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Heart
In accepting a teaching position in Rome, Ruth Tyack risks never again seeing her lover, Tom Jeffers, who must remain in the United States with his wife and child
- GenresContemporary Romance
300 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 29, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 16, 2013
I read the new, expanded version of Heart by happenstance. Normally, I read historical fiction, interspersed occasionally with mysteries and nonfiction. I very seldom read romance novels. Heart, surprisingly, turned out to be a great read.
One of the things that I enjoy about historical fiction is that each story is set in a particular time and place and reflects the issues and cultural values of that time and place. Heart does exactly that. The original portion of the novel reflects the cultural values and challenges of the U.S. and Italy 30-plus years ago; the contemporary portion reflects issues of today. Both portions of the book describe important and interesting features of place, another of the reasons why I enjoy historical fiction. The aspect of Heart that reminds me of mystery novels is the element of suspense. What will happen next? Heart is a real page-turner, and sometimes what comes next is a surprise.
And, let's face it, who wouldn't love a story that includes a "boy and his dog"?!
One of the things that I enjoy about historical fiction is that each story is set in a particular time and place and reflects the issues and cultural values of that time and place. Heart does exactly that. The original portion of the novel reflects the cultural values and challenges of the U.S. and Italy 30-plus years ago; the contemporary portion reflects issues of today. Both portions of the book describe important and interesting features of place, another of the reasons why I enjoy historical fiction. The aspect of Heart that reminds me of mystery novels is the element of suspense. What will happen next? Heart is a real page-turner, and sometimes what comes next is a surprise.
And, let's face it, who wouldn't love a story that includes a "boy and his dog"?!
November 10, 2015
Until I saw this book listed on Net Galley, I had forgotten that 30 years ago it was one of my favorite romance novels. Not sure why it is being reissued now, or why the author felt the need to tack on a few extra chapters showing what happened to the main characters, but it brought back some interesting memories. I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that I liked it so much back in 1982 - there are so many factors that mark it as a book of its time:
1) The hero is a poet. A poet who makes his living out of being a poet. Not a Navy SEAL or a vampire or a billionaire businessman - a poet.
2) The hero is married when he meets the heroine, but that fact barely registers as a problem because it's Love At First Sight, which must never be denied.
3) The hero and heroine have sex with several other people before they get their HEA but it's okay because their hearts are pure.
4) There's a brief appearance by an evil butch lesbian bitch.
5) There's also a brief appearance by a happy, wise "Magic Negro" black woman who couldn't be more stereotyped and non-PC.
The language is flowery, the love scenes are awkward at best, the sentiments are mawkish - but at age 20 I read and re-read it so much that 30 years later I remembered whole scenes as I experienced it for the first time on my Kindle.
If you remember this book - and the author must sense some demand or else she wouldn't be self-publishing it - you will probably find yourself enjoying it out of guilty nostalgia. New readers will probably be baffled and less than impressed.
As for the new chapters, the less said the better, except to mention that the author is pretty ballsy for including a love scene with an 80+ year old hero and 60+ year old heroine.
1) The hero is a poet. A poet who makes his living out of being a poet. Not a Navy SEAL or a vampire or a billionaire businessman - a poet.
2) The hero is married when he meets the heroine, but that fact barely registers as a problem because it's Love At First Sight, which must never be denied.
3) The hero and heroine have sex with several other people before they get their HEA but it's okay because their hearts are pure.
4) There's a brief appearance by an evil butch lesbian bitch.
5) There's also a brief appearance by a happy, wise "Magic Negro" black woman who couldn't be more stereotyped and non-PC.
The language is flowery, the love scenes are awkward at best, the sentiments are mawkish - but at age 20 I read and re-read it so much that 30 years later I remembered whole scenes as I experienced it for the first time on my Kindle.
If you remember this book - and the author must sense some demand or else she wouldn't be self-publishing it - you will probably find yourself enjoying it out of guilty nostalgia. New readers will probably be baffled and less than impressed.
As for the new chapters, the less said the better, except to mention that the author is pretty ballsy for including a love scene with an 80+ year old hero and 60+ year old heroine.
