Review by Lioba -- Heartaches 2 by H.M. Irwing

[Lioba]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Heartaches 2" by H.M. Irwing.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Anna Simmons and Rafael Brown are two rape survivors who have found love in each other. Their pasts, however, will not let them be. They try to find justice and fight back against the abusers. The abusers seem to have the upper hand at most times. Anna and Rafe have a group of friends who understand and support their struggle.

The book starts off with Rafe having a nightmare about his rape. The description of the turmoil going on in Rafe’s mind is very vivid. It’s clear the writer has and understanding of the effects of abuse on the human psyche. The abuse might be over but the nightmares continue for years. Rafael, Rafe, and Anna have found love that gives them strength to carry on and try and mend. I have not read the first book, which I assume gives more detail of Rafe’s and Anna’s ordeals. In the second book, however, one gets glimpses of just how deep the scars are from those ordeals.

This story is centered around a military college. I have no experience with military colleges, but the fights that seem to be the order of the day, are quite strange. It seems there is no control as to what goes on at the college. These fights also detract from the story as they seem to take up a lot of time.

Enter the third character, Pat Cash. He is Anna’s closest and only friend. Pat is gay and has not come out to his parents. How Anna finally gets him to tell his parents does not seem realistic. Why do they have to fight? I’m sure there are other means Anna could have used to convince Pat to tell his parents. Pat and Rafe have a strange relationship. At times it seems Rafe does not trust Pat and he is jealous of the closeness with Anna. Other times Rafe is the one who ensures that Pat is always around Anna to protect her. He also asks Pat to get the ring when he intends to propose to Anna. This leaves me confused as to Rafe’s exact feelings where Pat is concerned.

Notwithstanding the above, this book is hard to put down. The twists and turns in the story make it an intriguing read. It is very different from the usual romance books as the lives of Rafe and Anna are not perfect. They are two damaged individuals who have found a love that is keeping them strong. These characters make you love and sympathize with them and their struggles. You find yourself holding your breath when they are at the wedding and their abusers are all around them. However, their love does not seem healthy at all as they are too dependent on each other. This is one of the factors I did not like about this book.

There is an element of erotica in the book and therefore I would not recommend it to anyone who is not a fan of that genre. The sex scenes are explicit although the writer keeps them from becoming crude.

There’s a surprise twist when Matt and Anne meet at the wedding. It seems that Matt had genuinely loved Anne but had been too weak to protect her from his father and brother. His speech leaves the reader wondering whether he is also a victim of his family’s evil ways. I almost felt sympathy for him. However, his weakness is not an excuse for his part in the rape.

I would give Heartaches 2 a 4 out of 4 stars rating, for the sheer amount of research that must have been done and the ability of the book to draw feelings for the characters out of the readers. I will definitely read the next book. I would recommend this book to readers who want a bit more out of their romance novels.

******
Heartaches 2
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like Lioba's review? Post a comment saying so!