Learning to love is like learning to fly . . .Eccentric. Weird. Crazy. Whatever people call her, Lila doesn’t mind. Most of the time. She finds solace in her sheltered world by raising butterflies and surrounding herself with their gentle beauty. They’re all she needs.Most of the time.Until a motorcycle-riding stranger roars up her driveway, invading her safe haven, throwing her life off-kilter, … throwing her life off-kilter, and forcing her to question everything. Persistent and stubborn, Harvey Sanford may be just what she needs—or everything she doesn’t.
He’s easy on the eyes, but hard on her emotions. What exactly is he after, and what is he not telling her? Should she safeguard her heart or follow it?
As a summer wedding approaches, Lila must decide how much she’s willing to risk for a chance at true happiness. In one intense night of desperation and revelation, she must confront her darkest fears—and hopefully discover that with faith and courage, shattered dreams can be restored, damaged hearts can love again, and broken wings can heal . . . maybe even fly.
A clean, inspirational, sweet summer romance!
Recommended for fans of contemporary Christian romance authors such as Courtney Walsh, Liz Isaacson, and Becky Wade.
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I was totally captivated and loved every minute of this beautifully written contemporary Christian romance with characters so real they jump out of the book and into your heart. I loved the dynamic and undeniable chemistry between Lila who finds solace in her sheltered world by raising butterflies and motorcycle riding, persistent and stubborn Harvey Sanford. If you enjoy well-crafted, emotional and inspirational romance, don’t miss “The Butterfly Recluse” by gifted author Therese Heckenkamp. I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving my review. I liked it so much, I purchased a copy to enjoy it again.
The Butterfly Recluse is a about Lila, a young lady who has isolated herself from the world after a tragic loss and has immersed herself in her love of butterflies. She meets Harvey, and he challenges her in many ways — to deal with her grief, to let people into her life, and to spend some time getting outside herself and build relationships. And the more time she spends with Harvey, she wonders if she might even be willing to consider more than just friendship — if she can really trust him.
I enjoyed reading The Butterfly Recluse. The story line didn’t drag, so it didn’t take long to get into it. The characters were relatable and likable. About half way through the book, I wondered what the second half could be about, since it seemed to be coming together, but there was an interesting turn of events that I hadn’t anticipated. Overall, I thought The Butterfly Recluse was an enjoyable read, and I would certainly recommend it, especially to those who prefer clean Christian fiction.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Entertaining, thrilling, fun to read, humor, and romance are just a few words to describe this story. It’s well written and has great strong characters. You won’t want to put this one down until you finish it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow, The Butterfly Recluse was a tenderbox of emotions. Lila has isolated herself from everyone after all of her family members are killed in an automobile accident. Her only comfort is the butterflies that she raises and releases as they come of age. I found the book to be very unique, and the emotions that it stirred as Lila begins a journey to reconnect with the outside world is heartbreaking to watch at times. This book contains a religious overtone, but isn’t over the top. This was my first book by this author and it throughly enjoyed it. I would certainly recommend it to others. I received this ARC from the author in exchange for my fair and honest review.
The Butterfly Recluse was one of my favorite reads this summer!
Lila is an introverted, smart heroine that readers will root for from the start. She’s built a quiet, comfortable life for herself that becomes threatened when Harvey comes into her life, causing her to question the secluded existence she once valued so much. Harvey is a rugged hero who brings the perfect balance of humor, charm, and conflict to the story. Lila and Harvey’s chemistry is great, and I enjoyed the tension and build of their relationship.
I loved the character development, especially for the main character. As the story progresses, we get to see why Lila keeps to herself. Her struggle to get past the heartbreak in her life and overcome her anxieties is very relatable. One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about Heckenkamp’s writing style is the way she makes me feel her characters’ emotions. The Butterfly Recluse certainly delivered on that!
Classified as a Christian Romance, I was pleased that Heckenkamp artfully worked in aspects of faith and Christianity without hitting her readers over the head with it. The faith aspect is a perfect touch that helps the reader understand the characters better without coming off as preachy.
Fans of Heckenkamp’s writing know that she is a master of suspense, and although this book was not classified as a suspense, I was thrilled to enjoy one of Heckenkamp’s nail-biting plot twists and action-packed climaxes at the end. I ended up reading this story late into the night because I just couldn’t put it down.
If you enjoy sweet romances with fully dimensional characters, a well-crafted storyline, and punchy ending, then add the Butterfly Recluse to your reading list!
* I received an ARC from the author. The thoughts expressed in this review are entirely my own.
The “Butterfly Recluse” has everything I look for in a romance: engaging characters, sizzling chemistry, flirtatious banter, surprising twists and turns, and a sweet, fulfilling ending. I absolutely loved it!
Lila lives alone in a secluded location and hasn’t leave her property for pretty much anything for years. She raises butterflies and is happy to just be alone with them. Until her life is disrupted by a man who wants her to sell him some butterflies for a butterfly release at her sister’s wedding. Harvey’s presence and persistence chip away at the fortress she’s built around herself and make her question if she’s really happy with her life the way it is.
On the surface, The Butterfly Recluse is a sweet, clean romance with some simple faith thrown in. There is a twist near the end and an action-filled climax. For me, it was a middle-of-the-road read. Harvey’s persistence annoyed me, and it was difficult for me to like him for a while.
Lila’s reclusiveness was what first interested me in the book. I am an extreme everything social (shy introvert with extreme social anxieties and even anti-social at times) that could easily lead to becoming a recluse in the right circumstances. In the end, though, her reasons for becoming a recluse weren’t related to her personality so much as caused by PTSD from a traumatic event in the past. Even still, she seemed to overcome her near-agoraphobia a little too easily from my perspective. And as far as her PTSD goes, I could see where the author was bring it out, but I felt it was swept away too easily in some areas. Meanwhile, at one point, she really overreacts to what I assumed was an innocent statement (we never really know for sure) related to her past trauma, for the sake of the plot.
The romance was sweet, but also very cliche and filled with tropes. The way the two characters flirted early on, when they’d barely met, seemed like something out of a TV show for kids/teens. Of course, I didn’t realize it was a YA novel until now, because it wasn’t listed that way on site I read it through, and the main characters are adults. For that reason, the romance may be spot-on, though still not for me.
I had some inklings about the plot twist, but still didn’t actually see it coming when it happened. The climax was a little overdone for me, but I think it would still appeal to many. I would say people who enjoy clean, YA romance would very possibly enjoy this book, and for others, it’s worth checking out other reviews to decide if you want to read it or not.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Butterfly Recluse wowed me. Lila’s life was simple and ordered and lonely, but she was used to it and didn’t expect anyone, especially a guy, to disrupt it. Harvey was looking for someone to release butterflies at his sister’s wedding, but didn’t expect to find a unique friendship as a result. They both had incredible secrets, as did nearly everyone in the story, but slowly grew to trust each other against all odds. There were some unexpected twists, as well as suspenseful moments particularly toward the end, but it was a beautifully imagined, beautifully crafted story.
As a Christian story, the contrast between the impact of faith on three of the main characters was fascinating, as was the critique of and inclusion of homeschooling. I have rarely seen the two reflected so honestly, and yet in an understated manner. Themes of forgiveness and God’s providence were also handled well.
Trigger warning: There is an abusive relationship that appears near the end of the book, along with a man stalking a woman. It is resolved well, but worth mentioning.
I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it unreservedly.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Therese Heckenkamp has written a beautiful novel with “The Butterfly Recluse”.
Lila’s story and the way the butterflies were woven into everything was phenomenal. I picked this book up one night and finished it the next. Hard to put down but I had to sleep!!!! Watching Lila discover herself was truly endearing, and that’s what held my interest.
There were some twists in the story that I did not expect and were pleasantly surprising.
The characters were well written and very relatable.
This was my first book by Therese Heckenkamp and will absolutely be searching out more soon!!!
I definitely recommend this book !!!
I received this in exchange for fair and honest review.
Emotional Rollercoaster
This book as classified as a Contemporary Christian Romance. It is that and so much more. There are parts that made me cry, laugh, mad and be afraid for our heroine. It has strong faith elements as well. The story is clean but evokes strong emotion. I am going to check out this author’s other books. I received this ARC book for free from Book Sirens and this is my honest review.
Could not get interested in this book until the last few chapters. Started out very slow but picked up on the last 4 chapters.
This is a sweet book with two main characters who are just perfect for each other! A very relaxing read between Christian murder mysteries!
I enjoyed reading abt raising butterflies, that was interesting.
The Butterfly Recluse by Therese Heckenkamp
Starts out with her camera in hand and trying to capture the butterfly but a man driving a motorcycle has destroyed the quiet and scared the butterfly away.
There is so much to this story, romance, religion and all the butterflies. Like how the chapters go but wish we had heard from the male side of the story as it was happening to the female.
Wedding of his sister and she will be going with Harvey. She had a falling out with Sarah, the bride and they hope with the release of the butterflies at the wedding that they can mend fences.
Things don’t go quite as planned and we are introduced to the person she had been talking to online. He is at the wedding also and takes things into his own hands. She had crept away from the church after the tragedies of her family and she’s the only one left.
Love the photography parts also and how she is able to survive inside her house having everything delivered. Misunderstandings and Jess then kidnaps her but Harvey is on their trail…
So much goes wrong after the fighting and you are hoping she will lean on God soon to get her out of the mess.
A note from the author, acknowledgements and about the author are highlighted at the end. Her other works sound interesting, hope I can find a few.
Received this review copy from the author via BookSirens and this is my honest opinion.
This book has a unique plot. Lila has become a recluse and is obsessed with butterflies. Her life is turned upside down when a man named Harvey pulls up on his motorcycle and will not stop trying to get her to sell him some butterflies. It forces her to pull out of her shell and speak with him and go into public. The story is a clean Romance. It is slightly religious, but not overdone. It’s just the right amount.
I received an ARC from the author.
I never fully understood why she became a recluse. It is mentioned the reasoning, it just didn’t make since to me. I also thought the homeschool conversations were a bit overdone. I saw the plot twist coming but I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I just knew something similar was going to happen with that character. After reading several ARCs this month with choppy conversations, this was refreshing.
Thanks Therese.