Stubborn Heart

The Westwoods, Book 1

By: A.K. Evans

Narrated by: Aaron Shedlock, Kit Swann

Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

The Westwood Company is expanding. Leading the charge is Wyatt Westwood, and he’s as determined as ever to see it through. His dedication, work ethic, and commitment to his career have propelled him through the ranks of the company, where he now sits just one notch shy of CEO.

Unfortunately, one small problem has brought the expansion to a grinding halt, and it’s up to Wyatt to fix it.

Rhea Marks is a woman some might call a spitfire. She wasn’t always that way, but life taught her to be hardworking and determined, and to never let anyone take advantage of her.

That’s why she’s prepared to fight to death to save her family’s farm, even if it means going up against Wyatt.

Wyatt and his family might have money, but money isn’t everything. Rhea’s got a lifetime of memories to preserve, and she’ll do whatever it takes to hold onto them.

It’s a battle of wills between the pair, and Wyatt is as frustrated as he is captivated by Rhea’s heart. The more he’s around her, the more Wyatt starts to think that perhaps the legacy he’s fighting so hard for can be hers as well.

©2023 A.K. Evans (P)2024 A.K. Evans

OMG, AK Evans does not disappoint!

OMG, AK Evans does not disappoint!

Narrated by Kit Swann and Aaron Shedlock, two of my all time favorite narrators! Aaron Shedlock has that voice that just comes across seductively regardless of what he is reading and Kit Swann fits Rhea to a Tee!!!!

Tropes:
• He falls first
• Slow burn
• Enemies to lovers
• Small town
Stubborn Heart is the first book in the Westwoods Series by AK Evans!

Wyatt and Rhea find themselves battling for something he wants and she wants to keep. Wyatt, in line to take over the family business but wants to purchase some additional land to expand the theme park which is owned by the neighbors, Rhea’s family and she just wants to keep the land in her family. Wyatt, not thinking that this would be an issue finds out just how wrong he is when the letter they send comes back with one word written as a response. Now, he has to find a way to convince her to sell.

Rhea couldn’t believe when Wyatt showed up that he didn’t take her answer and drop the pursuit of the land. She is bound and determined to keep the land in her family.

AS they spend time together can Wyatt convince Rhea that he is more interested in her heart than the land at this point?

A. K. Evans doesn’t have any books that I have not read/listened to! She is an incredible author and I am always excited waiting for new releases anticipating what she will do next!

Wyatt & Rhea!

"That's going to be the last first kiss I ever have."

"The more he's around her, the more he believes the legacy he's fighting so hard for can be hers as well."

"You've got to be the most stubborn woman I've ever met. And for some reason I can't understand. I like that a whole lot."

Wyatt Westwood is a swoon-worthy man! He has all the right words and moves for our girl Rhea. I'm in love with this series already and can't wait for the next.

Tropes:
Enemies-to-Lovers
He falls first
Slow Burn
Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine

Good start to the series

This audiobook introduces the readers to the new series and the Westwood siblings.
In this first one, Wyatt Westwood, oldest sibling and soon to be CEO of the family business, gets his story.
Now that the Westwood company is expanding, they are needing the land to take the next step. Simple solution, purchase some land from the neighboring farm. But this was anything but simple , since the Marks are not interested in selling any of their farm land .
Determined to get what he wants, Wyatt approaches Rhea Marks, whom he thought would be much older than the 26 year old beauty.
As they quietly battle for what they each want, the attraction between them increases as does the pull and loyalty they feel to their families.
In the end, which will win? Or is there a simpler solution to the problem?
Though predictable, it was a sweet story about twenty-somethings finding their place in life and their families. Of the two, Wyatt was this readers favorite character.
The narrators, Aaron Shedlock and Kit Swann did a good job with the delivery.
I was entrusted a copy of this audiobook. The opinions expressed are solely my ow.

The BEST Enemies to Lovers story

Rhea Marks, you are one stubborn woman determined to fit every man into that one box. Wyatt, you are the most patient man in the history of men.

Rhea has fought hard to keep her family's legacy going strong and isn't interested in another battle. Wyatt is trying to help his family's business and just needs a little help from Rhea, but that isn't going to be nearly as easy as he had hoped. Being THE most patient man ever, he respects Rhea's answer, but isn't going away so easily. He truly wants to get to know Rhea, but Rhea is so sure he's just another wealthy man use to getting his way and is only looking to get his way with her family.

