A Writer's Review of “My Stubborn Heart" by Becky Wade

{My Review}

My Stubborn Heart was one of those books I had no doubt I would love from the very beginning. I literally began reading it the moment I received it in the mail... even though I had weeks before I needed to write a review for the blog tour. I'd never heard of Becky Wade before Litfuse offered me the chance to be on the author's blog tour. I'd never heard of the book either, but something about it caught my attention from first sight.

Perhaps it was this cover, which I thought was done extremely well. Or perhaps it was because it was about a rather hot, once-famous, wounded and brooding hockey legend hiding in his small hometown of Rosebud, PA working as a contractor just to stay busy. And by the way, Rosebud is sincerely the cutest name of a town I have ever heard of. Oh, and the heroine is also as cute as a button, an Audrey Hepburn look-alike with long red hair. Oh, and there's a two hundred year old elaborate mansion to be refinished, a seventy-something grandmother reconnecting with her school-hood friends—and this gorgeous, silent man doing all of the renovations.

I wouldn't say that My Stubborn Heart was divided 50/50 between the two main characters—I think Kate's perspective took up more words than Matt's did—and I have to say that I liked it. The reader got just enough of Matt's side of the story to understand what kind of torture he was going through.

I don't read a ton of contemporary romance—mostly historical-- but I must say if there were more like this one, I would be eating them up. There was never a dull moment, and I just wanted to keep reading and reading and reading—and I did so although I was sick with a head cold and really should have been getting my much-needed rest! I liked the title—it described Kate to perfection—though to her credit, she wasn't stubbornly seeking a romantic relationship with this broodingly handsome Adonis of men, but stubbornly offering him her friendship—which ended up making all the difference. And I loved Matt. As a widower, still deeply disturbed by his young wife's death, Becky Wade did a masterful job in getting him through his grief and to a place where he could love again. He was so well-written!

I also have to say something about the prologue and the epilogue. They were written omnisciently about the two main characters and turned out to be the perfect thing for “book-ending” this book cover to cover. I am so looking very forward to seeing what's next from Becky Wade. I love finding new authors to follow!

Bethany House Publishers gave me a paperback copy of this book for the LitFuse Blog Tour featuring the wonderful and talented author, Becky Wade, in return for my honest review.

I heartily give My Stubborn Heart 5 {bright and sparkling} stars. 

{About the book}

My Stubborn Heart | Becky Wade

Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks her to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.

Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man hired to renovate the house. Kate can't help being attracted to him, drawn by both his good looks and something else she can't quite put her finger on. He's clearly wounded—hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Yet Kate sets her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light...whether he likes it or not.

When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever dreamed?

{About Becky}  

During her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She's been a fan of all things romantic ever since. 

Becky and her husband lived overseas in the Caribbean and Australia before settling in Dallas, Texas. It was during her years abroad that Becky's passion for reading turned into a passion for writing. She published three historical romances with Avon Books, then put her career on hold for several years to care for her kids, then recently returned to writing sheerly for the love of it. She felt led to move to the genre of contemporary Christian romance and couldn't be more thrilled with it.

These days Becky can be found failing but trying to keep up with her housework, sweating at the gym, carting her kids around town, playing tennis, hunched over her computer, eating chocolate, or collapsed on the sofa watching TV with her husband.

Learn more at: www.BeckyWade.com.