Trailer Park Heart by Rachel Higginson Published by Reckless Siren Publishing on October 23, 2018
Pages: 362
Format: ARC
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
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Trailer park born and raised. It’s my legacy. That’s how my mama lived. And that’s how her mama lived. It’s the life I was born into and it’s the life I swore I would leave the second I was old enough to make it out.
Only legacies have a funny way of sneaking up on you. An innocent decision the night of high school graduation led to a series of complications in my plans to escape.
Seven years later, I’ve resigned myself to this small town and the roots I’m tied to. Nothing could make me leave. And nothing could make me spill the secrets that keep me here.
Until he walks back into town with a chip on his shoulder and a stupid hunch nobody else in town has been smart enough to follow.
Levi Cole is my opposite. Born on the right side of the tracks with family money to spare, he’s the kind of black sheep that can afford to be rebellious—because his family will always pay for his mistakes. He’s also the only living heir to Cole Family Farms, after his brother Logan was killed in duty seven years ago.
He sees something in my life that he thinks he has a right to. But he’s wrong. And obnoxious. And he needs to take his stubborn good looks and that intense way he looks at me and go back to wherever it was he came from.
I know better than to trust men like him. I was born and raised in a trailer park, I know nothing good happens to girls like me—girls with trailer park lives and trailer park hearts. Especially from gorgeous, kind, pigheaded men like him.
Trailer Park Heart will whet your appetite for a sweet underdog love story.
Ruby has all the cards stacked against her. She is poor and lives with her neglectful mother in a trailer park on the wrong side of the tracks. However, she never feels an ounce of self-pity. I really admired her tenacity and resilience.
Levi has been Ruby’s rival since grade school. He comes from a well-off family, but they are equally matched when it comes to wits and taunting. I enjoyed Ruby’s high school flashbacks and how her perceptions change when looked at through the lens of adulthood.
There is a nice progression to the story and a lovely push and pull dynamic between Levi and Ruby. The author effectively uses pacing to establish some wonderful connections between a variety of characters. Ruby’s relationship with her mother is particularly fascinating. Ruby has such a huge heart that I couldn’t help but cheer her on toward a happily ever after.
I have some issues with the book that are difficult to delve into without spoiling the story. I will say that some of the characters’ choices seem illogical, and the narrative is repetitive in places.
Putting that aside, this book was well on its way to being a four-star read for me. Unfortunately, the story begins to lose steam toward the end, and then things are wrapped up rather abruptly and details are skipped. Despite some flaws, I quite enjoyed this romantic story.
Recommended for fans of:
Opposites attract stories
Second chance romance
Small towns
* I received an early copy of this book from the author to voluntarily read. This does not affect my opinion or the content of my review. *
About Rachel Higginson
Rachel Higginson is the best-selling author of The Five Stages of Falling in Love, Every Wrong Reason, Bet on Us and The Star-Crossed Series.
She was born and raised in Nebraska, and spent her college years traveling the world. She fell in love with Eastern Europe, Paris, Indian Food and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka, but came back home to marry her high school sweetheart. Now she spends her days writing stories and raising five amazing kids.
Great review! I want to read this one. I hope the issues you had don’t bug me too much.