A Heart Most Certain by Melissa Jagears

   Book Description Lydia King knows what it's like to be in need, so she joins the Teaville Moral Society hoping to help the town's poor. But with her father's debts increasing by the day and her mother growing sicker by the week, she wonders how long it will be until she ends up in the poorhouse herself. Her best chance at a financially secure future is to impress the politician courting her, and it certainly doesn't hurt that his mother is the moral society's president. Lydia's first task as a moral society member--to obtain a donation from Nicholas Lowe, the wealthiest man in town--seems easy . . . until the man flat-out refuses.

Despite appearances, Nicholas wants to help others but prefers to do it his own way, keeping his charity private. When Lydia proves persistent, they agree to a bargain, though Nicholas has a few surprises up his sleeve. Neither foresees the harrowing complications that will arise from working together, and when town secrets are brought to light, this unlikely pair must decide where their beliefs--and hearts--truly align.   My Review While reading this book I found it was not a good idea to read it before bed. Because it was such a great story that I stayed up way to late into the night reading! The characters were wonderfully done and easy to relate to. And the story felt very real. Lydia wanted to help people from the beginning, but it was interesting to see how Nicholas helped her to see the people who needed help the most. And it was amazing to watch the changes in Lydia as she grew through the story. The book was hard to put down, and I could not wait to see what would happen next. Lydia's life was much more complex than I thought it would be. And I could not wait to see what would happen to her by the end of the book. The story was just wonderful, and Melissa Jagears is now one of my new favorite authors!       I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers for my honest review. The opinions are my own.