Close to Her Heart

I absolutely loved Close To Her Heart! It is a heartwarming story with a lot of depth and love. I believe I liked the story between Dani and Eliot the most. The Carrigans of the Circle C Series is one of my all-time favorites. C.J. Carmichael writes amazing stories that will tug at your heart.

The third book in the “Carrigans of the Circle C” series, “Close to Her Heart” brings the readers to Seattle, Washington where Dani Carrigan is Psychology professor and researcher at the University of Washington.

And to paraphrase an old Texas saying, “you can take a girl out of Montana, but you cannot take Montana out of her.” Because, though Dani has a full life in Seattle, she finds herself looking east as she thinks of her hometown Marietta and her home, the Circle C Ranch.

Then, life just got complicated with Dani. She found herself pregnant and the baby’s father Adrian Carlson was ambivalent at best in his feelings towards Dani. So, how could she tell him she was pregnant and there is a possibility that the baby is “not perfect”.

To make the situation more confusing, Dani finds support from an unlikely source – Elliot Gilmore, her neighbor and friend. And there is a spark between them.

“Close to Her Heart” is masquerading as a romance, with an implied double love triangle; but it is much more than that. The subject of “terminating the pregnancy” because the baby might “not be perfect” is central to the story.

When Dani was agonizing whether to keep the baby or not, she thought about the politics of “pro-choice”. She was all for it, but then she also said that in the end it is not about politics. When you are faced with the decision, it becomes personal.

“Close to Her Heart” is far from making a political statement. It is a romance novel first and foremost. Still, the author, C.J. Carmichael handled this explosive issue with sensitivity and making it a very big part of the story while staying true to the genre.

A beautiful story that tugs at your heartstring; you will fall in love with Dani and admire her strength.

“Close to Her Heart” is Rated M for Mature due to subject matter. There is one very mild sex scene in the book.

Close To Her Heart by C.J. Carmichael

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book, being one who worked with special need kids before I loved the plot of this book. Not many people would knowingly take on the responsibility of a special needs child, but she fell in love with her daughter the minute she found out she was pregnant and Eliot was amazing in this story and caring for her daughter was heart worming.

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I loved this book, being one who worked with special need kids before I loved the plot of this book. Not many people would knowingly take on the responsibility of a special needs child, but she fell in love with her daughter the minute she found out she was pregnant and Eliot was amazing in this story and caring for her daughter was heart worming.

This was a great book! The characters were real and likable. It was a quick read and left me wanting more!

This was an amazing story. I enjoyed every page of this heartfelt story. The author did a wonderful job holding my interest. Now I HAVE to go back and read the others.

*I was given this book in exchange for an honest review via NETGALLEY*

Dani, living alone in Seattle, finds herself pregnant and the father of the baby is not too happy. She decides to go through with this pregnancy on her own with only the support of her two best friends.

What a great story this was! Heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Well written with great characters and a fast paced story. The heroine was a little annoying to me on a personal level but overall a very enjoyable read. I recommend this one.

Talk about intense. This one had me in its grips from the very beginning. Being a first time older mom my husband and I were faced with making the decision of whether to have amniocentesis or not. Being we had been married 21 ½ years it was not like we’re going to return a defected child of God, that he gave us as a gift. So for us, we opted not to have for fear I could lose our child. She is a health 13 year old crazy like her mama. So, to be Dani Carrigan, 34, PhD in Psychology, who was having or choosing, to make all these decisions alone was beyond me. Fear can make you do a lot of things, even to the smartest of us. Then, the mother instincts to protect this tiny being you haven’t even met yet is immense. She did not get pregnant alone that was aided by her boss and fellow professor Adrian Carlson. Who you could tell was playing her from the very beginning. It was all about him, he was self-centered and he read her like a book, knowing she was needy. So, when she tells him his reaction shouldn’t surprise me but in some ways it still did.
She had her friends Miriam and Eliot were there for her since they knew that Adrian was such a tool. They could tell he was playing the, “I’m a poor widowed single father torn and need a little love and understanding.” Then Adrian shows his true colors. See what happens and how his decisions shake up their happy trio. You see there is a love triangle going on but with which characters? You will have to read and find out. Because Dani finds out that Eliot Gilmore from next door has more opinions for her about Adrian than she would like to hear and his not kind about it and why is that? I give this story 5 stars. Provided by Net Galley.
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If you're looking for a Feel Good Story,then this one would be perfect for you. As a mom to two special needs kids, I felt a real connection to Dani, and I'm so glad I got the chance to read her story.
I'll definitely be checking out the other ones in this series and I would highly recommend reading this one.

