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Crowne Point #1

Heartless Hero

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There are rules to being Abigail Crowne’s bodyguard, rules to watching the infamous billion-dollar heiress, otherwise known as the Reject Princess.
Never forget your place, always put the Crowne name above all else, and never, ever hurt the Reject.
Especially don’t torment the Reject.
Even if she is a spoiled brat.
So when an opportunity presents itself to punish her, you definitely shouldn’t take it.
Then again, Abigail loves to be tortured, and I’ve waited patiently for revenge.
I’ll keep her safe... with cruel protection.
Love is off limits with Abigail Crowne, but no one said anything about hate.

Heartless Hero is the first book in the Crowne Point universe. You do not need to read any of the others to enjoy it, though it is recommended. It will enhance your reading experience as you will catch easter eggs and the timelines overlap.

396 pages

First published October 21, 2019

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Mary Catherine Gebhard

25 books1,951 followers

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5 stars
1,054 (33%)
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703 (22%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 569 reviews
Profile Image for Sarah.
1,742 reviews1,324 followers
October 23, 2019
***AVAILABLE NOW - FULL REVIEW ***

5 Truth or Promise CROWNS

Readers! Lovers of bully romance, second chance, enemies to lovers! This!! This book, Heartless Hero is just want you need. Mary Catherine Gebhard hits the sweet spot between hate and love, and the tension sizzles between this couple from the minute they are on the page together.

Theo Hound owns my soul. He is bully to the highest degree. I love every dark and twisted act, every vile word that comes from his dirty mouth. You know why? Gebhard hits the right balance of making him a bully out for revenge and a man who has broken. You sympathize and understand his motivations. You want to hate him but you can't because you also want to hug him and tell him how much you love him.

Abigail is the perpetual black sheep. The girl who is elite but always on the outside looking in. She is broken, flawed beyond words and tragic. Yet readers will like her because she, like Theo, is real. What motivates her actions makes complete sense for her upbringing and you just really want her to feel for once loved beyond reproach.

This story is everything. Yes, it is bully, enemies, second chance romance, but there is a new element that makes it unique. The characters are three dimensional, imperfect in some many ways, and imperfectly perfect for each other. I ate the story up, and I’m already begging for more standalones in the same world.

One thing to note, which I don’t always do, is to talk about Gebhard’s writing. Some people have that IT factor, and she does. Her syntax and diction just speaks to my heart and mind. They way she describes scenes and characters makes them real. I feel what they feel, I live in these stories, and that is something special.

Heartless Hero is a must read for 2019. I didn’t want to leave this world. I didn’t want to let go of Theo and Abby and the HEA they work so hard to get to. But what really made this story special was the characters and how Gebhard shows that all of those who are tragic can have that HEA, deserve and are worthy of it. That love can, in fact, heal and empower.

BETA read
Profile Image for C.L. Matthews.
Author 43 books1,790 followers
October 12, 2019
She brandished me with love, it turned to hate and ended with a promise. Mary has squashed every notion I had for HH and wove a beautiful heartless-reject masterpiece.

I've read a lot of bully romances in my life. Some could say most of them. Not one has destroyed me quite like this one.

I don't say this a ton, or even write reviews for every book I've read...
BUT. And this is a HUGE but. This book deserves a better ranking than I could ever offer or bestow. It outranks my knowledge of perfection and drowns me with notions of bliss.
This is and will be, my favorite bully book of all time.
It was so much more than that trope. It rose above the standardized "dude is a dick" book and upped to "dude is a dick but he's so much fucking more" book. Theo and Reject were just more.
Profile Image for ♥️Dev♥️.
327 reviews366 followers
October 19, 2021


She is the princess. And he is her dog.

5 "Reject" stars!!!!!!

“Because with her, the knife is in me, and I’m gutted, but without her, I’m bleeding.”


Theo, a man who's been abandoned on the streets..first by his mother, then by the love of his life. The only girl who ever treated him right. Took him in when everyone else looked down.
But then she left him. No, she sent him away.
And now he's coming back for revenge. To protect. To torment. To love

Abby, always the second best, a reject, a whore, a ice queen, an attention seeker. But only she knew hat and who she really was. The only person who saw for her is gone. And now he's returned. To torment her. To pull out emotions and feelings she didn't know she had in her. As her fucking body guard.

She hates him. She loves him. But when you are a Crowne, only power and image matters.

Can they deny this attraction between them? Is Theo playing with her so he could have his sister Gemma? Will Abby have to marry her awful stalker? Will they ever be worthy for each other? How can they be together when all the world do is tear them apart before they can hold each other?

“He was a noir, black and white, moonlight and shadow, a nightmare and a dream.”


Did I expect this to be so fucking good? Hell NO!!! Never in my wildest dreams I thought there will be a book with all my favourite tropes blended in.

