My review of Uncertain Heart by Andrea Boeshaar.

About the book:


A farmer is the last man Sarah wants to marry! After all, if Sarah McCabe had wanted to marry a farmer, she would have stayed home in Missouri. Ensconced as a governess for Captain Sinclair of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Sarah knows firsthand the life she has always desired, a life of luxury, culture, and social privilege. But then she meets Richard Navis, the captain's steward, and those highfalutin dreams seem to vanish in salt air. Sarah loves his teasing tenderness and she admires his commitment to the Lord. Why should Richard want to leave behind his career to buy, of all things, a farm? Sarah McCabe knows exactly what she wants... but what does God want for her?


My review:


There was something about this story that struck a chord with me. Not only was it charming and heart-warming, but it was deep when it came to answering the question... "What is love?" In some ways it reminded me of the family in "The Sound of Music," but the story went so much deeper than that. I loved the spiritual themes in the book and how it shows that we need to ask God to align our will for our lives with His will. It was a subtle point, but an important theme in the book. 


I also loved how real the characters were and how complex the author made them. They weren't simplistic or stereotyped, but felt like they could be real people I'd know. I liked that a lot. The heroine was dazed by the captain and his image. I could see the temptation coming every time he got close to her. But I also felt her desire to resist him and to do the right thing, not to mention her shame at the notion that people thought more was going on than mere service as a governess. 


The hero was a fantastic guy and a wonderful friend... until he allowed his thoughts to take a negative turn and jealousy to blind him. That was very well portrayed. Sheesh, I wanted her best friend to return as much as she did. That was a very touching scene and nearly brought tears to my eyes. I sensed her confusion, too, because of scriptures pertaining to love, including the most well known verse that states "love never fails." I understood how she felt like he'd failed her when he allowed jealousy to get in the way of his normal interactions with her. I can't say much more without spoiling some key points in the story, so I will leave it at that. 


Uncertain Heart was a perfect title for this book. The author showed the deceitfulness of the human heart very well and it made me think about my own life. I also found the plot to be engaging, the romance to be powerful, and the characters to be lovable and complex enough to hold my interest. Did I mention some powerful kisses? Ahhh....loved those, too. All in all this was a great story and I read it in two days. In fact, I had a hard time putting it down to go to sleep yesterday. I highly recommend it.


Uncertain Heart was published by Realms and released in October 2010.