After living life full of rejection, loss and betrayal Rena keeps everyone at a distance....... She doesn't trust anyone, especially with her heart, and makes damn sure to keep herself guarded. With a steel cage wrapped firmly around her heart, She's promised herself she will never give anyone the chance to repeat history. Her world is lonely, but it's a risk she's willing to take, if it means there's no one to hurt her.
But that's all about to change…
Kayden: Is a hot, happy, outgoing,successful Southern gentleman that every woman dreams of, with an accent that’s truly panty melting. He is pure perfection in every way. He doesn't have a problem letting people into his world in fact he welcomes them in with strong open arms. He longs for the day he meets the right woman to settle down with, give his heart to and start a family of his own. That is until he meets Rena.... Kayden knows his whole heart belongs to Rena and that he has to have her for himself, but Rena is adamant she has no room for love in her life.
Echo Hart lived most of her life in N.J., but now resides in M.I. with her husband of 20 years and two beautiful daughters ages 18 and 10. She is a stay at home mom who enjoys camping, outings to the beach, anything chocolate and is a huge coffee addict,but her true passion lies within the pages of a Romance novel. Echo Hart has always dreamed of one day writing her own book, and after going from an avid reader, to starting her own book blog, she is now making her dream a reality with the release of her debut romance novel, my Light.
This was a 3.5 star read for me. While I liked the plot of the story I struggled connecting with the main character Rena.I felt some of her inner dialogue was repetitive and made me unable to fully connect with her. I did fall in love with Kayden, he was sexy, sweet, and so caring.Most of the book is from Rena's POV but about 70% through the book we get a POV switch and to be honest it threw me off and I found it slightly confusing. I did like getting Kaydens POV and I enjoyed learning how he thought but I wish it would have started earlier in the book. This was a debut book for Echo Hart and the book left me with many questions. I do look forward to finding out how Rena and Kaydens story ends.
My Light is a sweet little read. It has all the elements that make it a sweet romance but with the hotness thrown in. It has the love, the chemistry and the angst.
Rena doesn't trust many people, in fact only her best friends have her heart and that's barely. Growing up in an awful environment, she finally gets the life she wants when she's adopted by a nice family, only to lose them later in a car accident. Feeling as though she can't take anymore heartbreak she closes her heart. Especially men.
Enter Kayden.
Kayden wants to rescue Rena. He wants to keep her safe and love her. If only she would open up and not be such a closed book. He finds trying to win her heart is hard work, luckily Kaydens a hard working man.
I loved the chemistry between the characters, even the best friends cameraderie was believable. My only criticism - and it's small - is that Rena is so quick to temper. Someone says or does something a little out of her comfort zone and she's chewing their heads off. I don't think this suited her overall character. However saying this, I guess it has to do with her background and past.
Kayden at times I thought was too sensitive but I definitely got the whole alpha vibe from him.
Overall I found this to be an enjoyable sweet read and I'd definitely read more by this author.
This is the debut book from Echo Hart, and I think she has done a wonderful job. The story deals with a young woman named Rena who's past has scarred her and made her feel unwanted and unlovable. She refuses to commit and let any man into her life in fear of them losing interest and walking away breaking what is left of her heart. Then Kayden walks into her life, a gorgeous specimen of a man with chocolate brown eyes and a killer smile. A man who won't take no for an answer, he wears away her barriers little by little, and when she realises she is in danger of falling for him and quite possibly getting hurt. She reacts with her head not her heart. This is not a HEA we have a slight cliffhanger. Storyline is strong, character are likeable, interaction between characters is great, Rena has two friends, who are privy to her past life traumas, Chloe, and Ethan, both have good supporting roles in the story, the only criticism I have is the over use of the word gorgeous, yes it was Kayden's pet name endearment for her but it became a little annoying with its slight over use. Aside from that it is a terrific story I really loved it and cannot wait to read the second book to find out how this story hopefully resolves to a very happy ending
I don't have words for this book, i saw it like something that you will definitely love. Echo Hart put her soul in this book. Rena didn't have an easy life, full of abuses, where her heart was shattered and her confidence stolen from her. Kayden is the perfect man for this task, to be able to show her that life could be more tan only pain and darkness, that she does deserves to feel love and someone that could take care of her. But she feel that is already too damaged for any cure. She has the opportunity to change this but she feels that is already too late to feel a little of light in her dark heart. I need to admit that this book left me with a broken heart, i read it 2 times and i wanted to hug Rena, to make her feel safe and tell her that everything was going to be ok. Kayden, my goodness this man! He was everything and more, sexy as sin, sweet as a candy and so kind and pure. He was the perfect combination of strength and love. Echo made us feel raw and real emotions. I can't wait to read more of them looking for their HEA.
