Southern Heart by Natasha Madison is live!

Some secrets have a way of coming back and haunting us, no matter how much we try to bury them.

 

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Blurb

Chelsea

Coming back home was supposed to be normal.

Not that my life had ever been normal, but it was getting there.

Then I opened the door and found a man—broken, bloodied, and fighting for his life.

I don’t know why, but I said I would take care of him. I had to. Needed to.

He was a mystery, showing up from out of nowhere. But he might have already stolen my heart.

Mayson Carey

The only thing I have ever wanted in my entire life was to forget who I was. Joining the military helped me do this.

Keep your head down and glide through life was my new motto. No strings, no relationships. Nothing.

Everything was working until a knock at the door had me face-to-face with the reason I was running.

So I ran—I fell into her arms, and she fell into my heart, but I know better than to think it’ll last.

Some secrets have a way of coming back and haunting us, no matter how much we try to bury them.

 

 

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Review

4.5 stars

Oh, what a swoonfest! A beautifully emotional love story that is sweet, sexy and full of feels, with a suspense twist, all set in a world that I love, with fantastic characters and a whole lot of heart. This is a gorgeous read!

The fifth book in the Southern series, this continues the stories of the next generation of characters, with the story of Chelsea (daughter of Beau and Savannah from Southern Storm, and sister of Ethan from Southern Sunrise).

Chelsea has just finishing her nursing studies and has returned home ready to settle into a new job, and life with her family. And then a man literally stumbles into her life. Bloody, beaten and broken, Mayson is a friend of her older brother, Ethan, and he’s in bad shape. Chelsea takes him into her home and nurses him back to health, while her brother and the other men in her life work to find the man who attacked Mayson so viciously, keeping the two of them safe while he recovers.

Mayson’s childhood was horrific, and he escaped to the military as soon as he was able. He has spent his life fighting overseas, making no connections or commitments to anybody or anything back at home. He was living quietly in a cabin in the woods until his past came storming back into his life.

Chelsea and Mayson have a bit of a history. Though they haven’t really interacted much, Chelsea has crushed on him from afar for years, and having him under her roof and in such close contact provides the perfect opportunity for those feelings to deepen, and all of their secret truths to come out.

“I have loved this man for the past fucking eight years,” she says. “Waiting, hoping that he would somehow see me as not just your little sister but a woman who wanted nothing more than for him to notice.”
“I noticed you,” I say, pushing her hair behind her ear. “I noticed you. I noticed all of you.”

OMG, this is SUCH a swoony romance! Chelsea and Mayson feel so much for each other, and though Mayson tries to keep his distance to keep Chelsea out of danger, she fiercely and proudly stands by his side, fighting for her man, and I love that!

“I won’t let you be hurt.” He swallows. “I can’t. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”
“Then stay,” I whisper…
“Chelsea, I won’t be able to survive if anything happens to you.”
“I won’t be able to survive if you leave,” I tell him honestly, and I take the biggest leap of my life. I bend down and whisper. “Don’t leave me.”

Chelsea blew me away in this book. She’s strong and brave, and she puts herself out there for Mayson, proudly declaring her feelings, and not backing down when he tries to withdraw from her. She fights for him, she encourages him, and she does everything she can to bring him back to life and truly start living.

“I see a man who deserves all the love in the world.” A hand comes up to cup my face. “I see a man who deserves people who stand with him and protect him.” I want to say something to her, but nothing comes out. “I see a man who deserves everything.”

Mayson is so beautifully broken and vulnerable. He’s dealt with so much in his life, and I loved watching him react to Chelsea and begin to change with her positive force in his life. He is initially so closed off, but as he comes to accept how hard he is falling, we see a completely different side to him, and he melted my heart.

“You are the most beautiful person I have ever met … From the moment I’ve seen you, you’ve been the woman I’m chasing in my dreams.”

Their love is strong, but it’s a peaceful, sweet, all-consuming kind of love, and super passionate. They have a beautiful connection, which they fully explore, and I loved seeing them embrace all of those feelings.

“I have never wanted anything in this world the way I want you … Nothing and no one.”

While Chelsea and Mayson act on everything that is happening between them, life outside of their bubble is a bit of a turbulent mess. They are in danger, and the threat is lurking closer and closer, bringing a suspense storyline which works well to bring some added emotion to the story and build excitement. I loved watching Mayson and the rest of the boys from the series (all of whom are so, so amazing) work together to figure out the threat and bring the bad guy down.

And, of course, there’s the added excitement of Chelsea and Mayson declaring their relationship to the family, and Ethan going into hilariously overprotective big brother mode.

He spots me with just a towel on. “Can you go and get dressed please” – he shuts his eyes tight – “and I’m going to pretend that my sister isn’t in the shower with you.
”I’m not in the shower.” I point at myself. “I’m out of the shower.” I point to him. “Which means I’m not in the shower with your sister.
“Thanks fuck,” he says.
“I mean, I just left her in the shower.” He groans as I walk over to my bedroom. “But I’m not in there with her now.”

I loved seeing these characters again. Natasha Madison writes family so well, and the dynamics between this group are fantastic! I’m so excited to come back to this world, and I’m hoping we get to see lots more of Quinn really soon!

This is a really beautiful book. It’s sweet and sexy with a gorgeously emotional romance, and just the right amount of drama and suspense to add depth and excitement to the story. I struggled to put this book down, and finished it with a big smile on my face, all wrapped up in a world of swoon.

“You have my heart.” He looks up at me. “For the rest of my life until my last dying breath, you have my heart.”

4.5 stars!

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

Southern Series

 

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About the Author

When her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…

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