Trailer park born and raised. It’s my legacy. That’s how my mama lived. And that’s how her mama lived. It’s the life I was born into and it’s the life I swore I would leave the second I was old enough to make it out.Only legacies have a funny way of sneaking up on you. An innocent decision the night of high school graduation led to a series of complications in my plans to escape. Seven years …
Seven years later, I’ve resigned myself to this small town and the roots I’m tied to. Nothing could make me leave. And nothing could make me spill the secrets that keep me here.
Until he walks back into town with a chip on his shoulder and a stupid hunch nobody else in town has been smart enough to follow.
Levi Cole is my opposite. Born on the right side of the tracks with family money to spare, he’s the kind of black sheep that can afford to be rebellious—because his family will always pay for his mistakes. He’s also the only living heir to Cole Family Farms, after his brother Logan was killed in duty seven years ago.
He sees something in my life that he thinks he has a right to. But he’s wrong. And obnoxious. And he needs to take his stubborn good looks and that intense way he looks at me and go back to wherever it was he came from.
I know better than to trust men like him. I was born and raised in a trailer park, I know nothing good happens to girls like me—girls with trailer park lives and trailer park hearts. Especially from gorgeous, kind, pigheaded men like him.
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Another great romance by Rachel Higginson!
The push and pull, the banter hidden behind those two…
The boy that won’t let go.
This girl who is so much stronger than what she believes…
I loved their journey, through shattered big dreams, loss, and miscommunication.
Ruby had to sacrifice a lot of things and struggled in this little town she wanted to leave behind so, so bad…
But life had other plans…
And Levi… I think it’s impossible not to fall for him.
This story is about adulting and overcoming our fears, but also about discovering our strength and finding happiness and kindness in unexpected places and people.
Ruby’s stubbornness helped her to get through life and keep afloat, but it also made her take really bad decisions.
Levi’s stubbornness made him work really, really hard to break Ruby’s walls.
But their lack of real communication and fears was what had me really frustrated with those two.
They could have avoided so many heartaches, but in the end, the journey, the paths and detours were totally worth it.
Grab this book, you’ll totally love the angst, because Rachel Higginson never disappoints!
***ARC Provided by the Author for an Honest Review***
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This was a wonderful and emotional story. These two characters went on quite a journey, and I enjoyed it all the way. I definitely recommend this book and this author.
4.5 Stars!
Man. Oh, man! From the moment I laid my eyes on the blurb for Trailer Park Heart, I knew this book was going to take my heart for a ride and what a ride it was. From enemies to lovers to an unconventional love story, Trailer Park Heart grabbed a hold of my heart and had my eyes glued to the pages….
From the moment I picked up Trailer Park Heart, I was hooked. I was totally captivated by Ruby’s story and had to know more. Ruby is the kind of girl who’s been dealt some pretty crappie cards when it comes to this game of life. All she ever wanted was to escape the trailer park stigma and see what the world had to offer. However, life had other plans for Ruby. Graduation should be the best night of her life, but for Ruby, her life was about to change in ways she never expected….
I gotta say, I totally loved Ruby. She was sassy, strong and independent. She was young, so she didn’t always make the best decisions. But, I honestly think she was doing the best that she could with the cards that she was dealt. She didn’t have a ton of friends and was hurt by the town gossip. But, she didn’t let that gossip get her down. Nope. She gave just as good as she got. Always ready for a fight and always willing to do what she had to protect the things most important to her….Levi was the one thing Ruby never saw coming. He challenged her in ever possible way. Their banter was some of the best sexual tension I have ever seen. I mean, it always seemed like these two were up for a fight, but there was definitely more to that than what meets the eye. These two had an incredible back and forth and I just loved watching the two of them interact. And Levi…I just loved the sweet moments with him. He was the type that wasn’t afraid to go after what he wanted and that led to some seriously delicious alpha moments.
Trailer Park Heart is a wonderful and emotional second chance romance. It has a delicious slow burn that will tug at your heart and leave you begging for more. Trailer Park Heart is filled with lots of emotion and is a story about fighting for the things that you want. It’s a story of growth and family. A story of learning not to judge people. It’s a story of learning to go with the flow and make the best out of the life you have. Things may not always go as planned, but sometimes the surprises change your life in the best possible way.
Trailer Park Heart took my emotions on one incredible ride and surprised me in the best of ways. I enjoyed every second of this story from beginning to end and look forward to seeing what adventure this author has in store for us next.
