Sixteen months ago, Cassidy Porter lost the love of her life.Every day since has been a battle to carry on, but despite what her mother and sister say, she’s making progress—or is she?When she receives an invitation to attend a banquet in honor of the organ donors and their recipients, she has every reason to guard what remains of her shattered heart.Maybe this will be the closure she needs to … the closure she needs to finally mend its pieces.
For the last twenty-eight years, Samuel Copeland has been afraid to live.
Diagnosed with a genetic heart condition, he knows better than anyone that second chances don’t come along often. Since his transplant, he spends his days in the local coffee shop, watching and observing, trying to make sense of all he’s been given.
Grateful doesn’t begin to describe it.
When the opportunity to meet the person who was closest to his selfless donor presents itself—a chance to say thank you for saving him—he takes it.
What’s the worst that can happen?
Brought together by fate—or perhaps, something else entirely—the two form an unexpected bond, one that has them both asking: can two hearts be destined only to beat for each other?
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Beautiful and emotional. This book will knock you for six, so be ready to have the tissues on hand. An utterly fantastic read.
THE HEART OF HIM is my first book I’ve read by Katie Fox. The blurb drew me to want to read this book. The intriguing concept of two people meeting at a banquet in honor of the organ donors and their recipients.
Cassidy Porter had lost the love of her life sixteen months ago. Every day since her beloved Adam had been gone, has been a struggle just to function. She was drowning in tears and grief. She was sad all the time.
Samuel Copeland has spent the entire twenty-eight years of his life in fear. He had been diagnosed with a genetic heart condition. The only cure was a heart transplant. He knew his own mother, who suffered from heart problems, had passed before a heart became available. So when out of the blue he suddenly was given a new lease on life by being given a healthy heart, he was so grateful for a second chance. He knew someone’s loved one had died in order for him to receive this second chance.
Cassidy and Samuel had a very rough beginning when they first met. But fate seemed destined to put them together. Was it even possible for a guy and a girl to just be friends? Because there was an attraction, but maybe it was too soon. A girl who was lost in her own grief and drowning in sorrow. If they were meant to be broken, maybe they could be beautifully broken together.
This is not an easy relationship with lots of road blocks in their way. Their heartache and pain had made them who they were. It had torn them down, forcing them to build themselves back up and be stronger than the people they were yesterday. Be stronger than the people they could be tomorrow. Could two hearts be meant to beat only for each other?
The Heart of Him
By: Katie Fox
Narrated by: Troy Duran, Keira Stevens
“You may have the heart of him, but I’m in love with the whole of you.”
There are times when you listen to a book that you become so engrossed in the story that the book hangover stays with you, and you know it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. This story by Katie Fox is one of them. Fox, an amazing indie author, weaves a story of grief and guilt, and of love and second chances. Cassidy has lost Adam, the love of her life, and is having a very difficult time coming to terms with her loss. It’s been 16 months, and it’s like it was yesterday. When she attends a reception for organ donors and their recipients, she meets Sam. Sam has lived his life with a genetic heart problem, and even with the receipt of his donor heart has not begun to live. These two meeting changes everything. Sam and Cassidy are each broken, but as a glass artist, Sam can see the “beauty in the broken”. He can see Cassidy for who she is. Will these two be able to heal each other? I was mesmerized by this story. It’s a slow burn with several unpredictable twists that are life changing. It’s learning to deal with grief, not only as an adult, but as a child losing a parent. It’s beginning to live life to it’s fullest, taking advantage of that second chance given to you and finding that though broken, you can be healed. I loved every minute of this story. It teaches us that we can’t live with what if’s and find happiness. We can learn to live and love again, and find that bond. Katie will bring you to tears and then fill your heart. It’s a listen you don’t want to miss.
With story like this, with such incredible emotions, the narrators have to be chosen carefully. Keira Stevens as Cassidy pulls out all the stops in her performance. Cassidy is complex, is working through so much and Stevens hones in each scene making us feel her pain, letting us be frustrated with her and let us love again. Troy Duran as Sam gives us that heartfelt feeling. Sam is strong, yet he holds a passion and warmth that Duran finds and lets us in on. He also has that heart rendering voice, letting us in on the mass of emotion Sam goes through. These two gave amazing performances, and this is one of my best listens of the year.
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Great Story & Audible Listen Heartfelt & Emotional!
