I was really looking forward to this after meeting Jaime in the first book of the series. I had high hopes for this and this didn't let me down. I really liked it. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Jaime and Marc meet and then fall in love. I love this author's work because I like the slightly melancholy feel to all of her stories and I love the damaged guys trying to put their lives back together. It's probably always going to be a win for me.


**ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Garrett Leigh is without a doubt one of the most consistent writers in the genre. Her new release, Soul to Keep, is her twenty-third book, and while she certainly has a “style”—you definitely know you’re reading a Garrett Leigh book when you’re immersed in one of her stories—all of her novels are unique. The plotlines are never redundant or formulaic whatsoever. She brings something unique and special to every single book. In the case of Soul to Keep, she brings together Marc, an ex-soldier and medic from her book Between Ghosts, and Jamie, an ex-junkie, formerly seen as the troubled roommate and best friend of Zac from the LAMBDA finalist, Rented Heart. When I saw that the author was planning this book, I thought it was such a cool idea and I totally love what she did with it. The crossover works really well and even brings in some other familiar faces!

For the past year, Jamie has been in California, first rehabbing and then working for Sea Rave, the company owned by Zac’s partner, Liam. But, California just wasn’t home, basically it was just too damn cheerful for Jamie, and he started itching to go back home to England. He can’t go back to London, though, so he heads for parts unknown and ends up in a little town called Matlock Bath, where he starts looking for a job and trying to figure out his life. One thing he doesn’t expect is to run into is the intriguing stranger he met on his flight home from the States.

Marc Ramsey is equally surprised to run into Jamie, the tempting younger man he talked off the ledge on his flight home from America. He’s happy to see him, though, and immediately starts thinking of ways to guarantee he’ll keep seeing him, one of which is to offer him a job helping Marc clean out his mother’s house, where Marc is now living. I absolutely adored Marc. He’s smart, kind, and completely non-judgmental about Jamie’s past. Marc isn’t without his own baggage, of course—he’s in near constant pain from the loss of his leg and is still processing his past in the Army. He’s also sort of newly processing the fact that he’s into blokes, though things come very naturally as far as his feelings and reaction to Jamie.

Throughout the story we start to realize that addiction perhaps isn’t Jamie’s current biggest worry; he’s also battling some pretty nasty OCD along with his demons from when he was still using. But Marc, always the doctor, sees what’s going on with him and does what he can to make things better for Jamie. And at the same time, Jamie does so much to take care of Marc. I loved these guys together. I loved how they both overlooked the other person’s scars and past, and simply saw the person inside. There are no heavy dramatics in the book. There’s nothing overly sensational that happens. It’s honestly just a quiet romance between two guys who, as it turns out, really need each other.

Soul to Keep does deal with some heavy subject matter, but it is very low on angst. It’s, for the most part, a story about healing. And, about finding someone to spend your life with who gets you, with no conditions. I loved the easy flow of the story and found myself quickly caught up in it. I also loved the little surprises the author threw in, and, as always, am eagerly anticipating the next book. Another wonderful read from one of my faves!

Reviewed by Jules

I always love stories by Garrett Leigh and this was another great one. We first meet Jamie in book 1. Rented Heart. And at the end of Rented Heart, Jamie goes to California to work and clean up. Now months later he's restless and just wants to return home but doesn't know what home is anymore. All Jamie has ever truly known or loved is Zac, but now his best friend is with Liam and he doesn't know where he fits anymore.

Marc is a bit of crossroads himself but when he meets a stranger on the plane who is terrified to fly something breaks in him making him want more. The stranger made quite an impact but the chances of seeing him again are slim, but fate is a funny thing and Marc finds Jamie again in his small town of Matlock Bath where Jamie has just moved.

Marc and Jamie have a push and pull of a journey as they both work through their demons. Thankfully the pull wins over the push between these two.

"Things happen. If we hadn't done what we'd done, we wouldn't be where we are now. And I don't know about you, but I wouldn't change my life for the world."

Sometimes are life can take us on a path that we don't want but life can change in a moment that eventually takes us where it should. And for Jamie and Marc this is exactly that.

