Heart of the Family by Margaret Daley (Love Inspired #425)

Reviewed by berlin on January 8th, 2008, 7:05pm

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Series: Steeple Hill Love Inspired

I liked Once Upon a Family well enough to revisit Margaret Daley’s characters in her Fostered by Love miniseries. I’m glad I did! 

The story: Hannah Smith wants to help children in need. Her new position as manager at the Stone Refuge is perfect, weren’t it for Dr. Jacob Hartman. He’s the man responsible for the death of her older brother Kevin over twenty years ago. Unable to ignore him, as he’s in high demand by her foster children, she discovers his good qualities and learns to forgive. She falls in love and Jacob returns her feelings, but then he finds out who she is… 

Heart of the Family is the second in Margaret Daley’s Fostered by Love miniseries. It feels less cluttered with characters and stories than Once Upon a Family. Here, I didn’t feel rushed through Hannah and Jacob’s “courtship”.  I believed every step they took, their motivations, their doubts and the strength and faith it took them to fall in love. The message of forgiveness is strong and not an easy one for all of Daley’s characters. I liked how love helped to overcome hurt and doubts, how it let to trust and forgiveness. I was surprised though at how easy and fast Hannah’s mother was willing to forgive Jacob.

Margaret Daley is very realistic in her descriptions of the children’s lives in foster care. She shows their fears and hopes, doesn’t sugar-coat the system and doesn’t villanize the parents unprepared to care properly for their children. I not only cared for Hannah and Jacob, but also for Andy, Nancy and the other children. It will be difficult to wait until May for Noah’s story in Family Ever After. 

Series: Love Inspired / Fostered by Love miniseries

Rating: Very Good