The Heart of Him
By: Katie Fox
Narrated by: Troy Duran, Keira Stevens
This beautiful story is the type of story that tugs are your heartstrings, it mesmerized me from start to end. The original storylines are realistic and relatable. The characters are complex and well developed. Cassidy’s heart was broken after her losing the love of her life. She existed but barely lived, she could not get past her own grief and guilt. Because of a genetic heart condition Sam Copeland did not allow himself to live. He had his own heartbreaks, losing his Mom when he was nine years old. Sam, a glass artist is a master of making beautiful art from broken pieces. He sees something in Cassidy, he knows she is broken but he still sees the beauty within. I really liked these two together and rooted for them from the start. They needed to get past their own issues and learn how to live. Guilt can be so ugly, so consuming and sometimes it takes others to show you the way to get deal with it. My heart went out to these two, the secrets and guilt they harbored was heart wrenching. This is my first book by Katie Fox and it will not be my last. I liked how she plotted the story, revealing enough information to keep you thinking and throwing in some unexpected twists at the end. She takes you on Cassi & Sam’s emotional rollercoaster ride, gives you an inside view of what they are going thru, where they came from and finally where they wind up. This is a great love story, one of forgiveness and letting go and learning to live again, to love again. Thank you for this great story!
I listened to the Audible edition, Keira Stevens & Troy Duran are wonderful narrators and voice performers. They bring the characters to life, give each their own voice and personality. They did an awesome job projecting the emotions of the characters in to their performance. They are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for this awesome listen
“You left, and you forgot to tell my heart how to go on without you. ”
I’ve got to say, this was an absolutely beautiful read. The Heart of Him will shatter your heart and put together all the beautifully broken pieces. Be prepared for a must read book of second chances and finding forgiveness within ourselves.
Sam and Cassi have both been through devastating losses. Finding that maybe the other holds the key to becoming a little less broken.
“If we’re meant to be broken, let’s be beautifully broken together. ”
Page after page I found myself full of emotions I’ve never felt before. The guilt, the anxiety, and the love, between these characters will leave you grasping for more. You can feel something happening but I wasn’t expecting or prepared for that.
It was beautifully written and I’m glad I got to meet these characters. Katie Fox knows how to write a heart wrenching story and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Ever since I read the smaller version of this story in an anthology, I’ve been obsessed. I messaged Katie immediately all stalker-like and demanded more of Cassi and Sam. You see, (and I’ve never told her this because I didn’t want to come on too strong at the time because I hardly knew her) I first read this story at a time in my life where I was still grieving for a very good friend. They’d passed away unexpectedly four months previous so my heart was a little shattered, but what gave me comfort was the fact that through the death of my good friend, he was able to save thirteen peoples lives that night that I know of.
This story resonated so hard and deep within me; Katie’s words, yet again, are a work of magic. The way she’s able to describe a simple emotion is breathtaking, making you feel so deeply for each and every character.
Cassi and Sam are characters I think everyone can resonate with; they’re a little lost, each for different reasons, but together they make sense. They complete the other.
I could not put this book down, it is a must read, like every other Katie Fox book. Heartwarming, a little heartbreaking, and completely beautiful.
Thank you, Katie, for giving me closure on Cassi & Sam. It’s a beautiful story about two lost souls finding each other and coming to terms with the hardships in their lives.
“How does your heart feel?”
Whole. It feels whole.
Five angsty stars! This book will capture you in a web of furious feelings… It is deliciously devastating.
Oh là là! Katie Fox has broken my heart and put the pieces back together with her new book. The Heart of Him is a beautiful masterpiece wrapped in a gorgeous cover which adds more worth to the story behind the pages of this book. It is an emotional journey that left me breathless and consumed all the hope and love I have inside my heart. It dragged me into a roll coaster of strong and all-consuming emotions. I loved, I laughed, I cried and I hated. Sometimes, I didn’t know what my heart felt because this book is like a chameleon. It changed to become one with all the feelings poured in different shades and colours. Each chapter enchanted my soul with its magic and brilliant prose.
Katie Fox penned a wonderful and extremely emotional book which will touch your heart with its angst and devastating plot. The storyline is not only devastating, it is unique and different. Books like this should be written more often. Because, who doesn’t love a little bit of angst and all-consuming romances? The Heart of Him is one of those books that can bring tears to your eyes, can put a smile on your face and can make you a mess in one second! It is like drinking tequila… because it hurts so good and makes you numb in a minute! It’s an exquisite romance that will make your skin break in goosebumps and will paint your cheeks with a tender pink colour.
