Book Review and Giveaway: Desire of the Heart

In less than a month, my husband and I will celebrate our 13th anniversary.  We married after knowing each other and courting by long distance (Indiana and Tennessee) for one year.  Something that probably most people probably do not know is that our kiss as Mr. and Mrs. Kinsey was literally our first kiss together.  Not only that but we dated in public and/or with a chaperone and did not even ride in the same car together by ourselves.  When we asked my mom to ride with us to and from my family reunion (when Robert met a lot of my mom's side of the family), she laughed at the thought of being a chaperone for grown adults who had been independent for 10-20+ years, but good-naturedly complied.  Extreme? Yes, but it kept us from making mistakes we would regret later and kept our testimonies intact.

I found it very interesting that Desire of the Heart by Anne Perreault had the theme of saving PDA and more for after marriage.  Cady Jackson was reared very strictly by her parents and clung to the same guidelines that her parents shoved down her throat taught her.  Grant McClintoch, who became a Christian as a young adult, respected her boundaries.  OK, I have to say that my snarky little "shoved down her throat" was probably a little unkind, but that was the impression I got from her parents -- that they were authoritarian to the extreme.  I know they were well-meaning -- what parents do not want to teach their children principles that will protect them? -- but they really came across as over-the-top crazy strict with little feelings for their daughter.  That's probably my biggest complaint about the book.  I know these people exist (not her parents, but other real people), but I wish we could have seen a little bit more caring humanity from them before experiencing the harshness.  On a positive note, it helps me to know how NOT to teach and rear my daughter.

I really loved the setting of the book.  That was what lured me into choosing this book to review.  Celebrate Lit kindly gave me a copy to read.  I have never been to Yellowstone National Park, but I would love to go.  I was surprised to find out that the author has not been there; the descriptions made it feel like I was there with Cady and Grant.  I enjoyed the characters and their personalities.  Cady, while coming across as naive (which she is to some degree) also has great inner strength that comes out later.  Grant overcomes heartache in the book and proves himself to be a man of integrity and wisdom.  I really liked what he said to Cady about her parents:  "Your parents have done a great job raising you, Cady-girl.  They wanted to protect you from making mistakes.  I respect that.  If I were in their shoes, I'd do the same thing."  It takes a wise man to see beyond the surface and recognize that and to treat them with respect.

Keep reading to learn more about the book and the author and to enter a giveaway!

About the Book

Book: Desire of the Heart

Author: Anne Perreault

Genre: Christian Romance

Release Date: April 2020 

It all started with a hike…

Cady Jackson’s vacation plans were simple. Go to Yellowstone National Park, enjoy the scenery, take lots of pictures. She and her cousin, Ashley, have grown up in a strict, conservative Christian family in upstate New York. Cady has never been encouraged to spread her wings. This trip is an opportunity to do so. Only, she doesn’t know how much her life is about to change when she has an unfortunate encounter in the middle of nowhere.  Why would God take a personal interest in someone like her?

Grant McClintoch generally loves his job as a ranger in the oldest national park in the country. That it includes rescuing stranded visitors to the park is unfortunate. He has been trying to rebuild his life after it had nearly been destroyed. Grant doesn’t realize that God isn’t done with him yet when he stumbles onto an injured hiker.
But can he place his past in God’s capable hands where it belongs?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Anne Perreault was born and raised in Germany. By the time she was 14 years old, her family moved to Dubai, UAE. While living in this exotic place, she traveled extensively to various countries around the world. After graduating from an American boarding school in Austria, she attended college in England, where she met her husband. She graduated from New England College with a degree in biology, and settled down in Connecticut. Anne became a horseback riding instructor as well as a certified therapeutic riding instructor. She and a group of friends started a therapeutic riding center in Bristol, CT. During that time, Anne also received a masters degree in secondary education and began to homeschool her three children. While raising their three children, she began to write an inspirational story primarily for her daughter. Anne, her husband, and two of their grown children now reside in Southern Vermont, where they are building their home. Besides writing, Anne enjoys reading, spending time with her husband, grown children, and grand-dogger.

 

More from Anne

Desire of the Heart…

This book is so special to me. I had been pondering what to write a few years back and the thought came to me that I should base my next character on some of the adorable quirkiness of my beautiful daughter, a young woman filled with integrity and strength. Except, when you first meet her, you might think she’s too naïve or too sweet. She has a fire in her and a passion. And then I watched a TV show and one of the character’s were named Cady. I knew I had my main character. My daughter loves to  travel, and a few years ago, she and her cousin traveled to Scotland together. It was kind of like fiction came to live right then and there. I had already paired Cady up with her cousin, a young woman who is the complete opposite to Cady. Of course, in real life, my daughter and her cousin are incredibly similar to each other and are both such amazing young women of God.

Her counterpart came about because I was looking for someone with strength and also with great integrity, but someone who was wounded by life. I also realized that I wanted to set the story in a national park. I’ve always enjoyed nature and wanted my main character to be working in some capacity with nature. Grant naturally became a park ranger. It fit his personality so well, I secretly rubbed my hands together in glee.

Setting the story at Yellowstone allowed me to research that beautiful part of the country. I have always been a wildlife enthusiast. My oldest son loves wolves and has studied them all his life. I wanted to include wolves in the story… enough said. I fell completely in love with the park and I will one day travel there and stand where Grant and Cady did.

Blog Stops

For Him and My Family, November 2

Debbie's Dusty Deliberations, November 3

Book of Ruth Ann, November 3

Texas Book-aholic, November 4

Mary Hake, November 4

Inklings and notions, November 5

Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting, November 6

Pause for Tales, November 6

Older & Smarter?, November 7

deb's Book Review, November 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 8

Through the Lens of Scripture, November 9

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 9

Artistic Nobody, November 10 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

21st Century Keeper at Home, November 10

Quiet Quilter, November 11

Sara Jane Jacobs, November 11

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 12

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 13

Just Your Average reviews, November 13

Spoken from the Heart, November 14

Emily Yager, November 14

Daysong Reflections, November 15

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Anne is giving away the grand prize package of a bookmark and a signed copy of Desire of the Heart!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/102f2/desire-of-the-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway