“Claire Kingsley breaks your heart and puts it back together again with this story of second chances and a love that won’t die.” ~Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Lucy ScoreBrooke Summerlin’s life is like a Cinderella story. Raised by an abusive, drug addicted mother, she desperately hides the truth about where she comes from. But Prince Charming arrives in the form of Liam, the most … of Liam, the most popular guy at school. He sweeps into her life and carries her away to what is supposed to be a happily ever after.
Until it isn’t.
Sebastian McKinney is the son of an Iowa state champion wrestler, and that’s what he’s going to be. Wrestling is his life. He’s focused. Determined. Nothing will stand in his way.
Except a silent illness that almost kills him.
Brooke’s greatest tragedy becomes Sebastian’s second chance at life. Four years later, he’s moving forward, his body healthy, while she is left to sink in grief that threatens to drown her. Haunted by a past she can’t escape.
But sometimes love transcends the boundaries of life and death—between what is known and what cannot be explained. The heart that loved Brooke continues to beat, and even now, it still beats for her.
His Heart contains mature language and content.
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I rarely, if ever, have given a book a 5 star review. A book has to have it all, and then some, in order to deserve that rating from me, and this story had it in spades with not only an original storyline, but also the emotional intelligence portrayed from beginning to end. I laughed, cried, got angry and loved these two so very richly developed characters and the emotional journey they went on. The steamy scenes were perfect as well and also suited these characters personalities. So far, I’ve read both Remembering Ivy and His Heart, two books that CK has described as “a departure” from her usual style. But if this is the quality of writing CK is putting out, then I hope she keeps it up. I for one am a new fan!
The Heart Never Lies
***I received this as an ARC, and this is my honest, unpaid review.***
Sebastian: “But the bond we forged was ours. We were two people who had been through fire. We’d suffered pain, tragedy, and loss. And yet, in the aftermath, we’d found each other. She had my heart, and she always would. ”
Too often we are reminded that life does not always turn out the way we plan. Some of us have experienced those unforeseen losses or tragedies that come along and threaten to rip our souls apart; and we may find ourselves struggling to put the pieces our existence back together.
What Claire Kingsley has done with His Heart is beautiful and amazing and breathtaking; My lips quivered as I tried, without much success, to hold back the tears…a young woman’s struggle to go on after losing the one man who showed her what love is at a time when she had no idea of what love could be. Then, by a miracle, she was able to find an even greater love, a more powerful love, with a man who’s selfless, caring, and so intense, he’s willing to do anything to put her back together, to help her feel alive again… even if it meant sacrificing his own second chance at life…
In different ways, Liam and Sebastian were both so protective of Brooke and had an emotional connection with her; like they could feel her pain…see right into the depths of her soul and they knew what she needed. At different times in her life, they were who she needed them to be.
I loved Liam. He had such a beautiful and kind spirit; he taught Brooke so much about life and love. However, the breakout character for me was Sebastian. I admired his strength, his wisdom, his honesty, his willingness to stand up for himself and for others. Even when people thought he was crazy, he had no qualms admitting it, but he always followed his heart; and his heart led him right to Brooke.
I can’t express enough how much this story truly touched me…thank you CK!
Such a heartbreaking & beautifully written love story!
Not sure why but today I just wanted to read a book about a love story surrounding a transplant. Found this one by an author I’ve already read quite a few from. It was the perfect weekend read, I knew going in that it was going to conjure up some deep emotions based on the transplant part and the blurb.
I can’t even begin to tell you how emotional this book made me. Yet at the same time when Kingsley finished breaking my heart she then healed it with this magical story of a real true love. Get ready to feel ALL THE EMOTIONS with this one!
I have been a Claire Kingsley reader for several years now. In the time since I first discovered her books, I’ve read nearly everything she’s written – and in the case of several books, more than once. But I have also strategically avoided His Heart nearly the whole time.
Let me be clear: I would read a phone book if Claire Kingsley’s byline were on the cover. But this book was listed with such descriptors as “intense” and “poignant,” and as beautifully as I knew Claire would craft all that love and heartache, I just didn’t want to feel all of that.
Until I did. Until something happened that pushed me into a grief spiral. A tragedy with enough parallels to one of the hardest times in my life that I was right back in those moments again. And so I decided that I needed to feel all of this – and I really needed the resolution to that grief that only Claire would be able to give me.
There’s nothing I can say about the plot or the characters that you can’t find in the blurb or other reviews. But what I can tell you about His Heart is that, much like like life, the heartache is worth it.
Yes you’ve heard it all before about this book, have tissues nearby. But I’m telling you right now, do NOT let that stop you from reading this beautiful story. It’s so wonderfully written you won’t be mad at Claire for writing it, I promise. Instead you will run to thank her and hug her if you get the chance to meet her. I read this book pretty fast because I wasn’t sure I could go through the emotions people talk about with this book. But I am saying this now after reading it and simmering in my feels about it for a few days. This book is going in my “Must read annually” pile. And I’m going to say I may read it again this year, because it is THAT GOOD!
