A Haven for Her Heart by Susan Anne Mason {A Book Review}

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

 

Homeless after being released from a women's reformatory in 1939
Toronto, Olivia Rosetti is taken in by an angel of mercy, Ruth Bennington. The two discover they share a painful past and together decide to open a maternity home for troubled women.

Despite the success of the home, Olivia is haunted by her inhumane treatment at the reformatory and the way her newborn son was taken from her. She feels undeserving of love--until she meets businessman Darius Reed. Although his attention makes her heart soar, he can never learn of her past.

Greek widower Darius Reed is determined to protect his daughter from the prejudice that killed her mother. He'll ensure her future by marrying a woman from a respected Toronto family. But when Darius meets Olivia, he's immediately drawn to her beauty and compassion.  

Can love prove stronger than prejudice and past mistakes? Or will Olivia's secrets destroy any chance at a future together?

Susan lives in a suburb near Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she works part-time as a church secretary. She is a wife and the mother of two amazing kids, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). In addition to writing, she likes to scrapbook and to research her family history on-line. You can connect with her on Facebook or on her website www.susanannemason.net.

If you are looking for a book that will simultaneously break your heart and fill you with a sense of hope, look no further than A Haven for Her Heart!

In this story, author Susan Anne Mason takes on some rather difficult topics. We are introduced to Olivia, a young woman who after finding herself pregnant out of wedlock is sent to a reformatory where unspeakable horrors were commonplace. With no place to go, she meets Ruth who takes her in. Together, they decide to open a maternity home to help women have better options. What follows is a beautiful story of hope, forgiveness and redemption... with a beautiful romance story mixed in too. 

The topic is certainly a delicate one, and sadly one rooted in truth. I feel like the author did such a beautiful job of sharing that reality, while also keeping it rather PG. Nothing was sugar coated by any means, however, while much was alluded to, the gory details were not given. It was enough that as the reader I could understand what had gone on and fill in the blanks as to the specifics. Even with this, it was still absolutely heartbreaking to think about the horrors that so many women had to face in that time. It was quite eye opening. 

While times have certainly changed since these days, the feeling of shame and guilt and feeling unworthy of grace and forgiveness are issues that so many of us still struggle with. This story was a beautiful reminder of just how great that redemption is and how we are all worthy of it. 

Overall, this was a fantastic read and one that I cannot recommend enough. I cannot wait to see what comes next in this new series.