, and the drama skyrockets, making this romance a five star reading. This author has, once again, given us fantastic characters that you love to love as well as villains you really find yourself disliking. Some people surprise, nicely, while others you just expect to disappoint. This story opens the door to an exciting series which, I’m positive, will not disappoint. I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book.
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Hard Hart is the first book in the Hart’s Bay series by E. Davies. The story is sweet with a bit of sexy… there is a little drama/mystery just to add a bit of spice. This book got me super excited for the series and I cant not wait to read more about Hart’s Bay!
Jesse and Finn open the book with a great scene that just told me that I was going to love this story and characters. 🙂 I like how they hooked up thinking they would be a one night stand,not see each other again…and end up neighbors. Too fun watching that unfold. These characters are fun, hilarious, sweet and sexy. The supporting characters are interesting too and I cant wait to see them again in the next book.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.