Early Bird (ARC) Review: My Foolish Heart

My Foolish Heart

Susan May Warren

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: May 2011

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Pages: 384 (Paperback)

Author Site: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/

My Rating: 3.75/5

Source: Received for review from Litfuse Publicity Group

Synopsis:

[from goodreads.com]

Unknown to her tiny town of Deep Haven, Isadora Presley spends her nights as Miss Foolish Heart, the star host of a syndicated talk radio show. Millions tune in to hear her advice on dating and falling in love, unaware that she’s never really done either. Issy’s ratings soar when it seems she’s falling in love on-air with a caller. A caller she doesn’t realize lives right next door.

Caleb Knight served a tour of duty in Iraq and paid a steep price. The last thing he wants is pity, so he hides his disability and moves to Deep Haven to land his dream job as the high school football coach. When his beautiful neighbor catches his eye, in a moment of desperation he seeks advice from My Foolish Heart, the show that airs before his favorite sports broadcast.

Before he knows it, Caleb finds himself drawn to the host—and more confused than ever. Is his perfect love the woman on the radio . . . or the one next door?

Review:

I think I’ll always enjoy taking the time to read charming, contemporary romances that make me sigh in contentment. It was nice to get lost in a town like Deep Haven where the people care about each other, the businesses that have been around for generations, and even the high school football team. Although the team hasn’t won a championship since the famous Coach Presley was in a horrible car accident. His daughter, Issy, is still suffering from the traumatic event while he spends his days recovering at a care center. She may have walked away from the crash with just a few scratches but she lost a great deal on that night.

Now she mostly just spends her days in her mother’s garden and spends her nights with her online listeners. Despite the fact that she has severe panic attacks and hasn’t left her home in over a year and despite the fact that she hasn’t been on many dates or fallen in love she dishes out dating advice to millions of people as Miss Foolish Heart. It’s when two men enter her life that the safe world she’s created gets turned upside down. First Caleb Knight, a handsome, scarred man becomes her neighbor and then BoyNextDoor calls in seeking love advice. Little does Issy know that Caleb is the boy next door and the girl he’s seeking advice about is her.

While I wasn’t in love with My Foolish Heart, I still appreciated the strength of the characters, the loyalty of small-town living, the sweet romantic plot, and the inspirational moral of the story. Caleb and Issy have a lot to overcome and each have their individual weaknesses that keep them from fully living their lives. Juxtaposed against their story is Lucy and Seb’s story. Lucy is Issy’s closest friend and she’s famous for her families’ delicious donuts. Seb was the all-star quarterback for the Huskies when he went to the high school. Having just recently returned to Deep Haven in hopes of procuring the new football coach position, he has stirred up a lot of emotions in both Lucy and himself. The two must come to terms with their past and find a way to move forward if they want to be together again. I liked the fact that I wasn’t overwhelmed with the two different story arcs going on. Instead, I became attached to all of the characters individually and their distinctive struggles.

My Foolish Heart is a lovable and charming romance that is both uplifting and sweet. There is a somewhat strong reference to having faith in the novel but it wasn’t overwhelming. It was a nice part of the story that helped build the personalities and traits of the characters. I think many will enjoy Warren’s latest contemporary romance and I’m interested in seeing more of her work.

P.S. (cover talk)

It’s very sweet and it goes with the “small town” theme of the novel.

Expected Release Date:

May 1st