AN IMPERFECT HEART by AMIE KNIGHT

‘My memories of her were laced with lust, heat, laughter and something on the cusp of young love. She remembered the ending. Not the beginning or all the good stuff in between. It was my fault.’ 

Oh what a beautiful, beautiful story. If you’re a Mum, you’ll connect to this story in every way as it highlights the selflessness, the utter devotion and unwavering love a mother feels for her child. If you’re a lover of romance and swoon, this book will fill every piece of your romantic heart.  And whilst this can be classed as a  second chance romance, it’s so much more than that. An Imperfect Heart is a story of faith, hope and love. With Anthony and Kelly’s story being exquisitely brought to life by the very talented Amie Knight through her sensitive, beautiful and tender prose. Amie Knight is an author you need to add to your ‘must read’ pile!

Kelly Potter has dreams. Dreams of becoming a rock star drummer and conquering the music industry. However, at 32, Kelly is no closer to fulfilling that dream than she was at 22. Kelly’s career plans come to a halt when she finds herself pregnant and alone. Not only that, but Kelly is dealt some devastating news. Her unborn baby has a heart defect that will require lifesaving surgery.  Although Kelly never saw motherhood in her future, she instantly falls in love with the little one she’s carrying – bonding with her, and caring for nothing other than the welfare of her unborn child.

Kelly is desperate to find her daughter the best possible medical help she can, and the best possible medical help just happens to come in the form of one tall, sexy, bossy, and oh so swoony, Dr Anthony Jackson, ‘heart doctor extraordinaire.’ The only problem is, Kelly had an amazing one night with the Doc ten years previous, and despite being opposites in every way, Kelly felt they had a real connection. Confused and hurt when Anthony unceremoniously asked her to leave the next morning, Kelly has carried that hurt with her for the last ten years, but she’s prepared to suck it up for the sake of her baby.

‘This gentle man with hands so tender hundreds of people trusted them to hold their babies’ hearts and he frightened the hell out of me.’ 

Dr Anthony Jackson, what can we say? This man was one hunk of deliciousness wrapped in a bow tie! A kind, caring and beautiful soul who works as the lead Pediatric Heart Surgeon at Duke University Hospital, and who lives and breathes the lifesaving care he gives his little patients. Anthony doesn’t miss a beat in stepping up to the plate when Kelly she seeks him out, desperate for his help in saving her daughter’s life.

For Anthony, Kelly was the one who got away. She’s never been far from his thoughts, and he’s regretted the way things ended between them ever since. Kelly never understood Anthony’s reasons for wanting her to leave that morning and we were as desperate as Kelly was to find out what had transpired. Amie Knight slowly and teasingly unravelled the mystery through flashbacks in Anthony’s pov. And, oh our hearts!

‘She thought I didn’t remember her. The truth was, I couldn’t forget her.’ 

It’s not long before Anthony realises he is in love with not just Kelly, but her unborn daughter, beginning to see things from the other side. Experiencing  the emotions, the fears, the pain and the heartache firsthand the way the parents of his patients do, and Anthony is overwhelmed to say the least.

‘The moment you realize you’re in love should be a moment of elation. Instead, terror filled me. Because I wasn’t just in love with Kelly; I was in love with that child who carried the heart I’d have to operate on.’

We’ve merely scratched the surface here as there is so much to experience in An Imperfect Heart. Amie Knight has written a true gem of a story that sent bolts of emotion directly to our hearts. In Anthony she delivered a man who was the perfect blend of caring, sweet and romantic, together with protective, bossy and a bit of a dirty talker *wink,wink*. In Kelly, we fell in love with a strong, determined woman who was able to put her pride aside for the sake of her child. A sacrifice that wasn’t easy for her. The secondary characters were engaging and captivating!

‘That was us. Together we were unstoppable. Apart, we were hopeless.’ 

If you’re in the mood for an emotional, sweet, romantic and not overly angsty story with genuine emotion, An Imperfect Heart is the book for you. Although the theme of the story is a heavy one, Amie ensures it never became morose, instead delivering her story with sweetness, tenderness and heartfelt emotion.