When jilted bride Daisy opens a secondhand wedding dress boutique, she hopes she can at least give the gowns a second chance at love. She befriends a retired priest who blesses the blue satin hearts she sews into each garment. Then one day she meets his son---and wonders if her own dress might still fit! 300 pages, softcover from Harvest.
In this moving new novel by critically acclaimed author Susan Meissner, readers will once again delight in the masterful storytelling that resulted in the author’s A Window to the World (2005) being named among the top ten Christian novels of the year by Booklist Magazine.
Left standing at the altar, Daisy Murien, a wounded but hopeful romantic, opens a secondhand wedding dress boutique, hoping to soothe her broken heart while giving doomed wedding dresses a second chance at love. Her predictable days take a sharp turn, though, when the retired Episcopal priest who blesses the tiny, blue satin heart she sews into each dress falls ill. When the priest’s brooding and recently divorced son arrives with plans to take his ailing father away, a contest of wills begins between two stubborn—and hurting—souls. While fighting to keep Father Laurent close by, Daisy finally begins to understand why she has routinely convinced potential buyers not to buy the one gown that started her business—her own: She doesn’t want to give up on the dream of a fairytale romance.
This compelling story is about the magnificence of unconditional love and God’s impeccable timing in bringing it about.
“Susan Meissner’s strength is making characters so real, you root for them as you welcome them into your life.”
—Mary E. DeMuth, author of Wishing on Dandelions and Watching the Tree Limbs
n this sweet contemporary romance, Meissner (A Window to the World) explores one woman’s response to rejection and hurt. When a man she’d trusted jilts Daisy Murien almost at the altar, bitterness colors every aspect of her world. Admirably, she parlays her betrayal into opening a secondhand bridal gown store, Something Blue, where each gown has a story and a tiny blue heart is sewn into the seams and blessed by Daisy’s friend and mentor, the elderly Father Laurent. When the kindly priest is felled by a heart attack, a new romantic interest (predictably) enters Daisy’s life. Lurking on the sidelines is a high school friend who may have feelings for Daisy, and a wealthy single Christian man who can’t seem to make the sparks fly. Meissner tells her story well, and her Christian themes are interwoven throughout with a deft touch. Readers will appreciate some fresh elements: an Ecuadorian couple that cooks for the apartment dwellers every Sunday, and the one gown in Daisy’s inventory she does not want to sell. The ending is well told if conventional, with all the loose ends neatly tied up, which should please fans of “happily ever after” romance novels. (Feb.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 stars(5 out of 5 stars)
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5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Susan Brooks (Oxford, MS), July 06, 2008
What a great story! The blessing has become a part of my favorite quotes and sayings which I keep until God presents the perfect opportunity to share one.
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Debra Felt (Murfreesboro, TN), April 22, 2008
A sweet and witty main character with modern ideas and relationships. I enjoyed the book though the outcome was somewhat predictible. I thought it was a teriffic idea for a retail store!
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Gale Judkins (Corinth, MS), April 18, 2008
Such a refreshing story with truth and humor. I pretty much read this one straight through and look forward to her next book.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Deborah (Portsmouth, VA), April 02, 2008
Susan Meissner has become one of the few authors that not only must I immediately go out and get her newest book but every book has been a winner. In her latest work,Meissner has produced an absolute gem of a story that I fell in love with from the beginning. The characters in this book become real to you. Reading this book was like entering Daisy's world and becoming part of her life. The story is so detailed and character driven. I loved her letter writing to Harriet. I think there's a Harriet inside everyone of us that says what we wish could have said at that moment. I would love to read a whole book just based on Daisy and Harriet's letters. I really felt for Daisy throughout the book. Being jilted by the person you love is an awful experience. The pain she went throughout the whole story is something I myself could relate to. Therefore I was rooting for her during the whole story hoping for a happy ending. I wish I could be part of this little community. I would love to rent a room in the refurbished hotel and eat dinner with the gang on Sundays and help out in the bridal shop. If only books could really come to life! This book is such a refreshing read from all the hard, edgy stuff that is out there today. This book however is not a light fluffy read. It's a story that will open your heart and stay with you long after you've finished the last page. HIGHLY recommended.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Carrie Turansky (Lawrenceville, NJ), March 24, 2008
Blue Heart Blessed is a heartwarming story about the healing power of unconditional love. Daisy, Father Laurent, and Ramsey feel like friends now, and I wish I could read more of their story. Susan Meissner is a wonderful writer who knows how to weave together an awesome story. This is a must read for those who like thought provoking inspirational romance.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by alandkathi (Homeland, CA), March 05, 2008
Author Susan Meissner has once again offered us a fresh window of perspective through which to view what would otherwise be an ordinary life story. A master at unfolding those life stories through achingly real characters, Meissner manages to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, the mundane into the miraculous.
In her gentle, exquisite writing style, Meissner draws us into the funny, whimsical, poignant events of almost-thirty-and-just-jilted Daisy Murien, who has opened a “recycled wedding dress” shop with the idea that she would one day recover from being left at the altar and sell her never-worn wedding dress to someone who would appreciate it—and actually wear it. In the process Daisy learns that life’s true blessings often pop up, like daisies, in the most unexpected places.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Ane Mulligan (Suwanee, GA), February 25, 2008
Heartwarming and funny, Blue Heart Blessed has to be made into a movie. Someone call Hollywood! Start with one tenderhearted but flawed leading lady who journals to her alter ego, Harriett, who dispenses advice. Toss in a comical side-kick or two, a confidant, and top it off with a handsome, brooding hero and you have a hit. And Meissner does.
Set in an old hotel that's been turned into retail space with apartments above, The Finland, which Daisy manages besides having her business there, is nearly a character in the story where most of the other characters live. There's the retired priest and the Latin couple who open their doors every Sunday afternoon for a communal meal. She sews for Daisy and he is the building caretaker. Can you see the recipe for a great story in this novel?
I haven't yet read a book by Susan Meissner that I didn't love, and Blue Heart Blessed tops the list of favorites. Novel Reviews and I give it our highest recommendation.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Trudi Cook (Hammondsport, NY), February 15, 2008
Susan makes you think and once you start reading her books, you are hooked! This one was a bit "lighter" in theme ...but still an important message. How many broken marriages should have been broken engagements because they were more about being in love with the feeling than the person? I really love getting to know Susan's characters and these are no exception - we all need someone like "Father Laurent" to listen and give wise advice!
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