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Janice Kay Johnson
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In a Heartbeat (Harlequin Super Romance Book 2124) Kindle Edition

by Janice Kay Johnson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 21 ratings
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Forgiveness is a choice—love isn’t

Nate Hendrick’s and Anna Grainger’s lives were changed—and entwined—forever, in one terrifying instant. That’s all it took for Anna’s husband to die saving the life of Nate’s daughter. Battling heartache and guilt, Nate offers Anna the only consolation he can: a place for her family to stay while she figures things out.

Neither expects the arrangement to be anything more than a convenience, but as their families come together, old wounds begin to heal and hearts mend. Nate knows they have a chance to salvage something beautiful from tragedy—if Anna can ever truly forgive him.
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  1. Print length
    294 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Harlequin Superromance
  5. Publication date
    April 1, 2018
  6. File size
    2183 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The author of more than ninety books for children and adults, Janice Kay Johnson writes about love and family - about the way generations connect and the power our earliest experiences have on us throughout life. An eight time finalist for the Romance Writers of America RITA award, she won a RITA in 2008 for her Superromance novel Snowbound. A former librarian, Janice raised two daughters in a small town north of Seattle, Washington.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0756CMS8H
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harlequin Superromance; Large type / Large print edition (April 1, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2183 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 294 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Janice Kay Johnson

Janice Kay Johnson

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Janice Kay Johnson is the author of sixty-plus books for children and adults. Her first four published romance novels were coauthored with her mother Norma Tadlock Johnson, also a writer who has since published mysteries and children's books on her own. These were "sweet" romance novels, the author hastens to add; she isn't sure they'd have felt comfortable coauthoring passionate love scenes!

Janice graduated from Whitman College with a B.A. in history and then received a master's degree in library science from the University of Washington. She was a branch librarian for a public library system until she began selling her own writing.

She has written six novels for young adults and one picture book for the read-aloud crowd. ROSAMUND was the outgrowth of all those hours spent reading to her own daughters, and of her passion for growing old roses. Two more of her favorite books were historical novels WINTER OF THE RAVEN and THE ISLAND SNATCHERS which she wrote for Tor/Forge. The research was pure indulgence for someone who set out intending to be a historian!

Janice is divorced and has raised her two daughters in a small, rural town north of Seattle, Washington. She's an active volunteer and board member for Purrfect Pals, a no-kill cat shelter, and foster kittens often enliven a household that already includes a few more cats than she wants to admit to!

Janice loves writing books about both love and family -- about the way generations connect and the power our earliest experiences have on us throughout life.

In addition to her real name, she has also written under several pseudonyms through the years, including Janice Stevens, Janice Bartlett, Kay Bartlett and Kay Kirby.

Her Superromance novels are frequent finalists for Romance Writers of America RITA awards, and she won the 2008 RITA for Best Contemporary Series Romance for SNOWBOUND.

Visit her online at: www.janicekayjohnson.com.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
21 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

brelyea
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful book.
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
In a Heartbeat by Janice Kay Johnson starts off with a tragedy. Anna Grainger's husband drowns while saving Nate's daughter, Molly, from drowning. Nate and his ex-wife, Sonya, had been divorced for several years, and Molly lived with Sonya until Sonya's drinking almost killed her. When Molly goes to live with Nate, he asks Anna to work for him so she can be at home with Molly when he has to work. During the next year, they grow into one loving family, while Sonya becomes even more self destructive. This book shows how the power of love can bring happiness, even when things look very bleak.
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Kate Vale
4.0 out of 5 stars Contemporary issues that must be resolved for any of these people to be happy
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2018
Who would imagine that the death of one husband would bring two families together? In this novel, that's exactly what happens after Anna Grainer's husband, who can't swim, saves Nate Hendrick's daughter in a fast-moving river. Anna has no money, after discovering how her late husband emptied their savings prior to his death. In desperation, she accepts an offer from guilt-ridden Nate to be his housekeeper so that he doesn't have to worry about his second grader, who also happens to be in the same class as Anna's son.

What follows is a gradual dance of attraction that Nate wants but which Anna fights. Her kids miss their father, but she doesn't want Nate to fill that role. Somehow, it feels disloyal to her late husband. But how can she not respond to him even as she tries to keep her distance?

Nate's ex-wife doesn't make things any easier when she repeatedly falls off the wagon, unable to control her cravings for alcohol and thus endangering and frightening their daughter.

The realistic angst portrayed in this story makes this a true mirror of contemporary issues even as the resolution finally feels just right.
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BiblioPhile
3.0 out of 5 stars Not up to JKJ’s usual standards.
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
Disclaimer - I usually love all Janice Kay Johnson books! She’s an automatic buy for me...in fact I pre-ordered this title. However, I found this story disappointing and even ended up skimming through some sections. The H’s relentless attraction to the h just seemed a little too convenient to me. And I didn’t like the fact that at times he seemed to pressure her into a relationship too soon after her husband’s death and while her job as his housekeeper/nanny was the only thing keeping her family afloat. I usually don’t have a problem with the boss falls for employee trope, but with the addition of her being a financially desperate widow... it felt just a little “#metoo” creepy.
One person found this helpful
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Suze Lavender
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing heartwarming story
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2018
When Anna's husband saves a young girl, Molly, from a raging river on a day out, he doesn't survive. He wasn't good with money and Anna and her two children, Jenna and Josh, are being left with nothing. Nate, Molly's father, is feeling guilty about what happened and he wants to help Anna and her children. He's rich, but Anna doesn't want to accept money given to her because of guilt about her husband's death. She's desperate though and when Nate offers her a job and a place to live, she has no choice but to say yes.

Anna is helping Nate with Molly's care. Molly doesn't have any siblings and spending time with Jenna and Josh has a healing effect on her spirit. The silent and shy girl comes out of her shell when she is with them. Merging the two families might seem like an ideal solution, but Anna is wary. She can't completely forgive Nate for having to work and not being there to save his daughter on the awful day she lost her husband. What will happen when the handsome Nate shows an interest, can she resist his charms? Will she be able to get over her grief and give Nate a chance to make her life better again?

In a Heartbeat is a beautiful romantic story. Anna is a kindhearted woman. She loves her children and will do anything for them. Her husband was irresponsible and superficial, but he was cheerful and always happy. She misses part of him, but being left with nothing makes her angry as well. Nate offers her a way out of the dire situation she and her children are in and even though he's the last person Anna wants to spend time with, she accepts his offer. It was fascinating to see where that would lead. They slowly get to know each other and there are plenty of sparks, but Anna isn't ready to fall in love and is still grieving. She has to find a way to heal before she can let love in again and Janice Kay Johnson describes her journey in a fabulous poignant and open way.

In a Heartbeat is a story about true love, second chances and making things right. I was impressed with Janice Kay Johnson's heartwarming writing style and could easily understand all of the emotions her main characters are going through. She writes about both adults and children in a wonderful sympathetic way. I was curious to find out if Anna could forgive Nate and couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to read more about their complex connection. I read the book in one sitting and didn't want to put it down. I really enjoyed reading In a Heartbeat, it's an amazing endearing story.
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Resan
3.0 out of 5 stars ok
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
Not what I have come to expect from JKJ.
Also there seems to be a difference in writing style.

If written by any other author, I would have given ti 4+ stars; but JKJ has far higher standard than most authors.
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