Book Review & Giveaway: Heart Like Mine

***Giveaway is now closed***

By Amy Bromberg

Thirty-six-year-old Grace McAllister never longed for children. But when she meets Victor Hansen, a handsome, charismatic divorced restaurateur who is father to Max and Ava, Grace decides that, for the right man, she could learn to be an excellent part-time step-mom. After all, the kids live with their mother, Kelli. How hard could it be? At thirteen, Ava Hansen is mature beyond her years. Since her parents’ divorce, she has been taking care of her emotionally unstable mother and her little brother—she pays the bills, does the laundry, and never complains because she loves her mama more than anyone. And while her father’s new girlfriend is nice enough, Ava still holds out hope that her parents will get back together and that they’ll be a family again. But only days after Victor and Grace get engaged, Kelli dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances—and soon, Grace and Ava discover that there was much more to Kelli’s life than either ever knew. (Summary courtesy of Amazon)

I’ve been dying to read Heart Like Mine since the minute I discovered it was coming out. Right away, I contacted Amy and Atria Books to say I MUST read this! Heart Like Mine alternates between the voices of Grace and Ava, with flashbacks into Kelli’s past. I'll admit that when I first read the synopsis, it made me think of Stepmom, the movie with Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon. However, this book was different in many ways.

Due to circumstances, more or less, Grace raised her baby brother all on her own. I can’t imagine how tiring this must have been for a young girl. She barely had the chance to experience childhood and do all the things children are supposed to do. Grace went on to college and built a successful career for herself. She’s fairly content with her life being focused on her career. This all of a sudden changes when Victor’s ex-wife, Kelli, passes away. The thought of being a step-parent to Ava and Max terrifies her. Does she have what it takes, the mother instinct, to be there for these two children?

Ever since Ava’s parents split, she has been taking care of her mother the way a mother should be taking care of a child. As the days go by, after Kelli and Victor’s divorce, Kelli keeps sinking deeper into despair, and Ava continually has to soothe her. She even ends up helping her mom pay the bills. Ava keeps telling herself she has to stay strong because this is her mama and she loves her so much. Of course, deep down inside, there’s this wish that maybe her parents will get back together. Talk about something taking a toll on a child. I can’t imagine having to take on the role of a parent at twelve years old.

Ava and Grace have a huge thing in common. Both have to take on “adult” responsibilities at such a young age.

I wish we were able to learn a little more about Kelli. But since she dies at the beginning, there’s only so much Amy can share about her.

I can’t imagine losing a parent, especially at such a young age. My heart was breaking each time I read how sad Ava and Max were. I wanted to dive into the pages and hug and hold them so tightly. With Amy’s imagery, characterization and wonderful writing I was able to almost feel the exact same emotions that Ava was experiencing.

Even though Heart Like Mine is a very sad and painful story, I fell in love with the characters. Amy has an extraordinary way of capturing her audience and really grasping the souls of each character. This is a compelling, sweet and tender story about the obstacles of marriage, love and family relations. I highly recommend book clubs putting this on the top of their list.

Thanks to Atria for the book in exchange for an honest review. They have one copy to share with a lucky US reader!

How to win Heart Like Mine:
Since it's still foodie month, but we're keeping in theme with the book, please tell us: What was the first thing you learned to cook by yourself when you were growing up?

One entry per person.

Please include your e-mail address or another way to reach you if you win. Entries without contact information will NOT be counted.

US only. Giveaway ends March 25th at midnight EST.

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