Release Review: Virgin Hearts: Emmy Sanders
Virgin Hearts
Release Date April 21, 2022
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Can an inexperienced cowboy wrangle the adult movie star of his dreams?
Hawthorne
I’ve lived in the same small town my entire life. And I like it, for the most part: being a rancher, taking care of my chickens, and even my meddlesome family. What I don’t like are the limited dating options. I’m gay, and at thirty-six-years-old, I’ve never been with a man.
When I enter a contest to win my favorite adult entertainer’s support for our town’s first Pride Parade, I never expect to win. And I definitely never expect to find myself in a friends-with-benefits relationship with the man.
The problem is, I quickly realize I want more. But could someone as confident, sexy, and independent as Silver ever consider building a life with a simple cowboy like me?
Mateo
My work is my life. Filming under the moniker Silver, I’m happy enough. I’m making good money, I’m free from my crummy past, I’m well on my way to the career I actually dream about, and I’m not looking for any complications.
Enter Hawthorne Moore, with his sweet-as-molasses drawl, that adorable gap-toothed smile, and the beautiful way in which he begs, and suddenly, I find myself getting in too deep. And that’s a problem, because I’ve spent years building up these walls around my heart, and I don’t know how to bust them down.
Can I work through my trauma and lasso myself a cowboy, or will I lose the only man who’s ever loved me?
Virgin Hearts is a friends-with-benefits-to-more romance that includes a flirty performer, risqué photo shoots amongst peeping bovine, an endearing cowboy whose cock (ahem, rooster) rises at dawn, dom/sub undertones, and one very HEA. It’s book 2 in the Plum Valley Cowboys series but can be read as a standalone.
Virgin Hearts is the story of a very unlikely couple. Hawthorne is a shy, thirty-something, small-town cowboy who has not had much opportunity to explore his sexuality. And Silver is a porn star from Vegas who is over a decade younger but much more experienced in big city life and sex.
When Hawthorne wins a contest to help with a new Pride celebration in their small Texas town, they began a communication stream that turns into a flirty, fun, connection before they even meet. And once they meet that only grows and opens up a whole Pandora’s box of new experiences as well.
But Silver lives in Vegas and Hawthorne’s life is rooted in Plum Valley. What could possibly come of two hearts that found an unexpected connection that they never saw coming?
These two are such a perfectly imperfect match. Hawthorne is such an overthinker and worrier, but such a sarcastic, sweet, and caring man. And Silver is more energetic, fun, and spontaneous, but he also has some deep-rooted issues and emotional walls. Their relationship gives each other something that they both need and don’t have in their normal lives, but it’s not exactly what would be expected. I liked are they balanced each other out and I was invested in them finding some way to make it all work. I really liked how Hawthorne could see the little differences between the porn star and the man, and how he dealt with the whole situation. And I also liked watching the vibrant city boy in Plum Valley.
It is about being brave, vulnerable, trusting, and searching for acceptance, safety, and a sense of home.
This book is different from the slow burn, lifetime longing of book one and is fast-paced, fun, passionate, and swoony. But the characters also have depth, insecurities, fears, and challenges to overcome.
It is about being brave, vulnerable, trusting, and searching for acceptance, safety, and a sense of home.
This book is different from the slow burn, lifetime longing of book one and is fast-paced, fun, passionate, and swoony. But the characters also have depth, insecurities, fears, and challenges to overcome.
It brings back characters we met in Fool Hearts as it has some of the same timeline. I loved getting more with Easton, Wyatt, and Will especially. It also introduces the whole Elite 8 porn star group that will be a spin-off series with Dix. They are snarky and entertaining, and I think they’re going to be quite a handful.
Graphics from Author's Facebook or group
Fool Hearts
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Kim's 4.5+ star review
Best friends. Unrequited love. A story that spans decades.
Wyatt
At twelve, he was my best friend. At sixteen, he became my crush. And now, at thirty-four, he’s the man I’m still pining after.
Falling in love with Easton was never part of the plan. But now that I’ve done it, I can’t seem to stop. It doesn’t help that we’re living under the same roof. Or that Easton is so dang sweet, I want to lick him from head to toe.
But Easton is straight, and all the cattle in Texas won’t change the fact that he’ll never look at me the way I see him. I want someone who can love me back. And I won’t be able to find that while I’m hung up on my best friend.
It’s time to find a way to say goodbye.
Easton
I always knew I was a little bit different than everybody else. When kids my age were hooking up, all I wanted to do was sit on the ranch with Wyatt and plot out our future. I didn’t need anyone else.
When Wyatt leaves Plum Valley, he takes a piece of me with him. When he returns at the moment I need him most, he helps me to heal and feel whole again. We have a good life now, Wyatt and I, best friends still after all these years.
So when I happen to catch my friend down on his knees in the barn, I don’t understand why, all of a sudden, I’m thinking things I shouldn’t be. Now, I can’t stop wondering and wanting.
But would taking that chance with Wyatt risk the best thing in my life?
Fool Hearts is a small town, longtime friends to lovers romance with a whole lot of pining, a bi-awakening in a barn, swoon-worthy cowboys, a roller coaster of emotions, and one very HEA. It’s book 1 in the Plum Valley Cowboys series but can be read as a standalone.
Expected May 19, 2022
Amazon
One summer. Three men. The proposal that ropes them together.
Cooper
I came to Texas with a single goal: to find my bio-dad before the end of summer. Instead, I found Will, a spitfire of a man with sharp blue eyes and a swoon-worthy drawl. When he proposes adding benefits to our newfound friendship, I’m all in.
The problem? I’m smitten. With not one, but two men. Because Will has a friend that makes me smile like no other. My time in Plum Valley is coming to an end, but if I’m not careful, I’ll be leaving my heart behind when I go.
At twelve, he was my best friend. At sixteen, he became my crush. And now, at thirty-four, he’s the man I’m still pining after.
Will
Spending summer break back home with my best friend was not supposed to be complicated. But then Tru and I kissed, and for the first time, I don’t know where we stand. Now Cooper, the new ranch hand, is mixed up in matters, and I’m even less sure of what it all means.
The three of us fit together effortlessly, but I worry it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. I don’t know how to get out of this tangled mess, and truth be told, I’m not sure I want to.
Tru
To me, it’s simple. Will and I are exploring what it means to go from friends to more. But as an asexual man, there are certain activities I’m uninterested in. Will likes Cooper, and Cooper is all about Will. And me? I have no problem sharing.
But as summer ticks down, I learn a few lessons. One, I feel more at home in Plum Valley than anywhere else. Two, I’ve been harboring major feelings for Will. And three, Cooper’s infectious optimism isn’t something I’m ready to part with.
Time’s almost up. Yet I’m nowhere near ready to say goodbye.
Unconventional Hearts is a lighthearted poly romance between a Southern charmer with a hero complex, a blunt-as-can-be sweetheart who doesn’t need saving, and a lovable golden retriever of a man who has a song for every occasion. There is no cheating and one very HEA. It’s book 3 in the Plum Valley Cowboys series but can be read as a standalone
Spin-off series: Elite 8
Dix (book 1)
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MM romance author Emmy Sanders would describe herself as a lover of love. She's obsessed with both reading and writing romance and believes everyone deserves their happy ending. Queer herself, Emmy has a soft spot for LGBTQ+ fiction, but MM is where her heart lies.
Emmy's books combine sweet, steam, humor, and the occasional kink. And, as always, will leave you with one very happily ever after.
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