The Bound Heart by Dawn Crandall

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Author

Read: March 8, 2015

One accidental kiss from Lawry Hampton. That was all it took to throw Meredyth Summercourt's world upside-down. Determined to marry the ever-elusive Vance Everstone, she simply doesn't have the time or the desire to fall for her best friend. But with Vance out of the country, and with Lawry at her side nearly every day, teaching her what the world is like through the eyes of a little orphan girl named Wynn--Meredyth can't deny that what's holding her to Vance is nothing more than a desire to redeem herself from her past. Will she marry Vance once he returns from Europe? Or will she be strong enough to break free from the tangled web she's convinced she deserves, and accept that God's plan for her life includes redemption...and, quite possibly, Lawry Hampton?

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I felt prepared when I picked up Dawn Crandall's The Bound Heart. Having just finished the first installment of the Everstone Chronicles, I felt I had a handle on the author's style and I thought I had a good idea as to where the story might go. Looking back I can honestly say I was right in a lot of ways, but I was also surprised at certain subplots and have no problem admitting that I enjoyed book two more than I did book one. 

Like its predecessor, I felt the novel character heavy. I was actually very happy that I'd tackled the books in order as it made it easier for me to keep everyone straight in my head. Again, I found I appreciated Crandall's voice and the balance she struck between faith and fiction.

Unlike its predecessor, I felt Meredyth's story more dramatic and historically appealing. Her situation posed a lot of interesting insight to the social order of the day and highlighted the disparity in consequence suffered by men and women who defied those dictates. 

I'm not a huge fan of light inspirational fiction, but The Bound Heart proved both enjoyable and thought-provoking. It is slow in places and a bit drawn out toward the end, but I liked the story and find myself looking forward to the next installment of the series. 

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“I was doing a fantastic job of conducting myself with remarkable civility, when all I really wanted to do was scream.”

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