Heather

The Circle of Friends #5

by L. Diane Wolfe

When confidence turns to frustration… A new beginning awaits Heather Jennings. The position at Clemson means she will finally realize her dream of coaching basketball. Heather is ready to focus on her duties, using sheer force if necessary to prove her independence. Sadly, her triumph is hampered as her father and greatest advocate lies dying of cancer. Battling her grief, she must also deal with a sister who appears incapable of responsibility or achievement. And once basketball season begins, a talented but cocky player who resembles her in every manner challenges all that remains of Heather’s patience. Heather’s life changes when she encounters a man capable of handling her bold and feisty attitude. Straightforward and smug, he entices her to date him, and despite his gruff nature shows a great capacity for compassion. However, the last thing Heather needs is a serious relationship with a man equally fixated on work and opposed to marriage…

Genres: Young Adult

284 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2010

About the author

L. Diane Wolfe
Professional Speaker & Author
www.spunkonastick.net
www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com

Known as “Spunk On A Stick,” Wolfe is a member of the National Speakers Association. She conducts seminars on book publishing, promoting, leadership, and goal-setting, and she offers book formatting and author consultation. Wolfe is the senior editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and the author of numerous books. She travels for media interviews and speaking engagements and maintains numerous websites & blogs, including the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

Reviews

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series of books is considered to be part of the YA fiction genre, but they seem to reach into a place in my heart every time that I read one of them. I have only read a couple of YA fiction novels, not really sure if this is a genre that I want to continue with, but I know I can never go wrong with one of Wolfe's novels.


Although this story is about Heather, I believe that it is just as much about Mark and his problems and how they come together to work things out as a team. These two strong and independent people had to reach deep within their souls to realize that they had something special to offer to other people, rather than only selfishly considering their personal well being.


Heather has always had a strong relationship with both of her parents, but when her father becomes ill she thinks that she has to be the one to take care of everything for her mother. Since Heather lived in Clemson where she worked as an assistant basketball coach it became very frustrating for her to not be able to be there for her mother at all times. So she would find herself having feelings of anger towards her younger sister Dawn when Dawn would not step up to the plate and take on the responsibility that Heather could not fulfill when she wasn't around.


I found myself very upset with Heather's attitude toward Dawn throughout most of the book. As an older sibling that no longer lives at home, I think that you automatically expect the younger sibling to take on more responsibility without taking into account the fact that they are still young and everyone deals with grief differently. I finally let up on Heather about halfway through the book when I realized that I probably treated my younger sister in a similar manner years ago. As the book proceeds and they deal with their relationship issues, I found that I couldn't stop the tears from flowing.


Mark is another strong-willed individual that happens to be a workaholic so he never seems to have much extra time for leisure. From the moment that Heather walked into his office at the car lot that his father owns, that attitude slowly chips away. Mark also has a very strong anti-marriage attitude since his parents divorced when he was quite young, so the last thing that he expects is to fall in love with Heather. Since they both have very demanding work schedules and sometimes they can only see each other once a week, falling in love seems to be a very unlikely scenario so he considers their relationship to be a matter of convenience.

I loved watching Mark and Heather grow emotionally throughout this book. As they dealt with the problems that arose, they found that they could count on each other for strength rather than trying to go it alone. This book was full of surprises that will keep the reader engaged both mentally and emotionally. I also want to stress that just because this book is part of a series it really does stand alone quite well. I have only read one other book in the series and I had no problem becoming immersed into the pages. With themes of love, grief, and forgiveness I think that this book will be loved by not only young adults, but anyone looking for a touching story.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

Heather Jennings has a goal. She's determined to coach college basketball, and after receiving her Masters at Duke, she lands a job as an assistant girl's coach at Clemson. This works out perfectly in her plans as it keeps her close to home. Her father has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and she wants to be nearby for her family.

It isn't until after she visits her married friends, Matt and Sarah, that she realizes that she is finally and truly over her longtime crush on Matt. After seeing the two happily married with newborn twins, she knows she could never have made Matt truly happy.

Complaining about her junk heap of a car, Matt tells Heather to stop in at his family's car dealership and tell his brother, Mark, to give her a good deal. It's her hesitant trip in search of a new car that changes Heather's life.

Neither Mark nor Heather was searching for love, and little did they expect they'd find it in each other. Both headstrong and self-assured in their goals, the two come to realize that they're perfectly matched for each other. Mark struggles to trust Heather after learning of her previous crush on his brother and having a mom that walked out when he was a teenager. Heather has never had a relationship that has lasted very long. The two slowly come together and admit that they're meant for each other.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about HEATHER kept my attention far more than the other books that I've read in this series. I don't know if it was that Heather was a far more likeable character? Or if the author has developed in her writing since the beginning of the series? Or that the story takes place in a more confined time period unlike the others I've read? Or maybe it is just that Heather seems like a much more real person. Heather deals with real life and real situations. Anyone reading the novel can imagine themselves in her shoes.

