THIS HEART OF MINE
by Brenda Novak
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
First love. Second chance?
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
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!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Review:
From the very first pages, this book has really captured me: it is very sweet, sensitive, romantic, characters are extraordinary.
What is the greatest love, pure, eternal, stronger than that of a mother for her child. Phoenix has been all her son's life in prison, has not seen him grow, she has not been able to cuddle him. She tried to write many letters but Riley, her son's father, has ever not read them to him. She was a teenager, was in a car with a friend and, as a result of a prank gone wrong, they have invested a girl. Phoenix was poor, her father abandoned her after birth, her mother was depressed and without means, her two older brothers have gone home and they did not care about her. She was been left by her great love that now was going out with the girl killed. She was also pregnant. The girl in the car with her, the real culprit, testified against Phoenix: no one believed her. She had the motive, the car was hers, she was at the wheel and ended up in jail for 17 years. Now that she is free, comes back to Whiskey Creek to finally know her son Jacob and try to rebuild her life. But it will not be easy: all believe she is a killer, especially the family of the girl killed. Will she be able to be a mother for her child? And will finally find someone who loves her as she deserves?
Phoenix Fuller is an incredible woman. She comes from a dysfunctional family, was a teenager shy, solitary, she dressed in her own way, always tried to blend in and go unnoticed. When she starts to go out with Riley, for her is a dream: a great guy to hang out with and who seems to love her. But shortly after he leaves her, even for the pressures of his family. And she is pregnant. She haunts him with phone calls but only get to go to jail on a charge that no one can deny, except her. She's a wounded woman, who did unjustly so many years in prison, could not be a mother to her son. The first meeting with her boy is wonderful, behaves in a special way. Does not impose her presence, tries to make him feel at ease. Jacob is right away in tune with her.
Riley has grown his son excellently. He always feared the encounter with his mother and tried to keep him away from her. But perhaps now realizes he was wrong. And if she was innocent? He realizes that she's a different woman, mature, even fascinating.
It 's very well written, the story is told in the third person, alternating the views of the main characters. The author is very good at describing the feelings of the various characters: we perceive fully anxiety trying Phoenix in the first meeting with her child.
It's the eighth book in the series "Whiskey Creek" but may well be read as a stand-alone
For those who love the romance is definitely a book to read.
Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
What is the greatest love, pure, eternal, stronger than that of a mother for her child. Phoenix has been all her son's life in prison, has not seen him grow, she has not been able to cuddle him. She tried to write many letters but Riley, her son's father, has ever not read them to him. She was a teenager, was in a car with a friend and, as a result of a prank gone wrong, they have invested a girl. Phoenix was poor, her father abandoned her after birth, her mother was depressed and without means, her two older brothers have gone home and they did not care about her. She was been left by her great love that now was going out with the girl killed. She was also pregnant. The girl in the car with her, the real culprit, testified against Phoenix: no one believed her. She had the motive, the car was hers, she was at the wheel and ended up in jail for 17 years. Now that she is free, comes back to Whiskey Creek to finally know her son Jacob and try to rebuild her life. But it will not be easy: all believe she is a killer, especially the family of the girl killed. Will she be able to be a mother for her child? And will finally find someone who loves her as she deserves?
Phoenix Fuller is an incredible woman. She comes from a dysfunctional family, was a teenager shy, solitary, she dressed in her own way, always tried to blend in and go unnoticed. When she starts to go out with Riley, for her is a dream: a great guy to hang out with and who seems to love her. But shortly after he leaves her, even for the pressures of his family. And she is pregnant. She haunts him with phone calls but only get to go to jail on a charge that no one can deny, except her. She's a wounded woman, who did unjustly so many years in prison, could not be a mother to her son. The first meeting with her boy is wonderful, behaves in a special way. Does not impose her presence, tries to make him feel at ease. Jacob is right away in tune with her.
Riley has grown his son excellently. He always feared the encounter with his mother and tried to keep him away from her. But perhaps now realizes he was wrong. And if she was innocent? He realizes that she's a different woman, mature, even fascinating.
It 's very well written, the story is told in the third person, alternating the views of the main characters. The author is very good at describing the feelings of the various characters: we perceive fully anxiety trying Phoenix in the first meeting with her child.
It's the eighth book in the series "Whiskey Creek" but may well be read as a stand-alone
For those who love the romance is definitely a book to read.
Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
His voice had a rough edge that made her fear he wasn’t
taking what she’d said as the apology she’d intended. “Right,” she said. “Sex
and love are two different things, and boys can make that distinction more
easily than girls. That’s all I’m saying. I get that now.”
“I see. What a great thing to learn.”
Was he being sarcastic? She was so confused. “It was a
lesson I needed. And learning it the way I did means I’ll never forget.”
A muscle moved in his cheek.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Did I say something wrong? I was
trying to apologize for…for falling in love with you. Or for holding on to you
when I should’ve let go.” None of this was coming out right. She could tell
that much, so she stopped trying to explain and opted for the direct approach.
“Regardless of anything else, know this―I promise I’ll never single you out
like that again or do anything else to make you uncomfortable.”
There. That had to be clear. She smiled up at him, hoping
what she’d said would finally meet with his approval. But there was that damn
frown again. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing. Don’t worry. You nailed it. And so innocently,
too.”
She pressed her fingers to her temples. The pain meds had
really kicked in. “I admit my thoughts are…somewhat disjointed. What, exactly,
did I nail?”
“That you can’t trust a guy,” he replied. “That a guy
doesn’t know what love is.”
That sounded a bit harsh. Had she actually said those
things? “Maybe not all guys,” she clarified.
“Okay. Only me,” he said and walked out.
“I was trying to apologize!” she called after him.
He shook his head as he turned back. “For ever loving me?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
New York Times
& USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak is the author of fifty books. A
four-time Rita nominee, she has won many awards, including the National
Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Daphne, and
the Holt Medallion. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise
money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s
raised $2.4 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.
Barnes &
Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-heart-of-mine-brenda-novak/1120348728?ean=9780778316725
Barnes &
Noble Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-heart-of-mine-brenda-novak/1120348728?ean=9781460380536
Kobo:
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/this-heart-of-mine-6
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Thank you for helping Brenda celebrate the release of her latest Whiskey Creek novel.
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