Cute heartfelt story

3.5 stars

After a year of being clean from drug addiction, Jamie Yorke has had enough of California and returns to England. He's still struggling somewhat with his sobriety and other issues. When Marc Ramsey, a former combat doctor helps him during a turbulent flight, they both find they are attracted to each other. When Jamie runs into Marc later, he's both surprised and happy to reconnect, and so begins their journey.

Marc thinks Jamie is gorgeous and is interested in connecting with him, even though Jamie is upfront about his issues. They slowly become friends and venture into something more, but it's a hard ride for Jamie.

I really liked both of these characters, and I think that is why this book has such an impact on me. I don't know if it was just me, but I found Soul to Keep left me feeling depressed and sad for Jamie in a way that I have not felt when reading similar stories of recovery. I suppose it's a testiment to Garrett Leigh's writing that I felt so much while reading this book, but unfortunately, it just didn't leave me in a good place at all.

There is a happy for now in this story, and I did like that Marc and Jamie fill the loneliness they both feel. Marc's character was fabulous and very sensitive to Jamie and what he was going through. I did find the story leaned more toward Jamie's story than Marc's and I wanted to know more about him and why he was drawn to Jamie.

I have very mixed feelings about Soul to Keep and I am struggling with how to rate it. On one hand, it's a very emotional story -- which I love. On the other hand -- it did leave me feeling depressed and unsettled, so I'm a bit on the fence here. Maybe it just wasn't for me, although it did make me want to read the first book in this series, Rented Heart, so I don't know! Soul to Keep did work for me as a standalone.

So I'm not entirely comfortable with recommending this title, but if you are looking for a mm romance dealing very realistically with addiction and OCD, then you may like this book.

An ARC was provided for review.

I’ve mentioned more than once that Garrett Leigh possesses a super power… “(Her) super power is creating characters that are broken, giving them a glimmer of hope and then ripping it away… there’s a reason why I keep coming back for more though… *sigh* ” – and that reason is, whatever she makes her beloved characters go through is totally worth it. It may seem like torture at the time, but it makes where they find themselves in the end worth so much more…

Soul to Keep was just a little different though. Jamie was introduced in Rented Heart, the first book in the series. He went through his personal version of Hell during Liam and Zac’s story. His semi-forced recovery happened some time between Rented Heart and Soul to Keep. Readers saw him crumble in the previous book, by the time he was introduced in Soul to Keep, he was already working on finding a way to stand on his own two feet. He appreciated everything that both Liam and Zac had done for him and even though he ended up close in proximity to them, he was ready to prove 0 to himself and everyone else – that he could take care of himself.

Marc was broken in a totally different way and he was also a self professed “fixer”. When he saw someone in need and he could help in any possible way, he couldn’t resist. Together these two shouldn’t have worked together, but they did. They both had some serious healing ahead of them and they found a perfect balance that helped them help each other.

Oh, and for the record, there wasn’t a lot to like about Jamie in Rented Heart, but I wasn’t surprised that Garrett Leigh managed to cause me look at him in a whole new way. He totally redeemed himself in Soul to Keep – I love it when an author does that 😉

Favorite Quote: Getting clean had saved him, but in turn his so-called life had become a dedication to his addiction-a necessary homage that he’d never be free.

I’ve always been a fan of Garrett Leigh and her tortured heroes. Whether it’s abuse, addiction, or PTSD, Leigh digs down beneath the stereotypes to educate readers to the truth of the matter and the hard road those who suffer must follow to put their life back on track. I like that Leigh doesn’t offer readers the idea that love solves everything. Rather she pushes the fact that friends, family, and lovers can help and there is no shame in relying on them.

Set in the Rented Hearts series, Soul To Keep can be easily read as a standalone though some may want to read book one, Rented Heart, to get more information Jamie’s background. Marc is a crossover character from Between Ghosts; an emotional standalone war romance that broke my heart a million times over. Much quieter then I would normally expect from Leigh, this is more Jamie’s story than his and Marc’s. Though both characters carry some pretty heavy baggage, Jamie is a recovering drug addict who suffers from panic attacks and OCD while Marc is a recovering alcoholic whose need to care for others has been waylaid by losing part of his leg, the focus is a soft raw wound that centers on Jamie’s need to stand on his own two feet and deal with all the internal factors that attributed to his addiction.

“I’m afraid of myself…and you should be too”

The romance is very slow burning as Marc instigates himself in Jamie’s life with good intentions. An attraction and Marc’s internal need to care for others manifests into him giving Jamie a job, rides, feeding him, etc… Basically, Marc is wooing him the only way he knows how and Jamie teeters between being relieved and overwhelmed. Jamie left California to come back to England so he could prove to himself that he could stand alone in his recovery. Jamie carries a tremendous amount of guilt with him over his treatment of Zac, his best friend, and the amount of time and money Zac’s boyfriend, Liam, spent to help him get clean. Hints at an abusive childhood and very low self-esteem create a vacuum of self-pity, anger, and fear that Jamie can’t escape from anymore now that he is clean.

He didn’t deserve Marc’s kindness any more then he had Zac’s, or Liam’s, or Marvins. He was the storm.

Some steamy sex scenes and swoony romantic overtures offer readers the assurance that this couple has a chance if time and patience is used. I enjoyed the banter between Jamie and Marc; their chemistry flows smooth and sure. Even the awkward moments worked as they paid homage to what was going on with Jamie and his emotions at the time. I do wish more time had been spent talking about their issues rather than the habit of sweeping it all under the rug when it became too much. It seemed like Marc spent an inordinate amount of time trying to guess what all Jamie’s problems are while Jamie offers him random clues to follow while getting angry at Marc for trying to diagnose him. I also wished we could have seen Jamie make some sort of amends towards his friends. Especially Zac.

“I don’t find storms I am the storm.”

The ending is a mashup of manufactured drama that threw me off a little. It wasn’t necessary for relation to Jamie and Marc’s situation and felt rushed and haphazard. I felt maybe it was used to set up the storyline for book three. We’ll see. Regardless, Soul to Keep is a quiet emotional story about one man’s journey towards sobriety from his point of view and the various relationships he forms with those around him.

Grade: B-

Soul to Keep is one of those books I completely bypassed reading the blurb because of who the author is: Garrett Leigh. I was introduced to her stories last year and now every book of hers that comes out I will automatically read. So here I am with the next book in the Rented Heart series in one hand and tissues in the other. Time to get my read on.

Jamie? Jamie? Oh yeah…now I remember. I completely blipped out that he was in the first book of the series. I really didn’t care for him. He was a burden to Zac then, but now, now he’s mended his body. However, his soul and self-worth are both in need of some work. That brings me to Marc. Ex-Army medic now he works as a trauma specialist. He has issues of his own although unlike Jamie, his aren’t self-inflicted. His comes from a run in with an IED which resulted in him losing his lower leg. The two first meet as they are flying home from California. Marc from having surgery and Jamie from rehab. The flight is riddled with turbulence that has Jamie on edge. Marc, thanks to the military, is a seasoned traveler and helps calm the younger man down.

I like this story. It was very smooth from start to finish. Not a lot of turmoil or excessive drama. Just two guys meeting, getting to know each other, dealing with life has settled on them and ending with a HEA. *Drums fingers on desk* Sigh. I got addicted reading Ms. Leigh’s books because of how they tug at my heartstrings, break my heart and give me that ultimate ugly cry. I didn’t get that with Soul to Keep. It’s not to say there weren’t some emotional moments. It’s just that those moments weren’t as gut-wrenching tearjerkers that I have come to expect. Instead, the dramas played out, coming to reasonable conclusions and moved on to the next storyline.

I really did like this story. I’m just not in love with it.


I received this book from The JeepDiva with the express purpose of an honest review. The opinions, contents, and rating of this review are solely mine
Stars – 3.5, Flames - 3

reviewed by Jac

I have been waiting for this book after since I finished reading Rented Heart. Jamie was a character in Rented Heart, and I would also recommend checking out Between Ghosts for Marc's story as well. I haven't read Between Ghosts yet, but I definitely plan to. This story does work as a standalone, but I think you getting a better sense of the characters' backgrounds by reading the previous books. This is a slow-burn romance with an age-gap, and it is oh so good.

Jamie is in a better place than when we saw him last. He was sent out to California in order to recover from his addiction and to get him out of the toxic environment he was living in. It was a huge change of pace out in California, but now Jamie has decided to move back home.

