Heart

By: Garrett Leigh

Narrated by: Dan Calley

Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Cornish pastry chef Seb Wright dreads the summer tourist season. The cash injection to his artisan fudge pantry is more than welcome, the extra work, less so. Then one summer, a shadowy Good Samaritan catches his eye. Irish traveler Dex is bewitching, a beautiful sullen enigma who turns Seb's world upside down until he disappears in the night, vanishing like a mystical summer rain.

Twelve months later, Dex is in the midst of a dark storm. A slave to his master, "Uncle" Braden, he spends his days cleaning caravans and his nights working in Braden's other businesses. His short summer with Seb seems a lifetime ago. Lost in the savage violence of the murky underworld, he doesn't dare dream he'll ever find his way back, until one night, a brutal crime opens the door for a chance escape. A new life beckons, old faces emerge, and immersed in the heady vibe of London’s East End, new love begins to heal his fractured heart.

©2014 Garrett Leigh (P)2020 Garrett Leigh

Gritty love story

I’ve read a few other books by this author and thought I was prepared. I was not. “Heart” is a gritty, dark story of survival and, ultimately, love. But it’s an arduous journey to get there, with a lot of time spent in a hellhole of an underworld where Irish Travellers are bought and sold like Dex’s beloved horses. The pain the listener endures is mostly worth it, as Dex’s triumph packs an emotional punch. I dinged a star because the end felt like it dragged out a bit. Still, this a powerful story brimming with hope and well-deserved love.

When I first saw the blurb for this story...

I thought two things…the first one being that there was something familiar about this story and after poking around on Ms Leigh’s list of books I discovered that I was right, ‘Heart’ is a more in depth retelling of her story ‘Gypsy Rain’ which I’ve had on my ‘To Read’ list for a while now and the second thing was that this was a story that was going to break my heart and sadly I was kinda’ right about that too…thankfully by the end of it all my heart was pretty much put back together again.

Seb’s a pastry chef and when he first meets Dex he’s running his family’s artisan fudge pantry. Seb’s enchanted by Dex and what starts as an act of kindness when Dex finds Seb’s wallet and returns it to him becomes a slow and cautiously played out effort on Seb’s part to draw Dex into his world where he can get to know him better and hopefully keep him safe or at least that was what Seb hoped for until Dex disappears without a trace.

When Dex gets the chance to escape the nightmare that’s become his life…he takes it and attempts to loose himself in the hustle and bustle of London never guessing that his path would cross with Seb’s.

Garrett Leigh without a doubt has become one of my favorite authors. Her stories are packed with emotion, they’re thought provoking and while she’s not afraid to show us the darker side of human nature, she also shows us the side that strives, hopes and struggles at times to not only persevere but to find more…to have a life that’s better…to find that someone they can love and be happy with.

Seb and Dex come from very different worlds. Seb’s grown up with the love and shelter of family, while Dex has had to rely on himself because for him family meant betrayal and being used…traded like a commodity to a man who would bring him nothing but pain and suffering. Dex also comes from a world where talking to outsiders is never acceptable no matter what and it’s this unwritten law of his culture that creates a world in which people like ‘Uncle Braden’ not only survive but thrive.

I don’t think there was honestly anything about this story that I didn’t like. I may not have totally agreed with some of the decision and actions taken by characters at times…in particular some choices that Dex made at the end, however, I can also see where the decisions he made were the ones that were right for him and ultimately they were decisions that each person has to make for themselves based on that factor…what is right for the individual in that circumstance.

As always Ms Leigh has created a story that kept me riveted to my seat from start to finish and along with the talented and insightful narration provided by Dan Calley this was a story that easily came to life for me and one that I look forward to enjoying again.

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An audio book of ‘Heart’ was graciously provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Broke my heart and put it back together by the end

OMG this is a fantastic story! Heart really tore me up but put me back together before the end. There are some rather dark scenes in this book but I didn't think that they were gratuitous; they were integral to the overall storyline.

I've not read any MM stories about Travellers before and I think Garrett Leigh handled what could be a touchy subject with a lot of care and sensitivity. Dex is a Traveller but he is forced to do things that no one should ever have to do. Seb owns and artisan fudge shop in a tourist town. This unlikely pair came together through a series of unexpected encounters.

