Heart of Stone

by Jill Marie Landis

Book Overview

She had the darkest of pasts. And he had everything to lose by loving her.Laura Foster, free from the bondage of an unspeakable childhood, has struggled to make a new life for herself. Now the owner of an elegant boardinghouse in Glory, Texas, she is known as a wealthy, respectable widow. But Laura never forgets that she is always just one step ahead of her past.When Reverend Brand McCormick comes calling, Laura does all she can to discourage him...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0310293693
• ISBN13: 9780310293699
• Release Date: February 2010
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Truly unforgettable

Originally posted at [...] Never say never and don't hide your past--it will come back to haunt you or bring you your heart's greatest desire. That's the moral of the story for Laura and Brand in Heart of Stone. Some historical novels bog the reader down in details. This one makes you feel a part of the Texas landscape without dragging you out of the tale. The writing is tight and draws you in. You want to know what's going to happen to these two people. Laura is a perplexing heroine and although she grows through the story into a woman I can respect, I found her reluctance hard to swallow. She's got secrets and she wants them hidden as deep as possible. I understand that, but I almost wanted to see her a bit more comfortable with herself. But the real draw in this story is Brand. Yes, he can be a bit overbearing and steadfast in his need for Laura, but I found him sincere and handsome. He's made his own share of mistakes and, though I wanted to see those more deeply dealt with, you can't help but love him. Another colorful part of this story is the children. I can't give away all the details, but the children really do make this story heartwarming. If you want a story that is truly unforgettable, then you need to pick up a copy of Heart of Stone. You'll laugh, cry, and smile.

A Wonderful Start!

This book was a sweet historical start of a wonderful new series! Jill Marie Landis has a new reader. I love her style of writing and the inspiration through out her book enough that I can't wait to read more from her! This story is full of everything from inspiration, to suspense to romance. The characters are created magnificently to flow wonderfully with the plot, set in Texas during the Civil War era. There is heartache and there is happiness... a perfect blend of both that will keep you turning page after page, until you reach the end. I was immediately captured by this book, and literally had to read it in one....I did! Though, I must say, while I was able to read this in one day, it's not a light read, with the main character, Laura having a past of being a brothel girl. But with Brand's interest in Laura, it really evens the plot out and makes this a captivating and enchanting read. I highly recommend that you get a copy of this book. It's a wonderfully written story with characters that you won't soon forget!! This start to this series deserves a high 5 star praise! I am absolutely looking forward to book 2, Heart of Lies, when it releases in the future!

Forgiveness and Redemption Abound

Orphaned at eleven years of age, life for Lovie and her three sisters would never be the same. With the two younger sisters being place in an Orphanage, Lovie and her sister Meagan were sold to a brothel by their alcoholic uncle. That's where life seem to end for Lovie for the next 21 years. Vowing to make herself respectable and find her three sisters, she takes her money she has saved and leaves New Orleans for Glory Texas. A new name, new identity, respect and wealth. Laura Foster, widowed, owner of a fine establishment, a boarding house for women and families only has left her past behind or has she. When the preacher Brand McCormick stars calling on her, she does everything in her power to dissuade him. With a past of his own can these two find a life together. Through no fault of her own can Laura learn to forgive herself for the life she live before. Will she learn that God forgives all sinners. As she looks at the town and her friends that she has grown to love will they reject her when they find out the truth of who and what she really was . Four years later her past like an evil snake jumps up to bite her. Does she run or stay and face the town. As the verse implies:" He who is without sin cast the first stone" As a avid reader of Christian fiction there are some books that grab me right from the very beginning and this was one of them. The characters are outstanding .The preachers two children remind me of typical kids. The author does not portray them as very good , not get into anything children which I like very much. The romance between the Laura and Brand is subtle and sweet ,not rushed into. As one reads this book they learn about forgiveness, judgement and redemption. Out of the depts. of hell God has a plan for everyone and at the end Laura realizes this. If you are looking for a feel good fuzzy kind of feeling romance book, this book is not that. Hearts of Stone deals with real life back in that time span after the civil war. It reminded me of another book I have called Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and I feel like this book rates right up there with that book. This is book one of the Irish Angel Series and I for one cannot wait till the second book in the series comes out. I highly recommend this book to any one that likes the Christian Historical/Romance Fiction. Thanks go to the Marketing Agency that so kindly let me review this book and to Zondervan.

