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Quilts of Love #6
A Healing Heart
Mara Keegan is an uber-successful workaholic mother of three, widowed three years ago. She's been chasing success and all the "good things in life" for her family to make up for the cruel whim God played on them by taking her husband. In an effort to be the perfect mom, she decides to make a photo memory quilt, a graduation present for her daughter, Cadence.
She’s not yet finished when she experiences a heart attack. While Mara recuperates, she visits the choices she's made that led to this physically and spiritually broken heart. The memory quilt must be finished in time for Cadence's big day, but Mara struggles with her burgeoning feelings for the man who must keep Mara's business going during her recovery, Joel Ryan. Can Joel find his way into Mara's heart and onto Cadence's quilt?
She’s not yet finished when she experiences a heart attack. While Mara recuperates, she visits the choices she's made that led to this physically and spiritually broken heart. The memory quilt must be finished in time for Cadence's big day, but Mara struggles with her burgeoning feelings for the man who must keep Mara's business going during her recovery, Joel Ryan. Can Joel find his way into Mara's heart and onto Cadence's quilt?
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2013
About the author
Angela Breidenbach
28 books176 followersAngela Breidenbach is a bestselling author, screenwriter, broadcaster, professional genealogist, and the executive director for the International Institute of Genealogical Studies. Angela lives in Missoula, MT with her hubby and Muse, a trained fe-lion, who can shake hands, lay down and roll over, and jump through a hoop. Surprisingly, Angela can, also. Muse and Writer entertain on social media and Angela's website.
http://AngelaBreidenbach.com
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest: @AngBreidenbach
If you'd like to know more about becoming a professional genealogist, visit https://GenealogicalStudies.com
Other works by Angela include Gems of Wisdom: The treasure of experience, compilation books and devotionals from David C. Cook (The Quiet Hour), Guidepost, Group, and articles in magazines, e-zines, greeting cards, and newspapers.
http://AngelaBreidenbach.com
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest: @AngBreidenbach
If you'd like to know more about becoming a professional genealogist, visit https://GenealogicalStudies.com
Other works by Angela include Gems of Wisdom: The treasure of experience, compilation books and devotionals from David C. Cook (The Quiet Hour), Guidepost, Group, and articles in magazines, e-zines, greeting cards, and newspapers.
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January 8, 2013I had to read my own book for the editing process. (My edits were due last June, four months after I finished the manuscript). That's always scary to an author because we've been so wrapped up in the intricacies that we aren't sure what the whole thing will be like to a reader. I have to say I really liked the characters, so much that I have another book in the works with the teen, Cadence, as an adult. I just don't want to leave my friends behind after I'm done playing, uh, I mean writing with them. I think there's no win/win on how many stars a person would give their own book. So I'm giving it the amount of fun I had writing and living in it :)
How fun the setting, the mountains of Montana, and the Museum of the Rockies. The adjoining Taylor Planetarium has a grand opening for their remodel happening in April. I want to go! But in case you didn't know, 2013 is supposed to be a huge year for solar flares and the Northern Lights. I spent a lot of time researching places in Bozeman that families could enjoy so readers could go visit them later with their own families. I hope you do.
The topic of workaholism is important in this novel. Yes, Mara's struggle with workaholism is really based on a struggle I've dealt with all my life. I don't think I'm alone in it though and thought other women could relate. Do you?
I'd love to know how the courageous dog, Louie, touches you. I went through some intense emotions writing him into the book because he's based on a real live dog too. But he's just a little bigger than real life in the novel. Are you a dog lover too?
I loved writing this book and look forward to hearing what your experience is reading it.
How fun the setting, the mountains of Montana, and the Museum of the Rockies. The adjoining Taylor Planetarium has a grand opening for their remodel happening in April. I want to go! But in case you didn't know, 2013 is supposed to be a huge year for solar flares and the Northern Lights. I spent a lot of time researching places in Bozeman that families could enjoy so readers could go visit them later with their own families. I hope you do.
The topic of workaholism is important in this novel. Yes, Mara's struggle with workaholism is really based on a struggle I've dealt with all my life. I don't think I'm alone in it though and thought other women could relate. Do you?
I'd love to know how the courageous dog, Louie, touches you. I went through some intense emotions writing him into the book because he's based on a real live dog too. But he's just a little bigger than real life in the novel. Are you a dog lover too?
I loved writing this book and look forward to hearing what your experience is reading it.
April 18, 2013
How is it possible to find the will of God in a busy life? That is just what Mara Keegan is wondering as she has taken the full weight of responsibility of caring for her three children after losing her husband in a snowmobiling accident. Left with the burden of running the business of Bridger Pack and Rescue that they both established, she made David a promise. A promise that is slowly costing her the very life she had left. Running a business that was now thriving was keeping her away from raising her family when they needed her the most and being a strong and determined woman, she fails to see that all the stress of being the sole decision maker is costing her. The warning signs have been in front of her the entire time, but she has failed to acknowledge them.
When her business coach, Joel Ryan shows up to help her with the next phase of her business he's about to discover that he will be helping out in ways he never imagined quite literally when he arrives at Mara's front door. Expecting to meet with Mara and sign the contracts that would double her business, he finds her along passed out on the floor of her home office. With the help of her daughter Cadence, they rush her to the Emergency Room to see if she has had a heart attack, but unfortunately the doctor misdiagnoses her and sends her home with a simple broken ankle in a cast. He advises that Mara take some time to heal but that means that she must trust the running of her business to Joel, a man who tried to take her business away from her before. Has Joel changed or is he really just in the right place at the right time?
In the sixth novel from the Quilts of Love Series, A Healing Heart by Angela Breidenbach has a dual meaning behind the storyline. Not only must Mara dealing with the healing of her physical heart but she must also learn to deal the difficult task of facing the choice to give up some of the control in her business in lieu of helping her heal her family. They haven't had the chance to truly grieve over the loss of their father and it seems like Mara felt the burden to take over all the responsibility when David died. Ultimately Joel and Mara will need to discover the purpose that God has in mind for both of them and be willing to open their own hearts to the possibility of something greater than any of them ever dreamed possible. Sometimes it takes God shaking us to the core of our lives before we will stop and see what changes we need to make in order to walk in His will.
I received A Healing Heart by Angela Breidenbach compliments of Abingdon Press and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable one. I really enjoyed this one and saw so many different overlapping themes running through it. The healing that really needed to happen between Mara and her family, the healing between Mara and her friends and church and the willingness to trust once again, not only with her business but with her own heart to learn to love again in a different way. I love how beautiful the family held a memorial service that enabled them all to process the loss of David in ways that were important to them. All of these themes are woven into the project Mara takes on to complete a memory quilt for her daughter Cadence who is about to graduate. This story from beginning to end is truly priceless and one the author calls upon her own memories to incorporate into the story. Hands down a 5 out of 5 stars!
When her business coach, Joel Ryan shows up to help her with the next phase of her business he's about to discover that he will be helping out in ways he never imagined quite literally when he arrives at Mara's front door. Expecting to meet with Mara and sign the contracts that would double her business, he finds her along passed out on the floor of her home office. With the help of her daughter Cadence, they rush her to the Emergency Room to see if she has had a heart attack, but unfortunately the doctor misdiagnoses her and sends her home with a simple broken ankle in a cast. He advises that Mara take some time to heal but that means that she must trust the running of her business to Joel, a man who tried to take her business away from her before. Has Joel changed or is he really just in the right place at the right time?
In the sixth novel from the Quilts of Love Series, A Healing Heart by Angela Breidenbach has a dual meaning behind the storyline. Not only must Mara dealing with the healing of her physical heart but she must also learn to deal the difficult task of facing the choice to give up some of the control in her business in lieu of helping her heal her family. They haven't had the chance to truly grieve over the loss of their father and it seems like Mara felt the burden to take over all the responsibility when David died. Ultimately Joel and Mara will need to discover the purpose that God has in mind for both of them and be willing to open their own hearts to the possibility of something greater than any of them ever dreamed possible. Sometimes it takes God shaking us to the core of our lives before we will stop and see what changes we need to make in order to walk in His will.
