Winning His Heart (The Marietta St Claire's Book 2) by Lara Van Hulzen
This is Michael St. Claire and Franchesca Stone's story.

Mike, widower, is raising his daughter so he is having to make changes in his life. Race car driving is in his blood but is trying to find a way to still involved in racing without being a driver. Franchesca has had to make changes in her life due to her mother's health.

This is a sweet story of two people that have changed their life plans for family. Will Mike and Franchesca see what's right in front of them and and take the risk. The supporting characters were a great addition to the story.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I love Lara van Hulzen's storytelling and Winning His Heart, the second book in her St Claires of Montana series didn't disappoint. This book works well either as a stand-alone or as part of the series, but as I loved the first book, A Recipe For Romance I would suggest starting there.
This is the story racing driver Mike St Clair, a widower with a six year-old daughter, and Franchesca Stone, who runs acting classes for children from her tiny Marietta studio. Mike has shut himself off from the romance seen since his wife's death, instead devoting himself to being the best father he can be to Annalise. Nobody is more surprised than him when he discovers a strong pull to Franchesca, who is best friends with his brother's fiancée. Strong and independent, Franchesca is not used to having anybody step in to help her out and while she dreams about Mike, she is not particularly thrilled with what she sees as his managing ways.
This story has strong, well developed characters whom I truly felt for. Both Mike and Franchesca had problems to resolve. I was just as devastated as each of these two when they faced their black moment, and oh so thankful when it was resolved. The story itself was sweet and kept me hooked throughout, and I am now looking forward to book three in the series, which comes out at Christmas.

This is the second book in this series, but this book can easily stand alone. I knew I was missing the back history of Michael's brother and his wife, but I can always catch up on that later. :)

I liked Mike and Franchesca and the opening scene for the book. It got the couple off to a good start and I could feel the zing of initial attraction. Annalise was a good addition to the book- so cute and innocent. Relationships become a bit more complicated when you add in children! Especially during kissing scenes. Ha.

While I liked the book, the intensity of Mike and Franchesca's relationship waned a bit through the book. I wasn't as connected to the characters as I would have liked to have been but I did like them. Both Franchesca and Mike are stand up people who take care of their family. Mike's family created a great supporting cast of characters. And, hopefully with a couple more siblings to go, more books to come. :)

3/5 stars

Content: frequent mild swearing (too much for my taste), kissing

- I received a copy of this book via NetGalley from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Winning His Heart is a sweet story of two people trying to figure out a way to fit their lives together. It's a clean, but believable romance. I don't normally enjoy clean romances, because I've found they're a little too prim for my tastes, but here in Winning His Heart, the heat may be missing, but the emotions are heartfelt and enough to make up for any lack of steam.

Michael St. Clair is a widower with an adorable little girl, Annalise, who has left his career of racing while trying to figure out how to be the best father he can be. He's had a lot of help from his family, notably his brother Wes and Wes' girlfriend Noelle, and his father, Daniel, but he needs someone to help in addition to them. When he comes upon Noelle's friend, Franchesca, on the side of the road kicking her car's tires, suddenly the solution to his problem is staring him in his face. As he soon finds out, she needs financial help because her drama studio isn't pulling in what it needs to to help her not only fix her car, but more importantly, pay for her mother's lodging as she prepares to put her in a home as her mother's mind goes.

Mike and Franchesca have always been attracted to each other, but now they realize if she's going to be Annalise's nanny, they'll have to find a way not to give into their attraction. Of course, being in even closer contact to each other makes it impossible and soon they're making out like teenagers and falling in love. But, as Mike gets back into racing, and Daniel helps Franchesca obtain Broadway audition in New York, will their lives go on separate paths?

I was surprised to find myself really enjoying Winning His Heart, usually clean romances bore me because I'm kind of a smut lover *cough wink wink*. But both Mike and Franchesca, especially Franchesca, are fully drawn, realistic, interesting characters who have an obviously strong connection right from the very beginning. I especially love Franchesca's independence and in turn, her realizing that allowing people to help her sometimes does not mean she is giving up any of her independence. The secondary cast is equally wonderful, especially Wes and their little brother Lucas, who made a showing near the end. I liked Winning His Heart so much that I think I'll go ahead and read the first story in this series now.

Mike has had so much heartache in his life, that when he finds himself drawn to Francesca, he is afraid to let her in. He wants to help her in any way that he can, and tries to keep things as friends only. Francesca has been alone most of her life. She had her mom, but her mom is losing her mental faculties and she doesn't have anyone to talk to. When Mike odds to help her out, she is reluctant, but ultimately accepts.
Both are head-strong, independent and skittish. Through her being his daughter's nanny, they realize that they want more and agree to take things slow. They are happy and his daughter loves Francesca.
Can they find a way to make things work when she has the opportunity to live her dream? Will Mike push her away, trying to save himself or be there for her? Will Francesca realize her dreams have changed? Can Mike open his heart in time or will he lose Francesca forever?
I received an ARC, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

A heartwarming story of finding love again. Michael is a widower with a young daughter, Annalise when he meets Franchesca. Franchesca has returned to Marietta to help care for ailing mother. Franchesca and Michael both have dreams outside of Marietta, but it is always the what ifs, that throw a wrench in their lives. Are they able to fight off the chemistry that they have??