November 16, 2013
I received a free Adobe Digital Editions copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, this has not compromised my ability to write an honest and critical review of the book.
10/11 - I don't think I've ever read a book set in the 70s, certainly not a romance. They're all either contemporary (or what was contemporary in the mid 80s) or historical (no earlier than the 1890s). It's weird to read a romance so old, but it's not historical. Already there are many different scenes where I've been thinking "There's no way she'd do that" and then I have to remind myself it's set in the 80s. One scene where "It's set in the 70s" doesn't excuse unbelievable behaviour is the set up for Ruth and Tom's second hook-up. He asks her about her period (they've already had sex a couple of weeks earlier) and she says she's just had it, so she's not pregnant, and he comments sarcastically that that's perfect because it's the best time to get pregnant. So, it's been established that they do know about the dangers of unprotected sex (well, one of the dangers), but then when they get together a second time there's no mention of condoms or the pill or anything like that and I just don't find that believable, not after his comment that it's the best time for her to get pregnant (plus, at 40, he's not an over-eager, under-educated teenager).
I also have to complain about the dreadfully tacky cover image. I know, it was probably done when the book was first released in '82, but as it has been re-released with additional material they could have updated the cover. It reminds me of a Gone with the Wind scene, but it's the 1970s not the 1870s, and now it's another 30 years on and today's readers judge a book by its cover, and this cover is saying sappy/tacky in a sing-song voice while clapping its hands in time. After 58 pages I don't think it deserves a cover that sings sappy/tacky to all who pass by. I couldn't say I love it yet, but it's quite good. I'm looking forward to continuing with it. To be continued...
13/11 - This is turning out to be a very convoluted, lover-ful romance. It starts out with a love-at-first-sight romance with a married-with-one-child man nearly double her age. After a couple of intense hook-ups they decide they need to part because his son is mentally challenged and she just got a once-in-a-lifetime job at the American school in Rome. She goes off to Rome and he goes back to his family. In Rome Ruth meets quiet accountant Bruno, they date every weekend for months but he refuses to sleep with her until their wedding night because the time wasn't right. At the end of the wedding night sex scene the chapter ends and we fast forward about four years to find that Bruno, one of the few safe Maserati drivers in Italy, has died in some kind of car crash (no details given so far). At their wedding Ruth met Bruno's cousin Peter and they had an instant connection across the wedding cake (or something like that). They didn't see each other again until Bruno's funeral and even at a time like that the connection between them sizzled again. Peter kept in touch with Bruno's mother, Nona, who had become like a surrogate mother to Ruth (her mother died giving birth to her), while Ruth grieved for her husband. When Nona judged Ruth to be ready she encouraged Peter to go for it, and he swept Ruth off her feet 18 months after Bruno's death. Their first weekend together Peter proposes and, after a little reassuring that Nona will be ecstatic and God approves, Ruth accepts. Their wedding will be in three weeks and Nona, Bruno's mother and Peter's aunt, will play the part of mother-of-the-bride for Ruth (yes, they have become that close). She's just accepted Peter's proposal when a colleague from the school in Rome announces that she has a letter from T.J., the first guy (a poet), that was sent to the school as Ruth's last known address. In the letter T.J. reveals that he is coming to Rome for a poetry reading tour and wonders if she'd be interested in meeting him between readings. She dithers a bit, asks the colleague her opinion and is encouraged to go and meet T.J., but not to tell Peter because Italian men are known for their possessiveness and their tempers (the colleague's husband hit her after she told him about meeting an old, male friend for drinks, because she had embarrassed him). Ruth does as advised and meets T.J. at his hotel room, and of course, considering the way this romance is going, they have spur-of-the-moment sex on the floor of his hotel room. Meanwhile, prior to getting reacquainted with Ruth T.J. has been dealing with his own problems. His son got pneumonia which put him in the hospital on life support for two weeks, his wife went mad with guilt over their son's condition, or something (not really clear) and had to be sedated before she seriously injured T.J. in a fit of rage. After that episode she became catatonic and stopped doing anything, stopped talking, eating, drinking, even moving and the doctors had to start feeding her intravenously. Weeks later it has been decided that she's in some kind of coma state and will never come out of it. Once Tommy, their son, recovered from the pneumonia T.J. took him home but was faced with a conundrum when he realised there would be no one to care for Tommy while he was at work. Luckily he'd met a very compassionate and caring nurse while Tommy was in the hospital who was perfect as a carer for Tommy and temporary lover for T.J. After the horrendous upheaval his life had gone through in the last few weeks he needed someone to comfort him and help him through make it through the first few weeks, maybe months, without his wife's support. T.J. and Sally Mae are there for each other whenever the other needs support until the term ends for T.J. and his contract comes up for renewal. T.J. decides to leave teaching and become a full-time carer and friend for Tommy, which also gives him the time to dedicate more energy to his writing, which his publishers have been hounding him about for months. That was the last we heard of T.J. and Tommy until he met up with Ruth in the hotel room, the point of view switched back to Ruth and Peter spending their first weekend together and getting engaged.
