GROUNDED HEARTS BY JEANNE M. DICKSON | BLOG TOUR AND CELTIC KNOTS GIVEAWAY

Author: Jeanne M. Dickson

What do you get when you mix World War II, a brave midwife, a wounded pilot, and a risky secret? Jeanne M. Dickson’s new historical fiction novel, Grounded Hearts. When midwife Nan O’Neil finds a wounded young Canadian pilot at her door, she knows she’s taking a huge risk by letting him in. Still, something compels Nan to take in “flyboy” Dutch Whitney, an RAF pilot whose bomber has just crashed over County Clare. While she tends to his wounds and gives him a secret place of refuge, the two begin to form a mutual affection—and an unbreakable bond.

Join Jeanne in celebrating the release of her new book by entering to win the Celtic Knots Giveaway!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Grounded Hearts
• A Claddagh bracelet
• A Claddagh jewelry box

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on July 31. The winner will be announced August 1 on the Litfuse blog.

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{MORE ABOUT GROUNDED HEARTS}

Grounded Hearts (Waterfall Press, July 2017)

A brave midwife. A wounded pilot. A risky secret.

In the midst of World War II, Ireland has declared herself neutral. Troops found on Irish soil must be reported and interned, no matter which side they are fighting for. When midwife Nan O’Neil finds a wounded young Canadian pilot at her door, she knows she’s taking a huge risk by letting him in. Not only is she a widow living alone, but if caught harboring a combatant, she’ll face imprisonment.
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Still, something compels Nan to take in “flyboy” Dutch Whitney, an RAF pilot whose bomber has just crashed over County Clare. While she tends to his wounds and gives him a secret place of refuge, the two begin to form a mutual affection—and an unbreakable bond.

But Nan has another secret, one that has racked her with guilt since her husband’s death and made her question ever loving again. As Nan and Dutch plan his escape, can he help restore her faith?

Learn more and purchase a copy.

{MORE ABOUT JEANNE M. DICKSON}

Jeanne M. Dickson was born into an Irish American family, the only girl surrounded by four brothers. She credits her mother, her aunts, and her grandmother with her love of storytelling. Perfecting her craft, she attends many writer’s conferences and over the years, she has won and finaled in numerous RWA romance writing awards including the Daphne du Maurier Award, the Maggie Award, The Molly, The Tara, and she was the overall contest winner of Launching A Star. Today she lives in Coastal San Diego with her fabulous husband, her two wonderful girls, and a dozen disobedient rose bushes.

Find out more about Jeanne M. at http://www.jeannemdickson.com.

The book is so well written that I could not put it down. I loved the storyline and how the author transports readers back to World War II. The tension was high during this time as planes flew across the skies looking for enemy targets. I especially liked the setting in Ireland. It was hard for the people in the small  town  where Nan lived to find enough food to survive. I have heard of ration tickets before but with the vivid description I could picture families standing in line hoping to get something to survive on.

Nan is a wonderful character. She is a midwife /nurse for the town and gets around on her bike. She has gone through a terrible tragedy that has kept her sad and feeling guilty.  It's hard to forgive yourself when you feel you could have stopped someone from hurting themselves. As the war rages on , Ireland has stayed neutral. It is understood that if you are caught hiding the enemy you will go to jail. Nan stays  to herself in a little cottage so she has nothing to worry about.  That is until the day a handsome Canadian pilot knocks on her door. It is evident that he is injured and Nan must make a decision to help him or turn him in.

Dutch Whitney is in desperate need of help. I thought the author did a great job of keeping the story going with intrigue and watching Nan slowly begin to trust again.  Her decision to go against everything she believed in to help Dutch was very emotional. Can you imagine what it must have been like during the war? Nan was taking a huge risk. Will she get caught?  There is one character in the story that I didn't care for. I will leave it up to readers to see if they feel the same way. I will say that the man is annoying, a bit pushy and downright disrespectful.

Overall the book was quite good and I loved how the author brought a town together to help someone in need. The war was hard and many people suffered, but sometimes we have to help each other and forget our differences.

"We all despair; we all have regrets. We all lose someone we love. That's when we need our faith in God to bring us through."

I received a copy of this book from LitFuse. The review is my own opinion.