Trigger Warning: The subject of the following review, Heartaches 3: Bad Boy Vibes by H.M. Irwing contains discussions of rape, depictions of sexual situations including BDSM, violence, and drug use. If you are under 18 years of age, are triggered by such depictions, or otherwise wish to avoid them, proceed with caution.
Here’s the final review for H.M. Irwing’s Heartaches trilogy. As this book is the third in the series, the following review will contain some spoilers for the first and second book. If you have not read those, proceed carefully. Now that you’ve been thoroughly warned, here is my review for Heartahces 3: Bad Boy Vibes by H.M. Irwing.
The day of Aunt Bella and Peter Preston’s wedding is approaching, and Rafe and Anna know that they have to do everything possible in order to stop it. They have a plan which, thanks to a sly maid named Suzi, they might be able to pull off. That is, if their own emotional struggles with each other and the Prestons don’t get in the way first. What follows are 160 pages of conspiracy, tension, double-crossing, and, if course, sex and romance. Will good finally triumph over evil? Will the Prestons and Eric Dayton finally get what they deserve, and will Rafe and Anna finally get the peace that they long for? Most importantly, who will make it out alive?
Image retrieved from Amazon
Admittedly, the intricately-woven drama, which often bordered on coincidental, annoyed me in the second book. However, that annoyance has warn off in this final installment. Somehow, when combined with all the action and scheming, it works for me this time. Perhaps it’s because Irwing was able to tone it down once all the groundwork had been set or the slightly altered context from romance novel to action-romance made it more bearable for me, I’ll never know for certain. Regardless, it fit here and slightly justified the cheesiness of the soap opera elements that so heavily appeared in the second novel.
The character development has always been the greatest strength in Heartaches. The third book is no exception. While Anna and Rafe are still dangerously dependent on one another, they’ve both grown to protect each other and bring out the best–and worst–in each other. Anna isn’t entirely complacent anymore, taking on more agency and responsibility for keeping herself safe as well as Rafe. They both have come to realize that their trauma should not keep them from their future for each other, a growth which I found to be endearing and a good lesson for all of us who think we’re too damaged to be loved.
Some of the character development was a little hard for me to swallow. I didn’t believe Matt’s revelation about him and Anna in the second book and I still don’t, although I entirely believe that he and probably even Jason are afraid of Peter and his punishments. I wish that Irwing had vilified Matt and his brother a little less earlier in Heartaches if she were to take that route, but I suppose the effectiveness of the transition is up for you to decide after you read it. (I can’t talk about it much more without risking spoilers anyway.)
I’ve never been one to enjoy the romance and action genres too much, at least not without some fantasy/science fiction or historical fiction in it, but Irwing may have changed my mind some. (Of course, some other romance novels have helped her by paving the way for that.) The complexity of the character’s psychology and emotions really captured and kept my interest, and I was determined to see their story through. Irwing did not disappoint. She wrapped all the elements up nicely, even minor ones from the first book, and got my blood pumping with an unexpected boost of action that I didn’t see to that degree in the other books. Better yet, the ending left me happy without warning to barf from the sickening sweetness of “they lived happily ever after,” which always a plus for me when it comes to this genre.
My only other bones to pick, which are both minor stylistic preferences, have to do with the title and the cover. They hardly change over the course of three books, which can be confusing. I can see people starting the wrong book entirely by mistake. To avoid confusion, I hope that Irwing will consider different cover illustrations for each book and perhaps new titles which distinguish the books from each other better. Again, it’s a minor issue and does not affect the quality of the book or writing itself.
Overall, Heartaches 3: Bad Boy Vibes by H.M. Irwing is a nice conclusion to this series. If you don’t like when a book series evolves to cover more genres than previously (even if organically), you might want to avoid this last book. However, if you don’t mind a drastic increase in action in a romance series and love emotional development in your romance novels, this book is for you.
You can buy Heartaches 3: Bad Boy Vibes by H.M. Irwing as an eBook or in paperback on Amazon. Also remember to check out Irwing’s website for information on her, the Heartaches trilogy, and her other books.
Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!
Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011