I received A Healing Heart by Angela Breidenbach compliments of Abingdon Press and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable one. I really enjoyed this one and saw so many different overlapping themes running through it. The healing that really needed to happen between Mara and her family, the healing between Mara and her friends and church and the willingness to trust once again, not only with her business but with her own heart to learn to love again in a different way. I love how beautiful the family held a memorial service that enabled them all to process the loss of David in ways that were important to them. All of these themes are woven into the project Mara takes on to complete a memory quilt for her daughter Cadence who is about to graduate. This story from beginning to end is truly priceless and one the author calls upon her own memories to incorporate into the story. Hands down a 5 out of 5 stars!
April 9, 2013
Since her husband's death three years prior, Mara Keegan has worked doubly hard to make the family business succeed, even though it's meant she hasn't taken good care of herself or spent much time with her three kids. She's bent on making her daughter's graduation quilt absolutely perfect to make up for it.
Mara's business mentor is close to retirement and passes her files to Joel Ryan, a man who once attempted a hostile takeover of Mara's business. Joel claims to be sorry--to be a changed man in Christ--but Mara doesn't trust him.
But she doesn't have a lot of choice as her health crashes. She suffers a broken ankle when she falls during a heart attack. And who steps in during her forced recuperation? Joel. Not only in her business--that's bad enough, considering their history--but her kids take to him like crows to shiny things.
Does Joel deserve forgiveness, and a permanent place in her daughter's memory quilt?
This fast-paced debut novel is not to be missed. You'll laugh and cry with Mara as she's forced to relinquish control. You'll see your kids in Mara's kids--their interactions brought back fun memories for me. You'll love the city of Bozeman, Montana, and wish you could visit. You'll experience Mara's healing firsthand: from the death of her husband and the results of her workaholic lifestyle. And maybe. . .just maybe, you'll fall in love.
A Healing Heart is part of the Quilts of Love series from Abingdon Press.
Mara's business mentor is close to retirement and passes her files to Joel Ryan, a man who once attempted a hostile takeover of Mara's business. Joel claims to be sorry--to be a changed man in Christ--but Mara doesn't trust him.
But she doesn't have a lot of choice as her health crashes. She suffers a broken ankle when she falls during a heart attack. And who steps in during her forced recuperation? Joel. Not only in her business--that's bad enough, considering their history--but her kids take to him like crows to shiny things.
Does Joel deserve forgiveness, and a permanent place in her daughter's memory quilt?
This fast-paced debut novel is not to be missed. You'll laugh and cry with Mara as she's forced to relinquish control. You'll see your kids in Mara's kids--their interactions brought back fun memories for me. You'll love the city of Bozeman, Montana, and wish you could visit. You'll experience Mara's healing firsthand: from the death of her husband and the results of her workaholic lifestyle. And maybe. . .just maybe, you'll fall in love.
A Healing Heart is part of the Quilts of Love series from Abingdon Press.
July 14, 2013
A Healing Heart by Angela Breidenbach.
Mara mother of three. Has lost her husband to a terrible accident . Her heart needs to heal. She is running herself in circles trying to care for family and the business. The business she think she needs to control cause it was hers husbands desire for their lives.. She needs help, but how will she get it? Then Joel Ryan steps into her life as a business consultant. In the nick of time he is there. Mara falls and breaks a leg now she really needs help. Will she accept it from a guy that was from her past and tried to steal her company before. How can she trust him now. A story of love and romance but also a story of healing the heart to be able to move on with her life. Getting her life back where God would have her be. I would give this book a 5 star. Really enjoyed it from the first page till the end.
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12...
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-rev...
my blog http://dianasbookit.blogspot.com/
facebook https://www.facebook.com/diana.montgo...
Thank you bookfun.org for the book review club. Thanks Fred St. Laurent for all the hard work you put in to the group. Thanks to the publishers and sponsors and to David Cook our sponsor.
Mara mother of three. Has lost her husband to a terrible accident . Her heart needs to heal. She is running herself in circles trying to care for family and the business. The business she think she needs to control cause it was hers husbands desire for their lives.. She needs help, but how will she get it? Then Joel Ryan steps into her life as a business consultant. In the nick of time he is there. Mara falls and breaks a leg now she really needs help. Will she accept it from a guy that was from her past and tried to steal her company before. How can she trust him now. A story of love and romance but also a story of healing the heart to be able to move on with her life. Getting her life back where God would have her be. I would give this book a 5 star. Really enjoyed it from the first page till the end.
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12...
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-rev...
my blog http://dianasbookit.blogspot.com/
facebook https://www.facebook.com/diana.montgo...
Thank you bookfun.org for the book review club. Thanks Fred St. Laurent for all the hard work you put in to the group. Thanks to the publishers and sponsors and to David Cook our sponsor.
January 24, 2013
This is the second book I've read from the Quilts of Love series and I am really enjoying them! I especially like how each book is a stand alone novel and the only thing that connects the books is that the character(s) are making a quilt. I have always thought quilts are beautiful and have wanted to learn how to make them for a long time, but have never taken the time to do it...this series of books sure is making want to learn soon!
I loved the whole idea of a memory quilt and thought it was so sweet.
I loved how Joel just jumped right in and helped out, even when Mara tried to not let him :)
This was the first book I read by Angela Breidenbach, but I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.
***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***
I loved the whole idea of a memory quilt and thought it was so sweet.
I loved how Joel just jumped right in and helped out, even when Mara tried to not let him :)
This was the first book I read by Angela Breidenbach, but I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.
***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***
April 10, 2013
What a sweet story of family, love and quilts!
I really enjoyed reading about the process of making a memory quilt. The author is very detailed in her description and made me want to get my fabric out and play.
The love story aspect of the book develops nicely. Mara is just getting over the grief of losing her husband and Joel had a sad ending to his marriage. Together they discover if they can find love a second time around.
I really enjoyed the family antics written into the story. They are so real and true to life!
You can read my full review here:
http://collettaskitchensink.blogspot....
I really enjoyed reading about the process of making a memory quilt. The author is very detailed in her description and made me want to get my fabric out and play.
The love story aspect of the book develops nicely. Mara is just getting over the grief of losing her husband and Joel had a sad ending to his marriage. Together they discover if they can find love a second time around.
I really enjoyed the family antics written into the story. They are so real and true to life!
You can read my full review here:
http://collettaskitchensink.blogspot....
June 30, 2013
My Favorite Scene:
"Joel picked up the pile of quilt blocks off the couch. He laid one out over his large hand. "Is this Davis?" The man stood next to a yellow and black snowmobile and wore a medal over his yellow and black winter gear. Louie sat at his feet with a yellow and black dog coat.
"Yes." Mara's stomach clenched at the site of the snowmobile. She hated, hated, hated that thing!
"By the look on your face, you didn't approve of his racing?"
She inhaled and closed her eyes. "It wasn't his racing. Although that should have been more enough." She left the next thought unsaid. How could I speak ill of the man I loved? She blew out her breath with careful control. Still she fought for balance on this topic. They'd argued when he bought the dumb thing. He seemed to thrive on pushing more and more adrenaline through his body. He should have been a stuntman. "It was his risk-taking."
"Oh, I see."
"No, you don't. He won a lot of races. But they weren't enough. When extreme sports started getting popular, David took it to the next level. He and his buddies took their snowmobiles into the backcountry of the Bridgers. Then, according to the rescue patrol, they ignored the posted warnings."
She knew her voice took on an icy edge, but she couldn't help it. "He died because he was hill climbing on that machine and ended up racing ahead of an avalanche. But his avalanche beacon malfuctioned. It took a long time to find him. When the guys dug David out, he was barely alive. The snowmobile landed on top of b him and created an air pocket. In fact, David lived almost two days after that. One lung had been crushed, several of his bones were broken, and the doctor said his spine was crushed."
"I can't imagine what you went through."
Tears choked her words, "He asked me to kiss him and let him go. He thought a man who couldn't walk, couldn't feed himself, and couldn't be a husband..." She reached for the glass of tea and sipped to relieve the clogged burning in her throat. "But I'd have rather had him here, walking or not." A tear rolled from her cheek and plopped into the glass. She set it back down, embarrassed. Who cried in her tea?
"Mara, I'm so sorry." Joel took her free hand in both of his. "Why would you put this photo on a quilt block when it causes you so much pain?"
"Cadence chose it. She wanted to remember him as strong and fearless. Not the broken man in the hospital."
"Ah, that makes alot of sense."
"Joel, the nurses worked hard to clean him up enough not to scare the kids. The hard snowpack ripped his helmet right off. He was a mess. Bruises and scraped skin everywhere. His face was so raw I asked the nurses to cover David's face before the kids saw him. They couldn't even cast his arms and legs for all the open wounds.The nurse helped me hold a sheet above him to hide the worst from the kids." She looked at the photo. "I loved him so much. I can't believe he risked everything for a thrill. But he did, Joel. And by doing that, he broke his promise to me. To our family. And God let him."
Joel moved closer to Mara and put his arms around her.
She cried there, safe against his shoulder. "God let him."
Meet The Characters:
Mara Keegan: Mara was determined, driven and desperate to keep her promise to her deceased husband David. She was a loving mother and designer of beautiful quilts. Her crow ancestors taught her the craft and it was a great love of hers. She was at peace when she was designing and crafting quilts.
Joel Ryan: Joel has a past of being hard and unfeeling in his business transactions. I love the new Joel that centers his life around God. Because of it, he has become a loving, kind and generous man that is full of faith and an overwhelming desire to help. He builds a great relationship with Mara's kids.
Cadence, Marisa and Toby Keegan: Mara's kids. Very well behaved and well mannered. Their only problem is missing spending time with their mother.
Mrs. Calder: The quirky next-door neighbor. She was actually pretty cute and adorable and a great help in their time of need.
Louie: The beloved family dog.
My Thoughts:
Mara Keegan is owner of Bridger Pack and Rescue, a company she started with her husband David before his passing. With the business expanding, her days are filled with attending to the business matters and everything else has pretty much fallen by the wayside, including time with her kids and the quilting she loves so much. Mara is under a great deal of stress and pressure to fulfill the promise she made to David and doesn't realize just what that stress is doing to her... Until that fateful day she has a heart attack. Mara slowly comes to realize she needs help. Her help comes in the form of Joel Ryan.
Joel Ryan has a history with Mara only she doesn't know it yet. When his boss sends him to coach Mara in how to grow her business, he fears she will turn him away for his past mistakes. Joel used to be a fortune hunter and tried to issue a hostile takeover of Mara's company. Although Mara wants nothing more than to send Joel packing, she feels she needs to give him a chance to prove he has changed. When Mara has a heart attack, Joel steps up and takes over the handling of the company until Mara is well. They soon realize they are developing feelings for each but can Mara let go of David's memory and move forward? Can Joel compete with her dead husband's legacy? Like the stitching woven through the quilt Mara is making for her daughter, Cadence, Joel soon becomes woven in each of their lives.
I can't tell you how this book warmed my heart. There were several "scenes" I wanted to share but decided not to because I didn't want to give away any important details. You'll have to read the book and discover them for yourself. There were a few times I cried and continued to cry for several minutes after reading certain scenes. This was a very touching story that dealt with love, friendship, family, healing and a deeper relationship with the"Big Guy". It also dealt with Heart disease, one of the number one killers in America. A Healing Heart was so well written the words just flowed from page to page. Hat's off to Angela Breidenbach for an amazing story.
"Joel picked up the pile of quilt blocks off the couch. He laid one out over his large hand. "Is this Davis?" The man stood next to a yellow and black snowmobile and wore a medal over his yellow and black winter gear. Louie sat at his feet with a yellow and black dog coat.
"Yes." Mara's stomach clenched at the site of the snowmobile. She hated, hated, hated that thing!
"By the look on your face, you didn't approve of his racing?"
She inhaled and closed her eyes. "It wasn't his racing. Although that should have been more enough." She left the next thought unsaid. How could I speak ill of the man I loved? She blew out her breath with careful control. Still she fought for balance on this topic. They'd argued when he bought the dumb thing. He seemed to thrive on pushing more and more adrenaline through his body. He should have been a stuntman. "It was his risk-taking."
"Oh, I see."
"No, you don't. He won a lot of races. But they weren't enough. When extreme sports started getting popular, David took it to the next level. He and his buddies took their snowmobiles into the backcountry of the Bridgers. Then, according to the rescue patrol, they ignored the posted warnings."
She knew her voice took on an icy edge, but she couldn't help it. "He died because he was hill climbing on that machine and ended up racing ahead of an avalanche. But his avalanche beacon malfuctioned. It took a long time to find him. When the guys dug David out, he was barely alive. The snowmobile landed on top of b him and created an air pocket. In fact, David lived almost two days after that. One lung had been crushed, several of his bones were broken, and the doctor said his spine was crushed."
"I can't imagine what you went through."
Tears choked her words, "He asked me to kiss him and let him go. He thought a man who couldn't walk, couldn't feed himself, and couldn't be a husband..." She reached for the glass of tea and sipped to relieve the clogged burning in her throat. "But I'd have rather had him here, walking or not." A tear rolled from her cheek and plopped into the glass. She set it back down, embarrassed. Who cried in her tea?
"Mara, I'm so sorry." Joel took her free hand in both of his. "Why would you put this photo on a quilt block when it causes you so much pain?"
"Cadence chose it. She wanted to remember him as strong and fearless. Not the broken man in the hospital."
"Ah, that makes alot of sense."
"Joel, the nurses worked hard to clean him up enough not to scare the kids. The hard snowpack ripped his helmet right off. He was a mess. Bruises and scraped skin everywhere. His face was so raw I asked the nurses to cover David's face before the kids saw him. They couldn't even cast his arms and legs for all the open wounds.The nurse helped me hold a sheet above him to hide the worst from the kids." She looked at the photo. "I loved him so much. I can't believe he risked everything for a thrill. But he did, Joel. And by doing that, he broke his promise to me. To our family. And God let him."
Joel moved closer to Mara and put his arms around her.
She cried there, safe against his shoulder. "God let him."
Meet The Characters:
Mara Keegan: Mara was determined, driven and desperate to keep her promise to her deceased husband David. She was a loving mother and designer of beautiful quilts. Her crow ancestors taught her the craft and it was a great love of hers. She was at peace when she was designing and crafting quilts.
Joel Ryan: Joel has a past of being hard and unfeeling in his business transactions. I love the new Joel that centers his life around God. Because of it, he has become a loving, kind and generous man that is full of faith and an overwhelming desire to help. He builds a great relationship with Mara's kids.
Cadence, Marisa and Toby Keegan: Mara's kids. Very well behaved and well mannered. Their only problem is missing spending time with their mother.
Mrs. Calder: The quirky next-door neighbor. She was actually pretty cute and adorable and a great help in their time of need.
Louie: The beloved family dog.
My Thoughts:
Mara Keegan is owner of Bridger Pack and Rescue, a company she started with her husband David before his passing. With the business expanding, her days are filled with attending to the business matters and everything else has pretty much fallen by the wayside, including time with her kids and the quilting she loves so much. Mara is under a great deal of stress and pressure to fulfill the promise she made to David and doesn't realize just what that stress is doing to her... Until that fateful day she has a heart attack. Mara slowly comes to realize she needs help. Her help comes in the form of Joel Ryan.
Joel Ryan has a history with Mara only she doesn't know it yet. When his boss sends him to coach Mara in how to grow her business, he fears she will turn him away for his past mistakes. Joel used to be a fortune hunter and tried to issue a hostile takeover of Mara's company. Although Mara wants nothing more than to send Joel packing, she feels she needs to give him a chance to prove he has changed. When Mara has a heart attack, Joel steps up and takes over the handling of the company until Mara is well. They soon realize they are developing feelings for each but can Mara let go of David's memory and move forward? Can Joel compete with her dead husband's legacy? Like the stitching woven through the quilt Mara is making for her daughter, Cadence, Joel soon becomes woven in each of their lives.
I can't tell you how this book warmed my heart. There were several "scenes" I wanted to share but decided not to because I didn't want to give away any important details. You'll have to read the book and discover them for yourself. There were a few times I cried and continued to cry for several minutes after reading certain scenes. This was a very touching story that dealt with love, friendship, family, healing and a deeper relationship with the"Big Guy". It also dealt with Heart disease, one of the number one killers in America. A Healing Heart was so well written the words just flowed from page to page. Hat's off to Angela Breidenbach for an amazing story.
August 31, 2013
Title: A HEALING HEART
Author: Angela Breidenbach
Publisher: Abingdon Press
April 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4267-5269-8
Genre: Contemporary romance
Can a woman’s heart find its way back to God and discover an unexpected new love?