The pace is fast. The characters are wonderfully broken and they will be whole again until their pieces match and fill all the emptiness and dark places. Nothing is broken beyond repair. If you can match the broken pieces, you can create a new whole thing from all of them. There is beauty in the broken. Oh mon dieu! That sounded pretty poetic, didn’t it? That’s a reaction I have every time I read Katie Fox’s books. I feel beautifully poetic…
Once you start reading The Heart of Him, you will be captured in a web of furious feelings. Sam and Cassidy’s story is an emotional journey of self-discovery, healing and redemption. Can a broken soul be whole and love again? Would there be a hurt that can’t be healed? Thos are hard questions to answer and Sam and Cassidy will answer them with painful hope and rough love.
Katie Fox was a new author to me this year, and I am SO glad that I found her! She writes like poetry – it is beautiful, it will make you feel ALL the feels, and leave you thinking about her stories for days after you finish them. The Heart of Him is no different. The characters in this book will break your heart, and K Fox will slowly put it back together. I high-lighted more passages in this book than most others and here is one of my favorites:
“He tasted exactly how I imagined he would: like heartbreak and redemption – like a thousand broken dreams and a million impractical wishes.”
I was drawn into this book immediately from the beginning of the Prologue, where the character is not revealed, but as his story unravels you quickly discover who it is. Sam has sky-rocketed to the top of my book boyfriend list! He is everything you could want in a man, and I often forgot that he is only 28 in this story. He is mature beyond his years, as he was forced to grow up and take responsibility for himself and his dad at a young age when his mother passed away. His memories of his mother are so real and raw that you will cry for this little boy who becomes this deep and broken man. Sam puts everyone and everything ahead of himself. He is selfless, caring, generous, broken and loyal to a fault.
Cassi & Sam’s paths cross at an extremely emotional event. Without giving anything away – they are forever tied to one another, as is Cassi’s past love, Adam. The heartbreak, past tragedies, and lives of these three run so deep. Sam wears his emotions on his sleeve, and the chemistry and connection between him & Cassi is undeniable. I love how Sam loves – with everything in him, and he is not afraid to say how he feels or show it. He is strong, yet broken; confident, yet unsure of his path; a family man with no present family. When he & Cassi are together, they just fit – and the way their hearts intertwine is beautiful.
I couldn’t put this book down because I just had to know what was going to happen to these two. Each of their past stories is slowly unraveled and you will be taken on an emotional roller-coaster when it’s all said and done. But it is soo worth it. You will fall for Sam and cheer for Cassi, and meet some amazing secondary characters along the way. I just wanted more of Sam & Cassi’s story – I was not ready for it to end. Well done once again K. Fox!!!
Cassidy Porter’s life came to a crashing halt the day she lost the love of her life to a car accident. Every day of the past 16 months has been an absolute struggle. She’s not moving on or moving forward. She’s feeling broken and shattered. When her sister suggests she attend a banquet to meet the recipient of Adam’s heart, she agrees hoping it may bring her the closure she needs.
Samuel Copeland has been afraid to live or experience all that life has to offer. Born with the same genetic heart condition he lost his mother to, he never lets anyone get too close to him. But when Sam is gifted a second chance with a heart transplant, he decides to make the most of all he has been given. When he’s given the chance to meet the love done of his donor, he’s terrified, yet feels the need to express not only his condolences, but how grateful he is for a chance at life.
Brought together by fate, Cassidy and Sam have a chance at something beautiful if only they can grab ahold of it. But, is Sam enough to put Cassidy’s broken heart back together? And can Cassidy see Sam for who he is, or will she only see Adam’s heart?
Oh, this book . . . Katie Fox takes readers on a journey full of so many emotions and ups and downs that they become completely lost in the story. Grab a bottle of wine and a box of tissues, because you are going to need them!
Cassidy is so beautifully broken. She’s so lost without Adam, that she truly can’t move forward, and it is simply heartbreaking. Watching her slowly open herself back up to being loved and to loving again is a gorgeous journey, and not without its ups and downs.
Sam is simply amazing. He’s not going to waste his second chance at life. And, when he finds himself falling for Cassidy, he’s willing to do everything he can to make sure she sees him, and not Adam. He’s so patient and loving and gives her everything he can.
But, can a couple born of tragedy truly have a chance from moving on from the past and having a happy ever after together? Katie Fox really did a brilliant job of exploring this unthinkable concept in The Heart of Him. It was a beautiful and emotional read that leaves you holding your loved ones close and believing in fate, second chances, and true love. 5 stars.
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~~ 5 HEART-MENDING STARS!!~~
AN EPIC ROMANCE REVIEWS 2018 TOP FAVE!
“There is beauty in the broken.”
You know when you read a book that hooks you from page one and swallows you whole?? That transports you within the pages of a slow burning, soul-consuming love story that holds your heart in a vice grip, shatters it to smithereens and then ever so miraculously fuses it back together again?? Well, THE HEART OF HIM by Katie Fox is THAT book!
