Almost Heaven (Love Inspired)

Rating:
Summary: Kendra's heart was broken beyond repair
Review: Kendra McKaslin had been in love before, and all it had brought her was heartache and pain. She'd moved on with her life and tried to put those dark memories behind her, but they still haunted her from time to time, like when she looked up into the handsome face of Sherrif Cameron Durango. Cameron had seen her when she was at her weakest, and she didn't want to be reminded of that. Still, Cameron was hanging around her stables pretty frequently since he wanted a horse, and Kendra had to be nice to her customers...

Despite Kendra's gruff exterior, Cameron knew there was a heart beneath begging to be loved. He'd seen one of the worst moments of her life, but had managed to help her through it. Cameron had lived with his share of pain, having lost his beloved wife to cancer four years ago, but he wanted to move on with his life, and he thought he could do that with Kendra if she'd give him a chance. He'd do all in his power to show her that not all men were the same, and that he'd be willing to stand by her and protect her for a lifetime.

I initially connected with Kendra more than Cameron, since I'd been in a similar situation to Kendra. Kendra was going through a lot of hurt, and being around Cameron only brought the wounds to the surface. About halfway through the book, however, I began to identify more with Cameron. He was such a good guy, and Kendra treated him very shabbily, yet he continued to try and win her heart. He was one of those men you read about but never meet in person ;) Anyway, Cameron was about perfect. He was loving, patient, considerate, and protective (but not overwhelmingly so).

Kendra's past comes to the reader bit by bit, but is confusing because there is never a point in the story where the author puts all those bits together. I mean, I figured out the gist of what happened to her, but it was never very clear. That is my only complaint (aside from Kendra's behavior, which is fairly understandable, however) with the book. The book really flowed and was an interesting read. I'd recommend it to any fans of romantic Christian fiction.