{"id":24870,"date":"2019-10-30T10:42:48","date_gmt":"2019-10-30T14:42:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=24870"},"modified":"2022-10-11T16:59:44","modified_gmt":"2022-10-11T16:59:44","slug":"review-the-giving-heart-by-toni-blake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/30\/review-the-giving-heart-by-toni-blake\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Giving Heart by Toni Blake"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-24870\" data-postid=\"24870\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-24870 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_bbbcac8 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner gutter-narrow col_align_top tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_49667e8 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_7036296 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/the-giving-heart-toni-blake.jpg?w=640\" title=\"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Giving Heart by Toni Blake\" alt=\"Review \u2764\ufe0f The Giving Heart by Toni Blake\">\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_a1982ef customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><strong><em>Spend a white Christmas on Summer Island, where the fires are warm and the romance is hotter<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Lila Sloan wonders why she ever thought house-sitting for her sister Meg on the remote Summer Island was a good idea. And to make matters worse, local real estate developer Beck Grainger is trying to cut down the beautiful trees that line the property. Lila can\u2019t let this happen; Meg will never forgive her.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Beck can understand Lila\u2019s anger\u2014sort of. The trees are actually on the neighboring property, and the land was zoned for development months ago, so his plans were no secret. But he dislikes being at odds with his friend\u2019s sister, especially because Lila is appealing in every way: loyal, quick-witted and completely stunning.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Lila hates that she\u2019s so attracted to Beck, who seems like a genuinely good man, despite his tree-murdering tendencies. And their chemistry is off the charts. She just wishes he\u2019d let this development go. As Summer Island counts down to a snowy Christmas, Lila and Beck will have to strike a compromise that seems impossible for them both\u2014or risk losing the best thing either of them has ever had.<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_23787e9 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_2d1ea91  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16466 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3-hearts.jpg?resize=135%2C44\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Oct 29, 2019<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Summer Island<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>2<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Sensual<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0HarperCollins<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong> Avon Books<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $5.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><br \/>Readers are transported back to Summer Island just in time for a White Christmas sprinkled with romance.<\/em><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Lila<\/strong> is inn-sitting for her sister Meg. While she believes she has everything under control, she is startled that there are plans to tear down the trees and build houses. She bumps heads with the developer who also happens to be a friend of her sister. She is willing to do whatever to derail his plans to destroy the land.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Beck<\/strong> finds himself at odds as he tries to reason with Lila. He is not willing to go down without a fight but the weather did put a halt in his plans for now. While they brave snowstorms and cold conditions, Beck uses the time to try to persuade Lila to stop running interference with his job. The more time he spends around her, the more he likes her.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The story itself is fine on its own. I think I am a little more invested in the town than the characters at this point. Lila is okay as a heroine but she did drag her feet when it came to compromising with Beck. I almost wanted him to throw in the towel but when they came together it was cute.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">What really saved the story is the Christmas theme throughout. I love how they went tree shopping and the winter presence was strong. Beck really did put the best effort forward for Lila.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I\u2019m not sure where the author is going with some of the side characters. There is one in particular whose story is more serious than I like. There are a lot of adult issues to be tackled in these books for sure. I guess that is why I don\u2019t read them as traditional romances but maybe more of women\u2019s fiction.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Overall, a cozy read to get readers into the holiday spirit.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Samantha<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_eb0616c customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2N1AWIS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.apple.com\/us\/book\/the-giving-heart\/id1446004163?mt=11&amp;app=itunes&amp;at=11l88k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/wedding-cake-crumble-jenn-mckinlay\/1126791516?ean=9780399583834#\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/the-giving-heart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Toni_Blake_The_Giving_Heart?id=6z1-DwAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spend a white Christmas on Summer Island, where the fires are warm and the romance is hotter Lila Sloan wonders why she ever thought house-sitting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24871,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,48,50],"tags":[146,183,217],"class_list":["post-24870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avon-books","category-reviews","category-samantha","tag-3-stars","tag-avon","tag-contemporary-romance"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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And to make matters worse, local real estate developer Beck Grainger is trying to cut down the beautiful trees that line the property. Lila can\u2019t let this happen; Meg will never forgive her.<\/p><p>Beck can understand Lila\u2019s anger\u2014sort of. The trees are actually on the neighboring property, and the land was zoned for development months ago, so his plans were no secret. But he dislikes being at odds with his friend\u2019s sister, especially because Lila is appealing in every way: loyal, quick-witted and completely stunning.<\/p><p>Lila hates that she\u2019s so attracted to Beck, who seems like a genuinely good man, despite his tree-murdering tendencies. And their chemistry is off the charts. She just wishes he\u2019d let this development go. As Summer Island counts down to a snowy Christmas, Lila and Beck will have to strike a compromise that seems impossible for them both\u2014or risk losing the best thing either of them has ever had.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3-hearts.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"135\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Oct 29, 2019<br \/><strong>Series:<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Summer Island<br \/><\/em><strong>Book:\u00a0<\/strong>2<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Sensual<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0HarperCollins<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong> Avon Books<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $5.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><br \/>Readers are transported back to Summer Island just in time for a White Christmas sprinkled with romance.<\/em><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Lila<\/strong> is inn-sitting for her sister Meg. While she believes she has everything under control, she is startled that there are plans to tear down the trees and build houses. She bumps heads with the developer who also happens to be a friend of her sister. She is willing to do whatever to derail his plans to destroy the land.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Beck<\/strong> finds himself at odds as he tries to reason with Lila. He is not willing to go down without a fight but the weather did put a halt in his plans for now. While they brave snowstorms and cold conditions, Beck uses the time to try to persuade Lila to stop running interference with his job. The more time he spends around her, the more he likes her.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The story itself is fine on its own. I think I am a little more invested in the town than the characters at this point. Lila is okay as a heroine but she did drag her feet when it came to compromising with Beck. I almost wanted him to throw in the towel but when they came together it was cute.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">What really saved the story is the Christmas theme throughout. I love how they went tree shopping and the winter presence was strong. Beck really did put the best effort forward for Lila.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I\u2019m not sure where the author is going with some of the side characters. There is one in particular whose story is more serious than I like. There are a lot of adult issues to be tackled in these books for sure. I guess that is why I don\u2019t read them as traditional romances but maybe more of women\u2019s fiction.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Overall, a cozy read to get readers into the holiday spirit.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>~ Samantha<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2N1AWIS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.apple.com\/us\/book\/the-giving-heart\/id1446004163?mt=11&amp;app=itunes&amp;at=11l88k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/wedding-cake-crumble-jenn-mckinlay\/1126791516?ean=9780399583834#\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/the-giving-heart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Toni_Blake_The_Giving_Heart?id=6z1-DwAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24870"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24870\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}