This book is a heartfelt journey through love, friendship, and the tough choices we make in life. It kicks off with a charming scene in an Italian café where Reagan, a young Army lieutenant, swoops in to rescue Sydney. Their instant connection blossoms into a beautiful friendship as they spend a magical fall exploring Italy together. But, as all good things do, their time comes to an end when Sydney has to head back to the States. Reagan, bound by the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, struggles with her feelings for Sydney, leading to a bittersweet final night filled with an unforgettable kiss.

What follows is a rollercoaster of emotions over the next fifteen years as Reagan and Sydney keep crossing paths, each separation leaving them with deeper scars. The story really captures the push and pull between duty and personal happiness. Just when it seems like they might finally have a chance to be together—thanks to the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell—the Army threatens to send them in opposite directions again.

This epic love story beautifully explores the themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the complexities of following your heart. It makes you think about what really matters in life and whether we’re making the right choices. Reagan and Sydney's journey is both touching and relatable, reminding us that sometimes love can slip through our fingers, even when we know exactly what we want. If you enjoy stories that tug at your heartstrings and make you reflect on love's challenges, this book is definitely worth a read!

This was such a good book, the characters and romance were great and I flew through it. Thank you for the copy

Second chance is not usually a trope that I vibe with, much less third and fourth chance, but this is a great little novel of learning to reach for what's best for you and not best for everyone else around you. Sydney is a fantastic character and both of them, and their reactions to each other, felt incredibly real throughout the whole story. I almost expected it to end in heartbreak and I'm glad it didn't!!

This was my second book by this author and I had a very hard time connecting with the characters as it time jumped through fifteen years.

Starts off when Reagan and Sydney meet again in a cafe then it jumps back when they first met in Italy when Reagan rescues Sydney with her order. A semester abroad brings feelings for both, but Reagan is in the military living under don't ask don't tell and Sydney is out and proud lesbian. The romance isn't meant to be until. It spans over a decade where they are never in the same place for long and feelings get deeper and deeper.

When they meet again in the present time, Sydney has a girlfriend and once again Reagan feels like her heart will be broken by the woman she's never stopped loving. I didn't like either MC really, regardless of their issues, it just bounced around too much for me to get into the story.

Overall, not a bad book, but not one I liked. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Reagan always wanted a career in the army which would lead to her being General at the end. Sydney plans to be a corporate lawyer so she can be financially secure so she can support her mom and little brother after learning of father misdeeds. Raegan and Sydney meet when Reagan helps Sydney in Italian cafe while being deployed they spend the whole day together and instant becomes friends but feelings are form but with
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law still in effect Raegan doesn’t want to act on them because it’s could ruin her career. As Raegan and Sydney grow closer over the years even when Sydney wonders how they can work with Reagan leaving ever two years wonder will they be able to have a life now that DADT is revoked that’s the question they have now. It’s was a great read about how you can’t help what your heart wants.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

When Reagan and Sydney first meet, there is chemistry between them. Yet, over the course of this rather long book, they show us a multitude of ways they can deny their feelings for each other. This is a slow-burn, on and off again, and again and again romance that will want you to continue reading because you keep cheering for the MC's. You hope eventually they will figure it out (of course they do...don't they always?) It's cute, it's a bit sad, it's fun and it's sexy.

Finding the love of your life and realizing life has its way of keeping you apart. Agonizing and heartbreaking but also a testament to how strong love can be.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

All Reagan Jennings ever wanted was a solid army career with a promotion to General at the end. It’s has been what she focused on since she was a little girl. When deployed to Naples, Italy, she runs into an American woman who’s struggling to order coffee. Gentlewoman as Reagan is, she gets up to help her. They end up spending the day together seeing the sites of beautiful Naples, but Reagan soon realizes Sydney is the most beautiful sight of them all. During Sydney’s stay in Italy they spent all their free time together and Sydney becomes the closest friend Reagan has ever had. She’s probably more, but Reagan can’t act on any of her feelings with the military criminalizing being gay under the horrific Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law. She cannot endanger her whole career like that. Cut to a few years later. While being selected for additional training, Reagan is stationed in Monterrey, California. She is out and proud now that DADT is revoked. Of course she has to run into Sydney again. And of course her feelings have not dwindled in the least. But they can’t make it work, with Sydney having her own hesitations and life goals.

Sydney Adams has a ten year plan, she is going to law school to be the best corporate lawyer she can be and finally be financially secure so she can support her mom and little brother. Her dad died while on deployment for the Navy and after her grieving mother found out how big of a douchebag her husband really was. His gambling problem left them bankrupt and his cheating ways broke her mom’s heart. The navy did screw them over too because all financial support was retracted when Sydney’s father’s true nature was revealed. To say she hates the army might be an understatement, she knows not every person in the army is as terrible as her dad, but still, the institution sucks. Her prejudices are challenged when Sydney meets the most authentic, honorable and gorgeous woman while studying in Italy. Reagan steals her heart, but Sydney can’t seem to work out how they could continue being together. Not just with Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, but with Reagan being deployed anywhere around the world every two years while she herself wants one place to call home and have a career. How come her heart just magnetically connects with Reagan every time they meet again over the years. Still, it can’t work, right?

Oh my, how this story broke my heart! Of course there is a HEA, it wouldn’t be a sapphic romance otherwise, but the journey towards that is full of highs and definite lows. It is a beautiful hurt though. Krystina Waters does an excellent job in creating a world where you hate the decisions Sydney and Reagan make, but can understand them somehow.

The story spans over more than a decade. That timeline assures that you feel in your bones the love these two women share for one another. I have never had anything today with military life personally, but Waters paints a very detailed picture. Not about the work itself, but about the effects working for the army has on the personal lives of its personnel. Especially having to live in a very tight closet as a gay employee under DADT. My heart broke for Reagan and simultaneously for Sydney as she knew what feelings Reagan was repressing but is not able to do anything about it.

As Reagan and Sydney meet again over the years their bond grows so strong that eventually Reagan has to put a stop to it if this is all they can have forever. That scene had me grabbing for the tissues. It is so heart wrenchingly painful but necessary if they want to even have a crumble of their hearts left, once they say goodbye forever.

The Heart Wants will not spare your emotions, but please let it ruin you for a while. Love wins, I promise!

It's been quite a tangled tale. We follow these two women from their late teens to their mid-thirties, as they keep crossing paths. Their interactions are often abrupt and end on a sour note, largely because of their opposing career paths. Reagan's military career clashes with Sydney's ambition to be a successful, independent lawyer. Throughout the story, Sydney's mother's disdain for the military significantly influences her daughter's views.

The premise of them constantly meeting and leaving each other prevents us from truly understanding how their lives have unfolded. We see snapshots of their lives, and while we witness their professional achievements, the reasons behind their on-and-off relationship remain unclear. Reagan, in particular, seems to have no personal life, while Sydney does have a partner at some point.

It didn't do it for me.

The story of Raegan and Sydney spans over 15 years with an epilogue 11 years later.
The story follows the two as they navigate the time of DADT and Raegan’s commitment to her life in the military and goal to become a brigadier general. It is a heart wrenching story of life choices and protecting one’s heart even though the heart wants what it is being denied.
The author writes the story with such detail of feeling and a dive into each character’s thinking that enables the reader to really understand the reasons for their decisions and the resulting emotional torment time after time.
The Heart Wants is a solid read that isn’t all sunshine and roses, but that wouldn’t do the story justice anyway.

When Reagan rescues Sydney from disaster in an Italian cafe, they become instant best friends and spend an idyllic fall sightseeing until Sydney’s semester abroad comes to an end and she returns to the States. Reagan, a young Army lieutenant, has fought her attraction for months, bound by Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and must stay behind and complete her assignment. But their final night together—complete with an illicit kiss—lives on in their minds.

Over the next fifteen years, Reagan and Sydney ricochet in and out of each other’s lives, with each parting more excruciating and leaving deeper scars than the last. When DADT is repealed and they both end up in Washington DC, it’s a chance for Reagan to finally win the heart of the woman she’s always loved, if only the Army didn’t threaten to send them to opposite sides of the world. Again.

