REVIEW: HEARTLESS HERO BY MARY CATHERINE GEBHARD

Title: Heartless Hero

Author: Mary Catherine Gebhard

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult

Publisher: Unglued Books

Publication date: October 2019

Paperback: 394 pages

My Rating: ★★★★★

BLURB:

There are rules to being Abigail Crowne’s bodyguard, rules to watching the infamous billion-dollar heiress, otherwise known as the Reject Princess.

Never forget your place, always put the Crowne name above all else, and never, ever hurt the Reject.
Especially don’t torment the Reject.
Even if she is a spoiled brat.
So when an opportunity presents itself to punish her, you definitely shouldn’t take it.
Then again, Abigail loves to be tortured, and I’ve waited patiently for revenge.
I’ll keep her safe... with cruel protection.
Love is off limits with Abigail Crowne, but no one said anything about hate.

MY REVIEW

My first book from Mary Gebhard and I am totally hooked. Heartless Hero took me on an emotional roller coaster and wrecked me in the most wonderful way. Drama, betrayal, secrets, were all beautifully woven together to create a suspenseful and layered story.

“Love is fear. Fearing it can be taken away, but trusting him not to. Jumping into a black abyss without a bungee cord.”

Abigail is the black sheep of the Crowne family. Considered a reject by her friends and siblings, always getting herself in the middle of a scandal or starting one. She and Theo know each other since childhood. She’s rich and he is just a stray she rescued from the streets. A happily ever after was never in the cards for them, not when Abby’s family will do anything to keep them apart. Lies and deceive turn Theo into a heartless bully out for revenge on the girl who stole his heart when they were just children. Becoming Abigail’s personal bodyguard and tormentor seemed like the ideal plan for Theo, but even the most perfect laid out plans can go amiss when long-forgotten feelings and desires start to resurface.

"I'm going to break your heart, and you're going to thank me for it."

I love Abigail and Theo together. They are such raw characters, the perfect soulmates. There is so much more to Abby than people think, beyond the pretense of being a “fire starter”, all she ever desired was the love and approval of her parents. Nobody ever had her back or treated her with respect, and seeing Theo’s devotion and protectiveness towards her was utterly heartwarming.

“Because with her, the knife is in me, and I’m gutted, but without her, I’m bleeding.”

The storyline was action-packed, full of angst and twists of events, and totally hit the marks for a perfect bully romance. I loved the dual POV, the push and pull, the give and take between Abigail and Theo and all the intriguing secondary characters.

This book chews you up and spits you out but in a good way. I am officially a fan of Miss Gebhard, and I recommend this book to anyone who loves enemies-to-lovers and second-chance romances.

*ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.