Hope Lives Here

Cross My Heart by Robin Lee Hatcher is a most delightful dual timeline Christian novel about love and the heart of God. It is the second book in the Legacy Of Faith series but can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed catching up with familiar faces.

The story spans present day and the World War II years. In both the characters trust God to see them through all the stages of life.

Prayer is important. “Our prayers never go unanswered, even when things don’t turn out the way we expected.” God answers our prayers in His way and in His timing. Prayers are our lifeline. Lives are altered through prayer.

God rescues us from our situations when He hears our heartfelt prayers. We may think that we are searching for God (and we may be) but God is also searching for us. “I didn’t have to find Him. He was there all the time. Waiting for me.” What a beautiful image that conjures up. God waits for us.

God longs for us to turn to Him. Within the novel there are horses rescued from terrible situations. They can be seen as a motif for us – God rescues us, gives us unconditional love and restores our lives.

Horses are important in helping to heal broken lives. They give unconditional love and wait patiently for it to be returned. Again this can be seen as the heart of God.

Within the tale there is a God-given vision of an equine therapy farm. It is “broken horses helping broken people.” It is also “a place where spirits get healed and hope gets restored through the use of horses.” When God gives a vision, it will come to fruition.

There are the difficult themes of alcohol and drug abuse. Until we admit we have a problem we cannot begin to heal. We need others to help raise us up out of our pits of desperation.

The themes of forgiveness and trust also link in here. We must forgive both ourselves and others and learn to trust again.

I adored Cross My Heart. The characters are realistically drawn and relatable. This is a fabulous series and I cannot wait to read more about the Henning family. Robin Lee Hatcher is a talented author who draws the reader in from the very first page. It is an absolutely wonderful book.

I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON

About the Book

Book: Cross My Heart

Author: Robin Lee Hatcher

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release date: June 25, 2019

Can two broken paths lead toward God’s redemption?

When Ashley Showalter and Ben Henning meet on Ashley’s horse rescue farm, they quickly discover how much they have in common. Both were raised by single moms. Both want to help where they see a need. And both work with horses in the Boise valley. Ben needs Ashley’s help and expertise after starting an equine therapy barn on his great-great-grandfather’s farm—and the more time they spend together, both Ashley and Ben have the feeling that there could be something more between them.

They also carry the burden of past experiences that may drive them apart if the truth is ever revealed. Ben is a recovering alcoholic with five years of sobriety behind him, while Ashley’s brother is an opioid addict residing in court-ordered rehab. Holding fast to the belief that addicts can never be cured, Ashley has promised herself she will never walk knowingly into the chaos created by addiction. Ben knows that with God, all things are possible—but will Ashley find it within herself to give love a chance? Or will her brother’s mistakes and the pain of her past jeopardize her future with Ben?

Cross My Heart threads together a contemporary love story with the heartwarming tale of Ben’s great-great-grandfather, Andrew Henning—reminding us that God’s Word is timeless and that His promises are new every morning.

Click here to grab your copy.

About the Author

Robin Lee Hatcher is the author of over 75 novels and novellas with over five million copies of her books in print. She is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Robin is an ACFW Carol Award winner and an eight-time finalist and has won two RITA Awards and been a finalist eleven times. Her numerous other awards include the Christy Award, the HOLT Medallion, the National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award. She is also the recipient of prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from both American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. When not writing, she enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, Bible art journaling, reading books that make her cry, watching romantic movies, and decorative planning. A mother and grandmother, Robin and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with a demanding Papillon dog and a persnickety tuxedo cat.

For more information, visit robinleehatcher.com; Facebook: robinleehatcher; or Twitter: @robinleehatcher.

More from Robin

MY WRITING DESK
ROBIN LEE HATCHER

I have a wonderful home office with a large screen iMac and the perfect place to keep important papers and reminders right in front of me for easy access. There is also a bed for my dog, Boo, because no office is complete without a bed to welcome the dog. Right?

I also do a lot of writing while seated in a big easy chair in the living room. It all depends upon my mood and how many reference books I might need at the time.

My office usually looks neat when I begin a book. By the time I’m writing the end, the room has become a disaster—stacks of papers demanding my attention and a layer of dust are the most obvious issues.

My office also serves as my art studio (where I do decorative planning and Bible art journaling), so every inch that isn’t taken up by writing related items is filled with art related ones—paints, washi tape, stickers, pens galore, etc.

An early riser naturally, I consider sleeping in to be anything after 6 AM. On a normal writing day, I try to get in half an hour on the treadmill first thing in the morning (and often return to it for ten minutes segments a couple other times during the day). Then I sit at my desk or in my easy chair to do my Bible study. And finally I begin writing.

I can usually create new words for about four hours or so a day. The rest of the work day is filled with editing, revising, research, and correspondence with publisher, agent, readers, and other writers. I have an active online presence which needs attention daily, as well.

I am also a late-in-life part time college student, taking my classes online, so at least a couple of days a week, you’ll find me doing assignments and taking quizzes. For some reason, I rarely use my office for that. The kitchen table seems to suit me better. Probably because it is a large table and I can really spread out.

I feel very blessed to be able to work at home. I had a full time job when I wrote my first book. In fact, I wrote nine novels over the course of nine years while still working full time. The month my ninth book released, I quit my job in order to write full time. Seventy books and almost 28 years later, I’m still at it. As I said, I am blessed.