Two Hearts in Winter, Ocean City Boardwalk Series, Book 2

Donna Fasano

Apr 2016 · Ocean City Boardwalk Series Book 2 · Donna Fasano

About this ebook

Loss and betrayal have caused Heather Phillips to give up on love. She’s thrown herself into running The Lonely Loon, her Bed and Breakfast located on the boardwalk of Ocean City, Maryland. The “off season” in this tourist town is usually a time of rest and reflection for her; however, DB Atwell, a famous author, arrives at The Loon for the winter to finish his long-overdue novel. Daniel, too, has faced grief, and tragedy continues to haunt him. Once Heather and Daniel meet, their lives will never be the same.

 

Reminiscent of Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks and culminating in a happily-ever-after similar to the great Nora Roberts, Two Hearts in Winter is a story about learning to let go of the past, about realizing that, though hardship affects us, it need not define us, and about coming to understand and truly believe that beauty is sometimes covered in scars. The human heart has an amazing ability to forgive, to heal, and to hope, especially when touched by love.

Ratings and reviews

Two Hearts in Winter by Donna Fasano You can always count on Ms. Fasano to write about a topic that many women struggle with and do it with finesse. Her characters are also always strong but flawed. How she is able to shine a light on these flaws and allow us to follow their journey to completeness or happiness as they gain insight to tackle their problems head on is one of Ms. Fasano’s greatest strengths. In this second book of Ms. Fasano’s Ocean City Boardwalk series we meet Heather Phillips, the owner and operator of The Lonely Loon Bed and Breakfast. She seems to have her life on track after suffering through a devastating break-up with a fiancé years ago over a decision she made for her own wellbeing. She’s now happy, prosperous, and has good friends she can count on. Her life would be almost perfect if it wasn’t for this cranky author, DB Atwell, who has rented the entire Bed and Breakfast for the whole winter so he can have peace and quiet to finish his next best seller. Heather has been walking on egg shells for over a month now and the quiet is driving her nuts. Heather is a social person who loves getting to know her guests, which is one reason her B&B is such a success, and it is Christmas Eve. It turns out Daniel is dealing with more than his next novel and he is hiding from the paparazzi. I love the way Ms. Fasano is able to unfold her characters through realistic dialogue, it gives the reader a genuine sense of who they are. Daniel’s story is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching as he tries to navigate international politics while trying keep his sanity. When Heather begins to learn his story a compassion is awakened in her that she thought she had safely buried and she is forced to confront her past decision in a way she never imagined. I was able to feel her emotional turmoil as if it was my own. The plot moves at a steady pace, but never too slowly, because there is a lot going on. We also get to revisit and learn more about people and events from her earlier works in this series. While it is not necessary to have read the first book of this series, Following His Heart or the related novella, An Almost Perfect Christmas to enjoy these parts of this story, I have to say that you are missing out on a couple of gems if you haven’t read them. Now I am anxious to learn more about Cathy! I found Two Hearts in Winter a unique, captivating, emotional tale that will keep you thoroughly enthralled until the very end. Don’t miss this one, it will make your heart smile. As a bonus Ms. Fasano has included the recipes Heather prepared for her International Holiday Dinner party on Christmas Eve at the end of this book for us all to enjoy as well. FYI: Two Hearts in Winter is Book 2 in the Ocean City Boardwalk series. This book can be read as a standalone story, as is true with other series books by Ms. Fasano. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** April 15, 2016 Format/Typo Issues: I found exceptional editing.

There is a social message in each of Donna's books and the second book in the Ocean City Boardwalk Series is no exception. The first book dealt with organ donation. Sara and Landon came together because of his transplanted heart. We also met Sara's friends Heather and Cathy. This is Heather's book. We learn about why she is so cut off from the dating scene. She has seen her mother fight and lose the battle to breast cancer and that has coloured her life with fear and some proactive action. I don't want to give away the story, but needless to say, its very relevant in the society today. Heather's beau is Daniel, and he has problems of his own. Daniel has hired out the entire Lonely Loon, the Bed and Breakfast that Heather runs, for the peace and quiet he requires to finish his next novel. Unfortunately, things are never exactly what they seem, he has a reason to hide and its eating up his heart. Can Heather help him heal even as his acceptance helps her come to terms with her own body? Its a beautiful book grounded in reality and speaking of how love can still be possible, if you just give it a chance. I was gifted a copy of the book by the author for an honest review. I enjoyed it greatly and I look forward to seeing what Cathy will get up to with her on again off again boyfriend in the final book of the series.

Note: I was given a complimentary copy for an honest review. It's not a long book, so I'm going to have to be ambiguous in places to avoid giving away spoilers. This book continues the stories of the residents in Ocean City with the focus this time on Heather. Heather is the owner of the Lonely Loon B&B and at the end of the previous book, Following His Heart, she has a new guest check in. He's reserved the entire B&B for the entire winter. Daniel Atwell needs quiet and solitude. He's supposed to be writing a book, but his secrets are becoming more than he can bear. And, when he realizes that he's creating a frustrating environment for his hostess, he feels the need to reach out to her. And, the more he reaches out to her, the more attracted to her he becomes. Heather feels attracted to Daniel, but she's ashamed of her body and is convinced that she's ugly. She refuses to allow a man to get close to her. Can the two of them move beyond their past hurts and pains? Can they resolve the conflict that is keeping them apart? I enjoyed this book. It does deal with some heavy issues, but those are in a fair and balanced manner. Heather has some very real issues that many women today are facing. Daniel, on the other hand, experiences a living nightmare beyond description. His struggles are real, yet he continues to live in hope of things working out. The end of the book is also realistic and satisfactory. Not everything is wrapped up in a tidy little bow - that's not real life. But, the reader is left with the satisfaction that the characters will continue to work things to a full and complete conclusion. Hopefully, the next book will focus on Cathy and more of the characters' lives will be revealed. Do not misunderstand, there is NO cliffhanger. But, the reader understands that another character will likely get her story next and the other characters' lives will continue in the background. This story did the same with Sara. Her story continued in the background of this book. Romance - PG / PG13. There is kissing, some heavy petting, but the romance scene is largely fade to black. There are some Innuendos - women talking about romance and references of desire between characters Language - PG / PG13 - There are a few strong words - nothing extreme My rating - 5 stars

About the author

 Donna Fasano is a USA Today Bestselling Author whose books have won awards and have sold 4 million copies worldwide.