I just loved this so much! Yea it's a fucked up story but damn it was beautiful.
Emotions bursted through the pages and the story, the plot, the characters were all so beautiful, I just couldn't get enough.

I loved Abigail. I love her strength and at the same time I loved how she let herself feel the pain. Which was real. It bought her character to life. I love her patience, understanding forgiveness.
She was brave enough to leave her family, her wealth, her everything for the man she loves. She didn't care what the world thought because she knows who she is, and that's enough.

Theo was one of the most sacrificing heroes I've met. He gave up his happiness and freedom for the one he loved. Just to stop her from marrying the wrong man. To be honest I hated him at
first but then I fell for him. His protectiveness was so sweet.

The bullying was maddening at first. No remorse, no emotion. Different from what I've read before. No sweet heroine or hero. Just plain cruel, mean, feisty MCs. The revenge plans actually made goosebumps appear in my arms cuz they were sooooo cruel. But the end was so worth it all!

Both of them are a perfect couple. I loved how they work on their trust, how they determined themselves to trust. I love how much they look out for each other. And the chemistry is absolutely perfect!

A beautiful story on heartbreak, misunderstanding, love, trust, sacrifice and letting go.

Tropes

-Bully/Victim
-Childhood Friends
-Enemies to Lovers
-Bodyguard/Princess
-Second Chance
-Snowflake/Flame

Highly Recommended!!! Enjoy!!!!

Profile Image for Weronika -  Little Steamy Reads.
633 reviews102 followers
October 14, 2019
„A wound on your soul changes who you are. If you didn’t love yourself first, you can’t love anyone.”


Bully romance? Check.
Enemies to lovers plot? Check.
Second chance story? Check!

Heartless Hero is a perfect combination of all three! Mary Catherine Gebhard has created a brilliant story that draws you in from the first page and keeps all of your attention up to the last sentence. I’m a big fan of bully romances and recently it’s not so easy to please me when it comes to this trope, but Mary delivered everything I could possibly want- great storyline, perfectly imperfect characters, unexpected twists and so much heat that I needed to fan myself!


Abigail aka Reject Princess is so much more than a black sheep, hellion and rebel everyone thinks she is. There were many situations that I felt really sorry for her and I understood some of her behavior. Yes, sometimes she was thoughtless and often acted like a spoiled brat, but this could be explained by a lack of understanding and any kind of support. Despite the rich heritage and her family status, this girl could never fit in, she always felt excluded and irrelevant. She’s imperfect, broken and all she wants is acceptance and unconditional love.

Theo Hound… A beautiful tyrant whose cruelty makes a chill run down your spine. This guy made me wonder about the state of my mind many times, because despite his extreme tormenting, he had some indescribable aura that made me unable to resist him. And the more I learned about him, with every peeled layer I fell in love with him more and more.

Despite the old disappointments, unfulfilled promises and resentments, these two still have a strong chemistry. I'm talking about such a connection that’s able to smash everything in its path. And don’t get me started about the heat level… You'd better set the nearest fire department on speed dial before you start reading this book. Or insure your Kindle in case of melting. Abigail and Theo are pure FIRE!


Heartless Hero is a perfect bully romance. It pushed my buttons to the extreme and gave me the sort of ending I craved. Mary Catherine Gebhard brilliantly led this story and made HH one of the best books I've read this year. I can’t wait to get my hands on the stories of secondary characters! Bravo!



*ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,323 reviews9,245 followers
November 18, 2019
heartless-hero

HEARTLESS HERO: Is a full length romance novel by Mary Catherine Gebhard. Spoken in 'Dual Perpectives.' Get ready to meet Theo and Abigail.

𝕴 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝕬𝖇𝖎𝖌𝖆𝖎𝖑 𝕮𝖗𝖔𝖜𝖓𝖊.
𝕱𝖎𝖗𝖊 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖗, 𝖘𝖈𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖆𝖑 𝖒𝖆𝖐𝖊𝖗, 𝖙𝖍𝖊 '𝖂𝖎𝖈𝖐𝖊𝖉 𝕭𝖎𝖙𝖈𝖍' 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕰𝖆𝖘𝖙 𝕮𝖔𝖆𝖘𝖙.

I read this way back in the early process before release and I can't tell you how much I loved this book!! I thought I'd written out my review but nope I hadn't so here goes my late az fuck review!!

This book was completely left field to what I'd previously read by this author. And I remember having to sit back after finishing this and feeling that bittersweet moment when I'd closed that last page off, not wanting to leave that world behind, loving the feels that came with it, the angst that I couldn't get enough of, the characters that I'd connected with and didn't want to say goodbye to them.

Unpredictable, Unique, Unputdownable, Undeniably good!!

