Heart Like Mine

A Novel

By: Amy Hatvany

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

“You won’t want to put it down” (Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author) as you read this lyrical novel about a woman whose life is turned upside down when her fiancé suddenly becomes a full-time father to the children from his previous marriage.

Thirty-six-year-old Grace McAllister never longed for children. But when she meets Victor Hansen, a handsome, charismatic divorced restaurateur who is father to Max and Ava, Grace decides that, for the right man, she could learn to be an excellent part-time stepmom. After all, the kids live with their mother, Kelli. How hard could it be?

At thirteen, Ava Hansen is mature beyond her years. Since her parents’ divorce, she has been taking care of her emotionally unstable mother and her little brother—she pays the bills, does the laundry, and never complains because she loves her mama more than anyone. And while her father’s new girlfriend is nice enough, Ava still holds out hope that her parents will get back together and that they’ll be a family again. But only days after Victor and Grace get engaged, Kelli dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances—and soon, Grace and Ava discover that there was much more to Kelli’s life than either ever knew.

Narrated by Grace and Ava in the present with flashbacks into Kelli’s troubled past, Heart Like Mine is a “enveloping, heartfelt (Publishers Weekly) portrait of womanhood, love, and the challenges and joys of family life.

One of my new favorite authors

Amy Hatvany has done it again. She has written another wonderful heartfelt novel. I truly enjoyed listening to this book. As a mother it was sometimes difficult to listen to but the story was so well written and narrated that I couldn't stop listening. Great book.

Really Enjoyed It!

I really like this narrator - she's one of my favorites. That said, I sometimes got confused as to which character was speaking since each chapter is told from a different point of view - Kelly (first wife), Grace (fiancé), and Ava (daughter). On the other hand, I liked hearing from each character's point of view. This book is similar to a Jodi Picoult book & I really enjoyed it, very compelling. I didn't want to stop listening. I felt like I could relate to each character - very well written.

Not very realistic!

This story was boring and predictable! I stayed with it because I thought it would get better. Narration was good.

Secrets, heartbreak, scandal & lies

What made the experience of listening to Heart Like Mine the most enjoyable?

The story line was absolutely captivating from the mother getting pregnant at such a young age, to being sent away by her parents to hide the pregnancy to them forcing her to give the baby up for adoption, but unbeknownst to her they pretended the baby was dead and she had to live her entire life thinking her baby had died. This was the story of a mother's despair that ate at her heart so furiously that it crippled her and eventually killed her. She lost her husband, quit being a mother to her children to wallow in her own sorrow. After the mother overdosed on sleeping medication, her daughter wanted to know her mother's entire story so terribly that she began searching and with a little help and a lot of trouble she ended up finding out her mother's true story which helped her to piece together the puzzle of her mother's life.

Any additional comments?

I do wish that we found out more about the little girl that was given up for adoption, but I guess some stories have to remain untold.

great book!!!!

LOL another one I would read a sequel to awesome book love Cassandra Campbell's voice