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    A Man's Heart
    A Man's Heart
    A Man's Heart
    Audiobook8 hours

    A Man's Heart

    Written by Lori Copeland

    Narrated by Tavia Gilbert

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Jules broke off her wedding to Cruz practically at the altar. Not just once, but twice. Now the man Jules loves best can't stand the sight of her.Only for Pop could Jules have made such a sacrifice. And now Pop is gone, leaving Jules with his struggling Washington State potato farm; with a sister excluded from his will; and with a heart wounded by the sacrifice she has made on behalf of her father.It looks like strengthening her relationship with her sister and improving the prospects of the Blue Bayou farm will be Jules' chief concerns. But when cancer takes the life of her best friend, Jules finds herself caring for her friend's two small children as well as the Blue Bayou.A drought-stricken farm. A promise to a dead friend and two needy little lives. And disturbing memories stirring up a growing relationship with her sister. How can one woman handle it all?The answer lies with a God who holds the keys to yesterday, today, and tomorrow—and to the heart of the one man whom Jules could ever love.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherZondervan
    Release dateOct 19, 2010
    ISBN9780310773337
    Author

    Lori Copeland

    Lori Copeland is a bestselling author whose books includde Now and Always, Simple Gifts, Unwrapping Christmas, and Monday Morning Faith, which was a finalist for the 2007 Christy Awards. Lori was inducted into the Springfield Writers Hall of Fame in 2000 and lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband and family.

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    Reviews for A Man's Heart

