Heart of the Matter is a story about two women, Kate and Ellen, who have a lot to learn from each other.

Heart of the Matter is like no story I’ve read before. Ellen Webster, a history professor, has fantasized about a Channel 5 news anchor named Kate Foster, who happens to be her next-door neighbour. She never had the courage to talk to her until Kate suffers a terrible car accident that disfigures her. With the goodness of her heart, Ellen tries to help Kate as much as she can. The reporter came to realize she was all alone and the only person who was there for her was Ellen, a total stranger. As time passes, Kate starts to enjoy Ellen’s company more and more. The professor, trying to get Kate out of her shell, takes her to her sabbatical to do research for her upcoming book about the Civil War. In their trip together, their feelings towards each other start to grow into something neither of them imagined possible.

This is the first book I read from this author, and I have to say that it really surprised me.  As I said at the beginning of my review, I’ve never read a story like this. The characters were very realistic. Kate was arrogant, stubborn, and hardheaded; while Ellen was caring, shy, and with low self-esteem. The way their relationship evolved had me swinging between giggling, and being infuriated by characters who fear what other people think of them. The sad part is that this is something that people in the real world fear. Kate feared what other people thought of the scar on her face, while Ellen worried that her body wasn’t perfect. The beauty of this was, that these characters thought that the physical appearance didn’t matter if the person behind it was beautiful.

This book has a beautiful message packed with a good history lesson about the Civil War – it’s a great love story that will warm you up. The story reminds us that ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’ and that love finds no boundaries. I loved this story very much and it’s a wonderful read.