This book isn't your typical bully romance that's doing the rounds today, this was so much more!! This is unarguably one of a kind, a love between a bodygaurd and his charge. A second chance romance. This ticked all my boxes and even ticked some that I never knew I needed ticking!! Highly recommend!! Just like me, once started you won't be able to put it down!! The author brought her A-Game with this book!!

Theo was the boy she'd tried to save at the age of fourteen, a street urchin, the boy she'd fallen in love with, but like many people in her life he'd let her down and almost five years had gone by since she'd last seen him.

Until now..

But gone is the boy she'd fallen in love with..

And in his place is a hardened man who can't stand her. He's also her new bodyguard..

Get ready to have your heart broken in smithereens!! These two do not hold back, years of hurt, betrayal and lies have been brewing in the background.


Profile Image for K. Webster.
Author 197 books13.6k followers
October 28, 2019
This was my first read by Mary Catherine Gebhard and she did not disappoint! It was a captivating enemies-to-lovers romance that had me gobbling up pages as quick as I could turn them! The chemistry between the hero and heroine was off the charts! I loved the constant push and pull. Definitely recommend! Five HOT HERO Stars!
Profile Image for Chelé-----4 The Love of Books .
767 reviews58 followers
October 14, 2019
I don't care how cute she is, how lovely she is or how much I adore her, Mary Catherine Gebhard is an emotional terrorist! There, I said it. HOLY F*CKING SH*T ASS! I need therapy after this book. REAL TALK. She ripped my heart out, put it through the shredder and glued it back together!

Look, I honestly can't even write a traditional review for this one, yes it's a bully romance at the highest level BUT it's so, so much more, there's the royal aspect, the body guard, the mystery, the family dynamic which is messed up! There may even be a stalker situation, an arranged marriage and so many damn plot twist your heart can barely take it!

In conclusion LOL you NEED this book, it's a page turner, it is insanely intense and heartbreaking at times but WHOA WHOA WHOA those sexy scenes.....you might as well get your significant other prepared to be attacked! I can not wait for you to go on this ride and meet Abigail and Theo!
Profile Image for queen_of_the_books_18.
844 reviews223 followers
October 16, 2019
”Abigail and I were a fairy tail I was foolish to believe in.”

Mary Catherine Gebhard just bought her A game with Heartless hero. All the sobs and all the rage! This story was perfection.

Heartless hero is a different take on bully romances that I’ve previously read because this one is a bodyguard bully romance... I hear you. How can that be possible when a bodyguard is there to protect. Well let me just say two words to you.

THEO HOUND

I wanted to slap his smug face and then drop to my knees for this guy. God was he the most frustrating, dirty talking, swooniest, protective alpha ever!

”I promise...
”I’ll take all night fucking you. I promise that by the time I’m done with you, you’ll be ruined for everyone but me.”

Can we just take a second and have a moment of silence for my ruined panties. 🔥😂

”Someday I will be special. Someday I will mean something to someone. Someday I won’t be so alone.”

Oh Abigail. At the start of the book she really annoyed me because I couldn’t figure out why she was behaving the way she did. Why she was a fire starter. Why she went out of her way to piss people off. But the quote explains it perfectly. Abi just wants to be loved. She wants someone to notice her and love her for her. She thought she’d found that with Theo.

If you enjoy dirty talking, possessive alphas, all the swooning, a plot that will make you stabby and want to send shouty messages to the author then this is the book for you!

Bully romance ✔️
All the feels ✔️
Alpha hero ✔️
Plot that makes me ragey ✔️
Sex scenes that will make your kindle burst into flames ✔️


Profile Image for CHAMPAGNE.
302 reviews179 followers
October 18, 2021
this has got to be one of the meanest bully romances i've ever read.

I've read romances like this where, the heroine's lives are in danger. Like they were actually about to flatline. But this was mean.

Don't get me wrong I liked the story, but the torture before the reward was harsh. The reward was sweet tho, so it was worth it.

Also, I've never read a bully romance where the characters are in their 20s, it was intriguing to say the least 😆

Anyways, Dev, your recommendations never let me down so thank youuuu 😘
Profile Image for Jessica .
2,234 reviews14.7k followers
August 25, 2021
I knew that this was a bodyguard romance, but I didn't know it was also a second chance romaine! Theo and Abigail have a past and were both left heartbroken. Now, years later, Theo is the bodyguard and set on revenge. I wasn't a fan of how he treated Abigail in the beginning, but I really loved when they started to let each other in again and angrily fall for each other because neither of them wanted to. I really enjoyed everything they had to flesh out and the outside forces they had to deal with in order to find their way back to each other! I'd definitely recommend this!
Profile Image for LianaReads blog.
2,452 reviews218 followers
October 15, 2019
How can one write a review for a love story that didn’t supposed to happen but it overcome everything in its way?

“Love is fear. Fearing it can be taken away, but trusting him not to. Jumping into a black abyss without a bungee cord.”

