Sacred Hart

By: A.M. Johnson

Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Vanessa Edwin

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's Summary

Sleep, it was luxury I didn't have. I could hear it then, in the dark light of night, in the dusky morning; the click of the trigger, the smell of her blood, the sound of the rain. I never thought I would see her again. She was a ghost. She was dead. When Maggie Wright pushed her way into my life, she brought the phantom with her, and I was helpless to her pull. Everything I had, all of it, had been taken from me 10 years ago. I had nothing but the shirt on my back, the memories that still burned through my veins, and the regret I drowned in every day. I am Ryan Hartford...and I have nothing left to lose.

©2016 Amanda Johnson (P)2017 Amanda Johnson

An Shiver-Inducing Ugly Cry Listen!!

Oh my POOR ACHING HEART!!! I think I need a 12 step recovery group after surviving this epically beautiful yet utterly soul-shattering UGLY CRY book! I am still picking myself up off the floor, a sobbing, sniffling mess, trying to process all the feels!

Although SACRED HART was released in 2016, and it had been admittedly been in my kindle library forever, I finally dove in when it was released on audio, narrated to pure perfection by the sublime Teddy Hamilton and Vanessa Edwin. This is my second audio listen by Teddy Hamilton. And while I adored him as Jamie in HIM by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy, his narration in this book was truly a tour de force performance. His deep, husky voice was a perfect fit for the role of gentle alpha male Ryan Hartford and he emoted with such passion and aching intensity I got chills!! And Ms Edwin's narration was absolutely magnificent as well! Her soft, sweet voice and emotional inflections truly brought Maggie Wright to life for me!!

I truly don't recall the last romance I read that evoked so many POWERFUL VISCERAL EMOTIONS in me! From the GUTWRENCHING prologue to the TEARJERKER epilogue, shivers wracked my body, my chest ached with sorrow and I bled tears!! Yet I also smiled and swooned and got giddy goosebumps in equal measure!!! A.M. Johnson, a new to me author, writes with such depth and sensitivity and profound insight it was mind-blowing! Truth be told, I typically shy away from these kinds of uber heavy angst-ridden stories but this novel was so lovingly crafted, with such exquisite care and tenderness, I put my heart in this author’s gently loving hands and am so incredibly gratified to have been taken along on this BLESSED journey.

But fair warning: Stock up on tissues. You are GONNA. NEED. THEM!

Sweet heavens!! This gorgeously paced, slow burning romance contains so many wondrous layers and glorious nuances, and there are no adequate words that could ever express how this book consumed EVERY SINGLE PART OF ME! The emotions were so raw and organic and heartbreakingly real it brought me to my knees and there were some scenes that were so excruciating I could barely breathe! But at the same time, I found this book sweepingly romantic and HOPEFUL and beautifully restorative!

I loved these characters so deeply that I felt as if they were part of me! But the road to happiness was tumultuous indeed! Ryan, a brooding loner with a cloak of sadness surrounding him, carried such a heavy weight of anger, regret and never-ending grief on his big, broad shoulders that at times his pain felt impossible to bear. But Maggie would not give up, or give in, and gradually whittled away at his protective outer shell and burrowed her way inside. She accepted him for who he was, and never tried to fix him or COMPLETE him…rather, she clung to the unwavering belief that someday he would find a tiny space for her and little Beth within the jagged pieces of his heart. And her efforts paid off! Big time!

I truly savored EACH and EVERY profoundly touching moment from start to finish. I wept with these characters during their times of sorrow, rejoiced in their sweet triumphs and just lived and breathed each instant with them!

Final Thoughts: At its core, SACRED HART is a masterpiece about love and loss and finding hope within the suffocating darkness that that will be embedded in my memory forever! So if you are looking for a beautifully cathartic audio that will rip your heart to shreds and then ever so majestically put it back together again ...then this E.P.I.C. love story is gonna rock your world!

Heartbreakingly Beautiful!

What did you love best about Sacred Hart?

I loved how relatable the characters and situations were! It's emotional and messy, but so hopeful and beautiful at the same time. Truly an amazing book!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sacred Hart?

When Ryan awakens after getting a glimpse of his future courtesy of Belle. It was such an emotionally gripping moment in the book and that sequence really grabbed my heart. It was the perfect combination of the past and present coming together and moving towards the future.

What about Teddy Hamilton and Vanessa Edwin ’s performance did you like?

Both narrators gave amazing performances, but Teddy Hamilton really stole the show as Ryan. He was able to really make me feel all the anger, pain, hope, and happiness warring inside of Ryan as he allowed himself to love and live again.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes! There were big, fat, ugly tears, but there were also lighthearted and happy moments too! The prologue alone nearly killed me! This book will definitely give you all the feels!

