Review of Blue Heart Blessed

[I posted this at the SaSR Tuesday Review & Recipe Event but since not everyone belongs to the Group I thought I would start posting my Tuesday reviews here at the blog too!]

Title: BLUE HEAT BLESSED
Author: Susan Meissner
Genre: Christian Romance
Publisher: Harvest House
My Rating: 5 of 5
Reviewed by: MarthaE

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Heart-Blessed-Susan-Meissner/dp/0736919171

Author's website: http://www.susanmeissner.com/

Blurb: Left standing at the altar, Daisy Murien, a wounded but hopeful romantic, opens a secondhand wedding dress boutique, hoping to soothe her broken heart while giving doomed wedding dresses a second chance at love. Her predictable days take a sharp turn, though, when the retired Episcopal priest who blesses the tiny, blue satin heart she sews into each dress falls ill.
When the priest's brooding and recently divorced son arrives with plans to take his ailing father away, a contest of wills begins between two stubborn—and hurting—souls. While fighting to keep Father Laurent close by, Daisy finally begins to understand why she has routinely convinced potential buyers not to buy the one gown that started her business—her own: She doesn't want to give up on the dream of a fairytale romance. This compelling story is about the magnificence of unconditional love and God's impeccable timing in bringing it about.

REVIEW:
This is an absolutely lovely Christian romance. From begriming to end it is a sweet mix of sadness, laughter and hope conveyed through wonderful, quirky personalities.

Daisy Murien is a young woman struggling to deal with the rejection and bitterness left from being dumped ten days before her wedding. She bravely opens a secondhand wedding dress boutique called "Something Blue", and takes on the management of an apartment building as a way to keep herself busy while trying to heal. She engages a retired Episcopal priest, who is her first tenant, to bless the tiny, blue satin hearts that are sewn into each wedding dress for her store. Daisy gets wonderful advise and encouragement from the priest, while trying to dodge being set-up for dates by her mother and Aunt who also live in the building.

Daisy, the sad and struggling character, writes in her diary to her alter ego, Harriet, the logical and sensible part of her character, who writes back sound advice! Her normal and planned days become quickly confused when Father Laurent suffers a heart attack and his son, recently divorced, hurt and withdrawn, threatens to move his ailing father away. The ensuing battle and interaction between these two hurt souls is wonderful.

Any of us who have faced and overcome rejection at one time or another can relate to the pain and process of finding hope and learning to risk again. This is a lovely, smooth read, even if it has some heartache! I am not one prone to tears when reading (though I've been known to laugh out loud and argue with characters!) but I suggest that tissues be nearby for the ending of this book.