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Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Heart of Mine by Amy Hatvany (Review)

Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany

Heart Like Mine was a great read. It pulled on my heartstrings, and I felt a rollercoaster of emotions.

Book Details:

Book Title: Heart of Mine by Amy Hatvany
Category: Adult Fiction,  384 pages
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction, Family Life
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Release date: March 19, 2013
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (Parental death, teen pregnancy, mental illness)

Book Description:

Thirty-six-year-old Grace McAllister never longed for children. But when she meets Victor Hansen, a handsome, charismatic divorced restaurateur who is father to Max and Ava, Grace decides that, for the right man, she could learn to be an excellent part-time stepmom. After all, the kids live with their mother, Kelli. How hard could it be?

At thirteen, Ava Hansen is mature beyond her years. Since her parents’ divorce, she has been taking care of her emotionally unstable mother and her little brother—she pays the bills, does the laundry, and never complains because she loves her mama more than anyone. And while her father’s new girlfriend is nice enough, Ava still holds out hope that her parents will get back together and that they’ll be a family again. But only days after Victor and Grace get engaged, Kelli dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances—and soon, Grace and Ava discover that there was much more to Kelli’s life than either ever knew.

Narrated by Grace and Ava in the present with flashbacks into Kelli’s troubled past, Heart Like Mine is a poignant, hopeful portrait of womanhood, love, and the challenges and joys of family life.


My Review:
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Heart Like Mine was a great read. It pulled on my heartstrings, and I felt a rollercoaster of emotions. It's a book about loss, grief, family love, and second chances. I could relate to the characters both when it came to the emotions of depression and that of motherhood.

Grace has a successful career and has found a man she feels she can spend the rest of her life with. She's content that Victor is not looking to have more children and that his two children live with their mother. But just after they get engaged, Victor's ex-wife dies suddenly leaving the children shocked and grieving... they now become a full-time part of their lives. This is when Grace and Victor's relationship takes a different turn and they must learn to navigate their new roles or risk losing what they've built as a couple.

The story is told alternately from the first-person point-of-view of both Grace and Ava, and flashbacks of Kelli. So the story moves back and forth in time. This was well done as the author peels back layers of the past of all the characters to give us an in-depth look at what brought them to where they are in the present. I thought Grace was a strong character, and I could understand her dilemmas throughout the story. I really felt the anguish of what Kelli went through and of the great loss Ava experienced with the sudden loss of her mother. I thought Victor was a great dad but a little oblivious of the strain the whole situation was on Grace.

If you like contemporary women's fiction that deals with family issues with strong female characters, you will enjoy Heart Like Mine.

Disclosure: I received a Netgalley copy. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.



Buy the Book:

About the Author:


Amy Hatvany is the author of nine novels, including It Happens All the Time, Somewhere Out There, and A Casual Encounter. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her family.

Connect with Amy on her website.


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