Bulling has and takes so many forms and shapes in life that sometimes even if you don’t want, there’s nothing else to do but accept and live with that life? At least that’s what I feel like many people are struggling with in our days and that’s why when we read similar stories it’s great to be able to relate reality with fiction.

That’s what our heroine has done, not wanting but out of choice for so much time, she has to say yes to everything that her family makes her go through. That until her only friend comes back .

“Theo was so confusing. He’d been worshipful. Reverent. Kissed me like he was dying of thirst and I was water. I was learning to dread his moments of affection, because they quickly led to this. Complete indifference.”

He comes back like a storm, destroying everything in his path and breaking her heart as well. All because his was broken by her a long time ago.

“Because with her, the knife is in me, and I’m gutted, but without her, I’m bleeding.”

This new series has a lot to give and look up to because every single character is perfectly depicted by the author making them look as all of our favourite people that we want to read about.
They’re not your ordinary characters, they might be rich and spoiled but they’re also proud and cruel and still have a heart that can break at any given time.
Can’t wait to read the next stories.

Profile Image for Mary Gebhard.
Author 25 books1,951 followers
Read
October 23, 2019
HEARTESS HERO IS LIVE EARLY!!
Are you ready to curl up with Theo Hound???

There are rules to being Abigail Crowne’s bodyguard, rules to watching the infamous billion dollar heiress otherwise known as the Reject Princess.

Love is off limits, but no one said anything about hate.

AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/35U5HGW
AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2MCPUVh
AMAZON CA: https://amzn.to/33VotMl
AMAZON AU: https://amzn.to/2W2owmQ

description

"Up and at-em, Reject.” Theo threw open the windows. Yellow gold morning light assaulted the shadowy corners of my room. “
“You’re not supposed to come into my room. I could have you fired.”
“I wonder who’d they’d believe? The misbehaving heiress, or the nothing-but-exemplary bodyguard tasked with watching her reject ass.”
I glared at Theo, willing it to turn him into ashes, pushing past how his street clothes fit on his muscular yet lean frame. His hoodie, gray jeans, and tennis shoes were designed to blend in, but he stood out like a model on the runway.
Theo Hound was undeniably gorgeous, and he was also dead set on ruining me.
If my glare affected him, it didn’t show. In fact, his red lips curved. “Sleep well?”
“I hate you.”
“I don’t know how I’ll go on,” he said without any emotion, turning his attention to my ornately carved wood desk. There was only one thing atop it, my laptop—mother liked to keep things neat. When he began opening drawers, I darted out of my bed so fast I forget I was only in a small slip of a night gown.
I slammed the drawer shut.
Our hands touched over the cool metal handle, Theo’s stare on mine, as my heart rose into my throat. I couldn’t fight him off. If he wanted to open that drawer, he could.
“What do you think you’re doing? You can’t just tear apart my room.”
“Actually, I can.” Theo took a step closer, pressing my back against my desk. “I’m not like your other guards, Reject, you can’t scare me away. Your secrets are mine.” He took another step. “Your mind is mine.” My back bit into the wood. “Your body is mine. How else could I protect you?”
A moment passed forever, all too aware of his body pressed into mine. I tried to control my face, not let on how unnerved I was. Protect me? More like destroy me.
I gave myself away with a hard swallow, and Theo stepped back, a cruel smirk on his lips.
He slammed the laptop shut and shoved it under his arm. “Get dressed.”
“So you can make mom hate me even more? No thanks. I’ll stay here.” Today was one of my most favorite days in the entire world, but if Theo wanted me dressed, instinct said I should do the opposite.
A cruel smile. “Scared?”
“No. I’m just not in the habit of listening to my bodyguards.”
“Get dressed, or I’ll dress you.”
A ripple of excitement raced up my spine, one I quickly disregarded as shock. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Want to test me, Reject?”

Profile Image for Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~.
Author 19 books520 followers
Shelved as 'nevermind'
June 6, 2020
DNF @ 4%

1. "dower-faced"

2. hero is named Theo Hound. Theo HOUND.

3. "We've redone your en suite into a room."

Huh? They turned a bathroom into an adjoining bedroom? Or maybe the bodyguard has to sleep by the toilet? Oh wait no, they just added a foldout couch to her room.

4. a man named Beryl

5. "reddish brown eyes, and in certain lights, they looked purple"

What the actual fuck is that even supposed to look like? Demonic?

6. awful syntax

On the surface, it seems like this is well-written (for the first three or so pages, anyway) but a closer inspection reveals that words have just been slapped together to resemble sentences.
Profile Image for Shameless.bookslut.
76 reviews79 followers
July 11, 2022
Undoubtedly my favourite bodyguard romance book of all time.

I’ve been in love with Mary Gebhard’s writing for years now and I’m always ready to reread most of her works anytime as to mention this was a reread too.

