The Heart Hopes by Lyn Cote

I enjoyed this Christian romance. The main character is a first year teacher. Patience has a heart concern for her first grade students. I liked the way she dealt with a potential trouble maker, Jackson, showing a great deal of wisdom. A stint of jury duty takes her away from her classroom but points her in the direction of romance.

I liked that Patience is a woman of principle. She maintains her opinion when others on the jury want to make a decision on prejudice rather than evidence. She is even willing to endure the scorn of the townspeople and challenge the ego of the prosecutor. Her life gets a little complicated when the prosecutor, Jackson's dad, finds himself attracted to her.

Both Patience and Gil, the prosecutor, have issues that must be overcome before romance can blossom. Misunderstandings abound and almost sabotage their relationship. Both struggle with forgiving those who hurt them in the past. Their Christianity is essential to being free to trust and love another. Cote has crafted an enjoyable story that is entertaining and contains good lessons on life.

Note: this book was originally published in 2004 as Testing His Patience.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Lyn Cote is a USA Today bestselling author and has written over 45 books. She is a Romance Writer of America RITA finalist and an American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense and historical novels. You can find out more at www.LynCote.com.

Lyn Cote, 215 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the author. My comments are an independent and honest review.