"the bound heart" by dawn crandall

WARNING: Do not begin reading this book before bed. It has been known to cause extreme loss of sleep and next day exhaustion. This is because once you begin reading, you won't be able to put it down, even if that means reading until 1:30 a.m.!

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One accidental kiss from Lawry Hampton. That was all it took to throw Meredyth Summercourt's world upside-down. Determined to marry the ever-elusive Vance Everstone, she simply doesn't have the time or the desire to fall for her best friend. But with Vance out of the country, and with Lawry at her side nearly every day, teaching her what the world is like through the eyes of a little orphan girl named Wynn--Meredyth can't deny that what's holding her to Vance is nothing more than a desire to redeem herself from her past. 

Will she marry Vance once he returns from Europe? Or will she be strong enough to break free from the tangled web she's convinced she deserves, and accept that God's plan for her life includes redemption...and, quite possibly, Lawry Hampton? 

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Words cannot describe how much I loved this book! When I read book one of The Everstone Chronicles, The Hesitant Heiress, I liked it a lot, but there were things (specifically regarding the heroine) that I didn't care for. Not so with The Bound Heart! I loved everything about it—especially Meredyth and Lawry.

Lawry and Meredyth's romance is sweet and sigh-inducing, and it moves at a great pace. (It drives me nuts when characters dance around the romance and the first kiss doesn't come until the last 10% of the novel, and The Bound Heart definitely doesn't fall into that category!) Lawry's love for Meredyth shines through the whole book.

The book isn't just about romance, though. It also shows the power of forgiveness—both toward others and yourself. As Meredyth struggled with her past, she was trapped by lies, and I longed for her to start believing the truth—that God loved her and forgave her, no matter what, and she was no longer bound by the sins of the past. Of course, she eventually got to that point, and the journey there was so emotional and realistic.

The Bound Heart is easily one of the best books I've read so far this year, and I'm eager to read the next in the series, The Captive Imposter! 5 stars.

Read my review of The Hesitant Heiress.
Buy the book.

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A graduate of Taylor University with a degree in Christian Education, and a former bookseller at Barnes & Noble, Dawn Crandall didn't begin writing until her husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a doubt about someday becoming traditionally published, he encouraged her to quit her job in 2010 in order to focus on writing her debut novel, The Hesitant Heiress. It didn't take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary. 


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from the author. I was not required to write a review, and the opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."