Any additional comments?

I loved this book, but keep in mind that it is not a light and fluffy read. It's definitely not all doom and gloom, in fact it's quite hopeful, but there will be times when you will probably need a tissue or two.

Great Story, Amazing Narration! 5 STARS!

This book broke my heart before Chapter 1 but thankfully it also mended my heart in the end. It had some hard situations and some serious heart break but I loved seeing how the characters healed and found a way to move forward.

Ryan is an amazing guy who is trying to deal with something no one should EVER have to deal with. He reacted badly but instinctively and is trying to find his way through that.
Maggie is a strong women and a great mom! I love how she trusts her gut about people and doesn't judge people by their past. These two had great chemistry and the way they helped each other made my heart smile.

The narration was incredible!!! I love all things Teddy Hamilton because he that guy next door voice and makes you feel all of the emotions! Vanessa Edwin blew my mind!!! I think this is my first time hearing her and she was great! Another female narrator with a incredible male voice, she will be on my watch list now. Perfect casting choice!!

Beautiful! Completely and totally beautiful love story.

This was my first novel by A. M. Johnson and I am completely blown away. I've read and listened to so many books that I'm rarely emotionally affected by one or if I am, it is superficial at most. Sacred Hart was the exquisitely rare exception and by the end of the novel I was emotionally ruined in the best way possible.

This book follows Ryan Hartford, a man who is experiencing the most painful kind of loss imaginable. Absolutely destroyed by the sudden tragedy, he makes bad choice which now causes him to completely disconnect from everything and everyone in his past as he tried to start a new life. Despite his losses and the self inflicted isolation he's still a good, kind person. When he encounters a little girl and her mother, things begin to change for him. Maggie, along with her daughter, begin to chip away after the wall Ryan has put up to keep everyone out and himself safe. She's sweet, supportive and never judges him for his past mistakes and completely accepts him for who he is. As their relationship and love grows and develops so does Ryan's ability to open up and begin to live again instead of merely exist.

Profoundly touching and absolutely beautiful, this book will etch itself into your literary soul. This book is tragic and heartbreaking, yes, but it is so much more than that. It is a gorgeous portrayal of hope, family, love and the way they can heal no matter how broken a person may be. With beautiful writing, flawed, yet relatable characters, and the ability to make the reader connect to every word and feel each emotion to their core, A. M. Johnson has instantly become one the top authors I want to read and follow.

Narration for this audiobook is absolutely incredible! Both narrators totally nail their respective performances. Teddy Hamilton was perfection as Ryan with his warm and rich voice and he made me feel all the emotions Ryan feels throughout the book. Vanessa Edwin was a new narrator for me and she was PHENOMENAL! I was blown away by her performance of Maggie and how much emotion she infused into it. Her male voice was also equally fantastic. Whoever casted them deserves a pat on the back for their amazing choice.

My Two Pennies

If hearing Ryan’s story doesn’t instantly start the water works I don’t know what will. This story is filled with heartache throughout but we’re also given love and laughter when Maggie and Beth push their way in. The descriptiveness is on point for each scene that each and every event that takes place feels as though you’ve lived through it yourself. There are so many lessons learned by multiple characters and it really makes you stop and think about life’s perspective. Beautifully written emotionally gutted and a must read.

tear jerker

while I am sappy at times this story tugs at your heart. tears at the end for sure. I will look for more from this author

Hidden Gem...

Loved this book, only found this title because it was narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Teddy Hamilton. But it did not disappoint, totally worth a credit.

Best book I have read in a while!

This book is sad and exciting. It is by far the best book I have listened to in a long time. The story is fantastic! The narrators are great. I cannot say enough about.

5 Sacred Hart Stars

This book is why I love romance novels!

From the heartbreak to the struggle and then the learning to open up and love again. There is nothing like it. The warm fuzzies you get when you’re happy for a character because you just wanted them to get everything.

Ryan was everything I just said. His story broke my heart but it also filled it to. He had to go through the ugly parts of love to get to the really wonderful parts.

Maggie and Beth didn’t know it until it happened that their lives would be changed in a meeting. I loved that it wasn’t instant it wasn’t omg love at first sight, it was exactly how it was supposed to happen. I can’t even with how much I feel right now.

The ending ... wow ... so very good.

The narration, fantastic you couldn’t ask for better narrators.

*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*

Absolutely amazing

Amazing and heartfelt! I laughed and cried. I experienced lot of emotions with this one. I related so much to this story. My Fad died at 49 and my only child, a sweet little girl, left my arms for heaven. A. M. Johnson expressed the pain that’s felt losing a child and a parent.