Based on the Rachel Higginson’s stories I’ve read, this author always delivers amazing enemies to lovers stories with an added emotional punch. Trailer Park Heart was no exception as Ruby and Levi were so sexy and swoony together. I really enjoyed this heartwarming story as it showcased Ruby’s transformation from being closed off and protective to being open to love and life’s chances. This was fabulous!
This story starts off with a bang and I was hooked from the getgo. Ruby and Levi had a tumultuous and somewhat acrimonious relationship, which hit my banter-meter in all the right places. There was an added sweetness to Levi which I loved as it balanced his blunt personality so well. The slow-burn aspect of this story was also amazing as I felt like readers were really made to feel the palpable sexual tension and connection between Ruby and Levi.
Furthermore, while I don’t usually love secrets in my stories I really enjoyed them in this book as I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the entire time wondering when hidden secrets and past misconceptions between Ruby and Levi would be addressed. It was such delicious angst and I could not get enough. My heart practically melted with Levi as he was just so sexy and charming and the perfect match to the sassy spitfire that Ruby was. The author conveyed him perfectly as he was like the storm that blew up the calm and stable life that Ruby always wanted for herself. He always saw her for who she was and knew her worth all along. In high school, he was the popular boy who would turn his green-eyed gaze on her and spin her world around and then years later when he blew back into town, he systematically turned her world upside down again. It was brilliant!
All in all, this was fantastic and I look forward to more from this author in the future. Bravo! 4.5 stars! ~Ratula
Growing up in a small town can be a wonderful thing. Knowing all of your neighbors, and having the sense of community provides the residents with comfort and stability. One the flip side, small town life can also be brutal. Escaping the stigma of where you live or the clothes you wear can be a burden that lasts a lifetime.
Small town life wasn’t always kind to Ruby Dawson. Growing up in a trailer park came with ridicule from her classmates. A torment that would drive Ruby to get out of town the moment she graduated high school. It was a perfect plan, excel in school and then head to a college far from home. The only problem with this plan was the lack of planning on Ruby’s part during an end of the year party that she would never forget.
Plans change and Ruby’s quest to get out of her hometown is nothing but a fleeting memory. Years have passed since that graduation party, and Ruby has handled the changes in her life in stride. No one has ever figured out the secret that Ruby has shielded with her heart, even though the reality is staring them in the face. Content with her life, Ruby finds a blast from the past can turn her whole world upside down.
After seven years away from town, Levi Cole returns to the place he once called home. With a family fortune that is easily at his disposal, Levi never understood Ruby’s desire to avoid him at all costs. Even though the two have danced around an attraction since high school, Ruby was always reluctant to believe that someone from the ‘other side of the tracks’ could possibly be interested in her. Now – Levi is back in town and plans on making this his home once again.
Trailer Park Heart is the latest book in the Rachel Higginson collection. It is a very realistic story that deals with our differences in social status and how it affects our outlook on life. Ruby has never believed that she was worthy of anything beyond life in that trailer park she called home. Levi is the one person that is determined to make her see that she has so much to offer. A beautiful testament to overcoming the odds.
While this book deals with judgments and the hardships that face so many people, it also is a beautiful love story. One that simply warmed my heart from the very first time Levi let his intentions be known. As the two navigate through this thing called life, the road blocks in their way seem to magnify. However – both realize that life is precious and can change on a dime. Giving hope to long lasting love and devotion.
Trailer Park Heart is a beautiful look at love and finding the courage to face life’s adversities. It is realistic, hopeful, and a wonderful glimpse into a ‘real life’ romance that could be found anywhere around the world…..all you have to do is look.
I’ve been excited about Trailer Park Heart since the moment I saw this gorgeous cover. I love a good single mom story and second chance romance is my jam. I didn’t stand a chance against this book. It grabbed me from the very first few pages and I knew I wasn’t going to get anything done until I finished it. Hooray for the read in one sitting kind of books! I loved this one.
I have to start off by saying Ruby wasn’t always the most likable character. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t dislike her, I just questioned some of her actions. But, that said, I also don’t blame her for her hangups or all of her actions. Her life was far from easy, but it was good. She was fiercely protective of her son Max, which led her to keep a HUGE secret for years. Somewhat selfish, giving the circumstances? Yes. Understandable? Entirely. Max was the best thing in her life and she didn’t want to lose him as she feared she would if his father’s parents knew about him. Thankfully this wasn’t that kind of story.
Even in those moments when I wanted to basically shake some sense into Ruby for pushing Levi away or continuing to keep crucial information from him, I still admired her strength. The life of a single mother isn’t easy under normal circumstances. These were anything but. She was a complicated character, but I always wanted to see the best happen to her and Max.
