I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Published by Thomas Nelson on March 13th, 2018
Source: BookLook Bloggers
Genres: Christian, Clean & Wholesome, Contemporary Women, Family Life, Fiction, Romance
Pages: 336
Lindsay Harrel presents a powerful story of healing, adventure, and learning how to live life to the fullest.
Megan Jacobs always wished for a different heart. Her entire childhood was spent in and out of hospitals, sitting on the sidelines while her twin sister Crystal played all the sports, got all the guys, and had all the fun. But even a heart transplant three years ago wasn’t enough to propel Megan’s life forward. She’s still working as a library aide in her small Minnesota hometown and living with her parents, dreaming of the adventure she plans to take “once she’s well enough.” Meanwhile, her sister is a successful architect with a handsome husband and the perfect life—or so Megan thinks.
When her heart donor’s parents give Megan their teenage daughter’s journal—complete with an unfulfilled bucket list—Megan connects with the girl she meets between the pages and is inspired to venture out and check off each item. Caleb—a friend from her years in and out of the hospital—reenters her life and pushes her to find the courage to take the leap and begin her journey. She’s thrown for a loop when Crystal offers to join her for reasons of her own, but she welcomes the company and the opportunity to mend their tenuous relationship.
As Megan and Crystal check items off the bucket list, Megan fights the fears that have been instilled in her after a lifetime of illness. She must choose between safety and adventure and learn to embrace the heart she’s been given so that she can finally share it with the people she loves most.
Note: Kristin reads and reviews both Christian and secular fiction on A Simply Enchanted Life. Out of respect for my readers, I am including a content review. This content review will help you decide whether this book is suitable for you.
Christian or Secular: Christian
ASEL Rating: mild violence (though no detailed description)
Content to be aware of: This book includes a character that survived child molestation. No details are given. The situation is only alluded to. For this reason, I give it a mild rating as it may be a trigger to some readers.
I’m going to just go ahead and admit that I’m not usually crazy about contemporary fiction. But this cover was adorable and the synopsis pulled me right in. I was very pleasantly surprised! I actually really liked this book!
I wouldn’t be surprised if this book is picked up for a lifetime movie. Seriously, it has all the makings—a troubled past, an uncertain future and the sweetest romance.
In The Heart Between Us, there is a young woman who had a heart transplant. She’s convinced that to get her own life on track, she must fulfill the bucket list that belonged to her donor.
As the story progresses, we find out that the donor had her own sad story. Her parents are struggling to cope with losing their daughter. They support Megan’s decision to complete their daughter’s list.
Last, The Heart Between us has one of the sweetest romances that I’ve read in a while. I was rooting for Caleb from the moment Megan bumped into him at a fundraiser. They were absolutely adorable together.
The only reason I give this book a four star instead of a five is that it was more of a clean read than Christfic. There’s very little faith content and the characters are seen drinking and skinny dipping on one occasion.
The book was in no way inappropriate but it also wasn’t overly faith-filled…until the end. By that point, it felt so disjointed to me. You have these characters that struggle with life and faith until suddenly everything is completely right. But that took place without a conversion. I didn’t see conviction or a gradual work of the Lord in their hearts. One day the girls were miserable and the next it was miraculously all better after a little Jesus. I mean, yes, Jesus makes all things better but I didn’t really see Jesus in this book.
Overall, I still enjoyed the book. Had the faith content felt less forced and disjointed, I could have given this book a five-star. I would definitely read this author again. Though this book is not a genre that I would typically read, I’m very glad that I picked up the book.
The Heart Between Us is an emotionally gripping book that’s perfect for readers who love contemporary chick-lit.
About Lindsay Harrel
Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. She’s held a variety of writing and editing jobs over the years, and now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with writing novels. When she’s not writing or chasing after her children, Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time. Connect with her at www.LindsayHarrel.com.
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