Will Joel help Mara or take everything she has left? Mara Keegan is an uber-successful mother and a widow of three years. She's been chasing success and all the "good things in life" for her family to make up for the cruel whim God played on them by taking her husband. In an effort to be the perfect mom, she decides to make a photo memory quilt, a graduation present for her daughter, Cadence.
She's not yet finished when she experiences a heart attack. How can Mara trust the one man who nearly destroyed her life and business? While Mara recuperates, she's forced to face her physically and spiritually broken heart. The memory quilt must be finished in time for Cadence's big day, but Mara struggles with her burgeoning feelings for the man who must keep Mara's business going during her recovery, Joel Ryan. Can Joel find his way into Mara's heart and onto Cadence's quilt? Or will he betray a vulnerable woman and her children?
A HEALING HEART is book six in Abingdon Press’s Quilts of Love series. The books are all written by different authors and are all stand-alones.
The story is tightly written, with no unnecessary words. Unfortunately, it felt like some of the life was sucked out of the story too. Despite that, Mara is a middle-aged widow struggling to keep her husband’s dream alive. She is busier than she able to cope with, struggling with maintaining the business, overseeing three active teens and one large dog, and making a memory quilt for her daughter’s high school graduation! No wonder she has a heart attack!
Joel might have tried a hostile take-over of the business, but now he is a coach, trained to make wise business decisions. When he’s assigned to Mara’s case, he arrives just in time to get her to the hospital and takes over from there. Mara has no choice but to trust him—and Joel seemed an honorable man, despite his rather iffy past.
I enjoyed getting to know Mara and Joel and the children. I especially love the “neighborhood watch grandma” who was a secondary character. Don’t miss A HEALING LOVE. $12.99. 240 pages.
Author: Angela Breidenbach
Publisher: Abingdon Press
April 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4267-5269-8
Genre: Contemporary romance
Can a woman’s heart find its way back to God and discover an unexpected new love?
Will Joel help Mara or take everything she has left? Mara Keegan is an uber-successful mother and a widow of three years. She's been chasing success and all the "good things in life" for her family to make up for the cruel whim God played on them by taking her husband. In an effort to be the perfect mom, she decides to make a photo memory quilt, a graduation present for her daughter, Cadence.
She's not yet finished when she experiences a heart attack. How can Mara trust the one man who nearly destroyed her life and business? While Mara recuperates, she's forced to face her physically and spiritually broken heart. The memory quilt must be finished in time for Cadence's big day, but Mara struggles with her burgeoning feelings for the man who must keep Mara's business going during her recovery, Joel Ryan. Can Joel find his way into Mara's heart and onto Cadence's quilt? Or will he betray a vulnerable woman and her children?
A HEALING HEART is book six in Abingdon Press’s Quilts of Love series. The books are all written by different authors and are all stand-alones.
The story is tightly written, with no unnecessary words. Unfortunately, it felt like some of the life was sucked out of the story too. Despite that, Mara is a middle-aged widow struggling to keep her husband’s dream alive. She is busier than she able to cope with, struggling with maintaining the business, overseeing three active teens and one large dog, and making a memory quilt for her daughter’s high school graduation! No wonder she has a heart attack!
Joel might have tried a hostile take-over of the business, but now he is a coach, trained to make wise business decisions. When he’s assigned to Mara’s case, he arrives just in time to get her to the hospital and takes over from there. Mara has no choice but to trust him—and Joel seemed an honorable man, despite his rather iffy past.
I enjoyed getting to know Mara and Joel and the children. I especially love the “neighborhood watch grandma” who was a secondary character. Don’t miss A HEALING LOVE. $12.99. 240 pages.
July 5, 2013
"A Healing Heart" by Angela Breidenbach is such a loving, faith based and delightful story to read.
Mara Keegan is barely keeping it all together. Her husband died after a tragic snowmobiling accident. Mara feels anger, loss, and fear that she will not be able to keep the promise she made to her husband as she watched him pass away. Mara has turned her back on her faith, friends and family as she struggles to keep the business they started together moving forward. While doing this, Mara is denying her artistic soul in order to handle the financial aspect of the business that was her husbands domain. She spends too much time at work until the day she takes a few hours to go home and start working on her daughter's memory quilt. This quilt is a family tradition as a gift to their children as they prepare for their HS graduation.
Mara feels pain in her chest and falls off the stool she is sitting on, breaking her ankle in the process. Joel Ryan arrives on the Keegan doorstep moments later. There is history there as Joel at one time tried a hostile take-over of the Keegans business. Since that day, Joel has sold off his business and found Christ. He is working with the company that is mentoring Mara during the new development line she is working on to submit to the government.
The story is about the journey of a family that starts healing and finds their way towards a new life and love. I so enjoyed reading this moving story as Mara comes to terms with the loss of her husband as she rebuilds her faith and finds comfort in her friends and family that she had let slip away.
The loss of the treasured family dog is heart breaking as this dog found David Keegan after the avalanche that took his life.
I am so blessed to have been gifted a copy of "A Healing Heart" by The Book Club Fun and Abingdon Press in exchange for my honest review.
Mara Keegan is barely keeping it all together. Her husband died after a tragic snowmobiling accident. Mara feels anger, loss, and fear that she will not be able to keep the promise she made to her husband as she watched him pass away. Mara has turned her back on her faith, friends and family as she struggles to keep the business they started together moving forward. While doing this, Mara is denying her artistic soul in order to handle the financial aspect of the business that was her husbands domain. She spends too much time at work until the day she takes a few hours to go home and start working on her daughter's memory quilt. This quilt is a family tradition as a gift to their children as they prepare for their HS graduation.
Mara feels pain in her chest and falls off the stool she is sitting on, breaking her ankle in the process. Joel Ryan arrives on the Keegan doorstep moments later. There is history there as Joel at one time tried a hostile take-over of the Keegans business. Since that day, Joel has sold off his business and found Christ. He is working with the company that is mentoring Mara during the new development line she is working on to submit to the government.
The story is about the journey of a family that starts healing and finds their way towards a new life and love. I so enjoyed reading this moving story as Mara comes to terms with the loss of her husband as she rebuilds her faith and finds comfort in her friends and family that she had let slip away.
The loss of the treasured family dog is heart breaking as this dog found David Keegan after the avalanche that took his life.
I am so blessed to have been gifted a copy of "A Healing Heart" by The Book Club Fun and Abingdon Press in exchange for my honest review.
July 16, 2013
A Healing Heart, one of the Quilts of Love series, was written by Angela Breidenbach and published by Abingdon Press. One of the main characters is Mara Keegan, a widow who is left with running the family business and trying to raise three children on her own at the same time. Because she had a Type A personality and was a perfectionist, she tried to do everything well which took a toll of her health and her family.
The character Joel Ryan, a business consultant, is my hero because of his faith in the Lord and his willingness to get involved in not just the business, but also in Mara Keegan’s family. He had accepted the Lord after Rich, a fellow worker, lead him to accept Jesus as Savior.
Without giving away the whole story, I liked the way Mara finally accepted some help and realized her true God-given talents. While recovering from a heart attack and a broken leg, Mara made a quilt for her daughter’s graduation. This quilt supplied more than just warmth and comfort. This labor of love was a kind of therapy that gave her some relief from grieving the loss of her husband. Working on this artistic quilt also helped build the connections with those in her life and helped her heal physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Mary Keegan was forced to slow down because of her health and this forced her to realize that she was missing important things in her life. This book is very appropriate for the time and age in which we are living because many of us seem to have the busyness disease. It seems we don’t know how to live the simpler life anymore. This is because of our fast pace and many of us do not take the time to simplify, reflect, and put together what is important in our lives. Sweet Read!
Thank you Abingdon Press for offering it free in exchange for my honest opinion and BookFun.org that made it all happen!
June 29, 2013
As I began to read this story I quickly became involved in Mara’s life, just as I was there with her, feeling her pain, her joys, her everyday life. Mara’s life was in a whirlpool, quickly spinning out of control, as she tried to keep everything together because of a promise she had given her husband on his deathbed. Mara also has three children who are trying to cope with their father’s death while not having much time with their mother.
Mara had let her faith lapse since she had lost her husband and as life piled up on her she pushed God even further away. Into her life stepped Joel Ryan, once a business rival trying to take her business away from her, and now a coach ready to help her grow her business. Is Joel the one who can help Mara and her children grow closer again, is he even the one who can help her business?
