How to Heal

Lovestrong, Book 5

By: Susan Hawke

Narrated by: Michael Pauley

Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

Take one former bully, unable to forgive himself for the sins of his past....
 

Clark Danvers is a wild 21-year-old who’s trying to prove he’s an adult. With a two-year degree in hand, he manages the family car dealership and seemingly parties by night. Given the amount of times he’s been pulled over for speeding by Deputy Rick Matthews, public opinion seems to be right. But what people don’t see are the scars he carries both inside and out. Scars from a past he can’t run away from and will never be able to atone for, no matter how many times he beats himself over it.
 

Add one no-nonsense cop who longs to be a Daddy for the right boy....
 

Jericho “Rick” Matthews never expects the bratty kid who gets on his last nerve to pull at his heartstrings. When he finds Clark battered and fighting for his life in a motel room, Rick’s daddy mode is instantly engaged. Before he can think of anything else, he must first comfort this hurting boy.
 

To equal a pair of men who might just be what the other needs.
 

The two men who thought they couldn’t stand each other are drawn together after a date gone wrong. While Rick tenderly cares for Clark, he decides what this brat needs is a daddy...someone to help him break free from the past and embrace the promise of many happy tomorrows.
 

This is the fifth book in the Lovestrong series about finding love and being yourself in a small town. Intended only for 18 plus listeners, this is an mm romance full of all the sweet feels you’d want from an S. Hawke book.
 

Note: Possible trigger warning for mentions of self-harm and a scene involving a man who’s consented to having himself tied up. What he didn’t agree to was being left that way for an entire weekend. This highly emotional scene is the catalyst to evoke “Daddy’s” protective mode in a tale filled with themes of hurt and comfort and the struggle of overcoming a difficult past.

©2019 Susan Hawke (P)2019 Susan Hawke

Healing and entertaining

I'm a person who has been through a lot of trauma and has crappy relationships with their parents and is also queer. I identified with a lot of things in the book and I felt like all the heavy topics were discussed appropriately in a healthy way and without triggering anything too bad for me. I found certain words comforting and encouraging. It was nice to see these awful issues handled with love and understanding. the story was entertaining and it was nice listening to the characters grow and their relationship strengthen. On top of the great writing, the narrator is also a favorite of mine and does a great job with voice inflections and depicting those steamy scenes; he really helps bring the characters to life. I highly recommend this book.

cuffs

truly beautiful but , you feel the pain in understanding clark needed a huge huge. plus every lif out the4.

Moving On

I love the fact that Clarke gets his story. Rick is a great match. They give each other balance. I like how we got to see Clarke grow. We also see that moving on involves hard choices. I really enjoyed the narration as well. It was well done I felt immersed in the story.

emotional

This book was filled with emotion, it'll make you laugh and cry. I loved Rick to for his patience, understanding and compassion. I adored Clark, and really felt for him. I wanted to wrap him in a hug.

I thought Michael Pauley did a great job narrating these two as usual!

a story of redemption

I have loved this series from the beginning,and this is no exception. Reading and then hearing Clark's story and transformation from bully to the good man he became was amazing.

Redemption and finding love

Clark was introduced as one of those characters that appeared to be the worst kind of person only for us to discover that there was so much more happening. We finally find out what is behind his actions and how his past continues to haunt him. Rick can't help but wonder about Clark and when he discovers him in deplorable conditions, he realizes that he feels more than he thought about Clark. As these two figure out what is between them and helping Clark face his past, you will find yourself cheering for the one person that you never thought you would.

Great redemption story

I was a bit hesitant before reading this. Not because I didn’t love the series or have faith in the author’s ability, but because Clark was such an awful character in past books and I wasn’t sure if I could like him enough to enjoy it. I am SO glad I was able to find redemption for Clark!

