Hessil, Michigan – Present Day

Resort owner Nick Thornton is looking for a housekeeper, and when he meets newcomer Rona Meyers, he knows he wants her to apply for his job, even though she's already taken a waitress position at the Harbor Inn. Nick instinctively knows that Rona needs a protector. He's not sure why, because it appears that she has her life together and she seems to possess lots of common sense, even if he's sure she's hiding something. Nick wonders if he's just being selfish. He's the one who needs a housekeeper-slash-helper so that he can maintain control of his household. It's been three years since his wife Jill died, and his sixteen-year-old son Gary is becoming more unmanageable by the day. Nick's home life is currently a mess. Someone like Rona might be able to restore order to his home. And it would be nice to have a woman around, even though he won't admit he might just have the teeniest bit of romantic interest in Rona.

Rona Meyers is running away. The job Nick Thornton is offering her will be the lifeline for her escape -- a place to hide. Rona won't tell anyone why she's hiding, and even though her gut tells her to keep waitressing for Bernie Butcher, she hushes her conscience and takes Nick's offer. She'll be all alone on Marquette Island with a man she doesn't know. Is she crazy? Besides, they really won't be alone; Nick's son lives there, too. But it would be so easy to imagine that Nick's sumptuous home is her own. Rona feels as if she's known him forever. Only one problem haunts their budding relationship -- Nick's staunch belief in God just might come between them. Rona walked away from God when her life took a turn for the worse, and she isn't ready to walk back just yet -- she wants proof that God loves her.

Come to the beautiful islands of Michigan and join us in this story that takes you away and into the lives of Nick and Rona. FAMILY IN HIS HEART is a story of new beginnings and strong faith against all odds. Nick is struggling to come to terms with his wife's death and the secrets he has uncovered since she died. He badly wants God to give him another chance at life, at love, but his son Gary is resisting authority and generally making Nick's life a living hell. Rona breezes into Nick's life like a breath of fresh air. He knows that she's been hurt, and he tries to envelope her in the faith he feels so strongly, but Rona's resistance to God bothers him.

The secondary characters are dynamic, and Gary is the quintessential teenager with a shoulder weighed down by the wish to fly in the face of his parent's concerns. Shirley Bailey is Rona's friend and helps her come to terms with her doubts.

Don't miss this very special story! FAMILY IN HIS HEART should be at the top of your buy list this month!

Diana Risso