Where The Heart Is

A Mother's Heart #3

by Patricia Keelyn, Patricia Lewin

She’d come home to put her life back together.

With a broken engagement behind her and a baby on the way, Maddie Adams needs a safe place to have her baby and heal her broken heart. Then she runs into Nick Ryan, her once-best friend and first love, and her life once again becomes entwined with his. And though the sparks between them are as strong as ever, she does her best to ignore them. Nick had betrayed her once, and she can’t risk it happening again. Not now when she has another life to consider.

Nick Ryan grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Back then, the only person who’d believed in him was Maddie Adams, a girl with everything going for her. Then he’d messed up and lost her. Despite that, he’d achieved his dream of becoming a doctor and returned home to practice medicine. But he’d made other mistakes along the way, mistakes that had cost him his wife and left him with an angry teenage son. With Maddie back in town, he’s hoping for a second chance. Can he undo the damage he’s done to his son? Can he heal the old hurt between him and Maddie? And can they put together a new family, one based on love rather than obligation?

Genres: Romance, Second Chance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Second Chance Romance

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 1995

About the author

This author is also published under Patricia Lewin.

Reviews

[Melody Cox · Rating 1 out of 5]

***Cheating Alert***

No! No! Just No, he didn't! I wish I had known the storyline had cheating in it before I read this. I cannot describe how upset this book made me. I was absolutely furious.

Guy and Girl love each other. She leaves for college...he comes for a visit...wait for it...and tells her he married someone else, a gal that was never nice to her. He never told her why until 16 or 17 years later. He and the slut got drunk and he knocked her up! You have got to be freakin' kidding me. I despise this.

Characters were blah and there was nothing that held my interest. She should have never ever taken him back! Get drunk and cheat with your gal's enemy...knock her up...marry her then go tell your gal...Just NO! Hate it!!!

[Lu Bielefeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐⭐⭐ - OK decent reads.
======================
Our heroine is pregnant by her boyfriend, but he does not want commitment so they have a break.
She returns to her home town and there she meets Nick again, her first love. The one who betrayed her and broke her heart.
It's been sixteen years and she's never forgotten him.
An okay story with some parallel twists.

A crazy accident that Maddie couldn’t be sorry about. Even though it scared her. Even though it had made Roger turn away from her.

He’d said he needed time. Time to decide whether he was ready to be a husband and father.

Nick’s betrayal. And the long days and weeks she’d cried over losing him.

“How is Diana?” He shifted to lean against the examining table, and a shadow flickered across his features. “She died. About a year and a half

“Maybe we could get together sometime,” he said. “Talk about old times.” Maddie shook her head, her eyes wide and wary. “I don’t think so, Nick.”

For four years, Maddie had been the only light in his life, the dream that had kept him from succumbing to the reality of his world. He’d always loved her.

And he’d proved that, hadn’t he? He’d taken everything she had to give—body and soul—and then thrown it away.

“So what happened?” Maddie propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand. “Diana happened.”

Then she’d gone off to college, and he’d found Diana.

She’d trusted Nick once, and it had been one of the biggest mistakes of her life. Right up there with believing in Roger.

She’d loved and trusted both Nick and Roger. And both men had left her alone and hurting.

This Nick Ryan was a man who’d fulfilled his ambitions and become a doctor. And he’d done it without her.

He had no right to Maddie’s comfort. He’d chosen Diana over Maddie sixteen years ago. How could he ask anything of her now? How could he pull her into the mess he’d made of his life?

His motives had all been selfish. He’d wanted the comfort she could give him, the forgiveness he’d waited sixteen years to ask for. But he didn’t deserve either.

He’d made his choices sixteen years ago. And now he’d just have to live with them.

“Men never feel guilty. They don’t even know what the word means.”

Maddie didn’t know what to say. Diana had been everything Maddie wasn’t in high school—pretty and popular. And she’d ended up with Nick.

Studying the dark-eyed beauty in the picture, Maddie understood how Nick had fallen in love with the other girl.

“Nick, why aren’t you building your house on this hill?” At first, she thought he wouldn’t answer. When he finally spoke, she could barely hear him. “Because Diana never belonged here.”

Once she’d believed that Nick would always love her. She’d paid for that mistake dearly.

“I married Diana because she was pregnant with my child.”

