Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany

My friend Trish and I always joke that we have "black hearts." We laugh hysterically when telling our motherhood stories, and how our children garner very little sympathy from us because of our "black hearts." This book had me really thinking, what does a "heart like mine" look like? What are the top five qualities a "heart like mine" possesses? If you were to see inside my heart, I think you'd find these 5 qualities:
1. empathy
2. devotion
3. joy
4. compassion
5. fear

I think in every heart, there is a fear that what you love and cherish the most can be taken away from you. At any moment, take a look at what you photograph. That is what you fear losing the most. With a husband who's in law enforcement, I do not allow myself even a moment of weakness to think about what could happen to him. It's too painful. While reading, it prompted me to explore the idea of what may be painful for me. A good book will do that to you. This book explores the family dynamics of loss, parenting, and what truly lies at the heart of all of our lives-family.

The premise of the book:
Grace is married to Victor who is a restaurateur, and a father of two. When his ex, Kelli, dies suddenly, it leaves Grace and Victor in the position of being Ava and Max's parents. Grace is doing the best she can, and Ava is pushing her to the brink. Ava has made it clear she has no interest in Grace being her mother. I think if you are s step-parent, the worst words you can hear from the children are "you are not my (mom/dad), so don't act like it." Will Grace be able to cope with the stress of being a mother? Will they ever know what happened to Kelli? Can Grace and Victor's marriage survive the challenges presented when Kelli dies? If you haven't read any of Amy's books yet, this would be a fabulous starter!
I've been wanting to share this book with you all (I finished it a few weeks ago), and today is publication day for Heart Like Mine. I truly enjoy all of Amy's books, and this one doesn't disappoint.

These sites are offering give-aways of the book, so be sure to enter for your chance to win!

Chick Lit is Not Dead
Great Thoughts
Peeking Between the Pages

*I was given an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Simon & Schuster. I have not received any compensation for this review.*