“It had happened; a tragedy, and a gift.” Read the book and you will grab a Kleenex and understand this quote. What a terrific story! The quotes from Brooke were heartwarming and gave so much meaning to the book. The emotions of the story itself keep you reading and then, when the extra chapter epilogue is offered, I couldn’t resist. Descriptions of pain, both physical and emotional are powerful and I cried. There’s not enough stars for this book.
I don’t even know what to say.
This book had so many layers and went deep, deep, deep into understanding love in its many forms. Absolutely beautiful story! (But be prepared for a heart-wrenching reading experience… All. The. Feels.)
I loved that Claire broke this book up into three parts. It really worked for my brain.
In this emotionally charged story we follow the life of several characters in two States far apart of each other. By a chance, the lives of the protagonists cross and through a beautiful twist of faith they receive a second chance in love and life. I couldn’t put this book down, it’s excellently written, engaging and so full of emotion, I needed a box of Kleenex to get through!! If you like your love stories steamy I would definitely recommend this extraordinary read.
Claire Kingsley you slay me! You better believe I powered through that book in one day. I wasn’t sure my heart could take it (no pun intended) seb and Charlie seriously had the cutest bromance ever…..Charlie reminded me a bit like cooper miles especially when the three of them were in the diner eating. I finished the book an hour ago and I’m still sitting here crying… not sure if sad or happy tears. All the love in this book was sooo damn powerful raw and real. It was def worth fighting for
In his short life Liam Harper became a hero not once but three times. He rescued Brooke Summerline from her mother’s emotional abuse and showed her what it was to be loved. When Sebastian McKinney was at death’s door, Liam’s heart gave him another chance at life. Finally, Liam’s heart brought Brooke and Sebastian together and gave them a forever love. It is a journey that is not all sunshine and roses though. Learning to live and live again after enduring such life altering events takes a lot of hard work and there are many missteps, both big and small, along the way. Seb and Brooke both come shining through in the end and that’s Liam’s greatest gift of all.
This book is just a heart wrencher. If you look at any of the other reviews you already know to have the Kleenex handy. It rips out your heart and soul and eventually puts them back in tiny pieces and you may be missing a few. If you have lived through gut wrenching loss, you will feel it again. If you haven’t, you will get a good idea of what it does to a person and those who love them.
Sebastian was a young, healthy, 18 year old high school wrestler in Iowa with scholarships to college, a happy home life and a beautiful girlfriend when fate stepped in. His life as he knew it was no more.
Brooke was 16 years old, living in Arizona with a drug addicted mother who moved as often as she had boyfriends. She kept to herself and had no friends. The day Liam took up for her against the Mean Girls at school and asked her to the Valentine’s Day Dance was one of the best days of her life. The next 2 years with Liam changed her life, showed her love like she had never known. Until fate stepped in. Her life as she knew it was no more.
This book deals with some heavy issues; child abuse, drug abuse, depression, alcohol abuse, death, grief, and organ donation. Claire does an awesome job dealing with these subjects in a very realistic and compassionate manner. These are difficult issues to write about as well as read but they are front and center when dealing with these situations. I commend her for her ability in crafting such a novel as His Heart. I only wish I could give it more than 5 Stars.
This book in one of the best I’ve ever had the privilege of reading. The story of Liam, Brooke, and Sebastian is undeniable hard to categorize or explain. This book of three beautiful, loving, caring, sensual people will make you feel and cry as these characters take you on an unforgettable trip that leads to love. Truly a heartbreaking love story with undeniable chemistry. I’ll never forget these characters. Thanks Claire for such a beautiful story.
Such a beautifully told story of love, loss, heartbreak, healing, and love again. Well edited.
Brooke’s life is anything but good. Raised by a drug addict, she has been neglected and moved around her entire life. At 16, she is a junior in high school and a loner. She feels – and tries to stay – invisible. Until one day, Liam sees her. He asks her out, she says yes, and from there they embark on a life of friendship and love. Until one day, it all comes crashing down. Meanwhile, in a state half a country away, Sebastian is on top of the world – winning a state championship in wrestling, having a great girlfriend, looking forward to college, and eventually working for his dad. Life couldn’t get any better. Until it isn’t. In one day, Liam’s life ends, Brooke’s heart is shattered, and Sebastian begins life anew. How do you live when your heart has ceased to beat? How do you look to a future when you feel like you’ve died? How do you move forward on a path you no longer embrace? And what do you do when you see a broken girl and your heart leaps?
