When are you sure of your soulmate?

Synopsis

Destiny promised Hanna Bailey her soulmate, but delivered a divorce instead. So, when the career opportunity of a lifetime comes calling, she’s ready to answer. Alone.

Joining the tour of rising rock band His Locked Heart is her chance to start again. Sold-out shows, endless miles, and the freedom to leave her past behind

But fate has a habit of rewriting the lyrics.

Behind the spotlight, the band’s brooding songwriter, Nathaniel Cole, is about to become the one person Hanna never expected. As friendships deepen and long-buried truths surface, Hanna finds herself torn between the life she built and a love that could burn the whole thing down.

Some songs are written in secret.

Some loves refuse to stay hidden.

And sometimes you get the chance to rewrite your own story.

My review

Twenty years ago, a fortune-teller told Hanna Bailey that she would have three loves in her life. And that the third one would be everything. Now is Hanna divorced and she is ready for the career opportunity of a lifetime. And so she finds herself joining the tour of rock band His Locked Heart. Where you would think that the members of the band would look down at Hanna, each member is quickly becoming a friend, between shows and riding miles. But Nathaniel Cole is the one that becomes the closest to her, their friendship only deepens the more time they spend together. Nathaniel finds himself writing the most heartfelt love songs about his feelings for Hanna, Hanna is at a crossroad. Because should she follow the path with someone else she has started on, or should she dare to take a step towards a love that could be amazing but also terrifying?

When I started reading this book, purely based on the blurb, I thought it would be the ‘typical’ romance or contemporary story. Nothing wrong with such stories, as I love reading them. But once this one got me, it truly *got* me and I realized that not only is this a story that was amazing to read, but it is also unique in its special way.

Now, I have to say, even if it was twenty years ago, how Hanna holds on to the ‘prophecy’ of the fortune-teller. On the other hand, being young and in love, twenty years ago, wouldn’t you also hold on to the information that brings you love?

But even if Hanna holds on to the believe that the third love would be her everything, it felt to me that this story goes way deeper than just that.

I was happy at the start of the book that Hanna is just unapologetically Hanna. Of course she has her self-doubts and insecurities. Yet she has found her own style and she enjoys the career path she has chosen. And while a rock band for sure can be a challenge, Hanna hit the jackpot with His Locked Heart.

I liked reading how Hanna genuinely cares about each member of the band, how she knows what they need without even saying it out loud. Whenever there is an issue, the band knows that Hanna is the person to go to.

But just like most people, Hanna is missing that special someone in her life. Don’t we all need someone to love and that loves us? So when Aaron makes it clear that he is into her, I could understand how they got together, even if I honestly wanted Hanna’s love life go a different direction.

And I am not saying that because Nathaniel from his first meeting starts to fall for Hanna. But because Nathaniel shows in so many different ways how he cares about Hanna. And yes, Nathaniel is just a real darling!

Nathaniel not only has an amazing writing talent. But he is also a genuine, caring, lovely person. We do not only see this with his feelings for Hanna, but also how homesick he feels at moments and how close he is with his family, despite the physical distance.

Of course the greatest part of the book is about what Hanna is going through and lesser about Nathaniel point of view. But that doesn’t take away that we see what a great friend Nathaniel is for Hanna, how he just gets her, and how Hanna can always count on him, no matter what.

The more the story evolves, the more it becomes clear that Hanna in fact *needs* Nathaniel for support. Because over time, we see how the light is dimming in Hanna’s eyes, how small she is becoming.

And that angered me, reading those bits. Not angry at Hanna herself, but how ‘easy’ someone can make you feel so small and indifferent, or in the wrong all the time. I just despise people who think that can just gaslight people…

But because of the above, we also see the growth in Hanna, and the unconditional love and support she receives from Nathaniel. And we see how difficult it can be to see what is being done to you, and how difficult it can be to make the right choice, for yourself.

But we also see how difficult it is for those the closest to you, to see you retreat in yourself more and more. And see you become just a shadow of your former self. Because we also all know, stepping in, saying something about it, forcing in a way, could have the complete opposite effect. In that aspect, my respect for Nathaniel only grew more and more. Because he sees what is happening to Hanna, and he wants to help her, but he also knows that it has to come from Hanna herself. And when the decision has been made, he will be there, as always, for her.

This whole story was a punch in my heart. It broke my heart to see Hanna’s struggles. But at the same time, it was so heartwarming and beautiful to see how strong the bond between Hanna and Nathaniel is and how their relationship evolves. But we also see how we carry the burdens of what we have endured and how it can scare us to accept the obvious and embrace it.Hann

I gave this book the full five stars, something I don’t do easily. But with everything that Hanna and also Nathaniel go through, I just couldn’t find it in my heart to give just less than the maximum. And reading the lyrics Nathaniel writes throughout the whole book… just wow!