I hate to think how many more lovers Ruth may go through before we get to the HEA (if there is one, that is). The prologue is of Ruth wishing a man would call, and thinking about her unborn baby. At the moment it's a mystery who the father might be, it could be anyone (except, of course, poor dead Bruno), it could be Peter, T.J. or any number of other guys who we've yet to meet. This romance is unlike any I've ever read - romance with guy after guy, and it's true romance, not just a short-term boyfriend, she's in love with each one (sometimes more than one at once). I can't imagine how this is going to end. To be continued...
15/11 - The original story ends in a very strange place, almost in the middle of a paragraph. T.J. is ripping down the ugly gray wallpaper he covered the collage of photos of Ruth with. The sentence ends and then the next page abruptly begins the prologue to the new writing, the .5 part of the story as it were. It was almost as if the computer died mid paragraph and the publishers took the unfinished draft and printed it without the author's permission. I was quite confused to start with, not realising that the story had fastforwarded 30 years and in the meantime Ruth and Tom (he's not T.J. anymore, probably because he's now 82 years old) have had three children of their own, one of their sons has died and Ruth had or has cancer. That was a lot of surprises to take in within a few paragraphs. The extra pages are written in the same style and voice as what was written 30 years ago, so it doesn't feel like a different author wrote the new pages, it all blends together well. I hope we get to find out what happened to her first son Pietro Morelli II. I hope that she was allowed to see him occasionally, because even though she didn't think so, even if she felt like the six (female relatives of her husband Peter) had replaced her in her son's eyes, all children need their mothers (with exceptions made for child abusers and addicts). To be continued...
which I don't get from my own family as they aren't very many of us, we all live on the same block of land, see each other weekly and have dinner together weekly if not more often, which means that getting together over Christmas is not much different from getting together on the 14th of July or the 7th of September - it's just another family dinner. I loved the way Pete introduced himself to his siblings, just sitting there with the dog, waiting for them to arrive, and when they do arrive they just accept that there's a strange man in the living room with no questions asked. They didn't even ask who he was, how he knew their parents and why he was there for a family Christmas. I'm not sure if Beth's reaction, which was no reaction at all, to finding out her father's not her biological father was all that believable. She didn't even remonstrate with her mother over the fact that because Ruth had waited so long to tell her the truth she would never be able to know her father, because he'd died before she had a chance (not saying that he was all that worth getting to know, but I don't think a child should have their choice taken away like that). I was a little worried, considering how the story had played out so far, that Tom might die at the end of the new chapters, but luckily the ending was very happy and cheery. Thinking about it now it was a bit like a Christmas tv movie special with the family all dressed in cute and cosy (not sexy) Santa outfits standing in front of their house (which is decorated to within an inch of its life with lights) in the soft floating snow waving to the camera as it pulls up and away from them. But despite the possible cheesiness I really enjoyed the new chapters, they made my heart go "Aww".
