This is the story of loss, love, redemption and faith.So much love in this story, it was a beautiful story.The beginning was a little bit slow for my taste but soon it keeps up and I find myself enjoying it a lot!Especially the heroine who I could easily relate with!

Heart Land is such a cute romantic story. I liked the feeling of home that the novel gave and how Grace came back home, not only to her Grandmother, her hometown, her childhood sweetheart but also back to God. My favorite Character was Tucker. He was so patient and faithful in his love for Grace and was always there for her. I also enjoyed all of the granny characters. My husband asked me a few times what I was laughing at while I was reading the interactions with the Grannies. I enjoyed the process of Grace’s realization that what had been her dream for so long wasn’t what her dream was anymore. She realized that God had something much better for her. It seemed like it took her a while to realize that, but I was happy when she did finally realize and come back home. I also liked the openness in Grace’s conversations with Tucker. They were very open and honest in their interactions which was really refreshing. This was an enjoyable, easy read with a nice storyline, and enjoyable characters that I definitely recommend.

Grace has spent years working hard to fulfill her dream of becoming a fashion designer in New York City and finally a promotion looks promising. However things don’t go as hoped and Grace is forced to move back home. She is now back in the small town of Iowa she grew up in and comes face to face with her first love, Tucker. Things are awkward between them at first but after a couple encounters they agree to be friends, it doesn’t take long for them to realize there are still romantic feelings between them and they decide to give a relationship a second chance. Things are looking up on the relationship side for Grace, but she still has her dream. With inspiration from her grandma she begins a new journey in the world of fashion. Can she succeed and find love or will she be torn between the two?

The characters were what really drew me into the story. When I first met Grace I did wonder if I would be able to connect with her but it didn’t take me long to start to care. The further I got into the story she began to grow on me, however there were a couple times that I did find myself annoyed with her wishing she would smarten up and make the decision I wanted her to make instead of the one that she was making. I loved Tucker, he is kind and generous, always putting other first. There were a couple of things he did for Grace made me melt. I hurt for him when he was going through pain because of Grace’s actions. I absolutely loved the relationship between Grace and Gigi (her grandmother). Gigi gives guidance to Grace while still allowing her to make her own decisions. All the other grannies included were entertaining and made me laugh so much.

I enjoyed following Grace through her journey of reaching for her dreams and discovering what is really important to her. She grows over the course of the book and ends up not only reconnecting with her past, but reconnecting with God in the process. Even though I found the conclusion to be a little rushed I was satisfied with the ending.

Heart Land is a delightful and sweet story of love and second chances-both of love and careers. Grace Kleren left her hometown in Iowa after high school for New York City and a career in the fashion world. After devoting her life and time in a fashion design company for several years, she is fired. Overspent and broke, Grace has no choice but to return to Iowa and her grandmother Gigi. She only has her grandmother since the death of her parents when she was a junior in high school.
Grace was ashamed and embarrassed of her failure in New York. She planned on working long enough to make some money to get back on her feet and head back to the city-one way or another. Things had a way of changing her plans. She didn't plan to rekindle her friendship with her high school boyfriend Tucker that she hurt by leaving after graduation. After working with her Gigi and other grannies to develop a new wardrobe that became an overnight success, New York wanted her back. It seemed that she would be leaving Gigi and Tucker again, at least for a while.
There are a lot of life lessons in this story that involve figuring out what is success by the world's view and what God has in store for us. What we deem important can give us tunnel vision and we miss out on who and what is really important and part of God's plan. This is a sweet story that had me smiling and pulling for Grace in her personal life and career. Tucker is such a great guy and looks out for Gigi and her friends. The ladies are all very supportive of Grace as is Tucker. A feel good story of love, faith and second chances.
I received a complimentary copy from Howard Books through NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions stated are mine only.

I’m a sucker for romance and Heart Land sounded exactly like my cup of tea!

