a pact to shield the heart is something many make for themselves. when a group all come together to do it its all fine, right? not quite sure you are meant to fall for someone on the pact. but love doesn't follow anyone's rules.
this book is a connected of sorts but standalone. its features all the pact gang and each get their own story. Cissy does a great job of catching you up but never makes it so you feel left out if this is your first entry to her books.
the characters in this book are so real and vivid. can picture it, you can picture them. you can see their workings and how they react and feel. books are good when you feel for the characters and care what happens in their stories and i was fully invested into our pair.
Parker and Delaney each come to their built walls for different reasons. but both still have them and both need to do some work, do some healing.
how they feel towards each other is something they both feel they dont want, or both dont want to want. but they keep seeing the best in each other and bringing the best out in each other. you are rooting for them all the way. you are just aching for them to sort it out, communicate. dont give up!
i really liked how this book showed you that you dont need to do this all alone. you can have fears and wants. you can have walls built and dreams you want to go for. but you dont need to be narrow in your vision, you dont always need to protect for less chance of hurt. that what you have grown up with also doesn't have to reflect how YOU will be.
their emotional hurdles felt genuine but there connection was even better, stronger and flirty banter just seeped through there was nothing these two could do to stop it,ha!
the small town feelings added such brightness and charm to this novel and also the friendship groups. good to see those in the males especially.

This was a cute, cosy small town romance.
The second in the series, this book follows Delaney and Parker. Both have aversions to relationships but their attraction is undeniable.
I really enjoyed this book, probably more than the first book in the series. It's paced well, the characters were both likeable, and the character development was great.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for providing an arc of this book.

Thank you boldwood books and NetGalley for the arc

I fully enjoyed it, it was a good pacing like the characters enjoyed the plot small town romance cute and fun and spice and friendships in it and what not to enjoy I realised this book 2 I now need to read book 1 (now on my TBR)
Overall 4 stars

Delaney is reeling from a bad breakup. Parker is part of the Bachelor Pact, and never stays the night. When Parker picks up his dad's prescription at the pharmacy, the two meet for the first time, which leads to a comical mix up.

I really enjoyed the character development in this one. The two fall into an easy camaraderie that quickly becomes more.

5/5

Quick, Flirty, and Full of Heart

Desired Hearts is a sweet small-town romance with fun banter, emotional undertones, and a cozy winter setting. Parker and Delaney are both dealing with personal struggles—his trust issues, her fear of chasing her true passion—and their chemistry is undeniable.

While I enjoyed their connection and the friend group dynamics, the romance developed a bit too quickly for me. The insta-love pacing made it harder to fully buy into their emotional arc.

Still, it’s a feel-good read with charm and warmth—perfect for fans of fast-burning, flirty love stories. Looking forward to what’s next in the Bachelor Pact series!

I think for me this one felt insta lovey again and Delaney kept bringing her ex up all the time which were both things I didn’t love but I did enjoy their romance and how they explored the theme of trust a lot which I think Parker had a hard time with because of his parents and I also liked how they pushed each other professionally too

2.5 Stars
One Liner: Feels too rushed

Cedar Falls
Parker moved into the Heritage Hill Inn in Cedar Falls to plan his next move while renovating the place. He joined the Bachelor Pact and found a family with his friends. He didn’t want to meet anyone, but life had other plans!
Delaney doesn’t want relationships either, so she is fine flirting with Parker. If being stuck in a cabin leads to a fling, why not? But as they get closer, they have to decide what they want.
The story comes in Parker and Delaney’s first-person POVs.

