Blog Tour Stop, Review & Kindle Fire Giveaway: Hidden in the Heart by Catherine West

Title: Hidden in the Heart by Catherine West
Publisher: OakTara
Genre: Contemporary, Christian, Fiction
Length: 248 pages
Book Rating:

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Blog Tour Company

Summary:

Everything Claire wants seems to be beyond her reach…

After losing her mother to cancer and suffering a miscarriage soon after, Claire Ferguson numbs the pain with alcohol and pills, and wonders if her own life is worth living.

Adopted at birth, Claire is convinced she has some unknown genetic flaw that may have been the cause of her miscarriage. She must find a way to deal with the guilt she harbors. But exoneration will come with a price. With her marriage in trouble and her father refusing to answer any questions about her adoption, Claire begins the search for her birth mother. For the first time in her life, she really wants to know where she came from. But what if the woman who gave her life doesn’t want to be found?

Hidden in the Heart has been nominated for a 2013 Grace Award and is on the long list for an INSPY award.

The Review:

Catherine West’s Hidden in the Heart is an incredibly moving novel about forgiveness and second chances.

In the beginning of the novel, Claire Ferguson is not a likable character. Following her mother’s death and the miscarriage of her first child, she has turned to prescription pills and alcohol to numb her pain. Separated from her husband, James, Claire is out of control, inconsolable and mired in grief. She pushes everyone away and refuses her family and friends pleas to seek help for her drinking.

Claire is convinced that her miscarriage was not a random event. She blames herself and since she is adopted with no information about her genetic history, she wonders if a genetic flaw could have caused her to lose her baby. Desperate for answers, Claire embarks on a search for her birth mother.

It is at this point in the story that Claire becomes more likable. As she begins taking steps to regain her sobriety, she becomes less self-centered. Claire also finds a newfound faith that gives her the strength she will need to face her past.

Sometimes difficult to read, Hidden in the Heart is a mesmerizing novel that is full of emotions. Catherine West provides an unflinchingly honest portrayal of addiction that is quite heartbreaking. Her characters are realistic and flawed but this is what makes them easy to relate to. A compelling story of redemption, faith and unconditional love that I highly recommend.


Meet Catherine West:

Catherine West is an award-winning author who writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. Her first novel, “Yesterday’s Tomorrow”, released in 2011 and won the INSPY for Romance, a Silver Medal in the Reader’s Favorite Awards, and was a finalist in the Grace Awards. Catherine’s second novel, “Hidden in the Heart”, released in September 2012. When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or tending to her roses and orchids. She and her husband have two college-aged children.

Learn more about Catherine by visiting her website.


Contest Info:

Catherine West is celebrating with the Hidden in the Heart Kindle Fire Giveaway! Enter today.

Hidden-in-the-Heart-giveaway300

One winner will receive:

  • A brand new Kindle Fire
  • A copy of Hidden in the Heart and Yesterday’s Tomorrow by Catherine West

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 21st. Winner will be announced on 4/23/13 at Catherine’s blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Questions about the contest? Please click HERE for the official rules.

3 Comments

Filed under Blog Tour, Catherine West, Christian, Contemporary, Fiction, Hidden in the Heart, OakTara, Rated B+, Review

3 Responses to Blog Tour Stop, Review & Kindle Fire Giveaway: Hidden in the Heart by Catherine West

  1. Timitra

    Thanks for the review Kathy…sounds good!

  2. Suzanne

    Wonderful story and great review.