10/11 - I don't think I've ever read a book set in the 70s, certainly not a romance. They're all either contemporary (or what was contemporary in the mid 80s) or historical (no earlier than the 1890s). It's weird to read a romance so old, but it's not historical. Already there are many different scenes where I've been thinking "There's no way she'd do that" and then I have to remind myself it's set in the 80s. One scene where "It's set in the 70s" doesn't excuse unbelievable behaviour is the set up for Ruth and Tom's second hook-up. He asks her about her period (they've already had sex a couple of weeks earlier) and she says she's just had it, so she's not pregnant, and he comments sarcastically that that's perfect because it's the best time to get pregnant. So, it's been established that they do know about the dangers of unprotected sex (well, one of the dangers), but then when they get together a second time there's no mention of condoms or the pill or anything like that and I just don't find that believable, not after his comment that it's the best time for her to get pregnant (plus, at 40, he's not an over-eager, under-educated teenager).
I also have to complain about the dreadfully tacky cover image. I know, it was probably done when the book was first released in '82, but as it has been re-released with additional material they could have updated the cover. It reminds me of a Gone with the Wind scene, but it's the 1970s not the 1870s, and now it's another 30 years on and today's readers judge a book by its cover, and this cover is saying sappy/tacky in a sing-song voice while clapping its hands in time. After 58 pages I don't think it deserves a cover that sings sappy/tacky to all who pass by. I couldn't say I love it yet, but it's quite good. I'm looking forward to continuing with it. To be continued...
13/11 - This is turning out to be a very convoluted, lover-ful romance. It starts out with a love-at-first-sight romance with a married-with-one-child man nearly double her age. After a couple of intense hook-ups they decide they need to part because his son is mentally challenged and she just got a once-in-a-lifetime job at the American school in Rome. She goes off to Rome and he goes back to his family. In Rome Ruth meets quiet accountant Bruno, they date every weekend for months but he refuses to sleep with her until their wedding night because the time wasn't right. At the end of the wedding night sex scene the chapter ends and we fast forward about four years to find that Bruno, one of the few safe Maserati drivers in Italy, has died in some kind of car crash (no details given so far). At their wedding Ruth met Bruno's cousin Peter and they had an instant connection across the wedding cake (or something like that). They didn't see each other again until Bruno's funeral and even at a time like that the connection between them sizzled again. Peter kept in touch with Bruno's mother, Nona, who had become like a surrogate mother to Ruth (her mother died giving birth to her), while Ruth grieved for her husband. When Nona judged Ruth to be ready she encouraged Peter to go for it, and he swept Ruth off her feet 18 months after Bruno's death. Their first weekend together Peter proposes and, after a little reassuring that Nona will be ecstatic and God approves, Ruth accepts. Their wedding will be in three weeks and Nona, Bruno's mother and Peter's aunt, will play the part of mother-of-the-bride for Ruth (yes, they have become that close). She's just accepted Peter's proposal when a colleague from the school in Rome announces that she has a letter from T.J., the first guy (a poet), that was sent to the school as Ruth's last known address. In the letter T.J. reveals that he is coming to Rome for a poetry reading tour and wonders if she'd be interested in meeting him between readings. She dithers a bit, asks the colleague her opinion and is encouraged to go and meet T.J., but not to tell Peter because Italian men are known for their possessiveness and their tempers (the colleague's husband hit her after she told him about meeting an old, male friend for drinks, because she had embarrassed him). Ruth does as advised and meets T.J. at his hotel room, and of course, considering the way this romance is going, they have spur-of-the-moment sex on the floor of his hotel room. Meanwhile, prior to getting reacquainted with Ruth T.J. has been dealing with his own problems. His son got pneumonia which put him in the hospital on life support for two weeks, his wife went mad with guilt over their son's condition, or something (not really clear) and had to be sedated before she seriously injured T.J. in a fit of rage. After that episode she became catatonic and stopped doing anything, stopped talking, eating, drinking, even moving and the doctors had to start feeding her intravenously. Weeks later it has been decided that she's in some kind of coma state and will never come out of it. Once Tommy, their son, recovered from the pneumonia T.J. took him home but was faced with a conundrum when he realised there would be no one to care for Tommy while he was at work. Luckily he'd met a very compassionate and caring nurse while Tommy was in the hospital who was perfect as a carer for Tommy and temporary lover for T.J. After the horrendous upheaval his life had gone through in the last few weeks he needed someone to comfort him and help him through make it through the first few weeks, maybe months, without his wife's support. T.J. and Sally Mae are there for each other whenever the other needs support until the term ends for T.J. and his contract comes up for renewal. T.J. decides to leave teaching and become a full-time carer and friend for Tommy, which also gives him the time to dedicate more energy to his writing, which his publishers have been hounding him about for months. That was the last we heard of T.J. and Tommy until he met up with Ruth in the hotel room, the point of view switched back to Ruth and Peter spending their first weekend together and getting engaged.
