“Once you want something, everything changes.” – Ally Condie
Title: Ironhearted (Hope Cove: Book Three)
Author: Cate Ashwood
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 200
Rating: 5 Stars
Blurb: Haydn Prescott stood by and watched his friends fall in love, something he hopes never happens to him. It’s too much drama, thankyouverymuch. He just wants a hot guy to roll around with every once in a while. No muss, no fuss. Out for a night of dancing, he meets Trevor Ryan and the two are explosive together. The next morning, Haydn wakes up alone.
Trevor is gone and Haydn thinks he’s seen the last of him… until months later when Trevor walks into Haydn’s bakery in Hope Cove. Entanglements and complications ooze from Trevor, but Haydn can’t ignore him—Trevor won’t let him. Haydn always believed he wanted to be free and single forever, but now he’s torn: does he want to be with Trevor or should he play it safe and stick to what’s worked.
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Review: We first met Haydn Prescott in Brokenhearted. Haydn has lived his life out and proud in the small town of Hope Cove, has never hidden who he was, and he never plans to. He has watched all of his closest friends pair up and find true love. In the case of Mack and Oliver, he has even seen some friends expand their little families.
Haydn wants no part of this domesticity. The only examples he had of relationships growing up were total failures, and he swears he will never fall into that trap. One-nighters with a guy he meets in a club are just fine with Haydn; anything else is just destined to fail anyway.
After a drought, Haydn decides he needs to take a trip out to a club to find a bed partner, and that is exactly what he does. He meets the ultra-hot Trevor Ryan at the club, and they end up having an amazing night together, one Haydn won’t forget anytime soon. When Haydn wakes up alone the next morning, he is relieved…right?
Thinking he won’t see Trevor again, imagine his shock when Trevor shows up at Haydn’s bakery/restaurant with his five year old daughter and his wife. Haydn may not want to settle down for a happily-ever-after, but he also doesn’t want to be the “other man”. While berating Trevor for making him just that, Haydn finds out a few things about Trevor Ryan, one of which is that he isn’t the type of man to take no for an answer.
Trevor has been looking for “the one” for a while. He needs someone who can fit into his life. He is a retired hockey player, a dad and a gay man. It isn’t the easiest life to lead, but it’s his. Trevor believes Haydn is the man for him; now he just has to convince Haydn that just because his role models of relationships growing up were bad, that doesn’t mean it is how they will end up.
Trevor and Haydn begin dating, but it is a one step forward, two steps back dance. Trevor wants more, but Haydn just doesn’t think he can give it to him. When Trevor’s daughter makes a startling declaration, it sends Haydn running for the hills, and Trevor doesn’t know how to rein him back in. It will take Haydn basically getting hit right upside the head with the truth to realize what Trevor means to him, but he may have waited too long. Will he be too late, or will Trevor be waiting for the hardheaded man?
I have loved this series from the very first book, Brokenhearted. I have also loved me some Haydn since the very first book. I was so excited to read Haydn’s story, and I guess the biggest surprise was to see how damaged this young man was. He always gave off such a “I have my sh*t together” vibe I just never expected all of his baggage. It was sometimes painful to watch him work through all of his issues, but at the same time I just knew that it was going to be so worth the wait.
Cate Ashwood did a fabulous job with both Trevor and Haydn. Trevor was one of the most patient characters I have ever read. He seemed to know exactly when Haydn was reaching his limits and backed off. He also had a knack for showing Haydn how wonderfully his biggest fears could turn into dreams he didn’t even know he had.
Not only were Haydn and Trevor great characters, but Ms. Violet and her My Little Ponies nearly stole the show in this book. I have to say this turned out to be my favorite book in the series, and Haydn is my favorite character. I highly recommend this book and the entire series. Hope Cove seems like a great place to live.
You can buy Ironhearted (Hope Cove: Book Three) here:
