Stunted Heart by Helena Harte is a romance about learning how to deal with the risk, the thrill, and the stability that love has to offer.
Taryn Taylor is a stunt rider who’s always looking for the next adrenaline fix. Whether it’s a big jump or an irresistible woman, Taryn wants it all and settling down is not on her radar. When she’s asked to do an extended stay in a Las Vegas show, Taryn worries that putting down roots of any kind will cause her team/family to splinter, especially when her best friend, Andi, is looking to stop and stay for a while. But it is Vegas, and the money is big. Maybe staying here wouldn’t be all that bad, especially after Taryn meets an alluring, smart, sexy woman her first night in town.
Dr. Cassandra Kennedy is not a risk taker by any means. After dealing with emergencies all day, and a tragic accident involving her brother, she doesn’t understand why people choose to endanger their lives when it is so precious. There’s no way she could ever get involved with someone who did something dangerous every day. Well, that’s what she thinks, until she rescues Taryn in a bar one night. While Taryn’s job makes Cassie cringe and avoid the topic altogether, she can’t ignore their chemistry both in and out of bedroom.
Both women understand their time together is temporary—after all, Taryn will soon be back on the road chasing the ultimate rush, and Cassandra will go back to her orderly life where she’s the one in control. But feelings of passion give way to tenderness. Soon Taryn is wondering if she still wants to chase the ultimate thrill. And Cassie can’t help but think the risk is worth it if it keeps Taryn within reach.
Will Taryn and Cassie take the ultimate risk and chase the dream of true love? Or will fear and caution keep them apart forever?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
What stood out to me right away was the dialog.
Both Taryn and Cassie are women who have very different views on life. They shouldn’t be compatible in anyway other than the physical, but Harte gives them wit, sass, and intellect. It’s a combination that tantalizes each other in ways they hadn’t expected. It’s what allows them to look past their personal views on life and enjoy each other’s company both in and out of the bedroom. It also allows their growth as characters. Taryn starts realizing that planting roots doesn’t mean becoming stagnant and dull. Cassie learns that being risky doesn’t mean being reckless. After all, love is the biggest risk of all, and both women must learn to navigate it if they want to be together.
Cons And Heads Up
There weren’t really any cons for me. I hated Cassie’s mom, but she was designed that way. She is an alcoholic and a leach on Cassie’s life, which can be triggering to some people. Luckily, Cassie doesn’t visit her mother often, so it’s limited.
The Conclusion
I was pleasantly surprised by this story. Harte gives us two characters that are smart, funny, and give as good as they get in the banter department. Taryn and Cassie are more than their exterior personas. It was a joy to watch them trade barbs and learn what true risk is, and that’s giving your heart to the one person who may be the least expected but will cherish it beyond anything they ever imagined.
Excerpt from Stunted Heart by Helena Harte
“Wait,” Taryn said in a far too high-pitched a voice. She coughed to find her usual tenor and tried again. “Wait. I owe you a drink. I think you just saved my life.” She grinned widely and wiggled her eyebrows.
“Not necessary. Erin’s a bit of a vampire. I save everyone I can.”
She turned to leave again, but Taryn caught her wrist gently. She couldn’t let this vision of selfless virtue go without trying to get to know her. “Please. I’d want to buy you a drink even if you hadn’t rescued me.” Which seemed ironic and totally against Taryn’s usual MO, but confident, powerful femmes were her Achilles heel, and in her social circles, they were rare.
Super-chic woman looked at Taryn’s hand around her wrist, and Taryn released her immediately. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have grabbed for you. Let me buy you a drink to apologize.’
She looked amused again. “Is a drink your answer to everything?”
“Depends on what the question is. There something else you’d prefer to be offered?” Taryn asked.
She gave a small smile then gestured toward the bar. “If you insist, I’ll have two mojitos.”
“One for the apology and one for the lifesaving, or do you think I’d drink a mojito?”
She shook her head and motioned over her shoulder to a younger woman at table thirteen.
“One for me and one for my best friend. And no, I couldn’t imagine you sipping something so elaborate.”
Taryn rubbed the back of her head. “I’m not sure whether that’s an insult or a compliment.”
She merely tilted her head and gave another small smile. Her tiniest gestures were loaded with promise, and Taryn was reminded again of how much she enjoyed all the opportunities to meet new people. She hadn’t met someone as interesting as this lady for a while though, and certainly not someone who didn’t fawn all over her from moment one. “Can my friend and I join you both?”
It was clear super-chic lady wasn’t about to dump her bestie, so Taryn’s only approach had to include her buddy too. “I’m Taryn, by the way.”
She held out her hand, surprising Taryn with her firm grip. “Cassandra. Cassie to my friends.”
“Can I call you Cassie?”
She arched her eyebrow. “Not yet.”
Get It Online
When you use the links in this review and buy within 24 hours of clicking then we get a small commission that helps us run the site and it costs you nothing extra
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-1915009425
Publisher: Butterworth Books
If you enjoyed Stunted Heart by Helena Harte then you should also look at
Note: I received a free review copy of Stunted Heart by Helena Harte. No money was exchanged for this review. When you use our links to buy we get a small commission which supports the running of this site