4.5 Stars

This story grabbed me from the beginning. It is not the typical romance story. Dani Carrigan is the academic of the Carrigan family. She has been having an affair with her widowed department head, Adrian Carlson at the University of Washington, where she works. She finds out that she is pregnant and keeps it a secret for four months. She also is told at that time that the baby has markers for Down’s syndrome. I was somewhat surprised that Dani never took that diagnosis further at the time, and have tests done. I guess she had decided that she was going to keep the baby regardless, so it didn’t matter to her. When she told Adrian about the pregnancy, he was less than thrilled, and hinted that she might consider “taking care of it.” Not the reaction she was hoping for. She didn’t even tell him about the possible complications.

Dani’s best friend and next door neighbor, Eliot Gilmore is a divorce attorney. He is charming, sexy and an assumed playboy. Actually, Dani doesn’t really know much about his personal life. He proves to be a very supportive part of her life when he finds out about her situation, and Adrian’s attitude about it. He is there for Dani every step of the way. Has he had feelings for her all along, and she hadn’t noticed?

CLOSE TO HER HEART was a welcome change to the romance themes I have read. It was poignant and thought-provoking. I felt for Dani. Her situation and inner turmoil were heart-wrenching. Thank goodness she had Eliot to support her. Everyone should have an Eliot in their lives.

Emotional resonance balances intense drama in this powerful story that feels completely real. It is an emotionally satisfying novel about the definition of family and friendship. In this sweet, sometimes funny and often touching story, the characters are beautifully depicted. C.J. Carmichael brings home a winner with CLOSE TO HER HEART. I encourage you read it.

*An advance reading copy was generously provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, a romance that makes you think, what a treat. C.J. Carmichael is a favorite of mine. She has a talent for creating characters that tug at my heartstrings and grab hold. Once again, Close To Her Heart delivers. There's a really nice balance between story, character and romance. The premise of an unexpected pregnancy isn't really unique, but the added twist of a "less than perfect" baby made this story come alive. I had to stop and think about it, what I might do in that position. The pacing of the book is steady, the characters so very layered and interesting, and the story itself well plotted. It's part of a series, but could stand alone.
*I was lucky enough to request and receive my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

I love Ms. Carmichael's books, they are always so emotional and the characters are so realistic. The issues in her books are always real issues that people often face in their lives.

This book takes place during the same events as Good Together, another of Ms. Carmichael's books, except this book follows Dani Carrigan and her journey through a damaged relationship, finding herself alone and pregnant, and finally finding a man who loves her and is willing to be her friend and lover.

Dani Carrigan has been secretly dating Adrian Carlson, head of the department at the university they both work at; a widowed single father, who treats her more like a mistress than a girlfriend. When Dani tells him she is pregnant he is upset and from that point on Dani begins to see, rather slowly, what a horrible guy he really is. Add that the baby might have defects and Dani feels ill prepared for all of this.

Eliot Gilmore is Dani's neighbor and friend, he is there for her through thick and thin, and he secretly harbors feelings for Dani. Eliot helps Dani through her pregnancy and eventually their friendship turns romantic.

What I hated was that Dani took forever to see what a jerk Adrian was and how good Eliot was. That is why I gave it a 4, but other than that the story was great.

Rating 4 out of 5 Read@Book

This will post on Dec 18th, 2014

Thirty-four year old professor, Dani Carrigan never thought she wanted to be a mother. Until she saw that little blue line, that is. Since then she’s known that this is the best course for her life. Sure, it may not be the “smart” choice but Dani has always done what’s smart now it’s time to do something else.
But what’s right isn’t always what’s easy. When it looks like the baby’s daddy isn’t so on board with having this baby and Dani finds there may be health complications, Dani hides. From her sisters, from her friends, from her decisions.

Will anyone be able to reach Dani through her self-doubt and denial?

