Hearts and Thorns by Ella Fields
Genre: NA Realistic Fiction
Blurb (on back of book): I love you; I loathe you
Jackson Thorn was my best friend and worst enemy, but that didn't stop me from wanting him.
From first words to high school halls, our childhood years braided a bond that wove in a direction neither of us could predict or outgrow.
Forbidden became a word we ignored.
It wasn't that we didn't care.
It was that we cared too much.
We had it all planned out.
We thought we could make it.
We thought we'd been careful.
But all we managed to do was prolong the inevitable.
Our destruction.
Hearts and Thorns is a standalone full length new adult novel from bestselling author, Ella Fields.
MY OPINION: ****
Something strange about this book is that I actually ended up reading it first despite it being the last book of the series. They can all technically be read as standalones but I would recommend reading at least the first book before this one for a good introduction to the characters, especially since this book concerns a couple mentioned in the first book.
This book concerns a bit of a taboo relationship that at first I was completely against but gradually got over. As someone reading Frankenstein which features a similarly "taboo" relationship (though I suppose the time period makes it "okay"), I'm no longer phased by a lot of the topics mentioned within books, though of course I have my limits.
Willa and Jackson have known each other since they were children and are step-siblings. However, they both have experienced an increasing attraction to each other as they are growing up and one day decide to act upon those feelings, unleashing a whole can of worms of forbidden love, taboo, and potential mocking from society. I have no problem with step-sibling relationships anymore after some of the books my friend has told me about featuring far worse relationships and they aren't technically related. It may be a bit uncomfortable but I gradually forgot all about the fact for most of it. However, I wouldn't recommend this book if the idea of a step-sibling romance disgusts you.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Willa and Jackson. Not only did they experience the generic relationship issues that teenagers go through but they also have the added factor of forbidden love. I truly loved the first half of this book and if the rest of the book had finished at that level of writing, I would have rated it five stars. However, I ended up not loving the second half as much, most particularly because of the time jump.
Jackson has his own set of problems that causes him to treat Willa differently in public than in private. He has a "girlfriend" who he seems to sometimes prioritize over Willa, despite his whispered promises to her behind closed doors. I didn't appreciate Jackson's actions throughout this book because it felt wrong and cruel, especially since Willa didn't ever truly understand his feelings for Ainsley. However, the man lives by a complete double standard because he lashes out when Willa starts talking to another boy, which made me strongly dislike Jackson for a fair part of the book.
Willa ends up making a mistake based on a misunderstanding between her and Jackson which sets them apart for several years, in which we experience a time jump. I am completely on Willa's side because based on what she heard and what she was told, she was justified in her actions. However, I truly felt horrible for Jackson when she told him the truth about what she did (that scene was very talked about on TikTok and it hurt just as much as everyone says it does).
The time jump was a bit jarring for me and while I understand why the author did it, I think this could have stayed a generic high school romance rather than a post-college romance. I did like getting to see where both Willa and Jackson ended up and how they changed as people. I don't appreciate Willa's treatment of Todd or Jackson's treatment of Ainsley but I understand that they are only human and have flaws and make mistakes, something that I appreciated from the author as it felt more realistic.
The ending of this book is a little bit crazy and extreme, seeming unrealistic and a simple solution to the dilemma created throughout this book. However, despite the outlandishness of the book, I ended up enjoying the ending and seeing Jackson's and Willa's final conclusion.
I liked this book considerably more than the other two (I haven't even finished the second book because I just really do not like the plot or the characters) and would recommend this book to readers looking for a heartwrenching, angsty romance novel.
Main Character: Willa, Jackson
Sidekick(s): Friends, etc
Villain(s): Family, misunderstandings, forbidden love, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book was all very real to life.
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