I'm finding it really hard to put into words how this story made me feel. It had my emotions all over the place and had me reaching for tissues more than once. Heart if tied with Finding Home as the best performances I've listened to by Dan Calley. Each characters' voice was very distinctive and the emotions he put into the books was perfect. Once I started listening to Heart I couldn't turn it off and listened straight through.

This is another Garrett Leigh book/audiobook that I can't recommend highly enough.

A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.

Hauntingly Heartwarming

This book is as close to a feel good story as any I’ve read from Garrett Leigh, and that’s including the prostitution ring, broken bones, violence and down right heartache that Dex has to go through to get to his happy ending. Seb is the type of man that every Dex out there deserves. He doesn’t make Dex feel bad about himself. He tries to get Dex to see he’s worth much more than the things that have happened to him. To realize that no matter what he thinks, he’s not defined by that. He’s only defined by what he thinks of himself and and what he wants his life to be! I even got the warm fuzzies a few times! Garrett sure knows how to take those broken hearts and mend them right up! I just love how the story doesn’t need any tension or big drama between the main characters and Seb is just a pillar of support without being overbearing or controlling. Everything is Dex’s decision and he understands that’s what Dex needs without resenting him for it! It’s so dang well written and it evokes so many emotions!

The narration by Dan Calley is phenomenal and definitely adds a new layer to the story! You feel the emotion more and the warm fuzzies are stronger from the emotional connection that’s easier to make!

Absolutely love

This book broke my soul then put it back together. What a beautiful story. I love both MCs. What Dex went through would have killed anyone else. Deb was the exact person for Dex. What a beautifully written book. I had to slow the pace to understand Dan Calleys accent. Loved this book

Hard to listen to but still good...

This was a bit hard to listen to and a bit heartbreaking, good but still hard. Read my words…I only listened because of the author and performer (and there are only a couple of other vocal performers who could have convinced me to listen). These two together are a slam dunk for me every time.

What Dex went through…I never want to think about, much less hear about. It wasn’t terribly graphic, but it was enough to make me not want to hear more. As things are uncovered when his ‘Uncle’ is caught are just…awful.

Seb is simply awesome. I love his patience and understanding with Dex. He is an everyday joe but a hero for Dex and just what he needs.

This is not a book I’ll want to listen to again and again, but I’m glad I listened once.

perfect narrator for this book

This is one of my favorite books by Garrett Leigh, and I have read the EBook several times. When I found that it had finally been recorded, I was glad to see that it was Dan Kallie narrating as the last few books he has narrated by Ms. Leigh have been brilliantly done. I love his use of all the different accents, and this book is no exception. I'm not going to talk much about the plot as the blurb gives a fairly good description, but there could be a few triggers for some people in this book. As with many of this author's books, this one deals with some tough issues and there are a few scenes that I found hard to read, but I just love Seb and Dex. Dan's voicing of the two MCs was spot on, and really helped bring the story to life. I hope the rest of her books get recorded, and Dan Kallie narrates those set in the UK.I give this 5 out of 5. Great Job.

Heart wrenching, beautiful story

Garrett Leigh thrives at writing stories that are full of angst, tug at your heart, and have beautifully developed, and wonderfully flawed, characters. This book is a little darker than I am even used to from her. Darker, but not disturbingly so. It guts you, though, and will have you wanting to scoop Dex up, in order to protect him from everything.

This story is about Seb and Dex, but is mostly told through Dex’s POV. The bulk of the angst is his storyline, with Seb being the man who wants to love him, protect him, and show him another way for ‘normal’ to look like. They meet up at the beginning of the story, then are separated. Later on, they are surprisingly reunited by a twist of life. They pursue their second chance of being together, although things aren’t easy.

This is a well-written story, and it had my emotions feeling like they were on a rollercoaster. I was completely drawn in and rooting for Dex and Seb to find their HEA.

Dan Calley crushed it with this book. His narration skills just keep getting better! His voice, plus Leigh’s words, is a major hit. He elevates an already emotional story, by giving it a voice.