Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick 
 Kaleidoscope Hearts is my first book by Claire Contreras, but it won't be my last. I liked this brother's best friend romance, and I thought that it was a really good story. I will admit there were a few things that kept this one from being a five star read for me, but I enjoyed it and didn't want to put it down. 
 Estelle (Elle) had fallen in love with a guy when she was a teenager, but things never went the way she wanted them to. Oliver broke her heart and left, leaving her to try and pick up the pieces. Now he is back, and wants her more than ever. But Elle has experienced even more pain is afraid that losing him again would destroy her. But Oliver is determined to show her that things are different this time and that they belong together. 
 I liked both Elle and Oliver. I enjoyed seeing their past and present as they got to know one another. These two had a connection, and it was easy to see that they were able to open up to one another in ways that they couldn't with others. But because of how Elle's brother acted, I could see why Oliver would have been afraid to pursue anything with her. I am not saying it was right, but I do understand. I think that Oliver made some really bad choices though, and he really hurt Elle on more than one occasion. His hot and cold act was the hardest thing for me to get over in this book. I felt like it happened far more than was needed, and I kept waiting for it to stop. Elle had her moments with me as well, but I kept thinking about how much she had been through and I could see how that would affect someone. She had a big heart, and I loved how she used her creativity to help others where she could. I felt the chemistry between Elle and Oliver right away, and I liked seeing them figure things out. 
 My other big complaint with this one was that things seemed to be a bit drawn out at times, and that would cause the book to drag a bit. I think part of that was Oliver's whiplash behavior. I wish that these two had started to figure things out a bit sooner, and I think it would have been easier for me to put up with some of that had I seen more progress for these two. But I did like them together, and was glad to see how things worked out. Kaleidoscope Hearts is a standalone, but there are more stories in this series that will center around interconnected characters. I am really looking forward to reading those and seeing more of all these characters.