The Hearts We Mend is the second heartfelt installment in Kathryn Springer's delightful Banister Falls series. It is another emotional novel of healing and while it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend the entire series.

Evie Bennett is putting the finishing touches on her son Cody's upcoming wedding when she is dismayed to discover the church's regular custodian has been called away on a family emergency. She is even more distraught when she realizes his temporary replacement, Jack Vale, is the man she and her friend Gin previously met under rather inauspicious circumstances while delivering groceries to someone in need. A newcomer to town, Jack is a bit of an enigma and Evie is a little nervous around the handsome but rough around the edges handyman. There is much more to Jack than meets the eye and the pair form an unlikely friendship. Evie and Jack are surprised to discover their feelings run deeper than friendship but are either of them ready for a romantic entanglement?

Evie is definitely at a crossroads in her life. Long widowed, the main focus of her life has been her son and now that Cody is moving on to the next stage of his life, she is feeling a little lost and lonely. She is intrigued by Jack but he so different from anyone she knows, she is uncertain what, if any, place he has in her life. Quickly realizing she might have misjudged him, Evie is surprised to discover he has a strong faith and a very open and giving heart. She soon realizes she is attracted to Jack and she is willing to explore the possibility of a future with him.

Jack has put his wild days long behind him and his strong faith guides him as he helps others in need. He has collected a rather motley assortment of friends and he opens both his home and his heart to them (and anyone else in need). He is only planning on staying in town temporarily while he helps his troubled brother Travis and sister-in-law Cheryl get back on their feet. He is hoping that Travis is finally going to keep a job and maintain his sobriety but sadly, this is not the case. After the two end up in trouble, Jack becomes temporary guardian for his young niece Lily and his life becomes further entwined with Evie's when her daughter-in-law becomes Lily's caregiver.

One of the most enjoyable aspect of reading an novel by Kathryn Springer is her characters and their relationship with God. Her characters are ordinary everyday people with messy lives. They make mistakes. They make questionable decisions. Their families are imperfect. And yet, they still find love, acceptance and forgiveness through God's love. Their faith might sometimes falter, but they have confidence that God will guide them to the right path. Sometimes that path is not what they expected, but they trust that everything will work out in the end. In The Hearts We Mend, both Evie and Jack discover that God's plan is definitely not what they expected, but rather, what they need. Their road to happily ever after is not always smooth, but it is a healing journey that makes them stronger as a couple and as Christians.

Like the previous installment in the Banister Falls series, The Hearts We Mend touches on some very tough, true to life subject matter. Kathryn Springer handles these topics with sensitivity and she never downplays the difficulties associated with these issues. The storyline has depth and the faith aspect of the novel is subtle and enriches the overall plot. The characters are complex and richly developed with realistic strengths and weakness that are easy for readers to relate to. An absolutely marvelous addition to the Banister Falls series that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a sweet romance with a realistic storyline. ( )

The Heart's We Mend by Kathryn Springer is the first book I've read from this author and I will be most assuredly be checking out more of her books in the future!

I found this story to be heartwarming, engaging and very well written. The characters were realistic, believable and well developed. The Plot? A most definite thumbs up for the twists and turns that were weaved into this romantic tale.
All in all, I really enjoyed The Heart's We Mend and I'm looking forward to reading more of MS. Springer's books!
My recommendation? Definitely add this book to your Summer Reading!

Thank you to Zondervan and Book Look Bloggers for the gift of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

"Jack." Evie swallowed. Hard. "Do you ever hear God laughing?"

Well, the joke was on me, this time. Not to make light of The Hearts We Mend by author Kathryn Springer, as this novel certainly isn't a joke. I must say it was the gorgeous cover that drew me to this one: the colors, the warm tone of it all, and the evening lights. It made me think of a wedding reception at night.

I appreciate how this novel deals with issues like drug addiction and trouble with the law without turning it all into something cheesy by just making the involved characters "bad people" and prescribing an easy fix. Even Evie's spiritual journey has a refreshing difficulty about it. At the story's opening, she's at that place where "reciting verses she'd memorized" and "singing bits of a praise chorus" simply isn't cutting through the knot in her heart. Getting to a new level of trusting God is going to take more life experience. Also, the romance here isn't rushed.

I did find myself losing interest at different places during the novel, as the storyline, while good, didn't have a special "oomph" for me--and there was a little joke on me when I discovered a big jump in the story and about thirty pages missing from my new paperback. A goof-up at the printers. I'm pretty sure I pieced together whatever was missing, though.

Overall, I think the realness in this novel should appeal to many Christian Fiction readers.
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BookLook Bloggers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. ( )

The Hearts We Mend is the second book in Kathryn Springer’s Bannister Falls series. I loved, loved, loved The Dandelion Field and knew from that moment that I would read anything Springer has to offer. I said in that review that I need a romance with real life situations, real life emotions and real life hopes and dreams. The Hearts We Mend delivers that again, plus a hunky main character that is truly swoon-worthy! So if you are looking for a romance with heart and soul, make sure to put The Hearts We Mend on your list!

Evie Bannister dedicated her life to making sure her son Cody’s dreams would come true. Following her firefighter husband’s tragic death years before, Evie focused on Cody and the women’s ministry she leads. That is enough for her, or so she thought before Cody embarks on his own adventures and Jack Vale enters her life. Suddenly Evie is confronted with the fact that her life is not being truly lived.

As far as the romantic aspects of The Hearts We Mend are involved, this book has it all. A hero that is both strong and tender and a heroine who longs for more from life and love. There is instant chemistry between Jack and Evie — a reaction from these two seemingly opposite personalities that will have readers sighing with satisfaction. But The Hearts We Mend doesn’t just touch the heart, it touches the soul. These characters love God and the people who are put in their paths. Jack is not just tender and gentle and loving with Evie, but with the curmudgeon that lives upstairs, the menacingly rough youth that lives in the neighborhood and the lonely and isolated that surround him. What a great example of a romantic character — one that loves God first and naturally extends that love. Jack is by far the best romantic hero I have read in a long, long time. Real life issues are explored in The Hearts We Mend and as with life, not everything is tied up in a pretty package. Real life is messy and can hurt, and this novel shows the reality of poor choices and the impact they have even on innocent lives, making this book perfect for book clubs. The novel is written in a third person, omniscient style that lets the reader in on the hurts, hopes and dreams of its characters. I welcomed it’s casual and sometimes light-hearted style.

All in all The Hearts We Mend is a winner! Yes it is a romance, but so much more. I am looking forward to more in Springer’s series. Will that tough policeman and pixie-ish social worker be featured in book 3? I sure hope so!

Highly Recommended.

Audience: adults.

Great for book clubs.

(Thanks to Zondervan and LitFuse for a review ARC. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )