Review: My Foolish Heart

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Anybody that knows me knows that I’m a sucker for a good romance book. I usually lovingly refer to my favorite books – historical romance – as “smut books,” but I’ve always insisted that I could live without the smut; it’s the romance that I love.

I’ve read a few Christian romance books, but, well, I’ve found many of them to be rather cheesy. When I was offered the opportunity to review, My Foolish Heart, Susan May Warren’s fourth book in the Deep Haven series, it sounded so interesting that I had to give another Christian romance a try.

I loved this book!

myfoolishheart cover sm

My Foolish Heart centers around Isadora Presley and Caleb Knight. Isadora has been trapped inside her home by agoraphobia since her mother’s tragic death years earlier. She’s pulled away from God because she is convinced that He must be ashamed of her.

From the safety of her home, however, Issy is known by millions as Miss Foolish Heart, the voice behind the wildly popular radio talk show where she gives advice to the lovelorn. What her loyal listeners don’t know is that Miss Foolish Heart herself has never had a date!

Enter Caleb Knight, Isadora’s handsome new neighbor who drives her crazy parking on her pansies and letting his dog run wild. What Issy doesn’t know is that Caleb has secrets of his own, but he’s determined to keep his secrets hidden until he lands the job of high school football coach on his own merits.

Caleb is also determined follow God in all his choices, feeling that God spared his life for a purpose.

One night, Caleb catches the end of My Foolish Heart. He’s not exactly looking for advice for the lovelorn, but he can’t resist calling in and asking for a few tips on how to talk to his attractive new neighbor. He has no idea that Miss Foolish Heart is his new neighbor!

In addition to Isadora and Caleb’s story, the subplot of Issy’s best friend, Lucy, and Lucy’s first love, Seb, are cleverly woven into the tale. I’m a huge fan of  books whose secondary characters are as strong and memorable as the main characters. It gives me the sense that I’m reading the story of old friends – that I know the characters.

The message of God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness is an integral part of the tale, but it’s expressed in a natural way. This isn’t an evangelical book with goody-goody characters and a syrupy sweet romance trying to force-feed Christ. It’s the love story of two people who happen to be Christians. The nature of Christ is shared through their story.

The characters are real people with real baggage and real sin. They’ve messed up. They’ve fallen short. And, they’re still loved by God. There’s nothing cheesy about this story. It’s believable, enjoyable, and inspiring – a true-to-life tale that points the reader back to Christ through all of life’s messiness.

My Foolish Heart was page-turning, stay-up-way-too-late-reading, I’d-read-it-again good. I enjoyed it so much, I’ve already got the first three books in the series on my Amazon wish list and I’ve checked out another of Susan May Warren’s books from the library.

I mean, really, a great love story without the smut and with Christ? What more could a book lover ask for?

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Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.

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7 Comments

  1. She is a wonderful author!  Thanks for reviewing this – I didn't realize there was a new one out.

  2. That's a good review! I read quite a bit of Christian fiction, mainly to try to stay away from bad language & the glorification of immoral situations. I'll have to look this one up!

  3. Kris,

    I ordered the first book in the series from PBS based on your review.  I'm looking forward to reading it.  Hmmm, now any good Christian Scottish romances out there???

    Samantha

  4. Now And Always by Lori Copeland was a good read as well. I am not Christian, but it is a Christian romance. The main character runs a private shelter for abused women. She is well developed–and there is a struggle thruout the story of whether G-d is leading her to close the shelter or keep it going. You get to know the women who are housed there, too. Then there is the romance bit with the hometown boy come home and the one whose been there all along–which man is right for her? Definitely put on your summer reading list. be well–

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