Phenomenal read. This takes us back to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell era—which was really not that long ago—and shows us the before and after. I loved the chemistry and the connection between Reagan and Sydney, their intertwining stories, and the beautiful ending to a really wonderful story. Highly recommend this gem!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

WOW! What an insightful emotional read. Reagan Jennings, career military, living under DADT. Sydney Adams, corporate attorney, looking to take care of her family. I have not read many stories about individuals serving under DADT. When Sydney and Reagan meet in a coffee shop in Italy, it starts a fifteen year "friendship/relationship". This read had me thinking about relationships, obstacles and what it feels like when you meet "the one". I appreciated how both Sydney and Reagan hold true to what is important to them. That really resonated with me. Giving up what is important to you when you do not want to can be a relationship breakdown. There is family dynamics and important friendships, especially Sydney's good friend Aliyah. Enjoyable read that made me think and in my opinion, that is a good thing.

Reagan meets Sydney who is studying abroad in Italy. Reagan is a top graduate of West Point and planning to have a military career. They spend a couple wonderful months sightseeing together before Sydney returns to college and her goal of law school. They run into each other a few times over the next fifteen years. Each time they know they are attracted and have feelings but can’t reconcile how their lives and careers can mesh together.

I enjoyed both characters. Reagan seems a little more rigid but it is consistent with her character being in the military. I didn’t love every decision. But it makes for an interesting and realistic feeling story. The plot includes time from before and after DADT which initially kept the two apart. I enjoyed the spice and really appreciate the epilogue, letting me see some of their HEA. This is a stand alone novel, but there is a wedding for the main characters of 'Something Between Us’ (April 2022) which was the author’s debut novel. I enjoyed that book but I think this is my favorite by the author so far. (4.5 Stars)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars
"..the butterflies always present when she was with Reagan started to do huge swoops in her belly. She wondered if they were spelling out Reagan's name like someone doodling in a high school notebook."

Thank you to NetGalley and Krystina Rivers for an ARC of The Heart Wants. I really enjoyed meeting Reagan and Sydney and getting to follow their love story. This was a slow burn sapphic friends to lovers romance that was worth the wait.

Liked:
- yay lesbians!
- showed experience living through DADT in the US military which i found pretty interesting
- they are both so in love from the start as baby gays just kiss already
- i love the slow evolution and how their lives kept overlapping with random meetings and same place same time moments
- right person wrong time vibes
- loved the sweet romantic moments
- the spice was spicing in this book hello! loved how queer love and s*x was shown in this story
- woah what! what a twist! was not expecting that but we love a grand gesture and a last minute urgent flight
- the ending was so beautiful (would've loved to see a proposal/wedding scene but loved the ending scene)

Disliked:
- i don't usually like reading about characters in the military (i'm not american) but this was an exception and being in the military was integral to Reagan's character and their story
- Viviana was not the vibe (i know i am meant to hate her but i really did)

overall a beautiful queer love story that i enjoyed reading!

Realistic portrayals of the difficulty LGBTQ military faced during DADT combined with a swoony portrayal of once-in-a-lifetime love. I recommend this book.

Reagan and Sydney meet while in Italy. They have an idyllic summer then Sydney has to go back home. They both have their careers mapped out and don't see how they can be together and still obtain their chosen goals. The story has Reagan and Sydney meeting at various times over the next couple or so decades. They each try to move on with someone new. This is the story of two women who can never really forget each other. Poignant at times and Sydney can be so annoying in her intransigent attitude.

The Heart Wants is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the enduring power of connection. The story follows Reagan and Sydney, two women whose lives intertwine over fifteen years, marked by the challenges of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" era. Rivers deftly weaves a tale of longing, sacrifice, and the complexities of military life, creating characters with depth and authenticity. While the novel offers a tender and heartwarming romance, it also delves into the emotional toll of societal constraints and the resilience of the human spirit. The slow-burn chemistry between Reagan and Sydney is palpable, and their journey is both heartbreaking and hopeful, ultimately leaving readers satisfied and emotionally fulfilled.

thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this book seems to be to much back and forth for my liking.. I get way to confused when we jump back in time than back into the future.. that’s one thing I’ve never liked about reading a book or even watching a tv show.. the back in time part.. It bores me.. maybe the military aspect of this book just wasn’t for me? I don’t know..