“How dare you. How dare you talk to me about how you suffered. You had Diana and a son. You had a ticket to becoming a doctor. I had nothing. Not even the knowledge of what had happened.”

A few months without Maddie, and Nick had jumped into bed with the first willing female. Noble sacrifice indeed. How naive did he think she was?

As Ted Eagen’s son-in-law, however, Nick had walked right into the best pre-med program in the state, and she’d been willing to bet that Ted had financed the whole thing. It made her blood boil.

There was a certain irony to the whole thing. Diana’s son becoming close to Maddie, the woman who should have been Nick’s wife. But somehow he didn’t find it all that amusing.

“I got drunk. Or more exactly, Diana and I got drunk. And the next thing I knew, we were in the back seat of her car.” He paused and took a breath. “The next morning, I knew I’d screwed up. I didn’t know how badly yet, but I knew things would never be the same between you and I.”

“Yes, Maddie. I loved her. Not at first. But I learned to love her.”

[✮ rach ✮ · Rating 1 out of 5]

After enjoying Once A Wife, I figured I would try the next book in the series.

Big fucking mistake.

I hated...no; I loathed the heroine! Everything about her and the hero rubbed me the wrong way. Speaking of the hero, he seriously needed to grow some balls!

I could say so many other things, but I just want to pretend I never read this...

[Veronica WordsAreMyDrinkOfChoice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a bad book, with ok characters , but cannot give higher rating, as heroine is second choice, and that to me is not real love.

[Michelle °O° · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing was ok but I really couldn't get past the fact that the Hero (Nick) was so in love with the heroine that he slept with someone else and married her when the heroine went off to college.

It was never made clear if they were broken up, but the author really made it seem like they were still a couple since they wrote letters to each other all the time (pre cell phones).

Nick shows up in college and tells heroine he is married and they don't talk for 16 years. Yeah I would have kicked his ass to the curb. I would never have given him the time of day.

[Mou: Fae of Heartfelt ARC]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2062574838

[Ess · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars I enjoyed the book but I can never overlook cheating no matter how cute the rest of the story is. I kept waiting for groveling but there was none. I tried to just ignore the cheating part lol I would have really liked this book if that wasn't the reason he left h 16 years ago. I loved the epilogue and I genuinely wish there was a book for just Jon and Anna.

[Debbie Oxier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a second chance story and a good one. Maddie returned to her hometown of Felton, pregnant and alone. Her boyfriend, Roger, claimed he needed time apart from her to deal with the fact he was going to be a father, but Maddie was more or less expecting a proposal some day, not this total lack of support. She decides to return home where hopefully she'll be able to repair the relationship with her mother. Once she arrives in town it isn't long before she runs into Nick. The two of them were once in love. Then Maddie went to college and the next thing she knew Nick was telling her he was marrying another woman.

Nick is a doctor now, having gotten the medical degree he'd always wanted, and was in practice with Maddie's doctor. He's also a widower with a teenage son. He's stunned to learn the woman he'd once loved had returned, pregnant with another man's child. At first he's hurt by it until he realizes the baby's father isn't around. He's ready to pick up where they left off but Maddie's having none of it. Nick broke her heart once. She wasn't putting herself in a position to get hurt ever again.

Enjoyed the story and the characters. It took Maddie awhile to warm up to Nick again but once she realized she still had feelings for him things began to progress. I breezed through this in a couple of hours.

[Beeg Panda]

H - Nick
Ow / his deceased wife - Diana
h - Maddie
om - Roger


“Did you love her?” He met her gaze head on. “She was my wife.” “That’s not what I asked.” “Yes, Maddie. I loved her. Not at first. But I learned to love her.”

Maddie gave in to the temptation to spend time with Nick. He never pushed her, never

He’d wanted her before he’d known other women existed.
Once they’d been like two wounded animals drawing their strength from one another. Then she’d gone off to college, and he’d found Diana.

But she was a girl from the right side of town, and he . . . well, Maddie never belonged with a guy like him. And he’d proved that, hadn’t he? He’d taken everything she had to give—body and soul—and then thrown it away. Regret, like a black pool, swirled about him, pushing the sweetness of the past aside. He’d made so many mistakes. Hurt too many people. Maddie and Diana. Now Maddie was back in Felton and expecting another man’s child. It shook him to the core. And in that moment, he realized he’d never really gotten over her.

