Black Heart (Cursed Hearts #1) by R.L. Mathewson

There was something seriously wrong with Marty. That was the only explanation that she could come up with. Why else would she feel this way for the biggest SOB in town? Granted, he was also the hottest man in town, but he was also arrogant, callous, and determined to drive her away even as he drove her crazy with his touch. She should just walk away from him and probably would if it wasn’t for this connection that she’d always had with him that kept making her want more with the one man that couldn’t give her anything more than heartache.
He should have left and never looked back when he’d decided to finally do the right thing and push Marty out of his life, but instead he stuck around to torture himself by staying close to the one woman that he could never allow himself to have. She deserved better than him, better than the tortured existence that he led and better than the horrifying future that waited for him.

R.L. Mathewson has done it again minions! I finished this yesterday and it’s been stuck on my mind ever since, so of course that means I just have to review it like now. Many of you know I’m kinda obsessed with Miss Mathewson’s work, and ever since she announced her comeback I’ve been going a teensy bit crazy to get my hands on this beauty. I don’t even know where to begin, I mean it completely threw me it’s not like her other books, but I mean that in a good way so bear with me here. *Deep breath* I went in with my eyes closed when I think about, I mean it was not what I expected at all it was a very intense, emotional and captivating read. Out of all of Mathewson’s works I can say with certainty that this one really got to me, in a way I know I’ll never forget it, it’s just one of those books you come across that have the power to stick with you without having to reread them. The authors note and prologue helped set the tone of the book a little for me, and upon completion I definitely thought the prologue was a good idea as it explains quite a bit of Tristan’s life.

I loved Marty, like many of Mathewson’s heroines she’s vivacious, witty, engaging and funny. Her relationship with Tristan is very complicated, just when she thinks she has a handle on where she stands he goes cold. I found it a bit annoying, because one minute I was like ‘Yes! Success they’re getting there!’ but then he would say or do something to push Marty away and I was like ‘What the actual hell is going on?! We were so bloody close!’ my family may have considered getting me committed at some point but that’s neither here nor there. I think Marty handled herself well, she grew up with Tristan and never understood why everyone in town thought he was an asshole, well until they reconnected of course but she doesn’t take it lying down, oh no minions she gives back as good as she gets. There’s always been a draw to Tristan for Marty and she’s never understood why, but she knows deep in her soul she loves him with everything she is. Tristan is very much sorely mistaken if he thinks she’s like all the other women in town who run and hide in the other direction, Marty is one those women who can go head to head with the best of them.

“Do you mind shifting? You have a small tube of chapstick or something in your pocket that’s poking me.” Maybe she shouldn’t have emphasized small. Guys were kind of sensitive about that sort of thing, right?

Gosh no one does a swoon yet strangle worthy alpha hero like Mathewson, the woman is pure genius I swear. I absolutely 100% loved Tristan! He carries many of Mathewson’s famous alpha hero traits such as stubborn, annoying, exasperating yet charismatic, funny, sweet and incredibly endearing. Tristan was one the first reasons Mathewson threw me, see I went into this thinking it was a romance novel but it had a…PARANORMAL TWIST! And I loved every bloody second it. At first I was like ‘say what?’ but then as I read on I was ‘oh hell yeah, shit just got intense’. As usual we get both POVs which goes a long way in not only understanding the characters but engaging with them on a certain level, so as much as I wanted to kick Tristan in the shin a few times I understood where he was coming from. Unknown to Marty there’s more to Tristan than meets the eye, and everything he does is to protect her although I’ll admit there were more times than I can count I just ended up screaming at my Kindle for him to just confess his feelings. You see minions Tristan has also always felt a connection to Marty too, he loves her with everything he is but like Marty has no idea why.

“You have me. I’m yours,” he promised, because he was, always had been and he’d been a fucking moron to fight this hold she had over him.

I thought both Tristan and Marty’s families were really funny and sweet, and I really like that for Tristan. The secondary characters in this book were amazing and I loved them just as much as the main character’s. They ended up playing a crucial role within the story, to the point where I had no idea what was waiting around the corner, I mean this was definitely not of those predictable reads not even after a few chapters, it just felt like anything could happen and no matter what I did I was not prepared for it. Which I should point out not many authors can accomplish. Shayne was brilliant, his relationship with Tristan was really touching and I cannot wait to read his story.

"For the last time," he said tightly, opening his eyes, "she wasn't screaming at me." "I could hear her all the way down here, lad. She sounded pretty pissed if ye ask me." "She wasn't screaming at me, you asshole! She was screaming my name!" Tristan snapped. "Yes," Shayne agreed slowly as if he were speaking with a small, confused child, "as she yelled at ye, lad. I'm thinking that after a month of her screaming at ye like that, that ye'd finally get the hint and move on. Ye really should take the hint, lad. It's kind of pathetic at this point." "For the last time," he ground out, "my wife wasn't screaming at me because she was mad at me, you jackass! She was screaming my name while I was making love to her!"

When the secrets are out, and everything is explained I felt utterly speechless because like I said I had no idea what was coming, from that point on I was miserable. Seriously my chest ached, I could feel the characters pain and just before reaching the end I was in actual tears. I was a little like this...

This is where Mathewson really threw me because this book really is nothing like her previous books when I look at the enormity of feeling she created, she managed to create such loveable characters you couldn’t help but become invested in them. Like I’ve said minions not an easy feat for authors, and so for that I applaud you R.L.

I give this book 5 astounding stars and really strongly truly and utterly recommend to all. Follow Tristan and Marty on a journey of love and loss, get on an emotional roller-coaster you do not want to miss and witness a love unlike any other. Come and get lost in a world of secrets, the supernatural, laugh out loud characters and a love that simply steals your breath. Tell me minions do you believe in soul mates? Because sometimes there comes a love so profound that it transcends time.