Unworthy Heart

Title: Unworthy Heart

Author: Dorothy F. Shaw

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Publisher URL: www.samhainpublishing.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-61922-845-0

Genre: {M/F} Contemporary

Rating: 3.5 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

Ryan Donnelly’s a single father and he’s determined to be a great dad and to become successful at his career in a L.A marketing firm.  The failed relationship with his son’s mother makes him reluctant to get involved with any woman, and then he meets Maiya Rossini, a co-worker he’s been dealing with online. Nothing about the feisty red-head is his type and the strength of their attraction scares him.

Maiya grew up with an alcoholic mother in a trailer park and she’s worked hard to get an education and become successful. Getting involved with any man is out of the question. Ryan’s buttoned-down persona isn’t her type but their attraction is too intense to deny, but Maiya will try. If Ryan’s wants a relationship, he’ll have to convince Maiya to take a risk; otherwise she’ll run and never look back.

Unworthy Heart is the first release by Dorothy F. Shaw in her new contemporary romance series, The Donnellys.

This is a first time read of this author for me so I wasn’t certain what to expect. What I got was a fast paced book with vivid description and interesting personal histories. I like how the author wove both Ryan and Maiya’s family into the plot, giving them both serious emotional baggage to overcome. I particularly enjoyed the scenes that included Ryan’s young son. He’s a cutie. Also, the ones with Maiya’s ill mother are very well done.

Both Ryan and Maiya are serious about their jobs but that doesn’t mean they don’t make poor decisions about their sexual encounters that could have been professionally damaging. I admit it. This bothered me—a lot. I found the sexual tension well written but shock, I thought there was too much sex in this plot. It overbalanced the romance and Ryan and Maiya aren’t allowed enough time to actually get to know each other. 

Truthfully, I liked them as individuals interacting with family and friends much more than I did as a couple because in the first half of the book they were constantly doing ridiculous things or making poor decisions. It wasn’t until the last 25% or so that I could believe them being together.