This book takes place a few years after his teenage antics and abuse of Grey and advise by his father. Clark is now 21 and trying to find his way while still harboring so much guilt. I can’t say I would’ve imagined Rick as a partner for him initially, but I liked them together as the book progressed. They both fulfilled a need the other had perfectly, and they were able to communicate a lot which I loved. A lot of this focused on Clark’s psychological healing, and I loved watching him blossom. There is age gap and Daddy kink in this book, and I thought they were both well written. I loved this and I loved seeing Clark forgive himself and find more of a place in his community. Excellent job by the author.

Michael Pauley is amazing as always. I do have to admit that I had a little trouble listening to the beginning part of the book where Clark was first found by Rick; it was different listening to it rather than reading it. The rest of the book after that was awesome, though.

I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by LesCourt Author Services

Overcoming

I loved this story when I read it and Michael Pauley's narration helps bring the characters off the pages and into the world. Clark was a hurting boy the first time we met him, but you knew he could be so much once he was able to be free. This time Clark gets to soar and Rick is right there with him.

Sweet and steamy and all the good stuff in between

The title for this series is apt because my love for all the audiobooks in the Lovestrong series is strong! How to Heal is the fifth Lovestrong audiobook and it is, hands down, one of the best redemption stories I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. Twenty-one-year-old Clark Danvers should be familiar to fans and listeners of the series, and he's come a looooong way from the bully he had been as a teenager in the first book to the man he is in this book. I love that he was a work in progress and the role that thirty-seven-year-old Jericho "Rick" Matthews plays in his coming to terms with the guilt at his past sins was an extraordinary one, but let it not be said that Rick was the only one who helped Clark out. This book highlighted that it does, indeed, take a village and Clark had the support of a host of people--from his mother to Seth Thomas-Samson (How Not to Sin) and quite a number of others.

Susan Hawke has written the sort of story that's more than just a romance. As with the other audiobooks in the series, this is also about the importance of family and friends and how having a strong support system is essential for the betterment of one's way of thinking and living their life. There's a poignancy to Clark and Rick's story as much as there is passion and humor and Michael Pauley does a flawless job as always bringing all those emotions forward for listeners. Hawke and Pauley have become a fabulous duo and I couldn't imagine this series having been penned and narrated by anyone else. Five-plus stars for How to Heal.

Such an amazing story

This book is so good but there is some self-harm so beware. This book also has daddy kink, which I'm not a fan of, but it is not over the top. You definitely need to read or listen to the books in order to get the most enjoyment, but particularly the first book How Not To Blend, as that is where the back story for Clark comes in. I love that Clark gets his redemption and has thrived, despite how he was as a teenager. I'm also thrilled that we get to see more of Rick and his brothers.

Michael has done another fantastic job and he is one of my favorite narrators. He makes the story even better by adding his own touch.

A story of how people change & heal. Powerful read

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.5 stars
🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 3.5
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration: 5

A story of how people change and can heal when they find their person!

A genuine story of growth. I’m so glad Susan decided to write Clark’s story. A case of a closeted bully (mentally and emotionally abused by his father) is well known but Susan wrote this story with so much heart and care. I felt for Clark and found myself relating to him and his desperate desire for redemption and penance.

This story was a great look at the “story” behind a bully and while I hate bullying of any kind, this story shows that we never really know someone else’s struggles. Clark is using various forms of self-flagellation in an attempt at redemption. He is using this as a way to face the pain he caused others, by inflicting pain on himself, and his dark path is brought into light when he almost dies when a hookup goes wrong. Clark’s journey to healing is thanks to many things but his connection with Rick is just beautiful. I loved the care and growing love between Rick and Clark, and the Daddy aspects fit perfectly with both these characters. I loved their connection and how Rick was able to guide and help Clark heal. Along with families (new and old), love and help from Sean, Clark was able to move forward and challenge his negative self-talk to grow and heal.

While this is a fictional story it has many bases in truth and could be confronting to some, but I found it hopeful and healing. The semi-colon tattoo mentioned in this story is very real and I myself have a semi-colon tattoo.