An Excellent Christian Novel

When I was 18 years old, I read a book called "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers, and ever since then, I have been looking for a Christian novel that could hold a candle to that book. I honestly never thought I would find it. Until now. The character of Laura Foster, from the beginning, reminded me of Rivers' Angel. Similar childhood stories, similar adult responses. But different enough that I no longer think of them as similar. What I appreciated so much about Laura Foster was the realness of her heart. She reacted to the life she had been given in a way that I believed and that I could resonate with. That's unusual in romance novels, for me. Typically, the heroine seems like a charicature of what novelists think readers want to read. But Laura Foster felt like a real person to me. She had a life that seemed so unbelievable, and yet I believed her. She was courageous and deeply compassionate. She felt tied to her past, and ashamed of who she had been, and frozen by the life she'd led. And Brand McCormick was exactly the kind of man she needed. From the first time you meet him in these pages, you know that he's the kind of man we all need to meet someday. Not just attractive, not just loyal, but genuinely good. Genuinely compassionate and deep. He loves completely, and doesn't hold any part of himself back. He is the kind of man who would die for you. I seem to have read something about a Man like that before... When I was offered a copy of this book for review, I was skeptical, as I always am, of Christian novels. I'm occasionally surprised in a pleasant way, but not often. I just can't say enough about this book. Does it have its flaws? Of course. Every book does. And I'm sure there will be plenty of people who can't get past the flaws. But when I look at this book, I see the product of a good writer and a good message. Because of the depicted response of the Church in this novel, we as the readers are presented with an opportunity to choose love and not judgment. It is an important call to those of us who profess to believe in the restorative love of God. When faced with the options, this book forces you to make a decision. Will you side with the Pharisees, or will you side with the Lover? Do you have the courage it takes to extend forgiveness the way you should? That is the true message of this book that is so beautiful: yes, wrong behavior is inevitable, for us all. But it does not define us. Not for us, and not for God, and not for each other.

One amazing book!

All I can say about this one is, WOW! This is a Christian historical novel, set in America right after the Civil War. What goes on after that is quite shocking, I had NO idea that child prostitution was going on during that time, and that many of our immigrants had children sold into that mess. This is set in New Orleans, which probably gives you a good idea of what was going on then. Anyway, without spoiling everything in the story, this girl from an Irish immigrant family, rises to the occasion and finds a way out of the prostitution ring. What happens in her life afterwards is nothing short of amazing. A family of 4 girls were separated by their drunk uncle after their parents died, and this is the story of what happened to one of them. The sequels appear to be addressed to what happens to the other 3. Honestly, more books like this one NEED to be written to remind us of how many of our ancestors sacrificed so much so that we can now be stuck into our Iphones and all other electronic gadgets. This author is a New York Times bestselling author and believe me, you'll understand why when you read this book. It is the first in a series, and a small introduction to the next book is included in the end. Can't wait for that! Don't grab this book if you're looking for some light reading - this isn't that kind of book. However, you'll definitely learn quite a bit about America's South after the Civil War, along with what these poor folks had to endure to remain free. My only complaint with this book is that I think the author could have done a better job of showing that although the heroine's life was about as bad as it gets, that God was there all along, with a plan for her life, which is summarized in the end. The end of the story is awesome, and deals with self respect, honor and forgiveness. This could definitely be a mini-series on television and I would not be surprised if we see it soon. This author is a fabulous writer, one of the best I've read lately. Definitely a writer's writer. I stayed up to 1:00 a.m. until I finished it, if that gives you some idea of the quality of this book. Great, great book, really well-written and thought out. Highly, highly recommend!