The story follows Abigail and Theo, Abigail being known as the reject princess and Theo as her dog them comes bodyguard.

Theo Hound is the definition of “It has always been you” well he was Abigail’s bully too and damn how he bullied her was unnerving and I love it. I mean the dedication was “𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘴” do I need to explain more? my first read was in 2019 and till date Theo Hound affects me the same if not more.

Abigail Crowne, the perpetual black sheep, has a mind of her own created from the lack of affection and mistreatment throughout her childhood.

It has bully, second chance and enemies to lovers in the most perfect amount.

Mary Gebhard hits the right balance of making Theo a bully out for revenge and a man who was broken. (back to Theo again? damn me)

Grayson and Story you're next (with heart eyes)
Profile Image for Bookgasms Book Blog.
2,837 reviews1,429 followers
February 13, 2020
Wow. What a rollercoaster ride. I absolutely was not expecting Heartless Hero to ruin me like it did. My heart swooned and wept and I don't think I'll ever be the same. Theo and Abigail were on an epic ride from beginning to end and it's been twelve hours and my heart still has not recovered. Their love was tumultuous and emotional and I know their story will stay with me for a very long time.

Anyone who knows me knows I need my alpha heroes THE MEANER THE BETTER but Theo Hound was on another level for me. I cried so much. I equally love him and have yet to forgive him. He was unimaginably cruel and heartless but also so thoughtful and loving. He made my heart bleed in the best and worst ways. I'm serious when I say that I equally love and hate this story. But that, is most definitely why it will remain on my best read lists forever. Start this story and make you have a friend holding your hand. You'll need it. 5 stars! ~Ratula 
Profile Image for Dora Koutsoukou (hiatus).
1,951 reviews560 followers
October 25, 2019
5 ⚡️❤️⚡️❤️ 🔥 ❤️⚡️❤️⚡️❤️🔥🔝👏🔝🔥🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟s❣️

He is a dog.
She is a reject.
I am dumbfounded, speechless, astonished, wrecked.

An extremely addictive and intense (bully, friends to enemies to lovers) romance story full of betrayal, lies, broken characters, ploys and tactics, deceit, manipulation and unconditional love.

I will only say that I found the author’s writing exquisite, the characters and the plot were deeply developed with ferocity, fervour, ardour and with many layers.

I have nothing but praise for Heartless Hero!!!!
It was heartbreakingly beautiful❣️
Profile Image for Snow.
2,241 reviews688 followers
November 27, 2019
Absolute hit!
L.O.V.E.D. it.

a total antagonizing anti-hero...
an a heroine that finds her stand in the most cruelest of the outside worlds - those of the RICH kind.
Profile Image for Cristiina♡Reads.
577 reviews3,429 followers
Read
March 27, 2020
DNF— first DNF of the year and I am not reviewing it nor rating it😐 such a disappointment💭
Profile Image for mina.
688 reviews261 followers
May 1, 2020
Wow.
I think I wouldn’t have minded much the abuse and everyone being dicks if it had been written better, but again there’s also that. This is a Dark romance book, and the only reason I finished it is that it didn’t annoy the hell out of me.

Everyone and I mean everyone is acting like the main character is a walking catastrophe, the black sheep of the family, and I haven’t seen that. Abigail reacted pretty normally to things it’s just that her family is a bunch of abusers who don’t give a fuck about her. Her hero isn’t much better as he too insults her and treats her like dirt.
Profile Image for Tanaka K.
897 reviews7 followers
October 21, 2019
“You’d take away your love, wouldn’t you? Because love isn’t a promise, Abigail. It can’t be broken or kept. Real love just is. It exists without consent. It consumes. You’re just like everyone else. Love is something to forget. Love is something to break.”

You know that exciting feeling that you found a certain book that is written for you. A book that meets your criteria in books. A book with a truly addictive story that ties you up knots. A book that makes you insane. I mean, the books that I read sometimes make me a bit crazy . True story. Hahaha. A book you just soak up every single word. Heartless Hero totally met all my expectations. Actually, exceeded them. Wow, I am truly mesmerized. Wow, my heart went through an uphill battle of emotions drowning me from beginning to end. Every word hit me hard. Enticed me. Moved me. Lured me. Heartless Hero absolutely stole every inch of my soul.

Heartless Hero is my first book by Mary Catherine Gebhard. Where the hell was I? How come I never read her books? Sometimes, I need someone to knock some sense into me. What an amazing introduction to an author who created an unforgettable with a heart crushing story. The words so pulse hitting. The characters so engaging. The scenes so scorching. Heartless Hero wrecked my poor heart. Heartless Hero’s story stuck a knife in my heart and bled every single emotion. The plot rippled with so much excellence that I was blown away. Mary Catherine Gebhard, you have gripped my heart with the powerful and alluring Heartless Hero. Page Turning. Soul Grasping. Heartless Hero is a soul clenching book with a compelling bully romance that detonated every piece of me. A heart entangling enemies to lovers story. A soul ripping second chance romance. An angsty and sexy read that left a mark. Heartless Hero definitely impressed me.

