Guardians of the Heart ~ Review

Guardians of the Heart
Secrets on Sterling Street #2
By Loree Lough

Nell Holstrom is everyone's favorite person. She's always willing to offer a helping hand and an encouraging word.  She's been on her own since the death of her father in the family's gold mine. But when she needs to find a new place of employment she applies at the old Stone Hill Inn.

Asa Stone is attempting to restore his late grandparent's inn, but he needs help.  And Nell's go-get-it-done work ethic is just what he needs to get Stone Hill Inn open.  Asa is not an easy person to work with as he deals with the demons in his past.  Guilt has been Asa's constant companion for years and he can't imagine life without it.

But when nature turns against them Nell turns to what she left behind - a mine that slowly stole her whole family from her.  But Nell is determined that Asa is just the man that she needs to get the mine back in operation and find the gold her father was convinced was there.

Will the secrets of his past keep Asa from seeing himself as worthy of Nell?  Or will his guilt drive him once again from the only home he has ever known?

Guardians of the Heart is set in 1880s Denver and will appeal to anyone who likes a book that leaves you with a feel good feeling after the story is finished.  Historical fiction fans will enjoy this set back in time.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher through TBCN/BookFun in exchange fror my honest review.

About the Book:
Nell Holstrom wanted no part of her grandfather's barren gold mine that had taken the lives of her mother, father, and younger brother; even if there may still be hidden wealth inside. Instead, she went to Denver and took a job as housekeeper at the old Stone Hill Inn. Asa Stone was barely more than a boy when his father dragged him and his brothers to fight with Colonel John Chivington. But Asa refused to participate in the raid on the peaceful Cheyenne and Arapahoe; and when the smoke cleared, his father and brother lay among the slaughtered. Besieged by guilt, Asa wandered the West for years before returning to Denver to rebuild the old inn he'd inherited. Together, Nell and Asa work hard to restore Stone Hill. But when disaster hits the inn, Asa retreats into despair and Nell is forced to return to her family's mine. Asa faces the hard fact: He'll never be the man Nell deserves. Can he overcome the dark secrets of his past? And will Nell still love him when she learns the truth?

About the Author:

Once upon a time, best–selling author Loree Lough literally sang for her supper, performing before packed audiences throughout the Midwest. Now and then, she blows the dust from her 6–string to croon a tune or two for her grandkids or to sing at weddings or funerals, but she mostly just writes. Over the years, her stories have earned hundreds of industry and Readers' Choice awards and 4– and 5–star reviews. Loree has nearly five million copies of her books in circulation, and in March 2014, she added her hundredth published book to the shelves. She has written fiction and nonfiction for kids and adults (2,500–plus articles and 68 short stories), and four of her novels have been optioned for movies. To date, there are almost 66,000 letters in her "Reader Mail" file, and she has answered every one, personally. (A carton of books is on its way to Corinna P. of San Antonio, Texas, for writing the 65,999th letter. Corinna said she plans to donate the books to her local library!) Loree loves sharing learned–the–hard–way lessons about the craft and the industry, and her comedic approach to teaching makes her a favorite (and frequent) guest of writers' organizations, book clubs, private and government institutions, and college and high school writing programs in the U.S. and abroad. A writer who believes in "giving back," Loree dedicates a portion of her income to Soldiers' Angels, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, and several other worthwhile organizations (see the "Giving Back" tab at her Web site, http://www.loreelough.com, for a complete list). She splits her time between a tiny home in the Baltimore suburbs and an even tinier cabin in the Allegheny Mountains, where she continues to perfect her Critter Tracks Identification skills. She shares her life with her real–life hero, Larry, who rarely complains, even when she adds yet another item to her vast collection of "wolf stuff."