Review: "Heart Strings" by Melanie Moreland

Heart Strings by Melanie Moreland
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to like Melanie Moreland's "Heart Strings" more than I actually did. Unfortunately, I found both of the main characters, Logan and Lottie, to be annoying and unlikable, I hated the insta-lust/love nature of their relationship, and most of the angst just seemed unnecessary IMO. I had to force myself to keep reading at times. I can't say that this is a completely terrible book because the writing itself was mostly good, and the story will certainly appeal to some readers. However, it was a bad match for me.

Logan annoyed me because he was so alpha and possessive of Lottie as soon as they started dating; he even started calling her his girlfriend less than 24 hours after they spoke for the first time! Later in the book, Logan didn't bother to ask Lottie what she wanted, just informed her that they would be moving in together and getting engaged. Like the idiot pushover she was, Lottie went along with it and even let him throw her a "surprise" wedding in which she wasn't allowed to choose anything but her dress. I can see how some readers might consider that romantic - Logan supposedly didn't want Lottie to stress over the wedding details - but personally, I would hate it, and it just seemed like another example of Logan's controlling behavior to me. In addition to all of that, it was really creepy how Logan followed Lottie around and spied on her without her knowledge, both before and after they started dating.

As for Lottie, she would have been better off finding a good therapist to help her cope with her grief and learn to stand up for herself instead of letting Logan basically take over her life for her. I was genuinely sad about her brother's death and the devastation it brought on her family, but no one forced Lottie to go to business school or take a job in her father's company. She was unhappy mostly because of her own choices, and she could have made different ones at any time. However, rather than growing a backbone, Lottie just went from trying to please her parents to trying to please Logan. The fact that she ended up getting some of the things she wanted along the way was almost an accident.

Overall, I've previously read and enjoyed other books by this author, but sadly this one just wasn't for me. While I can't personally recommend "Heart Strings," I do think it will appeal to fans of alpha heroes and/or the insta-love trope.

*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

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