I will say that this book isn't as intense as Rented Heart, but there are still moments where we see that Jamie is still working things out. His past still haunts him and it still gets to him sometimes when he's alone. Recovery is an on-going process, and we see how much Jamie is still struggling. But he wants help, and he does go out to seek it. This book does expose a bit of the issues with the healthcare system, which seems relatable even though it takes place in the UK. Even when Jamie seeks help at an addiction center, him not being rich means that he'll have to get his name on a wait list to see a professional. And the wait list is months long when people who need the help don't have months to wait around.

Marc is kinda and just overall a nice character. He has his own pains and demons that haunt him. He's a doctor and has a prosthesis, and he sometimes pushes himself harder than he should. I liked Marc, but I do think I kinda miss some aspects about his character by not having read Between Ghosts first.

Overall, I enjoyed the characters, and I love how they they manage to face their struggles and find love in the end. <3

***Thanks to Riptide Publishing for providing me an ARC on NetGalley***

I started this book with some serious bias against Jamie. Given what went down in book 1, I really wasn’t a fan. So I was pleasantly surprised when Jamie began winning me over pretty early on.

Life hasn’t been kind to Jamie, and he’s a bit broken. But he refuses to give up, no matter how often his inner demons tell him that he deserves nothing. Jamie needs someone solid to love him, to make him realize that he really is worth more than his addiction and his past.

Marc is a knight in shining armor - he’s strong and he’s fiercely loyal towards those he loves. But he has his own struggles, given his own past as an Army medic and his leg amputation.

I was swooning from the moment the two men met on their flight back to England. It was a snapshot of what was to come - with Marc’s strong urge to protect Jamie, and Jamie knowing that he was safe with Marc.

Despite their early attraction to each other, the relationship builds slowly. The MCs end up in the same small town, and Marc offers Jamie some work until he can find permanent employment. The work, clearing out the old house Marc inherited from his mother, brings the two into close contact regularly.

Slowly, the two men build a routine, and a friendship. They share meals and conversation at the end of long days, all the while gradually falling for each other.

The connection between them - emotional and physical - is undeniable. Marc is captivated by Jamie, and for the first time in a long time, Jamie finally feels safe and calm around Marc.

When their relationship inevitably moves from friendly to romantic, it just clicks. They’re two very different men, which often means that they’re at loggerheads, but they complete each other.

This isn’t a particularly flashy book, with the focus being on personal growth. Jamie’s addiction is a tangible thing throughout the story. His recovery is a daily battle. Marc, on the other hand, has to learn that he doesn’t always need to be the fixer.

However, all of the ups and downs make their relationship stronger by the end. Their happily ever after was all the more sweeter for it!

‘Soul to Keep’ really hit all the right notes for me. Two complex characters, a sweet romance, some angst, and a hard-earned but brilliant HEA. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

Not Garrett Leigh’s best. It didn’t work for me, I had to force myself to finish it, and I just wasn’t feeling it. Nat and Connor from “Between Ghosts” make an appearance probably to set up the next book, most likely starring a friend of Nat and Marc’s and one of Marc’s patients.

Yay for cross overs!! If you're not aware, some of the characters featured in this story are the MC's, Conner and Nat, from Between Ghosts. Nat happens to be Marc's BF and ex military buddy. I also have a feeling we may get some Wedge in the future.

Jamie, Jamie, Jamie... How my heart breaks for you. I didn't read the first book, so I don't know Liam, Zac and Marvin. This only confused me for about the first 6-8% of the book when Jamie was in California in rehab.
The way Marvin was talking was not your typical Californian, so I was kind of scratching my head. Until I got a quick rundown of book 1. With that all clearerd up things went a lot smoother on that front.

I loved Jamie's character. Garret gave great addiction. I felt like I was really in an addicts head and felt his pain and fears. I also really loved Marc's character. Ex-military trauma doctor with his own medical issues. I could really relate to these characters, even though I do not have these issues (aside from a book addiction). Together though, I can't say I really felt the heat or intensity of their relationship. I thought they made great friends and bounced their emotions and healing efforts off one another, but I just was missing a spark from them.

I'm not sure if it was because it was almost like an insta-love but with a slow burn in the bedroom department due to their hang-up s? which sounds odd, because that kind of relationship building should be solid.

At any rate, I did enjoy this story. Again, Garret does a fantastic job with afflictions, whether they be due to personal reasons or just really digging deep to research each one. They pay off in the writing because I feel with and for these characters as if they were really people Im getting to know. They're all so unique in their stories and I just love them.

3.75*

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
Soul to Keep is the second installment of the Rented Heart series and can easily be read as a standalone. It’s been a long while since I read the first in the series, and I barely remembered the finer points. I do recommend if you did read it, perhaps check out the synopsis or a few reviews to refresh your mind. It’s not contingent on your enjoyment, but the emotional connection created with Jamie would be stronger.

A head’s up, while this is the sequel to Rented Heart (Jamie), I do believe it’s also the continuation from another book, Between Ghosts (Marc) which I have not read. I did notice the focus on Marc’s friends and wondered if they had had a book by Garrett Leigh. There is a larger focus on the world built in that particular book than in Rented Heart, so those who read Between Ghosts would gain a higher emotional payoff from Soul to Keep, and the seeding of future books seem to come from that universe created as well, not from Rented Heart. The tie to Rented Heart is only Jamie and a half-page interaction with Zac.

Jamie is struggling with addiction and mental illness, but he’s struggling the worst with the ultra-positive, sunshiny vibe of California and the way his friends are watching him like he’s a ticking time-bomb readying to blow. Missing the mood England gives off, the one that is more befitting of Jamie’s personality, he digs up his roots and leaves his friends behind.

Marc is a civilian doctor now, but he was in the military and it cost him his leg and many friends. He’s shut himself up in a hoard-filled manor left to him by his mother and doesn’t allow many friends into his life.

With two cross-path meetings, both Marc and Jamie are struggling in differing ways. Garrett Leigh created a balance between the main characters, both caring, giving, and self-sacrificing, after living very different lives.

Soul to Keep is a slow-burn romance that felt realistic as it organically unfolded. The plot surrounded Marc and Jamie, and a very small cast of characters who were mentioned more off-scene than shown on-scene. This kept the focus solely on the emotional, mental, and personal growth of the characters, while they grew closer together romantically. The plot’s focus was definitely on the after-effects of addiction and mental illness, as well as dealing with the reality of living with a disability.

I applaud the realism paid to the darker aspects of the human condition, while creating a world that was sympathetic and compassionate, without shame or blame.

I do have one con: Maybe it was a plot-hole or an inconsistency not picked up during editing. Marc mentioned a few times that he had his own demons with addiction – this was early on in the novel and it disappeared by the halfway point. I assumed it was with alcoholism. However, Marc went to pubs with friends, and mentioned he was a lightweight when it came to alcohol in a conversation dealing with past events with his two friends (Between Ghosts). This thread just dangled, fizzled out, and then contradicted itself, only with a bottle hidden in a passageway tying it back in much later in the novel.

The plot for the next in the series was seeded, and I look forward to reading it. Fingers crossed the protagonists are who I believe they will be. (My guess, this character is also in Between Ghosts.) I definitely recommend this book and the previous one, especially to those who enjoy a more realistic read, featuring personal growth as the driving force.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars

In Rented Heart, Jamie was impossible to like. As an addict, he was selfish, destructive, and his friendship with Zac was all sorts of toxic. This story sees him returning to England after a year of rehab in LA. He has changed – but he doesn’t yet trust the changes.

The transition from army medic to NHS doctor hasn’t been easy for Marc. Adjusting to life as an amputee has made Marc’s new life even more difficult. I went into this book skeptical about Jamie, but I already loved Marc.

Marc and Jamie find each other quickly but for different reasons, both Marc and Jamie are surviving rather than living and neither man is ready to even think about a relationship. I really enjoyed the slow, quiet chemistry between these two. Remembering what Zac went through with Jamie, I started out wanting to protect Marc. But Jamie won me over with the care he gives Marc. The care is practical and awkward at first, but Jamie’s intervention slowly brings Marc back to life.

There is heat in this story, but it isn’t one of Garrett Leigh’s kinkier books. It is a gentler book than Rented Heart. If Zac was in the middle of his storm when he met Liam, Jamie meets Marc on the other side. Marc and Jamie explore their life experiences together but the grit and angst from the first book is replaced by quiet reflection and feelings of guilt and shame. Marc and Jamie give each other a chance at friendship and they offer each other a fresh start.

