Reviewed by Roberta
TITLE: Scars On His Heart
AUTHOR: Jamie Samms
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 260 Pages
BLURB:
After a disastrous five years away at college, Joe returns to his aunt’s farm and finds his childhood sweetheart Cameron eager to rekindle their relationship. Joe has a hard time confessing that he didn’t come home until now because he’s only just managed to leave Andre, his controlling boyfriend, and has a harder time renewing his submissive role in his affair with Cam. Cam thinks he has to find a way to remind Joe how to be strong. But what Cam doesn’t realize is that Joe is strong, strong enough to leave behind a life of shame—though he’s terrified his past will catch up to him. Joe must confront his ex and take back his own life, on his own terms, before he’s able to give Cam everything they both desire.
REVIEW:
Wow, I keep forgetting just how Jamie likes to put her characters through the wringer and her readers as well. I was so overwhelmed with all that Joe has gone through. This is truly Joe’s story of redemption and love.
Joe is this young man who lost his family in a fire when he was 12. He went to stay with his Aunt and Uncle’s place. Joe is submissive and the only man who really loved him, Cam is now back in his life. The only problem is that he’s run from Andre’ his ex (I use that term quite loosely). Joe left after he and Cam shared a moment. Just ran away to school and didn’t return home for 5 years. Joe has done some things that he’s not proud of, in order to pay for his schooling and a roof over his head. He was hurt by Andre’ and hurt in a way that can never be fixed. Joe is battling some self-worth issues and well as trying to come to terms with what he’s done in the recent past in order to graduate college. I feel that he’s also working on his own submissive nature. He knows that he’s submissive, but he also is having difficulty reconciling that with the work that he’s been doing. Joe wants and needs to learn to stand on his own two feet and not always run.
Cam is this really sweet, loving, kind man who has been in love with Joe for years. Cam has been on the farm since he was 5 years old. He loves the work that he does and he’s never had any aspirations to do anything else. Cam is out and proud. He’s been out since he was young and he’s always had the love and support of his family. He is a Dom and one that is struggling with the one man who he has always wanted. He doesn’t know how to help Joe come to understand his submissive nature without interfering with Joe’s need to find his own balance and his own way in his life. Cam is the great character who shows his own vulnerability when it comes to Joe. How he wants to protect and love him and yet he still wants to be able to allow Joe to be his own man when it comes to his life. He wants to do all that and yet with the things that Joe has been through and is going through, he doesn’t know if he can give Joe everything that he needs in order to heal. Cam is just the sweetest guy who wants to do the best for everyone, especially Joe and himself. It’s nice to watch Cam come into his own during this story.
The secondary characters in this book were a wonderful balance to our two MC’s. They showed such support and strength and most important….lots of love to them. They were there to give some wonderful advice and to help guide them both on this journey that they were embarking on. I loved that these characters didn’t overwhelm them, but gently guided them and allowed them to really be able to see what was happening and to make their own choices. Such a wonderful great cast of characters in this book. They truly helped to move the story along in a really wonderful way.
There was some sex in this story. It was nice and hot and yet, there was such intimacy in those scenes. It was never gratuitous, the sex scenes. These two men who were both at some point hurt, were coming together and not only finding comfort in each other but in a way…finding themselves. It was really beautiful to see them grow into who they truly were.
Now, I will say that even though this book has BDSM elements, there was a part that you hear about, a caning that was not consensual. It was done in the form of “training” and it was hard to read. Granted, it was mostly off screen and you never read it, you just read about the feelings and saw the aftereffects and that was enough for me. I really hated that this poor kid went through that.
Overall, this was a really great book to read and I was so very lucky to have the opportunity to review it for you. If you want a story that will tug your heart and yet still make your heart happy, this is it.
RATING: 
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