Release Review: Wishing Hearts: Emmy Sanders
𝘼 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙧𝙩. 𝘼 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙙. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚.
𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻
When I left Plum Valley ten years ago, I never thought I’d return. But a call about animals in crisis brings me back to the town that inadvertently broke my heart.
What I don’t expect? Sam. The animal control officer looks every bit a cowboy wet dream, and for whatever reason, he’s latched on to me like a dog with a bone.
One impulsive night together only leaves me wanting more, but as a single parent with loads of baggage, dating isn’t easy. Could I try with Sam, the man with the quick smile and surprisingly filthy mouth?
Or am I only setting myself up for another round of heartache?
𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗺𝘆
I can’t say I’ve ever been called a wallflower. When I see something I want, I go after it. And what I want is Harrison.
But the veterinarian with the soulful blue eyes has his walls built up high. He doesn’t seem to understand that his messy life doesn’t scare me one bit. In fact, I’ve always wanted a family to call my own. A family like his.
Convincing Harrison we could work may be a challenge, but I’m up for the task. Amidst pillow forts, bedtime stories, and camping under the stars, I know I’m falling—for all of it.
I just hope I’m not the only one wishing for a happily-ever-after in the end.
𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭-𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰, 𝘢 𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘬𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘥𝘰𝘨, 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴, 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘏𝘌𝘈. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 6 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘶𝘮 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦.
Harrison left Plum Valley ten years ago with a broken heart and his love life did not improve from there. But he forged a new life and continued working as a veterinarian. But now the community of Plum Valley needs vets to help with a serious animal neglect situation so he is going back temporarily to help his old mentor. He is very busy with the weight of the world on his shoulders and guilt for having to be away from his daughter at home.
Sammy is an animal control officer also helping in Plum Valley. He is flirty, cocky, confident, energetic, and determined to spend some time with Harrison. He is used to going after what he wants but his love life has not been good to him either.
They find a way to fit in some sexy shenanigans during their visit. And they actually live not that far from each other normally. But Harrison has baggage and is tired, overwhelmed, and not sure he has the time or energy for something just for himself. So it will be up to Sammy to convince him that he can deal with his messy life and that he is all in.
Sammy is such a sweet, determined, flirty, impulsive, sunshiny, cinnamon roll, golden retriever type that I could not help but love. He just wants a loving man and family of his own and a real home. And I felt for Harrison both from what happened in the past in Fool Hearts and the other things he went through. He has been focusing on his obligations for so long that he kind of lost himself, got stuck, and is lonely, cautious, and guarded. I felt he deserved his happy ending too. And precocious Winnie is like a little force of nature, but she also has her own vulnerabilities and factors in.
I love that Sammy just kind of wriggles himself into their lives and just becomes another functioning piece of it naturally. He gives Harrison that partnership that he has never had. And Harrison and Winnie give him the family experiences that he craves. It was just so adorable that my heart was bursting.
This is low angst and just a total fluffy marshmallow love story with two vulnerable men who needed it so badly due to them never having it in the past. It’s like they waited this long to find the perfect counterbalance, and they are both scared of getting it and then losing it. But they are also willing to be patient and make sure that it is right for all of them. And all along they are all hoping and wishing for what they really want and need, and that they will be able to keep it.
Graphics from Author's FB page
Fool Hearts
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.
Virgin Hearts
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.
Unconventional Hearts
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Kim's 4.5+ star review
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.
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.
Kim's 4.5 star review
Longtime friends. Blurred lines. And the secret that threatens it all.
Jake
There are three things my best friend Nash Dupree and I are good at. Fishing. Fighting. And another F-word that sure isn’t friendship.
Nash has been by my side for the last thirty years, but despite our long, complicated history, there are some things the town bartender still keeps close to his chest. And now those secrets are threatening to tear us apart.
That friend of mine may be running from his feelings and tackling ghosts only he can see, but I refuse to let him run away from me just because he’s scared.
I love that stubborn fool, and after everything we’ve been through, I’m not giving him up without a fight.
Nash
Since the moment I set eyes on Jake Hanson, he’s had his hook in me. No matter how hard I tried to keep the lines of our friendship from being muddled, I was powerless to resist his pull.
But the big-hearted veterinarian deserves more than I can give. And if he found out the truths I’ve been hiding, he’d see me as another pet project to doctor and mend.
I never meant for us to get so tangled together, and if we could go back to those simple days spent fishing out on my dock, oblivious to what the future had in store, maybe I could do things differently. Maybe then, I wouldn’t keep hurting Jake.
But I can’t erase my past mistakes. All I can do now is make things right. And hopefully, when I’m long gone from Plum Valley, Texas, Jake will finally understand the truth.
That he’s better off without me and always has been.
Swan Hearts is a friends-to-lovers romance spanning three decades and told in dual, alternating timelines of present and past. There’s mutual pining, an on-again/off-again dynamic, a good dose of angst, and one hard-fought HEA. It’s book 4 in the Plum Valley Cowboys series but can be read as a standalone.
Mr. Right wasn't expecting Mx. Tall, Dark, and Beautiful
Bo
Being out and proud as a nonbinary person didn’t come easy, but I’ve finally found my place. I have an amazing work family at the cabaret bar where I perform, Chicago fits me better than my Texas hometown ever did, and I’m truly happy.
Especially once Jameson walks into my life. Our new bartender accepts me effortlessly for who I am, and the man is more than easy on the eyes. In fact, the way he looks out for me is giving me all sorts of ideas, even though those cuddles were purely platonic. Weren’t they?
But I have more on my mind than finding Mr. Right. My brother Diesel won’t stop hounding me, which means it’s time to face the very thing I’ve been avoiding for years.
I need to return to Plum Valley and confront my past.
Jameson
I’ve never met anyone quite like Bo.
Every time they’re up on stage in their makeup and heels, I watch them. When that shy blush spreads over their cheeks off-stage, I stare. And when I find them crying in the storage room after a difficult conversation with their brother, I can’t help but soothe away their tears.
I always assumed I was only attracted to women, but suddenly, I’m questioning everything. Including my reaction to the sight of Bo in lingerie. I might have a lot to figure out, like whether or not Bo is interested in 𝘮𝘦. But I think it’s fairly safe to say…
I’m not as straight as I thought I was.
Courageous Hearts is an MX romance between a man and the enby he adores, with show tunes, love bites and lace, a pan-awakening, one jealousy-inducing bull ride, and a very HEA. It’s book 5 in the Plum Valley Cowboys series but can be read as a standalone.
Courageous Hearts is an MX romance between a man and the enby he adores, with show tunes, love bites and lace, a pan-awakening, one jealousy-inducing bull ride, and a very HEA. It’s book 5 in the Plum Valley Cowboys series but can be read as a standalone.
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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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