Heart's Journey by Kristen McKendry + $25 and Book Giveaway

Adventure is in her blood, so when wealthy eighteen-year-old Rachel Hamilton’s treasure-hunting father disappears in the wilderness of British Columbia, she considers only one course of action: she will embark on a quest to find him. But for a well-bred woman with little understanding of the world beyond her upper-class existence, the harsh realities of the trail quickly become apparent. Woefully unprepared for the hardships of crossing a wild and unsettled continent, Rachel is hungry, lost, and distraught when handsome frontiersman Peter finds her in the middle of nowhere. Taking pity on the castaway, Peter promises to escort her to the safety of civilization. Little does he realize he’s taking on a naïve and foolishly brave girl who will test the limits of his patience. But he also discovers the same naïve girl will blossom into a strong, competent, and captivating woman as they undertake an epic journey that will forever alter both their lives.

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Heart's Journey is a gentle adventure of growth and love.  Not romantic love, but a love for people and places and of self.  I really, really enjoyed this book.

Yes, Rachel Hamilton is a bit naive.  She thinks she knows so much and, as is typical for most young people, she also thinks she can do anything.  One of the best parts of this book was watching Rachel's transformation from a girl to a woman.  She is strong mentally with determination but her strength is tested in ways she never thought possible- physically and emotionally.  Rachel goes from a soft, genteel young woman to a woman who knows how to work hard.  She learns to deal with the difficulties of travel.  Her body becomes stronger and more capable.  

Mostly I loved Rachel's "Heart's Journey" as the title so easily expresses.  Rachel thinks she knows people and places because she has read or heard about them but her experiences teach her that there is so much more to know.  Rachel learns how to really love people.  She learns how to withhold judgment.  People are so much more than what you first see.  

The setting was both harsh and beautiful.  The secondary characters were well defined and added depth and flavor to the book.

I just really loved this book.  From beginning to end.  All of it.

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*21st: http://www.rockinbookreviews.com/, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/

*22nd: http://www.bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://iamareader.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/

*23rd: http://fireandicereads.com/, http://atransparentmom.com/ 

*24th: http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://ilovetoreadandreviewbooks.blogspot.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/

*25th: http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/index.html, http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/