Sunday, December 18, 2005

Heart's Desire by Laura Pedersen

Hallie Palmer, now a college student, has had one crazy year. She has already begun to reform her former gambler ways by concentrating on other problems, as finding the tuition money she desperately needs, dealing with her legal guardian Bernard, and trying to figure out her own relationships. As the 2nd oldest in a family of 8 children, it’s up to her to find the money to go to college. Bernard employs her as the gardener and doing yard work. Hallie also has to come up with a plan to get Bernard reunited with his ex-boyfriend, Gil. But Hallie has romantic problems of her own and can’t seem to keep any guy interested. Hallie’s freshman year is surely full of surprises.

When I first started reading Heart’s Desire, I wasn’t sure if I would like it or not. The crazy characters, including a chimp named Rocky, were entertaining and the dialogue was funny. The story got better during the middle and once I got to that point, I couldn’t put the book down. As the character is a college student, older readers will relate to Hallie more. I didn’t read the prequel, Beginner’s Luck, but I think it would be more helpful in understanding the story and the characters. I think that if you stick with the book, you’ll be glad to read it. I’m looking forward to reading more about Hallie Palmer.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA