Lessons of the Heart by Helen Hardt

Story: 9

Presentation: 9

Total: 18

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Historical Spicy

To Purchase

Blurb: Spinster schoolteacher Ruth Blackburn has accepted her fate. She's not meant for love, especially not with ill-mannered—though excruciatingly handsome—Garth Mackenzie, the widowed father of one of her students. She'll just have to ignore the fact that he makes her skin heat.

Garth Mackenzie is used to loss. The Civil War cost him his best friend and his ability to sleep through the night, and illness stole his wife and son. To avoid the pain of losing his daughter, he keeps her at arm's length, much to her teacher's dismay. Ruth Blackburn is independent and opinionated—just what Garth doesn't need. But her vibrant beauty and energy awaken feelings in him he thought long dead.

Can he let go of his past and open up to new lessons of the heart?

Review: I could NOT put it down ! I could feel the heat and attraction between these two characters starting in the first chapter. He is hot HOT! and she is not bad looking herself.

This story is about an old maid school teacher and a widowed farmer in Dakota Territory in the 1870s . She thinks she is unattractive, plain and too tall (she is six feet). He is a large tall handsome blond father. She is romantic and caring, while he is cold and emotionally crippled with nightmares about the Civil War. And now, two men want to marry her, but neither mentions love.

They meet at the schoolhouse where she teaches his daughter.Their strong personalities clash at this first encounter. They seem to be total opposites, but like the old saying, 'opposites attract'. WOW, did the attraction sizzle between these two. They could not keep their hands off each other then and throughout their story. The weather is hot and steamy and so are they.

This short story is packed with action; from grass fires to his daughter's health.

I could not put this story down. I enjoyed every page and I can't wait until I read another book by Ms. Hardt.