Heart Like Mine

Amy Hatvany

When a young mother dies under mysterious circumstances, those she leaves behind begin looking for answers in the past—and find a long-buried secret they could have never imagined.

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 the one 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 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 and hopeful portrait about womanhood, love, and the challenges of family life.(Cover image and synopsis from Netgalley)

　

My Thoughts:

This was very good. I liked the way the story unfolded from the perspective of the three females - Ava, Kelli and Grace. From Kelli’s point of view, we learn about her growing up years, her search for love and acceptance in all the wrong places, and a fateful decision made by her parents that would ultimately devastate her. From Ava, we get to see the struggles of a young girl who tries to be an adult for her struggling Mom and her battle with trying to decide if she should like Grace or not. And finally, from Grace, we see her work through the issues of having being a career woman who falls in love with a man who suddenly has full time responsibility for his children.

Ms. Hatvany did an outstanding job of weaving all these different viewpoints together into a nicely told tale. This is a new author for me and I will definitely be checking out her other books.

I thank Washington Square Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

Publish date: March 19, 2013.