Loved this story of taking chances and following your heart. Annalise was a sweetheart, I fell in love with her. Perfect story telling by Lara Van Hulzen, that will keep you turning the pages. This is the second story of the St Claires, but can be read as a stand alone.

Sometimes you read a book that makes you wonder if it was based on a true story. This is one of those books.

Mike and Franchesca both set their dreams aside for different reasons. Mike wanted to be a race car driver but when he lost his wife, he turned his focus on raising their daughter, Annalise. Franchesca gave up her dreams of making it big on Broadway to care for her mother. They meet when Franchesca’s car breaks down on the side of the road and Mike stops to help her. Neither, Mike or Franchesca has any idea how their meeting on the side of the road will soon change both of their lives.

I enjoyed this sweet story. The author detailed both character’s stories and brought them together in a memorable way. If you enjoy a good contemporary romance, I would recommend this book. It’s a good reminder that sometimes your destiny is right in front of you.

Sweet, clean story full of love and romance. This one grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go until the end. Despite loves tragedies, two people manage to find and hold on to their relationship despite their past histories.

Here’s what’s going on. When Michael rescues Franchesca from the side of the road after her car breaks down then proceeds to be her knight in shining armor by offering her the job as his daughter’s nanny, Franchesca finds herself falling hard for the widower. And Michael feels the same but he’s afraid to let himself love again. And there’s also Franchesca’s dream to be actress to considers, especially after his father uses his connections to land her an auction for a Broadway play.

So, this one was a quick read. It was cute but it left me feeling a little meh.

Mike and Franchesca were both going through things. They both needed a little rescuing and some time figuring things out. He’s figuring out how to raise an adorable little girl all on his own and struggling with whether or not to get back into the racing scene. Franchesca’s dealing with a mother suffering from dementia and trying to figure out if she still wants to follow her dreams of being an actress.

They had a nice friendship going on but I just didn’t see much of an actual romance. Rather than showing a developing relationship, they mostly just talked about being together. I would have liked to have seen an actual relationship and some chemistry.

This one really suffered due to lack of dialogue. Pages went by before someone actually said something to another person. So, not only did I find parts of it boring, I didn’t feel any connection between the characters.

Then there was the conflict. I understood some of it and it was valid but the majority of it was one-sided and made Michael come off as a jerk. And this was another case of keeping things zipped up rather than talking about things.

Overall, this one wasn’t my favorite. It was the second book in the series (they all work as standalones) but I’m not sure this series is for me.

A story about two people that has to get through the what-if issues they have.
My first thought was that this is a story that could be taking place in real life. It sometimes got to my heart and made it ache. I was very surprised by the well written storyline and the way the main characters was described. They almost came alive and I loved that about a book.
Both main characters has got a past that was not good to them. They have a lot of issues to deal with.
Mike has lost his wife in a car accident and has now only got his daughter. I love the character Annalise. She has a good imagination and is full of good ideas.
Francheska lost her father and moved back to her mother without living her dream of becoming an actress on Broadway.
When they meet they start out as friends and moves on from there. It is a romance that takes its time to develop. But the way they have to go along is full of twists and turns and they have to deal with their own dream and allowing them to come through.
I absolutely recommend this book.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. .*

This is the second story about the St Claire family who live in Marietta. Anyone who is a fan of the Tule Marietta books may remember reading about Wesley (Wes) St Clalre taking part in the Bachelor Bake Off where he met and fell in love with the ex-ballerina and now dance teacher Noelle in A Recipe for Romance by this same author.

This story is about the younger brother of Wes, Michael (Mike) who is a widower with a young, precocious and charmingly cute daughter, Annalise. Mike is still considering returning to his car racing role and decides to ask the local drama school teacher to act as Annalise’s nanny. He has several diverse motivations for doing this - he knows Annalise likes her, he knows Franchesca really needs extra money because her Mum is ill and, the most prominent reason, he’s really attracted to Franchesca but trying not to act on it!

By nature, Franchesca is an independent, determined and feisty young lady who isn’t reticent about speaking her mind, though she tries to hide her attraction to Mike! They start out as friends but as their relationship develops, so does their love for each other. However, both have dreams and those dreams could quickly tear them apart . . . . Should they take a chance on love or endeavour to follow their dreams regardless of their heart?

The St Claire family are all great characters, especially Annalise! I enjoyed reconnecting with them but think people who haven’t read any other books in this series would still enjoy this one. Needless to say, nothing goes smoothly for this couple, there are plenty of pot holes and diversions just waiting to damage them on their journey. Let’s just hope they can reach their destination safely! I do hope there will be other books in this series - possibly focussing on the younger St Claire siblings, McKenna and Lucas.

I am very happy to say that I requested and was gifted a copy of this novel via NetGalley; this is my honest opinion after choosing to read it.

Marietta, Montana is the small-town setting of Winning His Heart by Lara Van Hulzen but no cowboys as such this time instead it is a race car driver. Michael St. Claire has had his share of broken dreams and heartache so he is not looking for love. No stranger to unfulfilled plans, Franchesca keeps hoping to see them finally come true. I knew these two did not stand a chance against Mike’s daughter, Annalise as I remembered her working her magical matchmaking in A Recipe for Romance. You just have to love this little girl and everyone does especially her father. I was thrilled to see him receive his own HEA.

The plot is full of bumps and curves as Mike and Franchesca go from helping each other, to friends, to finding love with Annalise at the very center of it all. It is a sweet story that pulls at your heartstrings.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a copy.

Winning His Heart is a loving story of two people finding a way to meld their lives together – and letting the fear of “what if’s” get in the way. Told with the solid framework of Marietta, Montana and it’s small town charm as a backdrop, this is a story that is so real parts of it will make your heart ache.

Mike St. Claire has lost the woman he’d loved to a car accident. His beautiful, precocious daughter, Annalise is his world right now. While race car driving is in his blood and his dream, taking care of his little one is most important in his life. With the thoughts of once again taking part in the racing world, although not as a driver, Mike comes across a car broken down on the side of the road. And with one stop to help his world will never be the same again.

Franchesca kicked the stupid tire of her equally broken down stupid car once again for good measure. Things just kept getting worse. She’d returned home to Marietta after her dad’s death to be closer to her mom. Now her mother was in the early stages of dementia and the times she slipped away from the present world into the past were increasing. At one time the lights of Broadway had called her, she never made it that far but the dream was still in her heart. Although her small drama school was barely making ends meet, it satisfied the need to be connected still. The worry about her mom, the expenses, now this break down were just about more than she could stand. She never expected the man who stopped to help would be the one who could turn her world around.

Franchesca and Mike’s romance is a slow burn, friends moving to something more. It’s charming and sexy at the same time. At the core is one little girl who has everyone in her orbit wrapped around her tiny fingers. Any of them would give the world for Annalise, and because of that love for a little girl decisions would be made that will bring a world of hurt. Loving someone isn’t always easy, there are so many risks. But for this couple, not loving each other, allowing them each to follow their dreams could tear them apart – if they allow that to happen. Some tough love and a dose of real life will open eyes and hearts once again in this small town full of down home people and the big Montana sky.

I enjoyed my time with this family and I believe you would too. I’d recommend Winning His Heart and this series to any Romance reader who enjoys that special love that faces reality, yet allows dreams to flow.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

excellent read

Oh this book had so much more potential then it ended up delivering. Mike and Franchesca were great characters and their interactions in the beginning of the story were really adorable and well written. I was instantly pulled into their chemistry and connection. Sadly, when things could have really gone into more detail with Mike's racing and Franchesca's life/acting career things just jumped on this incredibly redundant loop of Franchesca's inner monologue on her mother and if she should go to New York to try acting again. Over and over and over this same issue was debated in her own mind and when it finally comes out that she wants to possibly go to New York to try her hand at acting again the conversation is only a few sentences. What the heck? On top of that (and this is a more personal preference) but I always feel that these type of romances should really have a disclosure that they are super "clean". The only thing that the main characters do in this book is kiss and even that is not all that often. My last complaint with this book and my biggest complaint is that the characters have so little page time together. They are hardly ever alone and are constantly being interrupted. It really started to interfere with their connection in my eyes as their intimacy (and I use that term loosely) was really next to nothing. Overall, not a huge fan but the book did have moments that helped keep me moving through it.

This was a really great story with lots of family, friends and heart. It stars Mike, a single dad whois also a race car driver who lost his wife in a car accident. He has a young daughter who is terrified of car accidents as well and who has lots of nightmares. That is why he gave up being a race car driver but he really misses it.

He lives in a mansion in Murietta whith his dad and brother and his brother's fiancee who is besties with Francesca/CeCe. One day he runs into Cece as her car has broken down. Cece is very independant but she has big problems. Her mother is showing signs of Dementia and she has to find her a place where they can take care of her. She also needs money. With her car repairs and the cost of her mother's car and her barely breaking even drama studio, she is broke.

That is how Mike offers her a job of nanny to his daughter. It will allow him to race cars again or at least travel and manage a race team while having her help out with his daughter. And that is how he hires his nanny. But Mike and Cece are very attracted to each other and so they take it very slowly romantically.

Meanwhile Mike's dad is this big actor and he finds an audition for Cece, and Cece wants to follow her dreams. And this causes some issues for the two. I really enjoyed this story and the writing was great, but in all honesty I did not understand CeCe's choices.

Her mother has dementia and you would think she'd understand how precious life is and the people we love are. Mike really gets that as he lost his wife in a car accident. But Cece thinks acting is what she should do when she has a limited time with her mother left and you'd think Mike, her mother and Murietta would be a much more important thing than making it on Broadway. But she felt she needed to have no regrets career wise. And well a career in my mind is just that a job. No one is going to miss or love you and so I did not understand the choices she made in this story. I really sided with Mike on this one.

a very good story and romance. I liked the plot and how the story wrapped up.