Love's Magic

Revolutionary Heart, Book One

De: Janice Jarrell

Narrado por: Walker Williams

Nate is a professor at the university, content with his life, his job, and his partner David. But when he jumps in to defend a student under attack and is injured himself, Nate becomes a leader in the campus movement to end sexual assault. When David doesn’t understand his militant reaction, Nate feels abandoned and betrayed, and begins to question their relationship.

David's love for Nate is deep and true, but he can’t support Nate’s confrontational stance, fearing that the consequences will destroy his career. Forced to choose between his love for Nate and his own sense of what’s right, David feels trapped in a hopeless impasse.

Colin, an Irish Sergeant in the campus police force, is a legend on campus. A fierce protector of assault victims, he is merciless in pursuit of their assailants. When he meets Joshua, a Title IX consultant, sparks fly, and their relationship quickly becomes passionate.

Joshua wants more from Colin, much more, but Colin clings to his independence, fighting against his feelings for the soft-spoken psychologist. When Colin’s past comes back to haunt him, an explosive quarrel sends Joshua home without a word. Will Colin care enough to seek him out?

It would take a miracle to resolve these issues and bring these men together.

Love's Magic is a gay romance featuring two couples, who will both find their HEA.

©2018 Janice Jarrell (P)2019 Janice Jarrell

A Great Story

This is the first book in The Revolutionary Heart Series. A great book with good writing. The plot was entertaining and it was steady throughout the book. I found the story and characters interesting. The characters were developed and thought out. This is a story with 2 couples Nate & David and Colin & Joshua are the MC’s of this book. All of the characters need to learn how to communicate better and thus brings on frustration and angst. The narration was good and enjoyable. I can recommend this book as a good read/listen. I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

Makes You Think!

Four Hearts, Many Truths, Two Romances, One Story

Nate & David and Colin & Joshua

Life can be funny sometimes. For some, life is all about fate, and destiny. For others, it is simply chance, and happenstance. While still more feel perhaps it's a mixed bag. You were destined for one thing, then something crossed your path during your life's journey to alter your course. So rather than take the left you were "meant" to, you veer right and a whole different path is laid before you.

This is the story of two couples. One already in a committed relationship and one yet to meet at the outset.

Our first couple, both professors at a college in Virginia, live a simple fairly happy life together with the day to day trivialities that grate. Nothing too spectacular to fuss or worry over with the exception of a rift between Nate and the professor over him.

After a traumatic event where Nate stopped an assault on a female he quickly became the target.

Our second couple meet only because one is the police officer investigating the event, and he must liaise with a Title IX officer, regarding the various assaults on campus.

******************************

Through a series of events, meetings, and uncovering truths, the characters in the story find links between themselves, and within themselves that would not have been there had this event not taken place.

Relationships were built, some strengthened, some tested, some destroyed, others resurrected. In it all, beyond the romance are hidden truths that no matter who we are as individuals, we always bring bits and pieces of others with us into our current relationships. Ghosts from the past, so to speak, that are either good for us or keep us bound, but rarely if ever are there just two people inside of a coupling.

This story was complex, and honestly confounded and upset me at times. It made me do some introspection and make a few mental notes concerning a couple of things that hit pretty close to home for me personally.

Both the story and narration were well done.

The Story: 4.00🌟
The Narration: 3.50🌟
Sharonica Stars: 3.75✨

I received a complimentary audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review.⛄

Overcoming obstacles and finding love

Two wonderful couples trying to live their lives and do their jobs, but life happens and throws them curve balls and past baggage rears up to add complications! Touching, poignant, and heart rending at times. Fox was a thorn in my side and a manipulative weasel whom the narrator nailed perfectly. I appreciated each character's commitment to their beliefs. The narration greatly added to my enjoyment of this story.

Very good

Thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook from a new to me author and a new to me narrator! The characters were well developed and the plot was well thought out and interesting! A bit angsty, which I love...and a novel that truly drawns the reader in. I thought the narrator did a super nice job too and will be looking forward to listening to more of his work in the future!

Sweet, heartfelt and entertaining!

This is book 1 in the revolutionary hearts series and can be read as a standalone.

This was a sweet romance featuring two couples, David and Nate, and Colin and Joshua.

Nate is strong willed and passionate about everything he does. He was brave and courageous to stand up for himself and the people around him.
I was disappointed in David at first for not supporting him and pulling away when he needed him the most. But looking at it from his perspective, I can relate to where he was coming from. I was happy that he redeemed himself in the end and helped Nate and his students.

Joshua and Colin were absolutely adorable and it was nice seeing their young romance blossom.

Overall this was a poignant, heartfelt and captivating romance! The characters were likeable and well fleshed out. The plot was compelling and kept me engaged.

Walker Williams's narration was smooth, seamless and highly entertaining.

I definitely recommend this if you like a sweet, opposites attract romance paired with medium angst and all the feels.