Life isn't sugar-coated for Heather and she exists in the here and now dealing with grief, friendship, and a real, deepening love for someone else.

[Peace Love and Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heather Jennings has always been goal orientated, driven, self confident and has proven herself responsible.
After graduating with Masters at Duke University, she immediately find her first coaching job as an assistant coach at Clemson University. It was what she always wanted But that personality is not without challenges. She still harbored the memory of his best friend marrying her roommate from college. Her father was terminally ill with Cancer and died a few months later. Her sister is having major self-esteem issue and she met a younger version of herself from one of her girls' basketball team and is proving to be as cocky as she was.

She had resolved the first issue, a visit to Denver to see her married best friend Matt has proved that she is finally over him. Through the course of that visit she had mention that she needed a new car. Matt told her to check out his brother's car dealership. She did got a car a sweet deal a that. She has also found an unexpected relationship with Matt's brother. At first Mark seems to be so self assured and a bit cocky, but so was she but with that they make a perfect couple. Despite both having so many different issues, they actually kept each other in line. Mark was so sweet. Always there for her. When her dad died and when sister broke down and attempted suicide, etc... It was not easy since he is battling his own demons too not to mention they both have a career that demands attention / priority. But at the end of every week they always manage to find time for each other, whether just to vent out or encourage each other. It was quite a refreshing read. A story about family, friendship, grief and love. Something anyone can relate to.

I haven't had the pleasure of reading any of Ms. Wolfe's book but this has proven to be a wonderful read. I would definitely pick up the rest of her books.

[La Femme Readers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Circle of Friends - Book V: Heather is the first book I've read in this series. I didn't know what to expect but I very much enjoyed it. This book could be read as a standalone, I never once felt lost. Heather was quite a relatable character, I think a lot of readers will be able to connect with her. She was a hard-worker that never stopped reaching her goals. She succeeded in landing a dream job as an assistant basketball coach. However, her happiness was underlined with great sorrow for her dying father. I loved the fact that she found a job near her family. It showed what a committed, loving and caring person she was. But, she also had a side to her that was spunky and courageous. She stood her ground well when it came to dealing with an uncooperative team member that tried to make her life a living hell.

Now, as you can see Heather had enough on her plate until falling in love fell in her lap. They tried to fight it but when it's meant to be nothing can stop it. Mark, which was ironically her ex crush's brother, rocked her world. He had a similar personality to Heather. Very blunt yet sympathetic and charming. They didn't have a perfect relationship but it just worked. In my eyes, they balanced each other out. I really enjoyed watching them fall for one another. Overall, a very interesting book with a character dealing with real life issues. The unexpected life altering event caught me off guard and I couldn't believe the crazy twist. It just goes to show that sometimes life is unpredictable and the only healing medicine is the power of love.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little leery of this fifth book as Heather was never one of my favorite characters. In fact, even in this book I disliked her personality and the way she treated her younger sister. Despite her sister being lazy I found Heather’s reactions to be disproportional and over blown. Still I found myself enjoying this book a lot. I enjoyed seeing the progression of her relationship with Matt’s older brother. Both their personalities were very strong and intriguing. Seeing how they adapted to each other’s little quirks was great and I loved seeing their relationship progress. Another great part of this book is seeing updates on how the character’s from the previous books are doing. So despite never really coming to like Heather I started to understand her and thought this was a nice completion to the series.

[Medeia Sharif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heather is a driven young woman. She’s a college basketball player, made assistant coach, and she believes in getting things done. Life throws hardships her way, like an ill father who’s living his last days and an irresponsible sister whom she doesn’t get along with. Romantically there’s her crush Matt, but she finds herself falling for his brother, Mark. The characters and their dialogue drew me into the story right away. Wolfe knows how to create a realistic setting with young people learning things and making their way in the world.

[Anne Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story that deals well with relationships, loss and love. I especially enjoyed how both Heather and Mark gained emotional maturity over the course of the story.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

From my blog:

This was my first book by author (and motivational speaker) L. Diane Wolfe. I have not read any of the previous books in this young adult series but Ms. Wolfe stressed that I could pick up Book V without a problem. And she was right.

While the main character in this book, Heather, was introduced in the earlier books (along with supporting characters we meet), enough background information and character descriptions are given so that this book can be a stand alone in and of itself.

Interestingly enough, I wasn't sure that I liked Heather for the first third of even half of the book. I found her frustrating but she kept me interested and I never lost focus of the story. It came to me like a lightening bolt that Heather acted quickly, foolishly and without thinking at times because she was in her early to mid-twenties and she was very independent (or trying to be). In other words, very much like myself at that age. Once I was hit over the head with this literary 2x4, I understood Heather completely. She is definitely, to quote Ms. Wolfe, "ornery". She's argumentative and she's competitive. However, she is an excellent role model for teen girls who want to excel in sports and who strive to be independent.

Book V: Heather showcases just enough basketball (Heather's passion) to delight sports fans and athletes and yet not so much that sports novices would be overwhelmed or puzzled. I particularly enjoyed Heather's relationship with her parents, as it seemed very realistic and well written. In fact, I felt I would like her family if I met them and each member reminded me of my own family or a friend's family.

