#BookReview of Heart on the Line by Karen Witemeyer, #Giveaway

Grace Mallory is tired of running, of hiding. But when an old friend sends an after-hours telegraph transmission warning Grace that the man who has hunted her for nearly a year has discovered her location, she fears she has no choice. She can’t let the villain she believes responsible for her father’s death release his wrath in Harper’s Station, the town that has sheltered her and blessed her with the dearest friends she’s ever known.

Amos Bledsoe prefers bicycles to horses and private conversations over the telegraph wire to social gatherings with young ladies who see him as nothing more than an oddity. His telegraph companion, the mysterious Miss G, listens eagerly to his ramblings every night and delights him with tales all her own. For months, their friendship–dare he believe, courtship?–has fed his hope that he has finally found the woman God intended for him. Yet when he takes the next step to meet her in person, he discovers her life is in peril, and Amos must decide if he can shed the cocoon of his quiet nature to become the hero Grace requires.

My Thoughts:
Heart on the Line is Ms. Witemeyer’s second full length book in her Ladies of Harper’s Station series. (While it’s the second book in a series, it’s not necessary to have read the first book in the series in order to follow what’s happening in this one.) Heart on the Line was such a fun book to read with a wonderful and somewhat unconventional cast of characters! It had the perfect combination of mystery, humor, cleverness, wit, quirky characters, danger, heartfelt and tender emotion, and lightheartedness all mixed with just the right amount of some more serious and thought provoking (for me anyway) moments.

I loved that I was met with immediate intrigue within the first few pages of the book. My attention was instantly captured and my mind engaged in the mystery. The book was fast paced and kept my thoughts and heart involved from beginning to end. Everything throughout the story was so aptly written to elicit in the reader many of the emotions experienced by the characters.

And those very characters were so well done. I loved that neither Amos or Grace was the typical hero or heroine. Amos absolutely endeared himself to me with the way he struggled with knowing that he was not the typical male that sends women into a swoon, but at the same time, not letting that knowledge cause him to try to be something he was not or to give up in his pursuit of Grace. He was simply the best Amos he could be and it was perfect! Amos’ willingness to jump to Grace’s aid even though he didn’t know fully know what was happening and had not even met her was quite noble. I adored his determination to help as well as his patience in proving himself trustworthy to Grace. By the end of the book, he had thoroughly confirmed himself to be a worthy and steadfast partner for Grace, one who would not give up in the face of challenging situations.

Grace was kind of a different leading lady as well in her shyness and wit. I loved her quiet strength and intelligence. She was willing to go through her dangerous situation alone so as not to endanger others, but when the people around her showed her they were willing to stand with her, she demonstrated great wisdom in accepting their help. I very much appreciate a character that is not too stubborn to accept help when needed.

I LOVED what ensued when Grace and Amos first met! It was one of my favorite scenes in the book. That’s all I’m going to say about it though—I will let you discover it for yourself. I also loved their spark, their banter, and how they encouraged one another and made each other better just by being together.

Heart on the Line was filled with such wonderfully quirky and lovable side characters that made up a solid community of friends for Grace. Some of those characters also made for some very humorous moments in the book as well. And while I enjoyed the main characters very much, it was surprisingly a side character named Helen whose story spoke to me the most. Helen’s story captured my attention and my heart. It was not so much her actual situation, but her struggles with fear and overcoming that fear, realizing that fear held her captive and kept her from really trusting God that resonated with me. She was the source of some of those more serious and thought provoking moments for me.

I highly recommend Heart on the Line as an engaging read with just the right amount of everything from contemplative moments to entertainment through humor and mystery.

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Now for a giveaway! If you’re like me and usually prefer to start with the first book in the series even when it’s not crucial to do so in order to follow the storylines, I have a giveaway going for No Other Will Do, the first book in the Ladies of Harper’s Station series. So if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet and want to start with it before indulging in Heart on the Line, click on the graphic below for a chance to win a Kindle version of No Other Will Do!

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher and have chosen to review it. My opinions are my own.