Thank you to Net Galley and Boldstroke Books for providing me with an e-ARC copy! All opinions in this review are my own and are honest.

The main reason I requested this was because one of my goals for 2018 was to read more diverse romance books and this features a lesbian romance along with a good sounding plot! I didn’t realise that this was the second book in the Seven Shores series however the this can be read as a standalone as the first book is about Isabel and Taylor’s relationship who are mentioned in this book as Isabel is one of Autumns best friends.

This is probably going to be a very similar review to the review I wrote for Twice in a Lifetime so apologies! Again, this was a simple straight forward read which I blitzed through in a day. It was just a nice, easy read and sometimes that’s exactly what is needed so that isn’t a bad thing

This follows Kate who decides she needs to get away from her small town after being labelled a hero for rescuing 2 kids out of a burning building when she doesn’t think she deserves the title. And then we have Autumn, who is recently out of a long-term relationship where her partner cheated on her and is thinking about starting her family. Kate ends up vacationing in LA where Autumn just so happens to live and work and obviously they end up meeting and a relationship forms.

It was an interesting story-line, but it felt a bit rushed. There was a lot of time-skipping and glancing over things which made things a bit confusing sometimes when one minute they were gong for dinner and then the next paragraph was a day or a week later. This could have benefited with a slight more fleshing out as this was only 232 pages so adding a bit more to clarify between time points slightly better. But other than that, I really enjoyed the plot; I really liked the inclusion of being a modern woman and wanting children when you don’t have a partner and therefore having to go through it alone. And there was also the issue with Kate and the kids she rescued and the possibility of adopting them. I felt it was all handled really well.

I didn’t feel like I missed anything from not reading book in this series; each of the characters mentioned are fleshed out in this book so we found out plenty about Autumn and Kate and also the side characters. We also got a great run down on the different staff who ended up working at Autumns coffee shop and they didn’t feel like they’d been randomly chucked in either as an extra part of the story.

I really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a nice, easy quick read to fly through which involves a lesbian romance. It was a great introduction into f/f romance along with Twice in a lifetime.

Ohhh if you love books about love/lust at first sight then you're in for a treat! Look, it's a Melissa Brayden book so you know you're going to get witty dialogue and lovable/sexy characters. I'm pretty sure it's impossible for her to write anything that doesn't have both those attributes.

She's also continuing on her winning streak of making great lesbian FRIENDSHIP books with the Seven Shore series, just as she did with the Soho Series. For me, this is her greatest strength because no one does this like she does. I'm not only entertained and love the "love" relationship, but equally as strong is how much I enjoy the four main friends and how they interact as well. As an example, the bar scene and the drunk dialing had me dying and was probably my favorite part in the entire book.

Keep supporting her books by buying and enjoying this one. I just want her to keep writing :)

Not my favorite of Melissa Brayden's books... it lacked her usual straightforward style and stellar pacing. However, still a good read. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that it's a second in the series, and I haven't read the first?

Anyway. If you like lesbian romance, you can't go wrong with Melissa Brayden. She has well-fleshed out characters and delicious tension between them. Autumn and Kate were enjoyable characters, and I had fun learning their quirks and strengths. I truly enjoyed the parts in this book about coffee - Melissa definitely did her research!

The one part that bothered me was - not exactly a spoiler, but <spoiler> the part about Autumn's conception journey was strange and seemed inaccurate? She was only 34, and had no stated conception difficulties, but her doctors seemed to put her on Clomid (references to "getting her body ready" and "trigger shots") and give her an IUI straight away? That's not how artificial insemination works. These seeming inaccuracies kept throwing me out of the story. Also, I don't understand why there was so much wonderful detail about coffee roasting, but less care given to the medical details? But perhaps that's just me </spoiler>

Overall, not Melissa Brayden's best work, but still a good read!

Melissa Brayden is one of my favorite authors, but unfortunately this is my least favorite book of hers (I’ve read them all). It kind of strayed from her usual formula which I understand authors wanting to do, but I just didn’t enjoy this story and I typically love everything she writes. The chemistry between the 2 leads felt forced and out of nowhere, and this book had a depressing vibe where her books usually have sparkling dialouge and sizzling chemistry. Obviously I will read her next book and look forward to a hopeful return to form.

Ho hum, sweet predictable love story. I enjoyed the first half of the story, but when it moved on to getting pregnant and adoption I got bored. The story was so predictable the epilogue was grossly unnecessary.

This was a pretty cute book. I haven't read contemporary romance in a while, and this genre actually helps me out of reading slumps.

Kate and Autumn are really realistic and cute. When a contemporary isn't bad or sappy, I have a hard time talking about it to any extent. The only hiccup I see in the book is a distance issue. Most of the book takes place near Venice Beach in California, but Kate comes from a fake town in southern Oregon. It's talked about like that's just a couple hours of driving when that might actually take closer to most of a day or at least two.

It was a cute story, and I'm looking at the other books written by this author.

Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Those are the words I thought about as I read this story. I also enjoyed the "dating" and romance. Comments whether encouraging or challenging from friends as well as the main characters made this an engaging read. Although at different points in time, the main ladies forgot to stay true to those words. Kate Carpenter 34, looking for a place to escape and reflect. Autum Primm 32, figuring out what to do after a failed relationship. Both women have issues and need someone to lean on. Sometime when you least expect and think you are not ready, a fantastic opportunity reaches in and grabs your heart.

I don't think there will ever be a Melissa Brayden book that I don't buy the moment it is available. With that said, Hearts Like Hers was okay. It wasn't as good as First Position or Waiting in the Wings but it was about as good as Heart Block. This new series feels less interesting to me than the Soho Loft series but it could be that I have less attraction to West Coast/ Hollywood settings. I think lately many of Brayden's books are missing the angst of her older stories. She is masterful at writing a happy ending and fun banter, but I need more conflict in order to truly identify with the characters. After reading the description for the next book in the series, I have a feeling the next will be my favorite.

Hearts Like Hers is an incredibly sweet book that manages to perfectly balance the fluffy romance with the more serious topics. With more coffee than a Gilmore Girls episode, several romantic dates and a pairing that keeps you wondering at the same time as keeping you satisfied Hearts Like Hers is definitely the book to pick up if you're in the mood for something light.

Kate is new in town for a holiday away from her sleepy home town and more importantly the 'hero' label she has been given through an act of bravery as a firefighter whilst Autumn is a caffeine magician / barista / coffee shop owner wondering if this is really it for the rest of her life. The two hit it off straight away with mutual feelings and a believable romance blossoming between them from their very first meeting but reality keeps hovering over their heads. The potential outcomes to this story were numerous - will Kate decide to stay in LA? Will Autumns motherhood dream come true? Are the two women destined to be a forever romance or is it truly just a holiday fling? Hearts Like Hers keeps you guessing right until the very end with several cliffhanger moments along the way.

All the characters were extremely well rounded, not one felt like a cardboard cut out; even the background coffee shop employees had their own distinct personalities. Autumn's group of friends had a wonderfully believable dynamic as well as being individually interesting (apparently this is part of a series? Should have probably found that out before I read this book but oh well - it certainly didn't impact my understanding or enjoyment at all so more positives for this book!) So yes, the characters are great, the relationship is realistic, I cried twice - once happy tears and once 'will you two PLEASE sort yourselves out' tears, this book is wonderfully fluffy and I'll definitely be reading more of Melissa's books!

You are in for a treat with this book!

This is the second book in the Seven Shores series, but you absolutely don't have to read the first one to love and enjoy this one. The Seven Shores series follows a lovely groups of friends - Taylor, Autumn, Gia and Hadley - as they each find the love of their life. This is Autumn story. Autumn runs a local coffee shop, the Cat's Pyjamas, but all her hard work has left her little time to date and find Mrs. Right. She decides that she will bypass this minor step and decides to have a child on her own. Her perfect plan gets wrench thrown into it when firefighter Kate arrives in town and their attraction is undeniable. Is their budding relationship only temporary or will it be the one.

