Review The Heart of Devin MacKade (MacKade Brothers) by Nora Roberts

Does Nora Roberts ever write a bad story? If so, I haven’t read it. Ms. Roberts clearly and compassionately weaves the story of a man in love who finally believes the time is right to show his love for a woman. The woman (and her two children) are learning to trust others after escaping the extreme abuse of the husband/father. A warm and loving story but with nothing spared as to how abuse wrecks havoc on so many lives. Completely satisfying read. As I have noted many times before, I appreciate Ms. Roberts’ entwining the lives of the MacKade brothers along with their families within this series.

Devin was #3 of 4 MacKade brothers. They were all wild in their youth. Always looking for a reason to pound on each other as brothers do. So when he grew up…he became sheriff. Devin loved the town, the people, and most of all he loved Cassie. He had loved her since she was 16. He had waited one day too late to let her know this and she had gotten engaged to Joe.
It was a mistake on her part, because Joe was abusive…physically and emotionally. The abuse had gone on for many years until he attacked her one too many times. He had tried to strangle her and she knew, next time, he would succeed. She had tried to make the marriage work, blaming herself when he got angry and abusive. She divorced him. A year after the divorce, Devin finally gets around to making his feelings known to her.
As their relationship develops, Devin realizes he loves her and wants the children, her, family…all of it. Cassie’s daughter, Emma, loves him, but Conner is more cautious. He has only known Joe…and Joe has always been abusive. He doesn’t want another father. He believes fathers and abuse go hand in hand. When Cassie finds out how Conner feels, she ends her relationship with Devin. She won’t put her children through any more stress.
Joe escapes the prison work detail, and thanks to the help of his ex-mother in law, knows exactly where to find Cassie and those ‘brats’….
I liked this book because it had ‘meat’ to it. It covered ‘abusive relationships’ which is an all too frequent occurrence. It’s not just a romance story. To Devin…Cassie is his heart. His desire to love, protect and comfort her and her children is very heartwarming. With the help of family and friends, they just might become a family. Devin is a mans’ man…but he also has the heart to be gentle and kind.