Between the Heart and the Shadows by Rowena Tisdale
What's It About?
Claire is living happily ever after with Aaron, her devoted, younger husband, until an unforeseen tragedy threatens their idyllic life.“Claire looked at her husband, seated at the head of the table. She was thankful for Aaron. Everything about their marriage was perfect.”
Except one thing.
Matters of the heart often wreak havoc with matters of the mind, and that is no exception in Rowena Tisdale’s thoughtful and passionate Between the Heart and the Shadows.
Claire, a 50-year-old mother of two grown boys, and Aaron, her good-looking and much younger second husband, are soulmates in practically every way. But funny things happen when Aaron’s mother passes away.
Death, Love, Cults and “Hookup” Sites
Aaron’s mother was always difficult and always not a fan of Claire’s. She also had a special allegiance to the strange Meadow of Faith Church — or is it a cult?
The church’s leader, Calvin, tries to take advantage of the situation and Aaron’s vulnerability, pushing him toward the cult and in the process driving a wedge between Aaron and Claire. It seems Calvin has his sights set on taking over their luxurious home for his own purposes.
While Aaron all the while insists he is still in love with Claire, the physical part of their relationship becomes non-existent.
Not the ideal formula for an attractive and needy woman like Claire.
The situation leads to a new phase in Claire’s life, as she engages in so-called “hookup” websites, for the primary purpose of connecting and having sex with strangers.
Cross-Genre Look at Complex Characters
Rowena Tisdale writes across the genres of romance, chick-lit and women’s fiction, all the while focusing on themes of love and lust, passion and heartbreak, regret and redemption. She excels in creating nontraditional heroines, and Claire is a case in point: trying to establish a normal family, devoted mother, in love with a younger man but when he shuns her in the bedroom she is not afraid to act on her desires. She is strong yet vulnerable, and monitoring her actions, emotions and development is one of the joys of this novel.
Aaron is vulnerable — and guilt-ridden — as well, and one wonders how he can be so easily sucked into his mother’s vices, especially now that she is no longer even in the picture.
Intriguing Story with Fascinating Premise
The author asks the question of how much pain can people in love inflict on each other but also hang onto that special thread that connects them — holding out hope that their love can win out.
But will it?
Between the Heart and the Shadows is an intriguing story with a fascinating premise, played out by a cast of characters that readers can believe in — for better or worse. When it comes to matters of the heart, this work is worthy of your consideration.
About Rowena Tisdale:
Rowena Tisdale was born and raised in Michigan, sort of all over the state. As an adult, she moved south to Texas, and after living there for a bit, headed east, eventually returning home to her beloved “Mitten State.” She now resides near Detroit, with her son and a pair of feline companions. A reader of romance from an early age, she remains an avid fan of the genre. Over the years, she began to wonder why the feisty heroines she’s always loved haven’t aged with her. Her stories are about older women, because she knows romance is not solely the purview of youth. With a passion for the written word and a flair for romance, Rowena takes her readers on a journey into the world of love, passion and heartbreak.
Buy this Book!
Amazon
