Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Phoenix – the Heartwoods

SERIES: He’s the One #3

AUTHOR: Marissa Holt

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 260 pages

RELEASE DATE:  July 29, 2018

BLURB:

Fate’s power can weld even the most reckless hearts together…
Phoenix Heartwood has built a wall around his heart his entire life, keeping love and any risk of associated pain outside the barrier.
When darkness settles over the town of Courtley in the form of a shady multi-millionaire named Zander who now controls a majority of properties including the Heartwood family home and business, Phoenix agrees to work for Zander as a means to protect his family and their interests.
A light soon brightens Phoenix’s life in the form of a beautiful guy named Gabriel, now residing at Zander’s estate…and who quickly begins chiseling away the wall surrounding Phoenix’s heart.
Uncontrollable desires and looming danger mix as Phoenix and Gabriel struggle to break from Zander’s grip, and Phoenix realizes there is one thing he may not be able to fight…his ultimate destiny with love.

Phoenix: The Heartwoods is a steamy Fated Lovers M/M Romance with a guaranteed HEA and is Book 3 of He’s The One Series. Can be read as a standalone. ***This book contains darker themes than the previous two in the series, including scenes of violence.***

REVIEW:

This is one hell of a book. Yes, it’s considered a romance but as stated in the blurb, it’s darker. If you’ve been ready any of these books, which I hope you have, you know anything with Phoenix is never easy. So, of course, Phoenix’s story can’t be an easy one either. But the end was so worth it.

From the get go, Phoenix has said he’s not falling in love. He’s a wham-bam-thank-you-sir kind of guy. He doesn’t believe in love, fate or any of that mumbo jumbo. Which turns out to be funny as can be, when ’fate’ gives him a big ole slap in the form of sexy man Gabriel. But Gabriel is supposed to be off limits. He’s the object d’arte of Zander’s. His boss.

As much as he hates working for Zander, he has no choice. It’s this or his family is in serious trouble. Zander is making trouble for everyone. He’s come in and taken over the town so to speak and no one likes the man. He’s sleazy, crooked and more, but no one can prove anything. And when Gabriel comes along, Phoenix is horrified at first. Gabriel is gorgeous, but being Zander’s boy toy is unthinkable to Phoenix. But Gabriel ends up telling the truth to Phoenix, and little by little, things are getting worse with Zander. Phoenix may be a dick, but he still draws the line at things. And the line has been drawn. But how does he take Zander down and save Gabriel at the same time?

I laughed my butt off when Phoenix got a big ole slap as far as Gabriel. He was so determined to never fall in love or love anyone other than family. And when Gabriel got under his skin, I knew it was coming and I was laughing. Phoenix could no sooner deny Gabriel anything. It would be like saying no to air. And he still tried to deny it lol. Hardheaded booger. It did sadden me at one point, though, when he began to question himself. He knew he could be dick. And yeah, sometimes it was a front to keep people from being close. But Gabriel burrowed under his skin quick.

For Gabriel, Phoenix felt like home. He and his family. With all the crap that has happened in Gabriel’s past up until the present he’s in, life has not been easy. And even though Phoenix can be a hard ass, he sees something in Phoenix most people don’t. And that’s home for Gabriel. But being in Zander’s house, with the stuff that’s going on, it makes things difficult. But then again, difficult seems to be Gabriel’s middle name. He stops at nothing to get to Phoenix, even when his own life is in danger. Anything for Phoenix.

This is such a good book. It’s rough and violent in places though. Zander is a sicko. It’s a matter of overcoming the odds to survive. And a matter of not knocking love when it’s in front of your face lol. This has been a really good series.

RATING:  

BUY LINK: 

amazon