He’d hurt her badly once, destroying their friendship. He’d give anything to undo the foolishness of his youth. No, that wasn’t true. He couldn’t wish that his son had never been conceived, that he and Diana had never crawled into the back seat of her car. He loved Jon too much. But he could wish that he hadn’t hurt Maddie in the process. He’d loved her once, too.

For four years, Maddie and Nick had been inseparable. Then she’d gone away to college, and he’d married Diana Eagen. It had shattered Maddie’s heart and destroyed their friendship. At least, that was what she’d always believed. Evidently, it had only been her heart that had been broken.

…a nagging thought crept into his mind. He had no right to Maddie’s comfort. He’d chosen Diana over Maddie sixteen years ago.

He’d been so tempted by Maddie yesterday…. His motives had all been selfish. He’d wanted the comfort she could give him, the forgiveness he’d waited sixteen years to ask for.

…Then what happened? she wanted to ask. Why did you turn to someone else the moment I left town? Why did you let Diana come between us? But she couldn’t ask those questions. No more than she could have asked them sixteen years ago.


She’d offered friendship, a shoulder to lean on, and he’d pushed for more. Once again, he’d taken advantage of her vulnerability. Only this time, he wasn’t a hormone-driven teenager. He was a grown man who’d already hurt too many people. But more than an apology, he owed her the truth. It was past time he told Maddie what had happened all those years ago. He knew it wouldn’t make any difference to her now. It was too late for the two of them. She’d given her heart to someone else. But she deserved to know why he’d married the wrong woman.

He’d gone and married a woman he didn’t love because she was expecting his child.

“You remember that I’d started working for Ted Eagen shortly after you left for college.”
“Well, I was feeling pretty down, worried I’d never be able to get out of Felton. Your letters were filled with news about the university, the classes, the people you’d met. I felt you slipping away.”
“That’s when I got to know Diana.
“I spent the first few months trying to ignore her. After a while, I became almost rude, but it only made her more persistent.” Nick sighed. “I must admit I was intrigued. The worse I treated her, the more she came on to me. I just didn’t get it. But as I said, she’d captured my attention.”
“Then you called to tell me about the summer job you’d gotten in Athens. The money was good. And it would save you from having to come home to Adelia’s house.”
Diana and I got drunk. And the next thing I knew, we were in the back seat of her car.” He paused and took a breath. “The next morning, I knew I’d screwed up. I didn’t know how badly yet, but I knew things would never be the same between you and I.” “I didn’t take that job.” Nick stared at her.
“I left Athens at the end of spring term. I couldn’t stay there. I couldn’t bear to continue with any of the things we’d planned together.”
“I couldn’t leave her and the child I’d fathered,

(Roger) He’d never wanted a wife. And he’d certainly never wanted a baby.
History really did repeat itself. She’d loved and trusted both Nick and Roger. And both men had left her alone and hurting.

His motives had all been selfish. He’d wanted the comfort she could give him, the forgiveness he’d waited sixteen years to ask for.

“You’re not the only one who misses her.” Nick reined in his churning emotions. “She was my wife, remember? That’s why I thought this house—”


NTS: finish review
Damn it, Diana, he silently cursed. Your son needs you. I need you.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is little I dislike more than ending a book with questions or frustrations
And I am still asking myself the one question: did he really love his wife- and I think it’s a yes. Which then poses the question if he weren’t a widower would he still be with the wife - again yes, even though his wife was miserable they seemed to have lived a happy life, so to me, is the h second choice 100%. Did she forgive him way to easily again 100%. The excuse that it was 16 years ago and they were young strike 1, regardless of whether he claims to have always loved her means very little in my bigger picture. If she held him responsible for his cheating and actually made him grovel it would have made this slightly more likable. Having had a baby with another man which he claimed as his, wasn’t enough in my book. Glad I got it for free 😂

[Sandra Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful second chance story

Nick and Maddie rebuild a love that they never really lost. Helping Nick son find his way and building a loving family.

[Viveka · Rating 3 out of 5]

a sweet story without much steaminess. only thing that was negative for me was that there were questions left unanswered.

[Jennifer Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn’t say this is a total loss, like some reviewers mentioned but at the same time I wouldn’t buy it; loving Kindle Unlimited.

The overall story was good. Single dad with a troubled teen.
A pregnant woman with an absent boyfriend that wants nothing to do with her even though he isn’t direct about it.

I do have the same issue that a lot of the others reviewers have. Without actually stating the issue; it’s the reason for why the hero, Adam married another woman. The author should have found another way instead of the one she wrote. I didn’t like it. For two teens that were BFF and in love ... that drunken night should have never happened. And the reasons Adam gave were stupid. Like really stupid and she forgave way to easily.

Overall it’s a light read with not much drama or conflict. The little drama that would pop up was easily resolved.

Dual POV with a few of the side characters but mainly Maddie’s, the heroine.

I hadn’t read the other books in this series; so I wasn’t able to compare. But the other reviewers thought this was a let down and deemed “don’t waste your time”on this one.

[Timothy Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. I enjoyed the entire series of books from this author. I liked the main characters, Maddie Adams and Nick Ryan but I also liked the other characters in the book especially Jon and Anna. But I also liked Maddie's mother and how different things can appear to be for a child vs an adult when things go wrong between their parents. Maddie has viewed the events that led to the break between her father and mother differently from how her Mother knew them to be. I think the point was a good one that the book made. Nick and Maddie were no longer children, teenagers. With the experience of time and life they realized they had grown up. They had made mistakes as teenagers but as adults they were able to rise above those situations and become a family, Nick, Maddie, Jon, Ruby, and Adam. I liked how the book ended with the thoughts of Jon.

[Marie McKenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this story about second chances

This is such a cute second chance romance in a small town. Nick and Maddie were friends when they were growing up! Maddie went off to college and Nick as working to save money to go to college. He gets drunk, sleeps with a friend and she ends up pregnant. He married her and raise the child. Maddie comes back to town to get away from her ex fiance. Nick is a doctor who she meets at the clinic. Love the ups and downs that they have thought their time. Love these small towns that everyone knows everyone's business and most have stayed their whole lives. Love this story.

[Lisa Ezzell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrica Keelung is a new favorite

If this story, the third in a series but my first of hers to read is any example, she weaves a mighty thread throughout her stories. Not one so stereotypical that it is a run of the mill romance either. In Where The Heart Is you are taken on the bumpy ride of ultimately a high school love story that hangs in there to evolve into an adult relationship complete with all the misdirections and re-directs that need to happen to make the end of their story very touching and satisfying.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet second chance romance.

CW: Hero cheats on heroine in the past and ends up marrying the other woman. The author tries to explain away the cheating as the hero having been drunk and sad coz the heroine is away for college ... Which to me is a pretty bleah excuse.

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread 2023. Keeping the 4🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Bette Stanek · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 bumped to 4 because things were so messed up. OK, I mean messed up in actions of the characters. Nick and Maddie grew up together, they had a friends to lovers relationship and it was pretty darn good. Then Maddie went off to college and Nick was left behind. Nick made one fatal (for their relationship) mistake and he doesn't see Maddie again for sixteen years.

Maddie has come home to lower her blood pressure and have her baby in peace. Really, to reassess her life. The last person she wants to see is Nick Ryan. He broke her heart sixteen years ago and she hasn't really pieced it back together all the way. She thought she had found love and a future with Roger. Until she announced that she was pregnant and Roger didn't want anything to do with the baby. He needed time....

Nick is once again a free agent and he's determined to put things back to how they were supposed to be. Maddie is determined to resist him every step of the way. Just when Nick thought he was making progress, Roger suddenly shows up with his decision.

The characters are believable and the circumstances, once you find out the whole story, are realistic. You end up rooting for Nick and wishing Maddie would open her eyes. It's a fun story set in a small town, which makes the scenes absolutely believable. I grew up in small town America, believe me, this could totally happen. In fact, I think a variation of it did....

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

My tastes must be going downhill this summer because I read Where the Heart Is on my Kindle for free last night, and I thought it was pretty good. Does it cover anything groundbreaking when it comes to romance? No. Is it particularly well-written or developed? Not really. Did it fall into some of the most common romance novel tropes (old love returns to town, bad boy makes good, sassy best friend, distant rich parent, etc.)? Oh yeah. But I still liked it anyway.