All through this story the theme is of a quilt binding the family together. Mara starts a picture quilt for her daughter who is graduating high school, only to end up with her foot in a cast. It doesn’t stop there, a little later she has a heart attack and surgery and a recovery that keeps her from her business.
One thing I loved about this book was the idea of making a picture quilt for someone like Mara did in the story. The thing I really enjoyed reading about was the decoration she put in and on the quilt, and all the colors made into a stained glass effect, the description made the picture in my mind very vivid.
I also loved that A Healing Heart didn’t just mean a physical healing, but also a spiritual healing for Mara. I would recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who likes romance with some real life thrown in, adding some of everyday life happenings in the mix.
I received this book from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review.
Mara had let her faith lapse since she had lost her husband and as life piled up on her she pushed God even further away. Into her life stepped Joel Ryan, once a business rival trying to take her business away from her, and now a coach ready to help her grow her business. Is Joel the one who can help Mara and her children grow closer again, is he even the one who can help her business?
All through this story the theme is of a quilt binding the family together. Mara starts a picture quilt for her daughter who is graduating high school, only to end up with her foot in a cast. It doesn’t stop there, a little later she has a heart attack and surgery and a recovery that keeps her from her business.
One thing I loved about this book was the idea of making a picture quilt for someone like Mara did in the story. The thing I really enjoyed reading about was the decoration she put in and on the quilt, and all the colors made into a stained glass effect, the description made the picture in my mind very vivid.
I also loved that A Healing Heart didn’t just mean a physical healing, but also a spiritual healing for Mara. I would recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who likes romance with some real life thrown in, adding some of everyday life happenings in the mix.
I received this book from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2013
A Healing Heart by Angela Breidenbach
Mara Keegan widow and mother to three, is a stressed business owner with a Type A personality. Because of her grief and a promise made on her husbands death bed she has pushed friends, God and even her children away to hang on to a company they started together that is draining her. She has run herself ragged and is overcommitted. Mara is determined to make the perfect graduation gift for her daughter Cadence. But will she finish in time? Joel Ryan is her new Business Mentors consultant; they met by phone years ago. At the time he had shady business ethics and tried to steal her company away from her and her husband. He has since found Christ and is trying to redeem himself. Right before their first meeting she breaks her ankle and soon after has a heart attack. Joel is the perfect gentleman and does everything in his power to not only help her business but also her family. He is slowly falling in love with Mara and her children, but can she ever learn to trust him? Mara is very artistic and trying to carry on the family tradition of creating a memory quilt but needs help to finish on time. God uses her church friends she has pushed away to help her with the quilt. And in doing so she is able to mend relationships with them. As she heals, she finds faith once again and a possibility of a mended heart. Is Mara strong enough to take a chance on Joel or will she push him away, I would highly recommend you read A healing Heart to find out. If you like Christian fiction this is one book that will pull your heart strings. I want to thank The Book Club Network Inc. for this book. And thanks to the author Angela Breidenbach and Abingdon Press for writing and bring good clean Christian books to readers like me.
Mara Keegan widow and mother to three, is a stressed business owner with a Type A personality. Because of her grief and a promise made on her husbands death bed she has pushed friends, God and even her children away to hang on to a company they started together that is draining her. She has run herself ragged and is overcommitted. Mara is determined to make the perfect graduation gift for her daughter Cadence. But will she finish in time? Joel Ryan is her new Business Mentors consultant; they met by phone years ago. At the time he had shady business ethics and tried to steal her company away from her and her husband. He has since found Christ and is trying to redeem himself. Right before their first meeting she breaks her ankle and soon after has a heart attack. Joel is the perfect gentleman and does everything in his power to not only help her business but also her family. He is slowly falling in love with Mara and her children, but can she ever learn to trust him? Mara is very artistic and trying to carry on the family tradition of creating a memory quilt but needs help to finish on time. God uses her church friends she has pushed away to help her with the quilt. And in doing so she is able to mend relationships with them. As she heals, she finds faith once again and a possibility of a mended heart. Is Mara strong enough to take a chance on Joel or will she push him away, I would highly recommend you read A healing Heart to find out. If you like Christian fiction this is one book that will pull your heart strings. I want to thank The Book Club Network Inc. for this book. And thanks to the author Angela Breidenbach and Abingdon Press for writing and bring good clean Christian books to readers like me.
July 10, 2013
This book will speak to your heart. It spoke to mine in several ways. As I watch my quilting mother’s health decline, it spoke to me about pouring my love into my family. It spoke to me about not getting so caught up in my circumstances that I forget to enjoy those around me. It spoke to me about never forgetting that God has a grander plan than I could ever think or imagine for myself. It spoke to me about allowing God to heal hurts and wounds that have cut into my inner core.
A Healing Heart will do just that—heal your heart. Sometimes we can see ourselves through a character even when the story is different than ours, and we can learn through their lessons even when the lesson that needs to be learned is a little different. Because truly, the only lesson we need to learn is to allow God to heal us in His time and His way. We may make some bad choices in our quest for healing, and we may need to voice a couple of “I’m sorry” phrases along the way, but God has a master plan for piecing our lives back together and making them beautiful just as Mara pieced together that wonderful quilt.
Mara is a widowed mother of three children who is struggling to balance her family, a business, a quilting project, and an unexpected budding relationship with a business associate. After a heart attack puts her life on pause, Mara must sort through her past and her present to find the emotional healing she so desperately needs. Little did she know that she would find that healing through some of the most unexpected experiences. Angela Breidenbach will keep you turning the pages to see how Mara’s story unfolds.
A copy of this book was provided to me in exchange for my honest review.
A Healing Heart will do just that—heal your heart. Sometimes we can see ourselves through a character even when the story is different than ours, and we can learn through their lessons even when the lesson that needs to be learned is a little different. Because truly, the only lesson we need to learn is to allow God to heal us in His time and His way. We may make some bad choices in our quest for healing, and we may need to voice a couple of “I’m sorry” phrases along the way, but God has a master plan for piecing our lives back together and making them beautiful just as Mara pieced together that wonderful quilt.
Mara is a widowed mother of three children who is struggling to balance her family, a business, a quilting project, and an unexpected budding relationship with a business associate. After a heart attack puts her life on pause, Mara must sort through her past and her present to find the emotional healing she so desperately needs. Little did she know that she would find that healing through some of the most unexpected experiences. Angela Breidenbach will keep you turning the pages to see how Mara’s story unfolds.
A copy of this book was provided to me in exchange for my honest review.
July 22, 2013
I loved this book and highly recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book through bookfun.org for my honest opinion.
Mara Keegan is a widowed mother of three teenagers. Her plate is very full as she tries to run the company that she started with her husband by herself. She is also trying to keep up with what is going on in her kid’s lives and make the perfect graduation present for her oldest daughter’s high-school graduation. So much work is involved in creating the photo memory quilt and there is so little time to work on it. How will she get it all done?
When personal medical emergencies knock her off her feet she must stop and take stock of all that she does and really look at what her priorities should be. Are those around her trying to help her in her recovery or are they trying to take over what is hers?
Angela has developed wonderful characters throughout this story. Their personalities are rich and well rounded. I would love to have this family live near me. In fact by the end of the book I felt that I knew them better than many of the people that do live in my neighborhood, and go to the church I attend.
This is an incredible, thought provoking book.
We all make promises to others. Are they all made with the right intent? Can we make a promise to ease someone else’s pain that God never meant for us to make? How do we know that a task we are doing to fulfill a promise is in God’s will for our life?
These are all questions that Angela has intricately woven into the story of this book. As Mara is dealing with them I felt challenged to really think over many aspects of my own life.
I received a free copy of this book through bookfun.org for my honest opinion.
Mara Keegan is a widowed mother of three teenagers. Her plate is very full as she tries to run the company that she started with her husband by herself. She is also trying to keep up with what is going on in her kid’s lives and make the perfect graduation present for her oldest daughter’s high-school graduation. So much work is involved in creating the photo memory quilt and there is so little time to work on it. How will she get it all done?
When personal medical emergencies knock her off her feet she must stop and take stock of all that she does and really look at what her priorities should be. Are those around her trying to help her in her recovery or are they trying to take over what is hers?
Angela has developed wonderful characters throughout this story. Their personalities are rich and well rounded. I would love to have this family live near me. In fact by the end of the book I felt that I knew them better than many of the people that do live in my neighborhood, and go to the church I attend.