    3.5/5

    62 ratings22 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I was hesitant to read this book at first, I will admit, due to the rather cheesy title. I'm sorry to the author, who is enormously talented, but that is a horribly cheesy and trite choice of a title. If it is not her, but the publisher that chose the title, well, same thing to them. So I was really very unsure of whether I wanted to read this book after all when I got it for review, but I decided that it was only right for me to read it and give an honest review. I can honestly say that I am glad that I did read it. It is not high literature, or the best reading ever. It is, however, a fairly good read. The story starts out with a young couple breaking up. More to the point, the female protagonist, breaks up with her fiance. She tries to put it off as just taking time, but the boyfriend, Cruz, sees it for what it is, and breaks it off with her completely. The protagonist, Jules, then goes off to college to learn more about agriculture in order to help her father run the farm better. Despite the heartache, things seem to be going tolerably well for her, when she gets a call that her father had an accident. She rushes home to find that he has died. Suddenly the farm is hers to run. Her sister, Crystal, comes into the picture, as she had lived in a separate state after her and Jules' parents divorced when they were young children. To top it all off, her best friend is dying from cancer and wants Jules to raise her children. I don't want to spoil the story too much, but just to say that, yes, Jules and Cruz do get together, as do Crystal and a guy she meets, who shall remain unknown. The children as well, are okay in the end. The book had some elements that I REALLY did not like much. There were improbable plot twists that made very little to no sense in that they were just random strokes of good fortune or bad fortune, in order to facilitate the plot. For that matter, the end of the story was greatly sped up. It seemed that the resolution came out of nowhere to resolve the plot. It was almost startling in how fast the denouement came. That said, while the rushed resolution is greatly annoying, these twists are justified in that they *do* make sense in context. The story is supposed to be about God making things work out for the best, to turn the evil into good. He has Divine control, and that is what the author wanted to show. And historically, one of the twists does make sense with the generation and time of the character who influences Jules and Crystal. The landscape and the science and farming techniques are meticulously laid out, and it is fairly obvious that whether from personal experience, or some serious effort into research, that the author does know what she is talking about. The descriptions and language were vivid, and really kept the story up, even at points where it otherwise may have lagged. The positives that I have discussed can not *quite* make up for the negatives. This is why, even though I really enjoyed the book, and do recommend it, I can not give it as high a rating as I normally would like to give it. Despite this, it is a fun read, with a good lesson that is not overly obvious and in your face, and well-researched. I suggest you give it a try.-----I received this novel for free from Zondervan. I am obligated to read it and give a review of it. Zondervan emphasizes their desire for honest reviews, whether positive or negative, in order to help them create a better product. The opinions above are my honest viewpoint. I want to thank Zondervan for allowing me to review this book, and thank you all for reading this.
    • 2/5
      A Man’s Heart had more plot devices than actual plot. The characters were hard to relate to and not very likeable. The Christian element seemed poorly integrated and gives the impression that it was added for marketing purposes.
    • 3/5
      A fun quick romantic read that while simple gets the point across, but not always realistic in some plot twists but make the story stronger. If looking for something to while away the hours pick it up, if you looking for accuracy in details, skip it.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this as an easy-reading, not incredibly deep read. I never felt fully invested in the characters, but I liked the story.
    • 4/5
      A MAN’S HEART by Lori Copeland is a tear-jerker inspirational romance set in modern-day Washington State. It is well written with a depth plot and wonderful characters. It has romance, love, faith,past hurts, second chances,children, death, secrets, family, survival, friends, promises, potato farm life,redemption, forgiveness,coming to terms with the past and creating a future. This story will tear your heart out from the beginning to end. The hero, Cruz, is handsome, practical, hard-working, determined,owns a failing potato farm, been jilted by Jules,his ex-fiance not once but twice and will always love her. The heroine, Jules, is tough, just lost her Dad, wants to create “the perfect potato”, choses her Dad over Cruz not once but twice, she has a fear of commitment, and loses her best friend to cancer. Cruz’s sister is Jules best friend,learns she has cancer, and makes Jules promise her to take care of her two small children. Jules and Cruz find themselves together over and over due to the children. Jules learns a family secret from her sister.Through, their faith in God, hard work,determination and a willingness to change and to forward they will learn their true love can last. BEWARNED! You will need a box of tissues! One man,one woman,one promise and one last chance. I would highly recommend this book especially if you enjoy human nature, God’s forever love, power of true love, families coming together and family relationships
    • 3/5
      I didn't really enjoy this book. I have read her novels before, and enjoyed them, but this one just wasn't one of my favorites. For it, I think it was the believable factor. Runaway bride, family secrets, custody of children, etc. I'm not quite sure that all the main character went through (and overcame) is something that I could ever feel like I could relate too. Althought I wouldn't mind trying another book by Copeland, this one was just ok for me.
    • 4/5
      A Man's Heart, set in the potato-growing district of Washington state, is the story of Jules and her one true love, Cruz. Jules knows that she will never love another man the way that she loves Cruz. So why is it that, when the wedding day draws near, she calls it off -- not just one time, but two times? Certainly not because she doesn't love Cruz, but because she has goals that she has not yet attained and perhaps she is, quite simply, afraid to commit. Cruz, his heart bruised by her betrayal, vows that he will never again give Jules the opportunity to wound him. Can't say that I blame him, can you? When, after a span of four long years, a chain of circumstances arises that throws Cruz and Jules into constant, nearly daily, contact with one another, they both put up barriers to protect themselves from being hurt once again. However, it seems that God has other plans if they are only willing to yield their futures and their hearts to His divine will.The plots and subplots in this book are so intricately woven together that it is an emotional roller coaster ride from the first page to the satisfying conclusion. Lori Copeland has created characters who are real and who have true-to-life struggles. She has shown quite clearly that it is only when we are willing to surrender all to Him can we ever expect to attain the level of joy that is waiting for us. Only He has the answers to all of our questions, the solution to all of our problems, and