After living life full of rejection, loss and betrayal Rena keeps everyone at a distance....... She doesn't trust anyone, especially with her heart, and makes damn sure to keep herself guarded. With a steel cage wrapped firmly around her heart, She's promised herself she will never give anyone the chance to repeat history. Her world is lonely, but it's a risk she's willing to take, if it means there's no one to hurt her.
But that's all about to change…
Kayden: Is a hot, happy, outgoing,successful Southern gentleman that every woman dreams of, with an accent that’s truly panty melting. He is pure perfection in every way. He doesn't have a problem letting people into his world in fact he welcomes them in with strong open arms. He longs for the day he meets the right woman to settle down with, give his heart to and start a family of his own. That is until he meets Rena.... Kayden knows his whole heart belongs to Rena and that he has to have her for himself, but Rena is adamant she has no room for love in her life.
My Light, literally from the first page I knew I was in for a ride. Just from reading the blurb, I was connected, yet wasn't sure how deep my connection would be. When someone lives and relates a story almost mimicking your own, you almost feel a weight lifted, like a stranger gets you and understands how difficult some would see as simple, really isn't all that simple to those who have lived the way Rena did.
Within the first page the steam engine was full force on course leading you through the story, page after page was being flipped at record pace, which I loved. Nothing is worse than a lag in the story. I wanted and needed to know what was happening, the connection with the characters was well thought out, though I wish the timeline wasn't as short, It's isn't a big enough issue to cause concern. It's just my opinion.
This story was great, I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. I look forward to the continuation, especially with how things were left off at the end.
Rena only knows a life of loss, rejection and being unwanted. She guards her heart with everything she has. Kayden is the light to her darkness but she learned long ago to never let anyone close to her heart. This book is so are and emotional I could feel it. Kayden is everything a woman could want. He fights for what he wants and he knows he will have to fight for Rena. I can't wait for the next book to heal my heart.
Rena is done with love, being lonely may not be ideal but at least her heart won't be broken, but when she meets the sexy, sweet, southern Kayden, keeping that promise to herself will be hard. Kayden knew the moment he met Rena that she was the one, his forever and forever is what he will work for to get her walls down, but can Rena let him in? Loved it. Couldn't out it down.
I just finished reading My light and the end left me with so many questions and wanting answers. My heart breaks for Rena I just can’t imagine going through life with the amount of pain and suffering she has gone through. I can’t wait to read Piece by Piece to see if things start to look up for her.
Omg just finished reading. Trying to calm down my emotion. Took me a little longer to read because I had to stop crying to continue reading. This is a amazing book written by a amazing author.you have to read. Not only did I cry I laught and oh so feel in love with Rena and Kaydan.
Reviews on behalf of Amo and Sarah’s Book Corner What an amazing story. Rena is an amazing woman she has had a bit of a horrible start to life and it got worse when she was older. When she met Kayden she started to see a light. Has he come to save her from her darkness she has been living with for be past few years. Definitely worth a read I found it an amazing story.
I'm officially in love with Kayden. Rena pretty much ripped my heart out. I couldn't put this story down. I was hanging on every word. Can't wait to read the next book. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
When you've had your heart broken one to many times you get to the point of why bother. And that seems to be where Rena is when we meet her int his story. That is until Kayden sets his sights on here because deep down he feels that she is his forever and for always. This was one of those cute fast reads that leaves you making a big sigh at the end but wanting just a little bit more. I cant wait to get my hands on the next story.
This was such a sweet read with plenty of angst too. For a debut novel it was very good ,it was well written, and the story flowed easily.
Rena is a complex character , preferring to live her life in isolation, her only friends are her neighbour Ethan and her work colleague Chloe. Her life consists of working in a photographic studio and having movie nights at home with friends. As the story develops we find out through flashbacks and nightmares about Rena's past. A childhood filled with sadness and trauma that has left her a broken and anxious adult.
After much persuasion from Chloe , she decides to break free and have some fun. One night at a club she meets Kayden , who happens to be the best looking man she has ever seen, Kayden is a true gentleman and makes a big impact on Rena. After some misunderstanding and a lot of pushing from Chloe they finally start to date. Their attraction is electric and their sex scenes so very hot.
Kayden is too good to be true, and Rena cannot believe someone like him can be attracted to her. As their bond grows stronger, Rena's insecurities start to show . Her views on love and relationships are so damaged from her traumatic past, that she does not believe she is worthy of Kayden and starts to push him away. Kayden's love for her is so strong that events leave him devastated.
l did not expect the story to end how it did,now l have to wait for book 2 for the answers.
Rena has some serious insecurities, shall we say. Her abandonment issues stem from her childhood and she’d much rather have short term ( and by short term I mean one night stands) relationships under her own terms. Leave them, before they leave her.
