A emotional story of forgiveness and giving second chances. I loved watching the sisters reconnect and the bond that they develop.

I had such high hopes for this one but it seemed mork like one of my soap operas. I felt like it just kept going on and on and wished it would get to the point.
For this reason my rating is lower.
But thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read/review this book.

This book was like reading a soap opera. The storyline had promise, but I couldn’t get past the juvenile writing which included atrocious grammar and punctuation.
Rose and Fern are sisters who spend one week every year at their cabin for a week of bonding and getting away from their duties as wives and mothers. Tragedy struck their family 8 years ago and tore the family apart and tragedy strikes again during the week, cutting their time short and exposing secrets that were kept hidden for years.
I love stories about sisters and I love stories about the inner workings of families and this had both. Everything that happened in this book was heartbreaking, though, and there were absolutely no moments of lightness. I felt like this story could have been told in half the book and the filler that was added did nothing to move the story along.
I found myself wondering quite often throughout about the backstory of Renee Field. I found the way she had some of the characters deal with the tragedies bestowed upon them to be odd in how a person would deal with such a tragedy. I don’t want to give spoilers, so I’ll just ask you to take my word for it. I know everyone grieves differently, but reading one particular comment by one of the characters really got to me.
I found the writing skills to be lacking and one of my biggest pet peeves in grammar was used multiple times (ie: Bobby and her are going to the movies), which makes me think that’s in Ms. Field’s vernacular. I am not the grammar police, but if you’re going to write a book, you should at least use correct grammar in your writing. As for punctuation, there were errant commas strewn throughout the book and the punctuation at the end of sentences were wrong (sentences that were clearly questions ended with periods, etc). It made reading this very unenjoyable. That being said, if you’ve read my other reviews, you know I can’t stand when “said” is the only word to convey dialogue. Ms. Field’s did a beautiful job at using different words, which really added to the depth of the dialogue in this book. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this self published book. This hit the shelves on March 21st.

The Heart of Family is an emotion-filled journey through the dysfunction and problematic history behind one family.

Sisters Rose and Fern travel each year to an old family cottage on the lake. It gives them a chance to enjoy one another’s company and engage in their own traditions of baking and pickling. However, Fern’s sixth sense of impending trouble is unfortunately not wrong and tragedy strikes.

This story is true to life and all its imperfections – showing the characters’ flaws, issues, and internal struggles. But it also encompasses the good in how a family can come together in the wake of tragedy. Secrets are uncovered and the sisters must make decisions they never expected to make – decisions that will have a lasting effect on their family and future. I was glued to the page honestly not knowing how characters would respond to what was happening.

This is a captivating novel, and I look forward to the next installment in this series.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC. All thoughts in this review are honest and my own.

This was an easy read, perfect to cozy up on the sofa with. Fern, and her family live in Nova Scotia where they have a lot of family issues, heartache and loss. It took me a while to get into the story, there are lots of characters and I was having trouble connecting who was who. But once I understood the characters and their family dynamics, I just settled in and read. We have Fern, Rose and their mom, along with their husbands and children. As I read, I could picture the cottage they visit, the lake they fish on and the small town they live in. This family's ups and downs, love for each other and determination will carry the reader on a lovely journey. I feel like i saw that this is the first of a series, but I can't find that info again. If it is, I would certainly read the next to see where this family goes.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in return for my review.