Review: Heart Land by Kimberly Stuart

Release date: July 17th 2018
Publisher: Howard Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A story of re-connection, lost love, and the power of faith, Heart Land follows a struggling fashion designer back to her small Iowa hometown as she tries to follow her dreams of success and finding true love.

Grace Klaren has finally made her dream of living in the Big Apple and working in the fashion industry a reality. But when she’s unexpectedly fired and can’t afford the next month’s rent, Grace does something she never thought she’d do: she moves back home.

Back in Silver Creek, Iowa, Grace is determined to hate it. She rails against the quiet of her small town, where everything closes early, where there’s no nightlife, where everyone knows each other. She’s saving her pennies and plotting her return to New York when she almost runs over a man who’s not paying attention at a crosswalk. It turns out to be Tucker, her high school sweetheart whose heart she broke when she left ten years ago. They reconnect, and Grace remembers why she fell for him in the first place.

And her career begins to turn around when she finds a gorgeous but tattered vintage dress at a flea market. She buys it, rips it apart seam by seam, and re-creates it with new fabric, updating the look with some of her own design ideas. She snaps a picture and lists the dress online, and within a day, it sells for nearly $200. Suddenly, Grace has her ticket out of here.

But Grace can’t fight her growing feelings for Tucker. Sometimes when they’re together, Tucker paints a picture of what their future could be like, and it feels so real. And when she finally gains the funding to move her new business back to New York, Grace must decide where home really is—will she chase her long-held New York dream, or find a new dream here in the heartland? 

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Heart Land is a cute story that while has its predictable moments, there are good life lessons you can take from it. One thing I liked the most is how it emphasized that home is truly where the heart is, no matter where you go or how much you may feel like that place isn't for you and that you need bigger things to fill a need.

Character-wise, Grace came off rather naive to me, especially in how she maneuvered life in New York. It baffled me how quickly she was to trust, more specifically trusting the same person that carried out her firing. That bit aside, she was relatable in the sense that some people just want more and want to experience greater things than their small town can offer. So it's understandable that she didn't want to limit herself to Silver Creek. Sadly, there were times she straight up shaded her hometown in the process, even failing to keep in touch with those closest to her.

Gigi was a wonderful figure in the story. The way she'd always have open arms waiting for Grace was commendable because not many would do the same after Grace's continuous neglect of where she came from. I also liked her unwavering faith and the constant reminder that you'll rise after every fall in life.

The romance aspect was also adorable. Tucker went through a lot with Grace and it's a wonder that he could still love her after everything, but he definitely held her in his heart and held on to the hope that one day she'd open her eyes and realize everything she wanted in life was already in front of her face. 

Again, a really cute story with some valuable lessons. For instance, I liked that Grace tried to help out members of her town by involving them in her business when things started to turn around for her. And the fact that she stood her ground and thought of them when faced with a horrible deal made her more likable and showcased growth. As I've said, a good story. It's just that it was a tad predictable. But overall, if you're looking for a short and sweet read about faith, self-discovery, and love, then you may enjoy this one.

About the Author

Kimberly Stuart, in an effort to condone the time and money spent, would like you to know she holds degrees from St. Olaf College and the University of Iowa. She learned lots of interesting things at these fine institutions, none of which prepared her for the lethal cocktail of parenthood and writing. Stuart is the author of the Heidi Elliott series, Act Two, Stretch Marks, Operation Bonnet and Sugar. She is a frequent public speaker and is passionate about helping others live great stories.

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Guest Post: The Calculus of Change by Jessie Hilb

Release date: February 27th 2018
Publisher: Clarion Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A poignant and empowering teen novel of grief, unrequited love, and finding comfort in one's own skin.

Aden isn't looking for love in her senior year. She's much more focused on things like getting a solo gig at Ike's and keeping her brother from illegal herbal recreation. But when Tate walks into Calculus class wearing a yarmulke and a grin, Aden's heart is gone in an instant.

The two are swept up in a tantalizingly warm friendship, complete with long drives with epic soundtracks and deep talks about life, love, and spirituality. With Tate, Aden feels closer to her mom and her mom's faith than she has since her mother died years ago. Everyone else even Aden's brother and her best friend can see their connection, but does Tate?

Navigating uncertain romance and the crises of those she loves, Aden must decide how she chooses to see herself and how to honor her mom's memory.

~GUEST POST~

The "love story" in THE CALCULUS OF CHANGE was inspired by a beautiful, heartbreaking relationship I had in high school and through early college. Of course, in writing, the story took on a life of its own, but I started from and wrote from the truth of my experience while giving the characters in CALC room to breathe and live on their own. It's weird, but I think I always knew I was going to write this story. Not because the story of unrequited love is anything "novel" (pun intended;) but because the themes and truths that love asks us to look at are ever-present. 

Grief and love coexist so closely to one another. Being a teenager, and coming into adulthood is such a beautiful paradox. We know everything and nothing all at once. And the thing about being human is that "coming of age" and growing never stops. We never really get it. And if we think we have gotten it, the universe is here to remind us that, nope, we don't. 

The one thing Aden has to learn throughout her journey is a deep, centered self love in the face of what life throws at her and in the face of the messaging we receive from our culture that says we will never be enough. But even self love isn't constant. Self love is a practice, not an arrival. 

The other thing Aden learns is how to live more in her heart and make decisions from that place, even when it hurts like hell. It's something I'm learning to do over and over again in my own life. Because all we really know that we have is now. This moment. The ones before and the ones after aren't here. I am. You are. So, like Aden says, "open up and be free, because as far as we know, this is it." 

