Healing the Boss's Heart

After the Storm #1

by Valerie Hansen

When a tornado strikes a Kansas town without warning, wealthy businessman Greg Garrison rushes an orphaned boy to safety. His heroism—and kindness—stirs something inside single mother and secretary Maya Logan. Especially when her hard-nosed boss helps search for the child's missing dog. Suddenly, Greg is pitching in all over town—including her own destroyed home. Rebuilding efforts will take time. Yet Maya now has hope that there's room in her boss's much bigger heart for love…and family.

Genres: Love Inspired, Christian Fiction, Christian Romance, Christian, Romance, Clean Romance, Contemporary Romance

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Valerie Hansen is the pen name of Valerie Whisenand.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Although I have been a published author since the mid 1980s, I have been writing women's Christian fiction almost exclusively since 1999.

There is a longer, more detailed bio on my website so there's no need for me to repeat all that here. Right now, I write for all three Love Inspired lines, Romance, Suspense and Historical. I'm delighted to have been included that broadly and besides, it keeps me so busy that I stay out of trouble. Well, mostly.

You'll find me on the LI Historical blog as well as other LI features. If I try to do much more I won't have time to write my books!

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book of the "After the Storm" mini-series from Love Inspired books.

After a tornado rips through a small town in Kansas, couples find love as they work to rebuild the town and lives torn apart by the storm.

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters are well crafted and the story drew me in, but the ending seemed abrupt--and even the author mentions it in her letter to readers at the end. Yes, I do understand that you want to have some unanswered questions that make readers read the next book in order to up your sales--but some authors do that better than others. This book I would say did not do it well.

The purpose of the book seems to be to set up Maya's and Greg's relationship. Which it does. But instead of culminating in a wedding as many of the Love Inspired books do, this one ends with them agreeing to either get married or date each other--I'm not sure which. There was no ring, so I'm not sure it could be called an engagement.

The unanswered questions:
*Will Tommy find Charlie?
*Will Tommy have to change foster homes (or will he be adopted into a family)?
*Will they find Jesse's heirloom ring?
*How will Jesse cope with having triplets as a single parent?
*Will Clay return home? When and how?
*Michael and Heather Waters

And those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable, well-written book. I found myself very involved with each of the characters, and Valerie Hansen's wonderful descriptions of what is happening during a tornado and its aftermath made you feel like you were actually experiencing it. The only drawback I found was a small one; I felt the changes in Greg Garrison came a little too quickly and were so pronounced that they weren't as believable to me as they might have been if they had occurred more slowly. The other five books in this series were written by different authors. I can't wait to read them; I was a foster parent myself and am anxious to see how some of the loose ends from this story are resolved.

[Barbara Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book.. the first in a series... Maya has a new job with a hard hearted boss or so she thinks. But when tragedy strikes their small Kansan town, she finds Greg is not the man she thought he was. As they care for an orphaned boy and help the recovery effort, their hearts are drawn to each other and love blossoms and grows. While this can be read as a stand alone, it is obvious that the following books will continue the story and hopefully tie up some of the loose ends left dangling.

[Dorel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 1st book I read by Valerie Hansen. This book's storyline was really good. I really liked the Christian theme in this story. I really liked Greg's character. I really liked the scenes with Tommy & Greg. I really liked Maya's character. My heart broke 💔 for Tommy. I really liked the ending.

[Francesca Hurley · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a sweet book full of love and couragee and stregnth. once known as a hard, cold man, Greg Garrison decides to shock the small Kansas town by helping rebuild after the storm.

[IrenesBookReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I felt the characters grow as I read their story. Well written and worth an afternoon of reading.

[charmaine White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

This one starts off with a bang,and keeps right on moving at a fast pace.I really liked the whole story.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure the title fit with the story told (though it's a catchy title). It seemed that Greg, even though his exterior was a wee bit prickly, was actually already a good man at heart. This was evident by his quick thinking, helpful actions in wake of the unexpected tornado outbreak. I actually connected with him more quickly than I did Maya.
That being said, I also enjoyed Maya as a character. She was determined to be the best possible mama she could for her little Layla, and was concerned for her brothers and her neighbours in the aftermath of the storm, and held firmly to her faith in God.
I do feel like the romance portion was a wee bit rushed, but it wasn't quite insta-lovey, soo there's that?
All in all, a good and intriguing start to this new series, and I look forward to seeing what will happen next in High Plains.
3.5 stars

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story that has 5 others that continue about a town after a tornado. I also read 2 others of this series, this is the first. Great quick read.

[Sandra Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!

[ANNETTE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good story to enjoy.

[Som · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book?
A 100/10❤️

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars 🌟

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book of the After the Storm Series.

Maya Logan is working for Greg Garrison in High Plains, Kansas.

There is some past between the Garrison's and Logan's but we don't know what that is yet.

Maya thinks that all Greg cares about is money and business so she is surprised how he treats young Tommy after rescuing him from the storm.

Looking forward to reading the next five books and then the three historical books, After The Storm- The Foundling Years.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mini ‘Books For Christian Girls’ review. It is not a full content review and will not receive one. These mini-reviews are years old and just for clarity on the rating the book received on Goodreads.


5/15/2013-
No comments.


Main Content-
*Tommy loses his dog at the beginning of the storm.
*Mentions of when Maya was engaged and when she told the man she was pregnant, he left her; Love, falling in love, & the emotions.

[Kathy KS · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little story, kind of a beach read. Although it seems to move pretty quickly toward the end and jump through the timeline I think part of that may be because the rest of the series about this town will flesh out "the rest of the story."

It's always nice to find books that take place in small-town Kansas, if they are believable. This one isn't too far off the mark. I'm not sure what folks in urban areas of other states would think of the setting.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first of the "after the storm" series and a very good read.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another good inspirational romance. Light, heartwarming, this is the first in a series of After the Storm books by Valerie Hansen.

[Genevieve Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

great

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read Feb 3, 2021

[Rainbow Unicorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good Love Inspired series