While I did enjoy it, I felt like the book didn’t quite deliver it for me. It fell short and just felt a little blend.

If you’re looking for a cutesy and fast read and don’t mind religious aspects, I definitely say give Heart Land a try though!

When Grace Klaren loses her dream job in New York City and returns to her small Iowa hometown she’s embarrassed to tell anyone what happened. She’ll find out if she can go home again and face the people she left behind – notably her grandmother and her first love. But she’s determined to make enough money to go back for a second try at NYC. If you grew up in a small town (like I did) you’ll recognize a lot of the characters in this warm novel. They made me laugh as they showed their good hearts and cheered Grace on. Grace wants to do them proud and at the same time breathe some life back into the local economy. She also wants to be friends with Tucker, the boy – now a man – she left behind ten years earlier. The trick will be doing it all and hurting no one. She might have to learn how to pray. I thought Kimberly Stuart’s story was charming and I was thoroughly entertained. Recommended to fans of small town (Christian) romance.

I have never read anything by this author and I love discovering new authors. This book was absolutely delightful. Everything about it was good. The characters were great, even secondary ones. I loved the grannies especially. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more by this author. Very well written.

*My thanks to the publisher for a preview copy of this novel. The opinion stated here is entirely my own.

Kimberly Stuart is one of my authors to watch. She often writes snappy dialogue, intriguing characters, and worthwhile storylines. Heart Land is the story of a woman who thinks she knows what she wants, but realizes that desire might need to be colored differently than she initially thought.

I appreciated a few things about this novel:
1. A romance that didn't hinge upon some huge misunderstanding that could have been avoided 17 times inside the novel. Instead, the story realistically draws the main character closer to her love and closer to dream - while keeping the two only slightly at odds with each other. I loved that there was no huge struggle within the characters' relationship.
2. I enjoyed the learning Grace got to do within the story. Her floundering seemed reasonable, her excitement seemed realistic, and her choices were easy to identify with.

Kimberly Stuart has added another solid work to her writing collection. This is a good contemporary novel that will offer you enjoyable reading moments.

Grace Kleren is a designer in a New York fashion house. Her day is coming soon when she gets to present her designs to the owner of the house. It's her chance to make her name in the design world. When the time came for her presentation, she ignored some good advice and blew the whole presentation, then blew up at her boss, which leads to her being fired.

She flies back to her home in Iowa, to stay with her grandmother, Gigi, while she gets her feet back underneath her. Gigi welcomes Grace and wants her to help out at the flea market. Gigi has been making dresses and taking them to the flea market. When a lady wants to buy one of Gigi's dresses, Grace does some adjusting to the dress to make it a real eye-popper. This actually begins Grace's road back to New York.

One of the other major players is Tucker, the man who was Grace's old flame from junior high and high school.

Before I delve too much more into the plot of the story, I must say that Kimberly Stuart has written a sweet story (that has its salty moments) that is hard to put down. Grace is a great protagonist, and James is the ultimate shady antagonist.

Heart Land is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a new dress from an up and coming designer.

My thanks to Howard Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

I love Kimberly's writing style. She has a unique story telling style that is a breath of fresh air. Grace is a fashion designer who returns to her small home town to reconnect with her grandmother after being let go from her New York City job. Together with her grandmother, Grace redesings vintage dresses and discovers a growing market. When opportunity arises, Grace must decide whether returing to NYC is more important than her relationships with the folks in her home town.

It's an endearing, humourous and light hearted read with some romance. I love a happy ending.

Country girl leaves Iowa goes to N.Y to make it in the fashion business. She comes back home and reconnects with Gigi her grandmother and Tucker an old high school sweet heart.

This is a sweet story and a fun adventure with Clara in the clothes design business from the drawing board to finished dress. The author shows how it's a cut throat business where fashions change quickly. I enjoyed being in Clara's home down and watch her as she discovers what's really important in life.

After a bit of a slow start, this book picked up some energy. This was a little of a roller coaster ride of emotional connection with Grace, the leading lady. There was times when I was routing so hard for her, to have me pull all sense of loyalty later on. Irritating you might say? No, it actually worked as you emotionally connect and disconnect with her. Small town Iowa is depicted well, with a true image of Midwestern camaraderie. It doesn't matter how long she has been gone, most of the town are happy to see Grace return, and she has their full support in her new endeavor. I enjoyed meeting Tucker, and all the history between him and Grace just embellishes the story. I have to say I was screaming 'contract' over and over later in the book.... I'm sure you'll know exactly what I mean when the time comes, and I just thought to myself how stupid could she be. At this point I was irritated with her anyway again, and rolling my eyes plenty! It keeps it real and plays into the naïveté she still experiences despite being a New Yorker for some time. Though I felt the conclusion worked, it did seem hurried. I was hoping for the money playmaker in NY to demand loyalty to Grace and Flyover, and somehow we'd get that big empty factory running again. That would have been a way better ending. Overall a lovely tale of going home to a place of memories, love and security - rediscovering your values and working together to find resolution and peace.

I received a complimentary eARC from Edelweiss+ & Netgalley. This is my honest review.

The cover art captivated my attention....however, the story captured my attention. Full of hopes and dreams. Looking forward to reading more of Kimberly Stuart's work.

Grace Klaren left Iowa ten years ago in pursuit of her dreams of becoming a fashion designer in New York City. However, when she is unexpectedly fired, Grace journeys home, to the heartland, hoping to get back on her feet - with the intention to moving back to NYC as soon as possible. But going home also means going back to the place where Tucker is; the only boy she has ever loved and regretfully left to pursue her dreams. With help from her grandma, Tucker and some friends, Grace starts to see potential for new success and must wrestle with how far she will go to create a name for herself!

This book's cover and description captured our attention and we were eager to jump in. The story is filled with charming characters but unfortunately they lack those defining growth moments so vital to great stories. We had great hopes that faith would be strong and vibrant, but instead was pretty mild.

These two chicks really tried to enjoy this read more, but sadly we felt it lacked in several areas. We owe it to our readers to write very honest reviews, even though it is hard for us to do. We wish our best to this author and hope to enjoy another of her books in the future.

I went into this book with no expectations. I hadn't heard of the author before but the description was intriguing. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed this book! I couldn't wait to see how it would be resolved in the end.

It was a little reminiscent of "Sweet Home Alabama" as in girl leaves town, not looking behind her, to face the big fashion world in NYC. Grace was moving up in her company but then she lost her job and can't afford to stay in the city, so she returns home. While there she runs into her old boyfriend Tucker, and sparks ignite.

Meanwhile, she is still trying to figure out a way to make it back to New York. She finds a niche and begins to have success.

I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and seeing how things would play out. My only complaint would be that Tucker had abosultely no flaws-so that dropped the realism a little bit for me. He was a great hero, though!

Grace changes throughout the book and it is good to watch her transformation and see her find what makes her happy.

At first, I was reluctant to read this book because it seemed to me that the story had done over and over before in other books. In my opinion, this story was still kind of cliche' and had been done before but Kimberly Stuart did it very well. She put in humor and depth into the story even though the premise wasn't very original.

This novel is the proof that simple is not underrated.
And I say this full of love. There was something about the story that reminded me of a favorite sweater - comfortable, cozy, enjoyable, the best place to be. If it doesn`t seem convincing enough, let me say this, this book reminds me of home. That constant, simple, straightforward word. Because it beckons much more than just a place, but people, memories, an embrace.
On that note, this book is about coming back home (all of the above mentioned) and about rediscovering your dream where you thought once it might not have fit. But, then, once you get there, you find faithful people knowing what you needed; seeing you and all your faults and still choosing to love you. Remember that word I mentioned: constant.
Endearing, thoughtful, entertaining. I am very much looking forward to other books by this author.