Shelley left town with her sister’s fiancé. Now she’s back—a widow with his children.

After years away and a tragedy that changed everything, Shelley Hart returns to Harbor Falls with nothing but a beat-up car, a broken heart, and two little girls in tow. Home for the holidays was never in her plans—especially not after the scandal she left behind. But with nowhere else to turn, she’s back in the one place she swore she’d never set foot again.

And the first person she runs into? The town’s most reclusive bachelor… And the man she once loved and left behind.

Police officer Matt Branson has spent the last few years living quietly in his mountain cabin, nursing a heart he never admitted was broken. He prefers solitude to holiday cheer—until Shelley rolls back into town and crashes straight into his quiet, carefully guarded life.

She’s not the girl he remembers. And he’s not the boy who let her go.

Can two hearts, bruised by past choices and long-buried secrets, find their way back to each other in time for Christmas?

Titles in the Sweet Hart Inn at Harbor Falls series include:  All of My Heart ~ Take My Heart ~ Match My Heart ~ Tame My Heart ~ The Dating Game ~ Mismatched Hearts ~ The Husband List ~ Chase My Heart ~ No Sweeter Match ~ One More Kiss ~

This is a no-spice (light spice) romance, perhaps with closed-door or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved.

Title:  Take My Heart
Series:  Sweet Hart Inn at Harbor Falls #2
Author:  Maddie James
Published:  (Original) November 2012 / Reissue 2025
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Quite frankly, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Shelley’s story, given the heartache she caused her sister, Suzie, when she ran off with Cliff, Suzie’s fiancé, several years ago.  Having read the author’s work for a very long time now, I shouldn’t have hesitated because Shelley’s story is chock-full of forgiveness, redemption, and moving forward.  Also, the fact that Suzie and Brad are so happy and perfect for each other dimmed my initial dislike of Shelley.  Let’s say, she grew on me, and absolutely everyone deserves a second chance.

Take My Heart is the second title in the Sweet Hart Inn at Harbor Falls series.  You don’t “have” to have read the first story, All of My Heart, to enjoy Shelley and Matt’s complicated romance… but I would highly recommend you try to because this is a series that I feel needs to be read in order to get the overall connections found in this small town.  That’s my opinion; you do what works best for you.

I enjoyed Shelley and Matt’s romance so much.  There is a lot of hurt baggage for them to work through.  When Shelley returned home after her husband’s death with her two little girls, she had no idea of the reception she would receive.  Yet, she had no choice but to return.  She knew she had hurt people she loved, probably beyond repair, but for her daughters’ sake, she had to at least try to make amends.  That journey will not be easy, not by any stretch of the imagination.  Watching this couple, well, this family actually, work through the mistakes of the past, aiming for a better future for them all, was an emotional experience.  Their story is well-written, so emotional, and will tug at your heart as you watch a couple reunite to find their happiness, heal deep wounds, and move forward into a future they both believe in.  If that sounds like your kind of romance, then you’re going to love Take My Heart.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon