The Tender Vine
Readers will find Kristen Heitzmann in top form in her latest novel. Third in the inspirational Diamond in the Rockies series, the novel continues the somewhat rocky marriage of Carina, the headstrong Italian beauty, and Quillan, the wealthy, reserved hero. In the midst of recovery from a brutal beating and resulting miscarriage, Carina realizes how much she needs her family’s support. As Carina returns to health, Quillan realizes he needs to establish a solid home for both of them and find acceptance from both his maternal grandparents and Carina’s family, the DiGratias. They leave the friends they’ve found in the Colorado mining town and head for California to begin a new life. Readers will cheer for the couple as their love strengthens during their trip and their stay at the DiGratia homestead.
Despite a slow start, the action and suspense really picks up after about a hundred pages. Heitzmann delicately mixes soothing inspiration, sizzling romance, and tense suspense in this novel, and I look forward to reading more of her work. Readers are encouraged to read the first two books of the series first, starting with The Rose Legacy.
