An Armored Heart

by RC Boldt

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.An Armored Heart is the fourth book by R. C. Boldt that I have read. The previous books of hers I read fell into the category of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. I enjoyed them and so I picked up An Armored Heart, which falls in the contemporary romance category, expecting great things. It did not disappoint. In her newest release she gives her readers a mash up of a fake relationship, grumpy/sunshine and opposites attract romance.

An Armored Heart tells the story of restaurant owner Daniella Marcheti aka Ella and millionaire Steele Cunningham. Ella and Steele do not move in the same circles. However, their paths would cross when he purchased the property on which her restaurant was located. Ella confronted Steele in his office, hoping to convince him to not tear down the building. However, the confrontation, which led to some laugh out loud moments, led to her agreeing to be his fake girlfriend for four months and in exchange, he would not destroy the building.

Watching them navigate the terms of their agreement was fun and heartwarming. I liked Ella from the moment of her introduction. She’s fiery, sassy, nurturing and determined. When one comes into her presence, one cannot help but feel the love and kindness she emits. It took sometime warming up to Steele because of his aloofness, his desire to keep people at a distance and his belief that love is a fallacy. However, throughout the progression of the story, I saw a side of him I never expected. In no time, I warmed up to him. The fake relationship changed his entire perspective on love. Seeing the way he grew from an unbeliever of love to falling head over heels for Ella was a beautiful sight to behold.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters, however there were a few exceptions. Steele’s parents and ex-girlfriend fell into the category of the exceptions. When one thinks of them, two words come to mind, caustic and pretentious. Thank goodness Steele was nothing like them, which made Ella’s job of breaking down his barriers less complicated.

She brought sunshine into his life. It was a treat seeing their fake relationship slowly develop into the real thing. Of course, drama with the ex and parents designed to put a wrench in the entire scheme of things reared its head. Thankfully, it was light and didn’t overshadow the story. The author infused quite a few lighthearted moments, which led to bouts of laughter.

Overall, An Armored Heart was a delightful slow burn romance and one which I highly recommend.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading