Included in anthology More Than Words, Volume 6

Sheltering Hearts is a sweet romance novella that contains no objectionable content. The story was inspired by one of the winners of the Harlequin More Than Words contest in which Harlequin awards a cash prize to women who are working tirelessly to make a difference in their community. This novella is also considered to be a side story in Robyn Carr's Virgin River series. It takes place in the nearby town of Fortuna, where Virgin River residents frequently visit. Mel and Jack (Virgin River) and Preacher and Paige (Shelter Mountain) put in brief appearances, but this novella easily stands on its own. The reader wouldn't have to have read previous books in the series to understand what's going on.

The heroine, Dory is a strong woman. She is a single mom with two kids who left an abusive marriage four years earlier. Inspired by the Zoe Institute, the real life organization to which this novella is dedicated, she moved to Fortuna and has been working with Mel, Paige, and another woman to create a community center to support single mothers. She's wary of dating, still not trusting her judgment where men are concerned, so when her hunky new neighbor starts being a little too neighborly for comfort, she has to decide whether he's a good bet for finally getting back into dating or if he poses too much of a risk to her already battered heart and psyche. Her choice is made more difficult by other unexpected changes in her life.

This novella is primarily about Dory's journey, so there are only two or three short scenes from the hero, Clay's POV. He's a sweet guy who's a firefighter, loves kids, and is very protective of women. When he moves in next-door to Dory, he notices that she's a a busy single mom, so he steps in by doing things like mowing her lawn, taking out the trash, or playing catch with her kids. Of course, Clay thinks he's just being nice and helping out, but she initially sees his actions as a threat. Needless to say, he's rather baffled by her less than pleased reaction to his kindness, but eventually his patience and gentleness win the day.

Overall, Sheltering Hearts was a very pleasant way to spend a few hours of my reading time. It didn't necessarily grab me in any sort of intense way, and I occasionally found my mind wandering. However, it was still a very heart-warming story with a light, cozy feel. Anyone who likes these types of stories should enjoy this novella. Sheltering Hearts is available as a free eBook download from most major book retailers and can also be found in the print anthology, More Than Words, Volume 6. ( )

Charming, captivated and truly inspiring. ( )

Lightly linked with the Virgin River series by the appearances of a couple VR characters, this is a good story about moving forward. I really liked both Dory and Clay. Dory is trying to move on with her life after escaping from an abusive marriage. After getting the help she needed in Oklahoma, she moved to California where she has built a new life. She has a job to earn a living and is taking care of her kids. She is also giving back by helping single mothers the way that she was helped. With the assistance of a social worker and a bunch of volunteers they are doing great things. When Clay moves in next door she is a little bit nervous. He's a big guy, very good looking and obviously interested in her. She's wary because she doesn't trust her instincts about men anymore. When Clay starts doing things for her like cutting grass, moving trash cans and playing with her kids, she freaks out a bit seeing it as controlling. She finally relaxes a bit and starts to get to know him, finding him to be a truly caring man. As she opens up more to him her feelings grow and she discovers that she can have a loving relationship with a new man.

Clay was a sweetheart. He is a firefighter, so right there you see that he is a naturally caring man. When he moves in next to Dory he is interested in her right away. He sees that she is a struggling single mother and starts trying to help out. He is surprised when she accuses him of being controlling but manages to convince her he is just being friendly. He backs off on the pursuit a little and tries just being friends with her and her kids. I really loved his patience and how he was willing to take as long as she needed. I liked the way that he had a better idea of what she had been through after the incident in the grocery parking lot. I loved the way that he got involved with her organization and got his friends involved too. Loved seeing how his patience paid off in the end.

This was a part of the More Than Words series of books. I liked the way this one highlighted the trials of being a single mother and showed how there are resources out there to help. I thought it was very well done. The only thing that would make it better would be for it to be longer. ( )

This book had the potential to be a really great read - however it ended up being disappointing. The book started off really well, and just when you are beginning to get a grasp on all the characters and settling into their storyline, the book wraps up and is finished.

The story is developed until about 75% of the way, then it abruptly wraps up - which is typical for a Harlequin of course. However, I believe the story line and the characters could support a novel about 2 or 3x the length. ( )