THE SETUP:
Cassidy Porter is a grief-stricken young woman who’s still struggling to move past the unbearable loss of her boyfriend, Adam, an organ donor who gave the ultimate gift of life after his own was so tragically snuffed out 16 months earlier. When she goes to a banquet to honor the donor families and recipients, as a way to pay tribute to her lost love and hopefully gain some much needed closure, time stands still when she meets Sam Copeland, the handsome young man who is the recipient of Adam’s heart.
That first face-to-face encounter is heart-stopping. Emotionally Harrowing. And ends in complete and utter disaster! But when their achingly lonely worlds unexpectedly collide again, a tentative friendship slowly blossoms. Then, over time, as a smoldering attraction flickers between Sam and Cassi, they find their splintered hearts and fractured souls fusing together in unimaginable ways! Is their second chance at love written in the stars…or doomed from the start? Gotta read to find out but you better have TONS OF TISSUES handy because this journey is most definitely not all sunshine and roses!
MY MUSINGS:
Holy moly…THE HEART OF HIM, which is told in dual POV, sure is one powerfully emotional novel that gave me goosebumps galore and sucker punched me with the feels. But I kind of expected it because the moment I read the blurb, I knew deep down in my gut that this book was gonna SLAY me!
However, despite the heartbreaking premise, rest assured it’s not a Debbie Downer of a book. For while this romantic tearjerker did at times turn me into a sobbing, blubbery basket case, this story also LIFTED ME UP. Made me smile and swoon. Tingle with heady delight. And filled my heart with an abundance of joy, hope and wonderment!!
I ADORE discovering new authors and Katie Fox is a revelation! Her prose is captivating, the plot beautifully paced, the tone wrenchingly emotional, and her character craftsmanship is stellar. The manner in which she’s able to draw us into the hearts and minds of these characters and have their emotions splatter across the page like teardrops and then seep into our own beings was AWE-INSPIRING!
I connected with Sam and Cassi immediately and they completely stole my heart … in all their BEAUTIFUL BROKEN GLORY. I swear, if any two MCs deserve a slice of happiness, it’s these two. They have both endured such crushing loss and unfathomable pain in their lives, but even at their lowest point, their true valor always shines through! And when their fates intertwine its beyond extraordinary. These two have sparks and chemistry up the wazoo…and that first kiss?! Breath-stealing!!!!
“He tasted exactly how I imagined he would: like heartbreak and redemption—like a thousand broken dreams and a million impractical wishes.”
What I cherished most about these achingly flawed protagonists is that they are so real and genuine and their feelings so raw and palpable I truly felt as if I was living vicariously through them.
Gah! I loved Sam TO THE MOON AND BACK!!!! There’s nothing more titillating than a sweetly chivalrous, broodingly handsome loner with an achingly gentle touch who will do anything to piece together the broken heart of the bereft young woman who just might be the balm to his own tortured soul!
But…S.O.B…the odds sure are stacked against them.
Can Sam, a man who’s haunted by the knowledge that his “life was saved at the cost of another” ….dare to fall for the woman whose boyfriend’s heart now beats inside of him? He may look strong and virile on the outside, but he bears physical and emotional scars that run deep.
So while he yearns for Cassi with every fiber of his being, can he truly trust that this emotionally fragile beauty, who bursts unexpectedly into his life and turns his world completely asunder, is his for KEEPS? Is what Cassi feels for him genuine or just transference of all the pent up love and longing she harbors for a dead man? And although he will always be eternally grateful for this precious second chance at life, a man has his pride, and he cannot bear the thought of being second best.
“She’d loved him first, but the selfish part of me wanted her to love me last.”
As for Cassidy, OMG what a remarkably brave heroine!! I mourned right alongside her as she continued to reel from her unspeakable loss, yet I also admired her so, so much for coping with adversity with such courage, dignity, aching vulnerability and infinite grace!! She has her good days and her bad days that’s for sure. But can this young woman who’s still drowning in guilt and regret and overwhelming grief truly ever let go of the past? And risk it all for a man who not only owned a piece of her entire world but is afraid to truly LIVE??
Ahhh the conundrum!
Did this tortured duo frustrate me at times with their fears, hang ups and emotional inhibitions? Heck yeah! But these two kindred spirits just share such a rare, life-affirming kind of love it gave me BUTTERFLIES!!!! And while this angst-ridden romance has its fair share of heartache, when Sam and Cassi finally succumb fully to their feelings, and their hearts, bodies and souls passionately fuse together as one, it’s utterly spellbinding!
