(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Grace Klaren has always been a small town girl with a big city dream.  

Just when it seems she's finally getting somewhere in the New York City fashion world after six years of grunt work, Grace finds herself jobless and unable to afford the exorbitant rent on her apartment in the city.  With little other choice, she returns to the tiny farming town where she grew up to wallow in the arms of Gigi, the loving grandmother who raised her.  Silver Creek, Iowa, might be her home, but it's still the boring, backwards place it's always been; as soon as Grace can save up enough money, she'll flee it once again.

In the meantime, Grace spends her days trying to help Gigi sell hopelessly unfashionable clothing at a flea market stall.  It's here that inspiration strikes.  When Grace sells a dress she remakes using her own designs for $200 online, she realizes that—despite what some snooty designer in New York City might say—she can make money creating her own clothing.  Soon, the enterprise has turned into a booming business, one that turns heads in The Big Apple.  An old colleague calls with a lucrative offer of his own and suddenly, Grace faces a surprisingly difficult choice—New York City or Silver Creek, Iowa?  

Heart Land by Kimberly Stuart is a warm, wholesome novel about one woman's quest to find her place in the world.  Sweet and clean, it focuses on the power of family, friendship, and faith.  Although Heart Land is technically a Christian novel, it treads lightly in the God department.  The subject shows up enough that we know religion is important to several of the book's characters, but not so much that it feels fake or cheesy.  Grace comes off as a little flaky, but she's a likable heroine, even if she's not all that well developed.  This description fits most of the book's cast, in fact.  Although not everything in the novel rings true (Silver Creek is economically depressed, but people can still afford new construction and expensive dresses?), but overall, it's a light, enjoyable read that reminds the reader of what's most important in life.  I liked it and am definitely up for reading more from Kimberly Stuart.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of a million other down-on-her-luck-woman-retreats-to-the-small-town-to-which-she-swore-she'd-never-return-only-to-discover-she-never-wants-to-leave novels, although no specific title is coming to mind.)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for mild innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Heart Land from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.