This was such an emotional story with memorable characters who get a second chance. It was hard to put down.
Many thanks to Rachel Blaufeld and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow I could only imagine the pain of loss that Claire felt through the tragedy that gripped her. No, not mentioning it as I do not want to give a spoiler. The biggest thing is how does one rebuild after something so heartbreaking and earth shattering? Tear jerker of a story.

Heart Stronger is bit of a tear jerker, so have those tissues handy. I simply love this book. So heartfelt.

This is a story that really puts you through the emotional wringer, and the dual POV really gives you the insight you need to understand both characters motivations.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this title.

However, I was not able to finish this as I was not able to connect with the story and the way the characters were written.

I have chosen to mark this title as a "DNF" and I apologize for the delay in sending this response to this title.

Thank you!

Heart Stronger is a really emotional read that had sone react ugly crying moments throughout this story. I really liked the characters in this story and i liked the storyline of this story as well.

I liked it, Cute and very easy to read, It's the perfect read when you just want to get away in a book afeter a long day, without thinking too much

Rounding up from 3.5 stars. This book includes a truly beautiful romance story. Claire is struggling to move past the losses she has endured but Aiken is just the man to help her start to move forward. Aiken is supportive and patient and almost too perfect for most of the book. If the story had just been focused on these two characters building a relationship and a future together then I probably would have given it 5 stars. But Aiden is also searching for his long lost mother and the parts of the plot dealing with that and connecting it back to the relationship between Aiken and Claire didn't exactly work for me. It's not that I had a problem with what was revealed, it was more about the way it unfolded and that didn't work for me. I still really enjoyed a good portion of this book and I recommend it based on the beautiful romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Claire is lost and lonely and feels she deserves it for how she lost her daughter. Aiken is searching for answers on his long-lost mother who left him years ago. Aiken works hard and finally breaks down Claire's shield over her heart, but somehow they are connected and neither knows how. This book was a decent read, really slow at times, relatively boring and mundane in other places but I couldn't figure out how it was going to come together, so I continued. Surprised by the climax of the book, I just wished the author had gotten there sooner.

An emotional read. A story about accepting what has happened in the past and moving forwards with your life.
Twist towards the end - part of which I suspected.

This book was brutal! Fabulously written, a story of great growth and redemption, but dang....the tears! Have a couple boxes of Kleenex ready before you embark on this journey!

Heart Stronger is the first by that I have ever read by Rachel Blaufeld. I really enjoyed this book. I was literally sucked in by Claire and Aiken. They both have endured a lot of pain and loss in their past. Aiken has suffered loss because his mom left him and his dad when he was four. Claire was a divorced mom and lost her only child Abby, when she was only fourteen. Aiken has his dad and family farm back home Indiana.

Aiken and Claire meet when he moves in next door to her. Aiken moves to Town Centre, Pennsylvania to hopefully find answers about his mom. His moms parents where from Town Centre. Aiken is immediately taken with Claire. Claire is 36 years old and is still struggling with Abby’s death. Aiken also looks very young even though he is 30. Aiken and Claire run into each other a lot, seeing as how they are neighbors. The more Aiken is around Claire he knows she is barely living and he makes it his primary focus to bring her back to the land of living.

This is a very sweet book with some suspense. I really enjoyed it. This book is written with dual POV, romance and some sexy scenes. I loved Aiken and how much he loved and faught for Claire and their future.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

An emotional story full of heartbreak, grief, second chances and growth, this story will suck you in and hold you captive until the end. I enjoyed the highs and lows of the story and the chemistry and emotion between the main characters.

Unique perspective on new beginnings.
Well written with some unexpected twists!
Claire is struggling to regain her footing after some situations in her life.
When she meets her new next door neighbor Aiken sparks fly.
Their chemistry was passionate and gut wrenching. Despite the sparks, their journey was full of emotional twists and turns. The writing was excellent as the story unfolded slowly giving us insight into who these people were individually and what it meant for them to be together.

Claire Richards has suffered a devasting loss and her new neighbor, Aiken Fordham, is there to help her start to live again. This is a beautiful, emotional read. I loved it and read it in one sitting! 5+ Stars!

**ARC kindly provided by Netgalley **

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough comedy & sweet romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

This was my first book by this author but I'd heard good things about her books but also heard that they tended to be emotional/angsty. While it *was* emotional, it wasn't nearly as angsty as I thought it would be based on the blurb so if angsty isn't your thing, don't let that turn you off. It was an interesting plot with the two "mysteries" that were involved, but it got a bit "cloak and daggery" towards the end and it felt a bit abrupt.

Although the age difference between Claire and Aiken was a central theme (almost to the point of being overdone, if I’m being honest), I never got exactly how old Claire was to Aiken's 30. Not that it really mattered to me, but if it was 10 years vs. 5, it might have helped explain why Claire was so freaked out about it for so much of the book.

Claire's friendship with her lifelong friend Mary was fairly central to the story but I'm not sure I really ever warmed up to her, although she did seem to have Claire's best interest in mind - despite her actions at the end of the book (which never really got resolved although it did seem like she might be getting her own book based on the ending).

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Beautiful heartbreaking story about a woman who hits rock bottom and her slow rise up.

Claire has lost just about everything, including her mind. A few years ago her daughter was killed and her husband left her for another woman. She teaches, comes home, and starts her day all over again. Her best friend Mary, convinces her to lighten up just a little.

She meets her new next door neighbor, Aiken, who's pretty soft on the eyes. He makes no secret of his interest in her-but he has a few secrets he hasn't revealed.

Slowly Claire lets Aiken into her life, but then when those secrets are exposed, where will that leave them?

Heart Stronger is bit of a tear jerker, so have those tissues handy. I simply love this book. So heartfelt. Claire is living the only way she can after the tragedy that took her daughter Abby away. She is a shell of a woman she used to be but that is so understandable. How can you move on when your child is taken away from you too soon? You bury yourself in work and live like a hermit. That is until a hot and a little younger neighbor moves in. Aiken is what Claire needs. He may be a few years younger but he is an old soul. He knows what he wants and he sees that in Claire. Watching him break down her walls and help her heal is so beautiful. I love how he makes new memories with Claire and even includes Abby in them. There a few of twists you wont see coming with this one and you just hold her breathe for Claire once it all comes to light. I love Heart Stronger. It is so beautiful seeing Claire and Aiken come together. A must read.

Heart Stronger was a great read. I have to say I was a little disappointed with the story. I needed more build up between Aiken and Claire. He wanted her from the moment her saw her and I couldn’t feel a connection between them. For Aiken It felt more like lust. I appreciated that he wanted her to find her way back to a life where grief didn’t have a hold on her. Aiken definitely did his best. Claire was struggling with the loss of her daughter and she certainly blossomed when she finally lets Aiken inside which was where the story shined.
Overall a great book but I struggled with the characters and the flow of the story.