But eeep just when you begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel, brace yourself for a SPINE-CHILLING plot twist! As for how this tumultuous story ends, not going to spoil it, but I will guarantee it’ll leave you WEEPING!
BOTTOM LINE:
THE HEART OF HIM is a heart-rending tale about love and loss, hope and healing, embracing the world in all its perfectly imperfect splendor, and finding the courage to love again against all odds! And ultimately, after the final cathartic tear was shed, it reinforced my belief in fate and destiny and the REMARKABLE RESILIENCE OF THE HUMAN HEART!
A MUST READ!
Cassie is broken, her heart shattered and smashed to pieces 16 months earlier following the death of her boyfriend Adam… her ‘Forever Always’ stolen away and the promise of the future gone with it leaving her unable to cope with life without him. Heart broken at her loss she is barely functioning, her sisters constant concern for her is wearing her down…. hoping to get some form of closure by attending an organ donation event and meeting the recipient of Adams heart might be a step in the right direction if she can only find her way there through the tears.
Sam grew up knowing what it was like to have his future taken away from him…seeing his mother pass from heart failure as a child changed his world… to protect himself from further heart ache he has always kept himself distant…after receiving a donor heart his future has so many possibilities and trying to feel worthy of them is harder than he could possibly believe…. especially when he meets his donors family…Cassie. Together they can mend each other’s broken pieces.
This book was a first read by this author for me, A beautiful story written with such care and emotion..I was blown away. I loved the originality and creativity and read it all in one sitting.
I was captivated by Cassie and Sam’s story and was waiting for the big reveal… and my lord it was a whopper that had me clinging to me seat and howling with tears. I adored Sam, his situation and emotions were so brutally real and honest. I could practically feel his loneliness and dismay when he first met Cassie and realised who she was. Cassie was hard for me, not because she was a badly written or unbelievable character…but because she was such a well written believable one…her grief was heart breaking…grief is a horrible soul destroying thing and kudos to the author for describing and relating it with such respect, care and attention.
Only those that have truly lived with the loss of a love one can convey how damaging grief is to those who are ‘left behind’. I cried ugly ugly tears by the bucketful.. and a don’t retreat a single tear. Such a wonderful story that deserves to be read. If you enjoy an emotion packed read then this my friend is the book for you! Just remember tissues and maybe some chocolate
“Because some hearts are simply meant to be together, aren’t they?”
The Heart of Him is my second book by Katie Fox and again she managed to amaze me with this beautiful lovestory of two broken souls that will stay with you for a long time.
“He tasted exactly how I imagined he would: like heartbreak and redemption – like a thousand broken dreams and a million impractical wishes.”
This story is about love and loss, about healing, mending, letting go and learning to love and being loved again. Both main characters had to undergo some experience of loss you wish nobody has to endure. And they have to deal with some other life-changing circumstances. Until the day fate brings them together.
“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; love leaves a memory no one can steal.”
Cassi and Sam are beautifully broken and wonderfully created main characters. Their story touches your heart and soul deeply and your heart aches for both of them equally through the whole book.
“You may have the heart of him, but I’m in love with the whole of you.”
I really do love how the story develops. It’s a slow burn, but nothing else would fit here. I’m totally in love with Sam and Cassi. Every Cassi needs a Sam and vice versa. They make me totally believe that two hearts are meant to be together.
“If we’re meant to be broken, let’s be beautifully broken together.”
This was a heartbreakingly wonderful read. This author did a great job! She has become one of the authors I anxiously await for her next release!
Cassi has gone through the unimaginable. As she is tying to move forward she meets Sam. Sam has his own trouble with trying to live his life. Will these two be able to mend their broken hearts? Can shattered and splintered hearts be mended?
This was a great read. I felt for each of the characters and what they went through. The twist at the end had me hurting for them both. But the author did a great job!
What an emotional read. Sam has Adam’s heart. Cassi is in Adam’s heart.
Can an organ actively seeking its mate? A meeting of two people spirals into too many coincidences to not be considered fate. Sam, an artist of stained glass, finds that he wants to piece Cassi back together and maybe in doing so, he too will be pieced back together. “You’re just a little broken, Cass, and that’s its own kind of beautiful.”
I felt as if I was on a journey, a bystander to all of the emotions of all of the involved characters.
Cassidy and Samuel’s heartbreaking story is a tale of two broken souls who deal with loss, healing, moving on, and learning to love again. This is a beautifully written story which is an emotional rollercoaster throughout, and I was totally enthralled from beginning to end. I cannot wait to read more of this talented authors’ work, and highly recommend for all readers.