Saturday, July 21, 2012

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade


From the back cover:

Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks her to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.

Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man hired to renovate the house. Kate can't help being attracted to him, drawn by both his good looks and something else she can't quite put her finger on. He's clearly wounded--hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Yet Kate sets her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light... whether he likes it or not. 

When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever dreamed?

My take:

This one of those books, from a new author, Becky Wade, that grabs your attention early on. You feel a connection with Kate early on in the book and want to find out how her story progresses. 

The cover art gives you the feeling of two normal, perhaps small town people. You get an unexpected character in Matt Jarreau, who is anything but your average small town handyman, he is a world class athlete. Kate's social worker character was somewhat expected, but is definitely a good fit for the person you find in Kate's character. 

Venturing to Redbud, Pennsylvania to Gran's hometown seems like a logical move to keep Kate from burning out. The relationship or lack of relationship between Kate and Matt seems to set a very good foundation for the main storyline. However, you find that Kate is a very strong character and will give up her wants for God's plan for her life and that of Matt's. The seemingly leap from lack of relationship between Kate and Matt to the ending seemed a little bit of a stretch, but indeed could happen in reality, certainly with God's help. 

I very much enjoyed this book and ended up reading it very quickly, as I do most books. I would love to see this evolve into a trilogy to see what happens with some of the other characters in the book. I look forward to reading more from Becky Wade!

Check out Becky Wade

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.