This is an incredible, thought provoking book.
We all make promises to others. Are they all made with the right intent? Can we make a promise to ease someone else’s pain that God never meant for us to make? How do we know that a task we are doing to fulfill a promise is in God’s will for our life?
These are all questions that Angela has intricately woven into the story of this book. As Mara is dealing with them I felt challenged to really think over many aspects of my own life.
April 21, 2013
Some people seem to get an unfair share of heartache in their lives and Mara Keegan is one of them in A healing Heart. She has lost her husband and is running the business they started together basically on her own.
I have seen a lot of people like Mara that become so engrossed in their work that they start to miss out on the important things in life. Mara’s children are growing up quickly and she is missing it. When her health fails and she has no option but to give in and let those around her help, will Mara finally see clearly what she has been doing?
Joel Ryan steps in as her knight in shining armor and rescues her and her family. Can this really be the same man that tried to steal her company? Will Mara be able to let go of the past and let Joel in?
I loved the message in this story. The things that matter in life are God, love and family. Sometimes people get so caught up in their grief, their work and just the busyness of life that they completely miss it.
Breidenbach’s characters are fun and unique. I really loved Mara’s three teenage children and their personalities. Mara’s strength and resolve make her admirable, albeit a bit foolish in what she is doing. The quilt she is making for her oldest daughter holds a world of memories and actually helps bring Mara back to what’s important. When she lets in her old friends to help her finish it, priorities start to resurface.
I enjoyed A Healing Heart and am loving the Quilts of Love Series! It’s such a perfectly paced book that you will finish before you know it!
I have seen a lot of people like Mara that become so engrossed in their work that they start to miss out on the important things in life. Mara’s children are growing up quickly and she is missing it. When her health fails and she has no option but to give in and let those around her help, will Mara finally see clearly what she has been doing?
Joel Ryan steps in as her knight in shining armor and rescues her and her family. Can this really be the same man that tried to steal her company? Will Mara be able to let go of the past and let Joel in?
I loved the message in this story. The things that matter in life are God, love and family. Sometimes people get so caught up in their grief, their work and just the busyness of life that they completely miss it.
Breidenbach’s characters are fun and unique. I really loved Mara’s three teenage children and their personalities. Mara’s strength and resolve make her admirable, albeit a bit foolish in what she is doing. The quilt she is making for her oldest daughter holds a world of memories and actually helps bring Mara back to what’s important. When she lets in her old friends to help her finish it, priorities start to resurface.
I enjoyed A Healing Heart and am loving the Quilts of Love Series! It’s such a perfectly paced book that you will finish before you know it!
May 17, 2013
A Healing Heart by Angela Breidenbach is a story of loss, fear being overcome by hope and love. When Mara cracks the door to her heart just enough to allow Joel to peek inside, amazing things begin to happen to them both. Mara needs to let go of a promise long past its worth. Joel needs to rise above past mistakes enough to prove his change of heart. As each uses their God given talents and gifts to help the other, love catches them by surprise. Will Mara let go long enough to allow love to take hold? Will Joel’s commitment be strong enough to encompass not only the woman he loves but her three teenage children as well?
A Healing Heart has lessons for us all to learn. Anybody mired down in something you can’t let go of? Let Joel’s wisdom help pull you out of the quicksand. Do you have trouble leaving the past behind and allowing others to see you in a new light? Let Mara’s acceptance and trust of Joel despite his past wrongs teach you the ways of forgiveness. All this, while being caught up in the sweet story of Joel and Mara’s romance and the journey they travel to arrive at the place where their hearts can finally unite.
As if that’s not enough, watch for the light Louie shines into the light of Mara and her family. Look for the helping hand and dependability of Jill, Mrs. Calder and Grandma. Let Cadence’s quilt and the love poured into it wrap your heart in the warmth of memories and the hope of the future.
I received this book from bookfun.org in exchange for my honest opinion.
A Healing Heart has lessons for us all to learn. Anybody mired down in something you can’t let go of? Let Joel’s wisdom help pull you out of the quicksand. Do you have trouble leaving the past behind and allowing others to see you in a new light? Let Mara’s acceptance and trust of Joel despite his past wrongs teach you the ways of forgiveness. All this, while being caught up in the sweet story of Joel and Mara’s romance and the journey they travel to arrive at the place where their hearts can finally unite.
As if that’s not enough, watch for the light Louie shines into the light of Mara and her family. Look for the helping hand and dependability of Jill, Mrs. Calder and Grandma. Let Cadence’s quilt and the love poured into it wrap your heart in the warmth of memories and the hope of the future.
I received this book from bookfun.org in exchange for my honest opinion.
June 25, 2013
A Healing Heart by Angela Breidenbach
The cover is what attracted me at first to this story. Then I read the description and really wanted to read it.
I and many others were able to chat with the author and we got to listen to her about the quilting and photo transfers. I have done tshirts using this method and it's time consuming.
The book starts out with a stressed Mara and she's going through photos to put into a memory quilt for her daughter who will be off to college soon. She's under business pressure and runs the family ski business. Her husband David had died 3 years ago and left her with the children and that's when she lost her faith in God.
Joel Ryan is there with the government contract that will bring more business to her. After she breaks her ankle her daughter Candence will take care of her while Joel helps with the business aspect..
' You have a brilliant interpretation of God's design for Cadence's life in quilt art' Love this and so happy to hear her daughter will be helping her with the quilt.
Love how all the chat about the quilting is directly linked to God. So detailed!
Joel steps in to coach her with her business and Jill helps. When Mara has heart problems the family rallies together and prays.
Mara hates to ask for help...Love how she is able to pass along the heritage to her daughter with the beading...
Love all the surprises along the way...
I received this book from The Book Club Network, Inc at http://www.bookfun.org/ via the author and the publisher Abingdon in return for an honest review.
The cover is what attracted me at first to this story. Then I read the description and really wanted to read it.
I and many others were able to chat with the author and we got to listen to her about the quilting and photo transfers. I have done tshirts using this method and it's time consuming.
The book starts out with a stressed Mara and she's going through photos to put into a memory quilt for her daughter who will be off to college soon. She's under business pressure and runs the family ski business. Her husband David had died 3 years ago and left her with the children and that's when she lost her faith in God.
Joel Ryan is there with the government contract that will bring more business to her. After she breaks her ankle her daughter Candence will take care of her while Joel helps with the business aspect..
' You have a brilliant interpretation of God's design for Cadence's life in quilt art' Love this and so happy to hear her daughter will be helping her with the quilt.
Love how all the chat about the quilting is directly linked to God. So detailed!
Joel steps in to coach her with her business and Jill helps. When Mara has heart problems the family rallies together and prays.
Mara hates to ask for help...Love how she is able to pass along the heritage to her daughter with the beading...
Love all the surprises along the way...
I received this book from The Book Club Network, Inc at http://www.bookfun.org/ via the author and the publisher Abingdon in return for an honest review.
June 26, 2013
This is the story of a widow who is grieving for her lost husband as companion and as partner in their business. Since his death three years previously, she has been absorbed with trying to keep the business afloat and deal with financial matters while losing touch with her three teenage children and her own artistic nature. As often happens in life, when we don't pay attention to God's still small voice, it takes a roar to call us back to Him. Mara's life is thrown into complete upheaval by first a broken ankle and then a full blown heart attack and surgery at the age of 39. Incapacitated, she is forced to take the time to reevaluate her relationships and priorities.
Mara is a likable character and one is sympathetic to her sense of responsibility for the livelihoods and well-being of her employees and to continue the vision left by her husband. However, something has to give and it is faith in God and her focus on her children's needs. Her climb back to having balance in her life and family is a bumpy one, but filled with humorous missteps and heartwarming times with her children. In spite of the seriousness of her problems, the story is a feel-good one. Her heart healing is physical, emotional and spiritual.
The children and Joel are appealing and well-developed as characters. The romance part of the story is sweet and charming. Great story of love after the age of 35.
I received this book from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Mara is a likable character and one is sympathetic to her sense of responsibility for the livelihoods and well-being of her employees and to continue the vision left by her husband. However, something has to give and it is faith in God and her focus on her children's needs. Her climb back to having balance in her life and family is a bumpy one, but filled with humorous missteps and heartwarming times with her children. In spite of the seriousness of her problems, the story is a feel-good one. Her heart healing is physical, emotional and spiritual.
