Rescued Hearts (2017) by Hope Toler Dougherty is a stand-alone novel. It was recently published on September 19, 2017. This novel comes in all forms including eBook, and is 318 pages in length. With a full-time job and a five-year old daughter, this highly engaging story took me three days to read. I received a free copy of Rescued Hearts through the Litfuse Publicity Group. This in no way has influenced my opinions of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give this novel 5 STARS. This story is a Contemporary Christian Suspense Romance.

About the Book

Children’s clothing designer Mary Wade Kimball’s soft spot for animals leads to a hostage situation when she spots a briar- entangled kitten in front of an abandoned house. Beaten, bound, and gagged by the two thugs inside, Mary Wade loses hope for escape when a third villain returns with supplies.

Discovering the kidnapped woman ratchets the complications for undercover agent Brett Davis. Weighing the difference of ruining his three months’ investigation against the woman’s safety, Brett forsakes his mission and helps her escape, the bent-on-revenge brutes following behind.

When Mary Wade’s safety is threatened once more, Brett rescues her again. This time, her personal safety isn’t the only thing in jeopardy. Her heart is endangered as well.

My Thoughts

I enjoyed this novel so much!!! This is the kind of book you go to when you know what you want: an independent and feisty heroine, a swoon-worthy, handsome hero, a bit of action, a bit of passion, and a happy ending. Well, this book has all this and more. Rescued Hearts is action packed from the very beginning, and just when you think things are going to calm down a bit for the main characters, that’s the exact moment things ramp up another notch. I lost myself in this story line, and loved every second!

The main characters are Mary Wade and Brett. Mary Wade is a wonderfully relatable character. She is independent, works really hard, loves Jesus, and appreciates that her life is pretty simple. What makes her especially relatable to me is that she struggles with her parents’ expectations. All her life Mary Wade has felt like the black sheep in her family because she chose to follow her chosen career path rather than follow the dictates of her parents. She feels guilty for following her heart and God’s plan for her, but she knows she was not meant to be what her parents wanted her to be. Because of these feelings, her relationship with her parents is strained. This really made Mary Wade very real to me. I get what it feels like to be the black sheep. It actually is quite painful to be the odd man out. To go to a family dinner and basically be ignored because no one can relate to what you do, or what you believe, or what you like. But, Mary Wade has a strong faith in God, and knew she had to follow her path, not her parents. I really love this aspect of her character.

Brett! Oh my goodness is he an excellent hero. He is an undercover cop working a really scary case. Why do I love his character so much? Because he innately wants to take care of people. He is a genuine Knight In Shining Armor: he is strong, totally capable, brave, chivalrous, and commanding (but in the good way, not the power-hungry way, mean way). Lately, a lot of literature has been sacrificing this type of character for the sake of feminism. Feminists today decry this type of manly figure in literature (and in life) because all girls should be able to do everything on their own. No one needs a man! Well, I’m actually quite tired of this rhetoric. I love that my husband takes care of things for me. I love that he goes the extra mile to make sure my needs are met and that I am safe. I don’t want to be a man. I want to be the girl God made me, and this girl likes it when guys do save the day. Of course, I can do almost anything by myself. I am strong, independent, opinionated, and very capable. BUT, at the end of the day, I want to be able to realistically depend on my husband to be the Knight in Shining Armor. Brett is this, and more, for Mary Wade!

I could go on and on with this story. There is Gigi, Brett’s adorable Grandmother. There are Skeet and Dusty, two very scary bad guys who made my skin crawl. There is more intrigue and suspense throughout this entire novel that I could spend days analyzing. BUT, I won’t. This book needs to be experienced. I highly recommend Rescued Hearts by Hope Toler Dougherty. Go out and buy this book today. You will absolutely not be disappointed that you did!

A Kindle Giveaway!!!

Her personal safety isn’t the only thing in jeopardy-so is her heart. In Hope Toler Dougherty’s new novel, Rescued Hearts, children’s clothing designer Mary Wade Kimball’s soft spot for animals leads to a hostage situation when she spots a briar-entangled kitten in front of an abandoned house. Discovering the kidnapped woman ratchets the complications for undercover agent Brett Davis. Brett forsakes his three-month mission and helps her escape, the bent-on-revenge brutes following behind . . . and then Mary Wade’s safety is threatened once more.

Cozy up this fall with Hope’s new book and enter to win a Kindle Fire!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Rescued Hearts
• A Kindle Fire 7

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on November 13, 2017. The winner will be announced November 14, 2017 on the Litfuse blog.