My Thoughts:
See, romance is one of my favorite and go-to genres. I love small town romance for the cozy vibes and sweet characters.
In theory, this book has everything to be a 4-star read. The characters are easy to like, and the friends are good. The setting is beautiful. The overarching plot is fun. There is spice. There are lovey-dovey scenes. There is a life lesson about taking risks and doing what you love (career-wise). A perfect list of ingredients.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the place, the log cabin, the snow, etc.
The side characters were interesting indeed. Beck, despite his OTTness, shows good promise.
The discussions around career risks and decisions were my favorite part of the book. Those were well done and realistic.
But…
The romance was so rushed!
Since it was a small book, the plot moved too quickly, even for insta-love. There wasn’t enough foundation for the characters to make such drastic changes to their decisions about relationships so soon after meeting each other.
Don’t get me wrong. I like low-stakes romance more than angsty romance. The latter feels too dramatic and gives me stress. However, there should be something for me to hold on to in the plot.
The spice was neither here nor there. I’ve read some really hot spice in books as well as sweet and wholesome romances by the same publisher. This one doesn’t seem to fit anywhere. The dirty talk was boring, maybe coz it felt so odd and unnatural (on that note, VH Nicolson writes it well). I might have liked this more if it had been closed-door.
There was a HEA and all, which was good and in-line with the genre. If the relationship progressed a bit slowly, it would have been a 3-star at least.
To summarize, Desired Hearts is a short book with nice characters and quick romance. If you want something to keep you occupied for a couple of hours, you can try this out.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Banter spice friendship grumpy x sunshine!

A must read especially for summer I will definitely be reading cissys other books!

4 stars.

I liked the first book of the series and I liked this one (that is the second part) too. The small town of Cedar Falls is a nice background, and I love the four friends. They have made a pact to stay bachelors - in my opinion that seemed a bit unrealistic. This book tells the story of Parker, the nice guy, and Delaney, who needs a break from dating as her ex was an ass. But sometimes you can find The One even though you don't even search for it!

This is a great series and I can't wait to read the next part!

WHAT I LIKED: The small town of Cedar Falls is a nice background. I loved the guys and their friendship. The tension was good. I also liked how the main characters took important steps in their work life and started to go towards their dreams!

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Delaney kept mentioning her ex which was a bit annoying. And I think sometimes they could've communicated better.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Pov: dual, 1st person
Heat: open doors
Pacing: instalove / instalust
Communication: some miscommunication, but also healthy communication
Third act: hiccups
Ending: HEA

Main characters:
* He's starting his own construction business, she's a pharmacist
* Cinnamon roll hero
* Friends to lovers

What?
* Dirty talk
* Forced proximity
* Found family
* One night stand turned more

Where?
* Cedar Falls
* Small town

Drama?
* Difficult past
* Some family drama

Loved this second book that is part of the Bachelor Pact series. Each book is a stand alone with a HEA in which you continue to see the characters from the previous books. This is Parker and Drlaney’s story. Parker has been working in home construction as well as helping his friends fix the local Inn in his spare time. Delaney is the local pharmacists who also makes and designs jewelry as well as other art on the side. She just recently suffered a break up from a long term relationship and has now sworn off of them. As Parker and Delaney are thrown together as part of their friend group, their feelings begin to grow which scares both of them as they didn’t want anything serious. This book had me laughing and sighing throughout the book. Their story had you feeling the emotions that they were going through. This author is great at pulling you into the story and for not wanting to put the book down. Looking forward to the next two books in this series.

"I was done with love. Forever...." Famous last words and a great hook for Cissy Mecca's second installment of her Bachelor Pact series. A charming story of two people, not looking for a long-term yet finding it, desired hearts is a quick and witty novel that can be read as a standalone, but is best enjoyed as part of the series. I love how the author worked one of her personal favorite mantras "Memento Mori" into the storyline. I'm anxiously waiting for installment #3!

I enjoyed Fallen Hearts, so I was delighted when I had the opportunity to read an ARC of Desired Hearts, the next in the series. I wanted to like this, but sadly, I was a bit disappointed with this one.

