A review by donnah
Heartfire by Kari Sutherland, Karen Rose Smith

4.0

I read this on my Nook. The novel has approx. 341 pages on the Nook. This is a good romance with
the story flowing well and the characters being believable.

Tessa Kahill, renowned journalist who traveled the world, is falling in love with her best friend's husband all over again. Tessa and Max Winthrop dated before he met Leslie. But then Tessa left with secrets and dreams to follow her career. Afterward Max found Leslie to be the kind of woman he needed, one who wanted to be a mother, live in a small town and have roots. Tessa had somewhat kept her distance after Leslie and Max became involved, then married. But she visited a few times a year because she was their son's godmother and she still felt close to Leslie in so many ways. Keeping her distance from Max became a habit and a necessity. When Leslie was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Tessa became her confidant. If she couldn't be there physically, she was on the phone with her friend, talking about her concerns and her fears. After Leslie died, Tessa visited Jenkins, Connecticut, for Ryan's sake, always staying with Leslie's parents.

Now, three years after Leslie's death, Tessa comes for a visit and learns Ryan is having problems in school and making friends. After a serious conference with Ryan's teacher, Tessa offers to stay a few weeks for Ryan's sake. Accepting her help this time, Max insists she stay with them since Leslie's parents have moved away from the small town.

But something is different during this visit. Tessa and Max feel electricity that hasn't been there over the past nine years. They're both confused and unsettled by it.