Planning and Post-It notes are the epitome of Evie’s life. But when she meets Jack, her life gets more than a little complicated.
Thirteen years ago, Evie’s firefighter husband was killed in the line of duty, leaving her to raise their young son, Cody, alone. Now, Cody is marrying the love of his life, and as he packs up his belongings, the house feels as empty as Evie’s heart. But for all her planning and mad organizational skills, Evie could never have anticipated the dramatic shift her life is about to make.
Tattooed, rough-around-the-edges Jack raises quite a few eyebrows in the tight-knit community of Banister Falls. Where Evie’s life is stream-lined, Jack’s approach to living is moment-by-moment. But as Evie gets drawn into Jack’s world—a world that isn’t as safe or predictable as the one she’s worked so hard to create—he challenges her to open her eyes to the problems outside the walls of the church.
Jack doesn’t make Evie feel comfortable, but he definitely makes her feel something. Something she hasn’t felt since Max passed away—or, maybe ever. Because even though Jack isn’t anything like her late husband, he just might be everything she needs.
Kathryn Springer is a USA Today bestselling author. She grew up in northern Wisconsin, where her parents published a weekly newspaper. As a child she spent many hours sitting at her mother’s typewriter, plunking out stories, and credits her parents for instilling in her a love of books — which eventually turned into a desire to tell stories of her own. Kathryn has written nineteen books with close to two million copies sold. She lives with her husband and three children in Marinette, Wisconsin.
My Impressions:
The Hearts We Mend is the second book in Kathryn Springer’s Bannister Falls series. I loved, loved, loved The Dandelion Field and knew from that moment that I would read anything Springer has to offer. I said in that review that I need a romance with real life situations, real life emotions and real life hopes and dreams. The Hearts We Mend delivers that again, plus a hunky main character that is truly swoon-worthy! So if you are looking for a romance with heart and soul, make sure to put The Hearts We Mend on your list!
Evie Bannister dedicated her life to making sure her son Cody’s dreams would come true. Following her firefighter husband’s tragic death years before, Evie focused on Cody and the women’s ministry she leads. That is enough for her, or so she thought before Cody embarks on his own adventures and Jack Vale enters her life. Suddenly Evie is confronted with the fact that her life is not being truly lived.
As far as the romantic aspects of The Hearts We Mend are involved, this book has it all. A hero that is both strong and tender and a heroine who longs for more from life and love. There is instant chemistry between Jack and Evie — a reaction from these two seemingly opposite personalities that will have readers sighing with satisfaction. But The Hearts We Mend doesn’t just touch the heart, it touches the soul. These characters love God and the people who are put in their paths. Jack is not just tender and gentle and loving with Evie, but with the curmudgeon that lives upstairs, the menacingly rough youth that lives in the neighborhood and the lonely and isolated that surround him. What a great example of a romantic character — one that loves God first and naturally extends that love. Jack is by far the best romantic hero I have read in a long, long time. Real life issues are explored in The Hearts We Mend and as with life, not everything is tied up in a pretty package. Real life is messy and can hurt, and this novel shows the reality of poor choices and the impact they have even on innocent lives, making this book perfect for book clubs. The novel is written in a third person, omniscient style that lets the reader in on the hurts, hopes and dreams of its characters. I welcomed it’s casual and sometimes light-hearted style.
All in all The Hearts We Mend is a winner! Yes it is a romance, but so much more. I am looking forward to more in Springer’s series. Will that tough policeman and pixie-ish social worker be featured in book 3? I sure hope so!
Highly Recommended.
Audience: adults.
Great for book clubs.
To purchase this book, click HERE.
(Thanks to Zondervan and LitFuse for a review ARC. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
Giveaway!
Celebrate the release of The Hearts We Mend with Kathryn and enter to win two of her books by signing up for her newsletter on her website. The winner will be announced March 23 via Kathryn’s newsletter.
What a lovely review, Beckie! I missed reading The Dandelion Field , so I’m reluctant to jump in to the middle of a promising series. But, I will definitely add these to my TBR! The cover alone for this one is stunning and different for the genre. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Although this book can be read as a standalone, you will want to read The Dandelion Field first. You won’t want to miss a single thing in this series. Run, don’t walk to get the books! LOL!
Ok! I will! 🙂