The Rose Legacy by Kristen Heitzmann -- Review

The Rose Legacy by Kristen Heitzmann

If he wants her, let him come and prove it•.

Fleeing her idyllic home in Sonoma, California, Carina Maria DiGratia journeys to the mining town of Crystal, Colorado. Clinging to hopes of a new life, she finds reality has a harsh welcome for her. Overrun with men seeking their fortune and women bound by circumstance, the town hosts both dreams and nightmares, with little surety for tomorrow. But at least here Carina is far from the betrayal that still pierces her heart.

Early on, two men vie for her trust, but neither is what he seems. Will Carina discern the truth and confront the turmoil hidden in her own heart in time to prevent tragedy?

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My introduction to Kristen Heitzmann was through her most recent contemporary romantic suspense novel The Edge of Recall and I loved it. When I found out that she also had previously written a series in my favorite genre of Christian Historical Fiction I added it to my TBR list. Then I discovered that Bethany House was going to re-release the series with beautiful new covers and I could not wait to get my hands on the series! After reading the first novel, I am glad that I did. Originally published in 2000, now being re-released in 2010.

Carina Maria DiGratia is a high class Italian transplanted with her family to Sonoma, California. After her heart is broken, she runs away to make someone work for her love. It is after she gets to her destination that she starts a journey of learning that maybe it is God's will but for different reasons than her own. Through this story we get to know Carina and also a less likely character of Quillan. Getting to know his history explains some of her own and God is definitely working in Carina's life in mysterious ways.

This is a story of romance, redemption, vengeance and love. It ends with a string that causes a reader to have to get the next book (ordered my from PaperBackSwap thank you very much) and on the edge of your seat you want to know what comes next. I recommend this story, and I'm certain will recommend the series.

*Thanks to Jim Hart of Bethany House Publishers for providing a copy for review.*

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The Rose Legacy, Diamond of the Rockies Series #1 (rpkgd) By Kristen Heitzmann / Bethany House Driven by hope and vengeance Carina Maria DeGarcia, an Italian heiress, sets out for a new life in a Colorado mining town. But she soon finds out the "dream house" she purchased through the mail is already inhabited and the town called the "diamond of the Rockies" is anything but luxurious. Two men vie for her trust, but neither is what he seems. Will Carina learn the truth--and confront the deep secrets hidden in her heart--in time to prevent tragedy?

Sweet Boundless, Diamond of the Rockies Series #2 By Kristen Heitzmann / Bethany House Awakening to a new landscape, Carina DiGratia Shepard is as transformed as the home she has embraced. The mining town of Crystal, Colorado, has lost its evil stranglehold, its surface cleansed by a devastating flood, its people both shattered and revitalized.Carina, too, now strolls its boardwalks a different woman. Married, though in title only. The habits of her rogue husband's solitary life still reign--Quillan Shepard has left without word of his return, haunted by the parents who'd given him a name he despises and a heart unable to love.

The Tender Vine, Diamond of the Rockies Series #3 (rpkgd) By Kristen Heitzmann / Bethany House Carina DiGratia Shephard longs to leave behind the painful memories represented by the town of Crystal, Colorado, and start anew in the California vineyards of her youth. With Quillan bent on proving his devotion, Carina dares to open her heart to this rogue husband who has brought both pain and passion--and together they attempt to resurrect the tattered remains of their relationship and create a marriage where love truly reigns. Yet the journey itself and their arrival at the DiGratia estate are not what they expect. Rocked by a confrontation with the past and shunned by the entire family, Quillan faces yet more rejection in his life. But his determination to prove his worth will be tested beyond what any of them had imagined....

The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann: a review (A NEW FAVORITE)

The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Without a doubt, this book and Kristen Heitzmann are two of my favorite things now. From the first chapter, I was thrown into a whirl asking a thousand silent questions trying to understand and just comprehend what was going on. The more I read, the more I needed to read to find out even more.



The plot is fabulous. The characters are amazing. It is a story that is so real that it bridges on imagination and reality. (Trust me if you read it, that comment makes sense). The Edge of Recall is something that I would say is unlike anything I have ever read, although I would equate it to being along the same psychological amazing lines as the works of Melanie Wells in her series.



This is a long book, but in a good way. You really do not want it to end. As things started toward an ending, I was feeling kinda blah about it, but I am so very much content with the ending that I cannot help but giggle a little. I'd call this a page turner without a doubt. For some it might not be what you read before bed though... and for others it could touch a nerve or bring something to light. Overall, it is a wonderful work of fiction that would definitely be enjoyed by male and female alike.


View all my reviews.

See Monday for a CFBA blurb about the author and book.
See Tuesday for a Q&A session with the author.

The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann: Q & A

The Edge of Recall
by Kristen Heitzmann
ISBN:978-0-7642-2831-5
Trade Paper; $13.99; 416pp.
Release Date:July 2008
Available at your local bookstore, bethanyhouse.com or by calling 1-800-877-2665.

1.Labyrinths play a key role in your new release,The Edge of Recall. Can you tell us why you chose that element?
I found the idea ofa prayer walk intriguing.Labyrinths,unlike mazes,have a single
winding path that leads to the center and back out the same way.Walked meditatively it
symbolizes a pilgrimage toward God and a return,bringing the peace and insight gained
along the way.My lead,Tessa Young,creates labyrinths in her desire to make sense ofthe
nightmares that have terrified her since her dad’s disappearance,and also to access God’s
wisdom without risking a personal relationship with the Father.
2.Monsters are also a key element,especially within the labyrinth. Can you discuss that theme?
Many cultures have had a labyrinth myth in which a monster impedes and threatens the
life ofthe sojourner.Satan operates in this way against Christians seeking deeper
understanding,relationship,and fruitful service to God.In the Greek myth mentioned in
this story,Theseus is given a clew,or ball ofyarn,that shows him the way to freedom after
defeating the monster and rescuing the innocents given as sacrifice to the Minotaur.In my
mind,Jesus is the clew showing the way out ofdarkness,out ofbondage into the light of
truth.
3.There are several monsters in this story. Why did you choose to tell it with more than one antagonist?
In life we’re faced with different kinds of obstacles and pitfalls.Tessa’s struggle has an
allegorical underpinning similar to Pilgrim’s Progress as she tries to find peace and resolution in her walk and in her life.The different antagonists created a more complicated and
interesting plot as each one is worse than the last.
4.Why does Tessa have such a hard time trusting God,and how does this affect her
relationships?
Her father disappeared when she was six. Several years later her mother died.Her aunt gave
her as a young teen into the care of a psychiatrist who attempted to unlock the trauma
behind the nightmares.While she believes in God as the creator and source of wisdom, she
doesn’t believe prayers are answered because He has let her down every time,taking the
ones she loved and needed.Her loss and emotional fragility caused her to overreact when
Smith Chandler seemingly turned against her while both were acquiring degrees in
architecture.In taking the position he offers six years later,she hopes to heal the wound he
caused and find closure.But closure is not all that God desires for her.

5.To Tessa, bright, successful, and popular Smith Chandler seems to have led a charmed life. No wonder God answers his prayers. How can those of us who have struggled understand God’s apparent favoritism?
I’m reminded of what Jesus said to his apostles when they asked about John.“What is it to you if he remains?”We all have different gifts,different failings and challenges. My hope is to run the course the Lord has laid out for me and not question why someone else’s race has fewer hurdles.I have been blessed beyond measure and tried in the furnace. Both have been according to God’s purpose for my life. Another truth that applies is that from those to whom much has been given, much is required. We are called to glorify Him in all circumstances.Only in aligning our will with His choices for us can we find the contentment Paul urges us to.
6.You touch upon a time in American Colonial history in which religious freedom was not practiced. Why did you feel this was an important element to include?
In researching the Maryland area where the story in set, I was intrigued by the fact that Maryland was the first colony to even consider an environment in which all followers ofChrist would worship in freedom and respect one another in words and actions.Their Toleration Act was a precursor to those rights in our Constitution. I included this because the historical information provided the background for the burned out monastery where Smith discovers the labyrinth,and because my heart longs for the body to find unity,not sniping at a hand because it isn’t a foot,or an ear for not being an eye.
7.What do you want a reader to take away from this story?
I want people to know that our God is a loving Father who does hear and answer our prayers, even if it doesn’t always look the way we wanted it to.We can have all the head knowledge ofGod in the world,but He longs to have relationship with each ofus,and for that we have to trust even when the risk seems to outweigh the hope.

Taken from the official website of Kristen Heitzmann.

Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Edge Of Recall
(Bethany House July 1, 2008)
by
Kristen Heitzmann


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Of her three main interests, art, music and writing, she chose to study English at the University of Colorado and thrived on Creative Writing and Literature classes. She married her husband Jim, and turned her energy to building a family. They have four children whom they have home schooled for all or most of their education. Kristen is a music minister with the ecumenical covenant community People of Praise.

Once she realized the stories in her head were truly a calling from the Lord, she made writing not just a passion, but a ministry. She has written seven historical fiction novels as part of the The Rocky Mountain Legacy series, the Diamond of the Rockies series, and the Christy Award winner Secrets. Most recently, she has written several contemporary fiction novels, including Echoes, Freefall and Unforgotten.

Kristen and her husband, Jim, and their family live in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she serves as worship leader in their church.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Tessa Young, an up-and-coming landscape architect who specializes in the design and creation of labyrinths, has immersed herself in the mythological, spiritual, and healing aspects of the elaborate structures. She also is searching for God and hoping to make sense of the nightmares that have plagued her since childhood.

When Smith Chandler, an estranged colleague--with whom she'd half fallen in love a dozen times before catching herself every time--calls to propose a project he claims is the opportunity of a lifetime, she reluctantly agrees to check it out. Smith is reconstructing a pre-Revolutionary War abbey for wealthy clients. Among its remarkable features is an overgrown labyrinth.

Unable to resist, Tessa accepts his offer to work with him. Soon she is immersed in the project of a lifetime. But one evening, after weeks of work in the labyrinth, Tessa and Smith are attacked. While protecting Tessa, Smith is stabbed, and the nightmare begins...again.


If You would like to read the first chapter, go HERE