Review: Real Men Don't Break Hearts by Coleen Kwan

Real Men Don't Break Hearts is the first book in Coleen Kwan's Real Men Series. This is also the first book that I have ever read by Coleen Kwan, so I went into this one not knowing what to expect. I went into this one knowing that since it was a part of the Bliss line from Entangled that there wouldn't be a ton of sex or steam and it would be mostly sweet. It definitely held up to what I have come to expect from the Bliss line, and for the most part I didn't feel as though the reader missed a ton with this one being a closed door romance. I did have a few other issues with this one though and that kept me from being able to give this one a higher rating.

Ally never expects that her knew landlord with be her ex-fiance's cousin who left town years ago in order to make something of himself. She always suspected that the reason that Seth jilted her was because Nate had never liked her and had convinced him to get out while he had the chance. Nate never expects his new tenant to be Ally. He always thought that she was nothing but prim and proper and too uptight. He knew that Seth and Ally were all wrong for each other and would never make each other happy. But he always disagreed with the way that Seth handled things. Despite the past, Ally and Nate agree to put everything behind them and move forward with as friendly and professional of a relationship as they can. But the more that they get to know each other and see the way they have each changed, the more the start to feel for the other. Before long they are acting on their attraction and begin a casual relationship. But as their feelings start to deepen, will Ally be able to trust that Nate will stick around and pursue a relationship with her? Can Nate convince Ally that he is not the same person he used to be and that she should take a risk on him?

I liked Nate. I loved that we got to see how much he had changed from the person he used to be. It was nice to see that he had not only grown and matured, but also that he would help others just because it was the right thing to do. I really didn't think that I was going to like him at first because he was kind of a jerk right off to Ally, but he quickly won me over and he was a really good guy. I really liked that he gave up a lot to move back to his hometown because he realized that money and a wealthy lifestyle doesn't necessarily mean happiness. Nate seemed like an average guy that you could connect with and I think it really drew the reader in to care about his character. I had some issues with Ally. I liked her and yet at other times I didn't like her at all. She was caring and always was thinking of her family. But she was too dependent on them and seemed to be pretty easily swayed by them. I tend to identify with stronger heroines, and I think that is why I just didn't seem to ever really feel as though I was invested in Ally's character. I just wished that her character didn't seem to have so many insecurities and that she would have grown more confident towards the end, but she always seemed to be lacking when it came to certainty. I did feel that Ally and Nate had good chemistry together though, and I liked the way that their relationship progressed.

I also didn't really care for most of the secondary characters. I couldn't stand Ally's family or her former fiance Seth. They were all pretty self centered and cared more about their needs and thoughts than anyone else's. I especially didn't like Ally's sister or grandma. They seemed to baby Ally and treat her as though she was an idiot. Thinking that they knew her feelings and what was best for her and her future, it was as though they had no clue who Ally was at all. I just never did get over the way they acted towards her. I also thought that there were a few problems with the flow of this book. At times the story seemed to really drag for me and at other times the story would almost seem to jump from one event to another with little to no explanation. It was sometimes confusing and I would have to go back and see if I had missed something. For me, this story was one that although enjoyable wasn't memorable or very unique. It was sweet, and the relationship between Ally and Nate was good, but the problems kept me from being able to fully enjoy this story. Nate was definitely the highlight of the story and I really enjoyed getting to know him and his story. If you are looking for a sweet and light fluffy read this one might be something that you would enjoy, but if you are looking for a story that is well developed and more substantial this probably isn't the one for you. The next story in this series, Real Men Don't Quit is about Ally's friend Tyler and I am interested to see where the author takes her. I liked her in this and am looking forward to getting to know her better.

**Copy provided by Publisher**

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