This is not my first Claire Kingsley story, and it certainly won’t be my last. Such a beautiful story of love and loss, sacrifice and healing, despair and joy. Liam shows Brooke that she is worth loving. He is such a great guy – pure of heart and sincere in his love for Brooke. Brooke learns to believe in love, but when tragedy comes, she loses all the ground she has gained as she falls deep into the agony of grief. And then Sebastian. He know what it is to give up on life, to have no more fight. He reaches out, compelled to try and help in anyway he can. Eventually, love blooms, and thought it isn’t easy, both Brooke and Sebastian learn to embrace the new life they have been given. Truly touching. Enjoy.
Such an emotional read. So many things I loved about this book. Liam’s character and his struggles both before and after the transplant really touched me. I struggled with Brooke however. Quite frankly she pissed me off most of the time. I actually felt she didn’t deserve Liam. Olivia hit it right on the head in my opinion when she said that Brooke made it all about herself. I’d like to hear more of Olivia’s side of the story. Her struggles with losing her brother. All in all another great read by this author
It has been a long time since I had a good, hard, ugly cry over a book, but Kingsley accomplished just that. This book is beautiful and heart wrenching. I don’t mean I got a little teary while reading, I mean I was curled up, sobbing so hard I thought I was going to wake my sleeping husband. I actually had to stop reading at one point because the tears wouldn’t stop. As I lay there gasping for air, I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters. I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to experience this in my own life. I thought about it as a mom, a sister, a lover, and a friend. That is a testament to the talent Kingsley has as an author. These weren’t fictional characters, these were real people, raw and broken. My heart broke right along with them.
These characters were beautiful. Brooke’s life has been filled with tragedy. When she finally gets her Cinderella story, things fall apart for her yet again. Watching her try over and over to pull her life together with only brief periods of success makes my heart break. However, when she does begin to find happiness, I was right there celebrating and cheering her along. Watching her rise from the ashes brought forth so many emotions for me. I wanted her to have it all. She truly deserved a happy ending!
And Sebastian…oh how I loved Sebastian. He too lost so much. He was driven and worked so hard to accomplish his goals, but when those goals had to change, his determination remained. I loved how he was “all in” with everything he did. I loved the way he fought for love and refused to settle. I loved the way he stuck by those he loved and his love never wavered, even when things got tough – really, really tough.
While there was a lot of crying (just when I thought I was done, I started again), this was a beautiful love story. It wasn’t all tragedy. Instead, we saw the power of love. We saw the power of embracing love in the most unexpected places, and that love can’t always be explained or planned for, it simply is. Brooke and Sebastian are drawn to one another by forces beyond their control, but it can’t be avoided or ignored. While their love was unexpected, it was beautiful and captivating.
There were several other characters that added so much to this story as well. I absolutely adored Charlie and his friendship with Sebastian. Charlie was exactly what Sebastian needed in his life. He allowed him to be independent while having his back every step of the way. I have very mixed feelings on Olivia, and am anxious to see if Kingsley gives her a story in the future. She added a lot to this story, and while I understand where she was coming from with some of her actions, I’m just not sure how to feel about her in general. However, there is definitely potential for a story there, and if it means I get to check back in on Sebastian and Brooke, I’m in.
Overall, this book is perfection. It seriously brings all the feels. There is so much raw emotion in this beautiful story. While it is filled with tragedy, it also brings hope and love. It shows the goodness that can come from the darkest of places. Rather than writing a fairytale, Kingsley embraces the highs and lows of real life. These characters are real, and raw. They have flaws, but they rely on one another for the strength they need to persevere. You will not be disappointed in this book. However, make sure you have a full box of tissues and avoid reading in public.
His Heart by Claire Kingsley is such a heartbreaking, yet beautiful story of second chances, of not only life, but love.
Sebastian and Brooke both had dealt with so much in their young lives, yet neither of them of were prepared for the tragic event that would change the course of their lives – both in different ways. Until a chance encounter and one look at each other from across the street, once again changed the course of their lives.
The author did such an amazing job making me fall in love with these characters – I went on the full roller coaster ride that both Sebastian and Brooke did. I absolutely loved this story – first book from this author for me, and it definitely will not be my last!
A beautiful hard-hitting story. Sebastian is living the teenage dream. He has a beautiful girlfriend, is a star wrestler on his high school team, and will eventually work at his dad’s car dealership. But life has a sadistic way of showing us we are not in control.
Brooke has endured more as a teenager than many have their entire lives. She has an addict for a mother, has moved 23 times in her short life, and is targeted by the popular mean girls in school. (Okay, so I’m already wanting to adopt her and raise her as my own.) But then she meets Liam, and her awful world starts to get a little bit better.
Both couples suffer extraordinary circumstances sending their lives spiraling from what they once knew. Claire does a wonderful job telling a story of love and acceptance, growth and change, strength and honesty amid loss, heartache, and life changes.