I thought I’d share one of my stories… I’ve wanted this tattoo for a while and I chose this as a reminder to be present. Moments pass too quickly and if you’re not careful they can pass by. I have learned to focus on the present and try not to worry about what the future will bring and focus on the here and now and cherish the time I have here. As you may know, I suffer from mental health issues and continue to strive to change the stigma around mental illnesses. I follow @projsemicolon (on Instagram) and what it represents and know that my story isn’t over yet. The semicolon represents my continued story and is for myself, my family, and all those survivors and sufferers of mental illnesses out there. You are stronger than you think you are. Take it moment by moment, be here now, and fight for yourself as best you can. Stay strong, your story is not over ;

Good addition to the series

Not my favourite in the series but still an entertaining listening. Daddy/Boy relationships aren't really my preferred choice of kink but I was eager for Rick to find his happy ever after since the last book. That he found it with Clark was as much a surprise to me as it was to Rick. Parts of this book were quite hard to listen to with the way Clark thought he required penance for his sins and it as much about healing and Clark finding a way through his self destructive guilt as the relationship.
The kink is quite relaxed for its type, with a focus on comfort, which probably made it more accessible to me than other books of its type.
Tropes: Age gap. Hurt/comfort. Daddy Dom.

Really great

This was an excellent audiobook.
I always enjoy Susan’s writing, and it is brought to life so wonderfully by Michael.
I can’t wait to listen to more of this series.

sweet and healing daddy book

I was just complaining to a friend who I like daddy books but it annoys me when the Daddy gets too patronizing. Susan manages to nail it here. Their dynamic is the right balance of sweet and naughty and I love seeing them progress, grow, and heal together. My only trouble with this the books of this series is that the comedy tend to be a little "slapstick" style, cheap humor which really works for some people so its not necessarily a negative, it just Doesn't work as well for me.

Michael pulls out all the voices with this series and while sometimes I think he may go a little too over the top with a few of them I do think it mostly fits the characters and feel of the book

Clark finally gets his story, so worth waiting for

I've been waiting for this story since book one in the series and it's absolutely been worth the wait. I never could have imagined the depth of feeling that Clark is experiencing still from his teenage years and it takes Rick to take the time and show Clark how to heal.
There's a beautiful tale of forgiving yourself and allowing happiness as well as experiencing a relationship that's perfect for two people regardless of what it entails. Susan has given us a wonderful Daddy story filled with acceptance, punishment, friendship and love. The two men work really well together and it's great getting to hear from characters from the previous books in this series.
Michael Pauley gives a perfect voice to Clark, the perfect amount of snark and vulnerability, and Rick is perfect in his domineering Daddy voice but so caring as well. Emotion is really felt throughout the whole book, especially in the first few chapters where an event occurs, bringing the two men together. Michael is amazing at bringing characters to life and heart to the story he's narrating.
A definite recommendation and there are so many more characters I would love to hear stories for!

Awesome narration!

Overall: 4.5 Stars!

We met Clark in some of the previous books in the series and if you've read those, you know he's gone through a lot of things, from being a bully to being bullied himself and in this book we see him dealing with a lot of things, work, his father, his guilt. I loved how much growth Clark showed during the book and how much work he put in his therapy. Clark needed direction and someone to rely on and he found it on Rick, who was looking for a boy he could be a Daddy for.

I liked Rick, for the most part, but yeah, there were a few times where I found his actions frustrating. Still, I think he allowed Clark the room he needed to grow without smothering him, so that was good, and while the Daddy kink was a big part of their relationship, there was another part in which they were equals. Of course, it didn't hurt that Rick and Clark had chemistry or that they seemed to bring out a lot of good things in one another and were willing to work on their bad habits.

Michael Pauley did a good job with the narration. I think he has gotten better with each narration of his I've listened to. He has a pleasant tone and has a great way of showing emotion through his voice, so it's always entertaining to listen to him.

