Armored Hearts

by Melissa Turner Lee and Pauline Creeden

[Angie]

Gareth is a jerk and he knows it. Bound to his wheelchair, he's never been accepted into society, so he tends to reject people before they can reject them. Then a girl falls out of a tree when he's twelve, and he doesn't hesitate to catch her, although he has no idea how he made it up into the air. A few years later, Gareth decides to use his gift for good, masquerading as the Flying Knight to keep criminals out of nearby neighborhoods. Then the girl is back into his life, vying for his affection, but Gareth continuously pushes her away. Armored Hearts is an interesting mix of steampunk and fantasy, as Gareth learns more about his heritage and tries to protect this odd girl who may just capture his heart.

I really enjoyed Armored Hearts. It's really unlike anything I had read before. In the beginning, it kind of felt like a historical superhero story! Gareth dons an old suit of armor that his aunt finds, so he'll be safe as he fights crime (and it keeps his identity secret, of course). But then, Gareth realizes that the Scottish fairy tales he heard as child are more true than he ever knew. Could it be possible that he's descended from fae and that's why he can fly? But then why can't he walk? All of this is slowly revealed as he discovers that not everyone around him is who they say they are, but he isn't really surprised since he's been lying too.

Armored Hearts also has a cute romance. I loved that Jessamine was the pursuer instead of Gareth. He is adamant that he does not want a wife, but his future and Tabitha's future depend on it. His family's estate is in ruin, but Jessi comes from a very wealthy family which can save them and give his aunt a better life in America. She flirts relentlessly with him, and Gareth isn't unaffected by her although he pretends to be. While I liked this romance overall, I didn't quite believe Jessi's motive. She remembers Gareth from when they were young, and decided she wanted to marry him because he can fly and saved her. That's it. She didn't know him at all, but she came up with an elaborate plan to "trap" him. I'm not fully buying that.

In the end, Armored Hearts was a lot of fun. I loved the combination of steampunk and fantasy, and the role of fae. I also loved how Jessamine and Tabitha were both very smart, and seemingly eccentric young women. Tabitha is good at math, and both girls are inventors. They have minds of their own, and don't let Gareth's surly attitude get them down.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.