Thank you so much for hosting me on this blog and for reading CALCULUS. It's such an honor.

About the Author

Jessie Hilb holds a Masters in Social Work and lives in Boulder, Colorado with her family and ever-loyal herding dog. She constantly reinvents herself. The Calculus of Change is her first novel. When she’s not writing, Jessie is CrossFitting-- it keeps her sane, grounded, and humble. And it’s fun.

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Review: The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Release date: May 16th 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

When it all falls apart, who can you believe in?

Everything is going right for Lucy Hansson, until her mom’s cancer reappears. Just like that, Lucy breaks with all the constants in her life: her do-good boyfriend, her steady faith, even her longtime summer church camp job.

Instead, Lucy lands at a camp for kids who have been through tough times. As a counselor, Lucy is in over her head and longs to be with her parents across the lake. But that’s before she gets to know her coworkers, who are as loving and unafraid as she so desperately wants to be.

It’s not just new friends that Lucy discovers at camp—more than one old secret is revealed along the way. In fact, maybe there’s much more to her family and her faith than Lucy ever realized.

*I received a physical ARC from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this book a few weeks ago but was still iffy about my final verdict toward the story. For the most part, I liked the writing and the premise. Lucy is a likable character and I could relate to her in some ways, especially in regards to her faith and how she'd have doubts in what she believes in at times. I also liked the camp and the various characters she came in contact with. They each taught her something new and opened her eyes to certain situations that she may have misinterpreted prior. And in the end, I feel like her character experienced growth and was better able to understand and accept people that may not share her faith, yet realize that like her, many were going through horrible things too.

Speaking of horrible things. Cancer sucks. Whenever Lucy spoke to her mom or thought about her, it truly tugged at my heart. It was sad being her head or reading scenes where her mom is described. I could envision her sickly appearance every time, so much so that I kept hoping she'd beat it and Lucy's family would have a happy ending, which is one of the reasons why I gave the story three stars. 

I didn't like the ending. I got absolutely no closure from it and feel like I'm left in limbo wondering if there'll be some follow-up or what. Also, there were things that I felt should have been made clear from earlier. For instance, when Lucy's mom sent her to this other camp after she's been going to their church's camp for so long, the truth should've come out from then. At least how her mother is connected to this particular camp. I understand about the rest and why she withheld that big secret from Lucy, but her mom definitely should have told her sooner. 

Like I said, the writing and the story are good, but I didn't love it the way I had hoped to. And being that this is the first Emery Lord book that I've read, I was expecting a lot more since I've heard so many great things about her previous releases. Regardless, I'm still going to give her other books a shot, even though this one didn't have me completely.

About the Author

Emery Lord is the author of Open Road Summer, The Start of Me and You, and When We Collided. She lives in a pink row house in Cincinnati, with a husband, two rescue dogs, and a closet full of impractical shoes. 

Emery believes in the magic of storytelling, Ferris wheels, and you.

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Review: All the Major Constellations by Pratima Cranse

Release date: November 10th 2015
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Laura Lettel is the most beautiful girl in the world. . . and Andrew’s not-so-secret infatuation.

Now he’s leaving high school behind and looking ahead to a fresh start at college and distance from his obsessive crush. But when a terrible accident leaves him without the companionship of his two best friends, Andrew is cast adrift and alone—until Laura unexpectedly offers him comfort, friendship, and the support of a youth group of true believers, fundamentalist Christians with problems and secrets of their own. Andrew is curiously drawn to their consuming beliefs, but why? Is it only to get closer to Laura? And is Laura genuinely interested in Andrew, or is she just trying to convert him?

This provocative and compelling debut novel will resonate deeply with readers as it explores questions of identity, sexuality, and spirituality.

*Received a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The story started out intriguing. I was curious about this Laura and why Andrew was so fascinated with her. I wanted to understand her religion as well and see what her faith was really like, especially since the blurb indicated they had issues of their own. 

First of all, there was a lot going on in this story. From Andrew's tumultuous family, to him figuring out what to do with his feelings for Laura and what to do with his life. But most of all, that terrible event that led to one of his best friends, Sara, being in a coma. It was quite sad what happened her, and I wish the author had allowed us more time in getting to know her. As for Marcia, she seemed so much more mature than Andrew, and I commend her for stepping up the way she did to lend a hand to Sara's mom. That's some friendship. 

Now in the case of Andrew, I didn't connect with his character and was often displeased with the way he was. I could understand his situation, in that he was mistreated at home and one of the two people in his life who had always been there for him was on the verge of leaving him forever. But often time it was as if he didn't consider what his friends were going through, he mostly just thought about his own issues and his crush on Laura. And things started to complicate for him even more after receiving an invite, so to speak, from Laura and he got involved in her group for the wrong reasons. I liked that he sort of developed a slightly different perspective about faith, and also about each person in Laura's circle, but he still came off a tad immature toward the end of the story and I wasn't a fan of his actions with Karen and John. There were certain things that weren't necessary and I felt confused about them, but no more confused than Andrew, it seemed, and John. Poor John. I wish we'd gotten more in regards to what he was going through and how his situation turned out in the end. 

In spite of a few issues here and there, including me not connecting so much with the characters, it still was an interesting story. I did like the writing style and the book was a quick read. Just that it didn't deliver a certain depth that I wanted, and it certainly had the potential to do that. Still, not a bad story. 

About the Author

Pratima Cranse was born and raised in Vermont. She now lives in New Hampshire with her husband, daughter, and their two magnificent cats. When she’s not writing, Pratima enjoys jogging very slowly (some might call it shuffling) and spending time with her family.

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