Title: Fool Hearts (Plum Valley Cowboys #1)
Author: Emmy Sanders
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Amazon/Self
Heat: 3 Flames
Rating: 4 Hearts
Synopsis Via GoodReads:
Best friends. Unrequited love. A story that spans decades.
Wyatt
At twelve, he was my best friend. At sixteen, he became my crush. And now, at thirty-four, he’s the man I’m still pining after.Falling in love with Easton was never part of the plan. But now that I’ve done it, I can’t seem to stop. It doesn’t help that we’re living under the same roof. Or that Easton is so dang sweet, I want to lick him from head to toe.
But Easton is straight, and all the cattle in Texas won’t change the fact that he’ll never look at me the way I see him. I want someone who can love me back. And I won’t be able to find that while I’m hung up on my best friend.
It’s time to find a way to say goodbye.
Easton
I always knew I was a little bit different than everybody else. When kids my age were hooking up, all I wanted to do was sit on the ranch with Wyatt and plot out our future. I didn’t need anyone else.When Wyatt leaves Plum Valley, he takes a piece of me with him. When he returns at the moment I need him most, he helps me to heal and feel whole again. We have a good life now, Wyatt and I, best friends still after all these years.
So when I happen to catch my friend down on his knees in the barn, I don’t understand why, all of a sudden, I’m thinking things I shouldn’t be. Now, I can’t stop wondering and wanting.
But would taking that chance with Wyatt risk the best thing in my life?
Review: Fool Hearts is book one of the Plum Valley Cowboys series. Its a small town with conservative values in the middle of nowhere, Texas.
This is a love story that spans decades over the course of our MCs lifetimes. Best friends. Unrequited love. This is a very slow burn type of love story as we do not see our MCs together for at least 60-75% of the book. I don’t remember exactly, but it’s a while. They do share the screen, quite often in fact, but they are not romantically involved. If you are the impatient reader type, you will likely not enjoy this one. However, those of you who are fans of pining, there is that in spades. You will be very pleased. If you can read, listen to the story the author is trying to tell, and let the words flow, you will enjoy it. It’s a heartwarming tale in the end.
I was also quite impressed with this being a debut novel. It’s both well written and edited. The characters are well drawn and we have a dual POV of Wyatt and Easton pretty evenly throughout the book. I’m not going to go heavily into the storyline since it does literally span decades. We’d be here forever if I outlined it out for you. I’m just going to give a highlight here and there, and my overall impression.
I would always choose him. Over and over again, no matter how it ends. In any world where there’s a Wyatt and an Easton, that Wyatt would find his Easton and fall in love. And maybe that’s just my story, to be that brokenhearted. Maybe I’m okay with that.
Wyatt. The heartache in this one is rough. You really feel for Wyatt. The pain of unrequited love is palpable when Wyatt is on screen. The angst. Admittedly, I shed a tear or two. If you’ve ever felt that kind of pain, I’m sure you’ll sympathize as well. You can’t help who you love. And Wyatt’s heart is determined to hold on with everything it has, despite his attempts to move on. My favorite Wyatt quote:
The way I love you,” he shakes his head slightly, “it’s just a part of me, of my very makeup. You’re in my atoms. My bones. My head and my heart.“
Easton. I wanted to dislike him. I really did. He was brutal to Wyatt, but it wasn’t on purpose. How he could be so oblivious, is beyond me, but he was. Bless him. But he was such a kind and genuine person, you couldn’t not like him. The friendship/bond between these two over the years was a beautiful thing to see. My favorite Easton quote is from the same part of the story.
“You said the way you love me is just a part of you. And I feel the same. Even before I understood it, my heart knew yours, and yours knew mine.“
Despite the author’s description/characterization of Wyatt, because of his accent and just him, I did not picture him as the author likely intended (i.e., the man on the cover.) Whenever he talked or certain things he said, my mind always went to this man:
Pretty ain’t he? lol. I think so anyway. If you’re unaware, this is Stephen Dorff. I’ve been crushing on this man since he played the evil, power-hungry vampire, Deacon, in Blade in the 1990s. He has played a few roles since then where his characterization was similar to that of Wyatt. Not a gay man, but the personalities/accents were similar. Easton I pictured more as the guy on the cover. But I digress.
Anyway. For a debut novel, this one was a pleasure to read. I am always a sucker for the best friends to lovers trope. I think I’ve said that a time or twenty. If you like best friends, unrequited love/pining, angst, you’ll likely enjoy this read as well. These two also have cameos in the next book, Virgin Hearts as well if you plan to continue with the series. It will be a good introduction and foundation for the rest of the books.
Purchase Links | Amazon
This title is free as part of the KU library.
