Reviewed by Susan65
Title: Exchange of Hearts
Author: N.R. Walker
Heroes: Harrison Haddon/Levi Aston
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 133 Pages
Publisher: BlueHeart Press
Release Date: November 11, 2015
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Eighteen-year-old Harrison Haddon has grown up alone. Surrounded by wealth, nannies, and material things, all he craves is the approval of his father. Sent away to the boarding school his father and grandfather attended, it’s assumed he will follow in their footsteps from Sydney’s prestigious Ivy League school straight into medical school.
But Harrison doesn’t want to be a doctor.
He dreams of music and classical piano. His only true happiness, his escape from the world expected of him, is dismissed by his intolerant and emotionally detached parents.
Levi Aston arrives from London for a three-month student exchange program. Free-spirited and confident in who he is and what he wants to do with his life, Levi convinces Harrison not give up on his dreams.
But convincing Harrison not to give up on his family might not be so easy.
Review: Exchange of Hearts is sort of fluffy and sweet with just a smidge of low level angst to keep it interesting. Harrison and Levi are so young, and so family interfering and trying to run your life is sill a very real, and a somewhat hopeless, possibility. Levi, a foreign exchange student from England, and Harrison’s new roommate, is the catalyst for Harrison finally stepping out of his dad’s shadow and choosing his own destiny…and maybe a chance to fall in love and have it reciprocated.
When these two guys meet, they become instant friends. Levi is just the life of the party and has no qualms about fitting in with the jocks or the popular kids, he is very secure in himself and needs no external validations. But, trying to teach Harrison to be the same way can be a daunting possibility, until Levi leaving Australia and going back to England forces Harrison to step up, confront his father, and be his own man.
This is an easy novella to read. A story of growing up and taking what you want. It is NR Walker, so you know the writing is spot on. This is a story that I recommend to those who enjoy young adult and coming of age stories. Nothing earth shattering, but a great way to spend an afternoon getting your daily dose of sweetness.
Overall Impression: I liked it
*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.*
