Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund

About the book: 

Hearts Made Whole (Bethany House, June 2015)

Can she forgive the hurting man who costs her the role she loves?

After her father's death, Caroline Taylor has grown confident running the Windmill Point Lighthouse. But in 1865 Michigan, women aren't supposed to have such roles, so it's only a matter of time before the lighthouse inspector appoints a new keeper---even though Caroline has nowhere else to go and no other job available to her.

Ryan Chambers is a Civil War veteran still haunted by the horrors of battle. He's secured the position of lighthouse keeper mostly for the isolation---the chance to hide from his past is appealing. He's not expecting the current keeper to be a feisty and beautiful woman who's angry with him for taking her job and for his inability to properly run the light. When his failings endanger others, he and Caroline realize he's in no shape to run the lighthouse, but he's unwilling to let anyone close enough to help. Caroline feels drawn to this wounded soul, but with both of them relying on that single position, can they look past their loss to a future filled with hope...and possibly love?

My thoughts: 

Hearts Made Whole is the second book in Jody Hedlund's Beacons of Hope series. While it worked fine as a stand-alone book, I recommend reading Out of the Storm (The Series Prequel) and Love Unexpected (Book One) because they are enjoyable and certain characters are mentioned in Hearts Made Whole. Of the three, I think Love Unexpected is my favorite.

Like its predecessor, Hearts Made Whole oozes with themes of grace and forgiveness. Character development comes partly through struggles with anger, resentment and grief. The struggle, perseverance and process of overcoming allow the characters to be both relatable and admirable. I especially enjoyed seeing Ryan change and grow. That the characters needed each other to heal is not uncommon, but the fact that Ryan realized ultimate healing comes from God, not another person, is an important thought missing in many of today's inspirational romance books. Some unexpected suspense also heightened the story's appeal. The plot didn't drag, but the suspense of “who did it, what really happened, and is there any way they can be together?” definitely kept me reading later into the night than I should have.

I fully recommend Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund to fans of historical romances. It's a keeper for my bookshelf. :)

Enter the giveaway: Details here.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1eN4pC8

About the author:

Jody Hedlund is an award-winning and bestselling historical fiction author. She won the 2011 Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, the 2011 Award of Excellence from the Colorado Romance Writers and was a finalist for Best Debut Novel in the 2011 ACFW Carol Awards. Currently she makes her home in central Michigan, with her husband and five busy children. She loves hearing from readers on Facebook and on her blog.

Find Jody online: website, Twitter, Facebook

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."