Amanda Stephan

"One lonely mother. Two matchmaking kids. Three eligible bachelors. What could possibly go wrong? ~*~
This is one of the descriptions given to this book and it is so "right on"!

This story was a delight to read and one I had a hard time putting down until I finished it. This is the second book by Amanda Stephan that I have read and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Becky Callis is a widow who has just arrived in town with her 2 children and are seeking to make a home for themselves in this small town. She finds new friends and old friends and eventually finds herself taking on a housekeeping/nanny type position at Pierce Morgan’s ranch. You can feel the attraction they both have for each other, but neither one comes out and really tells the other how they feel. There was a point in this story when I wanted to pull my hair out waiting for Pierce to “get his act together” when it comes to the decisions he was making.

I loved the way these two main characters “danced around” each other and couldn’t read fast enough to see how the author was going to finally bring them together. I also enjoyed the sensitivity of her two children and the wise old ranch hand, Curly. This was a quick read, filled with enjoyable characters. A fast moving story filled with romance and I had a really good time reading it. I want to thank the author, Amanda Stephan for sending me this story to review. It was a pleasure to read!

This book is not due out until October 2011.… (more)

Becky Callis is a lonely widow with two kids that she's been raising on her own. The kids know their mom is lonely and try to match her up with some worthy candidates. After moving to a new town she first meets Scott Boone whose easy-going manner and handsome looks make him easy to like. Then when Becky and the kids visit a new church in town they find out Jack is the pastor. Becky has known Jack all her life and they have an easy rapport together. Then there's Pearce Morgan. The handsome, stand-offish rancher who is raising a daughter on his own after his wife divorced him. His shy daughter, Emily, seems to have taken to Becky and her kids. Only one will win her heart but which one will it be?

I LOVED this story. From beginning to end it kept me totally enthralled and wondering how it would all work out. Loaded with zippy dialog and great characters made for a fun and very satisfying tale. I really enjoyed Becky. She was a very relateable character. I liked the way she handled the situations that arose and found myself thinking I wish I was more like her in some ways. You will enjoy getting to know all the bachelors as you wonder, like her kids, who is the best fit for their mom. The kids will win your heart as they do their best to see their mom is happy. I must say I loved Curly. He's a wise old ranch hand you'll get to know as well. This story took me through a gamut of emotions. I felt happy, sad, excited, angry, and frustrated. You know a story is good when it has that effect. The theme running though our story is 'things may not always be as they appear'. It's a great reminder that man looks on the outside but God looks on the heart. If you enjoy an easy-to-read, fun and entertaining story with a great message I highly recommend Lonely Hearts. It really would make a great Hallmark movie. Looking forward to more by Amanda Stephan. A thank you goes to the author for providing this complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.… (more)