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Where We Begin
A Hearts of the South Book
Nurse Landra Beck always wanted to be loved for herself. Devastated to learn her lover only became involved with her to help him get over a thwarted attraction to another woman, she ran – straight into a nightmarish marriage. Now pregnant but free of her abusive husband, Landra has no goals, no plans – only the task of surviving each day and creating a new normal. Her life is nothing she’d planned.
ER physician Jay Mackey knows what he lost when his unthinking confession sent Landra running from him. He’s spent a year coming to terms with his feelings for her and thinking he’d lost her for good. When Landra returns to Coney, Georgia and to Chandler General’s ER, Jay is shaken by how broken she is, yet impressed by her strength. He’s determined to earn her trust by being the man he should have been for her before . . . and equally determined to show her this could be the moment where they begin.
Nurse Landra Beck always wanted to be loved for herself. Devastated to learn her lover only became involved with her to help him get over a thwarted attraction to another woman, she ran – straight into a nightmarish marriage. Now pregnant but free of her abusive husband, Landra has no goals, no plans – only the task of surviving each day and creating a new normal. Her life is nothing she’d planned.
ER physician Jay Mackey knows what he lost when his unthinking confession sent Landra running from him. He’s spent a year coming to terms with his feelings for her and thinking he’d lost her for good. When Landra returns to Coney, Georgia and to Chandler General’s ER, Jay is shaken by how broken she is, yet impressed by her strength. He’s determined to earn her trust by being the man he should have been for her before . . . and equally determined to show her this could be the moment where they begin.
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Published August 19, 2025
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About the author
Linda Winfree
26 books87 followersHow does a high school English teacher end up plotting murders? She uses her experiences as a cop’s wife to become a writer of romantic suspense! Linda Winfree lives in a quintessential small Georgia town with her husband and two children. By day, she teaches American Literature, advises the student government and coaches the drama team; by night she pens sultry books full of murder and mayhem.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 1, 2026
1. I thought this was going to be a romance, but the love story took a back seat to the domestic violence storyline.
2. There were repeated references to the betrayal and what it was but we never actually got to SEE it so I just didn’t feel that “gut punch” moment or Landra’s pain.
3. There were repeated vague references to some kind of dysfunctional dynamic between Landra’s parents with no explanation of what it was.
4. When Frank was forced by Landra’s lawyer to return all of Landra’s belongings, why were there no repercussions when he destroyed all of them?
5. A little too “preachy” for me with the constant mentions of church, the bible and the “scripture notes” that Emmet left for Landra.
6. Too much “telling” and not enough “showing”. No, that’s not right. Actually there wasn’t much “telling” either. When Jay and Landra finally talked about what happened between them, the conversation was vague and we STILL didn’t know exactly what he said to hurt her so badly. This was more than half-way through the book; by this time, I was bored and sick to death of waiting to find out what the HELL had happened.
DNF
2. There were repeated references to the betrayal and what it was but we never actually got to SEE it so I just didn’t feel that “gut punch” moment or Landra’s pain.
3. There were repeated vague references to some kind of dysfunctional dynamic between Landra’s parents with no explanation of what it was.
4. When Frank was forced by Landra’s lawyer to return all of Landra’s belongings, why were there no repercussions when he destroyed all of them?
5. A little too “preachy” for me with the constant mentions of church, the bible and the “scripture notes” that Emmet left for Landra.
6. Too much “telling” and not enough “showing”. No, that’s not right. Actually there wasn’t much “telling” either. When Jay and Landra finally talked about what happened between them, the conversation was vague and we STILL didn’t know exactly what he said to hurt her so badly. This was more than half-way through the book; by this time, I was bored and sick to death of waiting to find out what the HELL had happened.
DNF
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2025
I thought this was a standalone but it felt incomplete. I’m pretty sure I needed it to read another book before.
Read
April 29, 2026I’m not sure what to rate this book. It felt like it started in the middle. I ended up skim reading because it just felt shallow. I couldn’t make a connection with any of the characters.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews