A Worthy Heart (Courage to Dream)

A Worthy Heart by Susan Anne Mason is the second book in Courage to Dream series. It is June of 1914 and Maggie Montgomery has just arrived in New York City from Ireland. Maggie broke off her engagement to Neill Fitzgerald and came to America for the summer (or so everyone else believes). Maggie does not plan on going back to Ireland. Maggie is looking forward to reuniting with her brother, Rylan and his wife, Colleen. Gabriel "Gabe" Montgomery accompanied his sister to America. Gabe is a fireman and is eager to see the equipment used in the states. Then Gabe runs into Aurora Hastings. Aurora wants to be a nurse, but she is a society lady. Her father, of course, expects her to marry well (like the doctor who is interested in her) and makes sure that Gabe knows his opinion of him. Gabe is attracted to Aurora, but there is little chance of her family approving of the match. However, fate seems to keep throwing them together especially after Gabe rescues Aurora from a fire in her home. Adam O'Leary has just been released from prison and wants to make amends with his family. Adam (he is Colleen's brother) and Maggie meet each other at Irish Meadows. Maggie is warned to stay away from Adam (and Adam is warned to stay away from Maggie). Their paths continue to cross and love starts to bloom. Is there a chance of love and a happily-ever-after for these two couples? The four of them will have many obstacles to overcome. They will need to have faith and believe that God has a plan for them.



A Worthy Heart is a lovely novel. It is well-written and enjoyable to read. The story line is predictable (but it did not bother me), but I still liked it. It has a sweet ending that will have you making a happy little sigh (the kind where you close the book and sigh with pleasure at a good ending). I give A Worthy Heart 4 out of 5 stars. A Worthy Heart has engaging characters and a good setting. I liked the time period (1914). The author did a good job of showing what life was like during this time period. It was interesting to learn about early fire fighting techniques. While A Worthy Heart is the second book in the series, you can easily read it as a stand-alone book. However, the first book is a pleasure to read and will help you understand Rylan, Colleen, and Adam. I see more books by Susan Anne Mason in my reading future.



I received a complimentary copy of A Worthy Heart from the publisher courtesy of The Book Club Network, Inc. In exchange for an honest review of the novel.