Blog Tour Stop, Two Chicks Review and Giveaway: Memories of the Heart by Felice Stevens

Title: Memories of the Heart

Author: Felice Stevens

Genre: Adult, Gay Romance

Release Date: February 12, 2015

Ruthless, Controlling, A Loner. All words used to describe Dr. Micah Steinberg by the hospital staff for their next head of surgery. When a letter arrives from his grandmother’s friend at the assisted living facility, his orderly world tilts dangerously out of control.

Josh Rosen had everything until it was revealed much of his world was a lie. Forced to re-evaluate his life, Josh gives up his career and returns home to New York City to care for his beloved grandmother. What Josh didn’t figure on was an attraction to a man who on the surface, appears to be exactly like the life Josh chose to leave behind.

As Micah struggles with the reality of his grandmother’s illness, the bond they share deepens, as Josh helps Micah heal, then open his heart. Micah discovers there is more to life than work, control and success. Josh is in deep but has yet to tell Micah who he really is.

When the fight for the hospital’s head of surgery turns ugly, Josh’s past and present collide. Micah must let go of the past and accept who he is, if his life is going to move forward.

Life is full of surprises, and as both Micah and Josh learn, love can happen whether you plan for it or not.

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Denise’s Review:

First, I have to say, I didn’t have an ugly cry like I did on Felice’s last book, thank goodness. She has just about taken care of my allotment of ugly cries already for a while, I need a break! 🙂

This is Felice’s first self-published book, and what a book it was!!! Weaving a beautiful love story around two men, and the love for their grandmothers as they age.

Micah is a broken man, and hard for Josh to get to know. They slowly allow their bond to build, as they work through their daily lives, as well as the reality that is caring for an elderly family member.

My heart broke for Micah again and again, as his grandmother struggled to remember him each time he visited. The guilt that he had due to his decreased visits was palpable. He knew he had made a huge error by letting so much time lapse, and there was no way to recover from that. He was grieving for the grandmother he had loved, and was losing more and more each day.

This is a struggle millions of families go through on a daily basis. As aging parents and grandparents begin to lose their memories, become debilitated by disease, family members must find a way to work through the grief and guilt that they may not have been as helpful as they could have been to their loved one when they were healthier. (I, myself, struggled with this same issue. The pain is something that you just can’t quite ever come to terms with, you just must learn to live with it.)

Fortunately for Micah, he had Josh, their newfound canine buddy, and Josh’s grandmother who would not let Micah hide away. Sometimes you need someone to kick you out of that guilt pattern and into dealing with what you have right here, right now, and she was just the right person for the job.

This book was a heart breaker in so many ways. When you read romance, whether mm, mf, or any combination, you are reading hoping of an HEA (at least I am!), and Micah and Josh do get HEA. However, it is twinged with sadness because you know that Micah’s grandmother will not get her mind back to where it once was, and you know that he will have his heart broken over and over again.

What a beautiful story this was! I always love that Felice throws in a pet somewhere, me being a crazy cat lady and all. More than a beautiful love story, it was a REAL story, one that is lived every day, and for that, I am grateful to Felice for writing this.

My final determination is a re-read worthy, 4.5 pieces of eye candy.

Morgan’s Review:

WOW, Felice has created another
incredible story.

I was drawn into this from the
minute I picked it up and I immediately fell in love with both of these
characters. The attraction between Micah and Josh was there from the first
moment they saw each other even if it wasn’t a perfect first encounter.

Micah is a very broken and
vulnerable man that keeps everyone at arms-length to stop himself from getting
hurt. Josh has a huge heart and sweet personality. Getting to see how Josh
cracked all that ice around Micah’s heart had the emotions going and the love
these two show for their grandmothers is so heart-warming.

Felice’s writing is always wonderful
and she creates amazing characters. I really hope we get to see more from Alex
as well.

Definitely a reread and a 5 piece of
eye candy read for me!

I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending just around the corner. I started reading traditional historical romances when I was a teenager, then life and law school got in the way. It wasn’t until I picked up a copy of Bertrice Small and became swept away to Queen Elizabeth’s court that my interest in romance novels became renewed.

But somewhere along the way, my tastes shifted. While I still enjoys a juicy Historical romance, I began experimenting with newer, more cutting edge genres and discovered the world of Male/Male romance. Once I picked up her first, I became so enamored of the authors, the character-driven stories and the overwhelming emotion of the books, I knew I wanted to write my own.

I live in New York City with my husband and two children and hopefully soon a cat of my own. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be angst along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.