The Heart of Mine
by Brenda Novak
Publication Date: MArch 31, 2015
Published by MIRA
Pages: 400
Source: Publisher
Purchase Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes and Noble
Synopsis
As the daughter of a hoarder, Phoenix Fuller had a tough childhood. So when the handsome, popular Riley Stinson became her boyfriend in high school, she finally felt as though she had something to be proud of. Phoenix was desperate not to lose him—especially once she found out she was pregnant. Yes, she might have acted a bit obsessive when he broke up with her. But she did not run down the girl he started dating next!
Unfortunately, there was no way to prove her innocence. Now, after serving her time in prison, Phoenix has been released. All she wants to do is return to Whiskey Creek and get to know her son. But Jacob's father isn't exactly welcoming.
Riley doesn't trust Phoenix, doesn't want her in Jacob's life. He is, however, ready to find someone to love. And he wants a good mother for his son. He has no idea that he's about to find both—if they can forgive the mistakes in their past…
My Thoughts
This Heart of Mine is the first book by Brenda Novak that I've read and it certainly will not be the last. The synopsis immediately caught my attention - oh the drama and the angst and a story about second chances, but I was concerned about starting this book since it is the 8th book of an existing series. I was worried that there would be too many characters and an existing story line that I wouldn't know what was going on and there would be plot holes left unanswered. All of this worrying was completely unnecessary, because This Heart of Mine can be read as a stand-alone.
I appreciated the list of characters at the beginning of the book which helped explain some of the connections between the characters - and there are a lot of them. I liked how they appeared throughout the book and I got just enough of their back story that I became interested in them and wanted to know their individual stories too. This is one of the main reasons I'll check out the backlist of this series.
I loved reading about Phoenix and Riley and discovering everything that pulled them apart and experiencing everything that brought them back together. It was a slow road as they both worked to rebuild the trust that had been lost and overcome the devastation of the past. I'm all for second chance stories, and this was a great one.
Some of my favorite parts were the interactions between Riley and his son, Jacob. Their relationship was more of a friendship than father and son evident in the way the communicated with each other - and there was an immense level of respect for each other. And I loved the interactions with Jacob and Phoenix just as much. I looked forward to reading those parts of the book.
There were moments when I found myself wishing that I knew more about Phoenix and Riley as teenagers. I got a lot of their history in This Heart of Mine and could imagine what they were like as teenagers, but I would love to read their story as 17 and 18 year olds and when they first met and got together. I would definitely read a YA book about them. Talk about some angst. Who knows, this may be in a Whiskey Creek book already. I'll just have to go back and read them to find out.
I'm so glad that I've discovered a new-to-me author whose books I want to read. I'm looking forward to getting to know the rest of the people from Whiskey Creek.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from the publisher as part of a promotional blog tour hosted by CBB Book Promotions in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any way other than the ARC provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
My Thoughts
This Heart of Mine is the first book by Brenda Novak that I've read and it certainly will not be the last. The synopsis immediately caught my attention - oh the drama and the angst and a story about second chances, but I was concerned about starting this book since it is the 8th book of an existing series. I was worried that there would be too many characters and an existing story line that I wouldn't know what was going on and there would be plot holes left unanswered. All of this worrying was completely unnecessary, because This Heart of Mine can be read as a stand-alone.
I appreciated the list of characters at the beginning of the book which helped explain some of the connections between the characters - and there are a lot of them. I liked how they appeared throughout the book and I got just enough of their back story that I became interested in them and wanted to know their individual stories too. This is one of the main reasons I'll check out the backlist of this series.
I loved reading about Phoenix and Riley and discovering everything that pulled them apart and experiencing everything that brought them back together. It was a slow road as they both worked to rebuild the trust that had been lost and overcome the devastation of the past. I'm all for second chance stories, and this was a great one.
Some of my favorite parts were the interactions between Riley and his son, Jacob. Their relationship was more of a friendship than father and son evident in the way the communicated with each other - and there was an immense level of respect for each other. And I loved the interactions with Jacob and Phoenix just as much. I looked forward to reading those parts of the book.
There were moments when I found myself wishing that I knew more about Phoenix and Riley as teenagers. I got a lot of their history in This Heart of Mine and could imagine what they were like as teenagers, but I would love to read their story as 17 and 18 year olds and when they first met and got together. I would definitely read a YA book about them. Talk about some angst. Who knows, this may be in a Whiskey Creek book already. I'll just have to go back and read them to find out.
I'm so glad that I've discovered a new-to-me author whose books I want to read. I'm looking forward to getting to know the rest of the people from Whiskey Creek.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from the publisher as part of a promotional blog tour hosted by CBB Book Promotions in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any way other than the ARC provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
About the Author:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak has penned over 45 novels. A two-time Rita nominee, she's won The National Reader's Choice, The Bookseller's Best, The Bookbuyer's Best and many other awards. She runs an annual online auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com. To date, she’s raised over $2 million. Brenda considers herself lucky to be a mother of five and married to the love of her life.
Find Brenda Novak Online:
Giveaway:
Thank you so much for hosting a tour stop and sharing your thoughts! I'm with you on the idea of a YA book about them as teenagers! It would be heartbreaking though. At least we know now how it would turn out later.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Brenda on the new release! This is the first I've come across this series and I think it sounds fantastic! Thanks for the great spotlight and giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteYour review was excellent - I'll be looking for it on release day. Thanks!
ReplyDelete