Bless Your Heart

A Best Friend’s Older Brother, Enemies to Lovers Small Town Romance (Valentine Texas, Book 1)

By: Lyra Parish

Narrated by: Vanessa Edwin, Aaron Shedlock

Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

I have three simple wishes:

1. Keep my houseplants alive.
2. Open a charming bed-and-breakfast in my small town.
3. Never see or speak to Beckett Valentine again.

None of those things are currently possible.

When Beckett decides he’s also interested in purchasing the Horseshoe Creek Ranch, my dreams of owning a bed-and-breakfast become a nightmare. He refuses to give me what I want while playing dirty—a common theme in our rivalry. Because of him, we’re in a ridiculous bidding war for the land.

We might have hated each other since our teens, but the stakes have never been so high. And right now, I’m more determined than ever to take down my best friend’s older brother—cowboy boots and all.

Bless Your Heart is a small-town enemies-to-lovers grumpy/sunshine best-friend’s-older-brother contemporary Southern romance with rom-com vibes and a guaranteed happily ever after. Each book in the Valentine Texas series is a stand-alone. Warning: This book contains tons of Southern sass, sarcasm, and lots of spice! Fade to black is not included.

©2023 Lyra Parish (P)2023 Lyra Parish

Cute love hate Romance

The book was very entertaining and had cute characters. The banter back-and-forth between the two main characters made me laugh.

Great series starter!

Summer and Beckett are rivals. They both want to buy the neighboring ranch to realize their dreams. The ranch can only be bought through bid, which rankles both Summer and Beckett. Summer wants to open a bed and breakfast; Beckett wants to expand his horse training facility. Beckett throws down a challenge which Summer reluctantly engages in. Little does she know that Beckett wouldn't back down that easily. Throughout the book the banter between the two changes from all out rivalry to friendly to even more. It got harder and harder for them to resist the attraction between them. The author certainly created two main characters that were opposites in every way, who could banter with each other, and challenge each other, ultimately ending up together. Their HEA makes it a win-win situation for them. The author brought us a small town, cowboy, enemies to lovers, best friend's brother romance that will easily have me falling in love with Valentine, Texas. I can't wait for more!

Vanessa Edwin and Aaron Shedlock brought this book to life! The characters’ personalities shown through with the narrators’ gift of storytelling.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

Beckett and Summer

𝙎𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙥.

Bʟᴇss Yᴏᴜʀ Hᴇᴀʀᴛ (Valentine Texas 1) | Lyra Parish
3.5 Maple Leafs | 3 Flames

Beckett and Summer have had a grudge since they were in high school and when the ranch between their properties goes up for sale and they both go after it, things are bound to get heated between them.

I read the first two books out of order and it didn't matter that I did this as I don't feel like I missed anything. Although Beckett and Summer had some great banter, I felt that a fair amount of their interactions felt forced and struggled to feel the chemistry between them even though everyone around them was constantly telling both of them that they were going to end up together.

I am going to keep going with this series as this family is just too entertaining to walk away from.

Audio → Aaron Shedlock and Vanessa Edwin did a good job of portraying the characters and the story.

Get ready for…

Small Town | Enemies | Best Friend's Brother | Big Family Saga | First-Person Dual

Funny, sexy with Southern charm and sass!

I always say that narration can enhance or bring down an already great book. Lyra chose wisely! Vanessa Edwin and Aaron Shedlock truly did the story justice. I already loved the ebook but hearing the Southern drawl of those dirty talking cowboys , AWESOME! Steamy, funny southern charm at it's best.

Bless Your Heart... Insult or loving?

Bless Your Heart, I really enjoyed this book. I'm used to Ms Lyra Duel writing with Kennedy Fox. So I felt like I knew what I was getting into. Spicy with some heart break, while there was a tiny bit there for a minute. I can always count on a happy ending,

Summer was a strong minded, strong willed, she's going to find a way to make it work, going for her dreams of opening a B&B. Here comes her best friends brother wanting to open a training ranch, both going for the same ranch, with different dreams.

Beckett plays dirty when they both bid on the Ranch.

Knisley, she is a friend I was I had, always has Summer back.

I really enjoyed this book, can't wait to continue the book series. <3

Hot, Hot, Hot!!

Lyra Parish sure knows how to write a romance and give us all the spice. I read this in physical form and have now listened to it. You truly can't go wrong with either format. the narration is great. If you enjoy small town romances, country boys, & lots of spice, then this is the book for you!! it's so freaking good!!

Enemies to Lovers Romance

This is a best friends brother, fighting romance.
Standalone with No Cliffhangers.
Summer has dreamed of owning a bed and breakfast her whole life.
Now is her chance, if she can buy the ranch next to her parents.
Too bad Beckett wants the land to train horses.
Let the fighting begin.
This is my first book by Lyra Parish, it was great and will not be my last.
It draws you in and keeps you listening to the end.
Lots of laughs, family, love, and heat.

Funny and entertaining

Beckett and Summer have known each other for a while. They are also neighbors, but have been denying their attraction. When they both become interested in the same property a bidding war starts between them since neither wants to relent. But love has a funny way to win always. I voluntarily reviewed an ALC of this book.

Great Narrators and Great Story

I love the accents of the narrators. They seem like they fit the characters very well.

As far as the actual book goes, I loved that as well. It's always nice when you have a vest friend's sibling book where the best friend is super supportive of the relationship, versus that being a conflict. I liked that we got the history of Beckett and Summer slowly. The first date that Beckett planned for Summer was very sweet (and spicy!), and the way he went about getting her to go on the date was very cute.

It's a great performance and great story!

Give me all the southern talkin'!!!!

I do believe Ms. Parish picked the perfect narrators for Summer and Beckett. I always love listening to Vanessa Edwin and Aaron Shedlock is fairly new to me but I thoroughly enjoyed him too. Both of these narrators gave such life to this book. The southern way of talking was strong with them and that doesn't always happen with audios that take place in the south. The emotions and feelings are portrayed exquisitely and that is always important to me. I honestly wish this audio would have been a bit longer because I couldn't get enough of the southern talkin'!!!

Oh my goodness....Beckett Valentine and Summer Jones were so infuriating with their back and forth banter and I mean that in the best way because that is my FAVORITE. I am a sucker for southern, cowboy and small town books so naturally I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. I have never never gone wrong with enemies to lovers and best friend's brother mixed together.

These two know each other so well even though they don't want to and that adds so much fuel to their hatred. Everyone around them can see the attraction...everyone but them. They were not always enemies....there was a time when Summer and Beckett got along but all of that changed when Summer was 14 years old. The tension between these two has built over the years and at this point is like all the big city July 4th fireworks are clumped together just waiting for that little spark to ignite them and what a fireworks show it ends up being. They are insatiable. Beckett is honestly a really good guy who was just keeping his heart guarded all these years and the same can be said for Summer. The thing is....they are so much better as people together than apart.

Lyra Parish is off to an exquisite start with this new series and I am ready for more. She did a great job of introducing all these side characters that I hope will all get their own books.