Parker (MMC) has always lived in the small town of Cedar Falls in upstate New York, & is another member of the Batchelor Pact, having sworn to remain single after his cheating father left his mother heartbroken. Delaney (FMC) has been left heartbroken after her ex broke up with her - twice. She came to live & work in Cedar Falls after accepting a job as the local pharmacist. She’s made some new friends & is enjoying her life there. Although they have some friends in common it’s a while before they actually meet. There is a spark between them when they meet, but they enjoy getting to know each as friends, initially their common experience of heartbreak holds each of them back. It’s only when their little group of friends go away for a weekend skiing together that they see the possibility of change in their relationship.

I liked Parker & Delaney, & I liked that they each had a dream of how their life could be, the jobs they would love to be doing. However, I didn’t find the main characters believable, the change of pace in their relationship was sudden & for some reason I wasn’t convinced. It’s a sweet, slightly steamy, small town romance. If that’s the sort of romance trope you enjoy then I can recommend Desired Hearts. Unfortunately it’s not for me.

Thanks to Netgalley & Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book

3.5⭐️

I only recently discovered this series and just read Mason and Pia’s book, so was pleased that Delaney and Parker were next. There seemed to be lots of mention of them never having met which got a bit old after a while- why not just introduce them?!
When they meet though there is an instant attraction and despite neither looking for anything serious they can’t deny being drawn to each other.

I did find Delaney’s moping over her ex dragged on a bit at times and was mentioned a lot, but liked how mature Parker was and that he didn’t dwell on it, particularly at the beginning.

This was really nice quick, easy read that I enjoyed and I hope Beck is next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for this ARC.

I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book!

I was so ready to fall back in love with the world of the Bachelor Pact boys and I wasn't disappointed! This series you could say are technically interconnected stand alones and Cissy Mecca does a fantastic job of catching you up throughout the book where needed if you haven't read the first book 'Fallen Hearts'. However I'm really glad to have been able to read the first book and this second book genuinely feels like coming home. If you've already read the first book, the second could slightly come across a little disjointed or distracting because of the catch ups but for me I just reminded myself that well this was apart of the series it was also all its own book and it might lead someone to pick up and read 'Fallen Hearts' as well.

Well Delaney and Parker are no Pia and Mason. Their story is still amazing! It's honestly refreshing now a days to have characters who actually feel human and real and boy do they. They have actual real jobs, regular hangouts with friends and those who feel like family, real issues to contend with, and true dreams and aspirations. Those of which I was stupidly giddy when they came about. As many of the characters note in the story yes Parker and Delaney are opposites for a lot of their likes, but it's the things they love that they share the most, that makes them work.

When you read their story it's almost like you're one of the gang and you're along for the ride in setting up your two best friends, because you just know despite their likes they're perfect for each other because of who they are. They totally are, they bring out the best in each other and its everything! I also genuinely love how they try and work everything out like real adults and don't get me started on Delaney's affirmations they are perfect and really resonated with me and worked so well here along with the rereference to momento mori. This is more than a love story, this is about following your heart, living in the moment, finding and following your dreams, and that you never have to truly do it all alone. A lot of personal moments in this book are going to stay with me. I loved coming back to this world, with two characters who's stories I knew would come together eventually and I'm so glad they did! I loved this book! That epilogue totally got me and I can't wait for future books!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart again I truly appreciate it!

📚BOOK REVIEW 📚

Desired Hearts - @meccaromance

Desired Hearts is book 2 in the Bachelor Pact series and it was a delightful and enjoyable read. I loved the small town vibes of Cedar Falls.

Although this is book two you could easily read as a standalone as I have done but I will definitely go book and read book 1.

Parker and his friends are part of the Bachelor Pact where none of them really believe in love or it working out. But their friend Mason is settling down with Pia and the dynamics are changing. Although, Parker is not looking for a relationship and has real commitment issues due to his father's indirections. So he's just focusing on his work and being with his friends. But then he meets Delaney and suddenly the rule book goes out the window.

