Every time I read another book by Dianna Roman, I am blown away by her talent. She has a way with words that makes you feel the story deeply. Her characters are dynamic and the plot is full of surprises. A man who's trying to relearn how to speak falls for the doctor who gives him the encouragement to be vocal once more.
From the Silent is The Heart blurb:
One cold night stole everything from Easton Bennick—his childhood, his voice, and the only person who loved him. A ward of the state, left with nothing but pain and no way to communicate it, Hampton Hills Rehabilitation Center feels like a sentence rather than a road to recovery, until Aaron Manicki.
Eight years ago, Hampton Hills was supposed to be a steppingstone in Aaron’s speech pathology career. Dreams shattered, he never imagined ending up right back where he started. Looking for new meaning in his life, Aaron’s curiosity takes him in search of the guarded boy he worked so hard to reach years prior. What he finds is not a shy teen, but a full-grown man with an unexplainable chip on his shoulder.
Determined to integrate himself into Easton’s world, Aaron finds his quest to reach Easton may be as much a road to self-salvation. If Aaron can get Easton to speak, will he be able to hear how silent is the heart?
An MM romance of second-chances, second-guesses, and first love.
GreenwingReads review:
This is no light read, however. Before you decide to give this story a try, check the trigger warnings. It's an emotional ride right from the prologue.
I adored Easton from the very beginning. He doesn't give his love easily, but when he does, it's profound and all encompassing. Once he decides you're one of his people, he'll do anything for you. He is so generous and kind, even when he was angry and wanted to be mean, it was so obvious that he was only trying to protect himself and didn't mean it when he lashed out, which wasn't often.
We only see his initial time with Aaron through Easton's POV, so it was hard for me to have grace and understanding of Aaron's behavior and the way he left. He could have at the very least said goodbye, and he knew how difficult it was for Easton to trust and how scared he was to get his hopes up, and he broke his promise anyway. I struggled with that and the revelation that Aaron had just forgotten about the broken boy he'd fought for the chance to help. So, Easton's anger with Aaron once they are reunited was totally justified in my mind. Still, I don't think Easton went overboard or was cruel at all. He actually got over it faster than I expected and then showered Aaron with support and kindness.
Aaron is fragile. The Aaron who Easton got to know as an adult wasn't the same man he'd met at 17. He was so broken down by his life over the 8 years they'd been apart. It's difficult to give my full opinion without including any spoilers, but I really liked Aaron and Easton as they built their friendship and really got to know each other. Some of it was glossed over and I would have liked to see more and longer scenes of them spending time together, but their connection was still palpable.
All of that made Aaron's behavior after the major plot twist confusing for me. I was pretty frustrated with the way he treated Easton, and my heart ached for him. Easton's trust and hope were so fragile, and Aaron was too wrapped up in what was happening to fully see how badly he was hurting Easton. Aaron could be a bit self-absorbed and spineless at times, and I really wanted to see him fight hard for Easton. I was hoping Aaron coming to his senses was going to be a bit more profound and dramatic than it was, but it was still emotional and felt realistic.
This story is more than just a romance. It's about learning to move on after loss, finding the courage to forgive and trust, and accepting that the people you love aren't always who you thought they were. It was beautifully written, tragic, and uplifting all at once.
I adored Easton from the very beginning. He doesn't give his love easily, but when he does, it's profound and all encompassing. Once he decides you're one of his people, he'll do anything for you. He is so generous and kind, even when he was angry and wanted to be mean, it was so obvious that he was only trying to protect himself and didn't mean it when he lashed out, which wasn't often.
We only see his initial time with Aaron through Easton's POV, so it was hard for me to have grace and understanding of Aaron's behavior and the way he left. He could have at the very least said goodbye, and he knew how difficult it was for Easton to trust and how scared he was to get his hopes up, and he broke his promise anyway. I struggled with that and the revelation that Aaron had just forgotten about the broken boy he'd fought for the chance to help. So, Easton's anger with Aaron once they are reunited was totally justified in my mind. Still, I don't think Easton went overboard or was cruel at all. He actually got over it faster than I expected and then showered Aaron with support and kindness.
Aaron is fragile. The Aaron who Easton got to know as an adult wasn't the same man he'd met at 17. He was so broken down by his life over the 8 years they'd been apart. It's difficult to give my full opinion without including any spoilers, but I really liked Aaron and Easton as they built their friendship and really got to know each other. Some of it was glossed over and I would have liked to see more and longer scenes of them spending time together, but their connection was still palpable.
All of that made Aaron's behavior after the major plot twist confusing for me. I was pretty frustrated with the way he treated Easton, and my heart ached for him. Easton's trust and hope were so fragile, and Aaron was too wrapped up in what was happening to fully see how badly he was hurting Easton. Aaron could be a bit self-absorbed and spineless at times, and I really wanted to see him fight hard for Easton. I was hoping Aaron coming to his senses was going to be a bit more profound and dramatic than it was, but it was still emotional and felt realistic.
This story is more than just a romance. It's about learning to move on after loss, finding the courage to forgive and trust, and accepting that the people you love aren't always who you thought they were. It was beautifully written, tragic, and uplifting all at once.
Angel's review:
"Sometimes being broken just means you’re missing your other piece. I don’t fit anywhere better than with you, Easton. I don’t care how tattered our edges are.” '
Dianna knows how to write good books, she always creates beautiful characters that are so realistic and personable. Along with being great at creating wonderful characters, she's also got a special way with words, her stories just flow so smoothly and she ends up developing such detailed and vivid worlds.
Reading about Easton being in the hospital was absolutely heartbreaking, I was devastated for him. He lost so much and no one tried to reach out to him in the way he needed, not until Aaron. The scenes where Aaron would coax Easton to speak was written so well. Nothing felt forced or unrealistic, they just grew accustomed to each other and learned what worked and what didn't. I was holding onto hope that things would work out between these two, and while it took them some time, and heartbreak to get there, they did get there in the end.
Aaron has a kind soul, he tries his best to help those around him even when he's down in his luck himself. Even when it comes at the expense of himself too. The journey he had to go on with his despicable husband was heartbreaking to read about, but all that anguish and pain led him back to Easton.
The relationship developed between Aaron and Easton gradually, there was a lot of angst between these two men so it wasn't insta love which I appreciate. And while both men thought about steamy times with each other, they didn't engage in any of those thoughts until they had gotten to know each other better. I liked how this story wasn't loaded with steamy scenes, there were steamy moments that happened but they weren't overdone.
I absolutely adore Wolf, I hope at some point he gets his own story because his character intrigues me so much. His bond with Easton is unbreakable and I found it really sweet that these two men formed such a strong bond with each other.
All in all another fantastic story from Dianna! I can't wait to see what's next!
Reed Kaye's review:
I don’t feel qualified to write a review for this story. It is that good.
The author gives these characters so much intensity and heartfelt passion about life and more.
Easton deserves so much more than what happens to him as a kid. While recovering he meets Aaron and the relationship starts with a 17 year old Easton having a crush on Aaron and then Aaron disappears.
Aaron has everything going his way when he meets Jason and moves away to be with him. The problem is life with Jason isn’t what he expected and an incident occurs that shakes up their relationship.
The path Easton and Aaron take to recover the friendship they once had is heartbreaking. The lack of confidence each have tore at my heart. Every step of the way kept me unable to set the story down. This author is able to touch my heart as few can.
I highly recommend this story and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.
Silent is The Heart is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription
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