The children and Joel are appealing and well-developed as characters. The romance part of the story is sweet and charming. Great story of love after the age of 35.
I received this book from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.
July 6, 2013
This book touched my heart from the first page. My son lost his first wife and was left with three children. In reading about Mara's difficulties dealing with life after the loss of a spouse really hit home. WHen Mara had her heart attacks and surgery I knew what she was going through because my husband went through it.
This book gives you a warm fuzzy feelings from the first. Mara is struggling to give her all to her children, her job and can't find time for herself. It seems the more she does the "behinder" (my grandmother used to say) she gets. Then Joel Ryan enters the picture at work to help her with redesigning her business. He steps in and helps with her children after taking her to the ER when she has her heart atttack. They start building a strong friendship as she recovers from her surgery. I loved the part with the supprise that Joel and Toby make for Mara and her daughters. Toby is her son. I took longer reading this book because I wanted to savor the special moments in this book.
This book is a good read for either a young adult, preteen or a woman. Some men would enjoy this too. There is no action/adventure. Just love, learning to let God be first, friendship, learning to let go of the one you lost and making a future for herself, her family and putting priorities in place. Yes, with some errors friendship can grow into love.
If you are a quilter, then there are some really good ideas for quilts - not patterns, just ideas that Angela Breidenbach does in her Memory Quilts.
This book gives you a warm fuzzy feelings from the first. Mara is struggling to give her all to her children, her job and can't find time for herself. It seems the more she does the "behinder" (my grandmother used to say) she gets. Then Joel Ryan enters the picture at work to help her with redesigning her business. He steps in and helps with her children after taking her to the ER when she has her heart atttack. They start building a strong friendship as she recovers from her surgery. I loved the part with the supprise that Joel and Toby make for Mara and her daughters. Toby is her son. I took longer reading this book because I wanted to savor the special moments in this book.
This book is a good read for either a young adult, preteen or a woman. Some men would enjoy this too. There is no action/adventure. Just love, learning to let God be first, friendship, learning to let go of the one you lost and making a future for herself, her family and putting priorities in place. Yes, with some errors friendship can grow into love.
If you are a quilter, then there are some really good ideas for quilts - not patterns, just ideas that Angela Breidenbach does in her Memory Quilts.
October 5, 2015
A Healing Heart is a wonderful book of hope….the hope of healing scars, both physical and emotional. Angela Breidenbach’s story is so rich with emotion, and then the audio version I read/listened to elevated this story even higher. I had never listened to an audio book before, so it was a treat to discover “audio theater.” Very well done! Elizabeth Wells is the narrator performer. Her voice captures the distinct character voices perfectly, as well as the rise and fall of the action. Yes, it was like hearing a theater production. Very enjoyable!
And this touching story is so well written by author Angela Breidenbach. Mara Keegan is a grieving woman, struggling to care for her three children while running the family business. Joel Ryan is a “superman” who tries to make amends for a past action by helping the family in a time of crisis.
With the centerpiece of a handmade quilt Mara is making as a gift for her daughter, the experiences of the family sparkle, like the icy castle of one special event. I enjoyed the bits of Montana color which were included in the story, such as actual Bozeman locations and the mention of snow coach tours of Yellowstone.
In this book, there are very emotional scenes…tissues needed….but the resolution to these sad events left me comforted. Prayer, trust, and forgiveness play a big part in the development of this sweet romance. A Healing Heart is a very special story of hope and comfort!
* I won an audio copy of this book from the author with no requirement to write a review. I'm delighted to post my honest opinion of this book.
And this touching story is so well written by author Angela Breidenbach. Mara Keegan is a grieving woman, struggling to care for her three children while running the family business. Joel Ryan is a “superman” who tries to make amends for a past action by helping the family in a time of crisis.
With the centerpiece of a handmade quilt Mara is making as a gift for her daughter, the experiences of the family sparkle, like the icy castle of one special event. I enjoyed the bits of Montana color which were included in the story, such as actual Bozeman locations and the mention of snow coach tours of Yellowstone.
In this book, there are very emotional scenes…tissues needed….but the resolution to these sad events left me comforted. Prayer, trust, and forgiveness play a big part in the development of this sweet romance. A Healing Heart is a very special story of hope and comfort!
* I won an audio copy of this book from the author with no requirement to write a review. I'm delighted to post my honest opinion of this book.
July 25, 2013
This is an enjoyable story about an overworked mother of three who needs to get her priorities straight! Mara Keegan has been running her company solo since her husband died a few years before and has now promised to make a photo memory quilt for her daughter's graduation present. She feels she must do everything herself, but when she suffers a fall and then a heart attack, she's forced to take some time off. Luckily, her new business coach is able to fill in for her, but can she trust this man who once tried to take over her company with both her business and her heart? Will making the quilt be healing for her or bring up painful memories she'd rather forget?
I really liked this family and the welcoming way they had. Mara is part Crow and part Irish and I liked the focus on her roots and heritage. It was nice to see an ethnicity not featured in books very much. The memory quilt sounded very cool and is actually based on quilts the author's family makes. I liked the struggle Mara had between doing it all or doing what she loved. The story also had its sad and amusing moments along with a sweet romance. This is part of the Quilts of Love series, but each book stands alone. I would recommend this, especially if you like quilting or crafts.
I received this book free from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked this family and the welcoming way they had. Mara is part Crow and part Irish and I liked the focus on her roots and heritage. It was nice to see an ethnicity not featured in books very much. The memory quilt sounded very cool and is actually based on quilts the author's family makes. I liked the struggle Mara had between doing it all or doing what she loved. The story also had its sad and amusing moments along with a sweet romance. This is part of the Quilts of Love series, but each book stands alone. I would recommend this, especially if you like quilting or crafts.
I received this book free from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2013
“A Healing Heart” Angela Breidenbach is just as the title reflects. It is a wonderful interwoven story of a super driven woman that balances career and motherhood as she tries live with the heart wrenching loss of her husband and business partner. She not only is healing emotionally but also has to heal physically and above all, spiritually. Mara Keeper, like many women, questions why God would allow so much heartache in our lives yet like the picture quilt she has promised to make her oldest daughter, there is so much interwoven between the lines. Memories, loss, laughter, trust and relationships are the underlying themes. It shows how God uses all things for good even when we can only see the bad. It is a beautiful love story.
From the first page, the writer had me captured. I could not put the book down and actually read it in two days! It will make you cry and laugh. It draws your own life out in front of your eyes. It receives the highest rating from me. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely read more of her books. I received this book from bookfun.org in return for my honest opinion.
From the first page, the writer had me captured. I could not put the book down and actually read it in two days! It will make you cry and laugh. It draws your own life out in front of your eyes. It receives the highest rating from me. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will definitely read more of her books. I received this book from bookfun.org in return for my honest opinion.
August 8, 2013
A HEALING HEART by Angela Breidenbach was my first read by this wonderful new author to me. I was pulled into the lives of Mara, widow still dealing with loss of beloved husband, and her three children, especially the relationship with her older teenage daughter. I smiled, laughed, cried, and felt right along with the different issues the family faced, separately and together. The love story for Mara and her unlikely knight in shining armor, or superman cape as the case may be, will warm your heart.
But the best part of the story for me was the memory quilt the mom and daughter were working on, and all the time, energy, blood, sweat, tears and a few prayers that were thrown in. Loved loved loved the way she pulled Joel in, and as I prepare to make my first quilt, has given me an awesome idea as well.
A great read, that reminds us all that if God isn't part of our every day then He isn't part at all, just an afterthought. So go on, talk to the 'Big Guy' today!
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. Pick it up today, along with a box of kleenex!
But the best part of the story for me was the memory quilt the mom and daughter were working on, and all the time, energy, blood, sweat, tears and a few prayers that were thrown in. Loved loved loved the way she pulled Joel in, and as I prepare to make my first quilt, has given me an awesome idea as well.
A great read, that reminds us all that if God isn't part of our every day then He isn't part at all, just an afterthought. So go on, talk to the 'Big Guy' today!
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. Pick it up today, along with a box of kleenex!