Even if it wasn't my favorite in the series, I still found it entertaining and hot and engaging. I was thoroughly invested in Clark finding himself and his HEA with Rick. Recommendable!

A beautiful and moving story, Pauley is Wonderful

Narrated by Michael Pauley, <i>How to Heal</i> is the fifth book in Susan Hawke’s Lovestrong series. Don’t be put off by that “#5” though, this is only the second book in the series I’ve listened to and Ms. Hawke makes it easy to stay in the loop. It is a progressive series, and folks from different books pop in and out, but I had no problem following along. (It does make me want to go back and get the dirty details on what I’ve missed though!)

Michael Pauley is an excellent choice for this series. His smooth, sensual voice never fails to do his job, and the emotion he adds to the intimate scenes is stunning.

We meet Rick in <i>How Not to Break</i> and this sweet man captured a piece of my heart. Holding out hope that one day he’ll find a special boy of his own, I knew Clark was going to end up being perfect for him. Also, the fact that Clark is only 21 (yay, age-gap!), and tall and built, just adds to the appeal of the daddy kink for me.

Just a word about the way Ms. Hawke handles the daddy kink. This is not an age-play story and the daddy/boy dynamic is very relaxed for these two men. It’s done in a healing way, giving both characters what they need as it strengthens their bond.

<i>How to Heal</i> is a beautifully told story of Clark’s progress as he works through the guilt of his past transgressions. It’s a tough road, as Clark is a victim himself. Thankfully he has a great support system in the community which gives him the help he needs as he works his way through the process.

This is a well written and intricate tale. As information is revealed and loose ends sewn up, Susan Hawke weaves in some fascinating details. Sadly the 7 1/2 hours flew by too fast and just leaves me wanting <i>more</i>!

<i>an audiobook copy of How to Heal was provided to me for the purpose of my review</i>

Bad Boy needs Daddy Dom?

I love this Lovestrong Contemporary romance series by Susan Hawke, and Michael Pauley does another excellent job of bringing the characters to life.
When we first meet Clark Danvers in the first book of the series (or the second if I count the prequel story How Not To Wait), he's a scared, angry boy of fifteen who has suffered under his father's tyranny for far too long, but in this book, he's a young man of just 21 and figuring what he wants in his life besides running the family business. His penchant for punishment and bondage bring him more trouble than he bargained for, so it was good to see Clark learn to accept help from his foe, Officer Rick who keeps nailing him for speeding tickets and other vehicular infractions.
It was awesome to see Rick Matthews finally find himself a boy since Shaw was never meant to be his. There is plenty of redemption and trust building for Clark with Rick. Could Rick give him what he's needed all along? I highly recommend that you read/listen along and find out for yourself.

Just want to hug him.

When we first met Clark Danvers in book one of this fantastic series, I really didn’t like him, what we find in this fifth book, is a young man who while having grown-up, hates himself and can’t move on from the past. Rick Matthews is a cop who has had run ins with Clark before and sees him as a argumentative, aggressive young man, but sees something wounded in him, when he saves his life. Realising that Clark needs him, definitely as a friend if not as more. Clark awakens all of Rick’s protective instincts and Rick can see him as his boy.
This book has a distressing scene within it but it is one scene and set the book up please be aware of the warnings.

As with all of Susan Hawks books the characters are well thought out and written well with personalities that carry on from previous books, having Michael do the voices right the way through is always swoon-worthy. I love this series to listen to or to read.

Great listen

I loved the kindle version of How to Heal and I knew I needed to listen to it too. Clark and Rick’s story is just as good in Audible as it is in writing. I felt so much for poor Clark and how he felt he had to atone for his past. I’m glad he found Daddy Rick to help him move forward. The narration was good, but not excellent (I’ve enjoyed the narrator before, so I don’t know why this book it wasn’t quite as fantastic). Overall I’ll listen to more in the series for sure.