I love second chance romance stories, and since I already know L.A. Casey can write a stunning one, it seems like a no brainer that I would jump at the chance to read and review Echoes of the Heart,

A decade ago, Frankie and Risk were just like any other people in a serious relationship. They lived together, and Risk was doing all he can for his band to get signed to a label. Things take a turn for the worse, however, when Frankie discovers that her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Frankie's mother's diagnosis coincided with the break that Risk has been waiting for, and since Frankie didn't want him to give up his dream, she pushes Risk away. Fast forward to ten years later - Risk is now an accomplished and famous musician, while Frankie's life hasn't really changed much. They meet again when Risk and his bandmates come home to celebrate their high school music teacher's retirement.

There a lot of things at play - Risk is resentful of how Frankie pushed him away, and Frankie, knowing that Risk would have never left her otherwise, is largely unapologetic. Frankie is also struggling to deal with her mother's impending death, while Risk has abandonment issues to work through. It took a few difficult interactions before Frankie and Risk decided to try being friends, and I adored seeing the pay off and them realizing that their love story was nowhere near done. They were always each other's biggest supporters, and reading about Risk and Frankie finding their way back to each other was incredibly rewarding.

I really enjoyed Echoes of the Heart, and I look forward to what L.A. Casey writes next!

This is a well written second-chance romance with two perfectly imperfect leading characters. I love that both Frankie and Risk are imperfect in their own ways but that they are also ment to be together despite everything they've to go through.
This novel is extremely moving but the best thing is that all the emotions are masterfully mixed with a lot of humor and sarcasm –hilarious height jokes and friendly insults–. The bantering and easy jokes reminded me a lot of the Slater brothers, so bonus points for that!

This was definitely an emotional, exciting and sexy story.

I loved that both Risk and Frankie actually never stopped loving each other and never wanted to end things but they had very good reasons to. Their journey coming back together was very sweet and romantic roller coaster with many unexpected twists that kept me turning the pages.

This is the first book I read from this author ans I definitely want to read more.

ARC provides via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

L.A Casey books never fail to hook me in and this book was no different at all.
She is an absolutely amazing writer.
This book had me hooked from page 1.
Literally cannot wait for more books from her now

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley and Montlake publishing for the early opportunity to read and review this book.

I’m in a book coma! Still processing, still thinking of.... Frankie and Risk. Still feeling their pain, disappointment, their anxiety but yet feeling their love, their joy, their coming alive everytime they came together. In this story there is love bigger than life itself. The suffering and hurt are suddenly swept away in love and happiness.

I know LA. Casey has always written beautiful emotinal stories but I think she has surpassed all of the others with this one. Because OMG it wasn’t just beautiful, it was meaningful and bloody brilliant.

Abusive foster parents, terminal disease and emotions, so deep that your own heart hurts for the main characters, and all the shed tears give you an amazing story full of ups and downs you would definitely enjoy. This is a story you’ll want to devour, a story that makes you scream in your own head but also makes you laugh.
It has everything! There was no way I was putting this book down I just had to know what happens next.
I am sure you will agree 100% when you start reading it.

So peeps get it read and say otherwise.. I dare you!

This book is so beautifully heartbreaking that I didn't want to put it down. I adored Frankie, strong, loyal and true, she was a fantastic character who put everyone else before her. Reading about her struggles with her family and just in life in general broke my heart and I wanted, needed, her to get her HEA.

Risk's past was heartbreaking as well and through flashbacks, we see what he had to deal with and how Frankie and he supported each other first as friends then as more. I loved them together and I also mourned the breakup because they deserved so much more. I'm not a huge fan of flashback and there are quite a bit of them but the author did a great job incorporating them without breaking the flow up too much.

I didn't think the break-up itself (the reason, the aftermath, etc) was very believable given how much they loved each other. But that said, there had to be one, right, for this to be a second chance romance.

There are some difficult topics being dealt with, including drugs, abuse and of course, Frankie's mother's decline from Alzheimers. There are a few moments of levity but really, the heartfelt and emotional writing truly is what made this an unputdownable book. Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy!!

Echoes of the Heart by L.A. Casey a flavoursome five-star read. This one was a difficult one, as I loved 90% of the story, but I found the other 10% a struggle to read. I went for 5 stars overall as I enjoyed the majority so much. Frankie was the main reason I enjoyed this story, her empathy shone through the page, her relationship with her mother and step farther was some of the most heart-warming. Risk was your typical Rockstar, overnight success isn’t always a good thing, the rest of the band made me smile, they clearly wanted to succeed and want what is best for Risk, but what happens when the best thing may not be the right thing for everyone. There is so much raw emotion in this story, it will shatter your heart and leave the echoes pouring through the night.

I was a bit underwhelmed by this book. I wanted to be more excited, particularly as I found the heroine quite an attractive character. However the original love story didn't feel compelling enough and then the reunion also felt quite underwhelming. The characters were sympathetic but it just lacked a certain pzazz I felt.

I couldn’t put this book down!

The characters drew me in from the very beginning and the story was both heartbreaking and steamy. I especially loved the secondary characters who were both funny and loyal. Echoes of the Heart deals with some tricky subjects from addiction to dementia but deals with them beautifully and yet poignantly.

