Matthew 14:6

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Matthew 24:6 KJV

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Book Review: HOME OF HER HEART by Shanna Hatfield





















Today I am pleased to feature
Home of Her Heart 
by Shanna Hatfield

About Home of Her Heart:


All he needed was a bride…
Who said anything about falling in love?

Orphaned at birth and a loner all his life, the last thing Sergeant Klayne Campbell needs is for feisty Delaney Danvers to entangle his thoughts.  Bravely volunteering for a top-secret mission almost certain to get him killed, Klayne can’t bear the thought of dying utterly alone. All he wants is to face death knowing his life meant something to at least one person. Offering Delaney a marriage of convenience, he plans to leave behind a war bride as his beneficiary. After just one night as her husband, Klayne realizes he’ll do anything to survive and return to her.

The moment she met handsome Sergeant Campbell at a holiday party, Delaney’s whole world shifted off kilter. Full of fun with an unquenchable zest for life, she isn’t afraid to go after what she wants. And what she wants is Klayne. When he prepares to join a hazardous mission, she seizes the opportunity to give him a reason to fight his way back home — to her heart.

A tender, sweet romance rich with history and enduring love, Home of Her Heart captures the era and emotions prevalent during America’s entry into World War II.

~o0o~


Shanna invites all to join her during her Facebook Event to introduce Home of Her Heart to be held Thursday, August 10th.
To join the party, CLICK HERE.


 


My Book Review:
This was a sweet whirlwind romance between Delaney and Klayne, two characters caught up in the apprehension and uncertainty of war. Their time together at the beginning of their romance was short, and they made a quick decision that probably would not have been made during times of peace and stability.

These two main characters were each dysfunctional in their own way, each letting their fears about their own imperfections, real and perceived, drive their decision-making processes. It was interesting to see them work through these issues to strengthen their relationship, although at times I felt like throttling both of them. There was also a great cast of supporting characters that added depth and interest to the story.

Most of the story dealt with Delaney and her father working on the home front dealing with the challenges of a wartime economy and labor shortages, and helping a child grieve the loss of parents due to war, while she waited for word of Klayne. The World War Two action Klayne was involved in centered around the bombing of Tokyo and other cities in Japan in the spring of 1942. The author shared the dangers and challenges experienced by those U.S. Army Air Corp B-25 crews who flew that mission. The author indicated in her afterward notes she spent a great deal of time researching that mission and what happened to the men who flew it. The details from her research came out in her writing.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend to those who enjoy clean, World War Two romance.
 
~o0o~

To purchase Home of Her Heart, 


~o0o~


About Shanna Hatfield:

          Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield is out to make it happen, one story at a time. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances combine humor and heart-pumping moments with relatable characters.
When this hopeless romantic isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.
She is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, Sweet Romance Reads, Pioneer Hearts, Sweet Americana Sweethearts, and Romance Writers of America.

Follow Shanna online:



Excerpt:


          Klayne wasn't sure how he'd allowed a group of his comrades to talk him into coming. He much preferred spending time alone. Tonight, though, he hadn't wanted to be stuck with only his maudlin thoughts for company. When a handful of fellow members of the 17th Bombardment Group invited him to join them, he grabbed his cap and went along. Now, he wondered if he'd be better off back at their barracks where he can lose himself in a book. The novel he'd been reading, The Keys of the Kingdom by A. J. Cronin, about an unconventional Scottish Catholic priest struggling to establish a mission in China, had been quite engrossing.
          His mine played over the plot as his piercing blue eyes flickered over the guests. Perhaps his maudlin thoughts were preferable to this crowd. It wasn't hard to see the majority of those in attendance were pretending to be happy and in a celebratory mood.
          In truth, the majority of the country floundered in a sea of grief and devastation. Three weeks earlier, Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor, wreaking destruction and shocking a nation that had clung to peace instead of chasing war. Upon America’s official entry into war with Japan and Germany, Klayne and his fellow U.S. Army Air Corp members knew it was only a matter of time before they were sent on a mission from their current base at Pendleton Field. He’d never heard of the Wild West town in northeastern Oregon before arriving in Pendleton back in the summer, after the Army air field opened.
          The too-bright smiles and strained laughter of those attending this evening’s gathering grated on Klayne’s taut nerves. Rather than a festive, jubilant mood, he sensed an undercurrent of apprehension and despair among the partygoers. Life had rapidly changed from a struggle to overcome the challenges of moving beyond the Depression to grasping at every bit of hope and joy available because tomorrow had become such and uncertainty.
          Notes tinkled from the piano in the opposite corner of the room and a dozen people belted out popular tunes mixed with Christmas carols. Klayne had spent Christmas day flying with a patrol along the West Coast, watching for signs of a Japanese attack. He'd only returned to Pendleton that afternoon.
          Instead of convincing himself he might enjoy a party, he should have known better and stayed at the base.
          A barely restrained cringe accompanied his next sip of punch. He held a bit of ice against the roof of his mouth and listened as the singers did a fair job on “O Come All Ye Faithful.”
          The scent of bayberry from the candles burning on the mantel beside him might have made him nostalgic, if he owned any pleasant holiday memories. He inhaled a bouquet of perfume from the women in the room, tainted by the underlying odor of alcohol. The aroma of food wafted to him as the hostess maneuvered through the room with a tray of meat-filled hand pies, still steaming from the oven.
          Klayne was starving, but he didn’t move from his hiding spot by the Christmas tree. He didn’t belong at this party. He didn’t belong anywhere. The military had provided the closest thing to a home and family he’d ever known. Even then, he didn’t make friends, didn’t form attachments. From experience, he knew it only ended in more heartache and loss.
          Out of habit, his eyes again scanned the room. His gaze passed by the doorway then backtracked, settling on a dark-haired woman who strode in with a laughing blonde. The fair-haired woman was lovely and decidedly feminine, but didn't keep his interest.
           From his undetectable position, he studied the brunette. The lights in the room glimmered off the hair she'd rolled away from her face and pinned in a cascade of curls at the back of her head. She exuded vibrancy and humor, a stark contrast to the haunted expressions of most in attendance. A ready smile brought out a dimple in her left cheek. He had no doubt that dimple left men befuddled for miles around.
          The long red velvet evening gown she wore seemed similar in style and elegance to the dresses worn by many of the females in attendance at the party. But when she swung around to greet the hostess with a warm hug, her skirt flared out, revealing a pair of black and red cowboy boots. The sight tugged a grin from him, doubling his interest in this unusual woman.
          His eyes traveled from her boot clad feet back up to her face and his heart skipped a beat, then another. The woman looked familiar. Indeed, she looked exactly like a girl who'd entranced Klayne during the famous Pendleton Round-Up back in September. The community encouraged the soldiers at the base to join in the annual event. Klayne had no interest in being packed elbow-to-elbow into bleachers among the cheering crowd, but the lure of witnessing the rodeo performance drew him there.
          When a trick rider raced into the arena and performed a series of jaw-dropping stunts, Klayne hadn't been able to look away from her. He couldn't explain what or why, but something about that woman had drawn him unlike any other. A vibrant, lively spirit had practically oozed from her and fill the stadium at the rodeo with her presence.
          Just like the woman now brought the room to life. If Klayne was given to fanciful thoughts, which he definitely was not, he would have said her entry into the room was like turning on the lights or switching from shades of gray to a rainbow of color.
          One of the singers at the piano waved to her, trying to get her to join them, but the woman shook her head and looped her arm around her friends shoulder. The two girls made their way over to a group of women speaking with a group of men from Klayne’s squadron.
          Briefly, the woman greeted them, left the blonde with their friends, and made her way around the room, speaking to everyone. She’d just turned from addressing an older man she seem to know well when she noticed him spying on her from around the Christmas tree.
          Her head tilted to the right and she gave him a long, studying glance. When her gaze met his, something electric arced between them. Curious if she felt it too he watched a slow smirk pop out the dimple in her cheek again. He’d never seen a woman smirk before and found it entirely fascinating as she walked across the room with purposeful strides.
          The woman wasn't the prettiest he'd ever seen. Her nose was a bit too broad and slightly crooked, as if it had been broken in the past. Her chin was slightly too sharp, inarguably stubborn. Her hazel eyes were bright, lively, and inquisitive. But her lips, oh those tantalizing lips, we're absolutely made for being kissed well and often.
          Stunned, he realized something about her appealed to him more than any woman he'd ever met.
          “What kind of man spies on a woman from behind a Christmas tree?” She asked, stopping in front of him and crossing her arms in front of her chest. 

1 comment:

  1. Thank you so, so much! I appreciate you hosting me today, Robyn!

    ReplyDelete