It was entertaining and satisfying without much thought or effort the way most romance novels are, and it had some actual lovely moments. Jon's friendship with Maddie and how it helps him process his grief and forgive his dad was really well-done. I liked that it didn't put Jon into the typecast of son who hates new romantic interest because of their dad parent. Instead, Keelyn chose to grow that relationship in a natural and real way that surprised me. Nick and Maddie do have chemistry, and their scenes are decent enough. I guess I'm more interested in the family dynamics between Nick, Jon, and Maddie more than anything in the romance, but it all added up to a good read.

I promise that I will start reading real books when school starts. For now, I'm going to enjoy my cheesy romance freebies.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm very glad this was free. What this book taught me is that apparently past mistakes are given a free pass if enough years pass by😅

I think what really makes this not work for me is that he seemed genuinely happy with the OW and would still be with her if she hadn't died. That just doesn't work in a cheating reconciliation book for me. I need the OW to either be a bad person, the H to have been super unhappy, or that he never loved her. I mean I would of even settled for she was a nice lady but the H never loved her scenario🤣 In this book, none of the above applied he cheated, she got pregnant, he married her and then he grew to love her. The h was way to understanding about everything.

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers*******






I enjoyed this book. Unfortunate circumstances/ misunderstandings/lack of communication that kept Nick and Maddie apart. Nick did get a son out of his relationship with Diana and Maddie did get a daughter out of her relationship with Roger.

I liked the fact that Nick admitted that he loved Diana, not at first but he grew to love her. She was the mother of his son after all. But I also like the fact that Nick admitted he loved and had always loved Maddie. I, in no way thought she was a second choice for Nick. I wonder what would have happened though if Maddie had returned and Diana was still alive.

[Barbi Huhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful story.
Maddie returns to her hometown pregnant with her "ex's" baby. She wants someplace to live quietly during her pregnancy. Not long after returning to the town, she runs into her high school boyfriend at the doctor's office. Nick, the high school boyfriend, is now a doctor in town with his former father-in-law and has unresolved feelings for Maddie. But, he is also dealing with his teenage son, Jon, who is mourning the loss of his mother.
The way things unravel is truly touching and romantic.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHERE THE HEART IS
16 years since Maddie has seen her Mother, the home hadn’t changed, she had. She is back in Felton, and wonders why, though expecting a baby does that. The words from her mother hadn’t, they hurt same as before. Was it wrong wanting to be loved, by Roger, instead of alone and fear. Nick was glad to be back in Felton, though when they first came back to help family. He didn’t realize how it affected his wife, now trying to raise a teen age son. Could there be second chances for these two, and make a family for all them.

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Similar but better

What sets this book apart from others based on a similar plot is the strong characterization. While realistic, complex primary characters are not uncommon in romance fiction, beautifully drawn secondary characters are downright rare. Patricia Keelyn writes in the preface that she writes family stories, and this book definitely lives up to that promise.

While there were no real surprises in the plot, the deep characters and their growth bring this book up from good to great.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where The Heart Is

Years ago she lost the one true love to a greedy spoilt woman-child. She left and never returned until she found herself needing a place of refuge. She heads back to her hometown single and pregnant. That's where she finds that even though things stay the same the people don't. Will she find her own happiness with her old love or will the father of her child step up to be the one for her?

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maddie is in a relationship of three years that is going nowhere, She is pregnant with high blood pressure and the father of the baby needs some time stating he is not sure he is ready to be a husband and a father. She has been advised she needs to slow down and she takes a leave of absence and moves back to the town where she grew up. That in itself has it's own set of problems. Her distant and stormy relationship with her mother and Nick the first boy she ever loved and hurt and betrayed her.

[Patricia Baxes · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’ll definitely need tissues with this one…❤️

Oh Lordy—what a great read! This one will definitely tug at your heartstrings and have you running the full gamut of emotions. The storyline is very good; the characters are well developed; the plot twists and turns are really something; and the HEA is amazing. You’re going to love this one! (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and absolutely loved it!) ❤️❤️❤️

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, heartbreaking but Maddie comes back to her hometown to relax after finding out her boyfriend of 3 years needs time to think out Maddie being pregnant. When Maddie returns her first love and best friend is home as well Nick. Nick and his son Jon are having their own troubles. Will the secrets between Maddie and Nick repair what they have or will they their separate ways.

[Ciara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great healing read

Maddie and Nick were high school sweethearts who were torn apart when Nick married someone else. They are both back in their hometown dealing with past and present issues. Together they just might can make a go of it if they can communicate, forgive, and heal.