Heading Home by Renee Riva

Heading Home by Renee Riva is the third in a series. I didn't read the first two in the series but was easily able to fall into the story without feeling lost. Renee's writing is lighthearted, her characters warm and funny. I loved watching A.J. try to figure out whether she should become a nun or not. Nice book with a real glimpse into life as it was in the 1970s.

About the book:

“Eight years is a long time—from saying good-bye as kids to saying hello as adults.” This is the first thought to cross A.J. Digulio’s mind after leaving Italy and returning to the home of her heart, Indian Island, Idaho. When she gets her first glimpse of her childhood friend Danny, A.J. knows immediately that much has changed in her absence. Renee Riva’s latest release,Heading Home, draws her readers into the heart of the Digulio family as A.J. discovers that one of the key elements of a lifelong relationship is a love that will anchor your heart and draw you toward home.

Angelina Digulio’s heart has been tenderly tied to Indian Island through a series of letters that Danny has written on behalf of her dog, Sailor, throughout her eight years in Italy. Although the initial reunion with Danny is sweet, at the ages of eighteen and twenty-two, it isn’t long before Danny and A.J. realize that the future of their hearts and the reality of their plans could very possibly take them in very different directions. While Danny explores the possibility of creating a series of summer camps for church groups and introducing a new Indian princess to the island, A.J. begins spending time with the nuns at Our Lady of the Lake in an attempt to fulfill a promise she made to God several years ago. What neither of them realize is that their dreams for the future are more entwined than they could ever believe possible.

Fans of Renee Riva’s Indian Island trilogy will be delighted to be reunited with the colorful cast of characters from the two previous books, Saving Sailor and Taking Tuscany. As Heading Home progresses, all three branches of the extended families collide—Southern, Italian and Greek!—to create a story that will linger tenderly in your heart for a very long time! There are many tense moments as Danny and A.J. sort through their feelings, and there are many holy moments as each of them come before God with their burdens and trust Him with their future. Hilarity also abounds in this story, especially when the Italian and Greek grandmothers come together!

Heading Home is a story about the very best of what it means to be family. This is a story about beautiful beginnings and happy endings! Fans of Renee Riva will add special memories to their reading collection with the final volume of the Indian Island Trilogy.

About the author:

Renee Riva has been writing humorous stories ever since she won her first writing contest in second grade. A former greeting card verse writer and popular speaker, Renee is the author of Saving Sailor, Taking Tuscany and two children's books. She and her husband reside in Washington State with their three daughters and a menagerie of pets.

Visit Renee at her website.

This book was provided for review by the B&B Media Company. You can purchase it from David C Cook.