The Heart Has Its Reasons by María Dueñas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m normally a very fast reader but this book took me a long time to finish. At the beginning, it moved slowly for me. But the back story kept drawing me in and made me want to finish. I’m so glad I did!
In an effort to escape the abrupt ending of her marriage, Blanca accepts a position in California, far away from her home in Madrid. She is to work on the legacy of a former professor at the college where she ends up. Although she is over qualified for the position, it was what she needed to get past the hurt in her life.
As she progresses through the life of the professor via his papers, she meets Daniel Carter. It is Daniel’s story that is the back story there. How, as a young man, he went to Spain to become entrenched in the culture and society so he could be a Hispanist.
This story was wonderful. I didn’t know exactly how the two stories would merge until close to the end. If you start to read it, and think it’s not moving fast enough, hold on and finish it! You’ll be glad you did.