WITHIN MY HEART by Tamera Alexander

Rachel Boyd is trying to fulfill her husband's dream by working their ranch and giving her two young sons a heritage. But for a woman missing her husband and trying to fill the role of both mom and dad it's beginning to take it's tole. Especially when her hearts desire is not the ranch but medicine. Dr. Rand Brookston dreams of building a proper clinic for the town of Timber Ridge. He also longs for Rachel to take notice of him. When the two are thrown together to care for a mutual friend Rachel begins to see Rand in a different light. Each have fears from the past. Can they trust God and face those fears together?

Tamera Alexander always writes with such a heart-felt emotion and Within My Heart was no exception. Her characters are so well crafted that you truly feel like they could just walk off the page. There were places where I smiled and places where I got the Kleenex. To me, that's good writing when it evokes those kinds of emotions. Rachel was a strong heroine who let fear keep her from the thing she longed for most. Rand was a really great hero. I loved how he was with Rachel. I think the back of the book explains it very well when it says "Sometimes the greatest step of faith is taken neck-deep in fear." Although this is the third book in the Timber Ridge Reflections Series I didn't feel lost, however, it makes me want to read the previous two books to find out the history of these characters. I thoroughly enjoyed Within My Heart and would definitely recommend it. A thank you goes to Bethany House for sending me this complimentary copy for my review.