I hate to think how many more lovers Ruth may go through before we get to the HEA (if there is one, that is). The prologue is of Ruth wishing a man would call, and thinking about her unborn baby. At the moment it's a mystery who the father might be, it could be anyone (except, of course, poor dead Bruno), it could be Peter, T.J. or any number of other guys who we've yet to meet. This romance is unlike any I've ever read - romance with guy after guy, and it's true romance, not just a short-term boyfriend, she's in love with each one (sometimes more than one at once). I can't imagine how this is going to end. To be continued...
15/11 - The original story ends in a very strange place, almost in the middle of a paragraph. T.J. is ripping down the ugly gray wallpaper he covered the collage of photos of Ruth with. The sentence ends and then the next page abruptly begins the prologue to the new writing, the .5 part of the story as it were. It was almost as if the computer died mid paragraph and the publishers took the unfinished draft and printed it without the author's permission. I was quite confused to start with, not realising that the story had fastforwarded 30 years and in the meantime Ruth and Tom (he's not T.J. anymore, probably because he's now 82 years old) have had three children of their own, one of their sons has died and Ruth had or has cancer. That was a lot of surprises to take in within a few paragraphs. The extra pages are written in the same style and voice as what was written 30 years ago, so it doesn't feel like a different author wrote the new pages, it all blends together well. I hope we get to find out what happened to her first son Pietro Morelli II. I hope that she was allowed to see him occasionally, because even though she didn't think so, even if she felt like the six (female relatives of her husband Peter) had replaced her in her son's eyes, all children need their mothers (with exceptions made for child abusers and addicts). To be continued...
which I don't get from my own family as they aren't very many of us, we all live on the same block of land, see each other weekly and have dinner together weekly if not more often, which means that getting together over Christmas is not much different from getting together on the 14th of July or the 7th of September - it's just another family dinner. I loved the way Pete introduced himself to his siblings, just sitting there with the dog, waiting for them to arrive, and when they do arrive they just accept that there's a strange man in the living room with no questions asked. They didn't even ask who he was, how he knew their parents and why he was there for a family Christmas. I'm not sure if Beth's reaction, which was no reaction at all, to finding out her father's not her biological father was all that believable. She didn't even remonstrate with her mother over the fact that because Ruth had waited so long to tell her the truth she would never be able to know her father, because he'd died before she had a chance (not saying that he was all that worth getting to know, but I don't think a child should have their choice taken away like that). I was a little worried, considering how the story had played out so far, that Tom might die at the end of the new chapters, but luckily the ending was very happy and cheery. Thinking about it now it was a bit like a Christmas tv movie special with the family all dressed in cute and cosy (not sexy) Santa outfits standing in front of their house (which is decorated to within an inch of its life with lights) in the soft floating snow waving to the camera as it pulls up and away from them. But despite the possible cheesiness I really enjoyed the new chapters, they made my heart go "Aww".
September 14, 2013
An amazing, emotional story
I almost gave up after the first chapter. The writing just didn’t grab me. I hate not finishing a book so I figured that I would put it away and start chapter 2 another time. I was hoping that a new day and new frame of mind would make a difference. I am so glad I gave it another chance! I became sucked in and so invested in Ruth and Tom’s relationship that I couldn’t put it down.