April 15, 2016
I enjoy Audible books while in my car, and listening to "A Healing Heart" was one of the most enjoyable stories I've listened to in quite a while. While many of the reviews offer story line insight, I want to address how the story was told. Breidenbach's voice really nailed expressing the personalities of each of the players, down to their mannerisms, (for example, a resigned "fine ... fine", for Mara). The characters seemed real--I pictured myself knowing each one of them. Even Louie, the dog, moved my heart. Her description of Montana made me want to point my car west and drive out to see it for myself--so beautiful. Choosing Elizabeth Wells as the story's reader was a stroke of genius. Her ability to key into each character of the story was perfect. This would be a great book to take on vacation. "A Healing Heart" is a perfect example of a Christian fiction story that shows God without preaching. Thanks, Angela, for introducing me to The Keegans, Joel and their journey to find a peace only offered by The Big Guy.
April 7, 2013
A Healing Heart by Angela Breidenbach is a contemporary Christian romance published by Abingdon Press.
Set in Bozeman, Montana, the author’s home state, A Healing Heart centers around the life of Mara Keegan, a widowed mother of three. Mara is sidelined from her job as head of a business started with her late husband by a broken ankle and heart attack. Her stress increases when her retiring business coach is replaced by the man who once attempted a hostile take-over of the company. A memory quilt project for her graduating daughter, and the attractive Joel Ryan, bring conflicting feelings to her wounded heart as well as her faith in God.
A Healing Heart is difficult to put down. Angela Breidenbach’s fast pace and intriguing, often humorous twists and turns of the story provide an entertaining read with spiritual challenges. She has pieced together a heartwarming story with believable characters which leaves the reader wanting more.
Set in Bozeman, Montana, the author’s home state, A Healing Heart centers around the life of Mara Keegan, a widowed mother of three. Mara is sidelined from her job as head of a business started with her late husband by a broken ankle and heart attack. Her stress increases when her retiring business coach is replaced by the man who once attempted a hostile take-over of the company. A memory quilt project for her graduating daughter, and the attractive Joel Ryan, bring conflicting feelings to her wounded heart as well as her faith in God.
A Healing Heart is difficult to put down. Angela Breidenbach’s fast pace and intriguing, often humorous twists and turns of the story provide an entertaining read with spiritual challenges. She has pieced together a heartwarming story with believable characters which leaves the reader wanting more.
June 29, 2013
A Healing Heart
By Angela Breidenbach
Three years ago, Mara lost her husband in an avalanche accident in Colorado. Left alone to raise three children, a business to run that was running her in to the ground, a broken ankle and possible takeover of the company she promised her husband she’d keep successful and to top it all off, finding time, somehow, to work on a memory quilt she promised her oldest daughter. Where was God now and why did he find it all right to run amok with her life?
What a well-written story of getting lost from faith and finding the right path back to God’s intentions. I loved this book. I loved the characters, the settings, the situations! I laughed out loud … LITERALLY!
I’d recommend this book to anyone who has ever doubted God’s plan and to anyone who never failed to believe.
Thank you Angela Breidenbach and bookfun.org for letting me read and review this book. I actually had FUN reading it!
By Angela Breidenbach
Three years ago, Mara lost her husband in an avalanche accident in Colorado. Left alone to raise three children, a business to run that was running her in to the ground, a broken ankle and possible takeover of the company she promised her husband she’d keep successful and to top it all off, finding time, somehow, to work on a memory quilt she promised her oldest daughter. Where was God now and why did he find it all right to run amok with her life?
What a well-written story of getting lost from faith and finding the right path back to God’s intentions. I loved this book. I loved the characters, the settings, the situations! I laughed out loud … LITERALLY!
I’d recommend this book to anyone who has ever doubted God’s plan and to anyone who never failed to believe.
Thank you Angela Breidenbach and bookfun.org for letting me read and review this book. I actually had FUN reading it!
July 5, 2013
I read some of the books in this series and really looked forward to reading this one. The first chapter had me hooked. "Mara Keegan's vision blurred... Mara's smile faded... A burning sensation started in the center of Mara's chest... Her head pounded... Mara's heart twisted, radiating out searing pain..." Just then, her enemy arrived to rescue her in more ways than one. Joel Ryan came as a consultant to get her business ready for the new government contract. He arrived in time to take her to the ER where they took care of her broken foot and ordered her to rest. Mara didn't know how to rest and returned to work too soon. Meanwhile, Joel worked out plans to reduce her stress at work and at home. Her daughter, Cadence, offered to help pick photos for her graduation quilt. Mara needed to decide whether she would accept the help offered, so that her heart could heal.
I would highly recommend this book. I received this book from bookfun.org in return for my honest opinion.
I would highly recommend this book. I received this book from bookfun.org in return for my honest opinion.
July 9, 2013
Mara lost her husband to an avalanche. Now she's trying to cope with running their business, keeping three kids in line, and completing a quilt for her daughter before her graduation. She does not have time for a new business consultant with a bad history and penchant for butting in.
Small pieces of American Indian history as well as snippets about quilting were woven into the story to add depth and beauty. The two main characters were fun, if not a bit exasperating in their stubbornness. But my favorite parts were the interactions with the children and the dog. The author did a great job of weaving a bit of history into the story. Some of it was taken from the town she used for inspiration and some of it was from her family traditions.
I enjoyed the story. It was sweet, sad, and refreshing. There wasn't any major drama or mystery. It was just a simple story of love and healing.
I received this book free of charge from Book Club Network in exchange for my honest review.
Small pieces of American Indian history as well as snippets about quilting were woven into the story to add depth and beauty. The two main characters were fun, if not a bit exasperating in their stubbornness. But my favorite parts were the interactions with the children and the dog. The author did a great job of weaving a bit of history into the story. Some of it was taken from the town she used for inspiration and some of it was from her family traditions.
I enjoyed the story. It was sweet, sad, and refreshing. There wasn't any major drama or mystery. It was just a simple story of love and healing.
I received this book free of charge from Book Club Network in exchange for my honest review.
February 4, 2016
I don't quilt even though I have family and friends who do. It takes a certain commitment....
In A Healing Heart a widow and her children are trying to "get over" the death of the adventure seeking husband/father. She's trying to run a business, be a mom, take care of home issues, finish the traditional graduation quilt for her graduating daughter and struggle with the stress of each. With a business coach can she begin to put her business on a better footing, ease the hostility of the teen daughter and pay attention to the neglected-feeling son?
She's having pain in her arm, she's dizzy and popping antacids; the doctor says it's only anxiety. Then she falls and breaks an ankle. The neighbor is a tremendous help. When she later collapses, the family gets her to the hospital to find she's had a heart attack. Will the kids rise to the needs at home? Who will run the business? Can she trust anyone? How will she finish the quilt? At what cost?
In A Healing Heart a widow and her children are trying to "get over" the death of the adventure seeking husband/father. She's trying to run a business, be a mom, take care of home issues, finish the traditional graduation quilt for her graduating daughter and struggle with the stress of each. With a business coach can she begin to put her business on a better footing, ease the hostility of the teen daughter and pay attention to the neglected-feeling son?
She's having pain in her arm, she's dizzy and popping antacids; the doctor says it's only anxiety. Then she falls and breaks an ankle. The neighbor is a tremendous help. When she later collapses, the family gets her to the hospital to find she's had a heart attack. Will the kids rise to the needs at home? Who will run the business? Can she trust anyone? How will she finish the quilt? At what cost?
April 10, 2016
This story, carefully woven together, tugged on my heartstrings and gave me a new appreciation for the value of keepsakes. Mara Keegan is relatable from page one as she tries to balance work and family life after losing her husband. Tragedy on a smaller scale forces her to slow down long enough to re-evaluate everything about her life. True family values bubble to the surface through the twists and turns of the plot. I enjoyed watching Mara grow from a strong and self reliant woman to somebody who was willing to accept her limitations and yield her life to God again.
Montana's landscape provided a breathtaking view and invited me into the lives of a family I wanted to call my own. Tension showed up in a precarious health condition which kept me wanting to turn the pages. Every scene of this sweet romance provided the perfect escape for my own rainy afternoon. I'd highly recommend this novel. It was a beautiful depiction of second chances.
Montana's landscape provided a breathtaking view and invited me into the lives of a family I wanted to call my own. Tension showed up in a precarious health condition which kept me wanting to turn the pages. Every scene of this sweet romance provided the perfect escape for my own rainy afternoon. I'd highly recommend this novel. It was a beautiful depiction of second chances.
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