Melissa Brayden's books are the sweetest escape. Sweet romance, fun, quirky characters, great dialogue, humour, and a envious setting of sunny warm California. This book is the perfect escape from freezing temperatures.

What really made this book special to me was our leading ladies were just a tad older, mid-thirties, both of them approaching the idea of becoming a mother, in slightly different ways. I thought it brought another level to the characters, that hasn't been there in other books, and that people can really relate to.

I can't wait for Gia's story!

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the series that deals with the group of friends who live in Venice LA in the Seven Shores complex. This time, the protagonists are Autumn, the owner of Cat's Pajamas caffe, meeting point for the four friends, and Kate, a firefighter who rents an apartment in the complex trying to bring order to her life, after having suffered a traumatic event back in her hometown.

The story developed is, as usual in the books of this author, sweet, romantic and passionate. Also, as usual in this author, the characters have outer and inner beauty and are almost perfect. But, are not we in a perfect world, when we enter into the stories of this author?

Specifying in this book, the love story is as I said sweet and romantic, with the inclusion of motherhood focused from two different situations. It has parts that are really soul-touching, both in the situations themselves and in the way in which the protagonists face them.

In comparison with the previous book of the series and with others of the author, I do not believe that this is my favorite, although it is highly recommended reading.

I really enjoyed this. Brayden goes unexpectedly deep sometimes, which is weird that I never expect it, as she regularly does it.

I had to fight in the beginning against the onslaught of too much Braydeness of the characters, but that lessened a bit as the book continued.

Still, my enjoyment outweighed my grumbles by far.

Let me start by saying, I love Melissa Brayden. I’ve anticipated this series and it’s well worth every single read. Can I just say yes and yes to Kate the hero and the love she made with Autumn? I felt so many emotions from sadness from them being so hesitant to joy and this emotional rollercoaster was well on worth it into this 2AM read. Started slow, I was milking it but then I went to who needs sleep because YES. Definitely recommend this book.

Autumn Primm, owner of The Cat’s Pyjamas coffee shop in Venice Beach, is flying solo, yet again. Her focus has been on working hard and building up her business, so she’s had little time for her personal life. Now thinking about her future, she wonders if that spark of connection with another woman will pass her by. Finding a stunning woman sitting on the back of a pickup truck outside her shop one day is a bonus; being completely captivated by her is a whole other thing for Autumn.

Kate Carpenter is a firefighter in a small town. Having saved two local children from a blaze that had got away, she is being hailed as a hero. It’s all too much; she doesn’t feel like a hero. Escaping to Venice Beach for a long holiday, she moves next door to a fabulous coffee shop, the Cat’s Pajamas. Finding the feisty Autumn is the icing on her holiday cake.

Neither Autumn nor Kate are looking for something permanent, but they keep coming back to each other. Will they find a way to overcome their need to keep it light, and how will they deal with the distance?

Hearts Like Hers is the second book in the Seven Shores series. The first was Eyes Like Those.

Brayden is a master at the lesbian romance. She often creates a group of women and one by one, book by book, we get to see each of them find their match. It can be a lovely way of having a regular group of secondary characters that help to push the plot along. Often, the different characters offer Brayden a chance to lighten up the romance, and add some joy to the heat she often generates between the two main characters.

Brayden sets the stories in a block of apartments next door to the café, which offers her lots of opportunities of engaging the various characters. Each member of the group can then bring out different aspects of the main characters. It’s a great plot device. Of course, having an AirBNB-style sublet operating in the building is a great way of introducing new characters too.

The first book, Eyes Like Those, focused on the witty and erudite Isabel, a scriptwriter. It was a sharp and witty book, and a joy to read. Hearts like Hers is less fun. Autumn is a workaholic, and it is harder to engage with her. She is described as a firecracker, but I have to say, she doesn’t strike me as this in the book. Red hair does not automatically a firecracker make.

