Overall Grade: 4.5 ⭐️
Tropes: a little bit of hate to love; small town romance; forced proximity/one bed; bodyguard/music star romance; found family; opposites attract; cinnamon roll alpha hero; best friend’s little sister
“I didn’t have to let fear stand in the way.”
Melanie Harlow’s Hideway Heart handily reminds us of the power of fear. Both her MMC and FMC struggle with different types of fear (fear of relationships and the consequences of standing up for oneself), and Harlow does many things well in this book to illustrate these struggles. Making this the focus of her characters’ journeys creates a tension that expands and recedes, creating an explosive chemistry between Xander and Kelly Jo, the main characters of her book. From one minute to the next, Harlow deftly keeps her readers guessing as to when they will finally consummate their relationship. The eventuality of that becomes explosive, offering up some serious 4-star steam. Crafting this tension is one of Harlow’s standards, the reason for her dedicated fan base.
Additionally, the initial hate-to-love between Xander and Kelly Jo turns up the fire of their chemistry making their physical moments much spicier. Xander’s domination of Kelly Jo and her willingness to feign fighting him create shades of fanciful dub-con in this book. It’s not spicy enough or problematic enough to warrant a content warning, but it feels fresh in a Melanie Harlow romance.
Harlow also adds nuggets of suspense in Hideaway Heart, which is a great vehicle for highlighting Xander’s protectiveness. In book 1 and even in much of this book, Xander is carefree, a bit of a jokester, and seemingly easygoing. It becomes apparent through Xander’s care of Kelly Jo that there is a gravity to his character. Xander and Kelly Jo’s chemistry and connection are a result of Xander’s possessiveness towards Kelly Jo as he unravels the suspense of her story. The intentionality of Harlow’s choices for this part of the story highlights her giftedness as an author.
Add to all of this the feeling of “found family” for Kelly Jo with Xander’s family plus a sweet epilogue and bonus epilogue to round out the textures of Hideaway Heart. The balance of humor, saccharine, and fieriness creates the perfect confection of romance. I will say that I felt something missing from the story which I can’t put my finger on. I’m still a bigger fan of the first book of Harlow’s Cherry Tree Harbor series, Runaway Love. But it’s inconsequential enough for me in the grand scheme of this series. I’m absolutely looking forward to the rest of the Buckley siblings’ stories. The teases for them in Hideway Heart have already ramped up my anticipation.
In love and romance,
Professor A
Professor Romance 