A Heart So Broken: A breath of fresh air
Confessions:
The title and cover were slightly off-putting to me at first. I was so worried that it would be too sappy for me. But I still bought it because the author is an aquaintance of mine and I am totally all about supporting my friends in the same way that I hope to some day be supported with my own book. That being said, once I got past the title, I actually enjoyed the book! A lot!I'm not one to get gushy. I do occasionally go fan girl over some things, but it is rare and certainly not over drippy love goo. Regarding romance, I used to believe it was possible and then life opened my eyes to the reality that emotional armor is still a good thing. However, this book was a breath of fresh air to me.
Here's the book synopsis, taken straight from Amazon:
When Jenna Tucker arrives on Aunt Lilly's porch, her broken arm is
a small reflection of the shattered girl within. The sudden loss of her father
during his service in Iraq has conspired to transform her from top of the class
track queen to a girl on the run from haunting nightmares. With a trail of
burned bridges ablaze behind her and deep resentment for the survivor of the
blast that took her father's life Jenna digs in for a miserable summer in small
town West Junction. Aunt Lilly is just what she needs: comfort, guidance, and
hard truth rolled into a pair of loving arms. Under her tender care, Jenna has
a vivid dream that reawakens hope for happiness. Meeting handsome Cooper
Turnage at the crossroads brightens the possibilities considerably. The attraction
that crackles between them is hard to resist, but Cooper struggles to hide a
painful history that could ruin his chances with Jenna forever. The day Jenna
discovers Cooper's devastating secret, her still tender heart is crushed all
over again. She is confronted with a choice between the comfort of bitterness
or a path of forgiveness that will heal at last a heart so broken.
Now, down to the nitty gritty:
I opened this book with sincere enthusiasm as I do most books. However, the first couple chapters struggled for me because I was reading it from a critical writer's perspective. There's a couple (very minor) technical aspects in it which I would have preferred polished more. But I can't judge a book for those because even I have committed some major faux pas in my own writing. (Writing is a work of heart first and foremost and I applaud everyone who has ever stuck it out from start to finish because finishing is usually the hardest part.)
Once I loosened up in my expectations (I said loosened up, not lowered) the story truly warmed the cockles of my heart. After the main character, Jenna, had her first emotional breakthrough, I actually got invested in the story. I found that I identified with it and with her very strongly in the way only a young woman can if she has endured similar tragedy in her own life. I lost my dad very suddenly when I was only seventeen years old. My loss completely redefined me as a person and frequently still does. I understand the phases of coping all too well myself. And I know that portraying those emotions onto paper take a lot of strength in a writer. I am grateful to Christene as she portrayed those tender topics so well.
Maybe because grown up life has disenchanted me in some ways, romance and drippy love goo are so hard for me to hear or see or read. Perhaps we all have different ideas on love. I've never fancied reading that sort of stuff... Happily, this offered a sweetly naive and fresh perspective for me because it reminded me of myself in simpler days. It's cute and sweet in a good way. I think that all age groups can appreciate it in the way that Christene presented it.
My absolute favorite thing about Christene's book was the integration of the theme supporting the Armed Forces and the courage that is required for not only Servicemen and Servicewomen but also for all of their family members and their support circles. These men and women and families give so much. It takes Serious Courage and Serious Sacrifice. It's something that no one should take for granted and which many people do. I loved how the exercise of courage when it wasn't required helped mend many broken hearts and reinstill courage in another broken heart.
Conclusion:
Am I all fan girl for this? Yes, enough so that I'm already reading it again, which is very rare for me. I've even recommended it for this month's selection in my local book club and we are all looking forward to having Christene Houston as a guest at our next meeting. Am I a fan girl for the author? Definitely! She has proven her mettle for me. She was a perfect springboard into a literary genre that I previously did not have any interest or appreciation for. I think that her story was a wonderful breath of fresh air for my mind and heart. I look forward to the next works she puts out and hope that it will be soon.
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