Hold my wine!!! Theo and Abigail will muder you. Kill you. Ruin you. Leave utterly breathless with their love and chemistry, Full of pain. Full of lies. Full of promises. Theo and Abigail will lead you into their intense and seductive love that will make you weak. It made me weak and craving for more. I freaking loved Theo and Abigail. Abigail is a strong woman who tried hard to please everyone around her. I related to her and admired her. She was a flawed character that I found myself loving. Omg Theo!!! Wrecker of hearts!!! Boy, he truly wrecked my heart and left it bruising. Protective, Heartless, Possessive, Intense. I got lost in Theo’s orbit.

Gosh, I am a fan!!!! Heartless Hero truly introduced me to Mary Catherine Gebhard. She has a new fan now. I can’t wait to read more of her books

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Tzelina.
502 reviews130 followers
October 28, 2019
A totally different book of typical bully romance I have already read! The title of the book is describing exactly Theo!!He was a heartless alpha male/bad boy!!! There was so much angst/drama, sometimes it was so brutal, there were so many secrets, but overall there was so much love between Theo and Abigail!! It was excellent written and I totally love it !!
Profile Image for Michelle.
944 reviews221 followers
November 7, 2019
3 stars
I liked some of this book and also didn’t like some of it. I thought about not finishing it several times but decided to just skim some parts and ignore other parts that made me roll my eyes.
Her the reject and him the dog grated my nerves. lol I also didn’t feel the love between these two. I think I would of loved it if we started off with them when they first met:)
Profile Image for ABookLover73.
375 reviews217 followers
November 2, 2019
#TEAMTHEOANDABBY4EVER

Five true love stars for Abby and Theo 🖤💛💜!!!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Always, when I start reading the book by an author from which I didn't read any book before, I have the fear that maybe I will not love the book and the same feeling was about this one.

But, I was wrong and I'm really glad because of that.

This is the first book I've read by Mary Catherine Gebhard and I absolutely loved it!

Her writing style is beautiful and simple that drags you so easily into the book and after you finish it you want more.

I loved everything in this book.

The characters, the storyline...

Everything was perfect.

"Heartless Hero" is a romance book with bullying, angsty, second chance, friends to enemies to lovers tropes.

Abby is a female character who has everything in her life except the family who loves her and the man she loves.

But, that is the price of living life like hers.

You can live like a princess but that means that you will live without a prince who will save you because this is not a fairytale...

This is real life.

And in real life prince doesn't exist.

Or maybe he exists?!

Theo, oh sweet Theo.

He is the male character which makes your heartbeat quicken and you wish that he exists in real life.

In your life.

He isn't kind of male character you usually find in romance books because he isn't rich.

But the more important thing is that he has a good heart and no matter what Abby does to him and how much he hated her, he always protects her.

To be honest, there was the part in the book, when I really hated him because like Abby, I also didn't know why he did the things that he did to her.

But, in the end when everything revealed I fell in love with him all over again.

Abby and Theo's relationship is a slow burn.

They had a lot of ups and downs.

But, like every true love, they found their way to pass through every obstacle and be together forever.

Yes, the book has bullying parts but they not important.

Not to me.

The reason why Theo was abusive to Abby and why Abby hated Theo was because of a misunderstanding that arose from someone else's guilt.

The one little thing why I loved this book more is that it reminded me of the TV show "The Royals" and one of my favorite couples ever, Eleanor and Jasper.

Princess and her bodyguard.

In this case, the rich girl and the poor boy which had become her bodyguard.

I can't wait to read the next book from this series and more books from Mary.

She definitely deserved to be on my list of favorite authors.

If you're looking for a romance book with friends to enemies to lovers and forbidden love trope, this is the book you MUST to read!!!

Highly recommended!!!
Profile Image for TheSassyNerdBlog.
889 reviews364 followers
February 8, 2020
Son of a mother fucking bitch.

Alright, I'll say this right now... This review isn't going to be censored... AT ALL. So be warned that I may curse...

I don't know where the fuck to start with this review... Mary, what have you done? My heart, my emotions, my fucking head... It's a mess and it's YOUR fault.

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐂𝐆 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬:


How to put this into words, and make it spoiler-free? Fuckkkkkkk...

Well, here goes...