Delaney returns to town after having her heart broken. The last thing she wants is a relationship but when she meets Parker, she can't deny there's an attraction. After a humourous meet cute she finds he's part of the Bachelor Pact so she should just leave well enough alone but they have so much in common and when they get stuck in a cozy Snowbound log cabin they somehow find themselves in a no-strings fling which leads to much more.

Parker is known as the nice guy out of his friends but his mouth between the sheets is anything but which has Delaney melting for him.

I liked both characters and enjoyed the maturity of their relationship and the issues that this book tackled. It was a joy reading about the learning to trust and communicate and when there was a rough patch it felt realistic. I loved the found family in this book and felt this was written well.

It was great to read this author as it was my first read by her. But I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more.

Jamie x

Desired Hearts by Cissy Mecca is a compelling and emotionally rich romance that kept me engaged from start to finish. Mecca’s writing is heartfelt and evocative, bringing to life complex characters who are both flawed and relatable. The chemistry between the leads is intense and believable, with a nice balance of passion, vulnerability, and emotional growth.

I appreciated how the story delves into themes of trust, healing, and second chances, adding depth beyond the romance. The pacing was steady, allowing the relationship to develop naturally while maintaining tension and intrigue. While some plot elements felt familiar, Mecca’s strong character development and emotional honesty made the story stand out.

Overall, I’m giving Desired Hearts four stars. It’s a touching and well-written romance that I’d recommend to fans of emotionally driven, character-focused love stories.

Loved it! This is the second in the bachelor pack series and I loved Parker's and Delaney's story! Parker works in construction, had the desire (but reluctance) to break out on his own, and is afraid of getting into a serious relationship.
Delaney we know was burned by her ex in book one, but is also a pharmacist with the heart of an artist.
These two encourage and support each other to be better and go for their dreams. They are spicy hot together and accept a relationship despite their previous hang ups.
I like that the drama wasn't over the top and they were able to resolve it like adults would.
I like this group of best friends and look guard to the next in the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I want to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me an early copy for an honest review. This book was cute and could of been much better. I could see where this was going the only issue that I had was that the FMC kept mentioning her ex. Like ok he did that now get over it but nope she kept talking about the ex and was just getting annoying. But after a while she got over it and the story was getting better and then again the ex. Overall it was a cute small town romance and i'm a sucker for small town. Thanks again NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this opportunity.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Cissy Hearts for sharing this ARC.

This was…basic. It’s what I would call a palate cleanser book, but given the fact that it didn’t leave anything desired, it wasn’t my cup of tea.

Everything was just too fast. What do you mean Delaney was moping over what’s his face, and suddenly she’s saying “I love you” to Parker in like two weeks flat after meeting him? Now it’s a book, fiction, but at least make it somewhat realistic. It’s giving "divorce" after that HEA.

Parker has his reservations on relationships, which makes sense, but there was no build-up to him coming to terms with what being in a relationship is and how his relationships should not be defined by what happened.

It was all wham bam.

And Cupcake? really? A man calls me; he’s being dropped. Sorry, I don't make the rules. This is not Wattpad era. This book was cringey and cheesy at times.

My issue with this book is that it was lacking in depth. I’m not looking for an epic love story of healing and whatnot, but some more attention could have been placed on certain details, given the message the author was trying to convey.

The book was not bad, and I know some will enjoy it. I need more connection, not just between the characters but with the plot. I wasn’t even interested in the side characters, which, in my opinion, managing to catch your reader's attention with side characters is huge for late plots, stories, and so forth.

This being said, it was a short, quick read, which would explain the lack of overall development.

I'm not really a fan of insta love but I really enjoyed the majority of the book. I was a bit surprised by the last few chapters, namely what we got to know about another couple and by the.... let's call it the last gesture. I don't think it made sense to include the others, but well. It is what is it. Still an enjoyable read and a good palate cleanser. I'm looking forward for the next one (and hoping it's Beck's).