Have a Kleenex box nearby for Though My Heart is Torn by Joanne Bischof

Gideon O’Riley has two wives—but he doesn’t know it. 
   
Settling into a simple life in the majestic Blue Ridge mountains, Lonnie and Gideon O’Riley have finally found happiness after the rocky start to their marriage. The roguish bluegrass musician has fallen in love with his gentle wife and the God she serves, and Lonnie rests secure in his tenderness for her and their young son. A heartless ruse interrupts their peace, bringing them back to Rocky Knob—and forces them to face the claims of Cassie Allan, a woman who says she is Gideon’s rightful wife.
 
As Gideon wades into the depths of his past choices, Lonnie is stunned by the revelations. She has no choice but to navigate this new path, knowing that surviving the devastating blow will take every ounce of strength  she has.
 
While Gideon’s guilt  and his bitterness towards Cassie threatens to burn up his fledgling faith, Lonnie wrestles to find the courage to trust the God who brought them together in the first place. Will their hard-earned love be able to conquer all? –Amazon.com

   I was drawn to this novel by the cover and the title. I can usually tell when a book will be good by how the characters or the setting is portrayed on the cover, this book was no exception. I was also drawn to this book because a review said Joanne Bischof wrote in the Janette Oke tradition. Oke was one of the first Christian fiction authors I enjoyed as a young teen. I found this review to be true. Bischof’s writing is vivid and pure. She allows the characters to grow and learn through their experience with the grace of God and threads a ribbon of sweet romance through the plot which is very similar to Oke style of writing.

   As I eagerly delved into the pages of ­Though My Heart is Torn, I found myself reading the first chapter twice, confused by the plot, wondering if I had missed something. It wasn’t until later—half way into the book—that I realized this is the second book in Bischof’s The Cadence of Grace series. That is one draw back about reading an ebook, the cover is small allowing me overlook the fact that it was book two. At first this deterred me from reading the book because, as an avid reader, I always read books in order; however, once I got past the second chapter and began understanding the plot I was quickly hooked on the story of Gideon and Lonnie. (I am now eager to read the first book to learn more about Gideon and Lonnie’s beginning. It is too bad I could not have reviewed Be Still My Soul to begin with.)

   In Though My Heart is Torn, Gideon and Lonnie’s relationship is mesmerizing. They are completely in love. Bischof does an amazing job depicting this love with the characters’ loving glances, smiles, charming blushes, etc. The actions of the characters are described so well that it was like I was watching a movie instead of reading a book.  As the plot developed I found myself using several Kleenex to staunch my tears. It is amazing how quickly I became invested in the lives of the characters. I felt Lonnie and Gideon’s pain so acutely that my heart hurt for them. As my Kleenex box became hopelessly low I tried to tell myself this is only a story, but Bischof paints these characters in such a light that I easily thought I knew them and that I was a part of their story.

   At the beginning of the novel it was easy to despise certain unlikeable characters, but as they began to grow and change-through the presence of God in their lives- I couldn’t help but learn to love them too. Because of this, I understood how difficult Gideon’s choice is. Honestly, when has it ever been easy to choose to do the right thing over what your heart wants? The characters learn to ask God for guidance, which is a lesson for all of us. We cannot face trials on our own strength, but with God’s guidance and faithfulness we can walk through the waters because He is with us.

   As I finished reading the final page I found myself holding my breath, not because it was a bad ending, but because I desperately need to know what happens next. Bischof’s final page will leave you hanging which is, for an author, a delightful ploy to get you to read the next book, but for the reader complete torture! I would almost encourage you to wait to read this book until the third one is out then you would have the pleasure of reading them back to back. However, since I have to wait I think you can handle waiting too. 

   Thank you, Joanne Bischof, for this captivating novel! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and cannot wait to read the first and third book of the series. I also look forward to any of your future books.

   Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of Though My Heart is Torn in exchange for an honest review.