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Stealing Hearts

Wild at Heart, Book 1

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Stealing Hearts

By: Lex Martin
Narrated by: Sebastian York, Vanessa Edwin
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Summary

A marriage of convenience might save his ranch, but will it break her heart?

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love Rhett Walker, which is complicated since he’s ten years older and my brother’s best friend. After a falling out, we didn’t speak for years—until today, when he found me sleeping in my car, threw me over his shoulder, and dragged me “to safety.”

He’s grumpy and overprotective and even more handsome than I remembered. I’m shocked to learn he’s in trouble. Someone is sabotaging his ranch, which is thirty days from foreclosure. He needs a loan from a friend who won’t extend the funds unless he’s married. Only Rhett’s now a single dad with no plans to fall in love again.

When his brother suggests I marry Rhett for health insurance so I can rehab an injury, my first reaction is hell no. I can’t afford to catch feelings for someone who won’t see me that way.

But spending time at the ranch reminds me how much is at stake—the family business, the welfare of Rhett’s children, and the happiness of a man I’ve always longed for.

Rhett says we’ll keep things platonic in private, even though I’ll be sleeping in his bed. He refuses to mix business with pleasure.

Except when the lights go out in his bedroom, our chemistry is too explosive to contain.

Would it be so bad to fall for Rhett? Or will he steal my heart all over again?

One thing’s for sure—the clock is ticking on our divorce.

Stealing Hearts is an age gap, marriage of convenience, single dad romance. If you enjoy grumpy cowboys, sweet but sassy heroines, a family of rowdy brothers, and secretive small towns, this book is for you!

©2025 Lex Martin (P)2025 Lex Martin
Romantic Suspense Westerns Heartfelt Feel-Good Ranch Single Parent Business
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Listener received this title free

Second chances. Single dad. Age gap. Brother's best friend. Broody cowboy. This book just pushes all the right buttons. Paige has had a crush on Rhett her whole life. So when he needs a favor, she's all in. Even if it is a fake marriage. Reasons are good, she needs some time to rehab her ankle and she finally gets the chance to be with Rhett. Now all grown up, Rhett is seeing Paige for the beautiful woman she is. She is so good with his sons, easily falls into the family and we won't talk about the other benefits. But there is an end date to the arrangement, and things around the ranch are heating up. Someone is trying to cause problems. Where does it all go? Well first off, this couple...they are so good. Paige is sassy and smart, and she easily adjusts to her new life. Rhett is swoony! He is hesitant until he can't be, and protective of his entire family. I loved this story, it was easy on the ears, and had me enveloped into their life until the very end.

Vanessa Edwin and Sebastian York are so good together as they bring his wonderful story alive. Paige is young but mature and has so much to give. Her sweetness and sarcasm all come to play and Edwin nails every scene. Rhett is protective and manly, from being an amazing dad, to a guardian of his ranch. York knows how to bring the passion out right along with the vigilant protecting. Together, these two could not have been better cast and made this book come to life.

All the best tropes and a swoony book boyfriend!

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Listener received this title free

✨✨✨ ALC Review ✨✨✨

Tropes:
Best friends brother
Childhood friends
Marriage of convenience
Surprise 🤰🏻
Rancher / Cheerleader
Small town
Romantic suspense
Age gap
Single dad

🎧 Narrators
Sebastian York and Vanessa Edwin

4⭐️
3🌶️

Rhett + Paige = 🫶🏼

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Listener received this title free

Overall Thoughts: I love the single-dad sport series, Varsity Dads, by Lex and I really enjoyed this first book in her new small town, single dad, Wild Heart series. This book brings the drama, so if you like your books that don’t seem to stop, then you will want to read/listen to this book. There is a lot of give and take between the characters as there is a lot of baggage from their combined past and separate journeys. I think Vanessa and Sebastian were amazing as Rhett and Paige, and together they made this couple jump off the page (or out of my ear buds??). I will definitely be listening to the rest of this series.

Narration: Dual, first person present tense, dual POV, with some flashbacks/memories

Tropes: small town, single dad, brother’s best friend, cheating (not MMC or FMC), death of a sibling (not on page), OW drama, terrible stepmom, marriage of convenience, down on her luck, cowboy/rancher, financial issues, age gap, betrayal,

Overall: 4
Spice: 3
Humor: 2.5
Drama: 3
Darkness: 1.5
Narration: 5

Paige had a massive crush on her older brother’s best friend, but after a huge falling out she left her small town and never planned to come back until there was no choice. Which I when Rhett finds her sleeping in her car.

Rhett has many regrets, but not listening to Paige, will be one he will never get over. When he finds her sleeping in her car, he hauls her back to his home, which is when his kid brother suggests they get married so that Rhett can secure a loan from a family friend to help save their ranch.

Even though they say they will stay platonic, with Paige spending every night in Rhett’s bed, it’s not long before they cross that line. With a string of bad luck, an one thing after another, these two be able to weather the storm, or will their past be too much for them to be able to secure the future they want.

Sweet small town romance

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Listener received this title free

I absolutely fell in love with Rhett, Paige and their small-town love story. From as early as the prologue, Martin had me hooked on these characters and where the story would go - what I didn't expect was to be listening to an incredibly emotional, surprisingly suspenseful, romance-, spice- and love-filled story that ultimately left me with fuzzy feelings and so excited for the rest of the series.

Rhett, the grumpy ranch owner, recently divorced single dad to Gabriel and Austin, and Paige's crush back when she was a teenager. Throw in that he's her big brother's best friend, and, well, it ticks all the boxes for me. Add in a marriage of convenience when Paige and Rhett reunite? OMFG, this book has it all.

I love Paige's strength and tenacity through it all. She's down on her luck from her own issues, and all she wants is to help Rhett (not that there isn't something in it for her). I loved listening as she truly bloomed on the ranch, stepping into the role of carer for the kids, whilst remaining true to herself and her dreams - even if they changed during the course of the book. I love her spunk and sass, and when she had to defend herself against Rhett's (psychotic) ex? I literally yelled "you go, girl" as I drove.

The voice acting in this one is just that - acting. York and Edwin truly lend their talents to Rhett and Paige, bringing them to life and making it feel like a movie as you listen. They injected their all into the emotional scenes, and had you laughing, crying and swooning as they narrated. I always enjoy books narrated by these two, and this story was perfectly cast.

A small town single dad after my own heart

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Listener received this title free

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Sebastian York and Vanessa Edwin. They did a great job with the narration and I'm sure that I liked the story more because I listened to it. I would listen to both narrators again.

Stealing Hearts is the first book in the Wild at Heart series and it can be read as a stand alone. I liked that there were elements of romantic suspense mixed with the brother's best friend story.

I received a copy of the audiobook at my request, and the opinions here are my own.

Stand alone in series

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