Hunter’s Heart (8 Million Hearts #4)

Solid 4.5.

I’ve said it before about the other 8 Million Hearts books, Spears’ writing is so much better now than their earlier books. I’ve loved all of the 8 Million Hearts books and Hunter’s Heart was no exception (though I’m still not a fan AT ALL of the covers). Spears gives a trigger warning for sexual assault at the beginning of the book. For me, that wasn’t a trigger. What got to me was Hunter losing his brother. I lost my only brother to suicide less than two years ago. I totally understand Hunter’s darkness, despair and lack of motivation. Been there. I didn’t expect to find that in this book. Fortunately, it didn’t feel overwhelming to me. Rather, it felt real and authentic. I appreciate Spears’ sensitivity and understanding about the trauma of losing someone close to you unexpectedly and tragically.

What didn’t feel real or authentic to me is the baby situation. Two men who know nothing about babies cruise through raising one like it’s nothing. I don’t have kids. But I remember when my friends had babies. Mountains of laundry everywhere, all the time. Exhaustion. Child care issues. Doctors appointments. Difficulty nursing. Teething. Having a baby consumes your life (which is why I didn’t have kids). Hunter and Micah never talk about diapers or bottles or feeding or car seats or doctor’s appointments or strollers or sleepless nights. They go out all the time with Bea and never take a diaper bag! Easiest baby raising ever. Because it doesn’t feel realistic at all, the baby just feels like the really obvious plot mechanism to bring two very different guys together. Bea isn’t a baby, she’s a contrived set up. Sometimes it was hard to remember she was even part of the plot because she is absorbed so easily into the background. I’m not a fan of child-centered romance books, but this seemed a bit too “oh, by the way, there’s a baby” casual.

Other than that, I really liked the slow burn. And I liked Micah more than I thought I would given his role in the earlier books. Oh, Micah seems more like a bartender than a part-owner or manager. He seems to just show up for shifts and that’s all. That part needed some work. Once again, we have horrible, awful parents, which is a theme in Spears’ books. It would be nice to have some regular “meh” parents once in a while, rather than the caricatures of evil we’ve gotten in 8 Million Hearts.

Looking forward to Nick’s story.

HUNTERS HEART
SPENCER SPEARS

I once headed a review for the first book in this series, ADAMS SONG, with the phrase DO WANT TO FEEL YOUR HEART BREAK. . .IN EVERY WAY THAT IS GOOD ?
It was a PROFOUND STATEMENT.
And its just as easily applicable to HUNTERS HEART.
I now feel as though this must be SPENCER SPEARS MANTRA.
Her sacred GOAL with every story she puts her pen to.
It encompasses everything Spencer Spears tries to achieve with every book she writes.
It is the feeling that she INSPIRES to bring forth from each and every one of her readers.
And (I just know) she prays she is successful in imparting this (to us) each time she bravely publishes A PIECE OF HER HEART.
Needless to say, SPENCER SPEARS newest book, HUNTERS HEART has niggled its way into my EMOTIONS, once again.
And oh, how I do love that!

The reviews I write are usually quite long, overwhelmingly detailed and (Im sure) are never completely read.
I wont do that to you with this review.
Im sure several other reviewers will give you all those details that youll want and need and do it better than Im able to do.
And so, with that said, I will tell you the most important thing I can about HUNTERS HEART . . .

SPENCER SPEARS > GOES FOR YOUR SOUL WITH THIS ONE!

And, with how good her thievery of my soul feels right now, Im not sure I want it back no, not just yet, anyway . . . I think Id just like to wallow in the wonder of it all for now – just a little while longer, PLEASE?

If this were to be the last book in this series 8 MILLION HEARTS (and Im not saying it is) there is one last thing for you to know . . . quite simply SPENCER SPEARS 8 MILLION HEARTS is a series most definitely WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD.
Thats the least I can tell you.
Thats the least I can do for you.

MTULIPK
PS
I SOOO ENJOOOYED READING THE “ARC” (ADVANCE READER COPY) OF THIS BOOK “HUNTER’S HEART,” FROM THE AUTHOR “SPENCER SPEARS,” THAT I AM FREELY, AND (I MIGHT ADD) WHOLEHEARTEDLY, VOLUNTEERING TO WRITE THIS REVIEW IN PART, BECAUSE I HONESTLY HOPE TO ENCOURAGE OTHER READERS WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH EITHER THIS GENRE OR THIS AUTHOR TO TAKE A STEP FORWARD AND GIVE IT A TRY. BUT ALSO, BECAUSE . . . I TRULY BELIEVE THEY WOULD NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!
MTULIPK

I havent felt so many emotions while reading a book in such a long time. I couldnt stop reading and finished it in a matter of hours. It was truly a good read.

At first, when I started reading Mr Spears books, I noticed that the few books I read had endings that didnt feels like ending. Not cliffhangers but they didnt really have a concrete ending. I kept wondering if it was on purpose or not, and now I know for sure that it have to be on purpose. All the books Ive read, all end in the same manner. It looks like its this authors writing style, and I may be over romanticizing it, but I came up with the idea that instead of an ending, the author wants to give his characters a new beginning maybe? like starting their lives over with the people they love; to show that their lives continue even after they find love and happiness, or just to make the characters feel not just like fictitious characters in a book, but like regular people, that the readers can relate to in some way, maybe?
I know I tend to over analyze things so I may be wrong on my assumptions. However theres only one thing that I know I am not wrong about, and its that this books are amazing. I enjoyed reading Mr Spears books and now I am definitely a fan.

Really did enjoy this continuation in the series and l shall be buying the next one. The characters are credible and you do not need to start from the begining of the series.

Wow. This book is so emotionally satisfying.

This is not the book you read when you’re looking for a very easy breezy book where the romance and smexy times come at you quick. This is the book you turn to when you want to delve deep into the characters, where you want to get to know them and why they’re perfect for each other, and what they’ve had to deal with.

That, to me, is what makes it so emotionally satisfying, because you see how far they’ve come and the challenges they’ve had to work through, and how much they deserve their HEA. You feel that they’ve really earned it and they’re definitely going to go the distance because they’ve seen the best and worst of each other.

I must really applaud Spencer Spears for having the courage to focus first and foremost on the character development and not just clunkily shove the romance into the story early on out of fear that readers would grow bored. Other authors might have been tempted to do that, but Spencer did not and I’m so happy about that. These characters are worth the journey. You will not grow bored reading and learning about them. I loved every minute reading about these two characters and I could happily read ten more books about Micah and Hunter.

This should be held up as a model for aspiring m/m romance authors as to how you can and should focus on the character development and trust that the romance will reveal itself naturally from that progression.

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