I became a little frustrated towards the end with Rockstar Risk but I still pulled for both characters. I would happily read this book again and would thoroughly recommend it.

Ultimately this book is what it is, and that’s a fairly competent romance. The author relies heavily on both flashbacks and straight up telling (vs showing) the reader to establish characterization. I also think the substance abuse in the book is handled a little clumsily But the book is certainly readable.

Echoes of the Heart by L.A. Casey

Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Echoes of the Heart by L.A. Casey is a standalone contemporary second chance Romance that I really enjoyed. I was surprised, because I don’t usually like a rock star hero. But, this one worked for me.

After a passionate teenage love affair, Frankie breaks up with Risk to allow him to pursue his dream of becoming a rock star as she stays in their small seaside town of Southwold, UK to care for her mother. After nine years, Risk walks back into Frankie’s life, and their passion for each other resurfaces.

This book was fun and emotional to read. I don’t usually like a book with a rock star as the hero, their hedonistic lifestyle doesn’t usually make a good romantic story, however for this book, it worked.

The banter between Frankie and Risk, and among the bandmates was funny and lighthearted, it was a good contrast for the emotional, intense love story between Frankie and Risk. I also enjoyed the relationship between Frankie and her stepfather. I liked the way they joined forces to support each other through Frankie’s mothers illness.

The love story between Frankie and Risk is very intense, steamy, and chaotic. Risk came from a foster home and never knew true love until he met Frankie as a teenager, there separation as teens was something neither got over, even though they wanted to forget each other.

I recommend this book for a strong emotional read with lighthearted, funny scenes that break up the intense love story.

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

Echoes of the Heart, L.A. Casey

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Romance 
Genre: Romance, general fiction ( adult)

I've enjoyed several of this authors books, and of course the rock star romance genre and second chance stuff always hooks me. I enjoyed this but not quite as much as I expected.
My heart broke for young Risk, and for how good Frankie was with him. Then when they were older I understood Frankie's reasons for pushing Risk away, I agreed with them even, and yet somehow it irked me. I couldn't understand how Risk didn't see it, why he was so resentful.
He was all about everyone leaving him, very focused on that even years later. Still, you need to walk in someone's shoes to truly understand their actions. Both Risk and Frankie were still clearly very much in love.

The big thing that breaks them was something I struggled with, I really didn't see why it was such a problem. Though of course there has to be something doesn't there or we'd get a very bland romance, and I'm all about the break up dramas....

Frankie's mum, Michael, and the problems they had with her illness were heartbreaking. Its such a cruel disease, so hard on families more so than the person affected. Living bit not living, her mum, his wife and yet not that person. Tough and they were so good with her. For many its just too much to deal with, but they stuck by her no matter how hard.

I loved the other lads in the band, the band issues, the drug problems and the rabid fans. For me they all belong in a proper band read, and make the book stand out.

Its a fun read, just didn't quite grip me as much as others I've read. I loved the setting, Southwold is about 50 miles from e, and a place I've holidayed at many times. It was fun to read it as the setting for fiction romance.

Stars: Four, a fun band read, great characters, brilliant setting!

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

I absolutely loved this! The cover is smoking hawt! The title apt and the blurb makes you want this book! For me though... I’m in it for the author! Her books which I’ve been reading since Dominic came out have endeared me to her style of romanticism.


What did I like? Frankie..Little..Cherry..Bilbo..The leading lady is a firecracker with more names than I could possibly keep up with. Risk is the proverbial rock star that she let go so he could become what he did. Well you know they say if you let something go and it comes back to you then you know it was meant to be. This book had my heart throbbing for these two. I didn’t want to put it down and now I have such a book hang over. Five stars... Author really rocked this one!

Would I recommend or buy? This author has really grown in her writing and this is her 19th book. Amazing! I thought this was a fantastic read and love the snark between Risk and Frankie! If you love romance then this is romance at its highest. Second chance romance lovers will be delighted with this book. I will definitely get a copy for my shelf! Five stars!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review!

Wow! I mean—WOW!!!

This was everything and more, the storyline was captivating, drawing you in with the emotions that was inside. God, I loved everything about this book, seriously. LA Casey is one of my unicorn authors and I love everything about her books, everything. Everyone needs to get a copy of echoes of the heart, ASAP! I just can’t even with this book, I was speechless, I was in tears, both with sadness and laughter. This seriously has it all, and it deserves more than 5 ⭐️

I really want to rate this book higher. I am a big LA Casey fan so thanks to net galley for this ARC but it just didn’t grab me like all the others I’m afraid. It was still a good read but it just fell a little flat and I wanted to know more about the secondary characters.

This is a story that I wish I could give more then five starts. Because it deserves it. It is a heartbreaking touching story. About Frankie and Risk. They have known each other most of their lives and started dating at sixteen. Frankie encouraged Risks music. So three years later when his band is going to be signed Frankie knows she needs to break up with him so that he will go and pursue his dream. While she stays to be with her mom who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Now nine years later Risk is back. And they have both been through so much in that time. This was a very emotional story. Frankie seeing her mother slowly deteriorate and not be able to remember Frankie. And Risk not being able to cope and turning to alcohol and drugs to cover his hurt was heartbreaking. But the author did an a great job of piecing them back together. I cannot recommend this book enough!!!