Hopeful Hearts: Book 1
Publication Date: October 26, 2021
Short on clients and money, professional organizer Nicki Mayfield is hanging up her label maker. That is, until the eccentric socialite Katherine O’Connor offers Nicki one last job.
Working together, the pair discovers an unusual business card among Ms. O’Connor’s family belongings that leads them on a journey to China. There, the women embark on an adventure of faith and self-discovery as they uncovers secrets, truths, and ultimately, God’s perfectly arranged plan.
Nicki Mayfield has a knack for organization, but she’s forced to close her business and look for a job. When a client requests her services, she agrees to one last organizing gig. Author Liana George introduces the first book in the Hopeful Hearts series with Perfectly Arranged.
Nicki presents as a complicated character who has a challenging relationship with her mother, who happens to be somewhat of a packrat. Her disdain for excess puts her on a collision course with her client, Katherine O’Connor. The author uses an early scene to underscore the message that sometimes things aren’t always what they seem. In fact, each chapter begins with a thought-provoking Chinese proverb. Meanwhile, Ms. O’Connor appears to be cold and somewhat heartless in the beginning. Her character’s evolution is remarkable as the story progresses.
To add depth to the storyline, Nicki and Ms. O’Connor travel to China to get more information about a card found amongst the treasured belongings of Ms. O’Connor’s late father. That trip leads to a stunning revelation, which ultimately changes Nicki’s life. The conflict in the story is exceptionally well developed, making the ending even more significant.
I appreciated the moments of humor in the book, particularly the scenes involving Princess. It’s a fast-moving story that maintained my attention while highlighting Chinese culture. Perfectly Arranged may seem like a story about organizing clutter, but it actually sheds light on some valuable life lessons.
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
As a child, whenever anyone asked me that question, I always had 2 answers ready to offer: an author or a Wimbledon champion (that’s a tennis tournament, in case you didn’t know).
Although I never made it to a professional level of tennis stardom (or an amateur level for that matter; the best I could do was local tennis club play once or twice a week), I was able to realize my dream of becoming an author.
But it was a long time coming.
There were detours along the way – teaching elementary school, running children’s ministries, parenting and starting my own organizing business – as well as a few unexpected overseas adventures, but I finally put pencil to paper (yes, I’m old school) and used all my life experiences to write a story that I hoped would make a difference.
With the publication of my first book, Perfectly Arranged (Scrivenings Press, October 2021), I guess I’m finally grown up now and my dreams have come true.
However, now that I’ve reached adulthood I don’t plan on retiring. No, I think I’ll keep going … I have plenty of imaginary people and places to share with the world.
