Review - Hearts of Compassion by Eryn Grace

Title: HEARTS OF COMPASSION
Author:  Eryn Grace
Publisher: Red Rose Press
Mainstream Romance: Contemporary, Inspirational, Holiday (Christmas)
ISBN: 978-1-60435-490-4
Pages: 388
Release Date: December 03, 2009
Price: $5.99

Rating: 4.25

Blurb:  Rylee Fitz, lonely daughter of a millionaire, is forced to work at a homeless shelter in up-state New York as a team building exercise for her job.

Ben Colson, the homeless shelter's lawyer who was fired when he has been working for Rylee's father, teaches Rylee that money doesn't get the work done and makes her do manual labor. When he takes the time to actually treat her like a human being and teaches her about the love of Jesus, Rylee finds herself falling for Ben. She just hopes he finds it in his heart to deal with her problems and forgives her family for treating him badly.

Review: This is a wonderful story that is not limited to Holiday reading. It really opens the readers’ eyes to the plight of the homeless.  It also points out the difference between being driven to personal success and being successful by helping others in need.

Rylee has chosen to seek success without relying on her family wealth.  She works hard in her marketing position at an interior design firm but often her co-workers try to undermine her or take credit for her work.  When her team goes to work for a homeless shelter she is surprised at the expectations.  However, she puts forth the effort to do her assigned tasks thoroughly. This gains her respect from Ben and others at the shelter but puts her at odds once more with her co-workers.

Ben initially sees Rylee as a spoiled, rich girl. He seems a little rough on her at first but his own compassion and warmth soon seeps through.  He gains respect for Rylee’s integrity in her honest efforts.  He also sees that she has been reluctant to accept help from others and she hides behind her loneliness and drive to succeed.

The author gently reveals the stories of those who have come to the shelter due to circumstances beyond their control.  Rylee learns to begin to reach out and help while allowing them their dignity.  Little does Rylee realize that when she returns to New York her own circumstances are going to tumble her out of work, out of her apartment and onto the streets!  How did this happen to her and how is she going to manage without seeking help from others?

The plot is full of twists that keep you waiting to see what will happen next. The characters are well developed and “humanly” flawed.  Through Rylee’s experiences and with Ben’s gentle leading, she learns to see the need for forgiving “grace” not only to strangers but to her own family.  This story is relevant to the hardships of the current economy. Ms. Grace has written an engaging and warm tale that made me think twice about my own attitude towards the homeless.  I heartily recommend this book for an inspirational read that is more than just a sweet romance.

xxx

Thank you to author Eryn Grace for providing this eBook to read and review.

This is my Sweet and Sensual Romances group review post today.

Winners of Easter Packages!

Thank you everyone for commenting and sharing your Easter/holiday traditions.  It is so interesting to learn about other traditions and customs. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE EASTER GIVEAWAY!

#1 QUACK the DUCKY 

(who quacks when you push the patch on his chest!)

with a candle, a dish towel and treats

#2 MISSY BUNNY
(a cute old fashion look!)

with a ceramic bunny house
decoration that opens,
Easter window decals/stickers
and treats

#3 CARROT BUNNY (so soft and plump)

with a bunny bell, a dish cloth and treats

And for the International Gift Certificate:

Please try to get your snail mail addresses to me right away so I can send the packages out as soon as possible!  mesreads@gmail.com

Mailbox Monday March 29, 2010

This Meme starts with Marcia at The Printed Page

These are books I got last weeks.

I won The Stranger's Secrets by Beth Williamson at Ann Aguirre's Hell Fire Lottery.  Thank you Beth and Ann!


Betrayed By Her Own Heart
Sarah Spalding has learned to forge her own way and never to trust anyone—least of all a Yankee. But when her companion abandons her while on a train to Colorado, Sarah begrudgingly accepts the help of Whitman Kendrick—a Yankee, yes, but one with the most bewitching green eyes. Allowing Whit to be her traveling escort is one thing, taking him as a lover is another—even though she’s tempted beyond reason…
Whit Kendrick isn’t quite sure what to make of the sharp-tongued, sassy woman sharing his train compartment. All he knows is that Sarah is refreshingly different from most women—and his urgent, primal attraction for her is unlike any he’s experienced. Breaking down Sarah’s wall of defense won’t be easy. But Whit is determined to prove to Sarah that they’re more alike than different—and loving each other is all they need…

I also won Bound by Temptation by Lavinia Kent at another Coffee Time Romance chat!  Thank you Lavinia and CTR!

Clara, the Countess of Westington, is one of the ton's most scandalous women.
Jonathan Masters has spent his life striving to be one of its most respected members.
Of all the beds in London, she had to wind up tied to his.

