Blue Heart Blessed by Susan Meissner

Excuse me while I grab another tissue. So sorry...just can't seem to stop the tears from flowing. It must be this GORGEOUS book I just finished a moment ago.

Although, I will have to have a chat with the author. Somehow, she keeps getting into my heart and writing stories that I can totally relate to. It's a little unnerving, but totally wonderful at the same time!

"Blue Heart Blessed" is the story of Daisy Murien and her broken heart.

Daisy's life has not been easy. She was a late in life child, with a brother old enough to be her uncle. Growing up around adults makes it difficult to relate to other children, or for other children to relate to you sometimes.

Added to that, Daisy's father passes away before he has the chance to walk her down the aisle, hold her first baby and his grandchild...her poor heart has been battered and bruised. And then, the ultimate hurt for a woman such as Daisy...

Left nearly at the altar, a mere ten days before the wedding, Daisy has been lost and out of love ever since. And she has dreamed of the day she walked down the aisle in a beautiful white cloud of tulle and organza and beaded pearls and...

Whoops, lost myself again there! Back to the story...

So, Daisy has the opportunity to leave her sadness and her broken life behind her...which she does, to a certain extent. She manages a building owned by the man who once loved her mom. And one of Daisy's tenants is a beloved retired Episcopal priest named Father Laurent.

Once Daisy pours out her story to him, they begin a partnership that blooms into a friendship, all sparked by the tiny, blue satin hearts that Daisy sews into each second hand wedding gown she sells in her shop, "Something Blue". Father Laurent prays a blessing on each heart for the bride who will one day wear these gowns that find new life in Daisy's shop.

The question is, will Daisy ever embrace the new life she has in Christ, and let go of past hurts?

When Father Laurent is taken ill, his son, Ramsey, rushes to take him home to live with him. But Daisy contrives a plan to keep Father Laurent close, and to also keep Ramsey and his son Liam close. So that hopefully Ramsey can see her love for Father Laurent is genuine and that he will trust her with his father's care and well being.

Will Daisy ever be able to let go of her dream wedding gown? Will it be forever in her shop, a reminder of a love that wasn't meant to be? Will her dream of a fairytale romance ever come true...or has it already and she just doesn't know it yet?

So much of this story could have been my own. I found myself identifying with Daisy on almost every page, my heart aching for her as I recalled my own faltering relationships and my longing for that forever kind of love. Praise God, He answered my prayer for that...in ways I could have never imagined. I found myself praying that He would do the same for Daisy---and she wasn't even real!

I love Susan Meissner's writing. She has a way of reaching into your heart and drawing out forgotten memories and long ago hurts and, with her words and the power of God's Spirit, bringing healing and understanding that wasn't there before you turned the first page, but blooms full of hope and joy by the time you turn the last page.

Susan doesn't just write fictional stories...she writes heart stories.

Does God answer my prayer for Daisy? Well, you'll just have to wait until February 2008 to find out! "Blue Heart Blessed" is published by Harvest House and gets six out of five bookmarks from me with--you guessed it--a tiny, satin heart...but mine's in green:-)

Happy Reading!

Deena