Soul to Keep

Rented Heart, Book 2

By: Garrett Leigh

Narrated by: Dan Calley

Stand-alone second book in the LAMBDA nominated Rented Heart series.

Recovering addict Jamie Yorke has returned to England from California. With no home or family to speak of, he sticks a pin in a map and finds a small town in the Derbyshire Peak District. Matlock Bath is a quiet place - he just needs to get there, keep his head down, and stay clean. Simple, right? Until a chance meeting on the flight home alters the course of his so-called life forever.

Ex-Army medic Marc Ramsey is recovering from life-changing combat injuries while pulling nights as a trauma specialist at the local hospital. Keeping busy is a habit he can’t quit, but when Jamie - so wild and beautiful - bursts into his life, working himself into the ground isn’t as compelling as it used to be.

Marc falls hard, but chaos lurks behind Jamie’s fragile facade. He’s winning his battle against addiction, but another old foe is slowly consuming him. Both men have weathered many storms, but the path to the peace they deserve might prove the roughest ride yet.

©2016 Garrett Leigh (P)2020 Garrett Leigh

A great follow up to Rented Heart!

Both of these tightly constructed stories work so well. I was surprised that I ended up enjoying Soul to Keep just a bit more than Rented Heart. Leigh successfully avoids letting the prosthetic leg become a gimmick. It isn't ignored, and it isn't there for sympathetic gestures. It is part of Marc's reality, and as he and Jamie become closer there are moments where Jamie's desire to know more about Marc, and his body that are beautifully crafted. Thinking back to a book like Tender Mercies by Eli Easton, Samuel's club foot kind of disappears, and certainly there isn't a moment where Eddie breaks through that barrier to acknowledge that very significant part of Samuel's body. I always felt it was a miss. Here we don't have that issue.

Dan Calley's narration again brings this story to life, his very brief American accent was fun.

There is so much that works in this book, and it mercifully don'ts have Rented Heart's same trope. The story flows so well, Marc doesn't feel removed from Jamie in the way that Zac did from Liam. Highly recommend!

Touching Story

Two broken men who find healing together – that’s what this story felt like for me. Jamie is a recovering addict, getting out of California and returning to England. Marc is recovering as well, from injuries he got in the war and now dealing with the aftermath. The two meet on a plane and have a brief connection but their real journey begins when they learn they live in the same area. Marc and Jamie both have deep scars but together things seem a bit more manageable. I really enjoyed Dan Calley's narration of the book, I think he brings a uniqueness to the stories he narrates. He has a great way of capturing emotion and bringing characters to life. I thought I felt a lot reading this book, but a lot was added to this story by Dan Calley. 


I loved both of these guys right from the start. They are both damaged souls in need of love and care, not that they initially expect to find it together, but there it is. As their friendship grows, so do their feelings for each other. That doesn’t make the issues go away though. Their journey isn’t overly dramatic though, there are things they need to work through, but the idea is learning how to do it together. It’s a tender healing, falling in love and finding that magic when they are together. I think Garrett Leigh does a great job of bringing emotion and passion and a good story. Right from the start I just wanted these two to find happiness together, they so deserved it! Overall a very enjoyable read!

Outstanding story & author

Her books are always so rich and touching. Stories and characters of depth and meaning. Always beautifully woven stories with this author. Loved having Jamie's story. He and Marc were perfect for each other. A quiet, engrossing story of love and life.

Everything!

if you like a story that grips you from the first page, makes you fall head over heels for every single character, takes you on a gritty emotional ride that you can't put aside, is raw sexy and real, then plunk down your credit right now. I am new to this author...I've only listened to one Book by this author...book one of this series Soul to Keep, and I'm blown away by this author! I am so happy that there are so.many yet to read! I also.loved Dan Callender's performance. A perfect match for these characters! He is awesome, I love his sexy voice!

As lovely and affecting as the first book

Great narration, great story, great characters, great heat, great writing. What can one ask for in an angsty MM romance with an HEA? Like in the first book, the characters fall for each other very quickly. Could have been a longer slow burn, but I'm nit-picking :)