Barbara L. (Barbllm) reviewed Mending Her Heart (Steeple Hill Love Inspired) (Larger Print) on + 241 more book reviews
Ive always liked Judy Baers romances (Sleeping Beauty is a favorite) because of her trademark humor, but that seems to be missing here. Instead, the book seems deadly earnest and somewhat dull.
Attorney Catherine Stanhope quits her high-powered job at a prestigious law firm in the Twin Cities and returns to her grandmothers Victorian estate in tiny Pleasant, Minnesota. Her grandmothers house was nicknamed Hope House, and it is in the process of being restored thanks to her grandmothers plan and Will Tanner, the homes caretaker. He hopes to adopt his sister Annies son, Charley, and live in Pleasant. Catherine, meanwhile, seems to be having a crisis of identity: shes unsure of whether or not she wants to set down roots in Pleasant, or move somewhere else.
Her motivation for leaving her job rely on the standard lawyer trope of the case I cant forget. In Catherines case, she helped a lying mother gain full custody of her children. One would think that a lawyer in a high-powered firm that win nearly all of their cases would be able to see through most liars, but not this time. She and Will clash a few times before settling into friendship. However, Wills brother and sister-in-law make trouble by suing for full custody of Charley.
Theres surprising depth to the characters here; Catherine is wallowing in self-doubt and Will is hoping that hell be enough for Charley, who vaguely remembers his mother (an alcoholic since the age of 14, with brief periods of sobriety).
Theres a great twist near the end when Will confronts his brother about the custody case; the emotions the characters go through are realistic. Theres not a lot of action here, and the plot moves slowly at times. Still, its a good read if you love home repair shows (the author goes into a little detail on fixing up Hope House) and small town life.
Attorney Catherine Stanhope quits her high-powered job at a prestigious law firm in the Twin Cities and returns to her grandmothers Victorian estate in tiny Pleasant, Minnesota. Her grandmothers house was nicknamed Hope House, and it is in the process of being restored thanks to her grandmothers plan and Will Tanner, the homes caretaker. He hopes to adopt his sister Annies son, Charley, and live in Pleasant. Catherine, meanwhile, seems to be having a crisis of identity: shes unsure of whether or not she wants to set down roots in Pleasant, or move somewhere else.
Her motivation for leaving her job rely on the standard lawyer trope of the case I cant forget. In Catherines case, she helped a lying mother gain full custody of her children. One would think that a lawyer in a high-powered firm that win nearly all of their cases would be able to see through most liars, but not this time. She and Will clash a few times before settling into friendship. However, Wills brother and sister-in-law make trouble by suing for full custody of Charley.
Theres surprising depth to the characters here; Catherine is wallowing in self-doubt and Will is hoping that hell be enough for Charley, who vaguely remembers his mother (an alcoholic since the age of 14, with brief periods of sobriety).
Theres a great twist near the end when Will confronts his brother about the custody case; the emotions the characters go through are realistic. Theres not a lot of action here, and the plot moves slowly at times. Still, its a good read if you love home repair shows (the author goes into a little detail on fixing up Hope House) and small town life.
