Acquired Digital Audiobook by: I am a new blog tour hostess with Audiobookworm Promotions wherein I have the opportunity to receive audiobooks for review or adoption (reviews outside of organised blog tours) and host guest features on behalf of authors and narrators alike. I started hosting for Audiobookworm Promotions at the end of [2016] during “The Cryptic Lines” tour wherein I became quite happily surprised how much I am now keen on listening to books in lieu of reading them in print. My journey into audiobooks was prompted by a return of my chronic migraines wherein I want to offset my readings with listening to the audio versions.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Heartborn” via the publicist at Audiobookworm Promotions (of whom was working directly with the author Terry Maggert) in exchange for an honest review. The difference with this complimentary copy I received is I had a 90 day window to listen and review the book whilst given a soft deadline where I could post my ruminative thoughts at an hour which worked for me on the day the review was due; this differs from a blog tour which has a more set schedule of posting. The audiobooks are offered to ‘adopt’ for review consideration and are given to readers to gauge their opinions, impressions and insight into how the audiobook is resonating with listeners. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

NOTE: I had fully intended to listen to Heartborn somewhere between mid-to-late December and mid-to-late January; both months proved to be quite intense, most of which I recently blogged about on my latest #StoriesOfJorie. I had conceived this idea to host a live-reading tweet fest whilst listening to the novel itself. I decided despite the chaos of my connectivity and tech issues, I could still do this on the day my review is due to post, as blessedly I have an open ‘deadline’ for the day. Ergo, whilst I coloured inside “Wonders of Mandalas” by Leisure Arts I happily tweeted out my first impressions of Heartborn! Except part of my impressions were cut-off abruptly during my ‘intermission’ for lunch as something unexpected arose (re: my Dad) and I had to step away for a few hours. I resumed two hours ahead of posting my review.

What initially prompted me to listen to Heartborn & why I was tentatively unsure about it’s scope:

Around the time “Heartborn” was being marketed and released, I believe is when the author Mr Maggert originally found me via Twitter. I vaguely remember at the time clicking through his feeds and scouting out his website (of which has since been revamped by Jess @ The Audiobookworm; she did such a lovely job, as she designs inasmuch as she works in book publicity) and finding his stories were quite intriguing to me. They had the kind of originality I love to seek out with a curiously well-conceived world for which characters can reside and readers can thrive whilst visiting them. I was questioning the content of the stories – were they just outside where I could take darker Fantasy and harder core Upper YA? Were they instead somewhere on the bridge between where I regularly reside and a few paces outside my comfort zone?!

Since I couldn’t quite make up my mind on where I would ‘fit’ in his writerly style, I put it off for another day to decide and somewhere along that period of indecision, I believe he unfollowed me, but I wasn’t deterred. It simply wasn’t the right time for me to sort out ‘Heartborn’ and Mr Magget. This is why I try to get into the frequent habit of adding ‘authors who find me’ on  Twitter to a special folder earmarked as such, so I can have a longer period of time to vet their writerly styles, seek out their releases and get a proper understanding for what they are publishing. Life moves at such a fast clip at times, sometimes when someone finds you, it’s simply the wrong hour for you to discover them. This doesn’t mean your uninterested, its just bad timing.

Hence why when a few months later Jess (The Audiobookworm) approached me to be a reviewer of audiobooks through her touring company, I jumped at the chance! I didn’t want more authors who had audio releases to ‘slip’ past me, even if I had to turn down a few to re-discover lateron, at least I could keep a running list of authors I was keen on ‘listening’ too or reading in ‘print’. Uniquely enough, ‘Heartborn’ went on tour but as I was still on the fence about my thoughts on the story and how the story would resonate with me – I yielded to wait. I was pleasantly surprised when this audio went up for adoption and thereby, I asked some questions about the programme, esp in regards to ‘trying stories’ we’re uncertain if we’ll love or find to be neutral-positive or perhaps even neutral-negative as I write the whole gambit of a reader’s perspective on Jorie Loves A Story; not just focusing on the books which are my cuppa!

Having a ‘greenlight’, I was ready to tuck inside this story after having read another reader’s insightful review as she gave a hearty depth into why she loved the story and why the story resonated with her on a personal level. She gave a well-rounded opine and as these are the reviews I personally seek to write myself, it is one I personally appreciate in finding in the larger community of book world. You can read her review here.

Heartborn

Her guardian angel was pushed.

Keiron was never meant to be anything other than a hero. Born high above in a place of war and deception, he is Heartborn, a being of purity and goodness in a place where violence and deceit are just around every corner.

His disappearance will spark a war he cannot see, for Keiron has pierced the light of days to save a girl he has never met, for reasons he cannot understand. Livvy Foster is seventeen, brave, and broken. With half a heart, she bears the scars of a lifetime of pain and little hope of survival.

Until Keiron arrives.

In the middle of a brewing war and Livvy’s failing heart, Keiron will risk everything for Livvy, because a Heartborn’s life can only end in one way: Sacrifice.

Fall with Livvy and Keiron as they seek the truth about her heart, and his power, and what it means to love someone who will give their very life to save you.

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

on 3rd October, 2016

Length: 6 hours and 24 minutes

The second novel of the Heartborn series publishes in *March, 2017!* Titled: Moondiver!

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