Levi-freaking-Cole was basically amazing. I mean, sure he had his jerky moments, but they were usually in response to something Ruby did. They were polar opposites, once friends, often enemies, and fighting some extreme chemistry. Which was more than a little inconvenient for both of them, given the entire situation. Their history was beyond complicated, but I couldn’t help but ship the hell out of them in the present. But man, Levi. He was just so damn swoony. His scenes with Max were perfection for so many reasons. They definitely tugged at my heartstrings.
The small town setting was perfect, and all the little details added so much to this story. Rachel did such a great job tackling the farm town setting. The secondary characters were so spot on, as was the general vibe of the town. Ruby might’ve felt like she was an outsider, but her interactions with the other residents proved she was anything but. I loved watching her open up, accept help and become proud of the life she built. The romance was fantastic, but Ruby’s character development was easily one of my favorite things about this book.
But yes, the romance. Holy feels. I love a good second chance romance. Y’all know it’s one of my favorite tropes. It was done so perfectly here, and under such complicated circumstances. There were so many gorgeous little moments between Ruby and Levi — and, of course, Max — that my heart just felt so very full while reading this book. I love it when the hero is absolutely all in for the heroine and would do anything for her. That’s just part of what made Levi so amazing. Plus, he’s a hot farmer. How can you not love that? Everything about this romance made me all mushy inside. What a beautiful, heartfelt and satisfying story.
It hasn’t taken long for Rachel Higginson to become one of my favorite authors. And to think I hadn’t read her at all until a little over a year ago. I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in her Opposites Attract series. And, you know, whatever else she brings us. She’s been promoted to auto-buy author status for me.
FAVORITE QUOTES
I was a hardworking single mom. I was quiet and sometimes shy and sometimes sassy. I was Ruby Maxine Dawson. I was not, nor would I ever be, trailer trash.
“It has never been easy. There hasn’t been a single day that was easy. I don’t think good things ever are. The hard things make the victory and the success so much better, so much more beautiful.”
“When are you going to start demanding more from people, Ruby? When are you going to recognize how special you are? How much you’re worth? When are you going to start asking other people to treat you how you should be treated? You’re worth so much more than you let people get away with.”
“Your son might belong to my brother, Ruby, but you’ve always belonged to me. You’re mine.”
“Forever means forever, Ruby. Might as well get started on it right now.”
Ruby was the girl who didn’t think she deserved anything that Levi had to offer her so she did something stupid to destroy that relationship. When Levi comes back into town after 7 years, he still only has eyes for Ruby, but he is more grown up and is able to admit his feelings more freely. Getting small glimpses from the past and seeing how Ruby realizes how when you are a teenager, things aren’t always what they seem made this book a lot more real to me. There is still an issue of why she did what she did, for me, but the end result was that of pure joy. I understood her struggles and could identify with what she went through. Levi was such a “guy” always just trying to get the girls attention and it made me laugh on several occasions. It was a sweet book
Oh, my heart! Levi and Ruby just left all kinds of dings and bruises all over it and yet here we are, despite all the damage, feeling happy, satisfied, and smiling so big. Well played, Ms. Higginson.
I mean, oof. I don’t even know how to categorize this romance. It’s got a little bit of so many elements: second chance, friends-to-lovers, slow burn. It is all those things and yet not any of those things at the same time.
I know, super helpful, huh?
So here’s more clarification: it’s incredibly emotional, smart, snappy, and just a little bit heartwrenching. I giggled, I cried, and I spent some time wanting to knock Levi and Ruby’s heads together and then give them both the biggest bear hug because – seriously – so many feels. So many complicated and authentic feels. And gah, y’all, I loved every minute.
Trailer Park Heart was everything I’ve come to expect from a Rachel Higginson, only turned on its side a little bit. The storytelling was honest and engaging, the writing was smart and captivating, and Levi and Ruby? Well, they’re just holding court in my heart right now. Fantastic characters. Real characters. Theirs is a bit of a bumpy road, and I already mentioned the wear and tear on my heart, but good gravy y’all – 100% worth the ride! ~ 4.5 Stars
This book was about a girl who wants to dream for more than she has. Her upbringing and affiliation’s have tainted her world view regarding people and how they see her. Her dreams change because of choices she’s made but that tainted world view doesn’t. It just gets more muddied. Which turns into an excellent Character building opportunity that Higginson delivers perfectly.
I love how accurately she nailed the overprotective single mom who just has it hard. I felt Ruby in my soul and because of that it had me wrapped up in this story until I had the ending I wanted. Which I got. Highly recommend this book.