This one didn’t work for me, unfortunately. I think I went in with the wrong expectations and expected it to be a romcom, which it definitely is not!! The writing style also wasn’t completely to my taste,

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book more than I did. I liked the concept and the idea of not having to have everything sorted by 30. However the depression storyline didn't sit well with me. I hated the comments regarding "fixing him" or "when he gets better" it felt like she was talking about getting over a common cold. But maybe that was just me.

I enjoyed this read, it’s the reason I got into romance books. Before I thought I would never pick one up, and then I read the description of the heart of the deal and just had to read it. I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite but it’s definitely high on my list of liked books, and I would definitely read it again.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

I really, really wanted to like "The Heart of the Deal" by Lindsay MacMillan. But when I reached the end, I couldn't help but feel disappointed and emotionally drained, and honestly, I'm not entirely sure why.

So, why did I give it three stars instead of just one? Well, the book had some really good bones. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, and it even made me cry my eyes out. The raw emotion in the writing was undeniable.

But let me be clear about one thing—I was quite disappointed with the ending and the constant emotional tug-of-war that persisted throughout the entire book. If the ending had been different, it would have been a whole other story (pun intended). I could have walked away from it with a sense of catharsis, but it felt like the book was trying to push a particular agenda, which, in my opinion, overshadowed the narrative. I'm all for authors addressing issues they're passionate about, but it shouldn't overshadow the essence of the story.

Now, here's the kicker: This book is clearly marketed as a contemporary romance. But, and it's a big but, it doesn't quite deliver on that front. If it had been marketed differently, I think it might have received a higher rating from me.

In summary, "The Heart of the Deal" had its moments, and I appreciate the author's emotional depth, but the overall experience left me torn. It's a book with potential, but it may have been more enjoyable if it stuck to its genre and found a better balance between its message and storytelling.

Unfortunately this one was a DNF for me. I tried several times to get into it but struggled and finally gave up— this book just wasn’t for me. It was super depressing from the start in a way I didn’t expect— was hoping for more of a rom com!

This book was heartbreakingly beautiful. I love Rae as a character and watching her real grow into herself and with other people. I will say that at times it was sort of hard to see her try to almost fix Dustin as it felt like it wasnt the healthiest dynamic. But with that being said, life isnt filled with sunshine and rainbows and perfect protagonists so I truly think that this was a choice made in hopes to demonstrate how sometimes life breaks off pieces of you in order for you to go through the experiences to be able to put them back together.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

This incredibly real and heartfelt book is important for anyone in their late 20s should read. I felt so seen and understood. A must read..

I started reading this book but it was difficult for me to stay connected with the story. I thought it would be a rom com but it was more serious.

Very enjoyable read which I rated four and a half stars! Loved the character development and the plot of the story!! Definitely a book I wish I had picked up sooner! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read it

I wanted to like this book more than I did. It was a slightly sappy book that was slightly unrealistic. I felt that the main character wasn't as likable as they could have been. Not my favorite romance book.

nice, cute romance. i liked rae’s growth throughout the story, it’s one of those romance books larves with a coming of age plotline that i usually enjoy when well done and this was the case here! totally recommend

I hit a dnf on this one, didn't want to force myself to read something I wasn't enjoying. The main character struggles with depression and hat's like the plot point basically. It covers a toxic relationship which I'm not all about. I am really sad that I have to rate low for the first book that I've been given from NetGallary but let's be honest here. This book was not for me, but many have enjoyed it from the looks of it. So if you think that you'll like it, would definitely reccomend. It's a two and half stars for me.

BOOK REVIEW

BOOK: The Heart of the Deal
AUTHOR: Lindsay MacMillan
FORMAT: eBook
RATING: DNF (did not finish)

MY THOUGHTS

I started this book and found that I had a lot of difficulty connecting to the story. I did not finish it, not for lack of quality of the book but more so that I felt it was a “right book wrong time” situation where I wasn’t in the right mindset for this one at this time! Hopefully will be picking it back up in the future!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

Thank you Alcove Press and netgalley for tgis really best experience. I love when stories are not so easy and brings up so many more emotions. That is something for my heart.

DNF, I really wanted to like this book but I struggled to get through it. It just wasn't for me unfortunately

4ish stars

Although it largely centred on the protagonist’s romantic relationships, this novel was definitely not a light, fluffy romcom. My friends wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the characters’ situations and plans wildly stressed me out at some points because of how relatable they felt. At other points, though, the focus was very much on mental health, or rather, mental illness. While I understand that not everyone has firsthand experience with mental illness, it was almost unbelievable how poorly the protagonist handled her partner’s depression; he struggled (and was often not very good to her), but she kept up this internal dialogue about how one day he would “get better” so that everything would be fine for the two of them; she was treating depression like a bad flu bug that would, eventually, be cured, and it felt wildly unrealistic. The ending wasn’t unexpected, but I’m concerned about its ambiguity and what it potentially suggests for the two characters. My overall thoughts are a bit scattered right now, but even with some of the irritating pieces, I did quite enjoy the story and appreciated a lot of things in it. As a final thought from my tired brain, I’ll add in two quotations that stood out to me at different points:

“Depth just gave more space to fall, and weight reminded her of what she couldn’t lift.”

“…but what was texting, if not the most modern literary genre?”

I’m really glad I was finally able to find time for this book.