This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
This Heart of Mine is the fifth installment in the "Chicago Stars" series. And this one is Molly's book. Who is the sister of the heroine from the first book "If I Had You" and this is where we have a unique set up. I will be honest if I hadn't gone into this one blindly, I might have DNF'd it, but I am glad that I kept up with it even thought its my least favorite from this author so far. There were some toxic elements in the heroine in this book and while I get where the author was coming from writing this type of heroine, she wasn't easy to read but the narration really kept me in with this story and wanting to see it through.

First Line
The Day Kevin Tucker nearly killed her, Molly Somerville swore off unrequited love forever.

Summary
Molly Somerville has always had a thing for Kevin Tucker who is an infamous player for the Chicago Stars. But when they are forced in a situation to share a house together, chemistry flies between them. Molly gets it in her head, to get creative with Kevin when he is asleep and he wakes to find them having sex and is furious with Molly for taking advantage of him. What neither of them expected though was for Molly to be pregnant and she finds herself married to a man who hates her. But when disaster strikes, Kevin is there for Molly and takes her to his property that was left for him and as they work on repairing the camping grounds, a relationship forms between them.

What I Loved
There were aspects that I really loved about this story. The first being our hero. He is such a alpha male and it was delicious.. I love that he stands up for himself and how he should be treated. He doesn't just let Molly get away with what she does to him. I also loved how fierce he is, he has such a delectable personality. He can be a bit emotionally constipated but I found that to be a redeeming quality. I also enjoyed the setting of the camping grounds, it was very atmospheric in how the author wrote these. I really enjoyed their building chemistry and seeing their relationship form from enemies to lovers to something more endearing and likable. And the hero definitely knows how to win his girl.

What I Struggled With
The heroine is so toxic especially in the beginning and I just didn't feel like her character was redeemed enough. She basically assaults the hero and then tries to hide his baby from him. Her reasons for it I get but at the same time was very manipulative too. I really wanted to love her but she proved to be difficult and she never even really apologized even so I wish that there had been some groveling on her end.

Narration
Anna Fields just does a perfect job with these books. She really brings out the humor just right and in this one especially, she kept me fascinated with the story even though I had some issues with the heroine and her actions.

Overall View
This Heart of Mine while not a perfect read, was a redeeming romance that delivered the humor and feels.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Character Types: Writer, Athlete
Themes: Groveling hero, Football, Property Renovation, Slow Burn
Tropes: Marriage of Convenience, Enemies to Lovers, Secret Baby

Book Perspective
3rd Pov

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship Conflict

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as standalones if needed

Steam/Spice Explanations

Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.

Narrators:
Anna Fields ( )

This Heart of Mine
2 Stars

Molly Somerville has always tried to live up to expectations, but something invariably goes wrong. And so, when she encounters the Chicago Stars gorgeous quarterback at her family's vacation home, Molly vows to forget her unrequited crush on a man who doesn't even know her name. Unfortunately, her best-laid plans go awry again, and Molly finds herself dragging Kevin along for the ride.

Although well-written with a promising premise, This Heart of Mine fails to completely resonate as none of the characters is particularly likable. Kevin, who was actually quite appealing in Nobody's Baby But Mine, is presented as a self-absorbed jerk incapable of making any emotional commitment, and Molly, the snarky teenager from It Had to Be You, has turned into a whiny adult not above lies and trickery to get her own way. Other side characters are just as annoying, and it is difficult to care about anyone's HEA.

Now to the most troubling issue . . . the opening sequence, which is far too similar to Nobody's Baby, lays a problematic foundation for Kevin and Molly's romance. It is impossible to get past the fact that Molly basically, rapes Keven, and her atrocious actions are easily glossed over.

On a final and happier note, the adorable little tidbits interspersed throughout the narrative about Daphne the Bunny and Benny the Badger are, in fact, the best parts of the book.

All in all, not one of SEP's best efforts. ( )

Molly Somerville es la creadora de una exitosa serie de libros infantiles. Pero el resto de su vida necesita una urgente mejora… Por ejemplo, hace tiempo que está enamorada de Kevin Tucker, un apuesto e intratable jugador de fútbol americano de los Chicago Stars, un equipo del que su hermana es propietaria.
Cuando una noche Kevin entra finalmente en su vida, Molly descubre que no era alguien tan superficial como imaginaba, y pronto se encontrará con él en un lugar de ensueño, en el que ella y Kevin deberán enfrentar un desafío inesperado… Ambos descubrirán que el amor a veces nos lastima, a veces nos enfurece, y otras veces –si tenemos suerte—puede sanar nuestro corazón de la forma más inesperada.

Non posso che ripetermi, i libri di questa serie sono uno più bello dell’altro e non è possibile dire quale sia il migliore perché, invariabilmente, lo sono tutti man mano che si leggono. Questa volta i protagonisti sono Molly Somerville, sorella di Phoebe proprietaria dei Chicago Stars, e Kevin Tucker, scapestrato quarterback della squadra. Molly è da sempre innamorata di Kevin che invece non si è mai nemmeno accorto di lei ma basterà un “momento di follia” e le cose saranno destinate a cambiare, in moltissimi sensi. Una vacanza sul lago e tanti e diversi personaggi che movimenteranno decisamente la vicenda e daranno l’avvio a cambiamenti che modificheranno le loro vite. Divertente, intrigante, avvincente ed emozionante, ben scritto con personaggi ben caratterizzati e perfettamente inseriti nel ruolo, un altro imperdibile della serie. Aggiungere solo una cosa: la Phillips è un genio. ( )

So this was a reread for me and I think I liked it slightly less the second time around. As others have mentioned the heroine's actions especially at the beginning are pretty darn questionable. I'm going to drop it from a 5 to 4 star rating. It still remains a strong book on the basis of the dialog. And I've got to say I really loved the quotes from the children's books. Having led story time for too many years I could picture it and I think I would have enjoyed reading them out loud. ( )