From the start, I knew that Jamie’s story follows on from Rented Heart, but I was delighted to discover that Marc’s story links back to Between Ghosts which is another personal favourite. We actually see more of the characters from Between Ghosts than we do of Zac and Liam from Rented Heart. I’m fairly certain this could be read as a standalone but I really enjoyed the glimpses of characters from the earlier books.


Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
Considering how much I enjoy Garrett Leigh’s writing in general and Rented Heart specifically, I couldn’t wait to begin reading Soul to Keep. When I first queued it up on my Kindle, I expected to devour it in less than a day; however, when I began Jamie’s journey, I quickly realized that I wanted to spend time with him and Marc. I wanted to get to know Jamie (and Marc). I wanted to see Jamie’s struggles and battles and watch him overcome them – worrying the whole time that he might not, yet counting on Leigh to create a partner in Marc who could and would help Jamie succeed. I wanted to see Jamie discover the man within, the man who Zac still wanted to be friends with, the man who Marc saw and fell for, the man who he could be if only he would stop punishing himself for his past mistakes.

While the author gave me all of this and more, I found myself reading the book over the course of three weeks. The reason I didn’t devour it in a day was not because I couldn’t get into Jamie’s story or that the subject matter was too distressing (and it’s some pretty tough reading), but rather that I wanted to savor the story, limiting myself to only a chapter a night, and not every night at that. I needed to give myself time to process all that happened and prepare myself for what might be coming next. You see, Jamie isn’t merely a recovering addict, he has far more going on in that head of his, things that were likely worsened by the drugs and some of which may have been caused or triggered by his addiction. Because of his mental health issues, quite a bit of Jamie’s angst within the story is internalized – feelings of worthlessness, fear of abandonment, loss of control, feeling that he deserved every bad thing that had ever happened to him, and feeling that he is undeserving of love – and it occurs on a rapid and constantly playing loop in his traitorous mind. But it’s because Marc’s able to disrupt that loop and give Jamie that feeling of safety and peaceful comfort that makes Jamie take a chance… eventually. Thankfully, Marc’s own past and issues give him some much needed insight into what Jamie is dealing with at times, thus enabling him to know when to push Jamie and when to back off. The two men complement each other better than one would expect when looking at them from the outside.

I actually loved that both men had big issues that had to be dealt with in order for a relationship to work. Even better was that Leigh never approaches their romance as if love will heal all that ails them. While we don’t see a fraction of the help and treatment that Jamie undergoes to… not get better but… learn to cope and function within the world more effectively, we know through conversations and inner monologues that it happens. We get to see him come out on the other side, better for it. Because of the changes we see in his relationship with Marc in the epilogue, Leigh gives the reader hope for their future. Love was not a cure for Jamie or for Marc. What love was, was something to fight for, it was a future to live for, and a partner to care for who returned that care exponentially. And for Jamie, love was a mirror that finally let him see himself for the man who Marc fell in love with and who deserves every bit of the happiness that awaits him.

In “Soul to Keep,” a new standalone edition in Garrett Leigh’s Rented Heart series, Leigh presents men who are too beaten down for intimacy. With great care and respect, she demonstrates how love revitalizes and provides the fortitude to recover.

After surviving Iraq as a combat physician, Marc Ramsey is barely fazed by what he encounters as an Admission and Emergency Room Doctor. He uses the job’s adrenaline to forget he left good friends and half a leg on the battlefield. Leigh describes him as “addicted to responsibility.”

Jaime Yorke escaped addiction - going cold-turkey on a plane bound for Southern California, where his best friend’s partner had given him a job cooking in the U.S. branch of their business. Now a year sober, Jaime realizes he must return to England to face his future.

After yet another leg surgery in L.A., Marc meets Jaime on the plane back to England. Soon they discover they live in the same town. Both know there’s a mutual attraction, but nothing is easy.

Jaime’s sobriety has brought his OCD to the forefront. Marc thinks to himself that Jaime has a “special brand of silence that was so disturbing – like he’d forgotten how to scream.”

Jaime, who still suffers cravings, distrusts himself and the safety of anyone he befriends. After hurting loved ones through addiction, he must be especially careful around good-hearted Marc, who Jaime warns, “‘I don’t find storms. I am the storm. I f*** everything up.’”