The cancer storyline is the "heavy" of the book but it's thoughtfully written, without unnecessary trauma.

The romantic portion of the story, with Heather most certainly meeting her match, is somewhat predictable to this mother of a teenager but I still appreciated watching her relationship with Mark progress and how both of them, not just Heather, made subtle and not so subtle changes in order to accomodate their growing feelings.

The strongest part of the book is Ms. Wolfe's ability to convey a message of strength and perseverance through her writing. Heather has many obstacles to overcome during the course of this book, ones that many of us face, and she tackles them and reacts in a fashion that is best described as brutally honest.

The message received from Book V: Heather is that life is going to throw you some curve balls and it sure isn't fair but you will emerge stronger and know yourself better.

I would recommend The Circle of Friends Book V: Heather to readers of all ages who want a good, strong story, with a positive role model, and who want to be encouraged and feel satisfied at the end of the book.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

This is the fifth book in The Circle of Friends series, featuring Heather. This is a YA series, and I had not read any of the previous books, but found that I was able to follow this book without any issue at all. Best of all, I enjoyed it tremendously!

Heather is in her mid-20’s and has just landed her dream job as an assistant basketball coach at Clemson College. She seems tough and fierce, but life seems to be spinning out of control for her. Her father has cancer and does not have much longer to live, and she and her younger sister Dawn are always fighting, though it’s more like Heather berating Dawn for every little thing. Lots of things are spinning out of control, and in the midst of everything, she also falls in love with an unexpected man, Mark, the older brother of her childhood best friend and crush, Matt.

I was surprised to find that I really loved this book! I wasn’t sure because it’s part of a series and I hadn’t read the others, and I’ve also been on a YA reading slump lately. I do prefer adult contemporary fiction to YA, but I found that this book could certainly appeal to BOTH groups, so it was quite a nice treat for me to read! The story was engaging with realistic characters that I wanted to keep reading about. I did not want to put this book down, even when my eyes were starting to close way best my “bedtime.” Heather was not necessarily a likable character, but she was definitely an interesting one with a very intriguing story line. I also liked that she seemed to possibly grow a bit at the end of the story into a better person. Even though the book was not full of action and effects, I was drawn into Heather’s world. I really enjoy reading realistic fiction. To me, it is just as interesting as fantasy because it’s nice to take a peak into what seems to be someone’s real life.

The Bottom Line: A great story for both teens and adults! This was a glimpse into a realistic and interesting life. I highly enjoyed it and am REALLY wanting to read the four previous books now.

[Books and Literature for Teens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't quite pin-point my exact feelings about this book; possibly because it covered quite a bit of stuff on relationships. It's a touchy subject for everyone–teen and adults–and this book is a perfect example. Heather is a strong-headed girl who, at the beginning of the book, has a lot on her plate: a new job as a junior coach's assistant and a father who is diagnosed with cancer. With all this responsibility and adjustment starting, who would think Heather would get involved in a serious relationship with her best friend's brother, Mark. At first I couldn't stand Mark, I kept hoping Heather wouldn't fall for his somewhat-false interest in her; but she didn't. When they stared seeing each other more I began to feel like maybe they were meant for each other. After awhile though, Mark's true intentions were revealed and that really turned me off, especially when Heather didn't see it. I did enjoy reading the first half of the book, I just couldn't enjoy the rest because I don't care for Mark.
One other thing I must point is I think this book (or even this series) will appeal more to young adults that are older, maybe even in their college years. All of the characters are in their twenties and are married, except Heather. I don't mind this much, but I can't really relate with to them simply because I'm not married nor are my friends having babies.

Heather was an good read–still not liking Mark–but a heartwarming story overall. I didn't agree with how Heather and Mark took their relationship "to the next step", but I did appreciate the positive approach to marriage and friendship. It took some getting used to with the 3rd person narration, but smooth writing style all in all. Again, teens younger than 16 might not find this book very interesting, so I would only recommend to older teens.

|Age Group: YA, ages 16 - adult|Buy/Borrow? Borrow|
|Content: Sensuality and language|
|Part of a Series: Circle of Friends, Book 5|

Courtesy of Books and Literature for Teens (booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com)

[Lenore Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Heather" is about a young 20's woman who is making on her own. She has a new job as a Couch and also is enjoying her relationship with her boyfriend. But there are many conflicts that she has to deal with (as all of us do in life). With her father dealing with Cancer and then seeing that thoughts of suicide are entering into the life of a young woman, Heather has a lot on her hands. Top that with the up and down of her serious romantic relationship, there is plenty to keep a young woman in a topsy-turvy state of mind. But Heather must also learn to concentrate on her job while maintaining her friendships too. Thus the lessons of life are set into place. I really did enjoy reading "Heather" and hope to go back and get the first 4 books in The Circle of Friends series. If you are interested you can check them all out at Wolfe's website.