This was a very emotional book and there isn’t one emotion you won’t feel! Their story begins in 1971 in Akron, Ohio. Ruth Tyack, is a graduate student at Eastern Ohio University. Tom Jeffers, a poet from Buffalo, is coming to the University to do a poetry reading. Ruth is asked to pick him up at the airport. They have an immediate, strong connection. Their banter is full of teasing and sexual innuendo’s, it’s flirting at its best!
They know they can never have more than just one night together. He is married and a father and she was offered a teaching position in Rome and will be leaving soon. Their attraction is so strong that they know the unexpected love they feel for each other will never go away. They are true soul mates. Their lives go on in two different directions. They form relationships and try to lead a normal life, as they will never truly be free to be together. They are forced to face many challenges and heartbreaks, but they seem to have this magnetic pull toward each other that time, distance and hardships cannot break. Their hearts will always belong to each other and their love will sustain them until, if and when, they can be together again. “We need each other to fill the empty spaces which we have discovered cannot be filled by another”.
The original story had ended in 1982. This version takes place in 2012, thirty years later. It was an amazing story! When you get so wrapped up in the characters of a book you always wonder what was next. These last three chapters wrap up loose ends that will give you a remarkable ending that will complete Ruth and Tom’s story. It was a wonderful validation of how strong their love was and how they had to experience love, life, death and adversity in order for their journey to end with each other. It’s what we all hope for, to find that one person who completes us, who cherishes our love, who is our protector and who loves us unconditionally. It’s a precious gift. True love always prevails.
Copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review
I almost gave up after the first chapter. The writing just didn’t grab me. I hate not finishing a book so I figured that I would put it away and start chapter 2 another time. I was hoping that a new day and new frame of mind would make a difference. I am so glad I gave it another chance! I became sucked in and so invested in Ruth and Tom’s relationship that I couldn’t put it down.
This was a very emotional book and there isn’t one emotion you won’t feel! Their story begins in 1971 in Akron, Ohio. Ruth Tyack, is a graduate student at Eastern Ohio University. Tom Jeffers, a poet from Buffalo, is coming to the University to do a poetry reading. Ruth is asked to pick him up at the airport. They have an immediate, strong connection. Their banter is full of teasing and sexual innuendo’s, it’s flirting at its best!
They know they can never have more than just one night together. He is married and a father and she was offered a teaching position in Rome and will be leaving soon. Their attraction is so strong that they know the unexpected love they feel for each other will never go away. They are true soul mates. Their lives go on in two different directions. They form relationships and try to lead a normal life, as they will never truly be free to be together. They are forced to face many challenges and heartbreaks, but they seem to have this magnetic pull toward each other that time, distance and hardships cannot break. Their hearts will always belong to each other and their love will sustain them until, if and when, they can be together again. “We need each other to fill the empty spaces which we have discovered cannot be filled by another”.
The original story had ended in 1982. This version takes place in 2012, thirty years later. It was an amazing story! When you get so wrapped up in the characters of a book you always wonder what was next. These last three chapters wrap up loose ends that will give you a remarkable ending that will complete Ruth and Tom’s story. It was a wonderful validation of how strong their love was and how they had to experience love, life, death and adversity in order for their journey to end with each other. It’s what we all hope for, to find that one person who completes us, who cherishes our love, who is our protector and who loves us unconditionally. It’s a precious gift. True love always prevails.
Copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review
August 11, 2013
This book was a gift to me from a friend that is vey near to my heart.
I did enjoy the love story within the book. The book did kept me in suspense to the point I didn't want to put the book down until I found out what happened.
If I had anything negative to say about the book... I have never had a partner speak to me using the verbage that was used. BUT 30 years ago (I was 12) they may have. So, with that said.
The book was well written overall and I was very happy the way Heart 1.5 ended. I do want to purchase more of Susan Ross's work. To me she is brilliant to come back to this book 30 years later, continue the story and give it an absolutely wonderful ending.
How brilliant to write about the characters 30 years later. Seriously, how many books have we read (knowing they are just characters) and wondered what are they doing today. I have with many books, I get attached to the characters.