Theo was an asshole... He was ruthless, he was rough, he was HEARTLESS... But there were so many levels to this guy. Heartless? Yes. Broken? Yes... An asshole? Fuck yes. At times I wanted to reach in the book and punch him in the face... Like more times than I can count. He was a bully... But he had compassion, not always noticeable but it was there deep down and that dirty mouth? H. O. T. Oh so hot! Mix all this into one character and Theo is who you get. He was perfect. I am a sucker for an asshole alpha and he ticked all the right boxes for me... But I will admit... Even I was shocked some of the stuff he did to Abigail and said.

Abigail? She was the black sheep, the reject, the unlovable daughter, the odd one out and fuck at the beginning I wanted to slap her HARD. She went out of her way to stir shit up for people. She lit the flame and watched it burn like it was some kind of sport... But as I dived in deeper I could see why... And it was kind of heartbreaking. She just wanted to have love, she just wanted to be loved for her, not for someone she wasn't or someone she was trying to be to be loved... and she wasn't getting that in. But she thought she had found that in Theo...

These two together?
I can't... My head was spinning. The shit that Theo said and did was messed up... The push and pull, the sexual tension between the two. The way the book progressed and showed me all different sides to these characters. It was all phenomenal and written flawlessly. I want to so badly dive into this plot and pick each and every chapter apart and tell all... I couldn't do that. I believe you have to go into this story blind. You need to soak up everything it throws your way. Because MCG has raised the bar when it comes to bully/enemies-to-lovers romances. Everything I thought I was getting myself into when I started this book, was quickly thrown out the window. But that's not a bad thing. AT ALL. This was so much more. It had my head spinning constantly, and the angst? Fuck. I wanted to cry, scream, punch someone or something, throw shit and then laugh like I was some kind of manic.

I know this review is a mess... But so is my damn head after that book. I mean... BEST POSSIBLE WAY... But shit, dude... My mind is blown. This author isn't new to me and I shouldn't be shocked at how epic this was, but I am. I didn't expect what I got...
But what I got was 𝐄 𝐕 𝐄 𝐑 𝐘 𝐓 𝐇 𝐈 𝐍 𝐆 I could have asked for and more.

As I said, this review is a mess, but once you read it. You will understand why.


Que the book hangover... *Groans*

One last thing?


𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞!



𝟔 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒!
Profile Image for Taylor Graham.
113 reviews18 followers
December 17, 2019
Oh wow!!! This book blew me away!!! If you love bully romance, second chance, enemies to lovers, ANGST! This is the book for you! Heartless Hero was the first book by Mary Catherine Gebhard I’ve read and let me honestly say I will be reading more of her work! I went into this book completely blind. I didn’t read the blurb or anything. So I also advise everyone else to go in blind. I got the full impact of emotions this book throws at you. If you love a cold hearted, a**hole, with a hidden sensitive side then Theo is your guy. My chest stayed tight throughout the whole entire book. I swear I felt like I didn’t get any emotional relief until the end. And don’t even get me started on the steamy parts! Theo is that full package! I was rooting for Abigail and Theo the whole time! And that ending just made me swoon! Now I can’t wait for Gray and Gemma’s books!!! I need to know what happens with them! I beyond recommend this book!!! If I could give more than 5 stars i would!!! This book deserves all the praise, love and 5 star reviews!
Profile Image for Millie.
807 reviews25 followers
November 15, 2019
DNF
I didn't understand what I was reading. Paragraphs were glued together but made no sense.
The characters were somewhere and on the next page they were somewhere else. Nothing was explained.
No idea how a bodyguard can do all this stuff without consequences.
Despicable & stupid characters. A fairy tale world with villains everywhere. So unrealistic it was hilarious.
Profile Image for Elsa Gomes (BookishAurora).
2,170 reviews294 followers
October 20, 2019
Rate: 3.5/ 5 stars

Heartless Hero is a hot bully/bodyguard romance but it had a lot of questioning points. I guess you could say I had love/hate relationship with these two and their "relationship". Although I was rooting for them from the get go and hoped like hell they'd get their sh*t together and choose one another over everything else, well... the way they acted towards one another sometimes had me feeling some type of way. Theo was just too darn much of a cruel ahole. Some of the things he did and said...even when it was for Abigail's 'own good' just nope, nope, nope. And Abigail what the hell... the things she let him do to her... girl no no no, just please no. There was so much wrong with these two and how it all happpened yet somehow, it worked for them. They fought and found their happy ending, after much crazyness and turmoil.

Abigail needed balls all throughout the book, and it made me both sad and a little proud when she finally grew some by the end of the book. I hated how she let everyone treat her, including Theo and he was the most preocupying. I am all for an ahole hero, a bully hero whatever you wanna call it... BUT Theo was too much sometimes. Some of the things he did and said to Abigail made me cringe and I was totally not okay with most of it. So yeah, me and this book... totally a love/hate relationship. There were bits I liked, some even loved but there were also too many that I severly disliked.

One thing is for sure, this book has major hotness levels... I mean some of their sex scenes were scalding *fans self* and the writing is phenomenal despite all the questionable things in their relationship. So despite this not having been a complete winner in my book, I am excited to see how the next books in this world are going to be. I mean, I hated Abigail's siblings througout the majority of HH but I can't help but be curious about them and see just how much of a heart they can both grow ahah. I am also excited to read some of Mary Catherine's other books, mainly Skater Boy cuz I have put it off plenty.

➳ARC kindly provided by author, in exchange for an honest review.

➳ Order at: Amazon UKAmazon US

➳ Follow me on: BlogInstagramFacebook Twitter
Profile Image for Mahima.
468 reviews122 followers
November 7, 2020
Wow!! It blew my mind away!! It literally did.
After a LONG while I finally found yet another 'Best of 2020' book.

I was hooked on the story from the very first page. I loved the dual perspective the author has provided. I could feel myself in the place of Abigail and Theo 😭. It was so so painful to read all the sufferings of Abigail😭😭 I count the times I cried for her .
People called her attention seeker but she was only 21 that too completely love-less, cut her some slack dude!!! I don't know what made these rich people completely jackasses?? I never want to be a part of royalty or an extremely rich family for the sake of my love and affection.

All the difficulties they both have been through make their lives even more adventurous. I really wonder how come anyone could bear so much pain? But I guess love gives people to bear as much pain as one could inflict.
Profile Image for hadessinners.
174 reviews45 followers
May 17, 2020
THIS BOOK WAS BAD. I DON’T KNOW WHAT BOOK THE 5-STARS-REVIEWERS WERE READING BUT I SURELY WASN’T READING THE SAME BOOK AS THEM.

If you want to read a book where the heroine has no self respect and falls on the hero’s feet EVERY SINGLE TIME then this book is for you.

The hero treats her like TRASH and I get it it’s a bully romance but in this book the hero treats her so badly that he puts the villains of the book (her family) to a shame.

The hero is always leaving the heroine behind and the heroine always goes running back to him. She begs him to take her and love her and that’s just fucking gross.

LIKE WOMAN HAVE SOME SELF RESPECT.

She is so goddamn desperate for his attention it’s just disgusting. Never have a read a book in which the girl is so weak.

But that’s not it! There are so many other things wrong with this book. Talking about her family. Her family treats her like a black sheep and is always making her feel like an outcast but goddamn why do her siblings have so much hate for her? FOR NO EPIC REASON. They just like bullying her and that is it.

I did end up finishing the whole book because there was so much hype about this book and I wanted to see why everyone loved it so much. What triggered me even more was when the hero finally leaves the heroine once and for all and the heroine breaks down and leaves her precious house.

Here’s the conversation between the hero and the heroine’s siblings.

“You should’ve told us about Newton,” Gray said. “My mom might not care, but only I get to fuck with my sister.”
“And only I get to rip out her hair,” Gemma added.”

I mean bruh. The heroine at this point has gone through so much and even after that the only thing her siblings care about is the fact that no one else can mess with her other than them. THIS BOOK IS FUCKED UP AND I MEAN IT IN A BAD WAY.

There is absolutely no redeeming quality of the hero, he sucks. I am a sucker for asshole men but this dude was just nasty. What surprises me even more is the fact that the author portrayed the heroine’s siblings as cruel mean people in this book which will obviously make the readers hate them but then she’s coming out with the books of the siblings. I mean whose going to read them when you portrayed their characters as douchebags in the first book? AND what shocks me even more is the fact that people want to read the siblings book! I mean... Idk.

This book was one of my worst reads and that is a big deal because out of all the books I’ve read I only have 3 books that I hate and this just adds on to the list.
Profile Image for giulia ✿.
372 reviews365 followers
June 1, 2020
I'm so conflicted about this book. I am very picky with bully romances, they're not my favorites but sometimes I find some gems. I saw this book recommended in various authors groups on facebook so I decided to give it a try. And I have a very polarising relationship with it. I liked some parts of it: the tension, chemistry and angst were really well done. I absolutely love second chances and childhood first loves but this one didn't convince me completely.

I hated and i repeat hated how everyone called him dog, even our mc, who was supposed to be in love with him. Why would you call the person you love a dog? Calling someone you care about in a disrespectful way just to hurt him? Not that he was better calling her reject for the entire book even after they got together. It was frustrating and honestly pissed me off.

The family relationship was realistic even if it was painful to read about. Abusive parents are a very close topic to my heart so I totally related to Abigail in that fact and wanted to hug her tight.

Another thing I didn't like about it was the continue miscommunication between them. They were lying each other, getting mad because they were lying to each other, confessing their love to each other and then everything's okay. Then everything starts again.
I hated some scenes like

I plan to read the other books in the series because the writing was really good and I'm curious about Greyson and Gemma's romances but yeah this one was a miss for me.
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