REVIEW: Where the Heart Leads by Jeanell Bolton

In the Heart Leads (What the Heart Wants #2) by Jeanell Bolton, after losing his wife, Rafe McAllister never thought he’d find another woman that could bring to his life the same kind of happiness he had with Beth. Yet, the new woman in town stirs long forgotten feelings that have him wanting to get to know her better.

After her late husband left her with nothing, Moira Farrar needs a job and there’s no-one more suited than her, for the directing position she’s been offered with a small-town theatre group in Texas. Certainly, she has the expertise having once been a child star, which makes her a hit among the locals especially Rafe. But after everything she went through with her husband, Moira isn’t looking to get involved with another man. Yet, the more time she spends in Rafe’s company, the more she finds herself falling for him. Can she trust him with her dark past, so they can have a second chance at love?

Where the Heart Leads is an emotional, fast-paced, attention-grabbing read right from the beginning, embracing two main characters that aren’t looking for love, but with every encounter between them it seems inevitable that they’ll succumb to their feelings. However, there were moments that I found frustrating. Such as the anticlimactic demise of the person responsible for killing Rafe’s wife and how easily I figured out who killed her from the dialogue.

Delilah pulled away from her father and pushed out her lower lip. “Don’t wanna stay with Aunt Sissy and play with baby Zoey! Wanna stay with the pretty lady!”
Red looked at Moira and raised an eyebrow for a second, like the reverse of a wink. His deep voice turned to velvet. “Honey, I’d like to stay with the pretty lady too, but I can’t stay with either of you right now. Got some people to meet up with.” His gorgeous eyes focused on Moira and his voice took on a seductive lilt. “Maybe the pretty lady could meet up with me later this evenin’ over drinks, and we could get better acquainted.”
She gave him her best arctic stare. “I don’t think so.” Pivoting on the heels of her sensible black pumps, she marched back down the hall.
What a creep. Making a pass at her in front of his child. Married men had hit on her before, but none of them had ever done it with a preschooler in his arms. God, she wouldn’t want to be Big Red’s wife!

I liked both characters, and the dialogue was quite powerful due to both their back stories. Moira struggles to deal with the painful memories of her past and whether she can trust Rafe enough to reveal her secret without him judging her. While the hero struggles to deal with the police re-opening the investigation into his wife’s death, and how he can convince Moira to take a chance on him, since she runs hot and cold when it comes to their growing relationship.

The heroine is strong and brave as she strives to find her way in life after discovering her husband left her with nothing. She’s also very determined to succeed in her new job directing her first play, and in those moments she impressed me with her take-charge attitude. Whereas Rafe, he’s charming and has a very close bond with his family, especially his young daughter who has him wrapped around her little finger. The pair is really sweet together, and I really enjoyed the scene where Moira first met Rafe and his daughter because the heroine comes to his rescue.

“Come into the bathroom with me, Daddy. I don’t want to go in there by myself. It’s big and dark and honks like an angry elephant!”
Red bent down to her. “Delilah, Daddy can’t go in there. It’s only for girls.”
“Then I’ll go with you to the daddies’ bathroom, like when I was little.”
“That’s not going to fly, baby. Tell you what. Daddy will stand right here by the door and if you yell, he’ll come a-chargin’ in and rescue you.”
Moira approached them, making sure her smile was properly adjusted this time. “May I help? I was about to use the rest room myself.” She turned to the child. “Delilah, my name is Moira.”
The little girl gave her a hard stare, then bobbed her strawberry blonde curls and broke into her own smile. “Okay. I like you. You’re pretty.”

Hot sex scenes invigorate the story at just the right moments. Since it seemed very all-work-and-no-play at various stages throughout the book with Moira working hard to make her first go at directing a success. Rafe shows her how it should be between two people falling in love, and when she reveals how her husband treated her, it made me like him even more. Because as hard as she tries to push him away, he’s not about to let her go, believing that a relationship between them is worth fighting for.

Overall, I liked this story, but what happened to the person that killed Rafe’s wife annoyed me. It felt as though justice wasn’t served properly, although it made certain Moira would be safe after what almost happened to her. I would recommend Where the Heart Leads by Jeanell Bolton, if you enjoy second chance romances.

Book Info:

 November 17th, 2015 | Forever Yours | What the Heart Wants #2

A woman’s past…

A new beginning. It’s the only thing former child star Moira Farrar wants. Putting her painful Hollywood memories in the rearview mirror, she’s headed to Texas and to an exciting new job directing a small-town theater group. But it’s the sinfully sexy smile of red-headed rancher Rafe McAllister that makes Moira really dream of starting over—even though she knows that anything more than a fling would set the stage for heartbreak.

A cowboy’s future…

When Rafe buried his wife three years ago, he buried his heart along with her. Now, the only woman in his life is his daughter . . . and all of the women in Bosque Bend know that. But from the moment he lays eyes on Moira, he feels alive again. Maybe it’s her quick wit and clear-eyed compassion. Whatever it is, Rafe wants Moira, body and soul. So why is she so skittish? Rafe aims to find out—before his second chance at happiness rides off into the sunset…