3,5 ⭐️ || SPOIERS IN THIS REVIEW

Such a interested read. As i’m not American, I never really had contact with the ways the USA military works and its history, so I was shocked - to say at least - which such cruel ruling as the DTDA was very much real and endured for so long and not that long ago. As we readers are in the present, seeing all the steps the LGBTQ+ community have done within this century is both comforting and bittersweet sad.

As we accompanied Reagan and Sidney for such a long time, it was lovely to see a early 2010’s world, without any of the technologies that could made their lifes easy, and a sad irony to see the way they talked about the COVID-19 weeks before the whole world chanced. But, nonetheless, it was a good journey on their sides.

I say this as I was so interested in the main characters, I would have loved to see the “in between”encounters they had during the fifteen years the book take place. See how they got into and delt with new relationships, how was Sidney getting the career she wanted, how Reagan felt when the DTDA was revoked… so many little side stories and developments I would not mind reading about - instead of the just tell aspect we end up getting. Like, what happened to Aliyah? She was such a nice caracter and friend to Sidney. Was kinda heartbroken that she just desapeares in the story, really wanted to know if she was a thing with Jesse and how her friendship with the protagonists unfolds.

The only thing that quite didn’t match my personal liking was the way the plot in the third part evolved into Sidney being the only thing blocking from the romantic relationship to happen, it left an aftertaste that she was the only one that sacrificed something to make it happen, since Reagan continued in the military for at least eleven more years after the book ended. Even if Sidney realized her life plan was not actually the dream life for her, still could it be something else that did not worked with Reagan life style.

The third part girlfriend that Sidney had and the whole attack where Reagan was working in Poland really felt was an Hollywood rom-com hook then anything else, but it’s okay because we are talking about a romance book, just noting this here as it was a feeling I got from when reading those parts.

An addendum for anyone who might interest: there are a lot of steamy scenes in this book, and definitely it’s not a “fade to black” type of book. It’s very detailed and does happens quite often on the second half of the book, especially.

There was, although, just two scenes where it was mentioned that one of them started a more sexual thing when the other was still asleep - as like a caracter was awaken with the other kissing and doing more steamy stuff to their body - that really made me uncomfortable. It was mentioned that neither of Reagan or Sidney felt violated in anyway about that (they both do that to each other in two different occasions as told in the book) but it might be an trigger to someone reading this. So, therefore, noting it here.

My rating is 3,5 stars, although Goodreads won’t let half stars sadly, just because I felt uncomfortable in the scenes described in the last paragraph and I didn’t quite agree with the way Sidney was put was the one preventing the romance to work and Reagan not changing anything in her life to make it work. But, aside from that, it is a good romance book, I enjoying reading it very much. My favorite part was the Italy one for sure! Loved how their romance was build in the beginning there.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC!

The story of Raegan and Sydney spans over 15 years with an epilogue 11 years later.
The story follows the two as they navigate the time of DADT and Raegan’s commitment to her life in the military and goal to become a brigadier general. It is a heart wrenching story of life choices and protecting one’s heart even though the heart wants what it is being denied.
The author writes the story with such detail of feeling and a dive into each character’s thinking that enables the reader to really understand the reasons for their decisions and the resulting emotional torment time after time.
The Heart Wants is a solid read that isn’t all sunshine and roses, but that wouldn’t do the story justice anyway. Instead, it is realistic and has depth of meaning. I loved the follow up of the epilogue 11 years later 💜

I received an arc from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books. I leave this review voluntarily.

As a queer person who grew up on military bases, as soon as I saw this book I knew I needed to read it. I will admit - I was a bit disappointed when I began, it felt very surface level with the initial introductions and the mapping of Reagan and Sydney's relationship, but this was quickly proved to be a case of not trusting your first judgement of something (the book equivalent of giving a TV show more than the pilot). What followed through the rest of the book was a gut-wrenching queer relationship spanning years and the unfairness of DADT (and the fear it placed service people under). I will admit that I am not a fan of second-chance romances as far as my preferred tropes, but this is one of my few exceptions as I did enjoy this.

I think in terms of pacing there was definitely a bit of lag on occasion, with the book feeling just a bit too long by the end, and I prefer when authors use longer sentences with subclauses rather than the more blunt stops and starts, but this is a personal preference. I do also agree with other reviews with regards to the POV switching, this would have been more enjoyable if it was clearly defined by chapter changes.