This Heart of Mine

Starred review from April 15, 2015

After serving 17 years in prison for a fatal accident she didn't cause, Phoenix Fuller is back in Whiskey Creek to help her difficult, reclusive mother and get to know Jake, the son she hasn't seen since the day she gave birth. Sadly, Riley Stinson, Jake's dad and the man who is raising him, just wants her gone--and so do many of the townsfolk, especially the family of the girl she supposedly ran down. But Phoenix is not the frightened girl who left years earlier, and when the sparks begin to fly, she is more than willing to take the flak and fight for what she knows is right--and the man she's never stopped loving. VERDICT A courageous, humble heroine intent on getting on with her life, a hero torn between his feelings and others' expectations, and a surprisingly mature teen make this another engrossing addition to Novak's addictive series. Novak (The Heart of Christmas) lives in Rocklin, CA.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 1, 2015
Phoenix Fuller didn't do the crime, but she has done the time. While a senior in high school, Phoenix was accused of running down and killing a girl she thought was her rival for the romantic affections of Riley Stinson. Phoenix admits that she might have been a bit obsessed with Rileyespecially since their brief love affair left her pregnantbut she wasn't the one responsible for the other girl's death. However, with her mother's reputation as a crazy recluse and hoarder, and with no one else in town willing to vouch for her character, Phoenix ends up going to jail. Now that Phoenix has served her time, all she wants to do is return to Whiskey Creek and get to know her son, Jacob, but is Riley willing to give her another chance? With great sensitivity and an exquisite flair for characterization, Novak (A Matter of Grave Concern, 2014) explores the ideas of redemption, forgiveness, and the healing power of love. This Heart of Mine is a potently emotional, powerfully life-affirming contemporary romance that can be read and enjoyed on its own, but it also serves as an excellent addition to Novak's popular Whiskey Creek series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)