Saturday, October 8, 2016

The Bound Heart (The Everstone Chronicles Book 2) by Dawn Crandall {Review}

The Bound Heart (The Everstone Chronicles Book 2)
by Dawn Crandall
Kindle Edition, 319 pages
Published November 1st 2014 by Whitaker House 
 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21490844-the-bound-heart?from_search=true
 
One accidental kiss from Lawry Hampton. That was all it took to throw Meredyth Summercourt's world upside-down. Determined to marry the ever-elusive Vance Everstone, she simply doesn't have the time or the desire to fall for her best friend. But with Vance out of the country, and with Lawry at her side nearly every day, teaching her what the world is like through the eyes of a little orphan girl named Wynn--Meredyth can't deny that what's holding her to Vance is nothing more than a desire to redeem herself from her past.

Will she marry Vance once he returns from Europe? Or will she be strong enough to break free from the tangled web she's convinced she deserves, and accept that God's plan for her life includes redemption...and, quite possibly, Lawry Hampton?
 
 
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My Review: 5 Stars
 
Dawn Crandall has a way of completely immersing the reader into the world of her characters. I feel like I know each one of them and I don't want to leave the story. In this installment, Meredyth is the focus. I was very curious about her past after reading the first book and was thrilled to learn more about her. She has an invisible thread binding her to Vance, the elusive Everstone brother who is living in Europe. Fighting her growing feelings for family friend, Lawry, prove to be difficult, if impossible, but this "thread" won't let her move forward--unless she can find a way to break it.
My emotions were definitely played upon throughout this book. At times, I felt hopelessness for Meredyth's situation and her battle is implied from the very first chapter. My romantic heartstrings were twanged as I felt the chemistry leap off of the pages with the tension and sweet moments that ensued. My feelings of hope surfaced when Lawry and Meredyth rescue an orphan girl and help her--that sweet little Wynn almost stole the show! There are moments of joy, sorrow, despair, shock, and more as the story progresses and I loved every single minute of it all. I felt like I arose from a daze when I finished the last word, only to realize that I wasn't in 1890 New England.

The themes subtly woven through the book of forgiveness and unconditional love, especially of oneself, are what really touched my heart. I loved watching the journey these characters took to figure that out. These are strong people and I really want to be a part of their social circle.

Content: mild romance (kissing, implied forced intimacies); mild religious themes (not preachy); mild violence (shootings, death, nothing graphic). Clean!
 
*I received this book from the publisher for free. A review was not required and all views expressed are my own.*
  
Buy Links:
 
http://amzn.to/2dUVhQW
 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bound-heart-dawn-crandall/1120677847?ean=9781629116594


About the Author:
 
Dawn CrandallDawn Crandall is an ACFW Carol Award nominated author of the award winning series The Everstone Chronicles from Whitaker House. The series currently consists of three books: The Hesitant Heiress, The Bound Heart and The Captive Imposter. The next "Everstone" book, The Cautious Maiden, will release October 4, 2016.

Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary. Apart from writing books, Dawn is also mom to a precious little boy (born March 2014), is expecting her second baby (June 2016), and also serves with her husband in a pre-marriage mentor program at their local church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

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