Book Review: Cora's Heart by Rachael Herron

My Rating:                    4 / 5

Format:                        e-Book, courtesy Random House & NetGalley

Publication Date:          01/03/2013

Category:                     Rural Romance (set in California)

ISBN:                            9781742753195

Imprint:                         Bantam Australia

Extent:                          336 Pages

RRP:                           AU$32.95


The Blurb

"From bestselling author, Rachael Herron, comes another playfully seductive romantic comedy set in the sleepy town of Cypress Hollow. Cora has been hurt too many times. And by one man in particular . . .

Abandoned by her mother and widowed in her mid-twenties, Cora Sylvan has learnt the hard way that you should take nothing in life for granted. So everything is planned out to the nth degree - from how to run her farm on a shoestring, to how to survive a major earthquake. Unfortunately there's nothing in those notes to cover the return of the infuriatingly handsome Mac Wildwood. Her husband's cousin. The man she loved and lost. And Mac, it seems, has a shattering plan of his own up his sleeve. Dammit. Cora Sylvan safeguarded everything - but she didn't protect her heart . . .

Cora, a farm-girl who's been hurt too much in the past, safeguards everything--except her heart. Mac is a large-animal veterinarian who has already risked it all and lost everything that mattered. When a secret is revealed, Cora has to decide whether Mac is a safe bet . . . or the worst gamble of her life.

Overview & Thoughts

Once again Rachael Herron takes us on a journey to the sleepy town of Cypress Hollow where the legend that is Eliza Carpenter lives on and we discover a bit about the girl whom Eliza took in, Cora Sylvan.

Cora values her independence more than anything else. Having grown up in and out of orphanages and then at the age of sixteen being taken in by Eliza Carpenter, she’s only really had herself to depend upon.

Now a young widow herself, she takes nothing in life for granted and is rather pragmatic in that approach, preferring to plan her whole life using the never-ending list of “what if’s” she journalises.

When Mac, her deceased husband’s cousin arrives back in town after being away for quite some time, he threatens to disrupt the quiet life she has managed to build for herself when he finally reveals the real reason for his reappearance.

Long-held feelings of anger and desertion threaten to boil to the surface of her carefully maintained life and home. Along with the very real prospect of financial ruin after unintentionally setting fire to her shed cum workshop, thereby obliterating all the hard work she has put into her canned goods and knitting yarn, she will need to ultimately confront Mac and learn the real reasons behind him leaving Cypress Hollow.

Cora's Heart is the fourth story in the Cypress Hollow series and, after reading Eliza's Gift towards the beginning of last year, I was really looking forward to this instalment of life in the somewhat sleepy town, and Rachael Herron didn’t disappoint.

With her extensive knowledge of knitting along with her creative flair and keen eye for detail, intertwined with her lyrical writing style and beautiful words of knitting wisdom heading each chapter, Rachael has created a story with likeable characters, a touch of comedy and lots of knitting with a satisfying, albeit somewhat formulaic, plot.

A recommended read for those ardent knitters out there who enjoy their craft with a side of romance and humour.

I wish to thank Random House Australia and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel.

A Little About the Author

Rachael Herron lives in Oakland, California with her family and has way more animals than she ever planned to, though no sheep or alpaca (yet). She learned to knit at the age of five, and generally only puts the needles down to eat, write or sleep, and sometimes not even then.

Cora's Heart is her fourth novel, following Eliza's Gift, Lucy's Kiss and Naomi's Wish. All the novels are set in the sleepy town of Cypress Hollow, which reminds Rachael of the sheep-raising community in New Zealand where her mother was raised. Look out too for a collection of Eliza Carpenter’s wise words in The little book of knitting wisdoms.

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