My Stubborn Heart [Paperback]

Becky Wade (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

A Sensational CBA Debut in Contemporary Romance!  This summer author Becky Wade makes her CBA debut with a fun -- and funny -- contemporary romance.  Amidst the light-hearted banter and laugh-out-loud moments is a compelling spiritual journey of one woman's choice to listen to God and wait on him.  Filled with humor and authentic romance, My Stubborn Heart is shaping up to be the hit of the summer.

Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When Kate's grandmother asks Kate to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.

Yet, she discovers a different kind of project upon meeting the man hired to renovate the house.  Matt Jarreau is attractive and clearly wounded -- hiding from people, from God, and from his past.  Kate can't help but set her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light... whether he likes it or not.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks her to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.

Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man hired to renovate the house. Kate can't help being attracted to him, drawn by both his good looks and something else she can't quite put her finger on. He's clearly wounded--hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Yet Kate sets her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light...whether he likes it or not.

When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever dreamed?

"A beautiful story that proves sometimes falling in love is a matter of faith. Becky Wade creates characters readers will love."
--Lisa Wingate, national bestselling author of Blue Moon Bay and Dandelion Summer

"I love finding new authors, and Becky Wade is definitely one to watch. Her debut novel offers romance, laughter, and poignancy. The perfect combination for a night out with you and your book."
--Deeanne Gist, bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and Love on the Line

"A feisty heroine, romance, and comedy make this a fabulous debut and Wade an author to follow. Recommended to readers who enjoy Melody Carson." --Library Journal [Starred Review]


"Wade creates charming characters, with great development, who make the reader really invested in the outcome of this heartwarming tale that proves the power of relying on faith." --RT Book Reviews

About the Author

Becky Wade is a graduate of Baylor University. As a newlywed, she lived for three years in a home overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, as well as in Australia, before returning to the States. A mom of three young children, Becky and her family now live in Dallas, Texas. Visit her Web site at www.beckywade.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers; Original edition (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764209744
• ISBN-13: 978-0764209741
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (212 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,816 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

During her childhood in California, Becky frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She's been a fan of all things romantic ever since.

Becky and her husband lived overseas in the Caribbean and Australia before settling in Dallas, Texas. It was during her years abroad that Becky's passion for reading turned into a passion for writing. She published three historical romances with Avon Books, then put her career on hold for several years to care for her kids, then recently returned to writing sheerly for the love of it. She felt led to move to the genre of contemporary Christian romance and couldn't be more thrilled with it.

These days Becky can be found failing but trying to keep up with her housework, sweating at the gym, carting her kids around town, playing tennis, hunched over her computer, eating chocolate, or collapsed on the sofa watching TV with her husband.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Becky Wade is the Queen of Emotion! April 27, 2012

By Katy Lee, Author

Format:Paperback

Normally, I am a fast reader, but this author had me slowing down to absorb each and every exceptionally placed word on the page. I didn't want it to end...even though parts of it hurt to read. A lot.

HEROINE: Kate Donovan has prayed for a husband and has now come to the town of Redbud, PA for a break from her childrens' services/social work job, which having worked in a simliar position, I can understand the need for a break. She's there to renovate her grandmother's childhood home. She's spunky and quick-witted. She's petite and funny. She has a beautiful, pure heart and someone I would love to be friends with. The one thing I wished differently for her was that she wasn't so down on herself about her looks. Yes, she had been dumped a few times, but even the beautiful people of the world have been. I didn't see any past experience in her life that would make her see herself in this light.

BUT having said that...I suppose when the hero is some beautiful, world famous athelete who could have any woman in the world, ANY simple woman would wonder if she was worthy to be on the arm of that guy.

And speaking of the HERO: Matt Jarreau is all that! I typically don't like jocks, because of their ego, but he is the exception. The story is not so much about his ability, but about his pain. He is wounded and hiding. Yes, he is beautiful, but he is not superficial, and, man, does he know how to treat a woman--when he sets his heart on her. He has a family who loves him and hates to see him hurt. They pray for him. They pray for someone to reach him. And God answers that prayer.

But sometimes God doesn't answer our prayers the way we think He should. And that's all I will say about that. :)

READ IT! You'll be glad you did. My Stubborn Heart is filled with insight and great writing, tidbits to take away and ponder later...and even savor.

A thank you goes to the publisher for sending this to me in return for an honest review.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved This Book! April 23, 2012

By Dawn M. Crandall

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was one of those books I had no doubt I would love from the very beginning. I literally began reading it the moment I received it in the mail.... even though I had weeks before I needed to write a review for the blog tour. I'd never heard of Becky Wade before Litfuse offered me the chance to be on the author's blog tour. I'd never heard of the book either, but something about it caught my attention from first sight. Perhaps it was the cover, which was done extremely well. Or perhaps it was because it was about a rather hot, once-famous, wounded and brooding hockey legend hiding in his small hometown of Rosebud, PA working as a contractor just to stay busy. And btw, Rosebud is sincerely the cutest name of a town I have ever heard of. Oh, and the heroine is also as cute as a button, an Audrey Hepburn-look-alike with long red hair. Oh, and there's a two hundred year old elaborate mansion to be refinished, a seventy-something grandmother reconnecting with her school-hood friends-- and this gorgeous, silent man doing all of the renovations.
I wouldn't say that the book was divided 50/50 between the two main characters-- I think Kate's perspective took up more words than Matt's did-- and I have to say that I liked it. The reader got just enough of Matt's side of the story to understand what kind of torture he was going through.
I don't read a ton of contemporary romance-- mostly historical-- but I must say, if there were more there like this one, I would be eating them up. There was never a dull moment, and I just wanted to keep reading and reading and reading-- and I did so although I was sick with a head cold and really should have been getting my much-needed rest! I liked the title-- it described Kate to perfection-- though to her credit, she wasn't stubbornly seeking a romantic relationship with this broodingly handsome Adonis of men, but stubbornly offering him her friendship-- which ended up making all the difference. And I loved Matt's character. As a widow, still deeply disturbed by his young wife's death, Becky Wade did a masterful job in getting him through his grief and to a place where he could love again. He was so well-written!
I also have to say something about the prologue and the epilogue. They were written omnisciently about the two main characters and turned out to be perfect thing for "book-ending" this book cover to cover.
I am so looking very forward to seeing what's next from Becky Wade. I love finding new authors to follow!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite book this year! May 25, 2012

By kenziekylanmom1

Format:Paperback

Dare I say that this was one of my favorite book of the year? I've already read so many wonderful books this year but this was one that really struck a cord in my heart. It's all about Kate, her faith in God and on a rare note we find the author also writes as the male character Matt and his struggles after losing his wife to cancer. It's a different type of romance novel then I'm used to reading and I LOVED it. I can't wait to see what Becky has in store for us in the future, she's a talented author and storyteller and I know we will see many more fantastic books from her in the future. I give My Stubborn Heart 5 out of 5 stars because I didn't have one slow part in the whole book. The author is knowledgeable about antiques, hockey, the Dallas area and the love of God and how He always knows what's best for us.