A really good start to a new series

This is a new to me author as well as a new to me narrator. The story follows an established couple Nate and David. They are both professors at the same college. One evening Nate is stabbed while saving a student from being attacked. We then meet Colin who is campus police who is investigating the incident and then almost immediately meet Joshua. Colin is basically a man-whore and I didn't like his whole outlook that he doesn't want a relationship. And even though they are not really in a committed relationship, I didn't like Colin thinking about him still seeing other men while he is with Joshua. I also hated the fact that Colin does hook up with guys when he supposedly figures out he is in love with Joshua, after Joshua leaves. When Colin finds out that Joshua has left, he realizes what he has lost. I also didn't like David not standing up with Nate in the beginning and he keeps shoving it in Nate’s face that he is putting his place with the University at jeopardy. Your partner, whom you love, was attacked and could have been killed, why weren’t you the one leading the charge! I'm glad that Joshua walked away from Colin when Colin was not able to make a commitment. I'm not sure if I could have forgiven Colin for all the nasty things he said to Joshua right before he left. But in the end, Nate and David do find their solid HEA and Colin and Joshua in a pretty good place.

Audio ARC provided by Gay Romance Reviews in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty good start to the series!

4 Stars

Love's Magic is book 1 in the Revolutionary Heart series and it follows two couples, David and Nate, who are already together when the book starts, and Colin and Joshua, who meet a bit after the book begins.

Let's start with David and Nate. I loved Nate, I think he was my favorite of all the MCs. He was strong and stubborn and determined to do the right thing no matter what. It took me longer to like David. His excuses for not supporting Nate after what Nate went through were flimsy at best and I just wanted to throat-punch him several times. He pulled through for Nate and his students in the end, though, so there's that, but it took him forever! They had good chemistry, but I would've liked to see a bit more of how they got together, the summary we got was definitely not enough for me. 

Joshua was probably my second favorite MC and I was very glad when he went away, forcing Colin to realize what he could be losing. Colin was a bit ugh, difficult for most of the book, although he finally did right by Josh. They were a good match, once Colin stopped being so headstrong, and their attraction and growing feelings were palpable.

Overall, this was an entertaining audible and a good start to the series. There was a lot going on with the rally and the relationships and other issues, and with four different POVs, things got muddled sometimes. One thing, or rather two things, that I appreciated was that both the MCs who messed up actually did the grand gesture and made up for what they did. 

Walker Williams is a new-to-me narrator and while I thought there were parts where he needed to inject a bit more of emotion, he did a good job for the most part and did justice to both the story and the characters.

So much love!!

This is the story of David & Nate and Colin & Joshua. I really love how Janice Jarrell blends all the characters in the story and future stories. I love how she creates two stories within the same story. She told the story of David and Nate and their horrific ordeal when Nate is attacked and how they overcame it. David was super insecure at times. Nate, not so much. Then we got to meet Colin the tough Irishman and Joshua the sensitive psychiatrist. Colin and Joshua had tough backstories. Colin still suffered from his past, Josh was able to move on from his. It had all the feels, steamy, romantic and angst. Walker Williams did an amazing job on the narration!!

What a great read!

I really liked this story. I liked the characters, and I liked the way on which it was structured. A committed couple of professors at University and a tentative one formed by a campus police and a Title IX consultant are the people who carry the story.

And the story begins with an attempt of sexual assault on one of the female students. Professor Nate Reese, who witness the attack, intervenes and gets stabbed. The intended victim of the attack was the niece of Professor Fox, who decided that enough was enough, and initiates a campus movement to end sexual assault. He asks Nate to join him, and Nate agrees willingly. Which bring problems at home, when his partner, Professor David Gardener, not only disagree with his participation in it due to possible repercussions in Nate's career at the University but also seems to be very unsupportive of him in a personal level.

As the story unfolds, we see how the stress creates cracks in Nate and David's relationship and the way the issue generates a big strain between the faculty.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Colin Campbell and Dr Joshua Abrams are dealing with a different case of sexual assault, and there is an undeniable chemistry between them. But Colin is averse to anything that smells like commitment, and Joshua thinks that he wouldn't be able to keep a relationship between them, casual. But the breaking point between them is the case: Colin takes personally Joshua's recommendation to the board, and things between them break apart. Joshua resigns and flews home, and Colin accepts that he needs to deal with the events of his pasts that lead him to this point in his life.

All the characters in this story are fantastically portraited, they are realistic and easy to like... even at their worst. I'm particularly fond of the way in which Diana, David's therapist, is used to help us understand the deep issues laying at the bottom of his conduct.

This is a fantastic, perfectly crafted story and I'm truly excited to see what will comes next.

Good story, great narration

The story is good, and I enjoyed it for the most part, but there were a few things.

Story: 3.5 stars
This book is about 2 couples: Nate and David, and Joshua and Colin. Nate experienced something horrific and David doesn't know how to cope. Instead of focusing on Nate and what he needs to get through the event, he focuses on the job. Joshua and Colin are opposites. They meet at work, and while they try to fight their connection, they can't. Unfortunately, Josh wants more than to be friends with benefits and that's all Colin wants...but maybe that will change. Not only are they trying to get over that hoop, but Colin also has a past, and it's holding him back.

The story is well written and has a good plot with a great message, but there are times it gets drawn out and repetitive. More than once I was frustrated by the characters and wanted to slap them. They, in some ways, acted younger than they are, especially some of the supporting characters. Nate and David's story ends, but it is a cliffy for Colin and Josh.

Narration: 4.5 stars
The narration brought this story to life, like it so often does with good narrators. Walker Williams was able to give each character their own voice, but there were a few times when I got lost because the voices weren't completely different. Those moments were few and far between. Overall though, I loved this version of the book and the narrator did a great job.

Overall: 4 stars
There were some issues with this story, but that said, the book is still good, and I think you should listen or read it for yourself. I am going to continue with the series and am excited to see what happens to Josh and Colin next. 4 stars overall.