Monday, May 20, 2013

Reclaim My Heart / Donna Fasano




This is the first half of a double shot. Check back later today for BigAl's take on the same book.

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Romance / Native American / Contemporary

Approximate word count: 65-70,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Donna Fasano was the winner in Books and Pals first ever Readers’ Choice awards in the romance category. She is also a three time winner of the HOLT Medallion, a CataRomance Reviewers Choice Award winner for Best Single Title, a Desert Rose Golden Quill Award finalist, and a Golden Heart finalist.  Her books have sold just shy of 4 million copies worldwide and been published in nearly two dozen languages. Ms. Fasano also enjoys posting delicious recipes on her website where you can also find out about her other books. You may also like to follow her on FaceBook.

Description:

“Sixteen years ago, Tyne Whitlock cut all ties to her past and left town under the shameful shadow of a teenage pregnancy. Now her fifteen-year-old son is in trouble with the law and she is desperate for help. But reaching out to high-powered attorney Lucas Silver Hawk will tear open the heart-wrenching past in ways Tyne never imagined.”

“Forced to return to the Delaware Indian community where Lucas was raised, Tyne and Lucas are tempted by the heated passion that consumed them as teens. Tyne rediscovers all the reasons she found this man irresistible, but there are scandalous secrets waiting to be revealed, disgraceful choices made in the past that cannot be denied. Love is a powerful force that could heal them both—if the truth doesn't rip them apart.”

Appraisal:

I should be upset with Ms. Fasano for writing such a topical star-crossed lovers’ story. I feel so fickle, like I have no loyalty to her other stories, which I have loved before. Each new book proves to be my absolute new favorite. I thought I was a loyal person, I really did, but this book is unlike any she has written so far and it blew my socks off.  There are family secrets and lies, cultural differences and bigotry, wrapped in a coming of age story along with reclaiming lost love. This story encompasses at least three generations with multiple levels of complexity and I was afraid some of the story lines would get lost in the twists and turns of the plot.

Every single character is developed with honesty and compassion; from rebellious fifteen-year old Zachary Whitlock who refuses to take responsibility for his actions to Ruth Yoder who faced responsibility head-on and gave up her baby thirty years ago. I have to say Uncle Jasper was my favorite character, he is one of the reasons I love stories about Native Americans. This is not just a story about star-crossed lovers it is a journey of souls that have affected this couple as well. This is a story about accepting the past for what it is and moving forward.

The exploration of the human condition that was accomplished in this story is simply amazing.  Kudos Ms. Fasano, if I could give you ten gold stars I would. 

FYI:

This book contains adult language and situations that may be offensive to some.

Format/Typo Issues:

The editing and formatting were excellent, I found no issues.

Rating: ***** Five stars

6 comments:

Donna Fasano said...

Wow! Just...wow! Thank you for this review!

?wazithinkin said...

You are vey welcome, Ms. Fasano. Do you have a clue how high you have just set the bar for any future reviews from me? LOL!

Sheryl Browne said...

Fabulous review. Well done, you! Thanks for sharing. :)

Anonymous said...

why arethese socks on the floor over here? Wazi, I concur, My loyalty was challenged as well because my favorite book by Donna has always been the very first one of hers I read- Accidental Family and I didn't want that to change but Reclaim my Heart is just so irresistible that it is now my #1 ALL TIME favorite book written by Donna Fasano! I love the way she takes a family dilemma and morphs into a romance!

?wazithinkin said...

Thank you for your comments, Sheryl.

?wazithinkin said...

Sorry, I thought I had picked up those socks already. I agree, Reclaim My Heart is going to be a tough one to top. Thanks for stopping by, Lisa.