Oh sure, she’s had relationships in the past and they have all ended the same way, with her heart broken. One evening her BFF, Chloe, convinces her to go out, take a chance, find a little love. While out and about she bumps into Kayden! She figures, “what the hell?! He’s hot, interested…let’s throw myself at him and see where the night takes us?!”
Turns out he was a “no-go”, not that he wasn’t interested, because he totally was. It's just that he’s a gentleman and doesn’t want to disrespect her in that way…*swoon*. But of course, with Rena’s insecurities she takes it the wrong way and now Kayden has an uphill battle to fight to prove to her that he’s interested and that she’s worth the time and effort.
These two are fantastic together. When Rena pulls back, Kayden surges forward, never giving up on her. You will be cheering them on, hoping and praying Rena can figure herself out before it's too late.
This was my first Echo Hart read and I was not disappointed in any way, shape or form. This is definitely a great read!
This is the debut release of Echo Hart's book 'My Light' and she should be proud of what she has released. We are introduced to Rena who shelters away from any real relationship, with a hard life and countless heartache its not hard to see why commitment makes her sweat. On a rare night out, she meets the sexy and alluring Kayden. Kayden is unlike anyone she has ever meet, he pushes all her boundaries to the limits while at the same time making her feel safe. Rena must decide whether she can let her guard down and open up, or run from potential heartache that could destroy what is left of her heart.
Echo gives us a story that is woven with true elements depicting from personal experiences giving it the real edge to Rena making her that more relatable. Kayden is refreshing as to not being your typical 'Alpha' male with the brooding and arrogance, yet being patient and stable. Oh and did I mention that he is hot!!!!!!! I can't wait for book 2 to continue the journey of hope, loss, redemption and love of Rena and Kayden
I loved this book! I loved how, it while it was a romance, there was a twist. Normally, it's the guy who can't or won't commit and the girl has to chase him. This time, it was the girl.
Rena hasn't had a happy life. She's been rejected by those who were supposed to love her the most, She's been betrayed by the ones she loves. As for trusting people, she's been let down so much, she has put up a wall. A wall so high and deep no one will be able to penetrate it.
Enter Kayden the hot and charming Southern gentleman. He sets his sights on Rena and will stop at nothing to make her his. But will he be able to break through the wall that Rena has built. Will she be able to let down her guard enough to let Kayden in?
This book had so many sweet moments and Kayden is the guy all girls wish to meet. As for Rena, you just want to protect her from any more pain because she's been through enough. Your heart will break in seeing how lonely she is. You'll cheer them on and hope for the happily ever after they both so deserve.
I was a little torn on how many stars to give this book. The writing is good, the characters are believable and I particularly liked Kayden. I would have liked if Rena's tattoos and description of herself had been mentioned at the very start because they kind of surprised me when they were mentioned. I had a totally different picture of her in my head. If I hadn't read all the other romance novels out there since Fifty Shades this would have definitely been five stars or more if I could give it. The writing is great, the story line is good, but it just felt so familiar. Girl with a troubled past, meets rich guy, falls for him, hides it, then he tells her he loves her and she runs, and you have to wait for book two to come out to find out what happens next. I did skip and skim through one of two parts especially the three-page masturbation scene towards the start of the book. My overall opinion, if you haven't read every other big name romance book out there since 2010, you'll really enjoy this. If you have it may feel a little familiar plot wise, but it's still an enjoyable read.
This beautifully written love story of pain, healing, heartbreak and love and the intensity of the characters makes this story absolutely breathtaking. Rena had a traumatic childhood. She was rejected by the ones that were supposed to care and love her. She was betrayed by everyone in her life including the douchebag of a boyfriend. All she ever wanted was to be loved. Now she guards her heart at all cost. She will never allow anyone near her heart again. Kayden is like a Prince Charming. Once he meets Rena, he is very persistent in getting her attention. A man so devoted and compassionate to a woman that he is deeply in love with. When Rena realizes that she is falling in love with Kayden, she does the only thing that comes natural to her as far as guarding her heart. She runs. Will Kayden ever be able to break the walls around Rena's heart? I loved this book. I would recommend it. There is a Cliffhanger!! Can't wait for next book.
I did enjoy reading this debut novel from Echo Hart. I really liked the character of Kayden, he was gorgeous, almost too good to be true! The sizzling sexual chemistry between him and Rena scorched the pages and was well written. I have to admit Rena did annoy me at times. I couldn’t understand why she put up with her previous boyfriend who sounded like a waste of space but she gave poor drop dead Kayden such a hard time. I felt like shaking some sense into her but hey ho, it wouldn’t be a story if there wasn’t a large dollop of angst thrown in the mix. I got a tad confused by Rena backstory at times but that could have just been me. Also occasionally the writing was a bit stilted and didn’t flow as well as I would have liked it but that certainly didn’t detract from an overall impressive debut novel. I definitely will be reading the sequel and hope it’s released in the not too distant future. I would recommend this book
Had mixed feelings about My light there are things I liked and things that annoyed me , loved the hero and love/hate with the heroine couldn't really connect with her . What a ending I really want to see what happens next . copy provided for honest review **************************************** hero = 10 heroine = 6 secondary characters = 8 Chemistry = 10 steam = 7 romance = 10 humor = 3 darkness level = 3 enjoyment = 7 angst = 8 action = 2 story line = 8 mystery = 3 character development = 7 pacing = 9 POV= heroine and two chapter in hero Plot = 8 ending = cliffhanger cover = 10 stars = 4 author = 7 would I recommend this book = yes would I re read this book = yes would I read future books by this author = yes
This is the firstly this is a debut novel by Echo Hart and believe me you would never think it.
I went into this book without reading the blurb I was drawn in by the beautiful cover and had to read it.
My light has a haunting past, sorrow, friendship, lust, love, heartbreak and tons of really hot sex.
This absolutely slayed me, it was such a raw emotional read, even though I did want to reach into my kindle and give Rena a shake to make her see sense at times and Kayden OMFG who wouldn't want a man like him in their lives, he sexy as sin, knows how to rock Rena's world, and will do anything for her.
This book ends on a cliffhanger that will have you cussing up Echo like there's no tomorrow.
Will there be an HEA for Rena & Kayden? Or has Rena blown the best thing to happen to her?
I enjoyed reading this debut novel from a former Jersey Girl, Echo Hart. She brought it all together, love, passion, angst and the desire for more from her characters. I am looking forward to learning more about Rena and Kayden. I feel the need to walk into the story and shed some light into Rena's heart to show her the steps she needs to take. Being a mom of two daughters, I am a fixer and I really feel the need to fix Rena's life. It will be wonderful to see what direction Echo takes these two in and also maybe hearing more about other characters in this story as well. Congratulations on your exciting and enticing debut!
This book is so sweet. I really enjoyed reading this story. Echo sure knows how to get to me. Make a character have no one, have everyone abandon her, and have a super hot guy swoop in and be all swoon worthy. Well there is much more to this book than that, but I don't want to spoil it for you. There were times when my heart broke for Rena. There were also times when I was like, "come on girl, he is working so hard for this!" So if that is what you are looking for, moments you yell and scream at your kindle, this is the one your looking for. Well written, comfortable speed, and one that will have you hoping it all turns out for everyone.
I recieved this book for my honest opinion and oh wow going into this book I was hooked this poor girls story about foster homes and her life in general! Is it going to get better? I was sad reading parts even brought tears to my eyes! She meets a guy in a bar will he turn her world upside down? She thinks kayden would take away all her troubles but when he turns her down will she forgive him? And boy do these two have some hot chemistry I mean they melted my iPad whew!!!! Rena lost her parents at 18 and she's struggling and she calls for kayden and he comforts her. Will Rena let kayden in to love her? Wow this book was dramatic and I can't wait to read more books from echo hart!!!
I voluntarily read this book in exchange for an honest review:
My light is such a sweet story! Her is a girl with so much heartache from people not showing love and affection from such a young age she just doesn't know how to deal! Then walks in Kayden happy sexy guy who wants to give her everything!!!
I was heartbroken myself by the end and can't wait for the next book to see how this turns out!
So much love between two people who just can't figure out how to show! Strong charters with good background snippets!
This is the debut book by Echo Heart and I like it. I liked the characters and the story it has a cliffhanger that of course I was not expecting but over all the story was great.
Rena is a woman that is very scared by her pass, her life in the foster home system and the lost of her parents. Her walls are up and they are hard to bring down. She meets Kayden a man set on bringing those wall down and this is how their story starts.
Like I said big cliffhanger and is killing me to find out was next. 4.5 Stars read
I received an ARC from author for my honest review!
This was a beautiful but heartbreaking beginning to Rena and Kayden's story. Rena has had a rough life, a nightmare of a childhood. It made her so damaged she lost her sense of self worth. When she meets Kayden, it's almost as though she's found her soul mate, but she's had such bad luck with relationships she can't trust her heart anymore.
Kayden is so amazing, and he's utterly smitten. The heart knows what it wants, and for Kayden, he will do anything for Rena. I loved how feeling he was, and how sweet and sexy he was. The ultimate package! I can't wait for the next book to come out!
Rena has had her spirit broken and confidence shattered by her horrible up- bringing, and Kayden is the perfect man to heal her. This is a heartbreaking beginning to this couples love story, as Rena does not believe that she is worthy of being loved. No spoilers; please read this one for yourself, you will not be disappointed! For a debut novel, this author is amazing, as she has given her heart and soul into writing this story, and I was hooked and intrigued from the very beginning. I will certainly be adding this author to my favourites and 1-click lists. Amazing work Echo!!