While Marc loves the role of caregiver, he’s never let anyone care for him. To win Jaime, Marc must convince the younger man that his psychological wounds are real, and physically-based, as well. Can Jaime believe he has anything to offer another wounded soul?

Leigh is brilliant in choosing conditions with strong similarities. Like Marc’s PTSD flashbacks, and phantom limb pains, Jaime’s cravings, are physical sensations so realistic that they seem like hallucinations. Leigh offers insight after insight into what she calls the “never-ending thunderstorm” of addictive desire.

Because these “hallucinations” prevent each man from seeing himself clearly, neither understands how to help himself, But through each other’s perceptions, recovery is possible. Marc informs Jaime, “‘I care about you because you’re the first person in years to look at me and really see me…I care about you because you let me.’”

Leigh’s characters do not expect love to fix them. Marc reminds himself of this, thinking, “Kissing Jamie was as easy as breathing, even though he knew it wouldn’t chase Jamie’s demons away.” Still, her optimism in love is evident. Jaime and Marc are half-alive until they breathe purpose into one another.

I especially loved “Soul to Keep’s” theme. The miracle of self-acceptance may be the hardest road for individuals to walk, and is also the most rewarding. Leigh shows readers that while no one can walk another's path, the journey is far more enjoyable with friends. And for this, I give five very sparkly stars.

The journey of recovery for an addict takes center stage in this gritty and emotionally intense tale that doesn’t pull any punches. Readers will quickly be pulled into the insta-connection that starts off with a slow burn to become a consuming part of both of these character’s lives. Along the way readers will be put through the wringer alongside a couple dealing with their own demons.

Jamie Yorke’s story started in the book Rented Heart and showed him at his lowest point. His addiction was raging out of control, pulling him and his friend Zac down, putting them in danger despite how far they ran. He and Zac had a complicated relationship, a toxic one at times that wavered between friendship and sometimes more. It was clear though that he and Zac were never going to have a HEA as a couple and out of a myriad or reasons Jamie’s heading back to England as he doesn’t want to taint the happiness Zac found with another. Though Jamie’s been clean for a year in this book he’s still struggling. His feelings over his past have him feeling tainted and not meant for love. He feels unworthy and it’s exacerbated by his increasing OCD behaviors. From the start he’s a ticking time bomb and readers are on edge waiting for him to blow. It’s a palpable feeling that left me as jittery as him and when it finally happened I was happy that Marc was there to save him from himself. Jamie’s a colorful character who jumps off the pages. He’s admitted to his past mistakes, atoned for them, and knows he’s got a lot of work ahead to become the man he wants to be. He’s made lots of positive strides and I applaud all the work he’s done thus far, but I was sometimes frustrated by his hiding out from life. I was also frustrated by not learning more about him as I never felt that we got a deep insight into him. Reading the previous book is therefore highly recommended as readers see how far he’s come in his recovery and learn a bit more about the childhood demons that have weighed on him and that were casually mentioned here. Despite all his baggage, his closed-off vibe, he’s still a likable character who I wanted to hug. He has a good heart but was scared to put it on display for fear he’d get hurt which is why I was thankful for Marc being the one to catch him when he needed a soft landing most.

Marc’s a bit older and wiser than Jamie, hardened by his life in the military and a life-altering injury that leaves him in pain both in body and soul. Marc’s an amputee and from the start the author deals with it head-on and in a realistic and respectful way. He hasn’t let his disability define him or break him, but there is a moment where his self-esteem weakens when he disrobes for the first time with Jamie. It made my heart ache as he’s so strong and sturdy throughout the story and Jamie’s reaction couldn’t have been more loving. Marc’s clearly got his act together in this story which is a good thing as Jamie needs all the help he can get. Marc’s always been the protector, all through his military years, and that continues here. He’s there for Jamie through all his emotional highs and lows, a steady support, and his unwavering belief in Jamie endeared him to me and deepened their connection. Throughout this tale Marc’s an immensely appealing character who’s truly heroic with a heart of gold he wears on his sleeve.

