After 6 months in rehab, Serena is finally able to come home. She isn’t out of the woods, yet, though. She is still recovering from a traumatic brain injury sustained while she was riding in a horse race. While the accident has greatly affected her physically and mentally, she has come out stronger. She finds her own footing and makes decisions for herself. For example, her two biggest goals are to ride again and kiss Lee, her boss.

Lee blames himself for Serena’s accident. He’s basically cut all of his friends (ahem, Serena’s family) from his life. He’s never even gone to see Serena.

But she shows up on his doorstep seeking his help in riding again. Lee is drowning in a sea of emotions and has had walls up since Serena started working for him. Slowly, he starts letting those walls down as Serena reveals her own struggles with TBI. It’s almost like Serena has come to depend on Lee in her recovery. Not in a negative, co-dependent way, but in a new friendship, changing relationship, supportive way.

Lee is shrouded in his own black cloak of issues, which is what drove him to Australia and into the horse racing business. His background was interesting, and I would have liked to have seen a little more of him delving into that with Serena beyond just the fact that his dad is a major jerkhole.

What I LOVED about this book is it promotes mental health awareness and therapy. Not in a shove in your face way. In a “hey, that’s a lot you need to unpack” way. I love that Lee takes Serena’s advice and starts going to therapy. He says its for her, but it’s also for him. It does good for them both.

I really liked the connection between Serena and Lee, and the hometown feel of the setting.

Complementary copy given for honest review and opinion.
This book is a well written romance with descriptive nature of all scenes. It was a detailed account of recovering from a head injury that brings you in with a budding romance to follow.

I enjoyed the story and the interesting details about horses and racing. Also about the main character’s Serena’s brain injury.
Serena and Lee has amazing chemistry evident from their first scene together. I kept turning the pages hoping they’ll get it on!!
Lee is sweet but wounded. I could picture him clearly in my mind. Serena pushes him and is a strong and determined person.
They were perfect together.

What an excellent story. A horse accident that the trainer blamed on himself caused him to pull away from his friends and the injured jockey. When she came home from rehab, she wanted more from him. The story dealt with Traumatic brain injury well, I thought. Lee and Serena slowly found their way to each other and helped heal each other (her from the accident, him from his upbringing). Very good story. I got this story from NetGalley for an honest review.

Two Hearts Healing by Renee Dahlia is book 3 in the Merindah Park series and focuses on the third sibling Serena and her trainer boss Lee.

Serena is recovering from an accident whilst riding in a horse race, she's dealing with the recovery of both physical injuries and traumatic brain injury. It is definitely not an easy time and Renee Dahlia does a great job of showing us some of the many impacts TBI can have on a person, while reminding us it is different for everyone and whilst someone can look physically ok, that doesn't mean they aren't struggling with hidden issues.

Serena is stubborn, whereas before the accident she would do as she was told, she is starting to find her voice and make decisions based on what she truly wants and feels is important to her, the top two things on her list are to ride again and to kiss Lee. 

Lee has been blaming himself for Serena's accident and has cut himself off from Shannon, Serena's brother, and his friend, as well as from Serena. When she turns up unexpectedly asking for help to get back on a horse, Lee is left feeling emotions he has no idea how to deal with. His relationship with his parents has played a major role in how Lee sees himself and how he holds himself emotionally around others, and Serena is about to test every one of those walls and boundaries he has put around himself.

I really enjoyed these two characters, and while the banter between them was fun, there were also misunderstandings, arguments, and revelations. There is plenty of growth in store for both characters as they negotiate their feelings for each other and try and figure out what they want and what it means to have those things. 

We met Serena in book two Making Her Mark as she is Rachel's twin and they were both struggling to build a real relationship between each other as they are both quite different people. While in Making Her Mark Serena had Rachel's back, it is nice to see their relationship has continued to grow and this time Rachel is there for Serena.

I have learnt a great deal about the horseracing industry through this series, in book one Merindah Park there is the issue of gambling, then in Making her Mark I leanrt about the extra work female jockeys have to do to get the same respect as their male counterparts, and in Two Hearts Healing I learnt about the care of horses and the issue of finding the correct homes for them when they can no longer race. It is evident that Renee Dahlia has great knowledge and love of this industry and is determined to educate us about what really goes on. 

I've really enjoyed this series so far and I really hope there is a fourth for the last brother Shannon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Escape Publishing for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

Two Healing Hearts is a well written romance. Great plot, characters and I loved the Australian setting. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

A compelling, excellent book! The characters, the setting – rural, small town Australia - the author’s love and knowledge about horses and the horseracing industry all make for a very enjoyable read.
Everything flows smoothly and seems real and authentic in this story set in Merindah Park.
The romantic relationship between Lee and Serena is a slow-burn, very enjoyable to read.
Lee is such a wounded soul, with so much baggage, but so caring and intense, and fiercely devoted. I loved the way the damage caused by his past and the guilt after Serena’s accident were healed.
Author Renée Dahlia writes a great depiction of a jockey (Serena) recovering from a traumatic brain injury, and all the complex issues involved.
Amazing secondary characters, animals beautifully portrayed, including those noble central characters, the horses, and a great writing style.