My Foolish Heart [Paperback]

I have always been a fan of Susan May Warren's novels so I was happy for the opportunity to review My Foolish Heart. This one just may be my favorite one yet.

After a devastating accident that took her mother's life, Isadora Presley suffers such severe panic attacks that she rarely leaves her home due to her fear of a meltdown. She secretly hosts a radio show from her home giving romantic tips to her callers. For some reason a new caller, Boy Next Door, touches her heart and she finds herself fantasizing about him often. At the same time she is very attracted to her new next door neighbor Caleb Knight who apparently has a few problems of his own.

Caleb has moved to Deep Haven hoping to coach the high school football team and prove to himself that he can live a full life despite the severe injuries he suffered in Iraq. Hiding his greatest disability, Caleb bravely enters the competition for the coaching position. Accidentally overhearing one of Issy's broadcasts, he uncharacteristically calls for advice. From that point on he is hooked and can't resist the attraction of the sympathetic hostess to whom he pours out all his secrets, not knowing that she and Issy are the same person. Through his deep faith, Caleb is able to reach out to Issy and help her find her way back to a life of freedom. And in the process, he finds hope and healing for himself.

I thought the plot of My Foolish Heart was quite clever and enjoyed reading about both the on air and real life relationships between Issy and Caleb. The inclusion of the dog "Duncan/Roger" and his escapades added whimsical entertainment and the inclusion of Issy's best friend Lucy and returning football hero Seb is a special bonus. An inviting small town setting, down-to-earth characters, and a warm and witty narrative make My Foolish Heart a joy to read. I would recommend this book without any reservation.

This book was provided for review by Tyndale House.

So I have to admit that there's just something about Susan May Warren's novels that make me spend insane amounts of time reading. I swear, every single time that I pick up one of her books, I finish reading it within a span of 24 hours. And the only reason it takes me that long is because there's cumbersome things like sleep and work that prevent me from reading it all in one session. Sigh... life is so tough! ;)
But in all seriousness, she is SUCH an amazing author. There's just something about her characters that makes it impossible to resist them. I mean, how could you not fall in love with the Noble siblings, or PJ Sugar, or the residents of Deep Haven? Oh my goodness- especially the cast of characters in Warren's newest Deep Haven novel, My Foolish Heart.
I also have to confess that when I found out that there would be more Deep Haven novels (besides the three that she wrote a few years back), I kind of freaked. In fact- I might have screamed (it was a happy scream), I might have babbled on and on to my Mom about how happy I was, and I might have even done a happy dance. Yeah- THAT'S how good her books are!
My Foolish Heart centers on the lives of Isadora Presley and Caleb Knight. Issy is a young woman who is so crippled by panic attacks that she is trapped within her neighborhood. Unbeknownst to her small community, she hosts a radio talk show from her home, where she gives romance advice, even though she herself has never been on a single date. And while she's always reminding her listeners that their perfect love might just be next door, she knows that isn't possibly true for her, especially when the towns handsome new football coach moves in next door.
Caleb Knight has recently returned home to the states after a tour of duty in Iraq, in which he paid highly. Now all he wants to do is move on with his life, so he hides his disability and tries to make a new life for himself in the town of Deep Haven.
But will things be able to remain the same when Issy and Caleb meet? Or will both of their lives be changed drastically? Well, you'll just have to read it to find out. I guarantee you though that you will love this book. In fact, it's my new favorite out of all of Warren's books. I just could not put it down! I was laughing, and crying and smiling all the way through!!!!! So please please please, go out and read this book... and enjoy!

This was a pretty good book. Issy is a 'radio therapist'. She has a show and as Miss Foolish Heart has helped a lot of people work through relationship issues. She hasn't told anyone in town, except her father and best friend, what she does...of course part of the reason is because she cannot leave her house. Her mother was killed in a horrible car accident and it left Issy scared for life. Caleb has come to New Haven to coach football. He is a man transformed and now just wants to help transform boys into young men. He doesn't want his injury to be a factor so he keeps it a secret. Issy and Caleb meet and now the relationship expert may have to change all her rules...
There were a lot of good characters in this book. Issy is a wonderful girl who has some major issues she is trying to overcome. She is making progress one day at a time. Caleb is dealing with his own issues. Losing a leg in Iraq has left him with something to prove. The two of them together are a great pair. I had issues with the extra story overshadowing this one. It is about Seb and Lucy and some major issues they have that goes back 10 years. Their story was interesting and both relationships were a bit twisted.
I rate this a 3/5. It was an ok read but was just missing something for me.

Thank you to Litfuse for the review copy of this book. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.