Surrender of the Heart

Rating:
Summary: Not too much fluff, some real issues.
Review: This book was over-all a delightful contemporary romance with a reasonably interesting plot, and a surprisingly endearing heroine- Kendall O'Reilly is a fifth-grade teacher who opresses the pain from her painful childhood by dedicating herself entirely to her students. Her winning attitude and caring, compassionate ways win over many a child in her classroom.

However, when Jade Zukowski comes to Kendall claiming his young daughter, Cait, no longer enjoys coming to school because of her new teacher, it sets in motion a series of events that make up the story line. Ultmately Kendall's teaching position is threatened, and it's Jade, who, after seeing her for the gifted teacher she is, supports Kendall in her struggle to keep her life's work. As you might expect, both Jade, his daughter, and Jade's father grow close to Kendall thoughout the book, but the romance isn't easily come by, and the book will keep you turning pages to see if the main characters will be able to put their painful pasts behind them. As a whole, it was a worthy read. I admit when I first learned Kendall's nickname was "Pollyana", and well-deserved, I was tempted to stop reading for fear the heroine would be a bit to "cute" to stomach. Such was not the case. Kendall was a loveable, approachable character, making this book well worth your time.