A Heart for News by Susan K Beattly Blog Tour Book Review

About the Book

Book: A Heart for News

Author: Susan K. Beatty

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: May 30, 2023

Will a heart for news get a scoop on love?

Though Margo Durand invests her whole heart into working for her family’s newspaper, her father refuses to modernize, and she harbors a secret fear of approaching interviewees and all things dangerous—except riding her Vespa everywhere. But when Margo follows evidence that two government officials are corrupt, Margo discovers danger, intrigue, and a legal sort of blackmail.

Professional race car driver, Steve Grayson, arrives to finish recuperating and overcome his fear of getting back on the track while pursuing his desire to open a race car driving school on Le Cadeau Île. If he can find the money and convince the owner to sell.

When Margo’s best friend sets Margo up with Steve as a tour guide, conveniently forgetting to tell him Margo is a reporter, they tour the islands until Steve is willingly dragged into the investigation. The investigation only opens new questions, creates new trials, and has the potential to destroy their budding romance.

Does pursuing a relationship just before he leaves to take part in one last racing season even make sense?

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

I enjoyed this Christian romance set on an exotic tropical island. Margo is a good heroine. I appreciate her flawed character. She has to overcome some fears, such as being aggressive in her interviewing techniques and flying in a small plane. Also needing to trust God to move beyond fear is Steve. He's a race car driver who had experienced a recent crash but must return to the circuit.

I appreciate learning a bit about the race car industry. I had no idea the technology was so cutting edge other industries look to racing car engineers for the latest advances. I also learned a bit about the newspaper industry too. Small ones must pursue online avenues to stay up with larger operations.

This is a fun romance with a little suspense, all revolving around the need to trust God for the future. Beatty's writing style is pleasant, making this short novel a pleasure to read.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author

Susan K. Beatty is in her third career—from journalist to homeschool tech writer to her life-long dream of becoming a novelist. She is proof you can start a new writing career late in life. Susan released her first published fiction in September 2019, and now an awarding winner author, this is her third novel, with several novelettes and short stories to her credit. She is passionate about finding courage through faith and grit. Susan lives with her husband of forty-nine years in Southern California. Add children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to the mix and she has little time for her favorite hobbies of reading, watching classic movies, British crime dramas, and traveling

More from Susan

Long ago, when I was a journalism student and then a newspaper reporter, the idea of running a small-town newspaper “out west” fascinated me and was part of my daydreams. Of course, there hadn’t been an “out west” for decades before I had such ideas.

When Celebrate Lit asked me to be part of the Suamalie Islands series and I needed to choose a business for my main character, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to run a small-town newspaper, at least in fiction.

Margo, the main character, works for her father, the owner and publisher. But he’s stuck in the 20^th century, and our modern heroin dreams of bringing the paper into the 21^st century, much to her father’s despair. It was fun to explore the push and pull between generations, between old-school methods and new technology.

Although Margo is the heroine who finds the courage to expose the corrupt politicians, she has one major flaw, a fear, that hinders a news reporter’s job. I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, so you’ll have to read A Heart for News to find out what her problem was.

Then there’s the male main character, Steve Grayson, a famous race car driver, who comes to the Suamalies to recover from a racing accident and to face his own fears. And to pursue his own dream of building a driving school and racetrack.

After a rocky beginning, Margo and Steve collaborate to meet those fears head on and to see if, together, they can realize their impossible dreams, and just maybe find love.

I hope readers are encouraged overcome their fears and to pursue their own so-called impossible dreams.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 19

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, June 20

Aryn the Libraryan, June 21

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, June 22 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 22

She Lives to Read, June 23

An Author’s Take, June 24

Texas Book-aholic, June 25

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 26

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, June 27

lakesidelivingsite, June 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 29

Simple Harvest Reads, June 30 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 1

Sylvan Musings, July 2 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, July 2

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)