Heart Like Mine: A Novel

I have to admit that I could not finish reading this book. I haven't seen this mentioned in any other review, but I got such a creepy vibe from how the dad acted with his 13 year old daughter that I couldn't continue. I don't have children, but I can't help feeling this behavior isn't normal for a father and a 13 year old (as described by the daughter): "Daddy came into my room, and lay down with me. He pressed his body behind mine, wrapping a long arm over my chest and pushing his face into my neck."Okay, she had just had some truly terrible news, but still, to me this was more the phrasing of a romance novel than a situation where a dad is comforting his adolescent daughter. There were a couple of other instances prior to this one where I thought, "Huh, that seems kind of inappropriate behavior between a girl and her father," but this last one was a deal breaker for me.

Kelli, a divorced mother of two dies under strange circumstances, leaving her ex-husband, Victor, his fiancee, Grace, and Victor's two kids, Ava and Max, to pick up the pieces -- and find closure through unraveling the mystery behind her death. The plot of "A Heart Like Mine" sounded very compelling, and because Grace, one of the book's protagonists, doesn't want kids, I thought I would instantly relate to her.And I did -- Grace reminds me a lot of myself in many ways, a highly compassionate woman who got nurturing out of her system a long time ago by taking care of another family member. But as it turns out, I had a lot of problems with how a situation like this would logically play out in real life. Grace was adamant about not wanting to be a mother. So much, in fact, that she made it a point to avoid dating single fathers, Victor being the one exception. Which would have been fine, except I didn't see too much of a spark between these two characters conveyed through dialogue or their actions toward each other. In fact, their entire relationship felt a little bland and superficial, and because the book skipped around from POV's (first person = Grace and Ava; third person omniscient = Kelli), I never felt like I knew what truly motivated all of the characters. Victor wasn't that much of a prize, IMHO. After Kelli dies, he leans on Grace to help him get his household in order after the two children move in, knowing of his fiancee's "not-mom" preferences. (Wouldn't it have been wiser for them both to take a step back from the relationship for a while?)Kelli's life situation made for an interesting read, I'll give you that. Some reviewers had pooh-poohed it, but hey -- I grew up with plenty of girls like here in the small town I come from, and Kelli is REAL. But I would have liked to have read the book told strictly from Grace's POV with a stronger focus on how she felt about becoming a full-time stepmother. It was as though Gracce turned into a completely different character than she was at the beginning of the book. As someone who is childfree, I can attest that Grace's circumstances would have posed a lot of internal struggle for her, and she would have had second, third, fourth, and fifth thoughts about marrying a man with full custody. This alone made "A Heart Like Mine" ring untrue.

This is my first book by Amy Hatvany, and I'll definitely give one of her other books a try, but I wanted to be a lot more impressed than I was. The story had lots of potential and I liked that it was told through the eyes of the three women; Kelli (the ex-wife), Ava (the daughter) and Grace (the new fiancee).I very much enjoyed each unique perspective. I just didn't care much for Victor, the ex-husband, father and fiance, in that order. Frankly, all three women deserved better. Which led me to find the rather abrupt happy ending to be somewhat unbelievable.I don't want to give anything away and I realize that makes this review a little cryptic. My suggestion is to give this book a try. An author as talented as Hatvany deserves it.

A hauntingly good book about a woman who falls in love with a divorced man who is co-parenting two children with a fragile woman who still deeply loves him. Grace never wanted to be a mother but when the ex-wife of the man she loves suddenly dies she finds herself trying to help him and his grief stricken children. None of this is easy. The pre-teen daughter is filled with guilt because she did not save her mother. Her younger brother finds it hard to believe he is dead. Their father does not want to burden Grace, needs her help but doesn't want to relinquish any authority to Grace. The story of children's mother and the failed marriage is told in flashbacks that reveal the traumatic childhood their mother. Secrets are revealed that are so heartbreaking that you feel for the young woman who may have accidentally taken her own life. It is a story about women and mothers, all different and the impact they have on the lives of their children. Its a beautiful sad story with a hopeful ending. I enjoyed the writing and the telling of this story

great author

Her books are very heartwarming - an excellent read.

Another compelling read, characters that stay with you and beautifully written relationships.Recommended highly and can't wait for the next one :)