When Dee Moreno makes a deal with a demon—her heart in exchange for an escape from a disastrous home life—she finds the trade may have been more than she bargained for. And becoming “heartless” is only the beginning. What lies ahead is a nightmare far bigger, far more monstrous than anything she could have ever imagined.

With reality turned on its head, Dee has only a group of other deal-making teens to keep her grounded, including the charming but secretive James Lancer. And as something grows between them amid an otherworldy ordeal, Dee begins to wonder: Can she give someone her heart when it’s no longer hers to give?

I don't want to write this review because every time I think about this book, I feel this?? strange pain?? in my heart? Which shouldn't be there, much like the characters in this book? AND YET. THERE IT IS.

Okay, look. Look, this book is just so good. If you, like, manage to get past the first 6 or 7 chapters, then it is goooood. Yes, it's a slow start, but that's only the first 50-ish pages and after that, oh hell, does it pick the hell up. I was overwhelmed but I was so damn ready for everything about to happen.

I loved Dee. Oh my god, Dee was awesome. Her character arc was so, so good, and it makes me SO, SO EMOTIONAL. I love her strength, her bravery. She's the kind of girl that always wants to be in the background, the quiet one, but the more you read this, the more you want to root for her. She's just such an amazing character and I loved being in her head.

And the more I think about it, the more I relate to her. Dee doesn't live at home (she's at a boarding school) but when she does visit, it's... not good. Not good at all. It's a horrible place, and paired with Dee's anxiety and inability to let people in or trust them, it's something I can relate to pretty easily. I loved that Jones didn't just make it a plot device or anything—it was taken seriously and dealt with seriously and it made me love this book all the more.

Another aspect of the novel I liked was the demons! Yes, DEMONS. Actual demons who you can sell your soul to—okay, fine, not a soul but a body part for sure. And the one Dee sells in exchange for help? Her heart. 

This whole demon thing was wickedly cool. Demons are well known in her world and there are plenty of people who have prosthetic arms or legs because of their deals. Dee actually makes hers with a demon that's a little different, so she has a bit of... an adventure, I guess you could say. There's definitely more to it than you originally think.

Oh god. I don't want to do this to myself because I'll be a stupid mess, but I HAVE TO MENTION HIM, OKAY? Okay, there's the most precious, weirdly dressing boy ever and his name is James Lancer, which is such a cliché bad boy name, and he isn't even a bad boy, HE'S JUST A GIANT PAINTING DORK. (God, that sentence was uber long.)

James gives me a lot of feelings.

I loved him. I loved him and Dee. I loved their slow relationship and how it grew. How they were friends first and how Dee was continuously hesitant of him and his homeless chic attire. (It was funny.) They have such sweet moments together! And some that were swoony. And some that were heartwarming and heartbreaking (which is ironic because neither have hearts. Hah!) and it was so easy to ship them together!

Emily Lloyd-Jones knows how to write a romance. I'm just sayin'.

The Hearts We Sold is definitely the type of book you want to keep reading once you pick it up. I had the pleasure of reading this book with my good friend, Danielle and freaking out with her over on twitter, and I think both of us had a hard time stopping where we had to. It was just so good. 

With a great main character, an adorable and messy love interest, an interesting cast of secondary characters, and a hint of magical realism, this book is definitely worth picking up. 4 stars!

And before I go, you can read a swoon here!

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{ about the author }

Emily Lloyd-Jones grew up on a vineyard in rural Oregon, where she played in evergreen forests and learned to fear sheep. After graduating from Western Oregon University with an English degree, she enrolled in the publishing program at Rosemont College just outside of Philadelphia. She currently resides in Northern California, working in a bookstore by day and writing by night. Illusive is her debut novel.

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