only He can provide a way when there seems to be no way. As I read this book, I mourned with Jules and Cruz and happily rejoiced with them when God stepped in and proved His faithfulness. The scripture that came to me as I read A Man's Heart is found in Psalms 31:7 (KJV): "I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities." Certainly there was an abundance of adversity that Jules, Cruz, and other family members had to combat throughout the course of the book. But, they ultimately learned the truth of Psalms 126:5 (KJV): "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."I first read a book by Lori Copeland in 2002. (I know this because I keep a log of every single book that I read, including the date that I read it and the number of pages in the book). It has, admittedlly, been a while since that I read that first book. However, one thing that I do remember is that from that day forward I was always on the lookout for a new release by her. Lori has the ability to create realistic characters and place them in situations that are also tenable. She will keep you engrossed until the last page and you will be blessed by what you read and the lessons depicted.A Man's Heart was given to me by Library Thing for review purposes. I was not obligated in any way to give a positive review. All opinions and statements contained in this review are solely the opinion of the writer. I received no compensation in any form for providing this review.
    • 4/5
      This novel is set in Washington State in an agricultural community that grows potatoes. Jules is the daughter of a potato grower who has died in a freak accident. Jules comes home to take over the farm, but when she left for college she left a hurt man behind, Cruz Delgado. He has tried to move on without her, but can’t get over Jules and the fact that she left him not once, but twice at the altar! He has lots of distrust where she is concerned, and now that she is back, he sees her all the time! It’s a light novel with good character development, lots of heart with a few chuckles besides! I truly enjoyed this novel, it’s the first I’ve read by Lori Copeland, but it won’t be the last!
    • 5/5
      This was a sweet story. A little predictable, but with enough surprises to keep my interest. She is a good writer. Will definitely look for other books by Lori Copeland. Maybe a sequel to this one? Only slight complaint is I've spent a lot of time in the Destin, Florida area and they are on central time instead of eastern time. She mentioned twice in the book that they were three hours ahead of the people in Washington state. Oh well, not a big deal.
    • 4/5
      I received this book from Zondervan publishing as an early review copy. This was the first book I have read by Lori Copeland.I was a little concerned from reading the back of the book that this would be rather boring. After all- a potato farmer I am not. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how the book turned out. There were many struggles throughout the book and I for one am glad that I am not Jules. She had a lot on her plate. I loved that neither of the main characters were perfect. That is where we all are so I felt that they were relatable to most people in at least that way. Jules and Cruz spent a lot of time avoiding each other that could have been more productive had they just talked- but hey who hasn't been there before. I did wish for more details of the Adan/Crystal relationship. It seemed to be swept under the rug or that she didn't feel that she had the time to devote to it. Overall I thought that even though it was a slow start it was a refreshingly different book. There are sad parts though so if you are looking for something that may seem more like real life than all of the 100% happy books out there then this one is for you. If you only love the happy- well perhaps you should save this for later.I passed this book on to my grandmother who also enjoyed it. :)
    • 5/5
      I love books by Lori Copeland. "A Man's Heart" by Zondervan was a good book, but a little slower than some of Copeland's other books. I had expected the book to be in the 'Old' West, but was actually a contemporary setting in Eastern WA state. I enjoyed reading about cities that I actually know. I really enjoyed this book, but if you are new to Copeland, you would probably lkie one of her other books as your first.
    • 1/5
      I have read a few other books by this author, but this was the first with a contemporary setting. I did not especially enjoy this book. I thought it moved very slowly. But my real problem with this book was the main characters. I did not identify with any of them and I would not have liked any of them if I had met them. So maybe this book is for someone else.
    • 4/5
      I am already a Lori Copeland fan, and I enjoyed this one as well. I loved that neither character was perfect. I loved the way she wrote the story and that I cried in the middle of the book.I didn't love the way some of the story could have used with a little more detail. I would have loved to see Why Jules felt the way she did, instead of just hearing what she was telling Cruz about why she should put off their wedding again. Why she would think that she Could do that without it being a choice of Not being with him. A few things just seemed to Happen and then be over and part of the past in teh story. Her father dying, giving the kids to Cruz, the tractor getting stolen, the End of the story... Several things I almost felt like I Missed. Even with the parts of the story that I felt could have used more attention, I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others who enjoy Lori Copeland books. This was a christian romance without the angst of one of the characters struggling with belief and I enjoyed that.
    • 3/5
      A Man's Heart by Lori Copeland fell short of my expectations for Christian Romance. This story began with a jilted groom, continued with the death of a father and best friend, meandered along a sketchy reunited sister relationship, and stubbornly snagged along the poor communication between two people who supposedly loved each other. The only thing that kept me reading was the hope that it would get better, and while the last chapter wrapped it up neatly, it felt unrealistic and left me thinking, "That relationship is never gonna make it." What I hope for in Christian fiction is a realistic portrayal of people living in a Christ-like way, making mistakes and overcoming obstacles, but finding the ultimate truth in their faith. This novel fell short. While the main characters voiced prayers in desperation, and recognized their need for God, they never really turned to Him. In addition, the main characters were suing each other over child custody and communicating with snide, sarcastic, and stubborn remarks throughout. And while they ended up together in the end, I never saw evidence that they had overcome this disasterous communication trait. All in all, mildly entertaining, but I would not recommend it to my friends.
    • 1/5
      I didn't really enjoy this book. I have read her novels before, and enjoyed them, but this one was inconsistent on the details and didn't make you really care about the characters. I also felt it didn't have very much about their faith and how they practice it every day situations. When I really enjoy Christian authors, they use their faith as an integral part of their daily life and how it works out in difficult or average situations. I didn't feel that this book did that. I will read her books again and hope the next one is better.
    • 4/5