Rhea's family is absolutely precious and seeing her fight so hard for them really was heartwarming, even if at times it was frustrating to see how hard she was being on Wyatt. Getting to see Wyatt's parents years later was such a neat thing. I LOVED the prequel and was so excited for Stubborn Heart to release. It did NOT disappoint. This series is different from so many of Evan's other series, but I have loved it for that very reason. I just love getting to see her talent and stories in all their different forms. Without spoiling the book, I want to say the way she wrapped this story up in the end was the BEST! Seeing everyone come together to have such a happy ending was great.

I listened to this on Audible and the narrators couldn't have been any better. The emotional rollercoaster was apparent in every word they spoke, and it truly brought the story to life.

A new beginning…

I’ve read this book and also listened to it on audio. I love reading a book and then listening to it. I’ve read a lot of books by Ak Evans and this series is definitely sweet, romantic and a slow burn. It’s different from her other books but I really enjoyed a different storyline. All of her books are great. The audiobook was amazing too. I’d recommend both.

Opposites Attract

This is truly an enemies to lovers storyline. The chemistry is undeniable within the first few chapters. Rhea tries so hard to deny her feelings for Wyatt but I was so excited when they both decided to act on the obvious feelings they had. Cannot wait for the next book in this series and I hope to get more bits and pieces of what the future has in store for Rhea and Wyatt!

Bring on the Westwoods!

Oh my goodness!!! Wyatt and Rhea are amazing together in A.K. Evans’s “Stubborn Heart” (The Westwoods Book 1). Brought to life by Aaron Shedlock (LOVE him!!!) and Kit Swann, this story is sweet, steamy, and an excellent way to kick off the new generation of Westwoods. Rhea is smart and stubborn, but she meets her match in Wyatt, a rich, driven, yet adorably sweet, businessman with a heart of gold. Shedlock and Swann bring out all the emotion in the characters which really added to the storytelling experience for me! Really looking forward to the next installment!

Wow! So Intense!

Stubborn Heart is intensely good! Wyatt Westwood is an endearing, kind, caring, generous, and incredibly PATIENT male main character. He has faults, but he owns up to them, and he is much like his father, Malcolm (the MMC from the prequel, Naughty Heart, which is also a fantastic book). I loved getting to know him as the novel progresses, and I connected with him deeply. Rhea Marks, the female main character, is a stubborn, single-minded, bitter female who makes gross generalizations about the entire male population based on her bad experience with her ex. She is walking through life with a closed heart and narrow mind, unable to process and move forward, and she projects her anger, her blind narratives, and her mass-generalizations on the people around her without ever considering who they truly are as individuals. She makes a lot of unintentionally hypocritical decisions and it’s really amazing to see how she can be so open with her girl friends but so closed off to everyone else, including her own family that she claims to be so close to and care about so deeply. Wyatt and Rhea’s first meeting is intense, and every interaction they have afterwards is fascinating. Wyatt demonstrates the patience of a saint in his dealings with her, and bless his heart for that because I can’t think of a single person I know who would continue to subject themselves to Rhea’s constant judgement, negativity, and bitterness. The author does a brilliant job of building each of their worlds, of bringing those worlds together with carefully planned plot points, and showing what it’s like when they collide over a land issue/non-issue. It’s interesting to note how they do and don’t discuss the root causes of the conflict, and I loved meeting Rhea’s family and getting to know them. This is a complex and fascinating tale that the narrators did an amazing job of bringing to life—I can literally feel Rhea’s animosity and strife and Wyatt’s gentle kindness in every spoken word. So good!

Wyatt and Rhea

I loved Wyatt and Rhea's story. They meet when he wants to buy her property and he feels an attraction to her. As he tries to delicately navigate his change in objective, buying land, to exploring the attraction, Rhea's trust issues make things a bit difficult. I loved how it played out in the best of ways. The narrators were awesome with the voice inflections that portray the emotions in the characters well.

I was glad to get a glimpse of the next generation

I was glad to get a glimpse of the next generation of the Westwoods finally. They are an intriguing family, not tainted by their wealth. Wyatt is book boyfriend material: understanding and sensitive to Rhea's hang ups, determined without being overbearing, and somehow very patient with her drama and overreacting tendencies...making him clearly her perfect match. Having grown up on a farm and understanding the need to hold on to family farm land, I can understand Rhea's family's stance wholeheartedly, but that didn't stop me from feeling frustrated and bad for Wyatt as she kept wanting to jump to conclusions and paint him in a rich spoiled kid light when insecurities reared their heads...sigh...but her past plays a part in those reactions and luckily eventually love wins out! Narration brought the story to life and I love Aaron Shedlock's voice, he has quickly made it to my top male narrators list.