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booklovingmom_'s review
5.0
I received this ARC in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
Defending Hearts takes you on Oz and Kate's journey of having a relationship together and falling in love. The romance plot line itself runs along the lines of your typical romance, but the situations the couple are faced with brings up strong issues that some don't think about all the time. This story pulls hate crimes and religious differences into the mix and it highlights the problems with both of these things in society in a way that is informative while also pulling at the readers heart. Having to see Oz go through some of the things he faced really got to me, but it added a different dimension to the story that pulled me in.
Defending Hearts is a quick, fast paced romance that calls up religious differences and hate filled actions, great soccer descriptions and two dynamic character to create a great sports romance. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who asks and can't wait to read more in this series!
Defending Hearts takes you on Oz and Kate's journey of having a relationship together and falling in love. The romance plot line itself runs along the lines of your typical romance, but the situations the couple are faced with brings up strong issues that some don't think about all the time. This story pulls hate crimes and religious differences into the mix and it highlights the problems with both of these things in society in a way that is informative while also pulling at the readers heart. Having to see Oz go through some of the things he faced really got to me, but it added a different dimension to the story that pulled me in.
Defending Hearts is a quick, fast paced romance that calls up religious differences and hate filled actions, great soccer descriptions and two dynamic character to create a great sports romance. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who asks and can't wait to read more in this series!
leesarpel's review against another edition
5.0
Oz has a lot going for him: he's well-off, in good health, on good terms with his family, doesn't have trouble getting a date, enjoys his job, and he has a plan for the future. He’s on track for a life that he’ll find comfortable and fulfilling, but he hasn’t met somebody he wants to share it with. The other obstacle to his comfortable life is that people think his religion is something worth going after him for. It shakes him. He has every privilege, so he has no tools to react to being targeted.
Oz’s religious values are complex: he considers himself Muslim, but he drinks and has tattoos. He doesn’t go to a mosque regularly. Historically, Islam hasn’t stopped Turks from drinking, so I don’t see why a Swede descended from Turks would abstain. Most people have very complex belief systems, and it was a relief to see this presented in a romance novel in a nuanced fashion.
Kate, on the other hand, doesn’t know what she wants from life. She’s going home to hide, in a way. After deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq and working in personal security in Saudi Arabia, she’s ready for a break, and she thinks maybe she was never meant for more than her origins. Her assignment with Oz is a complication: he makes her want things for herself, and to go forward in life. But where to?
Oz is a neat freak and a stickler for his routines, and Kate is not interested in his bullshit. But the two of them do get along very well, and learn from each other. Oz’s friends are pretty darling, and Kate learns that people she would have never thought to hang out with can give her acceptance and space to be herself. They have to fumble their way through their relationship and make a lot of understandable missteps along the way.
Oh! The soccer. I assume this series was written before Atlanta got its MLS franchise (which may have succeeded way beyond Oz’s dreams). Soccer in America has had lots of growing pains, and the semi-celebrity of Oz and some of his teammates reflects this. I liked reading Crowley’s game footage/play-by-play. It made me excited and kept me in suspense. If you understand soccer’s rules and zeitgeist, you’re in for a treat. If not, Kate isn’t particularly soccer-savvy and she’ll guide you along as she learns.
I enjoyed the book enough to read it in a day.
Oz’s religious values are complex: he considers himself Muslim, but he drinks and has tattoos. He doesn’t go to a mosque regularly. Historically, Islam hasn’t stopped Turks from drinking, so I don’t see why a Swede descended from Turks would abstain. Most people have very complex belief systems, and it was a relief to see this presented in a romance novel in a nuanced fashion.
Kate, on the other hand, doesn’t know what she wants from life. She’s going home to hide, in a way. After deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq and working in personal security in Saudi Arabia, she’s ready for a break, and she thinks maybe she was never meant for more than her origins. Her assignment with Oz is a complication: he makes her want things for herself, and to go forward in life. But where to?
Oz is a neat freak and a stickler for his routines, and Kate is not interested in his bullshit. But the two of them do get along very well, and learn from each other. Oz’s friends are pretty darling, and Kate learns that people she would have never thought to hang out with can give her acceptance and space to be herself. They have to fumble their way through their relationship and make a lot of understandable missteps along the way.
Oh! The soccer. I assume this series was written before Atlanta got its MLS franchise (which may have succeeded way beyond Oz’s dreams). Soccer in America has had lots of growing pains, and the semi-celebrity of Oz and some of his teammates reflects this. I liked reading Crowley’s game footage/play-by-play. It made me excited and kept me in suspense. If you understand soccer’s rules and zeitgeist, you’re in for a treat. If not, Kate isn’t particularly soccer-savvy and she’ll guide you along as she learns.
I enjoyed the book enough to read it in a day.
sadiereadthat's review
4.0
I won a free copy of this in exchange for a fir and honest review.
This was much better than most romance I've read. It followed the basic formula, but there were some twists that aren't typical. I liked the our heroine wasn't the damsel in distress type. Overall, I actually enjoyed this.
This was much better than most romance I've read. It followed the basic formula, but there were some twists that aren't typical. I liked the our heroine wasn't the damsel in distress type. Overall, I actually enjoyed this.
jenreadsromance's review
5.0
It's about a female bodyguard named Kate, she's ex-military, and she's protecting a soccer star, Oz Terim, who's being targeted by hate groups because he's Muslim.
There's a lot I liked about this book: it's well-written and genuinely surprising in good ways, plot-wise. I loved the fully inclusive world of Atlanta and that Oz's teammates are international, multiracial, and multiethnic.
Oz's struggles with being targeted for his faith since he's not a very devout Muslim. His family is Turkish and Swedish, and not everyone in his family has the same approach to Islam. It didn't feel gimmicky or surface level, it is essential to his life and his character. And that's the external plot, but the conflict between Oz and Kate is more about class. He's wealthy, international, cultured...and Kate is a small town Georgia girl with a high school diploma who spend 8 years in the army. It also forcefully tackles American bigotry and hate. Not every Southerner is a racist redneck, not every city-dweller is a bastion of culture, not every college grad is as liberal as they think. It didn't feel heavy-handed, it just felt REAL.
Defending Hearts is a story that feels so grounded in the complex reality of identity and how that plays out for people when they fall in love. I think it's really well done, and I enjoyed it.
There's a lot I liked about this book: it's well-written and genuinely surprising in good ways, plot-wise. I loved the fully inclusive world of Atlanta and that Oz's teammates are international, multiracial, and multiethnic.
Oz's struggles with being targeted for his faith since he's not a very devout Muslim. His family is Turkish and Swedish, and not everyone in his family has the same approach to Islam. It didn't feel gimmicky or surface level, it is essential to his life and his character. And that's the external plot, but the conflict between Oz and Kate is more about class. He's wealthy, international, cultured...and Kate is a small town Georgia girl with a high school diploma who spend 8 years in the army. It also forcefully tackles American bigotry and hate. Not every Southerner is a racist redneck, not every city-dweller is a bastion of culture, not every college grad is as liberal as they think. It didn't feel heavy-handed, it just felt REAL.
Defending Hearts is a story that feels so grounded in the complex reality of identity and how that plays out for people when they fall in love. I think it's really well done, and I enjoyed it.
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