Heart Like Mine (Hatvany) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
There are no storybook perfect endings here, but this compelling novel raises the possibility of a hopeful way forward.
Seattle Times


Grace McAllister....is unexpectedly thrust into the role of full-time stepmother when Victor’s ex-wife dies of a heart attack.... Grace assumes the difficult job of managing seven-year-old Max and Ava, 13.... Grace generously explores memories and old photo albums with the children, but what Ava discovers on her own roils this fragile arrangement as the incipient family.... Hatvany maintains a difficult balance between compelling and saccharine prose.... Forced into a tough position, Grace is an easy protagonist to root for, at times overshadowing the broadly drawn, less relatable Victor. Look beyond the more melodramatic aspects and there’s a lot to like.
Publishers Weekly


Will delight readers…vivid and written with a depth of feeling.
Library Journal


The voices are so down-to-earth and familiar and the events so much like real life that readers will feel like they know the characters. Grace is a wonderful, witty woman.... You learn to love her right away and are glad when she meets Victor, a smart and gentle man. You feel the pain of Victor's two children through his ex-wife, Kelli.... From the chapters about Kelli, one can sense a painful past, ultimately revealed. What keeps the reader turning pages is not suspense (there are no real surprises here) but rather the desire to keep company with the likable cast. An uplifting and heartwarming experience.
Kirkus Reviews