This was a gritty romance that had me on edge as I waited for Jamie’s issues to come to a head. It’s a twitchy feeling that felt like a freight train racing closer as the story raced to its conclusion. Marc’s a nicely defined character with his background clearly on display to make him the appealing character he is and which had me cheering for him. Jamie’s a bit less defined here with his psyche not dealt with as fully as I’d hoped. He’s overcome some issues but others are weighing on him that I desperately wanted him to deal with here. Not doing so frustrated me and was a lost opportunity to fully discuss mental illness and addiction. What talk of addiction is here though is well done. Jamie’s not going to get a quick fix as those needs don’t easily go away nor is health care funded adequately to meet everyone’s needs. On a whole this is an engaging story with a satisfying older man/younger man romance that nicely deals with serious issues to reach its HFN conclusion. For a richer experience I’d definitely read the previous installment in this series as it makes Jamie’s journey more heartfelt.

3.5 rounded up to 4 Stars. This is the second book in Rented Heart and the MC Jamie is introduced in the first book. I thought Jamie was interesting in the first book and was looking forward to his story. However, I was a bit sad that this book started one year after the first book ended since we missed Jamie's journey to recovery. I would have liked to have read about a bit of that although he still had plenty to do in regards to his recovery which we did get to read. I also really liked Marc and although again this book was a bit instant in the love area that was okay because Marc's personality and his need to take care of people fit with that. I really enjoyed the slow burn romance between these two and while there was a bit of angst there was no real drama in this book. It was a slow but evenly paced book and well written. This was a nice healing/comfort book that I enjoyed.

I have not read the first book in this series but I will be going back and reading it. Mac and Jamie make a good team and they need each other to survive their demons.

3.5 stars It was a nice read....Only I didn't feel the highs and lows. I couldn't connect with them fully.
Because at times when they were really close the writing didn't deepen... it was a telling part of events and not one that made you feel things between them.

Jaime flits around the edges of "Rented Heart" as Zac's best friend and roommate, whose actions dramatically impact Zac's life. At the end of that book, Jaime is on his way to rehab in California. I don't think you'll necessarily need to read "Rented Heart" prior to "Soul to Keep" but the background may give you some awareness of just how far Jaime has come from the depths of his addiction.

Jaime and Marc meet on the flight back to the UK, and amazingly end up in the same small town where Jaime goes to reboot his life, and where Marc works as a trauma doctor. I want to say that their relationship immediately captured my interest, and that I could feel they belonged together, and they connected in a strong amazing way .... but, nope. Sorry, so sorry. It just didn't work that way for me.

I struggled to connect with Marc and Jaime and the relationship they forged together. Because we know so little about Jaime (other than recovering addict and former hooker) and because he was earlier defined solely by his relationship with Zac, as Jaime deals with his addiction, with his feelings for Marc, with his OCD, it's hard to really sense what this all means to him. Also Jaime has gone through rehab, but this occurs before the start of the book, and I feel we lose something but not seeing anything of the process.

Similarly, Marc remained relatively unknown as well. He's a former solider, a doctor. He has a prosthesis. We learn a bit more about Marc in his interaction with his friends Nat and Conner, but I personally needed more in-depth character development similar to what "Rented Heart" gave us with Liam and Zac's backgrounds. The pace also felt slow to me, as little happens externally (other than Jaime cleaning out Marc's house, and Marc working) until almost the very end of the book.

I have been absolutely gobsmacked by more than a few Garrett Leigh books, but "Soul to Keep" just didn't work for me personally. 3 stars.

Sure, this can be read as a stand-alone. But you will a much fuller story if you read Rented Heart first.

Soul to Keep picks up a year after Rented Heart left off. We see Jaimie in recovery, homesick enough to leave sunny California behind for the colder climes of Derbyshire Peak District. He first meets ex-Army medic Marc. By chance it turns out they live close to each other and they click.

Since Jaimie and Marc both have personal demons to fight, they help each other overcome and accept what life has thrown their way. In the process, feelings develop and they find that life is so much richer when faced as a couple.

It's a really sweet love story with little to no angst in spite of the painful background both men bring to the table. There's a significant age gap but it's hardly touched on at all. I felt like I should know Marc's friends Nat and Connor and Wedge. Maybe they are from another of Leigh's books I haven't read yet. I'm very interested in their story if it exists.