Release Blitz & Book Review: The Ocean Between Us by Michelle Heard

The Ocean Between Us

by Michelle Heard
Series: A Southern Heroes Novel #1

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: September 19th, 2018

Model Credit: Drew Truckle; Photographer Credit: Eric David Battershell; Cover Artist: Sybil, PopKitty Design

Blurb:

Dying to experience life, I cross an ocean to get away from my fears. I find my safe haven in the form of Detective Aiden Holden. He shows me what love is, but then our lives collide. Our little world shatters, and I'm caught in the crossfire.

I'm forced to return home, to let go of the only person who has made me feel like I could be more.

How do you return to a cage once you’ve tasted freedom?

My only hope is that Aiden will cross an ocean for me.

Buy now:
Amazon US: http://smarturl.it/TOBUMichelleHeard

About the author:

Michelle Heard is a Bestselling Romance Author who likes her books hot, dirty, and with a touch of darkness. She loves an alpha hero who is not scared to fight for his woman.

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My review:

'The angels were in a hell of a good mood when they made him.'

Since I read all books by this author without knowing what they’re about, it’s always a new adventure. In this case, I found myself in a whirlwind of emotions. Emma grew up in a violent and abusive household which was hard to read about. I was crying for her and praying that she would find a way out. When she did, she found a heroic man who gave her hope and trust and safety in a way she never felt before. Their connection was there right from the start and only grew stronger as did their feelings for each other as well as Emma’s self-confidence. You could say that sweet Emma started to blossom by his hands as he guided her out of the dark and into the light.

'Life has taught me that the people who are supposed to protect you are the ones who will hurt you the most.'

Although I felt with the characters and was captured by the story, I wasn’t entirely convinced of how fast everything went down. Deer-in-Headlights Emma and Detective Aiden Holden happened pretty fast when they confided in each other after the second day. I understand that she wanted to be brave and try out new things but on her first day she was more than just brave, she was reckless and threw herself at a man she didn’t even know. She was lucky that it didn’t end badly for her.

So, anyway, I really enjoyed this story but their relationship could have taken a step back for my liking, especially considering her upbringing.

No matter how much Emma developed throughout the story and that she eventually freed herself of her mother's hold, I missed the healing part. When did she consciously deal with what she went through at home and also during this story? I can only imagine how traumatized she was and I desperately wished for her to get professional help. The story had some very dark content and I felt that it wasn't properly dealt with by the characters. But that's just my opinion.

'I've always loved being a cop, but she wakes up something else in me. A need to take care of someone else besides myself.'

I could have overlooked how Aiden didn't respect Emma's privacy when he looked through her stuff but another reason for my rating was how contradictory Emma's behaviour was. Or maybe it just seemed that way because the writing changed from time to time. Although it was pretty well written in general, it sometimes changed drastically between a 5 and a 3 star read for me. But all in all it was a great story and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

'Love doesn't break you down, but instead lifts you up, making you stronger, because you've finally found someone to believe in.'

Please don’t hate me! I’m frustrated with myself that I could not turn off my thoughts to enjoy this great story more. I scrutinized everything too much and therefore ruined the story for myself. So please, don’t let my review keep you from reading this book.

-- I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book given by the author. --

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
View review on goodreads