Kate is also not drawn as well as she could be. She is a firefighter, but I don’t feel that Brayden really understood her in any real way, and it was harder to get a sense of her in the story. Yes, she’s the hero archetype who doesn’t realise it, but there wasn’t much more to her than that. The connection between the two also wasn’t as potent as some of the other pairings by Brayden, and they lacked the heat found in some of her previous books.

So the story felt a little flat to me. It must be really hard writing under the name of Melissa Brayden though. She has written so many excellent romances that keeping up the magic must be very tough. I suspect that part of the problem is the Autumn character really didn’t inspire.

I think the next two books in the series will be better; Hadley the quirky fashion consultant already offers a more complex person, and the athlete Gia is closer to the characters Brayden wrote so well in First Position, which was so good. I think this is a well-written romance, just not a great one.

Advanced reading copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

This is definitely one of the sweetest romances I have ever read. The two characters were the nicest people ever which made you just want the best for them both. Their interactions were just so sweet and honest. I loved that even as we had moments of angst both characters continue to act with respect for one another and like normal realistic adults.

Its funny because when I read the blurb I wasn't excited about the romance but as a rule I always read Brayden's books and I did enjoy the first book in the series. The idea just didn't grab me however I loved every minute of this read and found myself completely engrossed into the story. It is my fav of this series and am looking forward to the next book.

Melissa Brayden does it again!

This is a great book! The two characters, Kate and Autumn are wonderful! They both have been through different trauma's, but both remain honest and loyal. They have wonderful chemistry and Autumn has a great sense of humor.

I don't want to give too much away, but the way the books portrays relationships and children is one of the best I've ever read.

I highly recommend this book.

This is the second book on the Seven Shores Series, both of them have felt very different from previous Melissa Brayden books and have a certain something I just cannot put into words, they seem like a new cycle for the author, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Melissa Brayden captures romance in a way that keeps you on your toes and transports you into a world where you can relate to the main characters, fall with them, suffer with them and laugh with them. This book was not the exception.

Autumn was relatable and mature in many ways, Kate was the perfect throw in the mix to make her life more fun and exciting. Something that I personally liked, was that even when we reached the climax of the book and the characters innevitably parted, they still kept in touch and went through a rather mature break up, which is something you don't get to see often.

What threw me off a bit was how when the book was about to end, the main couple got together by getting engaged, that seemed a bit rushed to me as they had known each other for a very little amount of time and had technically not even started dating.

Above all, it was a good, fun read that just makes me appreciate Brayden's books more.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Autumn Primm, owner of The Cat’s Pyjamas coffee shop, has pretty much given up on finding the love of her life and is busy making other plans. She’s had a really lucky escape from her ex and decides that while she wants someone in her life maybe it doesn’t need to be a lover. Kate needs some time off from her firefighter job after a traumatic event and makes her way down to an Airbnb near Autumn’s coffee shop.

After a chance meeting with Autumn, Kate ends up at Seven Shores, the lesbian Melrose Place, where Isabel, Hadley and Gia live. Brayden creates wonderfully rich characters whose backgrounds may seem stereotypical at first but as they unfold there is always something more to them or something just a little off the beaten track. Both Autumn and Kate are likeable characters and the way they related to each other is engaging but what I really appreciated in this book was the way Hadley came to the fore and related to Autumn. Sadly, her story is at least a year away. Autumn’s struggle to find good help is entertaining. I don’t really get the whole coffee thing. You just put a spoonful in a cup and add boiling water, right?

I’ve come to expect good writing, characters with depth and interest, something unexpected, quick dialogue, sexy chemistry and great pacing from Melissa Brayden. Hearts Like Hers delivers on all counts.

Another charming story by Melissa Brayden. She has these books down to a science and while I think she changed her formula a little bit for this one, it was a very enjoyable read. It was very nice to get lost for a couple of days with her lovable characters. I can’t wait for the next one.