Sherry Kyle in her new book, "The Heart Stone" published by Abingdon Press takes us into the lives of Jessica MacAllister and Evelyn Sweeney.

From the back cover: Two women. Two journeys. A season that may change their lives forever.

When the alcoholic father of Jessica MacAllister' s son reappears in their lives, Jessica and her son go to her Uncle George for advice and refuge.

Following a year of grief, Evelyn Sweeney is finally ready to move on. Pondering her new path in life, her mind drifts to her first love, George MacAllister.

When the lives of these two women cross, they discover that one heart-shaped ring binds their stories together. But will the results be a rekindled faith and new hope? Or will it lead them both back into the darkness they've fought for so long?

Jessica wants to escape from the father of her son and decides to take her son down to Santa Cruz for the week. Evelyn is a year into being a widow after forty years or marriage and in her sixties when she decides to look up her old flame from forty years before. Nick is a firefighter who longs for his own family. The lives of all these characters dovetail around George MacAllister. Ms. Kyle does a wonderful job of getting all these characters lives to unfold as each is told separately until they all meet. "The Heart Stone" is a wonderful, charming romance. The themes of letting go of past hurts, questioning whether you can be forgiven and trusting again is explored with a deft hand by Ms. Kyle. Ms. Kyle does an outstanding job of bringing her characters to life and you really want their romance to succeed. I am already looking forward to more from this talented author.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Pump Up Your Book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A grieving widow....

A young single mother....

A boy who has never known his father...

A drug addicted man who never wanted his son...

A kind but shattered missionary, back in the states after

losing his leg...

One story that connects them all....

The Heart Stone lets us meet characters who are asking "Can I let go of that hurt?" "Can he forgive me?" "Is it right to love again after my husband dies?" and finding that God, as the author of love, doesn't want them to shut love out.

Evelyn needs to find the man whose heart she broke years before, Jessica needs to release her fear of Jacob's father and open her heart to the godly man who wants to help her.

Exploring the themes of forgiveness, trusting again and moving forward after loss, this book will touch the heart of anyone who has walked in those shoes.

"I found the stories I was most drawn to deal with women's issues, particularly self-identity; so writing women's fiction was a natural fit for me. I love writing about characters who connect or reconnect with someone from their past, whether they are friends, family members, or long lost loves." Sherry Kyle said, in an interview, and that is what she has wonderfully succeeded in with this novel.

I received The Heart Stone from Pump Up Your Book Promotion and the author for my review. Thank you!!