Hott Review:

Oh mu goodness!! “Close To Her Heart” is amazing! This book was so much more than a sweet romance!
What I liked: I loved Dani in this book. In other books, I’d thought she was a bit stuffy but in “Close To Her Heart” Dani truly shines. (She also seems to be very much like me so I’m wondering if people see me as stuffy…)
C. J. Carmichael completely winds your emotions around Dani and her decisions. It hurt so much to see her alone and pulling away from everyone because she couldn’t make the decisions she thought they’d want her to make.
What I didn’t like: It was really hard for me to see this end. I really want to stay a part of Dani’s life…

More…

Author: C. J. Carmichael Source: Tule Publishing Group LLC via Netgalley Grade: A Ages: 15+
Steam: Nada Setting: Seattle, Washington Series: Carrigans of the Circle C #3, Montana Born Brides

Promise Me Cowboy
Good Together
Close To Her Heart
Snowbound in Montana
Author Bio:

Rita Award nominated author C.J. Carmichael has published more than 30 books with Harlequin. Right now she’s loving cowboys and Montana–those are the themes of the books she’s writing for Harlequin American.
CJ likes to write stories about romance and intrigue with a strong sense of community and family. If you enjoy her Harlequin books, you might want to check out her self-published titles. The Gift is a short novella Christmas story and A Buried Tale is a puzzler of a mystery that will keep you guessing and shock you with the surprise ending.

You’ll find both on Amazon, kobo and her website.

Websites & Links: author's website twitter https://www.facebook.com/authorcjcarmichael info from cjcarmichael.com & goodreads.com

When Dani finds her self pregnant and alone, she never expects to find support from her friend, Eliot. Eliot stands by her and before long realizes that he has feelings for her. CJ Carmichael's stories are always sweet and emotional. Close To Her Heart was no exception. It made me laugh and cry. I would definitely recommend it to readers who like stories that are sweet and full of heart and family.

Close To Her Heart is the third book in the Carrigan's of the Cirle C series, but can be read as a standalone. There is no definitive end to the story once it is finished as the characters from the previous books return, so continuing with the series is highly recommended.

This so far has been my favorite book within this series. The love Dani displays toward her child throughout this story is beautiful beyond words. This story is not just about the love story that Dani finds with a man, but one that she finds with her child.

Dani is the brains of her family and a professor at UW. When she goes in for her 16week ultrasound, she find out that something might be wrong with her child. Now she must decide what to do. Not only does the father of her baby not know she's pregnant, no one else does either; leaving her with no one to turn to. This beautiful love story will melt your heart as you experience Dani's uncertainty and fear as she tries to find her through a life that she had never expected for herself. Carmichael is a fabulous job in helping bring through the love that a mother has for her child.

While reading Good Together (the second book in this series) I was a bit put off by the amount of bashing that the main character did on her father for being cold when they were children. I am happy to report that while it was mentioned in this book, it was much more brief and wasn't nearly as aggravating.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions*

Close to Her Heart is the third in the Carrigans of the Circle C. I wasn't sure that I was going to like Dani's story. I am so happy that I was wrong. I loved that even though I was uncertain about the story, CJ Carmichael is a sure thing. She delivered a wonderfully emotional friends to lover romance that kept me turning the pages.

This story begins with a young girl working at the University Washington and is hoping that her widowed department head would see her as someone long term instead of just fun to be with. He was always saying he must take it slow because of his six year old daughter. Friends around her told her to move on but she felt they were a good match and he made her believe just enough that he would want something more with her. When summer break comes he goes to France with his daughter, but before he leaves he can’t wait to sleep with Dani. While Adrian is gone she finds out that she is pregnant and now is hopeful that their relationship will turn into marriage. But wait it gets better. When she goes to his house she gets a surprise and finds out that he is engaged to the nanny, and he tries to play it off of course she leaves without telling and when she finally does she has also finds that the baby has the markers for possible Down syndrome. He wants her to get an abortion which she says no to. The consent is her neighbor Eliot, who is a divorce attorney and they spend more time together getting to know each other and she finds out that he has liked her for a while. She has always thought he was a player but then finds out what really was happening. The draw back to the story was her always wanting to go back or wanting to go back to the professor, not realizing that he was a scum bag and really just an abuser with a degree. Overall a very emotional book and good story.