Training My Heart To Love You by Monica Walters

Series: N/A
# of Pages: 229
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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Kortlynn Hebert has learned how to be positive in every situation. Growing up in a single-parent home, her mother taught her how to love herself and to have self-respect. That was an important lesson, especially for a plus-sized woman. Kortlynn realized early that the person that should love her the most was herself, however, that didn’t keep her warm at night. It didn’t softly kiss her lips. Loneliness is prevalent in her life, but that doesn’t make her desperate. While there had been relationships with men, they just didn’t measure up. Not wanting to be a notch on anyone’s belt, Kortlynn chooses the path of celibacy and focuses even more on herself. Until one day, out of the blue, this angel drops right in front of her. While she is skeptical of his motives, she’s in awe of his good looks and pleasant personality. She meets Zayson Ardoin in a professional atmosphere, but things soon turn personal. Zayson Ardoin, a country boy that possesses an urban swag, has been coasting through life, not knowing love. He lives day to day training horses for rodeo events and breaking somewhat wild horses so they can be ridden. Indulging in the single life for a while, he decides he’s tired of random women and the drama that comes with them. He puts all his energy into his work and he’s content being alone. He chooses celibacy versus dealing with a woman that he doesn’t see himself developing a relationship with. Fate must be on his side when he ends up face to face with Kortlynn Hebert. He’s always liked his women thick and she fits the bill perfectly. While trying to keep things professional, he fails miserably, and begins a chase that he intends on winning. Kortlynn and Zayson have a lot in common, but the main thing they agree on is that they are both too old to play games. However, the people they find themselves surrounded by don’t seem to follow the same mantra. Will the interferences of people they love keep them from developing the relationship they both long for? Do they have the strength and desire to persevere regardless of the games people play?

Training My Heart To Love You is another book that I came across on Kindle Unlimited. My goal has been to check out more black contemporary romance authors and I've found that a lot of them are indie published authors.

Training My  Heart To Love You is the first romance book that I've read where there has been plus size representation that was done well. Kortlynn proves to be such a dynamic character that is confident and sure of herself and I appreciated reading about a character that refused to let society define her. In contrast, I thought that the male hero, Zayson, was a little overbearing. In the beginning I found him to be charming and affectionate, but then his character got a little too wild. However, I do love that he spent time getting to know Kortlynn and loved and supported her the way she deserved. Even the manner in which he handled her weight loss was phenomenal. He came from a place of love and respect. Not once did he force Kortlynn to work out for his own selfish expectations. He wanted her to build stamina and become more healthy. Together, they were the peace that they needed to find. I never felt like their relationship was forced or unbelievable.

"Kortlynn Hebert, you are more than enough. You are gorgeous and your spirit is genuine. Your bodily housing has to be big to hold your heart, your loyalty, your trustworthiness and your intelligence. No person can take any of that from you, unless you allow them. Don’t allow them to steal your joy."

The plot of the novel was easy to follow, but a bit predictable and overly dramatic in some areas. I feel like the relationship between Kortlynn and her mother could have been explained more thoroughly. I don't feel as though the big reveal truly illustrated and explained the complex issues between the two women. I definitely empathized with the mother's experiences; however, it didn't completely explain or justify why she continuously fat shamed her daughter. I also don't feel as though the relationship between Kortlynn and her father made sense. It almost felt as though it was thrown in there for dramatic effect. Nevertheless, the plot line that followed Zayson, his brother, and his parents was not only interesting but also believable and at times very hard to read. I loved how much Zayson worked to take care of and support his parents.

"I would never disrespect her and say that to her face. Her feelings get hurt easily and, despite everything, I knew she loved me. I loved her, too, and she was my mother. She’d ended up raising me alone, for the first ten years of my life, and she’d done an amazing job as a single mother."

The writing of the novel was simplistic. A few times I found some parts of the text that needed further proofing and editing; however, I did find that the author wrote witha  sense of humor that literally made me laugh out loud. She wrote in a way that makes the reader really connect with the characters and plot. I don't think it was the best writing I've ever encountered, but I did appreciate what the author was attempting to do with the message of the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and I can't wait to try more from this author.