Review by Awilson531 -- Heartaches 3 by H.M. Irwing

[Awilson531]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Heartaches 3" by H.M. Irwing.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Heartaches 3 by H.M. Irwing is the third instalment in the ‘Heartaches’ series. It is a romantic novel yet it includes some elements of thriller which sets it apart from typical romances. Set in Australia, more specifically Melbourne, Heartaches 3 follows the journey of Anna and Rafael (known more informally as Rafe) from starting out as strangers to developing a relationship strengthened by trust and times when they are tested.

With very different broken pasts- Anna, a vocational college student, and Rafe, a solider who has just returned from Syria- it seems a relief when they fall in love and have one another to confide in. Their broken pasts involve rape and abuse, something which plays a big part in their story and journey to a more peaceful life. Their relationship is really put to the test as they both have to stand up to both fears and people of the past, like Eric Dayton and Matt Preston.
Plans are made by Anna and Rafe to stop a wedding from happening, and the themes of revenge and vengeance start to emerge. Rafe and Anna must make some life changing decisions in order to save their relationship, stop secrets being revealed and confront their tragic pasts.

My favourite thing about this book was the intricate descriptions that really seemed to make it feel so much more realistic. It became more intimate and almost felt as if I was with Rafe and Anna at points, which is something I really enjoy when reading. I think the word choice the author used also contributed to this- at many points I could feel myself thinking how well certain words worked in the sentences and context which helped with the flow of reading the novel.

One thing I did notice was how the stories of rape were explained almost as they were- the author did not try and find a way around it or try and play it down in any way. Although at times it could be rather unsettling, and upsetting, I did find it helped me empathise with Anna and Rafe more. This also helped to provoke my hatred of Eric and Matt, the villains. I found this to be particularly effective, as to be able to provoke such strong feelings of hatred for a fictional character through words is something quite amazing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and did not pick up on any errors- although perhaps this was because I was so engrossed in the story! Jokes aside, it did seem like the book was professionally edited as there didn’t seem to be any mistakes which made me enjoy reading it even more as I was not interrupted by any errors in the story. I do think the author is very talented, as the way they use the words to make the reader feel so many different emotions for the characters is so clever, so therefore, I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

I would personally recommend this to an adult reader, as it deals with themes such as rape and includes more erotic content, which may be unsuitable for younger readers. Despite the fact that this book is the third in the ‘Heartaches’ series, it is of no lesser quality than the two previous novels. I also think it would be easy to read this third book even if you had not read the first two, as information is given about the backgrounds of the characters.

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Heartaches 3
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