Hearts in Circulation is the second book in Sarah Monzon’s Checking out Love series. Parts of it are funny. Parts of it are a bit intense emotionally. Still other parts are cheesy. The author specializes in dropping clichés and puns all over the place as you might guess from both the title of the series and the novel. It was difficult to determine which way to lean on liking or not liking the book. Just when things seemed to settle into a pleasant rhythm, another cheesy line would appear.
The story itself was a bit implausible, but also charming in its own way. The characters both have serious challenges related to their mental and physical health. Levi and Hayley make quite a pair. One of the best messages in the book is the idea that both of them care so much about one another that they want to help the other be comfortable rather than trying to change them into someone they are not. It is a little hard to believe that Levi’s character could develop so rapidly from a reclusive individual to one who seems to be great at communication. It is not that he could not learn to do it, it doesn’t seem like the change would have been as rapid as depicted.
The romance aspect of the book was a little uneven. It felt as though the author jumped from having the couple developing genuine feelings to just wanting to focus on kissing one another. Then it pulls back to genuine caring. However, overall, the main characters were likeable and the author does a great job of generating sympathy for Levi and his struggles. He is just a person readers want to like, even if he is not always the most genteel. The book is a quick read and has some truly sweet moments as well.
Review of an Advanced Reader’s Copy Provided by the Publisher
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: Someone wonders if someone else has been murdered, but it is in jest.
Sex/Nudity: Several references to something or someone being sexy; a character recalls someone saying someone might steal her virtue; a scene where characters are lying atop one another in a bed, but it is not depicted as sexual.
Mature Subject Matter:
Chronic health conditions.
Drug/Alcohol Use:
None
