(20)Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany

Heart Like Mine
by Amy Hatvany
@AmyHatvany

Pages: 384
Publication Date: March 19, 2013

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Grace McAllister has been waiting for a man like Victor Hansen her whole life.  She had dated a lot of duds in her life and the last date with a dud ended with Victor sweeping in to save the night, so to speak.  He is a handsome restaurant owner who is kind and loving and everything Grace has ever wanted in a man.  He is also divorced with two kids.  They are perfect for each other, Victor doesn't want more kids and Grace is okay with never having kids of her "own".  Grace gets along really well with Max and Ava and she is excited to tell them that Grace and Victor will be getting married.  But before they can make the big announcement the kids Mother passes away, sending all of them into a tailspin. 

Needless to say, with the passing of Victor's ex, things change dramatically.  Grace goes from a sometime step-mom to becoming the full time only parent they have since Victor has an emergency at the restaurant and is forced to work long and insane hours.  The adjustment is not an easy one and Grace discovers some things about Victor, the kids, their mother and most importantly about herself.  Is her love for Victor enough to keep her from walking out on all of them?

I have found myself gravitating towards novels about Step-Moms recently, especially since becoming one myself .  Grace's situation is almost identical to mine.  She took on the huge responsibility of caring for her younger brother a lot when she was still a kid herself, causing her to really not want kids when she became an adult. (For me it was two younger brothers)  She met and fell in love with a man who had two kids a boy and a girl, and felt like he did not want more kids.  (So did I!) .  I know that if something ever happened to our kids mother, I would become a full-time Step-Mother and I am perfectly okay with that.  If I were Grace, though, I would have been pretty pissed and VERY vocal about the fact that Victor pretty much just LEFT her alone with the kids.  I understand there were special circumstances at the restaurant, but when your family needs you so desperately, you just figure it out.

Bottom line, Heart Like Mine was a very sweet, tender novel about the growing pains of a family.  In a world where Step-Moms and "born" everyday, I think there are a lot of women out there who will find a lot in common with Grace, like I did.  Amy Hatvany is making quite a name for herself in Women's Fiction.  She writes well written, hard hitting novels that will make you think and are likely to make you cry. Have you read any of her books?  Do you think you will read this one?