Customer Reviews

Heather (The Circle of Friends, Book 5)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Heather Jennings has a goal. She's determined to coach college basketball, and after receiving her Masters at Duke, she lands a job as an assistant girl's coach at Clemson. This works out perfectly in her plans as it keeps her close to home. Her father has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and she wants to be nearby for her family.

It isn't until after she visits her married friends, Matt and Sarah, that she realizes that she is finally and truly over her longtime crush on Matt. After seeing the two happily married with newborn twins, she knows she could never have made Matt truly happy.

Complaining about her junk heap of a car, Matt tells Heather to stop in at his family's car dealership and tell his brother, Mark, to give her a good deal. It's her hesitant trip in search of a new car that changes Heather's life.

Neither Mark nor Heather was searching for love, and little did they expect they'd find it in each other. Both headstrong and self-assured in their goals, the two come to realize that they're perfectly matched for each other. Mark struggles to trust Heather after learning of her previous crush on his brother and having a mom that walked out when he was a teenager. Heather has never had a relationship that has lasted very long. The two slowly come together and admit that they're meant for each other.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about HEATHER kept my attention far more than the other books that I've read in this series. I don't know if it was that Heather was a far more likeable character? Or if the author has developed in her writing since the beginning of the series? Or that the story takes place in a more confined time period unlike the others I've read? Or maybe it is just that Heather seems like a much more real person. Heather deals with real life and real situations. Anyone reading the novel can imagine themselves in her shoes.

Life isn't sugar-coated for Heather and she exists in the here and now dealing with grief, friendship, and a real, deepening love for someone else.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

Heather Jennings is a committed assistant college
basketball coach at Clemson for the Lady Tigers. Her job
eats up most of her time and having to deal with her
father who is sick and dying from cancer, her good-for-
nothing sister, and a cocky player, the last thing Heather
needs is a serious relationship.

When she re-encounters an old neighbor boy, now a
man able to handle her busy schedule and fiery attitude,
things in Heather's life change. Will the couple be able
to deal with one another's busy schedules and their
different views of life?

This is the first "Circle of Friends" book I have read
but Book V...Heather has made me anxious to read the other
four books. I couldn't sleep not knowing what was going
to happen next, so I stayed up all hours of the night
reading it! I read every second possible. I was so
dissapointed when it was over. This was definitely one of
the best books I have read in a long time. It was
brilliant. Props to L. Diane Wolfe!

Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer
Flamingnet Book Reviews
Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers

I was a little leery of this fifth book as Heather was never one of my favorite characters. In fact, even in this book I disliked her personality and the way she treated her younger sister. Despite her sister being lazy I found Heather's reactions to be disproportional and over blown. Still I found myself enjoying this book a lot. I enjoyed seeing the progression of her relationship with Matt's older brother. Both their personalities were very strong and intriguing. Seeing how they adapted to each other's little quirks was great and I loved seeing their relationship progress. Another great part of this book is seeing updates on how the character's from the previous books are doing. So despite never really coming to like Heather I started to understand her and thought this was a nice completion to the series.

I read this book first, and it got me hooked on the series! Although this book is in the YA genre, it is a book for readers of any age.Very well written, it's a page-turner - and although part of a series, is a stand-alone read also.

The book follows Heather, who has attained her lifelong dream of being a basketball coach. We see Heather face a myriad of situations, circumstances and emotions and in the process watch her grow, overcome hardships and confront her own personal - and personality issues. She's faced with the illness of her father; a younger sister who seemingly can't get her act together; the heartache of a years-long love for a childhood friend, and challenges in her new career.

It's a book that anyone will identify with, as it deals with many things we all encounter in life. It's overall message (as with the entire series) is one of facing these situations and in the process becoming a stronger person. You become part of the story and stand beside Heather as she struggles with one situation after another. You'll cry, laugh and rejoice as, one step at a time, Heather grows into a self-assured, strong young woman who has learned to open her heart and find peace with her past.

You'll keep reading to find out what happens next, but you'll also be sorry to read that last page. You will have become friends with Heather throughout the book, and as with any good book, you won't want it to end. I guarantee that when you do finish and close the book, you'll have a smile on your face and a warm, happy feeling in your heart.

From my blog:

This was my first book by author (and motivational speaker) L. Diane Wolfe. I have not read any of the previous books in this young adult series but Ms. Wolfe stressed that I could pick up Book V without a problem. And she was right.

While the main character in this book, Heather, was introduced in the earlier books (along with supporting characters we meet), enough background information and character descriptions are given so that this book can be a stand alone in and of itself.

Interestingly enough, I wasn't sure that I liked Heather for the first third of even half of the book. I found her frustrating but she kept me interested and I never lost focus of the story. It came to me like a lightening bolt that Heather acted quickly, foolishly and without thinking at times because she was in her early to mid-twenties and she was very independent (or trying to be). In other words, very much like myself at that age. Once I was hit over the head with this literary 2x4, I understood Heather completely. She is definitely, to quote Ms. Wolfe, "ornery". She's argumentative and she's competitive. However, she is an excellent role model for teen girls who want to excel in sports and who strive to be independent.

Book V: Heather showcases just enough basketball (Heather's passion) to delight sports fans and athletes and yet not so much that sports novices would be overwhelmed or puzzled. I particularly enjoyed Heather's relationship with her parents, as it seemed very realistic and well written. In fact, I felt I would like her family if I met them and each member reminded me of my own family or a friend's family.

The cancer storyline is the "heavy" of the book but it's thoughtfully written, without unnecessary trauma.

The romantic portion of the story, with Heather most certainly meeting her match, is somewhat predictable to this mother of a teenager but I still appreciated watching her relationship with Mark progress and how both of them, not just Heather, made subtle and not so subtle changes in order to accomodate their growing feelings.

The strongest part of the book is Ms. Wolfe's ability to convey a message of strength and perseverance through her writing. Heather has many obstacles to overcome during the course of this book, ones that many of us face, and she tackles them and reacts in a fashion that is best described as brutally honest.

The message received from Book V: Heather is that life is going to throw you some curve balls and it sure isn't fair but you will emerge stronger and know yourself better.

I would recommend The Circle of Friends Book V: Heather to readers of all ages who want a good, strong story, with a positive role model, and who want to be encouraged and feel satisfied at the end of the book.

The Circle of Friends - Book V: Heather is the first book I've read in this series. I didn't know what to expect but I very much enjoyed it. This book could be read as a standalone, I never once felt lost. Heather was quite a relatable character, I think a lot of readers will be able to connect with her. She was a hard-worker that never stopped reaching her goals. She succeeded in landing a dream job as an assistant basketball coach. However, her happiness was underlined with great sorrow for her dying father. I loved the fact that she found a job near her family. It showed what a committed, loving and caring person she was. But, she also had a side to her that was spunky and courageous. She stood her ground well when it came to dealing with an uncooperative team member that tried to make her life a living hell.

Now, as you can see Heather had enough on her plate until falling in love fell in her lap. They tried to fight it but when it's meant to be nothing can stop it. Mark, which was ironically her ex crush's brother, rocked her world. He had a similar personality to Heather. Very blunt yet sympathetic and charming. They didn't have a perfect relationship but it just worked. In my eyes, they balanced each other out. I really enjoyed watching them fall for one another. Overall, a very interesting book with a character dealing with real life issues. The unexpected life altering event caught me off guard and I couldn't believe the crazy twist. It just goes to show that sometimes life is unpredictable and the only healing medicine is the power of love.