Clara was trying to be respectable. But when a misunderstanding puts her newly laid plans in jeopardy, she will do anything to keep the incident quiet—even if it means aiding a man she finds utterly infuriating.
Masters has spent his life surrounded by scandalous women. All he wants is a sweet, biddable wife who will help him restore his tarnished family name – not a dark-haired beauty with a wicked reputation who questions his every move.
Yet soon they are bound by temptation, desperate with desire, and swept into a reckless affair – and a love more than worth the price of impropriety.

What are you Reading Monday? March 29, 2010

This meme starts at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books!

I got to visit a few blogs this week for this meme and for Friday's Blog Hop meme.  Very fun.

I still have lots of books to review; two interviews with Giveaways to prepare and at least three other Giveaways to post soon.  Staying busy!

Finished:
PB -------------------

Kindle2 - Alone and Afraid by Karen Lewis.  This was a very quick interesting read.  Reviewing for You Gotta Read Reviews.

Publisher's website: http://www.heartsonfirebooks.com/downloads.aspx?categoryid=55 

Blurb: Life hasn'’t been easy for Shannon Knight, raised by a single mother, money’s been tight, but it’s about to get a whole lot worse. When her mother uproots them, to be with a boyfriend, then suddenly goes missing, it leaves Shannon facing homelessness in a strange city where she knows no one. Convinced that this man is responsible for her mother’s disappearance, Shannon sets out to prove it, with surprising consequences.

Audio CD:  Marriage and Other Acts of Charity by Kate Braestrup. Review and Hachette Giveaway are posted.




Audio CD:  Lost in Paradise by Allie Boniface.  I listened to this in two evenings - very easy and enjoyable!  Reviewing for You Gotta Read Reviews.

Ashton Kirk, youngest daughter of a prestigious senator, fiancée of a hotshot attorney, and fresh Harvard graduate, is headed for a promising law career when scandal breaks apart her family. Suddenly, she finds herself newly single and ashamed of her name. To escape, she rents an apartment in the sleepy town of Paradise, New Hampshire, where no one knows who she is.
Ashton hopes for solitude, but all bets are off when Eddie West, the town’s most eligible bachelor, moves in downstairs. The brawny auto mechanic loves his women and his cars shiny, sleek, and fast, and when he meets his new housemate, he wastes no time getting friendly. While Eddie is looking for a no-strings romance, though, he gets more than he bargained for in Ash, who sees through his bravado to the pain of a loss too fresh to mention.
Can two people from different worlds find common ground, a place to fall in love and build a future together? Or will Ashton’s past and Eddie’s scars keep them apart just as the summer heat brings them together? Is it possible to find your soul mate in the place you least expect to?

Currently reading:

PB:  Death Mill Mansion - A Lighthearted Comehy by Will Hartzell-Baird. I am two thirds done this very crazy murder mystery!
Books provided by author.

As has been documented in any number of movies and books, there is a particular class of mansion that, through some indescribable means, bestows unanticipated engine/tire difficulty upon passing cars, forcing the unsuspecting occupants to knock on the door, asking to use the phone, never to be seen or heard from again. Countless motorists have been lost to these devious abodes, as well as to the mysterious mansion's close relatives, the darkened gas station and the eerily silent farm community looming unassumingly in the distance. Coincidentally, on a dark, stormy night while driving on an unfamiliar country road, Robbie inexplicably experiences car trouble...

Dead, Undead or Somewhere in Between by J.A. Saare. I am really enjoying this Urban Fantasy! About 65% completed.

One bad corpse can ruin your whole day.
No one knows that better than Rhiannon Murphy.
She left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate and a fresh start. A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her—until now.
The deliciously good-looking vampire, Disco, knows her secret. When he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, Rhiannon discovers he’s not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no.
But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it’s only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market. Someone or something is killing vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn’t their first stroll around the undead block.

Audio CD -----------------I need a new Audio :)

Same old story:  This week I am again committed to writing more reviews!

Upcoming books:
Highest Stakes by Emery Lee.
Review (with Giveaway of the ARC copy provided by Sourcebooks) to be posted around the first week of April.

God Never Blinks - 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours by Regina Brett
Review and Hachette Giveaway to be posted soon.

Sunday Words of Encouragment March 28, 2010

Our Pastor's message today was "Choose Your Attitude."  There are those who are hostile to Jesus; those who are bystanders and never really a part of the message of Christ; there are those who follow Him but do not give all their best; and then there are those who take off their coats to lay them at His feet and give Him the best that they have.  Interesting comment - the unridden colt allowed Jesus to ride it into Jerusalem - the colt was obedient and gave his best.  What is your attitude?

Here is a song of praise I found for the triumph of Palm Sunday.
Did you know that Hosanna means "Save us now"?

Verses for Today:
Luke 19: 35-38  NIV

[35] They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. [36] As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

[37] When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

[38] "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

Today we dedicated knit hats and shawls made by ladies in the church. We prayed, and I pray, for healing and comfort to those who are blessed with the hats and shawls, and symbolically for others who need that healing and comforting touch.