      This is a wonderful story about learning what it really means to follow your heart. Twice Jules has left Cruz practically at the altar. Now he doesn't want anything to do with her and she is struggling to get used to a new way of life after the death of her father. She must adjust to the pressures of running a potato farm and getting to know a sister she hasn't seen in many years. Soon cancer takes the life of her best friend and she adds the responsibility of caring for two small children. Through it all she struggles to get Cruz to at least accept a friendship with her while knowing in her heart that the only way for her to be happy is to be his wife.The ending is predictable, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.
    • 3/5
      I won this book, otherwise I might not have read it. The cover looks cheesy and so is the title. Also, just have to mention that the main character, Jules, has short dark hair in the book...yet the cover has her with long hair. Kind of a stupid error.Anyway, the writing was okay, but the plot was kind of lame. I couldn't really buy why Jules left Cruz at the beginning of the book. When the main character does something that doesn't make sense to the reader, it sort of throws off the rest of the story. So the whole problem they have to overcome seems trivial.That being said, it was still an okay read, with some Christianity thrown in (quite a bit). I read it quickly because I wanted a break from my to-do list, not because it was something I couldn't put down.
    • 4/5
      A Man’s Heart is about the on again off again relationship of Jules and Cruz. Both of them are potato farmers, Jules however goes off to college to learn more about the trade. More then that, since her parents had a disastrous, she also uses college as a way to run from her relationship with Cruz, who wants to marry her. Since she jilts him twice, he tells her that its over and she goes off to college not returning for years later when her father dies.This story was beautifully written, and the characters were lovely. The only thing I didn’t really like about it was the little plots in it that were addressed, like it would have been nice if Cruz had found out about the bull accident. Because the cover story just wasn’t believable in my opinion. But still excellent book!
    • 4/5
      A Man's Heart is a book about a man (Cruz) and his on and off again fiancé Jules. They are both potato farmers and have been in a relationship since they were young. When Jules decides to go to college instead of getting married Cruz breaks off the engagement and they go their separate ways. Four years later as Jules is finishing college two tragic events occur that require her to go home again. She reunites with Cruz and the rest of the book is about them dealing with issues from their past and the problems they are currently facing.This is a Christian book and while I don't usually read Christian fiction it wasn't so overpowering that it turned me off from the book. The religion was a subtle constant theme throughout the book that didn't try and force beliefs on the reader. Overall the book was well written even though it was very predictable as far as the overall outcome. There were sad moments that were handled well by the author but nothing that hasn't done before. I think 3 1/2 stars is appropriate because the story wasn't anything new but it was well written and a decent story. This book was sent to me by Zondervan publishers for my review.
    • 4/5
      Due to her mother and father's broken relationship, the main character of this book (Jules) finds it difficult to commit to a relationship with the man she loves and calls off their wedding at the last moment...twice. The story is basically about her dealing with the loss of her father and her best friend , developing a relationship with her estranged sister who comes to stay with her after their father dies (the mother having died some time before), and trying to win back the love of her life. Also, she takes on the guardianship of her best friend's children.The problem I had with this book was that I didn't much like her character. While the author maintains that Jules is a Christian who is struggling with her faith, I found her to be shallow and unstable. At one point she has an epiphany: “She has allowed fear to rule her life, not God”. But then she continues in her self-absorbed way of dealing with life. I have read many Love Inspired Steeple Hill books and the religious aspect of this book falls short. There were more platitudes from the characters than actual following of Christian convictions in their lives. I thought the author, in writing about the death of her friend, did an excellent job of describing the pain and sadness that accompanies death of a loved one.I found the “perfect potato” thing very strange. Why did the author throw that in, only to have it fizzle out? And the sister getting a million dollars...bizarre.All in all though, I did find the book compelling and, as an Early Reviewer, read it in two days; always expecting it to get better as I read along. Unfortunately, it didn't.
    • 4/5
      I liked the book. i cried in part of it. part cheesey. deals a lot with coping with forgiveness, with death and other trials. I wished for more results on the pototoe, if cruz ever found out about her riding the bull. it seamed really familar to me in parts. was a good clean book. i would reread it again sometime in the future.
    • 2/5
      I did not like this book. I would not recommend it to anyone. The beginning of the book was like coming into a movie 10 minutes after it started. I don't know the characters because I don't understand who they are or why they do what they do. Therefore, after a few chapters I did not care for the main characters at all; their histories and motivations for their actions are not described in enough detail to get me on their side. After too many chapters of this, I did not care what the characters do or why. By the middle of the book I was struggling to finish reading the book. The longer I read the book, the more I understood the characters and could empathize a little with their plight but by then I had lost interest in the story. By the end of the novel, I pretty much understand the characters, but I am angry at the author for not telling me more about them, sooner and in more concise terms.The story is rote and there are no surprises. The Christian aspect was so weak; I had trouble believing these were really Christian characters. The heroine did not develop or depend on her faith in any significant way for you to believe she took it in any way seriously. I was disappointed that there was no clear narration on why the events happened, how God’s hand was at work in the characters lives. Where was the contrast of a faithful person in the story and who is the voice of reason? Apparently no one was the voice of reason, God or even common sense, which is why the Christian aspect was so unsatisfying. This book may be good for teen readers as the writing; the characters and the plot are simple and unsophisticated.I enjoyed the location of the story and the descriptions of the crops and procedures were interesting. The dialogue was realistic and moved along nicely. The author seemed to struggle with the descriptions of events in the characters lives. The descriptions did not flow well together with the dialogue. The author probably needs to be taken in hand by a good editor who understands how to move a story along in an interesting way. The characters all sound the same; they have no separate voices to differentiate them in the story.I have not read any of this author’s other books, I would hope they are better than this one. Hopefully she is working on developing her writing technique. This book was sent to me by Zondervan publishers for my review.