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by Vickie McDonough
Dancing Word Reviewer
Title: The Tender Heart
Author: Kristy Dykes
Publisher: Heartsong Presents
ISBN: 1-58660-808-8
Genre: Inspirational/Historical/Romance
Sebbie Hanford and her family are living in near poverty after her
father's death and struggling to keep their small Florida ranch running.
Sebbie wants to obey her mother's wishes and marry a wealthy man who will
also take on the responsibility of her mother and four younger sisters,
but the only man in town who fits that bill is the banker's obnoxious son.
Then Griffin Parks come to town, sending Sebbie's heart into a tailspin.
Griffin Parks has two dreams-to start a cattle ranch in Florida and to
find the woman God has planned to be his wife. Quiet and gracious Sebbie
is just the woman for him. Griffin arranges for Sebbie to care for his
horse while he travels out of town just as a ruse so he can correspond
with her and get to know her better. When he overhears a conversation, he
is greatly troubled to discover Sebbie is looking to wed a rich man, not a
penniless cowboy. Will all his dreams evaporate in light of Sebbie's goal?
Sebbie has a true dilemma-should she ignore her heart-tugging attraction
to Griffin so she can be obedient to her mother's wishes, or should she
follow her heart and gain a love like her parents had? Only by seeking God
and His will can she find the answer to her quandary.
The Tender Heart is a sweet historical love story. This is Kristy
Dykes' first novel, and she does a good job setting the scene with the
verbiage of the time period. My heart ached for Sebbie when she would skip
a meal in order to give her little sisters more food or wrestle with ways
to provide for them. Readers can easily understand why she would be
willing to give up the chance for a loving marriage so that she could
provide a better lifestyle for her family. The Tender Heart is not
an action-oriented book but one that looks into the attitudes of the
heart. The faith message is a vital part of this story but doesn't
overpower it. Readers who like a slower paced book will enjoy The
Tender Heart.
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