MY REVIEW:
I have always been a fan of Susan May Warren’s novels so I was happy for the opportunity to review My Foolish Heart. This one just may be my favorite one yet.
After a devastating accident that took her mother’s life, Isadora Presley suffers such severe panic attacks that she rarely leaves her home due to her fear of a meltdown. She secretly hosts a radio show from her home giving romantic tips to her callers. For some reason a new caller, Boy Next Door, touches her heart and she finds herself fantasizing about him often. At the same time she is very attracted to her new next door neighbor Caleb Knight who apparently has a few problems of his own.
Caleb has moved to Deep Haven hoping to coach the high school football team and prove to himself that he can live a full life despite the severe injuries he suffered in Iraq. Hiding his greatest disability, Caleb bravely enters the competition for the coaching position. Accidentally overhearing one of Issy’s broadcasts, he uncharacteristically calls for advice. From that point on he is hooked and can’t resist the attraction of the sympathetic hostess to whom he pours out all his secrets, not knowing that she and Issy are the same person. Through his deep faith, Caleb is able to reach out to Issy and help her find her way back to a life of freedom. And in the process, he finds hope and healing for himself.
I thought the plot of My Foolish Heart was quite clever and enjoyed reading about both the on air and real life relationships between Issy and Caleb. The inclusion of the dog “Duncan/Roger” and his escapades added whimsical entertainment and the inclusion of Issy’s best friend Lucy and returning football hero Seb is a special bonus. An inviting small town setting, down-to-earth characters, and a warm and witty narrative make My Foolish Heart a joy to read. I would recommend this book without any reservation.
This book was provided for review by Tyndale House.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Unknown to her tiny town of Deep Haven, Isadora Presley spends her nights as Miss Foolish Heart, the star host of a syndicated talk radio show. Millions tune in to hear her advice on dating and falling in love, unaware that she’s never really done either. Issy’s ratings soar when it seems she’s falling in love on-air with a caller. A caller she doesn’t realize lives right next door.
Caleb Knight served a tour of duty in Iraq and paid a steep price. The last thing he wants is pity, so he hides his disability and moves to Deep Haven to land his dream job as the high school football coach. When his beautiful neighbor catches his eye, in a moment of desperation he seeks advice from My Foolish Heart, the show that airs before his favorite sports broadcast.
Before he knows it, Caleb finds himself drawn to the host—and more confused than ever. Is his perfect love the woman on the radio . . . or the one next door?
Read the first chapter of My Foolish Heart HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Susan May Warren is the RITA Award–winning author of more than thirty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church.
Susan holds a BA in mass communications from the University of Minnesota. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times and won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Four of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women’s events about God’s amazing grace in our lives.
Visit Susan’s Web site at www.susanmaywarren.com.
