Like the Wind by Robin Lee Hatcher: Book Review

 *Book received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

A life in pieces. A hundred-year-old journal. And a chance for love to be reborn.

Olivia Ward arrived in Bethlehem Springs alone—with no job, no home, and no money—after her manipulative ex-husband used his power and wealth to destroy everything. Six years later, the peaceful life she rebuilt is once again turned upside down when she learns that her fifteen-year-old daughter, Emma, will be coming to live with her. The reunion should be a dream come true, but years of deception have driven a wedge between them. And Emma seems more interested in an old diary she discovered than reconciliation with her mother.

Tyler Murphy knows what it’s like to lose everything. Propelled by his history in the foster-care system, he’s determined to root out dishonesty and protect the most vulnerable through his work as an investigator. When he’s hired to investigate Olivia Ward, though, he finds himself longing to believe she’s exactly who she appears to be, and he soon realizes that his desire to learn more about her has nothing to do with his job. But how can he pursue a relationship that began with a lie?

In this latest novel from award-winning author Robin Lee Hatcher, an antique diary, a family-fueled investigation, and unexpected feelings collide to create a promise that’s worth fighting for.

Robin Lee Hatcher is the author of over 80 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. Her numerous awards include the RITA Award, the Carol Award, the Christy Award, the HOLT Medallion, the National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award. Robin 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. Robin makes her home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with a demanding Papillon dog and a persnickety tuxedo cat.

Robin Lee Hatcher has such a beautiful way of writing stories that not only tell beautiful romantic love stories, but that also celebrate family in a beautiful way too. Like the Wind was no exception. In this story we meet Olivia who had just been reunited with her daughter, from whom she'd be isolated from due to a messy divorce. While there is a love story as well, much of the book does revolve around their relationship as well. 

This story goes back and forth between several POVs- Olivia, her daughter Emma, Tyler and a 1930s diary that Emma has found. I must admit at first this really through me because it changed rather abruptly each time, and it took me a bit to catch on. I do think that perhaps this abrupt change was actually more to do with the formatting of the ARC digital copy I received, as those can sometimes be a little off when it comes to page layouts (so spaces between POV changes, for instance, may not have actually showed up on my end, but would in the finished copy. Having read previous books by this author, I know that typically her transitions between timelines and such are generally very clear. 

Once I got used to that minor issue, I absolutely adored this book. My heart broke for Emma and Olivia and all that had been through. I was drawn into their story and so badly wanted them to get their happy ending. The author did a great job of capturing their unique relationship well. I also found Tyler to be such a good match for Olivia as well. 

There were some parts that I perhaps would have liked to see expanded on, but overall I thought this was such an enjoyable read. If you enjoy inspirational stories of mother/daughter relationships as well as romance too, this is certainly one to check out.