If only we could only stay as sweet, kind and strong as Ruth with everything she went through. But then again if men like Bruno and Tom were really outside of novels we just might be as sweet as Ruth. =)
I did enjoy the love story within the book. The book did kept me in suspense to the point I didn't want to put the book down until I found out what happened.
If I had anything negative to say about the book... I have never had a partner speak to me using the verbage that was used. BUT 30 years ago (I was 12) they may have. So, with that said.
The book was well written overall and I was very happy the way Heart 1.5 ended. I do want to purchase more of Susan Ross's work. To me she is brilliant to come back to this book 30 years later, continue the story and give it an absolutely wonderful ending.
How brilliant to write about the characters 30 years later. Seriously, how many books have we read (knowing they are just characters) and wondered what are they doing today. I have with many books, I get attached to the characters.
If only we could only stay as sweet, kind and strong as Ruth with everything she went through. But then again if men like Bruno and Tom were really outside of novels we just might be as sweet as Ruth. =)
September 4, 2013
I received this ARC from NetGalley.
A decades-spanning love story, Heart embraces the power of love and faith to overcome all obstacles. It's a good message, and of course the main reason that so many people turn to romance novels. There's a naivete to the main characters, particularly the female lead, that somehow makes you overlook and disregard details, like marital infidelity, that you would normally despise. Conversely, that naivete occasionally grows tiresome. But there are moments, when the story is in full on, soap opera drama mode, in which it is impossible to put down.
I have to dock a point for the extremely simplistic writing. However, the story was first published in 1982, and somewhere around halfway through the book, I finally realized it sounded just like the Danielle Steele novels I used to devour in the late 80s, so to some extent it can be excused as a product of its time. Ross has added an extended epilogue to her original story, revisiting her characters 30 years later. Though sweet nearly to the point of being saccharine, it was still entertaining.
A decades-spanning love story, Heart embraces the power of love and faith to overcome all obstacles. It's a good message, and of course the main reason that so many people turn to romance novels. There's a naivete to the main characters, particularly the female lead, that somehow makes you overlook and disregard details, like marital infidelity, that you would normally despise. Conversely, that naivete occasionally grows tiresome. But there are moments, when the story is in full on, soap opera drama mode, in which it is impossible to put down.
I have to dock a point for the extremely simplistic writing. However, the story was first published in 1982, and somewhere around halfway through the book, I finally realized it sounded just like the Danielle Steele novels I used to devour in the late 80s, so to some extent it can be excused as a product of its time. Ross has added an extended epilogue to her original story, revisiting her characters 30 years later. Though sweet nearly to the point of being saccharine, it was still entertaining.
July 24, 2013
I tend to gravitate toward historical fiction and thrillers, but will pick up books that are more romantic or emotional on occasion. In the case of "Heart", I'm very glad that I did. This book takes you on an incredible journey, across continents and time, with two ill-fated lovers whose timing is never quite right (or is it? I won't spoil the ending.) While the language is a bit flowery in places, I don't think it is distracting and I suppose it wouldn't qualify as a romance otherwise. Overall I found the story compelling and the characters very well-developed (I shed a few tears along the way!) There isn't a lot of superfluous language, which you can often find with the more romancey-type novels, and I found the imagery to be really fun. I also really enjoyed that the story is set several decades ago, so the absence of cell phones and the mention of things like telegraphs and airmail helps to intensify that swept-away feeling. If you're looking for a read that is easy but will draw you in and take your mind on a little holiday, I would definitely recommend "Heart".
September 21, 2013
Heart by Susan Ross and Susan Rau Stocker
I didn’t realize that this book was written around the time I was born until I went on Goodreads to post my review. That being said, I am not sure how I feel about this book. As I was reading I thought that this book felt dated, or maybe it was just too drawn out for me. I know this is just me. I have a hard time getting into books that span lengths of time.
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October 18, 2013
want to know how the story ends? never read the first book. This book has it all. I love all the places we are taken to both physically and mentally. Fun read for sure!!
Want to read
July 26, 2016**ARC provided by Edelweiss for an honest review!**
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