Fighting for her dream could have unexpected consequences… She can handle the Texan threatening her plans… But can she resist his adorable little girl? The Colorado mountain cabin is perfect for Avery Winslow’s dream–a B and B for service dogs and their families. Except fast-talkin’ Texan Jake Cutter wants the land for a luxury resort. Now Avery’s fighting for her dream and her town. But … her dream and her town. But Jake and his sweet little girl have already charmed Avery’s favorite service dog…and her guarded heart might just be next.
From Harlequin Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
Rocky Mountain Family
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This story had me at therapy dogs, I work with differently abled students and this point kept my rapt attention.
Opening Her Heart was a highly entertaining and sweet story between two very relatable and likable characters, and one precious child.
A fun and quick read!
OPENING HER HEART by Deb Kastner is the first book in the Rocky Mountain Family series. It’s the wonderfully written story of Avery Winslow and her dream of opening up a B & B as part of the A New Leash on Love’s services that provides service dogs.
Avery works alongside her 5 siblings (Avery is the eldest) at Winslow’s Woodlands. It is a family business inherited from their parents consisting of a Christmas tree farm, providing landscaping needs and a local place for entertainment such as ice skating on Friday nights, hay rides in summer and sleigh rides in winter and a petting zoo as well as Avery’s favorite – the service dog enterprise. Finding the perfect location and home to be able to offer families needing a service dog a place to stay while in training has been a long dream of Avery’s. Lisa, her best friend and local real estate agent, knew that the Meyer’s cabin, which was about to come on the market, would be the perfect place for Avery’s plans. The problem was that Marston Enterprises had other plans.
Jake Cutter, a widower with a three year old daughter, breezed into town as the front man for Marston Enterprises to smooth the way for zoning requirements and to get folks on board for an elite resort to be built on the Meyer’s property. Unfortunately for Avery, it also meant bulldozing down the cabin she had immediately fallen in love with. She’s not going down without a fight!
Avery has already had one disastrous romance with a single father. Although it took some adjusting to the man exiting her life, it was the love she felt for his son that was so devastating to her. She vowed to never get involved with a man with children again. Her heart couldn’t take it. But with each meeting with the man with the piercing eyes that drew her in but who also infuriated her so and after meeting his adorable daughter, Lottie, she finds herself having great difficulty sticking to that vow. After Lottie has an epileptic seizure to which Avery’s favorite service dog, Sissy, immediately alerted to and went to work helping Lottie, Avery knows that she must put her feelings aside and work with Jake, Lottie and Sissy because it was the right thing. Lottie needed Sissy.
Can Avery guard her heart while having to spend so much time around Jake and Lottie? Can she come up with enough reasons and proof to keep Marston from taking away her dream and destroying the small town she not only grew up in but loves just the way it is? Will the townspeople support her or only look at the possible incomes from such a venture? Will she be able to make Meyer’s cabin the B&B of her dreams or will her dreams be bulldozed down? Will Jake start to see Whispering Pines as the beautiful little town that it is and not what he thinks he could make it? Will he let his heart lead him or his bank account? Will both Avery and Jake see what others evidently see?
OPENING HER HEART by Deb Kastner is a fabulously written inspirational book on love winning out regardless of the obstacles – and sometimes because of them. It’s a story of community, family, giving from the heart asking nothing in return, love, and doing what’s right. We are pulled in by the wonderful cover and entertained with each turned page. If like me, you will feel many emotions through this book with a tear or two and a few chuckles as well. It’s a feel good book. Exactly we need now, tomorrow and in the future. I most definitely recommend OPENING HER HEART and give it a big 5+ stars.